JUST JACK, THE RETURN OF COLONEL WRONG FACE

 “We play serious music in a not so serious manner” Just Jack

Just about perfectly describes the mission statement of the 5 year running house music party connoisseurs – and the recent showcase of Houses hottest products at Bristol’s In:motion was certainly a testament to this.

What could possibly be added to a huge warehouse-esc party with House music’s hottest property playing? Oh of course – a pyjama stall, luxuriously decorated women on 5ft stilts and a garden on a stage in which to plonk world class DJs in front of decks. And what of these DJs?

It was a pleasure to make the acquaintance of a rather jolly Tensnake after his exceptional live set – taking us through a campaign of disco immersed house like only Tensnake knows how – the highlight of his set being, unsurprisingly, the drop of Coma Cat, that submersed the room in sheer joy and united the crowd in a mosh-pit style frenzy. Even more enjoyable than this, was his response to the question… ‘what does Summer mean to you’… ‘A bag of sausages’. – We didn’t ask because, well… he’d just secured his pedal-stool.

Jay Sheppard took on the task of maintaining the jovial atmosphere, and though adding the more serious sounds of vintage techno and house into the mix, the Retrofit label boss held his own and kept energies high. Perhaps it was his happy, bouncy demeanor that kept the crowd afloat as with his presence, came smiles and a sheer delight to be there.

… then of course, came the piece de resistance, the moment we’d all been waiting for – the mighty Maceo Plex b2b Sub-Ann. The only unfortunate thing about seeing these DJs is that they are so good, everybody wants to see them – so a sideline spot for dance maneuvers or a sweaty sardine layering for good viewing of Maceo’s pumping arm actions… in both cases, the friendly and excitable crowd made up for the lack of space or view, though really, it was easy enough to get lost in the beats of Maceo’s undeniably entrancing set and forget you were being rained on with sweat. All in all, Maceo b2b Sub-Ann was hefty as sin.

Elsewhere, Blawan played to a crowd I imagine he was used to being bigger, but he held his own in the corridor-come-bar that was room 2, plying us with the bassier sounds of techno & house, this Pearson Sound remix of Joy Orbison particularly resonating with the memories of the night in my mind.

Pyjamas, condensational sweat raining down on me, traffic jams on route, Tensnake’s bag of sausages, Maceo’s pumping arm, the real rain and of course the house & techno– I loved every minute of it. A Just Jack virgin I am no more – and I just can’t wait for the next.

'House used to be a dirty word – and Just Jack have organically grown it into this..this thing'  *waves at skate park full of happy people* Gavin Herlihy 

Photography by Ben Price to Khris Cowley