The 2021 season of The Warehouse Project has been in full swing since it opened its doors to the public in September 2021, the first time since the beginning of the pandemic.
After becoming established as one of Manchester’s greatest clubbing nights, WHP has relocated from Store Street (a former air-raid shelter) and has come to call Depot Mayfield, (an old abandoned train station) its home for its returning season.
Typically, thousands of partygoers congregate at WHP on most Fridays and Saturdays for around three months towards the end of the year. On offer, a consistently top-notch lineup, immersive stages and impressive visual effects.
The captivating energy of one of the city’s most beloved underground venues is one of the major allures of the night.
On this bitterly cold Friday, December evening, the crowds begin to swarm towards the legendary go-to party destination of the north on the promise of a night with The Chemical Brothers; a vibrant electronic dance music duo whose musical influence is routed within the genre’s evolution as solidly as the rich musical history embedded within Manchester.
Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons formed The Chemical Brothers (first known as The Dust Brothers) when they met at The University of Manchester back in 1989. Ed previously told the Manchester Evening News: “It always means a lot to us to go and DJ in Manchester because it’s where we started.”
“We’ve had quite a while off over lockdown, so it’s just exciting to be back out and doing something. We were asked to do it at the end of the year, as a way of imagining people coming out of the darkness and blinking into the light almost.”
Playing a carefully selected DJ set, along with the intense and endlessly fun visuals that are synonymous with their name, they delivered a symphonic explosion of flowing, beat-heavy electronic melodies.
As expected, props to the production crew are duly deserved. The night saw a consistent and visually exciting, technicolour display around the main hall through the duration of the night.
The many brick pillars of the ex-train station that sit in between the crowds in the main hall provide an exciting opportunity for the use of lighting effects that make the experience that little bit more immersive for the crowd.
All in all a fantastically whimsical night in a venue fit for the return of dance music elites to the city where it all began.
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