Mark Ronson and the BusinessIntl. @ Enmore Theatre, Sydney(113/11)

Fri 18th Mar, 2011 in Gig Reviews

The first moment Mark Ronson steps onto the floor, a tessellated arena of multi-leveled electronically lit cubes, everyone rises to their feet, and a sweaty dance party begins. Ronson and his Business Intl. all appear on stage, in sleek black outfits, bringing an electronic spectacle to the sold-out Enmore theatre.

After setting an electro tone for the night with the synth-soaked opener, Circuit Breaker, he moves onto Lose It (In The End), accompanied by Phantom Planet’s Alex Greenwald and Spank Rock. The audience continues to go wild, with everyone in the seating area ignoring the requests of the security guards to sit back down. Ronson quickly slips into familiar territory with Ooh Wee, a hip hop favourite from his 2003 record.

With the help of Ronson’s guests, favourites from Version were revisited – Radiohead’s Just, English indie pop darling Rose Elinor Dougall filling the vocals for the Kaiser Chief’s Oh My God, and The Smith’s 1987 song Stop Me. At first when Alex Greenwald tells the audience that he will do a song of his own, he receives a neither positive nor negative response until he breaks into a synth-y, 80’s inspired version of his own California, made famous as The O.C. theme song. A mass singalong is led, and Greenwald performs charismatically with joy, stepping up to the very front of the stage.

It doesn’t stop there. An intermission-esque scene saw the band leave the stage, and Ronson announces that he wants to create a New York rave scene. He takes his blazer off, and proceeds to perform a DJ set, reminiscent of his earlier days of fame, melding everything from Depeche Mode to Jay Z, and even his own songs, a remixed Bang Bang Bang. The crowd continued to act like they were on ecstasy, with flashing strobe lights turning the venue into a rave party, one that Mark Ronson said was better than the ones in NY.

The crowds don’t know what to expect next, then the band return to the stage with guest Andrew Wyatt, and the first piano notes of Somebody To Love Me chime out. Wyatt fills Boy George’s role, delivering a passionate number, and leaving the audience craving more. Closing the show with an encore of Record Collection, and the popular Bang Bang Bang, and led by the electropop talent of MNDR. Punters needed no encouragement to continue cheering and thriving in electronic beats, as Ronson tells us he’ll be back soon.