BLOC Festival 2009 by Alex Cox @ http://www.skateparkpages.com/
March 13th to 15th saw some of the most extraordinary alternative musical talent on the planet fuse forces to create what is the amazing BLOC festival. This year’s BLOC rave was held at Butlins, Minehead. Bloody good call peeps. Sic venue. Sic Line Up. This was gonna be BIG.
This was a first for Skatepark Pages and we bloody loved every minute of it from the damn right filthy and twisted bass lines down to the plushest festival accommodation around. All bases had been covered to create a varied, vibrant and exciting musical line up – it was like a who’s who of cool right now. A lot of names you had heard of subtly blended with the up and coming talent. If you are into the alternative music scene this was a treat not to be missed and if you were not… what a great introduction. A big shout must go out to the BLOC organisers for hand picking a fine selection of artists who probably didn’t have a single release in the “charts” between them at that time. This gave a nice under ground feel to the festival despite it being held at Butlins - one of the biggest commercial holiday setup's in the UK.
Getting to Bloc was a doddle really which ever way you wanted to get there – by car, bus or coach. Regular departures from Bristol ensured no ravers were left behind. Once there a smart, twin room chalet welcomed you in complete with shower and T making gizmo’s. Forget living in your normal flooded, mud drenched canvas shell this was festying (is that a word?) in style!
The resort itself has plenty to offer as well as the banging tune selection. The main focal point being the massive white canvas towers which housed a multitude of shops and hang out spots. Located in the centre you had a kind of interaction zone with several stalls, DJ’s and a digital graffiti wall. Sic.
The hardest thing about this weekender was choosing who NOT to go and see!
So much talent on display and only so many hours of raving available – god damn it!
Me and Dan were on the hunt for a nice Dub bass line and Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry did not disappoint. I’m trying not over hype it but it was simply legendary. He held the whole crowd in a lifted, catatonic state in the palm of his hand and then released them back into the wild when he was done. It was an experience that will live with me for ever. So hard to put into words. Almost spiritual. It didn’t matter he started 1hr 30 mins late – it was well worth the wait.
Mad Professor was also a treat to behold bubbling away like a dark dub cauldron.
Another personal highlight was Beardyman. BIG set. Big Sound. We even managed to sneak 10 minutes of his sound check. About 10 of us listened as he pummelled bass lines into the arena – most of which he had generated with only his mouth and a Kaos pad.
Dubstep has come along way in the past 6 or so years and it was evident here. Some of the heaviest sets of the weekend belonged to Skream b2b with Benga, Rusko, Joker, Plastician, Kode 9, Martyn, 2562, Vex’d, Pinch, Rustie and AppleBlim. The Bass heads in the place were definitely not disappointed!
To top it all off Altern 8 played a beast of an old skool set to remind people of where the music we enjoy today spawned from.
So in summary it was a bloody great weekend with so many DJ’s not to be missed. Quality sound systems and visuals that delivered each and every time served with plush after raving accommodation.
Big thanks to all the BLOC Festival for the tickets and a chance to experience music how it should be.
Live, Loud and Surrounded by Mentalist Ravers. Nice 1
March 13th to 15th saw some of the most extraordinary alternative musical talent on the planet fuse forces to create what is the amazing BLOC festival. This year’s BLOC rave was held at Butlins, Minehead. Bloody good call peeps. Sic venue. Sic Line Up. This was gonna be BIG.
This was a first for Skatepark Pages and we bloody loved every minute of it from the damn right filthy and twisted bass lines down to the plushest festival accommodation around. All bases had been covered to create a varied, vibrant and exciting musical line up – it was like a who’s who of cool right now. A lot of names you had heard of subtly blended with the up and coming talent. If you are into the alternative music scene this was a treat not to be missed and if you were not… what a great introduction. A big shout must go out to the BLOC organisers for hand picking a fine selection of artists who probably didn’t have a single release in the “charts” between them at that time. This gave a nice under ground feel to the festival despite it being held at Butlins - one of the biggest commercial holiday setup's in the UK.
Getting to Bloc was a doddle really which ever way you wanted to get there – by car, bus or coach. Regular departures from Bristol ensured no ravers were left behind. Once there a smart, twin room chalet welcomed you in complete with shower and T making gizmo’s. Forget living in your normal flooded, mud drenched canvas shell this was festying (is that a word?) in style!
The resort itself has plenty to offer as well as the banging tune selection. The main focal point being the massive white canvas towers which housed a multitude of shops and hang out spots. Located in the centre you had a kind of interaction zone with several stalls, DJ’s and a digital graffiti wall. Sic.
The hardest thing about this weekender was choosing who NOT to go and see!
So much talent on display and only so many hours of raving available – god damn it!
Me and Dan were on the hunt for a nice Dub bass line and Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry did not disappoint. I’m trying not over hype it but it was simply legendary. He held the whole crowd in a lifted, catatonic state in the palm of his hand and then released them back into the wild when he was done. It was an experience that will live with me for ever. So hard to put into words. Almost spiritual. It didn’t matter he started 1hr 30 mins late – it was well worth the wait.
Mad Professor was also a treat to behold bubbling away like a dark dub cauldron.
Another personal highlight was Beardyman. BIG set. Big Sound. We even managed to sneak 10 minutes of his sound check. About 10 of us listened as he pummelled bass lines into the arena – most of which he had generated with only his mouth and a Kaos pad.
Dubstep has come along way in the past 6 or so years and it was evident here. Some of the heaviest sets of the weekend belonged to Skream b2b with Benga, Rusko, Joker, Plastician, Kode 9, Martyn, 2562, Vex’d, Pinch, Rustie and AppleBlim. The Bass heads in the place were definitely not disappointed!
To top it all off Altern 8 played a beast of an old skool set to remind people of where the music we enjoy today spawned from.
So in summary it was a bloody great weekend with so many DJ’s not to be missed. Quality sound systems and visuals that delivered each and every time served with plush after raving accommodation.
Big thanks to all the BLOC Festival for the tickets and a chance to experience music how it should be.
Live, Loud and Surrounded by Mentalist Ravers. Nice 1
Big Shout to the Muff massive in attendance. You know who u r!
Check the line up you missed –unreal. BLOC 10 - a defo date for the diary.
BLOC Residents* Billy Nasty* Radioactive Man* Ed DMX* Jerome Hill* Luke's Anger* James Tec* Rebel Intelligence* Joe Hart* Oliver Way* George 'The Skull' Hull
Caravan Recordings* October* Emptyset
Cliche* French Kriss* Michel Dupont* French Connection Trio* Pathic* ADJ* Junq* P45* Ebola* Lusinda* AGT Rave Cru* Amental* McMash Clan
Cocodisco* DJ Benetti* Louis Enchante And Friends* Andy Blake* Rodaidh And Piers* Russell Haswell
Dublime* Lee Scratch Perry* Scientist AKA Hopeton Brown* Digital Mystikz* Kode 9* Tipper* Mad Professor* Rusko* Ed Rush & Optical* Plastician* Zion Train* Pole
Greco Roman* Rob Da Bank* Drums Of Death* Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs* Greco Roman Soundsystem* Raff Daddy* The Great Mentsh* Full Nelson
Numbers* Martyn* Rustie* Hudson Mohawks* Jackmaster* Dynamix II* DJ Godfather and MC Omega* Ulrich Schnauss* Ed Chamberlain* Global Goon* Rob Hall* Transparent Sound* Ceephax Acid Crew* Cosmic Force* BassClef* Ital Tek* Lief Ryan* Alexander Robotnick* Bass Clef
Overkill* Beardyman* Modeselektor* Metro Area* 4Hero* Egyptian Lover* Altern 8* Arabian Prince* Dynanix II* Si Begg* DJ Godfather* Daniel Bell* I-F* Heartbreak* Bizzy B* Dylan* 2 Bad Mice* Global Goon* Ulrich Schnauss* Clark* Otto Von Schirach
Split and Tilted Disco* Frequency 7 feat Ben Sims and Surgeon* Rob Hood* James Ruskin* Redshape* Steve Strawberry and Alex Downey
Subloaded* Pinch* Applebim* 2562* Vex'd* Peverelist* Joker b2b Blazey* MC Sgt Pokes
Unspecified Stage* The Future Sound of London* Jamie Lidell* Carl Craig* Afrika Bambaataa* Skream b2b Benga* Metro Area* Busy P* Electro Elvis* Lula* Braindrop* Dub Pressure* Drums Of The South* Square Roots* Sequence* Plex* Dissident* Aphex Twin And Hecker* Green Velvet* DJ Qbert
Wifey* D'explicit* China feat Black The Ripper* DJ Undecided* Wifey DJs
Useful Links
http://www.blocweekend.com/ Official BLOC Festival Home Page
http://www.flickr.com/photos/watchlooksee/sets/72157615624401125/show BLOC PICS!
http://www.youtube.com/bloctv - BLOC TV on YouTube
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=4877897430&ref=mf BLOC on Facebook
http://www.myspace.com/blocweekend BLOC on MySpace
http://www.butlins.com/resorts/minehead/resort-map.aspx Minehead - Butlins Resort Map
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpZ6xb_4vKo Mary Anne Hobbs Interview with Skream at BLOC 09
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