Young talent brightens the night life

The man they are hearing from is Tal Chalak, an events organiser who has dedicated decades to the local music industry, and who has decided to rear these youngsters and instil a wholesome ethic into running a club in one of the country’s most notoriously drug-addled areas.

Marred by scenes of violence and alcohol abuse, Kings Cross has been subjected to lockout procedures and the establishment of a State-run taskforce to freeze liquor licenses.

But while public perception of the area may be comparable to Sodom and Gomorrah, for many young entertainers Kings Cross is a a launching pad for musical stardom.

Club DJ Mark Shorter’s break came when he was asked to perform on his 18th birthday. Now 19, Shorter, who DJs with his best friend under the guise ‘Vengeance’, has been employed to run events under Chalak’s company, The Music People.

Shorter says DJing has provided him with a surprisingly stable source of income. To him, ‘the Cross’ has been “a gold mine of work” – an entertainment industry with young people at the helm.

At just 20 years old, booking agent Sasha Skalrud is in charge of sourcing similarly young talent for events staged throughout Kings Cross, and has helped The Music People build a reputation for breaking up-and-coming performers.

“Everyone now knows that we’re the place that gives everyone a shot. Realistically we’re the only club that does it on a major scale, and we’re now known for it,” he said. As well as booking DJs for its events, the company also acts as a record label for its musicians, facilitating them to record and release music that could be played on the radio.

At FBi radio in Redfern they’re nurturing them even younger. The station is about to reignite its Underage Sets competition for the 4th year in a row, encouraging under-18 ‘bedroom bangers’ to compete on-air to make a name for themselves.

FBi Station Director Meagan Loader said it was their search for the next “little thing” in DJing. “Pretty much every year, the DJs that have won, and some of the entrants as well, are now the up-and-coming DJs in clubs.

“It really gives them a whole lot of confidence,” she said.

Just off the Darlinghurst Road strip, Soho nightclub on Victoria Street is tracking down its own stars, inviting hopefuls to test their skills in the first of many DJ competitions to grab a performance slot at the premiere venue.

With eight DJs battling it out against each other for a shot at the grand final, organiser Paul Shaw says this was a great way of accommodating the huge demand of people wanting to perform at the club.

Young, baby-faced Shorter would line up as an easy target crossing any of the drunken revellers that have tainted the vibrancy of the strip in recent times, but, to him, that thought doesn’t even register. To Shorter and his colleagues, the thumping, heaving neon-lit strip is the gateway to a fascinating career.

Source: www.altmedia.net.au/young-talent-brightens-the-night-life/10602