Late I know, but I finally got around to uploading all those large videos and the photos of what was for me, an excellent night.

I got to Pangaea nice and early on the Saturday to set up the CDJs in the Twisted Folk Tent which was hosted by non-other than Simon Borkin of Tariff Sessions and Pablo’s Finest Hour fame [more on them later]. I have to say Pangaea made much better use of Academy 1 this year. Last year they put all the headline acts like Evil Nine in there, but although it was decked out rather glasto-dance-tent-esque it was just too big and the sound wasn’t great. However this year Academy 1 played host to Carnival Extraordinaire. There was a casino, a console corner – which comprised of a lot of sofas, TVs and some classic old games systems [like the Megadrive], a compare and comedy acts, a tea party area and performing jugglers, unicyclists and when it got a little darker outside – fire poi! [video]. All very good indeed.

I had a quick nip round the main union building to see what it was all like before the masses arrived. I compiled a short selection of clips which you can find here. It was a shame the Solem Bar didn’t open straight away downstairs as it meant I had to trudge all the way back to Academy 1 for my next beer which meant I couldn’t spend more time watching the excellent stuff being put on by the JFSC. I did manage to catch, however, the first act of the night, MUJO [video] . Despite my efforts of putting a reminder in my phone to watch The Big Little Band between 3-4am I still managed to miss the headliners who I watched last year at Pangaea 2. Needless to say I’m sure they were superb and I definitely recommend keeping an eye out for those guys in the future.

Most of my night was spent in the Twisted Folk Tent where I was DJing between bands and which I have to say showcased an enormous amount of talent. I managed to catch a number of the bands including Dr. Butler’s Hat Stand Band, Man With A Lamb aka The Black Velvet Band [video], Buttonhead [video], Pablo’s Finest Hour [video], and Gideon Conn [video]. Man With A Lamb were an amusing upbeat country come crusty bunch; Buttonhead are what I’d probably describe as a slightly more trippy Arcade Fire; Pablo’s Finest Hour are the band version of Tariff Sessions who played on The Andrew Jackson Show back in October [link] and did a storming set; and finally Gideon Conn is the chap who I have now come to realise if the bloke you may or may not have seen at the front of venues sketching bands. I saw him at The Young Knives in the Bier Keller this time last year. You can see some of his stuff at http://www.artboo.com/gideonconnart

In between some of that I did pop out of the tent to wander through Pangaea to find the Moroccan Tea Tent which seemed to have less of the tea and more of the playdough oddly enough. However there was a fantastic chap in there on a guitar with his mate on bongos [video]. Haven’t the foggiest who they were but they were very very good.

After my sets at the Twisted Folk Stage I rejoined a fairly substantial contingent of Claudio, Kate, Teresa, Elle, Klara, Phoebe, Claire and Lorna and went to see the grimey delights of DJ Krust [Full Cycle crew fame] and DJ Bailey [of BBC 1 Extra] in Academy 2 which for that night was christened Charitea. Needless to say it was very filthy and very loud, even louder when you’re taller than everyone else. Nonetheless it was good to see a substantial student drum and bass crowd [video] – many of whom I would imagine still had their ears ringing from the previous night’s goings on with Ape at the Apollo and the 120’000 watt Valve Sound System.

All in all another amazing night from the organisers and I offer a hand of congratulation to all of them. My other hand I offer clenched to the scally that nicked my hoodie – my hoodie for christs sake! Do you not have clothes of your own!