Live Review: Super Openair

The damp, cloudy and overcast weather did little to discourage Sydney’s dance music enthusiasts when Kato (one half of house/techno duo, Wordlife) took to the open-air stage downstairs shortly after 2pm, at one of the city’s most intimate and diverse venues for Super OpenAir.

Downstairs was a bar serving alcohol and snacks, as well as a chill-out area with stools and tables for those wishing to take a quick smoke break and/or simply chill and chit chat. Coloured fairy lights were strung across the cornered DJ booth and the crowd appeared to be relaxed and in fairly high spirits. Community-focused Club Kooky’s DJ Gemma hopped on the decks 90 minutes later and played deliciously exotic, moody tunes while the crowd thickened and settled in for the techno-fuelled night ahead. Berlin-based, Italian-born DJ Mr Ties (aka Francesco De Nittis) kicked off a four-hour long set that was ripe and sophisticated, essentially playing everything from groovy worldly house tunes to funky old-school retro disco tracks. He undoubtedly lived up to his name; draped and drowning in an impressively outstanding collection of ties, he kept the crowd energised and animated.

Meanwhile, Astral People DJs’ Ben Fester, and Preacha, played in the upstairs venue on a somewhat larger stage complete with a bar and a few couches, separated by a red velvet theatre curtain. Underground Sydney DJ Annabelle Gaspar followed through with a beautiful, spacious deep house set that flowed gently over the diverse and now mellowed-out crowd smiling before her.

Simon Caldwell took to the stage after 8pm and played really tropical, earthy deep house with a more jungle-esque vibe. DJ Kiti then played more tunes lined with more techno elements and Ben Drayton polished off the night with a banging mix of house and techno, reaffirming OpenAir as one of Sydney’s best-kept secrets in underground dance music.