South of the border, down Brisvegas way
Tijuana Cartel – The Troubadour – Friday July 17th
It’s a rare thing indeed to experience an evening of unadulterated exuberance such as the scene at the Troubadour last Friday night. The atmosphere was one of anticipation, as the quartet hailing from the Gold Coast was preparing to take the stage. The crowd eager for some alternative electronica flamenco beats had their dancing shoes laced accordingly. Finally lead singer and guitarist Paul George took the stage to whoops and cheers from the audience – he was barefoot and casually leaning against a stool, all the better to tap along to the beat with – followed by percussionist Daniel Gonzalez, keyboardist Cary O’Sullivan and special guest DJ Freddie FlyFingaz. Hips began to sway and arms were thrown into the air as the beat began. Deliciously smooth melodies took over and it was nigh impossible to stand still.
As the gig progressed the remaining band member MC Regan Hoskins took the stage to add seductive bass vocals to the tracks. Special guest trumpeter Shannon Van Horn Booyens took it to another level of aural ecstasy from the moment the first note was belted out across the room. All the elements were present and the audience was treated to a performance akin to a slice of chocolate mud cake. Smooth, delicious and goes straight to your hips.
But it wasn’t just the audience who was treated that evening. Indeed it was a special event for the band, having never sold out a Brisbane show before. Throughout the performance Paul made it known that Tijuana Cartel appreciated the crowds’ enthusiasm. The feelings were mutual, as he impressed with flamenco guitar solos, plucked so quickly his fingers were a blur upon the strings. Daniel equally amazed with his perfected technique on a variety of Latin percussions and bongo beats so fast there was an array of ladies shaking what their mama gave them throughout the room. Tijuana Cartel got up close and personal with the audience, and the crowd was equally responsive. At the end of the two set gig, ladies began to line the stage as they clambered up from the audience, to swing and sway to the final melodies.
The band played what they thought to be their last song of the evening, but the crowd had other ideas. Upon disappearing behind the curtain, an audience member who appeared to be known to the band took to the stage and began to chant into the mic, “We want more!” It wasn’t long before the room echoed with the sentiment and they had no choice but to return for an encore performance.