Chew The Fat at Cable: Reviewed

Chew The Fat at Cable: Reviewed

15 June, 2010
by: Robertswaine86

Rob Swaine discovers what the kids really like at Chew The Fat!

Having been an avid follower of the blog for almost a year now, and madly in love with their latest release, the Randomer & Fife EP, it's odd that this is my first visit to a Chew The Fat club night since September. I'm drawn to Cable tonight by the exquisite line-up, by the headline act Boy 8-Bit in particular, and a general intrigue to experience a full-on commercial dubstep assault at the hands of Nero, Reso, and the dub-police filth-monger Emalkay.

Trevor Loveys is in the DJ booth as I arrive. Squinting at his Ableton Live laptop setup, he takes his time between song selection. Playing from twelve until one, he's essentially playing a warm-up set, and this is certainly reflected in his relaxed approach to the whole scenario. Even though this man is a legend of the house and fidget scene in his own right, tonight his uplifting bassline beats works aptly in the context of his set time. The dancefloor builds to the light-hearted summery sounds but there's an overwhelming sense that its inhabitants are holding back for something that's yet to come. There's only one word on the lips of the flat peak-wearing crowd and unfortunately it's not 'Trevor Loveys'. It's 'Nero'.

Needless to say, as Nero steps up to the decks, the room wets itself with excitement. The first LFO bass wobble smacks us all in the face leaving a sonic bruising that gets relentlessly punished over the ensuing hour. Although his career has been relatively short thus far, Nero has an impressive back-catalogue of remixes that go down like cult club classics on the Cable dancefloor tonight. Back to back plays of his own take on MJ Cole's 'Sincere', Deadmau5's 'Ghosts N Stuff', and his powerful, if not a little unoriginal, re-rub of the Streets' classic 'Blinded by the Lights', result in what can only be described as a mosh pit. I watch in amazement as some sweaty students nearby grab hold of the metal frame surrounding the DJ booth and repeatedly throw themselves against it. This leads me to the conclusion that this isn't dance music; this is an electronic take on metal music. The whole affair reminds me of seeing Pendulum five years ago as they toured their first album. And look where they are now.

I almost feel sorry for Boy 8-Bit as he takes over from Nero. In a clubbing context, his music could not be much more different from the latest outlet for teenage angst that has preceeded him. Boy 8-Bit represents forward-thinking house and electro, with a penchant for all things slightly techno. Starting off with a dubstep tune seems like the obvious safe choice, but it comes as a relief to hear him steer things back to the Boy 8-Bit way of listening. It's back to four-on-the-floor rhythms within the space of one mix but unfortunately many of the people surrounding me don't share the same interest as I do and head off to The Z Shed room to keep their sweat levels at a T-shirt-drenching high.

All bias aside and although Boy 8-Bit is a worthy headliner, managing to win back the dancefloor with a solid selection of his own originals, remixes, and the obligatory appearance of 'Calypso' by the Round Table Knights and Bambounou, his set doesn't hold the same weight as Nero's. In fact, it almost seems like an enjoyable if not slightly unnecessary limbo period before Reso takes control, the dubstep starts up again and order is restored.

All of the artists tonight live up to the hype and deliver solid performances in their own right but are perhaps a little let down by the timings. It's not so much the case that a certain somebody's thunder may have been stolen, rather that maybe the night peaked a little too soon. House to dubstep seems the logical progression, not the other way round, but oh well, it was an enjoyable night none-the-less.

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Robertswaine86