Friends-&-Family @ the-roadhouse 04.02.06
As in Nature, as in Life, so in music: There seems to be an intrinsic ebb & flow of ideas & influences, very cyclic (almost seasonal) & often bearing creative fruit further down the time-line. When Hip-Hop first exploded in America & was exported to England via those early pioneers, there followed in their wake a wave of imitators & instigators crucial to creating the first UK Hip-Hop scene
British music press reacted favourably (initially) to our homegrown hip-hop, championing UK artists Blak Twang, Hijak, London Possee. House music & our ubiquitous Rave Culture that followed all but drowned out these new voices. Where major labels (always with an eye on the Next Big Thing) had previously supported & developed UK artists (Buzz B, Rebel MC, Lewis Parker) they suddenly found themselves dropped
Rave eventually fractured into a multiplicity of genres. US hip-hop was by now world-wide. Dexterous turntablism was being displayed at international DMC & ITF competitions; graffiti art celebrated in London art galleries; A second wave of British hip-hop appeared, more independent than before, self-financing & self-promoting, banding together with like-minded souls & forming record labels, clothing ranges & club-nights
Fat City Records in Manchester was one such pivotal venture. All the images taken here come from their weekly Roadhouse club-night Friends-&-Family, one of the last times I photographed there. Tonight's reason-for-being-here is a DAT Sound package tour. All names who will go on to greater recognition on the UK scene: (Not even mentioned on the flyer) new producer Baby J airs some tracks from his debut album F.T.P. (which might stand for 'Fight The Power' or 'Fuck The Police', or 'None of Them' he tells me later. 'None of Them' by the way is the title of Skinnyman track, album opener & first track from the LP to be released
Tommy Sparks follows on with a live showcase from Shameless and TB (which either stands for Tuberculosis or Teddy Bear depending how he's feeling I'm informed). Local hip-hop royalty Broke'n'English then take confidently to a familiar stage with DJ Excalibah whose integral 'Tales from the Legend' radio show had moved from illegal pirate to BBC1Xtra recognition back in 2002
Finally, our evening ends with Evil Ed (the Enthusiast), a man who set up Y'n'R Records with Tommy Evans & Jehst in 1999 and thereby already responsible for having helped launch several UKHH careers. Konny Kon keeps alongside on the mic. These are old Friends from an extended Family, as there is already shared history in previous Manchester incarnation the Microdisiacs on Evil Ed beats 'Time You Knew' and 'Great Expectations'
Broke'n'English 'Squeeze' promo 10" vinyl can clearly be seen out of the box during Evil Eds set. Ebb & flow... Ebb & flow...
British music press reacted favourably (initially) to our homegrown hip-hop, championing UK artists Blak Twang, Hijak, London Possee. House music & our ubiquitous Rave Culture that followed all but drowned out these new voices. Where major labels (always with an eye on the Next Big Thing) had previously supported & developed UK artists (Buzz B, Rebel MC, Lewis Parker) they suddenly found themselves dropped
Rave eventually fractured into a multiplicity of genres. US hip-hop was by now world-wide. Dexterous turntablism was being displayed at international DMC & ITF competitions; graffiti art celebrated in London art galleries; A second wave of British hip-hop appeared, more independent than before, self-financing & self-promoting, banding together with like-minded souls & forming record labels, clothing ranges & club-nights
Fat City Records in Manchester was one such pivotal venture. All the images taken here come from their weekly Roadhouse club-night Friends-&-Family, one of the last times I photographed there. Tonight's reason-for-being-here is a DAT Sound package tour. All names who will go on to greater recognition on the UK scene: (Not even mentioned on the flyer) new producer Baby J airs some tracks from his debut album F.T.P. (which might stand for 'Fight The Power' or 'Fuck The Police', or 'None of Them' he tells me later. 'None of Them' by the way is the title of Skinnyman track, album opener & first track from the LP to be released
Tommy Sparks follows on with a live showcase from Shameless and TB (which either stands for Tuberculosis or Teddy Bear depending how he's feeling I'm informed). Local hip-hop royalty Broke'n'English then take confidently to a familiar stage with DJ Excalibah whose integral 'Tales from the Legend' radio show had moved from illegal pirate to BBC1Xtra recognition back in 2002
Finally, our evening ends with Evil Ed (the Enthusiast), a man who set up Y'n'R Records with Tommy Evans & Jehst in 1999 and thereby already responsible for having helped launch several UKHH careers. Konny Kon keeps alongside on the mic. These are old Friends from an extended Family, as there is already shared history in previous Manchester incarnation the Microdisiacs on Evil Ed beats 'Time You Knew' and 'Great Expectations'
Broke'n'English 'Squeeze' promo 10" vinyl can clearly be seen out of the box during Evil Eds set. Ebb & flow... Ebb & flow...
Return to: Gallery 5: From The Archive: Fat City Friends or Gallery
Return to: Gallery 5: From The Archive: Fat City Friends or Gallery