Live
Green Velvet - Friday 30th November 2007

Manchester on a friday night is taut and ready to party. you can hear the thundering bass from the warehouse project (not to be confused with the sounds of overhead trains) long before you can see the entrance, hidden as it is in an underpass beneath the train station. security is as heavy as the bass, with a sniffer dog eyeing everyone up and down on the way in.

We push our way through dark curtains to find ourselves at once within the cavernous venue; dark, smoky and atmospheric; just as green velvet drops ‘blue monday’ into the mix and everything feels soooo right. the place is a strange combination of massive but claustrophobic; echoingly empty yet loud and crowded. the heady scent of amyl nitrate chases us through the crowds as we try to manoeuvre our way to a good dancing / hearing position. Green Velvet really shakes the place up, playing jumpy electro classics in bug-like shades.

There is no messing between acts, with the inimitable miss kittin taking the stage hot on his heels, shimmering in sequins beside her dark foil the hacker. they are hot as ever, with her talking and singing over his thudding beats, bringing some gallic style to the flaky brick underside of Manchester City. There is a little dullness to the sparkle – perhaps it’s too early (1-2am) and the crowd aren’t into it enough yet, perhaps miss kittin peaks much later (6am saw her welcoming the sunrise with a thundering set at sonar earlier this year). the highlight is their version of elvis’ ‘suspicious minds’ – a beautiful song performed by a captivating lady, making sparks dance inside the eyes.

Andrew Weatherall ably takes over, playing a capable set of dancing tunes that reverberate around the venue, as we get into our stride. glasgow’s optimo djs take to the decks last of all, completing tonight’s line up of veteran clubfolk, and as the warehouse presses into its final throes we are deftly manoeuvred into their headset with a delicate mixture of bangers and fun, ever-so-neatly lifting us up and around. and here is where ‘thw…’ takes her leave, with ears ringing and tired legs still wanting to dance: resisting to the temptation to find an afterparty and carry on doing just that.

We twist out into a street blocked with honking taxis, happy to wend our pedestrian way through and away. the warehouse project is an awesome set-up – the soundsystem for such a massive venue is incredible, and the line-ups throughout october, november and up until the new year are all amazing – look it up: there’s plenty more quality still to come from this crowd… Amelia - tohellwith