Liverpool Disco Festival 2017 made us throw on our dancing shoes and boogie on down

Posted on 11 October 2017
By Scott Murphy
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Some say the origins of disco can be traced back to New York clubs of the 1960s, such as Regine’s, Le Club, Shepheard’s, Cheetah, Ondine, and Arthur – named after George Harrison’s famous quip about his own hairstyle, in the film Hard Days Night.

It was there that DJ Terry Noel innovated by playing two records simultaneously, thus creating a mix. The dance club was born. People came, and people danced, danced and danced.

To most observers however, it wasn’t until the 1970s, when gay underground dance clubs in New York spawned a disco culture that brought with it open drug use, on-site sex, and ecstatic, nonstop, all-night dancing.

Fast forward 40 odd years and Disco still resonates and is celebrated by many…with that original sound now spawned into many other genres along the way: Acid House, Rave, UK Garage, Scouse House and, well, you get the idea.

The third instalment of the Liverpool Disco Festival took place in several venues around the Baltic Triangle this past weekend, with Camp and Furnace and its fairly annoying one-way system being its main hub.

A minor gripe perhaps and one that certainly didn’t deter the masses that turned out in huge numbers to support this ever-growing event.

A damp, grey miserable Saturday in Liverpool certainly didn’t evoke many feelings of the iconic days of Disco, but the disciples would not be deterred from paying homage to their Disco Gods. The crowds were a heady mix of loyal servants of the scene who have been dancing for decades, losing none of their soul along the way, but perhaps a little of their soles.

The students of the city were also out in force with many embracing the Disco sound while wearing outfits that wouldn’t have looked out of place in Studio 54.

The atmosphere was very much feel good as classic UK and US house were occasionally drowned out by some stellar disco classics – “I want your love” and “Le Freak” by Chic being the hits which really brought the throngs to the balls of their feet.

John Morales did a brilliant job warming the crowd with a hit filled playlist as the party moved into the heart of Saturday Night. So much so, there was never a good time to leave to check out the other aspects of the festival.

However, a climb of the stairs to the Blade Factory proved to be more than worthwhile as a smaller crowd lost themselves in a haze of glittery light and wondrous beats.

The feel good factor of the festival was summed up perfectly at the end of the night. Right on the stroke of midnight, the music came to an end. Ticker tape filled the room. The mood was joyous.

There were no cat calls for more. Some people were done, with many more moving on to the after party at Hangar 34.

That was it. An orderly queue of disco dancers, some with their tops removed, smiling through the sweat headed out of the doors and into the night. It was raining horizontally.

It was just a minor inconvenience on what proved to be another great renewal of this brilliant
festival.