Live: Vevo Halloween Party

1st November

Victoria Warehouse

8/10

The day after Halloween, a zombie uprising took place in Trafford Park. Loudhailers announced the closure of roads for military use, and people walked around in those decontamination suits they have on Monsters Inc. This isn’t the set of some shitty b-movie though, it’s Vevo’s 2014 Halloween Party.

The Victoria Warehouse is the first Halloween event ever that I actually found scary. The venue was transformed into a Halloween hell, including a maze of horrors that the braver members of the crowd had to endure before they got to the stage. For the scaredy cats, there was also a passage right along side it that had nothing worse than a bit of fog and some worrying screams.

Over 4000 undead revellers flocked to the sold-out event, and were treated to sets by Labrinth, Rixton, Ella Eyre and Gorgon City. Despite the announcement on the day that headliner Sam Smith was unable to play due to having “totally lost his voice,” the party went on regardless, with Gorgon City taking over headline duties.

Even before the show actually began, the atmosphere was electric, and only partly due to the amazing venue and how it was set up. The rest of the atmosphere was all down to the crowd, and how excited they were. However, the party really started when Labrinth opened up the show with a rockier rendition of his massive hit ‘Earthquake’. The singer-songwriter delivered an amazing set from start to finish, which included all the hits he is known for.

Next up came Manchester boyband Rixton, all dressed up in superhero outfits, which they quickly jettisoned when it started to warm up. These guys are pretty much everywhere at the moment, but before their set I’m pretty sure I had never heard their music. All in all, they were just a row of stools short of going full boyband, with harmonies and audience participation all over the place.

Also in character was Ella Eyre, who was some sort of stunning cat/bat hybrid. At first there were a few issues related to hearing her over the backing music, but when they were resolved she delivered a blinding set, with a much more chilled out vibe than previous acts.

Gorgon City, along with a few friends, closed up the event. The duo were joined on stage by singers Zak Abel and Laura Welsh, and together they brought a great night to a close.