My first encounter with a Bitch night was in April with American, house DJ and awesome performer, Gina Star. The hospitality of Venus, the quality of the DJs and the friendliness in the atmosphere made for one of my favourite regular club nights in Manchester. I commented on how the dress code was smart and that I didn’t think people would be there to rave, at first anyway but the rave went on until the early hours, high heels and all. The friendliness of the crowd made you feel welcome and relaxed and people were genuinely there to enjoy themselves. Naturally, I haven’t missed a Bitch or even many Venus nights since. The standards were already high so I was looking forward to a good night but I don’t think anyone knew quite how memorable it would be.

From the Applique Music Showcase, we met our guestlist competition winners by chance so headed down to the club with them, chatting about how refreshing it was to head to The Yacht Club for a chilled out party before the short walk over for the main event. All of their friends seemed to agree with our thoughts, the cool, relaxed warm-up vibe was so much better than just getting smashed in someone’s flat, then staggering into town, half cooked. Landing at Venus just as the venue was starting to fill, I joined my friends already dancing in the back room, giving Lempo some breathing space. He had been stuck with me for 28 hours by this point, poor fella.

I was surprised to hear a lot of my friends hadn’t actually been to Bitch or Venus but when I caught up with them in the main room, I didn’t need to ask if they were enjoying themselves. Big smiles, big dance moves and huge amounts of banter said it all. Then Felix Leiter‘s new tune, “Your Future is Digital”, dropped for the first time of the night.

You can tell a big tune will be huge when you first hear it in a club by the way the crowd reacts and wow, the crowd reacted. Even the remaining few who weren’t already dancing were bouncing, fists in the air, massive grins on the faces of the Venus faithful. Club bangers like this need a packed nightclub to reach their audio-orgasmic potential. As expected, Felix Leiter’s set was nothing short of extra-ordinary. Technically sound but as I’ve said before, in a club it’s about making the crowd happy. If you’ve seen the Bitch TV episode with the Felix Leiter interview already, you’ll see how up-for-it the whole place seemed to be. As resident at Digital in Newcawstle, Mr. Leiter is used to a solid, clubbing audience and this showed in his confidence in the booth, reading what the crowd likes and playing to their tastes.

Kim Fai also stepped up the game, raising the bar once more. By this point the crowd were well and truly buzzing, Kim concentrating on the audience to keep the mood at the clubing sweet spot Felix had produced. We were stood behind him for a short while, a rare occassion yes as we tend to stay in the middle of the party not posing in the booth and just just observed as hundreds of dancing party animals beckoned to Kim’s every call.

Kim was clearly enjoying himself too, dancing away behind the decks, with Lempo on the other side of the booth pumping up the crowd jumping up and down with excitement as the big tunes kicked in. Playing a lot of tunes from Steve Angello’s Size Records, understandably, the biggest hit seemed to be his remix of “Sun & Moon” by Above and Beyond, which coincidentally ties in with our DMM Raver of the Week Award. And the winner is…drum roll please… Jono (aka Jonathan Lee) from Applique!

At this point, Lempo, myself and Emily, a new friend of DMM’s, headed over to the Renaissance Hotel to interview Felix. Being a packed clubnight, not everything always goes according to schedule, so we were stood chilling outside for a short period when some clearly messed up guy, covered in blood and totally oblivious to his condition tried to get into Venus. Quick note, he hadn’t come from Venus, in fact trouble of any kind is rare but nevertheless he was still trying to talk to Lempo and myself. As polite and friendly as Lempo is, how he kept his patience, I don’t know as the guy was trying to lean on him, rest his arm on Lempo’s shoulder, all whilst covered in blood. He did though and earned even more respect from myself and Emily as many in his situation wouldn’t have been so considerate.

We then crossed over to the Renaissance, for the Bitch TV interview with Felix. We all sat down and before Lempo had chance to introduce us, Felix being the gent that he is, introduced himself with complete sincerity. Now this is a guy who’s just smashed the hell out of a club, releasing an incredible track on Bitch Music and has an incredible past, present and future ahead of him and he still has the time of day to be a genuine bloke. Good game mate, good game.

The interview itself was awesome to watch, a few out-takes were made before we could get the full video but it was very funny to behold. Quite interesting to watch an interview from the camera behind the camera too, letting Lempo take control of the conversation. It was quite impressive too, watching him switch from DJ, to radio host, to clubber and then to interviewer without a blink of an eye. Will have to take lessons from the man himself I reckon!

The final cut of the interview is embedded as part of an incredible video by Jo3 Design that really highlights what is so awesome about Bitch. It’s not just a club night but it’s how club night’s should be, everybody is dancing, all enjoying an epic night and Joe’s skill behind a camera catches it perfectly. It’s extremely difficult to do this night justice writing this chapter but this video should help immensely! Watch it now:

Heading back to the club, we managed to catch the end of Kim’s set, the crowd still manically dancing away. When something I’d been waiting for most of the weekend finally happened. The launch of B3. We had heard the B3 promo mix and knew this was going to be something special. When Martyn Russo, Pete Mobey and Lempo himself donned B3 t-shirts and headed towards the booth, the crowd seemed to go crazy, ourselves included.

These were the lads they have known and loved for ages, lads that knew the audience, the music and exactly how to play together but this was their first live gig as a trio, so would the pressure get to them? Not in the slightest. Using the experience they have as individuals, during Bitch nights and The Bitch Show on Unity Radio, they tore the crowd apart. I have genuinely never seen a more perfectly targeted club set and neither had the hundreds of crazed animals, raving on the dance floor. The set must have been meticulously planned as the three seemed to relay off each other, each knowing exactly what the others were doing at any time, whilst still partying as if they were on the other side of the booth! Adding to this, 80-90% of the tracks were bootlegs, all of which seemed to be perfect for the occasion, the party was immense.

Then this happened:

As we hit that moment of peace, the build up before the big drop on Avicii’s, “Super Love”, the crowd stopped dancing and sat down. Now we know sit-downs have happened before but when the Swedish House Mafia did it at Creamfields, they actually asked the crowd to do it. B3 had nothing to do with this as it was genuinely a sign of the massive amount of respect everyone had for Lempo, Pete and Martyn. When the track dropped, Venus went absolutely mental. Awesome moment, one the B3 lads will remember for a long time.

The set I saw from B3 was something that had to be seen to be believed. I would go as far as to say it was the best 4-5am set at the club to date. They set up Frater & Stent for the best 5-6am set too. B3…The ones to watch. Ben, Manager of Venus Nightclub, Manchester.

At the end of B3′s set, Frater & Stent jumped in with the Bitch trio, massive credit to Chris and Ryan, they didn’t allow the party to fade for one instant, providing the perfect end to the night.

One last thing to mention, is a massive thank you to Eddy Gosht (Oh My Gosht Photography) for allowing us to use the incredible club night photos he takes. If you like them, check out the Oh My Gosht Facebook Page! Also a thanks to Adrian Jones (Reworked Robot) for the Youtube Video of the B3 sit down, Venus for their hospitality as always, Bitch for providing such an awesome monthly event and everyone else involved so far this weekend.

Download the B3 Promo Mix for FREE or read Chapter 4 – Applique Music Announcement NOW!

Follow:

Lempo
B3
Pete Mobey
Martyn Russo
Kim Fai
Felix Leiter
Chris J Frater
Venus Manchester
Bitch Events
and Dance Music Manchester on Twitter.

Like:

Venus Manchester
Bitch Events
and Dance Music Manchester on Facebook

If you’re enjoying the #48HrsWith @IamLempo story so far, don’t worry. There will be at least 2 more chapters, about our day in the Applique Music studio, the DJs on the label and a full interview with Lempo himself, the next chapter being published on Saturday evening!

Boots n cats!

My Friday afternoon ended as per usual. A sneaky beer after work with the lads. That is where the normality ended as I was heading straight to Unity Radio, Manchester for #48HrsWith @IamLempo. 48 hours that anyone involved will remember for a very, very long time.

We were joined at the studio by his DJ / label partner, Japwow, alongside bitch residents Martyn Russo and Pete Mobey (Pedro) for what was to become, the birth of #48HrsWith. At this point, everyone involved knew it would be a big weekend,  consisting of music, banter, alcohol and a severe lack of sleep. However, I don’t think anyone realised quite how much we could squeeze into one weekend, where I would witness one of the greatest club-sets I’ve ever seen, meet some legendary heroes of dance music, chill with local but incredible musical talent and party with the best.

Unity Radio #TheBitchShow – 8pm – 11pm
I’m not a stranger to The Bitch Show but Friday had a real family, party-like vibe to it. Starting an hour earlier, the show was a cracker, with mixes from the mysterious B3, Bitch headliners Kim Fai and Felix Leiter with D.O.D added in for that little extra flavour. As you’d all expect, the mixes from Kim, Felix and D.O.D were all of the highest standard and would have made an incredible show alone but after the B3 promo mix that was released online last week, there was the added excitement surrounding this unknown entity. That intriguing feeling of will this be an absolute smasher or fall at the first hurdle. Judging by the social media and the way the studio bounced for the entire set, we could not see it being anything but a huge success.

As Bitch were launching their very own music label last weekend, it was only fitting that the debut release dropped on air and what a track that is. Hearing it for the first time on decent speakers, highlighted to me the awesomeness and power it had. Felix Leiter has provided Bitch with an insanely huge first single, “Your Future is Digital”, one that will be a really tough act to follow.

On top of the already high standard of music, was the standard of banter. I had a really interesting conversation with the talented and lovely Japwow about her awesome experiences as a DJ, producer and label owner. Enticed by her stories of DJing in New Zealand, The US and pretty much everywhere there is a party, my eyes opened up to the fact that some of the nicest, most humble  people around have lead incredible, exciting lives of both highs and lows but also how much dedication it really takes to become a World class DJ and producer.

We also talked about the unbelievable lineup Bitch has in store for Mint Festival in Leeds. If we could share this, we would but what we can say is this is one festival not to miss out on come September.

The comedy highlight of the night comes from the off-the-cuff edit of Cedric Gervais’ Molly, replacing Molly with the tantastic absentee, Griff, which had everyone in stitches.

Has anyone seen Griff? – Coming soon from Lempo, Pedro and Russo!

Pre-party beers with Lempo and Japwow

After the show, we had a couple of hours spare before heading to Sankeys. The trio headed down to Venus to fulfil our thirst for a little bit of trance at one of the North’s finest trance nights, Rong, with Simon Patterson, Jordan Suckley and Heatbeat were leading the line-up.

Sometimes, trance can be a little heavy for most people but when it’s done well, clubs like Venus erupt and that’s exactly what happened when Cosmic Gate’s, Fire Wire dropped to the adoration of the Manchester revellers. If you’re a fan of your dance music, a little bit on the speedier side, the last Friday of every month always goes off with Rong at Venus, so head down.

Our next stop was Sankeys, with a slight detour in the direction of Socio Rehab for a chilled one before the madness really kicks in. A great bar with really cool music at the weekend, easy to chill and talk but ever so tempting to get up and move your feet, another highly recommended Northern Quarter venue that you will definitely catch Dance Music Manchester frequenting if you keep your eyes peeled.

Upon arrival at Sankeys, we were greeted with warm hospitality… and a bottle of Grey Goose vodka. Lempo and Japwow’s set started at 4, so we chilled upstairs in Spektrum then raved downstairs to main room sets from veteran DJ legends, Graeme Park and Todd Terry, who we had the pleasure to speak to in Spektrum, alongside our mutual friend the gorgeous Sarah Whittle. Happy Birthday for today Sarah! Again, an absolute honour to meet such a hero, my mind running through the idea of how cool it would be if the talented threesome combined on a track, blending their backgrounds together into something that would be pretty magical.

In the early hours of the mornig, almost as if they snapped into a DJ state, Lempo and Japwow hit the decks at 4am with a sublime set, a real showcase of their music, the label and their talent, still visibly enjoying themselves in the process. As relaxed as they had been all night, seeing them flick the DJ switch on, hitting every beat but still providing the banter, was a joy to see. As individuals, they are both impressive people. Together, something seems to click, a visible chemistry on the decks. The highlight’s including the Lempo and Japwow remix of Funky Beat by U.M. Project, out now on Applique and their forthcoming remix of “Hey Ey Ey” by Mark Starr on DBR.

By 5/6am, we headed back to the Lempo residence, for a couple more drinks (I began to think DJs are allergic to sleep) before passing out for a few vital hours before we started again. Friday night was an awesome party but Saturday had massive plans for ourselves and the rest of Manchester. With the Applique Music Label Showcase at The Yacht Club, another radio show, interviews on Bitch TV and live sets from Kim Fai, Felix Leiter and a ridiculously memorable set by B3,  it was a day and night to remember but we’ll cover that in the next chapters.

Read more from #48HrsWith @IamLempo tomorrow night only on DanceMusicManchester.co.uk

*UPDATE* – You can listen to the Lempo and Japwow set from Sankeys on SoundCloud on DMM!

Read Chapter 2 – Hangovers, Label Showcases, Off-The-Cuff B2B DJ Sets and Buskers

Follow:
Lemp o
Lempo and Japwow
Martyn Russo
Pete Mobey
Todd Terry
and Dance Music Manchester on Twitter.

Like:
Lempo and Japwow,
Rong
and Dance Music Manchester on Facebook

My God, what a weekend.

So this weekend, I had the absolute pleasure of spending 44 hours (over the space of 52) with Bitch Resident DJ, face of Bitch TV, host of the Bitch radio show,  1/3 of the Applique Music label, 1/2 of the brilliant DJ duo Lempo and Japwow and as we found out on Saturday, 1/3 of the “super-residency” that is B3. Not only this but a talented graphic designer, loving husband to the great Mrs. Lempo and all around pretty sound guy.

The next few articles, photos, competitions, videos and downloads aren’t just reviews of club nights but should hopefully show you all what happens behind the scenes. The work-ethic it takes to step up in the music  industry, the family that is created in the process and of course, the parties along the way.

Now, purely for the size of the weekend, I can’t write this in one go. So we’re splitting the whole weekend into several chapters and will be releasing one, hopefully every night until Friday. The story will follow everything from raving to Todd Terry and Graeme Park in Sankeys before the Lempo & Japwow set in Spektrum – all the way to the incredible studio session Lempo had with Japwow and Jonathan Lee on Sunday evening.

Add into the mix an awesome chill out set / pre-party in front of a packed Yacht Club, a completely off the cuff B2B set with Chris J Frater live on air, interviews with Kim Fai and Felix Leiter, meeting legendary DJs and producers such as the likes of Todd Terry and an insane night at Venus where we witnessed one of the best scenes in a club we’ve ever seen at the hands of B3.

What do we have? An incredible #48HrsWith @IamLempo.

Over the next few nights, I’ll be saying it straight, as it happened. We will be covering every gig, show and interview with plenty of downloads, competitions, photos and videos. So if you have your highlight, get in touch on our Facebook / Twitter and we’ll try and squeeze it in! This weekend was about the people we met, the music and the party so we’re looking forward to writing all about it.

Read Chapter 1 – Unity Radio, Rong, Socio Rehab, Sankeys and Casa de Lempo Now!

 

 

For anyone who’s ever been to a Bitch night, whether in Newcastle, Ireland, Croatia or in our fair city of Manchester, at Venus, you’ll know and love that electric feeling, that goosebump-inducing party vibe created only by the best club nights, DJs and crowds. Well, after 6 memorable years, the distinctive sound that fuels our weekends will cumulate in the launch of a new music label, rolling up that distinctive sound and sharing it with the rest of the World.

The ethos of this imprint will be to bring the unique and powerful sound, which delves deep at every sell out gig Bitch Events hosts, to the masses. Not only will it fully represent the recognisable beat that pounds the dance floor and entertains the Bitch faithful it will push boundaries, introduce new producers and set Bitch on a progression to tick off yet another box that will see them stamp their undeniably successful formula on the record industry.

With the exciting news that Bitch will be launching their own record label and Felix Leiter’s club-smasher, “Your Future is Digital” having the honour of the debut release, this weekend’s Bitch at Venus will not be a night to miss. If you have read our #48HrsWith Announcement you will already know that DMM will be shadowing Lempo and hosting games and competitions over Facebook and Twitter all weekend, including Saturday night at Bitch, so catch us,  Felix, the awesome Kim Fai, Bitch residents Lempo, Martyn Russo, Pete Mobey, Chris J Frater, Mark Kovich, Reworked Robot and Andy Clarke from 11pm – 6am.

Tickets: £12 on Skiddle.com
Like Bitch Promotions on Facebook
Follow Bitch on Twitter

#GoHardOrGoHome

On 30^th June, Venus will be hosting a very special weekend that will be watched by many… Maybe even the world… And on the bill for the incredible event is the king of electro and firm favourite to Bitch – Kim Fai. Joining him for this epic night will be; Felix Leiter who is not a warm up kind of guy! Undoubtedly one of the biggest names from the North East, he is coming to Manchester to show us how to party! With over a decade of experience in the dance music world and a resident at Digital in Newcastle, this Geordie is a reet jammie lad and is doing pretty dam well for himself! Validated by Cr2 Records, Ministry Of Sound, Spinnin’ Records, Strictly Rhythm, Black Hole Recordings and 3Beat, just to name a few – Felix is a real force to be reckoned with in the studio.

Join Kim Fai and Felix Leiter on the 30^th June to celebrate; Dance music, good times and the fact were nearly in July, with no summer on the horizon… They will cheer us all up and bring in their own kind of sunshine! Sunnies and dancing shoes at the ready! Here we caught up with Felix in the run up to Bitch.

 Hi Felix, how are you and what are your plans for the week?

Pretty normal week for me, in the studio through followed by a weekend of Dj’ing! All the other promo stuff, making my radio show and searching for new music fits in around that… It’s a great life!

You’ve been involved in Dance music for over a decade; tell us about your endeavours over the years?

I started out as a Dj & promoter when I was 16, I started a night with my best mate called Lucid and we booked people like Seb Fontaine, Danny Rampling, Judge Jules, X-Press 2, Sander Kleinenberg and many more… It was a load of fun, we lost a small fortune along the way, but met some great people and learnt a lot of stuff that is now invaluable to me.

You’re a resident at Digital in Newcastle, what’s your history there?

After moving to Newcastle 6 years ago I was lucky enough to be offered a residency at a new club called Digital, it’s been a huge privilege to be a part of the family for so long and see the club’s global standing rise to such amazing levels! DJ Mag recently gave us 11^th best club in the world & best large UK club.

What are your current top three tracks that are doing the damage on the dance floors?

Felix Leiter – Your Future Is Digital

Felix Leiter – Elektriqa

Felix Leiter – Little Man Lion

Sorry, I had to!

For anyone who hasn’t experienced one of your sets, what should they expect?

I’m not a serious heads down kind of DJ, I like to enjoy my sets as much as possible, they’re supposed to be fun right? It’s a nightclub not a fucking library!

Do you have much planned in the near future from a production perspective?

Got a constant flow or originals, re-mixes and bootlegs coming on… People might not realise but from conception to release of a track can sometimes take up to a year, it can be frustrating at times! So expect to hear a shed load more from me in the coming months…

Where’s your favourite club on earth?

Digital. I’m emotionally and contractually obliged to say that!

What’s the most memorable moment of your career?

Dj’ing with Armand Van Helden. He’s one of my inspirations.

What’s your most valuable possession?

I don’t really give a **** about possessions, I live life for experiences, not to sit and look at stuff.

Who’s the nicest guy/girl in Dance music?

I’ve got to give you two guys, The Utah Saints! Tim & Jez literally ARE the nicest men in Dance… Legends, plain and simple.

Finally – a message to the Bitch faithful who you will be entertaining in June?

Bring me a Sambuca and let’s have a dance off!

You can catch Felix, alongside Kim Fai at Bitch in Manchester next Saturday for the Bitch Music launch party, with Kim Fai, Bitch residents and an exciting announcement about B3 on the night too!

Venus Nightclub, 30th June 2012
Tickets: £12
Doors: 23:00 – 0600

Buy tickets online