----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Phonopsia" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2003 11:08 PM Subject: Re: (313) Nigel Walker
> That's terrible, Robert Taylor and I were talking at the 313 meet > about what a mad unique place that was. I heard that these days > they're focussed on the loopy techno stuff, but so what, that place > was mental. Speaking as an outsider, I think the bigger clubs are suffering from their own weight these days, which in my mind is a good thing since msot underground DJs will never step up in a big space. With the wealth of tunes and DJs around now, it's no wonder larger clubs book who they do, and who can really blame them? They are there to support a larger audience, give people what they want, etc. Unfortunately, very few of those larger clubs have found a way (or maybe just the balls + insight) to sustain themselves while appeasing an audience that come for what they know, and are sick of it at once (as illustrated by The Orbit). To this end, I think it is amazing the kind of lineups Fabric pulls in while constantly filling to way beyond capacity. They push boundaries much further than The End (which also fills regularly) on a weekly basis. Unfortunately, the place has a somewhat deserved reputation for pulling in a load of wankers, and even more unfortunately, the DJs who spin there rarely extend themselves in that venue. Rob Hood played a great set on my birthday, but it wasn't his most adventurous outing. Francois K and Jeff Mills each played good sets late last year but nowhere near their best. Very few performers really have enough faith in that audience to say 'f*ck it'. I can think of three nights in the last year when I got that treat, and on each occasion the crowd responded more than usual. One was Fabrice Lig opening up (for nearly four hours I think), earlier this year. Another was Octave One live (Stacey Pullen followed with wank) while the Jedi Knights held it down all night in the 3rd room for six hours. The third was Technasia live (following Dave Angel, who sucked). Basically, as much as I would like to place the blame on hugeness, I think most of them have dug their own graves through complacent bookings rather than some inherent flaw in being large (as Fabric illustrates), and what dissapoints me most is that when artists who play both medium and large venues get a chance at bigger spaces with a good agenda, they rarely capitalize on the opportunity. Fabric could be such an amazing nexus, but most DJs aren't willing to take a chance there. I think with few exceptions the performers are equally to blame. Just look at Fabric's lineup for the next month and tell me it shouldn't kill: http://www.fabriclondon.com I'd be surprised if most of those DJs live up to their potential though. Francois K may be the prime example of this. He's deveoping quite a reputation for playing brilliant eclectic sets where he has faith in the crowd, and really flacid effects-laden techno when he doesn't. As a result, it further separates the small and large audiences. This 'knowing your audience' thing has gone way too far... When a DJ who has 25 years under his belt can stun his crowd one weekend and deaden them the next, the formula has failed. This is why I'm seeing him on a boat tomorrow, and couldn't care less about his performance at Fabric next weekend, even though for once, Fabric is cheaper and it has the added bonus of Aukufen. So I was saying I thought this was a good thing. Maybe I don't really, but given that I don't believe things will change, I'd rather just get to see who I want where I know they will actually play good music. And while I really hope Fabric's amazing lineups continue, I think the DJs need to do a lot to bring the heads back into those spaces. Tristan ======= http://www.phonopsia.co.uk [EMAIL PROTECTED]
