Koolism @ Gaelic Club Friday 9th July 2005

I like the Gaelic Club. There is something authentic about the place; be that the smiling Irish voice who answered the phone when I rang to check the gig time, or the tasty array of world beer on tap, I reckon this place is just what Sydney needed to reboot our sluggish live scene. Thus it was with much anticipation that we donned our drinking hats and stepped out to brave the torrential drizzle, en route a la Gaelic.

Firstly I must say that the door list was seriously lengthy. There must have been at least two hundred names on those tattered shreds of paper. I guess Koolism and Katalyst have a lot of friends. Hoping that they had saved us a seat, we side stepped to the bar and made the first very important decision of the evening. Beverage in hand, the search was on�get thee to a table with a view. No chance. We might have had better luck trying to park a mini-bus on the Opera House forecourt, but on this occasion the Gig Gods were against us and we found ourselves wedged up against the wall over to the left near the toilets. There was an army of very surly and very tall gents camped defiantly on the dance floor so we voted to stay put temporarily.

The first DJ was slamming down old school Biggie-esque beats which got things happening in our corner, but it is always hard to get the momentum moving when you are getting battered around by folks on a mad dash to the amenities. Steeling ourselves with more amber liquid, we stood staunch and checked out the locale. The crowd was a mixed bunch of old uni students, B Grade Celebs and off duty bouncers all trying to find a spot to put their drink and roll a cigarette. The rather hefty hip hop heaving out of those tall stacks of speakers definitely set the mood: there was a certain tension in the air and even that army of giants shifted their weight in anticipation of the set to come.

Katalyst came on just after 11 with DJ Leeroy Brown and some super sounds of the seventies. The unique style of Katalyst who blends beats with grooves of gold is perfectly set off by Leeroy�s sleek scratching skills, but the first MC fell flat on his yank accent and lost the vibe almost instantly. Katalyst reclaimed some of it when he whipped out an old CB radio rigged up as a mic and ushered in his second MC who got a warmer response from the crowd. Pulling out the big guns, Katalyst and Leeroy amped up a Seven Nation Army mega mix that got the crowd interested and then followed through with some Kelis and current Beastie Boys. Most of the crowd dug it, but the solid gents in the front row didn�t appear too impressed, a feeling that was echoed in our corner. We endured the moment by admiring the cool visuals of old record covers from the seventies being projected behind the performers. Katalyst wrapped up his set on a big note with an original party pleaser off his album and managed to reinstate the lost vibe. Overall, I thought he played to the Triple J crowd too much and didn�t promote his more eclectic collection.

Koolism were obviously the act everyone was eager to see and hear. With DJ Danielsan proving why he is most revered with the choicest beats and technical proficiency, the 2 MC�s bounced around the stage with unabashed abandon. The crowd lapped it up and gave it up for the big beats and choruses. There was little banter between tracks and one number flowed into the next leaving little room for timely breaks to the bar. The critical mass of MCs in the crowd was showing signs of enjoyment whilst average Joe struggled for a piece of dance floor action. Plenty of beer was getting spilled, sweet smoke filled the air around us and the vibe was holding strong. Koolism�s new material got a swell reception and the crowd was happy to jostle amongst themselves, eager to ride the wave of funky beats and straight up lyrics. Koolism are about busting your guts on the dance floor and as an album launch, this gig split its pants.