astraboy

With their last party at the Sanctuary before it closed down, HH was on the lookout for a new venue. Heeding sensible advice ( :wink: ) the road from Milton Keynes to London was taken and the event ended up at the new home of the London Rave circuit, the SEOne. Not only did this party host a varied lineup including the usual top end DJs and less frequently booked talent, but someone had the bright idea to bring Hard House promoters Frantic in on the game. That meant a full on Hard and Funky House lineup to compliment the Hardcore arena. But best of all, the main room was reserved for the "Clash of the titans" arena, which saw the best of the Hardcore scene go up against the biggest Hard House jocks. If that werent enough, Nu Energy were drafted in to host a full on Live PA, more than an answer to K90's effort which was going up against them.
However, the only reason I was going was the HH content of my blood was getting low. I missed the last party at the Sanc and a return to the biggest specialist Hardcore party on the circuit was long overdue.
Unfortunatly I wouldnt be able to go if I couldnt get in! To say I was a bit strapped for cash was an understatement. I couldn't get the money together to get a ticket it was so bad. Thankfully someone was sympathetic to my cause. To save their blushes I will mention no names but they manfully sorted me out with a guest list and after that the only thing to sort out was my Energy drinks which would keep my going.
Eventually, after sorting out a brief problem with my guestlist number, I was let in without a search and after that I sorted out some earplugs and made my way into the venue. SEOne is familiar terratory for me. Its combination of frequent events, friendly security and convienient location has made me a regular visitor. This time I had to explore all over again for no other reason than to see where the Hardcore room was. I was dissapointed to see it in the middle "Red" arch, the same arena Raindance give over to the Hardcore sound. Its was a shame as its my least favourite arch. Boiling hot, no toilets nearby and its usually a nightmare sound-wise as well. To their credit, the promoters had installed a pair of large fans at the front of the arena to keep the air moving, but as usual, the sound was the real casualty of the night. Eventually it was sorted out, but on quite a few occasions the music was lost in excessive bass which clipped the vocals and the top end off the sound.
Not that that concerned the first DJs I saw. Bristol regulars D-Ice and Reality had the pleasure of welcoming the ravers into the rave and did a top notch job as well. Their chosen style of vocal driven uplifting tunes was the perfect introduction to the rave and together with MC smiley on the mic, quickly had a sizeable crowd of stomping ravers at their command. The pace of the night was underlined when I briefly left the arena and came back from the Hard House crew plodding away to their tunes, to the mayhem unfolding in the Hardcore arch. People were going berzerk and it was only 10pm, top work. Equal credit goes to the DJs though, mostly for playing tunes which I haven't heard before and giving me a real musical treat in the process, as well as dropping some well known tunes like "3000 cycles" and finishing off with "If you take your time".
Next up was another underbooked DJ, Stompy. Fresh from a new found glut of bookings, it was a pleasure to see him again and although I knew the likelyhood off the full on cheeseathon he is famed for was slim, he put together a solid set full of crowdpleasers. By the time he was finished, the crowd had packed out the arena and were rocking away to his music and the lyrics that Odyssey and Smiley were providing. Top tunes were the order of the day and Stomps didnt let us down with "Be a star tonight", "So move your body", "You're my angel", "Time to fly" and "With you I'm in heaven" all getting a well deserved airing. Finally, he was unable to resist and played "Sing me another love song" as his closing tune.An insipired choice as every raver in the place had his hands up for that one. Topset. Well deserved booking and I cant wait to see him again either.
Another who was long overdue in the main arena, DJ Spinback was next up and along with the peaktime appearence from the one and only MC Storm, they took the ravers on a rollercoaster ride in the Hardcore express. It was a great set, why this guy has not been booked sooner I cannot guess. For the moment, I was just happy he was there, with a very different set from the last time I saw him, upfront hardcore all the way. Spinback made full use of the different influences that have directed the Hardcore sound throughout the years with well aged tunes like "Lets Fly away" rubbing shoulders with modern stuff such as "Ultimate High". Also present and very correct indeed (Oooh yes indeedey) were "A Dream Away", "The one that I Adore", the remix of "Hypnotizer" and even a cheeky sideswipe into classic drum and bass with "Champion sound" That one got me dancing, well the whole set got me dancing and then some, but those little interesting bits are what really flip my switch these days and after Spinners and Storm were finished, I was well and truly flipped
Three hours of dancing and I was in the mood for a little wander. I had heard that Eduardo Herrara, the Brazillian Techno dude was in the up and coming (if thats the right place to put him) arena and I wanted to see if he'd played yet. Unfortnately he had been and gone by the time I'd arrived in the fifth arena and although I was initially dissapointed, the DJs doing the business when I arrived more than made up for it. Itchy and Scratchy were their names and they were busting out just what i wanted at this point, Upfront UK Hardcore. A small but up for it crowd were gathered and I joined them as these guys worked through their set. Abley assisted by two very talented up and coming MCs, Doc-E and Scottie B, Itch and Scratch were very easy on my ear with tunes like "Keep the crowd jumpin", the "Coldplay" rip tune, "Move your Body" and "Nighttunes" all getting an airing to an appreciative crowd. I was glad I found that little room when I did. The sound could have been a little louder, but the atmosphere and the music were top notch.
2am approached and I was determined to be in the only place to be when it arrived. 2am saw the Nu Energy Collective take the stage and perform another one of their sublime PAs. I was interested to see what they would come up with. Would they stick to the low speed tunes to win the hard housers over? or would they rip into full on 180bpm freeform and watch the place go mental? It turned out it was a bit of both. the warmup was mostly lower paced (by their standards anyways) but the second half was right up near the top end, with fast and furious tunes to finish off the hour. Also worthy of a mention was the return of Vinny the Stage Dancer. This time he was orange (That means I've seen him in every colour a traffic light has to offer now) and was back to his best with a performance to match the top quality of the tunes, I.E. Blinding. Whilst Vinny kept the ravers hyped, tunes like "Hardcore Evoloution", Black Notice, Hard Bass and the remix of "Adagio four strings" were dropped. All this combined to what I have come to expect of every time I see a Nu Energy PA. The best music on the circuit today, an awesome display from Vinny the Dancer and Physical exhaustion after they have finished. This PA maintained the Status Quo.
Two things needed adressing after the PA had finished, first was a couple of litres of water to replace what I had sweated out in the previous hour and second was to get myself into the Hardcore arch for Billy "Daniel" Bunter! Upfront Hardcore could wait, just give me some cheesy classics for the moment and i'll be happy. Bunter gave me exactly what I wanted. Spenno was similarly forthcoming on the mic. Cheese from the word go with classics lthat you have come to expect from him such as "Higher Love", "Toytown", "Rainbow High in the Sky", "Love of my life" and "Party time" all being dropped to a highly appreciated crowd. The only complaint I have about these sets are the way they quickly turn a little samey when you identical tunes every week. Luckily Bunter was one step ahead of me and gave his set some nice variation to avoid any comparisons with a certain collection of mice. In other words, as the set progressed, Bunter got nearer to the present time with "Takin me higher" and "Electric" both getting a well deserved caining.
By the Time Bunter had finished, I was exhausted. But I had to stay on my feet as Kevin Energy was up next and what sort of Hardcore raver could I call myself if I was only able to dance for a girly 5 hours at a time? I Filled up with water again and prepared for Energy's customary 5am assault on my cardiac system. I lasted about 15 minutes before I jacked it in. The heat really had killed me off and I had to take a rest so i could remain upright for the end of the night. Energy's set was good though, so I spent the rest of it near the decks having a bloody good chinstroke instead of dancing. It wont happen again. Promise.
Last set of the night and there was only one place to be. Sy and Storm were touching down in the main arena and I was sufficently rested to join them and the couple thousand other ravers that jammed themselves onto the dancefloor for the "power hour". As usual, the DJ and the MC's combined efforts were of such a professional quality that I totally lost it for the final hour. Sy and Storm are usually responsible for making a "Sprint finish" seem like a good idea despite being totally knackered and this was no different. The air was slightly cooler in the main arena as well, which made dancing for extended periods a possibility. Sy's awesome tunes selection moved that "possibility" into the realms of "Certianty". A predominantly bouncy selection from Mr. Quosh saw me going for it execptionlly hard and the pair's pateneted "Scratch battles" with Sy using his decks and Storm using his mouth were just as good as I always remember them. I was dancing all the way through with Sy going from new tunes which I didnt recognise at the start, all the way through his selection of Remixes of "Discoland" "4am" and "Free your mind", giving a respectful nod to previous years with "Neckbreaker" and "A Dream away" and finally finishing (A little later than 6am than the licencing council would like) with the remix of "Hypnotizin".
When the last tune had played out Storm wished everyone a safe journey home and the crowd turned on it heels and walked away from the dancefloor. The sheer amount of people trying to leave and the 20 minute wait to get out told me that I werent the only one who had been kept happy till the needles had lifted.


Things I liked.
Hardcore Heaven down south - I like this. a Major Hardcore event an hour away from where I live via public transport. More please.

DJ Lineup - Nice and varied. All the major stars that you'd expect from an event of this calibre, coupled with unusual bookings that piqued my interest such as Stompy, Spinback and the awesome Nu Energy PA (Worth the the trip there in itself).

Atmosphere - Tip top all the way through the night. Walk in from the Frantic room and you could really tell the difference. I especially liked the Hardcore sets I saw in the Main "Clash" room.

Nu Energy PA. Awesome as usual. The PA keeps on getting better and better. An hour of furious Hardcore in the main arena and totally live too, It was great to see Vinny back on stage where he belonged as well.

Things I liked less.
Sound - In the main arena it was very good, in the Hardcore room is was not so good. Eventually it was sorted out, but it was really quite bad at some points and it did knock some of the enjoyment out of the event.

Heat - SEOne has a problem with the heat. It was stifling in the main arena and although fans were placed at the front, it was not enough to keep the ravers from wilting.

The "Red" Arch - The above two problems are the symptoms, but the main cause was the location of the Hardcore arch. I would have preferred to see the back arch, where the funky room was, to be used for the Hardcore arena. More space, cooler and the sound is usually better as well. Fingers crossed for next time though.

Where are we again? - This a personal one, but I felt the event was lacking the "feel" of previous HH events. There were no HH signs up in the Hardcore arena at all and as a result I felt the event lacked identification. Seeing as the Hardcore arch was the same one as used by Raindance, I would have thought some more branding would have been at the forefront of the promoters minds.

All in it was great to see HH back in London. I missed their first time at the Fridge and as such I was determined to show my support for their second showing in the Capital. The party was rammed all night and although the constant swapping of arenas was a little annoying, it just underlined where peoples hearts lay as the arena emptied out after a Hardcore set had finished and left the Hard Housers to an empty arena.
On the whole I feel the combination of Hardcore and Hard House worked well. Hard house is not really my thing, but the party crew that Frantic brought with them were much more acceptable than, say, an arena full of moody Junglists. In that respect, I am more than happy to see these combined events continue, if it means Hardcore Heaven coming to the Capital on a regular basis. I couldnt fault the event on its credentials either. Nice and varied lineup, I dont think I heard one repeated tune and on that basis alone I am a happy raver. However, the best appraisal of the night came straight from the Hardcore room, from the one and only MC Smiley as well: "This is a battle right? Hardcore Heaven Vs. Frantic? Hardcore's winning it hands down mate!!!"
Couldn't have put it better myself mate, the Hardcore atmosphere was a definite winner of the night. I can't wait for round 2 either, I'll see you there.
astraboy.
Shouts to: Saiira(x!), MC Spenno, Mad Vic, STS Dave, Rob9845782394, Vapour, Cresta, Sarah Wiles, Sykee, C-Kay, Dave Matsui (Flower crew), Teresa, Spencer, Glyn ITFC, Mark-E, Sweetie (apparantly), Martin, Stu8, Doc-E, Hayley, Bubble,Moonlight Sparrow, Ed-E, Emsties, Monkey Boy (same weekend as me mate!), D-Ice and Reality, Stompy, Spinback, Kev Energy, Sharkz, K-Komplex, AMS, Vinny (Dayglo massive), MarkEG, Storm (Cheers for the offer dude, appreciated 100%), Whizzkid, Sy and all the people who I have forgotten.