Rave, sleep - Annie Mac's Before Midnight
I love music, specifically of the house variety. I'm also a massive fan of sleeping and getting the recommended eight hours kip wherever possible. It's easy to assume the two activities don't mix, especially given my preferred musical genre is synonymous with dancing til dawn. Well, think again, because there's a new party in town.
Before Midnight is the brainchild of DJ royalty Annie Mac and is neatly and honestly described as "an accessible nightclubbing experience designed for people who need sleep". It's intended for those who still adore the music but have grown up a little, put some miles on the clock and gained responsibilities. This generally makes staying up until sunrise and then festering in bed until the opening theme of Sunday's Countryfile no longer an option or indeed, preference. Adult commitments inevitably change things, but for many, appreciation for the otherworldly escapism of a thrumming dancefloor remains.
Annie Mac's genius concept opens doors at UK-wide venues at a civilised 7pm, and the final track fades out at the stroke of 12. Before Midnight offers five hours to depart the day-to-day grind to immerse yourself in house hedonism, bumping shoulders with others who totally get where you're coming from. The respectable finish time means normal life can resume the following morning, feeling fresh and smug rather than frazzled and despairing.
When we joined the sellout show's Manchester date at the spectacular Albert Hall, it was a bright and cheerful April evening. The early hour combined with kaleidoscopic lights beaming through the restored Wesleyan chapel's stained glass windows gave an initial end-of-term school disco feel. But though a large chunk of the crowd would likely recall such classics, there was no danger of any Agadoo or Hokey Cokey here.
Annie took to the decks early, meaning we got to see her in fading daylight - in stark contrast to the good old days of holding out until at least 2am for your favourite DJ's appearance. Opening with some soul-warming vocal house, she segmented the set, upping the tempo and taking us on an audio journey, including some retro garage and deeper cuts.
Ill-advised heels and my phone's rude vibration to suggest I start winding down for bed at 8.30pm did nothing to diminish the pure joy and feel-good the evening evoked. Wrapping the set with thirty minutes of crowd-pleasers was a pro move, and as Technotronic repeatedly invited us to Pump Up the Jam, we knew we'd shortly be home and instead pumping up the kettle and preparing for a restful and happy night's sleep.
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