Easter Weekend 2013: Ostgut Ton - 50 Weapons Showcase & Paul Kalkbrenner

Well done to the promoters of this night for the fact it ever happened. Nothing like turning up at the venue to set up and being told that the muppets in charge of the place didn't apply for the licence to hold the event!!!

With less than 24hrs notice the whole party had moved from Peckham Palais in the deepest darkest depth of Saaarf London to The Coronet in Elephant & Castle. I was pretty chuffed actually as it's a damn site nearer to home for us and cut down travel time and expense by a bucketload.

Line up. Photo stolen from Jammy's Jaunts ;)

As per usual myself, DSL and RSK were late late late. Arriving to an epic queue in freezing cold temperatures we waited 20-30mins to get in - and it wasn't much warmer inside. I am sure you may be used to my ranting by now and my overly fussy need for perfect atmospheric conditions but it was FREEZING in The Coronet. The cloakroom is outside which in winter is a total pain in the arse, particularly when going to queue up without your coat at the end of the night. I was however made to feel slightly better about my own body temperature when I saw that the cloakroom attendants were working outside with no heater all night!!! There must be a law against those kinds of working conditions?!

I also suffered the most invasive search I've ever undergone to get into a club. all pockets, bag etc etc and a pat down then a proper grope of my breasts!!! I understand girls smuggle thing in the pads of their bras and in the underwires - so go ahead and check that from the outside. This woman got her hands right up under the wires and right on my boobs. Nowt stuck on my skin dear - check the frikkin seams you are meant to be checking.. AND YET SHE DID NOT CHECK MY SHOES?!?!?!?! How can you be worried about my bra contents before you look in my shoes?!?!?!?

My bag went in the cloakroom but jumpers were kept on and as we got our hideously expensive round in at the bar, we were greeted by the closing minutes of Barker & Baumecker, swiftly followed by Function.

We had been listening to a Boiler Room set of his before leaving the house and I was very much looking forward to seeing him in the flesh. I was not disappointed. Bouncy stompy fun throughout and with plenty of room for manoevre, I was having a fine old time - even though I could barely feel my freezing feet.

Friends kept appearing during the set and it seemed that almost all of the Abbi's Adventure's crew were out to play. It was our big Facebook group day out - a great way to kick off the bank holiday weekend!

Marcel Fengler (profile pic on RA)

Next was Marcel Fengler who took everything a little deeper and darker and to less of a happy place straight away, although not in a bad way, progressing through to more tribal sounds. TIR made his appearance on the dance floor - dressed for outdoors in full length thick grey trench coat and scarf - which did not get taken off all night. The cold was really getting to me at this point as my feet just could not get warm and it was starting to bring me down. No amount of stomping was sorting it out :( That, and seeing a constant stream of people being thrown out of the venue for carrying drugs and hearing rumours that someone had seen a security guard shining a torch up someones nose!!! No one wants outright drug taking in their club but that is the most extreme searching I've ever heard of and doesn't make for a pleasant atmosphere.

Shed (profile pic on RA)

Robert Hood was due on next but the set times changed around for some reason and instead we were given Shed's live set a bit early, with Robert Hood to end the night. Having been on a full energy stomping mission for a couple of hours, Shed kind of changed the party for the worse. Here is where the programming needed a second room (which it had at the initial venue but not here). Shed's rumbling bass and frenetic minimal beats to begin the set were so out of line with the mood and tempo of the set before and suddenly everyone was just hanging about wondering what to do. The sound levels by this point were also much lower. I am guessing down to local residents there are noise restrictions at the venue - which is sacrilege when it has a huge function 1 system. Talk about teasing us! If you can speak (not shout) and be heard standing 4 feet away from a sound system like that - someone is being a grandma with the volume controls. Always happens at this venue. Get there EARLY to hear it in full effect.

Shed was just a bit too mellow and many of our group went home, choosing to go and have a chill before
they went onto the after party on Stubnitz. That left me, RSK, DSL and AB on the floor twiddling thumbs a little until Shed's set finally picked up and geared us up for the final hour with Robert Hood.

Robert Hood was well worth staying for. Straight in there with some pounding beats - no messing about. Relentless driving rhythms full of soul. Mid set there was a short ten minute house/disco reprieve and I found myself dancing about to this like a loon for a few mins until techno madness recommenced >>>>>>
A classic I had forgotten I love so much! Never fails to put me in a great mood.

End of the night it was straight home for a hot cup of tea, some food, some vodka and a hot shower. The getting ready for Friday night at The Roundhouse with Paul Kalkbrenner.

I first heard of Paul Kalkbrenner just over a year ago through DSL and fell in love right away. He both acts and provides the soundtrack for film Berlin Calling  and it's one of my favourite albums, along with Sky & Sand, which spawned this amazing single of the same name:

Last year at Kentish Town Forum the man blew me away. It was in my top three gigs of last year without question. This time around I have to keep in mind that the show was equally as good - it was just that I was very tired and that I had essentially seen it all before. Much of the set was the same as the previous year - all live, all with excellent bold lighting and LED back screens, all excellently produced.

The Roundhouse provided the perfect sound - you could stand ANYWHERE in the room and it sounds the same. Which means we could be near the bar and in the spacious back caverns and still feel like we were hugging a speaker at the front.

I was just so looking forward to recreating the same night I saw him before but it's impossible to recreate those moments and I just felt a bit flat and not really in the mood. Even when my favourite track was played for the final encore... I was already getting my coat on. No reflection on Paul though - the gig really was immense.

That was the last of our clubbing for the weekend. There was much more going on Easter weekend including Jeff Mills at Lost on Sunday but alas work interrupted my weekend :(

Don't forget you can hear my fave tracks and sets on soundcloud and  follow me on twitter.