AMP All Day Raves at Tobacco Dock review

Image: Annie Mac Credit: Fresh to Death

Now that the winter months are drawing closer, many festival revellers are feeling the withdrawals from a season full of sun, dancing, and incredible music. Even with club series like The Warehouse Project and Nightvision doing their upmost to keep the spirit of summer alive it is hard to see beyond the cold, dreary mornings ahead. 

However, dance music visionary Annie Mac has seized an opportunity to keep music lovers content as the nights draw closer, with a series of day festivals taking place in Birmingham, Leeds and London’s iconic Tobacco Dock – a grade 1 listed warehouse that was once at the heart of industrial revolution in the capital.

The idea behind these mini raves was to ‘provide contrasting music both from live artists and DJs that is musically diverse with new artists and legends sitting side by side’, and you could certainly see this just by looking at the set times. There were just as many smaller acts on hand, making for an exciting exploration into new musical discoveries.

Riton did a fantastic job of warming up the Great Gallery with his blend of techno and contemporary house beats appealing to the younger ravers in the crowd. With his set filled with soulful vocals and the occasional piano lick intertwined with a punchy, distorted bass, it wasn’t long before the main room filled with a sea of people shuffling their cares away, ready to take on the rest of the day. 

Kolsch was up next. His combination of slow build ups into gentle synth melodies and intricate drum layers, with heavily manipulated vocals seamlessly weaving their way through the different elements of his set. Having the talent to be that delicate when mixing is phenomenal, and with this gift he was able to turn mixing into a true art form, putting the crowd into a trance with his talent and enthusiasm. 

The car park at the Tobacco Dock was at its capacity for the first performance of the day from the woman of the moment Annie Mac, but attendees were far from disappointed as upstairs Basement Jaxx were whipping the crowd into a frenzy with their timeless talent and innovative performance styles.

The duo are usually associated with their outrageous live shows full of colour and energy, and this was replicated in a spectacle of lights, lasers and upbeat carnival vibes reigniting the memories of summer. The combination of old skool house riffs with modern bass beats appealed to every generation of raver in attendance, and it wasn’t long before the Great Gallery was bursting at the seams, with people queuing at the entrance to catch a glimpse of the house superstars in action. 

Halfway through the day at the Tobacco Dock, and the venue is packed, making it increasingly difficult to navigate around the 3 different stages. However, there was never an excessive queue to access bar and toilet facilities, which proves that both teams with Annie Mac and LWE promoters are professionals when it comes to organising a successful event, minimising the stress that naturally comes with occasions of this scale and reputation. 

Revisiting the car park, the atmosphere is dark and dingy, the perfect setting to immerse in some techno rhythms. Particular highlights at this stage include Patrick Topping and Paul Woolford, both experts in their field and kept the crowd stomping with their infectious beats and eerie atmospheric samples. A complete contrast to this arena was the Little Gallery, flamboyantly dressed in shades of soft pink to add to the festival feeling. It was the perfect stage for up and coming artists to showcase their projects to a welcoming crowd looking for the next big thing. 

As the day drew to a close, it was up to Annie Mac and Dusky with a unique live set to see the event out with a bang. The passion and enthusiasm that the AMP creator has for new music and the dance music scene is immersed in her performance, cementing her status and one of the greats within the industry.

She certainly knows how to get a crowd excited, so her evening slot just before Dusky was perfect as an introduction to the finale of the event, however with everyone having the same ideas as to who to watch at the end of the night. Despite the tight squeeze, the glimpse of talent that was captured on the airwaves was heavenly, and the incorporation of instruments with electronic sounds is definitely innovative and should be commended.

The organisation of the event was professional and took into consideration the needs of the audience even with the high volume of attendees, and was managed with care to everyone. Annie Mac and her team, combined with the knowledge and experience of the LWE team captured the last glimpses of summer fun, helping us see through the winter months with optimism for a summer beyond the cold and rain, helping us to look forward with excitement to next year's festival season.   

LWE brings Carl Cox to Tobacco Dock for NYD

Tickets are no longer available for this event