Review - Eclipse 23rd March 1991

PRODUCTION ON SATURDAY 23RD MARCH 1991

Eclipse is what organisers David and Stuart Banks hope will become a regular monthly event. They hit on the idea of transferring the unique atmosphere of this event to an all-nighter, something that is a lot easier said than done, or at least I thought it was. With the right attitude of the regular attendees it looks like they will be able to secure a regular 6am finish time in the near future.

So off to the Corn Exchange we went, raring to go for a night of sight, sound and dance. We got to the venue at 10pm, parked the car and went round to the front entrance where we were met by the usual smiling, friendly security staff, who always do a first rate job. The doors had already opened at 9pm and the club was already starting to fill quite quickly, an air of expectation was and could be
felt as soon as the club was entered.

It was evident at once that the Eclipse crew intended to celebrate this party with their usual panache! Nothing had been left untouched. New backdrops, new layout and the laser and lighting show was awesome. The huge 16k ‘Turbo Sound’ system could be felt and was crisp, clear and loud!

This venue is truly superb with 2 dance arenas in the building, including the foyer area used as a chillout room with many refreshments, including a licensed bar as well as a choice of merchandise stalls. There are also many balconies, which overlook either the chillout or main arena. With its ideal setting you can see why this place is fast becoming the most popular venue in Cambridge. I’m sure that there will be many of you reading this that have already been to the Corn Exchange, but if you have not yet been to Eclipse on a Saturday night I urge you to get on down. It’s a very nice place and not at all moody with a really friendly bunch of regular faces.

Stevenage’s Doug Osborne opened the evening’s proceedings playing a blinding set from 9 – 10pm; he set the mood for things to come and had the crowd rocking straight away. Local DJ from Norwich PH1 then followed him, who carried on the motion and the crowd loved what he was doing. He started as he finished… brill! The place was starting to get together now with more and more people pouring in.

The queue outside was virtually non-existent due to the efficient entry methods employed so everyone was more or less able to walk straight in, without too long a wait in the cold.

Inside it was starting to get very warm, and that not only relates to the temperature, the atmosphere was electric and when DJ Pauly got on the decks at midnight it got even hotter. He opened his set with the massive ‘D Shake – My Heart, The Beat’ and together with MC Daffy hyping it up the place erupted. He played to the crowd and it was evident from their reaction that he knew what they wanted – so he gave it to them, big time!!!

The upstairs room featured different styles of DJ’s all night, keeping the second option varied so you could take a break from the hardcore room if that’s what you wanted. The atmosphere in here was stable and everyone seemed to be having an excellent time. The sounds and lights were to Eclipse’s usual standard and helped to maintain that all-important buzz.

Back in the main arena it was time for the guest jock Jumpin’ Jack Frost to begin. Now this was the first time I had heard this DJ and I was well impressed. As soon as he started the crowd gave a big cheer. The area on stage behind and to the side of the decks was quite full of people with watchful eyes, obviously hoping to learn something from this man. Everybody was going absolutely wild to the tunes being dropped. I will certainly be looking for his name on flyers from now on.

The Corn Exchange once again had been transformed by Groove II and the light and laser show was awesome. The music was spot on and the MC’s complimented the music and the Eclipse dancers were hot! There was a terrific buzz and vibe in the house, which was present all night long, and in both rooms there were many happy smiling faces all having a damn good time. All the DJ’s played their hearts out for the cause and when ever the music stopped the shout and noise was exceptional.

So long as nights like this continue at Eclipse, Cambridge based hardcore fans needn’t take the train to London or anywhere else for that matter, as there’s some real heavy duty business going on right on our doorsteps. The atmosphere on the night was friendly with a good mix of people; lots of girls and at least one guy in his 50’s dancing like a mentalist! If you haven’t got yourself down to one of these nights yet, I can’t recommend it enough, and needless to say there’s big things in the pipeline for the next one in April. Be Warned!