- As most promoters will tell you, the most important part of their job is finding a venue that's suited to their vision. Just Jack started life in Bristol in 2007 and has since thrown parties across the city and beyond. But it's their relationship with Motion that's defined them, cementing their position as the West Country's premier purveyor of house and techno. On February 1st, they returned to the space to celebrate their eighth birthday with arguably their biggest lineup to date.
Motion famously doubles as a fully-functioning skate park. Big events like this one engulf as much of the space as possible, fitting four rooms of music within its cavernous shell. Despite its imposing size, however, Motion has a laid-back atmosphere, carried by the young, friendly crowd and the stilt-walkers welcoming you to the party. Moodymann, the first of two headliners in the Warehouse, spun his usual across-the-board blend, with Isaac Hayes' "Ike's Rap II" rubbing shoulders with J Dilla's "Workin On It." An overcrowded dance floor meant his set lacked its usual intimacy, but the vibe, bolstered by Moodymann's magnetic drawl, was buoyant nevertheless.
Wearing his usual bucket-hat, Omar-S followed, mapping his predecessor's soul onto tougher, more streamlined templates. Brilliant tracks from his own back catalog, such as "Day" and "The Shit Baby," were highlights in an impeccable set, his exquisite piano-led techno transforming the room into a sea of closed eyes and smiling faces.
A trip to the Tunnel to catch the end of Roman Flügel was short-lived due to underwhelming sound. Meanwhile, in the enormous main arena, Bicep were resolutely dropping big-room techno with what seemed like little regard for the dance floor. Indeed, as a remix of Inner City's "Good Life" was met with unanimous cheers, one felt that a housier approach might have fared better.
As I wandered the venue, it struck me that the programming made it feel like three separate parties under the same roof, as opposed to one cohesive event. Had they mixed up the bills, and not divided the lineup by style and geography (English, American and German DJs played in separate rooms), it might have been an edgier, more flavoursome night. Still, the party was busy and the crowd was full of energy. Just Jack can rest assured that their eighth birthday went down a storm.