Club Review - Back to Basics

The UK’s longest running club night, Back to Basics, are setting sail slightly further afield currently with their uniquely energetic and unfailingly crowd pleasing events. Tonight they hit the intimate, dark and atmospheric Cosmic Ballroom in Newcastle, a venue well known in the Northeast for a party hungry crowd, top class music policy and cutting-edge guest DJs. And with a 500-person capacity it also ensures a reliably close-knit environment in which to get your rave right on...

Though initially current taste-of-the-town DJs Wolf + Lamb were due to headline proceedings, last minute issues saw the guys impressively pull off US born. Berlin-based Shaun Reeves to take the star slot. A Berlin clubland regular, Reeves has been collaborating with fellow yank Seth Troxler in recent months, causing a considerable splash in the process.

After kicking the night off with recent Hot Natured signing and hotly tipped 2010 takeover candidate Robert James upstairs in the boudoir, rocking out a seriously impressive and highly distinctive deep, experimental house set, the crowd were more than warmed into proceedings and ready for the typical Basics' madness and musical journey to commence.

With the residents getting things cracking downstairs in the main room with the straight up and jaw-droppingly energetic house that has upheld their name for the last 18 years, the crowd were already bouncing when Reeves stepped up to the plate. After blasting out a set demonstrating perfectly his combination of Detroit house with deeper and more minimal tech sounds, Reeves swiftly took any memory of Wolf + Lamb’s no show away judging by the buzzing reaction before him.

As proceedings prepared to be rounded off with long standing resident Buckley, the crowd (which notably also consisted of a considerable amount of dedicated Leeds Basics lovers) prepared to be given the reliable Buckley treatment of killer after killer. The energetic, eclectic and delightfully rowdy set that followed certainly did the trick and all arms were beating the ceiling as the revellers descended around the DJ booth to spur on their much loved deck-wizard.

Though not full to capacity, no doubt due to the last minute change around, Back to Basics relatively new venture Northward without doubt holds certain promise of more blinding and potentially legendary parties in a city with an impressive and passionate underground scene. And with things looking set for an eye-watering line up in the pipeline for April, all party-lovers and musically open disciples of dance should haul ass straight to the front and prepare to be Basics’d.

Words: Julia Jennings