DJ Dexter/ DJ Staen One/ Troy J Been
Crown & Sceptre
Thurs 6 Dec


It may have been the Crown & Sceptre's sixth birthday party, but the guests were the ones who got all the presents as two of Australia's best DJs, albeit ones with very different styles, went up against each other in what was billed as a battle royale. In fact, it wasn't a battle in the traditional sense, the DJs getting completely separate sets to shine rather than being forced to go up against each other head to head in a competition.

Troy J Been warmed things up with a selection that was funky as ever, though the open bar meant that the VIPs were congregating elsewhere, and when the doors opened to the public they didn't quite click that there was a dancefloor waiting to happen. That, and the amazing bartending of Leroy Petersen, the World Flair Bartending Champion who provided some of the most spectacular tricks on the night, the two Australian DMC champions efforts later on notwithstanding.

There's a reason that Staen 1 has repped for Australia at the DMCs three times, now - he's certainly one of the most technically accomplished DJs in the country, if not the outright best. Because he's geared so much towards that type of competition, his sets generally tend to be very rehearsed and timed to perfection, but he went a bit longer than usual tonight. Included in his selections were a healthy dose of hip-hop staples that went down a treat with the crowd, who strangely enough for a double bill of highly-accomplished DJs, seemed to just want something to sing along to.

But Dexter is a party machine, and while a set by Staen is always a chance to appreciate his skills, Dexter on the decks is an excuse to go flat out nuts. With a varied selection that took in everything from classic rock to cheesy eighties staples, drum and bass and even swing, it seemed like that was the way things were going to go. Unfortunately, there were a few technical difficulties, including problems with records skipping, and this seemed to keep the crowd from fully getting into it, much to Dexter's chagrin. Despite his exhortations, the crowd didn't get as live as they might have, even though his unpredictale musical adventures provided much more interest than Staen's own staid tastes.

So much of battling is down to winning the crowd, and on the night, Staen was able to do just that, but there was no trophy to compete for. The real treat was for the crowd, who were given the chance to see these two very different turntablists who have dominated Australian DJing competitions for the past decade, and to see exactly why they've been so successful.

Alexis Buxton-Collins