Ravers For Foodbanks - Reports From Club Academy

Ravers for foodbanks started out as an idea put forward by GABS’ sectary Elilee, as an alternative to a Christmas gig, inspired a similar event she attended at The World Transformed. The idea was simple, get people to bring food to an event which could be donated to a foodbank. However, Elilee also further wanted for the night to be based around the ever growing South-Asian underground scene. As such the two ideas were married and Ravers for Foodbanks was off the ground. With help from UOM Raise and Give, who helped fund the hiring of Club academy, the date was set for December 1st.

Fast forward to the 1st, and the quote most often said was “I can’t believe this is happening”. Two months of hectic planning had come together, all of the teams hope, and dreams were finally coming to fruition. We had sound checked the venue, set up the front office and a quiet room, ran through details with security and put up a few decorations. There was only one thing we had to wait for: the Ravers themselves.

There’s a nightmare that haunts anyone who’s ever put on an event: the fear of no one turning up. It can be soul sucking and hides within doubt and disillusion. However, once we opened the doors and Ravers started to trickle in, the atmosphere shifted. Instead of being merely a club event, the night turned into a celebration of sorts.

As far as GABS is aware, this event was especially unique, in that it’s a first for many things. This is the first South Asian led and featuring club night in the SU, and the first event to feature a south Asian drag queen. As such, the atmosphere as Anthro took to the stage wasn’t the usual pre-gig nerves or timidness, but instead it was joyous and celebratory. Everyone was happy to be there, they were happy that the south Asian community was finally getting its UOM spotlight and they were happy to be supporting people during a cost-of-living crisis. Representatives: Dj Sketch, B2b Tadiwa and Matty Fucking Spins from Anthro collective Anthro helped spread this infectious joy. Starting a club night is never easy, but they lifted the event up with a flying start.

Subsequently, club academy began to fill ravers, yet it was easy to spot the other DJ’s amongst the crowd supporting each other, DJ Has was a regular guest on the stage for Anthros set, and vice versa. The DJ’s handed the stage off to one another with smiles and hugs, introducing each other not as another act, but as another friend they couldn’t wait to watch and support.

As it got later, and more and more people started to flood in, the night began to crescendo. There was a flash mob, a guest appearance from Lucky Roy Singh, The UK’s top Indian drag queen and a Macarena danced to by most of the GABS committee. When Daytimer’s headliner Chandé took to the stage, the crowd over 200 strong was ready for a good time. Chandé is a member of the DJ Collective Daytimers, a global collective passionate about not only their music and events, but their identity as South Asian and their desire for change. (If you’d like to read more about their origins and who they are I recommend this article https://crackmagazine.net/article/profiles/daytimers-the-new-kids-on-the-block/)

Chandé’s set was a definitive highlight of the evening, whether it was, the effect of 4 DJ’s prepping the excited crowd before, or just the peak of my drinking, the whole room felt ready to Chandé see the night off in style. The crowd was electric, a sea of dancing and movement, reflecting the joy of the event straight back all the organisers. To quote GABS President Will Brownless: “I’ve just seen two people getting off at a GABS event, how has this happened?”.

215 people packed out club academy, bringing over 500 items of food. From (Many) cans of beans to pasta and pot noodles, the event was an amazing success. And as Elilee, DJ Has, Chandé, Lucky Roy Singh and Anthro collective all stood on the stage at the end, the room was filled with pride. Not only in the organisers who facilitated the event, not only in the performers who made it such a great night, but in every member of the crowd who had helped by bringing food. Everyone knows times are hard, the cost-of-living crisis has affected everyone, not just students. Yet this event was the product of community action and is evidence of the greater fact that people want to help, however they can.