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From: Walshy
Date: 10 Oct 2001
Time: 05:08:12
Remote Name: 203.108.234.122
Just thought people might be interested in this - it's a scene report going into a couple of dance things over here about the place I call home at the moment.
Scene Report - Tropical North Queensland (Cairns, Port Douglas, Kuranda, Mission Beach, Townsville)
For years now an ever growing, ever expanding scene has been developing in this idyllic region of Australia, nestled between World Heritage listed rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef. Amongst the pubs, retro discos and backpacker drinking parties for which it is traditionally renown, DJ's such as Chooky, Jah Lion and Bart, and a variety of promoters have been pushing dance music for over 10 years. Now, there are more and more promoters and DJ's putting on quality club nights and parties, while last year Cairns made its' first steps to establishing a Love Parade along the Esplanade and Port Douglas opened its' first 24 hour dance music radio station, the aptly named Trip fm. Highlights for the region in recent years have been the appearances of Tony de Vit, Sasha and Digweed, Derrick May, Phil K playing on a dance float in the annual reef festival last October, Dave Seaman on the renaissance tour in '99, Phat Phil Cooper, Vibes on a Tropical Day festival with Endorphin and Sharif, Ferry Corsten, Mark James, Phats and Small, and the infamous Silky and Taste-y parties. The 'alternative' lifestyle is big in the Tropical North, and this can be encountered around the region and at cultural festivals such as the bi-annual Laura Aboriginal Festival and the annual Envirofiesta, which often feature local Aboriginal hip hop band Blek Affiliation, funksters Hot Rubber Glove, hip hop outfit Souvenir City and reggae bands. These can also be found at regular hip hop/funk nights around Cairns, and impromptu jams such as the recent peace walks along the Cairns Esplanade. The biggest regular parties at the moment are the Deep North full moon parties on Magnetic Island off Townsville with DJ Dan Marshall. At Coconuts Beach resort on a tropical east facing beach in a sweeping bay several hundred people dance all night to breaks and house under the full moon to greet a sensational, picturesque sun-rise. Recent guest DJ's Phil K, Gab Olivier and Ozzie LA were all ecstatic to be here in the Tropics away from the cold of the Melbourne winter! The spirit of the Tropical North is a global, utopian vibe, and with weather and environment hotter than Ibiza or Miami this is surely a place of the future for Australian dance music...
Hope to see you all here some time!
Keep the faith,
Walshy