The UK’s Bodyrox exploded all over the scene last year with the release of their seminal work, Yeah Yeah. Currently on their second Australian tour this year and making their first visit to Adelaide with a couple of massive hits under their belts, these lads had plenty to prove.

Bodyrox are Jon Pearn and Nick Bridges, who have both had significant success individually and as part of other collaborations, most notably Full Intention (Pearn). It is their work as Bodyrox, however, that has thrust them into the international spotlight.

Wandering into HQ halfway through DJ Brendon’s set, it was reasonably busy and seemed to be full of the typical HQ Saturday night crowd (who would have been there no matter who was playing). Many seemed oblivious to the fact that a massive international name was about to take to the stage.

Brendon went through the motions, covering the Bob Sinclar, Armand van Helden and Fedde le Grande bases. It’s always frustrating watching Brendon in venues like HQ. Through his radio, production and less commercial DJ work he has displayed incredible diversity and talent, but he is forced to play such a narrow range of music on nights like this. Anyone care to start a ‘Let Brendon off the leash’ group on Facebook?

Around 12:30 Bodyrox took to the stage, in front of a crowd who still didn’t really seem to know what they were watching. It was only when the first bars of Yeah Yeah sounded that the collective penny dropped, and after that it was on for young and old.

Bodyrox had two surprises in store for us. The first was opening with Yeah Yeah. It was an interesting move, and turned out to be a smart one. It got the crowd onside from the outset and set the mood for the evening. It’s a tune perfect for a venue like HQ – big, bassy and happy, with a vocal just dying to be sung along to. It went down a treat.

The second surprise was that there was only one of them. Jon Pearn was unable to join us, so we were left in the more than capable hands of Nick Bridges. He wasn’t totally on his own though, supported by a lovely young lady taking care of dancing and arm-waving duties from the back of the DJ booth.

The first half of the set was more or less the sound you would have expected; dirty, funky, electro-y goodness. The crowd loved it, working up and down with the bass lines. Bridges got into it as well, jumping around and interacting with the crowd. He was also technically skilled, mixing like a dream but keeping it fun. He obviously loves his job, and he was great to watch.

The second half of the set was a little more progressive. After a weird little intermission (the music just stopped for about thirty seconds while we got a reminder of who was on stage), Bridges dropped Bodyrox’s second single, What Planet You On?. Less well-known than the opener, it still drew a great reaction. It’s a funky little tune that deserves to do well.

The crowd, in typical HQ fashion, responded really well to tracks that they knew. Bridges figured this out and the second half was full of the big tracks of the moment. Remixes of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers’ By the Way, that House of Pain track and Faithless’ Insomnia turned our nice, orderly little dance floor into a sweaty, writhing mess.

Winding up a solid two hours with another big track of the moment, Born Sleepy (a remix of Underworld’s anthem), they had certainly quelled any concerns of them being a one trick pony. The HQ regulars loved it, the chin scratching music aficionados observing from the side of the dance floor loved it, even the glassies were bouncing along as they darted around the room. And this raving reporter was as happy as could be.

With Rmac taking over once Bodyrox had finished we called it a night, but HQ was still packed and bouncing as we headed out the door. Great night, great tunes – more of the same please!