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Manchester European Weekender - Look Forward - 26-27 May 2013

Manchester European Weekender - Look Forward - 26-27 May 2013 magazine cover

Manchester European Weekender - A Look Forward - 26-27 May 2013

The people of the city, and those who have engaged with it know it is a city of innovation — forward thinking, responsive, inclusive and open-minded.

Architecturally speaking, one commentator wrote, “Manchester ... is the capital… the people know their geography is without equal. Their history is their response to it"

Musically, the Manchester European Soul Weekender (MESW) is also a response to the space of the city, the innovation that the city space allows and the musical history that it prides itself upon.

Started 4 years ago, at a Manchester street festival called Eurocultured. The ethos of the street festival spurned an novel idea to blend classic and contemporary European cultures for a one off day event within the festival called Manchester vs Belgium Popcorn. I was charged with sourcing Manchester’s finest, my colleague; Marc Rowlands sourced the best in British and Belgium Popcorn DJ’s.

The coming together of people from different cultures, playing mod and blues, rare soul, popcorn, oldies and mid-tempo in a minimal city-centre bar was a joy. Alongside the open-minded European festivalgoers, eager to experience new cultures, dedicated soulies turned a place into a space, filling it with passion and possibility.

 

One of the DJ’s asked to play that day was Liam Quinn. In the weeks to come conversations were had and the following words were mentioned, “why don’t we do this as a weekender, bring over the BEST European Soul DJ’s to Manchester — bring them to the people, all together, for one weekend?” Ideas turned into plans and before we knew it was happening. Emails were sent, phone calls made and everyone just said YES! From thereon in, it’s been noting but an experience and experiment ever since.

The festival prides itself a number of factors — bring fresh sounds to the city, mixing genres and DJ in a progressive fashion and using spaces and venues that break from the traditional, site specific norm. Equally, it’s about representations and mixing old with new. First on the list in 2011 was Malayka, specifically because there isn’t enough female representation on the scene. In fact, each year, the first DJ’s shortlisted are female

- MESW 2 — Jo Wallace & Leona Murphy

- MEWS 3 — Helena Stromdhal & Cristina Alsonso from Sweden and Spain respectively)

The first weekender in 2011 was held at the Palace hotel in Manchester — in the Grand Ballroom, and in the spirit of the city it included old and new, having the lads from the Twisted Wheel play along Europe’s finest, on the biggest stage I’d ever seen.

 

Along the way, of course there are hiccups. As we cut our teeth on the weekender planning front, we booked a room that didn’t have a dance floor and had to pay thousands at the last minute to get one in, then we were held to ransom on delivery (2 hours before the event opened, to a cash payment or they’d not finish putting it down) but its all added to the charm of the event for all involved. And this appropriation of space is essential to the weekender — to make spaces function in another capacity, and to let people see and experience different aspects of the city — I’ve never been in that room since, and I doubt I’ll ever again get the chance, but that’s what its about!!

Marc Forrest got lost and locked into a corridor that didn’t lead anywhere, I set the fire alarm off, and big Christian from Sweden went into the basement under the stage and into the bowels of the city, missing his DJ spot! But he came back, covered in cobwebs and blew the roof off the palce, drank all the beer and then flew home, 24hr turn around because he had work the next day and his Soulastatic allnighter party in Sweden the night before

The second year was just as interesting. Opening the event was the Greatstone lads — a massive part of the soul scene and so important to the city in a bar in the Northern Qtr. We tried our hand at an allnighter, to mixed reviews on the Saturday and on the Sunday, found our spiritual home at Jabez Clegg. An old converted church, at the opposite end of the city, the space and floor was amazing (it had its own wodden floor, fancy that!). All rounded off by the now infamous “chillout Monday session” on Wakefield Street, which each year gets better and better — the highlight of the weekend.

After the big Sunday events, the Bank Holiday Monday is double decking, mixing Europeans with UK DJs for 8 hours of musical bliss, playing to soulies, progressive thinkers and B-boys. Watching soulies dancing with B-boys is amazing, and the appreciation for both camps typifies what its all about — togetherness!

This year looks set to be the best yet — a whole host of fresh new European DJ with some of the UK’s finest including Andy Dyson, Keith Money premiering alongside some long time supporters and favourites, Dave Ripolles and Dave Thorley.

Furthermore, we’re pushing it boundaries a bit with Brett Franklin and Chris Morgan playing left-centre obscurities coupled a the usual acknowledgement for local quality. This year, we're giving the new young lads at The Black Bee Soul Club a platform to do their thing, plus, Derek and Carms from Con.soul and Yorkshire's star man Azza who is one of the finest young soul DJ/Collectors around.

links

soul source event guide entry for maps, comments, street views and more

 

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Sounds very interesting indeed but me not pretending to be the

Oracle on all things soulful I just can't in my minds eye picture

How this set up runs.

Would I be correct in thinking that its a weekender held at different

Venues in and around Manchester on the different days and nights?

Also can someone please explain what exactly Belgium popcorn is,

How and in what way is it similar to what we call northern and what

Tunes would or do cross the divide in the two.

Great read by the way!!

Dazz

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Site specific venues Dazz:

 

So this year (2013), its as follows:

 

 - one event on the Sunday -3pm -5am @ Jabaz Clegg (we consider that the main day in a massive room ala any normal Nighter event)

 

- Then to freshen things up, we pick a city centre venue, modern, new, clean to mix it up a little - this year its at a venue called NoHo in the Northern quarter of Manchester. 

It allows people to explore the space of the city and enjoy the culture, cafes, people etc rather than being in one place all weekend 

 

in addition to that, they'll be a little event on the Sat as a little warm up to the weekender and a pre-cursor to Radcliffe which is happening down the road later in the evening - again, at another nice, cool venue located in Manchester. That'll just be a nice bar to meet up, play records and then make our way to Radcliffe for a bit of a dance. 

Now for Popcorn....musically, there are a number of perspective, but the reason why Marc and I (mainly Marc) picked popcorn for the first event is because of its cultural affiliated with Belgium specifically, allowing for us to bring over two mega popcorn collectors and get them to mix it up Manchester's best northern/r'n'b spinners. 

 

Sound wise, its mid-tempo soul and early r'n'b stuff - I consider this to be popcorn, but I may be wrong  - I've picked this because I play it, so it comes to mind...

Cheers Dazz, atb, 

Gary

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Great write up.

I love how this event has evolved and is now very much a soul weekender, but still evokes the culture links and euro influence that its always been connected to, and helps show off a great city.

Both venues for this years events are superb. I absolutely loved jabez Clegg last year, what a place!!!

There will be some fantastic rare soul played all weekend of that there is no doubt. And don't be fooled by the words chill out on Monday. It's starts chilled out, and as with any 'enders' session of a weekender it gets more and more frenetic as the day goes on.

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One of the reasons I enjoy this weekender is that it's along the lines of many in Europe, based in a city centre at several clubs. This gives you the opportunity to see the city as well as enjoy the entertainment, unlike a holiday camp. Also it brings many dj from around Europe, which is a real bonus. Europe has many great DJ's that sadly we rarely get the chance to see, unless you travel over the water. These are a few of the reasons I've been a supporter from the get go. Hope a few of you will get along.

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One of the reasons I enjoy this weekender is that it's along the lines of many in Europe, based in a city centre at several clubs. This gives you the opportunity to see the city as well as enjoy the entertainment, unlike a holiday camp. Also it brings many dj from around Europe, which is a real bonus. Europe has many great DJ's that sadly we rarely get the chance to see, unless you travel over the water. These are a few of the reasons I've been a supporter from the get go. Hope a few of you will get along.

 

Only just seen this event, mate......I'll be DJ'ing in Manchester on 25th May, so almost certainly gonna book a hotel for the duration. See you there, guv!

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Guest blackbeesoulclub

Posted

Great review...really looking forward to DJ'ing at Radcliffe on the Saturday night then at the weekender on the Sunday. Planning my sets like a geek already! :) this is going to be a superb weekender from B&Q ;)

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Great review ...this really is a must on the soul calendar for us now. Thanks for asking me last year -we really enjoyed the Sunday night at Jabez Clegg ...great venue and line up and I even had the joy of double decking with none other than David Ripolles on the Monday ...what an honour.

 

Thanks to the guys for continuing to support the lady Dj's on the Soul Scene... I was made to feel very welcome. Really looking forward to seeing what Helena & Cristina play this year too. I'll be DJ'ing in London on the Saturday so will be arriving Sunday afternoon with not to much blood in my alcohol stream I would imagine ...fully prepped and looking forward to an awesome couple of days music in God's own city!

See you there!

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Top review ....... really looking forward to making our way to our home City once more for some top notch Soul sounds! Dave T has summed it up by comparing it to one of the European Weekenders - City based with progressive venues & of course a progressive & mixed music policy.

 

Great memories from last year & can't recommend the Jabezz Clegg highly enough for the Sunday night venue ....... bring it on ;-{D)

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