Having been fortunate enough to witness Steve Lawler’s now-legendary set at Tank a few years ago (2006 if my hazy memory serves me correctly…), during which he dragged the crowd backwards through some epic tribal house to create one of the best clubbing experiences ever, my excitement levels shot into the red with the announcement of this sideshow to coincide with his appearance at Playground Weekender. Sydney certainly seems to have brought out the best in Lawler on previous occasions, and so, whilst I have learnt to go to any gig free of expectations, I couldn’t help but feel little twitches of anticipation that we were in for one massive night.

All the talk circulating in different quarters about Lawler “returning to tribal” was, at least for me, a little concerning. I’m always keen to see DJs and producers explore different sounds, and I see Lawler’s pure tribal adventures as something of the past. All three releases in Lawler’s Lights Out series are right up there in my top mixes of all time, perfect sonic journeys into the darker, seedier, dirtier, sexier areas of tribal and techno that drip with incredible erotic intensity. The first one certainly ploughed the field of tribal, but by the time the final instalment came around, there was a noticeable shift away from the dark drums and hell-like vibes to something more electro-oriented and lighter in tone. Sure, they were all tied together by the Lawler trademark emphasis on groove and rhythm, but with Lights Out 3, Steve did a fantastic job of smashing those tribal DJ perceptions and moving beyond the associated constraints of being stylistically pigeonholed.

Arriving unfashionably early not long after the doors had opened, we walked in to hear Wowk laying down a fantastic early warm-up set of deep, smooth tech-house that was a real pleasure to listen to and that set the night up perfectly. Robbie Lowe’s midnight set was equally impressive, with some nice rolling progressive that had some great peaks and that fed into building the energy on the dancefloor in anticipation of Lawler’s impending arrival at 1.30am. In a scene dominated by the appearances of international DJs, the local guys all too often get overlooked, and on this occasion, we were shown yet again that Sydney has some of the finest DJs in the world.

Lawler kicked off in a relatively restrained manner, throwing down some subtle percussive house cuts that gently drew everyone in. As the night progressed, more and more surging techno began to creep into the mix, with little bits of progressive thrown in alongside some layered tribal tracks. The driving, rolling, rhythmic intensity of Lawler’s performance was just fantastic, and certainly ensured the dancefloor remained full for the entire set. The pace seemed to kick up a few notches just over an hour in, and you were just enveloped in one massive sustained groove that was impossible to resist. While there were still moments where Lawler dropped in those eerie tribal sounds that he is commonly associated with, the emphasis seemed to be on driving techno and house for the most part, balanced out with some more subdued moments in the form of tracks such as Lawler’s own remix of Radio Slave’s Koma Koma. All those words that get thrown around in reference to Lawler’s style of DJing, such as deep, rhythmic, sexy, and percussive, were all sonically on display here. I was even picking up some French-house, disco-infused vibes at one point.

The great crowd certainly added to the party vibe that rippled throughout the entire night, and it certainly seemed like Lawler was feeding off that and throwing it right back at us with his tune selection. Everyone seemed willing to soak up everything that Lawler had to offer, and there was an infectious, positive atmosphere in the place all night. The fact that the dancefloor was packed right until the end of his set just after 5.00am is surely a reflection of the amount of fun the crowd were having. The music was all about grooves and beats, Lawler locking down the rhythmic vibe right from the word go and not letting it slip, which meant leaving the dancefloor was simply just not an option.

The sound system was fantastic, the words ‘crystal’ and ‘clear’ springing to mind, while the lighting and the visuals on the huge screen behind the decks were also spot on, and certainly added a little extra atmosphere. Even the air-conditioning system seemed to be enjoying itself, throwing out regular blasts of cold air, which meant that all the frenetic dancing that Lawler’s playing encouraged could be enjoyed relatively sweat-free. So as a whole, there was nothing to fault with the entire night, and it was simply a great effort all-round from the promoters and organisers.

Ultimately, on the strength of this set, Lawler can still lay claim to being one of the finest DJs in the world. He certainly maintained his strike rate of first-class Sydney club sets. His technical skill behind the decks is unquestionable, and his ability to create measured and sustained musical flow and progression lends his performances an irresistible charm. His wealth of experience shone through in the searing quality of this set, and musically, I love where Lawler is currently sitting, with his surging techno and driving house. The tribal is still there, spilling out of the speakers in all its glorious percussive intensity, but it’s not the be-all and end-all, and so whilst this gig was on a different musical plane to the Tank gig, it was just as exciting. I actually feel it was even better than the Tank set, but then maybe to compare them isn’t really appropriate. I had loads of fun and Lawler kept me firmly on the dancefloor all night, and at the end of the day, that’s what this is all about.