They say that no two Fat Freddy’s Drop shows are the same – so there was no doubt that this night would be a special one. With a hugely dedicated fan base in their hometown of Wellington, this gig was the first of five Freddy’s shows for an anticipated 2009 Australian tour. The crowd started queuing up well before show time outside The Palace Theatre, preparing for the New Zealand dub stars to drop their soulful-funk-reggae sounds directly onto Melbourne’s CBD.

For those who have yet to see FFD, this seven piece jazz/dub/reggae (the genre-meshing is endless) orchestra, mixes electronic sampling with sweet, soulful lyrics, creating a whole new genre of their own – one that I like to refer to as Kiwi funk. Essentially, Fat Freddy’s is jamband, known to draw out their funky reggae tunes into spacey down tempo jams. Following the release of their hit album, Based on a True Story in 2005, Fat Freddy’s have been touring the globe and spreading their sweet sounds from New Zealand and beyond.

When it comes to musical creativity, there really is something magical happening in these little islands to the south, there’s no doubt about it. It could be the chilly breeze coming off the Tasman, the luscious green views from the rolling landscape, or just an overall contentment and zest for life, I’m not entirely sure. Nonetheless, Fat Freddy’s Drop joins other talented reggae-dub groups like Salmonella Dub and Kora, who are spreading that New Zealand funk in an oh-so soulful way.

With a highly anticipated release of new album entitled Big BW, Fat Freddy’s fans were eager to get a sneak peek at some of the group’s new tracks. As show time approached, the crowd began to eagerly push forward towards the stage in preparation for a night of sweaty grooving and soul flavoured funk.

Guest MC and partial band member MC Slave ran onto the stage to make an overly boisterous radio announcer style introduction. The crowd roared as front man Joe Dukie (aka Dallas Tamaira) and his team of talented dub masters gracefully walked onto the stage and started into the first song, This Room, which was a slow but steady start to the evening. This was just a warm up. But soon enough, the band broke into Wandering Eye, one of their most popular tracks off Based on a True Story. Now this is when it all started to get a bit chaotic – but in a good way. Not one body in that room could stay still, and suddenly the dance floor became even more squished. You could instantly feel the vibe flowing off that stage. Fat Freddy’s was on fire. And so was the crowd. As hot as it was on that dance floor, people’s faces were still full of smiles and apologetic ‘sorry’s while trying to maneuver around each other.

I eventually moved towards the outside of the room to get a bit of a better look and listen. I looked up to see the familiar view of a packed Forum Theatre, with the railings lined with happy punters and a room full of dancing dreadlocked reggae lovers. The next few jams continued to pump up the crowd with funky basslines and horn solos.

Speaking of the horn section: these guys were truly a sight for sore eyes this evening. Comprised of Ho Pepa on trombone, Tony Chang on trumpet, and Fulla Flash on sax, these three characters were definitely one of the most entertaining highlights of the show. It was hard not to crack up as Ho Pepa danced around the stage, pumping out his trumpety sound while dressed in a ridiculous glittery gold outfit. He managed to pull off a mid set wardrobe change just before breaking into a series of Michael Jackson-esque dance moves, putting the crowd into a series of laughing fits. Surprisingly, Tamaira kept a fairly cool composure as the horn crew clowned around the stage. Perhaps he’s seen it all before! Regardless, it was pretty hilarious.

As the beats mellowed out into a sweet jam, I looked around the crowd to see friends hugging and couples dancing with their arms around each other. The band drifted off into a 20 minute or so spacey jam that included sexy samples and a sweet drumming with no beginning or end. A glimpse of Big BW finally arrived as they played a new track entitled Pull the Catch, staying true to their steady flow of Polynesian style beats and heavy sampling on the new album.

Newbie Freddy’s members Riki Gooch on drums and Rio Hunuki Hemopo on bass and backing vocals respectively held their own as they showed off some uber talent during Ernie and Cay’s Crays. While electronic samples and music mastery came from Dobie Blaze on keys and producer/beat technician DJ Fitchie adding some dub spice to this already flavourful evening. Nearing the end of the two-hour jamathon, the crowd went absolutely berserk as the 7-piece broke into Midnight Mirauders, which in my mind was the highlight song of the evening.

The closing song came far too quickly and we would not take no for an answer. The band graciously ran back out on stage for a rockin’ Roady encore, which kept us dancing on our feet for just a few more minutes. As the final note hit, the crowd began to disperse out onto the streets, looking weary, satisfied and downright pleased. If Fat Freddy’s wasn’t a superstar name in Melbourne before, there’s no doubt that it will grow to be one in the upcoming months. With a successful Australian tour and a new release under their glittery gold belts, these guys are on their way to superstardom and I just can’t wait to get another glimpse.