Review from Mr. M
Fourth visit to the club last Saturday Night and for the first time I understood what was special about the club.
I always thought it was too big , too impersonal and I don`t like the fact that I can`t go into the main room when I enter the club.
I had reservations about Hed Kandi moving and although I had a great time at the first one (which was largely due to Stoney`s set which was one of the best I have heard) , I was still unsure about the club.I thought the bouncers were arsey , and the club seemed too big and just didn`t make me feel comfortable.
Saturday Night was different , we went in with no hassle (in fact there was cheery jolly banter with the bouncers this time !) , we had a great first hour we met Matt Collins and Lol - for the first time since he played a blinder in London- and I then met the elusive Josh and DJ Matthaus (a pleasure , you are both top blokes) , Bvorny & Charlene & Corey.
The electric box was getting really crowded and I was beginning to get annoyed that the main room was not open , I really like to walk around a club early and soak up the atmosphere , but as I was feeling this the main room was opened .
We went straight in and the atmosphere was electric , everybody in that room was up for it.
John Jones was playing what I guess is called the warm up set , I loved it , quality soulful , vocal house - I was in my own little bubble totally enjoying the vibe , the dancefloor was full and they were all going for it , so early in the night !
I thought to myself - if thats the warm up then someone is going to spontaneously combust by about 2.30 !
During this time I met Ella & Rich (a pleasure as always) , lost Saffy and wandered about a bit. The place was absolutely rammed everywhere , there were so many more people here than last time , and everyone no matter where they were seemed so up for it. I was soaking up this atmosphere and loving it.
Back to the main room for the end of Jonesy`s set , slowly dancing from the back to the front of the dancefloor. Bumped into Delboy who mercifully didn`t bear a grudge from my anti cricket comments , but I was disappointed that he didn`t notice that as a gesture of goodwill I was wearing the not entirely successful "Eau De Linseed Oil" from Paco Rabanne. (I think it will be discontinued soon!) Good to see you though mate!
The vibe was incredible it was a total party fever , collective smiles , arms in the air it was like the best football match you have ever been to.
Andy Norman up next , back to back anthems absolute quality set - this guy knows how to rock a party.
I realised I was ready to spontaneously combust so I popped back to the electric room for a bit of Matt and Back to Love (we saw him a while ago in London on a non Kandi gig and he delivered a cracking funky house set ) I was intrigued as to how he would play the old school stuff - he delivered , absolute quality tunes I hadn`t heard for years and then stuff from years ago I had never heard !
Once again the place was rammed and the atmosphere was HOT !
he popped to the loo , had a running sign language conversation with the people on the chairs at the back , it was fun and the crowd enjoyed it , smiley and happy , the biggest grins in the place.
Back downstairs again , and back to front again , the atmosphere had gone up a few notches (if Forest beat Derby on March 20th and it guarantees our First Division status and we consign the sheepshaggers to Division 2 - substitute your own favourite team/footballing analogy here - and multiply it by 10 and you may be close , it really was that good).
I know I keep saying it but everyone was totally up for it.
Got to the front and hooked up with Waxy (a pleasure mate !) and he was going for it and happy and smiley as everyone was.
2.30 - Andy and John go back to back , wall to wall anthems and then one of them dropped The White Stripes (Tim Deluxe mix).
Now I need to go off at a bit of a tangent here , my best clubbing moment ever was way back in the day before house.
It was a Caister event and they played One Nation Under A Groove by Funkadelic , this was always a big tune for me , but this particular time the whole place rocked , the surge of energy that went through the dancefloor was so strong that you could actually FEEL it (I can only liken it to a speeded up version of that scene in the film "The Abyss" where the strange water type creature flows through the body ) it is an aural sensation that becomes physical.
I have never felt that since until Saturday night and strangely that flashback was appropriate because if I was asked to describe the atmosphere in the club on Saturday night I would have summed it up as One Nation Under A Groove , because collectively it was !
Fast forward a bit here to after 3.00, I was exhausted and stood on the bridge looking down at the lobby , full of smiley happy exhausted people getting ready to go home , the body language was tired , plans were being made for after parties or taxis , or just the cloakroom and then they dropped Insomnia , the physical surge in the room touched me on the bridge , every head turned to the main room , some went back into it some just stayed and partied in the lobby.
The movement and the smiles moved me , that was a special moment I was priviledged to witness. Music is the backdrop to your life , what you like is your own personal soundtrack , some tunes are so big and so special you can share the moment with friends and strangers , that`s what makes our music so important !
What I saw at that point will stay with me until the day I die.
That`s why this club is special , the night was a totally collective party night .
The atmosphere was infectious , everyone urged each other on not consciously but infectiously .
It was a collective community vibe.
I`ve always thought it was too big and too impersonal - but I finally got it , with the right vibe and the right people it was transformed - the crowd wanted a party and Hed Kandi delivered , it was a match made in heaven and the music and the people came together to create an incredible night.
I think I was sniffy about Gatecrasher because I never saw it at it`s best , deep down I was jealous.
Yes Saturday night may not have compared to it`s heyday , but at least I got a taste , it is people and music that make clubs - we may have elevated the DJ`s to godlike status , but in doing so we ignore our part as clubbers and put the DJ before the product he plays.
The Hed Kandi DJ`s have no pretentions they deliver a non stop party vibe , they don`t care if a sound is old , if it works and rocks the crowd they`ll play it (witness the reaction to Shine on Me by The Praise Cats , another song that tore the roof off the place - after all this time !).
I love Hed Kandi nights ,
I now love GC - One.
Bring on April !
I can`t wait.
)