astraboy

One of the advantages of chasing the music I love up and down the country is you get to see lots of different places. I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't have visted Coalville if it hadn't have been for Uproar putting on one of their parties in the same town. Coalville is a strange place, with it being a lot smaller than it looked on the map and no train station to call its own, its even more surprising to find a venue which has both a large capacity and is willing to allow Hardcore Ravers through its doors.
The Emporium is the exception to this rule. I've been there a couple of times now, both courtesy of Uproar and both times have left me impressed with the venue, the sound system and the fully plumbed in lasers, not to mention the friendliness of the crowd. However, its been a long while (about a year in fact) since I've been there so it ws high time I returned. Fortunately, there was also an event worth going to to justify this.
Hardcore Overload is a relatively new event, with just two parties to its name. However, what it lacks in longevity, it makes up for in innovative lineups and the luxury of the run of the venue.
Using both arenas, the promotors have put Hardcore up front in the main room and Old Skool in the second arena. Previous lineups have caught my eye, but other events have always gotten in the way of attending. The third one, HcO 3, changed all that.
Even though I was a bit bushed from the night before at bangface, I knew I still had to be there. both arenas had a sublime mic of big name DJs and underbooked talent, including Sharkey and Kev energy (going b2b for the final set), Ramos and Supreme, Geos crew, Breeze, Cruze, Druid Arkitech and Gammer.
As well as that, the MC lineup was just as good, with a distinct leaning towards the Oldskool and upcoming side of things, with Charlie B, MC Knight, Smiley, Obie, Friction and of course Dizzyvibe taking a few sets himself.
Having been there before, I knew how long it would take to get there, so I planned to arrive at midnight. However, good road conditions (and a few too many **** stops nonwithstanding) we rolled into the carpark at about 11.30.
We could hear the Hardcore flexing from outside (I feel sorry for the neighbours) so wasting no time, we got round the front and inside asap. After saying hello to a friendly Wayne on the door, we were in.
Like I said, I am a veteran of previous Emporium raves, so I knew the layout of the place and exactly what to do with it. Quick as I could, I got some earplugs in and a drink in my hand so I could enjoy what was left of Gammer and Cruze's set.
Entertaining a nicely full dancefloor in an even nicer manner, the DJs on the decks were making full use of the seriously loud soundsystem and pounding the place into a frenzy with more Hardcore than you can shake a stick at. After only getting snippets and having to wait for occasional sets the previous night, this was exactly what I was looking for.
It was obvious I had missed out on a set of distinction when the closing moments included "See you on the other side" and even better, another outing for "hood made me", but it was all over too soon and I knew it. Should have taken less **** stops.
No matter though, cos I had another 6 hours of Hardcore to go. Next up was another firm favourite of mine with Breeze taking his place in the DJ stand and Smiley joining him on the mic. Together, they took me to where I wanted to be. Hardcore street, which is located in a leafy suburb of Upfrontville.
I knew what to expect from Breeze and he didn't dissapoint. The new year has seen a successive number of sets from him which have concentrated on his formidable arsenal of remixes which he has built up in preceeding months. This, together with a carefully selected mixture of his favourite upfront tunes, resulted in a set which flipped my switch, to say the least.
Together with Smiley on the mic, the pair of them doubleteamed the crowd, providing the best match up of the night with both of them working together to create a better end product. Smiley gave it everything he had on the mic, with his best highlight being the ultimatum he laid down halfway through the set of "If you're not Hardcore, then there's the front door!". While Breeze concentrated on including "Dropzone", "Pullover" and getting the remixes of "Dark like Vader", "Connexions", "Getting Better" and my personal favourite "Nessenja".
When Breeze was finished, it was time for a changeover in every sense of the word. The rise of the Arkitech is something I have kept a careful eye on in recent times and he was about to prove why he had been so talked about of late.
With the lyrical backup from MCs Dizzyvibe and Obie, Arkitech got to work as the crowd were hungry for more. His concentration on the "Party" side of his Freeform set left the assembled ravers in no doubt as to his abilities.
In no time at all, the DJ was in full control of proceedings, giving the crowd Freeform by the bucketload, but holding back on the more purest stuff so they could still enjoy themselves. it was relentless, fastpaced and awesome to behold as Arkitech tore through his set. Leaving the party crew in no doubt as to his status as "The Future" as well as remembering to cain "Heey", "Take Control" and best of all "Extermanise" during his set.
For the 2-3.30 set, it was the turn of the South Coast crew to shake the place up. Ramos and Supreme had one hell of a trip on their hands to get ot the rave, but I knew from their previous track record that every mile would have been worth it.
Like I said, I've seen these guys play out before, both Old Skool and upfront Hardcore, so I was interested to see what they could come up with. In the event, they plumped for an upfront Hardcore set, with plenty of euphoric tunes for good measure.
With one pair of Old Skool legends on the decks, it was only right that the same situation occur on the mic. Therefore, Charlie B and Knight were up there in no time, putting in one of the evenings better mic performances, even though it was business as usual for the pair of them.
Make no mistake, I was feeling both the performances from the MCs and the DJs during this set. Every last minute was something special and I took full advantage as the tunes and lyrics were laid down.
From the musical point of view, it was rushy vocal based upfront Hardcore from the word go, with "Slide Away", "You're the one for me", "Feel so Real", "Cry" and my personal favourite "Dropzone" all getting dropped (heh) during the set. Charlie B and Knight, on the other hand, were more than on the ball, proving that MCs do improve with time, practice and experience, as well as complimenting the set with lyrics like "Hardcore raver in the place", "Let the music set you free".
With the closing out of one south coast crew's set, it was the turn of another to take over. As such, The Geos crew, AKA Marley and Robbo were up next for the 3-30-4.30 set. As they got busy with taking the rave to the next level, Gazy J and Obie were doing the same one the mic. The remaining ravers in the place might not have been the amount I saw when I walked in, but as always, there was a determined bunch of Hardcore Faithful, hell bent on stomping it out till the end.
Fortunately, Geos were more than willing to keep the tunes going non stop. With another set firmly rooted in the upfront sound, but with a distinct leaning toward the pair's own work, a couple of real surprises and a few classics thrown in for good measure defined their set.
As well as that, the preponderance of tunes with Marley's lyrics therin saw the man in question get out from behind the decks and sing the lyrics live over the mic. "Hardcore is for Life" and "Power and the Glory" are both particular highlights of his efforts, as well as "R U Ready", "New Zealand Story", "Neckbreaker", "Getting Better" and "Fly away" which doubled up, not only as personal favourites, but also good examples of how eclectic, yet upfront the set was.
With 4.30 looming on the horizon, it was the arrival of the final DJs, namely Kevin Energy and Sharkey that signalled the start of the final set of the night. Together with MC Dizzyvibe on the mic, they went for it after The Geos Crew's final tune, giving the surviving diehards in the place a sprint finish.
And boy did they come up with the goods. It was a fantastic set from The Men from Nu Energy, with both of them going out of their way to give everything they had and send the crowd into a Freeform driven frenzy.
Best of all, the fast paced, acid packed tunes were interspersed with plenty of stuff I've not heard out at a rave before, with a nice gabba influenced remix of "Get ****ed" and the Hard mix of CLSM's "Drive away" both getting aired. As well as that, some confirmed favourites were also mixed in, with "Laserbeam Addict" and "Pumpin Religion" being two occasions where I totally lost it.
Finally (if a little prematurely) the set was ended with nothing less than tune which I couldn't identify, but can definitely remember, mostly due to it touching at least 200bpm before finally falling silent.
Things I liked:
Sound system - Even though it was a little subdued when we got there, it was soon in overdrive (and correctly set up according to the system lesson by Wiggi the Soundbwoy) and was as loud as you like. Plenty of bass and lots of clarity with your Hardcore sir? Don't mind if I do.
Ravers - Even though the crowd were predominantly locals, they were just as up for a party as the most dedicated bunch of Hardcore Ravers I've ever met. I was asked where I was from and if I was having a good night by friendly party crew loads of times and never saw any bother throughout the night either. Cant ask for much more than that.
Old Skool MCs - Knight and Charlie B were definitely something to write home about at this rave. Knight coming up with the goods yet again and Charlie B's professional approach to his work (cos he could have taken his fee and gone home) proving they still have got it where it counts.
Lineup - Most raves you go to display a predictable order to their DJ lineups. Up and comings first, then big names only from midnight onwards. This gets worse the bigger the venue you attend. Not here. Here the DJs were picked and put to work throughout the night, regardless of what their status was.
Things I liked less -
Old Skool room - If the Old Skool room was open, the party would have been spread itself too thin as opposed to the nicely full it was. However, I did miss my Old Skool fix that night, it has to be said, especially when Druid was on the lineup.
Closing at 5.30 - That weren't on the flyer, let me tell you. I was well up for 90 minutews of Energy and Sharkey, but had to settle for an hour instead.
Despite the room closures and the early finish, I still had a good time at Hardcore Overload. Even though Bangface the night before has left me more than a little drained, a weekend without Hardcore is no weekend at all. This, as well as a return to The Emporium left me in no doubt as the where I had to be of a saturday night.
Nice varied sets, with a refreshing structure to them, incorporating big names and lesser known DJs without the usual pecking order you would usually find dominating a rave lineup.
This, coupled with a friendly crowd, and blinding tune selection played through the in house (and seriusly loud) soundsystem, left me leaving the venue totally exhausted from a nights raving to my chosen music. The only thing I had to look forward to was an excessively long drive home through appalling weather for my troubles. Wouldn't have had it any other way either.
astraboy.

StickyMicky

was this in a bin shed?

astraboy

http://www.theemporiumuk.com/

astraboy.

Fuzz

does anyone actually read all that.

Andy

T5OLF

iTrader: (4)

Only the sad gits with nothing better to do

Bones Gambino

Where are the pictures??

King RA

I read it.

GrahamG

sod that! its a bloody book!