The initial layout of the Good God Small Club is slightly awkward. If you’re going there to see a band, upon entering, you may be forgiven for thinking you’ve come to the wrong place. After descending the staircase, you are greeted by rows of rustic fashioned dining booths, reminiscent of the Flintstones: filled with groups of happily chattering patrons. To reach the Danceteria, where the performances are held, the audience is compelled to line up in a narrow corridor beside the diners as waiters and waitresses jostle past the queue with trays laden with deep-fried delights, animal slices, and frosty beverages. The progress is slow, but the wait proves worthwhile.

Once in, the Danceteria is surprisingly spacious, however, the intimate proximity of the stage and the dance floor certainly allows for close interaction between band and audience. Tonight’s audience is not typical by any standard; sharp dressed folk with an average age of 29 mix effortlessly with pullover wearing sports casuals, as the occasional middle aged couple saunter amongst them, seemingly at ease.

Neo-Soul/Funk outfit, Lo Five, take to the stage first to lay down some thick grooves spliced with soulful melody. Singer Tam Morris, brother of successful Australian singer Jenny Morris, chooses an unconventional Ukulele on which he provides chordal and melodic accompaniment to the infectious keyboards of Al Goodman. The duo, who were also responsible for Sydney outfit Tracky Dax, were joined tonight by a drummer who, although reading from drum notation, didn’t miss a beat.

Halfway through their set, Tam announced his voice was playing up and that he would have to play keyboards for the remainder of the set. The following instrumental was probably the funkiest of their show, and proved why Al Goodman is one of the most sought after keyboard players in Australia. Tam then attempted vocals for another song before apologetically calling an end to their set. To be honest, you couldn’t really tell that there was anything wrong with his voice. It did sound slightly gravelly when compared to their recordings, however, and for the sake of not damaging the primary tools of his trade, Tam’s decision was appropriate. Despite their truncated set, Lo Five are certainly noteworthy.

Dereb the Ambassador's set began with much promise, and proceeded to live up to even the most discerning expectations. His band played an opening instrumental, before guitarist PJ took the time to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land. Dereb then took to the stage to give the crowd their monies worth, and then some. The group of musicians he has chosen for this tour showed their value, without a doubt. Instrumentally, the highlights were the duelling tenor and baritone saxophones, as well as the rock solid bass lines. Dereb’s melisma addictively intertwines with the six piece band who laid an unshakeable foundation. This music is by no means conventional, although elements of convention can be noted. The backbone is Ethiopian flavoured soul/jazz with various other influences, such as reggae and calypso, to name but a few. Although the music does have traditional elements, it is by no means traditional per se; it’s way too fresh for that. It is world musicians such as Dereb the Ambassador who are breathing life back into the Sydney scene that has been stagnating so long.

It is indeed a privilege to see such a consummate performer in such an intimate setting such as the Good God Small Club which, despite its baffling restaurant layout, makes up for its shortcomings in atmosphere and sound quality.