Right, for any mad people out there who didn’t go to this, u deserves a good slap with a wet trout. For all the bedroom ravers who have been locked away for the last year or so, get ur asses to the next raindance it is most definitely the best rave around at the moment, in London at least. Neways Review Time! Sorry it’s so long, there was so much to say!!!

Raindance was wicked, in fact I could almost say perfect if it weren’t for the fact that the next raindance will probably be even better as the promoters amazingly manage to improve on the previous event everytime! There was a very large USH turnout (nice!). Queue started moving in at around 9:45 and seemed to move along nice and swiftly and we were in before 10. As always 100% attitude free security, who seemed to be as much up for the night as most of the ravers themselves. Good fair search none of that old Bagleys security groping, and the newly improved cloakroom seemed quite efficient (although they lots Sams Stuff sorry to hear about that mate!). Straight into the hardcore arch and OMG!!! It was decorated as nicely as...well something thats VERY nicely decorated (sorry not recovered enough to think up clever similes yet!). There was some very nice lighting flashing around and a wicked laser, which reflected all around the arch giving some very nice effects. Hanging from the ceiling were all kinds of mad spacey type objects, coloured ropes, and what I think were Christmas lights, very pretty anyway! Right to the music, USH’s very own Happy Bounce and Ponder up first, a very nice breakbeaty meets bangin hardcore set with some new dubs thrown in from Robbie long and devastate as well as some classics like Mr kirks nightmare. Within 15 minutes they had the arch pretty much rammed and damn right! The set was blindin and these two are becoming proper regulars to raindance now, nice one! Although mister happy bounce should be charged with vandalism after he broke the headphone socket on the mixer having removed his headphones!! Heh!!! It didn’t really matter too much as it was only broken during bosha’s set which I didn’t really mind missing. I stayed for a good 30 minutes though and he played a couple of good tunes but apart from that nothing special, there was of course no mixing involved, but MC Elmo was keeping the crowd hyped up. Elmo is definitely one of my favourite MC’s at the moment and I hope to see him MC’ing for ponder at the next Elation! Next up, erm who was it...I think it mighta been frisky, anyway whoever it was I wasn’t greatly impressed with and went to the 12 o clock USH meetup. As I said lots of people there, all very friendly and happy as usual, which is exactly how it should be. Raindance had done the chillout area up nicely again with mattresses, tables, chairs, even a pub punch, a huge 20x20ft TV screen, which also projected onto the arch wall opposite. The floor was carpeted, but still incredibly dirty which is my only complaint of the entire night, but I don’t suppose they can really do much more that carpet the floor can they?

Anyways after a bit of waffling, meeting new people and trying to hypnotise myself by looking at the wicked TV screen images (sounds weird but it was actually v.cool!) I went to the old skool arena to see who was playing and luckily enough it was jimmy J, knocking up a nice set of some classics and a few underplayed oldskool hardcore tunes, a very nice set in a completely rammed 1,250’ish capacity arch. The lasers were as usual amazing and really brought the place to life. After Jimmy J, squirrel came on and played a very nice set for the time I was there. I decided after a bit that I’d had enough standing on the spot dancing in a Bit too packed to move arch and went back to the hardcore room, which for space was not much better, it was Packeddddd!! I think it was Vinyltrixta on the deckz and he played a much better set than he normally does, he seems to have abandoned his typical VERY BREAKBEAT, slowed down, vocally stuff that he used to play and has moved onto more upfront, much harder stuff, I definitely thought it was an improvement. It was gettin very hot in the hardcore room but being the caring promoters they are raindance had two huge fans at the front of the stage cooling all the sweaty ravers down and even opened the massive doors to the side of the arch to let some fresh air in! I left vinyltrixta to get on with it after a while and went to see what was happening in the chill out room, met up with lotsa new people, said a big hello to all the familiar faces and just relaxed for while which is v.important at long raves like raindance. I think I managed a good 30-40 mins recovery before good ol kev grabbed me up and off we went to the hardcore arch!! I’m a bit confused as to the order of the rest of the night but I THINK it was Herman and storm up, or were they on earlier? Anyway I dont remember anything about Herman and storms set I cant even remember seeing Herman, but whatever the set was like it didn’t leave an impression on me. Energy’s set appeared somewhere around now I think and it was wicked, but slightly disappointing at the same time. The part I caught was full of brand new unreleased tunes and although very euphoric, I thought they could of been a bit more in ur face and maybe had some small vocal snippets chucked in to bring them alive a bit, still it was a nice set, and the crowd were really boucin away to it! It was about this time I saw some funny people walking around with these large puppet things on their heads!! I was later told these were the “rave monkeys” they had spoken off, whatever they were they were fucking hilarious, I stared and laughed at them for a good couple of minutes (I’m easily amused) and took lots of cheesy photos! Its stuff like that, that really do give u the impression of a promoter that is making an honest effort to make everyone really enjoy themselves, when it comes to pleasing the ravers it is raindance and elation and possibly future dance (I haven’t been to any but have heard things about bouncy castles and funfairs) who really stand out! I’m not sure what time vibes set came in the night but I think it was before energy’s, neway it was a pretty nice set, not bad for vibes, I heard some very good tunes which I’m guessin were Dutch imports or something like that. I think livelee was on the mic, it sounded like him, but didn’t quite look like him, very confusing!!

Erm Who else, Billy Bunter!! Now I am gutted I missed this set I’m not sure what I was doing I think I was either in the chill out area listening to lukozade or in the old skool arena dancin away to either Jimmy J, ratpack or squirrel (I REALLY need to work out what order everything happened in!!) but according to a lot of people he played set of the night starting with some ’93 tunes and working his way up. Based on his last set at raindance I’m not suprised so many people loved it, he is such a wicked DJ, who gives maximum effort everytime and is genuinely enjoying himself immensely. On we go to the last 2 hours of the night, catered for by none other than USH’s Dj Uplift (and later on joined by his addiction/eruption fm partner the Dj Lukozade). This was a Really a really wicked set, the USH’s dj’s totally know what the crowd want, and they gave it to them in full effect! The crowd were well and truly havin it and why not, especially when they brought in their new tune (produced alongside chriss-e-manic) “24 hours in Aldershot”. Blindin tune on a bit of a 95/96’ish tip, I was amazed at the quality of a tune that 3 dj’s with no previous production history (I THINK!) came up with, lovely (and not overused) vocal over some very nice breakbeat and pianos. The E team as their production name stands I believe have shown that anyone with some ambition and dedication can come thru and help the scene in so many ways, lots of new producers are cropping up all over the place atm and its a massive massive boast for the scene! Later on their 2nd unreleased tune came in and although I didn’t like it as much as the first (some people liked it more though) it was still top stuff!! I then went backstage for a bit to try and get a cheesy photo of Uplift, but never found a good moment and then completely forgot about it when he brought in an absolutely amazing tune (which suprise suprise ive forgotten!!!) and I hopped back onto the dancefloor and raved till the last 20 minutes closed in. It was then time to go and get my stuff from the cloakroom which took quite a bit of time actually (bout 20 minutes as unfortunately a couple of people had had their stuff lost or nicked by some cunts who had picked tickets up off the floor then claimed the articles as theirs!)

At the end of the event I was well and truly knackered, and just managed to stagger around all the tubes back to maidenhead for about 11am. Dirty, sweaty and smelly, I could swear the other train passengers thought I was a tramp but I really didn’t care coz I had had one of the best night of my life, Yet again cheers Raindance!!!!

Shouts go out to everyone who attended and those that unfortunately couldn’t come (Dimi, Walrus, Natalie, Jody) In particular big shouts to : Kev, Simon MDMA, Jexxi, John, Raver Jo, Andrew, Tom U4ea, James, Ponder, Happy bounce, Uplift, Lukozade, Chriss-e-manic, misdee, billy bass, mupster, twigg, sammy sam, edd, joe retro (LIGHTWEIGHT!! Hehe), Elmo, alieeeeeson, snow, Mikey B, chedda, icekold, unit-e (nice one mate!), potfish, happs, SD, Jaime (peachey), alister (viking), Luna VC, Dj Phick, swaver, davespice, Barticle, Nick Moss, Scottie, bridie, breaka, Tony raindance and all the rest of the promotion team inc. The security!! Sorry to anyone ive forgotten its always the obvious names that u forget!

Now one Very special Shout and a Huge huge thank you to Paul And carol who found and returned my wallet after I stupidly dropped it in the chill out arch having wondered off to the old skool room. There was lots of money, train tickets home, cloakroom ticket for my bag (which had my mobile, lots of vinyl’s, tapepack, house keys, more money as well as both mine and Tom u4ea’s Coat) etc etc, so I am eternally grateful for that, thank you both very very much (and to anyone else who was involved in finding it), a lot of people (obviously not USH people ) would have run off with it or at least nicked was what inside so I’m so glad it was you guys that picked it up, THANK YOU AGAIN!!!

See you all at the next event I’m not sure if its Elation, Strictly Hardcore, Raindance or Future Dance 4, but whatever it is I’ll be there!!

Nemes1s (not from Isle of weight! D0h to all the people who asked me that on Saturday!! Heh :)

- Nemes1s (qnnemesis@hotmail.com)