The Bang Gang Deejays are hardly in need of an introduction. We all know who they are, what they do and how well they do it. Gus Da Hoodrat, Ajax, Dangerous Dan, Dj Damage, Jaime Doom and Nolan Nolan can be credited with not only placing Australia on the radar in the world of contemporary dance music, but for giving us pretty solid dominance in the field. Hell, people are still buzzing from the Light Sound Dance compilation which in my opinion, was some pretty straight up filthy perfection (and I would expect nothing less from the boys). The posse of six have been devastating dance-floors worldwide, demonstrating that Australia does indeed own the dirtiest sounds in the world. I was incredibly excited about finally seeing the crew back together playing back-to-back all night long at one of the sexiest venues in Sydney. Arq made for a dark and mysterious setting, not to mention a killer laser and lighting system which in itself was entertainment enough.

Arriving around 12, I was happy to see that the night was already well on its way and there weren’t as many fleuro-attired-jerks as I had been anticipating. The atmosphere was just awesome, and I was delighted to see people getting so excited about music. Some pretty intense podium dancing was taking place and the dancefloor was completely packed with a sea of people dancing outrageously. While you would imagine that DJing practically every night of the week would result in the activity becoming slightly routine to the boys, they looked to be having too much fun behind the decks. Jumping around, dancing, drinking and throwing glowsticks at people.

It was certainly disappointing to see a large portion of the crowd disappear around 4am. Why? For Shame. But the most important aspect of the night which I would just love to rant on about is the music. It’s always such a pleasure to see the Bang Gang deejays play. Musically, the night gave a combination of fun hip-hop, indie dance, some old school jams, Baltimore and of course, some intense dirty electro. All mixed together expertly to deliver an inventive and unpredictable set.
The Bang Gang boys definitely demonstrate the resurgence of the DJ as an innovator, managing to turn any song into a legit head-banger and doing a great job of keeping the crowd engaged.

I have had the pleasure of attending the last few Bang Gang bashes at Arq, and have found each one to be thoroughly enjoyable. Their Christmas party wasn’t absolutely mind-blowing in comparison, but was definitely still a delicious treat.