Dave Thorley

Bamberg 11, Rollin’ with Ruben

So it’s that time of the year again, our annual trip to southern Germany, four days of soul, laughter and little sleep. This year though felt a little odd, following on from last year’s celebration of ten years was going to be tough. Some had already decided, that this was the year they would take a rest, others had said it would be hard to match that again so maybe the year to try something new. So with no great surprise the odd apology for no shows popped up on Facebook in the weeks leading in. Everyone is little nervous, ‘will it be quite this year’, ‘Does this mark a change in its fortunes’, well nothing we can do now, all the promotion’s been done, it will be what it will be.
My weekend starts on Thursday with a trip down to Heathrow to pick upRuben Molina, ‘Lowrider’ legend from East L.A. who is over DJ in Europe for the first time. After an early pick up, we decide that the afternoon should be spent with a little local culture, a walking trip round Gloucester, the cathedral, and a glimpse of the old Roman city and finally dinner in the Old Docks, then heading early to bed. Ruben was particularly impressed with the 15th & 16th graffiti in the cathedral. As we awake reports come in that the previous nights warm up event has gone well, people like the new venue for this and all the DJ’s including Tom Page’s debut have been well received. We arrive in the city, again all feels a little odd, and for one there is no DJ house this year, as the building has been sold, so it’s a hotel instead. In previous years this had formed a staging post for the DJ, a chance for many to catch up and talk about the previous year, new records found, play the odd one to each other and then the late night high jinks. The now famous night Brad Hales scaled the glass roof to break in as he’s lost his keys. The infamous Marco Santucci after show party that lasted 2 days, which even extended into a unsuspecting bar on the Tuesday, where the decks were commandeered for another night of music. As we walk the town, there is no one outside the Irish bar and regular haunt for Roddy Brass Brass and co. The Cafe Muller no longer has the permanent fixtures of Jock (James O'Connor), Alan Kitchener,Julia, or The Jan and the Hamburg crew, oh dear this could be a quite one, Oh well onto the Friday night all-nighter. Well at least this hasn’t changed the pretty 19th century music venue is still the same, SuSu and Malaykahave dressed it well, and the sound system is off the hook, so all is set. As the doors open and everyone keeps looking nervously in the direction of the entrance as the first trickle of people start to appear, then suddenly after 30mins in the trickle becomes a flood, it’s going to be OK, this isn’t the year it falls over, let the party begin.
Soon both rooms are bouncing and in the case of the modern room, literally. Mike Shawe from Bristol has just taken to the decks for his debut at the event and it’s almost impossible to get in the room, as each DJ takes their turn the madness continues. From fast funky boogie, classic early 70’s floaters even the supa mellow Sons of the Kingdom gets a rammed floor, this year is going to be just fine. Every DJ has a big smile on his face as the crowd embrace their choice of tunes. Butch is striding round with a beaming smile on his face, some of think he’s ill, but no it turns out that he’s just enjoying himself. Friday night’s main room turns out to be a very 60’s affair, not by design, more by chance. Marc Forrest has the room rockin’ and Butch and Brad Hales do the same. Ruben Molina faces the challenge of a European crowd for the first time with ease, smooth group harmonies, laid over perfect beats and he has the crowd eating out of his hand. So as the night comes to an end people already feel this is going to be another classic weekend.
Refreshed-ish after four hours sleep, we move to the alldayer down by the riverside at the Cafe Kranen. The sun has come out and its 20+ degrees and all is well with the world, great music is playing, surrounded by old friends and making new ones all the time. Yurg Brenner, Dave from Holland, Bengi and Thorsten Wegner have all set record boxes and record deals are going down. After hours of stories shared, people dancing, eating and drinking, it’s time for a power nap. Saturday night followed Friday, packed main room, this time with the addition of a little more funk and crossover but the room was busy till the very end and Malayka’s last set and no one wanting to leave. The modern room couldn’t get better than last night, wrong, from as early 10pm it was almost impossible to get in there, hands in the air, whooping and hollering as new records are dropped, the London crew of ‘Bright Young Things’ (including Matthew Bolton , Tomás McGrath, Adriana Ventura, James Pogson,et al ) along withLevanna, Jack, Leona, Adi are permanently stuck to their corner of the dance floor and making their presence felt. Lars splayed them, Brad pleased them and Butch doin’ the last set made the scream, he played 5 last records in a row, just to stop a riot, so much fun.
As Sunday came around time to head off to the beer Keller for the alldayer. Now over the years this has become a runaway beast in its own right. It all started 8 years ago, when as Brad was leaving to catch his flight home late afternoon I dropped The Tomangoes, what followed was spontaneous madness, people stomping on tables, dancin’ on any flat surface available. Now it has become the signal for the madness to begin, never the same time of the day, just when there is that electricity in the air, it then comes out of the box and all hell lets loose for the rest of the day. But this time we had the added dimension of the ‘Molina effect’, he and I did a joint sweet and low set in the afternoon, which chilled and pleased the crowd. But later after we had released the beast, he returns to really bring the heat. Imagine a fierce baying crowd, suddenly swaying to his melodic tunes, singing along to his Lowrider Sound, Ruben smashed it. The night ended in a 30 min reprise of ‘The Madness’ before we hit the city curfew and someone called the cops and the building had to be emptied PDQ. Another Bamberg over, another triumph for SuSu and Malayka, let do it all again next year.

-------------New Stuff, Old Stuff & Dirty Protests---------------
Went down to The 100 Club last night thinking 'it's gonna be a bit quite tonight'. Me and M set out and eventually arrived just after 11am, parked up and walked round to the Green Man. Now the usual 2 hour tops drive had taken nearly three, flew through right up to Park Lane, but then the whole of Oxford street and Regents street had been closed for some art installation and diversions = chaos. Then to add insult to injury arrive at the door of the pub and the door man says 'not letting anymore in, the manageress say's we are down on staff, you can't come in'. Like some dickensian scene in a film we look in on our friends Jack Phillips, Kipper,Leon Brown and others laughing, drinking away as we looked on from the outside, noses pressed to the window. After a couple of altercations with the bar staff and the arrival of Yann Vatise if was decided to give up on this pub and head off to Bradley's Spanish Bar round the corner in Hanway St almost next to where Blues & Soul used to have offices and the shop. Along with The 100 Club one of the few remnants of the old swinging 60's, rammed to the gunnels but welcoming, we alighted here until midnight.

How times have changed in the capitol, where as a few years ago entry into clubs would be a nod and wink to security and easy passage, tonight's a full body pat down and pocket and bag searches before entry. But down the hallowed stairs and the twighlight zone that is The 100 Club. No Tony Smith on century at the bottom of the stairs and as I walk in, nor are many of the usual faces to be seen, it is going to be quite night, but no within an hour and the place is busy, lots of new faces, young twenty somethings and the floor is busy. Ady Croasdell starts out with many of his newer unissued bits including the fantastic Dave Hamilton produced O.C. Tolbert 60's pounding winner. Then to Butch who also ploughed a path through 60's newish material and a few classics. Those that say that there is to much modern and no 60's getting played need to go more than just once. The reason these DJ's are some of the best is that they adapt each time to the room, the people there and work hard on keeping a busy floor, as with tonight and a busy floor. Then some confusion as no Mick H. the guest for the night, as he to was struggling with the traffic chaos outside, so the return of Ady. But soon after Mick arrives and eventually takes to the decks, as a prop he also senses the the room and plays a more classic set to keep the room engaged, studded with some tunes that have graced Lifeline for the last tens years. He hands on the baton to Joel Maslin an old hand now at this place and followed where others had already found success.
While all of this is happening old faces have arrived to put a smile on my face, James Trouble is there in his old position dancing next to the column at the bar end of the dancefloor, where he stays virtually to every record. Peanut Vendor has made a rare trip over from Germany to visit the club, he looks well and is clearly enjoying himself. Sue Brick & Lesley Brightmore-Walker are running round with their usual air of masters of mischief and bringing a smile to all they encounter. The London crew of Tomas McGrath, Adriana Ventura, Benjamin Smith, Haley Miller and crew have taken up their usual residence to the left of the stage and are seriously troubling that dance floor. Inbetween all of this is Matthew Bolton flitting from person to person in his role as venue curator, speaking to nearly everyone, checking their happy, listening to opinions and passionately talking about the future. Then a couple of hours in and the faces I'd hoped to see for a few months now Adi & Leona Murphy, back and on it after a small hiatus due to work load in their business. So in the end many of the old gang have turned up. Pleasantly pleased to hear from many that they intend to head up to the next 'Spirit' allnighter in March and even better that lots of them have also already booked their flights for this years SoulShakers, Bamberg.

Then word spreads, shock, horror someone one has taken a dump on the floor in the corner of the room near the ladies toilet !!!, is this a dirty protest ?, to much 60's or modern even ?. No one seems to know but soon the story has taken on a life of it's own with many versions of the truth circulating. 'Must been a northerner, soft southerners are to gentle to do that', 'It's the old hermit of the corner, he's been there since Ian Clark's days' 
As all this unfolds Butch returns to the stage to really mix it up, modern, 60's and a pinch of funk and the floor is pulsating to the beats and so the night continues, classic 100 club really, from the usual to the truly bizarre, long may it continue.............................