Hardcore Appreciation Society
11th Birthday
Unit Nine
Milton Keynes
Saturday 15th February 2025

Well its been an absolute age since I have been to a UK Hardcore event catering for the sound of the 00’s and beyond. HAS hosts this annual event at Unit Nine in the legendary rave city of Milton Keynes featuring many artists from the golden era of UK Hardcore.

This event regularly sells out and tonight was no different, arrived in Milton Keynes shortly after 10 and managed to locate the venue, 2017 was my last visit to Unit Nine. I was greeted to a queue that was moving swiftly, this venue operates a challenge ID policy to ensure a safe space environment.

The Venue has had some major improvements since my last visit to Unit Nine with a fully heated outdoor chill out area definitely needed on this chilly night, along with an added balcony some great views up here watching the madness on the dance floor. Production was spot on plenty of lasers that would illuminate the dance floor along with a great sound system.

Caught the tail end of Fallon and MC Frikshon who was playing plenty of Raver Baby anthems to get the crowd warmed up for tonight including classics such as ‘1,000 Kisses’, ‘Show me the sunshine’, ‘Silverwater’, ‘Feel like I feel’ and ‘Rise Again’ before closing off with ‘True love never dies’.

Well it was time for the kick off set featuring Klubfiller and MC Storm, not really familiar with Klubfiller but he was playing many tracks from Re-Con and the late Squad-E with classics including ‘Cry’,‘Why does my heart’ and ‘Tell Me’ remix. Storm was fantastic on stage it must have been probably nearly ten years since I last seen him working his magic.

His energy was tremendous bouncing from left to right ensuring the HAS ravers were given a sweaty cardio work out whilst having the crowd recite his infamous lyrics including ‘Morales for your mind’ and the immortal ‘Why oh why’. Quite a number new tracks were played by Klubfiller though he flipped back with ‘Come fly with me’, ‘Inspiration’ and ‘Adagio For Strings’.

Next up was the Raver Baby head honcho Hixxy alongside Essential Platinum’s DJ Gammer with MC Whizzkid. Gammer started the proceedings with his monster anthem featuring Cat Knight ‘A new feeling (let it shine)’ which had the crowd signing. Gammer and Hixxy continued with ‘Phase 2 Phase’, ‘Never too late’, ‘When I close my eyes’ and ‘Sure feels good’.

Whizzkid was on mic duties rocking the crowd with his infectious lyrics which had the crowd singing. Gammer in true form was manipulating the mixer whilst Hixxy threw in some serious slammers such as ‘Sacrifice’, ‘I see the light’, ‘Overload’, ‘Right by your side’, ‘Come running’ and ‘Pacific Sun’.

The South Coast legendary trio of Ramos, Supreme and Marley were up next opening with an update on DJ Supreme’s ‘Forever Autumn’. The RSR pair carried on with ‘See you on the otherside’, ‘Forever young’, ‘Terminator’ and ‘How low’.

Marley hosted the set controlling the crowd as he does best being joined on stage with sticky dressed head to toe in lasers which would light up the stage and beaming his lasers into the crowd. Ramos and Supreme ensured the crowd went crazy with hardcore classics such as ‘Makin me wanna dance’, ‘Silver water’ before closing off with the Re-Con remix of ‘Gotta Believe’.

Penultimate set featured the Godfather Slipmatt and Vibes as they took us back to the hazy days of the Sanctuary Milton Keynes with a 90’s classics set. Vibes opened up with ‘Toytown’ which had the crowd blowing their whistles and horns in unison.

The hardcore pair littered the set with plenty of anthems from the happy hardcore era with tracks such as ‘Take me Away’, ‘Airhead’, ‘Free’, ‘Little Fantasy’, ‘Set you free and ‘Techno Wonderland’. Livelee and Charlie B were rocking the crowd, Livelee had been ill during the week and soldiered on.

Euphoric hands in the air moment when Vibes dropped ‘Sub Ace Aura – My Dreams’, Slipmatt and Vibes continued with ‘Sunshine’, ‘Higher Love’, ‘Luv U more’ ‘Detonated’ and ‘Ragga tip’ before they ended off with the notorious Force and Styles classic ‘Paradise and Dreams’.

Not long after I decided to make my journey back to Birmingham, as its quite rare for me to stay out past 3am. My previous visit to a HAS was in 2015 at the Racecourse in Northampton an intimate space to return back 10 years later and seen it grown to a 600 capacity sold out event is a huge achievement.

So many old faces were in attendance tonight that I’ve not seen in such a long time a proper get together on the dance floor. Nice to see a crowd of old and young who appreciate the golden era of UK Hardcore from the 00’s hearing those Raver Baby classics again was really spine tingling.

Hixxy and Gammer took me back to being at Air again during the mid 00’s with their set whilst Vibes and Slipmatt selection as spot with a proper 90’s Happy Hardcore set a good way to end the night like the old days of the Morning Glory set.

Tonight was such a fantastic night, I have not experienced anything like this since the 00’s this vibe you can only truly experience this kinda of atmosphere and a hardcore rave. Unique for always the most friendliest and up for it crowd throughout my years of raving, which I’ve sorely missed.

Respects to Delite and the HAS crew, Storm, Hixxy, Whizzkid, Ramos, Marley, Slipmatt and Rachel, Vibes, Livelee, Breeze, Charlie B, Supreme, Gammer, Liam Protocol, Jess Sweetheart, Michelle Whizzfish Jamie and Steph, Cruze, Scottie, Phil Frikshon, Lucy and Hayley, Justin De-Lyte, Charlie and James, Keira, Linda, Kaylene Sc@r, Jason Savage, Hardcore to the bone, Joe Heinrich and Remember the Rave, Mayhem, Lisa, Freedom Addict, also to everyone else whose names I don't' know but faces I recognise.