Clubbing Hell (North (Manchester))

Member Name: jeff2000

Product:	North (Manchester)
Date:	05/07/01 (58 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: good layout, good sooundsystem in room 1

Disadvantages: terrible staff, useless atmosphere, no water refills

My first and last trip to North came a couple of months ago when my mate landed himself a DJ slot there. This in itself wasn't unusual as he's quite a good DJ and has played in quite a few clubs around the country, but the fact that he got the slot just by ringing up and asking for it was a bit strange. He was originally phoning to ask for their address so that he could send a tape to tem, but apparently they could tell by his phone manner that he was obviously the next Fergie, or so they thought.

Anyway, we made our way across to Manchester, a little aprehensive to what we would find. After a few drinks in a popular bar we made our way to the club. As my mate was playing the first set we turned up at 9.30, as arranged, to be ready for the 10 opening time. No one was there. After banging on the door for about 15 minutes someone finally came to find out what all the fuss was about and let us in. Then came the first shock, they were going to charge me and my girlfriend to get in, usually when we go with Sy to a gig they are more than happy to let us in for free, more often than not with a complimentary VIP pass, but no such luck tonight. So after parting with our hard earned cash we decided to have a look round the club.

The actual layout of the club is not too bad, it is in the basement of some building and so has a low ceiling, but I find that I usually prefer this for hard house clubs, and big rooms for trance, but that's just me. Anyway, you enter down some steps, if you then turn left at the bottom you go into the bar, there is some seating in here and the decor was quite nice from what I can remember. The music in this bit is the music playing on the main dancefloor, which is situated through the bar. The dancefloor has a step down from the level of the rest of the club and the DJ booth is situated at the far end of it. The lighting and sound were both quite good in there and there was also some extra seating around the edges. The t
oilets are situated off this room and although they were quite large and nice there was some bloke that the club employed to stop you filling up your water bottle. I think this was very unresponsible considering the risks of dehydration in a club and a major down point for the club. Room 2 was situated behind the bar and had quite a bit of seating as well. There was no lighting in this room and the sound system was terrible. When my mate was DJ'ing the speakers kept cutting out and the mixer wouldn't work properly. When he spoke to the promoter about it he didn't seem to care and the resident DJ who was on after him said it was like that every week. This was after my mate was expected to bring his own slipmatts and cartridges, which unfortunately he hadn't, so he had to use bits of cardboard as slipmatts and put a deposit down behind the bar to use the clubs ones. Mmm, very professional.

The music when I went was hard house in both rooms, though I think they have funky house on a Saturday. It was a fiver to get in and was open 10-4. The club wasn't that full, but not too empty either, but the atmosphere was non existent, most people there were very moody and not friendly at all, a far cry from most clubs that I go to.

Personally I will never be going back to this club, the situation with the water and basic unwillingness of the staff to help with anything was terrible. The atmosphere wasn't good and the people unfriendly, if I was to go out clubbing in Manchester I much prefer Golden at Sankeys soap, which is a lot more friendly and has a wicked atmosphere. Also the tribal sessions at Sankeys on a Friday are meant to be excellent, though I haven't manged to go yet. But basically anywhere but North.

Summary: