We didnt know what to expect, the night had been moved from Club Metz to Zanzibar just down the road, and we thought maybe everyone hadnt been informed of this, but f**kin hell it was busy ! Stoke has always had a big hardcore following due to Kinetic startin up back in 92, and theres plenty of ravers who support hardcore in the area. As everyone knows, Zanzibars are always quite a swish venue, and this one was no exception. The venue was really nicely done out with sofas everywhere and nice decor. The lighting was good and the dancefloor really random, bits of dancefloor in the corner, by the speakers and round the side. By sharkeys set there were people everywhere. D Lyte and 2 Step were boshin out some 95 stuff with Gazy J on the mic, some wicked tunes like 'Now is the time' and 'Samplemania' being played, it always gets the ravers in the mood. We missed Cruze and Wiggi, but i know they're wicked djs so i trust that they went down well. Up next on the decks, Mr Bonkers himself, the talented mr Sharkey ! Now ive seen Sharkey plays hundreds of times and each time hes impressed, but tonight he was the absolute bollocks. The first half of his set was stuff i'd heard before, he dropped 'Fly with me' by Fade and Party Zone, then Storm got on the mic and pumped up the crowd so the place was on fire. But Sharkeys last 7 or so tunes just hit me where it hurt. I'd never heard anythin like it. If i tried to describe it i'd say it was more like trancey bouncy techno. f**k the genre though, this was just serious hardcore, with big stabs, massive trancey riffs and kickdrums from hell. Sharkey even stopped halfway through so he could play a tune from the top, and when the beat kicked in it was mayhem. The beat was so unlike any hardcore around at the moment, it sounded like it had been ripped from a ruffneck tune from 96. I had a look around and the ravers were goin on sick, everyone was dancin as hard as they could. Big up Oli G who was goin mental, you know those tunes were evil! The sound system f**ked up a bit for about 10 mins but it was all sorted out quickly and the music levels even got turned up a bit after that. Another thing about Sharkeys set was the mc'ing. Ive heard storm at raves since 97 and although he's always been on form, ive thought, over the years hes got a bit samey. Im sure theres people who will disagree, its just my opinion. I just wanna say i take all that back now, Storm was wicked, i couldnt fault him at all. Im so used to seein him on a massive stage in a warehouse that ive completely forgotten how good he is in a little club. He feeds off the crowd so well, he was right at the front of the decks with the ravers all around him, and he was faultless. At one point he kept up his lyrics for easily 64 bars (if ya dont know how long that is, its a long time!), the ravers were stompin hard and everyone in the place was going mad over storm. Storm if youre reading this mate, you were heavy last night. Benson stepped up to the decks after Sharkey and played a really nice mixture of tunes, hes a dj to look out for (respect to the new breed!) He started off with 'The future' by Adam Harris, and the set just got better and better. He played sounds of the future by CLSM (which sounded evil on that system with the screechy noises and f**ked up sounds ) and 'Fire in the hole' by Dougal and TKM, one of my fave tunes that unfortunatly doesnt get played enough in raves. I had a bit of a sit down during his set cos i wanted to save myself for the last 2 djs, but Benson did a really good job and it was f**kin hard to match sharkey before him, but he pulled it off with ease. Good on ya Benson. After Benson was Scottish Brown, who played another blinder. I saw him last night when i played at Neo and he must reckon me and my mates are stalking him or somethin cos he looked a bit surprised when he saw us! Our mate Gallagher had tripped scott brown out the night before at Neo. If anyone saw a kid with a black and white stripey shirt with a ganja leaf on it, thats Gallagher. We dont even think he washed his shirt between Neo and Jedi). And he did it again to him last night. i reckon Mr Brown is gonna have nightmares about a kid with a ganja shirt on, you are a f**kin rarehead Gallagher ! Scott's set was full of nice stuff, including my fave 'Rock you softly', and his new 'hustlers in hardcore', which has got the nicest riff ever (how the f**k does he do it? ) We all knew what was comin next though, the gabba! I aint heard him play new style this hard before, maybe it was the sweet soundin system or maybe it was just the tunes, but f**k me they were ruff! They were real hard soundin promo style tunes, and they killed my stomach (standing next to the speaker didnt help, but its always the best place to dance!). Next up after the Scot was one of the original Kinetic djs himself with one of the original Kinetic mcs....Brisk and Connie! these 2 stars have been a part of music in Stoke for the best part of 11 years, and Stoke loves em! Brisk played a nice set with loadsa new style gabba, i think he dropped 'Twilight zone' by Scott Brown and some others, but it got a bit sketchy at this point so i cant remember exactly what he played. Connie is a proper old skool mc, completely different to people like Storm and Whizzkid and new ravers might not get the point of mcs like Connie and Man parris, but tonight connie rocked. He's proper comedy and always makes me laugh, just goin 'Wheres the noise? Make some noise and all that bollocks'. At the end he just said 'Who said hardcores dead? Radio one bollocks' Haha big up yourself Connie, comedy mc in the place!. The night was young still, the club finished at 2.00 (Zanzibar cant get a late license). Overall an absolutely blinding night. Musically it was the best ive heard in a while, and it really showed that hardcore is technically the best its ever been. There was nuff styles of hardcore, wicked djs (Brisk, Sharkey, Scott Brown, can anyone say anythin bad about these 3? NO! ), the crowd were friendly and i didnt see any trouble, Storm and Connie were rockin all night, the new breed got a chance to strut their stuff, and everyone was happy all night. Ive been ravin for ages and thats one of the best nights ive had out for a long time! Bring on the next one!! Shouts to Barney for a wicked night, the Lichfield lot battyboy Sawyer, Hiney, Chris (aight!), Gallagher the star with his rank smellin ganja shirt, Mozz and his girl Gemma (thanks for the lift mate, much appreciated, i know you had a f**kin good night!), Oli G who was rockin all night (even told me his arms were killin cos he'd been boshin em around so much ), Pengz who is a proper star, Overdrive (cheers for bookin the bus mate we dunno what we would have done without ya!, Clair and Richard Diehard - respect , Gazy and Katy, Wiggi, Cruzey boy (please, lose the bandana ) and Heather, Nitesh and his crew (always nice seein ya mate), Fracus and the Telford lot (6 cars?? ), Kenno, Ted the pornstar, Bedroom raver and ex Miss Surreal (is there anywhere in the country that Bedroom raver hasnt been? what a legend!!!), The birkenhead lot that were in there, D Lyte and 2 Step, Mc Energy and his girl Stacey, Andy Techno and Marie, random bloke Rob Walker, Sharkey (i aint even gonna start talkin about your set again mate ), Benson and all the Vibealite crew, Scott Brown, nice seein ya again haha!, Brisk, Connie, Storm and everyone who contributed to a wicked night.
