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Gig Reviews

Bandstand with Grunt Productions - By Leigh Ann Gouck

'LIVE drum n bass' - a concept vague to me until Friday 29 May at the Front Page in Belfast. Being the musical nit-picker that I am, I thought I would check out the Grunt Productions crew (even if it was to prove that technological advances had improved drum n bass as a genre). As I soon discovered, my pre-conceived ideas should have been left at the door!

A mellow drum n bass sound (if there is such a term) got proceedings underway, while jazz based influences filtered around the intimate and densely populated bottom room. A family orientated affair became obvious as laying down the basslines for the sound was Grunt Productions Max Buckingham on Fretless with brother Theo on drums and papa on Sax. The decks did not go un-noticed as resident DJ's Interchange and Tinnitus cut and scathed an intro and outro for the band.

Fast tempos, complex rhythms, a dimly lit room, talented musicians, live instruments AND decks - fresh yet traditional and all the while amazing! To witness it was powerful and a privilege!

Shaun Ryder @ the Front page Belfast - By Kevin Logan

A Shaun Ryder DJ set; God knows who thought of the concept and what made us brave the elements to witness such an event. Nonetheless I simply had to be there. If only to see a living legend in the flesh and a legend that is lucky to be alive I hasten to add.

As a venue the front page has always been difficult to fill, people often find it a challenge to stray of the 'golden mile' away from the available taxis and 'fair digs' on offer. But the Front Page has never let this problem counter their mission to give more obscure sounds and scenes a chance.

The cynical among us could have declared Ryder's appearance as a DJ for 'Hydroponic' as a publicity stunt, in much the same vein as a member of big brother taking to the decks. The difference between Ryder and any other celebrity DJ cameos though is that he is undoubtedly a 'music man' and without question the walking embodiment of the chemical generation. The one man who can always declare to have taken more pills, smoked more weed and done more of everything else, than any of us! The mans importance and inspiration was in evidence from the type of people who made the effort to witness his DJ showcase, despite the fact none of us knew if he even owned a set of 1210's.
The crowd, a mixture of old skool indie kids, detoxing pill heads and fresh faced young ravers seeking a history lesson were all unsure of what to expect.

Hip Hop and funk seemed to be the order of the day upon entry, undoubtedly the Happy Mondays great influences and perfect for setting the tone before Larne ex-pat and established UK breaks DJ 'Jonny Mac' took to the tables. As the breaks got tougher and tighter, sound problems threatened to sour the entire occasion and even cut 'AKA Weave's' funk and soul showcase from the bill. A quick reshuffle to the order of play extended Jonny Mac's dancefloor friendly breakbeat set and with the sound of 'higher state of consciousness' reverberating in the air one Shawn William Ryder' staggered towards the turntables.

As a 'Pop' star, for want of a better word Ryder always looked out of place with other celebrities and their stylists and commercial good looks. His appeal was down to the fact that he looked and acted like one of his fans, usually blitzed and up for a good time.

The minute Shaun took to the decks all my fears were confounded, as he played the role, which was always expected of him. Cigarette behind his ear, drink in hand looking confused as to what he was supposed to do and how the mixer worked. Suddenly the DJ booth was swamped with people looking for a piece of him or with a drink or a spliff to offer - no doubt for future stories about the night 'I had a drink / smoke with Shaun Ryder'. The last time I witnessed a scene like this in the front page was for DJ Craze when his technical prowess left jaws trailing on the floor.

As records were placed on the tables for him and cued up, Shaun flicked the fader and posed for photos. Not exactly the work of a superstar DJ or technical wizard in the Craze sense, but his very presence seemed to be enough for some people. His set was insignificant and unimportant in terms of what 'clubbers' demand of a DJ, but its significance came from the fact that it was the music of the 'Mondays' and the music that helped mould Shaun Ryder and therefore a generation.

As the party continued I thought maybe id seen enough and decided to make my exit.

A good night was had by all who were prepared to laugh with the Shaun Ryder road show, for me it proved to be the moment when a hero of mine was brought back to earth. His wild man reputation has always been his selling point, but his music was my introduction to the Ryder myth or is that reality? I don't know what I expected from his DJ set, but im not too sure I liked what I got.

I think id rather remember Shaun William Ryder as the man who's voice inspired me before I ever saw a picture or knew about his over indulgence.

 

Spree & Roni Size @ the empire, Belfast 26th April 2003 - By Kevin Logan

In the spring of 2001, by the stroke of luck I witnessed Simon Sheldon and his one-man band's (Spree) debut performance. Before you go thinking of 'symbols' attached to knees and an out of tune guitar, let me rephrase that - 'his one man production outfit'.

His raw take on Drum and Bass was unconventional compared to the DJ's that came before him - but his breakbeat fetish and ample layers of bass meant that he was without doubt a resident of the jungle. After the performance I had to know more, so a smoke and a conversation later and his plans to rule the world became clear. "I'm thinking of getting a live bass player and a singer", my response to his agenda was full of enthusiasm at the prospect of a 'reprezent' style collective in Belfast.

Fast forward to 26th of April 2003.

Belfast club culture comes to a standstill, well for those 'that know' anyway. Roni Size is in town - a major coup by the 'Reckya' crew. With the king of the Bristol sound attracting the masses to Belfast's Empire club, it was perhaps fitting that Spree and their ever-expanding collective should provide support.

The night opened with Mr 'irishdrumandbass.com' himself, Rory Hanratty making use of his jaw-dropping arsenal of weapons of mass destruction to create the exact atmosphere required. With a mixture of anthems for the masses and obscure beats for the spotters, things were set up nicely for the arrival of spree. The one-man band had now been transformed into a 5-piece combo - with added live bass, vocals, saxophone and DJ effects.

With a back catalogue of tracks that have become crowd favourites on the local scene - 'all mine' in particular causing most damage. Spree continued to highlight their musical credentials with a penchant for all things jazzy, while at the same time an understanding of the dancefloor - Not unlike a certain collective from Bristol.

Suzanne Savage's vocals followed no set mainstream musical format. Instead opting for a continuation of the freestyle jazz framework (or lack of). Her heartfelt yearnings of emotion pierced the hearts of all in attendance. With the dancefloor constantly filling Spree showcased some work in progress tracks aimed firmly at the dancefloor with a disco vibe.

As things started to get that little bit messy, it was time to hand back Musical responsibility to Rory Hanratty as we awaited the arrival of the man of the moment.

Roni Size took to the decks accompanied by MC Ossian whose first duty was to offer thanks to the opening acts.As Roni dropped the needle on his first record we were greeted with a bassline - but what a bassline to open with. The sound of aural nuclear destruction, not to mention the damage that sub bass frequencies can do to the pit of your stomach.

His set continued in a similar vein, with a copious amount of bounce and more than enough bass, trademarks of his beloved Bristol sound. Playing a mixture of old favourites (Brown Paper bag and Snapshot 3) and current big tune (Love Story) Roni worked the crowd from start to finish. Also taking the opportunity to broadcast future Full Cycle releases hot of the press. With each future Full Cycle release we were given prior warning from the MC to 'wait for it' and Roni even took to the mic and worked his voice with all the effects at his disposal.

As the last tune faded, bouncers moved us out and after party details were exchanged - The general consensus seemed to be that we had witnessed one of the best nights out in Belfast club culture in the company of a true legend.

 

Pablo Gargano & Greg Foster, MOTION @ Art College, Belfast - By Leigh Ann Gouck

Starting a little over a year ago, 'Motion' at the Art College, Belfast was born into an institution of quality underground club nights held at the student colonized locale in the City's York Street. The traditionalist yet avant-garde style of the monthly club night is a sheer tribute to the pioneers that have adorned the musical path before them - Holmer, Ian McCready and the likes.

Held in conjunction with Edinburgh's underground club 'Sublime', the night commonly features guests such as Oliver Lieb, Idge and Eve Records head honcho Pablo Gargano, who alongside co-promoter and Resident DJ Greg Foster, is lined up for tonight's aural assault.

While Greg Foster set about unleashing a funky edged tech sound to a scantily populated Conor Hall, the 'Motion Monkeys' began rousing up a mélange of intriguing and uncanny visuals to torture the taste-buds of the up for it crowd and token trainspotters. The elevating sound closely lingered along the deep to funky techno frontier, while the florescent ceiling décor bopped to the rolling bass lines and shrewdly hinted at what was to be expected for the remainder of the night. As more bodies filtered through the welcoming doors of the venue, hapless news of Pablo Gargano's misplaced records instigated a bit of a worrying reaction across the dance floor! But Pah! When have a few A.W.O.L. records stood in the way of a Gargano/Belfast Reunion!

Sporting his infamous cheeky grin and picking up the pace with a mishmash of hard dynamic tracks (from the depths of Greg's box), Pablo made full use of the solid sound system by ramming it with slamming bass lines and heavy 'bombjack'(ing) techno, much to the delight of the eagerly filling floor. Speedy J and Adam Beyer looped one end of the gamut, while creative tribal beats and 'Absolution' caused rhythmic havoc universally.

Expectations were that Pablo Gargano would dispense a heart pulsating set of post-industrial techno and while he fell only slightly short of the raw pounding stuff, it was plain to see by the encore cries that he in no way disappointed the satisfied swarm!

As the music stopped and the lights came up, glossy sinful embellished bodies made their way outside happily content with the music and atmospheric vibe that 'Motion' had infused in them and garbled energized tones of 'great night', 'amazing set' and 'fcukin hell' echoed throughout the musically endowed corridors of the Art College. Without a shadow of a doubt, one of the paramount nights of the year so far and Pablo Gargano confirmed exactly why he is one of the forerunners in the industry!

 

Club Tonic @ Hunters, Lisburn Rd, Belfast - By Leigh Ann Gouck

[Article Published in Belfast Beat, April 2003]

As a new semester beckons, a brand new Belfast night club opens - The venue in question is 'Club Tonic' at Hunters on the Lisburn Road in Belfast. Operating midweek as well as the obvious weekend nights, the venue has something for everyone; whether they be sociable students or business like party goers. Opening on the 6 March, the modern looking layout is fantastically au courant - glass fronted bar, pink and purple mood lights and some avant-garde artwork

As well as drink promotions galore (including vodka and shooters for a quid), entertainment mid-week comes in the form of 2 well known local DJ's. Cool FM's DJ Courty takes to the decks on a Wednesday night, mixing up a combination of commercial, chart and r'n'b music to a largely student occupied crowd; and on a Thursday, Gareth Stewart, formally a resident at the Coach, Banbridge plays everything from vocal to jazzy influenced house grooves. Door tax at a mere £2 (weeknights) and £5 (weekends) is particularly student (and skinto maginto) friendly and dress code for both nights is casual laidback - ya couldn't beat it with a big stick!

Weekends at Club Tonic are essentially geared towards the City Chica's and Chico's. Dress code is strictly smart and door policy is a little bit tighter - no scruffs or spides, thankyou! All things retro is the order of the night for Fridays as music comes straight from the 80's party collection….Whoop it up!!

'Velvet' Saturdays with resident DJ Billy Greer take on a more uplifting housey type sound with the odd floor filling anthem thrown in for good measure. Plans for the future development of Saturday nights at the club are already underway. Rumour has it that guests of the Radio 1 variety as well as home-grown DJ legends, could well be gracing the wheels of steel in Club Tonic in the near future!

Certainly a fresh modern venue worth checking out and lets face it…..with drink promotions like that, you would be barmy to pass it by!!

 

Doynk vs Electrotoxic @ The Front Page, Belfast - By Leigh Ann Gouck

[Article Published in BBM April 2003 and Belfast Beat March 2003]

Belfast's family owned Front Page Bar is infused with a plethora of musical history. Pre-1960s the intimate venue was occupied by the Musicians Union of Belfast, while today as well as playing host to local rock and indie bands, the location is a weekend habitat to all things quality in electronica; be it 'Perpetual' subversive techno or tonight's Electrotoxic vs Doynk showdown.

In the Doynk corner, weighing in with his dirty, occasionally twisted but always divergent techno twelve inches, is Doynk promoter and DJ Pete Donaldson. Whilst already warming up for the night in the Electrotoxic corner, wholly equipped with his well stocked laptop and a crock of courage, is none other than the collectives very own Paul Moore a.k.a. Iso 9. Reeking of experimental savageness, much to the glee of the chin-strokers in attendance, it's initially somewhat gruelling to get ones head around the rebellious sound that is being driven out from laptop HQ. Cavorting from acid inspired iniquity to trip-hop and back again along a dark obscure techno path, Iso 9 directly maintains the concentration of the punters by refusing to permit any palpable rhythm break through the sound blitz. Genre exclusive it is not, but it's chittering, bleepy complexity is incontestable and eventually endearing, dancing to it could cause serious problems though…..or serious injury!

Next up, pushing off his set with Rage against the Machine's 'Bullet in the Head', is much welcomed Force 10 crew member, Acid Slacker; dishing out a discerningly composed and funky techno set to, by now, a rhythm thirsty crowd of musical appreciators, fellow artistes and open minded clubbers. Attracting a few more patrons onto the floor with current big tune - Bryan Zentz 'D Clash', Acid Slacker continued to trigger melodic havoc among them for over an hour and perfectly buffed his set with the unmistakeable unrelenting synth of ageless techno classic, Jeff Mills 'The Bells'.

Winding up the night with a one hour Quik-Mix session, Pete Donaldson donned his cans and further engulfed the crowd, at the same time as chopping and changing over forty tracks into one mammoth salvo of raw, fast and hard ass techno set. Whilst spin backs prevailed, punters gathered around the make shift DJ booth to get a better look at this connoisseur at work and quite evidently, he had a lot to show. Experimental Electronica - Dare to Dabble?

 

Deep Fried Funk @ The Basement, Strand Bar, L'Derry - By Leigh Ann Gouck

[Article Published in BBM March 2003 and Belfast Beat March 2003]

For the last 5 years, Deep Fried Funk has been at the helm of the clubscene in Derry, flying in guests of the Slam, Umek and Justin Robertson variety and continuing to provide a refreshing alternative to the usual cheese invested debris that thrives throughout the Maiden City. The clubnite, which started off in the Nerve Centre has recently moved to the more intimate and newly renovated enclosure of the Strand Bar Basement…..the setting for tonight's musical shennighans.

With 300 people already having been turned away at the door, the venue is literally crammed to the rafters with pretty (and not so pretty) up for it gals and boys. The new layout of the venue looks a little bit thorny, especially when a little bit intoxicated - too many pillars to walk into and queues for the bar are depressingly sizeable. However, it's the incredibly crisp and clear sound system that hi-jacks my attention. Cutting up some tech house numbers, Resident DJ's Mark Jennings and David Campbell, take it in turns to entertain the crowd and exude the mood that gets them fired up and ready for tonight's much esteemed guest DJ, Jon Carter.

Notorious for his energetic and electric type panache, Jon Carter took to the decks at his favourite club night, in a barrage of applause and cheers and kicked off a blinding grinding mix of all things funky, uplifting and twisted in house music - maxing out big beats and breaks with raw lyrical cutz, whilst all the time keeping the throng on their toes and absolutely lovin' it! Clearly, he was lovin' it as much, if not more, than the crowd as he bounced about beaming and dishing out the B-boy handshakes to ardent punters who were clawing at the DJ booth. Keeping the masses on a happy smiley rollercoaster of musical mayhem, Carter teasingly but perfectly mixed up old and new; with the classical Inner City 'Good Life' getting smacked out alongside DJ Sneak 'Fix my Sink' and Ruffnecks 'Everybody be Somebody'.

Returning for the encore, Carter didn't hold back as he walloped Eminem 'Without Me' vocals right over the top of 'Groovers in the Hut' - cheesetastic maybe, but one man's dairy lea is another man's caviar and lets face it, with an atmosphere like this, it's impossible not to enjoy it! Deep Fried Funk by name, Deep Fried Funk by nature….and those guys certainly know how to throw a kick ass party!

FunkT @ The Edge, Belfast - Boxing Night - By Leigh Ann Gouck

[Article Published in BBM Feb 2003 and Belfast Beat Feb 2003 and on www.chriscargo.co.uk]

Have you ever noticed that the best nights out seem to be those that weren't planned? Well, that's kinda the scenario that I found myself in on Boxing night . After being turned away from one of Belfast's most 'exclusive' establishments (poo to that), I was prodded along to the Edge with the promise that Chris Cargo would be gracing the wheels of steel along with funky Fra Gilmore, the Mixmaster lads and Mark Bell in support.

I had some pre-conceived ideas about that the venue would be full of toe tapping, Slick Ricks' and Posing Pamela's', but nevertheless I donned by brass neck and made my way into their world. Inside, the club reminded me of a snug winter cabin; the welcoming illumination, the wooden décor and the nifty wee hidey holes dotted throughout the club all added that laid back touch to the place. Unexpectedly, the crowd were also pretty much laid back and smiley, apart from a few, whose noses seem to have got firmly wedged in toffee over the festive season. Judging by the attire of the majority of punters, the dress code was smart with a funky lil' edge to it…which chiefly reflected the music policy too.

At the far end of the club, discreet visuals provided a pleasing backdrop to the makeshift DJ booth, which by now was supporting Roddy from Mixmaster who was churning up some funky house grooves. People presence on the dance floor was minimal, but appeared to perk up dramatically when vocal house numbers were unleashed….Tim Deluxe 'Just Won't Do' and Carl Cox 'Latin Theme' peaking the floor. Upholding this funky vibe, Fra Gilmore took to the decks and dispensed one of the smoothest sets of the night. His crowd reading skills were second to none as he teased them, pleased them and made them dance their wee hearts out to the finest in funky chunky house! By now the toe tapping, shoulder swaying contingent had vanished and was replaced by 2-steppers, groovy dancers and a guy with legs that would put Mr Elastic Band to shame….all in time for the showman (not snowman) of the night, Chris Cargo!

Deep house fuelled grooves prevailed, as Chris demonstrated his perfectly honed technical ability infusing deep surging basslines with melodious chords in a mix that comprised everything from Montanari & Ruberto - 'Makin me high' to Psycho Radio 'In the Underground'. Fan 'friggin' Tastic!!

Some say deep house is better listened to than danced to, but my unexpected trip to The Edge, DEFINITELY proves otherwise!

 

David Holmes & The Free Association - By Leigh Ann Gouck

Arriving at The Empire in Belfast, I was a little bit miffed to find a queue of people standing outside in the pouring rain waiting to get into a gig that was, by now, running half an hour late!

When we finally got inside the venue, the place was already half full with people marking their spot in order to take in full stage visuals. DJ Pablo from the Psychonauts was demonstrating his well rounded scratching skills to the eager crowd, sadly his beat matching technique seemed to be non-existent....the fault of the mixer apparently!

By the time, David Holmes and the Free Association arrived on stage, the house was full, the atmosphere was brilliant and I had taken my shoes off! Kickin off with one of the album tracks, "Free Ass-o-c-8" , the band was greeted by a huge welcoming cheer and continued to be bombarded with appreciative cheers throughout the gig, despite the poor sound quality. The sound wasn't the greatest on the ground floor, but I am assured that it was QUALIIITYY upstairs in the VIP section (lucky gits)! Stage presence was amazing from vocalists MC Sean Reveron and the very cool and very classy Petra Jean Phillipson.....so much energy, enthusiasm and downright coolness! David Holmes was hanging around at the back of the stage, spliff in mouth, headphones draped around neck and stickin in the odd sound effect....he didnt make much difference to the sound, but he did manage to soak up a little bit of the limelight.

The only major gripe I have regarding this gig, is that it FINISHED TOO DAMN EARLY!!!

 

PlanetLove 2002 - THE END ARENA!!!! - By Kevin Logan

[Article Published in BBM November 2002]

As jobs go, standing in a field listening to techno and then describing how it was, rates pretty high in my book. But by the same token, standing in a field, listening to techno, over-indulging and trying to remember what the feck happened is a nightmare.

So here goes……

Of all the arenas at Love 02, 'the End' was always going to be the place where I would lay my hat, a utopia of percussive funk and restrained energy.

It was never going to be wall to wall anthems with hands in the air moments, rather Mr C set the tone for me with his funked up rhythms. Followed by the house edged beats of John Carter who always seems to enjoy himself no matter what.

As an arena it was never going to drag the masses away from Tong and Van Dyke, but it made sure to offer those in attendance quality throughout.

Highlights being Phil Kieran and the awesome Dave Angel, just a pity Layo & Bushwacka never got a chance to shine.

PlanetLove 2001 Reunion - By Leigh Ann Gouck

[Article Published in Extract, Summer 2002]

Disembarking ShuttlePod1 in Banbridge, accompanied by my fellow crew members, we made our way to destination Coach, passing a few love-ites on the way (namely stilt walkers, jay walkers and fire jugglers). Taking my first few steps into this not so alien arena, I discovered they had kicked off this party without me! Yes, without me! The place was in full swing already, the floor packed to the sound of the big lustful blonde, Dermot C. The green lazers ala Godskitchen style, reflecting off the sea of glowsticks and sunglass drenched clubbers (indoors?) brought back a mass of Planet Love 2001 memories.

Next up was the wonder boy himself, the undisputed technical wizard of Irish dance music….Mr Gleave Dobbin. Trancing us up with an uplifting energetic cohesion of tunes, he set the floor on fire and transported the crowd onto a higher level, when he dropped his own creation, Coast 2 Coast 'Be With Me'. Orgasmic.

Ricky Stone took over from Gleave in the main arena, whilst I went gallivanting around the other two rooms. The atmosphere and crowds throughout the rooms were energetic and consistently enthusiastic with an abundance of appreciation for the DJ's (and rightly so)! In Arena 2, Davey Cash was laying down some progressive grooves, dishing out one of last years most sought after bootlegs - Bushwacka remix of Micheal Jackson classic 'Billie Jean'. Arena 3 featured the smooth James Best and Ice, who mixed up a more downbeat, but equally impressive selection of tunes.

In need of a more pounding thumping sound, I made my way back to the main arena, where Eddie 'the ewe' Wray was once again delivering a pumping, 'crowd pleasing' set of the finest today and yesteryear tracks. Kicking off his set with one of the most memorable dance tracks of recent years 'Born Slippy', he injected the necessary party and celebratory tone that was required to sustain the energy levels in the crowd.

Mandy Reid once again demonstrated her 'eliteness' by sending the multitude into a glorified frenzy with 'That Fuct Camera'. Leaving her to continue causing mass dancefloor destruction, I quickly exited the club and boarded ShuttlePod1, having discovered that Planet Love 2002 is not light years away. Above and beyond. Mission Complete.

 

GodsKitchen, Belfast - By Leigh Ann Gouck

[Article Published on Irishdj.cjb.net]

Easter Monday 2002 - Door Tax: £38 - DJ Line Up: Fergie, Tiesto, Mauro Picotto, Judge Jules, Tall Paul, Robbie Nelson, Gleave Dobbin

I arrived at Kings Hall on Easter Monday, expecting to see the place rammed with the hairy upper lip brigade and their jackrussels! To my surprise, however, I encountered a very different breed of clubbers.....

After queuing in the pissing rain for about 45 minutes, we finally made our way into Godskitchen to find Gleave Dobbin warming up the crowd for the evening ahead. Like many others, I was stocking up on the essential supplies to keep me going throughout the nite - some drink and emm..glowsticks! :)

Gleave left us to simmer away whilst Tiesto took to the rings of steel. I had expected Tiesto's set to be nothing less than mind blowing...but unfortunately there was nothing remarkable about it. He did redeem himself slightly though, when he dropped Coast 2 Coast 'Be with me' - a truely orgasmic track in my books!

The crowd was well hotting up by this stage and to bring them to a boil slightly the homeboy himself took to the decks! Fergie came on to a sea of glory and respect and began turning out a set that could only be described as pure techno! A set that he pulled off with a few minor faults and a lot of enthusiasm! At this point, I managed to push right to the front of the stage to bask in the glory of the homeboy and his legion of hardhouse turned techno followers. After Fergie came Judge Jules...a guy who I hold little respect for, dropping a few breakbeat tracks towards the end of his set was about the highlight of it! Nothing more..Nothing Less - he did go easy on the cheeze...for a change!

DJ of the night had to be the one, the only, the absolutely remarkable DJ who can barely manage a word of english...........Mauro Picotto!!! Having seen Picotto a few times in action, I expected nothing less than a perfect mixture of the finest techno with a side helping of hardhouse....this was perfectly served up as a flawless mix set.

It was a wonder day/nite in which I managed to sample sets from some of the finest DJ's in the world and managed to dance non-stop for over 8 hours! Tall Paul and Robbie Nelson not turning up for the gig was probably a blessing in disguise! I think I would have had a brain explosion had I boogied any longer!!!