Newtown Festival
Camperdown Memorial Park, 14 November 1999
by Leigh Tran

Well unfortunately I didn't get to Camperdown Memorial Park until after 5, having rushed over from work, but at least I found parking. hehehe

I arrived at the park to the thumping sounds of David Thrussell, a shaggy blonde haired rastafarian who had garnered a sizeable crowd in the main electronic area (flanked by the ubiqituous 2SER banner). I managed to catch a bit of Sub Bass Snarl's set of some very fine drum n bass on the second electronic stage which opted for more of sit down affair, but I eventualy took some time off to see more friends and discover the place. Over on the main stage, iOTA (who had a very fine set by all accounts) had just finished and was succeeded by headliners Karma County, who took the opportunity to question the crowd on their republican leanings.

To the right of the natural amphitheatre (of sorts) where the main stage was located lay the doof tent, completing the trifecta of electronic areas. Home to a considerable contingent of glitter ferals (whose spiritual home IS newtown dontcha know?! LOL) and complete with fire twirlers, stilt walkers and resplendent couches, it generated the type of cosey, laid-back doof atmosphere that outdoor gigs are gloriously known for. This was offset by the mc'ing skills of MC Kray (known more for his work at the yuppiefyed BeatFix) over some pulsating drum n bass and underappreciated breaks.

But of course, props go to my personal highlight and the ones who occupied my mind all bloody day, Boo Boo and Mace!! Its probably unhealthy to be so obsessive over the veritable legends that are Andy Rantzen and Paul Mac but thankfully I am not alone in my hero worshipping :) Part of the new wave of artists who favour CDs over vinyl, they aren't much to watch because they don't tweek much these days and because they spend as much time grooving to their own tracks as the punters do. But precisely for that reason, that the tangible excitement they can generate within the crowd (who would have by now just been exhausted from the heat and the long day) even without the magic of vinyl or any trickery with the turntables is simply stunning and to be greatly applauded. As much it sounds like a well worn cliche, it IS the music itself which speaks to the very heart and feet of the groover, which lives in all of us (yes even those indie popsters out there are little groovers in denial!! *grins*) and there is no one on the local scene who do it as well as Boo Boo and Mace.

With a collection that involved many fine original works (and well known by a discerning audience it would seem), the set started off with some fantastically funky electro tunes, which were heavy on the wah-wah bassline and reminiscent of the thriving electro-funk scene from around sydney/melbourne way (ala b[if]tek, disco stu and telemetry orchestra, as well as andy rantzen's other project FC Europa). I must admit though that the first half of today's set had me more interested, as eventually the clean lines of the electro made way for some tent-thumping acid and speed, chased between an alternating Paul and Andy, who unlike other acts do not play together as such.

Although it seemed to hype an already frenzied crowd up, I personally don't think that more beats per minute necessarily make for a better dance track because faster doesn't always mean more danceable. (side note: i think the fine art of grooving, as opposed to jumping up and down waving my hands in the ai-r is completely lost when it comes to acid techno and speed garage and the like, unless of course you happen to be a glitter feral or feral doofer who seem to have moves all of their own, irrespective of genres!)

Amidst the less melodic blipping acid techno and trance, punctuated by a pounding but rather stifled 4-4 beat, were deft touches of looping, and superb skills in layering and building the song and the crowd up. Perennial crowd pleaser (there always has to be one!) came from the seminal classic, Sweetness and Light, from Andy and Paul's earlier incarnation as Itch-e and Scratch-e. The opening strains of one of the classiest tracks I've ever heard (so many elements make this track so sublime) even managed to bring out the hidden raver in me! as well as many other people, so much so that the tent heaved with the thick hot air of at least 50 people too much forcing their way under the tent.

The magic was very short lived, as only one track later, the power was cut without warning, as the guys weren't even able to bring the crowd down. The groove stopped and the momentum was lost as Boo Boo and Mace left the building. (okay tent..) but the set was good enough to keep the spirits high.

Finally I just wanted to say, what a fantastic event the Newtown Fair Day is because it does so well in promoting not just the local Newtown community, but also brings together a more wide-ranging Sydney community. The thing I love about Sydney is that its big enough to draw a sizeable crowd who are so diverse and genre-hopping, yet small enough to join communities fairly quickly. As I'm sure is the same for the rest of Australia, if you go out enough times you're bound to become part of the "scene", and Fair Day managed a decent showing, so even if you didn't know anyone, many faces felt strangely familiar. It was all about community spirit and it certainly depicted the vibrant and dynamic culture that is still sadly, mostly underground. Fun for the whole family, and if you missed it this year, be sure to come along next year!