ULTRACADE LIVE will be turning the Powerhouse into a cross between a video game arcade and a disco, only in a good way, as DJ TR!P explains to JODY MACGREGOR.

JODY MACGREGOR: From what I understand Ultracade is going to be taking over the Turbine Platform and there’ll be arcade games everywhere, and you’ll be in the middle playing music?

DJ TR!P: Yeah, it’ll be in the Turbine, I’ll be DJing on stage, doing a mash-up of classic video game themes and new electronic music inspired by video games over four hours. There will be an MC who will run the tournaments and chat to people and give out prizes and basically create the handshake between me and the audience and the games. Game-wise, there will be six-to-eight cocktail arcade game machines, with a 60-in-one arcade, old classics like Donkey Kong and Pac-Man and Galaga and that kind of stuff. Maybe some upright arcade machines as well and there will be a selection of six consoles from my personal collection of consoles ranging from Atari to Super Nintendo to Dreamcast – that’s not confirmed just yet because I’m waiting on what arcade game machines will be available, but yeah, there will be consoles and arcade machines everywhere for people to play and have fun and have a listen to some crazy video game music.

JM: And you’ll be taking requests?

DT: Yeah, definitely. I’ve got a pretty wide collection of game themes and I’m open to requests as well. Just been working on my selection and it’s going to be really fun and hopefully we’ll get people dancing besides playing games. There is also going to be some cool prizes as well. I’ve been doing this for almost two years in Adelaide and every event is really fun. In Adelaide, because it happens every three months I’m able to do a different theme each time. The last time was a Sega special and before that a fighting special with Street Fighter and all those kind of games. This one at the Powerhouse is all about visiting the golden era, is the easiest way to explain it. The golden era is the late ’70s to the mid ’80s and touching on a bit of the ’90s as well. The 16-bit era.

JM: What’s your gear set-up going to be like? Will you be playing off turntables or your computer? Will you have a Game Boy and Commodore there with you?

DT: I’ll be bringing some digital decks, which have all my tracks that I’ve been compiling on. That is just the easiest way to bring my stuff over on the plane. Yeah, I do have some soundtrack on vinyl but I’ve just converted them to another format to keep them looking good and not scratched. Basically I’m DJing from decks and the MC will be roaming around on the wireless mic interacting with everyone. The consoles should be on big screens on one side of the wall and crazy arcade machines on the other side, with some data projection as well with game footage and classic images from game screen shots and artwork and stuff like that. Hopefully the audience will be quite immersed amongst it all.

ULTRACADE LIVE takes place at the Brisbane Powerhouse on Thursday Nov 25. There will be dancing and gaming and prizes for high scores, including $500 of drinks at Mana Bar and prize packs from Games Traders and Comics Etc. See www.brisbanepowerhouse.org.

Be first to comment on this article

Write Comment
Comments are submitted for possible publication on the condition that they may be edited. Poster's IP addresses are logged.
Name:
Comment:
Code:*