Cirque du Soul last Wednesday night provided a cocktail of cheese room tunes, drum and bass, grime and Shy FX. Myles Harvey warmed up the crowd for the headline act with a mix of Fugees, Andy C and Paul Simon. The mixes were well received and the sing-along potential was high. The circus décor, face paint opportunities and performers were all well matched to the feel good vibe. It’s difficult to not want to dance to ‘Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough’ on a normal day let alone at an event that is head to toe in carnival and festive fun- everyone was on their feet.

The drum and bass/jungle sounds of Shy FX were an edgier interval from the cheesy tunes, but still fit right in with the dance-along, karaoke atmosphere. An injection of reggae with a ‘Hold Yuh’ remix and ‘Welcome to Jamrock’ added a carnival feel to the set; it was a Christmas themed event but the nature of Shy FX is to make you feel like you’re on a searing hot beach in the Caribbean even if the reality is a chilly Canal Mills with the likelihood of rain.

The ‘Lion’s Den’ room kept things similar to the main room in its choice of upbeat songs, with a bit more hip-hop and RnB thrown in. Think Snoop Dogg and Kanye, with the opposite ends of the spectrum, Earth, Wind and Fire, sneaking in there was well.

When the final slice of cheese ‘Dancing in the Moonlight,’ was played there was genuinely no one that could resist hitting the high notes. Also, they had a man dressed up in a full Christmas costume, ready by the door to pose for pictures with you, and what more could you want than that, really?

Amelia Whyman