In celebration of the 10th annual Small World Music Festival, we were blown away by the cirQlar concept of mixing circus acts with a live band and star DJs.
We counted, besides headliner Dunkelbunt & The Secret Swing Society, 7 other DJ acts and 5 circus performances. The event was expanded into two sections, the Big Top and Fun House. You had the choice of a gypsy breakbeat dance experience spending your time twirling in the Big Top, aka The Great Hall beautifully decorated as such. Or you could go for non-stop dancing and maybe a ride on a giant see-saw among electric people in the darker deeper groove Fun House.
The Big Top hosted Dunklebunt & The Secret Swing Society who became the party within a party. They hail from Vienna, Austria, and were only in town for 12 hours, lucky us! This magnetic combination of live keyboard & guitar, a truly inspiring horn section, a spectacular DJ and sexy vocals had us dancing like some kind of puppets, truly moved by the music itself. Something about this mix brought the diverse crowd together into a stomping frenzy of energy. We all felt we knew the songs even though most of us had never heard them before. The fact that it was such a mix of live instruments, DJ's and circus performances meant that popsters and hipsters, funksters and brassters brushed shoulder to shoulder and lost any labels that they may have walked in with.
“When DJing I am travelling around the world together with my audience carried on by the music. Timelessly we are dancing through Countries and Continents getting drunk with the infinite beauty of the music. I consider myself an intermediary searching for soulful music and its magic to share it with other people.”
- Ulf Lindemann alias [dunkelbunt]
It was also DJ Jonah K’s "The Doom Dub" EP release in the Fun House. People naturally migrated into this room to take a sip of a different cup of music, experience a different vibe and chill out. Living-Stone Sound and Freedom Danish played here too, balancing out the frenetic energy from the main stage.
The circus performances that got our hearts leaping and gave our feet some R&R were organized around Ringmaster Dave McKay and Emma Wemma as hosts. It was as though the Great Hall was truly transformed in to a carnival circus setting as the crowd were utterly amused and taken in by Circus Alchemy, Pyromeo and Ben Burland. As a finale, people gathered in a huge circle watching aerialist Diana Lopez do the best arial act we have seen in awhile. Eyes were fixed on her and many a gasp was had as she leapt and tumbled through hoops and scarves to the peak of the ceiling and back to earth.
DJs Conga Dogg, dBOOM, Rollin’ Cash and Medicineman, held the fort and kept the music flowing in the both rooms all night. Without them, we imagine the party would not have evolved into its epic proportions. There was no 'clique', we were all new and on the same happy beat. The multi-media spectacle of world-class acts had our seasoned party reviewers floating home at 4AM.
In all, it was an amazing night to be alive and dancing in the heart of West Queen West with people who enjoyed being able to be themselves and present with everyone else. The instant you got in the door and even before as you approached the venue, friendly faces welcomed you and arms swept you inside with the promise of wonder. The community vibe was strong and something rare for a one-night event. We are looking forward to the next cirQlar event for sure!
Story~Melissa Johnston
Film and photos~ Gwen Brydson
Story~Melissa Johnston
Film and photos~ Gwen Brydson