VIDEO: Ben P Scott DJ set at 23 Bath St, plus Jason B and John The Hat - 07/12/2018

Rewind/Fast Forward editor Ben P Scott reports on a memorable night at Frome venue 23 Bath St.

I've been excited about this night ever since I was asked to play a warm up slot at this event. 23 Bath St is a vibrant live music venue in my hometown of Frome, Somerset. It has played hosts to a number of club nights and gigs recently, including shows from ex-Supergrass man Danny Goffey and sought-after DJ Krafty Kuts. Tonight the venue celebrates it's 4th birthday with a headline set from breakbeat pioneers Plump DJs.

As if this wasn't exciting enough for me, tonight I have been selected as the DJ for the opening set as the doors open at 9pm. It's the first time in quite a few years that I've played a DJ set on a Friday night. As a few of you may know, as a young kid I took command of the decks at the club my Dad used to manage back in the mid 90s, playing the youth nights and eventually stepping into the weekend slot. When the club closed its doors for the final time, a few appearances at the local youth club were the last time I would play to a live audience in years. In the late 2000s I hosted shows on internet radio, and those shows developed into a weekly show on now-defunct internet station Melksham Town Sound. When those shows ended in 2014, writing became my main focus. After moving to the buzzing, creative town of Frome a few years ago, the re-opening of a pub formerly known as The Wheatsheaves provided me with a new outlet. 23 Bath St hosts monthly Open Deck events, where I have been playing for nearly a year and a half now on Sunday afternoons. My eclectic sets have met with such enthusiasm from people, that I have earned myself a place on this excellent bill tonight.

Also on the bill is my old pal and musical collaborator Jason B. Like myself, Jason B grew up in the dead-end town of Melksham in Wiltshire, during a golden era for dance music. After discovering the sounds of house and trance in the 90s, he would venture into many other styles of dance music, building up a huge collection of music over the coming years. He practised the art of mixing throughout the 2000's, putting together a variety of mixes which were published online, and has been involved in a successful (and anonymous) electronic musical project. DJ sets at a number of local events followed, and he hosted a weekly dance music show on Melksham Town Sound from 2013 until shortly before the station's demise in 2016. He returned to the airwaves earlier this year, when he joined Frome FM, hosting his monthly Dance Classics show on Saturday nights, as well as contributing track picks and mixes to the RW/FF site. Jason B soon became a regular at 23 Bath St's open deck days, where his adaptability to a range of genres has seen him become a favourite at the venue.

John The Hat is another DJ who has risen through the ranks of the open deck day to be given the honour of a Plump DJs support slot. Hailing from the town of Freshford, John is a clubbing veteran, and a man who thrives on making people groove. Tonight, his banging set is greeted by an energetic dancefloor that meets his tunes with vigorous approval. None of us expected the floor to be going this mad less than 3 hours in to the night, with another DJ to come before the Plumps provide the headline set. The floor started to see action a few tracks into Jason B's set, where funky selections and house gems flowed brilliantly into one another, providing a fine contrast to my diverse set of indie dance, big beat, hip hop and ragga. Without a doubt, these two are better DJs than myself, in terms of working up a crowd and mixing the tracks together at times seamlessly, rather than just playing some records like I do. A surreal moment came later on in the night, when we found ourselves standing on the side of the stage, watching two of the world's finest do their thing, as Plump DJs banged out a cracking headline set on the same stage where we usually play.

A great experience, and the highlight of my DJ career so far. Honoured to be on the same bill as Plump DJs, and very impressed by the development and continuing progress of my fellow "Open Deck Legends". As well as photos, videos can be seen below, although some parts will have had the sound removed due to copyright. After the videos, you can listen to some of the tracks played throughout the evening. There is also an embedded mix from Jason B, which features his setlist as played on the night.