It's now becoming, or should I say, evolving into a forum for lovers of that brand of "old-style" partying: where the people interact via the music on the dance floor. And there is plenty of choice on offer.

There are no pretty pictures on the walls or funny light fittings distracting your attention, as the entertainment is the vibe. It is also the mix of peeps from all over this big estate called Dance-Culture, who are well up for a good rave with no pretensions to hold them back and shit loads of positive attitude; whether they be Chavs or Hardcore geeks or travelling out of town posses out in the big smoke for some Old Skool interaction.
The hardcore was already very busy when I arrived around 11.30. The sweat factor was beyond human...it's tough and I cannot say that I hanged around there for that long, as I go mostly for Old Skool, D'n'B and old-style reminiscing and serious dancing!

Mc's Ice and Strict were at the helm in the main room and the atmosphere was sizzling nicely, reaching its climax with “The RatPack” who rocked the old tunes with an audience sing-along to rival any good rock gig. They treated us to a birthday selection of medleys. Raindance regulars know all those songs by heart and give them their best body moves, whistles hoots and horns. Voices shouted and chanted all through their set accompanied by some really fit babes in Ibiza “razzle” bikinis, who entertained us all the way with their dancing routines. Now, how many of you guys in the crowd actually noticed that they were choreographed?
Hmm, I wonder indeed!

Special mention to Billy Bunter and especially Flashback for making me dance my tits off as we prepared for the Pack.
I really enjoyed the pleasure of some old fashioned House and a sprinkling of late 80’s anthems in the Jenkins Lane room.
Expert scratching and mixing by Nikki Dimension after a wobbly change over that didn’t really fuse with the previous DJ: Jack Bass: arguably, one of the best DJs, that night. But criticism aside, Nikki then geared himself into action; and the ride was awesome.
I wonder how many saw themselves in the films of previous parties that were being projected on two huge screens at the end of that room?
I got nudged "Hey your on!"

In the Deep Blue Arches was the Break Beat crew and every time I was there, to feast on some more nitrous oxide with my mate.
We followed those who seemed to have pitched their tent there for the duration and I don’t blame them the music was uplifting, funny, quirky and as fluffy as you can get at this party.
Drum and Bass, my usual hang out at Raindance, with Nicky Blackmarket playing that night, as one of the highlights, was sort of forgotten during the night, as there were other arches pulling me away…Err, sorry guys!

So many temptations and babes to chase and blah, blah.. with, while desperately trying to remember their names…well, you know.

3 words to sum it all up:

Raindance!... keep coming!

Le Mufti

Photos courtesy of:

bornhardcore

Vinyl Vera

1. Take one spacious building.
2. Add a hundred trance thirsty lunatics
3. Put in a lovely large system, not too large though (Which sounded as good as any other I’ve heard this year)
4. Mix an eclectic mix of tunes slowly for about 4 hours, throw in a live band with Violin, xylophone and guitar backed up by pumping base lines and funky percussion, the band were great!!!
5. So… about 2am once all your guests have met each other, sat by the fire in the garden, had a few reasonably priced drinks and talked to each other your party should have risen to a new level where all the smiles and human interaction have built into a big fat squishy vibe…perfect!!!

6. Now add some pumping trance tunes, dare to be different, allow your DJ’s to play psy trance, uplifting and techno in the same set if they like…in fact they can play Patagonian harp music for all we care as long as it kicks and the bass is pumping. We had DJ Peace and his own mix of trance styles…he played 2 1⁄2 hours of which 90% was his own material and the place rocked. It really made the night special for us…90% of the people there had never heard a note of Paolo’s music (Peace) before last night but the crowd loved it, the place rocked…you can’t beat the first time you hear new music right? …The excitement and anticipation as the sounds wash over you; you can understand why the Beatles spent all that time sorting out the blue meanies …

A massive thank you to all at the 491, they are the magic ingredient that you can’t buy in the shops…a creative bunch of lovely people who set up a perfect space because they love it!!!! For us lucky people to party in…Thank You All!!!!

I’m excited about going back already!!!
You can keep your top ten DJ’s and your early bird savers…this is where the Spacedout tribe wanna be. If you love your music, you should come on down and check it out. As I fuzzily recollect, one of the first sets was played by DJ X…(names!!! - sorry). He played great and had the room pumping with some nice uplifting melodic trance. Get in touch and we’ll add your name to the review!!!

So…a perfect night…I loved it…10 out of 10 apart from when I got home and found one of our Spacedout Kats had knocked over a glass of milk, which then poured through our modem. Oh! Well, I thought I may be cut off from the world but I can listen to my tunes still…tried switching on my new lovely speakers and nothing… the switch was broken!!!

So it’s headphones for a few days, my neighbours are going to be so pleased!!!!

That’s it…no internet, no speakers, the only thing left for any self respecting space cat to do is to climb into his oxygen tent, plug in the intravenous drip and have some groovy psychedelic dreams… hey and don’t forget take your positive energy from your party and infect the world with it through the week…why not!!!!

Till next time Space Kats

Smokey Beckham the Spacedout Kat

There are a few pics from the night on http://www.spacedout.us/

More on 491 Gallery at http://www.491gallery.com/

Saturday 4th December 2005

For around two years, Little Princess Orchestra (LPO) have cut a swathe through London's moribund live music circuit. Polarising opinion wherever they go, simultaneously feted as the best band in the world and castigated as the worst.

LPO defy convention as much as possible by never writing songs or rehearsing, but always improvising on the spot. Between a group of musicians who know each other well, improvising can become the worst kind of navel-gazing. LPO have warded off this ennui by having a constantly shifting line-up.

Tonight is the birthday party for LPO instigator Hugo. Lead vocalists Hugo & Carmel vent everything on their minds through their lyrics. There is no rock and roll sophistry here. The soundsystem is too good to allow cheap glossolalia of kind favoured by ex-pat Japanese rock singers, no names mentioned, OK, yes I mean Damo Suzuki.

The only possible word that can describe the interaction between Hugo and Carmel is 'psychodrama'. Modern music is all about release. That element is there in LPO, in all it's life-affirming glory. But they won't allow you this release until they've delivered a large package of tension first.

Standing on stage in front of a rock band, facing an enthusiastic crowd, singing their hearts out - this isn't therapy, this is catharsis. But don't be fooled by all this psychobabble. Remember, this is showbusiness.

Hugo's stage persona puts me in mind of some Greek god floating on a cloud far above the world. Seeing these puny humans, he feels a momentary pang of concer and airily deigns to intervene in the affairs of man.

Carmel is harder to categorise. The first few performances I saw by her were marked by a frenetic style of dancing that makes David Byrne in the video for Once In A Lifetime look calm and composed. At times, I wondered if she was communicating in some secret sign language. Later performances saw a more spritely and puckish sense of humour emerging.

If you haven't caught LPO, you've probably won't. Hugo has stated that his mission to inject some much needed energy into improvisation has been accomplished.

With the imminent demise of LPO, there is no danger of their music become stale or cliched. In the end, it isn't a corpse they leave behind. It is more like a butterfly chrysalis hatching.

Whatever emerges remains to be discovered ...

_______________________________

Stardate: 222 Day 2005

Captain Hiker from a time capsule somewhere between Alpha Centauri and Uranus:

HITCH TO EARTH, COME IN…
HITCH TO EARTH, COME IN?…

Just cleared the Rings of Uranus and are well on the way to the moons of Alpha Centauri in search of Squidgy Bits.

The crew (The Garrik Twins, Audio/Vis. Engineer Mescal, and the ships nurse Miss Chief) have been tingling with excitement since receiving reports of psychedelic Squidgy Bits on the Third and seventh moons of Alpha Centauri. Our plan on reaching the Star is to fly A. Garrick onto the third moon and drop silly sideburns thru the hatch at seven. I am sure it will be all good with Mescal in the observation centre and Miss Chief in the wings in case it goes pear-shaped. With thorough research the Garrick Twins have unearthed some very strange goings on conserving certain red and white toadstool variety and it is with this in mind I give you my next Tip…

Tip 2

No matter what anyone says:
Don’t drink your own urine! Or anyone else’s for that matter!

It has come to my attention that early psychedelic explorers from the Nordic States observed reindeer eating fly agaric mushrooms then sometime after drink each others piss - for a second hit it is assumed… hmm…
Call me a prude, but the thought of this made me off a bit or more and remember, no matter what the psycho shamen says to the fragile,

DON’T DO IT!

U could flush your love life down the toilet 2.
In afterthought if you ever holiday in Lapland and are lucky enough to meet Santa, think twice if he offers you Rudolph’s Special Brew and make sure he runs the tap for the mushroom tea.

WHATS HOT!

Chichime, Fairytales and Brazil

WHATS NOT!

Anchorage, Rudolph’s Special Brew

______________________

Well, that just about brings this communication to an end. There are matters this end that need my attention. It appears Miss Chief accidentally knocked the invert switch on the teleport machine and Tony Blair just arrived with his arse on his face and his face on the arse. This might not sound too serious as we all used to him talking out of his arse, but he has a bit of the a head cold and when he sneezed the shit hit the fan. Not a pretty picture.
Anyway… Have fun, Keep up the good work and don’t let the fuckers get you down.

Hitch out

Unity crew thrives on joint projects with other promotions, in words of DJ Graham Ward, Unitys co-organiser, in a paranoia-free environment and by breaking the established genre and predictability of other events, which often result in creative stagnation.
Unity is putting this approach into practice by mixing up and coming talent with established performers so as to improve confidence and add fresh touch to the overall performance.

491 have multiple environments on offer, and I cruised through the night in discovery mode. Some amazing moments I shared with the mellow and friendly crowd. These people sure know how to party, without the stress of security or rules to spoil the feel of the place, as everyone looks after their own and newcomers like me. The vibe hits you at the door when you arrive, the welcome, as well as the environment has a subliminal quality that transcends every facet or aspect of it Gee I could live here form many years!!

It feels like entering a time capsule; a fluffy bubble floating in a haze of sensations. Theres always an assortment of different kinds of healing to be experienced in a well thought-out dcor with healers of Reiki, to massage and Tarot to refresh the body or soul.
Disco Patrick entertained us with 212 hours of exhilarating funky break-beats and trance, increasing the tempo as he became more and more up lifted by the overall vibe of the party goers. or is that nutters? I was aware that if you stay with him for his set you uncover gradually and subliminally that Disco element that gave him his name. He somehow seems to sandwich it in between the banging, and it works!

Dolly, was equally impressive as if riding the wave of that vibe with much joy and love of the craft. Yet she dwells in a harder _expression favouring the likes of Slipknot and Marilyn Manson and is a busy bee promoting her own nights in North London called "Rock the Dolly Rock! (Avant-garde/Nu Wave/ Punk/Rock)but that is a different scene as far as I am concerned. What she gave us on the night was more in keeping with the overall flow, thanks God!

DJ Graham was on hand to cool the night out, with his cleverly thought out mix of eclectic tunes from Under World to Nittin Sawney with a hint of classical thrown in. Weird? Well not really! It does work. A rich tapestry of sounds to drape yourself in.

At the back there is a sort of the garden and waste ground that combines a big enough space to have several bonfires. One is in a circular stepped pit. The last time I was there, I spent nearly all night socialising in the synergy of the pagan gathering around the fires, under a ceiling of the open star-lit sky to our communion of spirit.

I say, who can beat that? Well, invite me and I will come and check you out, whoever you are! To put it bluntly it wins over outdoor raves and and their unpredictable scenarios. It beats bollocks and inconveniences involved in trudging in the dark avoiding cows vomit, holes, hawthorns, rogue trees, and the local Bill prowling in the shrubs and stuff Know What I Mean! Ok, Ok! It can be fun as I hasten to add.

Along side 491 is Vertigo; a place with the tradition of staging acoustic sets and jamming bacchanalia. This time they had put on an eclectic mix of films through the night, like some early pieces from the Lumiere Brothers: the forefathers and pioneers of film making. Also they had cosy living room to chill out by the fireplace and linger in the mesmeric pull of the flames.
The evening has surreal elements to it. For instance, we were fortunate to be entertained by Jack the resident dog with his doggy accomplices. I never found out what he carried in these little red saddle bags that stayed glued to his back all night but he was well used to the shenanigans and well friendly. All they need now is a moody cat to sneer at everyone! Anyway next time you hear on da cosmic grapevine that there is a ting going on at 491, I recommend that you get round there sharpish! Otherwise Ill unleash the hounds! Alright?

The cold streets of lONdON, at times, can be far from welcoming. So, in my infinite wisdom, I thought id knock up a quick guide about what’s hot and what’s not in the psychedelic circus we know as LonDon.

…I think the best way for this to work would be an interactive guide.

I let you know what I’ve heard about and U keep me posted about psycho-active events that are worth a look. Hopefully this way we will be able to navigate safely through the minefield of psychedelic non events we can sometimes find ourselves thrown into and, more importantly, we will all be able to congregate on the birth of stars and share in psychedelic trickery your chemistry teacher could only dream of. Don’t be shy, drop me a line at anon@bubblejam.net

To start, lets cover What’s Not!

Travelling halfway across the city, getting cold, wet and extremely thirsty, only to find that the party Bob told u about isn’t really a party afterall. It’s a narcotics anonymous ‘introduction to Morris dancing’ session, don’t you just hate it when that happens!

Tip 1.

If you want to get to the party before it closes, don’t hitch hike! Get an AtoZ, find exactly where u have to go and hire a limo, if you can stop chain smoking spliffs for a while there is the budget option of public transport (underground). If money’s a problem, recycle last weeks travel card (cover the date with your finger, hold the card high and walk thru like u own the joint. Use the force Luke and don’t give up), alternatively you could sell your granny or get a fuckin job! I wouldn’t advise the last two because grannies are good for socks at Christmas and ‘a fuckin job’, sounds like prostitution, which is still illegal and you might have to suck a policeman’s dick if you get caught.)

What’s Hot!

FairyTales 2nd Birthday Party. 11/12/2004 @ The Coronet. New Kent Road. Elephant and Castle.
Stupendous venue!! The last 1 was awesome. Super, smashin, gr8 music and loads of lovelies-). Don’t u just love d Fairies. I always say, “Look after d Fairies and d fairies will look after u.” So come along and sprinkle fairy dust on your Saturday nite, see u dare.

Crystal Fields. Psycho Kinetik n Munkey Magik Birthday Bash 11/12/2004 Tel.07950 341459
Personally I’m going to start the nite off with Fairytales and go Psycho Kinetik afterwards. One of my most fav. Djs on d planet is playing dare (Mr. Gobi) so I hope I catch his set.