The venue turned the lights on because they felt that they weren't making enough money at the bar. I know, I know. Didn't make sense to me, either. The promoters (from Melbourne) fought hard to stop it to no avail. They're in a bind, it's not their joint. It's not something we deal with in Melbourne as of yet. Down here there would be such an outcry (as there has been in Syd). Theo was way way way upset as he was building things up slowly. He's a goodhearted person, no one was more upset than he. The sound... Oh I so shouldn't say this, but the first thing Theo was told at soundcheck by some dude was not to play any bass so the sound levels were kept low. The club were fearful of noise pollution issues. I mean it's King's Cross! Who moves to Kings Cross and expects tranqulity? ;) But that is a huge problem now in Syd, the noise police. In Detroit it's rigid licensing laws, here it's noise levels. I disagree with the decision obviously but when a club is under those pressures... The warm up DJs were chosen by Angela Maison who did the party. They are from the Mad Racket crew in Syd and really good deep house type DJs. Simon Caldwell really is an incredible DJ when he's in his element. He only played an hour early as they shuffled the times so Theo could play last - and take it home. Well, that was the theory. I know some people are unhappy but I know there have been long late night conversations as to how to make things different next time. 3 Hours of Theo is still way better than 3 hours of Nik Fish. :)
> The following night (saturday) theo played in sydney. > he played from 2 till aprox 5.30, when the club turned the lights on. > pretty much as chris described the music - disco, funk, soul, jazz and one > or two house tracks. > only recognised a few disco tracks-black ivory 'mainline', instant funk > 'got my mind made up' and tanya gardner 'when you touch me'. > and one house tracks -lil louis 'blackout'. > i thought the common thread wasn't dirty, but soulful. > > the music was brilliant and it was great to dance to a longer meandering > set with slower tempo. margie and i had a fantastic time, dancing from > beginning to end. my legs are sore today. best night out for two years. > and theo looked to be having a good time. > > so we're off to newcastle for theo on friday, followed by a day of > snorkelling around newcastle. anyone else from the list going? > (that's newcastle, blighted former industrial city just north of sydney, > not the blighted former industrial city near the border of scotland ) > > the sound was totally inadeqate. you had to stand right in front of the > speakers to *feel* anything. > and what was up with the warm-up djs? fine if they were warming up for > laylo and bushwacka or someone tech house dj i guess. > at least they were better matched than the hard trance dj that played with > francois k when he was last here. > james > www.jbucknell.com > > > > > Christopher Davey > <[EMAIL PROTECTED] > .au> To > Matt MacQueen > 01/03/04 04:35 AM <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, > [email protected] > cc > > Subject > (313) Theo Parrish in Melbourne > > > > > > > > > > > Hi Matt > Theo didn't quite made it to 6 hours; just a little > over 5. An excellent set that wound its way between > house, disco, techno, soul, r & b, and stuff that fell > between all those. I own about 5 of his mix cd's (and > over 20 of his own releases), and still only > recognised a handful of the tracks he played. So many > times he had me scratching my head and thinking dam, > what is this? Is it old or new, or maybe his edit of > something? I guess the common thread running through > everything he plays is that *dirtiness*, grained > deeply into the woodwork of every offkilter sound. > > There was no accounting for his enthusiasm. Bouncing, > bouncing, his eyes closed, head thrown back (and I > swear you could see the whites of his eyes at times, > their having rolled back in his head): he was a man > possessed. Like some voodoo. Or Stevie Wonder in full > gospel revelation. The dancefloor didn't always follow > him, sometimes coming to a standstill and then > dissipating, but still he'd be bopping, his eyes > closed so maybe he didn't notice. But then the > dancefloor would be full again, though I doubt he > would have seen it in all his absorption. > > It's so refreshing to see someone so game to play some > of the tracks he did to a full club expecting > something. Such odd rhythms, weird vocal interludes, > slow tempos. I feel privileged to have witnessed it. A > few things could have made the night better. A smaller > more intimate club mainly: Melbourne's HiFi Bar is a > big rock n roll kind of venue that wasn't too good on > atmosphere. Not sure why they didn't hold it at the > much better Honkytonks. And not everyone seemed to get > it: I spoke to a few who were expecting something > different ("it's boring, he just doesn't seem to go > anywhere"). There's no accounting for taste I guess. > > Cheers > > CHris > > > > > > > --- Matt MacQueen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Chris, I've never heard Theo for 6 hours(!), but >> i've heard him for 3+ >> and it just gets better and better.. a proper >> "journey" touching lot of >> styles, he it all about taking a crowd up and then >> down and then up >> again higher, etc.. >> >> Speaking of, Theo has got 2 cool/deep remixes of a >> DJ Kent track "In >> The Bush." Kent's another all-genre DJ from japan. >> This limited? >> BearFunk 12" I would recommend... 2 long sides. One >> side is just beats >> (more like a minimal mixtool than something all that >> strong on it's >> own) but the flip side has more action and IMHO the >> value: funky >> bassline business, and some buried keys and the >> essence of a murky >> low-lights deep groove. >> >> And I actually got the original DJ Kent (Bearfunk >> #2) too cause this >> remix caught my curiosity. The original is a bit >> more full, brighter >> sounds but still great and dense percussion. The >> other 2 tracks on the >> original EP are sweet, "Second Moon" is space disco >> meets electric >> house / warehouse feel . Then this other track >> "Brainzoo" sounds like >> a lost Undisputed Truth track jacked up and >> re-wired... sh*t i can't >> tell if these are original productions, re-edits or >> probably somewhere >> in that crazy middle-ground inbetween that I love.. >> (at least one of >> these tracks credits to a live bassplayer too i >> think?). >> >> Personally I am a fan of the whole Big Bear / >> Bearfunk / Hairy Claw >> labels so if you're into stuff you can get Theo's >> interpretation on it >> this time... >> >> peace, >> -- >> Matt MacQueen >> http://SonicSunset.com >> >> >> >> On Feb 26, 2004, at 9:05 PM, Christopher Davey >> wrote: >> >> > I'm on the digest, so not sure whether someone >> else >> > has pointed this out: an interview with Theo >> Parrish >> > in Melbourne's daily newspaper, The Age. >> > >> > >> > http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/02/25/1077676817589.html >> > >> > Looking foward to 6 hours of Theo tonight (does he >> > really play for that long?) >> > >> > Cheers >> > >> > Chris >> > >> > Find local movie times and trailers on Yahoo! >> Movies. >> > http://au.movies.yahoo.com >> > >> > >> > > Find local movie times and trailers on Yahoo! Movies. > http://au.movies.yahoo.com > > ForwardSourceID:NT0000790E >
