One community centre, Dub, Red Stripe, playing cards and sticky back plastic = Exodus!

When it was first suggested we (my group of friends) venture down the the West Indian Centre for a night of raving I can’t say I was overly excited, something just didn’t add up. After speaking to a colleague aka the ‘Drum & Bass princess‘ I realised how much of a big night and deal Exodus actually was! I was also surprised to hear that on this particular night it had a bit of a Techno vibe injected into the famous D&B and Dubstep night which a) made me feel a little at ease and b) made me realise I was in much need of help if I was going to fit in. The first thing the West Indian Centre veteran said was “do not wear heels or anything that sparkles”. This instantly went against everything I stood for! She added “maybe wear a hoody, oh and don’t forget your ear plugs”. *Screeeeech* I thought my house mate was joking when she told me this!! How physically loud could a club be? And what was I letting my self in for? The Techno girl in my head was begging me to make an excuse and not to go but my must-love-all-music heart somehow managed to drown her out…so after days of anticipation, I went.

When we pulled up to the centre it didn’t look like much was going on, there was no queue, no people, very little bouncers and definitely no sign of overly loud music (on reflection I couldn’t have been more wrong). We walked straight into the main room and my arms, legs, head and all internal organs shook to the bass. My vision was blurred, my hands were no longer steady and I felt for the first time what it was like to be deaf, needless to say the ear plugs went straight in. We got some drinks and mooched around to get a feel for the place whilst watching the already ruined dancers ‘throw shapes’, old men playing cards in the next room and women selling Jerk goat from a school dinner type canteen. This was undoubtedly the most surreal place I had ever experienced.

After my boyfriend and I had been laughed at for looking like rabbits in headlights we slowly started to warm to the seriously deep and ground shaking bass, we even started to enjoy ourselves! We waited in anticipation for Shackleton, who I had not heard much about although what I had heard was fantastic. I was pleased to discover that all the rumours were true, he, alone with only a Mac and a controller absolutely smashed it. As I watched the ‘normal’ looking man wearing glasses and a white t-shirt drop dark, rooted, and dubby beats I heard a very faint voice coming from my chest that said “I told you so”. I was lost for words, shocked, amazed, inspired, scared, overwhelmed and had butterflies all at the same time, this could only mean one thing, I was falling for the Dub and there was nothing I could do about it…in a word, sold.