Bass Traffic by Stephen Ferrel

Bass Traffic in the Dungeon at Stein Bier Keller.
24th October

Hidden away at the back of stein is a second room, which not a lot of people know about, even regulars at the club. The Dungeon as its known to those that can find it is quite possibly the most underground venue in the city of Newcastle. Stein itself has persistently failed to draw in the numbers it potentially could in what could be one of the major alternative venues in the city. Unfortunately the music policy in the front room especially at weekends has started to become an increasingly commercial clone of other bars/clubs in the area. To be fair they have been suffering from low numbers, as has much of the rest of the once vibrant quayside, once the place to be in Newcastle the Quayside has fallen out of favors dramatically with both students and locals in recent years. Signs of this changing are starting to emerge however with the reopening of the cooperage, the conversion of Sea to a live music venue. The Riverside. Further along on the quayside the drinks price war between Chase, Bar 38 and Flynn’s is ongoing and bringing a number of young newer students to this area of Newcastle. It is to be hoped Stein doesn’t go down this route.

Bass traffic itself is a weekly club night dedicated to putting on the best underground dance music from the newest DJ’s around. This little known night is exactly what Newcastle needs giving new unknown DJ’s the chance to play to a crowd that most clubs just won’t give them. The night is run by DJ ID who has been running events for near 20 years but has lost none of his passion for underground dance music, or for providing opportunities for new emerging DJ’s. The crowd is small but dedicated truly the connoisseurs of dance music in the city. The dungeon claims to have the loudest sound system per square foot in the country, and although its not a claim I believe has been verified its certainly a pretty powerful system especially when the bass heavy music of tonight’s guest DJ’s Matt H and Fijitt play there track selections through it.

The quality of this night and the potential of the venue mean its status as Newcastle best kept secret may well be short lived which is something I have to say I have mixed feelings about. A night and venue this good certainly deserve greater recognition but on the other hand could damage the community spirit that exists between dedicated followers of the night.

What appears to be emerging from this small backroom at stein is something truly special an underground community of dedicated dance music followers coming together to listen to an eclectic mix of dance music in one of the most unexpected locations in Newcastle. This club has to be seen to be believed.