Five years is a long time to be away and a lot can happen over such a period; a change of Government has seen the country at the mercy of David Cameron and his cronies with their age of austerity. Once revered household entertainers would be as welcome in a hospital ward as an outbreak of MRSA and the England Football team….well, I suppose not everything changes.
What certainly has changed though is the landscape of the D&B scene in Bristol, arguably the spiritual city of bass, and the promoters bringing the breakbeat sound to the junglist massive. D- Style Recordings ‘Run’ nights have become the purveyors of the bass heavy sound in the city, with their events becoming a mainstay at the inimitable superclub Motion. Hospitality, of course, has continued to go from strength to strength, introducing an entire generation to the world of rave with their high profile roster and high production values, for many becoming a metonym for the entire scene.
Yet this wasn’t always the case. As anyone who spent the latter part of the last decade magnetised by the scene, sitting on the sofa excitedly opening flyer packs like a child on Christmas morning would tell you, it would surely include a future bedroom wall furnishing promoting the next event from One Nation at the, then, Carling Academy Bristol. With line ups featuring the who’s who of the drum and bass world, for four years the promotion brought the aristocracy of the amen break to the south west, continuing to solidify its national and historic reputation in the region. Then things went quiet…
While the original curators of D&B nights continued to bring the noise for the bass loving masses in other cities, the closest it’s got to returning to Bristol is for the annual colossus Westfest in nearby Shepton Mallet. That’s all about to change on August 9th as Slammin Vinyl have seen fit to bring the legendary brand back to the city and in doing so introducing a whole new generation of ravers to the absolute mayhem a One Nation event provides. It seems they are not taking this task lightly either, with their return to the now O2 Academy featuring a lineup so heavy a tag team partnership of Yokozuna and Andre the Giant would struggle to contain it.
For those familiar with One Nation, they will know to expect heavyweights either side of the decks, with sets from Playaz one and only DJ Hazard with bars from Shabba D, the G Dub collective in all its glory as Original Sin, Taxman & Sub Zero all go back to back with MC Skibadee on microphone duties. The Low Down Deep crew will be in attendance with Majistrate & Logan D as MC’s Eksman & Fatman D drop the verse while the Master of Ceremony appreciation continues with the Shadow Demon Coalition; DJ Sly, Bassman, Trigga & Shaydee promising to bring the roof down along side The Harry Shotta Show. Of course it wouldn’t truly be a One Nation event without Mampi Swift and the lyrical genius of MC IC3 rounding off the main arena alongside Tyke with Felon & Mekar and Macky Gee. If that’s not enough jump up for you well don’t panic, the second arena promises to showcase the best in upcoming drum and bass.
All of this alongside some of the best production values in the industry, its easy to see why Slammin Vinyl & One Nation have built up a reputation that has remained intact longer than many of those who will be in attendance have been alive.
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