Review: Maximo Park @ The Warehouse Project

When: 23rd September 2010

Reviewed by: Jayne Robinson

Photo by: Sebastian Matthes

Line-up: Maximo Park, Metronomy, Chapel Club, Now Wave DJs

To some, the line-up for the launch party of one of what's become one the best known dance events in the world seemed an unusual one. But then, it's a choice that demonstrates The Warehouse Project's commitment to diversity and constant evolution. 

Topping a line-up of Chapel Club and Metronomy, Sunderland indie-funk-rockers Maximo Park scissor-kicked off (sorry) three months of club events at the now iconic underground car park, with an exhilarating performance that left the blood pumping ahead of a weekend of launch parties to celebrate the arrival of WHP2010.

The excitement mounting both inside and outside the venue was almost tangible, as people anticipated not just the night's events; but three months of Warehouse Projects ahead. And after being warmed up by local DJ outfit Now Wave, the first live act of The WHP2010 mounted the stage.

Now at Skiddle.com we do like London five-piece Chapel Club. We really do. Their moody, captivating sounds certainly have their place. But that place doesn't really seem to be the cavernous underground enclave of The Warehouse Project. Their songs, which are spine-tinglingly atmospheric in a smaller venue, seemed here to fall flat - with their subtle performance style unfortunately getting lost in the vast space.

Not that anyone minded. While die hard Chapel Club fans gathered around the front of stage, other WHP-ers used the down-time to warm themselves up at the bar, and reacquaint themselves with the sprawling underground venue - which is largely unchanged since last year. Well, if it ain't broke... 

Next up was slow-burning electropop outfit Metronomy. This exciting Devonshire four-piece have spent years touring with the likes of Bloc Party, CSS, Klaxons and... er... Kate Nash, gaining a large and loyal following along the way. Known for their luminous stage get-up (apparently the band recently performed in full Tron suits), the guys tonight decided to go with their fail-safe 'flashing-light-attached-to-the-chest' option - which saw them lighting up in time to the music like a string of oversized fairy lights.

And then, as midnight fell, so too did the real reason that we were all there. The mighty Maximo Park, who played their first ever gig outside of Newcastle at Manchester's In the City back in 2003, took to the stage to usher in the WHP2010.

Fronted by the unmistakable bowler-hatted and back-lit silhouette of Paul Smith, the band launched immediately into three tracks from their latest album Quicken The Heart - tracks which evidently were only known by a proportion of the crowd. Bad way to begin guys, but it's ok - we forgive you. And we did actually quite like 'The Kids are Sick Again', we suppose. 

But four songs in, and The 'Park fell into their stride - the ambiguously worded 'Graffiti' turning the expectant crowd into a seething, jumping mass of waving hands and mouths desperately wrapping themselves around every nuance of the song's sumptuous lyrics. 

Hit after glorious hit continued, with a typically suited Paul Smith covering every inch of the stage in  the kind of magic that's turned Maximo Park into one of the world's 'must-see' live bands of the past ten years. And tonight there was no holding back, with the snake-hipped Smith lurching around the stage as though his life depended on his performance. 

And perhaps in some small way, it did. With Smith about to embark on a solo career, the pressure to prove that he's still at the front of his game must have been somewhere in the back of his mind as he scissor-kicked and hip-swirled his way through 'I Want You to Stay', 'Books From Boxes', 'Apply Some Pressure', 'Going Missing' and 'Russian Dolls'.

Despite his exhilarating performances, Smith is notoriously shy when it comes to actually conversing with the audience. But his cry of  "The Warehouse Project is known for dancing. So... Dance!" which preceeded the final run of songs was invitation enough (as if anyone needed it) for the crowd to erupt. 

Indeed, the surge of energy created by the band's final song 'Our Velocity' and its impassioned sing-along would have probably blown the roof off the Warehouse Project - if there wasn't the small matter of a  huge train station sitting on top of it. 

It was an exhilarating show - and an exciting way to kick off what's sure to be an equally exhilarating few months of events. 

Good work, WHP. We'll see you next week! 

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