:: Parklife - Melbourne - September 2006

By: Sabine Brix

Initially an electronic music festival based in Sydney, Parklife can be considered a success for organisers. If not for the crowd that it drew, then surely for the weather on a day which was free from the usual Melbourne drizzle and showers.

Showcasing a diverse bag of acts, many artists showed off their solo DJ-ing capabilities. Peter Hook from New Order was probably one of the most anticipated. However, his music - a range of commercial dance and pop - was more like a mix tape of his favourite music as opposed to actually showing any technical skills on the turntables. His enthusiasm was more of a crowd pleaser than the actual selection of tracks he played.

Over at the Earth stage - the main arena - Stanton Warriors, who played earlier in the afternoon, were undoubtedly the highlight. They showcased punchy breaks and didn’t succumb to the pressure of mixing commercial tracks which many artists often do, to try to appeal to the majority of the audience.

Cut Chemist, the former DJ for Jurassic Five didn’t surprise the audience with his blend of hip hop. He played much of a mash-up of different genres and, although nothing solidly consistent to get the crowd really pumping, it must be said that his skills in mixing and intertwining various tracks was to be greatly admired.

Live acts such as Midnight Juggernauts gave the ambience more of a live rock feel, although the mood was taken down a notch from the pumping basslines that are usually prevalent via a DJ.

Party goers expecting something a little less commercial may have been disappointed by the event, however the music which was played, even it wasn’t everyone’s bag, still displayed some of the finest technical finesse between a bunch of DJs who are fine peformers and musicians.