Solid Grooves at Studio Spaces April 16th
On April 16th after SidexSide at Tobacco Docks we thought it would only be right to end the Easter weekend in one way, SOLID GROOVES. The event was held just across the road from docks at Studio Spaces, a real fitting venue for a Solid Grooves party. With a line up consisting of residents: Michael Bibi, PAWSA, Reelow alongside Huxley, James Zabiela & Pat Wilson b2b Deck Radford, It was bound to be special as always!
Venue :
Now unfortunately as fitting as the venue was for a Solid Grooves party, as a whole it was quite disappointing. From the outset it took us over 30 minutes just to get into the venue however this was mainly down to the fact that SidexSide had just finished at Tobacco dock which is literally opposite Studio Spaces. Many people looking for an after party didn't have a Solid Grooves ticket to which was already a sold out event however organisers did a good job of informing people they would not get in without one which eventually cut down the queue.
Bar Staff - The bar staff at Studio Spaces were rushed off their feet due to the mass crowd Solid Grooves had gathered so a few mistakes here and there were to be expected but the staff were polite, patient and calm so we cannot fault them.
Drinks - One of the key components in the venue being disappointing was the drinks prices, in the nicest possible way they were simply ridiculous. To note a few: Vodka&Redbull £10, 500ml Can of Beer £6, Vodka&Mixer £9, 1/2 Pint Soft Drink £3.50. Those sort of prices are just not on unfortunately.
Heat - The venue did get slightly hot due to the large crowd however there was adequate ventilation in parts of the venue but something they could look at improving in the future.
Crowd - The crowd at Solid Grooves wasn't your standard Solid Grooves crowd. We put this down to the fact the party was right next to and right after SidexSide at Tobacco Docks. Usually the crowd is energetic and happy, but this time around you didn't really get that sort of vibe from the crowd. With most of the people attending having a very long day at Tobacco dock already this was probably the reason why. That said when 5am rolled around and Michael Bibi had "Inner City - Big Fun" as his closing track, you could see the excitement and smiles beaming round the room for that true Solid Grooves effect.
Production/Sound :
Production - Good use of the space was made in terms of production and lighting. The main room had its fair share of lamps and light cans using intelligent lighting which can adapt to different sounds to really boost the mood. This combined with some effective placement of strobe lamps and LED front and backdrop around the DJ decks set the scene well. Finally it was all topped off with the occasional confetti drop which lets be honest, we are all a sucker for. Great touch.
Sound - Solid Grooves are all about big bassy beats so the sound has to be bang on. Thankfully it was just that and the intimate small space emphasised this even more as the drops rumbled the walls. Speakers were also well placed to create a well evened sound quality around the room space.
DJ Sets :
The music was absolutely perfect all night long. Unfortunately we couldn't catch Pat Wilson b2b Deck Radford but having seen them previously at other events we can tell you that they are two of the best up and coming DJs in London and we definitely recommend catching them in the near future.
PAWSA was exactly how we expected him to be with his superb bassy tech house style really getting the crowd pumping. Reelow again was fantastic, knows how to keep a party going and keeping the crowd grooving.
James Zabiela as a late inclusion due to Hector Couto having to drop out was a very good addition to the line up, impressing throughout his set.Huxley always seems to amaze us with his ability to adapt to any surroundings, his track selection was so fitting for Solid Grooves but he has such a variety of different tracks in the archives that he can suit to any event.
Now finally to the man behind the closing set Michael Bibi, I will forever stand by these words - "There is no closing set like a Michael Bibi closing set". Bibi keeps the crowd going until the very last second, everybody with huge smiles and great energy. Our personal favourite moment was when Bibi dropped "Inner City - Big Fun" as the final track of the night, to see the reaction from the crowd was something very special!
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