Jazzy ([info]jazzyreturns) wrote,
@ 2006-05-30 12:12:00
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Current location:Home
Current mood: tired
Current music:Frankie Knuckles - Tears

Busman's Holiday
Two weeks, 5 contries! Not too shabby :)
Week 1: Sydney Au for a quick spin at Night of Trance then off to Bali. My my how this place has changed. 6 years ago Bali was a Meca, a spiritaul paradise where the local police could be paid off for as little as £10. This week I saw a 40k back-hander refused. That's 10 years wages to these people. Don't get me wrong I'm not saying police corruption is a good thing, but in places such as Bali it's expected. The local police will pick up foreigners for any reason what so ever. Most times it was easier just to give them a few quid and be on your way, no though ...! Also Paddy's going doesn't help the atmosphere much. Spent many an evening sitting on the beach there around the biggest impromptu bonfire you ever did see... happy days.

Week 2: Singapore's Bar Baa Black Chic (I kid you not). Not a usual haunt of mine but I gotta say I really did like this place. It's like the atmosphere from the scene over here was in the late 90's but with up to date tunes. Played a mix of "Teardrops" by Massive Attack and the roof nearly lifted off. What a reaction!
Finally a quick stop over in Prague to play at Duplex; now I'll be totally honest here. I don't remember FUCK ALL from this night, but Lex got some of it on video so apparently it did happen.

Flew into Amsterdam for a quick spot of record shopping and to sample the local *coffee* (Gotta love those new "No Smoking" signs they have everywhere now) :-D Then slept on the train allllllll the way home.


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[info]clubcat
2006-05-31 09:59 am UTC (link)
Far out Brussel sprout! I'm totally jealous! Lemme know if you ever make it to NZ.

Btw I'm gonna be in the UK for a couple of weeks in August and I'm dying to have a really mad night with old skool vibes and crazy friendly peeps. Anywhere you'd recommend?

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[info]jazzyreturns
2006-05-31 12:30 pm UTC (link)
Old skool vibes but new skool music? I'll endevour to answer on that premise anyhoo.
If you're up north then Chibuku Shake Shake in Liverpool is **awesome**. Also very good up that neck of the woods is Sankeys Soap in Manchester, the venue is, suprisingly, an old soap factory with really low stone ceilings and walls (not as claustraphobic as it sounds) and that really does make everyone feel like they are back at a rave in 92 :)
If you're in the midlands then Passion in Coalville is a great night, only downside is when the line up is big it gets HEAVING in there. Tiesto played there a while back and it was wall to wall. Then in Birmingham you have the ever fantastic Godskitchen. This is a great night, Ferry Corsten is the one to catch here.
Down south.... well, London, the choice is HUGE and always changing so you just need to grab a copy of Mixmag and look in the back of that ;) Having said that Mr C does a night: The End, which plays great tunes with a really 'family' vibe. If you're actually looking for old skool then I quite often goto Blagclub. The one in Notting Hill plays old skool while the one in Holland Park plays funky house.
Phew .... right, need a glass of wine after that :D

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[info]clubcat
2006-05-31 07:07 pm UTC (link)
Thanks for that Jazzy! I went to uni up in the Midlands so was a total club whore in that area. Glad to hear the spirit's still alive up there. Sankeys Soap - isn't that where Golden was for a while? I was a die-hard Golden fan when it was in Stoke-on-Trent at The Academy, which later became The Void (which I hear is now a restaurant - makes me sad!). Sooo many memories. I practically lived in that place, DJed at The Void a few times (not at Golden though).

Sadly I doubt I'll get a chance to go clubbing up north as I'll only be in the UK a short time this visit. I'll be very much restricted to London/East Anglia, I imagine.

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[info]jazzyreturns
2006-06-01 07:44 am UTC (link)
I hate it when clubs get 'converted'! Two of my favourite clubs in the entire world have gone that way and being totallty honest, I was close to tears both times; it was like loosing an old friend.
First the Haçienda (Whitworth St, Manchester) closed due to it starting to get over run with gangs, then re-opened, only to be converetd to flats. Actually I bought a piece of the dancefloor when they closed it. It amazes me that a piece of wood a little over 12"^ can evoke so many memories.
Then most recently, Bed (London Rd, Sheffield) closed. That used to be the old Music Factory, Gatecrasher bought it and used it to run a house night (as opposed to trance);Bed. The venue was amazing, the DJ booth was right on in front of one of the bars with the dance floor sunked in front of it. It gave the place a vibe that I don't think I've felt many place before. So what do they do? Sell it to be converted to student housing.
Anyway... I'll stop moaning like a bitter fish wife now. Actually no I won't ... I'm going to write a letter to Tony Blair demanding something be done about this, well, him or Mixmag.

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[info]clubcat
2006-06-03 01:34 am UTC (link)
Something tells me you'll get more joy with Mixmag :)

My saddest moments was when they closed down The Void (RIP Golden) and when Gatecrasher finally finished. Sooo many memories. So many lost braincells! I wouldn't change any of it. I remember going to Gatecrasher when it was at the Lead Mill and no one really knew what it was. We were up for just trying out new places so we headed to Sheffield - and were like "wow"!! Then it suddenly REALLY took off.

It's funny because a lot of clubs that people really rate, like Cream, I didn't rate at all. I remember Jon Pleased Wimmin even walked off midplay cos some lager louts were fighting in the middle of his set!

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[info]jazzyreturns
2006-06-03 07:36 am UTC (link)
Leadmill used to be at the Republic? You sure? Only reason I ask is the Leadmill still stands round the corner from my mates. It’s down the bottom end of that long hill that Gatecrasher is at, near to The Standard pub. I saw Jimmy Eat World there years and years ago. Superb.

I was in GC once a little worse for wear and I tried to get into one of the other rooms, as it looked fantastic! As I'm walking through the archway some guy walks right into me. I apologise and try to manoeuvre around him but he's havin’ none of it and walking bang into me again. I looked at the floor thinking 'Right, I'll see which way he's heading' but everyway I move this guy follows me. So I look up and see this bloke staring at me. Obviously my reaction was akin to 'what the fuck is this guy's problem?'. I lean into to have a quite word in his shell only to head butt a giant fucking mirror! ?I turn round and there's about 6 or 7 people who have obviously been watching me repeatedly walk into a mirror for the last 5 minutes. What kind of place is that to put a mirror? They must have known that was gonna cause problems in a club like that. Bastards.

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[info]clubcat
2006-06-04 09:02 pm UTC (link)
I'm pretty sure it was at the Leadmill to begin with and then moved to the Republic. I went to it both times. Both were wicked (the second was to interview PVD before watching him mix a seven hour set so it was bound to blow my mind)! I would say more - but not in a public post!!!

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