Last weekend, the second international drum and bass festivalPirate Station. Many people had been eagerly awaiting this event. The biggest event of the scene in Russia (and, as the advertising campaign's slogan claimed, in the world) was held on a much larger scale than the first one. This time, the main arena of the Yubileiny Sports Palace was chosen for the event; according to estimates, it held more than 10,000 people. In addition, the second-floor halls housed the “Russian Arena” and a VIP zone, neither of which had been there last time...
The crowd began storming the barricades set up by the police and security service from the very start of the event. So by 10 o’clock, the crush at the entrance had basically stopped, and most people were inside. Those who arrived later and did not have VIP tickets once again found themselves face to face with the eternal problem of St. Petersburg raves at Yubileiny: a lack of space in the cloakrooms. We have encountered this far from being the first time and, I’m afraid, not the last. Another new measure was a ban on bringing drinks into the arena. Apparently, the organizers are continuing their fight for cleanliness ;)
The abundance of lighting and other equipment was immediately noticeable in the main arena. There were (more than) enough moving heads and strobes. The only thing that frightened me was the way this whole “pile of lights” had been arranged under the ceiling and on projecting stands. According to some visitors asked about it, they even created a somewhat oppressive atmosphere. So many “rags” hung from the ceiling that the events onstage could only be made out from the dancefloor level (or by going directly to the side). The sound, compared with the last DJ Parade, was noticeably better; it was perfectly comfortable to listen to (and hear) the music.
And there was plenty to listen to there. I would immediately like to note the good performances by all the domestic DJs. Despite the difficult conditions (skipping needles and so on), they looked no worse than the foreigners. I particularly enjoyed the performance ofTook'a (on both arenas, incidentally).
Groovetore up the dancefloor at maximum velocity, preparing the way forBad Company. After the set byGoldie, Novak, BesandZemine managed to bring the festival to its logical (and, as always, unexpected) end without letting the rhythm drop. As for the guests, they brought exactly what people expected from them: good, high-quality sets. AfterGoldie'sperformance, it was painful to watch from the VIP area as he had to do rewind after rewind on the main arena's “earthquake-prone” platform, which shook from every impact. I’m not sure whether the VIP set was recorded, but I think it would have been worth hearing as compensation for the experience.
Bad Company(likeGoldie) had already visited us for the second time, and for the second time they played a fresh, tightly structured set. Quality material and good technique kept people on the dancefloor throughout the entire performance. ThenLTJ BukemandMC Conradappeared onstage... This really deserved a separate article. I personally had never seen anything like it before. A magnificent show that, for me personally, became the highlight of the night—it was even more than I had expected. Many thanks to the organizers!
The guests were certainly interesting to listen to, but let’s get back to our own... simply our own ;). There was not much space in the Russian Arena, so fears that the place would turn into a “sauna” were quickly confirmed. It was probably uncomfortable not only to be there but also to play there, let alone dance. But no one backed down; everyone performed very respectably. The power being cut during the performance bySkyformwas disappointing; it was a shame the guys played for such a short time. Otherwise, everything went more or less calmly. I would especially mention the performance byTook'a (as I already wrote above),Novak's,Gvozd(super!),Bes's,Dissident's andRuffen's. Well done, guys; there was enough going on to leave the main arena and go sweat it out to their performances. They delivered.
Of course, I understand the people who were annoyed by the cloakrooms, smoke-filled and dirty toilets, and other things of that kind. All of that is, of course, very bad. But for everything else concerning the festival, the promoters deserve thanks. Big up, guys! We’re looking forward to the next episode!
Text:: Zolba
