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Where Mekka, Downtown Miami
When March 22
Music Dubstep and d ’n’ b

Topless musclebound men peacock up and down the strip. Scantily clad girls lap up the attention as they walk down Ocean Drive. Awful generic house music pumps out of the smaller hotels in a bid for business. South Beach, Miami, can be a novelty for a while but the vain posturing soon gets tedious.

So dubstep fans must thank L.A’s leading labels Smog and Basshead as well as England’s UKF for bringing the sound of the underground to Florida. The bass junkies are headed to Downtown Miami and Mekka for the Winter Music Conference’s biggest bass event. The club is packed. No-one is sporting the New Era caps and skinny jeans that go with the UK scene, but they more than match the vibe. Mexican homeboys nod, long-haired grunge kids mosh and the college frat boys scream “Fuckin’ awesome!”

“They love the energy,” explains the head of UKF, Karl Neilson. “If you want to pose at some trendy house music pool party that’s fine. But for me that’s not what going to clubs is about.” It seems that many agree. Caspa, Hatcha and Plastician smash the Smog vs Basshead room. Goldie and Mistajam have the Metalheadz d ’n’ b room on lock.

In the UKF room, Gemini, Koan Sound and Cookie Monsta have everyone bouncing. The old fashioned feel of Mekka provides a weird contrast with the masses of sweaty bodies bumping to future music. Miami is known for its 4/4 beats, but as dubstep grows in popularity, don’t be surprised if those pool parties are jacking to different soundtrack next year. Digby