Kiddstock is Coming!

Ahead of the hard dance event of the year, an exclusive look at the hectic preparations down at AKHQ and all things Kiddfected!

Richard Dyer

Date published: 5th Aug 2008

Stanhope is an unusual place to find something out of the ordinary, never mind an 11-hour underground dance music festival! Upon first sight, the twisting narrow roads wrap their way around even the most orientated of minds with the narrow apexes ominously rising to reveal a devastating backdrop of North East countryside. Farmers herd cattle down the narrow roads, strategically moving their livestock like pieces on a chess board.

Fast-forward to the 16^th of August 2008, the king of Kiddfectious and recently crowned ‘Best Hard Dance DJ 2008’ will be returning to his throne at Thimbleberry Farm to begin his second successful reign as the leader in innovative, underground events.

‘Kiddstock 2008’ follows on from last years awe-inspiring ‘Kiddstock’ event which saw hedonistic followers flock from all corners of the Kidd-fected kingdom to undertake in a hard dance phenomenon which witnessed the unthinkable…

The original Kiddstock was an invite only event, which allowed exclusive Alex Kidd guests into the compounds of the event. Those wishing to attend simply had to send in their details to join the revolution of kiddstock.com that would then grant them information on where to purchase tickets. Kiddstock featured 25 DJs across 3 areas. Some of the leading artists on the hard dance roster combined with fresh up and coming talent from the local area to give an experience that unearthed emotions not seen at a dance music festival for years. Many had felt this sentiment before whereas some of the attendees were confronting a rare feeling for the first time. The feeling of raving at its rawest!

No commercialism, no glamour, just revellers having one hell of a party in a field, all with one thing in common; Their love for music and their love for the weekend. This feeling spread like a disease, infecting the clubbers at an alarming rate and the buzz after the event allowed Alex to toy with the possibility of a follow up…

11 months on and Alex is frantically scrambling across the office for his phone charger, his K750i is beeping for the fifth time this morning as his phones battery drains during an important phone call. This is the routine of hard dances hottest property. Being prepared for every outcome is an uncharacteristic trait of Alex. Having missed more flights than probably anyone in Ibiza last season, Alex is no stranger to being unorganised but he makes up for it in the effort he puts into his work ensuring maximum quality and a unique attention to detail in everything he sets his mind to. This is an unselfish approach as everything he works for is all centred around ensuring his loyal followers enjoy themselves as much as possible. Whether it is his crazy and sometimes manic onstage antics or his spontaneous party throwing which stemmed at Tidy Weekender 9 (now hailed as the year of ‘Kiddfields’), Alex strives to ensure that everyone has as much fun as he has. This isn’t some commercial marketing machine churning out parties for the masses with over-priced, over-hyped events. This is an officially named ‘Party Animal’ throwing one hell of a party for all his friends. And ‘friends’ is a term that is not used lightly, for when Alex is at events there isn't a hint of arrogance about him. His down to earth attitude has helped him never forget his roots, which are clearly visible as his Kiddfectious Headquarters are in the same neighbourhood as he grew up and has lived most of his life; Whitefield. His ethos carries through to his work and Kiddstock is a perfect stage to show the scene exactly the way he thinks things should be.

After months of planning the follow up is only 4 weeks away and anticipation is growing amongst AKHQ. A busy time has seen Alex crusade brazen-faced across continents armed with a video camera shooting his frequent video diaries also starring the faces of Radio One’s Kutski, Goodgreef Promoter Barry Almond et al. Banter and jokes aside, the diaries were a medium where Alex hoped to create awareness with him eager to help as many people as possible experience the feel feeling that was felt August last year. Rare as it may be, clubbers this year will have the chance to indulge and with Alex almost doubling the event in terms of size and structure, he hopes to ensure as many people experience the spectacle of Kiddstock 2008.

Kiddstock 2008 has the potential to be something really special and for the 2000 people that will endure the conquest through North East England, the reward will no doubt meet all expectations. The line-up is comprehensively greater and the door tax increase is a small price to pay for the growth on offer. The headlining act comes in the form of a special guest appearance from Yoji alongside three international exclusives from Tatanka, Kamui and A*S*Y*S. Flying the flag for the UK will be Hard Dance artists optimally chosen by Alex himself. Kiddstock isn’t about the over rated performances or most expensive artists, Alex has selected what he thinks are the most impressive and exciting names on the world dance scene and has once again combined that with his crop of precociously talented fledglings. This appears to be a formula for success and going on his recent resume it could be claimed that it works a treat. Against such setbacks as the cancellation of Pritchard (from Dirty Sanchez who was due for a back to back set with Alex in the Trackitdown vs Kiddfectious arena which would have been an interesting spectacle), Alex has taken the attitude that for those that miss out, it will be their shame and for those that attend on August 16^th, it will become the day where anarchy and innovation will collide! The production and line-up is a far cry from the slickly-oiled machines of the festival giants but when did those aspects matter to the quality of a party. During the oppression of the early 90’s dance music thrived on illegal raves and free parties. Whereas the legality has now changed, this anarchic oratory lives on in events such as Kiddstock and the raw experience granted to the chosen consortium could potentially shape the UK hard dance scene forever. Only those who attend will find out. Where will you be August 16^th 2008?