In a city where the nightclubs seem to have been taken over by grinding electro or mind numbing minimal house, who is left to fight for what’s right and funky and gets you dancing. Lady Tre, The Holy Mother Of House in residence at The Funky Church is.
Starting the night after serving as one of Sydney’s most veteran house DJs for over a decade, Tre was inspired by Sydney having seemingly nowhere to go where you can have a good dance and listen to quality house music, spun on vinyl, by someone who knows what they’re doing.
Recruiting Our Father Of Funk The Confessor, as well as a wide range of other DJs she’d worked with from over the years, The Funky Church was born, the disciples of funk and house gathering for mass every Sunday at Kudu Lounge in Kings Cross. With more and more people flocking to join the congregation each week, we caught up with Tre for a quick chat about what to expect.
Music Feeds: So tell me about The Funky Church, what are we going to get there that we can’t anywhere else?
Lady Tre: It’s on the top floor of The Kudu Lounge and the ceiling is high like a chapel. You will hear music your soul has secretly longed for since the movement of electro house and minimal tech has taken over the dance floors everywhere. Our resident percussionist keeps the rhythms all night long with weekly guest vocalists doing their thing. You will be able to drink the holy water shots and dance your sins away. We have avante garde moments, divine disciples and church candles. The smoking balcony is an extension of the room… fabulous
MF: Where did the idea come from?
LT: A long time ago I had a dream about The Funky Church. Now I have the perfect team and the real dream.
MF: I know you are a vinyl enthusiast, could you tell us about some of the rare LPs you’re likely to be spinning?
LT: Using my Ortofon Concorde styluses gives my 12-inch records full amplitude of the audible sound spectrum. I never knew that one day I would become as rare as my records, and there are so many to play, here is a sample….
White Labels, Paper Recordings, Salted Music, Fred Everything, JT Donaldson, Guidance Recordings, Dennis Ferrer, Andy Caldwell, Troydon, Deep House Soldiers, Chuck Love, Latrice Barnett, Imperial Dub, Groove Junkies, King Street Sounds, Kerri Chandlier, Back Room Sounds, J Jay & Chris Lum, Om Recordings, Lenny Fontana.
MF: What is it about vinyl that you prefer compared to CDs?
LT: It’s the sound, the magical wave of sound of the groove in the record; it’s not compressed and flattened as a CD is. It’s the fluid movement, the look, the covers, and the joy.
MF: Tell me about your ongoing love affair with House and Funk ; what is it about the music you find so irresistible?
LT: So many houses, where do I begin? The journey of house to me is a driving bass line, the magic of a piano riff, the uplifting strings and the way the horns can lift you up and take you away. Gospel house can bring you to a place with its lyrics. Uplifting house makes me feel like it’s summer already. Deep, sexy house touches an essence deep within me and demands that I be on the dance floor. Funk – deep, dirty Funk – what can I say but it’s the grass roots of everything and all.
MF: You’ve been talking up how ‘sexy’ and ‘dirty’ the music is on the flyers; are things likely to get a bit raunchy on the night? Have you had any of the clergy complaining or are they having too much fun?
LT: Dirty, sexy music is my journey; it creates dirty, sexy vibration. The clergy are happy that Jesus is Funky and the love is in the house.
MF: You’ve been playing house for quite some time now and I know you must have your fair share of crazy stories; what’s the most outrageous thing you’ve ever seen on the dance floor?
LT: When I held residence at the Q Bar many moons ago, girls used to flash their boobs at me if they liked the song…. funny.
MF: Can you tell me about some of the other DJs you’re working with?
LT: I play every week with Our Father of Funk The Confessor. We also have celebrity guests whom I give DJ lessons to and then they have a set at The Church where they can invite their friends to see them play. Having so many great and amazing DJ friends, we always have an appearance (Johnny Gleeson just last week) or a guest set.
MF: What do you have coming up in the next few weeks at The Church; any special surprises or guests we should be keeping a lookout for?
LT: Father Alfonz has asked of he can do a strip on the Bar. The collection plate has been down lately at his Church and the choirboys need funding. That I am looking forward to seeing myself. May the disciples dig deep….
