Rave review, Hardcore Heaven Weekender 2, 3/3/6

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16 March 2006, 07:46 PM

astraboy

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Rave review, Hardcore Heaven Weekender 2, 3/3/6

Easily the most talked about event of 2005, not to mention the winner of the coveted "event of the year" award at the Hardcore Heaven awards, last years Hardcore Heaven Weekender could be at best described as a marginal success on paper. With it being just about the quietest Hardcore Heaven I've ever attended in terms of numbers, not to mention noticable gaps on the dancefloor during the actual rave itself, the event was not all it could be when you look at it in numerical and financial terms.

However, thanks to a scary amount of commitment from pretty much everyone involved in its execution that I've not seen outside the Hardcore rave scene, the ravers, promoters, artists, even the security were absoloutely determined to make it a success and in that respect, it was a case of played for and got. Everyone who was there the first time around knows exactly what I was talking about. Everyone had their party hat on and it showed and the net result being those who had the foresight to attend, walking away having just experienced something special.

Another event had to happen, it was a certainty and when the flyer landed in my hands announcing the second party to be held at Pontins in Southport, there was only one thing to do and that was to make sure it was as much of an action replay of the last one possible.

It was also a rare case of the event itself being the attraction, rather than the actual lineup which formed its backbone. However, when you include that as well as the chance to actually get to know the ravers you spend a night shoulder to shoulder with, it was definitely not to be passed up. As with last year, two nights and multiple rooms meant something extra special in terms of both DJ & MC lineup, with essential ingredients of any good Hardcore rave such as Hixxy, Brisk, Sharkey, Styles, Luna-C, Kevin Energy, Seduction, Marc Smith, Re-Con, Gammer, Scott Brown, Dougal, Breeze, CLSM, Bunter, Flyin & Sy all listed on the flyer.

As well as that, numerous promotions had also been drafted in to put their names to the various arenas, not to mention add their particular flavour to the rave. In that respect, you werent left wanting, with Dizstruxshon, Technology, Raindance, Sundissential all coming together with Hardcore Heaven taking the main arena honours.

Tbh, I could go on all night about the lineup, mostly due to the fact it was so bloody big, but its safe to say some records would be getting played. I couldnt wait. So when the customary super slow final week before the weekender had finally dragged its sorry self out of the way, Friday hoved into view and I got packed, bought too much food and not enough alcohol and set off for North London. For once I werent driving so I took a back seat while we plodded out of london, plodded up the M1, enjoyed a brief spell of clear road on the m6 toll, before rejoining the traffic on the final stretch before the mersey bridge.

After that it was smooth sailing, with Southport hoving into view a little after 7pm. As well as the holiday camp, 3 inches of snow also presented itself, but that didnt matter, I was just happy to be there as we sorted out our accomodation and found some electricity cards before locating the room itself.

Once inside, we eventually managed to sort out how to work everything, so once the fridge was stocked and switched on (right after the heaters, priorities y'see) we prepared for the evening ahead. Eventually, at about 11pm we were all set. It was time to head over to the main entertainment complex and get on with what we were there for.

As before, the doors to the event were attended to by security, who let us in after photopass checks and random searches. After that, we were on familiar ground, with the memory of the last event guiding me to the main arena.

About the size of the main arena at the Cambridge Corn Exchange, the far end of the arena was where the stage and main stacks were located, along with some raised dance platforms at the opposite end, together with lots of blue circular decor dangling out the ceiling. As well as that and not forgetting the currently dormant (but not for long) Rez laser setup, which flanked the multiple video screens surrounding the DJ, the only other thing to notice was the seething mass of ravers in the place, all making an early start to the weekend. Pacing yourself was out the question for these people, it was hardcore all the way, with Marc Smith to get my night started.

Marc Smith and MC Odyssey, what better way is there to start of a Hardcore Weekender? With the arena filling up by the minute, Marc made sure my first set of the weekend was something to write home about. However, Marc always makes sure his sets are something to write home about and this was no exception, with plenty of tunes to get me moving from the start, right through to the finish.

And what a set it was, I dont think Marc knows the meaning of the phrase "progressive build up" and his tune selection reflected that. As always, his sublime mix of tunes which have plenty of euphoric moments, as well as serious amounts of energy to get the stompers in the crowd moving. It worked. With tunes like "Pullover", "Take Control" and best of all "Gravity" mixing in with plenty of tunes which were lost on me, as well as Odyssey and Smiley going for it b2b on the mic, dropping lyrics like "Hungry for the mic" and "Loyal to the 'Core" respectively, it made for the best possible start to my evening.

Next up was the turn of the RBC to make their first appearence of the weekend. With Re-Con and Storm in the place, the remaining few feet not already filled by Marc Smith, were more than accounted for as the arena packed out for the night. Together, the two of them got to work and the ravers in front of them did the same.

Seriously entertaining, seriously upfront and definitely a set which further cemented his reputation as an innovator not content to sit on his laurels, Re-Con pumped out the second set of the night that was mostly unknown to me, but set of fresh material made it even more danceable, especially when it was interspersed with more recognisable tunes such as "I see the light" and "Pullover"

As well as that Storm was making sure his first of many appearences of the night was a memorable event, cos even though he was on the ball throughout, motivating the ravers to dance in his unique manner, as well as dropping lyrics such as "Just accept it" and "Why oh why", the most memorable part of his performance was when he was joined on stage by Bo Selecta's Craig David. Luckily the RnB vocalist had the good grace to leave the micwork to the Hardcore MCs.

For the midnight set, Hardcore Heaven was invaded (albeit temporarily) by the Uproar crew. As such, Seduction and MC Rude took over the decks and mic when Re-con and Storm had finished with them and with the place well and truely hyped, all they had to do was maintain the status quo.

Luckily, with two consumate professionals at work, maintaining the staus quo was never on the agenda, taking it to the next level most defintiely was and more importantly, that was what they did. And then some. It was exactly what the crowd (and me) wanted to listen and rave to and as such Seduction's ability to read the crowd deserves a mention here. Plenty of upfront rushy tunes presented themselves, as well as the lasers who had made an appearence at this point, rather apt when the tune selection included "I See the light" as well as the remixes of "You had it all" and "Let the beat commence".

I cant move on here without mentioning MC Rude either, cos he definitely had something to say, as well as compliment the set in no uncertain terms. A few months back, some critisims were leveled at him about the way he worked, with "motormouth" being the most prominent. It was a shame as his voice has a deep tone which sets itself apart from the music and he's always careful the make sure he doesn't mumble into the mic and is easily understood. However, during the recent performances from him I have seen, I've noticed a distinct reduction in the volume of content, without a reduction in the quality. This paid dividends on this night, with a less is more approach and selective dropping of his lyrics (which are becoming more familiar by the minute) such as "kick it" and "Jump to the beat".

For the 1-2 set, there was meant to be a raverbaby live PA, however, for reasons that were never really explained, it did not happen. However, you were very much mistaken if you thought that meant no music at all, cos Scott Brown defintely had something to say about that. With MC Wotsee by his side and both of them determined to make sure the party kept going, I was as happy as Johnny Vegas in a pie factory as the DJ and MC went to work.

Another set consisting of a job lot of unknown tunes, the ravers in the place were treated to a set which was not only full of energy and pace, but plenty of tunes which made you go all fuzzy inside, whilst MC Wotsee was in his element, freestyling a mach 2 and dropping only his most famous lyrics such as "Satellite city" and "I wanna be famous".

Scott was also in the zone, cos although most of his set was lost on me, I know I was stomping throughout and especially during the latter part of his set when the Gabba came in and I went for it like a good 'un complimented in no small way by "Lets get dirty" and "Boomstick".

For the second RBC showing of the evening, it was the turn of Breeze and Whizzkid to step up to the main stage and give the ravers all they had. I have a real soft spot for these two, they never fail to motivate me to dance and this occasion was not changing that outlook. Mostly, its down to Breeze's tip top tune selection and Whizzkid's good natured stage presence. I was well up for another hour of the same.

Breeze got to work immediately, with plenty of tunes I recognised and love in equal proportions, raving and rushing was an easy option, both were in overload in no time at all. With tunes like "Heaven in my arms", "Lets Fly", "Dark like Vader", another showing for "Pullover" and my personal favourite of the moment, the remix of "Nessenja" all forthcoming, I was going for it throughout.

As well as that, Whizzkid's first appearance of the weekend was warmly welcomed by the ravers on the dancefloor. Making up for a late showing by getting in the Zone at warp speed and staying there till the final tune, Whizzkid was clearly happy to be there and it showed, with the 80's retro lyrics in abundance such as "A-Team", and "Transformers" both forthcoming. Must have been the Thundercats sweatband.

For the next set, I made my first move out of the main arena for the night, with good reason too, Clarkee was due to kick off in the Diztruxshon arena and seeing as he has a finite amount of performances left it was more than enough reason to leave Kevin Energy to it in the main room.

However, when I got there, things took a turn for a worse. Dont get me wrong, Clarkee was on the decks and there were plenty of ravers going for it in front of him, but he was finishing instead of starting! It must have been a set time swap and I werent happy about it at all, so I had a bit of sulk in the arcade and shot a few people on Silent Scope to make up for it.

When I had finished sulking I went back into the main room. Sulking was at the back of my mind in an instant, I had forgotten Energy and Odyssey were on at the same time, so I went down the front for a bit of a dance to cheer myself up.

I knew I was going to be seeing this guy the next day, but that in no way detracted from a top notch set from Mr. Nu Energy. Together with Odyssey on the mic, declaring the match up as "The UK's number one Freeform team", I got my evening back on track in no time at all, with plenty of ravey piano based tunes making up for the fact I hadn't a clue what he was playing.

Even though his tune selection was unknown, Freeform always does it for me and as such I was back in the party mood for the next set.

Fortunately, enough it was Gammer and Whizzkid up next and even though I missed the majority of his set due to trying to find my friends (they eventually turned up when I checked back at the chalet) I got back in there when it was time for the closing part of his hour.

Best of all, Gammer decided (as he increasingly does these days) to finish with a spot of dutch Gabba. This was just what I needed after an hour of stoating round the place and I got myself by the stacks and went for it as he and Whizzkid went for it for the final time. "Twist" and "Hood made me" were both dropped during this time, but for me, the best part was during his final tune where the gabba was pulled to make way for "Raveheart".

For the final set of the night, it had to be done right and that was why it was down to Hixxy to take the party people home for the final hour, Together with a second helping of MC Storm. This was what it was all about, with everybody in the place determined to stomp it out and rock it down till the end, there was no prisoners taken by either the DJ, MC or the crowd and it showed as the place became a sea of movement as the set got underway.

This was it. 5am had come around and there was just one hour to go. I for one was NOT going to wimp out, just becuase there was another rave not 16 hours away. I was determined to go for it right till the end. Luckily enough, Hixxy and Storm were also of the same ilk, not to mention the remaining ravers who were in the place.

I have come to expect certain things from Hixxy's final sets, but I dont have problem with his tune selection in the sightest. However, he surprised me by playing a lot of tunes I have just no heard before, thereafter going for it on a sublime mix up of upfront and classic Hardcore. I got on with getting sweaty and going for it down the front. Easily done with tunes like "R U Ready", "Heartbeatz" (tuuune!), "Makin me wanna dance" and "let the beat commence"

Storm was bang on it too, with plenty of opportunities to get the crowd hyped and he didn't waste them either, with the crowd remakably up for it at 5am "Raver deep inside" provided an exceptional response when he demanded some noise for the DJs efforts, not to mention a bit of crowd participation during "Save me" when he damanded the crowd say "Yeah!" just as the volume was dipped on the vocal, as well as solo efforts such as "True Hardcore" and "We Dont care".

Finally, the bottom end of the set featured heavily on the classics getting dropped and loving them for what they are, with modern efforts such as "I adore", "Free at last" and "You're my angel" mixing with timeless tunes such as "Discoland" and the sets finisher "Pacific Sun".

That was is for the first night, but as with the last weekender, the party was not brought to a halt, just because the main arena had fallen silent. There was always the option of the Raindance afterparty if you fancied more music, but I had a better idea. I had an appointment to keep with John, Gareth and Gillian, not to mention a can of lager or 6.

Yes it was time to drink till I couldn't remain vertical again, so with a can in my hand and good company, I set about getting pissed whilst chatting and watching Hardcore Heaven TV. The TV got weirder and weirder, while people were flaking out left right and centre, so I dusted and made for (I think) Legs's chalet, were I met up with Cakes and a few others. Thereafter things got a bit hazy, I remember scaring the life out of Sallie when she found me dangling through her window, whilst trying to attract compy's attention. I also remember engaging in a drinking competition with Lisa and Chickpea when a bottle of JD was produced, which I failed miserabley.

I dont remember coming back to my chalet and I dont remember going to bed, but it had to have happened, cos thats where I regained consciousness. By some miracle I was sober (well, half) so I got dressed and went for a walk. Bumping into Dave the Rave and a VERY pissed Sketchy, not to mention getting invited back to the Jellybeanz chalet where the decks and mixer were being put to good use when I arrived. However, this was just a warm up for what lay ahead, Saturday night.

At about 9ish, we started getting ready and left at 10.30, getting sidetracked by the Nu Energy crew for a bit, but getting to the main venue at 10.45. I would have stayed longer, but I had another appointment to keep.

He was booked to play last year, but he never materialised. This time it was different, with Chris Liberator and Mark EG going b2b for a two hour Techno blowout in the "Technology" arena. I got there just in time for the good stuff. A good sized crowd was already in the place when I arrived and as such I was immested in the acid driven goodness in no time at all. It was easily done, what with the legend on the mic that is MC Ribbz and the pounding techno that was reigning down from the moment I got there till I left.

I left reluctantly, but there was a good reason for doing so. With the Nu Energy Collective in the place and a PA to perform, I had to be there, so that meant a trip to the main arena. When I got there the place was just as full as the first night, with plenty of Hardcore ravers in the place, anxious to see what the NEC could come up with. Kevin Energy, Sharkey and K-Komplex were upfront and had a bank of computers, decks and keyboards in front of them, already, the 100% Hardcore PA was in full flow.

All three of the Collective got on with what they do best, with K-Komplex nailed to the computer (as well as a set of bunny ears for a brief moment), Kenvin Energy alternating between keyboard and decks (whilst wearing a strobe light on his head, for reasons best known to himself), and of course, Sharkey on the Mic. The three seperate componants merged as one and were fed through the system, with the end product being VERY dancable. Most of the tunes were lost on me, but in between fevered stomping, I did recognise "Suck my rock" and "pumping religion", as well as Sharkey going for it the only what he knows how and encouraging the party crew to "double drop" as often as he could.

With the untimely closure of the Experimental Hardcore room, most of my evenings plans had gone out the window, however, with three remaining arenas brimming with Hardcore, I was still spoilt for choice. So, with the end of the NEC's set, I made my way into the the Old Skool room, for Druid and Hixxy's set.

Having seen these guys seperately go for it with the tunes of yesteryear, I knew I was in for a treat when the both of them went for it together, however, I had little idea of just how good it would be when I stepped into the place, even though "Take me to the top" was on the decks, hixxy was so up for it he was MCing and a hoard of ravers were in front of them, each and everyone of them going for it. Hard.

I was about to witness the set of the night. Even though I didn't know it at the time. I knew I was in for something special, but even that didn't prepare me for just how amazing the combined efforts of all involved were. The DJs, were, of course, in their element. It was obvious they were enjoying their work and it was reflected by the way they ducked out of view into their record bags for the next tune together, then came back up, a knowing grin on their face due to the records they had in their hands.

Also, the MCs were just as important, with no one MC hogging the mic to the exclusion of all others, it was a free for all jam session on the mic, with the entry requirements being to have the talent for the occasion. As such, Ribbz, Whizzkid, Casper, Knight and yes, Hixxy deserve a mention for coming up with the goods and enhancing the set.

However, what really ruled the roost was the music selection and the way the crowd reacted to it. With the obvious choices, such as "Pretty Green eyes", "Do you wanna go my way" and "Discoland" mingling with tunes you DONT hear every weekend. Anyone who was there would know what I was talking about, "Love of my life", "Hardcore Power", "To be free", all of them were dropped in rapid sucession towards the last third of the set and the crowd went ballistic each and every time. However, my personal favourite for the set, the icing on the cake, was just one tune. "United in Dance". Its been a good few years since I've heard that one played out and when the vocals came in every last hair on my body went goosebumpy. Set of the Weekender? Maybe. Tune of the Weekender? Definitely.

But once that was finished and even though I was a sweat soaked mess, there was no chance of a rest, with a choice of three arenas to satisfy my next fix. Techno had momentarily taken over Hardcore Heaven, with all three arenas playing out various interpretations of it. In the end, I plumped for the main arena and the Scottbrown, Brisk and Tommyknocker showcase.

with a solid 90 minutes of Gabba on the cards, it really was no choice at all, I had to be there. Even more so when I saw MC Wotsee up on stage on the mic. Perfect choice for this sort of set and you could tell he was just as happy to be there as I was. The ravers in the place were a little thinner than usual, but that was to be expected. Not everyone enjoyed the Dutch Interpretation of Hardcore, but those who stood their ground were determined to make the most of it. Most of all me.

For the next hour and a half, the Hardest tunes in Hardcore reigned down and I stomped my guts out to them. If Hixxy and Druid had been undiluted euphoria before, this was the polar opposite, pure aggression and relentless, pounding distorted kicks were the order of the day and I was loving every minute of it.

Tune selection was out of this world too, with the unknown tunes mixed in with the guaranteed stompers, there was something for chinstrokers and dancers alike, with "I feel Hardcore", "Have it your way", "Hardcore united", and my personal favourite, Tommyknocker's "Revolution" getting a well deserved playout.

Wotsee was also in the zone for this set, an MC who has very little trouble adapting his style, whatever the occasion demands, Wotsee was good choice to guide the crowd though 90 minutes of discovery and this was demonstrated thoughout the set. His trademark superfast freestyling mixing in with choice lyrics such as "Satellite City" and "I wanna be Famous". He kept this up right till the final tune, freestyling over "Lets get dirty", before commanding the ravers show their respect for the DJs who had guided them on the way.

Going for it throughout, I felt the need for a break when it was all over, So I spent the next hour going round the arcade, Chatting to the friends I met on the way, as well as spending a very profitable few minutes watching Dave Skywalker go for it on Dance Revolution. Despite being more than a little worse for wear, he still went for it right up till 300bpm got the better of him. Amazing.

When I had collected my thoughts and returned to the main arena, Dougal and Whizzkid were on stage, taking those still standing on an EP led journey, calling at the "Euphoric", "Rushy" and all stations to upfrontville. I wanted in so made my way to the front. I'll be honest with you, I like the way Dougal puts his sets together. With a preponderance of female vocalists at his disposal, he made full use of the tunes they had accompanied in his arsenal, pumping them out to a VERY appreciative crowd. I was amongst that crowd.

Whizzkid was our driver for the journey. Although he lacked a casey jones hat and a 44 ton locomotive, what he did have was a seemingly limitless amount of energy and he put that to good use, giving us everything he had from start to finish and never flagging once till the final tune. Of course, all of his most popular lyrics were in full effect, with "Say my name" and "Lyrical Thriller" both getting featured.

As well as that, Dougal also leant heavily on his vocal resoursces, with all of the tunes I like in his sets getting featured, such as "Open your eyes", "All the Tears I've cried", "Elysium", and "through the darkness" as the sets finisher.

This was it, it was last set time again. With Sy and Unknown taking their place behind the decks for the final hour and a half and Storm doing the same and relieving Whizzkid of the mic, it was safe to say we were in good hands for the end of the second rave, but these guys were taking no chances at all and set out to impress from the get go.

With the first half of the set dedicated to animating the ravers who were in the place (I know I was tired, I cant have been the only one), it was a tall order with the end of the second night just about upon us, but with the deft application of only the most energising tracks in their record bag, the place was jumping by the time the place had been Quoshed and as such, I was stomping like a madman as "I see the light", "Let the beat commence", "Dropzone" and "21st century rush" (Complete with lyrical compliment from Storm) reigned down.

However the lyrical accompanyment was just about to go to the next level, with Lou Lou taking over from Storm to provide the Vocals to a live performance of "Making me wanna Dance" and "Caught up in your love". The ravers were less preoccupied with dancing at this point and more focused on watching Lou Lou at work, but that was more than justified, especially when there was no Lip Syncing to be seen here at all.

Thereafter, it was back to the rave, with three artists in control capitialising on what they had (I.E. A captivated audience) and making sure their last set was one to remember. Mike Slammer had shown up at this point, viewing his handywork from the back of the stage, a small grin on his face throughout the performance of his artists, while the ravers went for it in front of him. As for me, I'd totally lost it at this point, with dancing to the tunes the only thing I could do at this point and more to the point, easily done when "Pacific Sun", "Raveheart", "Set You Free" and a good old singalong to "you're my angel".

Finally, it was down to the "one more" crew to keep the rave going, not that Sy and Unknown needed much persuasion, but they indulged the crowd by giving them what they asked for, no less than four times! As such "Take Control", "Pullover" and "Cry" formed the finale while Storm reasured us by telling the ravers they should "Be Proud to be a Hardcore Raver" as the final tunes played out.

Quite frankly, the afterparty could wait. I had better things to do. I couldn't get pissed again, as I knew I was driving home that day and as such I attempted to relax, chilling out with a couple of cans and a few friends while I waited for sleep to overtake me. In the end i got a couple of hours. It would have to do.

It would have to do as we had to pack up, tidy up the chalet, book out and, of course, rock it down to the final set of the weekender. As with last year, it was up to Hixxy and Storm to take the party crew home and even though it was too chilly to hold it outside like last year, the second arena was pressed into service and when I arrived, it was nicely full of the Hardcore Diehard.

Hixxy was deep into his two hour set at this point, having already moved from the Old Skool, into the Upfront sound. The place was animated, if a little jaded at this point, but both Hixxy and Storm knew how to compel them to dance, go for it on the tried and tested route that had been trodden last year, plenty of crowd pleasers and top quality mic work.

Even though it was an uphill struggle to keep the party crowd moving at this point (most of us were feeling the burn, it had to be said), there was serious amounts of tunage that got me moving, despite my aching feet's protestations. The Pendulum remix of "Voodoo People" is the best highlight of this, but "Take me away", "Save me", the gabba remix of "just accept it" which I weren't expecting, let me tell you" and "Dark like vader" are also good examples.

As well as that, Storm also treated us to not only his tried and trusted, but also his new lyrics which were dropped to an appreciative crowd "not an individual" was a notable highlight, but what really got me going was his lifestyle affirmation stuff which he kept coming up with. "We'll send you home buzzing" and "My life's all about beats and breaks" being the best examples.

Finally, the end was nigh, but that was in no way an ivitation to slow up, with "Field of Dreams", "Angel Eyes", "Cry" and "Set you free" paving the way for the music to die. That it did, then Storm got on the mic, screaming "Hardcore, we want more, Hardcore, one more!" before the final tune brought the end to the weekend. I was dancing so Hard its actual name escapes me now, but I left with a smile on my face and that stayed with me until I realised how far I had to drive before I could get some sleep.

Things I liked:

Attendance - Everything else about last year was amazing and even though it was a minor consideration during the event, it could have been better attended. No problems this time, with a full on 2000 people in the place and all of them ferociously up for the FULL weekend of party madness, the amount of ravers in the place plugged the last hole (even if it was a very small hole) in the Good ship Hardcore Heaven for the duration of the party.

Weather - With the last one being held at the height of summer, it was thoughtful of the promoters to pick the weekend which would see the exact opposite of the previous events weather conditions. With 3 inches of snow on the ground for the first night, it was rather chilly, but tbh, I think everyone was too sparked up to care.

Chalets - Nice place to camp out for the weekend and plan your nights ahead. With it leaning towards the budget end of the scale, it was never going to get 5 stars, but it was comfortable and had plenty of fridgespace.

Security - Same geezers as last year on the security and it showed, with no hassles or bother that I saw. Ex-military security firms rule. Hard as nails, yet disciplined enough not to let the power go to their head.

Raves - In all the commotion of spending an entire weekend in the company of the people you rave with, it was easy to lose sight of the raves themselves. The promoters were determined not to let this happen though, with Funktion One and the Full Rez laser setup ruling the roost yet again in the sound and visual aspect,the parties were of the same high standard as last year. I particularly liked the way the decor was changed over between the friday and saturday raves.

Druid - Not only did he and Hixxy bust out a top quality Old Skool set on saturday night, I also saw him most of friday, 'avin it up on stage! DJ, Stage Dancer, clearly there is no end to this man's talents.

Things I liked less:

Experimental Hardcore - This arena was a big part of my saturday night plans, but the arena had to be closed on a health and safety tip so it was not to be. Shame really, I was looking forward to CLSM and Luna-C, but when their revised set was on, I was drunk and had a thong on my head. Maybe next time.

Missing Clarkee - Gutted. Gutted gutted gutted.

Chalets - Even though the weather was a nice distraction and good fun, I couldnt help noticing the chalets, although well appointed, were built with summer habitation rather than winter in mind. We stuck the cooker on high for 5 minutes, that solved the problem.

Quickness - Another Hardcore Heaven weekender, another "go by in a flash" experience. 48 hours is a long time so can anyone explain to me why it goes so quickly?

Despite the hellish journey home (a 7 hour cross country marathon after 2 hours sleep is no picnic) it was another weekend to remember up at Pontins. This time it was less of a case of everybody being determined to make it work depsite a less than sell out attendance and more of a healthy number of Hardcore Ravers gathering in a corner of the country to go for it the only way they know how.

To the ravers in the place, the weekend was what we do on a regular basis, but bigger, better and in an extremely compacted distance. Under normal circumstances the people who make the guts of any good Hardcore rave come together for the party itself, then scatter to the four winds once its over, to various afterparties round the country.

This time it was different, the Hardcore convergence was in full effect as normal and we had it till the end, believe, but this time each and every afterparty was within 600 metres of each other. This meant all you had to do to experience them all was have a bit of energy, a few cans and of course the room number of where your friends were.

For me, this was the best part of the party. Dont get me wrong, the raves themselves kicked **** (especially the saturday one, that was seriously impressive), but I was in really my element doing what I normally dont get to do that often, wandering round the place, meeting up with the safe party crew in the place, having a drink, having a chat, then moving on and doing it all over again when i found the next party. It had to be good if I managed to stay awake for 29 hours non stop, before throwing in the towel to get some rest before the next night started.

The whole event from start to finish was a relentless assault on the senses, the raves, the ravers, the weather, the sense of occasion, the friendlyness of everyone I met, the drunkeness, but above all, the absolute determination to have it Hardcore throughout the weekend. I had a great time, even though i forgot to eat, lost half a stone and took till wednesday to recover. I'd do it all over again in an instant. Show me the booking form for the next one and I'll be there like a shot.
astraboy.