Return of the Free Party

I hear on the grapevine talk of a free party, and I haven't much else on of the night, so I head for an early meeting point I'm told about around ten, and what do you know, there's one person there. Not too promising, and the big man doesn't feel too optimistic about it all either - he says he's just gonna help set things up, hang around for an hour or so and then sod off home. "I don't know why" he says "I just got a bad feeling about this one". Maybe it's because so many free parties in Manc of late have been so duff. So a phone call comes through, people are on the way. We quit the pool table and go wait outside, a few more are hanging about by now but right away some cop van drives by, clocks us and pulls up. Have they been ringing the party number? "Sketchy! Really sketchy this one". The cops don't look like they're leaving and I've got a pocketfull of mushies, so I go for a little walk. On my way big man pulls up in his motor. I jump in and appraise him of the situation. Some cars have pulled up and two vans are hanging around the area. A few phone calls go around, we pick up a few punters, round up the transport and sneak off the estate by a back road. The cops don't respond. "Probably clocking the pub for yardies, they're always hanging out here". So next thing we're in Lloyd's Metal factory in Salford, a huge building. Lecky is on and a monster sound system is stacking up like a pyramid. People start to show and roll under the shutters, no sign of the law. Tings are starting to look good. It takes a while for everything to fall into place, but fall into place they do and soon enough some fat jabba techno beats are belting out and the corrugated walls are vibrating in due mental fashion. More people still showing, somebody sorts us a smarty and I'm away for the night. Best free party I can remember for long time.

Come day break and yer big man is still there, on the decks, bad feelings all dispelled. I take a step outside, a bunch of cops have finally cottoned. They want people to leave but they're not on for any hassle. After a bit the music grinds to a halt. I hook up with a few people for the trek home after a better night than I 'd expected.