Manchester is no stranger to big names, indeed it has produced more than its own share, yet as the posters went up proclaiming the return of the spread of excitement was easy to see. Flash didn't come to play a set like any other Dj would but, in his own words, "Came to give Manchester a lesson in hip hop. To teach some things you know, and some you don't." The so-called ‘original Dj' hardly needed an introduction yet before he appeared we were treated with a short film about his life so far, and how it all began. As soon as the cheers died down, which took some time, he was quick to lay down some rules; " Number 1. Put your hands in the air, 2. Make some noise and 3. Move your ass to the hot beats." He started it off, "Back in 1971 where it all began," and it was hard to spot anyone not obeying his rules.
Old skool headz and modern music lovers were equally wooed by his skills. The only problem seemed to be that some people didn't quite know whether to stand and stare at his turntabalism magic or bounce along to his beats. It's a shame he only played for an hour, though the fact that he ended with Rapper's Delight followed by Jump Around seemed to make up for it for most people. The last two tracks were actually played with the lights on with the bouncers trying to herd people out but even this didn't seem to dent the atmosphere.
Sankey's has become a staple part of any self respecting house lover's diet in Manchester although recently it has been graced by the likes of Killa Kella and Rahzel. Even the Sankey's regulars, the ones with big eyes chewing their faces off trying to figure out why upstairs was closed, seemed to enjoy Flash so things are looking hopeful for all you hip hop fans. One thing that did trouble me though was Flash's assistant, obviously the Grand Master is getting on a bit but does he really need someone to hand him his records?
By Joe Kent
