elrow Town London: Saturday Reviewed
Barcelona gave birth to elrow back in 2010, and now, fast-forward to 2018 and the event experts are now setting the highest standards possibe in the music industry when it comes to partying. Their reputation is known worldwide, and the serial globetrotters have hosted events in London, Ibiza, New York City, Dubai, Brazil, and many more exotic locations.
On Saturday 18th, and Sunday 19th of August, elrow was set to return to the capital of England; London, for their second instalment of ‘elrow Town London’, which was to be hosted at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, on the shores of the River Thames. If the epicness of elrow’s 2017 edition, which included a giant centipede and whale inflatable knocking about the mainstage dance floor, this would be the craziest weekend event in London by a country mile.
The artists tasked with performing at their peak powers for elrow Town London included Paul Kalkbrenner, Paco Osuna, Bastian Bux, Toni Vagra, Lord Leopard and very special guest Soalrdo on ‘The Town Square: Hosted By Psychedelic Trip’ which was the main stage, Steve Lawler, Richy Ahmed, wAFF, Andres Campo and Tini Gessler also played in ‘The Cave: Hosted By Sambodromo Do Brasil’ and Hi-Fi Sean, Jonjo Jury, Rory Phillips, Chaka Kant, Alan Dixon and Diason Paye also played the ‘Absolut Pink Cathedral: Hosted By Savage’. This line-up alone oozed class, from seasoned veterans, to up-and-coming talents, to current fan favourites, elrow doesn’t disappoint.
The Psychedlic Trip stage set-up was incredible as the main-stage for elrow Town London, and boy did it amaze me, vibrant printed flags flying high on the outside, whilst the main-stage at night light up in all shapes and colours of psychedelic patterns too. The stage also had what looked like octopus tentacles were sprouting off of it, with the suction cups replaced with eyeballs. Trippy. If that’s not enough, a giant mechanical grasshopper was strutting its stuff around the crowd, with acrobats entertaining off of it. Finally, there were even more giant insect-looking inflatable’s fixed into the ground, which were full of colours like red, yellow, blue, pink and orange.
Sambodromo Do Brasil was hosted in a big-top tent, and upon entry it was like walking into an Amazonian rain forest, vines, giant mushrooms, parrot heads, flying wasps and leaves all dangling overhead, whilst looking at the DJ booth, it was a giant chameleon which constantly changed colours. The Absolut Pink Cathedral was also another quirky late-addition to the elrow Town London set-up, it was literally a giant inflatable cathedral for ravers, with its own DJ booth and bar, which also doubled-up for an afternoon roller-skating party too, wheelie unique.
Throughout the day, at the main-stage, in the Sambodromo Do Brasil tent, and all throughout the playground for adults, elrow went one step further by having people dressed-up as aliens, cavemen, fake taxis, puppies, traffic men, everything imaginable, and giant stilt walkers of rhinos, zebras, lions, gazelles, sharks, snakes, and frogs hopping around the crowd. elrow also handed out giant inflatable bananas, pineapples, giraffes and toucans too.
My favourite set of the day also went to Mancunian legends Solardo, who played an early set on the main-stage, and they got the crowd pumping from start to finish. Early tracks included some solid grooves, including an unreleased Tribal/flutey Erick Morillio ID, a classic in the form of Spanish Fly’s ‘2000 And One’, whilst also utilising the vocals from Soul II Soul’s ‘Back To Life’ and David Guetta’s ‘Just A Little More Love’ laced into selected tracks. As time passed, the intensity swelled, and their own records took centre stage, including their ‘Today’s News’, their recently released hit ‘Be Somebody’, ‘On The Corner’, their unreleased collab with Camelphat entitled ‘Accelorater’, before topping it off with their big hit ‘Tribesman’ which was also edited to feature Camelphat’s ‘Cola’ vocals, anthemic.
Overall, my experience at elrow Town London, I would conclude as an epic day out, the reveling ravers were all kitted out in their best clobber, staff was polite and helpful, the drinks prices weren’t excessive, and the pizza was good. Additionally, it’s clear to see why an elrow event is such a special experience, you aesthetic pleasures of all the stage designs, such creativity, the extras of inflatable’s, roller-skating, the stilt walkers etc, it creates such a unique experience which you won’t find anywhere else. London, bring back elrow Town London for 2019! And if you haven’t been before, go!
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