I'm currently working on getting pictures & things sorted from this event, there was a photographer buzzing around all night so hopefully there will be some cool snaps to share soon.
Now for my traditionally irreverent report...
I knew that the day in question was gona be a pretty hectic one to say the least. My set time was confirmed as being early (not usually a problem) which meant a real headache as Wolves home game with Man Utd (you were lucky Marty before you even start!) was moved back to 5.30pm kick off for TV purposes. This ensured that I would literally have to dash from the game straight onto the motorway & then into the club to make my set time.
Thankfully a good friend (Millard – who sometimes uses this forum) was on hand to help me out. My loyal car of seven years has finally had enough of me driving it like a bad-boy (not to mention all the gigs I have travelled to, Darlington, Plymouth, London about 20 times + more) & so I am technically ‘between cars’ right now. Mr Millard kindly offered to be my chauffer for the evening & so picked me up immediately after the match meaning we were on the road pretty sharpish.
The journey to Coalville is one I know extremely well now as this was to be my fourth booking at PaSSion in the last eighteen months or so, hence we made it there it excellent time despite those chronically laborious ‘average speed checks’ doing their best to stunt our progress. I have ranted about them before & will do so again, but that’s for another thread (mainly cos I want Briggsy involved – the boy can rant!)
The event as I’m sure you're aware was to mark 15 years of PaSSion. It really is a stunning achievement when you consider everything the club has gone through and of course its location. For those of you that haven’t been to Coalville it is a tiny little market town, pretty much in the middle of nowhere. To have an event of such magnitude and social relevance in such a tiny place is cause for celebration alone!
Before I start going all gooey on you I will just quantify that PaSSion is without doubt one of the best events I have ever been to (either as DJ or clubber) & it’s always such a buzz to play there. If you still haven’t been get yourself along!
Despite playing at PaSSion thrice previously this event was a night of firsts for yours truly.
First off I was playing in the club’s ‘Red Room’ arena. The Red Room is the second largest of the rooms in the club & one I had never even set foot in previously (having played the main Blue Room & the smaller White Room on all previous visits). The arena was most impressive with a huge dance-floor, strategically placed poles (Simon would have loved those – I can tell), a large well stocked bar (which took a good hammering by the start of inebriation on show) and a fantastic, centrally located DJ booth.
The booth was simply laid out but plenty big enough (which was most handy as you’ll find out shortly) & contained all the essentials; 2 x CDJ1000, a DJM 600 & a Pioneer EFX 100 unit. I love the Pioneer mixers and swear by them so this was warmly received, it was also the first time I got to mess around with the EFX unit & I have to say it’s an awesome piece of kit, AJ Hutch & I were like kids with a new toy messing around with the features on it – something I hope to get to use again soon.
Anyway on to the second of the ‘firsts’, due to the inordinately huge line-up a good deal of the DJs on show were playing ‘back-to-back’ & I was no exception. Fortunately I was booked to DJ alongside Robert Glenn (& not some total random). Rob & I are good mates & have a pretty similar sound, Rob has also guest hosted my show & provided some stunning guest mixes so it was an easy fit. Following a discussion on Friday we formulated a rough plan of how this was going to work.
I have to say that it was a real blast playing back-to-back & something which Rob & I are exploring for future gigs, our styles gelled really well together & we both enjoyed the experience, the only disappointment was that we only got an hour long set (we’re planning some Sasha & Digweed style 5 hour ones soon though so don’t fret)
Playing the opening set is something which I personally relish, it allows one to dictate terms, so to speak, & set the tone for the entire evening. There’s only so much ‘set building’ you can do in sixty minutes but it seemed to go across well & our room filled nicely as the set wore on.
I’ve not spoken to Rob extensively yet to confirm a full tracklist but this is pretty much how it went…
01. ID
02. ID
03. Sergio Fernandez ‘On Fire’ (DJ Remy Remix) [Baroque]
04. Andrea Bertolini ‘Speedmaster’ (Magitman Part 2 Remix) [Echoes]
05. Paul Thomas & Myke Smith ‘The Frog’ [Baroque]
06. ID
07. Blake Jarrell ‘Galapagos’ [EE]
08. Harry Brown ‘Name Dropping’ (Russell G & Steve Haines Remix) [Beneath]
09. Chris Lake & Michael Woods ‘Domino’s’ [Rising]
10. ID
11. Pryda ‘Europa’ [Pryda]
All of the ID tracks were played by Mr. Glenn so you’ll have to excuse me not knowing them – still you get the idea
Unfortunately unlike all of my previous PaSSion sets this one was not recorded. With all the pre-gig hassle going on I really didn’t have time to see to it but I plan on continuing my habit of recording my future gigs for use on the show.
Upon the completion of our set I decided it best to hit the bar & then, as all good DJs know, to network (or translated drunkenly talk to any other jocks or promoters I could find).
The final ‘first’ for this event was my first foray into the PaSSion VIP area, I managed to blag Millard a band & we brushed past the plebs and into our ivory tower of privilege for the evening, or something like that.
The VIP was pretty cool as it was basically a cordoned off balcony which is normally open to all. It wasn’t a free bar but as part of the fee for the evening I had diva-esque requested some free booze so helped myself for a brief period before reality set in & I realised I wasn’t famous, no-one knows who I am & that I would have to pay for my beers from then on, still it was good while it lasted.
The VIP was cool to get a feel for how the night was going and bloody hell the place was rammed! I’d never seen it so busy. I got chatting to some fellow DJs and friends who I had arranged to meet there & we enjoyed the final part of Jon O’Bir’s set. Anyone that knows me will testify to how highly I regard Jon from his Godskitchen days & his set was another fine performance.
Sied Van Riel was up next & I was most impressed with his opening few tunes, he got the vibe just right & got people moving without smashing it out, perfect warm-up for those to follow. At this point we decided to wonder a little though & checked out Hutch’s set – magnificent stuff, he termed it ‘psy-prog’ be on the look out for that term on beatport soon!
After Hutch’s set we made our way back into the rammed mainroom for Marco V. Back in 2004 Marco V was awesome (I could have made an awful pun there and said Godd but didn’t, make sure you note that). I was looking forward to seeing how he played as I haven’t checked him out for ages (since he changed it up and abandoned the type of tunes I loved him for). We saw his opening few tunes which were cool, ‘Unprepared’ sounded awesome, but then it drifted so I headed to the White Room to see two of my peers Tom Green & SWAP. These lads are future stars (and definitely future divas) & their set was perfect for the time they played, they had the room going off all the way through despite clashing with one of the headliners. ‘Sky Falls Down’ was particularly huge (yes Briggs people do like it
).
Marco was playing for two hours so we enjoyed the rest of his set (mainly from the VIP) & I was definitely impressed. Not the Marco V of old but it was a good set, ‘Music Matters’ by Faithless sounded awesome in its Mark Knight remix form & some of his own tracks from the new album went across very, very well. The only downer was that complete piece of garbage ‘Red, Blue, Purple’ which just isn’t very good. Of all the classics he could have played he chose that! Not impressed! Where was Indicator, Atlanta, Loops & Tings, Automanual, I Feel You, etc, etc.
After Marco it was time for Giuseppe Ottaviani. I’ve shared the bill with Giuseppe before & his live shows always seem to rock, people loved it & there were some fantastic tracks played NU-NRG ‘Casino’ sounded cool but I personally felt it lacked a big finish, we wondered around during the latter part of his set & checked out some action back in the Red Room which was packed & definitely rocking!
Jules was on after Giuseppe and bounced his way into the club. I’ve not seen Jules play for a good while so didn’t really know what to expect but regardless of how much I rate him anymore or how cheesy some of his tunes are, the guy is a total legend. He was more energetic than everyone else put together & was clearly bang up for it. Tunage wise it wasn’t really my bag but the room was chocked full & people were really into it so it has to rank as a success.
I moved back into the Red Room after a while to check out some Activa. Rob is a complete legend and was destroying the place, I’ve seen him a few times now & he always impresses yet doesn’t seem to get the props a lot of lesser DJs get.
At this point I was pretty intoxicated from the vast quantity of Budweiser I had consumed but was beginning to feel pretty tired. The fact that I had to be up at 7.45am the next day to drop my brother off for a field trip probably played on my mind & so we left around 4.30(ish) making our way home.
Sod’s law dictated that the M6 was shut seemingly only for the junctions we had to use so a slight detour later and we were on the right track. I must apologise to Millard as well as just after passing through Oldbury (near Birmingham) I could hold my eyes open no longer & dozed off, being woken up on the run into my home town. It was just after 5.30 when I got in and with the alarm set for 7.30 I wasted no time in passing straight out, waking up at such a time on any Sunday should be considered heresy but after a big night it was downright torture, still I’m sat here at work now half-asleep but all worth it.
I’ll try & get some pics up soon
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BTW, nice picture of Jules. 
