Let's face it, We Love's fifteenth season on the island has been a killer one. Immense line-ups, great vibes and those magical dancefloor moments (just last week we witnessed the unforgettable Innervisions take-over on the Terrace) ... And to be honest, there's always a worry that after such a strong season, the closing may not live up to one's expectations... Luckily, this was 100% not the case.
The line-up was We Love down to a T, and a great collection of artists to round off the season, including lots of the night's regulars such as Groove Armada, 2ManyDjs, Bicep and James Zabiela, but also some wild cards in typical We Love fashion such as Blawan and Agoria.
We Love regular Paul Woolford was right at home in the Discoteca, infusing soulful 90s house with bursts of techno in the way only he can. Meanwhile over on the Terrace, 2ManyDjs were suited up as usual, treating a packed dancefloor to their electro house meets golden oldies thang, including Frankie Goes To Hollywood's Relax. These guys haven't failed to fill a room every time I've seen them this season, and it was fantastic to see their sound work in a space with such an intimate vibe.
I skipped across to the Discoteca, keen to catch one of the best techno producers around at the moment, Blawan. He definitely didn't disappoint, smashing out an hour of industrial techno crammed with distorted hats, grisly beats and warped bass.
At this point, I found myself wandering backstage and being approached by a man doing card tricks (naturally). After a surreal 20 minutes of ‘oohs' and ‘aahs' as he conjured with a flair a la Christian Bale in The Prestige, it was clear to me he should have had his own slot on the Sunset Terrace or Premier Etage at least.
Another trip to the Terrace was in order next to catch We Love residents PBR Streetgang. The duo kicked off with one of this season's anthems FCL's It's You cut with George Fitzgerald's I Can Tell (By The Way You Move), and then played their uplifting brand of boogie-worthy house and disco. It was also at this point when I ran into Craig Charles (who, depending on your age and how much of a geek you are, you'll know from Red Dwarf/Robot Wars/Corrie/his DJ career, having played earlier in the night). A highlight of my season, we discussed our favourite episodes and to my delight he hinted that we may see Red Dwarf back in some form on our screens next year... You heard it from Spotlight first!
As 5am crept closer, the Discoteca really started filling up for We Love king pin James Zabiela. Lasers galore danced across the room as Zabiela stepped into the booth. Treading playfully on the tightrope between 90s soulful house and his techy signature, he supplied the room with heavy metallic clangs, piano and brilliant bass.
Although his set was stellar throughout, Zabiela saved the very best until last, ending We Love's final party on a real high. Dropping Gat Decor's Passion as the penultimate track caused dancefloor lunacy, the piano chords giving me those goosebumps that can only be created by truly timeless uplifting tracks. That, followed by the hauntingly brilliant Depeche Mode's Enjoy The Silence, which I think everyone in the Discoteca sang along to, drew the curtain on We Love's 2013 season, leaving us all crawling out the doors well after curfew.
The night consisted of house, techno, magic tricks, huge dancefloor anthems, Red Dwarf discussions - an absolute dream of a combination. I think it's safe to say I'll have the memories of We Love Closing (and the chorus of Enjoy the Silence) embedded in my mind for a long time to come.
Words by Lydia Laws, Photography by James Chapman.
