- The story of this year for London's nightlife has been one of helpless licensees and heroic promoters. Amidst growing concern from the council about the effects of nightlife on residents of areas like Shoreditch, Dalston and Stoke Newington, a number of venues have experienced temporary and then permanent closures. Politics aside, the shoulders on which the burden of these measures fall is typically the venue, and then the promoters involved in nights held there. So when Red Gallery was deemed out of bounds to two parties that were due to take place in the premises on Friday and Saturday of a recent bank holiday, the promoters involved were forced to take evasive action. One of those promoters was Krush, and they succeeded in pulling off an exceptional party despite the challenges they faced.
Village Underground is a former Victorian warehouse that towers above Shoreditch. Over the coming months it will house everything from operas to a three-day residency from DJ Shadow. Krush managed to secure the venue at the last minute to house a well-chosen selection of DJs, with Deetron of Intec, Music Man and Circus Company fame, and Mathew Jonson of Minus and Wagon Repair locked in. Nina Kraviz was also billed to play but sadly experienced some problems with her visa.
I hadn't visited Village Underground before and the first impression on entering is quite dramatic. The sheer height of the interior housed under a glass roof, which plunges towards the back of the venue, is breathtaking. The sound system had been installed for the night so as to create a dance floor with four corners, and created a pleasant booming effect when coupled with the tall ceilings. Resident Nikos warmed up with some pleasant toe-tapping techno, opting for a straightforward tech house groove. Deetron then appeared around 1 AM, and immediately began building the foundations of a superb set, with Marco Passarani's recent Running Back epic "White Dwarf" amongst the tracks dropped. Deetron's ten years in the game are evident in the way he expertly programmes the music, constantly shifting up a gear and maintaining the tension.
Deetron finished on a high note and paved the way for Jonson's live set. Armed with a Roland TR-909, a 36-channel analogue mixing desk and a laptop he proceeded to reel off exclusive live jams of tracks like "Marionette." The crowd responded well to his tweaking of the drums and gradual aquaplaning between the different motifs. This particular brand of techno has certainly had its heyday, but nevertheless still manages to hypnotize crowds. All in all, it was a superbly put together night, and proof that the show, in the right hands, will always go on.