Hybrid Minds at Manchester Academy review: a night for D&B lovers

From Warehouse season to festival season in the summer, we’re now a little bit in between. It’s time to defrost from the festive period, shake the January blues and get ready for 2024. What a way to begin February by attending a Worried About Henry Event, with Hybrid Minds headlining the stage, along with other top D&B artists, at Manchester Academy 1. With the crowded venue of fans ready to welcome the likes of MCs Duskee & Dread, Jack Banner, Solah, Pola & Bryson, S.P.Y, and Friction, it was an evening to send the audience into ecstasy. 

It’s bound to be a good night when you know it’s a Worried About Henry event. The D&B club promoters, founded in 2014, are known for bringing the best multi-genre bass line-ups across 20 cities in the UK. From playing a part in the Warehouse Project annually, to Parklife and Academy events in Manchester, they are some of the busiest in the business. From the beginning of the night, waves of energy surged Academy 1, and it was only going to get better…

Worried About Henry started the night with Jack Banner before Solah entered the Academy stage. The upcoming DJ had a presence on stage that encouraged constant audience participation, starting the night well and raising the vibes high. As the venue filled out even further, it was time for S.P.Y & Trafic to present tracks that got the crowd more and more excited and were perfectly suited for the dancefloor. Smoke machines and vibrant lights elevated the atmosphere, with heavy bass lines performed impeccably, making every drop feel electrifying. 

Hybrid Minds were not simply headliners, but the act that every D&B lover has on their ‘live music bucket list’. It’s common knowledge that their gigs are magic, and this night wasn’t any different. The whole set list made fans react in admiration of the rumbling beats and transfixing vocals, with echoing lyrics and back-and-forth singing from the stage to the crowd. The whole set was breathtaking; with constant recognisable tunes to sing along to. At any Hybrid Minds gig, it’s obvious what songs everyone had especially been waiting for; 'Touch', 'Let Me Hold You', and 'If Love Could Have Saved You'. Although every other song hit differently, these three songs made everyone in the crowd sing and dance passionately to the meaningful lyrics. Making the crowd go wild and sending chills down their spine, Hybrid Minds did it once again and lived up to their D&B reputation: They made everyone’s Saturday night one of pure magic. 

Next to take the stage was Friction & Dread MC, with a selection of floor-fillers and crowd-favourites from one of the most technically skilled DJs on the D&B scene. Friction was a perfect act to take over from Hybrid Minds, keeping the energy high and relentlessly spinning anthems that were captivating for the audience, continuing the night with a bang. Friction left everyone in awe with hard-hitting beats, and heightened the atmosphere by playing remixes of Wilkinson’s 'Afterglow' and the original classic Friction crowd-lover, 'Your Love'.

To finish the evening of D&B madness, Pola & Bryson and Duskee came to share tracks that kept the crowd energy unmatched, before Seeka joined the stage to end the night. Following on from the remarkable performances that had taken place in Academy 1 prior to their set, they continued to the same standard, with a sea of fans moving to melodic electronic music that is intrinsic to their own sculpted style. 

Worried About Henry had Academy 1 bouncing with D&B ravers, who embraced every single song played, from when the doors opened in the beginning, right through to the night coming to an end. It was an unforgettable night of phenomenal electronic dance music, and the variation of acts was like no other.

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Check out our What's On Guide to discover even more rowdy raves and sweaty gigs taking place over the coming weeks and months. For festivals, lifestyle events and more, head on over to our Things To Do page or be inspired by the event selections on our Inspire Me page.