I left about 9:30pm in the hope that it would take about an hour to get there...big mistake! It's not the easiest club in the world to find, and we were driving round Bristol for a good hour. Anyway, finally found it about 11:45pm and pulled up outside. First reactions were "oh my god, what a hole". However parked the car (free parking everywhere, major bonus) and upon getting out were treated to the sounds of Scorpio pounding out of the club. Search was quick but thorough and was inside with no hassles. Not been to this club before so had a quick wander round and my thoughts on it quickly changed from it being a hole to it having a nice underground feel, just the way a club should be. Main room first where I think Brian M was playing, and as I walked in the Yoji Biomehanika remix of ‘Iguana’ was blasting out of a very crisp and not too loud system. Decor was excellent as I've come to expect from Bionic/Breathe events and the club was not rammed but nicely full. Decided to have a look where the other rooms were but then I found the techno room so stayed in there until Scorpio finished. Again a nice sound system and the music was pounding. Ribbz was doing what he does best and getting the crowd going and it was full of people going flat out! Midnight rocked around and I popped into the main room to catch a bit of Uberdruck. I really enjoyed this set, nice and hard all the way through and good track selection. The crowd were really up for it now and by the looks of it Uberdruck loved it as well! 1am came and a dilemma ensued...Cally and Juice were in the main room but Vibes and Lively were playing a classic set. Being a Bionic regular I decided to listen to Vibes as it's rare I get to see him so made my way upstairs. The sound system up there was not as clear as in the other two rooms and the mids was all but non-existent at the back of the room. There was only one option and that was to go to the front but f*** me it was hot down there! Everyone was going mad during this set, with particular highs of it being when he played the Bon Jovi rip (Ravers choice 6, I believe) and I couldn't hear it because everyone was singing so loudly and the track he finished with, ‘Rave is a mystery’. Lively was giving all his classic rhymes a good going over and a top hour was had by all. Next up was Vortex in the main room and time for more hardstyle. Another solid set from him with the crowd really getting behind it. Ribbzy was once again helping things along and showing why IMO he's the best MC in the business...not many people could do as many different styles as he does and still get it right all the time. Three o'clock and time for my favourite DJ, Brisk. I thought he started off a bit slow and it took me a while to get into it, although this may just be because I always expect so much when I go to see him. The last half of his set was amazing though and I haven't got a clue what he finished with but it was hammering! Also when he played ‘Crazy love’ the place erupted, as it should because this is one of the best tunes around at the moment. The only problem I had with this was the MCing. The room was jumping and the tunes were storming and what was the MC doing? Sitting on the speaker looking miserable. If someone like Storm or Whizzkid were in there that room would have been amazing! Popped into the main room for a bit after this to listen to a bit of Ben Eye. Must confess though that all the hardstyle was getting a bit repetitive for me, so I went next door to the techno room where Clarkee was pounding out techno of the highest quality! This room was rocking and here I stayed for a quite a while. 4:30 and Brisk stepped up. When he played a classic techno set at Bionic a while back I was a bit disappointed as it was all bouncy. So I was hoping he would go a bit harder this time...and jesus christ he did! Not only was this set of the night by a mile but it was one of the best sets I've ever heard. I love techno sets by Brisk, they really are a rare thing of beauty and apart from beat matching 200bpm techno like Sasha or Digweed do with 120bpm prog, the tunes were slamming from start to finish. Even heard a bit of scratching from him (which was really good) and a special mention to everyone who was still in there at the end...you are truly hardcore! Finished the night up with M-Zone back in the main room. Mixing was a bit dodgy in places but a good end to the night, even if it did seem a bit slow after the Brisk set. Many flyers were thrown at me on the way out, and it made a really nice change to see everyone smiling and joking at that time in the morning as opposed to looking miserable once their drugs had worn off. The atmosphere was spot on all night, didn’t see a single bit of trouble and security were friendly. Quick trip down the M4 and an awesome night was rounded off with much sleeping! If you've never been to this club I really recommend checking it out. Outside it may look dingy but venture in and you'll find a nice underground venue with a good sound system and one of the best atmospheres you'll find anywhere. Big shout to the lady at the Severn crossing for giving me too much change.
