Northwest Clubbing Highlights – September 2013

It’s September, and The Skinny clubbing column would like to welcome back the hundreds of thousands of students soon about to flood our clubs, streets and Domino's branches during promotional periods. While we’ve had to put up with surprisingly beautiful weather and international arts festivals for the past few months, it’s bound to be a delight to see our dancefloors full and our taxis once again taking conspicuously long routes back to halls.

Before then, however, there’s still a few weeks of relatively low key but on-point events to keep residents out and about. Manchester’s ever reliable Soup Kitchen bring colourful Glaswegian party Highlife below the streets on 6 Sep, featuring feted and far-reaching producer and DJ Auntie Flo as well as Huntleys & Palmers label boss Andrew J Thomson for an evening of world-influenced and out-there dance (£5).

The following evening, Canal Festival (it’s more exciting than it sounds) culminates with a back-to-back set at 2022NQ from Disco Mums and Dance Lady Dance, spinning cuts from their own respective fail-safe collections of disco, pop and soul (7 Sep, free). There’s usually a babysitter involved in the former too, but, irresponsible parents be advised, she’s off duty.

A regular night shamefully ignored by us so far, Haxan at Common falls on the third Sunday of each month (15th this month) and promises a free, atmospheric evening of what’s described as ‘radiophonic disco and film score techno.' It might sound a bit heady for a Sunday evening, but the soundtrack, provided by DJs from local distributors du jour Boomkat, is, more often than not, warm, weirdly hypnotic and perfect for a Sunday evening as autumn draws in.

After a slimline August, the latter half of September sees Liverpool get very lively once again. On 20 Sep, promising local party starters The People’s Balearic Disco bring a gathering as inspiring as their name to the Blade Factory at Camp and Furnace, featuring Horse Meat Disco’s Italian ex-pat and bonafide house expert Severino (£10). Having been importing records from all over the world since he was in short trousers, he’ll be veering away from the lighter touch of his weekly Sunday sessions in London to dip into the more acidic end of his collection. In support are Phantom Planet Outlaws, a local group of machine freaks featuring Creme Organization’s John Heckle among others, playing live on an enviable arsenal of analog synths and drum machines.

Less balearic but just as inviting, the following evening of 21 Sep sees promoters Freeze return following their trips into tunnels and churches all summer long, having nabbed almost the entire Innervisions gang to command the Haus space for a ten-hour session from 6pm-4am. Label boss Dixon, one of the most considered and in control DJs operating today, will be headlining with what is certain to be a typically thrilling and no doubt sensitive set, while further house and techno thrills come from label associates Ame, Guy Gerber and Jemmy (£19).

While freshers’ week kicks in, the smart move for the more sufferable nights out in Manchester remains with some of the best independent promoters in the city. Chow Down, a bass heavy collective with a fine set of residents and previous bookings from Jacques Greene to Butterz, are eschewing trends by bringing dubstep originator and pirate radio veteran Plastician to Mint Lounge (18 Sep, £5). Still a relevant and respected figure in the scene, Chris Reed, unlike many of his peers, has yet to disappear to the US, focusing instead on his acclaimed compilations and weekly Rinse show, staying true to his roots and moving with the current, mutated dubstep and grime scene. Expect fresh cuts and a few classics. It’s freshers’ week after all.

Similar – albeit somewhat mellower – stylings can also be expected from Andres, brought to you by So Flute at Manchester's Roadhouse (20 Sep, £8). After years of underground support from the likes of Moodymann and Theo Parrish – who, let’s face it, probably know what they’re talking about – Andres had a proper dancefloor smash last year with the irresistible and ubiquitous New 4 U. Since then, his technical prowess has come directly to the fore while playing more high profile gigs, and he remains the sort of DJ you’ll do well to see in a venue as lovingly sticky as the Roadhouse. His back-to-back with Parrish himself at Beacons festival last month saw him smashing through slabs of boogie, disco and R‘n’B like an absolute needle demon – perhaps, dare we say it, even overshadowing Parrish’s rather more portentous set.

Over in Liverpool, new groups of BFFBTWUTUA (Best Friends Forever Before The Washing Up Tears Us Apart) could do worse for freshers’ fun than Bondax, who headline East Village Arts Club on 27 Sep (£15, £13 NUS discount for those on it enough to have grabbed their card). Not far removed from that other UK duo mixing R‘n’B, garage and bass sounds in a properly live set – you know the ones – Bondax are enormous fun for those of a playful disposition, and the support line-up includes similarly smart and soulful young electronic producers Snakehips and the atmospheric Tropics.

Circus, meanwhile, celebrates its birthday the following evening at East Village Arts Club, as does headliner Seth Troxler, joined for some undeniably proper fuckin’ techno by Cassy and Scuba, the latter of whom is rumoured to be planning to spring from an oversized cake in celebration (28 Sep, £20).

It’s not the only gig on 28 Sep for Troxler: he’s also popping up at The Warehouse Project, Manchester, along with Carl Craig, KiNK, Davide Squillace, and essentially half of house music for the currently sold out WHP opening party, Welcome to the Warehouse. You may have heard of The Warehouse Project in the past; it seemed to have done alright last year and is back again for a series of low key and intimate gatherings, more of which next month.

Rounding out the month, 27 Sep sees the ever reliable Soul:ution offering another night of drum‘n’bass in perhaps Manchester’s smartest, easiest going club, Band on the Wall (£10). This month, Marcus Intalex’s stomping ground is blessed with a two-hour ‘90's Headz’ set from Grooverider, who’ll be digging deep and doubtlessly delivering a blissful few hours reminiscent of him at the height of his powers. Probably something of a fresher-free zone, this is proper old skool, but without the uniforms.