Fabric London 10th Birthday

Written for online writers' network http://www.suite101.com/

Could one of the biggest clubs in London pull off a 30 hour party to celebrate its 10th birthday? A rocking Saturday night set them in good stead.

The buzz surrounding the Fabric 10th Birthday had been astounding, with rumours, ticket pleas and general hype, banter and speculation bandied about the internet at full pelt in anticipation for this mammoth event, and with very good reason.

The first thought that enters the minds of music-savvy clubbers from all over the world if you mention London is this famous Farringdon ex-meat store, a place that had gone against the 'super-club' ethos back in the late nineties yet has to this day held international reclaim as a mark of quality in the music and clubbing world.

After 10 years of the club, the record label. The CD’s, the DJ’s, it was time to throw one hell of a party - a 3 day party at that. One of which was due to last 30 hours; lightweights need not apply. The line-up for this event was nothing short of phenomenal, with a wide range of DJ’s and producers picked to play over the 30 hour stretch. Techno was anticipated from the legendary Andrew Weatherall ,and slick west coast house grooves from the likes of Doc Martin and Hipp-E & Halo. Ricardo Villalobos was billed to keep the Cocoon Kids happy, whilst others could enjoy the tripped out disco of Daniel Wang and The Revenge. Ever faithful Fabric resident Terry Francis was due to take the roof off with his unique style of tech-house, and artists that rarely played in the UK such as one time collaborator with Richie Hawtin; Daniel Bell was billed to play a DBX Live set.

Previous to the night however, no set times were leaked to the public. Frantic requests and appeals from eager clubbers were posted for Fabric’s attention over the interweb to no avail. The strongest rumour was that the mighty Ricardo Villalobos would be playing a set on Sunday morning. For the rest, it was just a case of arriving and hoping the acts you wanted to see the most were playing whilst you were still there, and upright.

For a first time attendee of Fabric, part of the fun is attempting to navigate from room to room through the various passageways and stairwells. The assorted levels, balconies and hidey holes are reminiscent to the closing scenes of ‘Labyrinth ‘ and one half expects David Bowie to pop his mulleted head out of an alcove wearing spandex. Throw a few beers into the mix and the dark corridors can render clubbers somewhat disorientated underneath the murky lights.

Each room that lies in the rabbit warren that is Fabric boasts its own vibe, something to cater for all tastes. Room One seems perfect for getting sweaty to peak time sets: a decent space with an impeccable sound system and impressive lasers. The VIP area, boasting a balcony that overlooks the dance floor of Room One is perfect for taking in the atmosphere if people are lucky enough to get past the friendly but burly security guards.

Room Two is simple yet effective: dark, loud and with a high stage for the benefit of those dancing to catch glimpse of whoever is playing in the lofty DJ booth. The wonderful contrast between these two rooms is the cosiness and intimacy of Room Three. The raised chill out area gives a fantastic view of whoever is working their magic behind the decks, over the sea of dancing revellers.

Upon arriving, the atmosphere amongst the typical punter was that of a kid on Christmas morning; so much good music to check out, where would you start?! Marching straight to Room Three, French-Canadian DJ Fred Everything was found playing four-to-the-floor sexy house music to a hollering crowd. Following this, the un-missable Andrew Weatherall was taking to the decks in Room One. More than twenty years in the industry and Weatherall still consistently impresses his audience. He ensured that in the early hours of Sunday morning the crowd were glued to the dance floor, mixing straight up house beats into stomping techno as time skipped by.

Following him was a live set from Mathew Jonson, with his instantly distinguishable style of inimitable epic sounds, minimal bleeps and thumping beats. Playing into dawn of Sunday morning followed another Fabric resident, Craig Richards, who played it hypnotic and plodding. Energy levels were slightly lower than a few hours previous, but fellow resident Terry Francis was smashing out the techno loudly in Room Two for those who needed a pick-me-up.

The club was still full of happy if slightly dishevelled clubbers by this time on Sunday morning, and a mixture of fresh excited faces and faces of those who may or may not have been to bed queued up outside to begin the second day of celebrations. This was one of the longest club nights London had seen. The question remains; how will they top that if they hit the big 20?
For more info on the club please visit http://www.fabriclondon.com/