After the usual meet-up round Kevs followed by a few hours of faffing around we eventually arrived, via a couple of meet-ups on the way, at the Drome where Ponder and I proceded to join the wrong queue! After joining the right queue the venue opened a couple of minutes late and we got in pretty quickly. The usual search at the door was nice and quick and the cloakroom was well organised and massive. Something told me they were expecting alot of people! And wait for it, they had even set up a USH meet-up point for us with pens, smiley note paper and a book to write random gibberish in:-) Well first off it was time to wonder around looking for all the different rooms. After finding the hardcore room it was time for a dance to the sounds of Bosha/Busha who was playing some pretty decent hardcore. Just had to go to the old skool room to check out the lasers and size and was very impressed. The lasers were among the best I have seen at a rave, real old skool style. I don't know who was mixing the first old skool set but he was playing some of my all time faves but it seemed to me that he was using the United Dance anthems (1992-97) and Dreamscape old skool LP vol1 to full effect. If he wasn't I'll take it all back but I recently did a mix tape chiefly involving these two compilations and it was very similar;-) Back to the hardcore arch and Bunter was about to take control of the decks. He played in my opinion the best set of the night. I quality mix of classic hardcore from 1994-96 including all of his own classics (Higher Love, Let it Lift you etc) and as he had no MC he was having a shout at us inbetween mixing which included shouts such as "This is the best hardcore tune ever made" (Higher Love). Anyway a top set which even had Tony Raindance stomping on the dance floor in his big security jacket (nice one). Anyway now it was time for the first meet up but I had to make it a quicky as SY was the next jock in the hardcore sweat pit. Good turn out for the meet-up for a change and after all the usual pleasantries I headed back to the sounds of SY who was playing a better set than usual music wise, well untill he dropped Shooting Star and then, a few tunes later, Heart of Gold. Nevermind, the usual high standard set from the scratchmeister. Next up was Mark E.G who I have nothing against but can't dance to the music he plays, just too slow so I headed off to the old skool arch for some more madness in the venues biggest arch. I think Bunter was playing an old skool set of 1990 ish yearage. Some good stuff pumping out and it gave me a nice rest from the sardine like cramming in the hardcore arch. After that set it was time for meet-up number two where I waffled some more before heading to the old skool arch for the Rat Pack. The first thing they said was that they were going to be playing some nu skool breakbeat along side old skool so I was interested in what they had to play for us. Well their first two tunes sounded more like garage to me than anything hardcore so I went to the hardcore arch for some freeform from Sharkey and Energy. Good fast, banging, uplifting tunes from the pair, quite impressive as I have hardly heard any freeform sets before this event. Anyway after 30 mins in their I headed back to the meet-up area where we heard the RatPack drop Trip to Trumpton so I went back in there for a stomp till the end of their set which finished with The Slammer pitched up to +7:-) Back to the meet-up point where I proceded to waffle for a good 45mins including chatting with Tony Raindance who has to get a big pat on the back for taking the time out to listen to us on what we felt was good and not so good about the night, DJ's we recommend, dislike. How many other events do you go to where a promoter takes time out to talk to the ravers?? Anyway back to the hardcore room and I don't know who was playing (someone said Vinyltrixta but he looked far too slim);-) but he was knocking out some quality stuff and as yet I had heard hardly any Scott Brown tunes!! Last up was Cheesey, sorry, Easy Ed who from his first mix was clearly having a nightmare. Clanging mix fest, scratching not up to his usual standard and when he played Heart of Gold Slammin' Sam became 5 pounds richer at the expense of Breaker. What made this even funnier was that Breaker said he had spoken to Easy Ed and asked him not to play this tune along with Shooting Star. Which tune did he mix into Heart of Gold??? Shooting Star!! hahahahahahahahaha. Cheese, cheese, cheese, bad mixing. Half an hour was enough for me. Don't get me wrong, I like Easy Ed normally but he was having a bit of a mare:-) Before I knew it the night was over. Well it was by far the biggest rave I have been to for ages and I must say one of the best I have ever been to. Their flyer boasted "The best venue. The best Rave". I think in the light of todays situation this was indeed a correct boast. The chill out room was brilliant too with stalls containing more glow in the dark accesories than you can shake a stick at, a bar where they sold "hemp" coctails (and gave you rizla whenever the need should arise), record shop from the Epidemik posse, facepainting, photos, several drinks stall and a video screen behing the DJ showing old rave footage. The hardcore arch was rammed all night with a top atmosphere, avoided the D&B room after finding out how to get to the oldskool arch without having to go through 2 step heaven. There was obviously alot of thought that went into this event, everything was set up very well and nothing was skimped on money wise. Maybe the only problem was with the toilets in the main entrance arch where the mens had a queue for most of the night and the ladies had three urinals in!! Did they label them wrongly?? Anyway the usual blockages aside it was no where as bad as people had made out for the last event. Nice one to whoever brought the big balloons into the hardcore arch too but I couldn't quite land them in the DJ booth. Better luck next time eh;-) Shouts to: Kev, Sam, Ponder, Conrad, Paul, Peter, Emma, Andrew + Jo, Rich + Jo, Tina, John, Jonathan, Time, Rob, DjS, Steve, Luke, Roo, Bridie, Happy J, Lloyd, Snow, Breaker (the cheeser), Chedda (original cheeser), Radium, Alister, Stu, Maxim and anyone else who I was too Ferraried up to remember:-) Definately see you at the next one:-)
