Why I love loud, pounding, repetitive beats

[El Pibe]

anapau Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Why vicks vapo-rub?

anapu, 1990 was a happier time, the fsahion was daft, the dancing unselfconcious (ok daft), everybody hugged and sometimes someone would massage some vicks vapo-rub into your shoulders or smear a bit across your forehead.

It, well, it felt nice.

You probabaly had to be there.

By 93 the scene had already fractured and that vibe was missing, but when I arrived in London in 94 I was confronted by horror.

It was all attitude and posturing, noone was friendly, anything luminous or noisy was definitely out, and not a hint of the vicks or the friendly, caring atmosphere that went hand in hand with it.

Blame me growing up, or that the music started to take itself too seriously, broke off into too many genres, or the resurgence of booze or the domination of speed and coke, or the degradation in quality of the pills *ahem, I imagine* but the scene was dead for me.

I carefully packed away my long-sleeved watchmen t-shirt, silly baggy shorts, my manc hat and plastic whistle, got myself down the pub and got bladdered. I never looked back.

Anyway, to happy times:

[*Bob*]

So what you're saying is that, from around 1993, you went to wrong clubs and had a bad dealer?

That's a shame. You missed-out.

There's an element of truth of course.

In the later 90s dance music actually started making money - and the business side took over. Primetime commercials for BEST OF TUNES '97, superclubs, tedious overpaid DJs traipsing up and down the country playing to packed-out rooms full of people who didn't quite know how to enjoy themselves properly (I spent some time working on one Tongy Julesy etc 'tour' and saw all the clubs I never wanted to go to - at first hand)

[El Pibe]

That may well be true too Bob.

I think I'd had it with the whole scene anyway.

Even people I liked became tedious anoraks about the music and DJs; the focus of an entire week and all conversations became about scoring good drugs (which were inevitably rubbish, I'll never forget the night we all nodded off in club uk "noone else complained" said friend you soon realise is a superficial aquaintance in it for his own ego and starting to screw people over) and getting all excited about the inevitable anticlimax that was wherever we went.

DJ's. They play a bunch of records.

The quality of my night was definitely predicated upon the attitude of the people and the quality of the drugs (these may well have gone hand in hand). I for one didnt give two hoots who was playing as long as I was having a good time, which I wasn't.

Then it all started taking it's toll on health. People acted weirdly, some became depressed, one dropped dead of a heart attack in the middle of his sunday roast.

I left the scene shortly thereafter and realised that proper conversation, you know one that wasn't all about some obscure mickey finn remix of the Bagpuss theme over some deep chicago house *yaaaawen* or discussing the merits and demerits of your blue meanies versus your grey doves *double yaaaawn*, over some pints was far preferable than all that 'what's your name what you on?' shouted into someone's ear rubbish.

Yes the scene went crap, but I don't think I'd have carried on with it even if it had stayed good. Ultimately I got bored. Plus that excitement that we were living a real social revolution is definitely beaten out of you by a ?20 entrance fee and ?5 bottles of water whilst the taps are shut off in the bathroom.

Still love those old tunes though.

[katie1997]

*Bob* Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

(I spent some time working on

> one Tongy Julesy etc 'tour' and saw all the clubs

> I never wanted to go to - at first hand)

You're not alone *Bob*, honestly, I'm sure that's how most of us feel about the Swan, Stockwell (1990s).

[taper]

Do Slayer count under this heading?

Loud repetitive beats abound on Reign in Blood.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgpzLUCY0rU&feature=related

[????]

It probably depends on when and how you got into it (which depends on age/where your from etc). I went to the clubs - Shoom/Spectrum/Land of Oz/Planet Love)in 88 when it was new and felt fresh but actually it was that schorcher in 1989 which created the real massive revolution (in the south anyway) - the M25 outdoor party scene, ironically partly becuase all the Clubs stopped doing Acieeeed nights because of bad publicity/backlash

Over socioligised but ok documentary

By the time it went BACK into the clubs I was too old and bored but I guess El Pibe you were probably the right age for that explosion, my missus was part of that new Club culture for eg, and she's a fair few years younger than me.

[*Bob*]

I think everybody grows out of the superficial and random element as they get older. I spent a good few years with a group of total chancers when I got to London, hardly any of whom I'm in touch with now. Thankfully. But it worked just fine at the time.

These days standards higher and (or because) opportunities are fewer. (er.. far fewer). But those occasions were the right mix of everything happens (festivals, mostly) are - for me - as good as they ever were.

Got any gum?

[El Pibe]

I was doing the orbital raves in 89 as a sixteen year old growing up in a boring town in the home counties.

It was genuinely magical and exciting, new vistas opening up. For me and my mates it was all trips and puff back then, it wasn't until 1990 that I discovered pills and it all clicked for me. It was sadly a short lived thing, disillusioned by 93, thoroughly fed up by 94.

Some of the best times of my life tucked in those five heady years for sure though.

[Brendan]

fixed that for you.

[El Pibe]

Basically yes Brendan.

Who'd a thunk I'd turn into a boring, middle-aged, tee-totaller* working for a bank eh?

*for a couple of months anyway.

[Brendan]

All that?s left now is to become alienated by the changing world, get fat, buy a Honda, vote tory and die.

[El Pibe]

Social networking, txt speak, everyone locks their front doors. I don't understand any of it, whatever happened to jumpers for goalposts, vicks vapo-rub eh? That's what I want to know.

That David Cameron is an awfully nice young chap though.

Mind you, since knocking drink on the head I seem to be losing weight. My wedding ring has fallen off twice!

[Brendan]

Yeah I use that excuse too.

[El Pibe]

Touch? :-$

[Brendan]

I lost loads of weight just not drinking for a few months. It's not just the booze it's the not being hungover and eating fried stuff all day because of it.

[*Bob*]

But did it make you happy?

[El Pibe]

NO!

Plus I haven't got any weight to lose.

I look like a poster child for famine relief as it is!

[Brendan]

Yeah, I just took loads of ecstasy to get me through.

[Brendan]

Of course it?s not the same as it used to be.

[El Pibe]

Booze?

Yeah, been rubbish ever since they said you can't have dead rats from the brewing tuns.

[Jeremy]

Alcohol has just become so mainstream.

[*Bob*]

So true, Jeremy.

I liked it when it came about accidentally as a result of rainwater running into a bee nest, causing a natural fermentation of the honey - but now it's brewed in giant vats it's just not for me.

[Brendan]

The day Puma started making vodka a part of me died.

[El Pibe]

Was it the upper left quadrant of your liver?

[Brendan]

Yeah, from now on I?m sticking to my home brewed courgette scrumpy. It tastes like cardboard steeped in horse urine but at east I?m not funding The Man.