28 Mar 2011, Posted by admin in The Fam,Thoughts, No Comments.
Bloc 2011 – Review
Photography by Charles Turner
We never knew quite what to expect from Bloc. Having only really heard about it a few months ago from some friends when we had starting discussing our plans for the summer. After mixed feelings, what really sold it to us was a line-up to die for, comprised of the finest in global Dub, DnB and electro artists, DJs who we had been courting for the past year at dingy clubs, all night raves and via SoundCloud mixes.
We duly hopped on the first train to the family resort of Butlins in Minehead, much to our shame and lack of knowing where anything really is in England, for the first two days we honestly believed we had arrived in Wales. Based on nothing than a few rumours (read: lies) told to us by a mate, in actual fact Minehead was only 15 miles from the Welsh border, so not all bad there! Raving it up at Butlins is a wonderfully odd experience, for four days and three nights every year around 5,000+ ravers descend on the resort in search of dutty beats and manic parties.
The central complex, which is normally filled with kids running around, becomes the hub for tripping out and making new buddies. What first hits you is the massive arcade maze, complete with all the classics – Time Crisis and Dance Dance Revolution; which we unashamedly threw a few quid into at 4 am on the Friday. Although you’re a stone’s throw from Wales in the sleepy seaside town of Minehead you’re never too far from all the mod cons, Butlin’s comes complete with a 24hr Burger King, just don’t venture into town after 10pm, everything’s closed!
On the music front, we are proud to report that Bloc does not disappoint, all the big name DJs were excellent as always in particular Claude Von Stroke who gave us our second wind. Before leaving we had heard a few rumblings about Venetian Snares, and once at Bloc everyone seemed to be raving about him, his set was off the hook, crazy cuts and rapid drops kept our feet busy trying to keep up. Our only one minor niggle was that from the outset we had set our little hearts on seeing Aphex Twin, but it looked like every other Blocite was on the same tip. The main room was jammed with 1,800 ravers and a one in one out policy an hour before the main man was due to play his set, and to top it off we were at the end of a queue of 500+ outside. The crowd was great, with lots of like minded Blocites up for a good time! Plus the staff were surprisingly friendly, in particularly the security guards who even joined us outside for a drink or two.
If you were lucky enough to get to Bloc this year or just want to know what all the hype is about, check out their Facebook page for all the post-even photos.
