Andy C – Storm – Randall @ XOYO

We had seen YouTube videos and heard that Andy has been “next level” in this residency but we didn’t know how true that was until we experienced it that night.
This week’s accompanying guests were two heavyweights of the scene – Metalheadz’ very own Storm and the beat technician Randall. This was looking to be the pick of the nights in Andy’s 13 week stint.

As we walked up to the entrance to XOYO, the queue was heaving but moving along nicely so we knew we would not be waiting in the cold for long.

After getting our drinks from the bar in Room 2 we headed downstairs to catch the last 30 minutes of DJ Storm’s set. The dancefloor was jam packed; it’s a wonder people had enough room to actually move, but all that was forgotten as Storm reeled off heavyweight tune after heavyweight tune. This was classic Storm, bad and heavy tunes which absolutely slayed the floor. Andy was a tad late so Storm had the opportunity to do some overtime, which the crowd loved.

One of the most intriguing things about Andy’s residency at XOYO is the fact that no set was ever going to be the same, which means Andy will be digging deep and stretching his skills as a selector. We were looking forward to this aspect of the set the most, to see what sort of journey he would take us on. When he stepped up to the decks we made sure we were up near the front and as close to the DJ booth as possible, thus getting maximum vibes in this intimate venue. Take it from us – what was to follow for the next 2 hours is nothing short of unbelievable. Andy’s intro set the tone of the whole set; as the unmistakeable sounds of Dillinja’s remix of Ruff Neck Sound came blaring over the system, you knew he was up to no good. He then teased in Massive by Capone, all the while getting ready for the double drop… this is Andy C so it wasn’t to be this straight forward was it? Just as they were about to double drop he pulls in a 3rd tune – Twisted Anger’s “Something Out There” remix – and ends up doing the most ridiculous triple drop I’ve ever heard; it tore the the dancefloor to absolute bits. Of course Tonn Piper (who held it down for the whole set, amazingly) had to call the reload on the whole mix.
Looking around, people were in utter amazement; everyone had beaming smiles that quickly turned to a hard raving screwface soon as the tunes dropped again.

Andy pulled off double and triple drops effortlessly, mixing up classic Jungle with the “Golden Era” tunes of 98/99, rolling back the years of this great dnb scene. Tunes such as Tom and Jerry’s “Maximum Style”, Jo’s “R-Type”, Ray Keith “Girls Dem Want It” to name a few. You know what, there was so much good music played it’s difficult to name even a small percentage of them, but the track list was probably the best I’ve heard Andy play in all the years I’ve heard him out. I’m sure the size of the venue and the guest DJs helped with the whole feeling of that night. Going to an Andy C set at a festival or a bigger venue, you get a decent set but he doesn’t go in deep with his selection as there are a lot more tastes to cater for. In a close intimate venue like XOYO he can dig deep and give the ravers a lesson in dnb. This is an Andy C set from the heart – music that’s also taken him on a journey as raver into being the ambassador of dnb, and everyone needs to experience this; to me this is THE Andy C.

Over the 2 plus hours we did not want to miss a mix or tune, we were all having such a good time raving so hard it was just impossible to leave the dancefloor at all. I’m pretty sure ALL of us are nursing aches and pains this Monday morning.
Like all good things the set came to an end, and what another ridiculous mix that was: The Way VIP, Terrorist and Quest.

By this time we were gasping for air and ready to quench our thirst, but we had to wait a little bit more as we couldn’t split from the dance floor when Randall stepped up. Randall may not be as intense as Andy but he can raise the energy levels with his flawless mixing and tune selection. He is true to his craft and he didn’t disappoint for the 30 minutes we heard before we left, playing exclusives from his Mac2 label and remixes of old jungle classics.

My final thoughts on this night is a simple one – probably the BEST Andy C set I’ve ever experienced, the best vibes and atmosphere I have felt since the early days of The End.
If you haven’t had a chance to go experience the Andy C Residency @ XOYO what are you waiting for? This is an important part of dnb history that needs to be experienced.
Keep looking for tickets on Resident Advisor and failing that there will be a limited amount of tickets in the door.