Reviewed: We Still Believe at The Warehouse Project

An early Christmas treat away from the doom and gloom of Brexit, The Black Madonna invited some of her DJ friends to Manchester to make sure her final We Still Believe event at The Warehouse Project was one to remember.

For one of the last parties under the Store Street arches, she curated a line-up full of the biggest names in disco, house, breaks and electro.

The energy never dipped and the atmosphere remained hedonistic right through to the 4am close. From the nu-disco-infused house of Krystal Klear – whose 8pm set was an early highlight thanks to 80s classics including Dead Or Alive’s ‘You Spin Me Round’ and year-dominating anthems like ‘Neutron Dance’ and his equally brilliant remix of Terr’s ‘Neurodancer’ – to Octo Octa and Peach’s ravey breaks at around midnight; Paolo’s ‘Pericolo’ and 2 Sound Boys’ ‘Read My Mind’ sending the crowd in the second room into a frenzy.

Expectedly, Honey Dijon delivered a faultless set by mixing tech-house rollers with undeniable sing-alongs: combining wAFF’s ‘Bondage’ with The Human League’s 80s anthem ‘Don’t You Want Me’ was a sign of a master at work, but she didn’t stop there; samples of Cardi B, Kanye and even Destiny’s Child were used effectively alongside mind-twisting acid and bass-heavy drops.

After Motor City Drum Ensemble delivered a masterclass in keeping things funky and loose it was time for The Black Madonna to take the main room on a journey of gospel house, pumping tech and even hip-hop. Meanwhile, Jayda G took charge of the second room, lighting up the sweatbox with her upbeat selections, infectious smile and keeping everyone dancing until the lights came up.