One of a handful of local bands that have left their electro footprint on the ever-mushrooming Sydney dance scene, Van She have been steadily growing in the not-quite-commercial shadows since their first release in 2005.
Their latest offering, Ze Vemixes, showcases the group's remixing skills, taking last year's album V, and creating a remodelled piece of work. And given the group like to refresh the old rather than cook up too much from scratch, this was one of those gigs where everyone knew the words to just about every song.
Support acts included disco-loving Sydneysiders Ted & Francis, followed by the currently ubiquitous Bag Raiders, who DJ-ed the mostly young crowd into a sweaty, shirtless frenzy. But where crazy dancing kids gather, the boys in blue are often close by. And there were plenty of young ones who had clearly peaked too early, missing Van She's opening number - the 2005 hit 'Kelly'. For those that bought their tickets with Van She's performance first in mind though, the live and re-jigged recital fuelled screams and cheers aplenty.
With matching black bomber jackets and their tools of the trade propped on milk crates, the lads that sold out the Metro looked a little more like a school garage rock band than a group that have remixed the work of everyone from Daft Punk, Feist and Sneaky Sound System. The offering of 'Strangers' clearly pleased the kids, with the sea of heads bobbing in a seriously cramped pack to the remixed beats.
But on the day that the majority of the world was mourning the fateful demise of the King of Pop, there was no way Van She was leaving the theatre without a musical tribute. As an encore, the band recreated Michael Jackson's 'Alright Now' for an appreciative, mobile-phone waving crowd.
Liz Niland
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