The Christmas lights are on thanks to that dude from X Factor, and the booze hounds are camping outside the Christmas markets that open on Friday. 'Tis truly the season to be jolly. 'Tis also the season to burn some pre Christmas calories parading around Manchester's finest dance floors listening to the likes of Frenchy, Tristan Da Cunha and Pete Tong. The weekend is all but upon us and the clubs have heeded the fierce weather warnings and turned up the heat on their bookings. I say this every week, and I'm not ashamed to be repeating myself once again, this weekend is a whopper. Thursday, Friday and Saturday are inundated with quality across the city. House, Techno and Bass dominate proceedings and with the Essential Mix's 20th Anniversary party at The Warehouse Project, Waxwerks popping over the Pennines from Leeds and Mr Jacques Greene flying in from Canada. Manchester is full to the rafters with talent from all across the globe.
Thursday 14th November
Thursday has for many years been the underrated and over looked wild pre-weekend night out. This is a good thing for those that are wise enough to know that ever since the days of Idiosync! at Joshua Brooks, Thursday is an absolute bad ass. Tonight is no different as two promoter heavy weights have teamed up at Oxford Road's personal function room at Odder. Triangular and Heavy Rain as individuals have been smashing the parties in Manchester for quite some time. They, like many before them, understand the benefits of combining their power to bring in artists you would never normally see on a cold Thursday night in mid November in a 300 capacity club. Canadian DJ and producer Jacques Greene is the man they chose to present to you at Odder, and what a night this will be. Ticket sales are through the roof, there's around 100 spots left on the door and it's a one off, limited edition, straight in eyes and ears fist to the sky audio visual masterpiece. My advice is to get there early if you haven't bought a ticket, because those 100 tickets won't last long, and this will be a night to remember.
That's not the only party being thrown down the Oxford Road area tonight by any means. Revolve Records, the cheeky charming little rascals that threw their debut party a couple of months ago down in the depths of the victorian party pit that is Joshua Brooks, are back with Kry Wolf headlining. This has got potential to be a huge Thursday night monthly party, following the same ethos as those incredible little raves we'd skive work on a Friday for.
Friday 15th November
They're back at Gorilla again, the condiment beat dropping party providers Drop the Mustard. They're given us some pretty sweet debuts in recent months, special mention for Gui Boratto which was one of the clubbing highlights of the summer for me. They're at it again dishing out a UK debut to Klangkarussel, the Austrian house duo come to Gorilla to showcase their talents. Summer smash hit 'Sonnentanz' is one to listen out for. In fact anyone with a spare second that wishes to remember what summer is will check out the youtube video for this. Plenty of water bomb banter muddled with some bronzed blonde instagram filter fitties, high rise bubble blowing and watching the sun set arm in arm capturing the greatest moment the planet has ever seen. It's a feel good thing, and the tunes top as well. Kidnap Kid supports, and what a support act to have, finishing a 16 date American tour sharing the decks with the likes of Disclosure and TEED.
On to one for the true music lovers, and those of us that have been to Leeds understand its importance to UK dance music, and understand just how good it is at throwing parties. The lads from Mute! have thought up a genius idea to bring the two top cities in the North together for a night of groove riddled house music across two venues in Manchester. Waxwerks is the underground boutique record shop that backs onto the bare brick basement club The Garage, and is run by Back to Basics boys Tristan Da Cunha and Frenchy. They will join Kieron Sharples and Dan Sanders from Mute! at Eastern Bloc Records in Northern Quarter for an exclusive three hour set on Friday afternoon from 4pm till 7pm. The party is merely warming up at this stage, the Yorkshire / Lancashire divide is bridged once again as they return to their home at South to party with the rest of the Mute! regulars from 11pm onwards. A fantastic collaboration that showcases the DJs and producers that make 'music from the hearts, not the charts', an ethos I for one think should be used a little more often. Top Friday night pick for me.
Saturday 17th November
By the time Saturday rolls around you might well be starting to feel a little fatigued. Well the following line up is enough to make the tiredest man shake a leg to the beat, strap on his disco pants and hop a taxi to Salford Quays. It's the 20th Anniversary of Radio 1's infamous and epic Essential Mix at The Warehouse Project and Pete Tong appears to have ransacked his address book to provide Manchester's biggest club with a line up worthy of such an occasion. This will be recorded live and broadcast on Radio 1 for those who aren't lucky enough to have a ticket. The line-up includes a host of back to back sessions and live performances with the likes of Pete Tong, Eats Everything, Paul Woolford, Booka Shade and Sasha. This continues what has been an incredibly successful and impressive season from The Warehouse Project, and with over a month to go until they close, theres plenty of top DJs to be heard.
Gorilla opens its doors for Rum and Bass as they continue on from their successful debut at the Whitworth street club. This time they present Toyboy & Robin, Taches and Queenie. Expect some bass heavy house, drum and bass, high tempo wall wobbling tunes from these guys, as they look to throw another smash hit party in the Gorilla enclosure.
That's the weekends top picks, and they start tonight! So wether you decide to do one, two or go wild and be out on the town until Sunday morning Manchester and it's party throwing fraternity have got your back. Stick on your favourite Essential Mix and prepare for another amazing weekend here in Manchester.
