Hed Kandi is a name which needs no introduction to funky house fanatics. The party people of Perth on the 8th Septeber would be treated to a visit by this well branded label, club night and all round house music institution for a night that wouldn’t be forgotten too quickly. Needless to say the sexy, saltry, sumptuous and soulful sounds promised to take over the perfect venue; Ambar. Representing Hed Kandi were two well renowned names in the world of house music; David Dunne and Johnny Gleeson as well as Cisco (percussion) and of course the creme de la creme of Perth’s house talent. I couldn’t contain the excitement prior to this event and to make it even more special; this was indeed Hed Kandi’s first ever visit to our shores.

I arrived at Ambar a couple of minutes before the club opened its doors. Already a substantial line had developed outside waiting eagerly for the night that was about to unfold. One of Perth’s most talented house DJ’s Buex was given the honour of getting the night underway and he did not disappoint. As I sipped a Red Stripe I was treated to house music that is just the way I like it; loaded with saxaphones, trumpets and other instruments of a non-electronic nature. It was a pleasant sight to witness Buex playing to a club that was definitely not empty. Buex’ set progressed smoothly from funky to filthy and he even threw in a couple of classics. What better way to set the tone for the night?

Big A and Adam Kelly took over to whip out their hour long warm up sets to continue proceedings before David Dunne and Johnny Gleeson’s headline performances. These two names haven’t established themselves firmly in Perth’s house scene without good reason; tight mixing, tight tunes and all round tight mixes. As more and more people descended down the Ambar steps to join the party I couldn’t help but notice the eclectic mix of people in the crowd. There were people in attendance who clearly loved their house, there were the A-typical house club type people and there were of course a good few who were willing to be educated in all things funky. In between regular rounds it was hard to resist the allure of the dance floor.

David Dunne graced the Ambar decks at midnight to deliver a set which highlighted in the best way possible what the Hed Kandi sound is all about. Cisco was doing a bang-up job too; adding a special touch to the evening. Whilst bopping about on the dance floor I suddenly noticed that Ambar looked a little bit different than usual. I’ve always been under the impression that Ambar needed to be just a little bit brighter and breezier given its music policy and on this occasion the visual setup was perfect. There was even a huge video screen just to the left of the DJ booth which eluminated the dance floor brilliantly.

Rich with vocal and disco influences; David Dunne’s set traversed through the filthy and funky ends of town whilst every single beat remained true to the eclectic Hed Kandi sound. I found myself getting completley lost in the music to the point where I barely even noticed one track going into another. Given that my knowledge of house music is only budding I cojldn’t recognise many of David Dunne’s tunes although from the Hed Kandi CD’s that I have listened to, his set had that definitively cool Hed Kandi feel. The Ambar crowd was loving every single beat all the same.

Up next at 3 was Sydney based house hero Johnny Gleeson. Upon doing a little bit of research on this talented Aussie I discovered that he has been around since the early days and with a knack for both DJ’ing and producing Gleeson has found himself firmly positionned in the international circuit. The Hed Kandi massive was treated to two very special hours of funky goodness complete with Johnny Gleeson’s well renowned sampling, re-editing, looping and warming acapellas. A highlight of both his set and the nght occurred as Gleeson dropped his very own “Right Before My Eyes.” This was not, suffice to say, the only tune of Gleeson’s own making that was thrown down. I certainly hope that this highly creative and talented houser makes another visit to the wild West before too long.

James A took control of the decks to deliver the last one hour set of the night. Completely exhausted I sat down with one more Red Stripe to nod my head to a perfect array of tunage ideal for letting the night soak in. This was a fantastic evening of fabulous house music and I sincerely hope that this first visit to Perth by Hed Kandi won’t be the last. It was nice to see the DJ’s taking the time to chat with their fans too. What better way to be reminded that summer isn’t far with a quality house night like this.