This is it innit - the big one - the return of Raindance to the capital after over a year. How was it gonna be - would it be as good as before. Heard from several agents that advance ticket sales were going well so promised to be a good night.

Have to day big thanks to one like Genocide for the lift there - right into the car park - no walk which was dead welcome given freezing November night. Lift home weren't so cosha though - lol.

First time I been to Bagleys for long time - still got its reputation for moody security I'd been told - was a bit friendly on the search but to be fair not a problem really. Up the stairs and we're staight into the happy hardcore room. This was one of the 6 rooms. Did strike me that room had been well decked out - Raindance crew had obviously put some effort into this one.

The hardcore room was one end of a trio of rooms linked together. Next to it was the D&B room and then at the other end was the main room the oldskool room. At time we walked in it was Danny C on the deks. There was already quite a few people in the place and quite a few dancing, atmos was revving up nicely. Thought Danny C played a top set mixing up some anthems with quite a few lesser known tunes, stiking a good balance keeping it flowing whilst giving the real oldskool headz something to get into to. Nice 1.

Next up on the deks was Phantasy starting out with some 93 anthems like Valley of the Shadows (I thought might get a darkcore set) setting himself up for move to 95 D&B. As I don't listen to the jungle anthems much was quite nice to hear em again - gotta say crowd was going nutty for it at this point. Little wander and the D&B room was pretty much empty I think whole room had migrated to the oldskool room for Phantasy's..

Time to take a further look around - down the stairs at the end of the oldskool room and you were in the Jenkins Lane room. Totally wicked stuff - seriously a decade since I heard those tunes played out. Was down their a few times during the night and heard wicked sets from Joey G and Nicky Dimensions. Pretty dank and dirty, low roof, pillars holding up roof in the middle of dancefloor - didn't look like the inside of a club more a cellar in a warehouse somewhere - wicked - like the old days.

Took a peak in the Pasha house room - no one - some random punter told me they'd blown up their speakers. And there was room hosted by Hard House guys from Honey Pot - which I've heard of - quite a feat for someone who is most defiintely stuck in the past on the music front. Can't say spent much time in either room but kind of nice to be able to take a wander round couple of extra rooms and drink in a slighlty different vibe.

After absorbing some more Jenkin Lane atmos returned back up to the main room to catch some Perry K and Lukosade. Was beginning to wonder if any B2VOS crew was gonna make it when everyone seemed to appear at once - saw Mike A first - then Matt, Dee, Elusive, Rizzla appeared a bit later. Obviously Genocide was there too, with some more of the Rush crew - shouts to Dave and Rob. There was definitely more but I just don't seem to be able to remember... Chris with his arm in some bandage after trip to hospital.

It was wicked to catch up with so many peeps and really made the night. Cause wherever you went round the different rooms there was a friendly face. Not to say the rest of the crowd weren't friendly - u know what I mean. Actually crowd was wicked - going for it - well hyped up by MC Strict. Plenty of happy smiley faces - alright not quite like back in the day - but a lot better than most forms of music can muster thesedays (thanks for the hard house tickets Chewy but this crowd was havin it on another dimension).

Didn't hear too many nu-skool chewns from the Eruption pairing which is what they are known for but thats cool with me as not my kinda thing really. Was a good set and was really getting into things at this point. I think the guys need to get a new copy of Return of Nookie though - what a same its such a good tune.

Iit was around then that the dancers made an appearance. Cute little orange hot pants with fluffy bits on being shaken at the crowd - nice entrance. Was quite funny cause about half the crowd stopped dancing and ogled the ladies (I guess the male half). Dancers did some costume changes through the night which kept things fresh - all in all not too sure how DJ's were keeping up their concentration. Think maybe though they should get in couple of male dancers for the ladies next time - can't help thinking its all a little bit sexist - anyhow I weren't complaining.

Some more Jenkins Lane action and a convesation with Jacko who was down their supporting his m8 Joey G - was a bit disappointed Matt never got to meet Jacko - lol. Bit more anthem bashing upstairs and it was time for the Wizkick PA. Flown in from Germany was cool to see a real live PA - the guys gave it some in their performance. Really was some wicked tunes thrown in there. Best desription for em I can think of is a modern day Prodigy. The sound defintely quite hard and ethos is mental energy just way hardcore should be. Quite a few familiar riffs and breaks but all morphed up into something new. An hour of music most people had never heard though was too much for a lot of peeps and the room did thin out - was a shame cause Wizkick deserved better reaction - personally I thought they were top notch.

A few more anthems, a touch more Jenkins Lane action, look outside in the cold, bit of dodgems and bugger me if it weren't the last set of the night. This was the one I'd been waiting for - Flashback - with a growing reputation for playing 92/93 hard and underground. Man I weren't disappointed. This was by far the set of the night for me. These were the tunes with the energy and mental flavour of real hardcore. I would have been a tad disppointed with the tunes over the night had it not been for this set. Proper underground tunes - some 93 darkcore thrown in - yes yes - and the crowd was going for it.

As someone who is 100% tidy (and pushing the wrong side of 30) I was getting a bit knackered but Flashback squeezed the last energy out of me. Most of B2VOS crew had left by know which was a shame as the new Dairly Milk Warrior tune got rinsed around 5:30 - went down a stormer - defintely getting sorted. Don't know if it was cause I was really feelin the tunes at this point but those that were left seemed to be going for it big style - it may of course have been cause those that were left were off it big time.

Strict was just hyping it up something wicked - just the right amount of chat to hype the crowd without ever wanting to take over for the sound of his own voice (apart from a rendition of Love is the Message - lol). All sorts of random punters had jumped on the stage by now, things were really going off.

Sadly all good things come to an end - 6am arrived - reunited with the grinning faces of Rob and Dave in the coat que to be told Kings Cross weren't open due to fire strike. So had to walk up to Euston and catch a train but didn't really matter - had smile on my face too, had been a wicked night.

Steve (aka DJ Moody)