THE BEST new places are usually the ones you hear through word of mouth.
We are the revolution!
Manchester’s hush hush new nightclub, Hidden, nailed this approach on their opening weekend, selling out their August Bank Holiday fuelled only through rumour and a few sniffs on social media.
The name itself is a savvy bit of marketing (who doesn’t want to visit a club called Hidden?), mysterious with a whiff of clannish exclusivity, while the sold out launch party - featuring high-profile German DJ tINI - was timed to perfection toward the end of what has been a rampant summer for music and culture in Manchester.
Located in the disused DownTex mill at the Strangeways end of Bury New Road, Hidden is a large 650-capacity venue complex with a courtyard, hangar space, blue room, basement and dark, mysterious, interlinking alleyways. Jobie Donnachie and Nickos Arnaoutis, the entrepreneurs behind Hidden, have pledged not to alter the original structure but have installed a bespoke Neuron Pro Audio soundsystem that will 'shake you to your very soul'.
And it’s not just about the music. The real crowning glory of the Hidden space is the incredible mural artwork in the courtyard (main image), painted by Manchester-born artist Peter Sheridan. Donnachie and Arnaoutis have also committed to hook up with educational institutions such as Chetham's School of Music and the Royal Northern College of Music to provide low cost studio and exhibition space.
There are even plans for a 'Yoga Party Revolution' (leggings compulsory) that promises a 'powerful joint yoga session, a wide range of music, lots of surprises and super positive energy' to 200 bendy folk that way inclined.
Hidden has heart too; on Saturday 19 September a regular club night called Mellow Yellow kicks off with a hippy-themed party through which organisers are supporting a local homeless foundation. Attendees are asked to bring donations such as coats, rucksacks and sleeping bags in order to gain free entry to the party.
It’s an unusually heartfelt initiative from this warehouse club, one which elevates Hidden from your typical gurners bolthole to become something more, well, sincere. 'This is a new age,' declares the Hidden troupe on Facebook, 'Let's make a difference and help people who need it most. We are the revolution!'
A little hyperbolic, sure, but with a number of recent articles (some of questionable origin, granted) sounding the death knell for nightclubs and clubbers, Hidden, with its mix of painfully cool parties, educational affiliates and community initiatives, could prove there’s life out there yet.
Viva la revolution!
17 DownTex Mill, Mary Street, Manchester
