After severe winds disrupted Above & Beyond’s landmark Group Therapy 700 celebration at The Gorge Amphitheatre in September, three Anjunabeats artists finally got the opportunity to share the performances they had spent months preparing. On October 29, ilan Bluestone, J Ribbon and Oliver Smith reunited in London for ABGT700.2, a special 700-capacity event created to give each artist the chance to finish what they started.
Held at 26 Leake Street, an intimate venue beneath London’s Waterloo Station, the event brought the spirit of The Gorge to a much smaller setting. The location had previously hosted Above & Beyond’s special Anjunabeats Volume 17 launch event earlier in the year, making it a fitting place to celebrate the label and its community once again.
The original ABGT700 weekend brought nearly 20,000 fans to The Gorge Amphitheatre in Washington State for three days of music marking a major milestone for Above & Beyond’s long-running Group Therapy series. However, severe winds forced organizers to pause Saturday’s programming for approximately three hours while weather conditions were assessed. Although Above & Beyond eventually returned to the stage for a memorable performance in the rain, the interruption cut short Oliver Smith’s set, while ilan Bluestone and J Ribbon were unable to perform.
For the artists, the disruption meant losing the opportunity to share new music and carefully prepared sets with the crowd. ABGT700.2 provided a second chance, bringing all three performers together to deliver the material they had originally planned for the milestone weekend, including new and unreleased tracks.
While The Gorge offered a sweeping outdoor backdrop, the London gathering created a more personal connection between the artists and their audience. Adding to the occasion, Above & Beyond’s Paavo Siljamäki made a surprise appearance to host the event, welcome the performers and help bring the ABGT700 story to a fitting conclusion.
The timing also connected the celebration to another major milestone. ABGT700.2 took place one day before the 700th episode of Above & Beyond’s Group Therapy Radio aired on October 30, extending the celebration beyond the original festival weekend.
Fans who missed the London event can still experience the performances, with complete sets from ilan Bluestone, J Ribbon and Oliver Smith now available on YouTube. The recordings give the artists’ originally planned performances a much wider audience than the 700 fans who attended the intimate gathering.
More than an additional show, ABGT700.2 offered a meaningful conclusion to a milestone weekend that did not unfold as planned. By bringing the three artists together in London, Above & Beyond and Anjunabeats made sure the music prepared for The Gorge still had its moment to be heard.
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