Crack

Bristol’s children of the night are being spoiled. From three very different imprints, came three birthdays, across two contrasting, but very weighty parties… on the same night.

In the spirit of all things teenage, mental and neon, Channel 4 have thrown a lot of money at a series of parties to celebrate the launch of series four of Skins. The parties, taking place in The Old Fire Station, formerly (for those of us old enough to remember when trance nights were big in Bristol) Café Blue, cost something like a quid and are an absolute bonus to the weekend agenda.

Tonight’s affair, put on by the effervescent Monkey Knife Fight! in celebration of their birthday, brings together a number of high-octane live acts with some bassy spinners of the moment. Turbowolf and Pulled Apart By Horses provide short and absolutely lethal doses of heavy guitar giving the evening a really rough edge, while the likes of Drop The Lime and Man Like Me provide the bassy-beats. The combination of skuzzy dance music followed by heavy guitar music keeps the evening going at a frantic pace. So naturally a frantic a mosh-pit breaks out.

In celebration of the hedonistic spirit of teenage wanderlust that forms the backbone of Skins, the interior design of The Old Fire Station has been transformed into a graffiti’d, slightly grimy world of exploration. It’s fun, without being too serious with a bed upstairs and neon stuff everywhere. Looking at some of the fresh, youthful faces in attendance, it’s probably a cherry popping rave for a number of teenagers inspired the fruity antics on Skins.

Next on the agenda is a trip to Motion for a joint birthday party between Bristol’s techno and house supremos - Just Jack and purveyors of all things house and disco - Futureboogie. This is a perfect marrying of room one - in which the peak-time sounds of Berlin boy Argy are contrasted in room two - with the camp, New York influenced, disco brilliance of London’s Horse Meat Disco. Spoiled utterly.

The jammed ‘Tunnel’ room is thriving. The music is upfront and infectious and rolls on like a progressive tech monster. Unlike events that utilise the main room in Motion, the sound in the Tunnel is brutally loud, crystal and totally encapsulating. By 5am there is still a swathing mass.

In wonderful contrast, ‘The Cave’ room plays host to the antics of disco DJ troupe Horse Meat Disco, whose legendary parties have pushed the disco sounds of yesteryear New York to a whole new audience. With regular room takeovers at Fabric and hosting parties all over the world, they offer the quintessential disco party.
It’s pure escapism to a bygone era of yearning female vocals and glam-camp capers. A superb evening showcasing a complete wealth of sounds and sights.

Special Mention:

Crack’s mate Dom came to MKF and was dragged to Motion under duress, moaning he had to be up at 9am to watch his beloved Swansea City play Watford… in Watford. After going to bed at 7am he did indeed get up and make his way to Watford in what can only be described as a ‘fucking state’. At 12am, Crack gets a phone call from Dom saying: "Mate it’s only been bluddy postponed". Vicarage Road’s under-soil heating system failed and it was the only match called off in the whole division. Still, we think Dom had a great sandwich at Reading services... every cloud.

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