For those who have never heard of the ATP up late project, held at the Gallery of Modern Art, you are sorely missing out. Up Late is a regular on Friday nights during the Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art. It gives people a chance to see the GoMA in a new light, with films, talks by curators as well as live acts. To be honest, I was also unaware of the event, this being my first time.

The atmosphere was open, relaxed and casual. Comfortable and modern at the same time… Kind of like IKEA I guess. The setting alone was worth coming to see, some of the pieces are absolutely breathtaking and have to be seen to be believed.

It’s an odd feeling being in a gallery of a night time, if it weren’t for the abundance of other people, the live reggae, and the lights, I would have felt like a cat burglar for sure. Walking in past the velvet ropes, the first thing to catch my eye was the brightly lit stage, multicolored spotlights beaming onto the roof, casting shadow across the adornment of instruments. There was a collection of speakers, samplers and mixers, alongside with three keyboards, a drum kit and even some bongos. At around this point I figured it should be a good night.

First on the decks was de la Haye, from the all female Drum ‘n Bass crew, the Junglettes. She spent her set laying down some glitch followed by funky electro and finally some classic Hip Hop, blended seamlessly. The mood was set and the reggae was ready to commence. In the first intermission, I opted to relax with a beer by the riverside cafe, like many others. The ambience was set with the rhythmic Hi-hats and Brass instruments that could lean only towards reggae.

Next on stage was Darky Roots, A Brisbane group, who impressed the partially dread-locked crowd with classic sounding reggae. Great lyrics and smooth composition were the order of the night, with the punters feeling the vibe they were putting out. An hour or so of these talented Maori boys and another intermission was due, making way for the lead act of the night, Salmonella Dub. The stage had been stripped down to simply a set of decks and a single trombone, and this is all they needed. These boys were ready to delve into their own brand of pacific contemporary music.

A massive orchestral intro began the performance, which was soon plunged into modern reggae. The two MC’s were rocking out with some great lines, looking and sounding the part. Around three songs in the DJ began pushing in a distinct Drum ‘n Bass sound, which vibrated through the tables shaking beer bottles against each other. The pace was quickened and bass was hardened, nearly to the point of ear splitting, the phenomenal bass had the crowd at one with the music, dancing away. All of a sudden, there was a huge smash of hard as f*%@ DnB driving through the speakers (my personal highlight for the night). The music then softened, allowing the reggae dub sound to come through again, creating a blend of the two before winding down.

All in all it was a great night, definitely something different on all accounts. The boys were sounding like Jamaica had drifted off and crashed straight into the London underground and I loved it. A great sound that is sure to go far and an event I am sure to return to.