With the swill of freshers-friendly novelty nights now behind us, the period between now and Christmas tends to be one of the most fruitful for clubbers in Manchester. For the first in a series of blogs for Time Out Manchester, John Thorp heads to Fallowfield for an unusually discerning student-friendly evening, pops under Piccadilly to chew on Eats Everything, explores the creaky wooden floor of the Black Bee Soul Club, and gets deep in Ancoats with Levon Vincent.
Thursday 16th October
Rotation Policy - Koh Tao, Fallowfield
Despite its party-friendly student populace (especially at this stage in the year), it can often be difficult to find a genuinely talented or diverse DJ in the relatively commercial confines of Fallowfield. Fortunately, fresh party Rotation Policy is looking to change all that by inviting a special guest DJ each month to spin for a knowledgeable and up-for-it crowd. This month’s selector is Dan Hampson, the man responsible for booking Soup Kitchen’s stellar basement club in the city-centre, where this year he’s handpicked the internationally renowned likes of Pearson Sound, Optimo, Anthony Naples, Prosumer and Jacques Green to play. As might be expected for a man with such exemplary tastes in keeping a club exciting, Hampson’s own record collection and skill behind the decks is nothing to be sniffed at either. It’s great to see a new club allowing exposure for vital but less appreciated figures in dance music, and Dan is certainly one of Manchester’s finest when it comes to the more cerebral end of house and techno. Check him out, before it all goes to his head.
Friday 17th October
Tribal Sessions - Sankeys, Ancoats
Tribal Sessions have hosted some impressive events as part of their 14th birthday celebrations recently, but with the cake all gone, the party continues unabated. Levon Vincent is a DJ who inspires reverence across a huge spectrum of producers, much respected for his deep, uncompromising sets of offbeat techno, and a portfolio of mini anthems of his own making; who knows if he’ll take them from his bag this Friday, but the likes of 'Man or Mistress' and 'Late Night Jam' will turn clubs upside down for years to come. Joining him is Answer Code Request, whose recent LP on Fabric’s Houndstooth label has earned similar plaudits, with residents Darius Syrossian and Jozef K completing the line-up in the basement. Further uncompromising techno comes from the Playground DJs in Spektrum, featuring special guest, Adriana Lopez.
Saturday 18th October
Edible - Warehouse Project, Piccadilly
It’s been a slow but sure transition over the past few years, but Daniel Pearce, better known as Eats Everything (or indeed, just ‘Eats’ to his many fans), has become a near-enough household name as a DJ and producer. This is reflected in his own, self-curated evening at The Warehouse Project, where a doubtlessly tub-thumping headline set from himself will be complemented by no less than Laurent Garnier and his reignited brand of techno and acid, a live-set from Sub-Ann, plus dollops of house from Midland, Paul Woolford, Marquis Hawkes and others. Limited tickets still available.
Black Bee Soul Club - Kraak, Stevenson Square
Offering a diversion from pounding 4/4 this weekend, and a cult night itself within the feverish world of Northern Soul, Black Bee Soul Club has cemented a reputation as one of the finest clubs in the genre for those with a discerning ear. This month, the Black Bee residents are joined by much respected selector, Mick H. With a new film chronicling the original scene, the somewhat unimaginatively titled ‘Northern Soul’, hitting cinemas this weekend, it might be an even more riotous affair than usual on the wooden floorboards of Kraak.
Words: John Thorp
For more nocturnal thrills and spills, check out our Music & Nightlife section here.
Or check out our round-up of 20 underground classics from the Manchester club scene.