Grandparents of the biggest parties on the planet, Dutch events managers UDC are the brains & brawn behind Dance Valley & Impulz. But one element frequently overlooked in their rich history is their role with Midtown Records in producing some of the biggest hardcore raves ever. So when ex-UDC promotion-hopping legend Andrea Frey (now of UKs GodsKitchen) invited Upfront over, we were there quicker than a kaner inhaling a balloon.
Rotterdam is regarded as the birthplace of hardcore as we know it & pilgrims had come from all over Europe to pay homage, goths & skinheads blending together on the dancefloor to form a multicultural mass of happy hardcore party people. The main difference that strikes us compared with the UK is theres no aggressively drunk or pilled up guys trying to dribble over girls. It really is a friendly crowd there for the music, well except perhaps when theyre mobbing our photographer Vixta to get their pics taken!
With 2 massive arenas heaving its time to talk to DJ Panic, who's put together the evenings lineup. Headliners include DJ Neophyte vs Evil Activities, Tha Playahs 1st live act, Waxweazle, Outblast, Omar Santana & Panic himself. After being discovered by Paul Elstak in the early 90s, Panic has played at Nightmare since the 4th edition. Having started out at just 15, for him to say hes still going strong really is an understatement! Many years later than hed like us to admit, hes just finished a hurricane of production work & now has his sights on world domination. So if theres any UK hardcore promoters reading this, heres your hot tip for 2006!
While the main room is banging in your face industrial hardcore, Arena 2 is happy euphoric old skool. Stanton vs DJ Rob & MC Joe are doing their thing and its rammed. In Arena 1 Ophidian are playing live and the crowds going insane. We have a quick word with regular Scott Brown, whos as impressed as we are. Compared with hardcore events in the UK, he says, Its on a different level. Here its all about the music. Too right Scott!
Back in Arena 2 Waxweazle has the crowd singing along to a hardcore version of Air Supplys Its Hard for me to Say Im Sorry; the MC egging them on & some of the ravers are so excited theyre banging the fence. But its not just the crowd going crazy, some of the Nightmare crew are running round with a staff & horns, talk about hardcore!
We leave the party to chat with Midtown Records founders Hans Tieleman & Rene Brouwers, whove been going since 93, explaining the number of older ravers in Arena 2 who still keep coming back after all these years. As for the old stuff? Well like them its nearly dead they joke! They hope to follow up 2005s outdoor Nightmare in May 2006. Set on a beach between the river & the sea, ravers could watch ships pass while they danced. Sounds great to us guys, hope to see ya there!
Meanwhile Austrians The Core Masters are ecstatic in Arena 2 as Omar Santana plays one of their tracks. But its still only 3am & the main performances are yet to come. In Arena 1 UDC & Midtown Records show why theyre renowned for their supreme production. Theres a puppet on a string with the guys controlling him wearing silly hats & intense grins & a real sense of the carnivalesque, axle grinders to one side, while Nightmare poster boy Freddie Kruger runs around revving up the crowd. The music stops, the puppet is put down, the crowd goes wild then Outblast gets them chanting Im a hardcore junkie, yeah Im doing it to the beat. Resistance will be futile screams out and suddenly everyone is dancing for their lives
Its back to Arena 2 for some more edam on the rocks as Panic has the old skoolers having it large to the Banana Song, a local ditty that everyone seems to know & love. With a touch of Born to Be Wild it progresses into what were assured is the Rotterdam City football anthem, choruses of Whoah whoah whoah only adding to the Ahoys stadium-like feel.
Some say that musics not important, its peoples reactions that count, and if thats the case the main stage at 5am was an ultimate rave experience. As Angerfist shout, "Together we'll bring down society!" the thousands still able to move cheer & whistle their approval & there really is a feeling of being part of something bigger: its that old skool rave feeling, evolved into the much harder hardcore movement of now. The future of hardcore is safe with these professionals & we can only hope that UK hardcore promoters take a leaf out of their book.
Big thanks to UDC & Midtown Records for their hospitality. UDC are back with Impulz in June & Dance Valley in August. See elsewhere in this issue for further details.
thanx to Vixta for the N.I.R. & Scott Brown pix, also Technolusion.com for the puppet master pic..
