After the notorious 2nd Teknival event that got heavily busted three weeks before (next to the A3 at Cobham), details on the first LBS party of the year were being closely guarded because of the potential police reaction. The word finally got about of the general location on Friday, 10 minutes drive from Guildford.
The weather during the day switched from bright sunshine to heavy showers, but the rain stopped during the afternoon and we were all looking forward to the first proper event of the summer. Another potential party was scheduled to take place very near the Teknival site, but messages came through at about 9pm that the police had made an unexpected appearance and confiscated part of the rig. Apparently the party was going to move out towards a paintball centre a few miles further on, but with heavy police interest. That was the last we heard of that party, but several old bill cars were spotted driving around and scoping out potential party people at the local pubs. Nevertheless, this attention took the focus off the night's LBS event, and so, after a small delay, the hotline was switched on at 11:30pm. The party was down at the bottom of a valley in some woods about 10 miles east of Guildford, and it seemed fairly easy to get to.
Unfortunately, after a really nice evening, it started to rain. Still, this didn't put us off and at about midnight the first convoys arrived at the site. Once getting into the car park, a short walk down the steep hillside got you to the site where both crews were unloading their gear. Due to very limited vehicle access, one van was all that each system could get down there, with one of them getting stuck in the mud for about 20 minutes. The venue was not ideal due the very uneven ground and clumps of nettles, but it was still big enough to have a good party. It consisted of a derelict barn/stable enclosed by a wall all the way round. In the corner there was a small shed which served as a bar area. Next to this was a smaller clearing, where the THC rig was due to set up later. The LBS rig kicked off at about 12:30pm, playing out some bouncy trance and hard house under the cover of the barn roof. LBS are pretty well known around the area, both for their good DJs and quality sound system. Their rig was near-perfect - loud enough to feel the bass through your body, but still good quality enough to stand near without hurting your ears.
By 1am the rain was getting slightly harder, and THC still hadn't set up, despite being there for over an hour. Due to the rain, they were waiting for part of their tent to arrive so they could keep the system as try as possible.
Next up on the LBS rig were Cause4Concern, playing dark and hard drum&bass. It was around this time that the party really kicked off, with around 200 people surrounding the barn area. Half-way through their set, the THC rig finally got set up, using just two speakers. It was obvious that the rig had been put together with limited funds and time, and some people were thinking that the sound would be crap ith two speakers. However, once the generator had been fired up and the levels sorted, they started pumping out drum&bass with a suprisingly loud and crisp sound. The rain had stopped, and within a few minutes about 40 people gathered round the rig and a couple of MCs stepped up. LBS then mixed it up with some breakbeat, house and jungle, while THC continued with drum&bass. After about an hour it turned out the smaller system had more people around it than the larger one. The inevitable police appearance finally came at 3am, intending to immediately shut the party down due to the restricted access on the road. There were at least 100 cars outside, and they did have a point. However, an agreement was made to shut down at 5am, which everyone seemed happy with. Unfortunately, THC had a few problems with one of their speakers later on, and eventually decided to pack up at 4:30. Still, a large group of junglists seemed well pleased, as were the DJs, as this was only the second party the crew have done. For the last half hour, everyone moved over to the LBS rig to check out DJ Resin's old skool set. It was a wicked way to finish as the sun came up, and everyone agreed that it was a top way to start the summer.
Respect to the LBS + THC crews, and also the police for co-operating and letting the party continue.
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