- It was going to take more than a foot of fresh snow to dishearten fans of Maya Jane Coles when she touched down for a recent set in Birmingham. Instead, they came in masses, proving she was far more than a 2011 buzzword or merely riding the success of her far-reaching "What They Say" single. The night's host, Face, has been reliably supplying quality house and techno nights for several years, made evident by the 900-strong crowd that descended upon the expansive Rainbow complex. The Face team had utilized numerous aspects of the space, from the cellar to extending the courtyard with a fully heated marquee, additional sound system and visual displays—the same set-up used at last year's Hot Creations Halloween party.
The volume of people moving through the labyrinth of corridors was the only prominent flaw of the night, which went from spacious to rammed quite swiftly, often feeling as though the club had exceeded its capacity. Nestled in the camouflaged courtyard of Rainbow, Coles appeared to be a mixture of excited and humbled. Her set was a mix of euphoric synth build-ups using tracks heavy with attitude (like SPF 5000's "Paraiso") expertly blended into dark broken beat atmospheres, with hints of her alter ego Nocturnal Sunshine's work taking the set into unexpected territory. Video footage of stretching roads on the screens behind her added to the urban scene in the courtyard, where the heat in the throng caused sweat to run down the walls.
As she stood with both hands clasped together as the music dropped, the faithful crowd bade her farewell in rapture. Next up was Frenchy & Tristan Da Cunha who played disco and house back to back, keeping the high energy in the main room well into the early hours.
The mix of genres across the various areas of the night was a testament to Face's drive to accommodate multiple tastes. The pub area itself played old school hip-hop and '90s classics with a brilliant episode involving Gala's "Free from Desire" rousing many to table top dancing. From early on, the cellar was a hedonistic spot, embracing elated tracks such as Pink Fluid's "Bitch Lady." At 4 AM it remained a heady disco, with Tom Shorterz and Cause & Affekt behind the decks mixing a synthesis of techno, bass and house. Finally, once the night drew to a close, it was undoubtedly a warmed crowd that dispersed into the snowy streets.