Steve Bug @ Cool House

Steve Bug- Poker Flat label boss, Fabric 37 contributor, and general all round minimal & tech house master- played in Cardiff for the first time last weekend. The opportunity to see Steve Bug playing for Cardiff club stalwarts Cool House was one not to be missed, and even co-author Thomas managed to make it down, despite being based in Berlin! Such commitment to the cause....

We arrived early expecting it to be busy, but at half past ten Glo seemed to only just be filling up. The residents were playing a good mix of cool house to a gradually filling camo-net lined dancefloor to get the mood building for the main event.

Steve Bug took to the decks at midnight and launched into a three hour exploration of his signature brand of deep and tech-house sounds. He had the crowd constantly moving, and the vibe building with some big drops. For the entire set the floor was filled, but much to my amazement not rammed, with some seemingly content to stay in the bar and not venture to the dancefloor. About two hours in, the set momentarily seemed to be on the brink of heading into techno territory... Ben Klock's Subzero seemed to signal a move to a darker destination. However, much to my disappointment, Bug pulled back and the darkness receded, to be replaced by his renowned poker Flat sound. The final half hour saw some big records, the highlight being Wink's Superfreak, which created mayhem on the dance floor. As the lights came on, the crowd yelled for more, but to no avail- after a dissapointing final tune, we left to contemplate the night's entertainment.

All in all, Cool House lived up to expectations as one of the best promoters in Cardiff- they sure know how to throw a mean party even in a city with a comparatively small scene. Steve Bug played a good set with flawless technique, but I must say I expected more from such a big name international DJ- but perhaps that's just me being penickerty!

Top tracks of the night:

Josh Wink- Superfreak

Brothers' Vibe- Feelin' House

Ben Klock- Subzero (i think it was, anyway)

Steve Bug- Trees can't dance