Over the years, Herbal Mafia have been responsible for bringing some of the biggest names in drum&bass and dubstep to York, including Hazard, Benga, Mampi Swift and Foreign Beggars. So it was no surprise that for their 4th Birthday night the York outfit pulled out all the stops with an impressive range of dubstep and hip-hop. The sold-out night, headlined by dubstep favourite Nero and the up and coming Bar9, attracted huge attention from a characteristically varied crowd.
Residents The Fray Bentos Collective followed by Ed1 kicked off the event with a heady mix of dark dub and grime, before Bar9’s explosive midnight set, a mesmering performance of eye-wateringly heavy dubstep that was surely the highlight of the night.
Nero followed up with his signature blend of dubstep, unleashing some great new material alongside his classic Deadmau5 and La Roux remixes, although surprisingly leaving out his now iconic mix of The Streets’ ‘Blinded By The Lights.’
Another energetic set from the FBC, with Yenz and Albi1 in the hiphop room, set a great vibe to the end of another memorable night from the Herbal Mafia, with one exuberant reveller declaring it “the best night of my life.”
With another tantalising line-up from the guys this month with Ramadanman and Cookie Monsta, the Herbal Mafia look set to remain one of the most popular, talented and entertaining alternative outfits in York.