Hardcore Til I Die
‘UV Raver Party 2K5’
Air Superclub
Birmingham
Friday 18th November 2005

Hardcore Til I Die presented their annual UV Raver party featuring an awesome line-up showcasing some exclusive international acts. The UV party is one the anticipated events of the year especially after last years success with the theme of the night getting the ravers to dress up in white.

With it being a frosty November’s night I headed to the venue just before 10 and to find that the queue had died down. I was greeted on the door by Joe from HTID. The security team were carrying out thorough searches tonight once in I headed for the main arena. The place was already heaving with loads of people already here from the start!

The whole arena was decked head to toe with massive UV Cannons in every corner making the whole main arena glow. The lighting was great along with the system but I liked the green laser lighting up the crowd. Air is an awesome club and definitely state of the art!

Bristol’s D-Ice and Reality where on warming things up on this frosty night, they were belting out a selection of upfront tunes including a remix of ‘Soul of angel’ and DJ Breeze’s ‘Lets fly’

After the Delirium residents it was the turn of Essential Platinum’s DJ Gammer playing a freeform set. This was a hard set, Gammer played a few crowd favourites such as ‘Cry’,’2xtreme’ and Scott Brown’s ‘Ghosts’ Gammer also sneaked in the Pendulum remix of ‘Voodoo people’ within his set too.

It was that time of the night, it reached 11 o’clock yep it was time for the Kick Off set featuring the Next Generation trio DJ’s Brisk and Ham along with MC Wotsee. The Next generation guys were playing plenty of material featured on the new Next Generation Vol 3 album as they played ‘Without a trace’, ‘Second sight’ and ‘Reach out’ plenty of stompy and more vocally tunes off the Next Generation head honcho’s.

Wotsee was on the mic hyping up the crowd getting the party rocking for this Kick Off set which mainly in the past, has predominantly featured the Raver Baby DJs and MC’s.

Brisk and Ham played some other material such as they played a new tune which features the oldskool tune from Terrorise – ‘Such a feeling’, along with a new remix of Hixxy’s classic ‘Forever together’ before finishing the set with the Re-Con remix of ‘Angel Eyes’.

After the Next Generation trio it was the turn of the Raver Baby trio with Darren Styles and MC’s Storm and Whizzkid. This was an awesome set from the Raver Baby crew plenty of vocally tunes to get the crowd singing and rocking. Storm and Whizzkid were hyping up the crowd getting into frenzy with their lyrics. There were plenty of ravers at the front reciting their lyrics back at them! Styles played not only vocally tunes but a few darker tunes from the Raver Baby label. Darren dropped the new remix of ‘Skydivin’, ‘So about you’, a remix of Prodigy’s ‘Out of space’, ‘Jealous’, ‘Save me’ before ending the set with ‘I will be’.

Next up was one of the sets that I was looking forward to as DJ Druid and MC Sharkey preformed a classic Rhythm Station set with plenty of bouncy tunes from the legendary Aldershot club being played! Sharkey was fantastic on the mic as he’s come out of his 2nd retirement from the mic, you’ll never keep Sharkey away from the mic he’s truly amazing!

Druid’s set was really bouncy with plenty of ravers having it throughout the set. Druid played ‘Cold as ice’, ’Luv u more’, ’Free’, ‘Like a dream’ (Madonna rip) and ‘All out of love’. A wicked selection of tunes from Druid! Was good to see the crowd having it as you got to remember that some of these are now ten years old!

After Druid’s set I headed upstairs to find Topbuzz were finishing up in here, they arrived a little later than scheduled It looked like they weren’t going to show. Jason and Patrick where finishing up with ‘Sweet Harmony’ before playing ‘Dubplate’ as their last tune. Next up was another set I was looking forward to DJ Swan-E as he was going to be playing a classic jungle set.

Swan-E started the set with ‘Valley of the shadows’, Swan-E littered the set with plenty of jungle anthems from 94-96. Swan-E played ‘Calling all the people’, ’It’s the way’ DJ Hype’s ‘Peace Love and Unity’. Charlie B was alright on the mic, I’ve heard Charlie do better in the past though he was quite drunk considering as he was brandishing a half empty bottle of champagne with him.

Back to the main arena and DJ Dougal and Breeze were on with Whizzkid MC. This was a mix up of material from both Essential Platinum and Raver Baby labels lots of vocally and tuff tunes being played. Dougal and Breeze played the new remix of ‘I got a feeling’ along with ‘Something like dis’, ‘Ordinary people’ and ‘I will be’. Whizzkid was awesome on the mic rocking the crowd into the early hours!

I headed to the oldskool arena and Flashback’s very own Mistress Mo was on, she was playing a cross section of 94 Hardcore and early Drum and Bass tunage, which was very interesting and definitely different. Fair play for trying something against the norm! Mo played ‘I bring you the future’, ‘Its jazzy’ and the Hectic classic ‘Crowd Control’.

After Mistress Mo’s set I headed off to the techno room as this was one of the set’s I was looking forward to as Marc Smith was on playing a classic Rezerection set with Whizzkid MC. This was a tremendous set plenty of bouncy tunes being played from the Scotsman. Marc played his own tune ‘Pump up the noise’ along with ‘Splosh’ ‘Fuck my best friend’ and ‘Power to the people’.

Whizzkid was truly amazing his MCing definitely complimented these classic tunes, keeping the crowd bouncing and rocking. Marc’s selection was splendid with lots of Dutch influenced tracks being played which I’ve not heard out in along time. Marc continued to play ‘Ready to invade’, ‘Higher’, ’Party time’, ’Hardcore disco’, ‘Do what you like’ which was the Rezerection Anthem before ending the set with classic from Ruffneck Records ‘Jiieehaaa’.

Final set of the night came from the Quosh trio of DJ’s Sy and Unknown with MC Storm on mic duties as they performed the ‘Monring Glory set’. Another amazing set littered with classics, Sy and Unknown played ‘Technostorm’ a hardcore remix of Ratty and Tango’s ‘Final conflict’, ‘Passion’, ‘Take me away’ and ‘Higher love’. Storm was tremendous on the mic for the final hour keeping the crowd bouncing right through till 6am showing why he’s hardcore’s number one MC. Sy and Unknown continued to play ‘Dreadland’, ‘Makin me wanna dance’ before finishing the set with ‘ Set you Free’

Tonight was an amazing party from the HTID team, the UV party definitely lived up to the hype after last year’s successful party. This was also HTID last event of the year at Air, and what a way to see it off in style.

The production was awesome and the atmosphere was phenomenal the crowd were definitely up for it all night long. With it being the UV party there were plenty of ravers making the effort for tonight UV party dressed out in their whites. Didn’t notice any attitude and HTID were enforcing an attitude free event, as I noticed at the entrance a gallery of mug shots featuring those who have been banned from HTID events. Ensuring HTID events have a safe raving environment.

I didn’t venture much into the outdoor complex as it was freezing though there was the free funfair rides on offer for the thrill seekers. With the doors left open all night it did keep the club cool to stop it from over heating.

There were some cracking sets from the DJ’s I really enjoyed Druid and Sharkey Rhythm Station set and Marc Smith’s Rezerection set. What I did notice was that a fair number of DJ’s were dropping the Pendulum remix of Voodoo people, which did fit quite well in the sets and people were definitely having it, something to break up the evening with.

Roll on 2006!!!!!

Big Shouts to Joe, Chris and Mark Lambert and the HTID team, Storm, Whizzkid, Ben and Katie, Sy and Unknown, Jason and Patrick (Topbuzz), Marc Smith, Brisk and Ham, Mistress Mo, Estee and Boogieman, Breeze, Styles, Dougal, Wotsee, Druid, Mark One, Charlie B, re-con, Sharkey, Odyssey, Gammer, Swan-E, Snypa, Twista and Zane

Maximum respects to Shaun, Leanne, Jon XLR8, Lucy Lu, Lisa (Happy birthday), Andy and Heather, Doug, Steve, Cat, Wookie and Emma, Sarah and Sallie, Elle, Rachel, Dave, Purly, Niki, Ronni, Andy Legs, Matty, Hannah, Kev Pikey, Cruze, Julie delicious, John MCGuiness Brian BK, Craig, Mark Mervin, Mike Fraggle, Mini smithers, Andrea, Kel and Damo from UKScene, Aidan from Liverpool, Gillian, Buzz B, and Gareth, Hiney, Liberty, Checky, Rswxite Astraboy, Sharl and the Shrewsbury crew, Lee UHF, Claire, The guy from Scotland, Vapour, Jenny from Bornhardcore also to everyone else whose names I don't' know but faces I recognise.