10 years since its inception, having provided our southern state counterparts with some truly tremendous parties, Tribeadelic made its second journey to SE- QLD, touring the two topmost Tip World DJs – Raja Ram & Lucas – for one night of top TIP-ADELIC treats! Normally associated with hosting huge outdoor parties Ozzy, Tribeadelic’s choice of indoor venue for this night proved wise, especially given the wayward behaviour of Mother Nature of late. Never mind the weather, or the numerous internationally star-studded events taking place locally, the dedicated followers of our very own exports were transformed a world away upon entering the main room of the Step Inn.

Arriving near the stroke of midnight, having missed Byron lad Reform’s opening set in the main room, I quickly popped in to the front bar and felt a little gutted for Phil ‘n’ The Missing Bits, playing to only a handful of stool-sitters. A few quick greetings took place before my spirit tried to leave my physical being, impatient to get to the back bar area where Lucas was already underway. One exciting aspect of entering the main room of psy party is the visual delights of the décor. The first thing I noticed was the ‘new’ curtains furnishing the street-facing windows, which – while complementary to the room – were covered with mushroom-themed artwork and colourful round swatches on black fabric discs. The stage was set with the console a couple feet from the edge, with tall fluorescent white fabric pillars gracing each side, and the familiar Tip World high-goddess in drapes adorning the back wall.

The lack of digital visuals and high-tech lighting didn’t detract from the theme of the night, as the music that each artist delivered certainly spoke for itself. Earlier on in the night the volume levels seemed particularly low, but they increased as the party progressed. It’d been a good 4 years since I had the pleasure of a Lucas set, and within minutes I was lost in the goa-oriented spell with which he charmed the crowd. Despite the many punters inside the room I was able to dance and wave my arms around without a care in the world, feeling as though I was free and at one with Mother Earth; it didn’t feel like I was indoors as Lucas delivered a beautifully organic and smooth flowing set. With so many familiar tunes, I didn’t care to consciously recognise them, I – like the majority of the crowd appeared to be doing – just wanted the melodic beats to keep me embodied in Lucas’ musical magic, coz I knew this enchanting feeling wouldn’t last.

Come 1am, when most grandfathers are deep in the land of nod, 69-year-old Ron Rothfield prepared his gear to take over the reigns from his Tip World colleague. With no musical instruments accompanying him on this occasion, the Godfather of Psy, Raja Ram stepped up, wearing his customary fluoro orange cap (he must’ve gone through hundreds by now). He was given an almighty welcome as he took over from Lucas, and if the party hadn’t started for some it certainly stepped up a notch now! Given his musical repertoire, the eras of music he’s lived through and been a part of, it’s any wonder that Ram charges full steam. Pulling out many a Stash-Bag classic, Raja literally brings his music to life – his antics behind the deck and with his lip-syncing and arm actions, you could be deaf but you’d certainly be able to ‘see’ the music. This is the energy that Raja owns, delivering non-stop dynamic fun every time without fail. Of course his acid-jazz, electric-rock infused style of psy with mega build-ups and break-downs are not to everyone’s liking, given it can often be a little ‘cheesy’, and nowadays his segue between tracks is not always the best, but Raja is never without his ear-to-ear smile, and never fails to get the crowd rocking – no matter where and when he plays.

After a good hour-and-a-half of Raja it was time for host Ozzy to take to the decks. Not having the opportunity to play at his previous Queensland Tribeadelic party held at Xmas many were keen to give kudos to the man for bringing such seasoned and special artists to our region. Unfortunately though, given the room had reached its greatest capacity when Raja played, it felt like a dancing sauna and the crowd thinned significantly. Nevertheless, for the next 50 minutes Ozzy dropped it down a gear and got the trance feel happening again. Well travelled globally and with innumerable original productions under his Dark Nebula moniker, Byron Bay’s Luna Orbit picked up the pace from Ozzy, though not as frenetic as earlier on. Known for exploring the darker realms of psy and delivering a distinctly fast-paced journey, thank goodness Luna wasn’t relentless and didn’t send us into hyperspace tonight. Nevertheless, he still delivered full powered and driving bassline tunes with strong riffs in a dancefloor friendly manner.

A top night overall; lets hope it’s not too long before once again Tribeadelic brings the psy goods to SE-QLD again!