Sugar Rush

A canopy of multicoloured fabric and a prism of neon leads us into the main hall of Bowlers Exhibition Centre, where a troupe of rollerbladers and aerial dancers have infiltrated the premises, which in turn are adorned with giant plaster cast candy canes, lollipops and ice creams. It’s a good job – for the sake of my waist, if nothing else – that these aren’t real. They’re part of the display for Sugar Rush, a night of 2000s-era house music acts and DJs. Imagine if Willy Wonka was a house head: that’s the theme tonight. 

 

 

The night, assembled by Andy Kleek of Monopoly Events, is one of a series of events for the people of Manchester Made Me Funky, a society of people, one that started as a Facebook group for house music clubbers who were part of Manchester’s nightlife scene in the 2000s and tonight there’s another great roster of singers and DJs. 

Andy Kleek

 

 Vocalist Cookie, the voice of Freemasons’ 2004 debut hit Lola’s Theme, is first to the stage. 

 

 

 

Next up: Ayak Thiik performs Milk and Sugar’s 2002 hit Stayin’ Around. 

 

 

Kathy Brown follows her, singing Soul Central’s Strings of Life (Stronger on my Own). 

 

 

Lisa Millett is our next House Music diva, voice of Goodfellas’ track Soul Heaven and ATFC’s Bad Habit. 

 

 

 

 

Up next, voice of Blaze’s Most Precious Love, Barbara Tucker. 

 

 

 

Kimblee from Solu Music sings her track Fade to round off the live PAs.

 

In the audience, I spot Spencer Wilding, Darth Vader in Star Wars Rogue One, and Valerie Wyndham or presenter SoCalVal. I’m perhaps a little overdressed in a shirt and blazer. At one point a bloke asks me if I’m a narc. I’d be a pretty shit one, I tell him, as he’d have just busted me. 

Great to catch up with a few familiar faces from back in the day. Memorable night made great by the singers and DJs.