Under Piccadilly Train Station, Manchester, Saturday 10th November '07
Having established itself now as one of the best club nights in Manchester, The Warehouse Party, tonight on it’s thirteenth show of 2007, has improved vastly from last year’s event. Having relocated from the Boddingtons Brewery, a bit out of the way at the end of Deansgate, it is now conveniently placed in an unused air raid shelter beneath Piccadilly station.
The space could have been designed for a party like this; although there is a squeeze from the merchandise stall to the toilets, the cavernous rooms have great acoustics and character, and dancing madly does not lead to sweaty people, as the outside is only closed off with curtains, allowing a constant blast of cool November air to hit the crowd.
One thing that could really do with sorting out is the toilet area. Upon first arrival the crowd is huge, and thoughts of “I can not handle this kind of queuing all night” pop into my mind. Luckily we turned up at the peak peeing time, and the queues were non-existent later in the show. The smell is foul however, and the sight of security guards scrapping their shoes along the floor to remove the liquid oozing from under the urinals is not pleasant.
That is my only gripe however (along with the £3.80 for a can of red stripe), which is a lot to say from a person who is not into dance music. The lure of live set from headliners Pendulum performing on ‘real’ instruments was too much to resist, as they sound a little like the much missed Rage Against The Machine at times.
A chill out space is provided at the back of the shelter; complete with some places to sit (though many risk piles by sitting on the concrete floor. A second and quieter sound system would have been nice here, but as the main stage is not far away, it would have been of little use. A huge screen showing videos and a wall of photographic works (though dimly lit by the light pollution of a ‘Myspace’ lighting projection) are something briefly for the eye.
There is a designated smoking place outside, kitted out with pub-style tables and parasols. At times this can get a little crowded, despite the cold temperatures, and a queuing system is in place (leaving some people to find other ‘ingenious’ places to get their nicotine fix).
The place irrupts as soon as Pendulum are introduced. Playing through ‘Blood Sugar’, ‘Fasten Your Seatbelt’. ‘Another Planet’, their impressive working of The Prodigy’s ‘Voodoo People’ and some new tracks like ‘Granite’, they are all given a boost by the addition of live drumming, bass lines and electric guitar sounds. We are even treated to the sight of all three members; Rob Swire (ansoenic), Gareth McGrillen (speed) and Paul Harding (el hornet) going back to their early metal roots and playing their instruments with a little help from a few other musicians. ‘Hold Your Colour’ benefits from live vocals, and leads to a chilled out arms-in-the-air moment.
DJ Friction has the honour of following Pendulum’s hour long set, though a noticeable amount of people have left this sold out event. Though his breakbeat styles go down well, it’s raw drum and bass that is drawing the crowds tonight. And it’s drum and bass they get, with one of the godfather’s of the genre Goldie hitting the decks next. Many people however are waiting for award-winning Andy C’s brand of drum and bass. While Goldie helped introduced D ‘n’ B to the world, Andy C is taking it to it’s limits. The place irrupts again.
With sets from other revered DJs; Breakfasterz, Daywalkers (Live) SP MC, Prophecy & Mark OD, and Tonn Piper, it’s a night full of seamless mixing. Unfortunately the large screens that were present last year telling you the name of the act currently on stage are absent this year, and no one seems to know the running order, which is quite annoying for lesser know artists.
With many of the upcoming nights featuring Aphex Twin and Annie Mac selling out with the Lemon D and Dillinja and New Young Pony Club nights going fast, I recommend that you try and bag a ticket for any of the nights before they end on New Years Day with 2 Many DJs. Radio 1 are broadcasting portions of a few of the nights and have made a documentary about the event if all else fails. There are talks of a permanent venue from the organisers, and looking at how well planned tonight is, with friendly staff and a great atmosphere, I can see it being a huge success story.
review by Danielle Millea photos by Danielle Millea
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