CityLife

Preview: Lowdown And Dirty @ Sound Control

Ben Taylor, Resistance and Steve Thorpe

In the world of music, they call it difficult third album syndrome – the pressure felt by bands to follow two critically and commercially successful long players.

The new collection must be familiar-sounding enough to keep current fans happy, while at the same time pushing enough boundaries to maintain progression.

It’s a tricky tightrope to tread. For every OK Computer, London Calling or The Fat Of The Land there’s surely a Be Here Now lurking just around the corner.

Last year’s underwhelming Arctic Monkeys disc Humbug proved that the problem persists.

The syndrome is apparent in clubbing too.

Those promoters who are brave enough to wind up successful nights and launch sequels face the same nerve-shredding fears that confront bands on albums two and three.

One man about to bring the world his difficult third club is Steve Thorpe, whose clubland pedigree dictates that expectation is high.

When you’re the man who masterminded legendary breaks and hard dance night Tangled for well over a decade, people tend to want something a little bit special from your new night.

It’s something Thorpe found out when he launched Carry On last year.

Luckily for him he delivered in style, untangling himself from his previous club’s legacy and winning a new set of fans.

Now, he’s gearing up to bring us Lowdown & Dirty, a hot new night at venue du jour Sound Control. But why the change?

Varied

“I called the last night Carry On because I wanted to carry on after Tangled finished,” says Thorpe.

“I feel that I have done that now. I also felt that with us moving to a brand new venue we needed a new image... plus I had ran out of saucy postcards for flyer ideas!

“The ‘idea’ is to do what I have always done, put on wicked parties, with me and Resistance as residents.

“We’ll use guests who we have built up relationships with over the years and introduce new acts to keep pushing our sound – a mix of breaks, electro, tech-funk and smatterings of the new genre, bass music – forward.”

The first of many guests lined up to appear at the club is U&A Recordings man Simon ‘sHack’ Shackleton, otherwise known as Elite Force. He will be joined at the launch party by occasional production partner and mutual friend of Thorpe, Meat Katie.

“Simon approached us to help launch his new album, Re:vamped, which is full of the mash-ups and genre-splices, like turning dubstep tunes into tech-funk monsters, he’s been rocking dance floors with all over the world this last year.”

But the big guest bookings don’t end on the first night. Next month’s party features a Manchester return for Splitloop, while sets from Krafty Kuts and Hybrid await during spring.

All of which upcoming guests will be made to feel more than welcome at the club’s home, Sound Control.

The New Wakefield Street venue is already gaining a reputation as one of the best, most varied in town.

From Tuesday night’s Control indie session to ear-battering new bass/tropical night Miami, the club has shown its commitment to offering something for everyone, a remit aided further by the addition of the beats ‘n’ breaks of Lowdown & Dirty.

“I was thrilled when we were asked to move there,” says Thorpe.

“The bare brick walls give it a warehouse feel and the soundsystem, lights and bar just make it such a different venue to others.

“We just want to build a quality night where people will go each month to hear great dance music with a brilliant atmosphere in an amazing, unpretentious venue.”

Lowdown & Dirty - February 20, 2010 -  Sound Control. 11pm-4am. £8adv/10.