So we ask Magika why did the Midlands scene disappear like the prehistoric dodo and why this outburst of promoters putting on Hardcore nights in the Midlands.

Magika said “Back in 1988-1989, the underground movement was spreading like a raging virus throughout Birmingham with parties such as Spectrum, Crazy club, Snapperclub, Raw Parties, Illusion, Starlight and Time.

Birmingham was the place to be, party people travelled from everywhere. From Lands End to John O’Groats.

And as organisations started to sprout from everywhere, more established venues started to open their doors to this dance phenomenon, such as the Aston Villa Sports Arena, and the famous Rag Market, which at the time the organisation persuaded the council to license for an all-night event which 10,000 attended.

Events used to take place every week without fail.

In 1997 – Virtually non existent where the Hardcore Scene used to stand is now replaced with a thriving House and Garage Scene, with clubs such as, Miss Moneypenny's, Wobble, Steering Wheel, etc. 1995-96 were not a good couple of years for Birmingham, with the scene taking a bit of a dive and various outbreaks of violence.

However, we are in a new year now, the Drum and Bass aftermath is over now with not one single Drum and Bass night in Birmingham.

April ’97 – Operation – Cocoon, will lead the attack to put Birmingham back on the map, as it was back in the days. The policy, strictly Happy Hardcore and Old Skool played by yesterdays DJ’s, such as Easygroove, Ratpack, Ratty, and today's Elite.

Dougal, Slipmatt, Vibes etc. Also the event boasts a 2nd Arena, Past Present Future with the likes of Seduction, Ellis Dee, Vinylgroover, DJ SS and so on.

The main reason for this event is for Birmingham, to be like it was back in 1990 – 1992, a happy, friendly, fun city to be in. 1997 looks like the return of Midlands scene – in full force.

Cocoon takes place on Saturday, April 19th 1997.

The Rebirth – Cocoon

As may of you know, Mr Magika is due to stage his very first solo event with the support of Jez Bailey and Carl Peddie, the guys behind events such as Atomic Jam and Pimp. The event, Cocoon, is to take place on Saturday April 19th at the Que Club in Birmingham, home of many top dance events such as Renaissance, Cream and the Pete Tong Essential nights, predominately House orientated events.

The Que Club management decided to stop holding rave events because of the trouble within the Jungle fraternity in the Midlands. Nothing rave orientated has taken place in the last two years, in the way of dance music, Birmingham is only represented by an ever growing House scene. For those who used to go to events in Birmingham back in the early nineties will have missed those good times, in comparison to the troubles of 1994.

Birmingham wasn’t the reason for the trouble of that year, it was the crowd that followed the Jungle music, which basically took over all the clubs in Birmingham. At these Jungle events there was an element of bad people which diluted the peace, love and unity vibe which existed in a big way at the beginning of the nineties.

In recent years you haven’t heard of trouble in Birmingham simply because there hasn’t been any events allowed, by councils, to take place. This isn’t to say that events come with trouble, but certain types of music, attract trouble, so the solution is to eliminate that style of music.

The issue of trouble within Jungle clubs wasn’t just targeted in Birmingham, it was something that had spread all over the country, the North, the South, everywhere, more than any Happy Hardcore or Old Skool events, which shows that Jungle music did attract a small element of bad people, who weren’t into the love, peace and unity vibe.

That vibe used to be the norm in the Midlands in the early nineties, for DJ’s, that used to be their second home, for example Mickey Finn even owned a flat there, such was the amount of bookings he was getting in that area. All DJ’s loved playing there, therefore the bad element of people attracted by Jungle music killed a wicked scene.

The mission with Cocoon isn’t financial. The issue here is to build and re-generate the vibe that was originally there. To put Birmingham back on the map as it used to be, and for people to not be afraid of going out and having a fun time in the heart of this country. Not everybody was trouble-makers back in the good ol’ days, so why can it not be like that now?

The music policy at this event, to help re-generate the vibe of togetherness, is going to be strictly Happy Hardcore and Old Skool, being played by today’s Four Beat pioneers and yesterday’s greats, for example Dougal, Pilgrim, Sy, Vinylgroover, Billy Bunter. Leading the way with the Old Skool vibe are the Ratpack, Easygroove, Ellis Dee, Slipmatt and Spinback. The MC’s are going to be of a happy nature, not your average Junglistic sort of MC that everyone in Birmingham knows of, MC’s on the night are going to be the promoter behind Cocoon, Magika, Stixman, Man Parris, Livelee and MC MC.

There is also a second arena which is billed as Past, Present and Future with the likes of Seduction, Ratty, Smiley and SS with others to be confirmed. The third arena is on the theme of up and comings but Cocoon have yet to confirm who is to play in this arena.

With the phenomenal attack of Jungle music in the Birmingham area, everyone thinks that there isn’t a following for it up there, and this is proved by ticket outlets in those areas selling out for events such as Hardcore Heaven, Asylum, Dreamscape and Helter Skelter. It shows that ravers from Birmingham are prepared to travel long distances, proving that the Birmingham Happy Hardcore following is massive.

The Old Skool vibe always brings smiles back to peoples faces when it is played, proving that this style is a great pleaser, just the way the sounds were rolling back in the early nineties. It also helps to break the night up because Happy Hardcore all night is just a bit too much to cater for.