Project Description

HOT DUB TIME MACHINE

@ The Icecream Factory

(Live Review)

29/06/18

Reviewer: Melanie D Griffiths

Photos – Matija Smojver

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HOT DUB TIME MACHINE

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Tom Lowndes’ musical juggernaut Hot Dub Time Machine rolled into Perth for the start of his 2018 tour, taking residence in the behemoth Icecream Factory.

Hot Dub Time Machine exists in it’s own realm with no other contemporary. It’s a show that comes out sirens blaring, literally, and assaults the senses with huge screens, disco balls, confetti cannons and a catalogue of music that was astonishing in volume and diversity.

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The premise is simple, a musical journey from the 1950s through each subsequent decade until we reach present day. Offering up such a huge slice of music means that Lowndes’ audience, whilst predominantly of the younger sort, also spans a number of generations.

The Pilerat DJs started the event off early, with Paces laying down a fun set, with an appearance by Sydney Carter.

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Europe’s Final Countdown heralded Lowndes’ arrival and straight off the bat, Lowndes pitched out to a crowd of around 4,000 classics such as Bill Haley’s Rock Around The Clock and Chubby Checker’s Twist Again and Dolly Parton’s Jolene, setting a blistering pace through the 1950s and 1960s with the whole crowd sounding like parishioners in a warehouse church.

The realisation that everyone was singing along to virtually every song from The Beatles’ Twist and Shout, to Steppenwolf’s Born To Be Wild showed 2 things; Lowndes has a devoted following, and when a song’s good it transcends time and generational popularity. It’s why in large part why Hot Dub Time Machine works, because the songs Lowndes chooses appeal not only to his audience on a nostalgic level but also because the songs are gems regardless of what decade they’re from.

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The other part of Hot Dub’s success lies with Lowndes – he’s the curator and the crowd follows his lead. Never letting up, he threw himself into each mix and danced with the zeal of a DJ alone in his room who’s just done the slickest mix on 1200s. It’s obvious that he loves what he does, and that mood is infectious.

Yet like Christmas lunch at your mum’s, at every Hot Dub show you know you are going to get certain things. You know you’ll get a Michael Jackson megamix, there will also be a balloon drop for 99 Luftballoons, 80s rock will be shown in all it’s glory with Bon Jovi’s Livin’ On A Prayer and Britney will always close out the 90s with …One More Time. That familiarity is now edging towards a vibe of ‘been there, sung that’ so the more obscure, recent additions kept the setlist fresh and were still indicative of their eras. J Geils Band’s Centrefold was a welcome 80s oddity, as was the 90s aussie dance anthem Sweetness & Light, and the unexpected highlight, Zombie, had artist Samsaruh brought on stage to give a moody rendition.

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The 90s proved to be the most popular, running the gamut from grunge’s Smells Like Teen Spirit, to hip hop’s Sir Mix A Lot’s Baby Got Back, to pop’s Backstreet Boys’ Everybody (Backstreet’s Back). Leaving the last 15 years sounding homogenised in comparison with a pointed focus on more dance orientated music from Flume, Dizzee Rascal and The Bag Raiders. Eventually it was all brought back down to Earth with the closing Hey Jude which had friends embracing as they chanted to the conclusion of the night.

With a second sold out show tonight, it’s clear Perth’s love for Hot Dub continues with fervour and still remains The. Best. Party. Ever.

4.5 stars

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