- You lose one thing, you gain another. The End is long gone, but in its place a series of parties have sprung up to take its place and keep its unique spirit alive. Shake It! presents the still-mourning clubbers of the capital with sporadic nights of unrestrained hedonism in some of the finest post-industrial spaces in London. Having been witness to one of the finest events I've seen in the city with Laurent Garnier last year, tonight had a lot to live up to. But as it was Canada Day, a Thursday night and with Hawtin on the bill, the ingredients were there.
There's something especially decadent about dancing on a work night—and judging by the size of the crowd in Village Underground, and their enthusiasm for Layo and Bushwacka's pretty hard tech house and techno set, the temperature of the night was set to rise. Rise it did. Shirts were off, sweat was pouring and by the time Hawtin took to the decks at around 2 AM the high-roofed, brick-walled warehouse space of Village Underground was a sauna.
Photo credit: Angela Mazur
With another crowd, in another venue, with other promoters, this would have been a tough environment. Somehow, with Hawtin at the helm, the heat merely added to the atmosphere. With possibly a tight, tough and epically punchy Function One set-up and a set that went from minimal-infused tech house through to a dark 4/4 sound, the joy was palpable. Halfway through the night I slid my way between sweaty torsos and soaked shirts to the front and saw Hawtin, top-lit by a blue lamp, a stream of cool air blowing through his trademark blond locks and witnessed quite possibly the biggest smile I've ever seen on a DJ's face while playing. When the focus of the night is that happy, the enjoyment becomes infectious.
Shake It! nights are fun. Pure and simple. They've got a formula that focuses on four key ingredients: the venue, the sound, the DJ and most importantly of all, the crowd. No frills, no fancies. The End is dead? No matter. Shake It! does just fine.