We know dancers'll swap their last shoe lace for a decent song, so we've put together a program where we guarantee the shoes will fly!
MLX5 might be run on a shoestring budget, but we haven't skimped on the music.
Our live music program showcases four of Melbourne dancers' favourite bands, and our DJs have been dragged to the podium from all over the country.
Whether you're looking for a little local live flavah, or to sample some of Australia's finest, the MLX5 program is sure to have something to tickle your fancy.
Band Bios
We've carefully chosen some of Melbourne's swinginest bands and artists, all of whom have played for dancers many times.
Yvette Johansson
This is the fourth year Yvette has sung at the Melbourne Lindy Exchange. After the outstanding success of her 2004 appearance where she was backed by the swinginest quartet we'd ever heard, we had to repeat this magic formula.
Yvette has to be one of the most talented Jazz vocalists in Melbourne. You can catch her gigs around Melbourne throughout the year, in front of both big band and small combos. She has the reputation of making any band swing. Yvette is also an enthusiastic Lindy hopper with an interest in a range of other dance styles, including tap (little known fact: Yvette graced MLX audiences last year with her solo tap debut - a delectable version of I Wanna Be Loved By You - in pigtails!). She knows only too well what works for dancers. Her inspiration comes from great jazz icons like Ella Fitzgerald and Billy Holliday.
Yvette has received great acclaim for her tribute concerts to great jazz vocalists, particularly Fitzgerald. Yvette's "Yvette sings Ella" concert was a sell-out event at 2002's Melbourne International Jazz Festival.
Yvette Johansson and her quartet play the Jook Joint dance on Friday night at the Czech House (497 Queensberry Street, North Melbourne). Doors open at 8:30pm and tickets are $20 (or free with an Early Bird or Volunteer Pass).
The JW Swing Orchestra
The JW Swing Orchestra has been in existence since 1974 under the leadership of clarinetist, John Wanner. This is one of Melbourne's swingin'est big bands and their sound is firmly routed in the Big Bands of the 30's and 40's.
JW has played many Lindy hop events including: the World Hellzapoppin' Competition in 2004, Melbourne Swing Aid in 2005, MLX 2001 and 2002, multiple Easter Hops, the 2001 Swing Patrol Christmas Ball and the Big Swing II. They have had a 5 year residence at Pitrones Ballroom, and do regular gigs at the Austrian Club in Melbourne. This band is known for being able to play to the dancers and get the energy level pumpin', and are a fond favourite of many Melbourne dancers.
We are very happy to be able to bring you this 19 piece Swingin' Big band.
The JW Swing Orchestra plays at the Crash and Boom Dance on Saturday Night at the Forever Dance Ballroom (432 Church St, Richmond). Doors open at 8:30pm and tickets are $35 (or free with an Early Bird or Volunteer Pass).
Chris Tanner's Virus
Chris Tanner's Virus have played a Saturday afternoon gig at the Laundry for years, where the band plays solid jazz to a mixed crowd of jazzniks and locals.
Virus favour early swing and New Orleans styles. They specialise in scorchingly fast music which will please fans of 20s style charleston and breakaway, but their sets also feature the grittiest slow drags ever to tempt a dancer's fancy.
Virus are amenable to requests, so dancers should look up their old skool favourites before the gig.
Virus play at the Saturday Beer-and-Band at the Laundry (50 Johnston St Fitzroy). Doors are open all afternoon, though the band goes on at 4pm. Entry is free, as it is every Saturday afternoon.
This event showcases a regular local gig, and is not run by the MLX5 team.
The B# Big Band
Formed in 2003 by one of Melbourne's well know swing dance teachers, Henry Kovacevic, the B# Big Band quickly made a name for themselves with dancers. This 17 piece big band is known for its high standard of musicianship, and on the MLX5 weekend we are lucky enough to have Dave Williamson join the B# Big Band as a special guest vocalist.
The Band specialises in playing for dancers, playing charts by Count Basie, Lionel Hampton, Gene Krupa, Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Ray Anthony, Harry Connick Jnr and others.
This is the third time the band has been invited back to The Night Cat for a month-long residency, and we are very pleased that a band so important to the Melbourne Swing Scene can be worked into the MLX5 weekend.
The B# Big Band plays at the Last Gasp event on Sunday at the Night Cat (141 Johnston St, Fitzroy). The band plays from 3-5.30pm. Entry is $15 or $12 on presentation of an MLX5 Early Bird or Volunteer Pass. This event is not covered by the MLX5 pass, as this is a regular local gig, rather than a special MLX5 event.
DJ Bios
It would be great if we could have live music at every event, but the bands need to sleep some time! But we do have some of the best Swing DJs in Australia in our weekend line up.
Peter Ivan
Peter, along with Vida, founded and runs the Melbourne swing dance school Got That Swing. His passion for Lindy Hop stems directly from a love for great swinging music. Alongside the classic inspirational rhythms of Webb, Basie and Henderson that so epitomise the spirit of Lindy, dancers hear in his sets a compelling mix of music from a host of great bands and artists that followed through the decades - and usually one or two surprises that might not have been heard on the floor before.
Peter has been DJing for about six years now, including national exchanges such as MLX '03 and '04, Canberrang '04, and Hullabaloo '05, as well as plenty of regular local gigs in Melbourne.
Peter believes there is always more great undiscovered swing music out there, and as long as he keeps finding it he'll always be happy to share it on the dance floor.
Peter plays the Saturday night Rent Party at Sidewalk Tango (327 Swan St Richmond). Doors open 12.30am and entry is $10 (or free with an Early Bird or Volunteer Pass).
Glenn Moore
As one of Perth's main DJs, Glenn has been DJing intermittently since 1999, and regularly since 2003. He was instrumental in establishing the Perth social scene (PSDS), and creating the opportunity for Perth's DJs to play regularly. Glenn regularly spins at Perth's fortnightly dances and other minor and major events. He is the DJ coordinator for most of the major events in Perth. The more recent of these include:
Sweden comes to Perth, Hullabaloo 04, Blues Weekend 04, Balboa Mania Weekend 04, MLX 04, Frankie Manning Weekend 05, Hullabaloo 05, Balboa Mania Weekend 05, and Surprising Saturday Speakeasy.
Having been a Lindy Hop dancer for over eight years, Glenn is very much a traditionalist in his views on Lindy Hop. He is known for his belief that the essence of Lindy Hop is inherent in the early music, so you can expect lots of swinging and stomping tracks primarily from early jazz-era artists.
He aims to create energy on the floor by selecting tracks with a strong pulsing drive and a raw and gritty feel. Glenn plays to the floor and is able to change the feel of the set to suit the mood and energy of the room.
He believes it is the DJ's responsibility to accommodate the dancers, not the other way around, however he always strives to increase the mood and energy.
Glenn plays the Sunday night Speak Easy dance at Retro Cafe (413 Brunswick St, Fitzroy). Doors open 7.30pm and entry is $10 (or free with an Early Bird or Volunteer Pass).
Vas Pelecanos
DJing for dancers since late 2001, Vas's musical tastes come from a study of jazz forms that started when he first picked up the drum and xylophone sticks at age 12. Since dancing reignited that passion in 2000 Vas now shares his love of rhythm through dancing, playing and "playing" swing music, placing emphasis on a variety of different feels and encouraging sense of playfulness and free musical movement.
Vas has DJed at the Perth Swing Dance Society Launch, Melbourne Lindy Exchange 2003, Tuesday Nights Swing Night @ the Pagoda, Hullabaloo 2004 (DJ coordinator), PSDS DJ Battle 2004, Melbourne Lindy Exchange 2004, Swing Junction Frankie Manning Visit 2005, Hullabaloo 2005 (DJ co coordinator) and at various local dance events for the PSDS.
Vas's goals and aims: Dancing gives us a chance to connect with someone through music. DJing gives you the opportunity to connect with a whole room of dancers. I DJ as I would play in my band, where it's not so much what you have to show, but what you have to give. My main aim as a DJ is to build an atmosphere where the dancer has the opportunity to "let go" and have fun being playful. Assessing and reading a crowd and providing a musical balance to the other DJs who play before and after me are skills I always aim to develop.
Vas plays the Sunday night Speak Easy dance at Retro Cafe (413 Brunswick St, Fitzroy). Doors open 7.30pm and entry is $10 (or free with an Early Bird or Volunteer Pass).
Matt Riddle
Matt Riddle has been DJ'ing for Melbourne dancers since 1999, and has spun his classic tunes at Lindy events world wide, from Herrang in Sweden to SwingCity in New York. He has competed against the world's best in several big DJ Battles, winning at the Paris Lindy Exchange in January 2004 and Perth's Club Splanky in November 2004. These days you'll hear him spinning at regular nights in Melbourne such as CBD and the Fun Pit.
DJ Testimonials:
Bill Borgida: "Matt has a really good ear for what gets the dancers going. He is the best DJ I've heard from down under! I'd have him DJ any dance, any time!"
Manu Smith: "Matt kicked my butt at last year's Melbourne Lindy Exchange. The only reason I won was because it would look bad if the guy who was running the event, won the DJ battle also. It was a pleasure DJ'ing with him. He and I share a common passion for music that really swings and I must say, he's an excellent choice...besides myself of course!"
Solomon Douglas: "Matt's DJ'ing reminds me eerily of my own. He plays lots of really great music and no fluff, and it all swings like mad and makes me want to either stay on the dance floor or jog over to the DJ booth and ask what's playing!"
Matt plays the Friday night Rent Party at Sidewalk Tango (327 Swan St Richmond). Doors open 12.30am and entry is $10 (or free with an Early Bird or Volunteer Pass).
Russell Turner
Russell has been DJing for the last two and half years in the Canberra scene. This started as a necessity as there were no experienced dancers but developed into a love arising out of his interest in music. Since then he has DJed on a regular basis at Jumptown events and coordinated the DJing at all the Canberrang exchanges. He has also DJed at MLX on one occasion.
His goal as a swing DJ is to get people up on the dance floor and dancing. It is also to challenge dancers a swell and sometimes take them out of their comfort zone. To this end Russell believes in variety and DJs across the spectrum from old skool to new skool, from old-time to current, from groove to hot jazz. He also has an interest in Australian jazz where he seeks the best that Australia has to offer.
Russell plays the Saturday night Rent Party at Sidewalk Tango (327 Swan St Richmond). Doors open 12.30am and entry is $10 (or free with an Early Bird or Volunteer Pass).
Anthony Wheaton
It's all about the music... well... at least to Anthony Wheaton it is. As a DJ and Lindy Hop teacher, Anthony loves to share his passion for great swing music with whoever's listening.
In addition to occasional Melbourne gigs at the FunPit, CBD and the venue-formerly-known-as Diga Diga Doo, Anthony has DJed all over Australia and even internationally at a variety of events. His highlights include Camp Jitterbug in Seattle USA (2003), Lismore Swing Dance Camp (2002-2004), the MLX (2002 & 2003), Canberrang (2003) and Hullabaloo (2005).
Anthony's DJ sets follow one golden rule... if it doesn't swing, it doesn't get played. Keeping with his dance style, Anthony loves to rip it up with the thumpin' big band sounds of artists such as Jimmie Lunceford, Lucky Millinder, Chick Webb, Benny Goodman and Count Basie. His music collection spans much of last century, from the birth of early jazz in the 10's & 20's, drawing heavily on the big band revolution of the 30's & 40's, right through to the small groups and blues that have governed swing jazz since. As a lover of Charleston and fast dancing, he's not opposed to throwing the occasional speedy track into his sets, so be ready to lay it out when Anthony's spinning the discs.
Anthony plays the Friday night Rent Party at Sidewalk Tango (327 Swan St Richmond). Doors open 12.30am and entry is $10 (or free with an Early Bird or Volunteer Pass).