Flashback
Xmas Mash up 2001
The Que Club
Birmingham
Saturday 1st December 2001

Storming!!!!

What an unbelievable night the flashback crew had for us!!
Again flashback was sold out selling all 2500 tickets in advance. Arriving at the Que the was the nice friendly queue of ravers eagerly waiting to party tonight. Arriving at 8:30 the queue started to build up. The doors didn't open until 10 entering the main arena was a full on visual attack. The production set out here was amazing with the large inflatables covering the ceiling of the old Methodist church. The large video screens on stage telling the party what time the DJ's were playing in the main and the lasers spelling out DJ's names. Of course you had the side rooms which tonight were hosted by North and Trauma.

The drum'n'bass room was well kitted out being DJ Ratty's own event, the stage looked like some futurist with all the pipes and silver cladding there.
Up first was DJ Pilgrim playing some well early Rave anthems to get the crowd hyped up. The dance floor was filling in steadily, the style of pilgrim's selection was well stompy.

I thought I'd check out some of the different arena's and well and behold playing first at last minute notice was DJ Xlr8 playing really hard techno upfront and well fast. In the drum'n'bass room was DJ Buzzy this set was dark rumbling baselines and distorted drumbeats, which well you couldn't just stand there and listen, now could you!!!

Back to the main arena and well it was rammed up next was Mistress Mo very similar to DJ Pilgrim but a bit later stuff playing the classics including shades or rhythm's sound of Eden and also Mickey Finn's bitin back!!
The crowd was a bit different the normal flashback faithful we have seen in the past a lot of house head's people in shirts, shoes and trousers I think with the release of certain albums in the last month has brought a couple of these people here tonight but would we be seeing them here once the bar stops serving alcohol?
I think not.
After mo finished her set it was the time for DJ's Phatasy and Gemini this set was something different to the flashback experience both of them making their debut's at flashback. The set was really interesting, wicked tunes being played out including hippodrome, living in darkness. MC Long john started to mc using all of his brother lyrics and rhymes you just really had to laugh at some of the stuff he was saying. I looked on stage and couldn't believe who I seen the one and only mc Storm he was here a bit early I thought to myself he was suppose to be mcin for Dougal but he ripped up the que club when he got on the mic.

He was really enjoying himself hyping up the crowd with his unique style and the crowd giving their response. A lot of people just stood there and starred in amazement at this vocal abilities his mouth scratching is second to none and people couldn't believe what he is able to do with the mic is amazing. After the blinding performance of storm it was Nicky blackmarket i've been waiting along time to hear Nicky blackmarket's oldskool hardcore sets at flashback and it was well worth the wait mc Lenni was mcin for Nicky.

The set was amazing he played the original bad boy plus a host of other's I think he even played on my own as well, you could tell from Nicky's expression on his face that he was really enjoying himself at the Que club. Out one rude boy into another Ray Keith bloody hell what a stormer of a set. Tune after tune this set was one to blow you away the original Dread just playing all the classics to get to brocking, worries in the dance this way, pulp fiction chopper. Of course you cant be ray Keith and not play the all time jungle classic Dark soldier.

He rounded the set with Tnt's 2 Degrees. With Lenni on the mic just complemented Ray Keith's set really well. Who ever thought you'd be hearing mc to jungle drum'n'bass no other than mc storm he just rocked 2 degrees with his own style. Well with storm on the mic you know it's time for Dougal!!!

Dougal's set was really one of the best set's i've heard at flashback for a very long time. He started off with the oldskool panic force mass motion keeping it happy through and through his. His set was more 95-97 hardcore well happy hardcore the way I love. Nice and happy there were a lot of tunes that he played which I have not heard for a very very long time played out at raves. I felt I was taken back in time to when I first started to listen to happy hardcore. The buzz from the tunes was amazing playing tunes such as Keep on trying, my way, force and styles shining down and of course pretty green eyes. It was really nice to see so many people singing to all these classics in the que club.

I think that flashback's following has grown from strength to strength and with DJ's such as Dougal and mc storm bringing a new dimension to the flashback experience. Even some of the die hard junglst's were giving it a rinse out. MC Storm really was loving this set with Dougal playing all the happy classics and of course to finish the set we had a next generation classic Shooting star!! Who ever thought that you'd hear shooting star in the main arena at the que club??

Well last set of the evening was the headliners, with the godfather of hardcore Slipmatt accompanied by no other than Lime and Jay J we had SL2.
The set started with an old house classic Move your body the set started off really well plenty of oldskool anthems to keep you raving till the break of dawn. Well I thought I'd just quickly nip out to catch the queen of the jungle DJ Rap.

The room was buzzing inside the Jungle room lots of people brocking out giving it all they had. She played out one hell of a dark to end her set a tune which feature on Slammin vinyl's website this tune is extremely dark and not for the faint heart, a real contrast to Dougal's set. Well back into the main room and SL2 were still rocking it, SL2 to me have always comprised of Slipmatt , Lime and Jay J.

MC Jay j is one of my fave oldskool mc's but I dint like the fact that mc's that are not part of SL2 were mcin especially when they are bad mc's and should even be allowed a microphone. Well I'm hear for the music but this set was still darn good, Slipmatt again played the remix of out of space which I still don't like. Nice to see Mistress mo Raving on the stage well they ended the night with Baby D's you guessed it Let me be your Fantasy and Your love.
All in all this has been one of my fave flashbacks.

The line-up was second to none and the production was amazing, it has to be said the standard has been set. I really didn't leave the main all night, in my personal opinion this has been my best flashback for the past 2 years.

Well there's a 3-month wait till the next flashback in February.
Well its been an interesting year for the flashback grew as I've seen this event grown from strength to strength and I got a feeling its gone get better.

Big big shouts to; Mistress Mo and Jimmy for making this one of my memorable nights at the Que club. Also big shouts to Ed, Wilson, Chedda Happy birthday mate, Karris, Zoe + Collete, Andy, Storm, Dougal, Lenni and all the rest of the flashback crew those who's names I've forgetton but for some reason you know mine.