After being humbly spoilt with food and clean clothes over the Christmas holidays, I returned back to university on the 7th of January and awaited for the inevitable wonk-fest that would be Hazard.

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Beastwang, the break-through bassline scene of Leicester, were hosting the drum and bass heavy weight on the 27th at the 2Funky Music Cafe. The first show of the new year and it was set to be, and hyped to be, a hectic one.

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This was Beastwang’s first drum and bass event, so I was hoping that their hype for the event would be fulfilled on the night. My four friends piled into my room, abandoned all belongings and immediately the room turned from a pleasant area to sleep, into a smokey, clammy sweat box.

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At pres, the usual check list of events were ticked off; 1) lose all important possessions, complain about it and find them again. 2) lose my email ticket in the midst of junk mail, panic and kick off about it, then find it eventually. 3) lose all my money, then realise I’ve spent it, and that it’s not someone stealing it, it’s just me being a mug.

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We arrived shortly after twelve, and waited in the queue. Once again, the usual itinerary for the queue was met. Pranging? Check. Constantly checking your pockets in case you’ve forgetting anything? Check. Do I look bait? Probably.

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We got in and got a spot upstairs, slumped into the sofas and waited for the decent music to start. I probably don’t speak for everyone, but the music at the start of the night was definitely not up to par with what I had expected. Weird RnB and dodgy drum and bass played for a solid hour and a bit, I think the hype we set just meant that we couldn’t move to anything if it wasn’t jump up.

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Just before Hazard came on, some liquid dnb came on so we were slightly more impressed. Not my first choice, but decent to mong in the crowd to. We were all monging, waiting for some rankness. Then the DJ, I can’t remember the supporting DJ’s names, dropped something disgusting and the levels were definitely raised.

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Jaws were drooping, sweat was dripping and eyes were rolling, couldn’t really ask for much more. Looking round to the people beside me made me grin, the energy was unreal. The venue isn’t big, there’s a flight of stairs you have to go up from the bar and into the main arena. I pushed past the sweaty zombies and bobbed downstairs to get some water, which never tastes nice in the Music Cafe, and Hazard was twenty minutes or so into his set. In terms of jump up, it was grim.

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After seeing Hazard at Breaking Science at the start of the new year, I expected a head boppy   dnb set, not a hole-creating, shoe-tearing skank. For the whole hour he played non-stop jump up and I couldn’t get enough of it, it definitely tops seeing him at Breaking Science. I always appreciate a DJ in a smaller venue, you can feel the energy more and feel one with everyone around you. There wasn’t space to move, people were bursting the seems of the room, sweaty ravers overflowing into the smoking area.

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The smoking shelter was rarely even used for smoking, but just to get some fresh air so you didn’t collapse. Unlike some, I can’t handle the heat. As much as I love a sweat box, the heat always gets to me. The smoking shelter is more of a garden than it is it a “smoking shelter”. It’s way bigger than a lot of venues, with plenty of places to prang or relax.

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As hazard left, the hype still continued until the early hours. The crowd gradually lessened, as smooth liquid dnb echoed throughout my ear drums. Fast forward twenty minutes later, and we’re playing pool at my accommodation. The standard phrases, “Where’s my wallet?” “Lost my phone” “Ring him again” “Are you ears still ringing? Mine are” were repeated every minutes like a broken alarm clock.

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All in all, Hazard definitely delivered. The drum and bass legend always pulls through with a decent set, however this time his set wasn’t decent, it was a hectic one.