Northwest Clubbing Highlights – July 2013

Experience James Murphy's idea of sonic perfection and lose yourself to the furious rhythm of South Africa's Shangaan Electro dance craze in this month's round-up

Feature by John Thorp | 01 Jul 2013

Manchester International Festival (MIF) offers a rich selection of complex, subversive and challenging works but when all’s said and done, they’re not afraid to open up their pavilion in Festival Square for an unashamed boogie either. Throughout the month, you can expect a range of free DJ sets from the likes of Dave Haslam and the funk-indebted Andrea Trout to reliable party starters such as Will TRAMP! and alternative gay scene favourites Drunk At Vogue, who are even hosting a whole opening party of their own on Fri 5 Jul (£10). Two weeks later on the 20th, and Haslam will be taking over the space with a one-off return of his classic night Yellow (£10), joined by Red Laser Disco’s inimitable Woody and MC Kwasi on the mic. Hiyahiya!

On a slightly larger scale, MIF will also be presenting another one-off: Despacio, a club with a soundsystem engineered to precision by LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy. Murphy and close friends and collaborators the Dewaele brothers (better known as 2ManyDJs/Soulwax) will be piloting three nights of all-vinyl obscurities from 18-20 Jul in the faded glamour of New Century Hall (£15, 19 and 20 Jul sold out, tickets still available for the 18th).

Strange venues are also the order of the day over in Liverpool, where promoters Freeze and Little Sister are pulling together on Sat 13 Jul for a party that stretches from day to night. Freeze have been putting on events that incorporate Liverpool’s unique and grandiose history and design for some time now, having previously hosted events in St George’s Hall and dpwn below the city in the retired Williamson Tunnels. For this event, they’re bringing in Brazilian techno master Gui Boratto for what will no doubt be a spectacular daytime set (3-11pm) in the decay of the city’s ominous, Blitz-damaged St Luke’s, better known as The Bombed-Out Church. After Boratto – ably supported by Tobias Thomas and Jemmy – has completed his set shortly after sundown, most are expected to move on to Little Sister’s afterparty from 11pm into the early hours at The Kazimer to witness the man who signed Boratto himself, Kompakt head honcho Michael Mayer, currently celebrating 20 years of his label. (£17 for Boratto at St Luke’s Church, £10 for Mayer at The Kazimier, £25 for both parties.)

Despite its students still roosting elsewhere, Manchester offers up a fair few parties of interest over the summer, with the affordable likes of Hoya:Hoya (27 Jul, The Roadhouse), Swing Ting and Work Them (20 and 6 Jul, both Soup Kitchen, £3 and £5 respectively) putting in shifts until it’s nearly light. Gorilla, meanwhile, continues to host big line-ups, including a taste of Offenbach when legendary Frankfurt club Robert Johnson brings some of its key figures to Whitworth Street West on Sat 6 Jul. Headlined by Roman Flügel and Gerd Janson, expect the kind of jacking house, techno, rarities, obscurities and shamelessly big tunes that the club has become known for over a decade. Flügel in particular has had a steady reign of mad records over the past ten years, including his legendary Geht’s Noch?, although yours truly is currently very impressed with the head-spinning More&More&More. Summer Party Tool - Tip! Support comes from Lee Rands and Scott Grant (£12).

The following weekend, Jamie xx takes a little time out from his band’s ultra-exclusive MIF residency – the location of which has yet to be revealed, but our sources are strongly hinting at Australian theme bar Walkabout just off Deansgate – to grace Gorilla, courtesy of Now Wave (12 Jul, £12.50). Jamie’s re-edits and remixes are pretty ubiquitous at this point, and as a DJ he’s known to never stop digging, honouring his teenage heritage as a proper selector before he formed one of the most accidentally influential bands in the current pop landscape. Jamie will be joined by Hoya mainstay Illum Sphere, whose debut LP is out on Ninja Tune later this year – so perhaps expect a preview of various new material as well as his usual eclectic style.

Club Suicide became a minor institution when it ran during a very different time in Manchester between 2000 and 2004. Embodying a ‘whatever works’ spirit that is unfortunately becoming far less prevalent in modern-day clubbing, the club saw debut performances from the likes of Patrick Wolf and MIA, while the can’t-mix-won’t-mix music policy saw The Fall rub up against grime-y techno. Back for one night only at Islington Mill on Sat 13 Jul (£6), the club’s return comes with the backing of Mill founder and former Suicide regular Bill Campbell. Refusing to go retro, the night promises a range of music new and old – and they’ve even put together a superb pick of 20 tunes ahead of the night that typically stretches from Chromatics to Factory Floor and New York Dolls (dig it out at ticket outlets online).

After last month’s appearance from Prosumer, Content are bringing us yet another well respected techno legend for a three-hour set – this time hailing from the US rather than Germany – with Josh Wink set to grace the basement of Joshua Brooks on Fri 26 Jul (£12). Wink’s high-energy tribal sound was the hallmark of his homeland’s rave scene in the early 90s, and he’s best known for the still inescapable anthem Higher State of Consciousness, but it’s his sure-footed DJ sets that have ensured a renewed and devoted following over almost 20 years. One for the heads, without doubt.

Finally, for something similarly tribal and a little different, the leaders of cult South African dance movement Shangaan Electro will be visiting both Manchester’s Islington Mill (19 Jul, £9) and Liverpool’s Kazimer (20 Jul, £10.50) to showcase their skittish, rapid-fire moves. Such is their speed, they’re even incorporating a dance lesson into each gig – and the Liverpool instalment is rendered even more intriguing with a DJ set from Auntie Flo of Huntleys & Palmers, whose ‘world’-indebted DJ sets are something of a minor wonder.

Ticket prices are advance unless otherwise specified; some events may be more on the door