Sounds On Sunday feat. Kaskade @ The Greenwood, Sydney (27/01/08)
Given the impressive rush on tickets weeks in advance of this one, there was a fair expectation that this was going to be one of the hottest and more popular events of the Australia Day long weekend. When Sydney turned on the weather and kept up its end of the bargain, and the crowd streamed in, both expectations were well on the way to be fulfilled. Ryan Raddon, AKA Kaskade was coming to town, and all and sundry had come to play.
Those that got there early to avoid the queues were treated with some solid tunes from a solid lineup. Illya showed off his wares, and why he continues to be regarded as some of Sydney’s hottest house property. When Rob Kay arrived with Pauli440 a valuable assistant on trumpet and keytar, the warmed up crowd was beginning to reach boiling point. It was at about this same time that the queues outside began getting monstrously long. The crowd was a touch older than you might find on a regular Sunday at the Greenwood, but really, only a touch. But the lads played it all, a bit from today with Show Me Love from Mobin Master getting a not surprising roar, and with a taste of yesterday too, including the In Petto remix of the hit Toca’s Miracle from Fragma, some minds wandered back to times, parties, and even kisses gone by.
Back to the now though. With no adieu (at all in fact), the man they had all come to see stepped up, and in true style, he belted out his trademark classic in Be Still. For me, if there was one song that typified his crossover into the mainstream more than any other it was this, and nowhere was it better illustrated as it got absolutely lapped up by a capacity crowd at the Greenwood. Like a gun that kept firing bullseyes, he kept hitting the mark with big number after another, Stars Align, Steppin Out, all straight out of the Kaskade stable, and he kept them pumping for 2-hours straight.
Churning out the classics that made him popular, it was like a back-catalogue of his greatest hits. Maybe boring for some, but for mine, he played to the crowd. He threw in some of the newer stuff too though, including his (relatively) recent remixes of the Nelly Furtado hit in All Good Things Come To An End and a touch of Justin Timberlake with Lovestoned. Without doubt though, and as special as his opening track was, the tracks that drew the greatest response, at least in our little corner of the Greenwood, numbered two. When Everything was dropped, well, it was just one of those moments. Fans of the man had to be there, and hell, they probably were. And if they were sharing it with someone special, well, shit, they may have even proposed. Then came It’s You, It’s Me and another one of those moments, emotions running high, arms even higher, vocal chords stretched to beyond recognition. Mayhem, but loving every minute of it.
He threw in his touch-up of the David Morales track in Here I Am and for a moment there it felt good to have house back at Sounds on Sunday. As he dropped in All You and the vocals “all you tonight, lift me up, all you tonight, fill my cup” just reverberated around the plaza, you knew his set was coming to an end, but you could sense that Raddon had enjoyed it as much as everyone else. Shamus took over and rocked the party on until Ember well and truly wrapped things up, but as the crowd slowly filtered out, Chinese banquets for some, continued partying for others, you just knew it was one of those Greenwood parties that well, you will never quite forget.
Stonkmaster says...
top review dude. was a great day/night. as the lads from england/wales stated "closest thing to ibiza in Australia"... look forward to your next review.
chip76 says...
Top review mate. It was a great night. I have seen Kaskade a few times before but by far this was the best set i have seen him play. THe crowd got into it big time and Kaskade did play to them. What a night!!!
locky says...
"nearly as good as ibiza innit." Thanks for the validation.
LINDABELINDA says...
this was one of the best events ive been too in ages!! keep up the good work