The 360 dancefloor concept isn’t new. Whether it’s at Pacha Ibiza, with its centre of the floor booth or all across the world, at countless Boiler Room takeovers, the effort to bring the ‘show’ back to the dancefloor has been popularised over recent years.
With Mason Collective, their MVSON concept and with their Mason community behind them: it was perfect. In Manchester’s spectacular Albert Hall, the ‘show’ well and truly belonged to the dancefloor.
Albert Hall is unique. A forgotten Wesleyan chapel in the centre of the city, its architecture is theatrical, with all the Gothic and Baroque influence you could expect from a former place of worship. It sits on Peter Street, just a few minutes from where The Haçienda resided, a fitting spot for the Grade 2 listed building, quickly becoming a proud piece of Manchester clubbing heritage in its own right.
Walking into the venue, you can feel a sense of theatre about to unfold. Meandering its windy passage ways, moving up and down through the levels – there’s an anticipation that builds. Once you step in, you can feel that rush.
Getting there early and scoping out the venue from its overarching mezzanine floor, Fletch, an up and comer Whippin’ regular, was opening today’s MVSON show, as he has done for the Manchester collective on more than one occasion.
At this point in any day party, people are sociable. The music often takes second place so early on in a venue of this size. But as Fletch began to move through his warm up collection, he started to turn ears, then eyes, then heads. When he finished on an edit of ANOTR and Abel Balder’s well loved Relax My Eyes, the music started to take front place.
From there Albert Hall began to fill and fill fast. There were special guest murmurs that began to leak into conversation. Who would it be? Predictions spanning local city artists and even certain Italian internationals. Wheats was originally billed, but unfortunately he couldn’t make it and in the end it was a Manchester resident after all, one with releases for the likes of Paradise, Relief Records and Defected… and a first name to fit.
Mason Maynard joined the MVSON day party line up, much to the delight of those already fully plugged in to the day’s music – and his selections didn’t disappoint, moving from bouncy House to teasing Garage, Mason Maynard delivered and built a highly thought-out, energy building, middle of the day set.
So far it was a Manchester Collective day, now enter Miami, through Venezuelan music duo based duo Miguelle & Tons, who reside regularly behind the decks at the U.S. city’s famous Club Space.
By now Albert Hall was bouncing. The atmosphere felt belonging. It had a 4am feel to it, where the energy is just about to transcend, where the best memories are made.
The day party was transformed and Miguelle & Tons brought a piece of Space Miami energy with them, laying down a collage of slick Tech House rollers, cleverly littered with Latin infused melodies. A headline set in its own right, but now it was time for Manchester to take over again.
Mason Collective have earned this meteoric rise. Though the group seem to come as a three – Blair Suarez, Adam Myles and Omar Guedar – the collective spans much further. They have built a Mason community, all across the world.
You could feel this, right as the trio entered the sunken 360 booth. The multi story dancefloor was primed for three hours of Mason Collective magic. The theatre was set and the ‘show’ was about to about to take its next step.
Often with extended sets, you can sense the DJ feeling out the crowd. Which direction to take? Which block to start from? Mason Collective seem to start the finish line, an endless finish line, at that, where peak set euphoria managed to maintain throughout.
And it was with a mix of their own already-classic tracks, blended with selections they’ve built from playing all across the globe, that helped carry that Whippin’ energy, where Albert Hall would join in, often singing back some of their most iconic lines. Staring At Walls had the Grade 2 listed building shaking. The Mason Community was well and truly together for this one, from start to finish.
Mason Collective are back in Manchester for MVSON World on Saturday July 13th. More info at JBM Music.
Photos by @jadelaurynphoto
