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Rat Pack share their memories of Fabio & Grooverider
Drum and Bass | Thursday 27th August 2015 | Osh
Rat Pack, the DJ/MC team of Lipmaster Mark and Evenson Allen, joined forces in 1985 at the birth of the rave scene and are still going strong today. We spoke to them about that other D&B dream team, Fabio and Grooverider, during their 25th anniversary celebrations.
Have you got a first memory of Fabio and Grooverider?
Lipmaster Mark: You know what I have, I remember Groove when he used to wear a top hat down at Barrington Road, Loughborough Studios. Groove and Fabio has this little afterparty on a Wednesday night that we used to go to. I always used to see them ar Spectrum or Land Of Oz back down there in Heaven, and they used to do the afterparty. It weren’t a Wednesday it had to be a Thursday down at Barrington Road Studios.
Evenson Allen: Yeah but it’s hard to remember what day is what in them days because we were always nutted [laughs].
Were they raving?
M: Yeah they were raving, always raving.
Were you playing?
M: We were all raving.
E: We used to do our own raves as well but we used to actually go out, like out of the seven nights in a week, we’d be out there at least five nights a week having it. Barrington Road was a place we used to go for an afterparty.
M: Groove and Fabio were playing there, it was their little afterparty on a Thursday night, I’m sure it was.
E: We used to go down there and have a little shindig. Like you said, one of my biggest memories was seeing Groove with a top hat on, and it was like one of those proper big top hats, not a little top hat, big top hat! And it just stood out.
M: I’m sure I remember once, Groove was actually on a flyer down as ‘Groove The Bareback Rider’.
E: I remember that as well! Early days, we used to call him The Bareback.
A lot of people talk about how these guys influenced them because they wanted them to play their music but you guys were there at the first rave I ever went to, so did they get a chance to influence you in your music?
M: Oh most definitely. Yeah of course.
E: Of course yeah. In the later times event though we were doing our own kind of style and different thing, in them days it was all about peace, love, unity, and we were all starry-eyed and happy days everywhere, and just going out raving. The thing with Groove and Fabio, they just had their own style, they’ve always stuck to it, they weren’t influenced by anybody else and that’s why they are who they are today because they’re all the same, they don’t get influenced, they influence everyone else. They stick to their guns, they do what they do, they’ve got their own thing and they’ve never, ever copied anyone else. A lot of the tunes they play not a lot of other people can play because they play their tunes and they normally get them before anybody else, so Fabio and Grooverider have always been leaders.
M: Yeah of course. And you know for me as a DJ, they would always drop tunes and for it would be “where did they get that tune? What’s that tune?” If only Shazam was around back then, I would have been like flick, flick, flick every time you know. Always, they dared to go where other people wouldn’t, they are much braver than me.
E: Yeah they know how to go dark.
And how do you think they’ve managed to remain so iconic until now?
M: Because they’re pros man. It’s like a good dish, it will never, ever go tasteless, it’s just classic.
E: It’s like a good curry goat or a good lasagne, no matter where you come from, if it’s made well, it’s good, and whatever they put their hands to they make it good.
M: And they don’t forget where they’re coming from, they stick to their guns and it’s just always shown. It’s like they’ve had Ready Brek and they’ve got this glow around them. They’ve always represented, never, ever sold themselves short.
E: And I’ll tell you something else that’s helped them as well, the radio show that they did on Radio 1. For years and years and years, no one was getting music like that, and they came and they was just doing their thing.
M: Sold it to the world.
E: Yeah the whole world got to hear it through Groove and Fabio, through their radio show.
M: And another thing it did, it brought out their characters, you saw that they were jokers. We got loads of laughs from that. The interview that they done with Uncle Dugs, the other day we was listening to it, we were driving up to Manchester and we listened to the whole interview, three hour thing and was laughing our heads off, it was wicked. If you really wanna know why they’re still here, just listen to that interview.
E: Yeah. They’re kings of what they do, and they’re still here being the kings, and that’s why we’re here celebrating their 25th anniversary.
M: For real. What an honour.
E: Yeah for us it’s a real honour. Thank you guys for having us you know, we know we’re not exactly drum and bass, we started a long time ago and just to know that you’ve still got the respect to have us here, it means a lot to us. Thank you guys very much.
M: Definitely.
I was about to ask you to give a message to them.
M: But seriously it’s just humbling. I don’t even know what I’m gonna play for you guys out there, I’m in awe. It’s just a privilege and an honour to be here, and you’ve always, always influenced me, no matter what. I’m like one of the punters out the other side, I’m a fan. I love what you do guys, I can’t do what you do but I’d love to be able to. You’re just the nicest guys. People when they say to us, “Groove and Fabio, you can’t really talk to them, they’re unapproachable”, that’s the most wrong statement ever. You are two of the nicest guys, and it’s just an honour and a privilege to be here tonight. Seriously, I don’t think I’m even worthy. That’s all I’m saying.
E: Put your hands up, feel good.
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