MISSED ME?
YEAH, HIGHLY DOUBT IT!
not that it matters anyway.. I just needed a little intro after my absence of.. 4 months. I had to check that while typing.. *ghh*
HOLY CRAP TIME FLIES.
I am not going to make any promises.. because if I make them.. I will HAVE to fulfill them. Knowing myself.. I will just give it a try.
- me
SO ANYWAY,
Here is an excerpt from an interview of DJ Aztek, who played with for Spiral Tribe 2 years. I just had to share this because I was stunned. At first I found it recognizable and made me bring up some good memories.. but then the police joined the club and ruined my good mood..
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Originally Aztek was freelance and DJ’ing in Plymouth. It was while working and socially attending most of the dance events that happened in Plymouth he heard the name ‘Spiral Tribe’ mentioned on numerous occasions, and every time it was a good report.
“This was where I met Simon and Sean, ‘S.A.S’ for short. One half of the duo I’m sure you’d know better as MC Ribbs. Then early one morning still in the dance spirit, a few friends and myself left the club and took off to our next place of call, a popular meeting point down on Plymouth Hoe, where there was music coming from a high powered car system. Whilst there Spiral Tribe was mentioned again, but this time I heard they were ‘in the area’. Bodmin Moor to be exact (which was 5 miles down the road from where I was living). So that was it, we were off. Spirits were high, we arrived on site at 9am ’ish face to face with a totally different culture and I was lovin’ every minute”.
“I already had my records with me as I had played the night before and hadn’t been home. It took me about 15 minutes to get across to where Spiral Tribe were set up. The music was happy and uplifting, it complimented the time of day, (morning trax is the term). People were still dancing from the night before, some were chillin’ out. As the day progressed, the busier it became and the beats hardened up. The night returned and out came the fire eaters and jugglers. Whistles, horns and shouts from the over-whelming crowd could be heard echoing out over the moors, merging into the musical mayhem of hectic rhythms and wailing synths coming from the Spiral sound system. I had already played for 2 hours around midday and was looking forward to my night time set. From this day forward I was hooked, I stayed and played for 2 more days and then had to go as I was relying on friends for transport, only to return the next weekend”.
The next weekend it was DJ Hush Hush and Aztek doing long sets, while the other Spiral DJ’s got some rest. Others came when night time returned with more revellers, and it was full-on once again. The music never stopped. There were mad statues and backdrops everywhere all glowing under UV lights. This was the ‘Spiral Euphoria’ that many came to expect and was so addictive.
“It was for the creative, the open minded, the free thinking, free spirited people who have the freedom of expression, speech and movement. To be individual, original and different. It was for all races, colour, class and creed, without ego, without attitude. This was the ‘White Goddess Festival’, in Cornwall which went on for 14 days from the 22nd August to September 4th 1991. I went home, got some more clothes and some more records and on the 6th my friend Mark dropped me off at Spiral’s next location. Smeatharpe Air Base, in Devon and the rest is history!”
This was when Aztek first met Robbie D along with a few other names that you possibly know today. The list of parties that Aztek attended is far too long to list, but it was the ’92 Easter party, Acton Lane, London, that had much controversy surrounding it. A leaflet was distributed at the next event that read as follows:
Police Violence – Enough if Enough
Spiral Tribe was established in the summer of 1990 for and by young people, as a creative channel using music as the main creative force. Since the beginning, the show has toured the country non-stop holding large free events within the cities and outdoors, run with local participation and funded by donations. Spiral Tribe is a volunteer group giving numerous opportunities to talented youngsters nationwide. Training on recording and musical equipment is given freely and all creative aspects are encouraged. Many young performers, musicians and DJ’s have started their careers with Spiral Tribe. The formula for creative freedom has been so popular that now Spiral Tribe run an independent record label and shortly plan to open a community based record studio.
On Monday 20th April 1992, 1000 people were dancing at an Easter party run by Spiral Tribe on Action Lane, London. At approximately 2.30am police suddenly sealed off the building. There had been no trouble and no complaints – the party was free and open to all – there was no explanation from the police as to what the intentions were, nor indeed any justification for what happened next.
The police then prevented anyone entering or leaving the premises – anyone who attempted it was maliciously beaten to the ground with truncheons and kicked.
(ed.) little comment here; isn't that manslaughter? kicking someone who is on the ground is a big no no.. even if it is self defense it isn't. the only reason that makes it legal is that you can prove your life is threatened. I highly doubt that any of these pigs were in a life threating situation. this is one of the main reason I decided to quote this interview. how brutal the police has been back then.. and still is. always been.
By 3.30am a massive force of riot police wearing padded jackets and helmets and wielding shields and batons stormed the building. No warning was given.
Sledge hammers and a JCB digger were used to collapse the walls in on the people trapped inside. When they finally got into the building they indiscriminately beat up men, women and children.
At this point, there were about 750 people in the building – all trying to escape the vicious onslaught from the police. A panic started as people tried to crush through one small exit. Instead of alleviating the crush, the police pushed up hard behind everyone, hitting out and forcing everyone face down to the ground. Some people were singled out and given further severe beatings. The police then started on the equipment that had been lent or donated destroying it needlessly.
The local hospital reported up to 700 casualties amongst the party goers with one policeman injured. 5 arrests were made – for assaults on police officers and for breach of the peace. No charges were made against Spiral Tribe.
I hope Spiral don’t mind me including this leaflet, it was distributed to party goers at their next event, informing and bringing to light what actually occurred at the Easter party, this shows you the kind of bullshit Injustice that is covered up by this unjust and corrupt government run constabulary and, if my memory serves me correct, the reason why they wanted the event stopped was in the name of Health & Safety. It wasn’t particularly Health & Safety conscious battering 700 party goers.
At the Kerry Festival 1992, Wales, they tried to remove us from the site by continually buzzing us with two Tornado Jets costing twenty five thousand pounds a trip, that must have cost the tax payers a fortune?! I just sat back and watched, I love a good air display a bit over the top though, don’t you think!
I attended the Castle Morton Festival 1992, Gloucestershire, but was on the ‘Bedlam’ sound system most of the time, then my first anniversary with the ‘Tribe’ at Smeatharpe Air Base 1992, Devon which was the alternative Glastonbury free site for the free people, tearing up with Bedlam again for this one…These are just a select few of the parties I attended, there were many, many more parties I attended with Spiral Tribe, just too many to mention! I hope this has enlightened your feeling to what the Spiral Tribe – Euphoria was like. It was the rebirth of the 88/89 Acid House days… but with a difference!!”
Aztek wouldn’t say that he left Spiral Tribe, he drifted apart, he’s very independent and likes doing his own thing. At the time he was getting a lot of work offered to him, some paid, some free. During his time with the ‘Tribe’ he had 175 records stolen, taken from the squat where he lived. Then about 5 months later another 100 records were taken by someone he owed £20 to. With the police presence around illegal parties and the taking of equipment and records, he didn’t want to lose anymore music. Every penny he got went on records, it’s his life. This was also the reason why he stopped doing as many illegal parties. So what about Spiral Tribe today?
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Read the whole interview at the source: fantazia.co.uk
