After an 11 month break since our last event at Sahara nights, Hentucky Breaks was back at a new venue and a new ideology. A free and easy good times night was on the agenda with the idea just to raise awareness for Hentucky Breaks. Since our change of ideas from focusing on our own projects as opposed to just solely support other causes (namely Teenage Cancer Trust who we still send our support to), I've decided to put on a series of free parties to raise awareness of this change. Well unfortunately due to an untimely move to Canada in June which will last until early next year this will be the last event, but hope may still be there if I can get a proxy to run the nights on my behalf. Also I'll look into seeing if there might be a bit of Hentucky Canada going on whilst I'm out there and with continual updates from my end all is not lost anyway (well until my return in February 2007).
The night itself
It was an early start for Hentucky, mainly aiming at an after work type crowd and maybe a few early starting alcoholics/students. I got in there and set up my stuff. Unfortunately the projector wasn't compatible with my laptop due to not having the correct lead (schoolboy error) so we had to make do with a photo CD on a DVD player and a random Elvis DVD? Not sure about that one but hey ho. After around a month of drunken celibacy I broke my dry spell in true South London style. A pint of Red Stripe. Though unsurprisingly that would be the start of where it would all go down hill, in terms of sobriety anyway.
First in
First people on the attendance registrar was the FTP 'massive.' Special props going to Ambrose who was out to make mockery of the 2-4-1 deal going on the night straight from the start; though to be fair that dogma applied to most of the people who where in the venue that night. From around 7ish onwards it started to fill out, and with Junior James just hanging around we decided for him to go on the decks. This is where we (as in the DJs) started to experience major problems with the sound system. The monitors kept on cutting out, and the mixer was just a big pile of shite. Seriously a pirate radio station run by 12 year olds in the kitchen of their local crack den wouldn't even use that mixer. But as a DJ you would have to solder on, meaning that beat mixing/scratching wouldn't be on the agenda all night. Thankfully it was a purely 80s selection so no one shouldn't really have noticed.
As time drew on, more and more people where turning up. With a few birthdays going on (Happy Birthday to Dave, Lara and Iffy) and the holiday mood of Easter, I guess people where more forthcoming to attend a midweek night. Though as I did state this was like a Thursday, and as Thursday is the new Friday then it was definitely the most happening night of the week to be seen out at. Actually thinking of it… 2-4-1 springs back into my mind and might have been the seal on the deal.
James played a fantastic soul/funk/hip hop set, getting people grooving and bopping for the night ahead. He was playing a good representation of the era, and as the intention was not to flood the night purely of power ballads and pop anthems. It was after 8 that David aka The Dangerous Kid would show his head. I was currently on a rotation of 3 drinks (which was to peak at 6 at one point) and wasn't really in a fit state to do anything. Now who was that saying that we aren't professional at Hentucky Breaks hey?
I want to hear Madonna
Dangerous Kid came on at around 9ish to play the more upfront 80s selection with a few underground tracks thrown in for good measure. With amusing incidents on the back of that drunken office party and the woman who hadn't gone out in 8 months (so said her overly apologising sober friend) and was on a mission to piss everyone off. It was all in good faith, but she constantly asked for Madonna, and when David finally played Madonna she didn't like it. Sorry love I think you left your Lithium prescription at home. Still it was all in jest, she was drunk and well the majority of the people where anyway so let the good times roll.
As the horrendously bad mixer/system was playing up Dangerous Kid battled on and got into it nicely with a few sing-a-long moments. I stepped on the decks eventually and dropped a couple of tracks in good measure. The Hentucky anthem being Simple Minds - Don't You being the choice track. I tried a bit of scratching but to be honest I was probably doing more harm than good so handed back to David where I went b2b with DJ Gin and MC Lemonade. I think when David dropped "Wanna Dance with Somebody" it was that point I think everyone got their arse shaking groove on. It was this point that even that annoying drunk woman finally accepted defeat and got some shakes on. I tried a bit of 'Hybrid' Salsa with Marcie which sounds even worse than it's written as, but who cares I was post-retro-pre-ironic…obviously.
Final Thoughts
All in all it was a superb night. I was impressed by the turn out, it wasn't too packed but it wasn't empty. Even though the sound system was pissing off all the DJs, the crowd didn't mind too much. Though the sound level could have been higher, but thanks to the councils imposed environmental laws we could only go as high as the limiter dictated unfortunately. But all that aside people where drinking, laughing, talking and dancing. What more could you really ask for on a night out?
Particular highlights… 2-4-1, the real South London being revealed due to alcohol (real South London = Swearing more than a Sailor on crack), drunken socially repressed lady, "don't touch me I'm sweating like a beast," arse shaking to Whitney, everyone singing it up to Whitney and getting a little crowd of people right at the end to skank it up to Joy Division and The Pixies.
Special thanks goes to the Junior James and Dangerous Kid for putting up with the sound system to play a superb set. To the bar staff for bussing their balls even though they didn't know at first there was a night happening, and finally to everyone who turned up. Much respect for coming, and look out for further nights in the future (if this whole proxy thing turns out top trumps).
Ivan - Kingpin
