All over the land people pay homage to the banking system, trusting them to take care of their money and personal interests. Banks are somewhere sought out for financial advice, to withdraw the fruits of our hard work or to make investments in our future. However, nestled away in South Wales, the Principalities capital city is home to a special kind of bank. This bank is special because the payments being made here are for entrance to a place normally off limits to the regular banking customer, its vaults. In this bank the withdrawals are the kind that are made the next day and come in symptom form, rather than hard currency. Welcome to the Vaults and Backroom, Cardiff’s answer to the nocturnal underground where the least likely thing to be asked for is an extension on your overdraught.
Cardiff has never really been regarded as a main player in UK clubbing circles, not in the recent grains of time anyway. A number of long established and respected nights have their roots grown from the soil of various dance floors in the City but as far as being regarded as somewhere that boasts a continued and strong scene for South Wales clubbers to find a home it has often been found wanting, until now. Each month, in the once savagely and notorious industrial landscape of Cardiff bay, a place as unforgiving and as far removed from the new found image of nightlife, bars and trying-to-be trendy restaurants that it now holds, a special and inimitable catalyst in underground music can be found in the vaults of an old grade 2 listed building that you’ve probably worked out by now, formally housed a bank.
Due to a collective of minds that obviously hold both adventurous yet creatively thoughtful undertones, Backroom has become the worst kept secret not only in the surrounding hamlets home to the aficionados of the deep and warm sounds generated from where valubale assets and money found it’s home once upon a time, but now spoke in many an after party circle in cities that might have once turned their nose up at Cardiff’s offerings to underground clubbing.
With a non pretentious attitude and a music policy that suits the hordes of Deep and Tech House disciples that adorn Cardiff in their droves it’s no wonder that Backroom recently celebrated it’s first Birthday to a sell out capacity of seasoned Vault goers, good time addicts and first timers each treated to an upfront selection of hand picked DJs that always seem to melt the sweat glistening tiles to perfection, with their respective sets bouncing around this temple where the night owls of Cardiff come to pray.
To sum up the atmosphere of backroom perhaps one could reflect on special moments such as a bank holiday set from Chicago veteran Derrick Carter when the security bars once intended to keep people out made the backdrop to a plethora of smiling faces and the infrastructure vibrated in harmonious sound. Or the moment a sublimely crafted, improvised back to back partnership of Melon and Cassy made a space normally so cold, forgotten and empty, ignite with love to the soul etching words “Tear drops on a dance floor”. Or maybe, just maybe the most fittingly appropriate scenario to date and the perfect way to pass a glorious year of memory making, good times and highs, was the explosion of confetti to mark Backrooms first birthday, played out to a soundtrack provided by German, Jens Bond, that peppered the most loyal and committed investors in banking history. This pivitol moment a more than fitting scenario that reflects the true image of what is undoubtedly the flag ship of Cardiff’s flourishing underground scene.
Although backroom isn’t the only night flying it’s flag for Cardiff’s fresh angle on good times and underground music, together with the likes of Delete and Ghosts, an enthusiastic, clued up and music obsessive community is invariably evident when stepping foot inside each of these respective nights. However, it’s an unmistakeable feeling when once a month I make the homely feeling visit to Bute Street and the architecturally rich structure that holds these walls that wish they could tell tales of the scenes of togetherness they have witnessed, for they are as an integral part to Backroom as the sound system, the music and the people. When all is said and done, Backroom has provided a substantial entry to Cardiff’s clubbing tapestry and although young in its lifespan, it’s a fair assumption that people will be investing their savings into the bank of Backroom for a very long time to come.
Saul Wilks ©
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