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REVIEW: Triple J House Party, Prince Bandroom

11 September 2012 | 9:00 am | Rebecca McCann

This year marked the first ever tour of Triple J's House Party, with Nina Las Vegas + Flume, Beni, What So Not and Deacon Rose

Triple J's weekly Saturday night spot is DJ-ed by NINA LAS VEGAS, for a weekly 'House Party' mix. This year marked the beginning of a live national tour of House Party, with Nina headlining and the likes of FLUME, BENI, WHAT SO NOT and triple J's DEACON ROSE supporting.

Bangaranging barely-legals filled the Prince Bandroom on this fresh St Kilda Thursday evening, and my excited anticipation for my first ever official Triple J event was matched by the surrounding adolescents enthusiasm and youthful vigour. Yes, really. The phrase 'zest for life' springs to mind.

As my +1 and I entered the club, passing an epic queue for wristbands, it occurred to us that a number of the guests at this House Party could almost pass for our children. At 26 and 27, Josie and I did feel we could be chaperoning or supervising a High School formal, and refused to wear wristbands.

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The crowd was a typically Triple J listening audience – long haired, dreadlocked and shaven indie kids, flat caps, High Tops and beards ahoy. And, overwhelmingly, youth. It is a radio station whose target audience is youth, so this is as it should be.

In my modest and sensibly warm attire, I felt every bit the daggy old fogie. I also got sweaty and gross dancing to Nina's set, as the young'ns were packed to the rooftop like sardines. If I had instead gone for a mini-skirt, staggeringly high heels and midriff-baring singlet top I would've fit in more. And been cooler.

All DJs kept the cruiser-boozing crowd happy, but a special mention must go to the excellent Sydney producer Flume, who is as thumpingly good live as recorded. However, the best and brightest star was NINA LAS VEGAS.

The charming Nina won me and everyone over instantly. Not just with her undeniable sex appeal and spunky tabletop dance moves, but most impressively (and importantly) with her DJ skills. She keeps solid the reputation of girls doing everything boys do and better.  (No offence, fellas).

Nina opened her set with a KNXWLDGE tune, featuring the honeyed vox of FRANK OCEAN, which couldn't be more to my taste if I was DJ-ing. 'Thinking About You' bled into some banging M.I.A, before Nina broke it down with some grimey Skrillex. This gave me the chance to experience the head-thrashing dance-moves which the dub-loving crowd apparently embrace.

Nina proved she is not too pretentious for her own good by turning RIHANNA's 'We Found Love', but gained all über cool indie cred points back with a seamless transition into AZEALIA BANKS' '212'.

The venue has character and your shoes don't stick to the carpet. The back bar is easily accessible and complaints are strictly limited to capacity and the queue for cash out. I'm not going to lie – the drink card situation puts a bit of a buzz-kill on a grown-up's night out.

At the end of Nina's dub-drenched set, we escaped the heat and left into Melbourne's bitter cold. The remainder of the 'youth' presumably pushed on through with the reckless abandon that only those safe in the knowledge that a lie-in awaits them can manage.

NINA LAS VEGAS was at least thinking of the lucky few with Friday morning jobs to do. She gave us a special shout-out and said of our grown-up duties: 'FUCK THAT!'

Check the full Photo Gallery over at AIRWOLF PARADISE