DJs Sellout at Crown House
DANI GILCHRIST
Having read about a recent Horizon event at the new French’s, I was excited to be invited to their latest offering at the slightly mysterious Crown House. I looked for the venue’s website – but there isn’t one. You have to know what’s going down at Crown House, it seems. On this occasion, I did.
I arrived early to chat with the people behind the Horizon collaboration, thinking a nice little 9:30pm start would give us plenty of time. I was stunned to see the venue already almost full – and absolutely jumping! Door supervisor Jason told me that in five years, he’d never seen the venue at capacity so early in the night.
The low-lit main room had a tropical theme: trailing ivy, exotic palms, and a DJ booth decked out like a tiki bar. The early beats were provided by Jamaican born Horizon DJ David Marston, with a distinctly disco vibe – very danceable and warm.
Up next was local DJ Kate Sure, who cut her teeth in the London club scene back in the ‘90s and now regularly rocks more intimate local venues. The music shifted into a more upbeat, glittery vibe – and by now, the dancefloor was packed. I watched a sea of smiling faces moving as one, hands in the air.
Easy Green took over next, bringing an Afro/Latin/Tribal House-influenced style to the decks. This young man, who heads up the Horizon collective, holds a music degree – and it shows. His technical ability comes through not just in the seamless mixing but also in the exceptional sound quality, which was as crystal clear at the back of the dancefloor as it was right next to the speakers.
The headliner, Ditchcoteque, closed the evening down with a two-hour set of hard and funky house music that had me jumping up and down – literally. I was sweaty and exhausted, and couldn’t keep the grin off my face.
I wasn’t alone in this: fellow patrons told me: “It was a great night. I didn’t stop dancing, and the vibes were lovely.” “Never seen the Crown House so jammed. The dance floor was kicking the whole night” “The music was off the scale!” Or, as one expressive groover put it: “It was a banger!”
Elliot (Easy Green) is keen to apologise to those who were turned away at the door: “We really hope to do another night here. The energy in the room was up there with the very best nights we’ve ever done. All the DJs played their socks off – again.”
Floating home along the seafront, buoyed by the energy of what I’d just been part of, I found myself once again thankful to live in a town where music, art, and community are so very highly prized. We are blessed.
You can find out more about Horizon on their Instagram @horizon_st
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