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Got woken up on Saturday morning about 11.30 to be told 'were doing the Dub system tonight at Junction 14! Shit. Straight down to the hire shop for a Generator. Over to Milton Keynes and straight into Maplin's for all sorts of shit we were going to need (wire, gaffa tape, jack plugs etc.) met up with the rest of crew and around 3 pm and we started to get ourselves organised for the night. This is going to be the first time our system is going to be party tested. We load up the cars at 9pm and then head off to meet the other systems.

We arrive in a 7 car, 1 lorry convoy at 11pm just outside Steppingly in the woods near Woburn abbey. We take a left turn through a gate and head into the woods on a single track lane (I am so thankful for 4 wheel drive), we drive down hill for about half a mile and arrive into a big long clearing in a kind of bone shape. We start setting up, the three systems are almost in a line Madcap Jungle system at the start of the line us in the middle and Junction 14 at the end.

Message goes up on the answering machines and within 20 minutes party people are starting to make there way into the woods. No one has finished setting up yet. Then the Police Helicopter turns up this is actually quite handy as their spot lights are concentrating on the three systems being set-up, we can now see what we are doing.

Disaster then strikes as we find out that our decks haven't turned up. Bollocks. There is a set in Milton Keynes that we can use. So three of us pile into my car and we attempt to get out of the woods up the single track muddy lane with loads of cars coming down the organisers of the Jungle system are trying to get cars, vans, ex-ambulances out of our way. We get to Milton Keynes get the decks and head back stopping only for large amounts of Deer in the middle of the road. When we get back to the site it was chaos cars are everywhere and lots of them stuck in the mud. People were being great and everyone was helping push vehicles that had got stuck in the mud. I then find out that a set of decks had turned up 5 minutes earlier (hmmm).

The Police Helicopter had gone and our system was set up and running everyone had done a brilliant job, Dub Reggae was booming out and a few people were already dancing to it. The jungle system then kicked off and from the Bottom of the clearing I could see UV lights coming through the trees that's got to be the Techno setup. I stay around chatting to people around our system and then decide to take a wander around. I walk down to the Techno system, It's an impressive setup they've got - about 4k of Sound equipment and one of the best light setups I've seen at a free party. They had loads of UV lights, Lasers and even projector screens, they were having a problem with their amps (they blew up 2) but they got it sorted out and started letting rip with some mental Techno.

I had a dance for a little while then walked up to the Jungle system which was playing some slick D&B through a large system - there was loads of people dancing here so I stuck around for bit dancing, having a laugh. By the time the sun came up you could then see what a beautiful place we were actually in, especially with the sun coming through the trees it was going to be a lovely day. It's always a sunny day when you've had a good party. Water and beer was on sale (but no tea of coffee)

The Police turned up at about 11:30 and asked us if we were Exodus and were quite surprised to find out that we were not so they asked if we had had a good night before leaving us to it. We packed up the system at about midday and headed off back to MK. The only system still playing was the Techno rig (people still dancing as well). Brilliant party, brilliant night and a brilliant day.

Another one coming soon

The Ghost






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