The invitation
to the Illusive Sound Check Party boasted ‘both an intimate
venue and a stellar line-up’ for its attendees last Friday night. With Bliss
‘n’ Eso, Paris Wells, Lowrider and industry newcomers The Metals all set to hit
the stage, the anticipation amongst the crowds in Ormond Hall was high. As a
VIP event only, the scores of people making their way through the doors were a
combination of industry professionals, musicians and veterans, publicists and a
lucky few who had scored some tickets from competitions. And with figures such
as Molly Meldrum roaming the room, Illusive had quite a point to prove.

As far as I’m
concerned, Illusive got next to everything right. The venue, situated just off
St Kilda Rd, was spacious but not to the point that it seemed empty. Queues at
the bar filed through swiftly and there was ample space in front of the stage
for patrons to have a boogie.

First up was the
fresh addition to Illusive Record’s pool of artists, The Metals. Fronted by a
young woman adorned with extravagant frilly pants, this group collaborated
sounds of soul, funk and hip-hop. The music was catchy and the performance
successfully grabbed the attention of those who had broken away from the bar
and the smokers’ courtyard. Her energy was engaging and her voice undoubtedly
fantastic, however occasionally her on-stage performance was a little too
dominating. Regardless, the quirkiness was clearly unique and memorable. Song
wise, I struggled to distinguish a clear ‘hit’ amongst the songs, but I’m sure
these emerge with time. Nonetheless, for such a new addition to the scene,
these guys show a lot of promise. And, they did manage to get a few fellows
dressed in cardboard boxes dancing around at their feet, which is certainly a
lively response in any case.

What followed
was a short but very, very sweet set from Paris Wells. This girl has been on
the scene for a few years now, based in Melbourne, but has supported the likes
of Justin Timberlake and appeared at multitudes of festivals. With a couple
of back-up singers on hand, Paris impressed the crowd as I had expected. Her stage
presence is natural yet so very enticing, and I admit that my girl-crush has
grown considerably. "Lonely" was, of course, a big winner.

Next up was the
Adelaide soul group Lowrider. I’ve somehow missed these guys every time they’ve
come down my side of town, but I’d heard heaps of good things. And so the men
came out and played a carefree, entertaining set to an audience that had
livened up considerably. The description on their MySpace that Lowrider are a ‘Jam
Band’ fits the mould perfectly. They seemed to enjoy themselves so thoroughly.
Currently, their single "Hold Me Now" is doing the rounds on Triple J’s super
request and elsewhere on the radio waves.

Finally, the
implicit (and widely accepted) headliners of the gala hit the stage to a
thoroughfare of arm raising and yells of ‘mother fucccckeeeeerrrrs’. Yes, Bliss n’ Eso’s mere presence prompted the many fans in the room to make a fair bit
of noise. And, the Sydney based trio managed to drag many of those who had been
lingering outside to come in and have a look and listen.

Bliss n Eso have been
working on a new album for the past few months and, in addition to performing
the old favourites such as "Eye of the Storm" and "The Sea is Rising", they
used Friday night as an opportunity to showcase a few new tunes. And the
prospects are looking pretty good for this new album Running on Air. Sampling
and production have always been strengths of this hip-hop group, and I’m under
the impression that this will continue through the fourth studio album. Paris
Wells also reemerged to feature on the song "Field of Dreams", impressing the audience once
again.

So, in the end, the invitation’s claims were genuine. The intention of the night: to showcase this
new record label’s artists to the industry, the media, and the fans in return for feedback and
encouragement. In short, my feedback = encouraging.