- As the dark evenings close in, many might have chosen to wind down after yet another hectic summer. But to say "It's all over for another year" would be foolhardy, as a quick glance at some upcoming gigs will tell you there’s still some great nights on the horizon. It's not often you get the pedigree of Dave Clarke and Joris Voorn on the same bill on this side of the Irish Sea, and with that in mind I jumped on a train to Belfast to sample the nightlife of this vibrant city.
The rain poured down as many queued to enter Shine at Mandela Hall, but inside Joris Voorn, playing the early set, had the main room packed with eager-eyed dancers. The Flying Dutchman proved why his swift rise up the techno ranks has not been a flash in the pan. Big-room club techno seemed to be the theme: Joris ditched his more melodic tones and built a solid groove with his own tracks ('MPX 309', 'Shining' and 'Dec Trec'). His 'Incident' anthem (now so familiar) got a big cheer, but he got an even bigger one by dropping New Order's 'Blue Monday' – major exultation from the crowd. Voorn himself got a bit worked up himself too, taking to pogoing behind the decks.
With his task effectively over, Joris wound up his set with Dave Clarke's remix of Faithless' 'We Come One', a timely mark of respect for Clarke, who was readying himself for battle. With the changeover complete and the SL1200 CD decks now the preferred choice, the Dark Lord didn't take long to concoct some foul noise - a distinct move away from Voorn's more friendly grooves.
Surging forth with aggressive, unsettling techno, Clarke was on a mission and not hangin’ round for any slackers, who, dispelled by the menace a-brewing, had indeed by now ran for the cloakroom. Tracks from Major Rush and 'Bang That Shit' from DJ Urban pummeled the masses and at one point I decided to take a breather and find a less populated part of the club.
In another room Alan Simms and residents were providing some undemanding techy vibes, so I chilled there for a while. Pendulum was slammin’ out the drum n bass upstairs, which I avoided at all costs, opting to venture back into the cauldron for another sonic assault.
The hedonism had not waned. Clarke was smashing the room with a heavy hand – DJ Hell's 'Like That', Mills' 'The Extremist' and Joey Beltram's 'Gameform' all got done up like kippers – did these mere mortals expect to survive such an onslaught?
A slight lull signalled that Clarke was saving some for the finish and we got some booty shakin' Ghetto Tek for all the homeboys and fly girls. Time was running out, but Clarke upped the pressure, managing to finish with a jaw-dropping finale, working the efx as the Matrix Pioneer groaned like an animal being slowly killed. Many were lost for words at the end, but when the dust settled, they roared for another record - but alas time had beaten us. Clarke thanked the crowd repeatedly and was escorted away - his work was done here.
So a great evening’s entertainment for any techno lover at Shine. Voorn made his debut at night and Clarke, as always, played it up for Shine. I've seen Dave Clarke DJ a number of times and this blitzkrieg ranks up there as one of his best - I shit you not!
Thanks to Orla and Alan @ Shine, and also to Joris and Ashley for their help.