Club night Electric Chair back for one-off party

This April sees the return of one of Manchester's most iconic club nights, as Electric Chair takes to a new basement space in The Refuge, the latest bar, restaurant and venue from DJ duo and Electric Chair founders The Unabombers (aka Luke Cowdrey and Justin Crawford).

After kicking off back in the mid-90s, Electric Chair has become an integral part of the city's rich musical and clubbing heritage, and this one-night-only revival on 1 April will pay homage to its humble subterranean beginnings at the sorely-missed Roadhouse and The Music Box.

The underground party will take place in previously disused and forgotten areas below the historic building, bringing them back to life with a high-voltage basement rave.

The Unabombers will be digging deep into their record bags to revisit the timeless tracks that made them famous, going head-to-head with fellow veterans of the Northern clubbing circuit: Aficionado's Moonboots and Jason Boardman. Upstairs in the main bar you'll also catch Ashley Beedle, playing back-to-back with Luke from 1pm.

"Back in the grimy basements of backstreet Manchester"

Luke Unabomber says: “When we first discovered the basement deep below The Refuge by Volta, we knew it would be a perfect place to run a series of parties. The space itself is very reminiscent of where we started, back in the grimy basements of backstreet Manchester and this is what we want to go back to. The fact it sits under the belly of the amazing Refuge space is kind of perfect, offering an antithesis to the opulence and grandeur above. We can’t wait to get everyone back under the same roof for a one-off resurrection.

There is no doubt that Moonboots and Jason Boardman’s Aficionado is one of the most iconic and revived nights amongst DJs and the underground... their Balearic vison is up there with the likes of Mancuso and Alfredo. I remember Moonboots dropping outsider pop records like Duran Duran when it was deemed deeply unfashionable, it seems fitting that we pay homage to these guys by going toe to toe with them.”

Tickets go on sale via Skiddle on Thu 9 Mar at 12pm.

The Return of Electric Chair
Sat 1 Apr
The Refuge, Oxford Road, Manchester
11pm, £10 adv