Review – Acetate 5th Birthday

A sizeable but not sold out pre-Halloween crowd certainly seemed up for it as a marathon six hour set began, and a crowd that lasted the duration of the night formed early on around the DJ booth, as seemingly everyone was eager to show their affection to the night’s performers. No one DJ stood out as the night eased in with a solid but admittedly unspectacular start. Punters who know Pearson Sound expect a set that flirts with dubstep, house, techno and variations of the type, and that was delivered, but no tracks from either DJ really set the place alight to begin with (Carl Finlow’s ‘Islands’ being an exception). It wasn’t until around the 2am mark things really got going, as the crowd seemed buoyed by the more rhythmic and bass-driven thuds coming from the sound system, which reverberated around the club. Jane Fitz and Pearson Sound kept this momentum going, and complemented one another‘s half-hour mini sets, each one being better than the last. Every change of DJ was heralded by cheers and whistles of appreciation, and Pearson Sound in particular shone as he got the crowd whooping at the euphoric highs brought by his selections – Four Tet’s ‘Pinnacles’ was a standout. Jane Fitz delivered some crowd pleasers and certainly played her part in their enjoyable set, but Pearson Sound was the main event, and he certainly delivered.

The fact that the sets were 100% vinyl makes the spectacle all the more impressive. These DJs couldn’t have simply picked any song they want from an endless selection – each track was considered and chosen thoughtfully. Acetate is a unique and important night in Leeds’ calendar for the sheer quality and variety it brings, and as the dust settles on its fifth birthday, you can rest assured knowing a sixth will definitely be on the cards.

Dan King

(Photo credits: The Wire Club)

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