“Raise your hands if you don’t give a f-ck that it’s raining!” The idea of the ‘Block Party’ can be traced back to the 1970s, when members of the poorer areas of the New York metropolis would come together to chill, dance, party and bang the funkiest music they could out of an often illegally powered (read: powerline tapping) mish-mash of speakers and amps. Despite the technological upgrade, the Trinity Block Party last year still managed to capture both the community spirit of public congregation and inevitable cool associated with the hip-hop, breaks and funk culture.

Having not visited the inaugural Block Party in 2007, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. I had received stellar accounts of the first party, yet the idea of hanging out in front of a bar, in a carpark, still retained its mysteries. Furthermore the 2008 party featured a lineup of which I was not entirely familiar. One thing I must comment on before I go into the particularities of each act was just how well the event worked. Each act, while presenting something unique in its own right, stayed true to the overall feel of the day, a feel which oozed both the laidback cool of old school funk and hip hop and the party-time energy of nu-school breaks, baltimore and baile-funk.

Stand out performer of the afternoon was Sydney’s Wax Motif. He’s the kind of DJ who can present tracks you’ve become well accustomed to over the last 2-or-so-years, and still maintain an air of originality and freshness. Playing tracks like Edu K Sex-o-Matic, Aquasky Have a Good Time and Bag Raiders Fun Punch could hardly be considered pushing the boundaries of musical originality, yet when they were combined with the kind of programming and mixing Motif displayed, they became both exciting and utterly addictive.

In between the acts Michael O’Rouke had the task of filling the gaps and retaining attention spans. I still maintain that someone in this position has a limited catalogue at their disposal. That said – it was nice to hear something a little different to the standard festival electro-house stocking stuffers, though if one considers the vibe Lexington were aiming for, it all begins to make perfect sense. Props to O’Rouke for not succumbing to the Moby Raining Again for unparalleled predictability when the heavens opened up, instead opting for the subtle ‘when the rains came’ reference in Van Morrison Brown Eyed Girl. As if the musical talents of O’Rouke weren’t enough, the crowd also benefitted from the vocal encouragement of Ro ‘the bee keeper’ Shambo. Strutting, jiving and jalooping in and out of the crowd, wireless mic in hand, Ro kept things on track, provided some much appreciated comic relief (i.e. when it rained) and kept the crowd excited. It’s surprising how effective these small human touches really are.

Next up Canberra 8-piece Casual Projects unleashed they’re jazzy/hip hoppy/rocky/funky originals upon the carpark. Switching seamlessly from Australian hip hop (referring to style, not accent, though the latter also featured) to rock and jazzy funk demonstrated just how diverse these guys are. My only criticism comes from the fact that I didn’t know much (any) of their material, so towards the end of their set I somewhat lost interest. This is more a reflection of the reviewer, though, than the group – thumbs up.

The introduction of the next act, Katalyst, highlighted one of my pet peeves of the afternoon, the programming of the artists. I still maintain it would have been much more effective to break up the live acts with longer DJ sets (O’Rouke filled in during the switch over, but only for a few minutes). I’d never seen Katalyst before, and whether it was the issues I had with the aforementioned programming, or just the amount of rave reviews I’d heard about these guys, I couldn’t help but feel a little underwhelmed. Their musical choice wasn’t exactly spectacular. Solid, yes, but playing The Jackson Five, Beastie Boys and a smattering of famous rock numbers has been done to death by many a funk cum hip hop DJ in recent times, hasn’t it?

I have fond memories of Dirty Laundry. I remember being given their mix tape back in 2005 and thinking they were pretty damn good. Alas, three years on, more cast changes than Days of Our Lives and the parting of ways with Seany B has left the group a somewhat shattered remnant of its former self. That said, in some strange twisted way it may have been exactly what the crowd needed after the previous two acts who, although musically more interesting, playing predominantly their own material. Crookers, The Similou, Supermode, Fedde Le Grand, Silverchair, Scenario Rock and Armand van Helden at least gave the crowd a frame of reference within which they could flail about in an orange sea of unpretentious fun. If nothing else, it was pretty damn catchy.

I’ve written a few reviews in the past featuring ex-Canberra Steve Lind and it has become increasingly difficult to come up with adjectives to describe just the kind of effect he has on a sizeable crowd. Like Wax Motif, it’s not so much what he plays, but how he plays it. B-more, baile funk, house, hip hop and (of course) breaks all featured in his rollercoaster set. His own b-more booty of Potbelleez Don’t Hold Back went down predictably well, as did the unknown remix of Timbaland The Way I Are. Although exceptionally difficult to critique technically, I’m going to go out on a limb and say he wasn’t quite as adventurous as usual, but I guess that comes with being a part of the (mini) festival thang.

Last up on ze line-up was German electro-breaks (or should that be electro/breaks?) producer Malente. Typically banging, it was nice to show some Canberra love by dropping the Aston Shuffle’s new tune For Everyone, though an inkling inside would bet that it would have been a safe addition regardless of location. A good, solid end to a great afternoon, I couldn’t help but get the feeling that he was saving the best for the after party – a shame as not everyone would attend – but somewhat understandable. It’s not hard to comprehend Malente’s recent rise to Germany’s #1 DJ, technically and musically it was pretty damn solid.

Before I wrap this up I have to comment briefly on the generosity of Lexington in donating all ticket sales to Oxfam. Not only is it a worthy cause, it again epitomises the community spirit characteristic of the first block parties. Let’s hope Lexington’s legacy continues in some form in the future, to give up on something this good would be a damn shame.