Judging by the queues to get into raves recently, it would appear the summer clubbing lull is over.
After Notting Hill Carnival there was a lack of after-parties in east London because most of the action stayed put in the west.
This meant Deviation, hosted just by Old Street roundabout and with one super mega lineup, was the party of choice for those of us on the other side of town.
Waiting for over an hour in the queue, I still didn’t get in (by 11pm it was one in, one out). This may have been a good thing, because those who were leaving the venue were complaining it was too packed and impossible to get served at the bar.
Fast forward to this weekend: the Rinse 16th birthday party at Fabric on Friday. Rinse FM is one of the biggest players in the UK underground music scene, so we knew this would be a big night. But when I rocked up to the club – no, in fact as soon as I left Farringdon Tube station – I realised just how much of a beast was in store.
Fabric is famous for its queues (it’s a classic club trick to make sure people bring their coats and spend that extra pound). But I’d never seen it this hefty – all the way down Cowcross Street, almost reaching the station. Look!
So luckily, we managed to get straight in. But every time I popped out for a cigarette, I could see a whole bunch of people waiting in that darned queue. You gotta love Rinse to put up with that. And love Rinse we clearly do.
You’d be mistaken to assume this was a wholly dubstep affair - in fact dubstep made up less than half the night’s playlist.
Sure, Skream and Benga did the business (though less of MC GQ would have been nice). Youngsta dipped his toe in there too, but veered towards the more ‘atmospheric’ dubstep. And of course N Type rocked room 1 with some gnarliness. But on the whole, the Rinse party was a mix of funky, grime, garage (lots of it), drum n bass, and jungle... all the stuff that makes London’s pirate radio soundscape great.
Having played the best set of the night, Shy FX has knocked my little socks off for the second time in a month now (see my post about LED festival). He did what he’s always done best: drum n bass and classic jungle anthems. But if it ain’t broke, why fix it?
Another highlight was Katy B’s live PA over Geeneus’ set. She’s a huge talent – her awesome first single, ‘Katy On A Mission’, was released on Rinse’s label at the end of August and hit top ten in the charts, while her forthcoming solo show in Hoxton Town Hall has already sold out. Plus she’s now collaborating with Ms Dynamite, another fantastic live performer.
As a dedicated garage head, it’s interesting to see how Heartless Crew have risen from the ashes of that scene to play the major venues again. Heartless were huge ten years ago – an anomaly really, as they didn’t have any big releases under their belt. They gained notoriety for their stage performances, often in fancy dress, and DJ Fonti’s trademark ‘Crisp Biscuit’ mashup style. They’re a good crew, and I’ll forgive them the fact that they’re still playing the same intro tune after a decade, because they dropped a fun set. Props for bagging a 3am slot in Fabric’s main room, old chaps.
It’s clearly onwards and upwards for Rinse, which is now a legal station. The weeknight parties at Plastic People are attracting queues to rival Fabric’s, and with good cause – especially since the venue got a new sound system.
Get in the birthday spirit and click here for the 16 free tracks Rinse gave away as part of its celebrations.
If you’re looking for more of a full-on dubstep fix, you haven’t long to wait: catch Fabric’s Dub Police night on 15 October. Early arrival is advised!
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