Flava D has become one of the biggest names in Bass and is certainly the go-to female spearheading her scene. A lot of her tracks have been listened to by the masses after reaching mainstream exposure which was representable by the amount of tickets sold for this event – a complete sell out.

The Rainbow Venues was split into two, with the dingy underground Blackbox opening at midnight. This meant that the Rooftop Garden generated a brilliant atmosphere as you could see the sun set over the ever-growing skyline of the second city. Newly refurbished, the terrace is a brilliant addition to the Rainbow Venues, offering an incredibly chilled out summer vibe.

Flava D’s set was everything you ever expected it to be. Subby and fast-paced, she span through several well-known anthems in her hour set. Honestly, I was a bit disappointed to hear the inclusion of ‘Rhythm X Gash’, which has had its arse rinsed off since its release. I don’t blame Flava D for playing it however and it’s a compliment if anything that everyone wants to drop it. Her mixing capabilities were faultless as usual, which is what you anticipate from a seasoned veteran.

A big shout-out to Crazy Cousins also, who dropped some hard tunes in Blackbox. I always imagine starting a set at 02:30 is quite a hard task for DJs in regards to crowd engagement, especially when the evening started at 20:00 but ravers weren’t intent on winding down at any time soon.

I was equally impressed with Tom Shorterz. I’ve seen the Brummie play on a handful of occasions and he has always impressed me with his ability to chop and change sounds. I’m not the only one who believes this obviously, as the Rooftop Garden was rammed full to see his set, which started at 21:30, which didn’t put ravers off an early start. Kudos to Shorterz as well for also being up for supporting where he started off – even though he’s slowly but surely rising to somewhere towards the top.

Matt Cooper

@mcooperwrites