James Priestley / Derrick May / Soundstream / Midland / Giles Smith

What better way to officially mark the start of the summer than with this absolute blinder of a terrace party! The Secretsundaze crew kicked off their season with a 2-part shindig, and re-affirmed why they are still my absolute favourite daytime party. We arrived around 3pm, and Giles Smith was warming things up with some blissful deep house that seemed well matched to the balmy conditions. Although the place was relatively empty with a few scattered groups around the dance floor edges, I could see that the team had once again cherry-picked an excellent playing ground for the day's line-up. To reach the terrace we had to walk through the main club, a good looking darkened interior lit up slightly excessively considering the party was outside. Once through we were greeted by a 1,500-capacity dipped terrace, covered with a huge clear plastic awning that let the natural light through while keeping the warmth in. Secretsundaze had done an exceptional job of making the space their own with trademark graphics hanging from the ceiling, as well as a few little surprise touches here and there to make the day that extra bit special!

Leeds-born DJ / producer Midland continued the summer vibe with lashings of old school funky baselines and piano-kissed melodies. Tracks like 'My Beat' by Blaze ft. Palmer Brown, and 'I Want You' by Marquis Hawkes enticed more revelers from the outskirts as the terrace quickly filled. Not one to be confined to any particular style, what Midland did do was appear to play like he produces; without an agenda, just to please himself and those around him in the moment – which then was massively positive. He looked happy and thoroughly enjoying things from his deck-side perch, and the crowd was equally as upbeat. Upon dropping 'A Feelin' by Jasper Street Company, Midland picked up the pace with the gospel infused track filling the room with hearty feel-good soul that sounded just as good as did when it was released 8 years ago. The party had taken on a very Ibiza-esque feel, warm and vibrant with a distinct sense of excitement in the air.



Another thing I love about Secretsundaze is the people it attracts. All around the crowd was chilled, social, and despite coming from all over – very like-minded. As usual the event was an eclectic haven for effortless, non-conformist get ups, so good for style-spying! Daytime shindigs allow you to get away with toning down the party frocks, and so I decided on a pair of Cons, black skinnies and multi-coloured tunic. Personally I think it's all about going the distance (remember kids, it's a marathon not a sprint - slow and steady wins this race…) which for me means heels are not an option!

People watching is of course unavoidable and making new friends is a given. All this without the pretentious falsities or wide-boy personas that come with other parties I've had the misfortune of attending. On Sunday the crowd brought together cross-town hipsters and Ozzie adventurers, Manchunian fashion queens and Spanish house fiends, reunited Secretsundaze family members and everyone in-between. Ages varied too, a good mix and the great attitudes paled boundaries like ages into insignificance – it was all about the then and now and the amazing music.



Berliner Soundstream aka Frank Timm took to the stage for an hour before Derrick May, ramming the floor with eager revelers all wanting a slice of his super slick fusion of disco grooves and solid feet-shifting house. The excitement was too much, the music was incredible and at one point I heard the words "It's just so goddamn funky!!!!!" shouted from somewhere across the dance floor. Much love was felt when self produced anthem 'Tease Me' was played, similarly for the sirens and plucky baselines of his track 'Inferno', bringing things right back to the old school. A great live set and perfect warm up for the third headliner of the day.

Detroit house and techno legend Derrick May reminded us why he is respected so much as one of the most influential DJs and producers of the last 3 decades. He began with a feel-good blend of melodies and strings, laden with gospel vocals and percussive beats that continued to keep people packed into the dance floor. He appeared calm and composed from behind the decks, and had a cool understated presence throughout his set despite setting his audience into much frenzied arm-pumping with his big drops . Known for his much-loved anthem 'Strings of Life', he dropped familiar tracks like Ron Hardy's 'Baby, Baby, Baby, Aw Shucks' which was extremely well received with a rapturous crowd. As the natural light faded the heat remained, and the pace switched with driving tracks like 'Runaway' by Brooklyn Club Jam and Carl Craig's big bassy 'Throw' toughening the tone with a good fix of techno funk.



Despite a few technical hitches down to the lack of organisation of the club itself; a broken card machine at the bar for the first two hours, and a messed up cloakroom ticket system at the end of the night, the day was pretty stress-free. Unlike some greedy punters who ram the space for maximum ticket sales, the venue was never so packed there wasn't room to dance. Yes the bars were constantly busy, there were queues for the loos, but I've experienced a lot worse.

Closing what had turned out to be an epic day of complete musical hedonism was Secretsundaze co-founder James Priestly, an appropriate equilibrium for opening teammate Giles. The light of day had left the sky, and the room had transformed into lasers and reflections bouncing off the giant mirror ball. James is such an impressive DJ, so intelligent and clearly demonstrative of why these parties have enjoyed so much success over the last 11 years. His range covered all things deep, crossing over to tribal, solid groovy tracks and dipping into techno with a lovely percussive punchiness. It was the perfect set to transcend with the darkness, and he kept people dancing right up until the very end. While it was hometime for us, it was afterparty time for others brave enough to venture to part 2 at the Bussey!

Had it not been for the sheer elation of being part of such an incredible party I know I would have been suffering the usual Tuesday blues. But all it takes is a quick pause of thought over the day we had, the tunes, and the wicked people we shared it with, and I feel a huge smile creep up on my face that blows all potential mardiness out the window. Please get yourself to one of these parties and see what I mean!!



Line Up:

2pm - 4pm – Giles Smith
4pm – 6pm- Midland
6pm- 7pm – soundstream - Live
7pm- 9pm – Derrick May
9pm – Close – James Priestley

FUTURE GIGS

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