The global journey of the Smirnoff Experience snuck into Brisbane on Sunday night for a select few loyal Smirnoff customers, and others who painlessly searched for tickets just for the chance to be involved in the hype. The expected line-up was announced weeks before, perhaps to create jealousy among the excluded people and to ensure any remaining USB wristbands were hunted down. On the stroke of midday I received a text telling me the Tivoli was the venue, and I prepared my crew who’d also found the way in.
Using the alternate entrance, I ascended up to the balcony to find the dance floor surprisingly empty and cordoned off. People were obviously apprehensive as they attempted to make sense of the spectacle so they scattered themselves between the downstairs bars and the balcony. DJ sets of artists such as the Vinyl Slingers on temporary side stages warmed up the ears and to promote the exclusive feel of the event, waiters serving hors dourves wandered, washroom attendants turned down tips and people were eagerly exchanging their casino chips for three free cocktails; a successful attempt at washing down the crowd’s hesitation.
Just after I’d found the bottom of my third cocktail glass, the curtains separating people from the elusive dance floor were removed. As I followed the crowd who shuffled through, I could hear the 20th Century Fox theme blasted through the theater and a playful DJ Yoda positioned behind his Pioneer SMV-1000 ready to launch his famous magic cinema show. Using a montage of famous film clips, cartoons and YouTube videos, the pom visitor gave us an expert master class in the somewhat new technology of video DJing. His opening timeslot meant he had to work cleverly to involve the crowd and get them excited about the evening. The words ‘make some noise’ flashed across the screen early in the set had little effect, but visually mixing from the legendary themes such as Super Mario Brothers and The Simpsons had all the sceptics quickly cheer in support. Clips from Kylie Minogue’s Neighbours days showed me that he’d tailored his show to the respective Australian audience. The set was a blend of TV theme tunes, 80s hip hop, country and rock so tasty that every turn renovated a simple visual into something worth bouncing to. Yoda eventually filled the floor with people of all tastes in awe at the visuals being mashed up with creamy precision.
A quick lap of the venue to suss the crowd and I bumped into a costumed maid dusting the air, two lads who looked like they had just left Rise after its Sunday close, a couple who appeared as though they’d mistaken the event for a Neil Diamond tribute, a group of islanders who were five weeks late for Mix Master Mike and a trio of girls still hoping for Minogue to make a live appearance. This diverse crowd highlighted the fact that the event was staged to promote the brand and not necessarily to entertain every musical taste; which justified the approach of simply standing back to soak it up. The bill promoted live acts and roaming performers and after a round of cheap double blacks, I returned to the floor to see fleuro skittles being juggled into the air, and artists doing laps of the theatre with fish tanks on their heads.
It then became clear that the night’s focus should be solely on the stage where I next found the legendary Englishman Tom Middleton. Returning to Australia for the first time since his now infamous acid house set, to his left on the vinyl and CDJs was his fellow ‘Jedi Knight’ cohort Mark Pritchard. In contrast to the previous Star Wars VJ/DJ, the pair played a set of minimal house and electro tunes mixing in classic tracks at intervals. A well warmed floor launched into a regular groove as the set progressed from underground electro to Faithless and even a remixed Kanye. Whilst I was still revelling in the set, the floor had somewhat thinned out as people levitated towards the quieter corners. Relentless in their plight, the Knights finished solidly with a very dirty and juicy remix of Groove Armada’s Superstylin’.
In the break following the Jedi Knights a live Faithless gig was projected onto the curtain. This kept the crowd excited and it became clear that some would have been content just watching Maxi Jazz and Sister Bliss on the curtain although it was obviously a simulated warm up for Infusion, Australia’s answer to the UK act. The Melbourne trio could have covered every imaginable instrument on their three synthesisers, however to make for a live dynamic show experience they’ve recently added a drummer and guitarist to enhanced their show. Playing a new show drizzled with examples of their 2009 album, it was a solid set that included previous hits, and the sweat dripping off their brows onto my mate in the front row indicated the energy that was being expensed. The traditional working week saw a number of party goers depart early, but the students and the dedicated powered on and were rewarded with a vibrant act who deserve far more airplay than simply for Girls can Be Cruel.
With the secrecy of the evening’s programming and a fluctuating response from the crowd, it was easy to simply find a lounge, take advantage of the cheaper drinks and call in sick on Monday. Even though some were there simply because they wanted ‘exclusive’ bragging rights, those that stuck with the extravaganza in its entirety were rewarded with a mini-festival covering some of the past half decade’s commercially unsung heroes. What’s the way in next year, Smirnoff?
