Round up of a standard mental Easter Weekend in Manchester
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.
Kryder's mask crew!
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.
The Dry Barge: Cassini Boat Party
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!
Jaymo & Andy George in control!
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
