One Love at Tank is no more. They’ve packed up their stuff, waited near some hot girls to get cab and ventured across town to their new home; The Bourbon . Will they be undone by the toxic kebabs, cheap tattoos and 24/7 live clamidia shows of Kings Cross? Probably. But hell, isn’t that what weekends in Sydney are all bout!? Judging by the longevity of the One Love franchise to date I’d guess that they’ve got these things accounted for and will be extending their new lease a few times over.
With Stereosonic coming up, we chased down the very busy One Love owner and co-founder Peter Raff, or “Raff” as his friends know him to find out about the move and chat about some “classic moments” in One Love history in line with their new CD, The Classics: Ten Years Of One Love Anthems .
PEDESTRIAN: So Raff what inspired the move?
RAFF: The opportunity arose and I thought it would be good to move into the cross. I just wanted to be in the cross, because there are more people around that area.
I do want to have a little bit more local content this year and into next year and less internationals…just have a really good club night regularly every week which people like, on both a music and a social level.
I know you’ve had some local guys with you from the start like Grant, John and Kaz etc, will you be looking for new talent for the Bourbon?
R: Yeah we’ve got a couple of newies popping up.
P: So when you move to a new venue is there a sense of starting over at all?
R: No we just go in and do our thing…as you know I’ve been doing it for a really long time, so there’s kind of an a-b-c formula that you run by and go and do your thing. We have a strong team of promoters and followers. And the words all out there in Sydney already and it only got announced at 3 o’clock yesterday. So yeah I think it’ll kick ass down there.
P: So it’s opening near the end of November yeah?
R: Yeah the 21st, the week before Stereosonic.
P: Have there been any standout memories from your time at tank?
R: I remember the Sneaky [Sound System] night a couple of years ago when they were just getting really massive. It was just a crazy kind of night. There have been lots of fun times, but I feel like I’ve done so many nights not just at Tank but around, that it all gets jumbled into one kind of vibe. Like for years I ran the Prince and ran places like Redhead and Chasers etc. You’re hanging out with the rock star of the time and then ten years later you’re hanging out with the new rock star.
P: And have things changed much?
R: Yeah a hell of a lot. Ten years ago people still bought records and there might have been ten copies of a particular song coming into a store. It’d be the hot track and only ten guys could get it. Some people might have heard it on an underground radio station but the only other place you’d get to hear that track was at the club when a DJ would play it. It had longevity because radio wouldn’t pick it up till eight or ten months later. It wouldn’t get washed out like a track can be now by getting hammered by Nova or something for a few weeks. You walk into every shop and they’re all playing it so you get sick of it really quick.
P: A lot of young kids are getting stuff off blogs before the DJs…
R: Yeah you see that’s the thing. A 12 year old can go and download the latest track before John or Grant…there is no exclusivity.
P: Do you think that’s good…in terms of keeping things fresh and making DJs work harder?
R: Yeah Its very hard. It’s a great thing in many ways and a detrimental thing in other ways. Everyone knows a lot more about music now obviously and that’s why the festival scene is such a big thing in Australia now. There must be 30 odd festivals over summer around the country. And ten years ago there might have been three!
This is where the commercialisation of the scene has changed things. There was a hunger before to go hear a track because you wouldn’t hear it otherwise. You’re 21 years old and you love a track a DJ might be playing. Somebody’s told you you’ve got to go listen Grant or John because they’ve played this track. Now days everyone’s got the same track, virtually! Dirty South might have done a remix and you might have half a dozen people with it for about a week, but by the end of the second week everyone’s got it. So it’s a whole different world we’re living in.
P: I noticed with Stereosonic you have people like Video Hits involved as media partners, considering you’ve got some underground and minimal DJs playing, it seems that the dance scene has become pretty mainstream?
R: Yeah fully. I don’t know if you know I was one of the founders of Kiss FM in Melbourne a few years back. Back then we were doing some sponsorship stuff and trying to get a dance track on an advertisement for radio and TV was impossible, believe it or not. And now you turn the radio on, whether it’s football, the races or the cricket, and they’re using dance music in the background. That was just unheard of ten years ago.
P: You guys have played a hand in that development with the One Love CD’s haven’t you? As soon as they come out you have 16 year olds rushing out to buy them…
R: Oh look you know I’m 46 myself and I’ve got plenty of old friends whose kids have them. A father will ring up because his sons who are 15, 16 or 17 have heard of One Love and got the CD’s etc. So they call just to prove that they know me and all the guys behind it sort of thing. A lot of parents who have kids going to Schoolies get in contact with me to look after their son or their daughter (laughs).
P: Who picked the songs for the new Classics one?
R: It was a combination between Matt Nugent, John Course, Kaz James and a little bit of myself.
P: So it’s a retrospective of the past ten years of One Love…let’s continue that theme and take a trip down memory lane. What was the most classic DJ set?
R: Geez I guess when guys like Kaz James, John Course and Grant Smillie were all in there doing their thing. There was so many times that the place just erupted!
P: Classic club killer track?
R: I think even to this day a track like So Much Love To Give by [DJ] Falcon.
I’ll never forget the day I walked into the club and I’d just gotten back from Ibiza. I had been telling the guys about it, that it’d been massive in Ibiza and it hadn’t really hit Australia yet before we dropped it for probably the first time. The place really went crazy and so did I! I’ll never forget that one…
P: Classic freak out moment?
R: I have had a real good one happen once, it was before One Love but it’s probably worth mentioning. This is back in 1989 when i was running Hysteria at Chasers when Inner City was doing a live set. I don’t know if you know Inner City?
P: No i don’t personally no (laughs).
R: Really!? How old are you Aaron?
P: I’m 24 now (laughs).
R: Well look up Inner City, Good Life .
Well something happened and the band couldn’t play, so the lead singer Paris Grey just got up and sang all their songs without any music. That was one memorable time in my clubbing life.
Actually I do remember at Tank two years ago all of a sudden the sprinklers started coming on (laughs). I do remember that night.
P: They probably thought it was part of the show…did anyone try to stay in there?
R: (laughs) Well we cleaned the club out but eventually let everyone back in. They were interesting times.
P: You’ve had some characters involved as promoters over the years…what’s some of the craziest behavior you’ve witnessed?
R: (laughs) I’d love to be able to document that kind of stuff but maybe I can’t? I might incriminate a few people! We’ve had a lot of great characters involved in one love, especially in the Melbourne scene. You know we had a few of the girls that used to work for us that were in the gay scene and they were great girls. We had people from all walks of life…straight/gay, black/white, ethnic, whatever! Crazy people including myself (laughs).
P: I know recently you had Fergie and Will.I.Am drop in…who’s been the most random celebrity to walk through the doors?
R: I never forget the time when..what’s his name from Channel 9 and Collingwood football club?
P: Eddie McGuire? (laughs)
R: Yeah I never forget when Eddie was in one night. He had his photo taken by some random punter and suddenly we all wake up the next day and it’s all over every paper in the whole country and every bit of media. And also what’s the famous swimmer? Not Klim…
P: Ian Thorpe?
R: Yeah Ian Thorpe was in the club having a good time with his jeans half way down his arse. That was quite funny because it was like ‘you’re representing us in the Olympics…’ (laughs).
P: Alright Raff, I know your busy. So finally just quickly, who are you looking forward to seeing most at the Steresonic festivals?
R: I’m looking forward to checking out Deadmau5!
P: Cheers mate .
One Love’s The Classics: Ten Years Of One Love Anthems CD is out now. Check out the track listing, it’s got them all there.
TRACKLISTING:
CD 1
1. Kings Of Tomorrow – Finally
2. Kaskade – It’s You, It’s Me
3. Hardsoul feat Ron Carroll – Back Together
4. Michelle Weeks – The Light
5. Soul Central feat Cathy Brown – Strings of Life (Stronger On My Own)(Martijn Ten Velden & Mark Knight)
6. Martin Solveig – Rocking Music
7. Coloursound – Fly With Me
8. Live Element – Something About You
9. Junior Jack – E Samba
10. Shakedown РAt Night (Kid Cr̬me Funksta Mix)
11. Michael Gray – The Weekend
12. Gadjo – So Many Times
13. The Shapeshifters – Lola’s Theme
14. Herd & Fitz feat Abigail Bailey – I Just Can’t Get Enough (H&F’s 2 Risque Mix)
15. Armand Van Helden – My My My
16. Cassius – The Sound of Violence (Reggae Rock Mix)
17. Groove Armada – Easy
CD 2
1. The Supermen Lovers feat Kenny Norris – Diamonds For Her (20/20 Vision’s Basic Dub)
2. Mr Timothy feat Inaya Day – I Am Tha 1 (T-Funk Edit)
3. Soulchip – Let’s Rock (TV Rock Remix)
4. D.O.N.S. feat Technotronic – Pump Up The Jam 2005 (Kurd Maverick AKA Gian’s Crowd Is Jumpin’ Mix)
5. Deepface – Been Good (Ivan Gough and Grant Smillie remix)
6. Hard-Fi – Hard To Beat (Axwell Mix)
7. David Guetta – Just A Little More Love (Wally Lopez Mix)
8. Deep Dish – Flashdance
9. Who Da Funk Feat Jessica Eve – Shiny Disco Balls (Main Mix)
10. Eurythmics – Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) (Steve Angello Remix Edit)
11. Mousse T. feat Emma Lanford – Right About Now (Fuzzy Hair Vocal Mix)
12. Dirty South vs Evermore – It’s Too Late – (Dirty South Mix)
13. Tom Neville feat Jellybone – Buzz Junkie
14. Sander Kleinenberg – The Fruit (Ivan Gough & Grant Smillie Mix)
15. R̦yksopp РWhat Else Is There ? (Trentemoller Remix)
16. Starsailor – Four To The Floor (Thin White Duke Mix)
17. Planet Funk – Who Said (Stuck In The UK) (Moguai Remix)
CD 3
1. The Similou – All This Love
2. Justice Vs Simian – We Are Your Friends
3. Calvin Harris – The Girls
4. Les Rythmes Digitales – Jacques Your Body (Make Me Sweat)
5. Nicky Van She & Dangerous Dan – Around The World
6. Yuksek – Sorry
7. Gossip – Standing In The Way of Control (Headman Remix)
8. Riot in Belgium – La Musique
9. Tiga – You Gonna Want Me
10. Federico Franchi – Cream
11. Scenario Rock – Skitzo Dancer (Justice Remix)
12. Yelle – Je Veux Te Voir
13. Soulwax – NY Excuse
14. Switch – A Bit Patchy (Club Mix)
15. Bloc Party – Banquet (Boys Noize Remix)
16. Zombie Nation – Kernkraft 400
17. DJ Mehdi – Signatune (Thomas Bangalter remix)
