astraboy

After a brief excursion to Cambridge, the next stop on the journey that is the HTID rave odyssey was right back where it started, not to mention belongs, Air, Birmingham. I for one was more than happy to return. Fun though Cambridge was, it was only a temporary home and I knew it. Besides, it would be nice to go back to Air for one reason alone. Aircon!

As well as that, the extra dimension of three rooms at Air saw the return of what makes HTID so diverse, HTID in the main arena, Harder they come in the Nitrogen arena and Old Skool til I die in the Carbon Lounge, which had once again been stripped out and fitted with full on sound and lighting rig. The only thing needed now was DJ's to fill it.

In that respect, you never go wanting when you arrive at HTID. Hell, I know I'm in for a treat when I open the flyer and Event 12, aka "UV Raver Party 2K5" was no exception. The Main room had all the RBC crew filling their residencies (with the exception of an australia bound Hixxy) but backing them up all the way were the likes of Brisk and Ham, taking the kick off set with none other than Wottsee on the mic. Sy and Unknown were also in the place for the Morning Glory set, with the obligatory presence of Storm on the mic, but what got me really excited was the promise of Druid and Sharkey presenting a "Rhythm Station Reunion" set. I was NOT going to miss that one.

Neither was I going to forget about the Nitorogen room. For those who like it that little bit more underground (and approximately one ****load Harder), a comprehensive lineup had been put together. Producer and Scorpio going b2b was one thing, not to mention the return of The Doctor and Marc Smith, but they were joined with a plethora of international talent bussed in from abroad in the shape of Radium from France and Lenny Dee from the US.

Last but not least, the Carbon Lounge was Old Skool all the way, with a well thought out lineup including Swanee, Altern-8, Stu Allen and Mistress Mo all listed to play out.

On the face of it there was just too much to see in one night, but HTID is notable for its foresight and planning, as well as printing the set times on the flyer. This allowed me to think through who I needed to see and who I wanted to see. 5 minutes of sitting down with the flyer before setting off saw me work out a killer lineup for the night ahead. All I needed to do thereafter, was get there.

Astrataxis Inc. is always in effect to spread the fuel cost, but it was in overdrive tonight. Stopoffs in Bexleyheath and Heathrow airport were in order to pickup everyone I had to, so with everyone aboard and the car fully fueled, I pointed the old girl northwest and headed up the M40.

Arriving at the rave to the sight of a good sized queue outside, my travelling companions and myself got our gear together and headed for the entrance. We were in after a friendly chat with the door crew and a brief patdown for weapons later.

No time to waste either, cos as soon as I was in, one of the DJ's I wanted to see was on. I headed for the main arena to make a start to the night.

Pre kick off set at HTID is a curious time. The rave is entirely MC free and the lighting is a little subdued as technically, the night has not "kicked off" yet. Unfortunately, no-one seemed to have told Gammer this as when he stepped up, he took one look at the crowd and read their minds.

They were hungry for it, it was as obvious on the dancefloor as it must have been in the DJ stand, cos during the time Gammer was on the decks, the rave went from understated to full on. Gammer had just 45 minutes to play with and took full advantage. Starting off with a few tunes which to the uneducated ear wouldnt be recognisable, so the ignorant like me would have to leave them unnamed, Gammer moved into the mainstream thereafter, starting with "Extreme" and "You're My Angel".

Even though it was not even 10.30, the crowd response was instant and startling in its intensity. Positive proof that hardcore crowds dont need prompting from and MC, the noise report when the tune came in and spontanious singalong from the ravers before the party had even offically got underway saw both myself and the DJ crack a big smile. From that point on, Gammer had the crowd eating out of his hand.

Tune after tune followed in quick succession, each getting the crowd more excited. From the thrash guitar riffs of the Pendulum remix of "Voodoo people", to the period vocals of "3000 Cycles", not to mention the melencholy lyrics of Recon's "Cry". The only thing left to cram into his set was a choice selection of Gabba to finish off with, then it was all over.

Next up was the kick off set, but seeing as Gammer had pretty much done that already, it was more of a evolution of the "Prekick off" set to the genuine article. Not that it was bad, a peak time set with Brisk, Ham and Wotsee is never a bad thing.

With the crowd raring to go and the place nearing capacity already, the Next Gen boys moved into what they do best. Losts of high energy tunes which have their distinctive sound all over them. The set was notable for two reasons, firstly the way the anthems were not overplayed in the slightest and secondly, the way the ravers reacted to it.

I only recognised a few of the tunes and most of them were the remixes of the classic Hardcore which is immediately recognisable, the rest was the cream of the crop with regard to brand new and underground tunes. The best part of this was the fact that the tunes were unknown (to me anyways) yet the place was still going off like you wouldnt believe. Another set which proved a point that needs to be made at more raves than I care to mention. Namely the fact that as long as you do it well, you dont need to anthem bash to get a crowd moving. See the Kick off set @ HTID 12 for proof.

With the place getting more hyped by the minute, Brisk and Ham made a concession to ingorant ravers like me with a few choice remixes like "Together Forever" and "Just a feeling" while Wotsee was caning his freestyle lyrics so fast it defied belief. "Warp Speed" Wotsee was in the zone for this one, make no mistake, with "Release your energy" and "Satellite City" both making an appearence between the blistering freestlye which dominated his set. Lastly, the final tune of the set saw "You are the sunshine in my life" get played out, as the Lasers were switched on and the rush trickled down my spine as a result. Fantastic.

As soon as the kick off had finished, I was up the stairs like a shot. Its not often I get to see Altern8 play out so I take full advantage every opportunity I get. All I had to do this time was climb three sets of stairs and get to the Carbon Lounge. As soon as I got in there, I knew it werent a wasted journey.

From the moment I walked in, I knew it was going to be a great set. Partly cos the usually overstretched Carbon Soundsystem had been comprehensively uprated and as such was booming. It was also partly due to the fact that the most Underrated MC in Hardcore, MC Nice and Easy was in full effect on the mic. This guy switches styles with consumate ease and was effortlessly guiding the ravers on the Old Skool Journey they were being taken. Who was taking them on this journey? Altern-8 of course.

No ordinary Journey either, even though it was not one of their awesome PA's both halfs of the duo were there and were doing a seriously good job of giving the party crew their interpretation of the Rave sound of old. The back bone of this was tune selection which I am not ashamed to admit had me rushing throughout.

Unexpected switches in direction abounded throughout, the surprises were relentless as they were danceable, with the set taking tangents which I have just not heard before. Going from the Darkness of "Exodus", to the underground simplicity that is "Go" by Moby. From the aptness of "Dont Hold back" (Cos I certainally werent) to the Rave anthem that is "Charly". I was dancing throughout this set for no other reason than every tune that came in was making me want to shout "Yes mate, spot on!". That feeling continued all the way through "Rockin Down the House" and "Who's the Badman" till the sets end.

As soon as Altern-8 had finsihed, I was out the door yet again. If Altern-8 sets are a rarity to be savioured, then Main room Rhythm Station Reunion sets with Sharkz on the mic are Hen's teeth themselves. I have seen these sets before, granted, but never in front of such a large crowd. As such I wasted no time getting down there to experience it all

And large it was, it was good to see that there were so many people there, my fear of many ravers say "Rhythm station? whats that?" had not materialised and Druid had a busy main arena to entertain when he hit "Start" on his first tune. Speaking of entertainment, the party crew were about to get a special treat on the MC front, with MC Sharkey making his presence felt, along with the surprise appearence from the one and only Odyssey.

Its not often you get an Old Skool set in the main room at HTID, and as such the BPMs were a little down from what is usual, but that was more than compensated for with the rushy euphoria that the vast majority induced. It was especially notable during a set which contained such gems as "Like a Dream", "Non stop turn and twist", "Cold as Ice" and "I'm all out of Love".

But what really set the reunion apart was Sharkz on the mic. His recent comeback, was, if crowd reaction is anything to go by, one of his better decisions, as it was a return to peak form for the rarity that is an MC that gets you dancing as well as make you laugh throughout the set. Solid lyrics such as "P.A.R.T.Y" and "Dancing wall to wall" mingled with on the spot made up stuff, with Odyssey being Sharkz's straightman when he asked "You're getting on a bit Sharkz, where's your walking stick?". Sharkey was back as quick as you like with "Its gone missing mate, Hixxy must have nicked it"

For the 2am set, it was high time I got myself in the second arena for the first time that night. I had wanted to go in there earlier, but had not had the opportunity. Being in there for the first time I've seen the genuine techno legend that is Lenny Dee play out should compensate.

Accompanied with Nice and Easy on the mic, Lenny easily played the darkest set of the night. Easily. Haven't a clue exactly what he played, none at all, but ID's are always thin on the ground in the second room and I wouldnt have it any other way. Starting off with a solid selection of underground techno, the (massive) crowd he pulled in were going for it like it was their last day on earth.

Lenny then steadily progessed the set as his hour continued. Opting to take a steady progession and make the ravers wait for the hardness they craved. Occasionally he let his future plans for his tune selection slip with occasional spikes of hardness, but on the whole it was a gradual and incremental progression, teaching the ravers some patience while they partied.

Eventually, he could hold back no longer and as the kicks got more and more distorted (whilst accompanied by some SERIOUSLY impressive scratching, the place went off in response to pretty much every tune the DJ played. The whole thing was a completely new experience, not to mention all the education I needed to see why everyone used the word "legend" whenever I said the words "Lenny Dee" to them in the previous weeks.

After a set like that, there was only one place to go and that was back to the Carbon Lounge for yet more Old Skool. The flyer had promised Swanee and a "95 jumpup" set and that got me seriously interested. Unfortunately, due to a set timing problem, Swanee was just about finished when I arrived, playing his final tune, "Fugees or not" before letting the next DJ do her stuff.

However since I was at a loose end, I decided to stay where I was. Partly cos I was in the mood for some Old Skool that night, but also because I realised that I have not seen Mistress Mo play out before. On the Strength of what I was about to see, I will have to redress that balance whenever I get the chance.

I was expecting a bit of DnB from Swanee and I was dissapointed that I didnt get it, but in a near psychic case of giving me what I want, Mo played a set which mixed in Old Skool Hardcore with the occasional classic Drum and Bass tune. I weren't expecting that, let me tell you.

Even though I werent ecpecting it, not ten minutes into her set, I was completely hooked and not leaving that arena unless someone set it on fire. Even then I would have been dragged out kicking and screaming. Mo's Tune selection was one of the better on the night and thats up against some pretty stiff competition. Like I said, Hardcore and Drum & Bass mixed in together. It was exactly what I was expecting from Swanee and Mo filled the gap with alarming ease. Even though it was the 3am set I was dancing like a man posessed, but that was no chore at all when tunes played out include "Like this", "Music So wonderful", "Peace Love and Unity" and best of all "I got 5 on it".

Good though it was, I was gone as soon as 4am came round. There was another set which I refused to miss and it was starting up any minute. I got into the second room as soon as the rave legend that is Marc Smith was starting up his Rezerection set. With Whizzkid on the mic as well, I knew it was going to be an hour of trouser accident quality and so did the hundreds of ravers who accompanied me to the same arena.

I enjoyed this set. You dont get to hear Bouncy techno often enough as it is, but when the one like the Smith is at the controls, it gets all the better for it. As for Whizzkid 'pon the mic, well that was the icing on the cake for me, as such I stomped non stop from start to finish. Everybody else around me was in the exact same frame of mind too, the infectious bouncy back beat, accompanied by the best riffs you could ask for, not to mention some of the best lyrics of the night meant the set of the night was upon me once again and it was all down to Marc Smith. Again.

From the word go, the atmosphere in the once again, packed, Nitrogen room was sky high, Everyone was either going for it, or had a big smile on their faces. No one of them was squandering a chance to rave to bouncy techno and I cant say as I blame them when the tunes included "Ecreation", "Now is the time", "Boom & Pow", "Pump up the noise, this is a rave" and Best of all "JeeHa!" to finish off the evening and ensure the rooms closure ment a 5 minute wait before it was worth bothering to try and fight your way out the exit.

Once again, the night had shot past in a flash. This seems to happen all the time at HTID and now there was something which is traditional, not to mention one of the peak attractions to take care of before we all went home. Every other arena had shut down for the Morning Glory set and Storm was taking centre stage, with Sy and Unknown doing the same behind him.

Previous Morning Glory sets from Sy have never, ever let me down, but the last one at Cambridge was something special. Fortunately, while this weren't a carbon copy of the set he played then, the atmosphere, electricty and anticipation was there just like last time. Everyone who was Hardcore enough to stay till the end was there and determined to rave it down to the final tune. Storm was actually performing in front of me for the first time this evening, but what he lacked in longevity on the mic in my personal lineup of the evening, he made up for in quality. And then some.

All three of them, as a collective unit made for another sensational final set at HTID. The Atmosphere skyrocketed as Sy and Unknown fell back on their Classic Hardcore set which has moved me with alarming ease in the past. The fact that I was exhausted from a weeks work and had a two hour drive home when I had finished was not an issue in the slightest. The DJs and MC gave their best and ensured I raved like my life depended on it till the final tune.

Each tune was a successive continuation of the previous. One after the other they came and each time the crowd welcomed it like it was a family relation. I dont know about anyone else, but the rushes that were forthcoming from this set told me all I needed to know about how good this set was. Like I said sensational is the short way to descibe the tracklisting, but the long way would include the likes of "Kick it", "All I need is your love", "Take me away", "Love and Devotion", "Pretty Green eyes", "6 Days", "Discoland" and "Set you Free". "Making me wanna Dance" was the only tune I remember from modern times which, if I'm honest with you could have done with some more tunes from its era to support it, but that nonwithstanding, it was yet another Morning Glory set where I left the dancefloor at the end of the night having gone for it from start to finish. Fantastic.

Things I liked:

Lineup - Another top lineup from HTID, with picky Barstewards like me being able to taylor my night to for what I felt like on the night. In this case Old Skool in many different guises and a smattering of techno and upfront for good measure. Wicked.

Aircon - Last HTID was a bit of sizzler to say the least. This one was the exact opposite. nice and chilled all night.

System - A good system is a standard feature when you go to Air, but as well as that, the Carbon Lounge had recieved a much needed upgrade to bring in line with the rest of the party. The atmosphere and attendance was sky high accordingly.

Attendance - The last HTID at Air was less than a sell out. Proabably due to everyone saving themselves for Coventry which was on thereafter. The return to Air was a different matter though. It was business as usual and the place was at capacity once again.

The Security - Bang on it once again. Keeping the place civil when it came to the ravers and seemingly able to find the one person in the place who needed to be taught a lesson and get kicked out, then doing just that. Nice one lads, take it from me, he got everything he deserved.

Things I liked less:

Erm.... Nothing that springs to mind, apart from the fact it was bloody freezing outside, but I think thats pretty much out of the promoters hands, although it wouldnt surprise me if they managed to sort that out too.

It was great to be back at Air. HTID and Air go together like a damn good curry after a night out on the lash. Just being there is an event in itself, but when you combine it with what HTID brings to the place when it touches down there, it really does provide an irresistable attraction.

With so many events under their belt at the same venue, it would be easy to lose that "Special" feeling that you get when you go there. It was starting to slip after Event 10, but the move to Coventry compensated for it. However to prevent the feeling of "Oh god not Air AGAIN", the promoters did what they did best. Put together a sensational lineup and watch the ravers come flocking.

"Too much to take in in one night" sums up this rave. I could have easily spread this rave out over three nights, all I would have had to do was spend each night in each arena and not once would I have even approached beiong bored. It was a shame to leave each arena when I wanted to see a set in another room, cos I was enjoying myself too much.

When you add to that the blinding up for it, stomp all night rave atmosphere in the place which seemed to be different depending on which room you were in (Big room vibes and lots of noise in the main room, Fantastic party atmosphere in room three and pure Hardcore stomping in the second) and loads of familiar, friendly and even some unexpected faces on the night.

The whole night was a pleasure to rave at from start to finish, but that werent the best bit. The best bit was at the end when I was handed a flyer for the HTID NYE party. What better way to finish off a night that deciding where you are going to spend NYE? I know I'm going to be headed South and spending it at a night which includes every aspect of the Hardcore music I travel so far to listen to. One things for sure, Heading for Hastings Pier is not going to be a wasted journey. I'll see you there.
astraboy.

Freak

Was supposed to be doing the lighting and lasers for that but couldnt...
Give me a shout nearer the next one @ Air and I can sort you guest list as I will probably be working it (although you are probably hooked up with list anyway with your contacts)

Oh- and where is your shout out list???