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Born from a simple premise - as a pre-millenium gathering for a group of friends who couldn't get together for the big one - Evolution is a dance party with a difference. No whiz-bang flyers, no saturation media coverage, no big/no-name international DJs, no hype - just a gathering of friends and like minded folk who love their music and love to party without the pretence. The Alliance Hotel, nestled snugly in Spring Hill away from the hustle and bustle of The Valley is the perfect venue for such a low-key event. At first it looks like no more than a bar and pool parlour, but as you wander into it's depths it is more like an underground fortress with its crumbling brick facade and prison-like DJ enclosure.
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| The dancefloor was sparsely populated early in the night as the punters mingled and took in the vibes, but the tunes were top-notch from the outset, with a definite funky house/disco vibe and plenty of female vocal samples. But as soon as the twin-laser attack was wheeled in, their was a definite shift in the mood. The time to take in the vibes was over. Party time had begun.....
And DJ Phreake was clearly the man to get the masses on their feet, with a set of progressive house and trance-laden brilliance which had the floor packed in no time. Though it was the lasers which were the focus of attention (understandably so, they were awesome!!), it is the sublime mixing and song selection talents of Mr Tan that deserve the kudos here - plenty of bouncy percussive basslines and solid 4/4 beats and a good smattering of classics including "Calling Your Name" and the monumental "Out Of The Blue". In fact each tune drew a resounding cheer from the appreciative crowd, the majority of whom had long since abandoned the pool tables and hit the floor. |
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It was up to Chris Tisdell to keep the Alliance Hotel Dungeon pumping, and he did so in fine style. This guy is one of the most respected figures on the Brisbane dance music scene, lauded with accolades like "Brisbane's forefather of the progressive sound" and that old staple "Superstar DJ". And he more than lives up to the hype, continuing the trancey-vibe, but with a harder, faster and much more intense overall sound.
The small system (perhaps the only criticism I can level at the venue) was struggling to keep up, with much of the intricacy of the tunes unfortuantely getting lost in the muddy sound. But that didn't the deter the charging masses, who were now in full-flight with many hands in the air and toothy grins cutting through the smoke and lasers. A hard remix of Placebo's "Every Me, Every You" was a crowd favourite, but the whole set was flawless. Tisdell was clearly relishing the chance to play for such an up-for-it crowd, even describing it as one of the best crowds he'd ever encountered. |
If only I'd been there to witness the set's high point, which according to Chris was "the sight of the laser cutting through the smoke and the whole club raising their
arms and playing "air-piano" with their fingers in the laser beam to the sound of Brothers in Rhythm mixes of Bruce Hornsby and
the Range's "The Way it Is. Unbelievable and quite amazing...". And if the third Evolution was any indication, future installments are sure to provide many such moments of magic.
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