The Metro was packed to capacity to say “Bugger Off” to cheeky Australian dance act Sonic Animation at their farewell gig on Friday night. 

The vibe was evident early on with Soma Rasa delivering a massive set of dub and breaks to an enthusiastic dance floor. Tonight this two piece outfit of live drums and sequencer were joined by a jolly fella on the mic who bounced about offering beer to the best body movers out on the dance floor. The crowd were all too pleased to oblige, whilst some colourful characters joined the throng adding their own style of sonic animation to the buzzed up vibe. Soma Rasa kept the breaks rolling strong with classic Funk Phenomenon samples whilst the tributes to The Clash and Scribe seemed a little weak. Their original material rated highly in comparison: hypnotic breaks with progressive interest kept me on my feet til the end of their set. In particular “Something Wicked” was delightfully dark whilst “I Like It” shook my bones in all the right ways.   

DJ Bentley provided the half time entertainment with an accessible mix of old and not-so-new floor fillers. Not that he had his work cut out for him – the floor was already heaving with too many people trying to get near the front. Bentley held his captive audience with well oiled ease, whilst those stuck in the queue at the top bar were obviously anxious to get back to the hot spot before the main event. Smokers took their chances against the roaming Metro staff rather then risk a minute missed outside. People were happy to be here and that made the squashy conditions all the more bearable.

SonicAnimation danced onto stage and launched into a 75 minute set that covered their 11 year history with much personality and gusto. Front man Rupert savoured every moment to joke with the audience, whilst Adrian spent most of the set safely behind their gear. SonicAnimation’s diverse sound ranged from rave and trance “I Feel Ecstasy” and “Shed 14” through to almost laidback grooves “This is not a love Poem” via the big beat frenzy of “Theophilus Thistler”, the obvious crowd favourite. To mark the occasion, the comic duo of the famous Sonic puppets rumbled about the stage bumping into each other and the gear. My favourite track “Get Up” was a bitter sweet moment, as too was “Love Lies Bleeding”.

Needless to say, the gig as well received by all in attendance, and the repeated cries for encore suggest to me that it ain’t over yet by a long shot for these larrikins.