Ahh, I'm back in the L-dot, happy and satisfied once again. I just sorted through the past party archives and figured out this was my 12th or 13th Hulla, and so far, I'm on a great streak... I've pretty much always left feeling fulfilled and itching for the next.
That being said, I decided to do something a little different for this Hulla. I never went through a candy kid phase (as when I was first introduced to the scene and was at the appropriate age for it, I was heavily influenced by a good friend of mine who was a jungle DJ), and so I decided to throw down a little CandyMandy for y'all. I made a bunch of bracelets and although I thought I'd never have enough people to give em to, by the end of the night I had gone through the whole batch. It was nice to be able to give people something when I saw them and gosh-darnit, I even found myself feeling downright plurry at times
. So thanks for humouring me, guys.
A few comments I'd like to make on the night's happenings:
Sets
We got to the party a bit later than I expected, so I only really caught four full sets. In no particular order (well, ok, chronological order):
Capital J - I made a serious point of making it there by 12 so I could catch this set. Sickness all around. I was bouncing for nearly the entire hour. He threw down a few key tracks that had me screaming like an idiot. Thanks for periodically bringing in d&b acts for Hulla, Frolic... don't listen to the nay-sayers. This set was magical, and it went a long way in satisfying my never-ending jungle craving.
Vibes - At the beginning of the hour, I can't say I was horribly impressed with our beloved headliner. I was up in 19+, just observing the action, feeling a wee bit tired, and ready to give the set a dismal 5 tabby cats out of 10. I must say, however, Vibes made up for the mediocre-ness of his track selection with a few songs near the end of his set which almost made me melt into a drunken puddle on the floor. Thank you, my man. You ended up making my 1-2 hour a delight.
Frolic - What can I say about this guy. No matter how many imports you bring in, my dirty secret is that I don't give a flying fuck - I always come to Hulla to see you spin. Your charisma and ability to read the crowd always have me bowing down to you in awe in the middle of the dance floor. You are the reason why so many of us stay positive and have found a passion for the beauty of the music you play. More on this later.
D-Minus - one word: yes! I'm so glad you spun earlier than the last time, so I wasn't too tired to see your set. Sooo many good tracks, had me yelling at the top of my lungs and knocking people over (sorry to those around me who had to be victims of these bouts of insanity). You spun my favourite track, which I had never heard played at a party. Thank you, thank you, thank you. You never disappoint.
Elixir - I heard about 20 mins of your set. Sorry to inform you that my legs were no longer responding at this point. I generally liked what I heard, so I promise to make a better effort next time
.
People
Ok... here we go... please lord don't let me forget anyone...
spunn - good to see you for the 5 seconds I did. I loved the little valentines you were handing out, very cute.
kandeegirl - dude, i was looking for you all night with that red, white and blue bracelet. also, you probably give the best hugs out of anyone. Thanks for smiling my way.
snowblind - good to see ya... did you get to the party late? I didn't catch you until near the end.
supaster - another of several brief meetings we've had up in 19+. I'm never sure if you remember me. You looked like you were having a good time, and I really hope ya did.
vicks kills - the myth, the legend. Although you know a lot of my friends, I'd never met you until last night (and I've always really wanted to!). Sorry to make such a big deal out of it. The anticipation (and shots of liquid cocaine) can sometimes turn me into a bit of a spaz. Cool halo.
race to da beat and mr. magoo - always a pleasure. Magoo... I saw you for a fleeting second so I saved you a bracelet, but didnt see you again for about an hour. What was that video footage for anyway? I hope you guys had a good time.
jenna et al - you guys are sooo adorable. sorry i didn't catch up w you earlier. I always seem to see you randomly near the end of the party. We shall make pre-party plans for the next one, non?
polina - good to meet you (even though Karlos tells me I already did at a previous party ...?). At first I didn't believe it was you because girl, you do not look 14. I hope you had a good time... sorry i was so drunk when i met ya (and obnoxious).... sigh... the power of cheesy music.
And, some people who I think deserve honorable mention for being some of my most favourit-est people in the world...
Darren and Cait - sorry our pre-party arrangements fell through, d'oh! I really really do love hanging out with you two. What was up with that weird voodoo doll thing, that was really freaking me out. And what happened to you guys at the end of the party? I never got to say goodbye. Darren, you owe me 8 drinks in McDonald's cups for that.
Keron and little Keron (
) - I hope you guys had a good time. Keron, I think my official favourite place to hang out with you is at the front of the Opera House... we always seem to have these funny little moments there. Keep on keepin on.
And last but absolutely, positively never least,
Karlos - in a perfect world, you'd be the leader. Did you know that random people were talking to me, asking me who I was and saying, "oh yeah, you're Karlos' friend!" I'm not Mandy anymore, now I'm "Karlos' friend'. So much for my own attempts at ruling the world. But really though, there are a lot worse people I could be associated with. Thanks for the ride home. Next time, we shall find a way for both of us to get drunk, non?
Leah - dude, you are one classy gal. I loved hanging out with you, as I always do. However, some apologies are in order. As I was driving myself back to London today, I suddenly realized that I was a huge mooch all night and I never made any attempt to pay you back. Cigarettes, booze, a cheeseburger. I promised you I'd buy you a drink and then I never did. In short, I'm a big, big jerk. You have full permission to hate me. The next time I see you, 100 birthday beats (from you to me), and that drink I promised. I hope work was OK for you today and that your elbow is OK. Those steps are a serious hazard.
And finally, a few closing thoughts...
Karlos and I had this idea... you guys should have stamp cards like Subway so that when you buy like, 8 tickets to hulla, you get one free. It's a brilliant idea, right? Ok, ok, it's stupid. Really I just want free stuff.
I was thinking on my looong trip home today about how music has become such an integral part of my spirituality. I recently decided to ditch organized religion, so I have a big space to fill. So, (and bear with me here... this is reflection, I'm not crazy) if HHC is the word of "God", then Frolic is a bit like Moses. And, we noticed that Vibes looks a lit-tle like a chubby Jesus with a jean jacket. Coincidence? I think not.