Drum n’ Bass on a Friday night is a good move. You have enough time to get your hearing back for work on Monday, people haven’t spent too much money that weekend already and you get the back end of the post-work drinkers who/d be home and hosed already if they didn’t have a prior engagement with sickness.
Hermann’s is something of a home for these nights and calls in a regular crowd of drum and bass regulars, off the beaten path and of course students, for it is a student bar and this now means signing in a la RSL, name address and signature on the door. And all to see one man, Alix Perez presumably or maybe Lynx. Neither is exactly a high-profile DJ on these shores, nor I suspect anywhere else, although Perez’s stomping The Resolution among other productions has certainly got his name on some lips.

The supporting cast listed as appearing included Ritual, Shuey and Rit LOCUS although who was on at the time I walked in at about 11pm was anybody’s guess. No set times, no listings, no friendly sound man to ask although subsequent research has possibly identified him as Lynx himself. With a fine display of tune selection that veered occasionally to the minimalist but always came back with a storming anthem-style cut, this was an interesting set, with nods to any number of styles. Little Luke Slater style male vocal joints, some basslines so heavy they dropped like bombs and, I kid you not, actually knocked a few bottles off their shelves at the bar! Despite a few jarring dropped mixes and sound clashes making teeths grit, it was a good introduction to the man hotly tipped in the DnB world to blast out big time.

Which brings us to the main man. Now as it happen I can spot the fellow because I’d seen his picture just hours earlier, but presumably everyone else just guessed as he took the stage without introduction. Perhaps wrong? The visuals – Daredevil vs Spiderman, very cool indeed – hit the end of their cycle and for 45 minutes ‘play’ was projected on to the DJs chest, which was apt as play he did. A Belgian by birth, this slick young man has been churning out some killer plates but his set, in all honesty, was a little bland. Yes there were drums, yes there was bass, both incredibly loud. So loud in fact that I had to stop drinking beer comfortably. This may have had something to do with the perpetually empty sound booth, or maybe it was entirely intentional and some sort of obscure spirits promotions.

What was missing, however, was variety. It was verging on the boring. No ragga tips, no ladies singing in high voices, no samples which you’re sure come fom very cool films you’ve just never seen, no raps or salsa chips or… just a technical set of very tightly mixed but very samey tunes. And without an MC to liven things up things got a bit dull and depleted. Admittedly there was some excitement when the DVD started playing again, but beyond that I have to be honest and say I was disappointed. Not least given the interesting and exciting tunes being belted out either side.

Now from reading the above I may seem a little critical, and the truth is this was not the best night I’ve been to in while. I have a lot of respect for the idea behind No Frills presents because after all, who needs all the flash when you’re there to dance. But this only carries so far. At $30 you’re pretty much honour bound to provide the frills or get the basics spot on. This had too many niggling little things wrong with it and wasn’t particularly good value either. As always a lack of good MCs was an issue, and as often seems to be the case the special guest from overseas gets centrestage and put in the shade by our homegrown brethren who’re churning out as good or generally better.