"Time To Paint The Town... Yellow"

Publication: Manchester Evening News
Date: 21.04.05

REGARDED by many as one of the real alternatives to the Hacienda's early nineties domination of Manchester club culture, Yellow holds a place in a lot of Mancunian hearts.

Partly because it was such an intimate venture - at the 450 capacity Boardwalk - and partly because it wasn't just another house music night.

For six years clubbers of all persuasions flocked to the night on a weekly basis to hear Dave Haslam, Jason Boardman and Elliot Eastwick's eclectic mix of soul, funk and disco music.

Eventually, after a successful run, The Boardwalk got sold, leaving Yellow without a home, which meant the club was no more and the city had little more than sweaty, hedonistic memories.

Fast-forward seven years and, with help of Manc club enthusiasts Stylus, the night is back for the second of its annual reunions, this time with Haslam and Jason Boardman at the helm.

Records

"It took me a long while to get all the records together to get the music right for tonight," says resident Jason.

"I had to go back through all my records and piece together all the records that used to be big at the club and, of course, play them in the right order."

So what sort of things did you play and are we likely to hear tonight at The Music Box?

"The aim of the night was a solid cross-section of black music from the seventies up to now," answers Jason.

"Big, classic records, ranging from Chic through to more underground Loft and disco classics from New York.

"I think it's fair to say I played with a little more of an underground edge than Dave because my job was always to warm the crowd up for his main set." Since his days with Yellow, Dave Haslam has, of course, found himself a reputation as Manchester musical archivist with a pair of books on Manchester musical history.

Succession

Jason, meanwhile, has run a succession of club nights, ranging from dancefloor-friendly affairs to way more esoteric ventures.

"Yellow has a lot of fond memories for people." Says Jason. "It was very pretension-free. We played records that made the dancefloor energetic. Dave, with records like Fred Wesley's House Party, and me, with more discofied sounds."

So what sort of people will head down to The Music Box tonight?

"We get a right old mix," he continues.

"A lot of people are the same regulars who used to come every week seven years ago.

"But we get a fair few newer clubbers, too, who just want to find out what the night was all about.

"And that keeps things that little bit more exciting."

Yellow's second annual reunion takes place at The Music Box tonight (April 21). Visit www.yellowreunion.co.uk for more information.

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