Okay, I guess I've collected my thoughts enough to try a do up a review.
First some context. When I think about rave culture, two companies spring to mind in terms of their contribution to the Toronto scene. One is Phryl, and the other is of course Hullabaloo. In the fall of 1997 in the space of a couple weeks I attended Phryl's first party (Empire) and the second Hulla (Return of the Vibe). Those were experiences I'd never forget, with Phryl showing that techno and dnb could coexist peacefully at the same party and Hullabaloo! showing that the rave scene was not on life support in the slightest. I attended the same number of Hulla parties as I did Phryl parties and had incredible times at both. As Phryl faded and Hulla continued I would consider the events as a snapshot of the scene's ideals, especially as they came under attack. After Hulla's move to the Opera House I stayed away mostly because of my contempt for the venue after attending a ridiculously overcrowded Ritual event there many moons ago...obviously it was my loss...but Hulla always held a special place in my heart, with its regular events showing that the scene could still be fun.
Flash forward to the end of it all. This party was so sweet it gave me cavities.
Every set was on point. DJ Spinz threw down one of the most memorable jungle sets I've ever had the pleasure of dancing to, and the back to back trance set later on was equally priceless. In the runup to the event I listened and re-listened to all my live Hulla tapes, so I was prepared for the onslaught of happy hardcore from the usual suspects. I was not disappointed in the slightest. Great work all around.
As far as the MC's go, well the most positive thing I can say is that they did not detract from the music at all (I know, blasphemy!!!
). Seriously though, it looked like quite the party onstage as well, which is always good.
It's been a long time since I've felt the 'vibe' on the dancefloor at an event...maybe I had been going to the wrong parties in the intervening years, or maybe the scene's changes had hardened my heart a little bit, but on Saturday all that changed. There I was, surrounded by hundreds of people who were all there, like I was, for one reason - to celebrate Hullabaloo! The purpose-driven feeling of the crowd was something I'll never forget. It shows how integral the concept of
unity was to a healthy rave scene.
The video montage and Flipside's tribute speeches pretty much summed everything up for me. "All Good Things" is the best example of a 'fitting end' I've ever seen. Hulla went out the way it went in, with all cylinders firing and everybody's hands in the air.
Hullabaloo's contribution to the scene will never be forgotten. Thank you Anabolic Frolic!