"I was coming up like a fucking rocket going to Mars": Tom Shorterz First Pill

My first pill is a series where THUMP writers and dance music industry figures tell of the first time they involved themselves with Ecstasy. Following Joe Bish's Glastonbury experience, we call upon Rinse FM mainstay and Birmingham house man Tom Shorterz. 

For weeks we had been listening to a local pirate radio station called Silk City FM and the DJ we used to listen to, Joe Hunt, would say in his cliché radio voice "Get yourself down to Chip Charlie's tonight at Club Platinum". I was seventeen at the time, I'd just really started getting into DJing in my bedroom and a new found passion for music, this Club Platinum was the mecca for all things "Speed Garage and Uplifting House" and I really wanted to go. We was at that age where it was time we binned off youth club and drinking cider over the park (this was before cider became cool with hipsters by the way - this was White Lightning or Frosty Jacks) or the local shit bar/club you could get into with fake ID what played pop music. We wanted to be adults, and we wanted to go clubbing. We also wanted to try the sociably acceptable club drug of choice; ecstasy.

So the first thing you do when you want to go out to the 'place to be' club when you're seventeen: try make yourself look as old as possible. Cue the black trousers from school followed by those black loafers A.K.A. shit flickers, plus the final piece to this disastrous attire, a blue shirt with white collars and cuffs (I think these had a resurgence in 2002 fashion, or it may have just been me). We didn't know any drug dealers apart from people selling cannabis resin or weed, so for the Class A variety we'd have to wait to get into the club. We were in the queue outside waiting to get in. Now I weighed about nine and a half stone, ringing wet, no facial hair and a baby face, but somehow we got straight into the club. I remember it now - the Agent Sumo's remix of Beverley Knight's "Shoulda Woulda Coulda" was playing - "let's do it" I thought.

Now my expectations of this club were what you'd envision on Ibiza programmes or Rapture TV (for those that remember), but it was a bit rough around the edges to say the least. There were a fair few local 'heads' from surrounding council estate areas, all with their own entourage in the corners. But there was also a wicked vibe and the music was amazing. It was my music - you couldn't get it anywhere else - this place was something else. So it's time we got ourselves some Benny Hills, or what in Birmingham we called 'Wobblerz'. To my joy I saw a friend-of-a-friend who at the time was doing the gear in the club (I'll have to use the name "Dave-The-Rave" for legal reasons). The infamous words you would hear around clubs in Birmingham at the time were spoken ("three for a tenner") and BANG - deal done. I am now the proud owner of three speckled Armani tablets. So let's see what all the fuss is about - it's time to join the chemical generation.

I had about eight quid left in my back pocket but I needed to take one of these disco biscuits. My options: 1) I swallow it dry 2) save a few pennies, go into the toilet and suck some water out the tap or 3) go to the bar and pay three quid for a Ribena which had "RRP 45p" on the side. I did the latter thus leaving me with five pounds and three E's. Now was the time to get this party started - or so I thought.

The tune playing at the time at this early stage of the night was The Chemist's "Ruff Kutz" so I did what everyone did back then; I popped that pill with my three quid carton of Ribena and got involved. Thoughts like "is it working", "oh I think this is it" and "here we go" were going around in my head the whole time, except absolutely fuck all was happening. Fifteen to twenty minutes had passed and I'm still sober and running out of Ribena. The tune playing now was Indo's "R U Sleeping" and I just thought "fuck this I'm popping another one".

Lets skip forward forty minutes and BANG the power of two pills are now kicking in. The pills back then, like I'm sure everyone says, were the real deal. I was officially what is known in the clubbing world as "coming up" - rushes of euphoria flowing through my body. I felt like I was floating, but where most people say how they shut their eyes, reach for the lasers or chat to strangers hugging them, DID I FUCK. I was coming up so hard that it was terrifying so instead of sitting down I had a better idea: "I'm gonna leave the club". I had been there about an hour and a half and as I'm currently leaving the club Mighty Crew's "Touch Me" was playing and all though the music sounded and felt amazing, I was coming up like a fucking rocket going to Mars and just had to get out of here.

Once I was outside the club rushing my tits off, the fresh air did me the world of good. Most people would go back inside or ring a friend. Nope not me. I decided to walk home on my own, off my absolute nut - a good eight mile trek through some shady areas. But I knew what was going on, I wasn't stumbling about, I just went for it. The modern day Bullring shopping centre was still in the process of being built so I had to walk under all the pedestrianised walkways where builders were working through the night. I just remember how the colours looked, the traffic lights… it was just amazing. They were warm, glowing and as I kept walking I could still hear the music in my head. Sounds in general just felt amazing.

I continued to keep walking feeling emotionally unreal, just warm and happy and pure ecstasy. Not once did I think "what am I doing?" - it just felt amazing. Then I snapped out of it and realised what and where I actually was. I was outside ASDA in Small Heath. This was when that intense part of the buzz had gone but -  trust me - to get to this point on foot, sober, from the town centre was a mission. I had literally eaten my whole entire bottom lip gurning and there was still a hike and half left. I was feeling cold, thirsty and craving cigarettes so went to buy ten Sovereigns. The shop assistant's face when she saw the state of me… I can remember she said "Do you have any ID? Actually babe here…" and I paid and carried on. Now I hadn't looked in a mirror the whole time since leaving the club. I finally got home and saw, for the first time, pill head pupils like Button fucking Moon. They were just giant black discs - I looked trollied off me tits. I was seventeen and yes I finally got the pill buzz everyone had been talking about but fuck me I did not expect half a walk across Birmingham chewing me lips off.

Please note I do not condone drugs. I was young, stupid and naive but at the same time, if some people may have read this with disgust or try to judge me, please consider this little quote from Bill Hicks; "I have taken drugs before and… I had a real good time. Sorry. Didn't murder anybody, didn't rape anybody, didn't rob anybody, didn't beat anybody, didn't lose - hmm - one fucking job, laughed my ass off, and went about my day".

Follow Tom on Twitter: @Shorterz
Follow Tom on Soundcloud: Soundcloud.com/tom-shorterz
Catch Tom playing at the Rinse FM 20th Birthday at Minstry of Sound on 4th October.