Peking Duk truly redefined what it meant to have a breakthrough year in 2014. The Australian electronic duo became overnight sensations off the strength of their mega-single ‘High’, which the followed up with the equally mammoth ‘Take Me Over’.
Countless sold-out gigs and prestigious festival spots soon followed the Canberra pair, whose mums know them as Reuben Styles and Adam Hyde, and if their recently unveiled tour video is anything to go by, the duo was getting up to some serious partying whilst on the road.
Now commanding a status as Australia’s premiere party-starters, we decided to get in touch with Adam to get the honest scoop on what it takes to throw an unforgettable party. These are essential tips so make sure you bookmark this page the next time you’re throwing together a shindig.
Music
Do: You want to cater to every part of the spectrum, genre-wise and style-wise, so you’re going to want some sexy, slow music; you’re going to want some upbeat, energetic music; you’re going to want some rock; even some pop.
You know, some cheesy pop throwbacks always go down a treat or not even cheesy pop, I’m talking like Aaliyah or Timbaland, that sort of vibe, the ’90s R&B thing. You’re going to want some old-school hip-hop, some of those New York vibes, maybe some Wu-Tang in the mix.
Also maybe some Tommy James & The Shondells, get it nice and sexy, turn the lights down low. Then you can turn it up with some new trap, some of that Future, Young Thug, Atlanta trap music. Maybe some Jamie xx, get the room nice and hazy. You can take it to a lot of places.
Don’t: As for what you want to avoid, I’d probably say Mumford & Sons. Avoid Mumford & Sons at all costs.
Guests
Do: Much like the music, you want a mix. You want a mix of a lot of different personalities, that always makes for a good night. Say you’ve got one dude that’s very straight edge and another that’s wild as all hell, that’s a good mixture.
And if you’ve got a really good girl that never really parties and then you’ve got that wild girl who knows how to turn up, that’s a good mixture.
Don’t: Avoid anyone with bad vibes. Anyone that’s not about having a good time can get the fuck out of there.
Clothing
Do: I love being at a party, personally, where everyone’s dressed up to the nines, that’s always fun. But by the end of the night, it starts getting a bit hazy and some clothes may come off or may not.
I’d like to throw a party where the dress code is wear whatever you want to wear. That could be a suit, that could be a costume, that could be complete nudity, if need be.
I think in order to have a good party and everyone to be in the right vibe they should wear whatever they’re most comfortable in.
Don’t: You should ban those really corny graphic print T-shirts from Cotton On and shit like that. Oh, and TapouT clothing, TapouT clothing is a no no.
Drinks
Don’t: The One Day boys threw a little shindig during Splendour and they had a very beautiful bar with every kind of alcohol you can imagine. So I thought I’d dip into a little bit of all of it and that was definitely a no-no, because I ended up pretty much not being able to see, but you learn from your mistakes.
Do: Me, personally, I enjoy shots of tequila and then vodkas for the rest of the night. If I just mix those two, I’m fine. But if I start on red wine and then hop onto something else and something else, I’m fucked.
In the morning, you’re gonna wake up with a big headache. So I’d say have the bar full with everything, because you’re gonna have different guests from all different walks of life that like different things. But just remind everyone that they should stick to a maximum of two things.
Rituals
Do: Usually there’s a couple shots of tequila, some good music, and a good crew. That’s usually the ritual, which usually just leads to getting really, really drunk and rocking up to the party really drunk.
But we’ve learnt to tone down and not drink so much before the party and enjoy ourselves at the party instead. You don’t want to overdo it beforehand, we’ve learnt that many times.
Don’t: When we first started DJing in Canberra, we used to do some wild shit before we went on stage. We learnt that it’s not a good idea to go too hard before you go on. You want to enjoy yourself.
We had one of the nightclub owners in Canberra sit us down and have an intervention with us and it was a good wake-up call, so shout out to… uh, I won’t mention any names.
Set-Up
Do: You’re gonna want big, massive, comfy couches; you’re gonna want a designated dance floor area; you’re gonna want a bar, just a little one, even just a long bench to set drinks up, I think having a bar there is a good vibe; you’re gonna want some soft lighting and maybe even some coloured lighting in the corners, nothing tacky, but I think hazy lightning is a good vibe.
Don’t: You probably don’t want really, really bright lighting at a party, that’s definitely never a vibe.
Upcoming Shows
Vanfest | December 4th | Forbes, Central West NSW
Pre-release tickets for the Friday night concert will go on sale Tuesday, September 22 at $69.00 limited tickets available.
All ticket information can be found at www.vanfest.com.au
