Over recent months, Empire has begun to host late club nights at the park. All above board and organised professionally by experienced promoters the first was such a great success in financial terms that the idea of using the warehouse as a club venue simply became a no-brainer.
Saturday saw Triple X promotions bring their Mindwarp 24th Birthday Party to the park with Slipmatt at the helm and Ratty, Worzal, 2 Bad Mice amongst others giving support.
With the decks on the jump box the entire park became a dance floor with the addition of numerous obstacles to negotiate. This was a most amusing sight as some stumbled over the driveway in the centre of the dance floor while others took extra high steps as if walking on the moon unable to judge perspective due I'm sure in part to the aggressive lights and lasers, but mostly because a large number were very, very high.
I took a moment to sit on the roll in and watch the mayhem unfold. A truly memorable moment!
The mezzanine became a bar and the mini ramp was fenced off and inaccessible to punters but they could look down from floor above and watch some skating happen below. One woman in tall cork wedges did manage to trip into the ramp from the park side platform. I'm not sure anyone was meant to be on the platforms of the ramps, but hey, you can't watch everyone. She had great trouble getting out again. Like a spider in the bath.
We skated in fading natural light as the rave began to grow in the park behind us. It became too dark for my eyes about two and a half hours in and I stopped. Others skated on in the gloom, illuminated by only a powerful black light, perfect if the ramp were white. It isn't white.
Jordan arrived a bit later in the evening. He rolled up, destroyed the ramp in near pitch darkness for about half an hour before putting his arm around my shoulders and shouting over the deafening set that he didn't want to end up hurting himself skating in the dark and wanted to save himself for another day. I can't say I blame him. I could barely see where to point my camera!
At this stage, the now ten or twelve strong crew disbanded. Some migrated to the dance floor, most to the bar. We all got special yellow wristbands which I believe entitled us to free drinks. I was driving.
After a short power nap in my car, I reentered the park for the headline set.
I bumped into various sweaty familiar faces as I meandered my way through the heavy crowd with my camera.
Shutdown was at three, I sat in my car from about ten to, waiting for the crowd to disperse sufficiently to allow me to leave more safely. The surrounding streets were littered with the bodies of ravers. Sitting and lying on curbs and walls, slowly regaining the ability to exist.
Jordan Thackeray is in most of the pics, the other skater is Ian Clark.
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