zap! bang! Magazine

• GlobalGathering 2011 review

• 
  Pendulum, Chase & Status, Tinie Tempah, Underworld and Eric Prydz headlined this year’s new-look GlobalGathering as ravers bonded over two days at Long Marston Airfield in Stratford-Upon-Avon. The annual festival entered its second decade following a triumphant 10th birthday in 2010 and zap! bang! Magazine’s GlobalGathering veteran Laura Smith was there to experience the dance-fan delight.

  A re-invention and with a tight re-arrangement, it heightened the togetherness.

  Friday
  After last year’s unforgettable 10 year anniversary GlobalGathering was back with a vengeance and ready to show avid dance fans what it can unleash. A re-invention and with a tight re-arrangement, it heightened the togetherness of the festival that annually unites clubbers for a dance-fueled weekend of non-stop anthems and DJs from all over the globe. Although the Friday started off somewhat overcast and less than enthralling weather-wise, it didn’t stop avid ravers from getting the party started. You had your swarm of scousers, token cockneys and a frenzy of public school girls thrown into mix (looking like they took the wrong turning on their way to a Justin Bieber gig), donning the necessary festival accessories in the shape of miniscule hot pants topped off with hippy flower headbands.

  Eric Prydz visually mystified the audience with 3D effects.

  My first thought was the layout change and how enclosed it appeared this year, and made the tent hopping so much easier. For me it was always going to be about the Electric Arena and with a fresh line-up bringing forward Maya Jane Coles who somehow managed to get the crowd to sit for 30 seconds to the track “Sit” which got everyone fired up even more. Dubfire suffered from poor sound problems that meant the set got interrupted twice but Richie Hawtin rounded off the night in style. Meanwhile the two main stages played host to dance favourites Pendulum and Eric Prydz, the latter visually mystifying the audience with 3D effects. Poorly Professor Green failed to show due to tonsillitis, which gave way for Jaguar Skills to take the limelight. Ms Dynamite was back on form and having emerged from the underground once again she showed she very much still has it by taking the Rinse Arena crowd by storm with a surprise appearance alongside Skream & Benga.

  Saturday
  The sound of sirens alerted festival-goers of the commencing second day and following the weeks of rain it would usually mean it’s time to get those wellies on and get knee deep in techno beats. However, this year the sun was finally beating down on Long Marston Airfield and welcomed clubbers to the second day of raving. Saturday was what I had waited for and with a delectable line-up of DJs bringing grooves from all over the globe it was finally time to soak up the heat and feel the pulsating basslines.

  A feature I have always felt missing from Global is a more chilled out area to momentarily break away from the hectic tunes. This year it came in the shape of Charlie’s Bar Drambuie. Coaxing people in with tunes including a tasteful remix of the late Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab”, lounge sofas offered rest. The new design also featured an open air Union Terrace which was throwing out the urban flavours from Fake Blood and providing a constant flow of insatiable dips. As “Mars” pounded away, magically timed against the sunset, there was the familiar feeling of a Cafe Mambo vibe all the way from the sunny white isle to the fields of Stratford. It was a personal favourite moment from the whole weekend of a truly techno spectacular set to a backdrop of smoke and intense lasers. There was a taste of 90s dance euphoria to a relatively fresh and youthful audience celebrating music from decades gone.

  Tinie Tempah ended his set with a firework and smoke bonanza that lit up the entire festival to everyone’s guilty pleasure “Pass Out”.

  Meanwhile, Eddie Halliwell played host in the famous Godskitchen tent warming up the ravers for a long hard night of shapeshifting. Bedrock was on form this year with John Digweed, James Zabiela and Marco Bailey proving looks can be deceiving. From the outside this tent looked a lot like a neglected wedding marque, but the sounds were unmistakeable inside. The Main Stage saw two-time Brit winner Tinie Tempah storm through a set but, although he had the crowd to begin with, he very almost lost them to the somewhat cheesey R&B track “Invincible”. Tinie’s huge stage presence won them back and he ended with a firework and smoke bonanza that lit up the entire festival to everyone’s guilty pleasure “Pass Out”.

  The tent that seemed to dominate this year was Metropolis that blazed dubstep and drum & bass. It couldn’t even bare the weight of the hardcore Chase & Status fans as security were kept busy as queues spilled out of every entrance. Up against it was the highly-regarded Carl Cox and although the crowd were noticeably smaller than rival Metropolis, it didn’t stop the atmosphere from filling the tent and combining with mind-bending lasers. Nic Fanciulli warmed the crowd to the
  arrival of the man himself and when Plastikman’s “Spastik” was played it bought the whole tent to life in time for Adam Bayer. The best was definitely saved until last as Beyer was Welcomed by a rapturous crowd who clearly hadn’t had their fill of techno tenacity.

  There was the familiar feeling of a Cafe Mambo vibe all the way from the sunny white isle to the fields of Stratford.

  Judging by most the reaction of the last ones standing they were nowhere near ready to leave for home. For many GlobalGathering ended too fast and they wanted more time to explore the seven tented Wonders of dance decadence. The simplicity and closeness of the layout gave a sense of harmony seldom experienced in previous years. Despite a poor catering choicde and a three hour drive out of the gates, I had enough time to reflect on another year on the infamous fields that gloriously merge techno, electro, dubstep, trance, and drum & bass. Until next year – I salute you GlobalGathering!

  Guest contributor: Laura Smith.

by Mike Barnard