Ok, so I wouldn't expect anyone outside of my home town to know this, but the home of alternative music in Buxton - 'Mood', and it's downstairs sister venue; 'Mood Basement', has closed it's doors for the final time. A shock to many, including now legendary manager Simon Aldous, the news came yesterday completely out of the blue that the whole venue is, basically, going to be liquidised. As of today there will be an empty shell of what was once Buxton's very BEST nightclub for House, Hip Hop, Drum & Bass, Soul, Funk, Bmore, Electro, Hardcore, Grindcore, Jungle and literally anything off the beaten track - Mood was always willing to give it a go...And more often than not, it worked - from 2003 until 2008, here is the story of Mood, told from a personal perspective, but an entertaining one, by fellow DJ and bezzie friend of Roland Dubbs - Figure Of Wax....
(to anyone who was lucky enough to find themselves in the Basement on a Saturday night - there will be some part here you can relate to and appreciate, guaranteed!)
"From the days when doorman Tim would let us into 'Burlingtons' at 16 (we'd sneak downstairs round the pool tables so we wouldn't get caught drinking) through to working for 18 months behind the bar - not to mention our night in The Basement (April 30th 2004 - 2008)...I have a vast amount of excellent memories regarding Mood.
Mood and The Basement was and still is the ONLY thing in Buxton / Derbyshire to let open-minded young artists / DJs introduce new and exciting music to people - consider it the John Peel of the venues!
In the years which we proudly rocked The Basement (and sometimes the main bar) I have personally seen artists go from strength to strength, to name a few:
*Bob Adams' Punk Night*
Although the name of the night escapes me, the very first alternative night to grace Mood Basement was Bob's capacity-smashing punk night. Wall to wall with the likes of The Kirkz, Monkeyshuffle, Creosote, Sperm Free Nation and many more - it went off! It was the first time people realised that something different was happening in Bucco and the curiosity worked without fail.
*Emergency Services*
I remember the day Jim, Tom Speed and I approached Simon about putting on a night and offering to do the first two for free as a taster. A year later I think we had drunk himout of £1000's of stock and went back to doing it for free! It was the first DJ night at Mood and I'd like to think we did a good job of things... Through any sketchiness it has led to us now serving under several guises across the UK:
Figure Of Wax, Electrique / Roland Dubbs, .gingerbrown, taRDyboy, whataboutthebeats?...
ES played host to such acts as Paper Tiger (now running 'Future Rhythm' @ Leeds Faversham), Blessed House (live support to Verb T + Mystro), These Monsters musicians (Leeds / Reading Festival BBC Radio 1 Tent 2008) and many, many more...
*Elements / Keepin' It Dusty...*
Coop, Matter Of Fact, LA Soul - These dudes opened my eyes to the fact that there were other heads out there and we now all had a platform to work from. On our first anniversary night of ES we'd left it too late to book - these lads had pipped us to it! Rather than fanny about and cancel, we hooked up on the same night and bounced back and forth - to the point where eventually we became the same night!
*Thirsty Ear*
Easily the most focused group of DJs to take The Basement's atmosphere and let it grow into one of Sheffield's best new nights. Without doubt the best fancy dress nights and ridiculous banger DJ battles (Urban Smackdown 2005 - need I say more? ;) went off here. Always good fun and the way it should be! One of my favourite Basement memories is going mental to 'Once in a lifetime' by Talking Heads on Thirsty Ear's Christmas Eve party 2006.
*Doom*
The Marionette Records crew have roared down ear canals and pierced their drums from The Basement to the internet with releases on both iTunes and Canada's DTRASH label over the years. I've seen many sights that have mentally scarred me at Doom - mainly they involve people being naked and I'm almost certain one has involved a horse. If anyone remember Alex and his magical bumbag from Doom then I'm sure they'll be smiling ;)
*Soundboy Massacre*
Jack and Waggy kept it dutty with the hardest jungle, d+b, breaks and reggae sets under the pavement. I used to love warming up Soundboy and knew they were onto a winner whenever they organised a Main Floor bash or simply rammed the place with more people than possible. If Rick Baker had his top off and was trying to climb on top of the speakers to Woolfy's set- you knew you were at a proper party. Paid off though as Mr. WAGZ now has a safe spot at Sheffield's Detonate (playing alongside the likes of Roni Size, Goldie, High Contrast...)
Moving to the main bars - working there was without a doubt a way to make the monotony of small-town living worth living. Drunken kisses or fights made work exciting but even on cold, dead winter nights it'd still be sweet as chilling with a takeaway pizza and watching Extreme channel.
Although I've been out of Buxton for a couple of years now, Mood's always been a safe place to return to when I'm back. All I will say (and I honestly hope any heads from Buxton who either manage or own venues are reading this) Buxton will entirely lose touch of creativity unless somewhere can capture the ethos that Mood did. The last time I can remember a scene in Buxton this big was back when my brother and his friends put on raves as Black Moon Soundsystem. That was around 15 years ago!
Simon, I wish you and the family all the best and I'm very sorry to hear the news. Good luck with it all and cheers for the opportunities - time well spent. Everyone else: please continue to support and achieve the work that Mood staff have put inover the years - Buxton needs it.
-Tom "The Uncoof B*st*rd" Speak, Figure Of Wax, Willy Warm-Up.
