Throughout Australia there seems to be a wide-spread stereotypical view of Canberra as a rather dull, lifeless city.   As an ex-Canberran living in Melbourne I feel uniquely qualified to say that it’s a view not entirely justified.    Sure, you may spot the odd tumbleweed rolling through the centre of town and you’d better go buy a lottery ticket if you’re able to find a shop open after midday on a Sunday, but behind the exterior of roundabouts and office blocks Canberra boasts an extremely healthy dance-music scene.  FANG is the brain-child of DJ Ben Henderson, a previously Canberra-based (now living in Melbourne) DJ who describes his own sound as “Purposeful, flowing, interesting, bass driven groovy dance music from tomorrow.”A no-frills, music-driven evening, FANG quickly went from being one of the smallest nights in the Canberra clubbers diary to one of the biggest. “It started as a small monthly gathering in a restaurant basement which was unique but restrictive.” Ben explains.  “The hours we could run FANG for were limited, it was a non smoking venue, we had to remove all the tables and chairs, and then put them back at the end of the night, and we had to import all the sound equipment up too many tight stairwells… After about 6 months we decided to move to a proper club which had a great sound system – the main draw card – and plenty of room to move. However, the principle behind FANG has always stayed the same – great music (regardless of genre), good people and a friendly, safe environment.”

The concept of FANG has come a long way (Henderson originally got the inspiration for the name from a six metre long tooth he saw suspended above a Mexican dance floor) but throughout its many incarnations the underlying philosophy of FANG has remained the same. It was this philosophy that proved ultimately responsible for FANG becoming one of Canberra’s most popular events.  Henderson sums it up as – “To create a comfortable and safe party environment where we can hear the music that we love and get together, drink, dance and socialise with friends new and old.”  For me though, as a punter, the main attraction of FANG was the consistently high quality of music.  Due to a focus on quality not genre, FANG allowed many Canberra DJs to flex their musical muscles and explore beats and sounds that wouldn’t normally make it into one of their sets.  It’s this focus on, and freedom for, local talent that Ben Henderson hopes will become a major draw card once FANG gets underway in Melbourne.   “Fang has always prided itself on using local talent and we’re looking forward to making use of the great depth of talent here in Melbourne.” He says. “Fang has always been about the local talent but we will have interstate and overseas guests where appropriate.” 

Although FANG got its start in the year 2000, Henderson has been a prominent part of the Canberra scene for much longer.  “I was inspired by some great DJs around at the time that I was fortunate enough to hear and be affected by, over 10 years ago now.” Says Ben, as he recollects the early days of his career. “My first gig was in an outdoor amphitheatre, lakeside in chilly Canberra.  My mixing was not very good at the time but I found ways around my lack of skill and experience.”   Ben honed his skills over the following years, plying his trade at a wide range of clubs and events throughout Australia and Overseas.  With this honing came a wider musical appreciation.  “My taste is continually evolving,” he explains. “Having had so many opportunities to play alongside such varying artists my sound has become much more flexible.” 

With the first Melbourne FANG looming large, Ben admits a certain degree of nervousness (“Yes, very. But I am also very excited.”), but he’s quietly confident that the core nature of FANG will appeal to a Melbourne audience. “It’s still all about the music, the place and you (the punter).” He assures me. The change of city, and thus venue, however will offer some new possibilities.  “We feel lucky to be able to make use of one of Melbourne’s great venues – Loop- which enables us to showcase some of Melbourne’s finest digital visual artists.”    It’s not just the opportunity to unleash FANG on a fresh audience that’s got Ben Henderson excited, he’s also eager to introduce the Melbourne crowd to a few of his record collection’s hidden gems.  “There is a great new track by Acid Joseph, Minimal Man’s Chicken Store and the latest Trapez release. They are all currently burning a hole in my record bag. I can’t wait to set them free!” 

Ben Henderson and FANG have come a long way since the days when it took a concerted effort to avoid tripping down the narrow steps into FANG’s first restaurant venue.  If the evolution so far is any indication, FANG’s move to Melbourne may just be another step in what has already been a remarkable journey, a journey that will hopefully continue long into the future.  So where does Ben envisage FANG and himself will be in another four years time?  “FANG London, FANG New York, FANG Paris.”  It may seem far-fetched but I have no doubt that it’s entirely possible, and I hope that I’ll be able to attend the first night of each of them. 

The first Melbourne FANG will be held this Saturday the 1st of May at LOOP and will feature DJs Toupee, Scott Finemore and Ben Henderson.