NEWS
EVENTS
Hospitality Brixton / January 2013 REVIEW
Drum and Bass | Tuesday 29th January 2013 | Jenny
A vital appointment.
If you wanted a better way to welcome in 2013 and shake off those January blues, there was no other place you will have been on Friday night.
Of course, it was time for another classic pilgrimage of ravers to the dazzling 02 Academy in Brixton for what I consider the finest club night in drum and bass; Hospitality. A particularly special line up was waiting to be unleashed on the masses, to both those present and those watching on the exclusive online stream. A wonderful mix of familiar favourites and newer signings featured Roni Size armed with a ‘Full Cycle’ Classics set, Metrik delivering his exclusive Hospital debut and of course David Rodigan giving enough signal to keep the capital in power for the entire night.
Kicking off proceedings was the aforementioned Metrik (aka Tom Mundell), snapped up by the label back in November. Dropping a fiery set which ended with an incredible VIP of the huge ‘Freefall’, he is a hive of fresh energy and will certainly has a huge year ahead - don’t forget to check out his Essential Mix which also aired the same night > http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01ptg45
Next up in Room One was the legendary Roni Size alongside the brilliant Dynamite MC; a complete must-see. The crowds soaked up some original Jungle beauties and were stirred up perfectly for what was to follow. Ah yes. The King, the Sound Killa that is Sir David Rodigan graced the main stage from midnight, captivating and charming the entire jammed venue. Absolutely dominating the space and blasting the room with floor destroyers like TNGHT’S Higher Ground made for one of the best live atmospheres I’ve experienced and he is the perfect honorary addition to the Hospital family.
I caught pieces of big favourite Danny Byrd’s hour; and in particular was absolutely blown away by an exclusive dropping of his latest collaboration with the Brookes Brothers. Cannot wait to hear this again! He drilled into the hip hop vibes following on from Rodigan and unleashed Eminem, House of Pain and a sick Kanye West remix that was lapped up by the electrifying room.
I must mention that I sneaked into Room Two and caught pieces of both Delta Heavy and Broke N English – both rolling out some big sounds and reeling people in for a slightly roomier dance at the front of the venue. It was back to the main room after running up to the shop for a quick chat with lovely bass brothers Logistics and Nu:Tone before their set with the silky smooth Wrec; Dan Gresham’s being the first live drum and bass set I ever saw back in the day! Such skilled masters of liquid flow, their back to back appointment is one I had to make room for. Out came their solid gold remixes and some stunning new Nu: Logic tracks, sibling number three holding fort as The Other Echoes across the building during the night.
In hot pursuit came London Elektricity, whom I cannot praise highly enough. The grand master of Brixton Academy pulled out an outrageously melodic set that featured my star addition to the newly released Hospitality 2013 – Etherwood’s hauntingly beautiful ‘Spoken’. Heading into a late one for Devon duo Fred V and Grafix, the boys drew an almighty response from the crowd; riled up in the capable hands of Carasel. After a hugely successful 2012, they had the chance to sample fresh tracks ‘Vanishing Point’ and ‘Purple Gates’ alongside further exciting tasters that we can expect to hear more of. My stamina held out long enough for the majority of S.P.Y, whose expertise was more than enough to keep the crowds going. Probably the album of 2012 for me, I will never tire of hearing tracks from ‘What the Future Holds’ let loose, and they were upon one of the friendliest crowds of drum and bass fans I had ever been in!
Hospitality, you did it again. So slick, and with such an unimitable atmosp here that merges artists and enthusiasts alike in my all-time favourite London venue. Until next time...
Rewatch the live stream here! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_2plmMv5zU&feature=g-high-u
Words: Jenny Allbrook
