- It says a lot about the crowd at a party when the track IDs come flying in to the Facebook event page only hours after closing time. In the past five years, Dirtytalk has established itself as a jewel of Bristol's club scene, consistently delivering impeccable bookings and unparalleled venue choices. In part, it's the illicit nature of many of these spaces that has inspired such devotion from their audience, from the much-missed Motorcycle Showrooms and a subterranean rave cave run by bikers, to their most recent choice, a space that normally caters to swingers in a shadowy corner of East Bristol.
Saturday night's spot neatly echoed the ethos of Dirtytalk's liberal, polysexual crowd. The walls were garishly daubed in fluorescent graffiti, there were multiple chequerboards dotted about the place. In the BDSM room-turned-smoking area, a ramshackle cross hung attached to a wall. The decor created an air of absurdity that felt right at home in Bristol. But the venue is only part of the picture—the organisers' music taste and particular approach is what gives Dirtytalk its unique atmosphere.
The residents kicked off proceedings, veering between simmering disco, '80s dub and slower warm-up fare. It was telling that even in the music's more daring moments the early arrivers were ready to respond, showing complete trust in the selectors. By the time the night's guests—Public Possession proprietors Marvin & Valentino—stepped up to the decks, the room was packed and the vibe had been lifted to a peppy, Chicago-powered thump.
The Munich pair followed a similar path to the residents, working in an eclectic range of 4/4 party music that reached from classic '70s burners right up to contemporary deep house jams. Rather than compartmentalising these different sounds and styles, a loose approach and the luxury of a long set gave them plenty of chances to switch up the mood. Their DJ style naturally reflects the tastes of their label: serious where it counts, but with a healthy dose of irreverence to keep things fun.
Saturday was a busy night for good, small parties in Bristol, and Public Possession regular Bell Towers was also in town. He showed up late at Dirtytalk, joining the two label bosses behind the decks for the twilight hours. It's worth noting that, compared to other parties in Bristol, the size of the crowd seemed barely dented even as the lights came up. At 6 AM, the surly skinheads running the venue shepherded the dazed and delighted dancers out onto a desolate street in a dead end neighbourhood. Dirtytalk are careful not to overuse these special spots for fear of dulling their impact (and no doubt for some practical reasons too), but as long as they continue to exercise such keen creative instinct in where they party and who they invite to play, they're likely to remain one of the brightest lights in a city teeming with clubbing options.