Review: Nero @ Fez

Some dirrty dubstep keeps OSCAR HARRY from using the cyanide just yet.

Clubbing Fez Nero Nightlife

Many Cambridge students cry constantly about lack of good music while continually pouring money down the gullets of fat sisters Life and Cindies.  Last Tuesday I tragically sobered up there at half past midnight. Looking around with a sudden clarity I saw hundreds of drunk curly haired freaks dancing to the fourth play that night of “I’m in Miami bitch” by lmfao. Rather than eating the cyanide pill secured in my hollow molar, I instead drew my faithful 9mm from my thigh holster.  Pausing only momentarily to blow out the eyeballs of a NatSci lecherously grinding on some sort of rat shaped girl, I slew the DJ before triumphantly screeching “I’m in Ballare bitch!” Quickly I scarpered before anyone noticed that didn’t really make sense.

I’m sure that such experiences are not unique and so it is with great relief that I went to see Nero at Fez last night.  For the uninitiated, Nero are really quite a big deal in both dubstep  and DnB, tirelessly spewing what seems to be at least a remix a day. The notoriously difficult first set by T_!  garnered my undying love as he whipped up the sparsely populated dance floor of hooded youths into a frenzy with Caspa and Trolley Snatcha’s “Shut lights off”.  In fact, while you read the rest of this I beseech you to listen to it here, unless you have tinny laptop speakers without bass in which case I beseech you to kill yourself.

Nero’s set was one of the best aural experiences I’ve had in this poncey little bubble of a uni. Even Fez’s resident MC Inja was unable to ruin it with his usual inane drivel about holding lighters up.  Naturally by this point I was far too high to even consider my duty as a journalist so my memory of the setlist is rather hazy. Even so the warm bass of Fez beautifully sounded out classics such as “Blinded by the lights” and “Streetlife”. As usual with huge profile events there, the club felt a little cramped but in the fusillade of sweaty arms and glistening shoulders it just felt right to skank alongside them.

Next was Cambridge’s own Nu:tone, brother of more renowned Logistics, for the last hour. His liquid drum and bass along with the dwindling numbers on the dance floor allowed an intense night to gently end. All told I was very impressed with the event, and I wasn’t the only one. Quitting the building I heard one hero pronounce, “I need a bath after that dirrty dubstep!”  And yes, dear reader, I’m quite sure he would have spelt dirty with two r’s, the night was that good.

A future drum and bass night to look out for is Sat 13 Feb Warning at the Junction with an all-star cast of Andy C, Barrington, Concrete, Dillinja, Eksman, Fabio, Fivealive, Goldie, GQ, Hazard, Hype, Pendulum, Phantom, Ragga Twins, Shy FX, Subfocus, Swift, Skibadee, Shabba & SP, and probably a few others. Rumour has it that Andy C played at personal cost for last year’s Warning he enjoys it so much.