Saturday the 11th October saw Depth Charge Music and the Earth Freq crew serve up two of south east Queensland's heavy-hitting roots and reggae acts in a night of bouncy fun and joy at the Hi-Fi, in West End.
Missing support act, 1 Dragon 2 Dragon, I arrived just in time to get a cold bevy and some ideal dancefloor real estate. I was super happy, amped and uber appreciative to have the chance to see Oka in my 'hood, and from the opening track I was in my element.
The three-piece (at times four) multi-instrumental groove gurus have a tribal platform that is pulsating, pumping and primal. Their signature sound delivers what I can only describe as an intense, inside dance of the soul. Stu's electronic vibrations, vocals and yadaki sounds of mother earth, coupled with his younger brother’s punchy percussion and Lee Hardisty's symphony of sounds, created mad dancefloors and massive ear-to-ear smiles.
Oka Image © Lachlan DouglasPlaying crowd favs like ‘Music Makes Me Happy’, remixing 'No Diggity' and old-reggae hooks and unveiling their new track, ‘Dub Zacappa’, their mixed bag tapped into the essence of being alive. Connecting to country, to our hearts and sharing culture, their indigenous flavour is a taste to savour and an experience that doesn't leave you. In their own words: "Oka boys get ya high".
Oka Image © Lachlan DouglasA quick trip home (200 meters), a shower and a fresh shirt and I was back front and centre for West End favourites Kingfisha. These cruisey cats are a regular in my car stereo and are a huge part of the soundscape of my local community.
The five-piece-plus gave us super-phat bass, cool keys and reggae rhythms that flowed throughout their entire set. Jelling it together with electronic ear-licks, sneaky sound effects and soothing vocals, Kingfisha have a sound that stretches back into history’s pages of roots music and one that is as unique as a fingerprint.
Kingfisha Image © Lachlan DouglasI really enjoyed their flow and bounced and bopped my way from one side of the room to the other. They had some beautiful cameos on stage including my new favorite instrument — the melodica — and kept the crowd moving with tracks old and new.
There wasn’t much wrong on the night, but I would have loved to have had the set times swapped, with Oka headlining after the Kingfisha boys as it was really hard to bring my frequency down rather than up!
In saying that, though, I had a really fun time! It was typically Earth Freq-friendly — a cool, calm, playful energy of respect and camaraderie, and a rad, vibrant crowd full of smiles and conversation.
