The grounds of the Perth Flying Squadron Yacht Club, on the banks of the Swan River in Dalkeith were again transformed into The Cuban Club on New Year’s Day. There were tables and chairs under sun umbrellas on the lawn outside, with miniature potted palms adding a tropical feel. A large sunshade provided partial cover for those in front of the stage enjoying the music, with a bar close by and a small boat full of bottled water was also handy. Although we arrived late there was still some of the lunch menu available so we grabbed some of the delicious paella and enjoyed eating lunch down by the river on a lovely summer’s day.

We went to check the out the Palm Cove area and found another bar and lots of comfy seating which, because we were late, was already occupied. It was quite a windy day so we moved inside to the upstairs area of the clubhouse and found a room decorated with white drapes and large white paper flowers. There were plenty of low stools and tables around the room and some of those tables held enormous bowls of lollies for anyone needing a sugar fix. We sat inside for a while and did some people watching. The crowd had really embraced the theme; there were pretty dresses in abundance and the guys were exuding casual class – no jeans or board shorts here!

George Mair delivered a set that was full of funky goodness and included Lupe Fiasco’s Kick, Push and Michael Jackson’s Wanna Be Startin’ Something. The return appearance of Sambalicious saw the area in front of the stage quickly packed with dancers. Their set was filled with fun party tracks including Tequila, Steal My Kisses, Jump Around and Shout and they really got the crowd fired up. DJ Dexter started out with an appropriately Latin flavour to his beats and with the aid of two turntables and a laptop was soon seamlessly genre hopping and mixing in vocal samples as only he can. He moved from Latin beats to hip-hop to reggae and back again, keeping the crowd dancing the whole time. I’ve never heard anyone transition from Time after Time to Doomsnight before and I still don’t quite know how he managed it.

The Cuban Club was a classy event and a fun filled way to spend New Year’s Day in a beautiful location. The promoters had gone to a lot of effort in decorating the venue and ensuring the comfort of patrons. The crowd was relaxed with a friendly, ready to party attitude and were rewarded with some great music throughout the day.