inthemix | Event Coverage | Bacardi Express Tour @ On a Train, Melbourne to Sydney (23-24/02/08)

Who would you like to spend 48 hours on a train with and why? This was the question I answered to win myself and a guest the prize of travelling on the Bacardi Express. A weekend tour from Melbourne to Sydney on a decked out heritage train carrying a cargo of bands, DJs and white rum. After the initial shock of actually winning something that didn’t come in the form of ‘buy one get one free’, I realised that this was a good opportunity to write a review for inthemix, enjoy an all expenses paid holiday and drink more Bacardi that can possibly be healthy, even by a man of my stature (sasquatch-like).

Onboard were indie-rockers Faker, New Zealand rapper Scribe, Australian dance duo Pnau, genre-defying brother and sister act Bumblebeez and the notorious Bang Gang DeeJays (Ajax, Doom and Gus). Also on the train was the tour’s master of ceremonies Beardyman, the UK’s two year running beatbox champ. You may have seen the highly entertaining YouTube video of him “cooking” a breakbeat, Martha Stewart style. Along the journey the train stopped in Melbourne, Albury, Wollongong and Sydney where the line-up of mix-bag musicians performed at secret gigs for the ticket winners of individual shows.

The concert at The Forum begun a little after 11am, opening the doors to around a hundred Melbourne ticket winners. Bang Gang were given the task of getting people in the mood to drink and dance on a weekend morning. They did manage to set the mood, but I don’t think a single head was bobbing but my own. This was my first visit to The Forum, and the venue looks spectacular. The look of an outside Greek theatre helped you forget it was daylight outside.

The Forum was getting a little more crowded by 11:40, at which point Bumblebeez came on with their signature phone ringing. The reception for the Bumblebeez wasn’t fantastic, and while people were happy to watch, the show lacked the high-energy party feel that their set at the Hot BBQ festival held. Their single ‘Dr. Love’ got a lukewarm cheer from the crowd, and even managed to get a few people moving. I personally enjoyed their song ‘Crocodile’, which perfectly captures their funky irrelevance.

After their departure from the stage we were introduced to Beardyman. He immediately gauged a reaction from the crowd, utilising his vocoder-less robotic voice. Beardyman is a born performer and host. He mixes wit and charisma with his amazingly verbal skills. After his entrance he launched in an entirely vocal version of Benny Benassi’s ‘Satisfaction’. The crowd were really digging it and it we could feel a bit more of a concert atmosphere emerge as people shook off their morning cobwebs. Beardyman launched into what can only be describe as a beatbox dance set. He managed to imitate every style of music from hip-hop to breaks to electro to pop like some sort of English accented robotic music parrot.

Beardyman wrapped up his vocal showcase and introduced the next band. Faker were fantastic, and thanks to Beardyman warming up the crowd, everybody was rocking out. I’m not a massive fan of indie-rock usually, but I would put money on Faker getting more and more popular as they release these songs. Their up-coming single ‘Sleepwalking’ sounded fantastic live. The lead singer, Nathan was full of energy and ran around the stage for the entire set, at one point he even climbed up on The Forum’s scenery. They finished off with their hit ‘This Heart Attack’ and cleared the stage for the next act.

Pnau set-up while Beardyman reappeared with a sampling deck. He loudly announced that everything he’d done earlier was done with his ‘mouf’ and what he was about to do was the same, but with the help of some fancy technology. He recorded his live beatboxing into the sampler and remixed it on the spot, creating loops which he added more and more to. Every time you thought you’d seen everything he could do with his voice he would trump himself (literally adding in a trumpet at one stage).

Pnau took the stage, consisting of a singer, drummer and DJ, and opened with their club-hit ‘Wild Strawberries’, sharing the stage with a dancing wild strawberry. By the time they had launched into ‘We Have Tomorrow’ they had also been joined by a dancing dead bird, green skull and sun. The acid-inspired tunes sounded incredible over The Forums sound system. Half way through their set giant round balloons were thrown out into the audience, and people danced. I danced. Wild strawberries danced. It was an extraordinary set.

As Beardyman retook the stage those who were boarding the Bacardi Express had to leave in order to catch a shuttle bus to Southern Cross Station, missing out on Scribe’s set. The train ride to Albury was a lot of fun, and all a bit surreal hanging around with real live music celebs. Paul Mac sat down and had a chat with us. Lovely bloke. The train had three bars, filled with, you guessed it, Bacardi! The bar staff were professional cocktail bartenders and skilfully made cocktails created by the bands.

The Albury venue was at a largish RSL, and the concert itself was held in the upstairs function room. Compared to The Forum earlier it felt like a blue-light disco. We didn’t stay for much of the show but did manage to catch Beardyman beatboxing a breakbeat version of the Home & Away theme song. His ability to beatbox while singing puts Rahzel to shame.

At breakfast on Sunday morning my friend and I were joined by fellow late-riser, and Faker bass player, Nicholas Munnings. Nic is a really friendly and easy-going guy who although tired, assured us that he could play bass ‘at the top of a mountain during a thunderstorm while killer bees attacked’. I asked him what he though of the Miami Horror remix of ‘This Heart Attack’ included on the Ministry Of Sound ‘Clubber’s Guide to 2008’ CD. He laughed and assured me he had no idea it was on there, but said that he hated that remix at first but it kind of grew on him.

The train was running over an hour late, and the band members were taken off the train and put on a bus to rush them to the Wollongong gig, leaving us plebs on the train to ourselves. After a lengthy trip we too arrived in Wollongong with about an hour of the concert left. We used up a few drink cards, watched Pnau and Beardyman again, then left. The gig itself was a bit patchy with several audio problems but the crowd were the most excited we’d seen yet and the venue was a fairly impressive large pub.

Back on the train we rested up and prepared for the big finale at Australian Technology Park in Sydney. We got there late because of a stop off at a pub for a meal and some beer to wash down all the Bacardi we’d consumed over the last two days. The venue was massive, and looked like a warehouse. It wasn’t even half filled, but everyone who was there swamped near the stage. A Bacardi Express carriage was position at the back of the stage, strobes and lights set off inside, as well as around the rest of the stage. We arrived in time to finally catch Scribe’s set. Scribe is all you want in a rapper; good lyrics, good rhythm, big and scary and got the crowd revved up.

Bang Gang DJed the after party, and finally got a chance to put on a proper set. Nearly all their sets during the tour were limited to around half an hour. Jaime Doom started it up, then Gus Da Hoodrat and Ajax joined in. It was good to see such a mixed crowd dancing to music I associate with the dirty nights hidden away upstairs at 3rd Class.

The Bacardi Express was an experience in music and alcohol I may never forget. It was a shame to return to reality, and the plane ride home on Monday morning wasn’t fun with Bacardi sponsoring my hangover, but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t worth it.