Unfortunately I got stuck at work and only arrived at Minque around midnight in time for Ashley Feraude. I walked into a smattering of fascinators (thank you Canberra race day) and the Ash throwing some Cut Copy in amongst his house mixes. Dave Norgate had to bail on the gig, but he left his set in the talented hands of Ashley, who according to my sources played his most commercial set so far (but commercial in a good way). Ashley had the majority of people on the dancefloor shakin’ what their mumma gave ‘em, so drink in hand I was quick to join them.

From what I heard D’Opus played to a burgeoning crowd of 50 punters and hit them with some current hip-hop and funk. By the time the Exposed DJs entered from stage left the crowd had doubled in size for what looked set to be a pretty wild night. Staky, Sean Kelly and Beat It charged the tempo and played more upbeat tech/electro material. Minque is a pretty swish place; the bar itself is a feature with a smooth curve and nooks, crannies and levels accommodated with retro couches. With regards to the crowd size, I have got to say I was disappointed. Fair enough it was a big long weekend; Mardi Gras and the Black Opal Stakes within the last 24 hours. My body was hurting, but like all the punters there I pushed through and was glad to have stayed and witnessed yet another world renowned DJ. When Will and Aaron of Funktrust hit the stage the beats shifted into more bangin’ house territory, with less lyrics and some dirty beats. The boys found their feet pretty quickly, playing a more commercial and mainstream set to their usual flavour.

The club was pretty dark, and it allowed the four green and red lasers to do their thing unhindered by competing light sources. The smoke machine also enhanced the effects. True to their name the Funktrust boys got funky indeed, one punter even going so far as to call their sound ‘new wave electro funk’, whatever that means. The crowd was steadily grooving, and the boys had some sweet tricks in their bag, including samples of the classic DJ Alligator ‘Blow My Whistle’, which raised a smile. Heads bopped and toes tapped to The Beatles ‘Lonely People’, Aretha Franklin ‘Respect’ and Young MCs ‘Bust a Move’. Will Styles picked up the pace for their closing tracks, so much so the powerboard overloaded and caused a 20 second silence. The problem was quickly fixed and the beat dropped back in eight counts later, and Will shot a grin, shrugged and mouthed ‘I’m a pro’.

DJ Falcon was waiting in the wings, pulling out endless cords, cables and gadgets (including the effects pad he never seems to DJ without). An impressive set up, would the sound live up to it? A heavy and dirty beat dropped throughout the club, and I was sitting against a wall at the time, vodka in hand, and felt the sound tickle my spine. Falcon had my attention. He used less of a house sound than I was expecting, but a few familiar lyrics popped in here and there, usually masked by a variety of other sounds. It all flowed so smoothly you would have thought that was how the songs were originally made. He spun some random samples of Day n Night, but never played more than a line (to my disappointment, I must add. I love that song!). He dropped his own hit So Much Love To Give, and I reckon Falcon did well despite the relatively small mob still around at that time.

Falcon is without a doubt an extremely talented DJ, but I don’t think he pushed the limits like he has at some of the festivals and major gigs he’s played in the past. Aaron from Funktrust hit the decks after Falcon for a short while and spun some Baltimore and electro for a change. The tunes were predominantly hip hop fllavoured with an electro touch, and the remaining punters lapped it up. Overall the night didn’t peak like a lot expected it to. Despite this I had a blast and as always look forward to the next Pang! party.