Last time I went into Sound Control, it was a quiet Sunday night to watch Camp Lo. They were fantastic but I was slightly concerned that we were 2 of only about 30 people watching them. Invariably and incorrectly I was expecting the same thing on Monday when I took time out of my busy schedule watching ITV2 to check out their new night ONE with the lovely DJ Jazzy Jeff.
Photography By Oliver Nuttall
The night claims to offer an “unbeatable crowd” and the “very best Hip Hop, Garage and House.” Located in the basement, the night was a sell-out, and was surprisingly only a fiver to get in. Drinks were cheap too; at £3.50 for a double and mixer. Being a cynical sod, and with such hyperbole being flung around, I wasn’t expecting much – but was very pleasantly surprised. Not only was it considerably busier than anywhere else around Oxford Road on a Monday, the tunes were indeed excellent. I’m a bit of a Luddite when it comes to Garage, and not since the dizzying days of Oxide and Neutrino have I bothered to give it much thought. But I was pleasantly surprised, there was plenty I knew and everybody was loving the whole set, both before and after the world-class DJ Jazzy Jeff made his appearance.
Photography By Oliver Nuttall
I’ve always thought it must be pretty difficult to have to deal with being known for only one thing. Sean Connery tried everything to move on from being James Bond, including getting his knob out in Zardoz and signing up for Highlander 2. That woman who put that cat in a bin a few years back would probably have difficulty getting a job now after what she did. Even if she found the cure for AIDS, she will still mostly be known for what she did to that bloody cat. And I suppose it may be a similar situation for DJ Jazzy Jeff; in many circles he will always be referred to as ‘that bloke pissing about with Will Smith in 1990’ or ‘that weird little fella in Fresh Prince’, which is a shame really because he has carved himself a position as one of the best and most highly respected hip hop DJ’s who should be remembered for more than just getting thrown out of the patio by Uncle Phil.
After picking up our first tin of Red Stripe, we immediately bumped into Dayne Jordan wandering around the dance floor. One to watch, Dayne Jordan aka The Real Dosage has been collaborating with Jazzy Jeff recently, with Jeff producing his tunes. They’ve been working closely together, and tonight was no exception. Dayne quickly headed to the DJ booth, where Jeff was getting ready to start his set.
Photography By Oliver Nuttall
To say that Jazzy Jeff is a great DJ is a bit of an understatement – the guy is amazing. He manages to incorporate a wide range of samples and songs that constantly kept the crowds happy and moving. There was a great range of new stuff and classics, and Dayne Jordan’s freestyle over some old Super Mario Bros. music was a personal highlight. Everyone was loving it, and he invariably even popped the Fresh Prince theme tune in there to keep the baying crowds at bay. In all he did about an hour and a half, with regular features from Dayne Jordan – much better than some DJ’s you get when they just turn up, put on an iTunes playlist and piss about playing solitaire.
Photography By Oliver Nuttall
The night was an all round class act – as it was winding down at 4am and I had work in 3 hours I was already thinking of next week. Definitely recommended for a good bit of Monday night action.
Sound Control, 1 New Wakefield Street, Manchester, M1 5NP
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www.soundcontrolmanchester.co.uk
Photography By Oliver Nuttall
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