The Warehouse Project

SO bad. Seriously. I read every bad review of this season’s WHP but convinced myself it would be different on the night I went. It wasn’t. If you’re heading to WHP for a big night and you’re really looking forward to it, please heed my advice and listen to what everyone else has been saying.
I’ll start from the beginning. The 10.30pm curfew? Really? For an event that goes on until 5am? Ridiculous. Doors open at 7.30pm which is a waste of tine. On the basis of those times alone, no one is going to stay for around 9 hours, and once you get there, you won’t want to stay even a couple of hours. Myself and a group of friends travelled from Bristol and wanted to chill at our hotel, get some dinner, have a few drinks, but you just can’t do that with a 10.30pm curfew. I took the advice of others and arrived for about 9pm, after a massive rush to get there, of course. Arrive any time after 9pm and you’re herded from one queue to the next by unhelpful security staff.
The queuing process. I understand that massive events like this need to be on top of things, but getting people to empty their pockets and bags on to a table in front of other people is not on. I refuse to put my purse, phone, keys etc on a table for people to potentially swipe.
Now, my real gripe with the WHP… it was HEAVING. And not in a good way. Want to go watch someone in the main room? Good luck even getting in. Already in the main room and need the toilet? Yeah… good luck getting out. You just cannot move. It’s so dangerous. You’ll be in a constant queue all night, getting shoved left right and centre. I don’t know why they released so many tickets but hey, guess what? You don’t NEED to ram the venue to capacity. At least 1000 – 2000 fewer people and it’d still have been very busy. As someone below me has said, there was nowhere near enough security staff to accommodate this. I spent the whole night anxious and worried and not dancing because I just couldn’t move.
The sound is bad. I don’t know why, because it shouldn’t be, but it was. It was very… fuzzy?
Leaving the venue, there’s a load of taxis which is great, right? No. The black cabs wouldn’t turn their meters on, instead giving us «estimates» — £30 to get into the city centre when it cost £7 to get there from the centre. What a laugh. No worries though, there’s a shuttle bus… oh yeah, which you have to pay for. Cause the ticket wasn’t expensive enough. I was with 3 other girls and as we’re not from Manchester, we didn’t feel particularly safe hanging around on a street, waiting for a bus. We just wanted to get back to the hotel. Well, we waited about an hour for the bus to even let us on after asking numerous security staff what was going on. Good to see the WHP organisers take the safety of their patrons seriously.
Not worth the £30 I spent on tickets. My friends and I left after a few hours. Such a wasted night. If you’re into your music and clubbing, don’t bother with WHP. You will hate it. They don’t have a clue what makes a great clubbing experience because this sure as heck aint it.

if you a fan of edm this is the place to be! the biggest names in the world come down every year and the feel to the place is just amazing! party people. this is the place to go!

Its a great venue but there isnt a lot there apart from the music

I’m going to make clear this review is based on one visit to the Warehouse. I’ve never been a fan of venues that hold masses and masses of people, that’s what outdoor festivals are for, or big arenas like the Apollo or the MEN arena. The Warehouse has got to be tried at least once though, just for the experience, because it is an experience like no other, I’ll give it that.
I snapped a Friendly Fires ticket, so my visit was more an indie electro type Warehouse night, commercialized if you like. Basically I wanted to see the London based trio and simply combined the virgin experience with the Warehouse to this affect.
It was a bit stressful before we even reached the place. You hear so many things about the portaloos, the queues, the price of the drinks, the hardcore ravers. There’s a reason why Warehouse is a year upon year success I reminded myself, but I couldn’t help have a slight anxious voice in my head.
Upon entry, the underground car park did give it this undescribable vibe. It was strange to be underneath the train station. It felt as if we had been unleashed and were free to roam endlessly in this almost alternative world.
This curious, intrigueing feel didn’t last though. Crowds halted the freedom to move, the portaloos along with the queues cranked up the anxiety. Maybe I shouldn’t buy any drinks to avoid this. Stand in a queue to stand in another queue eventually. If this isn’t enough there’s always the co-​ordination of when to go where and who with. There’s no signal underground of course and it’d be a complete nightmare if you lost your group.
I was especially disheartened to hear that Friendly Fires weren’t due to appear until 2am. By this time I forgot the queueing, the portaloo situation and the drink prices and throwing shapes was my fascination. I missed any glimpse of Friendly Fires though. We weren’t about to die trying to get anywhere near the middle never mind the front.
So I’m not likely to frequent this place again. It’s just not my scene, I understand why it is quite an institution to the Manchester scene just not simply for me. Warehouse Project runs annually from September to the New Year and few odd events like in Easter. I say give it a try at least and see what you come up with.

Taking underground clubbing to new lows (in the good way), The Warehouse Project has become the stuff of legend since it began, taking Manchester by storm every September. It really has put the city on the map — friends who live down south specifically migrate up north to attend a few of the Warehouse Project shows.
Fair enough it has become more commercial in sponsorship and, to an extent, in the line up. This year Jack Penate, The Tings Tings and David Guetta are playing. Its still eclectic though with a great mix of local, UK and superstar names. Its almost all sold out but I’m tempted by Deadmau5 the day before New Years Eve.
Last years’ line up of parties was very special — Annie Mac, the Alkan, Boyz Noize, a Bestival reunion and the Chemical Brothers.
This ain’t glam — this is for people who love their music, have a gang of equally besotted friends and who can stay up all night. There’s no posing — everyone’s too wasted/​too excited. Going to the Warehouse Project is definitely a large one, put it that way…

You can’t get better than this when it comes to clubbing in Manchester. Whilst still living Liverpool I often came to Manchester clubbing and thought ‘so where is everyone?’, I found them ALL here!
Yes hidden away in a dark underground car park under Piccadilly train station there are around 2000 whistling shape throwers that gather every week or so from the month of September through till Febuary every year. The Warehouse Project makes you feel like you truly are part of an underground scene again… although in recent years it seems to have secured a few sponsorship deals (kinda ruins it). But hey this place is somewhere you can let your hair down and lose yourself (or lose your shoes if your like me… no seriously is quite embarrassing when people are congratulating your other half for going home to get you another pair of shoes due to the fact you have lost them indefinitely down the side of a speaker).
I would recommend that if you want to know what Manchester really has to offer you wiggle your way down to the Warehouse Project and party with the best of ‘em.

Jumping jeepers it’s Warehouse season again!!!
Stop what you’re doing, quit your your job, postpone the divorce, you don’t want to miss a thing!
From now until February if anyone needs me I’ll be in a big dark tunnel under the railway station throwing out some shapes to the best DJs in the world and hugging people I would normally cross the street to avoid– it don’t get no better than this Jon Boy!
One of my greatest claims to fame took place here when Mike from Groove Armada dedicated Superstylin’ to yours truly on my birthday after getting me and my friends in as a thank you for taking them around the old man bars of Liverpool after striking up an unlikely friendship in Cream.
Tis a strange feeling indeed to spend an evening being asked by strangers if you are «THE Jay».
I am SO the Jay.