Our House Rave at Q Club Birmingham review

Image: Our House Rave

Promoters are forever revisiting the roots of dance music, keen to remember where it all started and pay homage to the artists who made it all possible. There's nothing worse than a stale format though, which is why it's crucial to keep things like venues and concepts fresh - something that Our House Rave did with ease.

Our House turned back time to revisit the roots of house, reigniting the passion this genre brings and reunite a dance generation that has become unintentionally disjointed in the realms of a confusing maze of musical categories lacking meaning and emotion.  

With one of the strongest advertising campaigns of any clubbing brand this year, the anticipation surrounding the iconic Q Club in Birmingham was unparalleled. Enticed into a labyrinth of musical delights, behind each conspicuous door in the building lay a new discovery. The inner child yearned to explore the eerie corridors in hope of stumbling across something new and exciting; constantly investigating what else is lurking around mysterious corners. 

Out of the array of labels participating in tonight’s event, spread across seven different areas, Spin and Rockafella stand out for miles, both for very different reasons. Spin brings an element of glamour to proceedings, with white drapes and disco balls decorating the walls complimented with the sounds of funky disco house, while Rockafella provides new recruits to the genre with something more representative of current trends with a darker, raw backdrop of more techno-influenced vibrations.  

Even with all of these enthusiastic promoters under one roof, nothing compares to the stellar line up being presented in the main room. The Our House team had pulled out all the stops to recreate the scene associated with early nineties dance. Allister Whitehead, Brandon Block and Alex P ensure the early birds in the crowd are suitably warmed up for the night ahead, revisiting such classics as Layo and Bushwacka’s ‘Love Story’ and N-Joi’s ‘Anthem’ (below).

Accompanied by talented hosts displaying their advanced musical capabilities with live brass and saxophone intermissions, the set up embraces all of the elements of a live music concert rather than the generic DJ set commonly used within clubs. It gives the audience something to watch as well as listen to, adding to the overall experience of the event. 

Over the course of the night, the music became somewhat repetitive. After hearing Eric Prydz’s ‘Pjanoo’ for what felt like the millionth time it was easy to become complacent, with more people taking advantage of the bar and smoking facilities and moving away from the music. Saying this, with 12 hours to fill the Our House organisers had their work cut out to ensure a continuous variety of music.

Cleverly thought out breaks with live music performances from vocal icons Alison Limerick and Robin S welcomed a breath of fresh air into the venue, with singalong classics ‘Where Love Lives’ and ‘Show Me Love’ awakening the crowd from an unprecedented slumber.

Their charisma and pure joy whilst performing shone through the smoke and laser beans, the audience humbled at being in the presence of two beautiful stars with raw talent that could never possibly fade. This cleverly crafted line up ensured energy levels were being amply restored throughout this music marathon.

Now onto the last leg of the night, K-Klass took the crowd right back to the beginnings of house, exploding onto the stage with classic piano sounds. The duo were able to incite the original passion and emotion that this genre originally intended, uniting the audience through love and setting them free from the boundaries and stereotypes that music often brings with it.

No set of theirs would be complete without including hits ‘Let Me Show You’ and ‘Rhythm Is A Mystery’ containing that beat that pumps the blood through your veins to your hands and feet that are now moving uncontrollably in excitement. Flicking through all of the timeless classics, these DJs epitomise the true meaning of house music and provide the set of the event. 

It feels like there's been a real resurgence in classic house, people are keen to relive the memories and embrace the tracks that defined a generation. Hopefully with the help of hard working promoters like Our House, we'll be seeing more quality events which recognise the artists that shaped a crucial musical era.

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