Rest in Peace Electric Chair. The Manchester club night and brain child of The Undabombers, Luke Cowdrey and Justin Crawford, have called it quits after 13 years of legendary party sessions.
Likened to the Hacienda, Electric Chair consistently hosted some of the biggest names in dance music. One of those rare club nights where everyone partied as one – strangers and soul mates, straights and gays, students and townies, northerners and southerners untied with the common love of great music, it wasn’t long before it became the worst kept secret in club land.
A mystic brew of house, disco, hip hop, broken beat, Latin, R&B, techno and northern sulphuric soul, the groundbreaking selection of Electric Chair’s residents launched it into the dance music stratosphere. Regularly featured artist included retro wizard Mr Scruff, Laurent Garnier, Andrew Weatherall, Joe Claussell, Francois Kevorkian, Carl Craig, Danny Krivit, Moodymann, Ashley Beedle and Greg Wilson, to name but a few. Their reactions to its closure have mirrored those of the fans. Says Joe Claussell: “That place had one of the greatest energies I’ve experienced as a DJ anywhere and no money in the world is worth the smiles on mine and the crowd’s faces at the end of that party.”
But fear not because it’s not all doom and gloom. While Unabombers move on to their new live project Elektrons, with a set that wowed the crowds at this summer’s festivals, there’s also an ‘Electric Chair RIP’ compilation album in the pipeline. This will be accompanied by a 12” EP, which will look back at some of the biggest tracks and forgotten gems of the club’s 13 year stint. And Electric Chair will go out with a bang with two mighty farewell blow-outs in December and January. Tickets for the January event sold out seven months in advance, showing just how untouchable this night is, but get your skates on and you too could be bidding a fond farewell to Electric Chair.
Saturday 26th January, 10pm, Music Box – Elektriks present Electric Chair RIP – ‘The Execution’ – SOLD OUT
