MANGA 12TH BIRTHDAY
HARD TO
EA
Drum & bass has provided a throbbing soundtrack to the Capital's clubbing fraternity for over a decade now. David Pollock bids farewell to clubbing institution Manga, while celebrating the continued successes of its offspring, Xplicit
12 THE LIST 17—31 Jan 2008
t‘s not al\\a_\\ eas} being a pioneer.
something \eil .'\rm\trong. ('hrixtophet
(’olumbtts or Marie ('ttrie \\Hllltl ha\ e tio doubt attested to. The \antc can be said l'or (ieorge Macdonald. lesser knoun perhaps. btit equally l'oruard thinking in his lield: the \Hil‘ltl of Scottish clubbing. and in particular the sonorous delights ol~ drum ck baxx.
Macdonald (aka (i-Maci \xas tnttch ol the brains and braun behind .\langa. Scotlanth lirst ever regular drum ck bass night. 'l‘hroughont Manga‘s 12—) ear liliespan. particttlarl} the titne it spent at Edinburgh’s La Belle :\ngele l.litltll;ll'_\ 1996 to December 3002i. the elttb attained cult status. becoming a humid tor the lth scene in Scotland and dram ing national attention.
Yet. now it‘s oxer. Alter a period spent at the Honeycomb alter lire destro} ed La Belle. and a
couple ol Manx ot big one ollx since the closure ol the Ilone_\comb. llll\ month's llth birthda_\ celebration \\ lll also be the laxl e\et \langa.
'\\e \\;iiit to hi} it to rest \\|lll a teall_\ \I‘Ccldl night \a}\ .\lacdonald. 'I‘o get e\ei_\one \\lto “as a part ol it togethet to celebtate \Kllli \olllt‘
great music. some ol the classicx‘
So. the mantle ol [MB central I\ being taken up b} those at \pltcit. 'l’he club. \\lll\‘ll specialises in \llllllul‘ thunderous bass and h_\pnotic \_\ ncopated drtnn batteries celebiatex ll\ tlnrd btt'thda_\ this month. Yet. it _\on ask Simon \lc(it'ath. \plicttK 3(u-}ear old lonnder. llU\\ he lirst lell in lo\e \xith IXKB. the an\\\ er I\ simple: ‘I got into drum & bass because ol .\langa'.
I)rttm & bass. like dance music Ill general. has had to endure man} l'hicttiattonx o\et' the last
decade. not least the resurgence ol Hltl'lthlllollt'tl
'. 2‘ I.