Plump DJs // Concorde 2 // 160109

Photos by Mary Pryce

Plump DJs, Zinc and Brighton’s hardcore give 2 fingers to the detox – Concorde 2 16/01/09

A visit from the Plumps to Brighton is always greeted with an air of great expectation, excitement and a warm welcome. Brighton has been at the forefront of pioneering breaks, artists and DJs for years with club night Supercharged frequently adorned with recognition and accolades of its ethos and line up. Record label Against the Grain has released many a yocal up to superstar DJ, the man behind this School of Thought did not fail to deliver up the goods on a cold night in January where we all fell off the detox wagon in spectacular style.

Team Pryce trotted down the blustery seafront swigging a rum and coke on the way to get geared up for a good stomp and to save the taxi fare for the way home where it would be far more appreciated (turned out necessary). An early arrival gave us the opportunity to find that the toilets had once again been done up but with no mirrors (possible bonus) and take pictures of some youts in the cubicle area. This looked like an episode off Skins, all hand holding, serious expressions, emo hair and far too young to have remembered the days when breaks were the new thing and “Kinky Tonight” was a paramount on your ‘getting ready to go out’ play list. Still, they looked prepped for a fun night out so we followed them to the dance floor to get our dose of Zinc. Famed for his drum and bass, citing the epic track “Super sharp shooter” in the past we were intrigued to hear a breaks set from him, but it was all kicking off nicely, the crowd were moving and he looked the typical drum and bass DJ, hood up, black space where his face should be, bit like Kenny off Southpark. It seems that he is now a relative rarity in the drum and bass arena, playing out under many guises such as part of the Ganja Kru and True Playaz collectives involved in breaks, dubstep and garage.

The set remained focussed on breaks, true fans may have expected him to slip in a bit of dirty drum and bass but this didn’t materialise however he did wind everything up with some deep dubstep towards the end. Plump DJs edged onto the stage and began to loiter in the shadows, trying to hold their own amongst the group of cling on girles that were (badly) writhing around near the decks, hoping for a sniff of something that I doubt ever came… We took this opportunity to take in the atmosphere in the bar only to be greeted by Ed Solo (Brighton drum and bass producer and boy done good) and JFB the 2007 DMC UK champion where Ed got in the Tuaccas and reminded me of the offer to DJ at my wedding. Well Ed, it’s in writing now! They were shamelessly promoting the forthcoming BattleJam, which of you have never seen you MUST go. Beardyman and JFM battle it out through beat boxing and scratching and its beyond entertaining. Anyway, I digress.

On with the Plumps, they were banging out some dirty deep breaks, showcasing their new album ‘Headthrash’ and here is what the experts say

“Dazzling” 4/5 – DJ mag Album of the issue i-DJ Album of the week myspace “System Addict” Single of the month – Mixmag and Breakspoll single 2007 “Torque of the Devil” Single of the month – Mixmag.

We say Huzza! Jackin housey breaks, tinged with soulful vocals, the tunes they were playing made your nose crinkle up and your body bounce around. They were as charismatic and playful as ever which is what makes Plump DJs stand out above the rest when catching a live DJ set. Arms in the air moments, slamming the decks and waving headphones, the chance arose to get a little closer after the battle through said writhing ladies to see that they are both really quite tall, their presence even more impressive. Engagement with the crowd makes their set a special one, they look happy to be there and seem to respond and act upon a crowd’s mood. I managed to corner Andy Garner for a quote on Brighton

“We love playing in Brighton, everyone looks like they are in a competition to have the best time”

Now I think that he has just written the mission statement for all of us. Unfortunately when it came to speaking to Lee Rous, I have to admit that I have fancied the pants off him for about 8 years and was just too overwhelmed with it all…. So just stood there and admired his technique.

They boys have been getting greedy and, their use of 4 pioneer CDJ decks offers the chance to inject some creativity in their work; they reedit and drop in tracks creating a unique experience each time. On rolled the evening, dancing and beaming faces happy with their fill of Plump action. The only disappointment for me was no remix of Donna Summer’s “I feel Love”, but that was a selfish perquisite I had as one of their biggest fans. Their years on the scene have only aged them like a good wine, the energy and vibrancy is still there and will be for long to come. See you next time.