- Although it's a topic that's done to death over and over again throughout the course of any of our British 'summers', the weather is undoubtedly a make-or-break factor for any outdoor event. Glasto was good this year because it somehow avoided its usual biblical tide, Field Day would have been less disappointing if it was sunny and it might be said that Glade's luck in this area has helped it escape the credit-crunching fate of many of its peers. And with the amount of outdoor events (Eastern Electrics, SW4, Notting Hill Carnival, Secretsundaze, etc.) going on over Bank Holiday weekend, all eyes were on the skies. All of mine were, at least.
Luckily, we were blessed with no rain, and even bits of sunshine. Which was great news, because I didn't fancy getting drenched while listening to Carl Craig, one of the most exciting Secretsundaze guests of this year, legendary as he is for his role in wave numero dos of Detroit techno. So as we passed the polite, professional door staff (yes, really—all bouncers should be like these guys) and went into the converted car park, which was decorated with plants for a Balearic vibe, I was quite excited to have found one of the few Secretsundazes in London this year for which the weather was good.
Keith Worthy's set was the afternoon's soundtrack, starting off with South American imbued techno, full of congas and samba rhythms, and evolving through a range of different styles; moving on to synthier Detroit stuff, then getting a bit techier and then onto some more blissed-out, chilled/trance style material. A highlight was Tiger Stripes' remix of Sunshine Jones' “If You Wouldn't Mind,” deep and hypnotic, although something was definitely lost in the fairly low volume levels. The venue was nestled among City office blocks, and although the main backdrop was the nearby rail arches, setting the party more in a chic little pocket of industrial London than in modern Bankersville, it was clear that the noise levels were an issue—detail was lost and the difference in clarity between outside and inside was great. Cheers arose as Worthy pushed the kick up into more familiar decibel numbers, but such hedonism was, unfortunately, short-lived.
Craig ushered in the sunset, as the party transformed into a deeper experience, with lighting that any festival would be proud of. A row of round pastel lights lit up one side of the courtyard, and neon greens and pinks shone around the railway bridge. Immediately pushing things up a notch at the beginning, his set was more pumping and techy than Worthy's, which was somewhat surprising considering the mellow nature of some of his productions. It also had a more classic feel to it; Craig dropped a remix of Heavy D's “Now That We Found Love,” which pretty much stopped everyone dancing, although this was a sore thumb amongst a flowing set. He brought things down in the middle, bringing out the bass for a while and building it back up with more subtle, toned-down stuff, including his remix of Theo Parrish's “Falling Up.”
Basically, a really good way to spend a Sunday afternoon. The courtyard was a bit rammed, and although largely friendly, the crowd certainly consisted of those who were more concerned about looking cool than listening to some great music (please, people, sunglasses are for when it's sunny, not at night); but Secretsundaze have definitely got a good thing going on: I'm waiting for a scorcher next year, to really get the best of what they're about.