Warehouse Party Pioneers
About
On October 8, 1988, two young brothers from Manchester put on the very first warehouse party in the north of England: SWEAT IT OUT.
The brothers became infamous for throwing some of the most legendary raves the UK had witnessed. SWEAT IT OUT went down in Manchester folklore. Anthony H Wilson, who filmed the first show for posterity, declared it a seismic event comparable to the Sex Pistols 1976 Lesser Free Trade Hall show that inspired Joy Division and the Buzzcocks.
SWEAT IT OUT was pivotal in bringing together a whole host of creative minds including already established bands like New Order with new musicians who went on to be key players in the Madchester music scene, while others in attendance went onto become global superstar DJs including 808 State,
The party was originally set to be staged on Store Street, Manchester, underneath Piccadilly Station with fly posters announcing the location andhandheld flyers distributed to those in the know and those that the brothers felt should know. The city of Manchester would forever remember this night.
The authorities were poised waiting for something to happen in Manchester as the ACID HOUSE phenomenon was creeping into the national press with the Hacienda gaining notoriety. The young brothers - Christopher and Anthony Donnelly - were Hacienda regulars and at the forefront of the Acid revolution.
They had links via their sister, who worked at Factory Records, with Tony Wilson, Rob Gretton and Alan Erasmus the Donnelly brothers involved both Factory Records and the Hacienda in Sweat It Out’s pre-planning.
The stage was set, the time was right, the people wanted change - it was time to do it. But on the night before the party, the Donnellys received word that the authorities intended to stop the event. A new plan had to be hatched and fast. The brothers set about liberating a brand new refurbished railway arch on Temperance Street next to Mayfield bus depot, a stage was built,doormen hired and DJs Mike Pickering and Jon DaSilva booked.
On the night a huge smiley face was sprayed on the original doors of theStore Street location with a message to ‘wait here from 11pm’. The Donnellys had to keep the new venue secret, it was ready to explode: the sound system and lasers and thousands of pounds worth of equipment all set for a night never to be forgotten.
At 11pm, the Donnelly brothers arrived at Store Street to be greeted by a thousand ravers waiting for news on the location. All night hand-picked guides ushered the crowds the short distance to the railway arch where the thud of the bass and whistles were screaming the rave was on - number 101 Temperance Street. The authorities did arrive but not until midday the next day. By then the touch paper on the UK’s biggest ever party scene,Madchester and Acid House had been well and truly lit. .
Fast forward to the present day: SWEAT IT OUT has brought together a new partnership with Sacha Lord, founder The Warehouse Project and Parklife. Sacha has recently been appointed Greater Manchester’s night-timeeconomy advisor to Mayor Andy Burnham.
SWEAT IT OUT will be launched in winter 2021 by the Donnelly brothers and Sacha. As always, you can expect something spectacular.