The Dancehouse has been a part of Manchester’s cultural scene since 1994, primarily known for comedy, theatre and dance. Tonight was the first of their series of ‘The Dancehouse Live’ events, which are aiming to bring a new element to the venue. The theatre has recently installed both a 6000 lumen projector, with 16ft x 9ft screen, and a KV2 5kw sound system to bring their 450 capacity theatre style hall up to speed. The original art deco surroundings and red velvet curtains gave a Lynchian feel upon entrance. Unfortunately, we missed the first act of the night, Moscow Transport. Judging by the atmosphere, this promising Manchester band had done a stellar job of warming up the crowd, and the DJ was keeping them going as they patiently waited for the next act.
Letters of Fiesta are a four piece band hailing from Manchester and the Lake District. They took to the stage with a bass heavy sound, reminiscent of early nineties Siouxie and the Banshees. There were some initial issues with the sound but the band got through this with an air of confidence. The lead singer, Anna Louise Etherington, taking the opportunity to interact with the crowd and declare the bands love of Abduls Kebab’s. All in all the band was tight, and provided a full sound to the audience, and though compared to Kate Bush on a vocal front, had a much more formulaic sound which was easy to get into.
The final act of the night was local group, Silverclub, headed by infamous Techno producer Duncan Edward Jones (DNCN). The curtains drew back to reveal an electronic dance floor groove which immediately got the audience going, and brought smiles to a lot of faces. These guys really know how to work a crowd, their performance flowing like an expertly programmed DJ set. As well as hits from their self-titled album and last year’s Minimum Wage EP, they played some new material, reminiscent of LCD Soundsystem and Hot Chip, and by the end of their show had the whole room moving, drawing the night to a perfect close.
The venue kept the bar open late allowing us to catch up with Manager Dave Crook. He informed us of his idea for a “no hassle” and “friendly” venue, which is looking to attract a new crowd. The Dancehouse is still a ballet school and artistic hub, but they are keen to provide a gig setting with a historic presence, in what Dave describes as a city full of new and sometimes clinical venues, with little or no musical background.
After a successful opening to ‘The Dancehouse Live’ series, Dave’s plan seems promising and The Dancehouse is sure to become a staple venue of the Manchester music scene.
If you haven’t already, check out the latest sounds from all of the bands on the links below:
Moscow Transport – Soundcloud
Letters to Fiesta – Soundcloud
Silverclub – Soundcloud
