There were several people smiling as we walked into Shape just after 11:00pm last Saturday, and I bet I know who they were. The support DJs!

Instead of having the incredibly difficult task of warming up the crowd for Theo Parrish, or having the equally frightening job of taking over from Parrish to keep the crowd going, those support DJs were very kindly relieved of their duties in their entirety, as Parrish proposed playing from start (11:00pm) to close (5:00am). Any lesser a DJ may have seen such a request turned down, but it was a no-brainer for the Shape management considering Parrish’s status in the dance music world.

With a big night ahead of him, and with the punters continue to make their way into the venue, Parrish started things nice and slow, dealing with some sound issues in the manner befitting an aural perfectionist before settling in with some vintage dub tunes. I always enjoy seeing DJs play extended sets, as it provides a much greater insight into their musical interests and influences than a short set, where they are often forced to stick to just a couple of musical styles and to give the crowd what they want.

In Parrish’s case, the musical interests and influences were as numerous as they were varied. The first number to really get the crowds up and moving on the dance floor was the funky Shine, which featured some fantastic work on the keys. From there, Parrish ventured off into the world of Cuban music, with a couple of tracks illustrating the magnificence of the trumpet. To my mind, there is no better type of music than Cuban for showcasing both the piercing, wailing sounds a trumpet can evoke, as well as the majestic, powerful drive it can provide to a song.

While Parrish has produced plenty of slightly heavier house and techno music, Saturday was not the night for powerful beats. With an incessant insistence on soul and dynamism, Parrish evoked the sounds of early 20th century Chicago with some sleek filtered saxophone and, during an enormous build-up, worked a jazzy walking bass into a positively pumping bass line.

Then came my personal highlight of the evening. Harking way back to 1979, Parrish dropped Positive Force’s We Got The Funk. Giving it an extended personal reworking, the guitar line had the crowd dancing with gusto for well over 10 minutes. As any Parrish fan would expect, there were also a good number of obscure and rare releases working into the set, and these include Congoman by Lee “Scratch” Perry and The Congos, and Carl Anderson’s Buttercup.

All through the set, which was extremely well-received by a decent-sized group of Parrish devotees, it was clear that Parrish was enjoying himself as much as anyone else at Shape. The look in his eyes was a definite indication of the care and thought he puts into his sets, and it was most definitely appreciated by the Perth crowd. Delivering quality and quantity, Theo Parrish gave reason for everyone to be happy at Shape last Saturday night, even if you didn’t happen to be one of those blessed support DJs.