- With headliners and even supporting acts pushing the boundaries of a huge number of genres, fabric persistently defies expectations and effortlessly evades the feeling of predictability that haunts some of its rivals. Michael Mayer and Steffi's recent appearance was no exception, with a strong set of support on offer from the very moment the club opened its doors. For me, there was no choice other than to get to Farringdon and get dancing early. I decided to start the night in the intimate Room 3, only to find myself still there, without any desire to leave, when the last record was played six hours later. Things started deep and slow, with Virginia's selections providing an enticing yet restrained opening, which set the tone perfectly for John Daly's live set. Taking both the tempo and the tension up a gear, Daly navigated his way through a relentlessly intelligent yet thoroughly danceable hour.
Firmly rooted around classic house (which is a somewhat unfamiliar sound in fabric, despite its recent near-dominance elsewhere), Steffi's song selections and impeccable mixing raised the bar further. Even her oldest tracks sounded fresh, alive and relevant. Laced throughout the set were a number of tracks from Steffi's Yours and Mine album, for which Virginia provided her unique and haunting vocals live. Although the levels took a little while to perfect, Virginia's performances were consistently excellent and brought a very personal feel to the proceedings. A brief back-to-back, including an encore of "Reasons" (with Virginia again providing live vocals) brought the collaborative efforts in Room 3 to an emotionally charged conclusion.
By this time, Michael Mayer was in control of Room 1, so I decided to end my night there. Exhibiting a remarkably diverse sound that spanned a vast array of styles, Mayer pieced together a thoughtful and structured journey through the darker emotions rife at dawn. Although numbers had thinned considerably, the remaining crowd were receptive and keen to go where Mayer dared. Although numbers in the club on this weekend didn't reach the intensity of other nights this past month, I sometimes feel that the quieter nights at fabric are the ones where the music really has a chance to take center stage. This was most definitely one of those nights.