Wow what a feckin amazing time we had. Between us and Survival we managed to scrape together a 9k rig. Because of not going to Exodus fezzie we all decided to go down to Torquay and do a beach party. A couple of people had gone down a few days before to hand out flyers near clubs for the Sat night. We loaded up all our equipment into the van and set off for the long drive from Buckinghamshire on Saturday afternoon. The van is so heavy it can't do more than 55mph. As per normal we get to the site late and have a look at the site (Shaldon Beach), It's great. There is a small but very long tunnel with lots of steps that winds it's way down the cliff face to the beach below. The beach is totally surrounded by big cliffs and the tunnel is the only way in or out. Strangely for this country the sand, although an odd colour is really nice and the sea is lovely and clear. Anyway we got the rig down to the beach and becuase of the tunnel this is a foookin difficult job, lots of party people helped out though. We got the rig running and it sounds great. 8 x 18" Subs, 14 x 15" Subs and 4 x Horns. We get the rig running and the Eleven to Seven bar setup and the party starts :-)
The Techno starts and its banging, everyone up and dancing or building fires, drinking and smoking. Lots of mist starts coming in off the sea and makes everything look very strange. Panic at one point as the lights appear in the sea and start to get closer and closer, were not sure what they are - may'be coast-guard ? naaah turns out it was local fishing boats wondering what all the coloured lights beaming out to sea were - hehehe. The sun comes up and you can really see how beautiful this site really is. Techno keeps boomin.
Sunday daytime was great dancing away in the sun with all the families and fisherman turning up. The majority of the people didn't even care that we are there and when the reggae and ska came on some even came and sat down with us while we're getting pissed sitting in deck chairs and making sand castles. All the people we met were great some of them even left and came back with a chips for us thinking that we might be getting hungry and some even took us shopping. Meeting complete strangers who instantly become your friends is one of the best things. A council cleanup crew appears on the beach and lend us loads of big bags so we help them clean the whole of the beach up.
A police inspector turns up in early sunday evening to have a look about he asks us what were doing and we tell him that "We're on holiday and have brought our stereo with us". One of the girls ask him to dance with us and he has a little stomp to drum and bass before telling us to take care and goings back up the tunnel to his car. hehehe. The council clean up crew have finished work for the day and have come back to our spend the rest of the night with us as they don't have work till Tuesday. A couple that we met on the beach earlier in the day come back with a big box of firewood which is great cos were down to burning deckchairs for the fire.
About 10pm sunday night we discover we've been locked in. This isn't good as the generators are starting to run low ! A gate has been put across the tunnel and a brand new padlock has been attached. A police man appears and he's puzzled by why we've been locked in. In the end the fire brigade are called out to use jaws of life technology to cut us out and we make a dive for a garage in Torquay. Luckily our generators use 4 star and there's still some of that about (UK Petrol shortages!). We reckon it's the people from the zoo next to the carpark at the top of the cliff that locked us in cos a few people from the party had been jumping over the fence to look at the monkies. The party continues into Monday morning with a couple of local DJ's playing hard house. About 5am Environmental Health turn up to tell us turn the bass down a bit. By this time were playing Desmond Decker records and they say they like the music but we've been running for 28 hours now and a few people are getting bothered, so we turn the sound system down a bit and they leave.
Monday morning, the sun is up again and it's a really hot day. Everybodies woken up and the system gets turned up to full volume and the Techno comes on again. We're all up and dancing like loonatics again. We decide we have probably had enough and start packing up. After a 33 hour party we are completly knackered, getting the equipment up the tunnel looks like it is going to be the most difficult job in the world and it is.
I set off back for home and the van is due to follow me. About 7pm I get a call from the van saying they could not get any diesel and their stuck - so they're taking part of the system back down to beach and are staying for another night. Environmental Health turn up again Tuesday night and confiscate the generator saying they think its been stolen.
As of writing this 12 of the crew and all the equipment are still on the beach and apparently we've got the genrator back.
Absolutly amazing time and one I'll never forget.
Thanks all of you who came. Those of you who didn't, better come next year when we do this again!
Ghost
