By Lucy Bevan, Music Editor
In a room where music blinded the audience to our differences, Groove Armada and Everything Eats brought together people of all ages this October to ‘dance first, remember later’.
With the event starting at 14:00, Saturday truly transcended time. Spanning over eight hours, it’s hard to believe I didn’t experience a second of boredom, but with two stages to choose from, this day event felt more like a festival, where time became nothing but a distant memory.
Mother Nature was also on our side as not a drop of rain came our way, meaning we could fully immersive ourselves into both the indoor and outdoor spaces The Prospect Building has to offer.
On arrival, we made sure to explore the entire venue including the huge locker space, food stalls including Bristol classic Pizza Rova, two stages, and a multitude of bars. One thing that truly makes an event for me is when it feels like an experience, and History of Rave undoubtedly aced that criterion.
The outdoor area of The Prospect Building alone could convince me to return. With picnic benches and fairy lights, the seating area felt like a glimpse of the summer I’ve been desperately trying to hold on to. Standing outside for some fresh air amidst the rave, I considered whether this may be the last time I’d be able to enjoy sitting and chatting outside with just a slight shiver. It was lovely to see people coming together for what appeared to be just a pizza and a pint, but what was actually the build up to an evening of what I can only describe as catharsis and euphoria.
Getting there early was the best decision we could've made. Not only did we get to experience the individual sounds of DJs such as Safiye, Oh my Rosh and Eats Everything (earlier set), but we also got to dance our hearts out, with plenty of space around us to move with complete liberation. It was nice to be surrounded by others who had also chosen an early arrival, with more energy at 16:00 than I've seen at other events late into the night.
Bouncing back and forth between two stages also meant that the second I was no longer feeling the beat, I could take a few steps into another world and experience the echos of someone new.
It was also a pleasure to experience Girls Don't Sync - a female electronic DJ collective - for the first time. They've been on my DJ watchlist for a while now, and to say that they didn't disappoint just doesn't cut it. Their set really just felt as though I was watching four best friends having fun together, almost as though we were spectators of a catch-up they'd been itching to have. Each one of them had moments to shine individually, but also as a collective, and not a moment passed where any of them looked as though they were having anything other than the time of their lives. It was a beautiful experience to be surrounded by women having fun and supporting other women, who wanted to be there just as much as we did.
After the sun had set, the vibes rose higher than we ever thought they could. Every act I saw throughout the day made me forget who I was there to see, each one dominating the stage as though they were headlining.
Everything Eats was no exception to this. His confidence made the room feel as though it was now his, and as for the audience, our fingers were raised to the sky, alongside a sea of people on their friends’ shoulders.
To describe Everything Eats as a warm-up for Groove Armada would be a miscarriage of justice. In this case, I think it would be fair to say we were ready to run a marathon. However, effortlessly handing over the baton that is the decks, these guys made the night feel more like a relay.
Groove Armada unsurprisingly blew me away, and although it felt as though the set was an hour and a half of edging us towards the ‘Superstylin’ beat drop, it was clear from the get-go that this wasn’t a problem for their eager crowd.
Stas Forte
Armada’s one-and-a-half-hour set was followed by their B2B with Everything Eats that rounded off the night perfectly, allowing the crowd to get another taste of both DJs. Although (unfortunately) I am not a photographer, I can only imagine they were spoilt for choice throughout both sets, with every face I saw perfectly capturing the essence of the room.
Dancing right up until 22:30, we left on a high, already discussing what event at The Prospect Building we wanted to book next. Because if anywhere knows how to put on a show, it’s them.
Featured image: Epigram / Lucy Bevan
Were you at the day rave?
