I usually go to a specialist old skool night about once every 6 months. The reasons for this are because most events and the DJs they hire are more than a little insular about their tune variety and as a consequence I have to wait till its been a while since I've raved to the tunes that are going to be played rather than hoping the DJs will vary them and offer something new as well as old. However, when Epidemik's 10th birthday came round it was exactly 7 days since I had attended an old skool night. Even worse most of the lineup was at the same rave I went to a week before. Unusually, this didnt dampen my spirits. It werent even becuase I hadn't seen some of the other DJs for quite a while either. The reason for this was entirely due to the venue. When Epidemik have something to celebrate they dont do things by halfs. The recently refurbished Camden Palace (now named KoKo) had been rave free for too long and the promoters decided to take the plunge and put on a night of old skool and breakbeat to do their celebrations justice. It had been near on three years since I had raved at the Camden Palace and I wanted to return. The Djs playing were incidental to my return to the venue, it was a case of going back to where I had not been for a while and nothing more. Well, that and it would have been rude not to celebrate Epidemik's birthday while I was there When we got there we were more than a little late and this was not helped by encountering two queues to get in. Both sizeable and both very slow to get moving! Eventually we neared the front, but the whole process of moving from one end to the other took near on an hour in total. Not that it mattered once we were through the door though, after a brief search from friendly security we were inside a moment later and were moments from seeing what had been done to the place. When I got in though my attention was diverted to the music that was playing. I knew I was late, but not late enough to miss most of The Demolition Crew's set! Together with MC Fearless on the mic they were giving the (packed) dancefloor a special midnight workout, mostly by playing some blinding tunes which were as underplayed as they were excellent. The party crew were just warming up, but the people behind the decks were doing what they do best. I wasted no time and got straight down to business as well. Raving up the front with likeminded people to underground old skool hardcore. Tunes included "Urban Poison", "Total ecstasy", "Sound of Music" and best of all, my personal favourite "Rushing the house". I was well into this tune, if nothing else than for the "hey come alive" lyrics. During this set, i also managed to have a look around the place. There are several definitions of what a refit entails, but was heartened to see that the constant of Chandeliers being erected remains the same. Apart from that, general smartening of the main bar area, including a predominantly red theme and lots of signs namechecking the venue were evident. As well as that, I was slightly dissapointed to see the area round the stage had been designated "artists only". It was a pity as I liked the "party people everywhere" aspect of the old setup, with the DJ, MC and ravers mingling as one. Still, at least the multitude of balconys in the main arena remained so at least a small part of the "Ravers dancing on every available spot" remained. Next up was a DJ I haven't seen for some months, Nicky Blackmarket. When he plays an Old Skool set you can expect certain things. Alright then you know pretty much his entire set before he pulled it out the bag. I werent complaining as I usually like his offerings, but I was in for a shock as he started his set and tore up his own self imposed rulebook. Nicky played a set that was a complete departure from the overplayed Old Skool jungle anthems he has made his own. Not that I was complaining though, the set was diverse, eclectic and most of all, very, very danceable. He even started off with a few Old Skool Hardcore tunes to ease the transistion between the sets. Starting off with "House is a feeling" and then moving onto the Old Skool Drum & Bass, he varied his selection from the well known such as "champion sound" and "All junglists" to the sublime with "I'm a Junglist", "Chopper" and best of all, the crowning acheivement of the set, "Incredible general". Awesome tune and dropped at exactly the right moment too. Well I have to justify going berserk when it came in somehow don't I? After Nicky BM had finished shaking the place up, it was the turn of Billy "Daniel" Bunter and MC Spenno to return the rave to the land of old skool Hardcore. You can always expect a well constructed set from Bunter and a competent performance from Spenno on the mic. This, coupled with the peak time set really made for something special from these two. Even though the music was nothing I haven't heard before, the atmosphere and the friends around me more than compensated, even though I love the music but have heard it many times before. It was good to dance to it again and Bunter and Spenno made me feel right at home with their selection including "Edge 1", "Far out", "Like this", another airing of "Rushing the house" (No complaints from me though, "Hey, come alive!"), and "You had it all". Best of all though was the MCs who complimented the set. Spenno was on top form, sliding his most popular lyrics "Wanna be famous" and "Back to life" into the set, as well as Strict making the crowd go crazy by namechecking the venue and demanding the crowd make some noise. Once Bunter had finished, it was time for another return to the Old Skool Jungle sound. I cant remember the last time I saw Dr. S Gachet play out so I was interested in what he had to offer. Together with MC Charlie B and Fearless going b2b on the mic it turned out to be a very interesting set indeed. Gachet played a set full of dark and moody jungle, with the pace of the set distinctly slowing as the breakbeats took a back seat compared to the techier (if thats a word) side of things. It was something different from all the other sets and as such I think the crowd appreciated it, even if it weren't the sort of music you could go crazy on the dancefloor too. Tune wise, the music mixed the overplayed with the underground. "Champion sound" made another appearence, but this was mixed with moodier stuff such as "This style is Identical to none" and my personal favourite, the classic "Truly one". By this time it was 4am and not only was the rave entering its twilight hours, but the two biggest DJs were also about to make an appearence. First up, was the Godfather of Hardcore, DJ Slipmatt. The fact I had seen him and Charlie B only 7 days ago didnt dampen my spirits at all, for no other reason than Slippers was playing my favourite tunes. However, it was safe to say that he was treading familiar ground with his tune selection. Starting off firmly planted in the old skool, he worked his way through his hour with tunes like "Closer to all your dreams", "Let me be your fantasy" and "Feel the heat". Next up he made his customary move into the clubbier aspect of the old skool sound with the classic "I wanns show you what I'm capable of" before slamming it back to the old skool again with Prodigy's "Everybody in the place" and saving the best till last, dropping "Dub War" to finish off the set. Finally the last set was upon us. Saving the biggest till last Epidemik bowed out with Ratpack at the helm. Everson Allen and Lipmaster Mark have lost none of their huge following as most of the rave seemed to have stayed till the end to see them. Not surprising when you consider their performance has been honed to such a degree it is like a well oiled machine. Not surprisingly the music was nothing new, but the set was still full of little variations to pique the interest and keep the ravers dancing. I especially liked the way Everson Allen dropped his "Searchin for my Rizla" lyrics while the DJ spun Prodigy's "Your Love" on the decks. The rest of the crowd seemed to like it too as they were singing along to a point of making the MC redundant. As well as that, the inclusion of their well known favourites such as "Closer to all your dreams", "Sweet harmony", "Feel the Heat" and "This sound is for the underground" as well as lesser played tunes like "Baddest DJ" and "Who's the Badman" made for an enjoyable set overall. However it was the final few minutes that really stood out. Centred around Prodigy's timeless "Out of Space" it involved both the Rave and Reggee version, with the DJ mixing in and out of both versions to finish off the night. Its not the first time I've seen this happen, but its always impressive to watch and even more satisfying to dance to. I weren't the only one who thought this as the whole of the Epidemik crew were on stage while this was happening, enjoying their party as much as the ravers were and going for it till the final tune faded out. Things I liked. Venue - I was scared that the place would have lost some of its character during its refurbishment, but while the stage area being out of bounds was a little bit of a downer, the rest of the place was just as cool as before. Looking back from the front and seeing people raving on the multitude of the balconies was worth the long wait to return to the old place. Music - Okay, on the whole it was a bit anthemic, but it was all part of the experience. Old Skool and the Camden palace go together like fish and chips and even though I had done so many times before I raved just as hard when the classics came on. Raving to Drum and Bass in an aggro free environment was also a bonus too. Security - I found them to be pretty cool to be honest. Okay they were dragging their heels getting all of us in, but once inside they left the party people to their own devices. Felt like they weren't there at all on several occasions now that you mention it.... Crowd - Previous raves at the Palace had been notable by the way beer boys turned up to drink and fight and not to party. I didnt see any of this when I was there on this night. Although it meant the "changeover" when the drinks licence runs out and the rude boys leave was less noticable, I was happy enough with everyone being there to rave. It had to be good if I had my dayglo on during the Dnb sets and got no hassle whatsoever. Drinks - Prices had been lowered from the daft levels the previous venue owners had insisted on. Good news! Things I liked less: Sound - Right at the front (Where I spent most of the night) and in front of the large curved speaker stacks, it was a little quiet. no especially, but just a little. However this was compensated by the way is was exquisitely set up. Very good sound quality indeed. Stage - The main stage being converted to artists only was a dissapoinment. I liked the way the crowd used to be right next to the DJ box and the party atmosphere it created. Name - KoKo. No. Its the Camden Palace. It was is and always will be the Camden Palace. No more - There was a rumour on the night that this was the last ever old skool night to be held at the Camden Palace. I for one truely hope not. Performance of the rave - Got to be Nicky Blackmarket on this occassion. No "chopper", no mixing it into "Original Nutta" either, just original and underplayed tunes from back in the day. Either that or it was Grant Epidemik's stage dancing at the end. It was great to return to the Camden Palace. I had spent many a good night there and this rave was another that could ba happily added to that list. The music was exactly what was required for the night in quesition, the crowd, while not as lively as an upfront crowd, were friendly and easygoing throughout the night and, of course, the venue was just as I remember it. Its always good to get back to basics every once in a while and what more could you ask for than for all of the above inside a venue I love surrounded by my friends? As well as that the promoters can feel rightfully proud of the way they conducted their 10 birthday party. Imagine how chuffed you'd be if you through a birthday celebration and near on 2000 close personal friends turned up? astraboy. Shouts to: Kaylene, Paul Z, Saiirasaurus and Matt, Uplift, Dave Skywalker, Lady Angelic, Barticle, Mark-E, Tenz, Ed-E and Mrs. Ed-E, Spenno, Grant Epidemik, MC Strict and anyone else I may have forgotten.
