Ed Banger Celebrates 10 Years In Style At Hammerstein Ballroom

Posted by Middy on November 13, 2013

First off, congrats to one of the best labels at remaining true to a vision that does not follow the beaten path, regardless of what the current trend might be. It has most notably been known for the releases of French super-duo Justice, but has also been home to the releases of Breakbot, DJ Mehdi, its owner Busy P and others. The label has always brought something different to the table and this show exemplified that.

Ed Banger has been celebrating their 10 year existence all year with shows all over the world, from Paris to Montreal and ending with a bang at Hammerstein Ballroom on November 2nd. The big draw for the sellout crowd was inevitably Justice, but with names like Breakbot (Live), Cashmere Cat and Busy P all taking the decks, there were no pauses in the night to take a break.

The sellout crowd has quickly moved inside by security to see the Scandinavian Slayer, Cashmere Cat lay down his seductive blend of trap and rnb that got the mood right for the rest of the night. Breakbot live has not been standard throughout the tour, but NYC was in for a treat, getting to see some live instrumentation and singing in a DJ show, giving the whole thing a more organic feel, without sacrificing any of the energy that had been built by Cashmere Cat. Breakbot himself, would go and DJ a few songs by himself without the band as interludes between the longer, live portions that made their set really special.

By the time Breakbot was over around 11:30, Hammerstein Ballroom was filled, but not so full you didn’t have room to dance like at some venues and clubs, but still packed from the front to the top balcony. I met up with VMan around this point, and we were soon hit with a whirlwind, incredibly well DJed set from Busy P, recapping what has been a great 10 years for ED Banger.

Around 1, Busy P gave way to the main attraction, Justice. Though they did not have their live setup, the magic was still there. Justice showed they weren’t joking by starting with Dog Blood’s Next Order, setting the tempo for a set that was filled with similar electro infused tracks. Their set would not be just Justice sounding songs though. They found a way to reach everyone in attendance, even the old security guard. The French duo expertly mixed in Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye and Run DMC with their own tracks like “Genesis”, “We Are Your Friends” and D.A.N.C.E.”. With daylight savings time, the crowd definitely seemed ready to go for another hour, but alas their set had to be cut short at the new 1:30, making way for the ED Bangers All-Stars.

The night finished off with all of the Ed Banger crew including Justice, Busy P and others coming on stage for a special Ed Banger All-Stars set that showed the carefree spirit of the label. While some people were heading to the exits at this point (for some reason), it was clear the party was just getting started for the Ed Banger crew as they mixed in “Bring In The Katz” with sturdy electro and techno beats. Again a big congrats to the whole Ed Banger crew for the incredible 10 years they have had and for putting on a fantastic show to finish off Halloween weekend. FNT wishes you the best for another 10 years of continued success.