“All the people, So many people” pretty much sums up Parklife in Adelaide on Sun 23 Oct. And it has to be said, Adelaide really came to the party. The sun, the park set up, the crowd, and the music were absolutely perfect. The inaugural Adelaide show proved that Adelaide has the population and the will to go out to a large event that isn’t rock orientated.

I got there and did my usual scoping out of the joint. There was a lot of eye candy of both the male and female variety, and it’s the best looking crowd I’ve been a part of in Adelaide, by far. There were three stages spread across the park, a good number of bars and toilets, and enough variety in food stalls to fill up the fussiest eaters.

I really wanted to see Greg Packer, and was very surprised to see MPK behind the decks, which were promptly moved to the side of the stage so Shapeshifter could do their thing. MPK looked bemused, but coped well with the disruption, and still danced and clapped although almost invisible behind the roadies and equipment.

Shapeshifter began with their mellower dnb, but brought in the rolling basslines quickly and amped up the crowd as their set progressed, concluding with an almost hard rock feel leaving the crowd screaming for more. I was so entranced by Shapeshifter that I only saw two of the Greenskeepers tracks, but they had a decent crowd who were really enjoying the performance which was high energy and full of fun.

As I drifted back between Shapeshifter and Stereo MCs, who were playing nice beats to a small and enthusiastic bunch of nutters, I thought I’d at least try and understand why Ajax is inthemix’s number one DJ. Unfortunately I still don’t see the appeal. Kid Kenobi and MC Sureshock didn’t inspire me much either though.

DJ Craze was up after Stereo MCs, and although I’ve enjoyed Craze in the past, there was something not quite right about it this time. It was a little more varied musically, but was a bit messier. A friend mentioned that it was a bit like Z-Trip, and I have to agree, but where Z-Trip excels is his flow. Craze lacked that, and was poorer for it. Still enjoyable though. The Herd were their usual self – great and lots of fun, although they seemed to be lacking a bit of volume. Adam Freeland was pretty predictable, although the crowd loved it.

The Scratch Perverts were the highlight of the night, their ability on the decks unsurpassed. Although it was a mash like Craze’s set, the flow was a lot more conducive to jumping around and having fun. Following them was Lyrics Born, who is always a fine performer and didn’t disappoint this time either.

Digitalism were great musically, although all I could see was smoke and flashing lights and two silhouetted figures behind keyboards and boxes. Busy P joined Justice behind the decks for a massive mashup, starting with the Jackass theme song, and playing all sorts of funky shit. MIA ended the night with her own brand of crazy hiphop and amusing stage antics.

One of my favourite things about Parklife, and the reason I’ve journeyed to Sydney in the past to be a part of it is the variety of music. And although I felt there was a lack of variety here in Adelaide compared to previous years, I wasn’t left wanting at all. I just think there could have been different styles of breaks beyond the electro stuff, and a little more dnb thrown into the mix. But all in all it was an excellent day full of great music and wonderful people.