Problem Child 3 @ Area51 / Rumours 08.06.11
With their chosen venue the Ritz undergoing refurbishment, but not wanting to miss out on this seasons academic lemmings, third-year students suddenly stress-free & running around the city throwing away the last of their allowances, another quick venue re-visit is in order. Back to Area51 (now dodgily christened 'Rumours) on Deansgate Locks with Joy Orbison back on the bill, following on from a Rich Reason set which finally focuses the audience attention forwards. Problem Child doesn't let go.
Resident MCs Strategy, Chunky & Tonn Piper take turns hosting the (now knocked through) main room. Sixth Sense provide the crystal-clear soundsystem. This provides a broad palette for our next DJ to play with. With a new RinseFM mix-cd under his belt, Youngsta teases the crowd with certain dubstep classics, twisting & tweaking the mixer, a man with both encyclopaedic Blackmarket Records knowledge and a very-particular sound-man pedigree. He brings with him from London MC Toast who simply melts in the heat
Finally, the size-of-a-fridge, Darren White, D-Bridge (Bad Company / Exit Records) who plays another genre-defying set. Sounding like neither dubstep nor dnb but containing elements of both. Local proteges and Exit signings Indigo & Synkro lurk in the shadows, as do the good people behind Bass Camp and Selective Hearing. Plus all the usual Manchester underground glitterati, all Problem Child family. After saying I was leaving at 2 o'clock in the morning I was still hanging around the DJ booth at 3. Having to face work that morning I decided not to stay til the very end. This mini-Problem Child has survived downsizing & venue change because it kept hold of a couple of crucial elements: quality billing & attention to sound, sounds obvious but it's a winning formulae. Expect to see it rolled out again as Problem Child plans ahead & considers what to do now with its misspent Summer...
Resident MCs Strategy, Chunky & Tonn Piper take turns hosting the (now knocked through) main room. Sixth Sense provide the crystal-clear soundsystem. This provides a broad palette for our next DJ to play with. With a new RinseFM mix-cd under his belt, Youngsta teases the crowd with certain dubstep classics, twisting & tweaking the mixer, a man with both encyclopaedic Blackmarket Records knowledge and a very-particular sound-man pedigree. He brings with him from London MC Toast who simply melts in the heat
Finally, the size-of-a-fridge, Darren White, D-Bridge (Bad Company / Exit Records) who plays another genre-defying set. Sounding like neither dubstep nor dnb but containing elements of both. Local proteges and Exit signings Indigo & Synkro lurk in the shadows, as do the good people behind Bass Camp and Selective Hearing. Plus all the usual Manchester underground glitterati, all Problem Child family. After saying I was leaving at 2 o'clock in the morning I was still hanging around the DJ booth at 3. Having to face work that morning I decided not to stay til the very end. This mini-Problem Child has survived downsizing & venue change because it kept hold of a couple of crucial elements: quality billing & attention to sound, sounds obvious but it's a winning formulae. Expect to see it rolled out again as Problem Child plans ahead & considers what to do now with its misspent Summer...
Return to: Gallery 1: A Thousand and One Mancunian Nights or Gallery
Return to: Gallery 1: A Thousand and One Mancunian Nights or Gallery
