9/4/09

I’m an ex-Adelaide boy, and whilst I absolutely love Melbourne town, there’s something I must confess. I’ve not been too impressed with Melbourne dnb DJs. Don’t get me wrong, I think they’re technical wizkids on the turntables, but at events where I’ve seen them support internationals I’ve never felt adequately warmed up and excited by them like I was by Adelaide dnb DJs. There’s just not the same vibe from them, and I was worried that an all local line up would be lacking in the awesome vibe I’ve so long associated with dnb music.

However, the moment I walked into Roxanne’s for Jungle Run I was impressed and my opinion has definitely been changed. I’m not quite sure who the first DJ was, but they were playing a fantastic set of tunes, and had the dance floor pumping with oldschool greats like Everyman, R.I.P and more from the 92-94 era. There were a fair few heads in the venue even at that early stage, and most of them were on the dance floor.

I must admit I only checked out the side room once, and liked the set up, but they were playing dubstep – admittedly not my most favourite kind of music – so I didn’t hang around. I mean, why listen to that tripe when the best of drum and bass music was in the very next room? But each to their own I guess.

Trooper, who’ve I’ve seen numerous times in Adelaide, stepped up to the decks, and I was keen to hear him in his hometown. And of course I was not disappointed. He played even more banging tunes, and whilst I don’t know the names of most of them I’m sure there was a fair whack of Congo Natty with the phat bassline and rasta stylings just mashing up the dance floor. I know he played Original Nutter by Shy FX, and I was stoked to hear Limb By Limb by Cutty Ranks and One Blood by Junior Reid. But I completely lost my shit when I heard the original rudeboy style of Inbound (Yes that was me screaming out “Yellow Record!” and calling for the rewind…)

I’m not sure who was next, but have a sneaking suspicion it was Finna, and he continued the great tunes, featuring Randal and a few other tracks from the AWOL compilation, and other great hits like Fire and Ruffneck. And a note to the trainspotters out there – these may not be the actual song titles, but everyone knows them as this so put your pencils away, stop stroking your chins and go dance! Unfortunately I had to leave deep into Finna’s set, but I was well impressed with the whole night.

Something I’ve come to love about Melbourne is the friendliness of the punters, and at Jungle Run this was no different. From chatting to people in the line, to finding myself dancing with people on the floor, receiving friendly smiles from all over the place, and having funny chats to randoms in the toilets, I felt almost the same vibe I got in Adelaide. So thank you, Jungle Run 7! You’ve finally made me feel at home.