Winner of countless accolades and worldwide renown, The Warehouse Project has been home to the biggest and most influential DJ’s over its 5 year tenancy in Manchester. Running from the months of September through to January, WHP is “the” electronic music venue to best all others. Situated underneath Piccadilly train station in what is a converted World War Two bomb shelter, the sheer scale of the event is immediate as soon as you arrive. Once you get through the security checks, warehouse thrusts you straight into the heart of the main stage. The pulsing vibrations, the light shows, and the sizes of the dance floors let me know immediately this will be a night to remember.
Hypnotic neon lights will be your guide if you want to see the impressive venue as small exploration will find you “Room 2” which features softer electro beats in comparison to the main stages techno fiesta. There is also a variety of bars and relaxation areas featuring foosball tables, air hockey and the first indoor sofa garden I can ever recount seeing. The drinks menu inside is quite limited and pricey with Budweiser’s & Kopparberg Ciders costing £4 per can, and bottled water at £2.
Cocoon, the brainchild of German producer Sven Vath is a touring club night featuring the hottest acts on the electronic dance scene and for their last visit to store street they recruited global superstar Ricardo Villalobos to headline the bill. The Chilean-German DJ has spent the best part of 2011 headlining clubs and festivals to his insanely devoted fan base around the world. It only seemed right to have an act the very top of their game for the last Cocoon at warehouse.
Villalobos came onto to a rapturous chorus of cheers as he teased the crowd with his trademark minimalistic beats before giving the people exactly what they wanted with classics such as “Dexter” & “Easy Lee” within the first hour. Arguably Villabos’s most popular anthems shook the interior of warehouse, with the bars and smoking areas emptying within seconds of each other. Following on from the good work of Austrian star Cassy, the resident of the legendary Cicrcoloco in Ibiza, Villalobos crafted a mesmerising set which was a master class in building a groove and mood which are as brave and uncompromising as they are entertaining. The set did however seem to confuse and frustrate as it appeared that indecision had crept into the final hour of the night; a trait not to be expected from a DJ of his reputation.
Once the final beat of the night had been blasted from the bass, the warehouse was illuminated bright white with what was possibly the most impressive light show of the evening. Having spent seven hours in a neon fuelled rave, to see the venue lit up showed off the ambition of the event. WHP will host its final event on January 1st 2012; rumours of a location shift are rife with many believing a move to Leeds is on the cards.
For anybody interested in tickets for future events check out http://www.thewarehouseproject.com/tickets.php
