Finger Lickin 5th Birthday

written by Sarah Mason
OMG! Where do I start?

I do believe I just had THE best night out clubbing of my life! :D And it's the first time I've ever been out in the UK too... I went to the Finger Lickin' 5th B'day All Nighter on Saturday night - What an experience?! My journey started at 6pm, when I caught the train into Waterloo, London. An hour later I was on the tube to London Bridge station. I love catching the tube! After 7 weeks the novelty still hasn't worn off yet. I love going through the maze of underground tunnels to get to your platform. To me it's like an amusement park ride (the tube interior seriously looks like the inside of an amusement park ride...), But it also gets you where you wanna go. Bonus! I guess I have quite an imagination...

So anyways... I got to London Bridge station and met up with Lanx and his mates. We had a beer at the pub round the corner, then went back to their hotel. Got more beer and went up to their room, where we watched the Simpsons and got room service for dinner. At about 9.15 we caught a taxi to the Coronet. It didn't open til 10 so we had to go round the back way. Turns out I didn't need that ticket I bought after all... Heh. We walked in as they were doing sound check. And oh my god... Did it sound good?! The set up was amazing too. The place was massive! And there was huge screens, lights and lasers everywhere. Plus 2 big B'day cakes on either side of the stage.

Lanx and Nick (Drumattic Twins) were kicking the night off. They started about 10.30, and played an awesome set. Mad tunes. Some really funky tracks. Those boys got taste. They had the dance floor packed by end. Half way through their set I went up the front for a dance, and met this guy from Sydney who'd seen them play at Field Day too. There was a heap of Aussie's there. Met another boy there who worked at the Indro 'General Pants Co.'. It's a small world.

Krafty Kuts and A.Skillz were up next. They had 2 MC's Ashley Slater & Real Elements with them, which really amped up the energy. They played all my favourites: 'Tricka Technology', 'Ain't it Funky', These Are The Breaks'... etc. Towards the end we went up into the V.I.P. section. On the 4th level there was like stadium seating where you could sit and watch the main room.

What a view! Kurtis Blow came out and got a heap of people up on stage. It was crazy! We went and checked out the other 2 rooms for a bit. Bumped into Krafty Kuts and A.Skillz there. Not sure who was playing in those rooms... But they were playing some dope tracks.

Got down to the main room in time to catch the end of Dreadzone Soundsystem. Lanx and Neil went backstage. It was time for Soul of Man so I stayed on the dance floor. I love these boys. I mean they're the reason Finger Lickin' exists. They really get into the music their playing. Again - Another wickid set. Danced my ass off. Met another couple of nice Aussies up the front - Mark and Sarah.

Plumps were up next. No matter how many times I see them, they blow me away every time. Lee was so funny, doing pantomime while Andy mixed. Heh. More wickid tunes... All my favourite Plumps tracks: 'Creep Show', When The Funk Hits the Fan', 'Dona Kebab', 'Galaxy', 'The Push'... etc. Again - Danced my ass off. By the end of their set my back was killing me.

Shades of Rhythm (Lanx and Nick plus an MC) were next, but I had to sit down. Mark, Sarah and I went up stairs to chill for a bit. By the time we came back down they were finished... :( I didn't know they're were only on for 20mins. I'm gutted I missed them, but I'm sure I'll get another chance to see them.

Lee Coombs was up last. He played some nice dark n dirty breaks. Nothing else like it at the end of a big night. I met back up with Lanx and Neil. Sarah had taken one of the set time posters, so I got Lanx and Lee Plump to sign it for her. Mark and Sarah went home, but not before I'd invited myself back to their place later on in the morning. Heh.

We bumped into Justin from Soul of Man, and he actually remembered me from Byron (haircut and all), which I was pretty chuffed with. :) Hehe. Got a big hug and a kiss, and he let me go backstage with Lanx and Neil. So we watched the end of the Lee's set from the side of the stage. At the end of his set a guy from Dreadzone Soundsystem and Lee Plump jumped out of the cakes. Heh. Classic.

Everyone went up into the dressing rooms after. We didn't stay long, cause we were all pretty trashed. So we caught a cab back to the hotel. I chilled out there for a bit, drinking champagne. The boys looked like they were about to crash out, so I made my way to the tube, and caught it out to Clapham to Sarah's place. I sat and talked shit with her and Mark till about lunch time.

Then I caught the tube out to Ealing to visit Aimee. That was quite a journey... Heh. I got bored so I started writing texts that I wanted to send when I got off, only to distract my self enough that I missed the station I was meant to change lines at. Heh... And I got quite a shock when the UNDERground sudenly shot out into OVERground mode. No one told me they did that! It was quite a mission over there - But it was sooooo worth it. She's such a sweetie! I'd only met her once briefly back in Brisbane, just before she came over here. We've got so much in common tho. She's gonna be a great friend to have over here. I don't feel as homesick after meeting her.

At some stage in the afternoon, I caught the tube back to Waterloo, and the train back out to Bracknell. I kept falling aleep on the train, and it's a miracle that I woke up at Bracknell just in time to get off. Heh. As soon as I got back to the house I crashed out... You can see photos from the night here - 60 photos full of Finger Lickin' goodness .