Detonate hosted DJ EZ at canal mills last Friday 13th, and it was a big one. It was the garage guru’s first time back in Leeds since autumn last year, which was probably part of the reason tickets sold out within hours of being released. That, and being one of the biggest names in the UK garage scenes, also renowned for his epic live shows. Expectedly, there was a great turn out at the Mills, and it didn’t disappoint in being the perfect venue to house the hoards of EZ revellers.
Warming up the decks before EZ was 21 year old DJ Amy Becker. Spotted by BBC 1 Extra, you may have heard her Daily Dose mix residency on Mistajam’s show. She built up the tension before EZ with some heavy grimey basslines.
Soon, the clocks struck one, and on came DJ EZ. He spun classics like ‘Do You Really Like It’ and ‘Bump n Grind’, getting a lively reaction from the crowd. He also played some more current 2015 MOBO award winning Stormzy, getting the whole Mills to shout ‘Shut Up’. Following on from this was Florence’s ‘You’ve Got the Love’, which was slightly jarring, but brilliant all the same.
If you fancied something different while EZ was on, you could head to the second room (which consistently provides a refreshing treat) to catch Leeds own Northern Scum, for some wub wub jungle and drum and bass.
DJ Zinc followed on from EZ, and kept the party going into the early hours with a bit of speed garage, mashed up with the Jackson’s ‘Blame It On the Boogie’.
The event saw a lot of hype on Facebook months before hand, and deservedly so. EZ and Canal Mills didn’t disappoint.
Hannah Ng
(Photo credits: Samuel Kirby via Canal Mills)