CLUBS

After eight years of party action, Play are calling it a day. Uncle Basic demands answers.

One of the more interesting developments in Bristol over the last few years has been the rise of house and techno in the city's clubs. Genres once somewhat shunned by the bass-loving clubbing community have steadily been embraced more and more as the cross-pollination from other scenes such as minimal and dubstep has blurred the boundaries that used to govern promoters and clubbers alike.

Out of this shift in Bristol's clubbing tastes a few good men have seen their star rise to the top – amongst them the deadly dancefloor duo known to all as Deepgroove. Lee Pattison and Grayson Shipley have been producing impeccable main-room techno under this moniker for some time now, and their discography grows more impressive with each year – releases on labels such as Harthouse, Cocoon, Rekids, Klang, Turbo and Underwater are a testament to their skills, seeing them DJ across the world to packed-out crowds.

But in Bristol, Deepgroove will always be synonymous with their twisted lovechild Play. A night that has seen a few homes across the city, from the much-missed Level to the good ship Thekla, it's an evening of unadulterated hedonism that has had party-goers bouncing around with joy for the best part of a decade. But this weekend will see their eighth birthday and, sadly, their last Play party too. So why stop now? “We have been doing Play for a long time and feel that, as there are so many fantastic nights in Bristol now, it’s very hard to keep every party unique and special,” says Lee. “We want to keep Play as one of the most fun parties you could have gone to, and hopefully leave people with only fond memories (and the odd hangover). So it seemed right to end it on a high.”

With house royalty Layo & Bushwacka! at the controls and given the nature of events at previous Plays, it surely will be a grand send-off. “We have loved every single party, but the nights at Level were infamous,” Lee goes on. “Our themes were a lot of fun – the Pyjama Play, with a full-size double bed on the dancefloor, or one of our favourite guests D Ramirez always DJing in an old lady’s nightie. Then there was The Tiny Bike Challenge with a racecourse all around Lakota!”

It’s no small wonder Play has been so popular with Bristol clubbers for so long, and so we bid them a tearful goodbye... after one last chance to rave it up like there’s no tomorrow.

PLAY WAS AT THEKLA, BRISTOL ON FRI 15 OCT.
 

Copyright Uncle Basic 2010

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