Global Gathering 2011: The Ultimate British Dance Festival
Global Gathering Review 2011
As Mike Skinner so eloquently once said “Geezers on E and first timers / Kids on wiz, darlings on Charlie / All come together for this party” and if there’s anywhere where those words echo loudest, its Global Gathering. Arriving at Long Marston Airfield, Stratford-upon-Avon is like drawing up at a clubbers’ theme park, bass booming, euphoric beats banging in time with the pulsing lights of the fairground rides. Whether it was musically or more likely chemically induced, after hastily pitching an island in a sea of tents, the revellers at Global have only one thing on their minds; the music, and top-notch stuff at that.
Often overshadowed by the likes of Chase and Status – who incidentally were relegated to the Metropolis tent despite drawing a crowd double its capacity at the same time as Carl Cox was playing – Pendulum stole the show on the Mainstage come Friday night. Smoke cannons and a bass-fuelled scarlet light show offset the thrashing drum and bass to set the bar for the rest of the festival, spot on for Pendulum’s dramatic return to Global.
Whilst the open air mainstage gave the live acts the sound-system and stage screen presence they deserved, the heart of Global Gathering lies in the glow and bustle of the covered tents. The Rinse tent on Friday night offered up some of the pirate radio station turned legit broadcaster’s finest exports. Skream and Benga were on top form as per usual, hosting a back to back set that had the crowd skanking to previously paradoxically unexplored depths of euphoria.
The true beauty of Global is the constant distractions by snatches of contagious beats as you walk around the airfield; happy coincidences of tents hosting a variety of gems that would have slipped by unnoticed by anyone managing to stick to a strict schedule. With a quick “Where you from, what’ you on and what’s your story?” arms raised, friendships formed, you’ve found a friend for life, well at least until the end of the weekend.
The atmosphere and oneness of the crowd at Global must have impressed Mr Spirit In The Sky as he whipped up a few candyfloss clouds and set down a perfect day of sun for Saturday. Pumped-up topless muscle men, bikini-clad neon glow girls and full-sleeve tattoo Vans wearers all collided in the summer sun with one aim in mind; to party hard.
As if the crowd weren’t warmed up already Brookes Bros claimed the Hospitality tent mid-afternoon along with Danny Byrd, signalling the start of arguably the most jump-up run of DJs any tent had to offer. High Contrast, London Elektricty and Nu:Tone & Nat Williams followed, which had the liquid drum and bass head well and truly banging.
And bang hard they did as Axwell blared out his trademark set of uptempo beats over at the Mainstage. The crowd looked truly loved-up on life, a shimmering sea of yellow and orange against a tequila-sunset sky, as darkness descended with a warm cider-coated fuzz over Long Marston.
Over at Metropolis, elbows and knees were lumbered and thrashed all the way through Nero’s set until the very end, lifting the crowd to a golden-glow high with a remix of Bobby Cliff’s “I Don’t Like Cricket” – needless to say they loved it. Closing the Metropolis stage, Sub Focus cast their net over the tent and drew the crowd in to a final high, chanting ‘Are you feeling nice?’. We certainly were.