- Many stayed in doors this New Years or opted for the more quiet option in order to save their energy, spirits and their moolah for this grand showcase of break beats, house and funk, Summerfieldayze 2003.
The line up was massive and included some of the biggest names that breaks and house could offer. For weeks prior to the event the Queensland kids were winding each other into a beat-filled frenzy. The set times were released several days before the actual event and it was then that everyone realised that summerfieldayze was either going to be a day for intense decision making, or a day or dashing and darting between tents! I chose the latter.
Walking through the gate I was greeted with beats from every direction and I was glad that I had worn my dancing shoes. Three tents had been set up and dance floors had been put down in each tent. The dance floors were a real hit with everyone as they provided a great surface to dance on and dramatically reduced the dust flow in the tents! The foam pit also proved to be a winner with kids running in and out screeching and covered with foam.
First up I decided to catch local Brisbane DJ, Barking Boy in the Future tent. Known for his hard trance, Barking Boy was mixing up a storm. He was one of the only trance DJ’s on the line up and he was also very early on in the day so I didn’t really expect much of a crowd, but I was wrong! There were plenty of people in the tent, and many of them were already hitting the dance floor- hard!! I was proud that one of our very own Brisbanites was doing so well. A big YAY for Barking Boy.
Next up I decided to stay put and check out a little bit of Jen-e. She kicked off her set with several tracks that had a very different sound of hard beats fused with a certain breaks element. It was very interesting and suited the vibe of the day perfectly. I decided not to stay for too much longer though, I wanted to check out the action in the other tents before the main acts kicked off.
I wandered off to the Fuzzy breaks tent and boy I’m glad that I did. The Vinyl Slingers were onstage driving an enthusiastic crowd into a stompin’ frenzy! I’d never seen these guys perform before but everyone had always raved about them and now I knew why. Their stage presence was absolutely amazing. The sheer power that they threw at the crowd was incredible. The MC had everyone at his mercy and kept the punters moving with great intensity. They spat out track after track and each one was received extremely well by an adoring crowd! The Vinyl Slingers were definitely one of the major highlights of my day!
From here on in it was madness. Set times started clashing and I was running around trying to catch a snippet of everyone! I left the breaks tent and ran over to catch Sister Bliss. I wasn’t sure what to expect as I had heard mixed reviews about her live performances but it didn’t take me long to make up my mind. She quickly became the other major highlight of my day! Her set started out with a definite stomp to it and feet were moving to the tech house beats. Quite quickly though she threw in a progressive element, capturing the attention of everyone in the tent and holding it until she stepped down.
It was decision time, The Scratch Perverts or Plump DJ’s? Plump DJ’s had just stepped up to the decks in front of me, which made my decision making process a whole lot easier – Plump DJ’s it was. They were welcomed warmly by the crowd and wasted no time letting everyone know that they were here! Their set was very bouncy and they were throwing bass around like it was going out of fashion. I had heard so many great things about these guys but for some reason, did not live up to my expectations. After a little bit I found myself wandering over to Scratch Perverts.
WOW! I walked into the tent and felt like I had been slapped in the face. This was so intense. The crowd was so engrossed and the perverts were playing some really intense stuff. I just stood and watched what was happening and found myself getting caught up in the vibe. The air was full of electricity. Looking for a way to describe what I was hearing I asked a few punters nearby how they would describe it and I got remarks such as awesome, wikkid, jungle, hard and fast! I had never experienced tunes like this before but I found the experience all way too cool.
I caught the beginning of Krafty Kuts but very quickly decided that I was just not in the mood for it. It was all very dark, melodramatic and just a wee bit too crazy for this kid. Mind you, the tent was full of hardcore Krafty Kuts fans that were pulling some dishy moves on the dance floor! Next time I promise!
This is where I became a professional athlete. Timo Maasand Felix Da House Cat were oh-so-cool. The Cat’s tent was full of loyal fans hanging on his every beat while Timo was entertaining lots of sweaty dancers setting in for a hardcore stomp. I spent the next two hours running between both acts. I thought both Timo and Felix were doing a fantastic job but I must say that I enjoyed the Cat’s set just that little bit more. Felix started well, continued well and finished even better. I got the impression that this guy had some major experience in driving a crowd into a frenzy. He played a very uplifting set and my booty had a good shake!
Timo seemed to be attracting the masses. His tent was busting at the seams and kids were spilling out bouncing around like there was no tomorrow. His set was rather dark though, but his track selection definitely suited the mood of the arena and the time of day that he was on!
Next on the line up was both LTJ Bukem and Basement Jaxx. I caught the beginning of LTJ’s set and while I was extremely impressed with the hard and dark beats that he was producing I opted to stay at Basement Jaxx for the majority of their set. A handful of people must not have read the flyer’s properly because they were surprised to see the Jaxx delivering only a DJ set. While they weren’t in Australia to play a live set this time around, Basement Jaxx still managed to impress the socks off of a huge eager crowd with their bouncy energetic tunes. Two thumbs up for the Jaxx!
Lastly to finish up the night I ran back over to the house tent to catch local DJ Cosmo Cater. The tent was filled with a cluster of loyal fans that had gathered to catch the closing set of the night. Cosmo put on a well wikkid performance and put in a fantastic effort bringing the night to a close.
Before I knew it, it was all over. The day had gone so fast, but I walked out feeling satisfied. I had managed to see everyone that I wanted to and I was really impressed with all the acts I had seen. The day had been a success. Everything seemed to go smoothly and everyone seemed to have an absolute blast. I only wish I had a time machine so I could turn back to the clock and do it all over again!
Two very big thumbs up to Future Entertainment and Fuzzy for giving the Queensland kiddies one very awesome day to remember!