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| Finger
Lickin’ Records - Fabriclive |
Date:
Friday 31st October 2003
Address: Fabric, 77a Charterhouse Street,
London, EC1M 3HN
Occurrence:
Weekly
Hours:
9:30pm - 5:00am
Ticket Price:
£12 / £10 (NUS)
Genre:
TBC
Dress Code:
Dress to Impress
Capacity:
2000 |
| Listings Info:
Click
Here |
Room 1: True
Playaz- DJ Hype, Zinc, Pascal, Andy C, Brockie,
Hazard, MC's: GQ, Fats, Rage and Ad
Room 2: Finger Lickin' Records-
Plump DJs, Krafty Kuts & A Skillz, Lee Coombs,
Soul of Man, Modelizer
Room 3: Stanton Warriors, Ali
B, Joe Ransom |
Camden’s Finger
Lickin’ Records is arguably the most influential
breakbeat label in the world. Their records have
reached across the genres and are carried by all
but a few of the top Djs in the world. It’s
impressive stable of artists, both djs and producers,
reads like a who’s who of the breakbeat scene.
For anyone who has been lucky enough to visit Fabric,
the former food storage facility needs little introduction.
The attention to detail in the club is unbelievable.
The dance floors are in the corners so people rarely
push past you on their way to the bar and the chillout
area is graced with huge beds and comfortable chairs.
As for the sound system, the bass hits the floor
so loud and fast that it knocks you backwards. Lighting
is low key but blindingly effective. Banks of lasers
glide just above your head from one end of the rooms
to the other. The only down point that I can think
of is the prices in the venue, but this is London
and one of the most famous clubs in the world.
By midnight, the club was full and the queue was
snaking off around the corner with people prepared
to wait up two hours to gain entrance. In Room 1,
the True Playaz were keeping the lighters burning
with all the usual dirty bass and up in Room 3,
Stanton Warriors, Ali B and Joe Ransom were keeping
the dance floor supplied with plenty more breaks
and beats.
Finger Lickin’ Records was to be found in
Room 2, the usual home of Fabriclive’s drum
and bass scene. This room feels more intimate than
the huge Room 1 but is by no means small. Again,
this is down to the ever- so- impressive design.
Krafty Kuts and A Skillz got things going with their
brand of hip hop/ breaks/ funk / nobody knows exactly
what from their awesome album ‘Tricka Technology.’
Unfortunately I missed most of this set, the sheer
volume of talent on offer meant that they were on
all too early.
Soul of Man were up next playing what was for me,
the most enjoyable set of the evening. They pulled
out classics such as Stanton Warriors’ ‘Da
Virus’ and their own ‘The Drum.’
Breaks remixes of Benny Benassi ‘Satisfaction’
and Groove Armada ‘Superstylin’ kept
the floor jumping until two, when the Plump Djs
came to the turntables. Ask anybody what DJs are
at the head of the breaks game and the Plump Djs
won’t be far down the list. They have been
voted 37th in the DJ magazine top 100 Djs- sitting
above names such as Jeff Mills, Darren Emerson and
Layo & Bushwacka. This is indeed a very deserved
position for the duo who cannot seem to release
a poor record. The boys definitely had a tough act
to follow, they pulled it off with the usual mix
of squelching bass and cheeky bootlegs. Their new
album ‘Eargasm’ is already one of the
biggest dance music albums of 2003. From this, both
‘Creepshow’ and ‘Weighed Downed’
got plays and sent the place crazy.
The sheer enthusiasm of all the Djs playing was
definitely picked up by the crowd- its good to see
them enjoying themselves as much as the audience
visibly were. There was no standing still and frowning
in the booth and Soul of Man even joined us on the
dance floor. Another noticeable thing was the huge
number of women- not usually the case in Room 2
as drum and bass doesn‘t quite get the booty
shaking in the same way as breakbeat. Whilst Lee
Coombs was on, Lee (who has been tagged the Tom
Jones of break beat) treated them all with his stripping
antics in the booth which were then broadcast to
the whole room via the big screen.
Lets hope we don’t have to wait too long for
the next Finger Lickin’ night at Fabric- if
the atmosphere and music at this one was anything
to go by, it will be unmissable. |
Venue: 9
Music: 9
Crowd: 8
Sound System: 9
Total: 35 / 40
Rating: Gold Award |
| Review written by:
Tom Scott |
tomscott@uk-cl.co.uk |
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