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Friday 8th March 2002. Carl's visit
![]() The journey to Newmarket, in Suffolk, England, was long, tiresome and tedious. Good job I had a nice soothing USA Deep House audio cassette tape playing in the car. 45 minutes, and many twists and turns later, I reached a small, but buzzing town, that already had a variety of people/s of all shapes and sizes spilling over onto the streets to get into the few bars that were there. Finding a place to park was going to be a nightmare as I noticed most of the "free" and available places had already been taken. Eventually, after going up a few dead ends, and then having to reverse out of them to look for other places. I found a nice quiet spot in which I could confidently park up without the fear of the car being stolen or damaged when I came back from raving. The nightclub that I was looking out for was Denirio's, which had advertised that Mikey B, from BBC's Radio One's - Dreem Teem fame, was going to be present tonight. The Denirio crowds were already queuing, which shocked me, as it was only 9.40pm time. Quite early to be queuing to get into a Club. I soon realised why this was, as your were granted cheaper entry to the club if you got in before 10.30pm, and cheaper drinks. The crowds/queues dress sense I had noticed, especially of the girls, were either dressed in somekind of ill fitting, St.Trinion's School Uniform outfit. Looking at the flyer that was thrust upon me by some up for raver, it stated that commission would be given to people wearing school uniform to club. That explains it, I thought. After 5 minutes deliberating whether or not I should decided on queuing crowds. I eventually did so. Looking at the building crowds I just didn't want to come all of this way only to be told that the place was full and they were not letting anymore people in. After about a 15-minute wait of shuffling and general chitchat with a few people ahead of me within the queue, I managed to make my way in. There where 4 bouncers near and around the front entrance with what look like metal detectors in their hands. "Over there", uttered one of them without even looking at me. I moved to where he wanted to me stand, and then he quickly moved the metal object that he was holding in his hands over my body. "Okay,….. next". As I paid the entrance fee at the booth, and paid again for the coat that I was wearing to be put up. I eventually made my way up the winding staircase, which led to the clubs dance floor. It was a quite a big club to be fair, and already the place was to semi packed. The dance floor was empty, as many of the punters had rushed to the bar to get cheaper drinks before the cheaper drinks curfew time was lifted. Queuing at the bar was a nightmare. People were pushing and shoving, and thrusting £10.00 and £20.00 notes at over worked bar staff, in the hope that they would get served just that more quickly. I decided to try my luck at another bar within the night-club, which you had to access to it via another winding staircase. On reaching there the congestion was even worse. However, the area was smaller, meaning that not so many people could gain access to it easily. Thus making the time in getting your drinks being reduce considerably. After getting small glass of lager, (I was driving remember!). I made my way to the balcony and just peered over. I was looking over right into the Dj's booth, and on the dance floor at the same time. The DJ was scurrying around and going through his CD selection as to what to play next. Yes there were decks available as well, and I did see his Vinyl boxes already opened and record waiting to be plucked from them.
![]() The DJ at this present time was playing Soulful House tracks that had been popular for the last 3 months that appeared to have got the punters into a good mood. I noticed quite a few nodding their heads to the beats that were being dropped. I remember,looking at my watch that read 11.45am, and I noticed a small group being ushered to the bar causing a small commotion in the process. It looked like Mikey B, from the Dream team fame. Yes it was him, I'm sure. I was so nosy and curious that I just went up to him, and introduce myself to him. Yes I was that blantent. He was quite pleasant to say the least, and seemed in very high spirits. Smiling and cracking a few jokes at the same time. It was then that the resident DJ, announced that Mikey b, was in the House, and would be coming on at 12.30pm. It bought forth halve hearted cheers from the crowd, who were only just getting onto the dance floors; and that seemed to be groups of girls who had made the initial effort of getting on the dancefloor as well.
Many were dancing and whining up together though. Trance is not my idea of good dance music, but at least it got them on the dance floor. As I mentioned beforehand, peoples from all descriptions were here. From the Ravers using glow sticks, to the various girls that were scantily dressed or dressed as school kids in their school uniforms, to the menacing Bouncers that looked like they were looking for trouble rather then stopping it. The bar staff were performing miraculous behind the bar, as people/ravers were shouting their orders to them and trying to squeeze themselves just that extra inch forward, just to be served that much quicker. Time passed, and with that more and more people had entered the club, to the stage of where you couldn't but help bump into someone wherever you moved. As you looked down from the balcony to the dance floor it was full with girls waving "glow sticks" in the air, to boys huddled together jumping up and down on the floor. In this same period I noticed Yvette. A DJ friend of mine from Norwich, England, who had also made her way down tonight. I was shocked to see her, to say the least, even though she did explain to me a few days before that she would be making her way down as well. We greeted each other for just a few moments, but then she explained she was going into the DJ Booth with the guests of Mickey B, and Mickey B himself, and we would meet up later on. Mickey B, appeared from no where all of a sudden to make an appearance within the DJ booth. He was standing their with his hands crossed, and not to far away from him, was a small gang of people that appeared to have travelled from London to Newmarket with him. "And, now with have here with us Mikey B, from Radio 1's Dreem Teem show as promised", announced the Resident DJ. "Let's give a big hand for him for Mikey B....." A small ripple of applause came from the bemused Newmarket crowd. From the feeling that I got from the crowd it felt like, "So What?". "Well, what do you want me to start me off here for you", stated Mikey B over the microphone. "House, UK Garage, Rn'b?… He hardly got any response to that question, so he decided the outcome for them, by starting of the proceedings with an Uk/2-Step Garage track that was funky as hell.
![]() It got people moving to say the least. However after the 3rd track within his Uk/2-Step Garage set he changed direction by playing Rn'b/Soul Tracks, which the girls in the house appreciated immensely. From Ja Rule to Faith Evens, he had the club rocking. Many guys within this period saw it as an opportunity to dance with, or at least ask girls to dance with them.. The girls of the club seemed to have other ideas. What they decided was to "rub dance" with themselves, rather than try this with the opposite sex? I saw numerous amounts of boys go up to girls, only to be returned with their tails between their legs(So to speak!!) as they were turned down, one after the other. These same girls would then smile, and carry one dancing provocatively between themselves. Mikey B, seemed to have got the understanding of the crowd by also dropping in some Soulful House classics that went down well with the crowd.
![]() The John Cutler feat E-man anthem called, "Its yours", went down a treat. Even people sitting around to take a rest every so now and again, where nodding their heads to this. More Soulful House numbers were to follow. It was becoming more hectic I noticed though. The space that was available around the banisters only about 20/30 minutes ago were now as if by magic filled. Everyone wanted to gain a good vendettist so that they could see this UK DJ superstar in the flesh without having to strain. Don't get me wrong they were various groups of peoples dancing in the aisles still. But everyone wanted to say at least that they had seen Mikey B.
![]() However, suddenly, a static sounding microphone broke through the music and my conversation with Yvette, and brought us all to a sudden holt. Over the tannoy sysytem they annouced that there would be a special P.A would be playing later tonight, which I couldn't hear clearly enough as a group of girls would making so much noise in front of me. Things went back to normally as soon as that annouced was made. A track that Mikey B had dropped soon after had me rushing to the DJ booth. It was the remix of the Uk Garage club smash called "Girls play too" by DJ Francis James and DJ Face (Gavin Mills). Well at least I thought it was.... Absolutely wicked it sounded. Mikey Bsmiled, as he could see I was straining my neck to see if I could gain any information from the revolving 12 inch on the decks. But I was out of luck. It was a plain white label cover that had no information on it what so ever. It was eventually passed over to me, that it was the "Girls play too" remix that was due for release very shortly. Everyone was dancing though from what I could see. Even the glass collectors were shaking their butts. After 3 or 4 songs, instead of the one or two that was mentioned. The schedule P.A appeared. Basically it was the Athletic American, Alex Charles, on his own, singing live over a P.A set up to his new track called "So beautiful" It took a few minutes to get everyone settled and ready to take in this P.A, as people still wanted to groove. "Okay Newmarket, glad that you could make it down her tonight", Alex Charles bellowed. "Here's my new track out for you on the 25th March, 2002, called So beautiful, featuring Booker T and myself. Please look out for it, and make it a smash".
![]() Alex Charles was a tall, athletically built man. But he looked and sounded like fun. He didn't seem to take himself too serious from what I could see. The music began, but all of a sudden it stopped as quickly as it began. Leaving an embarrassed Alex Charles in the middle of dance floor with no where to hide. He laughed and joked around about it, but it didn't look that cool. The technicians were by this time scurrying around the back trying to find this "fault" The Master of Ceremonies apologised profusely again and again to the waiting crowds for this technical hitch. Some of the crowds took it upon them selves to "cat call" the Newmarket DJ team and its Management, but eventually after 5 minutes. Everything was ready to go. Alex Charles, managed to get going and performed and moved well around the dancefloor using it as his stage.
![]() He even managed to do a "1 handed cartwheel trick" as he was performing for us. At once stage of his performance he monition towards 3 girls who were on the nape of the dance floor stage to come and join him.One thing I will say about Mr.Charles, is that he had a good voice. After much conjoling he gained their trust, and they were dancing with him on the make shift dance floor stage.
![]() After that the Newmarket Crowd took to him, which at the end of his performance the crowd gave him a worthy warm hand of applause.He seemed to have passed the test! The rest of the evening saw the resident DJ dropping more commercial sounds that the crowds appreciate I have to say even more enjoyed than the Mikey B set. For a spell we even had the "Resident" dropping Hard House, which saw me retreat to the bar. I can tolerate most musics, but when it starts to get "hard" out there then I know it times to leave. It was there that I met up with Yvette very briefly again, this was together with Michael Charles and his girlfriend. Alex was touring around with Mickey B, visiting many of the South of England nightclubs doing his special one-off appearances. He explained to me that he met up with Booker T (London, England) some time ago, who was looking for a quality singer, who happened to be a singer/songwriter writer at the same time. He seemed to fit the bill, and the rest was history. The rest of the evening saw myself either peering over the balcony looking at clubbers "going for it"; or making polite or in idle conversations with one and all. I even once or twice myself decided to, "get down", especially to the Uk/2-Step Garage numbers that were pumping out on the main dance floor. The night ended with me meeting up with Yvette, Alex Charles and his girlfriend, Mikey B and a couple of his roadies; and a few other people within the VIP Bar of Deniros.
![]() We talked well into the middle of the night after the nightclub had finished. It was interesting to hear what was mentioned and said during that time about the music industry in general. I have to say that I saw many smiles on many people's faces that night. I had been told that this particular night was one of the most popular nights ever to be held at Deniros for a long time. Look forward to my next visit from the Dreem Teem in May, 2002 I have been told.
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