Easter weekend was so huge, we’ve only just recovered. Catching up this weekend,  Kurt-Lee, SpamellaB and James have tried to capture the highlights in one article, so you can relive your Easter with DMM!

EASTER SATURDAY

Bitch Presents Will Gold & Kryder @ Venus Manchester

Bitch commenced with Reworked Robot, kicking off the night and getting the crowd rowdy for another sold-out Bitch night at Venus. As always, he warmed the crowd up well, and when B3ast took to the decks at 12, the atmosphere was already buzzing. Keeping the bar high, the B3ast trio of Lempo, Pedro and Russo had the club’s hands up in the air, improving their performances every time we see them.

We spoke to Will Gold prior to playing his debut Bitch set and tried to describe the passion and enthusiasm that make Venus unique. Dropping ‘Sweet Harmony’, his collaboration with Bitch resident Reworked Robot, proved to be a huge crowd pleaser, the Venus faithful bouncing to every beat. Will said how shocked he was at how much a small club could make such a huge impact on a DJ.

Next up was this months headline act and Bitch favourite, Kryder. The man behind the visor received a huge reception from the crowd, playing an explosive, progressive house set, dropping his newest tracks ‘Vyper’ and ‘Scorpio’ alongside releases from Alesso, the Swedish House Mafia and other huge names in the prog-house scene. A little bit of variety from the DJ we know to play heavy, filthy bass-lines but cool to see that whatever he plays, it goes down well.

As a huge favourite of the Bitch regulars, a fair amount of the crowd got involved in slightly different and quirky ways, bringing Kryder masks and Bitch sunglasses, ready for the huge drops, purely to show their love for the Manchester DJ, returning after travelling the world on tour.

As always, the Bitch residents kept the party going past 6am, wrapping up another cracking, sell-out event. Expect more of the same for Michael Woods next month!

Words by @KurtLee_DMM - Photos by Oh My Gosht Photography

EASTER SUNDAY

Cassini Boat Party / Sound Control

As the aftermath of the hangovers from the night before were only just subsiding, by 3pm it was time to get back on it all over again for round two of the Easter Weekend. James and I headed down to Sound Control to meet the rest of the Cassini boat party crew then ventured over to Dukes 92 where the sun was shining and the Dry Barge boat was waiting for us to jump on board.

We weren’t sure what to expect as we stepped down into the spacious area, complete with a DJ area and decks plus a fully-stocked bar and outside undercover smoking area. A crowd of about 50 were all smiling from ear to ear as the boat set sail down the canal and the music kicked in, a great 3 hours set of tech house.

Seeing the delights of Manchester on such a gorgeous day by boat, with drinks flowing and a fun, chilled atmosphere, we couldn’t have wanted anything else to soothe our heads and get us in the party mood for another heavy night later. While some were dancing around others were enjoying the views, chatting with their mates and getting the drinks in, everyone was having a great time and the novelty of partying on a boat definitely added to the experience.

By 7pm we returned to our starting point, the boat anchored up and we all got off slightly merrier and keen for the party to continue back at Sound Control, where the likes of Gemma Furbank, Hew Williams, Epic Noise Guy, Kreso and loads more were to treat party-goers to hours’ more of tech house sounds. We headed home to freshen up, grab some food to keep us going, back to Sound Control for a couple of hours before heading to our next party; Jaymo & Andy George over at Underdog / Black Dog Ballroom.

Words by @SpamellaB

Underdog Presents Moda Black’s Jaymo & Andy George @ Black Dog Ballroom

James and I hit one of our favourite venues, Black Dog Ballroom, for a few chilled drinks before heading down to its basement area, Underdog, where Radio One In New DJs We Trust pioneers and the names behind Moda Black, Jaymo & Andy George, were to perform a live set. Being huge fans of the label and hyped for their Moda Black Vol. II compilation, the guys filled the underground space with their recognisable deep bass/house sounds which gradually had the dance floor moving and progressing from the shuffle/two-step!

We must mention Underdog’s fantastic Funktion One sound system which really added to the experience and allowed us to enjoy and appreciate the music even more; more clubs and venues should certainly invest in this. Both Jaymo and Andy George are not only insanely talented at what they do, but both were incredibly friendly and approachable, happy to talk to fans who came up to their booth and get photos taken with them. We caught them for a quick chat about being in Manchester and the anticipation of the new compilation; both lads were buzzing and could not be more excited for their next release.

We had to cut the night short so could catch the second half of Pirupa‘s set at Gorilla so we said goodbye to the guys and promoter of the night, Keiran Sharples, and agreed that we had to return to this New Wakefield venue in the near future.

Words by @SpamellaB

Gorilla & mute! Present Pirupa

To conclude our evening of madness, SpamellaB and I mooched around the corner to Gorilla to catch the second half of Pirupa’s set. A name we talked about a lot throughout 2012 but one we had yet to see in person, we were intrigued to see and hear how he would perform. Arriving to a packed club, the bass-heavy, minimal tech was pounding out of the speakers to a captive audience of drunken revellers, lost in their own worlds of simple but addictive beats.

As our first trip to the new(ish) venue, we commented on how impressed we both were with the distinctive, “under-the-arches” / “somewhere between a club and a live-performance stage” room. The high ceilings provide for a different (but welcomed) sound, in comparison to the usually low, basement rooms that we are more familiar with across town. The relatively large stage proved to be a focal point which had more in comparison with the smaller rooms at the Warehouse Project than most clubs, whilst keeping the slightly more intimate club vibes we know and love.

A huge shame we couldn’t see Thick As Thieves, Bump and the mute! DJs as there were just too many acts this weekend but we’re all really looking forward to the next opportunity to seeing them live in our awesome city of Manchester.

Words by @dmm_james.

Warehouse Project Presents Alesso & Friends

After an already amazing weekend, we decided to end it with a bang at The Warehouse Project. Heading to room 2 to check out local lad Nick Coulson, dropping some bombers including a massive mix of Lana Del Rey’s ‘Summertime Sadness’ to a huge crowd. Up next was Otto Knows, who needs no introduction with his huge success in the charts with ‘Million Voices’ and generally being huge  in the dance scene.

The WHP crowd was in the palm of his hand as he dropped some big house hits. It was great to meet Otto after his set, complimenting him on his performance, to which he explained how much he enjoyed playing his first ever set in the UK with such an awesome crowd reaction.

Next up was the hugely talented DMM favourite, Alesso. From start to finish, he went all out in his set, showing his enthusiasm and passion for the music throughout. His own track, Years, sent the crowd into a state of euphoria as part of one of the biggest and best sets I have ever seen. Hugely popular within the Victoria Warehouse venue this Easter Sunday.

Sunnery James and Ryan Marciano finished off this already amazing night with a B2B set to the more hardcore ravers who were partying until the end. This was another huge WHP night and with DMM going to virtually all the gigs last year,  the Summer will feel empty without a regular gig down in Trafford Park. We cannot wait for the finished renovations to room 1 and to see who the WHP team will be brining to Manchester from September.

Words by @KurtLee_DMM

We turned up at Venus early just as it was opening (11pm) to be faced with an already-long queue waiting to experience tonight’s Bitch. After last month’s sold out event and with Bitch easily being one of the best nights Manchester has to offer, we couldn’t wait to see what the night would bring.

First to kick off the night was the very talented Reworked Robot, a DJ/producer signed to Zulu Records and part of Applique Music, who got the crowd going instantly thanks to his brilliant warm-up set. Martyn Russo and Pete Mobey were up next, who together with Mike McGuinness (Lempo) are also known as b3ast.

Due to health reasons Lempo had to miss out unfortunately and you could tell how much everyone was missing him throughout the night; the crowd showed their respect and support by chanting his name and doing the famous Venus ‘L’ signature, which made it a very emotional but fantastic set. All of the Venus staff and DJs were blown away by the reaction of the crowd which shows that Bitch isn’t just another club night and Venus isn’t just another venue; it’s a family. Here’s what Russo had to say:

“There are a lot of nights I’ve played at where people come and have a good time, dance and a beer. But last night during our set at Bitch something became clear to me and Pete on the decks… And Mike not there due to serious illness/injury resting in hospital. The music came into a breakdown and the whole of the crowd started into chants of ‘Lempo, Lempo, Lempo’. It then made me realise that this isn’t just a bunch of ravers in a club, it’s a family, the night is a family, the club. Nearly brought a tear to my eye mid-set and I know Ric and Pete both felt the same way.”

D.O.D followed on from this powerful set and as always, smashed it and sent the dance floor wild. It was now time for this month’s headlining act, Dannic, who had just returned from a world-wide tour with some of the biggest DJs. We had anticipated that this guy knew how to kick off a party with his own individual style and dirty beats and he did not disappoint on the night, bringing something different which resulted in a huge applause from the crowd when he finished.

It was Venus resident DJ, Paul Nag, who really topped off the night. After speaking to Paul about music regularly, those who know him will tell you just how passionate he is about music and Djing and he has a lot of time for people who appreciate his sounds. From the start of his set on the night, Paul came out and destroyed the main room, giving the crowd what they wanted and showed why he could easily be headlining the big room events.

Yet again, Bitch at Venus was another huge success and people are already talking about the next one, which see’s the hugely insane and popular Kryder headline the night. As always we’ll see you there!

Photography

We’d just like to say a big thanks to Eddy Gosht of Oh My Gosht Photography for the images in this review. A top club night/festival/music event photographer, check out his website and the full album for the night here.

Some of the DMM crew headed down to Tiger Tiger, Printworks, on 18th February with a few of the local ravers for one of Monday’s main student nights in Manchester, Dropout (T-shirt Party). After experiencing Pout @ Revolutions a few weeks ago, we were wondering how its Monday night rival would match up.

When we got there the White Room, mainly all about dance music, wasn’t open yet so we hit the bar to take advantage of the ridiculously cheap drinks. With Vodka Redbulls for only 75p for a single and Jagerbombs for only £1, you can see why it’s so popular with students and how easy it is to get very messy, very cheaply!

The front room had all types of music blasting out, from R’n’B to chart/pop classics, while over in the now-open White Room was Bitch and Dropout resident, Martyn Russo. We’ve all had the pleasure of experiencing Russo’s sets before at venues such as Mint Festival in Leeds and Venus nightclub in Manchester, plus we can’t forget to mention his reputation for his now-infamous Knife Party ‘Internet Friends’ boot stunt; we knew already that his set was going to smash up the night before he even got going.

The White Room didn’t take long to fully fill up as people seemed to favour the dance music more to the other room but this could have been down to Russo treating us to some absolute club classics and filthy beats. What made this room even more appealing was Russo giving away free Dropout t-shirts to the crowd, who had to work for them by starting their own dance trends, which was great fun and added a bit of entertainment, plus everyone loves a freebie!

It was a massive night, a lot of fun and the atmosphere was comparable to that of a big club on a Saturday night, so we praise Tiger Tiger for what turned out to be a successful school night party. If you’ve not been yet, whether you’re a student or not, you need to check this night out and be part of Dropout for the night!

Thanks to Leigh ‘Lilly’ Roughton for photos of the night!

On Saturday 29th September, Manchester’s biggest monthly house night celebrates it’s 6th Birthday with one hell of a party in store for those attending. We’re big fans of Bitch and Venus the Club at Dance Music Manchester and since we popped our Bitch cherry we’ve only missed one event so far. This is purely down to the fact we love the crowd, the club and the music so we massively recommend heading down to Venus on the 29th for what promises to be an incredible night.

Have we forgotten something? Oh yes… Not only have the Bitch Events team booked the legend that is Michael Woods to headline the event alongside the awesome squad of resident DJs for the club but they are also hosting a full arena at the brand new Mint Festival in Leeds, a one day event with some of the cream of the crop from the DJ World in attendance.

In June, the at the time unknown entity B3 was finally revealed, with Bitch residents Lempo, Russo and Pedro combining into a super-group that well and truly shocked the club with a stormer of a set. One of the best set’s we’ve witnessed at DMM, judging by the crowd reaction, atmosphere, variety and technicalities involved, the trio used their knowledge of the Bitch crowd and performed a memorable set to the Venus faithful. As their second ever gig together is at a festival, the lads will go far and have our every faith that they will make the festival-crowd go wild. If you missed their debut, make sure you head over to Leeds so you can witness B3 before they’re huge and in the future you can say, “Yes, I was there!”

The same night as the birth of B3, Bitch launched their new music label, announcing their first release as Felix Leiter‘s, “Your Future is Digital“. A track that made the crowd go wild and Felix’s set raised the bar for what was a truly memorable Saturday night. You can catch Felix at Mint Festival, to see what the fuss was all about.

After smashing it out at Creamfields, with SpamllaB, Kurt Lee, Party Animal and myself throwing some mad shapes at the front of the crowd, Manchester based DJ, Kryder, will be bringing the bass with what will be an unmistakably eclectic set, mixed with his new releases, remixes of classics and on-trend floor fillers, as he always does, whatever the venue. Hopefully, the Mint staff will have checked the smoke cannons are working or the fire extinguishers will be coming out once more!

Leading the charge the Bitch Arena, is the legend known as Mr. Eddie Halliwell after kicking the living daylights out of dance floors across the globe this year, from India to Croatia and at the end of September we will be graced with his presence in Lotherton Hall, Leeds. I don’t think we need to explain how good an Eddie Halliwell party is, do we?

A “special guest announcement” will be made shortly with another World class headline act that will impress even the most dedicated of ravers. We’re privileged enough to know who this is and my God this act is HUUUGGEEEE! Trust your DMM friends on this one! Radio 1 DJ, and Bitch favourite, Danny Howard will join forces with the incredible Third Party, Bitch regular D.O.D., Riley & Durrant, Dale Castell and Mikey Nelson completing the Bitch Arena.

Over the next few days, we’ll be doing a preview on each of the arenas, so watch this space as there are some awesome acts involved including Jamie Jones, Seth Troxler and Reboot (and that’s just the System and Flux Arena!)

Tickets for Mint are still on sale, if you’re heading over from Manchester, the lovely folks at Bitch are providing a coach from Venus, to Leeds and back again, just in time for Bitch @ Venus! As another gift, they’re packaging up a ticket to the festival, the return travel and a ticket to the club for just £60. Who fancies a party from midday to 6am? We know we do!

Follow Bitch on Facebook / Twitter
Follow Mint Festival on Facebook / Twitter
Book tickets for Mint Festival

After the insane night I had at Bitch in June, for #48HrsWith @IamLempo, I decided not to take a camera, not to try and talk to everyone that I need to but to just party as hard as possible, so this review should be a little different to the normal. What a night it was though.

I headed down to Venus shortly before it opened with John Morris,  Lempo and Japwow before their sets. Seeing Venus before it opened was quite unusual as it always seems packed when we head down but the DJs and the staff were already enjoying themselves, preparing the night’s tracks and general banter about Ibiza and recent gigs. As the club opened, the queue was already around the corner and a fair way down Deansgate, so we knew we were in for a busy one. Especially so, considering Global Gathering was in full force by now.

Lempo and Japwow opened up the night, playing an hour’s worth of their newest tracks and Venus favourites, Kurt (@kurtlee_dmm) and myself (@dmm_james) were already on the dance floor, warming up for the now infamous #DMMDanceOff to some awesome music from 2/3 of Applique Music, their Funky Beat remix had us grooving early on.

Japwow handed over to John Morris, who shared the decks with Lempo for the second hour of more awesome music. It was at this point where DMM’s new writer, Don Juan de la Nooch (aka James Noonan), arrived and we headed over to Russo’s set in the back room.

“I always look forward to the last Saturday of the month. Bitch Events is one of the few nights I get where I can just dance the night away to some truly class music and not have to worry about things like work or….well work mostly, and I’m glad to say this month’s offering didn’t disappoint.” James Noonan (Don Juan!)

Hopping behind the decks with him and my some of our  friends, Noonan’s night had officially kicked off. Martyn played big, as usual, and the crowd loved it, especially when he played a mashup of the Million voices in my mind – Chris Finnegan Bootleg (http://soundcloud.com/chris-finnegan/million-voices-in-my-mind) as well as his own Million Voice Apologize Booty (http://soundcloud.com/dj-martyn-russo/otto-knows-vs-one-republic-2) to which they went wild!

After his set, the real party began! Both of the James’s and Kurt from the DMM team, as well as a few others then kicked the party off in full swing with the official #DMMDanceOff. This had been hyped up to the max on twitter and I’m glad to say we didn’t disappoint! Jimmy’s hips, Kurts dips and James’s tricks are always a highlight! It didn’t matter about what tune was playing, so long as we were having fun and getting people involved.

Around 4am we heading to the bar for a few drinks, but were soon back on it, raving like lunatics and showing the world that we’re not just there to write about stuff, but also to prove we are first and foremost ravers! Now at this point we have to be honest, we were there PURELY for the party this night and that was exactly what we got. Everywhere we were, the music was awesome but it was all about the atmosphere. Created half by the tunes and half by the crowd, we couldn’t help but enjoy ourselves.

The highlight of the night…well I say highlight, there were two of them…The first has to be hearing one of my favourite summer tunes, Deadmau5 and Chris James – The Veldt (Tommy Trash Remix)  blasting out through the speakers:

The second has to be, having such a good night partying that we hadn’t even realised the time. We were raving to Paul Nag’s set which, in true Bitch style, was to a packed Venus at 6.30 in the morning! We didn’t think it was even past 3 at this point, a true and honest testament to the night.

Already counting the days down until our next Bitch….(sadly its not for another two months as next month is the big one: Creamfields)!

One last note, a massive thank you to Eddie Gosht from Oh My Gosht Photography for allowing us to use his stunning photos from the night. A truly quality photographer and a top bloke, highly recommended by DMM. Check out the " target="_blank">Oh My Gosht Photography Facebook Page for more!