Ken Kenny was in the house boasting 100% old school style which decidedly became the theme of the night. Back in the day Hifi bar would have been a single fan forced oven full of sardines, but relief was finally set upon us with a crisp clean air-conditioning system and room to move due to the promoters not overselling the event. The neat tables and chairs by the relocated back bar made socialising easy and with an old school crowd like this one… any Jungle, Dub, Breaks or Drum n Bass fanatic would have wanted to be there. The stage set up was intimate and appropriate for the event, with room for MCs and tech crews to move on the stage behind, whilst the DJs played on a mid level in front of the sticky dance floor. This made way for 90’s rave style laser light shows above, with smoke machines and camouflage décor to complete the stage show by bringing “old school” and “jungle” together visually. Not to mention the modest fancy dress in the crowd. Cats, bears, monkeys, Tarzan & Jane, snakes, moss, birds and killa bees making their appearances as well as echoes thru the trees and blazing fires everywhere… How Melbourne, how old skool, how good!! It seemed all the elementz had come together nicely.

On entry to the event it was noticeable that someone was listening upstairs as the sound levels were comfortable and this was reflected in the happy crowd mingling by the bar. Joe Seven was rolling out smooth old school drum n bass sounds early, leaving you blessed with that feeling of familiarity. Then Beatski stepped up to the plate for roll call, slowly drawing the audience to the dance floor. Trooper fired his guns next to crank it up a few notches with MC Wasp (Melb) on the airwaves. The feet started to move and crackling electricity began generating the arms – the audience was then ready for more…

Kenny Ken (UK) the man of the moment that had arrived, after much anticipation, as the levels were rising. Previously referred to as a pioneer, Kenny Ken seemed well at home in our wet Melbourne summer, opening with a glistening dew of trance blended with banging jungle bass. The morning light had returned. Early mixed beats of 90s house, dance, trance and dub anthems cut with bass beats became the call of the wild. The jungle began to come to life with a revival of the fittest. Kenny Ken’s quick hands and observant nature pushed the party sound to a more mellow ‘Mix n Blen’, releasing the bass sounds through the ground with a rumble. The ceremony was officially beginning as the ultimate king had arrived on the decks. The reggae dub started its work and from out of the bustling dance floor came MC Dynamite (UK) for a surprise explosion. Together they revisited the sounds of London with some dancehall style and breaks… then back to the Jungle. It was time to clear the throne for the next in line but the activity below was still too great. One more, two more, hell – 3 is the magic number! Kenny Kens flawless mixes of Jungle with drops of Hip Hop and wet Breaks is a sound only a master can bring to such a select, focussed crowd, calling for 3 more!

Fear not, this wasn’t the end as it was old school and therefore only the beginning. Feeding time was upon us after what seemed like a day on the green with Kenny Ken. The audience hung around whilst the slow stream of bed headers and bar hoppers began. Finna stepped in mixing us back to the present with a BBA DJ rotation including Patch (Adelaide), Safire and Tobias to balance things out. The crowd rolled around for the rest of the night grasping their beers and making reflective comments such as Best Jungle Party of the Year.. but I suppose you had to be there didn’t you?!

In summary, the sound was brilliant on all levels. The vibration through the floor was dozy & comfortable and there were no noisy glitches. Brokenbeat Assault’s efforts to put on this party showed experience and consideration. The venue looked great as it has been recently fitted out with new signage, carpet, furniture and ventilation systems. It was easy to find a spot to sit, stand or dance depending on your best form of concentration, which is usually very rare at these events. An educated easy going crowd was a must as an audience to such a musical legend and that’s what we saw. The DJs & engineers know the ropes well so the whole night ran smoothly and the crowd could sense that – maybe with their animal instincts? It really was wild.