Your best live act/night of 2009

[deamonds]

I know this is getting a bit silly now, but with so many amazing and talented producers/dj's out there, just wanted to see who you thought were the best when you were out.

The Dirty Canvas 4th Birthday Bash was a killer this year for me..not only did Roska and scratcha smash it, Spyro came with a bagga MC’s who dealt with the crowd and kept it hyped up...EZ then destroyed it!!

Unfortunately something happened that finished the night off early, (midway through Oneman v Brackles) but I was so drunk by this point I thought it had simply finished.

The walk home consisted of me persuading a friend to not pick up the nearest brass.

[james fox]

not really been out much this year prins thomas six hours @ plastic people was decent though! actually moderat @ roundhouse was immense, that should cover it.

i've actually been a bit disappointed with a few of the nights that i've reached with hyped DJ / producers on the lineup. too many producers that aren't really DJs, who don't know how to make a crowd dance but draw the punters anyway...

[deamonds]

Nice, any six hour epic is going to be good though.

Night Slugs b/w Fact Magazine @ Egg was a good laugh, forgot about that one, got really drunk mind you!

[james fox]

yea gutted i missed that thing @ egg, best be another one in early 2010

[gwa]

of the year... hmmm i've got a lot of nights to remember.

uno, iv seen all the big acts all year. every night has been as good as each other (obv there has been some shitters) and i think because iv been smashed each time i cant really remember.

maybe marcus intalex techno / dnb set at momentum this summer. that was pretty big, the crowd was dead and he was on early so i wasnt too smashed. pure energy and vibe through his set.

[groucho_marxx]

Some random rave at Candolim Beach, Goa in April (not defected).
DMC World Finals at IndigO2
Good Times at East Village

Plan was to this feb to return to Salvador Carnaval (the biggest and bestest damn party in the world!) may have to be next year tho after Panama!

[gwa]

oh ok... how about

pharcyde (all of them) in summer 09 in minneapolis / st paul

[dhaywood]

SCOTT GROOVES @ FABRIC

[james fox]

SCOTT GROOVES @ FABRIC

yeah i bet that was a lot, his fact mix is on heavy rotation still

[fda]

This year has been particularly big on the clubbing front for me a few highlights

Live performances from

Fred Wesley @Jazz Café. who started the show with a great version of Spain before going into breaking bread, house party, pass the peas, four play etc.

Zoe Rahman@black bottom Northampton with straight ahead, funky, and indo jazz flavours just radiated pure good vibes (yeah I know she plays Piano!) it was a really good show!

Bobby Wellins@Leicester - He steps up to the stage, the band go into an uptempo Love for sale and he launches into a crazy solo- brilliant!

In terms of clubs had some blinders at

Leicester Inner zone- Benji B, Domu (in what has turned out to be one of his final DJ sessions) and the G star session

Deep bank holiday session in Brum- Broken\fusion with a touch of house- Poppers lockers and old skool footers in attendance- incredible- will be going more in 2010!

Beyond at Plastics - Cooly G and Fingaprint playing some outstanding sets. It looks as if this session has stopped though (anyone know for sure??) which is a shame as it was definitely an underground session as opposed to glam and hypey mc gabber oi oi etc

Shiftless Shuffle keeping the flame burning for Jazz dance the session with Ian Hylton from Leeds was particularly good old skool jazz dance of course along with tracks from JD73, IG and Man Recordings proving it doesn’t need to be 100mph all night to qualify

Jazzifunk at the Hare and Hounds Brum Colin Curtis from Jeff Lorber to EWF to Adonis to Fela Kuti Bruce Qs otherworldly broken and House stuff as well as 80s house from Tony D Probably the best session of 2009 for me simply due to the barrage that was dropped! Next one is boxing day gonna try and make that.

Bustin Loose in Luton - Jazz funk Broken and a touch of funk. Props to the crew for persisting with this session its on every 3 months or so.

The First House dance comp in London at Jo Jos really good vibe bumped into a few people I hadn’t seen for a long while. If any of you haven't been you should check it- very dancer focused and heavy deep house played, I have no doubt some of the more underground UK tracks will get played in fact Inflation was played at the last House Dance comp (its on youtube I didnt go to that one)

Cooly G playing RAW (Fingaprint nigh time, Geeneus –Yellowtail) in Northampton even though hardly anyone was there to witness it… I have to give Cooly props for being professional and dashing it down raw and with conviction.

D-Malice, Marcus Nasty and Spyro DJ sets in Northampton- I have lots of time to hear raw US like Jovonn tracks alongside the raw underground UK stuff

Snowboy book launch @Cargo- Over 20 years ago a film was made called the Jazz Room it was filmed at the mythical electric ballrooom. It was screened for the first time at the book launch and followed by Snowboy and Gilles P playing jazz funk and jazz dance sets it was HEAVY. There was even a floor layed especially. If anyone has a passing interest in Jazz dance buy the book called from Jazz funk and fusion to Acid Jazz it's an incredible read

Shelter at Minstry – good event due to such a range of clubbers being there from heads to dancers, but it should have been a belter, Regisford went a bit too heavy for my liking- I don’t buy the ‘he plays different for the UK crowd’ line either. Surely if he is bringing the Shelter over here he should play what he plays in New York including the obligatory old skool section Face it, Koro Koro etc Just my take on it
That said the sets from Jazzy B (from Expansions to classic hip hop to spaced out house stuff I haven’t heard before but was TUNE) and Marcia (Quality good groove) in the Bar were fire!

On Saturday I was in Manchester for the Rafters reunion with Colin Curtis and Hewan Clarke. Got there a little late and it was a soul biased night but it was a good session all the same and a great crowd with a few old skool dancers in attendance – There was a scattering of heavier tracks Jeff Lorber, Janet Lawson etc.

As you can tell I go to nights across different scenes and I am excited about the return of serious dance led nights playing old and new music

[ahier]

i think hessle audio room 3 at fabric was best for me, tbh i havent made it to many nights repping this sound due to money and location restraints, but hoping to reach more in 2010

[deamonds]

his fact mix is on heavy rotation still

could you re-up this for me mate?

[james fox]

his fact mix is on heavy rotation still

could you re-up this for me mate?

yeah sure thing, remind me via PM if i haven't done it tonight

[fork]

As Deams has already said, Dirty Canvas 4th bday was a big big night, such a shame it got locked off early.

Night Slugs on the carnival weekend was big, a few too many beers made it extra fun. It was funny to see Amy Winehouse hanging around downstairs as well lol.

Darkstar at FWD early this year was sick as well, probably one of the best sets i've ever seen.

[Jubz]

For pure enjoyment it has to be the Beyond with cooly, roska and marcus.

[corpsey]

I'm sure I must have been to some big nights this year but I can't remember many. Been to a few good nights in Bristol - Peverelist/Brackles/Ben UFO at the Tube stands out.

Event of the year was Free Rotation festival, absolutely fucking spot on. Hessle crew killed it as I remember, and 2562.

Need to sort myself out next year really, haven't been clubbing enough.

[jackmaster]

Oneman b2b Kode9 at DMZ 4th birthday. Was that this year? That was amazing.

Moderat & Untold at Numbers, Glasgow.