birmingham [Review] Sundissential Weekender Part 1 - @Academy, Birmingham (Saturday 6th July 2002)

[SarahPVC]

Saturday 6th July 2002 - Sundissential @Academy, Birmingham

Picked @James & @CreamyC up from their hotel in Birmingham around 10.45. Their hotel looked lovely & not unalike something off Faulty Towers!

A (not so) short walk later & we arrived at the Academy. True to form, @Madders had kindly sorted our guestlist passes - big thank you to him.

Security on the door was a bit tight - a police officer complete with sniffer dog were present and we saw a few people get sniffed & promptly searched & thrown out! Obviously club policy though.

The club had a very simple, square layout with a huge dancefloor with the DJ box at the front right in the centre. The usual flame effect visuals and green lasers were being used & the sound system was top. Much improved on the DNA system. Not too much base but still quite punchy.

The club has obviously had a bit of money spent on it with a new floor upstairs & from all accounts is to have a lot more money spent in providing more seating & improving the air-conditioning - it was far too hot (but then i had worn my PVC catsuit - BAD move!)

The usual faultless set was played by @Andy Farley, an uplifting hard trance set played by Phil Reynolds (who looks like @FredTheBaddie!) and a blinding last set by Rob Tissera!

The highlight for me had to be being allowed onto the stage to speak to @Andy Farley - top buzz!

He was dashing off from Birmingam to play in Plymouth, then back to Birmingam for Insomniacz then up to Leeds for Sundissential North - busy bloke!

We left at 4am (after being literally swept off the dancefloor when the cleaners came in!) to get a few hours sleep before Sundissential part 2!

[CreamyC]

Many thanks to British Rail or whatever they call themselves these days for providing us with yet again a perfect journey in! Not! After leaving my house at 4pm and finally arriving at Birmingham New Street at 10.30pm! Saying that @James is a bird and is never ready at the time arranged so I had to get off at Leighton Buzzard while waiting for him to powder his nose!

Anyway, after arriving at Birmingham and meeting up with Rik and Sarah we made our way to the Academy for Part 1 of Sundissential! This was my first time at the Sundissential events and although I am more of a Trance man I have to say that I was literally blown away by the amounts of tunage being kicked out! When we arrived @Andy Farley was on, once again, first time I think I've really heard him and I thought he was blinding! This was followed by Phil Reynolds who maintained the quality of tunage, the likeness between him and ClubTheWorld's very own @FredTheBaddie is quite uncanny, everything down to his smile is identical! It was then on to Rob Tissera who I had heard alot about but never heard him play, to say I was amazed would be an understatement, he was on for the last hour and half and I was there for pretty much most of it, some great tunes! What impressed me more than anything is that EVERY DJ acknowledged the crowd, every one of them was on the dancefloor at some point of the night, every one of them spoke to us the clubbers and every one of them had a smile on their faces! Thats whats important, thats what its all about! Rob Tissera made sure every person that went up to the stage was seen and met by him, not only this but it was done with a smile, once @James gets his piccies done this will show it! I am easily pleased with most nights but this was one I wont forget in a hurry! Well worth the journey!

Thanks to @SarahPVC for sorting us out on this one!