DUB PISTOLS/ SICKNOTE, etc @ Q Bar Cardiff

Cardiff’s newest all-nighter kick started on Friday 6th July as Grooveslave’s 50th birthday was celebrated in true style with a line-up to beat them all.

Walking into Q Bar for the first time was a surreal experience for someone who tends to frequent the scabbier establishments where dress codes and exotic cocktails are unheard of. Confronted by stainless steel and expensive looking furniture, booths with beds and luxury circular sofas I felt like I had entered a different world… The balcony allowed a marvellous view onto the stage as well as the dance floor, and many a punter stood there for hours and gazed in wonderment at the hilarious dance moves and array of bouncing breasts on display. The party was already in full swing and being fashionably late, I had missed Dirty Revolution and 3 Minute Warning, though judging by the atmosphere I encountered on arrival I assume they must have been magnificent. People were bouncing off the walls grinning insanely as Grooveslave ran around like a kid in a sweet shop clearly excited about his bash.

I positioned myself comfortably leaning on the balcony railing with my first drink of the night in hand and in the company of some good friends as we watched the DUB PISTOLS take the stage. Having previously listened to some of their recordings, I was completely unaware of what was awaiting us and naively assumed I would be able enjoying the entire set from above in a civilized manner. It was not to be… As the band launched into their first track the first floor was instantly packed with a heaving mass of bodies. Despite being removed from the centre of the action I was soon manically bopping along, and after the second tune I was more than delighted to find myself being dragged by the ankles down the stairs and onto the dance floor. The Dub Pistols demonstrated energy in their live performance that was not evident in their recorded work – and they hardly gave us any breathing time between songs. This is a band that definitely has to be seen live in concert. Slightly frazzled after this unexpected workout so early on in the night I escaped back onto the balcony for further people-watching and friendly chatter.

Bomb Culture got up and played a set that put a little dampener on the event to say the least. They completely lacked the energy to match the Dub Pistols performance and also weren’t an adequate band to warm up for the mighty Sicknote. Many of us saw this as a perfect opportunity to get a breath of fresh air and have a fag outside – where there was sufficient entertainment going on to beat the hapless bomb culture’s set. The Dub Pistols manager had evidently got himself into a bit of a scuffle with infamous Cardiff character Goatee, and his blatant terror and disgust was rather amusing to witness. After summoning the police, he was clearly more than desperate to get out of this one-horse town that he seemed to have had the impression was entirely populated by maniacs. As the Pistol’s van pulled away from the Q bar, Goatee was seen pedalling after them on his BMX cackling madly and wielding a motorcycle chain with which he managed to do considerable damage to the vehicle, before being carted off himself, presumably to spend the rest of the night in solitary confinement.

We made our way back upstairs partly shaken but mostly amused by this performance to find the party was back on track. People were stumbling around drunk and loved up and the dance floor had been brought back to life by some quality Djing. Hardened Sicknote fans were gathering and watching impatiently as Doghouse was taunting them by lurking around on stage not doing much. When they finally launched into their much-loved opening track, “Gimme Dat Harp”, the place exploded. The volume of the PA was a shock to the system, with drums and bass turned up to maximum level blowing us clean away. All I can remember is bouncing around like a demented kangaroo on speed, without having to make too much effort as the floor was vibrating sufficiently to make it impossible to stand still. The new rhythm section certainly convinced me of their ferocious power and energy and every single track blasted me clean out of my socks. By the time they played their encore “Taxi For Mr. Blair”, I needed to escape the madness of the dance floor, and even standing at the back of the room the beats made my brain pound like it wanted to break out of my skull in a desperate bid for freedom.

Daylight was already creeping up on us as we huddled outside once more smoking and discussing Sicknote’s fantastic performance. All those who didn’t sneak off home at that point had the honour of dancing until six AM to Sicknote’s official DJ Tommy Tank who played a blinding set. I crept off half an hour before closing, and the party was still going strong. Can’t wait for the next TANTRUM all-nighter, this was certainly one of the best parties I’ve been to this year, so keep your eyes and ears peeled for upcoming events.