‘80s disco beats get punters in the mood for ARIA week
Light Pressure kickstarted the night to a totally empty room. Once the boys started they owned the stage. The room may have been empty, and the dancefloor barren, but Light Pressure delivered a solid set of ‘80s-inspired tracks, even being joined on stage by Donny Benet, the night’s second act, on the keys. The liquid synth, gurgling riffs and popping vocals were enough to keep the few people in the room shimmying away.
Bloods DJs filled the room with beats between sets and kept the atmosphere at a high. When one-man band Benet took the stage, it was not unlike something out of The Wedding Singer. Again borrowing a lot from ‘80s disco, Benet delivered not only on his performance, but kept the crowd laughing as he played. He filled the dancefloor, encouraging everyone to get up, reassuringly saying “Guys don’t worry, I won’t take your girl tonight,” as he played Electric Love, a song he wrote about internet dating. This balding, middle-aged, mustachioed artist certainly knew how to work a crowd.
By the time Harts took the stage, the room was filled, and the crowd sufficiently amped. They delivered a solid set of pop/rock that had the crowd gagging for more.