Coming back for my third and final Leeds Freshers’  Week after a year spent wallowing in the relative utopia of Munich’s club scene, I was preparing myself for what had become the norm: a single mediocre night out at the Faversham followed by six days of sitting in a living room with several other boys glibly patting each other on the back for being far too cool to attend any other events. Thankfully, and with some encouragement, I was able to shed most of my teenage pretension.

Armed with a newfound openness to all things Fresher, an absolute highlight was last Friday’s Brudenell Groove at Hifi. The DJ collective, following in a long and illustrious tradition of musicians and DJs naming themselves after LS6 street names, offered an “alternative freshers’ party” promising the more human end of four-on-the-floor in contrast to the heavily electronic bent of many club nights in Leeds. Having cut their teeth organising student favourites Plato’s Disco and Love Muscle, the crew handled the slightly unideal space of Hifi with effortless ease.

The night itself was heady, sweaty, light-hearted and simply fun. A full venue did not deter the dancers; the crowd was full of smiles and packed with familiar faces. What could have ended up as another drunken meet and greet was kept on track by a solid selection of funk, raregroove, disco and house – Tom Trago’s ‘Use Me Again’ and Theo Parrish’s edit of ‘Never Gonna Let You Go’ provided two particularly memorable moments of crowd synchronicity. Or perhaps these were the only two tunes I could recognise. This was not a night for hearing classic after classic but for letting go and getting into the (Brudenell) groove. Expect more good things to come from these guys.

Alexander Peel 

Join in the fun with the Brudenell Groove Facebook group.

(Image: facebook.com/events/1856021264621078)