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Features
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| Introducing NEM3SI$’s new label Infinite Resistance! | | Mindbenderz talk ‘Lord of the Rings’ and fishing, as well as the creation of their new album ‘Celestial Gateway’! | | Iono-Music artists One Function, Eliyahu, Invisible Reality and Dual Vision talk Robert Miles, kids, dogs and vinyl, while we chat about their current releases! | | Luke&Flex talk influences, the Irish rave scene, why Flex wears a mask and Play Hard, their new EP out now on Onhcet Repbulik Xtreme! | | Lyktum expands on his new album ‘Home’ – talking about his love of storytelling, creating new harmonies and the concept behind his musical works. | | Pan talks getting caught short crossing the Sahara, acid eyeballs and tells us Trance is the Answer, plus shares his thoughts on his latest release 'Beyond the Horizon' - all from a beach in Spain! | | Miss C chats about living with the KLF, DJing in a huge cat’s mouth, training her brain and the upcoming super-duper Superfreq Grande party at LDN East this Saturday, 16th September! | | NEM3SI$ - I Live for the Night – talks superficiality, psychopaths, and bittersweet success, ahead of a plethora of evocative, emotional, and passionate upcoming melodic techno releases! | | Psy-Sisters Spring Blast Off! We talk to DJ competition winner ROEN along with other super talents on the lineup! | | Blasting towards summer festivals with Bahar Canca ahead of Psy-Sisters Spring Blast! | | Shyisma talks parties, UFO's, and Shotokan Karate ahead of his upcoming album 'Particles' on Iono-Music! | | SOME1 talks family, acid, stage fright and wolves - ahead of his upcoming album release ‘Voyager’ on Iono-Music in February 2023! | | The Transmission Crew tell all and talk about their first London event on 24th February 2023! | | NIXIRO talks body, mind and music production ahead of his release 'Planet Impulse' on Static Movement's label - Sol Music! | | Turning the world into a fairy tale with Ivy Orth ahead of Tribal Village’s 10th Birthday Anniversary Presents: The World Lounge Project | | The Psy-Sisters chat about music, achievements, aspirations and the 10-Year Anniversary Party - 18/12/22! | | A decade of dance music with Daniel Lesden | | Earth Needs a Rebirth! Discussions with Psy-Trance Artist Numayma | | Taking a Journey Through Time with Domino | | New Techno Rising Star DKLUB talks about his debut release White Rock on Onhcet Republik! | | PAN expands on many things including his new album 'Hyperbolic Oxymoron' due for release on the 14th April 2022 on PsyWorld Records! | | Psibindi talks all things music including her new collaborative EP 'Sentient Rays' on Aphid Records, her band Sentience Machine and 10 years of Psy-Sisters! | | N-Kore talks Jean-Michel Jarre, unfinished tracks and fatherhood! | | Celebrating International Women’s Day and Ten Years of Psy-Sisters with Amaluna |
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Blast vs Frantic NYE Preview - Steve vs Will - The Hardest Men in Hard Dance!
Reported by benz
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Submitted 30-12-04 13:33
This New Year's Eve sees Hard Dance history being made, as two of the leading hard dance promotions go head-to-head for the first time, in an unprecedented bout. In the Blue Corner, in-house residents Blast - a byword for dirty hard house, funky techno, and general debauchery, and in the Red Corner, the country's biggest promoters of all things hard dance and beyond - Frantic. It's about time we found out why these two parties that have notoriously had a bad relationship with one another in the past decided to get together. So we pitted their main men Steve Darragh (Blast) and Will Patterson (Frantic) against each other in this joint interview, in a never seen before battle of wit, humour, good-looks (?), compassion, and downright love of hard music! So come on boys, let's get this battle underway!
So what made you two decide to “get to together” so to speak?
Will: Funnily enough considering all the hype about us not getting on I actually realized that we were similar in lots of ways! Steve and I both take promoting very seriously, perhaps too seriously, and it seemed silly not to try and work together. I thought we could have a go at creating a superafterparty after HHA that was so big it filled the whole of the Fridge and knowing from experience how difficult it is to get people to carry on wanted to take up the challenge with Steve.
Then as we got talking we thought why not seal the partnership by getting to grips with the biggest party night of the year, NYE. I'd always loved the Fridge from when we were putting on Convergence there in 2002 and 2003 and relished the opportunity to get back into one of my fave venues. Steve already had Dave the Drummer booked who has been very popular at Frantic in the Autumn and Ed Real who I work with to run Riot so the foundation was set. I knew I could get BK who is absolutely rocking it at the moment with his remix of Nirvana and the old classic “Playing with Knives” and Andy Whitby whose new Bounce CD on Frantic Euphoria has even got my 6 year old niece dancing!
Steve: Probably my warped sense of humour. I like doing things people least expect.
I am not adverse to working with anyone and I suppose enough water had flowed under the bridge to enable us to start again. Plus we both have several mutual friends whose opinions and advice I take very seriously and they were saying that together we would make a phenomenal party and ultimately I am very interested in putting on the very best parties possible. Also people change and two years down the line both Will and I are a little wiser ( and older)!
Nolan, Will, and Ed Real
So come on, what was the beef beforehand? Things used to be a bit rough between Frantic and Twist…
Will: Well I think Steve was just jealous of my rugged good looks and physique! Or maybe he just wanted my great relationship with Reece Wildchild! Lol!
Joking aside this is a high pressure business and it can be quite easy to fall out with people over misunderstandings especially when most people are working long hours. I think as well it was laziness by a lot of people who assumed that just because we were running competing afterparties that there would be deep seated conflict.
Steve: I suppose when I started I was new to promoting and like most things I do I question all the tried and tested ways before deciding if there is a better way of doing things. I was very clear in my own mind about what I wanted to achieve and to some extent the established promotions and promoters were my targets.
To be the best I had to get it better. This has not been easy and has had varying degrees of success. However time is a great leveller and I now see that the established promoters are there for good reasons and I have a lot to learn from them. When I think something is wrong I am vocal in expressing my views and opinions and I am sure Will will still do things that I would do in a different way. That does not mean we hate each other. Some people seem to read too much into some comments.
How much crossover do you think there is between your audiences? Do you think that the majority of people are fans of both or not?
Will: I don’t think there is that much crossover and that’s what’s exciting about the partnership. There is a minority of my audience who love going to Twist and listening to the harder end of the music but then there are loads who like it more bouncy or who prefer Hardcore or who like breaks or dirty house although of course that’s more and more a feature in Twist’s 2nd Room!
Having said that I've always found that’s the buzz about doing joint events is giving punters a chance to experience new DJs, new venues and new ways of doing things.
If you are one of the 1500 clubbers that makes it down to Blast and Frantic NYE then I'm sure you will see little touches from both Steve and me that we have found help make a great night e.g. the free glass of Champagne for the first 100 clubbers or the massive fireworks display at Midnight or the free afterparty or last but not least the free buses to Frantic on NYDay leaving the Fridge at Midday and 1pm.
Steve: Twist has a very loyal and dedicated following that does appear to be made up largely of people from lots of diverse sources. Of course we get a certain percentage from big parties held the previous night which includes some HFers but one of the main reasons for this closer union is so that both audiences can benefit from both sides which should lead to even better parties. Also the Fridge appears to have built its own loyal following throughout the year and is getting stronger and stronger. Remember I am involved with all events held there and we have some excellent parties now including established ones like Twisted and Euphoria as well as the newer ones like Innovate, Knowwhere and Blast and each week the venue is getting stronger and stronger and attracting more and more new people.
I firmly believe the Fridge is back on form as the top hard dance venue in London and it seems only natural that with the help of Frantic we will cement its reputation in 2005.
It will be fantastic to end a fantastic year with us all pulling together and celebrating in style. We will ensure this is a party that will go off and be one to remember for many years.
What do you say to those who are critical of your burying of the hatchet?
Will: If we can do it then so can you!
Steve: I don’t think either Will or myself are afraid of criticism but sometimes I wish people would have something more important in their own lives to focus on.
Steve and friend
Have you learnt anything from one another?
Will: I’ve learned a lot already. The biggest thing would be that once again, as I’ve learned before in promoting, nothing should get in the way of running a great party. The arguments real or imagined between Steve and me were getting in the way as a lot of people wasted energy that could have been spent on creating new and challenging DJ line ups and great sound, lights, décor and visuals.
In terms of NYE I’ve learned from Steve that you should try and make the promotion fun as well as serious. He has injected some much needed humour into what we are doing with things like free sweets at the gig and some light hearted comments on threads about the event.
Steve: I have learned how hard Will works to make his parties ‘happen’. Will also has many years more experience in promoting than me (but then he is a lot older – hehe) so I have learned much from his experience.
Is hard dance one of the most bitchy scenes in dance music? Do you think the smaller the scene the more rivalries there are?
Will: In my experience I don’t think we are any more bitchy than other scenes. I’ve got a lot of friends who do DnB parties and they are worse! I think its more open as we have big forums like HF, Gurn and 4Clubbers to air our bitchyness!
I think being catty is something that comes naturally to promoters as we are used to opening our mouths too much!
Steve: I agree with Will that forums such as HF do enable some situations to get out of hand and at times do come across as bitchy but it’s funny how when you meet many of these people in person how different their real personality is to their online persona. In my experience so far most rivalries are actually good humoured.
Blast vs Frantic at The Fridge on New Year’s Eve sees the two of you come together for a very special party. What elements of each others promotions do you admire?
Will: I admire Blast’s commitment to some of the younger London DJs like Danny Gilligan etc.
I admire Blast’s commitment to playing the tougher, more driving, end of Hard House.
I admire their commitment to always being innovative with the look and feel of the Fridge. They make great use of visuals with as many as 5 screens going at once and some great VJing. I love the fact that over that last few Blasts they have perfected the sound so that it gives that essential kick to your night out!
Steve: I admire Will and the Frantic teams work rate and ability to organise very large special events extremely well. The New Years Eve party will be no exception and I am looking forward to more special parties next year. Already we are looking at making Twist after HHA the biggest afterparty ever and one not to miss.
Eliza and Will (Thanks to DJChewy for pic!)
Your combined New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day festivities amount to some 44 hours of clubbing. Do you see yourselves lasting the whole thing?
Will: I see Steve as lasting and me crumpling about 2/3 of the way through!
Steve: Well for me it’s just a fairly normal weekend and I have been in training all year. However if Will sticks with me I think we might get him through to the end.
What does 2005 hold in store for your respective promotions?
Will: With Frantic we are focusing on do some big one offs at SEOne, the Academy, hopefully Camden Palace and then we are working on a couple of big new venues for later in the year.
We are looking at providing all the styles of harder dance music from Hard House, Hard Trance, Hardcore to Hardstyle and Techno and of course the tougher end of House and Breaks!
We are continuing our partnership with Funktion One Sound and will be taking it to every venue we use in 05!
We are bringing in more and more of our own décor and we are looking at some new stars for 2005 like Cally Gage and Filthy Rich! We are expecting even more from Whitby, Pin Up, NuEnergy Collective and all the stars you have come to expect from the biggest line ups in Hard House!
Steve: I am heavily involved in running venues such as Fire and the Fridge but there will also be several new launch parties in 2005 however generally I would like to consolidate what we already have as it’s been a very eventful year for us. I would like to see the careers of the DJs I have supported in 2004 get even stronger in 2005 and will be spending some energy to ensure this happens.
I am also launching Volcano records with the first release ready to go. Namely Karim with an Ian M remix. It’s all very exciting stuff.
Who’s the one DJ you would both love to play at your events who hasn’t already?
Will: Jeff Mills!
Steve: Oh no me too. Well I guess we just might have to try and get Jeff to play at one of our joint promotions in 2005. Perhaps we have more in common than many people think! Andy Farley is a must too.
Pix supplied by Will and Steve - thanks to DJChewy also.
Frantic meets Blast NYE Spectacular
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On:
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Friday 31st December 2004
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At:
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The Fridge [map]
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From:
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21.00 - 06.00
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Cost:
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£15 early bird, £20 then motd
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Ticket Info:
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100 £15 + bf Early Bird tickets go on sale from 9:00AM on Monday 6th December. We expect these to sell out very quickly! Once they are gone
there will be 500 Saver Tickets available from £20 + bf. Standard tickets will be more. Don't miss out!
1. The Fridge, 1 Townhall Parade, Brixton
Cash sales only 020 7326 5100 ext.100
Fire, South Lambeth Road, Vauxhall
Cash sales only 020 7582 9890
2. Frantic Office
Credit / Debit & Cash Sales // XL Group Discount (1 free per 5)
Call 07949 618035
3. Ticketweb
Credit/Debit Card Sales // 24hr Hotline & Online Sales
Call 08700 600 100 or logon to www.ticketweb.co.uk
4. ClubConnexion
Credit/Debit Card & Cash Sales // XL Group Discount (1 Free per 5)
0870 246 2050 or logon to www.clubtickets.com
5. Cyberdog Stores (London)
Camden: 0207 4822 842
6. E-listlondon.com
Online ticket purchase and advance guest list booking: 07908 809 077
7. Maria
Cash Sales. Will meet clubbers in North or Central London.
07813 684 399
www.fridgelondon.com
www.franticuk.com
blastclub@hotmail.com
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More:
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FRANTIC meets BLAST NYE SPECTACULAR
The Fridge, 1 Townhall Parade, Brixton
31.12.04 // 9pm-6am
At last...London’s two premier promotions join forces to bring you the ultimate New Year’s Eve party.
Never before seen in London, the collaboration of these two giants of the hard dance scene will result in the most spectacular New Year’s Eve party in London.
10 Reasons why you know that you will be at London’s No.1 NYE party: FRANTIC MEETS BLAST@ The Fridge, Brixton.
1) London’s top two promotions meet for the first time...
2) In London’s No.1 Hard Dance Venue...
3) With the best NYE DJ line-up playing the best music
4) The *Ting* bringing in the NY as only she can with an awesome pyrotechnic show
5) Amazing sound and lights including full colour laser and coloured strobes
6) Out of this world stilt walkers, performers and stage shows
7) Relaxing chill out areas with free fruit and sweets
8) You can stay on free for London’s No.1 Afterparty: Twist (That’s a massive 16 Hours of the best NYE entertainment) before moving on to Koko for Frantics return to their spiritual home on New Year’s Day. At 8pm we are opening the Fire club so the party can continue FREE OF CHARGE to all ticket holders before finally finishing off a massive 44 hours later with free entrance to Twist@Fire.
9) Free buses to the Frantic NYD party at Koko (Camden Palace) @ midday and 1pm. And free return bus to the afterparty at Fire.
10) 1999 of London’s most discerning clubbers bringing in 2005 with you!
Featuring: Ed Real, Nick Sentience, BK, The *Ting*, D.A.V.E The Drummer, Lady Bianca, Anthony Dean, Andy Whitby (Making his debut appearance at London’s No.1 Hard Dance Venue!)
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Other Features By benz:
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Coburn bring their live show to UP^^
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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.
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Will thank you very much for all your support this year. Steve...i'm so glad to work with you as well. Keep it hard guys!!!
heres to a bigger and better future 
take care guys and catch ya soon
Look fwd to a cracking 2005 