UK-Dancers may be spending less time on the interwebs these days, but the evidence, in Bristol at least, suggests they are spending much more time, energy and money actually getting out and doing it:
Friday 27.1.12
Iration Steppas meets Young Warrior, Teachings in Dub, Trinity Centre, Bristol.
With all tickets sold out in advance, a capacity crowd was only going to complement the acoustics of this ex-church. Delivering the sermon on this occasion were the able hands and minds of Iration Steppas & the son of Jah Shaka, Young Warrior. Two massive sound systems occupying the four corners of Trinity dance-hall dominated the space with stalls offering recorded works, t-shirts, framed pictures and hot soul food filled-in the gaps around the perimeter.
With ear-plugs an essentiality in the darkness, the bass began perform its sonic-therapy on the internal organs of a crowd utterly lost in the music with that knowing look of Friday-night bliss written right across their collective faces. With at least another six hours to go the two sound-systems found their rhythm and continued to build on each others selections layer by alternate layer. Occasional relief from the heavyweight pounding of righteous vibrations was in the form on a fenced-in exterior smoking space beyond a side exit that must have resembled a squat, fat and fully-functioning chimney stack from the police station across the road. Outta the fiyah and back into the furnace on each occasion it was noticeable how the rising levels of tight bass produced the increasing resonation of various items of attire, not to mention anatomy.
Bristol is selling-out its' large venues with this type of programing regularly these days. Seems as if we can't get enough, and long may that continue. These are nights of pure consciousness set amidst a contemporary Babylon.
http://www.teachingsindub.co.uk/
Saturday 28.1.12
Western Soul ft. Peter D Rose, Big Chill Bar, Bristol
Free entry to a club all night long in the centre of town? It works!
Another packed venue that has recently doubled its capacity by filling another floor to cope with the demand. Not only that, but the Big Chill Bar stocks Appletons rum and DG ginger beer. Upstairs began as a private party celebrating three birthdays with a retrospective disco of some considerable quality courtesy of Ben Parker. Again, a packed floor was relieved by some excellently apportioned exterior decking so everyone could enjoy a little, ahem, fresh air in the freshness of January night. It wasn't long before the 'private party' sign became superfluous as downstairs came up and upstairs went down in a mix that complemented those of the DJ's in either space.
Peter D Rose both rocked and held a similarly packed ground-floor with classics and re-works of classics while combining genres seamlessly. A wonderfully diverse and evidently happy crowd energised this busy night down at the ever-reliable BC Bar to the obvious satisfaction of all involved.
