Rave On; SW4 Takes Over South West London
Published
As the Northern line rounds the Stockwell platform there is a certain buzz in the air and some lively characters are starting to take over the carriage, not to mention the reassuring smell of a party beginning with festival pre-drinks on the breath .
Of course, this was SW4 weekend and there's no chance of missing it if you're anywhere in the Clapham area. The sound hits you like a wave as you step out of the tube. In spite of its immense size, it is an organised admission to what could easily be a theme park for one of the movie studios.
There are 4 stages to check out, rides and food and drink stalls with music to delight any sort of dance enthusiast. Whether in the mood for Trance, House, Electro, Garage or Techno – there was something for everyone. The main stage; Sasha's Last Day On Earth was playing some of the big names out in the open grassy common area. The bravest of us all were up the front of the open air stage in tiny, tiny shorts and glitter clad face paint, busting the moves to Pacha residents Guy Gerber or going large to big tunes like “Eat, Sleep, Rave, Repeat” and “Am I Wrong?”.
As the London weather can often bring, there were spattering’s of showers through the day, which meant that at one point we were all crammed into the trance tent, more formally known as The Gallery. Shoulder to shoulder, butt to butt we moved up and down as a mass herd, mesmerised by the melodic journey that Cosmic Gate took us on. There was something special going on in that tent, as well as the inappropriate body contact with strangers, the music connected us all.
So an excellent day out all in all, only one real gripe to mention. For a lass like myself those toes of mine were getting rather sore after sometime and I just didn’t fancy sitting down in the muddy grass with my skirt on – call me crazy. So next time please my friends, spare a thought for some seating. A little rest and we would have been ready to Eat, Sleep, Rave and Repeat – all over again. Party on.
Written by Amber Williamson
