Credit: Foreverland
Writer
Glasgow anticipates Foreverland’s return: a UK grime and garage night featuring an extravagant display of stage shows, stunts and special effects.
Headliner Artful Dodger has been announced for the club event’s return to Glasgow on Friday 16 February as part of their UK wide tour. The legendary garage duo electrified the UK Garage scene in the late 90’s with now beloved two step hits such as “Rewind” and “Movin Too Fast”, and after a lengthy career hiatus it seems they are back to lend themselves to the resurgence of garage music in clubs around the UK. This revival of garage was almost inevitable when considering the remarkable mainstream success that grime has achieved in recent years, given that the genre’s musical roots were influenced by 90’s jungle and garage movements. By pairing the two genres, Foreverland capitalises on the success of influential underground UK music movements of the last two decades by encompassing new age and nostalgic UK sounds for the current generation of clubbers. “Venture to a place where you never have to grow up” – that’s the philosophy and mission of Foreverland. The lost boys Neverland motif is apt as, twenty years after the carefree fun of the Garage movement swept the UK, it shows no signs of growing up as diverse young club audiences are still responding to the sounds that dominated the 2000’s UK club scene. The lineup also suggests that Foreverland is just as dedicated to showcasing fresh talent as it is to imbuing nostalgia. Artful Dodger will be joined by up-and-coming names like Taim, Bassic and Bitr8, and as such can be expected to deliver what this generation’s DJ’s are now doing with the sounds of UKG.
The sounds of Foreverland are only half the fun, though. Not resting on the laurels of its top drawer line-up, Foreverland aims to be more than the average club night. The organisers are crafting a surreal and extravagant experience where youth is celebrated and “immaturity is advised”. The 02 Academy will be transformed into a lavish adult playground featuring theatrical displays, circus acts, stage shows, inflatables, themed décor, confetti, glitter, stilts in order to create a circus vibe which merges “debauchery and the paranormal”. The over-18s playground theme is well thought out alongside the nostalgic feel of the music, and as such the night hopes to create an atmosphere of complete freedom that will tease out the inner child of club-goers and offer a truly unique experience.
