The tragic death of 30-year-old Nick Bonnie has shadowed the opening weekend of the Warehouse Project.
To WHP’s credit, they have acted swiftly in promising to double security staff, paramedics and sniffer dogs in a bid to avoid another tragedy. Full story here.
Thankfully, the vast majority of the 5,000 clubbers enjoyed a safe, eclectic evening as the dance music haven in Trafford flung open its doors for the first in a three-month season of raves.
At 9.30pm, venue was rather eerie as the cavernous room one, and the elongated rooms two and three experienced the calm before the seven-hour storm that lay ahead.
Ninety minutes later the hurricane of house was well and truly in progress as the carnival-esque atmosphere that makes Warehouse Project a pilgrimage to so many clubbers was palpable.
In room one French electro kingpin Alan Braxe, the man behind Stardust, harnessed the energy of the incoming crowd with a mix including the 1998 dance anthem Music Sounds Better With You.
Superstar DJ Armand Van Helden stormed room two from a quarter past midnight. Although the American’s facial features were concealed by a perpetual layer of smoke for most of the set there was no mistaking the house classics he blared out, as he made full use of his considerable repertoire throughout the hour and a half set.
My My My and Van Helden’s celebrated remix of Tori Amos’ Professional widow had the euphoric crowd pumped before they were sent into raptures when the mix climaxed with You Don’t Even Know Me.
Van Helden’s set frustratingly overlapped slightly with that of Axwell’s in room one, which was predictably packed by the time you could get across, but the 35-year-old Swede quickly morphed the thousands of individuals into an energetic unit with his brand of progressive, funky house.
Sparks literally flew as pyrotechnics were launched at the front the former Swedish House Mafia member’s set, combined with incessant strobe and flash lighting.
High octane tracks such as Leave The World Behind and Calling (Lose My Mind) gave the crowd the sensory overload they craved.
As the crowd jumped in unison, room one became one and there was no doubting that Warehouse Project was back.
Picture courtesy of Scootie, with thanks.
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