Greg Wilson - Williamson Tunnels - Freeze - May 31st 2014

It was in a tent called Stonebridge, at the back of Glastonbury festival last year, that I first heard a set by Greg Wilson. My friend, an ever reliable source of information on all things danceable, had suggested we all make the journey over to this tent and I had no fear I was in for a decent night. This was far from a decent night; this was one of the best nights I have ever had in my 28 years on this earth. It truly felt special in that tent. My friends and I still constantly listen to this set when going to other nights to get us in the mood and I listen to it at work to get me through. In truth I will find any excuse to give it a cheeky listen. From the opening swirls of the Fatback Bands "I Found Lovin'" to the Rolling Stones "Honky Tonk Woman" at the end. I instantly feel happy and ready to dance. 

Let’s forward to now. May 2014 and Greg is playing in the Williamson Tunnels, Liverpool. Just walking around Liverpool at the moment seems to give you a buzz. We are being blessed not just by some fantastic football this year, but also by a thriving scene that is showing no signs of slowing down. We, in truth, are starting to get spoilt by some of the events being put on in this quite incredible city. I can’t be the only one feeling blessed to be around while this seems to be happening around us. The Williamson Tunnels is a cavernous venue. The dance floor seems to suck you in from the back of the room until you have helplessly shuffled your feet to the front. It feels like every note of every track bounces back off the walls of the tunnel and straight into your ears. So in many respects I could not have wished for a better venue for the second coming of Wilson in my life.

Freeze Event Poster

I'm not sure whether it’s coming across to you. But I had built this one up in my head long before this evening and sometimes there is no living up to the hype you can create. But it seems the dance Gods were with us for this one and not only had we already assembled a decent size dance crew to attend this evening, but a couple of extra mates were thrown in last minute after winning even more tickets. The Party Steed as ever would also be in attendance and so, conditions were suddenly perfect for another evening of Greg Wilson magic to occur. 

We arrive around 11ish and Derek Kaye is on before Wilson. This makes the night a little more exciting. At the Stonebridge set last year, Greg dropped a Derek Kaye remix of "Ain't Nobody" by Rufus & Chaka Khan, again it's one of those tracks that has stuck with me ever since that night. So I had been looking forward to what Derek had to offer. He didn’t disappoint. He started with Carly Simon's "Why" and over the first 60 minutes he gifted us more beautiful tracks; "Thinking of You" - Sister Sledge, "I'm Goin Out of My Head" - Late Nite Tuff Guy and then just before the hour mark he dropped my track of the night: "Suck My Sausage" by Voodoo Whiskey. 

I was already uncontrollably flailing and thinking "I’m John Travolta" by this point. Even before I heard "Turn the Music Up" by the Players Association but then he well and truly finished me off with "Soul Power" by Space Echo. It’s a stunning and mesmerizing 1 hour and 45 minutes. It's hard to believe that this isn’t the main act. It is that good. He did more than enough to convert me into a fan and I will be looking forward to any future opportunities to dance in front of this man.

Party Steed

It hardly seemed fair that after such a fantastic couple of hours already we were now to be treated to another couple by Greg Wilson. But I’m a greedy, greedy man and I was now salivating for the next part of this night. He continued where Derek left off playing those disco classics. "Oops up side your head" by The Gap Band and "Saturday Nite" by Earth Wind & Fire. But it was within moments of gracing us with his presence, Greg dropped  "Lovely Day" by Bill Withers. This was truly the special moment of the night. One of those times where you could feel everyone’s euphoria over a simple laid back track. Everyone can put their arms round each other and sing away. It's a simply flawless pick.

Wilson then began to shift upwards through the gears. We flowed effortlessly from the 4th gear disco vibes that had been the theme of the night to 5th gear. Absolute dance floor classics. "Good Life" - Inner City followed into hyper drive "Strandbar" - Todd Terje. I would happily dance to this song if it was on a two hour loop. Its pulsating bass line sends the heart racing, its samba beat sends you into a dancing fever and then that piano hits you and your body just loses control. It was hard to believe anything could follow this, but the tunes just kept on flowing. "Chime" by Orbital and "Blind", a Frankie Knuckles remix of Hercules and Love Affair.

Now reaching the final stretch, we were flipped back again to those classy disco vibes with Patrice Rushden’s "Haven't You Heard" before sending us out of this world with a psychedelic mix of "Tomorrow Never Knows" by the Beatles. Finally leaving us on America's "Horse with No Name". It was a perfect way to end by Wilson, as again we were left swaying and singing along. It was simply breathtaking to witness, a joy to be a part of and lived up to whatever hype I had set out previously. 

Whoever you are and whatever music you enjoy listening to, I find it hard to believe that you can't come to a night like this and let your hair down to music like this, played by DJ's who clearly know when and what songs to spin at any given moment, in sets as wonderful as these. I was converted last year and I’m sure anyone who was there on Saturday night was converted this year. Did you miss it? Fear not. Greg is playing another set in Liverpool at the Bombed Out Church in July. I would encourage you all to come along and have a dance. It may just change you in the way it changed me. I'll be the one at the front, in the dodgy shirt, thinking "Tonight, I'm Travolta"

You can listen to both sets and also the Glasto set by clicking the links below:

Derek Kaye's set  https://soundcloud.com/dj-derek-kaye/derek-kaye-live-set-freeze-williamson-tunnels

Greg Wilson's set https://soundcloud.com/clubfreeze/greg-wilson-freeze-williamson-tunnels-liverpool-310514

Greg's Glasto set https://soundcloud.com/gregwilson/glastonbury-stonebridge-27-06

A Bugged Out Weekender - Friday March 7th 2014 - DAY 1

A Bugged Out Weekend March 7th DAY 1 – FRIDAY NIGHT
I have often drove between Southport And Liverpool in my life, and on occasion this takes you down the coast road, past the old Pontins in Ainsdale, a place that from the outside, you could quite easily mistake for some prisoner of war camp that has been left to ruin. All fenced off and about as appealing for a family holiday as a rotten fruit bowl. It came as somewhat of a surprise to me when I was told that this year a reputable promoter had chosen this location to be responsible for  the festival marking their 20th anniversary .
 This was Bugged Out Weekender 2014.

This festival was boasting a rather impressive line-up, which included a whole host of reputable DJ’s and i had managed to blag a weekend ticket with accommodation in one of Pontin’s fine family chalets which I would share with 3 friends and 1 Steed (We'll come to the steed later) Despite the location being dubious, I was packed and excited for an enjoyable weekend of drinks, dancing and electronic music. So we bundled ourselves into my ever trustworthy car Betty, and headed out on the 20 minute short journey from my home in Ormskirk to the weekends biggest party.

Upon arrival about 6:30pm, we drive through the main gates of the Pontins complex, there is already a decent crowd gathering outside the main building which was housing the festival itself. After a rather strange half arsed search of the vehicle by some security men, which included opening my boot full of suitcases and declaring “I have nothing to declare sir”, we were on our way into the main building feeling fairly smug that we were  going to skip the big queue that had formed outside already, we were going straight to the press office to pick up our chalet keys. Its times like this you can feel high and mighty , almost pompous at how grand we were compared to everyone else, we are humbled back down to earth quick enough when handed our bed sheets for the weekend in a bag. We shall not be receiving too much in the way of VIP treatment here!

"Don't you know who i am?"

We enter the Chalet, room number 299, our home for the next 3 days. Its basic but convenient enough,  close to the main building, easy staggering distance back home after the nights festivities. We all agree, this would be for the best. Aside from an almost unbearable strobe effect coming from the toilet light, and a realisation that the pitiful excuses for hangers would be hanging no jackets ever again, we could hardly grumble at our new abode. Pleasantly surprised, we get pre drinks out the way and head to the main building for our first taste of the entertainment laid on for us.

It is here we realise what a thorough search involves. The security are cutting no corners here and invade our wallets, cig packets, coat pockets and any crevice we have upon our persons searching for the obvious disco biscuits the many clientele will be trying to smuggle in this weekend to accompany their night. This was to be a regular theme of the weekend for any smoker who would attend this festival and often hefty lines are formed outside the main doors. Some of us being searched 8 times an evening by the same security guard who continually asks what I plan to do with the plectrums I have in my jeans pocket. By the end of the week however most are done with gentle banter as we start to recognise each other. “You have touched me more this weekend than my girlfriend has” being a popular awkward moment killer. The security do a stellar job but it has to be said they are probably fighting a losing battle. And over the weekend it is obvious that many punters have been clever enough to get their supply in anyway.

We head to room 2 where you can count the number of people in attendance on one hand and then to room one, where there is not a soul in sight. We soon find out why, the party had started, but in room 3. In here we find Nadia Ksaiba, who plays a belter of a set and starts the evening off very nicely with digitally magnificent sounding electro, followed by LDMS (Liverpool Dance Music Society) in all honesty, its no thrills from the lads here, but it’s decent enough to get the room going.

Perhaps inevitably Friday night really hots up when we go and see Kolsch in room 2. An Outstanding set which I just could not help throwing shapes to from start to finish. From here the night continues to grow and suddenly I realise I am enjoying myself far more than I thought I would be for a festival here at Pontin’s. And despite the ridiculously poor bar service, which was unfortunately a staple of the entire weekend, the drinks flow and the night gets better and better.

Into room 1, Todd Terje is about to make his appearance. This is one I have been particularly looking forward to, it starts a little slowly, and I am nervous that perhaps this one could be a little overhyped in my mind, but with the irresistible new tune in tow “Delorean Dynamite” the set ignites. A fantastic long ensemble of another new track “Spiral”, followed closely by the heavenly bounce of “Inspector Norse” in the end this is a set that leaves no one disappointed. And I struggled to rid my mind of the beat to Eurodans well into the next day.

Erol Alkan draws the crowd into room 2 again, and unfortunately for me the set feels a little bit flat to begin and really fails to get me going up until the last half an hour. That being said, the half an hour were he picks it up, is outstanding, my particular highlight being “A Hold On Love” which certainly made me nostalgic for my old Ibiza dance CD’s.

Following Erol is Andrew Weatherall back to back with Daniel Avery, two DJ’s who separately i have seen blow me away within the last year. However this B2B session doesn’t do it for me. It feels distorted and was lacking anthem for 3am in the morning and feeling like the night was slipping away from us. It is in this moment my friend makes a suggestion about going to see Dixon instead for an hour in Room 1 and returning to catch the end of Weatherall/Avery instead.

This suggestion proved to be more than profitable. Dixon has been ranked as the number 1 DJ in the world. However I have never been overly keen, and much to my own stupidity and ignorance, had very rarely given him the opportunity to prove to me why this reputation exists. Five minutes into his extraordinary set, I saw the error in my ways and the value of having friends who steer you in the right direction. The whole room exploded into delicious dancing chaos. The smoke filled the room to the point of blindness, as the lights flashed the only colours before your eyes. This made the whole set a monster of the senses. And most of the tunes served up were the perfect tonic for anyone flagging in the early hours. Dixon expertly inspired tired souls into giving their all right to the end.

Dixon had stolen the show. Pontins had miraculously hosted an unforgettable night and Bugged Out weekend had kicked off with a very loud bang! Forgivingly with our chalet close to the main building, the drunken stumble back home could be enjoyed with the favourable memories of a cracking night. Day 2 surely could not top this opener? Or could it?

Playlist for anyone wanting to check out any artists mentioned above https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJGKdp0TfS-cysoSfLkUPWFdUWb2zlspe