For this Melbourne boy, this was my first Sounds On Sunday experience, and with Jon Pearn of Bodyrox coming to town it promised plenty. As far as Sounds’ sets are concerned, I would ultimately have nothing to compare Pearn’s set with. As a set in itself however, it would be rock solid, with tight mixing was tight, and a healthy dose of tunes, allowing those that had come to party do exactly that.

Things started slowly, but as it was my first SoS experience I was all fuzzy and tingly. With an equally excited friend in tow, she and I arrived just in time to hear the end of John Glover’s set, which had the crowd nice and tuned, relatively relaxed, and all enjoying the sounds resonating through the North Sydney partying enclave. As Trix & Goodfella took over behind the decks, the tempo went up a notch, the sun shone through, and as they dropped into a personal favourite bomb of mine in Go (Trentemoller remix) by Moby, I increasingly began to get a sense of what has made SoS such a phenomenal success. I know now what it is that creates the very original energy and superb soundscape that only Sounds can deliver. Interestingly though, as the heavens opened and the rain began bucketing down, it all began to have an all too familiar Field Day 2007 feel to it; with rain tumbling just before the last set on the main stage was set to start. There was no Solveig tonight though – it would be all about Bodyrox’s Jon Pearn.

The rain dampened proceedings a little, but the enthusiasm of the throng would make up for it, and the heat kept rising. As people crammed into whatever shelter they could find, it got even hotter. While others threw caution to the wind and cut loose in the rain, Pearn broke into a set that, while perhaps not too adventurous, would ultimately deliver. Cicada’s The Things You Say (Dirty South remix) drew the first big response, only to be bettered shortly after by Mason’s Exceeder. SoS was quickly delivering on what I had heard so much about but had never had the pleasure to witness. Pearn never got too animated behind the decks, and remained a picture of concentration, but he was nevertheless appreciating the crowd’s antics.

He dropped a remix of the classic track Insomnia by Faithless, and the North Sydney crowd showed its appreciation. Despite its years, the remixes that come out of this track can continue to spark any crowd up. Similarly with his second Dirty South remix for the evening, in Evermore’s It’s Too Late; a song that despite being around for close to ten months now, still drew a response from the increasingly damp crowd. The Courtyard was teeming with positive energy, and while some of us had obviously brought our dancing shoes, as you looked around it was obvious that there were some that were just as content to kick back, relax, and take it all in. Ultimately I guess that is what it is.

Without a doubt though, one moment that got a reaction from all – was when Pearn dropped the track that has brought Bodyrox the biggest success, Yeah Yeah – with Luciana on vocals. Some three years after the track was released in its original format, it is this vocal remix that has brought it worldwide success, and also brought it into the mainstream, and at SoS this widespread appeal was obvious. With twenty minutes left in his set, this had been the moment most had probably been keenly anticipating, and the seven minute version sent many into a frenzy. He kept the tempo up right till the end, and as he wrapped it all up with A Bit Patchy by Switch (Kenny Dope remix), you got the impression that he looked quite happy to keep going past closing; no such luck however. Sydney’s brush with Bodyrox – and mine with Sounds – had come to an end; hopefully both only on a brief hiatus. While the set wasn’t the most daring and didn’t venture far from the mainstream, it provided plenty of highlights, got loads of people dancing (some while sitting), and Pearn delivered it all with a smile on his face.

As I normally do when I’m in Sydney, I forget about time, and just lap it all up while I can. Sunday evening was exactly the same. While a weekend of solid partying may have since caught up with me, when you’re in amongst a pretty fired up crowd at your first Sounds experience, the pain is the last thing on your mind. Looking forward to experience number two!