REVIEW: Marc Kinchen dominates at spectacular Melbourne day party

Right in the middle of an extravagant underground boom, is Australia’s musical mecca; Melbourne. With the likes of CamelPhat, Green Velvet, Fisher and many more all making trips down as of late, fans are equipped with the wonderful problem of choice. Last Saturday, however, Melbourne-based booking agency Thick As Thieves, alongside Untitled Group added to the problem, bringing over the likes of Franky Rizardo and Marc Kinchen, as well as homegrown heroes Late Nite Tuff Guy and London Topaz.

Taking place at one of Melbourne’s premier beachside venues; Riva St Kilda, the stage was set for a beautiful day. The bright sun glared against the ocean, as waves crashed against the foreshore, with the palm trees and gentle breeze adding a touch of paradise, all whilst overlooking Melbourne’s stunning skyline. Combined with the sun-soaked sounds of MK, Saturday proved to be an opportune occasion for a day party.

As Piero and Ivan Gough kicked things off, the two greeted the crowd with amiable House vibes, as the groovy basslines gradually warmed up the crowd before The Netherlands’ Franky Rizardo took to the stage. Rizardo, who capped off his Australian tour in Hobart on Sunday, delivered his 3rd and final performance in Melbourne and was welcomed by the crowd accordingly. With tracks such as Ben Rau‘s ‘Expand’, Franky’s ‘Revoke‘ and his hit summer remix of Marian Hill‘s single; ‘Down‘, Franky thoroughly epitomized the Tech House-day party atmosphere that’s been sweeping the nation.

Soon to follow was London Topaz, who opted to use pads, controllers and keyboards, as opposed to decks, delivering an authentic, live performance, similarly to Porter Robinson and Madeon during their shelter tour. Topaz, who gained popularity with singles such as ‘Let You Go’ ft. JANEVA and ‘Your Eyes’ Dena Amy, awed the crowd with his smooth basslines and timid lead synths. Topaz also treated the crowd with his new single ‘Hideout’, which surpassed 50k streams in one week!

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Following London Topaz was Australian Disco icon, Late Nite Tuff Guy (real name Cam Bianchetti), a pioneer in the global re-edits movement. Moving the crowd with his funky basslines, bright hats and nostalgic vocal edits, Cam injected the atmosphere with a healthy dose of Disco. Kicking things off with his rework of First Choice’s ‘Dr. Love’, Cam would follow with a plethora of his best singles, including ‘Do I Believe In God’ and his funky edit of Chaka Khan‘s ‘I Know You, I Live You’.

Finally, at 8:30, Marc Kinchen graced the stage, much to the crowd’s delight. Kinchen, who capped off his Australian tour on the night, was greeted with a warm welcome from the excited Melbourne crowd. Combined with smoke machines and a mesmerising lights display, Marc Kinchen put on a show to remember, starting off with his remixes of Rihanna‘s ‘Considerations’ and Calvin Harris & Sam Smith‘s new single; ‘Promises’. Soon, the American House legend turned up the heat, as he delivered high-octane party records such as his ‘I Need A Painkiller’ remix, ‘Piece of Me‘, his ‘My Head Is A Jungle’ remix and of course, his Platinum-selling #1 single; ’17’. 

Combining some of the finest music House & Disco has to offer, alongside the picturesque St Kilda foreshore, the day gave a cheeky preview of what’s to come over the rest of the Australian summer. Please note, due to Facebook’s copyright laws, parts of the video below are muted.

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