Scotch Bonnet @ Fabric 8.3.19

By Max Beesley 

This night truly captured Fabric’s efforts to reinforce their roots in the underground music scene. Since its closure Fabric has lost some of its edge in championing the music for those committed few who drive to stay at the forefront of new music. While the night could not completely shake the superclub feel there was the welcomed presence of people who really were just there for the music. I spotted a few who got a good spot near the front, by a speaker and did not move for hours on end. It was great to see them skanking in the corner of your eye all night and really helped to maintain a good level of atmosphere. Overall this homage to UK Soundsystem bass culture was a great success and I would not question returning to Fabric for similar nights in the future.

The Scotch Bonnet takeover, as organised by the brilliant Mungos Hi-Fi duo, provided a great range of musical styles spanning most of the underground reggae/dub scene. While I personally don’t give huge credit to Parly B, for the lack of meaning in his lyrics more than anything, he did well to get the crowd warmed up from midnight. Next Iration Steppas, a personal favourite of mine, ensured that those there to hear some true bass were not disappointed. Although there single ethos of ground shaking bass could not quite be replicated in the space. For me, Eva Lazarusand Charlie P, who came on around 3am with Mungos Hi-Fi, served a winning combination with their powerful words given out in a style that encourages all attempts to sing along and get into the music. Although I wouldn’t recommend trying to keep up with Charlie P’s bars. Mungos Hi-Fi provided something to really get into, aimed at both the music heads and those just there for a fun Friday night. 

There were few points when I felt I need to leave Room one, but I forced myself to go explore as Room 2 also provided a huge host of big names. Congo Natty can always depend on a few of his tunes to get the crowd really going. The infamous ‘Police in helicopter’ remix centres on Top Cats unique voice and was really special to hear him sing in person. As is common with Congo Natty’s sets there were no predetermined set times and a rolling rota of people on the mic which ensures you never get bored of one voice. There were some issues with space, forcing you to jump with the crowd for many of their more well-known songs but this was to be expected.

Room 3 provided something wholly different. Brunswick Sound were new to me which is always a pleasure. Their selection appeared to be aimed at providing people with an essential breather between the other rooms. I spent the least amount of time here, but this is not be taken as any indication against them. They provided simple break beats with pleasing vocals and an overall pleasant feeling that felt strongly inspired by the current London scene.

Overall the night was even better than I had anticipated and gave me a much-needed time to skank at the end of a long week. This was magnified by the obvious excitement of the artists themselves, especially within Room 1. Mungos Hi-Fi had discussed their appreciation for the takeover on social media beforehand and this really showed.