Firstly, to preface this review I have to give a little intro for myself. If anyone knows a thing or two about myself, it is that I love to move around. It’s like second nature. So when I heard there was an opportunity to get out there and take a scope of things for myself while having a boogie: I had to give it a try! Also: a running theme for my on-foot reviews is rain.
And lots of it!
Wet shoes, booze, lighting, and projection visuals: personally, it was a fantastic time moving and grooving to the beat and there was an equally energetic lineup to introduce the night! Performing at the Roundhouse venue space, MK was joined by Go Freek and Yemi Sul, providing ample set-up for warming up the dancefloor. If you weren’t drenched from the rain, you’d eventually find yourself working up a sweat. It was an inevitability.
Yemi Sul, playing globally for fashion luxury brands and a regular Sydney talent, is inspired by afrobeat and dancehall music. They brought bright and snappy beats to the room, while Go Freek, another Australian and international performer signed to Insomniac Records, brought modern dance music and industrial soundscapes to the party, with both combining forces to cultivate a two-floor dance party with myself, exploring the internals of the venue. One thing about getting older while still wanting to enjoy the night: realising how valuable seating is.
Nothing worse than trying to enjoy your night and feeling that muscle pinch. One fun thing about the roundhouse: There is the saving grace of limited seating. Fantastic tunes, not so fantastic time while trying to catch a vibe.
Marc Kinchen (AKA: MK) hailing from Detroit, Michigan provided Sydney with the experience of a club veteran wanting to let loose for the night, giving Roundhouse attendees the opportunity to join up onstage with the man himself and dance along with the rest of the crowd. For those on the upper level, you were treated with a better view of the stage and screen visual animations, and a vantage point to view your friends either onstage or on the ground floor below. I did, embarrassingly, pull out my phone multiple times to figure out the remixes to the songs being played. To some quantitative effort of my own, I did manage to find some of the tracks (a win is a win).
With such a stacked lineup, it was an interesting and sonically pleasing experience which you’d really want to check out live! MK gave Sydney a night with a veteran in the club game and brought with it some fiery local talent. With the lightning and storms raging outside on the night, it was a treat to be warmed by the experience.
Touring from Melbourne to Brisbane and bringing along with him Juno Mamba, Jess Bays, Paluma, Zedena along with more talent, MK is giving folks in those cities and here in Sydney another good time to celebrate. In the wise words of one of the greats: “The club is bumping. The ladies look good. The alcohol is flowing. There is much pain in the world, but not in this room.” If that isn’t a fantastic summary of how I felt about my enjoyment level of MK’s set, I don’t know what is.
