Featuring; VIVa Warriors with Steve Lawler, Nick Curly, Denney and Jemmy
This December Liverpool rave experts Freeze will turn nine. As they approaches the final year of their first decade, the clubnight has certainly had an eventful run. What started off in the same fashion pretty much every Liverpool clubnight of a generation began in, the hallowed ‘room above a pub’ Lemon Lounge, has since mutated into one of the nation’s most well love rave institutions, a barometer of excellence in dance music.
The first point of wonder is the DJs involved along the way. Since original residents Andy Currie and Rob Casson played the first records Freeze has welcomed a bulging cast list. There’s been the theatrics of Luciano and his Cadenza stable, the imperious Innervisions cartel of Dixon and Ame, off kilter techno of Micheal Mayer, languid disco joy of Greg Wilson and Crazy P, Marcel Dettman and Paco Osuna’s visceral hedonism and the groove heavy genius of Danny Howells.
What’s marked Freeze out as real class acts though has been the venues. They’ve worked with Liverpool’s best venues, Arts Club (during its Masque heyday), Kazimier, Camp & Furnace all part of the story, but it’s the refashioning of the city’s’ finest landmarks that has forged their reputation. Liverpool’s stunning Anglican Cathedral, the roofless wonder of St Luke’s Church and the Victorian ballroom splendour of St Georges Hall, have all been glorious locations for Freeze’s events, not to mention their infamous rave in a cave series which put the Williamson Tunnel on the clubbing map. They’ve taken experiencing electronic music to new devastating heights.
Every show has involved new ground, so for the event’s first Birthday party in years they’ve focused on bringing two DJ debuts to a venue that has been utilised by them for great effect recently, the Garage in the city’s resurgent Baltic Quarter. As is the Freeze way they’ll be teaming up with a revered imprint to allow them to showcase their own groove, with Steve Lawler bringing his VIVa Warriors party to Liverpool for their first ever solo show.
As a record label and party VIVa has become one of the most significant across Europe, Lawler’s gutsy combination of off kilter house and noir drenched techno at the centre of one the most hedonistic parties around; best exemplified by their status as Sankeys Ibiza’s flagship weekly residency every Sunday.
As well as Lawler’s metronomic command of twisted house and techno, joining the party will be the architecht of Germany’s Mannheim sound Nick Curly, Hot Creations darling and Leeds legend Denney, and of course Freeze’s own resident Jemmy bringing sonic jewels from the off.
