Belfast - Taking you Back
Author: Michelle Pirovich
Sunday, December 14, 2003
TranZfusion shot through a few questions to the more senior members of our music scene and heres what they had to say.
What do you miss most about the old skool days-
DJ Slack: I've never much liked the new/old school definition, but I know what you're driving at. For me it was the 'innocence' of the dance scene overall. It's small size & how 'naughty' a lot of the gigs were.
Musically the audacity & courage of the music propelled techno (which has always been an underground style) to rise & challenge mainstream popular music, in a way similar to the early days of the punk & rock scenes... it tapped into 'hedonistic' youthful raw energy, like Elvis, like the Sex Pistols & suddenly urban youth felt they were part of something (uniquely) contemporary that was as rebellious & carefree as their parents generation probably conceived of the music in the 60's.
I miss my first raw impressions when even experiencing music 'joined together' (mixed) for 12 hours was utterly new. I miss the variety of ages & personalities in the early dance crowds... I miss my mates sassing me about these sounds not even being 'music' at all & my own contortions about the validity of electronic music in the early 80's.
I miss the dance communities' confidence to build parties with their hands & the feeling of achievement at building 'stupid' artworks & deliberately setting out to 'confuse people as much as possible.' I miss the trust 'night owls' once had that promoters of parties were in it for 'all our sakes' & not just their own self interest.
Jason Rudeboy: The newness (is that a word) of it all, it was such fun.
Jayse Knipe: The fresh feeling of when the scene was small and new to us. U knew who was on your wave length and who went to these early events. Now it's just in the everyday psychology to go out, get left of centre and party in that way to electronic music.-i.e. (it's now the norm, radio,t.v and movies).
In saying that, I now enjoy watching the new faces discover it, add their own slant to it, and get off on the new sounds evolving through the interaction of these new people. While I'm becoming a bit philosophical here, I feel life would be pretty boring if it stayed the same as the old days, that's why i would have to say Belfast is a great way to relive those memories for a night here and there. Especially when the new music can get a bit lost on some of the punters at bigger parties on new years. New Years should be for good memories. Lets rock!!
Richie Rich: Hmmm, probably the quality of music, good times and well the rest is all good. I try not to dwell on the past and look forward more to the future. Too many people say this was great, I miss this and that. I'm personally over all that. Look ahead I say, look around and see what's up and move forward.
Andrew Marsh: I miss the variety of sounds you could hear at a party in the one room. Also the variety of sounds many DJ's would explore in a set. A time before so many restraints had been put into place about what "genre" it was. With the development and increasing popularity of Dance Music it has understandably gone through vast categorisation, yet I can't help feel that party people and DJ's would have a richer party experience had this categorisation not occurred.
A moment that will live with you always, good or bad.
DJ Slack: The sheer panic of overcrowded warehouses & thinking we were all going to fall through the 'bouncing' floor boards.
Jason Rudeboy: Havin' 4 girlfriends at once.
Jayse Knipe: One New Years eve coming on at the stroke of midnight then being announced as the next DJ. The applause gave me a lump in my throat and< Tags