- According to Discogs, more disco records were released in 2015 than 1974. That statistic hints at something hard to quantify but real: disco is hugely popular right now. Liverpool Disco Festival, an all-day event spread across a number of warehouses in the city's Baltic Triangle, celebrated that upswing. It was co-promoted by the founders of Southport Weekender, a festival that ran from 1987 until 2015 and gained a cult following among fans of soulful dance music. Southport was known for its easygoing attitude, billing itself as "the world's friendliest party." Liverpool Disco Festival did a great job of recreating that energy.
The attendees were diverse in age and demographic, and uniformly good-natured. Many wore retro, disco-themed garms such as flares, jumpsuits and glitter. Others showed their musical allegiances with insignia: a Body & Soul jean-jacket and a Francis Grasso T-shirt were among the headsier wardrobe choices. There was also a remarkable number of hats: notably the classic soul-boy flat-cap and Louie Vega trilbys. Throw in a load of people in Halloween fancy dress, and you had a crowd far removed from your typical warehouse rave.
John Morales personified the vibe. The Bronx-born DJ has been playing records since 1975 but he approached his performance with a newcomer's enthusiasm, throwing in specially edited version of tracks by Teddy Pendergrass and Dan Hartman while punching the air and hamming it up. It was only 5 PM and the dancefloor was already packed. In the next room, Spen and Karizma were showing their technical prowess, chucking almost every DJ trick at the crowd. Loops were blended and ripped apart, cue buttons were bashed to create melodies, and a cappellas were manipulated to create live remixes. They were a blur of activity, going at it across four decks and two mixers.
Southport Weekender was all about attention to detail. Likewise, there were no corners cut at Liverpool Disco Festival. They pulled off the considerable task of transforming an echoey warehouse into a colourful club space, with sound good enough to project music full of funky instrumentation. Even the smaller rooms and bar areas were using fancy Bozak rotary mixers. They didn't nail everything—the sound for Odyssey's live performance wasn't as good it could have been—but by and large, the event ran remarkably smoothly.
Louie Vega headlined with a three-hour set of Paradise Garage classics. Vega has history with the Garage. He first went in 1980, snuck in by his older sisters. As he once told me, the records he heard on the club's peerless soundsystem changed his life. It's easy to see, then, how Vega was able to play less obvious music than you might ordinarily hear in a Garage tribute set. With deft EQ-ing and skilful use of CDJ loops, he managed to extend and manipulate tracks, giving them a new energy. When he did play something well-known—Diana Ross's "The Boss" or Chicago's "Street Player"—it totally united the room. Few DJs who've been doing it as long as Vega retain his level of sharpness. There's a reason that many—Gilles Peterson and Tama Sumo included—still consider him one of the best in the world.
Red Greg was another standout from nearly 12 hours of music. His slick mixing saw him bring together popular tracks like Loose Joints' "Is It All Over My Face" with scores of obscure funk and soul. As the main event began to wind down, and the party shifted to the more intimate afterparty, it was remarkable how much energy the crowd still had. At 3 AM, DJs from Liverpool party Hustle stepped up. They'd co-promoted the event but still had the humility to only take a slot at the afterhours, where they fired through 130 BPM disco and soulful house, ripping up the EQs, Joe Claussell-style.
As well as a great party, Liverpool Disco Festival was also a reminder of the city's strong scene. Just around the corner, there were huge raves raging away run by clubbing heavyweights Cocoon and Circus, and I passed by a terrifying looking hard-house night full of wide-eyed kids with dodgy Halloween makeup. (Like a local delicacy that you're scared to try, I carried on walking.) While ongoing problems with London's club scene dominate the UK's dance music consciousness, promoters up north are quietly continuing to run excellent events. Liverpool Disco Festival was a shining example.
Photo credit /
Hannah Metcalfe
Red Greg was another standout from nearly 12 hours of music. His slick mixing saw him bring together popular tracks like Loose Joints' "Is It All Over My Face" with scores of obscure funk and soul. As the main event began to wind down, and the party shifted to the more intimate afterparty, it was remarkable how much energy the crowd still had. At 3 AM, DJs from Liverpool party Hustle stepped up. They'd co-promoted the event but still had the humility to only take a slot at the afterhours, where they fired through 130 BPM disco and soulful house, ripping up the EQs, Joe Claussell-style. As well as a great party, Liverpool Disco Festival was also a reminder of the city's strong scene. Just around the corner, there were huge raves raging away run by clubbing heavyweights Cocoon and Circus, and I passed by a terrifying looking hard-house night full of wide-eyed kids with dodgy Halloween makeup. (Like a local delicacy that you're scared to try, I carried on walking.) While ongoing problems with London's club scene dominate the UK's dance music consciousness, promoters up north are quietly continuing to run excellent events. Liverpool Disco Festival was a shining example. Photo credit / Hannah Metcalfe