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 Tuesday
night saw the return of DJ legend Carl Cox to 'Free 2 Dance' in
Preston, Lancashire. His visit was part of The SMIRNOFF Experience™
NUS Tour.
The warm-up set was ably provided by Will Grant, a rising star of
the future.
He
played favourites like "Cada Vez" (Negrocan) and "To Be In Love
" (India). The overall vibe from Grant was a chunky, rhythmic sound,
but nothing too hard.
Obviously
he had no intention of standing on the toes of the Mac-Daddy himself
who came on at about a quarter to eleven, to thunderous applause.
From the outset he pounded the arena with a string of techno-edged
beats. His mixing as ever was exemplary. He was able to cut between
tracks, mix breakdowns and a host of other quality touches.
I was
lucky enough to have a backstage pass and was able to view his technique
up close. As a performer he is totally focused, his energies completely
harnessed to the job in hand.
Breaking
off just long enough to 'love up' the crowd via the mic. He has
an uncanny ability to personalise his gigs. You feel somehow privileged
and personally invited when he plays.
I last
saw Carl at a 30,000 capacity venue in Amsterdam, five years ago
and I had exactly the same feelings then. Carl has been at the forefront
of Dance music ever since the 'Summer of Love' in 1988.
He was also a major player in the early 90's Rave scene and his
rise to being arguably world famous DJ was only a matter of time.
He is renowned for his ability to play with three decks and was
responsible for making 'Techno' accessible to the masses.
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Happy
party people
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Carl
cites the Berlin Love Parade (1,500,000 revellers) and his Millennium
gigs in Hawaii and Australia as career highlights.
By midnight he had whipped up the crowd to fever pitch and looking
around the arena was a joy in itself, a sea of smiling, happy faces.
Behind the decks Carl was in perpetual motion, driving the party
onwards and upwards. Regrettably I had to leave early, though I'm
reliably informed that the fun continued till well after 2am.
A great night spent in the company of a truly excellent DJ. 
Pete Keane
Cada
Vez Negrocano be in Love India
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