After a particularly hellish week, Limelight and a night of aggressive music seemed just what the doctor ordered. Oh yes, this was going to be an epic night to shake off that heaviness of one of Houston’s most horrible week in a long time.
A little disclaimer first – we didn’t stay very long for Downlink. It was late, and our ride wanted to go home, and he came on after last call, so this review is mainly about Dieselboy.
We admit, when we rolled up to the door, and there was a line for a hard bass show, we were thrown off – last time Dieselboy was here with Planet of the Drums, 2 years ago, the poor club was at 50% capacity, although it was an enthusiastic crowd. We smiled at the promise of a packed club. When we waited in line, and we noticed that EVERY SINGLE FEMALE was wearing high heels, it tossed us off even a little bit more. Were we at the right club? Was there some sort of new dress code that we were missing? We couldn’t really hear the bass from the outside, but this was REALLY strange. Surely these women knew their sandaled toes were ripe for the squishing. We brushed it off that some of the folks just probably walked over from across the street.
Upon entering, our worries washed away pretty quickly with a vodka Redbull, some pounding bass (courtesy of Alex Sin), and a meet up with some friends. We chatted briefly about the confused crowd, and it was nice to know that we weren’t the only ones that didn’t get it. Despite the fact, the crowd was loving Alex Sin’s set, and the dancefloor was packed. When Dieselboy hit the stage, the education began. We can only assume this was several people in the crowd’s first drum and bass show from the sudden mass looks of confusion after his dramatic audio intro. Those starch shirt clad kids started moving. Eyes widened, hair was clutched, bodies jacked, fists pumped. Then the mosh pit started.
I’ve been to all varieties of hard bass shows all over the world. I have never in my life seen a mosh pit at a DnB show that has lasted more than a couple of seconds. This one reared its head for nearly half an hour. It ebbed and flowed and shrunk and grew with Dieselboy’s set, exploding from folks hopping after a massive buildup. It was almost like Damian was some kind of mad scientist, experimenting with the frenzied crowd. It feels odd to say it, but with the crowd, it WORKED. The heeled women retreated to the back of the room to sip their cocktails in safety. The bros that didn’t join in the pit retreated to the back as well, to guard their confused looking girlfriends. This was definitely a night of culture shock for some.
At a quick getaway to the bar, because OH CRAP, last call is coming up, we had a quick debate. Are DnB and Dubstep the new heavy metal? Are those wide eyes the same looks as when the generation before us (and some of us older folks) heard thrash metal for the first time? Just like the repetition in our beloved 4/4, history of music repeats itself in a sense.
Despite all my criticism, there were conversions made that night. Dieselboy preached the bass and the audience witnessed. Those expecting to have a night of pure Dubstep with gyrating girls, ended up with a face full of dirty rhythmic bass. Downlink, whose set we sadly didn’t get to see much of, still kept it gritty. I wonder how much of the crowd just came for him…
This was a stellar freaking tour in a great venue. We’re really glad this got the showcase it deserved, plus got to make some converts from the drop in club hopping crowd… with an exception of a squished sandaled toe or two.
Journalist/blogger since 2009 and music lover since 1980. Bex now travels the world and writes and takes photos of dance events, creates art in various media, sings quietly to her cat in the shower, and occasionally builds something that tends to involve a blowtorch. She can usually be seen hiding behind some sort of camera rig.
