Of all the livestreams that have
been organised during this pandemic, the Swingamajig quarantine party is the
one that I was looking forward to the most. Swingamajig is routinely my
favourite day of the year, and I’ve been along to every single one. The guys
who organise it always do such a fantastic job, and there was no question of
their ability to pull off something spectacular. So when the day came, Becca
and I got ourselves ready for a unique but genuine festival experience.
The event got off to a rocky
start however, with a constant stream of technical difficulties affecting Hong
Kong Ping Pong’s Morphosis’s set. Resultingly, we didn’t really get to
experience this set at all, which was a real shame, so the kind of de facto start
of the event was at 6.30 with the Swingamajig quiz. This seemed pretty
appropriate considering how accustomed we’ve all become to Zoom pub quizzes in
the past few weeks, and I was quietly confident that I’d do quite well,
considering my familiarity with the festival. We entered both the regular, and
“insane hardmode” quiz, and are currently awaiting the results. Following this,
the Rin Tins played an acoustic set live from Bristol, and despite a few
further technical issues at the start, put on a great show. These livestreams
are rather saturated with DJs at the moment, so it was lovely to have a band
bring the live dynamic. We were then all treated to a panel discussion
featuring Nick Hollywood, Emma Clair, Fizzy Gillespie, and Mike Rack of Dutty
Moonshine – by far the most interesting part of the night. Asking many of the
questions I myself have been exploring over my research, it was really positive
to see these guys sharing their thoughts in such a riveting way.
Another live act then followed –
the Two Toms (AKA the Cheeky Blinders) – playing live from the Swingamajig
studio. This side project of Tom Hyland from the Electric Swing Circus (who also
runs the festival) performed a medley of ESC covers, and again, I really
appreciated the change-up from the perpetual DJs. This is what Swingamajig does
best – present a whole host of different and varying performers – and one of
the reasons I was so confident of the festival’s success. And then this kicked
off the real party – with a stream of phenomenal DJs taking us to 2AM. Setting
things off was Tallulah Goodtimes – the best performance of the night – who led
us through a great selection of classic electro swing tunes, all whilst
expertly conversing with the viewers. C@ in the H@ then played an excellent set
of bangers, demonstrating his fine scratching skills, before Fizzy Gillespie’s
set of pure glee and abandon. Next, Phat Sam provided us with an upbeat and
joyful set, before we cut back to the studio for a delightfully entertaining
closing set from Tom, performed alongside DJ Zester. Each and every performer
was great fun in their own unique way, and the event was an exemplary
replacement for the actual festival.
It’s heartbreaking to see so many
events cancelled across the country – and indeed the world – in the wake of
Covid-19; and of course no livestream will ever completely live up to the live
event, but I’m so glad that the community has got together to make something as
spectacular as this. Swingamajig has a very important place in my heart, and
I’ll continue to support it for as long as I’m able. Despite the unfortunate
technical difficulties that plagued the stream throughout, this was still a
brilliant night, and we had a terrific time. I know there’s potential plans for
another event sooner than next May, and if this goes ahead, my attendance will
be certain. Absolutely great stuff – some of the most fun I’ve had in lockdown
yet.
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