Friday 29/07/05 Day 1 @ Global Gathering

Welcome to the Global Gathering challenge; 39 hours lost in a chemical sweat on a derelict airfield, devoid of intellect and gasping for that soaring beat. The 'biggest and best' weekend dance festival is ready, but are we? God Damn it we are! The UK has been begging for a two day dance event since the dawning of D:Ream and now it’s finally here in all its pompous hot-tubbing, beach-bumming and gurning galore we’re gonna take full frontal advantage!

 

Once the Gigwise team manage to traverse the expanding queues its straight into the Essential Selections tent for some whacked out squelching courtesy of Sasha protégé James Zabiela. This lad has a considerable penchant for dark rumbling intros banging on for a good 15 minutes, before Zabiela makes headway and leads his boom blip army (as we like to call em!) into a coherent battle. Undefeated Gigwise turns it’s attention to the Radio 1’s Beach stage to witness a little waffle from the Belgian superstars 2 Many DJ’s. The Dewaele brothers are definitive crowd pleasers and even arc tongues to lick the crack of their own label, giving PIAS the salute with the road kill fluff of Flat Eric. A far cry from the Belgian dance/rock crossover are Romford’s seething dance troupe Underworld. Ever the confident and ultimate performer Karl Hyde stalks and minces up the stage pulsing life into ye olde favourites. But to be honest it all falls a little wide of the mark; maybe it’s the outside stage, maybe it’s the pretend beach but whatever the excuse I’m sure they’ll blame the atmosphere on the daylight!

 

Gigwise has a wander into the essential sessions tent to be greeted by the king of Ho-Hum-house (copyright of Gigwise) Roger Sanchez. We’re quick to realise he is indeed the king of his own pigeon hole and flee the scene towards another Yankee with infinitely better taste, the mighty Arthur Baker. Tonight,  Arthur seems to care little for his mixing skills choosing to nonchalantly slip between records with the dexterity of Bungle (that’s still one up on Sanchez). Half indie disco, half 90’s house the mutant Baker raises and lowers the tone with consecutive tracks. At best you get Primal Scream brooder  'Come Together' the dub mix and worst Primal Scream  'Rocks' ; it’s a double edged sword which makes the appearance of the Happy Mondays that much sweeter!

 

It’s been a little less than a week since Gigwise witnessed the Manc beggars ply their trade in Cornwall, and it feels like we’ve slipped back a decade. Shaun is on devastating form, even managing to shuffle his belly about stage with minimum effort. Where last week his eyes were tightly shut, oblivious to proceedings and allowing Bez to rule, this week Shaun is decked in Spec’s and commands the stage with his acid wit.

The sound that emanates is fantastic, full bodied and funky as ****, delivering the full force of what the Mondays (that’s Shaun, Bez and sessioners!) are capable of. 'Wrote For Luck' takes in the atmosphere and transforms it into pure adrenaline; this is their gospel and don’t the gathered know it! By the time '24 Hour Party People' slams the sound-system the crowd is up in arms, the faces are vacant with complete euphoria and Gigwise is gaping at the spectacle. If dance was dying, then the resurrection of the Happy Mondays could signal the second coming for 90’s baggy grooves…we’re not gonna pioneer it but judging on today’s proceedings we’d certainly endorse it!