Ben M performs with Defunkd at Forty Fest Mitcham

On a sunny Saturday in June, Ben M and Defunkd played their first gig together, opening Forty Fest in Mitcham. Overlooking the Three Kings Pond, the venue was full of summer energy, matched by Defunkd themselves. The band comprises James Williams on vocals, Tiago Costa Gomes on bass, Matt Vine on drums, Harry Radford on rhythm guitar, James Crew on lead guitar, and Ben Murphy on keys.

Starting the set off with Steely Dan's 'The Caves of Altamira', Defunkd's potential future sets could already be envisioned, with the tight rhythm section of Matt and Tiago grooving and pocketing like we were in the 80s all over again. The venue was filled to the brim by the time Defunkd got into their second song of the night, 'Superstition' by Stevie Wonder, with lead vocalist James Williams giving big front-man energy, which was refreshing to see. You're only left to imagine what these peepz can do in the future; I already see them performing at festivals like Cross the Tracks and Love Supreme.

Anyway, back to James' energy, cracking jokes with the crowd like it was Defunkd's tenth show, and seamlessly transitioning into the next song on the setlist. Defunkd are a force to be reckoned with. SOTR's Ben M on the keys, playing his Nord, is a wizard of his craft, making shit look so fucking easy during his solo on their third song of the night, Bill Withers' 'Use Me'. The way Ben slides and glides across the keys while the rhythm section keeps it tight, Ben M is filling the pockets like he was about to go on a thief rampage. Quite literally, that's how many pockets he was filling.

Each song on the setlist was chosen meticulously to keep the energy up, which was reflected in the energy inside Forty itself. By the time Defunkd played 'Valerie', the crowd were singing along, and next thing you know, to the crowd's disappointment, James W let everyone know they had a couple of songs left. With those songs being Maze's 'Time Is on My Side' and Chic's 'Everybody Dance', you can just imagine the vibes by the end of the set. Pure class. Proper summer tings.

Shoutout Defunkd. Shoutout Ben M.

We can't wait to see what happens next.