I managed to make it to Bedlam. I had spent the day puking my guts up but I knew I had to soldier on. Therefore this had to be the first d’n’b/grime/dub gig I have been to absolutely sober. In the loos there were boys being knocked out and girls getting their bitch on whilst the cubicles whispered the sounds of sniffs and whiffs. In the main room, there was a breeding throng of wide eyed ravers. Next to me, a girl had her friend pinned against the front railings. It would've added to the steamy atmosphere if she didn’t bear a resemblance to a hippo.
Feeling slightly faint and dodgy again, I sat down at the edge of the second room to give Trolley Snatcha a listen. Having the vaguest idea of his tracks but the highest recommendations from friends, he successfully whipped me back into a better state with his entertaining mixes and bass drops. I turned to my boyfriend, announced that I approved and awarded him with a kiss.
After that, we moved to the main room and watched “ms dynami-tee-hee” who I saw at Spectrum earlier on this year. She definitely played a better engaging set this time round, including her vintage mainstream hit- Dy-na-mi-tee and my favourite, Wile Out. Despite being repetitive and dragged out, Lady Dynamite heated up the crowd and had them jumping around like popcorn.
Up next was Nero. The level of professionalism, talent and experience suddenly bounced up the scale with aptitude superiority. The DJ skills and clean cut breakbeats were sheer quality. Whenever my stomach and eyes started spinning, the plummet booming bass drops would resuscitate me back to awareness.
After a cigarette and sit down outside, Tempa T skittered on stage, “TEEEMPZZ” the crowd go wild. He spits his bars like a motorbike running on speed and he moves like a hyper active robot. This urban grime scene isn’t everyone’s ‘thang’ but the atmosphere tensed and wheezed under the pressure as the crowd rapped every word to Next Hype. For once I was glad to be extremely sober so I could witness his set to the full.
I staggered around during some of Chase & Status. A decent set with first-rate music but the slight glitch with these guys is that they are overheard, overplayed and somewhat pop with their culture. The mainstream weight makes them relatively dull, never a buzz kill, but never a hit-the-roof-stimulation. Suffering with another wave of nausea, I decided to go home with my boyfriend.