6 Months Later on the bank holiday weekend I went to see Jeff Mills and Laruent Garnier. Having already experienced Jeff’s set (I’m a regular now, so Jeff and me are on first name terms) I couldn’t resist another opportunity to worship this ‘God’. What’s more, Laurent Garnier was playing – after a 12 year absence (and you thought my MIA times were long).
Laurent Garnier a French techno music producer and DJ, known for producing one of ‘the’ most perfect techno tunes, ‘Crispy Bacon’ a DJ so popular he attracted 1000’s of people to SE1.
Even though the club had been open for two hours there was still a massive queue for non-ticket holders. Fortunately I had a ticket so I ended up waiting just 10 minutes. Once inside, it was, dark, moody – but in a good way and electric. Reggae dub was playing in the chill out area, the floor and couches were littered with people resting from excessive drug abuse, dancing or both. The main dance floor was dense with pulsating bodies. The perimeter was littered with people that couldn’t quite make it to the chill out area. There was twice the number of people back in February and so it was a question of carving a space so you can dance.
The sheer volume of people turned me off. Dancing is a form of expression. Moving three inches in any direction, wasn’t my idea of expression, so I spent way too much time sitting in the Dub Reggae room, which whilst ‘chilling’ was more tedious than a four-four techno track without any melody. The DJs could have dropped some smooth Funk into their sets to liven it up just slightly – after all it was a party not a funeral.
Because of my isolation from the main floor, I can’t really comment on the actual sets by either Jeff or Laurent. In retrospect I should have just stood in the main room listening and soaking up the experience, but an exceptionally hot, smokey, over crowded room, with people pushing to get past every second isn’t my idea of fun.
Cynical as I sound, I love techno, I love nights out, I love dancing, and I love large groups of people I just wish clubs understood how to get a good balance. Charge twice the amount for the ticket and reduce the capacity, but then of course there are the people – the masses that like to dance in a 3×3” space :)
