With two of the biggest names in house and dance music headlining, I knew Disclosure Presents Family & Friends would be a night to remember. Alongside Disclosure, French producer Folamour promised high-energy sets and chart-topping hits, making Depot, Warehouse’s main stage, my plan for the night. However, as the night continued into the small hours there was plenty of opportunity for things to change as new, less familiar acts put on a show that would rival any headliners’ efforts.
We began our night at Concourse, where Kilimanjaro's B2B set with Eclair Fifi attracted a solid crowd, easing our untrained house music ears into the evening’s pulse. Minimal vocals built up to some dramatic drops and deeper rhythms, a slight variance from the more poppy disco style house I’d been accustomed to before.
After a swift visit to Warehouse’s new rooftop area with a brand new and more intimate stage, we filtered through Depot making a brief stop at Floating Points’ set.
Floating Points classic house rhythms were infused with funk and jazz influences, filling the lofty main room with soulful, positive vibes. Dancers spilled out from the crowd to the sidelines to fully immerse themselves in Points’ smooth beats.
In contrast to the bustling main stage, a visit to Warehouse is never complete for me without an unexpected stint in the dark arches of Archive – easily one of my favourite stages of any Warehouse event. It’s here where artists whom I’d previously overlooked on line-ups have become firm favourites, taking the night in an unexpected, yet always welcomed new direction.
Jasper Tygner, in his dark shirt and statement bright red tie, embodied performance art, delivering an energised set that kept the crowd’s energy sky-high. Sunny, Ibiza beach bar-esque tunes with a ravey twist perfectly contrasted the drizzly Manchester weather that evening. The London producer punctuated his set with a live performance on the drums, amplified by this room's incredible bass and sound system. Raising his hands periodically as if seeking validation from the crowd (not that he needed it), Tygner was a real unexpected highlight of the night.
After a brief sojourn back to Depot we decided to take the risk to skip out on Folamour, one of the biggest names on this impressive line up, in search of lesser-known artists over at Concourse and Archive. Jyoty pulled in an impressive crowd and lively reception with her varied hip-hop, garage and funk style smattered with Asian influences, a refreshing break from the more classically repetitive house beats, however back over in Archive yet another treat was in store with Memphis LK.
We arrived at a half-empty area scattered with dancers making the most of the extra space and started to wonder if we’d made the right decision – but not for long. After an eclectic display of ethereal vocals, big bass tunes and even a saxophone solo, Memphis LK gathered respect from audience members of all ages with a house remix of the iconic Kylie Minogue’s "Love at First Sight", before dropping Dizzee Rascal’s 2009 hit "Bonkers". The crowd erupted chanting the lyrics in unison as the throwbacks bought everyone together in a way that Warehouse so often does - with an old-school banger and an even better performer.
By the time we left this stage, we knew our risk of ditching a main headliner had well and truly paid off. We squeezed out of the overflowing crowd of revellers now wanting a piece of the action, almost feeling smug that we’d cheated the system by missing a big-name act for a true diamond in the rough with Memphis LK. We love this tune from her:
As the night drew to a close the energy was still abundant with everyone heading to the packed Depot for the climax of the night - Disclosure. Excitement waved through the crowd as the duo appeared on stage, and all eyes were on them whilst they pumped out classics such as Holding On and the iconic White Noise, the song only emphasised by almost 10,000 people singling along to nearly every word.
The atmosphere was nothing short of electric as the siblings smoothly blended into fan-favourite "Douha (Mali Mali)" with its catchy rhythms and summertime feel. Switching things up later into their energy-filled set, Disclosure bought out some deeper, bassier tunes setting them apart from their popular chart toppers. But of course, the night couldn’t be over without the duo’s hit single Latch. This was met with plenty of appreciation from the crowd and left me feeling like I could go home happy knowing I’d ticked off a bucket list item by seeing this iconic song performed live.
From household name headliners to throwback hits and hidden gems, this night at warehouse filled me with surprises from start to finish. I finished the night just as buzzing to have seen Disclosure’s greatest works as I was to have seen names lower down on the line up put on an insane performance. Warehouse is a rare venue that curates nights like these with exceptional energy, drawing in the best of crowds. I left with the anticipation of future line-ups that can only build on this unforgettable night.
As always, we will see you at the front!
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