Elation Photos

21st of July 2000

These photos were taken on the 21st of July 2000 by Paul Lawton.

This was the second Elation and was again held at the Chunnel Club in Vauxhall, London. The line up in the hardcore room was:

Dodgee, Sonic, Uplift & Chris E Manic, Robbie Long, Ponder, Energy, Sy, Happy Bounce. With MC's Wotsee, Storm, Shotgun & Wildcard

Big shout out to DJ U4EA for this review

Review for Elation at the Chunnel Club - 21/7/00 Having missed the last Elation due to my exams and having heard so many superb reports from that event, I was relishing the opportunity to attend the next Elation!! Myself and my mate, Andy, got the train in to London to meet Nemesis, Mupster, Twigg, Jody and Bekki in the new Elite Records. We bought our tickets and checked out their wide selection of both new and old hardcore, then went to Marylebone to meet Natalie and Iram. Due to a breakdown in communication between us I was left standing in Marylebone station waiting for them for nearly an hour and a half!!! When I finally met them we all made our way to Victoria Station via Waterloo, for some reason! There we met with Dimi, Kev, Stix, Darkcyde, Jamie and others. After a drink celebrating Kev's 21st Birthday we left Victoria at 9:00pm. Then it was a quick tube ride down the Victoria line to Vauxhall Station, where we met up with millions of the USH crew. Just after 9:45 we made the two minute walk to the Chunnel Club to join the queue. After a fairly painless search (why do I always get the big scary looking security men?), I entered the venue. On first impressions the venue seemed very nice indeed - like two of the hardcore arenas at the Drome side-to-side. Dodgee was playing some wicked trancecore in the Hardcore arena, with Wotsee on the mic. I've heard these guys on Inside Beat before - and they were just as fantastic live. Unfortunately the sound system in the hardcore arena was having some problems with the low-frequencies, so for the rest of the night hardcore was placed in the hard house arch - a very nice move indeed! Next up on the decks was DJ Sonic with MC Shotgun. A truly sublime mix - made even better by me getting somewhat excited half way through(!). The crowd was beginning to swell - and the venue was rocking. The sound was loud and clear, the venue brilliantly decorated with UV-backdrops, etc. The highlight of my night was finally meeting the love-of-my life - Cris E Manic!! :) She and Uplift played what was, in my opinion, the set of the night. They played a superb old-skool set, dropping all the classics, as well as some lesser played tunes. Absolutely perfect!! And, to make it even better, if that was at all possible - she played Euphoria by Euphoria - my all time favourite tune - and I think I actually exploded then. Boom I went, splattered all over the venue. I'm in Euphoria..... The atmosphere by now was mind-blowing. I've only been raving since February, but the atmosphere here was the best I've ever experienced. Many a seasoned raver said that they had not experienced an atmosphere like that since 97/98. After this set was Ponder himself. After his set with Happy Bounce at Raindance, you could safely say that I was looking forward to this!! Alongside the supreme MC Storm (booked at 24hrs notice!!) - this was yet another fantastic set - things just kept on getting better and better. Playing some wicked new tunes, mixed in with some classics, Ponder was on fire. Ravers were going crazy! Wicked. Robbie Long - a DJ whose tunes I've heard, but from whom I've never heard a live set - was up next. The start of his set was a bit bizarre - seemed to start with hip-hop, followed by what I thought was the Beats and Bass sound from America. Not exactly my cup of tea, but others were loving it. I had a bit of a chat with people at this time - coming back for the last half of his set, which I have to say was a lot better! I had an interesting chat with Grant Epidemik - top bloke, 100% interested in Hardcore and Old Skool - might even make my way to Southend-on-sea for an Epidemik event soon! Gosh, the night was just flying by at this time - and to send it spinning into orbit was the superb talent of DJ Energy. Joining him was MC Storm I think - and together they hyped up the arena to new levels. He played some truly divine freeform - I've never seen Icekold and Unit-E smile so much!! I was truly fucked by this stage - ask Kev - but I was still on my feet, dancing the night away, and fuck me - it was time for Sy!!!! Alongside Storm, this prelude to Future Dance 3 was beyond mere adjectives! The cheese police might have been called at some points - but that just added to the whole feeling. One of the greatest points of the night was the large USH board being passed from person to person in the arena. People jumping up and down with the board, and Crissy holding it up above her head - superb!! :) Time for the last set of the night - and the legend that is Happy Bounce was on the decks. Once again, a wicked mix-up by him, with Wildcard (I think) on the microphone. For the last half of his set, though, I was a bit worse for wear - and spent a bit of it sitting in the corner, still loving the sounds coming out of the speakers! My God, six-o-clock came so quickly, but when it did all people could say was "fuck me - what a night!!". And, fuck me, what a night! What a night. You miss the next one, and you should be locked up - forever. Shouts out to: Andy, Kev (happy birthday), Dimi, Nemesis, Mupster, Twigg, Bekki, Jody, Jamie, Stix, Paul (USH), Paul (Ponder), Mark (Happy Bounce), Sonic, Energy, Uplift, Cris E Manic (oooooooo Crissy Manic), Dodgee, Wotsee, Storm, Natalie, Iram, Alister, Pioneer, Darkcyde, Ade, Morgz, Grant Epidemik, Tony Raindance, Shotgun, Wildcard, Sy, Billy Bunter, Energy's Dad, Caine (Ian), Barticle, Chedda, Miss Go Mental, Sam, Phick, Androo, Raver Jo, dHaynes, that American bloke I keep on meeting - oh god and everyone one else who I've forgotten, and everyone involved with Elation - wicked wicked night!!! A shout also to James and Brad who couldn't make it (tut tut). Be there for the next one - and for Future Dance 3 - see yas all there!!!!!! Tom Bennett / U4EA

DJ Energy, DJ Dodgee & DJ Vyper

DJ Happy Bounce & DJ Dodgee

DJ Sy & DJ Dodgee

DJ Sonic & MC Storm + DJ Happy Bounce, DJ Uplift & DJ Chris E Manic