Live Review: Crookers, Acid Jacks, Generik

A rotation of local Melbourne DJs including Acid Jacks and Generik kick start the One Love revival at The Prince Of Wales Bandroom for one night only. Bringing back the much-loved electronic dance to the nostalgic Saturday night disco, we’re ready to smash the dance floor.

Tonight’s something of a reunion with Crookers and many of his support acts together again at the same iconic venue since one of the DJ’s last Australian tours back in 2008. With a ton of legendary remixes and more than five LPs now under his belt, including the most recent release, Sixteen Chapel, we’re excited about what’s in store.

Generik and Acid Jacks team up on the decks to pump out some heavy club-banging electro anthems that vibrate through our bodies long into the early hours of the morning before the main attraction arrives. Their infectious, high-energy set energises us with a diverse blend of new and old tunes that guarantee non-stop dancing under the shiny disco balls and colourful strobe lights.

The now solo Italian DJ that is Crookers, aka Francesco ‘Phra’ Barbaglia, finally appears on stage at about 1:30am and thankfully we’re supercharged on high doses of Red Bull to keep us on our feet. Diving straight into some new material with the lead single from his latest release, I Just Can’t, it proves a sure-fire winner, with fast drum patterns and delicious electro drops for us to soak up.

With a fusion of eclectic genres ranging from electro house to R&B, trip-hop and techno to name a few, Crookers takes us on an exciting thrill-ride through his music, inspired as it is by many different styles over the years. Tracks off Barbaglia’s new album and first solo effort are the result of re-making some old relics he’d dusted off with a fresh and groovy spin that still maintains the original Crookers signature sound that we love. 

His impressive catalogue, complete with some of his most infectious bangers including that epic remix of Kid Cudi’s Day ‘N’ Nite and The Chemical Brothers’ The Salmon Dance have us bouncing off the walls in a frenzy of nostalgic excitement. His irresistible hooks and interesting sounds keep us guessing as we dance the night away and revved up till the early morning.