Review: Sequences Festival 2017

Last weekend, Bristol’s most famous venue Motion hosted one of its biggest annual events, Sequences Festival. The whole venue opened up to an array of the best Drum and Bass, Grime, Garage, Dubstep and Half Time artists in the country. The multiple genres were spread across Motion’s Marble Factory, the Front Yard and the Crane Yard. Each stage did the music justice with their top of the range Void and RC1 sound systems, which guaranteed non-stop dancing from the start ‘til close.

The outdoor main stage, hosted by The Blast invited a diverse range of artists from Drum and Bass to Grime to Bashment. One of the standout sets of the day came from Sam Binga b2b Chimpo and Trigger whose unexpected energy was both versatile and exciting, making sure everyone was enjoying the outdoors, good vibes and the music. Bassline queen Flava D was on later in the day with a set that varied between garage and bass. Despite the onslaught of rain, the yard was packed out and it didn’t stop onlookers taking the very best from the set. Legendary dnb duo Chase and Status headlined the main stage, closing off the night with a journey through their latest Drum and Bass hits as well as their own classics. Also, not forgetting their forays into other genres, and showcasing tracks from their upcoming studio album, due out towards the end of this year.

The Marble Factory was hosted by Critical Sound, a Drum and Bass label based in London founded by DJ/producer Kasra. Jaydrop was the first artist to open the warehouse bringing in a heavy first set to get the vibes going. The bass-heavy trio Klax were next to take the stage, throwing in some halftime and dark rollers, followed by the Kings of the Rollers who lifted the mood by playing their best and most well-known tunes. Towards the end of the day Annix took to the decks playing a range of new jump-up track, whilst Mefjus concluded the night with some explosive Neurofunk.

The Crane Yard stage focused mainly on Dub-step and Grime, boasting a monstrous RC1 sound system that rattled the insides of the crowd. 140 bpm was the order of the day with artists like Commodo and Madam X providing those serious head-nodding beats. Every note shook the hard metal, industrial décor surrounding the room, making sure no dance music fan was disappointed. Headliners Kahn and Neek tore down the room with their unique percussive sound, featuring the bars of MC Flowdan spitting lyrical ‘greaziness’. This year, a fourth stage was added, featuring some of Bristol’s hot local talent in the form of Sir Hiss and the NRG Boys.

Sequences is an event that celebrates the sounds of Bristol’s underground with its multi-genre lineup and the music that seems to connect with Motion’s labyrinth-like corridors and industrial warehouses. The concept works well as the promoters put musical integrity first through quality sound and organisation. Even when the rain fell, ravers continued to dance unanimously, with their supreme box-logo umbrellas and soaking wet bucket hats. No amount of bad British weather could dampen the vibe that was created. We’re excited to see what’s in store for 2018.

THE FESTIVAL IN REVIEW:

Organisation – 8.0 | Music – 8.0 | Food & Drink – 4.0 | Site Setup – 8.0 | Attention to Detail – 6.0 | Creative Content – 6.0 | Value for Money – 8.5

Overall Score – 48.5/70.0

Guest written by Zoe Tate.