Like another ITM event reviewer recently alluded to, it takes something special to head out in the Polar Bear friendly weather at this time of year. And last Friday night at Revolver was definitely one of those memorable occasions, as Melbourne got a fantastic set from Fingerlickin’ Records crew Slyde.

I arrived around 11pm just in time to hear Melbourne’s own Nick Thayer. I have previously seen Nick play a hip hop set prior to Krafty Kuts at the Metro in ‘04 and have a copy of his awesome more breaks-oriented promo CD from later that year. He’s a class act! This time we got something a different. Rather than build up the momentum, Thayer’s Revolver set was consistently funky with lots of big, medium-paced, beats. His acapella of the classic track Wild Thing vs In Stereo by the Plump DJ’s was a highlight for me. Nick’s ability to include his own productions, such as Theme One, gave his set a genuine personal touch.  From about the half way mark the Revolver crowd was on their feet setting the scene perfectly for Slyde.

Maybe a little predictably, but fun none-the-less, Slyde kicked things off with Slippedy Slide. Their set then picked up a gear as the BPM’s were considerably higher than Thayer’s. Some great breaks tunes were dropped including the new Plumpies selections, The Rub Off and Get Kinky, which positively squelched out of Revolver’s speaker system! We even got to hear a breaks version of Michael Jackson’s Bus Stop, and Thayer & Kleph’s remix of Feelin’ Kinda Strange by Sylde stable-mates the Drumattic Twins. By this stage of the evening Revolver had a very good size crowd and there was barely a person not on their feet dancing.

From here they took a more funk-oriented approach, starting with their new 12” We Love It! This is a great tune and I was very interested to note that it got the biggest reception of the evening. Slyde then showcased a bunch of their own productions, most of which are new to me. From reading recent street press articles, I can only assume they are upcoming releases. One in particular that stood out was the funky, almost reggae, release featuring young Jamaican rapper/ signer, Lady Posh. This is will be their next 12” and is sure to be a big hit.

In summary, this was a great night out and for the very small entry fee, was a bargain. Anyone interested in Slyde should make sure they see them as they tour around Australia. Of most interest to me was the quality and diversity of their artist material and I think they’ll deliver an absolute belter of an album (currently scheduled for release early in ‘06). I noticed that Fingerlickin’ launched a new site last week, http://www.fingerlickin.co.uk, and suggest people sign up for their e-newsletter to keep a track on Slyde’s movements. Excellent stuff indeed!