I got rather excited when I realised that, instead of watching bad Aussie TV shows on a Sunday night, I could watch bad Aussie TV shows and then go to Planet, Adelaide, to see RJD2 and Kid Koala performing.
I'd already listened to RJD2's Deadringer several times and had seen Kid Koala live, so I confess that I went along with some idea of what to expect, yet curious to see what RJD2 could do on stage.
Bad sound mixing wasn't helping when RJD2 started with good remixes of tunes from his last album. I've always considered RJD2's problem to be that he's listened to DJ Shadow a lot (we can't really blame him for that can we?), but it's far too obvious. RJD2 is a good DJ, with fine tunes, and he can handle working with four decks at the same time. In fact, he's restless behind them, which probably explains why he looked so fit. But his mix of old funk and soul songs made me think that if I were Shadow I'd sue him. Stay home and listen to the original tunes (Shaolin Soul vol.1 and 2 for starters). It was all interesting but lacked an original identity for RJD2.
The same could not be said about headliner Kid Koala. Originally from Canada and now here Down Under, the Kid obviously felt at the right place with the right name. He gave us a show with everything we could have wanted to see or hear. He reminds me of the chefs in Ready Steady Cook - give them the mouldy remains from the back of your cupboard and these guys manage to surprise you with a dish you wouldn't have thought possible.
Obviously happy to be there, singing and smiling like the 12-year-old boy he looks like, he gets away with everything - remixing The Cure's Close To Me, telling a story about his mother keeping his CDs wrapped as "they look better with the plastic on", scratching Björk's Homogenic and making trumpet noises (on Drunken Trumpet) - it's all there and it's all good. With just a needle and a disc he mixed old school Beastie Boys and trendy White Stripes (7 Nation Army). He made young boys with beenie hats put their hands in the air and wave them around like they just don't care with the Monthy Python Holy Grail soundtrack.
Kid Koala is definitely someone to see on stage - if you manage to, that is. He is quite small and half hidden behind his turntables, after all. He is expecting to come back in Australia next year with a whole set including eight desks, other DJs, a piano and a bingo game. If you get to catch him elsewhere in the meantime, don't pass up the chance.
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