Strictly Rhythm

SOUTHPORT 45 REVIEW

What better place to celebrate Strictly Rhythm's 20th birthday alongside 25 years of House Music than at Southport Weekender 45 and what better lineup to showcase this than house music heavyweights Tony Humphries and Quentin Harris alongside an impressive live PA by up and coming soulful siren Yasmeen. For four blissful hours, Strictly comandeered the Powerhouse, bringing the old, the new and the soon to be classics to a very hungry and thereafter satisfied crowd.

As always, Humphries delivered in classic form while Quentin sent the dancefloor into a frenzy with an unexpected renditition of the current Dennis Ferrer anthem 'Hey Hey' and the icing on the cake was Yasmeen's confident and immaculate live PA - one that would even put India on her toes.

Whoever had the opportunity to attend the Southport 45 Weekender will probably agree that the final ever November installment of the 22 year old event couldn't have had a more thunderous finale.

With a programme that even your gran could appreciate - boasting names like Nicky Siano & Frankie Knuckles to Strictly Rhythm's 20th Anniversary Powerhouse takeover to the Connoisseurs Room's timeless classics - this was undoubtedly a proper tribute to soulful house music and all its roots. Two big highlights of this Weekender were quality PAs: including an expected but no less notable, spine tingling performance from India, and a very impressive and Yasmeen - Strictly's newest vocal talent - who despite being a Southport first-timer, owned the Powerhouse stage like a seasoned veteran.

DJs that brought the house down were Nicky Siano, playing an obscure selection of quality disco that you will probably never hear again in your life and with such passion & boundless energy that you could easily picture what it would have been like back in the days of the Gallery and Studio 54; Gilles Peterson and Zed Bias were a breath of fresh air with their eclectic sets and Henrik Schwarz completely hijacked the Beat Bar dancefloor - nuff said. Superb performances from Jazzanova and the Sunburst band. Also on top form were Quentin Harris, Frankie Feliciano and Kerri Chandler who never fails to bring pure joy to the dancefloor.

But the show stealer by far for this Weekender was none other than big D - Mr Dennis Ferrer - For his expectedly brilliant takeover of the Powerhouse dancefloor and for completely tearing the roof off with the eagerly awaited anthem 'Hey Hey'.

So for those who were there - this was undoubtedly a memorable night and for those who will eagerly await the next installment.