Live Review: Fred Wesley & The New JBs, Brass Knuckle Brass Band & DJ Stephen Ferris

From Prince to Stevie Wonder to Lyn Collins, DJ Stephen Ferris had the crowd pegged perfectly. It was a killer set covering all shades of funk with only one small slip up. Possibly the worst version of Midnight Hour ever made, sounding like something even Skrillex and The Black Eyed Peas would be embarrassed by.

The first thing you notice about Brass Knuckle Brass Band is the tuba. IT'S NOT A TUBA! Actually it was a sousaphone, but either way who needs a bass guitar when you've got a bell end the size of a café table? The backline of sousaphone, congas and drums held things down, the saxophone and trombone kept the funk chunky, while the duo of trumpets took turns in running the trills. The Canberra locals opened with Now's The Time and No Good Groove Should Go Unpunished before bringing Courtney Stark up to add some natural smoky vocals on Happiness Is. A Jackson Five cover kept things lively and the male vocals for St James Infirmary were another pleasant surprise.

Fred Wesley & The New JBs are a living piece of history, connecting trad jazz to James Brown to Parliament Funkadelic. And they love it. Some people like funk for the noodling jazz solos, tonight which showcased the 400+ years of experience on the stage. Some like funk for the fat bass lines and drops, of which theirs were fatter than butter. Some like funk for the crossover to blues, jazz and popular music, and they wandered into all territories. Most though, it must be said, love funk for the party. And they brought the damn party. From Pass The Peas to Funk For Your Ass to Foreplay, it was wall-to-wall neck-snapping shoulder-dipping funk. Funky Good Time, Gimme Some More, Break Bread and the crowd participation track, House Party, were lapped up by a crowd starved of the deep-fried funk. It was truly a privilege and one that the crowd was reluctant to let go with two encores and a call for more echoing through the Beresford long after the band had left the stage.