On October 4th, 2014, Tattoo played host to the Night Bass Tour. It just happened to be the same as Scotiabank’s Nuit Blanche so spirits were high and the streets were alive and teeming with foot traffic. All of us who were in attendance were here for one thing and one thing only, to find the answer to the question “What is Night Bass?” I arrived at the venue at around 11:30 p.m., so I did miss a portion of Hannah Wants set but the bit I did get to witness was pure energy. The crowd was amped beyond measure and the place was packed. This was my first time at Tattoo and I didn’t know what to expect but what I found was amazing, the vibe in the room was electric. I couldn’t stifle the slow smile that creeped across my face and before I knew it I was shuffling and rocking out.
At about midnight AC Slater took to the stage and starting rocking out with us. He was a molten hot ball of charisma from start to finish. His set was studded with gems new and old, and he was as personable DJ as anyone could ask for. He was reaching across the decks to give fans stickers and Night Bass T-Shirts & Towels, constantly acting out the part of MC hyping up the crowd and announcing unreleased/brand new music. He debuted many tracks this way and all of them were well received by the crowd who couldn’t help but scream for more. The ‘Night Bass’ was real, dirty melodic basslines with percussion patterns that had even the best of dancer’s legs tired from exhaustion. And by the end of his set I was convinced I knew what Night Bass was.
At around 1 a.m., AC Slater introduced Jack Beats and they took us on a trip to funky town with their set. It was mostly house but it did include many different elements that had us all pleasantly surprised. These guys demonstrated their level of combined skill and co-operation like an ancient two-headed dragon decimating a village. Every tune coming out from the speakers was heavenly fire scorching our eardrums and keeping us hot on our heels.
They were my favorite set of the night by far, an audiophiles wet dream in my opinion. I recognized about 60% of tracks they played and I was writing them little sticky notes of encouragement. They even took a request from the guy next to me for more techno & then they dropped Steve Angello’s Knas & Be, the crowd was once again in an uproar. The floor was flexing and the atmosphere was intoxicating. I can’t help but think I got a knowing look from AC Slater who was watching from behind the decks, that feeling right there was what Night Bass is all about. All they could do was order more Stellas and keep at the good work.
At around 2:30, AC Slater came back to the stage and announced that he was going to be going B2B with Jack Beats to finish off the night as a special treat to us. Along with this, they started signing almost everything that was handed up to them, it was a great moment and one that I will cherish for the rest of my life. We were all there for some good music and they were there to share it and spread the love. Their combined set had the best elements from each individual set combined with the easy going feeling that everyone was enjoying exactly what they were doing. It was an absolute zoo and Martin Garrix was not needed to supply the Animals. Overall it was an awesome show and I will be tracking the “Night Bass” movement from now on.
LINKS
Hannah Wants
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AC Slater
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Keanu Jones for EDM TOR
