Review: Club Blanco, Propyard – ‘So good it was almost worth missing Eurovision for’

Club Blanco came to Propyard laden with all the ingredients for a heady day party cocktail: powder blue skies, fervent sunshine and a set list featuring some of the finest selectors in house, techno, disco and beyond. Amongst them Dutch crate-digger Orpheu The Wizard, Nicola Cruz with his signature latin-infused house and the mercurial Danilo Plessow, better known as Motor City Drum Ensemble. Having had plans to see the latter curtailed on two separate occasions we were so intent on finally seeing him we forewent the annual Eurovision party.

Following the muffled bass from Feeder Road, we eventually found Propyard amidst the plethora of second-hand car dealerships and warehouses that flank the venue. Despite being rather compact it comprised two stages, the main stage and a smaller nook with a distinctly darker vibe, as well as a handful of stalls offering food and refreshments, such as the tear-inducingly delicious pizzas from the maestros at Pizzarova.

As with any day party, the very start involves a few brave or drunk pioneers dancing away by the stage whilst everybody else tentatively waits on the sidelines, either until they’ve got enough drinks in them or there are enough people up and partying to draw attention away from the heinous Dad-dancing (I may be talking about myself here). By the time Nicola Cruz got to the decks however the crowd were well-oiled and ready for some boogieing.

Straight off the back of a set at Fabric on Friday night, Cruz looked decidedly fresher than I would after a night out at London’s dance music Mecca. His performance didn’t suffer from the exports of the night before either as he skilfully took the crowd on a sonic tour of his French-Ecuadorian roots through a catalogue of house and disco with more maracas than a Mexican gift shop.

Powder blue skies, fervent sunshine and a set list featuring some of the finest selectors in house, techno, disco and beyond. Photo: Sam Roberts

In the intoxicating squalor of the afternoon heat, now thick in the air amongst the cigarette smoke and elf bar vape, Orpheu The Wizard took to the decks under Propyard’s industrial canopy. It’s not difficult to see where his moniker comes from, as the entire crowd moved in trance-like unison by the flick of his wand (crossfader). His extensive musical knowledge was evident as he span a host of obscure, niche, but undeniably groovy tunes.

As the sun began to set, Propyard’s disparate stragglers coalesced around the main stage for the headliner, Danilo Plessow, who put on a masterful display of DJ’ing prowess. The crowd, fully limber by this time of day, bounced in loose, joyous harmony to Plessow’s funk inspired selections. As a talented producer in his own right, my only request would have been to hear more of his own productions, that and for the set to have been 5 hours longer. The performance was a spectacular flourish to cap off an already spectacular day – so good in fact it was almost worth missing Eurovision for.

Main photo: Sam Roberts

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