A simple Fabric takeover may seem like a bit of a step down for Hospital, considering that it was only last September the label sold out the 5000-odd capacity Brixton Academy, but with the Hospitality brand going nationwide over the last couple of years, it was nice to have another London Hospital night, and there was certainly a lot of buzz around this one, despite it coming so soon after Xmas and NYE.
Fabric can really be a hit or miss venue. Either you'll get in nice and early and have a great time wobbling around on Room 1's bouncy floor before crashing in Room 3, or you'll queue for three hours to be groped by security on the way in, become hopelessly confused by the club's bizarrely dysfunctional maps and accidentally wander into the girl's loos, at which point someone's coke-addled boyfriend will punch you in the mouth. Whatever happens, you'll mostly end up having a good time.
Anyway, onwards to the DJs:
Stanza opened in Room 1, with a really good mix of old Hospital tracks, recent D&B anthems and a few newer curve balls. Essentially the standard This Is Drum And Bass sort of mix, but all the better for it and a good warm up for the night ahead.
Next up was S.P.Y., easily one of the strongest contenders for Producer of the Year 2010. Having been on fire throughout the year, I was really looking forward to seeing the Brazilian DJ and he did not disappoint on the night. By Your Side has yet to get old, and when we ambushed the man himself by the merch stand, he seemed like a bloody nice chap, and very impressed by the response the track has been getting over the past year.
S.P.Y doesn't get all of the Room 1 glory however, as Nu:Tone's subsequent set more than kept the energy going. Gotta give a nod to Natalie Williams' magnificent vocal work as well, and hearing the Room 1 crowd singing along to System was strangely beautiful, although sonically pretty damn horrible. Dan Gresham's new album is hitting the streets at the end of February, and from the stuff he's been dropping recently, it's gonna be good.
Other Takeover highlights were Joe Syntax, who kept things fixed well into the deep end in Room 3, along with London Elektricity, whose Room 3 Med School set reminded everyone that drum and bass is serious business. At 2.00 - 3.30, Blu Mar Ten were perfect for a battery recharge ahead of Cyantific's incredible Room 1 onslaught, and I urge you to check their promo mix if you haven't already done so. Rounding off the evening were Sigma, who pulled the trigger on the night with a heavy final set.
All in all, a fantastic night of D&B. See you at Hospitality Brixton in April.
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