Break the Boat & After Party (Platform 12), London

Saturday 2nd October

The Thames, London, 9pm-2am
Krafty Kuts, Clive Morley, Steve Soprano, Glen Holder

...Followed by...

33-35 Commercial Rd, Aldgate East, 2am-8am
Krafty Kuts, Soto, Santos, Madox, Glen Holder, Steve Soprano & Steve Mac

Thank god for the spirit of ambition. If it was not for the fact that I was meeting a friend of a friend about a potential gig...I may have missed what turned out to be without exception or hesitation, my favourite night in London yet. Those of you who are up to date with my adventures in London town thus far will be aware that I have had no shortage of fun since my arrival. Even if there was an army of superlatives lined up down the proverbial street awaiting my literary command, I have a sneaking suspicion that I would find it a challenge to convey the experience as effectively as I would like to.

It all started in a vibrant little river side establishment whose name escapes me. It was from this moment onwards that I started to get overwhelming waves of a feeling akin to deja vu. It gradually dawned on me that it possibly had something to do with the fact that the Australians outnumbered all other nationalities roughly 9 to 1. Nice one! This set the tone for a night that was characterized largely by the genuine friendliness of the people and above all the absolute devotion to the music (Aussies just love their breakbeat!) For me, that is always the clincher. Sharing the love of breakbeat creates an unspoken yet potent connection amongst the peeps and that is what it is all about.

So, to the boat...the early hint of winter was refreshing as we wandered down the shore, and the looming facade of the Tower of London gave things an ethereal sense of anticipation. There were so many people there! I was impressed from the word go by the turnout.

Before long we were all on board and those first few delightful beats were thumping happily away as the boat set sail down the Thames. New Zealand's own Steve Soprano was first up and he served a delightful medley of just the right warm up tracks. The warm up slot is always a challenge and Steve's smooth mixes and balmy conveyance hit the spot nicely. Next up was Glen Holder. I have developed a deeper appreciation of house in recent months; especially that mad funk fuelled French action, a la Martin Solveig. Glen did it really well, kept the vibe high and created a nice tension release kind of thing for the breaks die-hards. He was also quite clearly having a whale of a time and was not afraid to show it. I always appreciate that in a DJ.

Enter the man. What an incredible DJ. Krafty just busts out with dope tracks every single time. Sprinkled with familiar, frenzy provoking samples and a flurry of fat classics. He aroused such sheer exhilaration amongst the crowd that they were sweating, leaping, and pelting the roof in a hilarious circus-like display of fervour and madness, previously unparalleled in my experience with this town (and that is saying something). Hmmm, Australian contingent- Yeah anyway...at this point I have to say that Krafty Kuts is without a doubt king of the party rockin' DJ world.

So, on a ridiculously high note, Clive Morley hit the decks. If anyone is a hard act to follow, it is Krafty. Clive quickly proved that he has no reason to feel intimidated. Relentless with his dynamic and spirited feel good action, he brought the party home with an infectious good energy that reverberated throughout the boat and lingered tenaciously with the punters as they happily stumbled though the streets in search of the after party.

Who doesn't love a strange ass warehouse party, complete with random wall hangings akin to an Egyptian restaurant and bartenders who appear to be crazier than the punters. Always a fan of chicks on decks, I was well impressed by SOTO, DJ extraordinaire and label manager of Botchit & Scarper, who was rocking the party when I walked in the door.

After endless hours of br