Listening to The Funk Show on 4zZz a few weeks ago, I heard announcer and Butter Beats Record Store founder Kasino mention a must-see gig at the Step Inn; some funk band, top three in the world, straight outta Melbourne, with Afro Dizzi Act . I’d never heard of The Bamboos before and I couldn’t fathom why a funk band that high up the ranks would play a Thursday at the Step, but Afro was playing a rare show so I decided to go and investigate.

Doors were open a good two hours before Afro Dizzi Act kicked off their set, and when they did I pogoed from my spot at the back of the crowded room to catch a glimpse of the band. I had to see with my own eyes that a human was responsible for the incredibly precise drumming, and of course Mark Henman was. OJ Newcombe and Shannon ‘Sol R’ Carroll stepped onstage with bass and guitar respectively, then Nick Aggs on tenor saxophone led the charge through The Pilgrim from their 2007 studio album Walkin .

Afro may not be playing as regularly as they once did, but they are still one of the most potent funk exponents in Australia. Their set lacked the usual guest musicians but Ant Aggs and his Nord were back and the group was returned to its most prolific incarnation. Their sound, too, had come full circle – without Jali Buba Kuyateh on kora and vocals the Afro boys delivered a less African-influenced set. Instead they played their deep grooves that brought the band to national attention when Hydrofunk Records released the Jeff Lovejoy-produced Audio Cookie in 2002.

I got a whiff of Directions In Groove during one track but they veered back into less cheesy Afro-territory before I could grizzle about it. Nothing against DIG but methinks we only need one per continent. Despite this small indiscretion (!) Afro Dizzi Act were well received by a mix of old and new fans and played yet another performance to be mighty proud of.

Head-honcho and guitarist Lance Ferguson formed The Bamboos seven years ago in Melbourne. They have seen a few horn players come and go but are essentially the same outfit as when they began. For the past two years they have been busy playing Europe and America and backed Eddy Bo on his Australian tour. Their current tour with vocalist Kylie Auldist is in support of her debut solo album Just Say which Ferguson produced and The Bamboos provided all instrumentation for.

One by one The Bamboos trundled onstage until there were seven instrument-wielding suits. Then they started playing. Dang! Those suits were crisp, but their original take on hard hitting old school funk and raucous soul was even spiffier.

I can’t say enough good things about The Bamboos – their performance was incredible and the mix was stellar. When Kylie Auldist belted out blazing soul tunes I Don’t Wanna Stop , Step It Up and Just Say like it ain’t no thang, it really was a super-heavy soul revue. From start to finish there was barely room to dance besides the bopping of heads or on-the-spot jiggling and I had a flashback of being sardined in-between thousands when James Brown played East Coast Blues & Roots Festival that one time.

It might not be the most eloquent expression of enthusiasm, but the Borat-quoting guy who yelled “I like your funk. Very niiiiiiiice!” certainly delivered it with enough volume and gusto as if speaking for the entire assembly. In a flash Kylie + The Bamboos had given us all they had, which was a non-stop 80 minutes of magnificent classic funk and fresh soul. To say The Bamboos + Kylie Auldist are just another group emulating the classic funk sound would be an insult. The Bamboos are who you see if you missed out on James Brown, with the added bonus of the vocalist having the ability to form sentences. Make sure you catch them when they next roll into town.

The Bamboos have recorded their third studio album at (their live sound engineer) John Castle’s The Shed, so look out for its release through the Tru Thoughts / Creative Vibes labels in the coming months. The Bamboos Present: Kylie Auldist – Just Say out now through Tru Thoughts / Creative Vibes.