Back in the thick of it after a week off, we made our way down to Stratford, past a few old venues and into the party. I think the building
had been used before but it looked in OK condition, not as much grafitti as usual, nor as much attitude (maybe that says
something?). As we came in a couple of guys tried to bust in without paying, punches flew about for a few minutes, glass got smashed.
THIS is why I took last week off. I got chatting with this old guy outside about all the attitude you seem to get at squats nowadays - I've
seen him at London parties quite a bit over the last year or so. anyway, we couldn't really think of any solutions, what can you do? Age
limits, ban the trouble makers? hardly conclusive to a FREE party!? Later I was speaking with one of the main organisers on the
stairs.....he was telling me how he was trying to get rid of the crack element from the parties, try and remove some of the aggro which I
thought was pretty cool....if not entirely realistic.
There were four systems spread across 3 floors: on the ground floor I.R.S playing the usual stuff with a nice rig. Appartently Jim Random
played a pretty good set but, well, I can't really remember. Next floor, a few offices, paper all over the floor, filing cabinets and old
furniture stacked on top of each other. I think the system in here must've been Iffy, but they weren't playing jungle, which was a bit
confusing. maybe it wasn't them - like I said I can't really remember. Up the stair well again and there was the top floor, pitch black,
same sort of layout and with Stinky Pink playing acid-techno type stuff....very scary. anyway, left quite early in the morning, somehow
managed to direct the cabbie under the Blackwall Tunnel, and yup, you guessed it, a nice warm bed at the end of it...
Cynik (ad, tvc)
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