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The term “all ages” is a loaded one. The very idea can spell doom for the over sensitive older set looking for a loose night out. It seems to bear the implication that the night will be – œdiluted’ due to the presence of youngsters, and the stigma is hard to shake off. When Fuzzy and Lexington unveiled 360, the only official Parklife sideshow, the central conceit that it was to be a 15+ event threatened to overshadow the lineup (a sensational international selection that was a coup in itself). Many grumpy old folks were left wondering, “Who are these tiny creatures encroaching on our night out, and who was the muppet that let them in?” Those that justly shrugged off the trivialities of age difference were rewarded with an amazing show, and the younger crowd that answered the call saw just how good a hard night out can be.

Lexington and Fuzzy spared no expense. The light show was nothing short of first class and the sound system was fabulous. The stage consisted of a large circular stretched canvas, something that looked like you could jump onto from a burning building with a dozen people holding it. Onto this was projected an array of lights and abstract images rapid-fire style. Flanking this centrepiece was a system of LED bars that could change colour in time with the music. The whole apparatus stood around 12 feet high and was extremely impressive. It certainly wouldn’t look out of place at a major festival event. The sound system was just phenomenal and the venues acoustics were perfect.

The local heroes warming us up consisted of Briksta, RyFy and the inimitable Sydney gentleman of house Jeff Drake. Electro-house was the name of the game, and they played with gusto it must be said. The crowd flowed in and mingled and immediately took a shine to the setup. Drake always has a knack for playing what the crowd wants and he enjoyed it himself as well. The crowd control system was simple but effective, so again, credit to the organisers. The two groups were noticeably disparate but the overall vibe didn’t reflect it. All night it was easy going, relaxed and upbeat, with any hang-ups regarding age being left at the door. With the party in swing the Canadian gravy train rolled in, starting with A-Trak.

Off the bat, surprisingly, A-Trak’s set kind of bugged me. His aggressive electro sounds certainly had us moving, no doubt, but he seemed overly concerned with “the Drop”, chopping up truly behemoth passages with increasingly monotonous regularity. The dance floor was barely able to find the beat before it spontaneously evaporated, spiralling upward in pitch before suddenly spilling vast amounts of bass and sound over an audience that had to once again find the kick drum. That being said, when he did pause for breath and let the music stretch its legs it was truly massive, with grimy bass lines rumbling underneath fuzzy robotic fidgets and sputters. He also seemed genuinely pleased to play for us, engaging the crowd where possible. Even when he kicked his own laptop during an impromptu tabletop jig and shut the party down for a microsecond the jury was lenient, laughing and cheering him on.

Tiga was a sober metronomic counterpoint to A-Trak’s erratic playfulness. His militant tech set snapped us all to attention and was absolutely fantastic. A steady, hard, driving bass line moved along with almost sinister melodies slithering along over the top. Each section was generous, stretching out nicely, giving us all time to find our own groove and grind out some moves. Whilst the music was discernibly darker in tone the crowd ate it up, enjoying the smooth layering and spacious sound scapes. It made for an interesting breakup between A-Trak and MSTRKRFT.

Since they released their debut, The Looks, in 2006, MSTRKRFT has slowly and deliberately dragged themselves out of the primordial ooze of punk rock and really tried hard to establish themselves as bonafide dance floor alchemists. Their particular brand of ADD power chord electro is both their strength and their weakness as far as their recorded catalogue is concerned; their overcrowded sophomore Fist of God really isn’t that impressive. Their live set however was a rewarding experience. The (over)slick production of their records gave way to surging electro vitality and spontaneity, allowing their fuzzy, punk-energized licks to burst open over dangerously crushing beats that totally knocked the crowd over when they took command at 3am. They toyed with their singles but didn’t just play them for kicks – there was method there – and their timing was great. Their set consisted of a high energy mix of big beat electro, hard tech and a shade of funk here and there which was infinitely danceable. Hey, the kids dug it, and you know how hard it is to impress them these days…

Despite the potentially problematic format the event was certainly a victory for Fuzzy, Lexington and of course the heaving masses of Canberra’s dance community. Whilst the cynic could argue it was basically an organised grooming exercise for the next wave of young clubbers (the idea was tossed around by a few miffed punters possibly frustrated by the presence of our bouncy young counterparts) the simple reality was that it worked marvellously. I can only envy those destined for Parklife in the next couple of weeks; it will certainly be large.

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