Good Sorts, that’s at Ladylux right?

Wait, no. Civic Underground, yeah?

Actually, no it ended up upstairs at the Civic.

This is the sort of confusion that results for punters when venues create unnecessary drama for promoters. In any case, the launch of Good Sorts was adding a new night to Sydney’s clubbing scene, and with a two hour the headline set from one of Melbourne’s finest, Darius Bassiray, who could resist attending? For those that don’t know who Darius is, he along with Dan Banko make up the DJ duo from Melbourne Rollin Connection, and also runs a very successful night Darkbeat. Supporting Darius was an array of the talent Sydney has to offer in Matttt, Dave Stuart and residents Jamie Mattimore and Sam Watkins. All of which would be getting an hour and a half sets, which really would allow each DJ to explore their own sound.

I for one was actually quite impressed with the upstairs at area of the Civic. On walking in the room the first thing noticed was that the vibe of the upstairs room differed greatly from that of the underground. It was very warm and welcoming, and this really suited the friendly crowd that turned out for the night. To accompany this, there was a relaxed smoking area outside and it really was just the icing on the cake. No venue can be complete though without a quality sound system, and although it was not of the quality of the underground, it was very respectable, and even more important, it was kept to a reasonable level.

To open the night was resident and Good Sorts promoter Jamie Mattimore. I had heard good things about his music before, yet still got a pleasant surprise upon hearing the set that came out of the speakers. His blend of deep and tech house really set the tone for the rest of the night musically. It was not only enjoyable but also a great start musically.

Next cab off the rank was then one of Sydney’s best young talents, Chinese Laundry resident Matttt. The theme of the night really seemed to be tech-house, but as he does, Matttt applied a feel to the music that was unmistakably Matttt. Having seen him behind the decks many times before I knew I could expect some great music, and he didn’t disappoint. Productions such as the Andre Lodemann remix of Phonique’s Our Time Our Chance resonated throughout the room as he weaved his way through his set.

Following Matttt was the main drawcard of the night, Darius Bassiray, but before he came on the venue proceeded to now tell the promoters that the underground was available and thus a quick shuffle downstairs ensued (and let’s not debate whether this was a good idea or not).

Darius started deep, opening up with a deep house number, Nina Kraviz’s I’m Gonna Get You, and from here build his set upwards and onwards, a journey if you will, entwining productions from progressive house to techno together to cultivate a much enjoyable listening experience. Although the crowd on the dancefloor might not have been the greatest, they certainly did appreciate the sounds.

Subsequent to Darius was Dave Stuart, the beard behind Shrug. It is a well known fact that Dave likes it deep, and it was a new experience (at least for me) to see him play later in the night. For some, Darius could have been a tough act to follow, but Dave did it with ease slotting straight into the groove. He kept the night rolling on until around 3:30 by which time the club had to close due to flailing numbers, leaving Sam Watkins unfortunately without a set to play.

Good club, enjoyable tunes, solid mixing, drink specials and a friendly crowd – what more could I ask from a night? It was a fun party with a friendly attitude and I will be in attendance of the next party. A successful launch to Good Sorts – now let’s hope for punters’ sake the venue is sorted out once and for all.