Change is as good as a holiday. Or is it that a holiday is as good as change? Either way, after having not been to The Monastery for a good few months returning on Thursday for anther installment of the Sony inthemix50 parties felt like I’d been on a holiday. The headline acts…? Brisbane’s own Baby Gee who finished a respectable #4 in the poll nationally and the buffed brothers in sunnies who surged to #2 nationally The Stafford Brothers.

The club was decorated in ITM banners, projected screens and a poster adorning the wall above, reminding me of the occasion – just in case I forgot. Having moved the DJ booth back… again… to face the middle of the Monastery Bar was a masterstroke. It means that the key artistry responsible for the Monastery’s new found status among Brisbane’s Onelove disciples can be properly enjoyed by the clubbers themselves. You could forgive the Monastery if they expected a usual Thursday night crowd, but with heavyweights headlining, ITM’s support and the willingness of punters to power through their Fridays (in spite heads resting on desks), something different was in sotre for the venue.

Baby Gee insured his position at #3 in QLD with a solid set blended with remixes of ‘this morning’s’ commercial sensations, big upfront house and burning electro. While the club was slow to fill, Gee expertly drew so many hesitant clubbers to the dancefloor and you would had to have been the skinny ranga in 5th grade with freckles and glasses to be left behind. Although he had an earlier set time to battle with, Gee armed with musical WD40 greased up limbs stiffened in the four days since punters last outings.

Just after midnight Matt lead Chris into the front entrance casually as if they too were guests – yet at their own party. Chris carrying the folder for Matt who was one arm down with a damaged AC joint from snowboarding the day prior nursed in a sling. After a few warm up drinks, a catch up with friends and a hugs with Baby Gee, the boys assumed the decks to a full house. And suddenly, I was on holiday hearing the change in the boys’ sets since last summer. Having toured extensively over the best part of 2008, it was as if I was listening to the boys sing about their world trip. Whilst maintaining a typical Stafford Brothers party buoy set underlined with solid commercial tracks. it had certain influences from the Swedish House Mafia, Detroit house, UK funky house and french electro. New tracks Darkness Falls and I’m Feeling, produced with the help of some of Europe’s biggest labels and Feeling Give Love featuring Zaab & Timmy T were test run to resounding responses. Many of 2008’s biggest releases didn’t even make the cut, reflecting a solid move from just two boys spinning CDs to artists mixing some seriously talented sets.

A packed summer schedule combining festivals and individual gigs will give you ample opportunity to see how the boys have evolved. Be proud – I was! Even short holidays seem to rejuvenate and expand horizons; imagine how much you could change after a whole year away. That is, if you were able to detach yourself from our explosive club scene! I mean, I returned with an accent after a mere night at The Monastery.