Event Review: Blue Monday – Bombay Bicycle Club DJ Set

Wednesday 25th September, Antwerp Mansion

What is Blue Monday?
Established back in January, Blue Monday boasts a night of indie, alternative, and rock, featuring resident and guest DJs and a live guitarist. Past events have featured DJ sets from Clint Boon — Inspiral Carpets, Radio X, South Club — and The Vaccines, returning to the Antwerp calendar around once every six weeks.

A great night for seekers of something alternative to traditional Antwerp nights, the event always attracts a varied crowd who don’t mind letting loose and having a dance.

What kind of music?
Textbook indie features regularly on the playlists, but peppered throughout are rock records, funk, soul, even 80s pop classics. It is a celebration of the old and new alternative scene, and does provide something for everyone’s taste.

Disco tunes go down well with the crowd, who seem to enjoy a momentary blast from the past; forget the mainstream, Blue Monday reminds you of tracks made for the dance floor.

Who are Bombay Bicycle Club?
The band formed in Crouch End, London in 2005, going on to secure a number one album position with So Long, See You Tomorrow. It was guitarist Jamie MacColl who took to the decks on Wednesday, but the set was far removed from the indie scene the boys are associated with.

What kind of vibe was it?
Antwerp’s resident DJ, who book-ended MacColl’s set, is a master of capturing an indie crowd with an eclectic array of tunes, ranging from The Libertines to The Clash, Oasis to Jamie T. It hyped the crowd for a natural progression into the origins of those best loved indie tracks, when MacColl took control after midnight.

His playlist revolved around soul, whether it was disco smash hits from the 70s, club anthems of the 80s or deep-rooted rock’n’roll. What cohesively bound the set was its constant fast-paced groove, which begged for some Michael Jackson hip movement.

Best record spun?
Tame Impala — ‘The Less I Know The Better’. That is, if you don’t count New Order – ‘Blue Monday’, which was inevitably played.

And there was more…
The in-house guitarist followed MacColl’s set with a passionate live solo, adding an extra dimension to the event and tinging the records with an exciting tangibility. Hardly needing Halloween décor, the Mansion was the perfect place for an alternative musical experience in dismal mid-October.

Is Blue Monday returning?
The event will inevitably return to Antwerp after the run of success this year; expect all-star DJs, funky sets and a groove to capture any alternative fan.

Look out for future Blue Monday events.