Yo peoples -
Here's a few words I put together on our Carnival experiences. I sent it off to Resident Advisor but I guess it's pretty fucking long after the event and they haven't done owt with it. So here it is...
I'd also suggest checking this video of events from some dude called Ben Holman. It's a wicked snapshot of what was going down at the Major Lazer.
I'd say open it up here then read the crap I'm spouting below. Yep that's right. Do what I say. Wah!
Major Lazer @Carnival
The Notting Hill Carnival is summat I’ve never experienced before. It’s totally mad that for two days you can walk around a certain area of West London, swigging lager, stuffing yer face with meat and toking on doobs while the federales don‘t appear to bat an eye. Plus at every corner there’s a punishing sound system wobbling all over you where grinding and biftas are the order of the day. It’s a parallel universe that I wouldn’t mind making permanent.
We’d taken in the delights of Sunday’s carnival, checking out 1Xtra’s Rampage sound system before dropping in again on the Monday with a hangover and a hankering for the dancehall stylings of Switch and Diplo’s Major Lazer. The pair had taken it upon themselves to host and headline a ridiculously free bash under the archway of a motorway flyover. We hauled ourselves up for the midday kick off to find the sun beaming and the red bull (who were funding the binge) flowing freely. Mad Decent’s youngest upstart L-Vis 1990 was ripping it up with MC Ninja on the mike in what seemed a set clanging enough for the end of a night rather than the beginning. The weirdness of a free bar was underlined by the surreal vibe of being under a flyover, the stage flanked by a pair of high heel wearing storm trooper-esque robots grinding in time to L-Vis’ flurry of buttery, bashment beats. It was the sort of slick yet mucky party that we never get usually receive an invite to.
The mid-afternoon was a flurry of carnival vibes - the skinny L-Vis 1990 rocked it hard for a lunch time slot while the beer gutted Jillionarie and hairy Mad Decent blogger Paul Devro ramped up the carnival vibes with some sick soca and bassline vibes. A shorts wearing Rusko turned the afternoon up via his ridiculous haircut and even squonkier dubstep beats. The excitement proved so much that Diplo sprinted on halfway through his set to provide a rewind, egging the almost moshing crowd onto further heights of dance floor based-bedlam. It was unfortunate that we missed the surprise showing of Jesse Rose due to severe caffeine distractions amid all the chaos. I’ve never drank a black bull before and jesus h I may not for sometime. I’ve never known such addiction.
Sheffeel’s Toddla T was the next target on the bass radar for us after injecting our gullets with more juice. Sporting big hair and checked shirt with MC Serocee and Lady Chann in tow, his set hit the Carnival nail on the head with enough sunshine to make the ladies shake it, but buff and bassy enuff for the boys to chomp it down too. Dropping DJ Zinc’s 138 Trek and Zed Bias’ Neighbourhood were particularly big looks as the dance floor melted as if some scamp had let off a digital stink bomb. While Toddles’ klang business was mad Major Lazer proved to be full on chaos. Switch and Diplo lorded it up in blazers while their crew of dancers and hangers on ensured their set descended into total mayhem. Fake Blood stage dived while MC and dancer Skerrit performed an impromptu leap between the legs of a waiting lady from atop a step ladder. Louder than loud, the pair mashed up their album big style into a wall of dancing, bass and Mad Decent seven inches, which were flung liberally about the place. We spilled out onto the streets of Notting Hill while Diplo’s Paper Planes floated through the fuzz of feedback coating our ears. In this case guns may not kill people but too much free red bull almost can…
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