- It isn't often that Luciano can go to work and also get in some nice sightseeing at the same time, but his Sydney debut was just such an occasion, as he took to the decks aboard the Starship Sydney, an impressive glass vessel that catered for 800 eager punters. It was the perfect opportunity for Luciano to deliver one of the house sets that has made an icon inside (and outside) the red walls of DC-10.
Photo credit: Julien Canot
I must admit I was going into the day with unfair expectations. I've witnessed Luciano mesmerise a dance floor in DC-10 a few times, as well as push the soundsystem at Fabric to its very limits. But in many ways, he lived up to them, playing some brutal tracks from the get-go, a position he was forced into by the warm-up set by Emerson Todd. I was looking forward to hearing Luciano build a set with some smooth house early on, but after Todd took a tough tech house direction, the Swiss DJ was forced into starting in a way I would have rather see him finished. As a result, Luciano's first hour could have easily been his last.
Even so, we were treated to some pretty good, albeit familiar tunes: Sebo K's "Diva" and the pounding Alter Ego mix of "Blackwater" stood out, along with a multitude of a cappellas and knob fiddling that you usually get with a Luciano set. And what it lacked in variety, it certainly made up for in the fun department. Sure, it wasn't as captivating as the sets I've seen him play elsewhere, but it was an unrealistic expectation that it would match those experiences. (Although the lack of a quality warm-up set seems to be a staple here in Australia and invariably affects the programming of the entire night.)
Photo credit: Julien Canot
Music aside, though, congratulations are in order to the Pulse crew for putting together this party. There were a few issues—water supply and toilet problems—and some may choose to have these issues overshadow the positives that came out of the event. But it stands to reason that Pulse will understand what errors were made and put on an even better cruise the next time around. If they do that, then I can guarantee that seeing the likes of Claude VonStroke playing to the backdrop of the Sydney Harbour will be a must-attend event.