Electric Chair: Manchester’s seminal underground party returns after 13 years away
The promotion took hold of the city's nightlife scene in the mid-nineties, steering things in a new direction at a time when Manchester was in a bit of a post-clubland raving rut. Now, it's coming back.
When Electric Chair first draped The Roadhouse in camouflage netting back in the summer of ’95, nobody knew it would go on to be so iconic. Not just for Manchester, but across the wider UK scene too.
Bubbling away in the city for almost 13 years, the promotional night evolved into a mini culture: becoming a home-from-home for a beautiful melting pot of people (many of whom attended religiously – no matter the venue, guest DJs or local selectors booked to play that night).
Electric Chair took hold of the city’s nightlife scene in the mid-nineties, steering things in a new direction at a time when Manchester was in a bit of a post-clubland raving rut.
Now, it’s coming back with an all-dayer rave over at Concourse this September – opening the party up to a whole new generation of ravers with a special one-off show.
Electric Chair originally took place at The Roadhouse before moving to Music Box / Image: PR
Famously referred to by founder Luke Unabomber (also of Homoelectric fame) as “attracting everyone but the devil,” Electric Chair brought some huge iconic dance music producers into the city – including the likes of Detroit producer Carl Craig, French electronic music legend Laurent Garnier and American house music pioneer Marshall Jefferson.
Beginning life at the now-defunct venue The Roadhouse, it later moved across to the Music Box – another great venue that’s since closed and is now a Tesco Express.
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At its inception in ‘95, it marked a pivotal moment in Manchester’s clubbing history, with the recent closure of the Hacienda, the city needed desperately to take things back underground, and it did so with a deep focus on the music.
The tunes played at ‘the chair’ transcended genres, and many of the world’s best DJs came there to play.
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The iconic club night will return this September with a one-off show at Depot
One of the things that made the night unusual is that its selectors always had the freedom to explore their own musical boundaries and, more than that, were actively encouraged to push them further.
It was this that cemented Electric Chair as one of the UK’s most loved forward-thinking club nights.
Speaking about his experience playing the iconic Manchester club night in the documentary film Manchester Keeps On Dancing, Detroit producer Carl Craig recalls: “That one is still in my memory banks from all the parties I’ve done in 25 years. That one was a real hyper one.”
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Now, after an almost 14-year absence, Manchester’s original underground party, Electric Chair, returns this September 19 to the Concourse at Depot Mayfield.
Expect a headline set from DJ Harvey, plus performances from Artwork, Lil’ Minx and The Unabombers during what is set to be a big evening.
Tickets go on sale on August 11 and are strictly limited to 1500.
Featured image – Manchester Keeps On Dancing.
News
Manchester United fans planning another major protest amid more upheaval around the club
Danny Jones
Manchester United supporters look set to stage another high-profile demonstration in protest against the INEOS Sports ownership group.
This is the latest response to the club’s continuing struggles, and not just the first proper organised mobilisation of the year, but the first since the most recent major march last spring.
Following the sacking of ‘manager’ Ruben Amorim, despite co-owner Jim Ratcliffe and his board of executives insisting that the Portuguese head coach (that distinction proving to be a crucial detail), the local sporting giants are once again starting from scratch and looking for another replacement boss.
With that in mind, militant fan group The 1958 announced their most recent protest ahead of a home fixture next month in a rather bold fashion…
As announced we protest against this dysfunctional co-ownership before Fulham.
Yep, neither Amorim, Erik ten Hag, Ole Gunnar Solskjær, nor any face even remotely associated with Old Trafford/Carrington is safe from an AI parody.
As for The 1958 group’s actual protest plans, speaking via the BBC this week, the supporters’ trust has confirmed that they will be making a vocal statement outside the stadium on Sunday, 1 February.
Travelling Reds already made their thoughts known with a very blunt, provocative and somewhat controversial banner in the away end at Turf Moor for the 2-2 draw against Burnley.
With Man United approaching a third-round FA Cup tie against Brighton and two big games in the form of a Manchester Derby at home and a trip to Arsenal, they have decided to choose the Fulham game at Old Trafford to stage the march.
Despite admitting that the results under Amorim were no way near good enough, they insist that the – most notably the overarching and Glazer family shadow ever looming over the organisation.
Further details around the actual timings and locations are still yet to be shared by the organisers, but you can expect this to be a well-attended, large-scale event.
Often convening at The Tollgate pub near regular matchday tram stop, Trafford Bar, before walking down Talbot Road towards the ground itself, we imagine Reds will then descend upon the Theatre of Dreams in their thousands.
In case you didn’t already surmise from the video itself, Ratcliffe and co. will be no doubt the subject of the usual chants, as well as more banners and flags.
What do you make of the latest plans, Man United fans?
Nothing will ever be quite as bold as the infamous Old Trafford break-in from 2022 (Credit: The Manc)
More Greater Manchester football matches called off as Storm Goretti sets in
Danny Jones
Yet more scheduled football matches in Greater Manchester and the surrounding regions have been postponed and/or cancelled due to Storm Goretti.
The increasingly cold, blustery and icy conditions moving over from France and across more parts of the UK have already caused schools to close, flights to be grounded, and plenty more disruption.
Another such inconvenience has come in the form of live sports, large swathes of which now look like they simply won’t be taking place.
One of the latest to be called off is Salford City‘s upcoming game against Swindon Town in the FA Cup this weekend, with various other games involving teams up and down the footballing pyramid now facing uncertainty over whether their third-round fixtures will go ahead as planned.
Ironically, this is just the tip of the iceberg, if you’ll pardon the very obvious pun.
Another game that was called off late last week, between Chadderton and FC Isle of Man, is yet to be rescheduled; the same is true of Rochdale AFC’s meeting with Brackley Town, Radcliffe v Oxford City, as well as games involving Bury, Stockport Town, Irlam, Cheadle Town, Prestwich Heys and more.
Other nearby outfits, such as Chorley, Warrington Rylands and Ramsbottom United, just to name a few, are also still unsure of when their next game will be.
In many cases, it is simply a matter of the grounds being largely or completely frozen and deemed unfit for use following pitch inspections.
Oldham Athletic – which has already been hit with plenty of snow and frost – yesterday confirmed that their Notts County clash wouldn’t be going ahead due to that very reason.
With winds of up to 90 miles per hour also being reported, yellow and even red weather warnings have been issued across various parts of the country, with people being urged to check their routes home from work by local authorities.
Storm Goretti should start calming down this evening (Fri, 9 January) and into Saturday morning, but the after-effects could still play havoc over the next few days.
For instance, over in Cheshire, Macclesfield FC are going so far as to call on nearby residents to help clear their playing surface from heavy snowfall.
So, if you’re in the area and fancy helping out, they could sure do with your help.
VOLUNTEERS REQUIRED
Macclesfield FC are once again requesting the help of the fanbase and the local community to help clear the remainder of the compacted snow from the surrounding areas of the https://t.co/fL99QEEJ4D Stadium.
Georgina Pellant -
10th August 2021 
