We know what’s been missing from all your favourite DJ events – beyblade tournaments.
Up in Liverpool, there exists a very niche, yet passionate community that go batshit for playing beyblades. The hype started back in 2021, when a group of boys set up the beyblade society at the University of Liverpool. “It was covid year, so we just needed another way to get drunk, and – beyblades,” Mikey, one of the legendary founders, tells me.
Some may say it started as a joke (not us obvs), but it’s impressive to see how far its grown, with several events taking place over the last few years. The most recent event brought the boys back to Liverpool’s 24 Kitchen Street for a grand return. “It grew from pub to pub, then to Kitchen Street, which is just wild,” Mikey said. With events in London too, its clear that the beyblade craze is spreading far and wide.
We caught up with one of the most recent tournament’s competitors, Sally (a.k.a the Sardine Smash) to hear her take on the event: “Beyblade was the most crunked night ever. I was the last girl standing in the semi-finals and was kindly gifted a dildo as a prize. When the semi’s hit, I was sadly wiped out by a stronger, more advanced blader – but this was my first rodeo, the Sardine Smash will be victorious sometime soon.”
So why is it so popular? How is it that a toy you played with on the playground in year 5 can be the basis for an entire event? Liverpool’s ever-growing DJ scene gives a lot of time and exposure to up-and-coming names. This opens a lot of space for creative freedom when holding events, and to push the boundaries of your typical raves. Mikey pins the events’ success on “being fucking nuts and just having a good time” and explains that the combo of beyblades alongisde “people getting drunk and listening to good music … works really, really well.”
The event featured music from their resident DJ Macarite as well as Owen Rees, providing an eccentric, bass-heavy, groovy backdrop for the tournament. 10/10.
With momentum for the event continuing even after the society’s founders have graduated, they’re excited to continue running events, and catering to Liverpool’s rave (and beyblade) communities in the future.
Don’t be shocked if you see Hot Wheels in the club next.
Follow @beyblade.soc on insta to be the first to hear about upcoming events.
Photography – Joe Martin Thomas