Future Classic has slowly but steadily cemented their reputation as one of Australia’s finest musical stables. Theatre of Disco is the label’s latest addition to their stellar line-up and signifies a bit of new direction from the Future Classic sound explored on previous releases – hence the act was being showcased at the label’s Christmas bash on Saturday night.

Many times I catch myself glancing up at the Will & Toby’s balcony and wondering what the club has to offer. The place is decked out with very fancy décor and the dance floor area is well positioned, although a bit too cramped (especially when numbers reach that of what it was last night). The top floor is a nice chill out area with comfy couches, a surprisingly positioned horse and a smoking area that makes smoking even more intolerable. Upstairs, they were playing an eclectic mix of disco and electro well suited for the upstairs dance floor.

As soon as Theatre of Disco hit the main stage, the dance floor lit up. This has much to do with the magic that a live performance brings, injecting a whole new life into the dance floor. The band has improved immensely since the last time I saw them at Deep as Fuck. Their repertoire explores a wider palette of sounds (from Mylo styled electro house, to punk rock to obscure electronic disco), their rhythm section was extremely tight and frontman’s engaging performance makes the band’s show a real theatrical treat.

A lot of magic came in the fun approach the band take to their live performances, and the crazy shenanigans that go with it – throwing confetti over the crowd, various costume changes and getting members of the audience to bang the drums and scream incessantly on the microphone. But if I had to criticize, I’d say the band didn’t take the theatrics far enough, and relied too heavily on the frontman’s stage presence to drive the show along. By the end of their show it seemed to me their catalogue of material was very limited, and their exploration into punk-rock territory reminded me of the numerous rock ‘n’ roll wannabes that plagued my high school.

When it’s all said and done Theatre of Disco provide a serious opportunity for Future Classic to reach a much wider and diverse audience. Given more time and experience, Theatre of Disco definitely have the potential to be a huge hit on a national and worldwide scale. And with such energetic live performances, you can expect to see them at every festival under the sun this summer.