During 2012 I’ll be writing a monthly column which gives a run down on everything happening in the murky world of Liverpool’s clublife. Well when I say everything it won’t be exhaustive but it’ll be a snapshot of all the ins and outs of ravedom in the city and pretty much the best it has on offer for the time period in question. Consider that a disclaimer of sorts but still enough reason to enact some metaphorical berating of clenched fists if you disagree with any of the choices on offer.
Usually this will rock on out right at the beginning of the month, but clubland’s lack of usual activity has afforded me a longer stay of execution this month with this lethargic drop date. In fact Liverpool is practically extinct on the rave front, so if anything the timing is actually savvy rather than shoddy. Rest assured the next instalment won’t be anywhere near as well into the month. Unless January ends up being a bigger party than I’m claiming here…
So now the column is introduced, here’s a run-down of the few nights in January that are braving the cold and putting shows on. First off, Bass Knowledge brings drum & bass and dubstep back to one of the city’s most potent venues, The Zanzibar, on January 20th with a talent roster bursting with the likes of Serum, Rowney & propz, Erbman and hosted by Liverpool’s deebee royalty vocalist MC SAS. It ain’t cheap (prices ranges from £10-£15) but it’s the first burst of clubbing in the month, so if you still have the wallet to match the urge you know where to go.
Then one weekend later things finally spring into life. Saturday the 28th is a bit of a cracker, with two of the city’s very different parties both going off. Circus brings their resident funk to the Magnet after a great NYE celebration there, with Yousef at the helm alongside Scott Lewis, Alex Woflenden, Lewis Boardman and Sean Stephenson. Yousef’s recent set at the final ever Store St Warehouse Project is something of a classic and will certainly get you in the mood. £11 is the rate the damage starts at.
The same night sees Eat Your Greens taking over the Kazimer, Jackey Murda and Mikey Don among the stalwarts who will be firing through reggae, bashment, drum n bass mombathon and hip-hop. Some live reggae from the crew resonating strongly from Bristol’s scene, Laid Blak, finishes things off. Seven pounds is the tax on this badboy, and the location and Eat your Greens pedigree ensures this will be attended by Liverpool’s quirkier and more artistic people; follow the link.
The best of the lot though is 24 hours previously, with Ewan Pearson making his way to Discoteca Poca in the Shipping Forecast. The venue is one of, if not the, best for heads down intimacy in the city and has boasted iconoclastic DJ sets from the likes of Joker, Steffi, Gilles Peterson and Moodymann. Discoteca Poca themselves have contributed some of the reverence with Andrew Weatherall, Riotous Rockers and Hercules & Love Affair’s Kim Anne Foxmann, but this could quite well be the best of the lot.
Ewan is arguably the finest UK remixer of the past ten years, and as well as blessing the likes of Kompakt, 2020 Vision and Soma with his blissed out beats, can count production work for artists like the Rapture, Delphic and Gwen Stefani in his resume. The Wetherall party this crew threw in October is still discussed in hushed tones, and with Ewan in the same mould of articulate and forward thinking music master, and at a tenner in this is easily the pick of Jan’s offerings. Full script is here.
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Article and tagged
Bass Knowledge,
Circus,
Discoteca Poca,
Eat your greens,
Ewan Pearson,
Kazimer,
Liverpool,
Shipping Forecast,
The Magnet,
Yousef,
Zanizbar |
