With almost five years under its belt, the ridiculously popular club night Kink was saying farewell to its current digs at The Arthouse – and needless to say, it was always going to be quite an event. This had been marked as a farewell to remember, and the crowd showed up in earnest expecting quite the night. Few would have left disappointed!

My entourage and I arrived just in time to hear the final stages of what seemed an impressive set from Illya – as usual, tearing up a Sydney crowd as he often does. The crowd was on song, and there were people everywhere, both in and out – but interestingly not at the bar. Hmmm. Given the energy of the crowd, maybe not that surprising. There were lines everywhere else though, including outside. Actually, it was more like a throng, with people all over Pitt Street trying to figure out the quickest way in.

Next on show was Miss Gabby, who I’d heard a bit about. But as a recent import from Melbourne, prior to Saturday I’d never had the chance to see her play. I now have, and I like. She was unstoppable behind the decks, bouncing away, and she ripped out a thoroughly enjoyable set. The Switch remix of Bump by Spank Rock got people well and truly bumping; she seriously got her groove on (is that sexist?) and I liked it. Something about it. Then again, maybe I just need to get out more often; either way, she rocked and so did the crowd.

Not sure if it was unmistakable ‘finale’ vibe in the air, but it felt like a celebration; there was even a pseudo-festival feeling present (with almost enough fluoro to match) with everyone being just that touch more friendly with each other. You know, that feeling that you often get at the outdoor parties, but not so much the regular club nights. But then again, this was no regular club night.

As midnight struck, and some pumpkins headed home, we were treated to Shamus v Goodfella. The duo made their intentions clear early on, including that they had So Much Love To Give from Together (comprised of French duo Thomas Bangalter and DJ Falcon ). Consistent with a closing night, there was a touch of nostalgia to it, with a bit of a trip down memory lane; Bucketheads dropped their Bomb, as so did the Eric Prydz remix of Switch’s A Bit Patchy . Keeping the masses happy, the Kanye West smash Stronger, although seeming just a touch out of place perhaps it confirmed what I was pretty sure of anyway: namely, that I officially cannot wait for Daft Punk in December. A bit more of a commercial set from the lads, but the crowd absolutely lapped it up.

By the time the headline act in Tom Stephan (aka Superchumbo ) arrived, things were bubbling over very nicely. The tunes kept being churned out, and the dance moves became more and more adventurous. For the next two hours, he would belt out a set of his unmistakable, blend of deep tribal and electronic rhythms, and it went down a damn treat. The crowd roared as one on a number of occasions, and as a headline, it proved a fitting finale to a club night that in its time has become an institution.

Consistent with that, while Kink was always known for playing the latest and greatest (one chap’s t-shirt said it all: “I heard it at KINK before it got FAMOUS”), Saturday night saw a good rinse out of all the classic anthems throughout the night. The show put on by Ben Morris & James Taylor in particular, was absolutely loaded with them. Such was the energy that it was no surprise that this was the night that held an unprecedented reign over Saturday night clubbing, having consistently packed out the club each and every week for years (until it went up against some heavy clubbing competition earlier this year of course).

But for now, the curtain closes. While Kink will re-establish itself in the near future somewhere else (the good oil is on Oxford Street), the memories of the Arthouse will no doubt remain (relatively) pure for many – and for a long time to come. But as they bid it adieu on Saturday night, they did it in the only way that Kink knows: hard, and well after sunrise…