Well to say this was the most anticipated event of the year (for me anyway) when the event was posted way back in July is an understatement to say the least.
After Bedrock 14 the other week, I was all firing on all cylinders and eagerly awaiting what was going to be a monster night with Sasha on the decks for a whole 8 hours from start to finish, something that I don't think will be repeated for some time....!!!!
The day started way up north in Leeds when I met Rob at Leeds station Saturday afternoon and we set off shooting down the M1, full tilt Mika Hakkonen style in a snappy Hyundai i30, we made great time getting to the end of the M1 in just 3 hours, but in true London style got clogged up in Saturday early evening traffic, queue one detour west and then south-east on the A40 and we finally headed towards South East London.
As we were picking up Jody, we had a pit stop in Vauxhall and I can say is, never try and pick someone up from Vauxhall bus station with that ever delightful ring road and mad traffic coming from every angle.Rob got out to meet Jody, I continued on 30 metres or so and stopped at the lights, next thing I saw was Rob hot footing it through 4 lanes of condensed traffic... Jody on his coat tails.... doors open chaotic scenes and they both jumped in, utter madness!!!!!
We finally got to our destination an hour later in south east London (Tulse Hill), after the odd misdirection and wrong turning, queue me going down a red bus route and going through a red (oh fuck it) light, but it would shape the night and day oh yes indeed!!!
Once we unpacked and I finally got a beer in my hand, we eased into the evening with Lee (Blue Amazon) and had some pre-Sasha warm up "festivities" to get the night started truly in the mood for the man like later on.
As the night warmed up we finally left and headed towards North West London, however once we got on the Victoria Line, it went all pear shaped, so stage exit Brixton station and we managed to commandeer a cab to North West London, for what would be the final leg... once we arrived in NW10, all I can say is that its somewhat industrial and doesn't feel like you're in London, but I didn't and don't care.
We eventually found the Loft Studios, kudos to the taxi driver, but honestly it looked like from the outside as if it was someones house, with a monstrous Funktion One sound system pulsating out from the walls. Once we got in it was full steam ahead up through the courtyard and up some rather precarious metal stairs, what we met was a rammed warehouse style room, dark, dirty and full on with Sasha smashing it 2 hours in...
After hot footing it to the bar (queue open heart wallet surgery£5.50 for a can of cider or £16 for two vodka and mixers with a bottle of water!!!) we headed back the front of the club almost we were met with this, Sasha smashing it up right from the word off, even if we were 2 hours late...as Sasha smashed the Funktion 1 sound system, the floor of this dark and dirty warehouse bounced and any second you felt like you were going to fall through the floor as it bounced the fuck up and down, certainly a good way to go if you have too. What I have noticed at the Loft and at Bedrock is that the crowd certainly know their music and it was awesome to have some many like minded people there, for one thing and one thing only.... getting twisted with Sasha smashing it all night long, mind you as always you get the odd baseball, facial haired twat walking round being an absolute tool, but thankfully they didn't last long to ruin anyone's night!!!
From the moment we settled into Sasha's blistering set at the less crowded part of the dance floor towards the back, it was plain to see that we were going to have an immense night, with Sasha's twists and turn smashing everyone's mind, body and soul with each track he played. His set began for me (around 0030)
and it drifted into tech house with killer tracks sending the crowd crazy begging for more, each time slowing down the next track set before pushing the boundaries into Spooky/Charlie May esque territory and killing everyone with that Funktion 1 sound system time and time again, it just sent the crowd and myself that bit more messy, deeper into oblivion!!!! :D
In true Sasha style he did play some of the supposedly Involv3r tracks, but as we all know it still remains a mystery, however there was Hot Chip - Flutes (sasha remix) along with Benjamin Damage and Doc Deneeka - Battleships, Kolsch featuring Troels Abrahams - All that matters and possibly Thermal Bear - U love (Sasha remix) if my hazy chemical mind set remembers!!!
Minutes slipped into hours and the night got better and better, musically and atmospherically with each twist and turn and honestly I didn't want it to end for numerous reasons but it did.
As the end approached, we had the usual last track which was Moby - Wait for me (Paul Kalbremner remix) from 2010 if my memory serves me right, mind you I would of preffered some edgy tasty Charlie May smasher to end on a massive high, but it did end for me and everyone else who was there at the end to finish off an amazing night from start to finish. All I can say is anyone who missed it, missed out and you missed a night never to forget!!!
For for all you train spotters (myself included)
some of the tracks from the night have already been ID'd and some featured in this blog, I have included all my 15 videos from the night in one handy playlist on youtube so you can enjoy them all in one hit, but just for the record here is just a small selection of what was played and has been ID'd:- (Big thanks to Rob & Lee for the ID's)
Finally a big shout toRob M, awesome to meet you mate and hopefully see you at Warehouse Project in Manchester in December once more for Sasha and too Sue Kend...(yes I remember your surname :D !!! ), top girl and had a great night, hope to cross paths again!!!
A night with Sasha, it certainly was!!!! For anyone missing out, you can check out the official photos here!!!!!!!!!!
Something I found just the other day, a lovely tribute mix to those 8 hours of bliss....
After a Fantastic Year Really what with the Radio and Going to Parties, Doing a bit on the decks, meeting lots of Clubbers and Like minded music people I thought that I would write an entry on the Retro Scene as lots and lots here in the North of England (Leeds) Especially that I have witnessed and been a part of, has left me at times, feeling all sorts of things, and if anything gets the debate going at least...
Those who know me will know that over the years I have done my fair share of clubbing as has many other people and I am not so unique I guess, that said one thing that I have had the pleasure of doing over the years is give myself a wide area to travel both up & down the country to enjoy clubbing experiences and in the main I have enjoyed those times and met many people.
Being married for 10 years, I have still managed a few gigs here and there and the music has never left me really, the explosion of the internet uploading to the cloud etc, and more intuitive music software has brought me bang up to date with the scene as it is or as we experience today and I am loving it, however I am not sure about the city scene and how it has changed over the years,
One thing I have noticed is, yes! its true we have all got older and wiser but we are judged upon what we have in terms of Stuff, what car we drive and the size of our house what we wear, rather than what we do with our spare time, thing is we used to all go out and not have a care in the world get twisted and have a really good time week in week out, so what has changed? is it still there?
As we all have access to mobile phones and what kind of phone we carry is important, back in the day we were lucky if someone had a house phone at the end of our call box we used to put 20p in to get in touch with them, there was no social media, if I recall in the latter part of the 1990's I did however have a Motorola Pager which I could pick up text messages... Nowadays there is information on demand and at the touch of a button, social media can create events and draw people into it using groups etc, but with all this technology life has indeed become more complex, from managing a bank account to running your life these days, we are tired and time poor, through the medium of Television, and the internet we are forced down a road to encourage us to like a particular band, DJ (Guetta) song, person Car etc, etc.. I am not feeling the buzz like it was either, the anticipation of a party, looking forward to getting out there like it was before or am I?
I see also now all these secret location parties, its a wash, and we all know where they are too, so not that much of a secret everyone knows where the fucking venues are ffs!, the scene has changed. All on Line too much information we need more parties and more music, less ego, one of the worst things I have seen this year is, if you sell 100 tickets you can DJ... Absolute joke. I'm a DJ not a fucking promoter that's your job...Sad part is this is happening everywhere not just Leeds.
When we went clubbing way back when there was a real sense of community, people would meet up from all over the country up and down at venues to see top DJ's as they were at the time, and have a good smash-up and a chat about this mutually exclusive scene we were all part of was very special to us. the parties were talked about for weeks after the likes of Blackburn, Rickys, Leeds Warehouse (Hipnotic), Kaos and Hard Times, Hot To Trot, Renaissance, Shellys, Quad Park, Ronsons, Back2Basics & Rulin... basically all over the UK, stuff was happening every weekend, and folks were loving it... Leeds was no exception and living there at the time, many a happy year was spend in Clubs at the weekend busting moves and getting twisted. So what has changed?
As I I see it, life has become more complicated, many people now believe that what they did years ago was just a phase and they cringe at the idea of a 30-40 + somethings gathered together jumping up and down making idiots of themselves, many people these days think that they are beyond it also, I have had some very arrogant responses from people who once appeared to be cool, who have moved up the corporate food chain so to speak, almost making out that going out to raves is very childish and I should grow up, what I find more bizarre is people just watch mind numbing shite on the TV and then tell everyone about it on Facebook, needless to say I have no TV license nor do I watch TV.
All this information and an apparent demand for the Retro Scene brought me closer to it in 2012, I don't know whether I was curious as too how big it is, or that I just wanted to see if it was done right. Either way I attended a few gigs in Leeds hooked up with a few folks, and basically I can see to a certain extent why the top DJ's don't really bother with it, as Leeds right now is just plastered with Retro nights, mixes and has a real following, for me I find it very limited in scope for progression really, and feel its like pop music and pop being the operative word, from what I have seen there is no real place to take it on further. The Same old faces, and tunes that have just been re-edited and if I am honest It does don't really do it for me any more or Does it?
Seeing some of the famous Duo's and Trio's and live performances were however a real eye opener this year, a good example of the PA was KKLASS Feat. Bobby at the Leeds Warehouse earlier in the year, Fantastic stuff they really nailed it, likewise seeing Shades Of Rhythm proved that they are really talented as musicians and were a joy to watch, but the other end of the spectrum had to be the DJ's and what has become very messy, mediocre and very similar in both Style music and technical ability.
At some Retro nights I have attended no longer am I seeing a Legend behind the decks, moreover an old man who thinks that he is better than what he is/was, and some of these guys are laughably arrogant to go with it. As an Example Andy Carroll a so called Legend! has to be the worst DJ I have ever witnessed in 2012 let loose on a pair of 1210's it was an absolute shocking performance in my opinion but maybe that's how it was back in the day. Who am I to argue, but from a clubbers point of view in these times I would never spend my money to go see that, its not entertainment its Rubbish! And there are better DJ's out there.
On the more positive side there has been however some really Fantastic nights at the Leeds warehouse which has encompassed some absolutely astonishing results, Hardtimes whilst is a bit of a mix of both a Retro night & House music and some of the newer house style has been simply Jaw-dropping, what they have achieved so far is fantastic a Legendary Retro club. To me this is like George Foreman Retiring world Heavyweight Champ, then 20 years later coming out of retirement and knocking out the Champ of today, leaner & meaner, well in the House & Garage Scene anyways.
Hardtimes still is the best house night about, its well organised, respected, and it has a very loyal following up North and the DJ's are simply stunning, early in the year David Morales kicked it off and was one of the best DJ's I have seen working a Funktion One Sound-system in the way that he did holding a track down then exploding upwards into mad piano styles & vocals, sat here thinking about it gives me goosebumps! cutting out the bass then driving the mix forward and working the mixer was of the highest order, Old man or Not (David Morales) is one of the finest DJ's about even today an absolute class act.
Hardtimes Followed this up with more wizardry with Louie Vega, that night was phenomenal, again some of the drops from Vega were quite upfront and techy in parts, but DJ skills above & beyond anything I have seen locally, just what the doctor ordered, that party was talked about for weeks after, Simply Brilliant. Louie Vega... Leeds Salutes you! Come Back Soon:-)
Even the Resident DJ's are awesome, Jason Shaw has re-introduced me to Vinyls in a big way and I have the utmost respect for the way he just does an outstanding job on the 1210's every time, the best thing about Jay is he bloody loves it :-) one could say that the records he plays are timeless, well here is a great example, I salute you Mr Shaw I think your achievements are massive with this here's to many more parties :-)
Again I would say in my opinion that whilst Hardtimes kind of falls in the retro clubbing category, there is so much within the Doors of a Hardtimes gig, that there is something for everyone, its where old vibes meet new vibes, meet new sound system with Premier League DJ's banging in goals right left and centre time and time again.
Leeds is proud to have these nights and I hope it will continue for another 20 years and still brings the same love and joy as it did in the past and in the future parties. Top Leeds House DJ - Paul Murray played the Back Room @ HardTimes absolute quality every time I see him play :-)
One thing I have found is that many of the Vinyl DJ's really know their records, and it is lovely to see that Vinyl is still a very deep in the veins of Leeds, Seeing some of Buckley Boland's collection in the Back of a 7.5 tonne amazed me... I would have no where to put it other than storage vault, also Craig Roberts (leeds) has a Whopper of a collection I once had the pleasure to see and look at all the sleeves, some were falling apart but the memories they must hold, the platters they have been on, the smell of clubs and stains of spilled Red Stripe all still apparent..
The Vinyl DJ's this Year have been fantastic live, Steve Luigi in the retro area for me is always a good show man, always worth a look. This year also Respect goes out too to Garry Dabill (Leeds Lad) who happened to be in the right place at the right time in the Warehouse, when he was smashing the shit out of it on the 1210's in his element tune after tune blinding house set, folks were singing along and Garry was really in his element, these are the best kind of moments when organically it just happens and the room is full & focussed! - Garry D has played at Up Yer Ronson in Leeds along side another friend of mine Jamie Garry, who is simply a smiley happy fella when you talk about music...
Here is Mr Garry Dabill in action... Bloody Great Stuff. Garry really made a lot of people happy that night and some say to be bloody lucky to be exactly in the right place at the right time, never the less it was an awesome sight, Classic House Music well done Fella! :-)
Okay So Still on the Theme of Retro this year we attended Renaissance "R20" Held at the Vox Eiger Studios in Leeds, not advertised as a Retro gig, but what a night, Sasha in the main room, and a Renaissance Classics room with Dave Seaman & Ian Ossia B2B, naturally a blog of its own has been written and acknowledged by Renaissance also. The night was simply stunning Clubbers gathered from all over the UK, there has since been gigs at the VOX which have just not had the people, I think if I am honest, Sasha was in town on the R20 night which pulled a massive following, but what happened in the Back Room was Legendary, Dave Seaman & Ian Ossia B2B simply Jaw Dropping Stuff, this was talked about for weeks after, the night only came to an abrupt end, when someone took Dave Seaman's headphones off him, (He was not best pleased)this was simply a brilliant night.
Back2Basics in Leeds has also been up & running some fantastic Parties, however I have not really partied with these guys, lately, but have been watching their efforts very closely, what they have achieved in that small club the Garage (Leeds) which has now won awards for best small club & best club in its category all in 8 months or so, Brilliant.
So I have have come away with a lot of respect for a lot of people here and Retro for me is Pure, for me it has to be the original beats on the original medium which in this case pains me to say it, but Vinyl is king every time, I hope the new year might bring some more vinyl DJ's back together and I think its something we do both need to keep alive and I have a massive respect for,
To Conclude...
Never Classed myself as a retro DJ or wanted to be Pigeonholed as one either, looking at the music scene though over the last 20 years, the greats like Todd Terry and Frankie knuckles - Terry Hunter CJ Macintosh amongst others are in my opinion the Masters of the House music Scene.
Todd Terry - Brilliant fella and very Humble, if I say totally one of the boys no ego just party and music, this guy has a lot of love for Leeds too.
Stu Allan - Very Good DJ Technically and is the Real Deal, it was great to meet him at the Warehouse Leeds, Stu does well on the retro circuit simply because he is good at it, very similar in ability to Ian Ossia in the way that they are clever talented DJ's technically, I rate both these guys as they are no bullshit just good at what they do!
I am now 40 I have had the pleasure of seeing most DJ's over the years, and its great to get out and attend these parties, but for me and retro, No Edits Re-edits - just as it was back in the day, the future of retro has a massive following I think and I predict it will follow the Ska and Northern Soul Scenes with a real sense of community Vinyl Power and DJ's that keep it real,
Simply Stunning Moment at Hard Times, Got a Lovely message off Julie McKnight about this track, lovely lass...Brilliant! :-)
So as I said I am not a retro DJ but I have compiled a Set for you from some old Vinyl and CD's if I were to play retro stuff from 1992/3-4 etc it would be house & Garage every time. In Addition this is just to thank everyone at Hard times for bringing back to Leeds the Best House Music, DJ's & Masters the planet has ever known, Cheers! :-)
If you are wondering what to do for new year, this will be the best party by a long chalk, see you at the front....
Happy New Year Everyone Remember House is a Feeling......!
