astraboy

The last on the list of Hardcore promoters to hold their first "Post Sanctuary" rave, Slammin Vinyl, never ones to shy away from a challange, pulled out all the stops to secure the most impressive venue they could find to replace Milton Keynes' most infamous tin box. The securing of Shepton Mallet, was an impressive feat to say the least. The last rave held there was Dreamscape back in 98 and seeing as that was two full years before I went to my first rave, its fair to say that I had to be there. If that werent enough then a full 5 arenas were listed on the flyer, playing only the very best in Hardcore, Drum & Bass, Techno, Old skool and Hard dance.

The Hardcore lineup was notable by the fact that only the biggest DJs were booked to play as well as a few DJs that had not been seen on the flyer for a while such as Seduction and Brisk. Not only that, Hardcore Heaven were taking the opportunity to host the Hardcore arena and while they were there, dish out the 2004 Hardcore awards for good measure.

As opposed to other events I attend, specific DJs were not the reason I was drawn to the party, neither was the "Official" Hardcore awards ceremony which would take place throughout the night. I was there for one reason and one reason only. To experience a rave at the mother of all venues, Shepton Mallet. I had been reliably informed that This event was exclusive to Slammin, they were responsible for absolutely everything on this night save for the structure they were using as a venue. it would be interesting to see what they could come up with.

A good indicator for how well an event is going to do is how many people ask for seats in the car I would be driving down. In this case, ****loads! I turned away at least 6 people on top of the three people I had in there. Maybe I should have hired a minibus for this one As it stood, Emma, Matt Wildcard and Lauren were in first so after meeting them at Uxbridge station at around 6 (ish) I made my way to the M3 and then headed westward. 2 hours later and more than a few navigational errors("Mate the turning for Bath as west is there!" "Where?" "Too late you missed it!" "Bollox!"), we latched onto a group of cars which looked close enough to a rave convoy to me. Soon after, Bath and West hoved into view and we were shepherded by traffic marshals to a parking spot on a big field in no time at all. After sorting ourselves out, we made our way to the venue.

A monstrous queue presented itself, full of familiar and not so familiar faces as we walked down. After collecting our passes and going through (slyly missing the queue and feeling smug) we entered the first big warehouse. To be confronted by another queue! This was the queue to get searched, but according to the signs, it would also double up as the chill out room later on in the night. Although it was one of those infuriating meandering queuing systems, it moved fairly quickly and after about 20 minutes of being entertained by the VERY up for it crowd's spontanious noise making, it was our turn. The small amount of searchers were clearly pressed for time and all I got a very brief pat down and an even lighter look through my stuff. After that we were in.

The girlies had to go for a toilet break but I couldn't wait any longer. I was under the impression that the "search warehouse" was the Hardcore arena so I went to find it. It turned out the right hand cattle shed was the Hardcore arena and when I got in there I was literally gobsmacked. Quite simply the biggest hardcore arena I have ever been in, I had to squint to see the far end where the main stage was! The first thing I noticed was the production and decor. Hanging from gantries the length of the warehouse was lighting rigs trained on black translucent fabric. This gave multiple impressions of what the lights were showing which looked seriously good from the far end where I was standing. On stage it was even better. Two giant video screens shaped like big H's straddled the DJ stand while the MC had the run of the front stage and even a runway jutting out towards the crowd. Two curved speaker stacks were dangling either side of the stage and in front of it were, of course, the 2000 odd Hardcore faithful which were going for it in a most condusive manner.

I caught the very end of Energy's set, which did upset me a little as I he was one of the DJs I was looking forward to, but the next Dj to step up was more than adequate to get my evening started. Dougal and Smiley were up next, that'll do nicely! Another suspiciously early set for such a big name, but I werent complaining, I was only interested in getting my **** onto the dancefloor and get on with what I came here for. Dougal was equally forthcoming with some excellent tunes which really got me going, dropping "Shining down", and the upfront remixes of Love you when you love me so" and "Discoland" during his set. The crowd were totally on it throughout and you could tell by how much when they started singing along to Discoland's lyrics. Blinding 8)

Taking the next set were Uproar's front men, Seduction and Rude. In a kind gesture, MC Rude dedicated the set to the one and only John Peel before he and Sedders got down to business. Starting off with some tunes I haven't heard before, He quickly moved into more familiar terratory whilst Rude hyped the place like a good 'un on the mic. Playing some of my favourite tunes during his time in control, Seduction abely moved the party along, including "Neckbreaker", and the upfront remixes of "Fly away" and the awesome "Dominator" as well. Another thing to seperate this set from the norm was the surprise apprearence of MC Charlie B on the stage. Mr. B did the decent thing and got on the mic for a bit before handing things back to Rude.

With a few hours raving under my belt, I realised that I had only seen a small part of the venue. It would have been rude to come all the way to Shepton and only see the inside of the Hardcore room, so I went for an explore.

Explore is the best word to use, the place was huge! I have heard stories about the size of Shepton before, but it still didn't prepare me for just how big it was. First stop was the Drum and Bass arena. I had to laugh when I got in there, compared to the Hardcore arena the place was deserted! Only about 3/4 full and very quiet in terms of atmosphere. The only thing it did have was a very loud sound system, but I werent interested in having a dance in there, there was still a lot more to see. Walking out of the DnB room, I found myself in the warehouse running parallel to the Hardcore Arena. Slinky had taken over this arena for the night, but I cant really comment on what the place was like as I only had a look in there.

Walking round the back of the DnB room I found the funfair. In the interests of keeping my dinner in my stomach, I declined to go on any of the rides, but there were some kick *** efforts there, including one really messed up one which swung ravers back and forth on a giant pendulum, whilst spinning them round at the same time, not to mention that huge Catherine wheel which flung ravers a good 100ft. into the sky. They looked like fun, but not for me. I was on a mission to find the Techno and Old Skool arenas.

They were located in a big building out the back of the complex and inside I was pleasently surprised to see something different for a change. The two rooms were big and small, but instead of a huge arena for OldSkool and a shoe box full of Techno nutters out the back, it was the exact opposite. The massive techno arena was full as well. The "Less is more" approach to decor suited the place, but unfortunatly the music was a little on the quite side. Wouldn't stop me from dancing right next to the speakers though I also made a mental note to return to both arenas later on in the night.

Making my way back to the Hardcore arena, I was just in time to see the end of Breeze's set. True to form, he was giving the ravers a serious workout, judging by the difficulty I had in negotiating the mass of dancing ravers to get to the front of the arena. it took so long that by the time I got there, his set was almost over as "HeartBeatz" signalled the end of his hour.

Taking the midnight set was DJ Hixxy, alongside the first appearence of MC Storm and Whizzkid in their "MC Squared" personas. Obiviously the highlight of the night, everyone on the stage went for it from the word go. Hixxy, of course was in his element behind the decks and as usual, there was no mercy in the lyrical department from Storm and Whizzkid and Sally and Sarah the stage dancers didnt change the status quo of not stopping for anything. All this added up to a set which was enjoyable to say the least. This was reflected in the amount of response the crowd during the next hour of madness. Lots of variation in this one, with vocal tunes like "You're the one for me" rubbing shoulders with darker tunes such as "This is how we do it". Also present and correct were Whizzkid's favourite "Till the end of Time" and best of all, the finish to the set which took it to the extreme with the sublime "State of Emergency" The crowd all got on it as one for that, but even though it was good, the best bit was when Hixxy got on the mic and dedicated his recent winning of "The outstanding contribution to Hardcore" award to the only person he could. Once again, an ear splitting roar went skyward to the one like John Peel.

Once again, i felt like a change and as the Radical Technology Techno arena was calling me again it would have been rude not to oblige. After navigating my way there, I crammed into the arena with the other Techno heads, plonked myself in front of the loudest stack (The one near the bar) and then got on with some serious stomping! Easily done when Scorpio and Ribbz are doing the business up on stage and even easier when Scorps plays his usual style of hard as nails. I was only in there for a short time, but I can only handle Techno in small doses anyway, besides, 30 minutes of filth was more than enough for me, especially with the entertaining set on offer. Constantly varying the BPMs, but managing to keep it rock hard at the same, it was good fun dancing to 140 bpm dirt then going mental as some 200bpm speedcore tore the place apart. Didn't recognise any of the tunes in my time there, but once he was done and M-Zone was taking over, I left the arena with a smile on my face.

The only way out was through the old skool shoe box so while I was there I decided to get some classics in as I was passing. Flashback Residents Mistress Mo and Pilgrim were on the decks and the one and only MC Fugitive was on the mic. All three were doing a class job and although the arena was small, the atmosphere was clearly much larger than its confines with the usual crowd of happy, easy going ravers dancing away to the tunes. Be rude not to join them, especially with the top class tunes on offer. Keeping it relaxed and on an uplifting tip, the two DJs were effortlessly hyping the crowd with tunes such as "Music for the people", ""Hardcore, Real Hardcore", "Bad boy, come again" and best of all the Titanic danceathon that is "Out of space". Once again, I only spent 30 minutes in the arena, but I left totally satisfied.

Once again, the Hardcore homing beacon was on and I found myself back where I belong once again, At the front, little to the right in the Hardcore arena. Scott Brown was in control when I arrived and together with MC Whizzkid on the mic, they took us on a real musical journey in their hour. I'm really feeling this partnership at the moment, both the MC and DJ clearly work well together and it shows in the energy produced in their sets, not to mention the energy expended on the dancefloor. Once again, it was another set they could be proud of with an eclectic selection including "Neckbreaker", "This is how we do it", "Only your love" and "Back and Fourth" setting the early pace before, you guessed it, the Gabba came on. As the tunes got darker the ravers danced harder, especially with "You *** my night up, I'm gonna *** up your day" and finally "Boomstick" getting an airing. The place went bananas when Scott's final tune came on, proving its still as popular as it is rock hard.

If I was under the impression that things couldn't get any better then I quickly thought otherwise when Brisk and Wottsee came on. I'll might as well come out with it now, this was the set of the night. By a long way as well. Once again, Brisk came up with what he does best, a bull**** free, energy filled stompathon and I enjoyed and danced like a madman to every second of it. Lots and lots of tunes I hadn't heard before, as well as some I could ID such as "Crazy love", the "We will rock you" rip and a **** hot gabba tune right at the end with the awesome "Hardcore can never die" vocals. However, the tunes I can remember in no way do justice to Brisk's efforts on the night. What does do it justice was the state I was in at the end. Not to put too finer point on it I was ****ing dripping. With sweat, I might add, it was good, but it werent that good!

After The Next Gen crew had finished destroying me, I was then expected to dance to Sy and Storm! I would have been right on it under normal circumstances, but on this occasion I had to have a girly rest as they got underway. It didnt last long though, with another of this pair's trademark high quality sets got me back where I belong within two tunes. Within five minutes of being there, I forgot all about being tired and got on with dancing away with the likeminded people I was surrounded with. Sy and Storm turned out another fine effort which made dancing whilst exhausted effortlessly easy, especially when the remix of "Free your mind", "Its making me want to dance" and best of all, the upfront remix of "Discoland". On their own, the tunes dont seem that inspiring do they? But when you couple it with the infectious bouncy tempo that Sy is pioneering and the awesome scratch battles that these two have made their own, its not surprising why I and indeed everyone else around me was raving hard throughout the set.

Before I knew it, the final set was upon me. The crowd had not thinned out at all and everyone was ready for what Styles could come up with. Not that he needed it, but he was backed up with another MCsquared apprearence to give the night the send off it easily justified. I weren't expecting much in the way of variety, so it surprised me even more when he started off with a breakbeat intro! It didnt last long, but its always nice when things like that raises eyebrows and educate the ravers that there is more to Hardcore than the relentless kickdrum. The rest of his set was dominated with what Styles is known best for, upfront UK Hardcore. the crowd were still up for it and despite me wimping out at regular intervals to get water, they were still dancing away when I returned. Not hard when the DJ was pumping out only the most popular tunes like "Crazy Love", "Rock this Party", "You're my angel", "Still the one for me", "Sweet love of my life", Shining down on me" and "24-7". All the way through the set, Storm and Whizzkid spanked the lyrical monkey like the professionals they are and despite the evening lacking a final tune due to people going down, it was a good end to the night, even if it finished with a whimper and not the bang I was hoping for.

Things i liked:

Venue - Awesome venue. Massive and put to good use as well. Shepton's reputation is well deserved and I am glad I came to experience it.

Venue - So good it deserves mentioning twice. Every rave should be held there.

Production and Decor - I really liked this (apart from one exception) esp. the multi coloured laser and the fabric which caught the lights and made the ceiling fill with loads of circles of light.

Hardcore arena - Biggest one I've ever been in. You dont get "Long and thin" everyday either. I liked it.

Security - 10 out of ten for these guys.11 out of ten now that you mention it. The best security I have had the pleasure of raving with. So safe you could talk to them about anything, 100% professional when they needed to be and completely invisible when they werent needed. I never use the word "perfect" lightly, but these guys were damn close to it.

Techno arena - Biggest techno arena I've been in as well. Nicely decorated as well (minimalist black draping rules in techno arenas).

Dedications - A few of the MCs and DJs took the opportunity to dedicate parts of the night to the late, great, John Peel. Respect.

The big, tall fairground ride - It was sticking straight up when we were approaching the venue, it gave a useful "That might be it" navigational marker.

Things I liked less

Heat - it got very hot in the venue as the night wore on and it couldnt have helped the ravers with their endurance. I noticed some big extractor fans mounted in the ceiling, maybe they could be turned on to ease the problem next time around.

Sound systems - A few of them were running at reduced power on the night, especially the techno arena. Most likely due to the Council's noise restrictions. A few people were complaining about the volume in the Hardcore arena, but I thought it was alright to be honest. Besides, the technicial stand near the back had an SPL meter set up which was reading at over 100db at range. More than enough for me.

Music variation - Although the DJ lineup had more variety than previous events, there were more than a few tunes that got played out in excess of three times as the night progressed. Its one of my pet hates and it was a shame it had to happen here.

Trouble makers - Put 4000 people into the same room and mix with alcohol and other things and you're bound to get a little bother, I got a few shoves myself at one point. Its a shame these people go to raves for that reason.

People going down - An unnaceptable amount of people collapsed during the night. Substances might be to blame, but the most likely culprit was the great big strobe pointing directly into the crowd. I know it was to blame for one of the collapses as I was talking to the girl outside and asked her why she went down. "Because of the strobe" was the answer. *Sigh*

NYE - I am in precisely two halfs about where to go this NYE on the back of this party. Decisions, decisions.

Yes there were problems with the party, but with a new venue and an event of this size, it was only to be expected. But it didnt put a dent in my night, nothing could because of one thing. It werent what I was expecting either.The sight of 4000 Hardcore ravers rocking it down to the same tune in that warehouse was an awesome sight. One which will stay with me for a very long time. you could tell it was impressive by the way most of the MCs had daft grins on their faces while they were working. The best bit was the crowd participation aspect of the night. 4000 people make a lot of noise when asked to and even better than noise was when the crowd were singing along to Hardcore classics like "Discoland".

Add to that the impressive production spec, the safe security and the God like sets from Scott Brown, Brisk and Sy (Especially Brisk, big up for that one) then it was definitely as worthwhile as dammit to make a 2 1/2 hour trip from London to get to this party. Another raving ambition has been crossed off the list. Now I can say "I've raved at Shepton Mallet and it was wicked" and its all thanks to Slammin Vinyl. See you at the next one? well thats to be decided, but on the back of this party, its a decision that is not as easy as I thought it would be....
astraboy.

Abdabz

Ahhhh slammin vinyl - happy memories of the Rat Pack in '92 "jungleist massive"...

Quality - good to see they're still alive!!

P

SL2

The last time i went to Shepton Mallet was Dreamscape about 6 years ago, it was a very good rave venue. I remember we had a tyre burst on the way down in our Astra hire car, it only had 200 miles on it aswell. Worst rave transport ever.

mj

cheers astraboy, every week your reviews remind me why I never go to raves

MarkB1

I went past my olde raving haunt of Helterskelter at Soul Drop Turn last week, Its a burnt out old wreck , and the garage accross the road is now shut down, we drank that place dry of water and of all things milk on an early saturday morning. Looking back the netting on the ceiling and dry ice smoke was pretty crude but the banging music will last forever and im 42!!!!. Found a few wicked web sites to buy the old nights from:

http://www.helter-skelter.co.uk/index2.htm

http://www.old-skool.freeserve.co.uk/

http://www.4clubbers.net/features/oldskoollinks.htm

http://www.partyvibe.com/free_music_downloads.htm

http://www.anthems.com/djmixes/Classic_Mixes/