NEWS
EVENTS
Hospitality In The Woods Takes South London by Storm
Drum and Bass | Monday 9th September 2024 | Nichola
Ah, it was that glorious time of year again when the DnB titans, Hospitality, take over Beckenham Park in South London. The lineup was pure fire, and for once, the weather was on our side as we made our way across London for a proper DnB knees-up with some of the genre's royalty.
Now, if you know anything about London traffic, you’ll sympathize—two hours from North London! Absurd. But, hey, we made it, and the friendly security crew even let us park close enough to save some energy for the real skanking that lay ahead.
We arrived just in time to catch LTJ Bukem at the Hospitality Friends and Family tent. Not having heard him in a while, I was quickly reminded why he's still the grandmaster of melodic DnB. His set was a journey, a mindful trip through different soundscapes—a welcome break from the heavier beats smashing through the rest of the festival. To be fair, the tent was packed, and in my humble opinion, he deserved a bigger stage—everyone was flocking to see the legend in action!
With LTJ Bukem’s set wrapped up, we legged it over to the Run X Rumble In The Jungle arena, which had a lovely little outdoor dance area surrounded by trees. It had this cozy, intimate vibe that you don’t always find at big festivals. The mood? Celebration—but not just any celebration. This was a tribute to the mighty DJ Randall, who recently passed away, leaving the DnB community heartbroken. MC GQ and Break rolled out a monumental set in his honor, featuring the kind of rolling beats and breaks Randall himself would have unleashed. Randall was originally scheduled to go back-to-back with Dillinja, so you can imagine the emotion in the air. Towards the end, GQ gave a heartfelt tribute, saluting Randall with love, and was comforted on stage by close friends from the DnB family. It was a moving moment, a reminder to live life fully, not just exist—make memories that last.
By this point, we had another rumble to deal with—this one in our stomachs—so we hit the VIP section for some much-needed grub and drinks. A well-timed break from the hustle and bustle. Refueled and ready, we headed back out to catch High Contrast. And boy, did he deliver! A blinding set that reminded everyone why he's one of DnB’s top-tier party starters.
Let me tell you, this year’s fest was smoother than butter on a hot crumpet! Getting from stage to stage? Absolute breeze. No getting stuck in a human traffic jam or playing 'dodge the roadblock.' And the bars? I barely had time to decide between lager or cider before I had a pint in my hand. By the time we all shuffled out at the end, we al knew this would be on teh cards for next year. No shocker there though—this mighty London festival is like the holy grail for DnB heads, and it’s just getting bigger and better!
