Contagious Cru - 1992/93

PONTARDAWE, SOUTH WALES

Well if you thought Wales was full of blokes who sing better than the local women and sheep who lead more than an active sex life - you would be very much mistaken.

After a three hour drive and covering a good couple of hundred miles, we finally found our way to Pontardawe, a small town just outside Swansea. It was there I had arranged to meet Paul Morgan (DJ Cubik) and Mark Pascoe - The men behind the Contagious Cru. They first started kicking it up in Wales twelve months ago with their first event being held in a quarry, and believe it or not there wasn’t any DJ’s. "What!!", I hear you say. It’s true I tell you. They started off by playing tapes to a crowd who rocked all night in a quarry. Such was the demand that desperate times had indeed called for desperate measures. As the months went by, the crowd grew bigger and bigger, so it was inevitable that a new unit would have to be built within the quarry to cope with the demand. In December 1993, work on the new site begun, and four weeks later it was completed. It is nothing short of remarkable. Size wise, it is large enough to hold a good couple of hundred people, which to be honest, is about right for creating a good underground vibe. Inside it has a permanently fixed lighting rig, complete with laser. The sound system is still being built up and does need some improvement, but none the less it does the job for which it is intended and that’s what counts.

The locals have given plenty of support for the Contagious Cru’s past events and tonight was to be no exception. They were very friendly and were more than eager to introduce themselves which was very pleasant (especially after such a bastard of a drive). As we made our way to the DJ area with our records we could already see that the place was starting to fill up nicely. DJ Belf (Coventry) started the night off with a ruff set of tunes followed by DJ Cubik of the Contagious Cru. It wasn’t long after I played my set which was a mixture of breakbeat, jungle and then slipped into hard techno. The crowd responded well and I was more than honoured to be playing for Mark and Paul who have done so much for the free party scene in their area. The music varied throughout the night ranging from breakbeat and jungle right through to progressive house.

As the sounds kicked deep into the night, packs of girls were screaming (no shit) and whistles were a blowin’. It was an excellent way to mark the beginning of Summer.

Wales certainly does seem to be mother nature’s goldmine in disguise as far as free parties go. The beautiful hills and mountains are capable of keeping a good party going for many a day.

One rule which I have learnt from the underground scene:

RESPECT ISN’T SOMETHING BOUGHT WITH MONEY AND LOYALTY DOESN’T COME AT ANY PRICE, IT IS FELT IN THE HEART AND SHOWN IN THE FACES OF THOSE WHO GIVE SUPPORT TO THESE AND OTHER SIMILAR ORGANISATIONS.

After writing this report I regret to inform you that Mark Pascoe has received a three month prison sentence for holding private parties on his own land. Mark is not the first person in this scene to go to prison for his beliefs and he certainly won’t be the last.

If the Criminal Justice Bill gets passed through Parliament later this year, this will be an all too familiar story. Now is the time for us to stand and defend what is ours. Our strength is in out unity and our unity is what we must use to demonstrate against the Criminal Justice Bill. REMEMBER ONE THING - Being allowed to listen to our type of music is not a government issued privilege - it is our God given right.