Having only frequented Honkytonks once before at the wee hours of the morning for a bevy (teen drinking bad, by the way) I was a little surprised when I heard that The Bamboos were launching their highly anticipated full-length player at the aforementioned venue. I thought it was a bar where house dj’s spun upbeat 12 inch remixes for a discerning crowd of aspiring models and professional adults who could afford 12 bucks for a pop of local brew. I love the décor though. Having made my way through the elusive door bitches (man bitches) I felt like I was gate crashing a party where only Melbourne’s elite party goer was welcome. Well goddamn kids that must be me …..and the few hundred that packed the joint.

Upon entry, dj’s Kanno and Ennio Styles were spinning some classic deep funk 45’s and classic party soul tracks and much to my pleasing ear, I recognised some of them. And while it’s not common knowledge that there is a scene in Australia for collecting soul funk 45’s, by nights end it was crystal clear that people in Melbourne love their funk music hard and deep. The legit stuff here people. Not disco, not retro, not doof, not Aussie Hip-hop or some of that other lame watered down cheese factory business that’s polluting the airwaves and corrupting people’s attitudes to what funk music actually is.

What makes funk music great was evident tonight for the launch of The Bamboos debut long player ‘Step It Up’.

Hard hitting fat back snappy syncopated funky drums delivered with feel and gusto by Danny Farrugia in the company of Yuri Pavlinov locking down phatt bass grooves that hit you in the guts and make everything else around it sing. Like front man and founder Lance Furguson on the axe sticking true to the hypnotizing riffs and funky axe playing circa The Meters and The J.B’s.

The band was smoking and the crowd was on fire too. The energy was electric and contagious and I found myself dancing with the best of them. Well, actually I struggled to keep up but geeze, I was moving and it was a refreshing change to the beer in hand or arms crossed with a bewildered expression that you see at a rock n roll show from time to time. C’mon people. Let’s party. You’ve paid the cover charge, you’re out the house, let’s celebrate what we have here in our musical back yard.

The heavy instrumental hard deep funk set was interjected with some sexy femme vocals come mid set when Chantal Mitlavsky hit the stage to belt out a few numbers with band. Those who have the ‘Step It Up” LP would know that UK soul screamer Alice Russell sings on two tracks but Chantal performed with uber confidence in her place as she belted out the title track ‘Step It Up’, ‘Transcend Me’ and much to my amazement an excellent cover of Ann Sexton’s ‘You’re Loosing Me’, a classic rare funk soul track which has recently become a classic in the deep funk scene and was in fact the first funk 45 I bought.

At this point the gig is just on fire. It’s not even a gig anymore, it’s a bloody party is what it is. The whole place is shaking. And as the band left my jaw dropping to the ground as I stood, well moved from side to side in some kind of lame dance, at the huge sonic sound coming out of a mere vocal P.A, the horn section pushed all my buttons with their tight stabs and tasty solos, trombone solos that would have had Fred Wesley shout ‘Damn! That girl can blow a horn”. The organ solos were hard as too. Ebony and ivory peaking into the red as Ben Grayson threw his all into his Hammond, fingers dancing all over the keys, leading the way for the groovers of the virtual dance floor to finish what he started.

The band bang out groove after groove with such a tight locked in feel that it defies musical physics. It’s tight but it ain’t stiff. Hell no. As far as gigs go, it was a motherf*#$%r. A champion gig and if you love good wholesome music that you can move too that also has an integrity to please the most discerning of musical aficionados then get down to where the funk’s at, coz funk is where it’s at and The Bamboos are up there with the big boys. The UK love them and they’re heading over there for a tour so it’ll have to be when they get back.  So make a note in your diary. In the meantime, get your hands around a copy of ‘Step it Up” and start shaking it.  The Bamboos are the shit.

Peace out.

www.thebamboos.com