Last year's Adventjah was, quite simply, one of the best parties I've ever been to - no queues, a good size venue, plenty of space to chill, a great line-up of international DJs, and in PNAU, White Sirens and Soma Rasa, three of the best Australian live acts you could ever hope to see. Which begs the question - what the fuck went wrong in 1999?
EXHIBIT A - a 90 minute queue. Now I understand the need for bag searches, ID checks, and all the rest of it, but when it takes less than 30 minutes to get into the Big Day Out, which holds about 40 000 punters, how the fuck can it take 90 minutes to get 6000 people into the RNA. C'mon, surely two gates isn't a big ask. And some water vendors for the poor bastards de-hydrating in the line-up.
EXHIBIT B - the layout. Alright, so the layout was pretty similar to last year, but with twice as many people, it was a nightmare. To get to the main room, you first had to force your way trough the throng at the entrance, then wade throught the dancefloor in the Trance zone, then sidestep the yobbos in the chill bar, then force your way up to the front so the music from the last two rooms didn't waft through.
EXHIBIT C - the music. There were some moments of magic for sure, but c'mon guys, if I wanted a lesson in Generic Techno 101, I'd sit in front of the computer listening to Rebirth demos. When Reddog did a quick survey of the 4 biggest rooms and heard the same brand of hardcore pumping out of each it was time to retreat to the kennel. But enough whining.....
| Unfortunately, Cus, Bexta and Killers On The Loose had long since come and gone by the time I trudged into the RNA, so I worked my way through to the Trance room where the Fashion Parade was well and truly underway. The kiddies on stage were having a great time, the clothes were from the wilder end of the clothing spectrum and the punters were loving it! |
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Paul Holden - need I say more? This guy is an Australian dance music institution, and the day he hangs up the turntables and mixer will be a day of mourning for clubbers Australia-wide. He had the main room absolutely charging with a seamless mix of hard house that just defied you to stop dancing, and just when you thought things couldn't get any harder, Holden upped the ante. |
| Time for a breather, and who better to chill out and relax to than the soothing sounds of Endorphin in the Beats'n'Breaks Pavillion. The rolling trip-hop beats and classical motifs of his early releases are still a big part of Endorphin's set, but the new material from the "Skin" album has a slightly darker underbelly, perhaps as a result of his move to Sydney and time spent on the road with Massive Attack and Portishead. Extra points for being one of the few performers on the night to give any concession to the concept of melody.... |
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AapogeE were about as far removed from Endorphin as you could get - deep percussive basslines, uplifting synth lines, and the ubiquitous pounding bass drum, but with enough variety to keep even the most demanding raver happy. What a shame then that the volume at the back of the room was so low it seemed to be coming out of your home stereo - honestly, they were only half as loud as Paul Holden was thirty minutes earlier. |
| My frustration lead me to the Chill Tent and the undisputed highlight of the night, Jandy Rainbow. Her set was a journey through an almost low-fi techno universe, with a sense of dynamics which was sorely lacking from most of her fellow artists. The tunes were simultaneously sparse and claustrophobic, drawing freely from Goa trance, deep and percussive house, and tempting many in the billowing green dome to hit the dance floor. If only my night hadn't been ruined by the queue from hell....
~Kris Swales~ |
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