Certified B A N G E R S.
If you go to any Bag Raiders performance expecting something else, you’re out of your mind. The Sydney Electronic Duo did not disappoint, but not without the show having a rocky start.
Since I am 25 going on 80, I understand how being on time is crucial to putting on a good gig (There are some exceptions). Mickey Kojak, the Electronic/Dance guru from Sydney, ended up starting his show around 20/25 minutes late. I did not have high hopes while waiting for his set. The venue was almost empty and devoid of energy when his set time came around. So, I can only assume they made the decision to push everything back to give the crowd a chance to bulk up. In hindsight, this was definitely the right call. Even though his set was pretty short (around 25ish minutes, very similar to the length of most sets at Bigsound – a warm up perhaps?), it was great while it lasted.
The crowd, while not really giving him anything back when he did the standard "hey-how-are-you-tonight-Brisbane" shtick, really started to vibe as his set progressed. About halfway through, when ‘Get Out’ came on, is when the crowd started to relax and just enjoy his show. Mickey Kojak has a great mix of vocals and solid electronic beats in his music. The beats really let him set a base line for the crowd to dance and move to. I couldn’t help but feel myself moving more and more as he moved through his catalogue. He does a fantastic job of using the vocal parts of his tracks to inject more energy into his performance. While I was skeptical when he started late, I was very pleasantly surprised by how much fun I had. ‘All That Acid’ was a great way to close out a great set.
By the time Bag Raiders finally came on the stage, the crowd had well and truly picked up. In short, it was an awesome show. The duo has 10 + years of iconic electronic classics under their belt and it definitely shows.
Towards the beginning of their set, with Mickey Kojak fresh in the back of the crowd’s minds, the duo brought him out for their recent collaboration ‘Wild At Heart’. The slower pace was a nice build into the remainder of the night, and the crowd was definitely more appreciative than they were an hour ago.
From here on out Bag Raiders shared with us a great mix of their older work and newer releases. People were dancing, jumping and getting up on their mate’s shoulders. The small, enclosed space of the venue really made the show feel so huge. Everyone on the dance floor was close enough to enjoy the show, but not so packed in that they couldn’t dance and move without fear of smacking someone. The bubbly and upbeat style of Electronic that I love Bag Raiders for was perfect for the size of crowd they had.
But by far, the end of their set was the best. Not only did I get to hear Chris Stracey profess his love for coconut water, but I got to enjoy a fantastic end to their performance. Everything from ‘Sunlight’ onwards was just a blur. They blended their classic hits together so well that nobody could stop dancing. People in the crowd were clearly loving every moment of it, and rightfully so. Then it came. As soon ‘Shooting Stars’ started, that was it, the crowd lost it. Everyone was jumping around, the phones were coming out to record, and my friend gave me the signal (pushing me down mid song) that it was time for her to get on my shoulders.
It was a fantastic end to a fantastic set, all part of a fantastic night.