Words: Lara Pacillo
Hindley Street bar Thirsty Tiger’s new monthly party event, Vertigo, is not anchored by genre. It rotates between sounds, floats through different local DJs, and is meant to be disorienting.
“We want the event to be comfortable for people to go to, but it’s somewhere they can feel a little bit uncomfortable in the music they listen to,” explains Erasvey, head of marketing and communication.
“It’s somewhere people can hear something that they might not have expected and still have heaps of fun.”
Erasvey, together with DJ and creator Larry, will be hosting Vertigo as the first event series to take over Thirsty Tiger which opened upstairs from 99 Gang Social bar and restaurant in November 2022. Each event will have a specific focus, which the DJ line-up will be curated from.
“One thing about the rotating genre idea means that we’re going to be highlighting different DJs who are experienced in that specific niche so that people get the best of the best of different genres,” Erasvey says.
“Each time people come, they can be introduced to new genres and artists. Another big thing we’re trying to do is really shine a light on new emerging talent.”
Vertigo’s first event on Friday March 10 will feature DJs Jess and The LunchLady aka As Noack with a focus on UKG, Jungle, and DNB.
Larry says UKG and Jungle are a great intro for people who aren’t familiar with the scene. They might be able to recognise samples of more commercial songs and ease into the genre.
Both Erasvey and Larry are heavily involved in Adelaide’s music scene. Larry, whose DJ name is KO-1, began DJing almost a year ago. Now 25 years old, the ones and twos are his full-time gig. While Larry’s main focus is throwback dancefloor tunes and dinner sets, Vertigo is a space he hopes to spread his wings and experiment more in his craft.
Meanwhile, 24-year-old Erasvey’s focus for Vertigo is the marketing side — he’s a gun in songwriting too. Originally from Belfast, Ben’s songwriting is widespread, with a main focus on folk and rap.
Larry and Erasvey often collaborate on projects, and when they do, things just click. They released a rap EP at the end of 2022 named Knock! which features Adelaide locals Sunny J and Samuelson.
The two friends are also in the process of launching an online portal, 1016live.com, which is a platform showcasing grassroots music releases, events, and ticket sales. Vertigo tickets can be purchased on the website as one of its first features, with more content to come. The 1016live platform, just like Vertigo, is their way of supporting local DJs from a diverse range of genres.
“At the end of the day, we’re really just trying to give back to the community and contribute to the culture, really,” Larry says.
“Vertigo itself is a place where people may know what to expect, or they may not. We want to bring that feeling of ‘let’s get a little uncomfortable so we can feel comfortable’ and have a really cool experience in the process.”
Vertigo UKG/Jungle/DNB night: Thirsty Tiger 99A Hindley Street, Adelaide 5000 // Friday March 10
