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Hard House Academy 29th May 2004: Review

Reported by Adam Symbiosis / Submitted 04-06-04 15:28

Frantic have come a long way since they started out and can now boast of filling premier venues all across London, from The Fridge to The Ministry of Sound to The Scala. Time after time, party after party, thousands of people rock to the hard sounds played by some of the very best hard dance DJs the UK and the world has to offer. The jewel in their crown though has to be Hard House Academy. Happening only 4 times a year, this time I was there to see if Frantic could pull off another amazing night in one of the Capitals’ largest venues.


That amazing main room


This time the pulling point for me was the three live PAs – K90, New Energy Collective and Nuw Idol – but alongside them were 37 other DJs, many I’d yet to hear and including the HarderFaster 15mins of fame competition winner. Before the event there was a fair bit of talk about the winner and the prize and apologies to Niall Farley, the eventual winner, but I wasn’t able to get to the party until after work so I missed out on hearing the set first hand. Having a chat with him a couple of days later, I realised that despite some bad attitude towards the prize, it gave him a great opportunity that a “DJ that has only played at house parties and some small venues” wouldn’t get at all. As he said him self, “HHA has been great for my confidence and as for the future… I’ll be continuing to enjoy the music and the scene, who knows what may happen after that.” He also said “I would like to say a big thank you to Dickon and all at Frantic for picking me and giving me such a great once in a lifetime experience.” A big thumbs up and a pat on the back then for Niall and also for Frantic for organising it, maybe they should do it more often!


Paul Glazby working the mixer


For me though the night started at about 1:15 and on a high. We walked straight into the packed main room and straight into Andy Whitby dropping “Such A Good Feeling” by Miss Behaving. If ever there was a song to make the laziest of clubbers get up and dance it has to be this. Even with my coat and bag still firmly on, I got my arse moving with the 2000 or so other people on the dance floor. One thing that I noticed was the lack of decorations, with only a Superman, a disco ball and one puffy ball hanging from the ceiling. Frantic always seemed to raise the bar when it came to decorations including inflatables, balloons and light and laser shows but I think this time they couldn’t beat themselves.

A problem that Frantic had at previous parties was the sheer weight of people wanting to check their coats and bags into the cloakroom meant very long waits in the queue, with some people I know having waited nearly 2 hours only to find the cloakroom full. This time it was a different story completely. Through a combination, it seems, of earlier opening, reminding people not to bring too much and an organised system with a separate area just for bags, it was easier than putting your bag away yourself.


Donna Birt in the foyer


We started to make our way upstairs to try and soak up some of the atmosphere from the balcony. First through the foyer and “The Harder They Come” – where Donna Birt was playing some real hard edged house to some hardy ravers – and up through to the corridor where Dex was back to back with the Prophet showing the assembled throng just why Frantic had chose them as part of the “Nu-Breed”. But I wasn’t quiet ready to dance and so we found a seat on the balcony to watch Andy Whitby finish off with “Ssst… Listen” by Jonah.

With the DJ’s now running about 15 minutes behind time, Rob Tissera announced himself by running the “Red Pill, Blue Pill” sample from the Matrix tagged onto a wicked remix of “10 into 1” by the Members Of Mayday. I’m sure the balcony started to move with the people going crazy to his driving set. We stuck around for a bit, watching Rob play and the lightshow, the lasers bouncing off the disco ball speckling the crowd and walls with green dots. Then after going downstairs for a dance and hearing “Never Lost His Hardcore” by NRG, we went up to the balcony bar and “Funked Up”.


No room at the front


As always in the balcony bar we found a chilled room with loads of space to dance or just sit and chat, if only they could have had some cushions all round the edge! We found Alex Hunter playing a smooth blend of Chunky House. I especially liked hearing “Music Is The Answer” by Danny Tenaglia and “Passion” by Gat Décor - classic tracks that I don’t often get to hear but then maybe that’s self inflicted Razz I really like having a funky room to go and chill out in, so a big thumbs up there but at some points I felt as if the bouncers were breathing down my neck so off we went to listen to the New Energy Collective.

I’d never heard Sharkey, Kevin Energy, K Complex and AMS as the New Energy Collective before but their roots were telling. I remember back in the day listening to my Bonkers CDs and loving Sharkey’s mixing and tonight was no different. The guys came on and started a blistering set, blending hardcore and hard trance. One song I could pick out sampled “Barbers Adagio For Strings” and I was very impressed by the set, I just wish I had some more energy to dance, it seemed like this was the mood in many parts of the club as the crowd started to lighten and people went home.


The Nu Energy Collective at work


At 4 and with a flash of brilliance, you could say, Nuw Idol arrived. Having seen him a couple of weeks ago I was very excited to hear him again as he is my favourite PA. But unlike the set played at Antiworld, this one was an all together darker affair, with a track list that included, on the darker edge “Sin” and “Kick Drum Domination” and on the more uplifting edge “My Liberation” and “Bag Of Trix” With the quite drastic speed change, from the in your face New Energy Collective, to the building tracks of Nuw Idol, at first a lot of the clubbers didn’t know what to do with themselves but as the tracks progressed and the sound was turned back up, people stared to get up and dance again. A good set for the night but in the wrong position for the discerning Frantic raver who just wants the music to get harder and faster as the night progresses.

To wrap up the night we were herded like goats by security down through the building until by half five nearly everyone was packed into the main room to hear Andy Farley’s set. I’d already jumped the gun, got my bag and was looking for a plot but it was like everybody who had an alcopop had thrown it on the floor and it was sticky everywhere Yuck No matter because Mr Farley played a more bouncy set then I would have expected him to play. Dropping my tune of the moment, “Compounded” by Edge 1, lined with some real hard tracks that got the crowd moving again and wrapping things off with the ultimate feel good song, “I Don’t Care” by Tony De Vit. Was this a taste of things to come at the “Midsummer Ball - The Return of The Bounce” ? We’ll have to wait and see.

Adam Symbiosis Smile

djSymbiosis

With many thanks to dori for the use of his pictures Thumbs up


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Other Features By Adam Symbiosis:
Godskitchen Xmas Party: Reviewed
The Big Chill: Reviewed
Tiësto at Victoria Park: Reviewed
Lilly Allen: Reviewed
Digital Society May 2009: Reviewed
The views and opinions expressed in this review are strictly those of the author only for which HarderFaster will not be held responsible or liable.
Comments:

From: Rafael on 4th Jun 2004 16:20.16
Really good party.
Very good review (u just missed ting playing at the corridor, fan-fucking-tastic!!)

From: ClubCasualty on 4th Jun 2004 23:17.23
Top review mate! You've brought back so many memories of the night:-)
Nice chatting to you up on the balcony!

From: Dave Evans on 7th Jun 2004 12:55.08
congratulations dan ( latex zebra) the only person to play 2 sets at hha that night.great review too.

From: DJACE Luffman on 21st Jun 2004 21:59.43
what a night,i enjoyed every tune that dropped.glazby rocked,vicious stevens smacked it,but rob tiessra was the man,he blew the main stage apart.cant wait for the next installment of hha.hurry up & get here.we luv hha.well i do anyway.hehe

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