DressCode are a talented Sydney collective comprised of DJs, promoters, and close friends. After earning their chops organising bush doofs for their mates and whoever else would come along, they’re now putting on some of Sydney’s best club nights week after week.
Before they kick off a massive summer including a residency and Halloween show at Kings Cross Hotel, boat parties, and more, we caught up with the DressCode team for a chat.
Before DressCode tuck into their biggest summertime schedule yet, we caught up with the Sydney party starters to take five.
HAPPY: Hey, how are things? What are you up to at the moment?
DRESSCODE: Hey mate, thanks for having us in for a chat. Things are great, going through a very busy time of year so there’s a lot happening on the music front at the moment and some great events going down over the summer in Sydney!
HAPPY: For those who don’t know, can you tell us a little about DressCode?
DRESSCODE: Yeah of course, here at DressCode we are an events brand and collective which consists of nine resident DJs and a handful of promoters. At DressCode we are a group of individuals who are passionate about all things House and Techno and that reflects in our events and musical styles. We have been running events since 2017 and believe we have evolved and changed our direction so much since then.
HAPPY: How did you get started?
DRESSCODE: DressCode started back in 2017 just as a few friends running parties together for all of our mates, specifically we were hosting bush doofs and secret parties with DJs playing. Our last doof that we held amassed more numbers than we ever expected so we felt it was the right time to move into a club setting and take our events more seriously. Since then we have been busy, holding residencies at both The World Bar and Kings Cross Hotel and more recently, hosting events with international artists.
HAPPY: From what I hear last year’s KXH residency was pretty legendary, any particular nights stand out as special?
DRESSCODE: We are incredibly happy to be making our return to Kings Cross Hotel this summer after some of the insane and exciting nights we had at LVL3 last year. Two very memorable nights of the residency are ‘The Cross is unDead’ and ‘LVL3 Ft. Robbie Lowe’. Both of these nights had unreal crowds who kept raving with us till the very end and the quality of DJ sets on both nights was the real icing on the cake. The Halloween night is a definite standout with everyone dressing up, the undead go-go dancers and even Level 4 of Kings Cross Hotel being turned into an undead maze – what an unbelievable night.
HAPPY: What’s been going on for DressCode since last summer?
DRESSCODE: Since last summer to say we have been busy working on some big things is an understatement. We kicked back into the year on a collaboration with Keep Sydney Open to host a Mardi Gras afterparty which we received some amazing feedback on and held an awesome show. Following that we have been involved in numerous Sold Out boat parties working alongside our friends at Yeah Buoy. We have hosted a few international acts for shows including Cloonee, Drunken Kong, Julian Jeweil and Jacky. Multiple takeovers at venues including Chinese Laundry, Taylors and WeLove. Arguably our biggest show we have had since last summer would be hosting an entire stage supporting Patrick Topping at Home the venue. Massive thanks to Paul Strange Presents and Poster Child for that opportunity.
HAPPY: Is there anything you’d say you’ve learned as a crew since then?
DRESSCODE: Moving from the bush doof scene into clubs was a steep learning curve and meant that we had to learn pretty quickly. Thankfully the Sydney underground scene is full of great characters who are ready to offer a helping hand at any opportunity.
HAPPY: Are there any specific plans you’re keen to take into the new residency?
DRESSCODE: We are keen to use the new residency as a platform to give younger and less experienced DJs a chance at gigs alongside our experienced crew of residents and Sydney locals. We want to showcase up and coming talent alongside some of Sydney’s best.
HAPPY: You’re also playing the Hotel’s Halloween night. What, in your opinion, makes or breaks a Halloween gig?
DRESSCODE: Halloween is all about people letting loose, it’s a great chance to don the fake fangs and the face paint. Last year’s ‘The Cross is unDead’ night at Kings Cross Hotel had it all and that meant the crowd had a great time. The more people embrace the weirdness of the night, the better it becomes!
HAPPY: Is there anything else you’ve got coming up?
DRESSCODE: We have LVL3 relaunching with on November 9th at Kings Cross Hotel. Headlined by We Love legend Nick Reverse for the first week, alongside some of the talented DressCode residents, this will be a relaunch to remember. LVL3 will then be a regular date in the calendar every week from 9:30pm. We will also be running another Yeah Buoy boat party on December 6th, this month’s theme is ‘Decades of Dance’ and we have some exciting secrets up our sleeves for that one. It’s going to be a busy few months!
HAPPY: Thanks for the chat!
Upcoming DressCode Events
Sat 2 Nov – The Cross is (un)DEAD – Kings Cross Hotel, Sydney – Details
Sat 9 Nov – LVL3 DressCode Residency Relaunch – Kings Cross Hotel, Sydney – Details
Fri 6 Dec – Yeah Buoy Boat Party – Yeah Buoy, Sydney
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