- It was the week before Christmas and, across the country, people were well and truly in the party spirit. And following their sell-out event back in August, the 20:20 Vision crew had done it again, bringing a line-up composed of man-of-the-moment Tensnake, live veterans Crazy P Soundsystem and Lindstrom, as well as Mr. 20:20 Vision himself, Ralph Lawson, in addition to the recent RA podcaster jozif and guests from Mancunian tech-house night Micron.
Photo credit: So Hasegawa
Temperatures were well into sub zero territory by Saturday evening with snow and ice crunching underfoot, but the treacherous weather didn't stop the queues snaking down the street outside the refurbished Victorian warehouse, otherwise known as Village Underground. The venue stood on an unassuming side road not far from the bright lights of Shoreditch High Street, and upon entering one was faced with a vast expanse of exposed brick, high ceilings and a Funktion One soundsystem (brought in special for the occasion) which had been nicely warmed up by the Micron lads, and was currently being employed by jozif.
It had been announced that sadly due to flight cancellations Lindstrom was unable to make the event, however extended sets from Lawson and Crazy P more than made up for the gap. By the time Chris and Jim, AKA Crazy P Soundsystem, arrived on stage with a special appearance from Danielle Moore (a knockout in red Lycra and lace), the crowd appeared to be well-oiled and suitably rowdy. The band's blend of disco, soul and house wound around Moore's hypnotic vocals and by the time they had belted out tracks from various albums of the past decade and beyond, there was truly an air of festive cheer and merriment. It was then time for Lawson to attend to the decks, and he obliged with a set that informed the people of Village Underground that he wasn't mucking about. Lawson's attentive audience stomped through two hours of pure unadulterated house music; taking it from the deepest avenues through to full-on air punching territory as the night drew on.
By 3 AM, spirits and people were high throughout the venue and thoughts of the cold dark night outside seemed a million miles away. This was the moment that Tensnake took to the stage, armed with the tools to craft a perfectly formed live set. Sixty minutes was ample time, as he threw down his delectable disco tinged house anthems, taking punters on a trip from "Congolal" through to "Holding Back My Love" via "In the End (I Want You to Cry)." He even threw in his so-deep-you-could-swim-in-it remix of Jonny Dynell's "Jam Hot," and, before you could say peak-time-anthem, the unforgettable chimes of "Coma Cat" came bouncing off the brickwork, taking clubbers back to the balmy air of Ibiza terraces and festivals at dusk.
Photo credit: So Hasegawa
And so the final two hours pressed on and Lawson returned to the stage, ensuring that those hardcore enough to last the duration remained enthusiastically locked into his groove until London based Danny Raper smashed out the final tunes of the evening. As 6 AM rolled around, a quick scan of the disheveled but smiling crowd proved that another 20:20 vision party had been a success. An excellent sound system, diverse music and a warm atmosphere isn't always easy to find in the sprawling clubs of East London. Here's hoping they can top it in 2011.