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_Jay_
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Joined: Oct, 2011
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 Posted - 2015/08/22 : 08:05:29
So October will mark ten years of raving for me! The HTID In The Sun aftermovie video got me feeling all nostalgic. This was the first rave I went to. And I can't remember a single thing about it. I wasn't especially wrecked, I don't think. Just can't remember. I do remember - very distinctly - feeling very at home, and absolutely loving the positive friendly vibes. Hooked from then on!
Look at that line-up! Ludicrous. Also posted a review I just found randomly as well.
This is the Event thread on here: http://www.happyhardcore.com/forums/topic.asp?topic_id=23770
The majority of solo HTID evenst have been held up at Air in Birmingham and rightly so. An event like this deserves a venue to match and Air fits the bill nicely. However, you can get too much of a good thing, which is probably why the same promotional team launched Raverbaby which in its previous two incarnations has been held up at Empire in Milton Keynes.
However the closure of Empire threw a spanner in the works to say the least. This, coupled with the (If I'm honest with you) diminishing feeling of excitement when going up to Air yet again for the next HTID called for a shake up with regard to the parties location. Fortuantely, the Promotors are not one to do things by halfs.
To this end, a HTID was promised for the first time in Cambridge at The Corn Exchange for its (I think) first ever Hardcore Rave. As well as that, the Promotors decided to combine the two Hardcore party promotions in its arsenal to create an HTID Vs. Raverbaby event. Of course, with it being HTID, I knew this was only the tip of the iceberg.
A venue, of course, needs a lineup up and in that respect nothing was left to chance. Top of the list was the two live PA's with "The Raverbaby Experience" taking top billing, followed closely by "Essential Platinum Live". However the rest of the night would not be complete without a DJ lineup of equal calibre and in that respect Seduction, Brisk, Scott Brown, Hixxy and Sy were all listed to play out.
The MC lineup was equally forthcoming with Storm and Whizzkid promising an overload of MCSquared collaborations, as well as the best of the rest which included Odyssey, Smiley, Rude and Newport legend, Wottsee. Best yet, that was only arena one! Arena two was the realm of HTID's best friends, the Jellybeanz Crew. Hosting the second arena as well as providing all the DJ talent that you could handle, from their every expanding conglomeration of DJs and MCs.
The scene was set, as well as the venue and the date, all I had to do was get my **** up there. In the event it was a more pleasent and shorter journey than all the way up to M40. It took about an hour and a half and the venue itself was easy to find. Before I knew it I was ditching the car in a nearby carpark and heading towards the queue.
And what a queue it was. Its a known fact that HTID can travel. Its excursions to London, Milton Keynes and now here prove this and the lengthy queue as I got to the entrance backed it up. It was looking good and I werent even in the place yet.
Eventually, after sorting out my entrance out (Nice one Joe) I was in after a brief search from friendly security and also what seemed to be a bar area which was seperate from the main dance arena. To the left and right were stairways to the toilets and cloakroom and surrounding the area were various bars. After sorting myself out with a bottle of water, I went into the main arena.
Wow. All I can compare it to is the Stratford Rex in London A huge single auditorium with a stage at the business end and a balcony at the far end. In the middle were HTID's resident sea of up for it, dancing ravers. It was doubly impressive due to the formidible Funktion one Stacks placed either side of the stage, not to mention the full on lighting rig behind, above and in front of the DJ stand.
When I arrived, the night was being warmed up by Vortex, who was playing a set which was unfamiliar to me, as well as a bit on the slow side compared to the rest of the night, but that didnt matter, I only caught the final few minutes, then Kevin Energy came on to replace him. This should sort the men from the boys.
Even though I'd prefer to see him play out towards the end of the night, it was still a set I really got into, with no MC forthcoming, it was an MC free Freeform set that started my night off. Fantastic.
Kev was playing the first Hardcore set of the night and as such, the result of the first showing of the reason most of us were there was an big infux into the main arena and onto the dancefloor. With good reason as well, cos Kevin Energy was playing a binder in no uncertain terms. Freeform might not be my first choice to start a nights raving to Hardcore, but it definitely aint my last choice, especially when the DJ included the remix of "power in the light", "Check this out" and the remix of "put your lovin arms around me" into his set.
Next up after Energy was the official "kick off" set for the night, with the first of two Live PAs to take place. The entire RaverBaby Crew set up shop on the stage with three keyboards, each with an occupant, the DJ stand, similarly accomodated, not to mention Storm and Whizzkid out front, each with a mic to themselves. From this point on and for the next hour it was all about the RBC.
The tune selection was pretty relentless, with a the emphasis on the tunes being played out as live as possible. The artists swapped places at regular intervals to take centre stage, either behind the decks or on one of the three heyboard stands that were dotted around. However the despite the high quality start of the PA with "R U Ready", and "Getting better" (sung live by Lisa Abbot as well), the one thing that sticks in my mind for the first portion of the PA is the performance of "You're my Angel"
This is becuase, for the first time that I can remember Darren Styles left the decks and keyboards behind and took up the mic to sing the vocals. He was nervous, you could tell, but it was totally understandable, which is probably why he asked the ravers for their support as the tune began. Their response? Well Hardcore crowds are never ones to do things by halfs, so they pretty much made him redundant. Its one thing to have the crowds support as you sing live, its quite another for the majority of the crowd to sing the lyrics along with you and pretty much drown you out. Myself? I was one of the few that weren't singing, but that was only becuase I was looking around at the spectacle that was unfolding around me, with a huge grin on my face.
Thereafter, it was back to business, with every tune being an event in itself. From Whizzkid providing the vocals to "End of Time" and "Nightmare", to the VERY welcome (if totally random) addition of the Prodigy's "Out of Space" and not forgetting the Live rendition of "Slide away", with another vocalist - Karen Danzig this time, providing the vocals.
And so it continued. The RAMMED dancefloor (I had trouble breathing at one point) was loving every minute of the PA and each raver chose their favourite aspect of it to take away with them and remember. Me? I was in the zone throughout and it werent even finished yet. Storm proved this point with his section of the PA being taken by "Just accept it" and "Dark like Vader", but the next part to really get me going was yet to come.
All too soon it was the turn of Re-Con to step up and do his part, with "Pretty Green eyes" being the tune and Re-con picking up the mic to sing it! I'll be honest with you, I didnt know Re-Con could sing, but I do now. I do becuase he put in an amazing performance, with MC Junior being a distant memory as not only did he provide the vocals throughout the tune, but he also went unnacompanied when it faded out as well. Seriously, seriously impressed with that part. In no uncertain terms.
For the closing moments, It was a Hard remix of Heartbeatz and the final tune of the PA going to, of course, "You're Shining", with the PA ending at it began with the vocals being sung live, this time by Lisa Abbot.
Whatever followed the PA would have had a difficulty topping that, but fortunately the next DJ, Scott Brown, was accompnaied by three of the best in the business to keep the rave going, namely Sallie Sarah on stage and Odyssey on the mic. With the PA fresh in everyones minds, Scott elected to do what he does best, not to mention keep the show in the same vein as the previous set, therefore, euphoric, rushy tunes were in abundance.
With a nice mix of upfront, brand new as well as the occasional classic remix thrown in for good measure, Scott kept his end of the bargain and kept the ravers dancing, the best part about this was there was actually some room to dance now, as such I took full advantage when "Be Happy", the remix of "Bring me round to Love" and "Takin Drugs?" while Odyssey was in full flow with "Gods from above" and "Vision of Odyssey". Finally the set was finished of with his trademark Dutch selection. Scott piqued the ravers with uneducated ears (me) with a totally unknown gabba segment, before Boomsticking the place, then dusting.
Despite the place claming down somewhat since the kick off set, things were still pretty mad at this point, the Heat and the music were taking it out of me, but I werent leaving the main arena for love nor money, especially as Seduction was on and MC Rude was accompanying him on the mic. Keeping the party upfront and mainstream with no objections from me at all, Sedders played a euphoric set with plenty of tunes which are designed to make you rush and little else. Best of all MC Rude was also giving the crowd all he had in the lyrical department, as well as making sure the party crew stayed sensible, urging them to "Take a breather" every now and again.
This was difficult though, cos Seduction was making me dance with the music he was coming up with. Like I said, plenty of top end material, with the remix of "Keep on trying", "You dont have to be alone", and the almighty "Timebomb" to finish things off. Kept me on the dancefloor when in all probablility I should have had a rest. Jobs a good un'.
Like I said, no rest yet and not for the next hour either, but I didnt care at this point, cos Hixxy and MCSquared had appeared and with him he was carrying a record bag marked "95 and onwards set". I knew this would be good and in no way did any of the three up on stage let me down. The next hour made me smile so much my face ached at the end of it.
With good reason too. Hixxy might as well have asked me what my favourite classic tunes are cos he pretty much played them out in a logical, reasoned, amazing, fantastic order. Not one of the tunes he came up with were in any way even slightly less than perfect for the moment. It was an awsome set from the start, where "Higher Love", "Forever Young" (which got a well deserved rewind), "Surrender", "Discoland" and "Elysium" all featured, to the tail half where "Wonderful days" and "Field of Dreams were Showcased.
Speaking of Showcases, it was time for the second one of the night when Hixxy had finished. With the Essential Platinum PA being set up around the MCs as they worked through the previous set, it was time to put it into action. Dougal, Gammer, Mickey Skedale, Smiley and Dougal's dad all appeared on stage and from then it began. Visual overload was the order of the day with the EP PA and right from the start where two inflatable ravers popped up either side of the artists. From then on the PA didnt let up till the end.
Glitter cannons exploded either side of the artists, as well as indoor pyrotechnics. This marked the start of the PA and thereafter, the first tune. Accompanied Live by Lisa-Marie, "Still the one" set the tone for the next hour as the EPC showed the ravers what they were all about. With Gammer Scratching up like a madman. Mickey on the keyboards and Dougal behind the decks it was a non stop tour through their greatest hits with "Through the Darkeness", "Extreme" and "Ordinary people" all being played out, the last one re-infoced with Smiley getting on the mic and giving us his most famous lyrics, live.
This was the best thing about the PA. With nice interludes of clam between each track before they exploded through the system, the ravers were treated to under and overstatement throughout the set. But this weren't as good as the end of the set, with "Open your eyes" still fading away after it was played out, the last tune was upon us. What else but the blurry rush-a-thon that is "Paradise", once again, sung live. Top stuff.
All of the above had taken place in the main arena, but it would have been a crime not to explore the place a little. With Brisk starting up downstairs, I went upstairs to spend some well deserved time in the Jellybeanz arena. Small though it may have been, but the atmosphere in there was top notch, a nice opposition to the main rave arena, this one felt like a cosy house party and I was happy to dance to the music that was being supplied, especially when Deddley was at the controls.
Deddley may well have been going up against Brisk, but he still got the ravers in, mostly because the way he was playing the exact opposite of the mainstream overload downstairs, with a nice underground set. Accompanied by MC Hypavibe giving a fastpaced, yet coherent display on the mic, Deddley did himself and the Jellybeanz crew proud with a set which tbh, was mostly unknown to me, but unknown didnt make it any less danceable, with "New Zeland Story", "Freedom", "Drop the Bass" and best of all the awesome "Walking on the Moon". This tune alone made the trip up there worthwhile, cos it takes a lot to make me rush at 5am, but I did.
I thought I couldnt rush anymore after that, even with Sy on downstairs for the final set of the night and Storm by his side in classic "Power hour" formation. I should have known not to underestimate the DJ though. Cos in the event, he blindsided me and a lot of the rest of a crowd.
Sys set, not to put too fine a point on it was sensational. The culmination of everything we had been through during that night revolved around the DJ, the MC and a bag of classic Hardcore tunes, each better than the last. Sy opted for a different set to his usual, but effective mix of bouncy upfront tunes and classic remixes, opting for the originals of those classics, plus a lot more that he dont usually play either. The net result was, like I said, sensational.
You could tell that everyone involved in the equation was enjoying themselves. Sy did the entire set with a big grin on his face, Storm was on the ball throughout, dropping his favourite lyrics like "All about beats, all about bass" and "True Hardcore" whilst spotting people loving it in the crowd, speaking of which, they were having a blast too. Even the lighting dude who I walked past to get some water halfway through was singing along to the music. Must be nice to get paid for your hobby.
But this was the crux of the matter. Sy's tune selection mirrored exactly what the ravers wanted out of the rest of the night. Perfectly. This guy is a professional, but this was a near psychic case of getting the right tune out of the bag at the right moment and dropping it in at the exact time to bring the place down for the umpteenth time during his set. Any tracklisting which includes the originals of "Ready to go", "I need your lovin", "Discoland", "Eyeopener", "Yeah baby", "Raveheart", "Stay with me", "You're Shining", "Kick it" and "set you free" means I'm going to be stomping till the final tune. Finally, the night was finished with the apt playing of "Do you wanna go my way" and the night was finished. Where did all that time go?
Things I liked:
Venue - Okay it was a tad on the warm side, but aside from that I liked where we were raving on this occasion. The place was a nice find and I'd like to return.
Bar area - This was a seperate area from the rest of the rave, with no music at all and only a small entrance to the arena. This meant if you wanted somewhere to chat you could. So I did. I liked it.
Atmosphere - This was more noticable the further the night progressed. The Full On HTID Atmosphere was more than in effect and I was feeling it and then some.
Zero tolerence - With troublemakers making an unwelcome apperearence at previous parties, the promoters had undertaken to root out troublemakers and ban them for life and photographing any people who attended with penises small enough to think its a laugh to cause bother at a rave. Not only was this promised, but it was also carried out with no corners cut either. Mainly due to the next entry....
Security - As well as the venue's in house security, HTID brought in their own staff and made them noticable by placing them in yellow tshirts. These guys were great and were totally on the ball all night. I dont want to name names for obvious reasons, but its safe to say their actions at various points in the night made my night a better experience. Maximum respect to everyone in a yellow tshirt without exeception. You had as much a hand in making the night what it was as the DJs did and I take my hat off to you.
95 sets - Hixxy and Sy are the main culprits for these sets on the night. I'll leave them to fight over who played the best set, cos I cant decide, thats for sure.
Free water - As the heat went sky high, the venue staff appeared at the front, with loads of glasses of water, which they handed out to cool the party people down, FOC. I took full advantage. Nice one.
Dougal's dad! - It was great to see Dougal's dad doing the filming on stage again, took me right back seeing him pointing a camera about.
Things I liked less:
Heat - I've yet to go to a Raverbaby event where it was anything less than opressively hot. This party was no exception. I didnt care though. Going home without a dry piece of clothing on me is usually a sign of a good night out.
Overcrowding - I remember someone saying the night was a complete sell out. Judging by how rammed out the dancefloor was all night I can well believe it. It was getting a bit crazy when the RBC PA was on, with there being barely enough room to stand at the front, let alone
Parking - 7.20 to park all night! I'll say that again, 7.20. Ouch.
Mic level - This was up and down more times than a nun in a cucumber field as the night progressed. Made the MCs work for their money, that much is certain.
Isnt it weird how your perception can vary how good you think an event is? On this occasion my perception was increased not by sight and sound, but by knowledge. The knowledge of not assuming the venue was toerag free, but KNOWING it was. I knew this because I saw HTID's Zero tolerence policy in action as the night progressed and as a result my enjoyement of the night increased.
Why would toerags getting slung out make me enjoy a night more? Well its a bit of a cliched reason, but after the bad elements were shown the door and told not to come back, ever, the only people left in the place were ravers. Everyone was there to have a good time, everyone was on the same wavelength and with no ********* to ruin the party, I was given the green light to have the time of my life till Sy dropped the final tune.
That alone made this rave something special, but when you add to that the most awesome music, two VERY impressive PA's, two wicked classic sets from Hixxy and Sy, a new venue and a no expenses spared production effort, it all added to a night to remember and then some. I had the best time at this party, it really was a sensational night out. I cant wait to go back to cambridge, even if the parking was a bit on the expensive side.
astraboy.
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Edited by - _Jay_ on 2015/08/23 10:41:56 |
Hard2Get
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Posted - 2015/08/22 : 08:23:31
Edit: Made a mistake lol.
I remember when the original event happened, although i never went.
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Edited by - Hard2Get on 2015/08/22 08:28:55 |
_Jay_
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Posted - 2015/08/22 : 09:44:13
quote:
Originally posted by Hard2Get:
Edit: Made a mistake lol.
I remember when the original event happened, although i never went.
Solid contribution there, Matt. Well done.
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djDMS
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Posted - 2015/08/22 : 10:08:01
Yeah, I didn't go either.
But after reading Jay's poncey, over worded review I wish I had...
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_Jay_
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Posted - 2015/08/22 : 10:23:32
Ha ha! That's not my review! I just found it online earlier today.
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Samination
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Posted - 2015/08/22 : 12:26:46
stealing your thread but it's kinda related :P
September this year is 5 years ago i went to my first, aswell as my first time on a plane
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Happy, UK Hardcore, Freeform, Makina and Gabber
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Edited by - Samination on 2015/08/22 14:03:02 |
_Jay_
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Posted - 2015/08/22 : 12:30:22
quote:
Originally posted by Samination:
straling your thread but it's kinda related :P
September this year is 5 years ago i went to my first, aswell as my first time on a plane
Nice! Freeformation?
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Samination
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Posted - 2015/08/22 : 14:04:40
quote:
Originally posted by _Jay_:
quote:
Originally posted by Samination:
straling your thread but it's kinda related :P
September this year is 5 years ago i went to my first, aswell as my first time on a plane
Nice! Freeformation?
Yeah, it was that one. They misswrote the address on the website so i went up and down the Albert Embankment until I noticed a couple of girls in neon cloths and asked them if they where going to Freeformation :P
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Samination, Swedish Hardcore DJ
Happy, UK Hardcore, Freeform, Makina and Gabber
http://samination.se/
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_Jay_
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Posted - 2015/08/23 : 10:35:15
quote:
Originally posted by Samination:
Yeah, it was that one. They misswrote the address on the website so i went up and down the Albert Embankment until I noticed a couple of girls in neon cloths and asked them if they where going to Freeformation :P
Ha ha! Yeah, they're easy to spot! Shame I missed that event. Sounds like it was a real good one. Is this the one where Rowan left you at the bar to pay for his drinks?
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_Jay_
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Posted - 2015/08/23 : 11:04:38
Managed to find some photos from the night! Not very good ones, mind.
http://www.jungletechno.co.uk/pics/raves/htidrb1005.htm
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Samination
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Posted - 2015/08/23 : 13:06:07
quote:
Originally posted by _Jay_:
Ha ha! Yeah, they're easy to spot! Shame I missed that event. Sounds like it was a real good one. Is this the one where Rowan left you at the bar to pay for his drinks?
Nope, it's the one I supposedly left him to pay for a drink i had :P
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Samination, Swedish Hardcore DJ
Happy, UK Hardcore, Freeform, Makina and Gabber
http://samination.se/
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HTID vs RaverBaby - Cambridge - October 2005
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