Sancho Panza - Thursday's Heroes

25 Jun 2004

Legendary West/South-west London Party posse Sancho Panza have now firmly insinuated themselves into the fabric of Glastonbury. For the past three years, they have assumed control of the Radio One stage on the Thursday, thereby providing the first publicly-audible musical entertainment each year for those of Glastonbury’s masses who had the good sense and pioneering spirit to get themselves to the site early.

In 2004, dance music may be perceived as being in crisis, but Sancho Panza – ringleaders Matt Brown and Jimmy K-Tel, plus a large posse of DJs – rocked the joint, as anybody who has been to their boat parties or sound system at Middle Row in the Notting Hill Carnival would expect.

As ever, large party tunes were the order of the day – the likes of Gus Gus’ David and a breakbeat bootie of Joey Beltram’s Energy Flash typified the sort of hands-in-the-air fodder, designed to send the assembled mix of typical Glastonburyites and cheesy-quaver ravers into a frenzy, that Sancho Panza like to play on such occasions.

And they always have a treat in store when they take over the Radio One stage. Usually, it is a set by uber-DJ Sasha (who started playing for Sancho Panza when he came to their Notting Hill Carnival sound system and became so overcome that he actually ran home to pick up a bag of records). This year, though, Sasha’s slot was usurped by local Bristol heroes Way Out West.

With a new album – Don’t Look Now – waiting in the wings (an August 31 release date is mooted), ex-teenage musical prodigy Jodie Wisternoff and mega-DJ Nick Warren teamed up with new vocalist Omi to deliver a live set from the front of the Radio One stage. With two Apple Macs and seemingly half a studio’s worth of knob-twiddling kit, they delivered a set of typically uplifting progressive sounds, mixing 4/4 and breaks as is their wont.

New tracks such as Apollo and the down-and-dirty breakbeat of Killa bode well for the album, and versions of The Gift and Mind Circus triggered a positive orgy of raving, enhanced by lashings of dry ice and a surprisingly good light show. If you didn’t manage to catch them (shame on you for being a weekend raver), they are also doing their thang at The Glade on Friday at 3.30pm. And next year, make sure you’re here on Thursday to find out what Sancho Panza have up their sleeves. If anyone knows how to throw a party, it’s those lads…

Steve Boxer

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