DNBBQ
Big Bud
Budspells
Miso
the Versionairies
Semper Fi
Vice Versa
Lordz of the Fly
Foreign Dub
Shuey
and many more...
Dear me! I can't remember the last time I've been to the Metro in two room config. Maybe I just have very poor memory. As always, rocking up early, and kicking off proceedings in the second room was Miso (girl vocals, keys and technologies, live double bass), perched high up on part of the new MTV set, making the audience crane their neck at an uncomfortable angle to catch a look. The ergonomics of this set did not seem enticing to my frail backbone, so I decided to chill out as best I could in the main room, with a dozen or so others, sitting in the dark listening to the dj spin some heavy, tough, slightly leftfield dnb.
The Versionaries, one boy one girl on mics, and a dj backing, backing some slower tempo dubstyle soul hip-hop. I wasn't interested. In the other room, Shuey was spinning some tunes. I would hang around, but the sounds in the side room seems to be leaning towards the more down tempo end of the spectrum, which wasn't what I was lusting for tonight.
Lordz of the Fly, I'd seen before, a bit ordinary, one boy one girl MCs, failed to keep my interests for long. In the other room, Semper Fi playing some leftfield, banga influenced beats. MIA and the likes. A fun and interesting, slower tempo mix.
Then it was either overseas dnb dj Big Bud, or reclusive local dynamic dnb duo, Vice Versa. So far tonight the sound in the main room has been heavier and more rocking than the side room. In the mood for heavy beats and basslines, I hung around to check the international dj drop some tunes. But Big Bud has an annoying habit of mixing up some dub-styles with his dnb. Could well be his main selling point, but I wasn't getting into the up and down tempos, so I ended up having more fun and dancing more wildly to Vice Versa's smooth, deep dnb vibes. They are brilliant producers, if only they'd get around to releasing something. One to keep an ear out for, but I think I said that back in 2002. As the hands of the clock did their laps, the crowd in both rooms gradually thinned out on this tired Friday night. Shame.
Big Bud began packing up around 2:30, by then the room was feeling decidedly sparse. Even frontman Kye was missing from the next act on the main stage, local dub-hiphop heads Budspells. The rest of the band, tonight on laptop, drumkit and something else, I forget, for the first few minutes jammed out a simple groove with the rather rubbish MC that was on with Big Bud, till Kye finally stepped up to relieve us of the cliched rasta rhymes. In recent times we've seen Kye jumping into many a Shapeshifter performance to drop some of his rappid-fire rhymes over the live dnb beats. Tonight I'm glad to see Hyjack from local hip-hop duo Hyjack and Torcha jumping in for his guest spot on the highlight tune of the Budspell first ep. It was kinda uncomfortable, the room getting more empty by the minute, the eyelids and aching leg muscles telling me i've just about had enough, but I hung in there, partly to check out any new sounds, partly in sympathy for the poor band playing out to empty room. The first song with the squriggling electro bassline sounded the most interesting. Looking forward to the lp now expected to drop in February, should be ace.