Morning you lot, well it's time for my 2p's worth on Friday nights activities:-) Ponder, Sonic and I got to the venue at 10.15, 15 mins late for meeting Tony at a local boozer but luckily for us he hadn't left the Drome yet. We were steered through the guest list queue and through to dump our flyers out of view and then it was off to hand our coats in. The cloakroom queue seemed to be moving very slowly but once we were rid of our coats it was off to the USH meet up point to see who else had arrived. Rapid chinwag as it was the turn of JimmyJ in the old skool arch to rip it up in his usual (predictable but I like it alot) style of classic hardcore. All the usuals including Take Me Away, Six Days and when Higher Love was dropped I got the biggest rush for ages (au natrel too!!). After a good set from the Jimster it was time to the chill out arch (USH arch) where Uplift was playing some old old old skool. He did well considering he had no monitor and had about 100 people leaping like salmon for an hour and also getting the whole arch blowing their horns, sitting down or otherwise:-) I had been in and out of the hardcore arch briefly through the night so far but it hadn't really got going in there yet. That was till Energy stepped up on the ones and twos and he played a belter of a set. The dancefloor was rammed and the crowd well up for his freeform selection. Possibly the nights best set?? As usual the hardcore arch was filled with the happiest of people with none of the usual troublemakers which usually descend on Bagleys and this atmosphere was matched throughout all night. Well after Energy I had to go and take a listen to Bunters old skool set and he was playing a good set of 1990 ish tunes keeping the crowd rocking in what was becomming the old skool sauna. The lasers were up to scratch again and the sound system booming. Wicked!! Now it was time to make my way back to the hardcore room where many were eagerly awaiting the arrival of Bunter. Sharkey was just finishing off what sounded like a good set and his last tune played at 200 bpm made Sonic feel at home;-) Bunter didn't dissapoint the rammed hardcore arch and played to the crowd an absolute treat!! Starting off with classics like Toytown he then played Higher Love. Now there had been a running battle for requests for Bunter all week and many wanted to hear the Slipmatt remix but the original came on and I thought all hope was lost. But he then mixed the slippers remix into the end of the original!! Top bloke for playing our many requests, a DJ who plays what you ask for, bliss!! Well that was another top set from Bunter and he was enjoying it too giving someones horn a good blow from behind the decks:-) Here is where events get a little cloudy. I am missing an hour from the night somewhere so if someone could return it to me I'd be very pleased. At 5.00 whilst chilling out Ponder gets the news that he is to play the last set in the hardcore room, 7.00-8.00. Spawny git!! Anyway time to hand out flyers. Usual flyer posse banter ensues and before I know it it is Ponders turn to mix. I decide to see the first half of the set, Ryan the second half. Well I wander back to the hardcore room to catch the last two tunes of Vibes set but there were not many people dancing and the usual suspects (Chrissy, Sam, Luke) refusing to dance to the cheesemeister. Are people having enough of his brand of cheddar?? It was certainly smelly in there. Anyway up steps Ponder and he procedes to put together a good set and even slaps the volume up to nose bleed level for the first time tonight:-) He also played it quicker than usual and got the dancefloor going again after a poor turn out for Vibes. One of the security told him he had to finish at 7.30 which meant I had to rush out and get Sonic sharpish but apparently Tony told him to play through to 7.50. Great, it was pissing with rain now and the flyers were taking a pounding. F***ing weather. Anyway it appeared that Ponders set went down well after chatting to a few sweaty ravers leaving the venue;-) Well overall another brilliant night. This lot certainly know how to put on a party and know what the ravers want! 10/10 for sound, lighting, atmosphere and the layout and detail put into each arena. The only problem on the night for me was the cloak room. It took me 45 mins to collect my coat and there were not many people in the queue. This was the only problem for me. The toilets were better this time and they came up with the novel idea of putting the bog roll outside on string to stop the customary prat from ramming a bog roll down the toilet and flooding the place. Nice one!! They even had urinals in the right sex's toilet this time too;-) N E way well done lads another top night. See you at the next one:-) Shouts out to: Sam, Kev, Ravegirl, Conrad, Ponder, Sonic, Chrissy, Uplift, Lukozade, Alister, John, Stu, Madraver + blokey, Smithers, Caine, Joe, Peter and Emma, Jonny Go Mental, Vinyl, Ed, Scottie, Nemesis, Bridie, Justin, Lloyd, Missie and the Stevenage cru:-), MDMA, Chedda, Breaka, Bunter, Billybass, Tony Richard Natalie and the rest of the Raindance crew. Boing:-)
