What better way to celebrate the Canberra Day long weekend than to get into party-mode! Luckily for us punters, Sydney electro outfit the Bag Raiders were in town to put on a rocking show at Lot 33.
It was getting late on Sunday evening and I thought I might as well call it a night and tuck myself into bed. After all, Monday was a public holiday, so I might finally get the chance to catch up on some work and much needed beauty sleep… that was until my beloved friend Benji had a ‘great idea’! After some serious leg-pulling and arm-twisting, at around 11pm I soon found myself changing into a dress and heels instead of my PJs. As much as I was cursing Benji at the time, I was actually deep inside totally wanting to go and have a good night, thereby avoiding work at all costs. I am still suffering repercussions to this very moment… We arrived at Lot 33 around 12.30am and it was lovely to be greeted by the friendly doorman and DJ extraordinaire Hubert. What really struck me was the massive sound and the decent crowd of punters who were in high spirits, already getting into it on the dancefloor. It was no wonder, because local boys Mikah Freeman and Vance Musgrove – aka two-thirds of the Aston Shuffle – were in charge of getting the party started. And, I can assure you, that’s exactly what they did. Immediately I knew that this was going to be a fun night out.
Mikah and Vance played an enthusiastic and energetic electro set with a house-party feel. I always enjoy watching Aston play, as they have a knack for picking great tunes and mixing them in a way that stimulates the audience. The boys included a variety of hot tracks, like ‘Beeper’ by Sinden, ‘Thou Shall Always Kill’ by Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip, and their very own remix of ‘Baby’ by Pnau. However, my favourite track was a sexy and jazz-inspired version of Fatboy Slim’s ‘Star 69 (What The F**k)’ which got my knickers in a knot indeed. The Aston Shuffle played a fun set and they finished up with their own dancefloor hit ‘For Everyone’, which sent the punters into an absolute frenzy. Great set! Looking around the room, I was really impressed with how the night was going so far. Lot 33 was buzzing and the crowd was filled with friendly faces. There were more younger people than usual, but this only added to the positive vibe, as the eagerness to dance and have a good time really shone through. I even noticed that Lot had a fresh coat of paint on the walls – hallelujah! It gave the venue a cleaner and more vibrant feel.
At 2am Sydney electro outfit the Bag Raiders took the reins, serving up the main course; their own distinct blend of electro madness. The two lads – one with a beard wearing bowling shoes, and the other with a porno mo and wearing a baseball cap – proved to be an interesting match. They eased their way into the set, then at 15 minutes in they pulled out the big one; ‘Fun Punch’! The crowd went nuts, but was it unleashed a little too soon? The track went down well with the punters, I even noticed some of the guys had taken the liberty of removing their shirts in celebration. It left me wondering what they would finish up with? Moving on… I did notice that the Bag Raiders took on a different approach to mixing than other DJ acts. The pair seemed to work the decks one after the other, rather than simultaneously. Of course they worked and mixed the tunes, but instead of building up a smooth transition between songs I noted the change to often be quite abrupt. The sound was still great, but the anticipation and tension that can be built up from a transition was not there for me.
The Bag Raiders had a louder and heavier sound than The Aston Shuffle. This offered something different to the punters, encouraging them to keep rocking out on the dancefloor. What was impressive was that the pair were able to hold the crowd from start to finish. Their set was full of momentum and raw energy, featuring the tunes everyone knew and loved; including ‘Salmon Dance’, ‘Tenderoni’, ‘Around The World’ and ‘My People’. Other interesting additions to the set were DJ Shadow’s ‘Stem/Long Stem’ (a favourite of mine) and 90s pop hit, ‘Lady (Hear Me Tonight)’. Another element of their show that I couldn’t help but notice was their fondness for double-dipping. They tended to use two songs of several artists. It always sounded like a different mix, which made it OK, but by the end of their two hour set they had played two Digitalism tracks, two Justice tracks and two Klaxons tracks. Was this intentional? It wasn’t bad, but it just gave the impression that they weren’t as experimental as they have the potential to be.
It was now just after 4am and the gentle giant Hubert was the man to finish the night off. The crowd remained enthusiastic and there were still quite a few people dancing. Hubert played a quality set which had a breaks-meets-electro sound. He added lively tracks, like Chemical Brothers’ ‘Do It Again’. Then, at around 5am things really quietened down, even though there was still a good vibe amongst the crowd. By the end of the night I found myself having a great time chatting away to strangers. It was just one of those nights. I think this night was exactly the type that Lot 33 needed, and it was one of the best that’s been put on there in a while. It was the right choice of acts, the right music, the right venue and the right crowd. Perhaps I should thank my beloved – yet annoying – friend Benji for his persuasive motives. I did, have a rocking time!
onefatman says...
i wholeheartedly agree with every statement in this review. Tops night!