- Hip Hop, Breaks, Beats and a dash of Drum & Bass was the right combination to get the crowd moving at the third instalment of the Winter Beats parties at the Station Resort in Jindabyne.
When the Winter Beats crew extended the invitation for a weekend down to the snow to check out one of their parties, I wasn’t going to say no. The long list of artists on the line-up was enough for anyone to except the offer. Nu Breed, The Herd, Salmonella Dub and The Resin Dogs were some of the artists on the list and by the countless amounts of advertising and media hype were set to rock.
Arriving late Friday evening were greeted by one the organisers who quickly had us in our allocated rooms and well informed in regards to the activities taking place over the weekend. From the first initial contact with the Winter Beats crew it was obvious how well organised the entire festival was. Friday night was spent familiarising ourselves with the Station Resort and resting for the next day.
Saturday morning, up bright and early to be driven into Perisher. We were taken to a small chalet half way up the mountain overlooking the half pipe in Perisher Valley. Here we spent the day meeting and greeting some of the artists, relaxing before the party later that night.
Onto the party-
We arrived at the party around ten o’clock, just in time for the beginning of Shapeshifter. As with most of the artists on the bill this was the first time I had heard them perform live and they definitely gave a great first impression. Rolling melodic drum and bass with vocals that accompanied the live percussion perfectly. They were a great start to the evening, establishing the party vibe right from the start.
Next to take to the stage were Salmonella Dub, their mix of live percussive beats followed on well from Shapshifter and were well received by the ‘up for it’ crowd.
The extensive number of instruments used by the lead vocalist was very impressive, sounding just as impressive as it looked.
With the party having a large Hip Hop focus it was now time for The Herd to take to the stage. After seeing them play, I will have to admit I started to feel extremely patriotic. This was Australian Hip Hop at it’s best and they let the crowd know it, with (correct me if I am wrong) 4 MC’s, 3 musicians and a few break dancers to round it all off.
From new school to old school, next up were the pioneers of the Australian Hip Hop scene, Defwish Cast. Mc’s Serek, Defwish and Die-C were backed up on the turntables by the ever-impressive DJ Bonez. Whilst the beats rolled on two international break-dancers fresh from winning ‘Battle of the Year’ showcased their talents throughout the set. They selected tracks from both their first album ‘Knights of the underground table’ and gave us a sneak peek into their upcoming work, playing a track on which they have collaborated with Katalyst.
The performance by Defwish Cast was not only a show but also an education on what they stand for.
DJ’s Samrai and Nino Brown followed in quick succession and the rolling beats continued, with a crowd quite content to with what they had witnessed over evening.
From the perspective of the punter I would have to say the night was a total success and all had a good time.
Thankyou to all the Winterbeats Crew, Pete, Jim and the long list of film crew that made the weekend so worthwhile. I’m looking forward to next year already.