When I posted about the Transit party yesterday I'd just finished my review, so wasn't in the mood for typing out the same stuff all over again. But so many people have asked for more details (and posted their opinions) so here goes.
Firstly, organisation: we got there at about 10.30, but it was 11.58 before I'd got in and checked my coat, so the night started with an hour and a half of waiting around and getting wet. And I had a complimentary ticket, so it was probably harder for those who had arranged to collect them on the door. I know there were still people waiting around in the queue at midnight, and from what I saw at the gate, the security were completely overwhelmed and couldn't cope. Some of my friends were on the guest list (arranged throught the PR company handling the party, so officially), but no-one on the door seemed to think there was a guest list. In the end they just talked their way in the gate and then walked through the door when no one challenged them or checked their credentials. I suspect plenty of others were able to bumrush their way in in the same way, which might explain why in advance the party was advertised as being for 3000 in 4 rooms, but afterwards Transit's own site recorded a figure of 4400 (and if there was a fourth room, I couldn't find it) - this seems to indicate that Transit went 1400 over capacity with one less room than there should have been, which explains the overcrowding and is also quite possibly dangerous. And the queue for coats was ridiculous, just a rugby scrum - the security guy in there couldn't have controlled a picnic. The main room (second as xx xx calls it) was NOT UR all night long, however. There was a handwritten bit of notepaper taped to the wall which said a guy called Lazarus was warming up until midnight, then UR would play until 5AM. At 5AM they had us wish happy New Year to Detroit, then, as I remember it, the last record played out, there was a burst of white noise for a couple of minutes, then next thing I knew a voice on the mic was asking us to make our way to another room, which I did. I didn't see any 'thunderous clapping', instead it all seemed to end with confusion and a whimper. And I don't know where xx xx got this 6.30 thing from. The party was scheduled to run until 7am. UR started at midnight and finished at just after 5am as far as I could see. This means they played for 5 hours, half the duration the party was supposed to be open. The other thing that really p*ssed me off about the organisation was the failure to let anyone know who was playing when. Maybe I missed them all, but I didn't see any notices informing people when anyone was going to be playing (aside from the one I mentioned earlier, which just said 'UR - Detroit' anyway). When you've got a big event like that with several rooms, this is a must. As for the UR DJs, I have to say I thought they were entirely un-special, just competent at best. There were probably hundreds of bedroom DJs in the crowd who could have done just as good or a better job. Thanks to the lack of info, I don't know exactly who played apart from Clandestine (the best of the bunch, but that's not saying much), but there seemed to be one or two others as well. As for the live set, I must have been upstairs in the house room (again, lack of schedule info), but some I spoke to seemed to think it was UR 'themselves', others that it was just Chaos. As far as I can tell it definitely wasn't Red Planet or Suburban Knight, as the organisers were promising in advance (after the original bill inc. Rolando and Drexciya had been unceremoniously dumped, without explanation, of course). This confusion probably had something to do with the fact that the performers played from behind a wall, where practically no-one in the room could see them. The other thing I didn't much care for about the UR DJs was their apparent unwillingness to adapt to the occasion. This was New Years Eve after all, surely more about celebration than education? So where were the classics? The tracks that no-one else ever seems to play in clubs? There were a few of course - 'Stardancer', 'Seawolf' were two - but they were few and far between. These were the only times I saw any kind of real crowd reaction too. UR has ten years of varied releases behind it, you'd think they might have used this event to celebrate this fact, but instead most of the music seemed to be stony-faced, obscure, 'serious' electro and techno. Fine as it goes, but hardly celebratory music. And yeah, xx xx, I do like my comfort, as you put it. Or rather, I don't particularly relish spending the whole night in a cold, damp and grimy old warehouse with very few opportnities to sit down for ten minutes - who does? It wouldn't have been a problem had the entertainment been up to it, but as you can tell, I don't think it was. And I thought the sound was poor too - all bass and no middle, and worse in KDJs room, where you had to fight your way through the crowd to hear anything. Not being the kind of person who likes dancing in a ruck or jostling people in clubs, I preferred to stay at the back of the room where there was a little space to breathe. The price I paid was not being able to hear much. Two speaker stacks in huge rooms of the size these were is just not enough, imo. I'm surpised that xx xx congratulates Ranx for putting in electricity, doors and heat in the party space - surely you might as well say well done for providing decks!?! Who wouldn't provide an electricity source for a party? I went to the Interstellar Fugitives party in Vauxhall two years ago and I remember the atmosphere there being much, much better. This event seemed to have practically none. I saw practically no-one smiling or anyone who was even that sweaty. There just didn't seem to be many people dancing or really enjoying themselves (apart from the first room, where it was all hip-hop, r&b and UK garage), just a lot of downcast faces standing around (mind you, you have to expect a certain amount of that in the jaded London clubscene). I went down there all set to be blown away by UR, but was seriously underwhelmed and not at all impressed by the organisation either. So far the only people I've heard make positive comments about the event are a couple on this list - everyone else I've spoken to seems to be broadly in agreement with me. Now, it might be that I have somehow managed to find the only people there who weren't impressed, but I doubt it. One more thing: Jarvis Cocker. He was on the orginal bill as 'to be confirmed' (hello?! somewhat dodgy in itself if you ask me), then there was no further mention of him from then up until the event. But when I checked the x313 website yesterday, there was a photo of him DJing. Are x313 trying to imply that he played or what? Did anyone see him there, then? This seems indicative of the way the bookings were handled - announce a brilliant line up, then actually provide a much reduced one without explanation. The original announcement of the party even included a dig at Home for once billing KDJ when he was never in fact booked - but didn't x313 do exactly the same thing with Drexciya, Rolando, Jarvis Cocker and Suburban Knight? Alright, I'm done. Flame on... TOM > > Hi, > > Han ??? Maybe we were not at the same party...! > First the location: amazing place, in building in demolition, first and last > party there, they will re-build an office building(in the room where UR > played),Rankx brought back the electricity, put back the doors, put heat, > just for the party. > The first room (from the entrance) was more hip-hop music. > The second (main) room, was UR all night long till 6h30 am, started at > eleven or so, with a dj set then came Chaos,at midnight, was amazing,blew us > away. > The sound was enormous, imagine a place like a Cathedral, think about the > height of the ceiling... wherever we were in this room, the sound was of an > impressive quality. > Chaos was brilliant! Excellent, I saw a lot of live in my live, but not like > this one. > He Performed a LIVE for one hour, provided some captivating and seductive > tracks, like this Indian track! Like this other one with a girl > singing...!The live was funky, new UR sound, 2001 started with Chaos, and > 2001 will be Chaos year, I bet! And I can give him my weapons. I’m > still under shock. > The Dj's set, I think there was, during all the night, 4 different > DJ’s, not sure, they played, really in UR vein, as usual most of the > tracks are unreleased tracks, yet, no dark, really "funky" like this one > with a guy singing: dance, move, shake etc... > Then, upstairs I checked Kenny, I cannot say that I'm disappointed, but the > man has changed, it was really a one man show, signed autographs during 15 > minutes, on CD, on sheet of paper, let people take pictures… > He played for 50 minutes, more with MPC than with the turntables, and spoke > to us a lot in a microphone, I was expected to see him playing piano, but he > started for 10 seconds and left it. > All in all, the night was fascinating, magnetic, with mysterious quality and > powerful, more than 4.000 people, no drama, happy crowd, we all of us had a > lot of fun. > And UR one more time delivered again a perfect underground night, like at > the beginning of the movement, their sound has really evolved, and their > attitude still remain the same, someone can give me another example, of > artists like them ? > But it's true, speaking here for Tom Robbins, if you are not anymore in the > real underground wave, if you like more your comfort, than the music, it was > not a place for you. > We were there for the music, and we got more! We got soul, excitement, > fervours, and sensations. > For people who suspected Rankx, big HOURRAH to him, he made it by his own,I > guess he got a hard time to make it happen, good lesson for a lot of > promoters, they should learn from him. > Tom, why at 6h30 am, people didn't want to leave and clapped thunderously? > > And by the way, I hadn't like the UR party in London, 2 years ago. > > > > > >From: Michael Taylor <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >To: Tom Robbins <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >CC: 313 mailing list <313@hyperreal.org> > >Subject: Re: [313] UR in London, how was it? Why? > >Date: Tue, 02 Jan 2001 13:09:51 -0500 > > > >Hi Tom, > > > >Why was it a let down? I do not doubt the validity of your opinion, I am > >just curious about the specifics. > > > >Take care, > >Mike > > > >Tom Robbins wrote: > > > > > > Personally I thought it was all very disappointing - a real let-down - > >and > > > my review in the February issue of Jockey Slut will reflect that point > >of > > > view, which seems to be shared by everyone I've spoken to, both at the > >event > > > and since. Anyone else? > > > > > > That said, it was really nice to hook up with some people from the list > >like > > > John O and his illin' girlfriend (whose name I forget because it was so > > > late), Otto Koppius (inserting CD now...) and Rob Needham. Also good to > >see > > > Nick Craddock and Alice again. Missed Rob Webb and quite a few others, > > > though. > > > > > > But don't go calling me no Londoner! ;-) > > > > > > - Tom MF > > > > > > > Well, speak up Londoners. > > > > > > > > Tristan > > > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > >--------------------------------------------------------------------- > >To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > _________________________________________________________________________ > Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. >
