The Union Summer Sendoff 2009

The Union Summer Sendoff 2009

02 June, 2009
by: Simon827

Reviewing a night at Fabric can be a little tricky. Being crushed in the middle of a mass of people can be a little disconcerting whilst the DJs often blend into one indistinguishable noise. It's awesome. But attempt to review it I shall.

One of the major issues at a night like Union's Summer Sendoff is the three rooms packed with eight acts throughout the evening. A problem that can only be solved by a time machine or cloning. Either will suffice. But seeing as neither are available, yet, it seems that the only choice is to camp out in room one, with only a brief venture into room two for reasons that will become quite clear.

But first up at midnight is Macpherson. Fabric's resident drum and bass DJ and an obvious choice to get the crowd moving before the big-guns come out, and get it moving he does. But wanting to avoid a drum and bass overdose we head to explore the advertised attractions. The UV bubble machine and foam cannon evades us, which is probably a good thing. The inflatable surf simulator on the other hand doesn't. Watching your friends fall off a surf board whilst Snatch DJs blast out more drum and bass punctuated by what seems to be the odd joke mix actually turns out to one of the highlights of the night.

After refuelling we return to room one to check out beat-boxer Killa Kela. By all rights beat-boxing should annoy me. It's in the same category as a'cappella bands. Impressive and entertaining for five minutes but anymore than that and I want to pull my ears off. Killa Kela however manages to pull the whole thing off rather well and the live drums only help to drive the whole thing through the ceiling. The only thing that could hype this crowd of overly excited students anymore would be a special guest of such awesomeness that no-one would be able to take it. Unfortunately all we get was James from Hadouken! and boy did Killa Kela want us to know it, proceeding to yell James' name at least ten times throughout the song. I'm glad someone's excited about it. But a good end to the set before what I presume is the Union DJs jump on for one track, just to keep the crowd moving before the reason we're all here.

The problem with putting a band of Pendulum's calibre on an end of term student night is that everyone wants to see them. They really are the band of this generation of university students. The only people who don't push their way into room one are the typical students who refuse to like whatever's popular at the time or the ones who are just that far gone they haven't realised the time. It turns out that room one of Fabric really isn't as big as it needs to be. The crowd's spilling under the stairs and into the bar area, but when was this ever a bad thing?

MC Verse is on top form as usual. Anyone who makes a living from yelling at a crowd has to be respected. Ok, so he raps a little, but mostly there's just yelling. But it compliments Pendulum ridiculously well which is probably why they seem to take him everywhere, possibly in a some form of case with the rest of their equipment. The songs are chosen expertly, with the guys sneaking in snippets of their classics to rile up the crowd and then dropping them just when you think they're never going to. Yet inevitably a mosh-pit develops, as it always does when a band is established on the metal scene as well as the drum and bass and this is clearly an annoyance for anyone within flailing limbs distance. It doesn't last long before the poor little fellas burn themselves out and the dancing commences again. An hour and a half later and I'm wondering how everyone's not dead, let alone how they carry on dancing until four as the Union DJs wind down the night.

Click here for student nights around London
Click here for more nights at Fabric
Click here for drum and bass in London

Simon827