Everything that went down at the Applebum Sheffield Launch Party

Promising to bring all of the hip hop and RnB party classics to Sheffield, Applebum’s sold out event at The Harley on Thursday was well and truly vibing and popping.

A nationwide club night and collective, that embraces “old school jams to new era sounds, from east coast to west coast”, Applebum brought the party to the Steel City for the first time – having put on previous club events in London, Manchester, Bournemouth and Leeds.

Ready to get our groove on

A brand new club night means a whole new discussion on the group chat about what to wear and what the the anticipated vibe and look will be. In the end we went practical – a standard short and vest top combo – whatever you can bust the most moves in is definitely your best bet.

As The Harley isn’t the biggest venue in the world and the event was sold out (tickets ranged from £4-£6-£8), the panic about being squashed and not having enough room to dance properly to Missy Elliot and Snoop was real. However, there wasn’t a monstrous queue to get in, and it never got too uncomfortably rammed, so there was plenty of space to get your freak on with your squad.

A rarity – there was actually space to move in the smoking area for once.

The night consisted of a mix of live performances and DJ sets from Andy H (classic), Cul De Sac, DJ DMK, Sheffield’s own – Shinobi Up North, and J-Train. This impressive mix of dance, rap, hip hop and RnB created an exciting and unpredictable atmosphere throughout the night, mixing things up from your standard club night. Not all of the artists listed on the event’s description got played by the DJ’s – which I’m sure disappointed a few, but watching live performances from some of the latest up and coming emerging UK artists, definitely made up for it and created a unique and memorable atmosphere.

One thing that was obvious throughout the night was the dancing talent that was on display. Some people had specifically rocked up to The Harley to put us ordinary folk to shame and show off their mad skills. Those with the gift of being able to breakdance collected together at the back of the room and had dance-offs – as we all stood back in awe (and jealousy). While in the other half of the room, there were people standing on tables, climbing up pillars and generally just going crazy to the current and classic RnB and hip hop sounds.

Whether you just want to dance the night away with your crew or seriously take centre stage and finally put those closeted dance moves to good use in a dance off – Applebum definitely catered for it all.

Obligatory toilet pic

Having well and truly danced our socks off to the sounds of Rihanna and The Notorious B.I.G, the night finished as every night out should, with a swift power-walk down West Street to the bright lights of Spicy Chik.

The next Applebum event in Sheffield is yet to be confirmed, but if you’re into your Kendrick, Drake, Kanye and the like, and love to get you’re groove on and dance like no-one’s watching to a celebration of hip hop tunes, it’s return to Sheffield will guarantee a fab night out with your pals.