The Boutique Tour with Meat Katie and DJ Touche @ Peace - 31.5.2002

Bringing on the breaks

The promise of a four to the floor break-tech-house assault from the Boutique Tour starring DJ Touche and the master of bringing beats from beyond the darkness, Meat Katie had me willingly defying the natural desire to stay out of the cold and curl up with a video, and I was not alone.

Plenty of mad up for it punters were heading for Seven and taking their place in the main room quite early on. Those feeling a little more inclined to sit back and take in the scenery headed for the side room where funky old skool tunes rang true. The dance floor started off relatively empty, except for those moments when a brave few felt the urge to break out in to some 'Not quite right, but at least I'm having fun' rappin styles, much to the delight of the head wiggling many nestled on the couches. Mark Pember, aka Meat Katie could also be seen enjoying a quiet drink or two, a respectful crowd acknowledged his presence but let him be.

As time grew nearer to the onset of unrelenting breaks, punters were seen glancing at their watches and creeping slowly to the front. Patience prevailed though as Melbourne shufflers were thankful to have some decent floor space.

Then at last that trademark cheesecutter cap emerged and DJ Touche wasted no time. The dark driving bass exploded from the speakers and was met with heavy squelches and random contorted sounds. The crowd were quietly enthusiastic, replacing shouts of approval with fast and funky moves, challenging themselves to keep with the beat. Touche never let up and delivered the break infested set all were hoping for.

Meat Katie could be now seen taking a back seat on the stage as Touche put the final touches on his set and floor space was being rapidly swallowed up as an excitable crowd anticipated Meat Katie's opening track.

Then the beats burst out, the lights flashing at epileptic speeds and finally the crowd roars. Baggy trousered legs respond accordingly and no one attempts to take a seat. The weekend has landed and Meat Katie true to form, brings it in 3am style. Fusing house, breakbeat and techno, Meat Katie's no bullshit style wrings every last bang and dark twisted break out from the speakers, all rapturously received from a crowd only too willing to take it all in and let it all out however they please.

No attitude, no egos, just twisted breaks, dark breaks, and more breaks...what more could you want.

Tags