Last Friday evening, after almost 10 months as a Favela virgin, I was finally deflowered. It was the promise of some quality tech loving from Stick Figures that first seduced me to the Kings Cross’s newest club. I had my reservations, but after numerous event previews and Rubicon devotees assuring me there would be no cheesy music and no fluoro, my cherry was as good as popped.

The moment I entered Favela I instantly felt I was in Paris, New York or maybe even the Greek Islands. And it wasn’t just the accent of every second bartender; it was the décor, the layout, the vibe inside. Something I couldn’t quite put my finger on but it is a type of clubbing that is hard to find in Sydney.

I ventured upstairs to the club where Baz and Matty J, better known as the Fingered DJs, were almost halfway through their set. The dance floor, albeit small, was absolutely packed. The party vibe hit you like a blow to the head as you entered the room. People spilled out from the bar, cocktails in hand, and with better things on their mind than whose jeans were the tightest. With a ceiling covered in light installations, some amazingly original and well-executed visuals, along with some deep funky tech bursting from the speakers, it was disco at its finest.

At one point Timmy Trumpet even popped out of nowhere and jumped up to belt out a melody just for the sake of it. Such was the vibe when you stepped foot upstairs.

Stick Figures’ set was diverse and musical, exploring the full potential of the tech sound, from funky and electro tinged to the new-rave sounds, to slightly twisted and darker, to jacking tech house, but most of all just party music. Unfortunately, with only two of the three Stick Figures present, it wasn’t a live set so it’s hard to compare it to the mayhem that they served up at We Love Sounds this year. But hearing well-selected songs like Sebastien Leger’s Little Bug, Richard Dinsdale & Mark Knight’s Crunch and Modeselektor’s Dancing Box definitely kept me on my toes. And as promised, no cheese.

I managed to duck downstairs a few times to have a drink and check out Bounce/Skate/Rock/Roll and The Game Boys who were mucking around behind the decks together. It was a bit of lounge, bit of hip-hop, bit of chill out, bit of bop, bit of this and bit of that, and a perfect break from the main room atmosphere.

Back upstairs the dance floor started to thin out by 2am, which was way before my bed time, so after a couple of glasses of champagne it was time to replace one dance floor for another. And so, my first encounter with Rubicon left me intrigued, satisfied, entertained and very much looking forward to the next monthly instalment. The music, the club, the visuals and the vibe were enough to lure me back next time because, although the clubs in Sydney treat me so well, there is nothing like a new love affair to spice things up.