A highlight of the four-day bank holiday weekend, it’s safe to say that Baltic Weekender has been reinstated as one of the ‘go-to’ multi-genre festivals in Liverpool.
The once industrialised area of the Baltic Triangle is now a hub for the alternative. With its venues being the former warehouses that surround Jamaica Street, it the perfect setting for this weekend’s occasion.
The Baltic Weekender team put on another weekend of varied acts across the venues of the Baltic, less than 10 months after their rescheduled 2021 event. They took over over the entirety of the area for two days of big techno, bassline, grime, and house names, as well as an array of local talent.
Day one kicked off with up and coming acts such as Jade Li and Ecks Etra in the foyer of Camp and Furnace, whilst 24 Kitchen Street’s new refurbishment was put to full use with its new, larger outside and upstairs areas. The third venue involved in Friday’s proceedings was Hangar 34, which played host to heavier sounds such as Manchester’s Interplanetary Criminal, featuring the newest garage and jungle.
All the while Leeds DJ and musician George Evelyn, aka, Nightmares On Wax filled 24 Kitchen Street with his mesh of electronic and hip-hop style beats, creating a chilled out ‘lo-fi’ feel. However, Camp and Furnace, the largest of the venues involved over the weekend, seemed to provide the main event with Hunee followed by Ben UFO. Although emerging onto the dubstep scene in 2005, Ben UFO has recently been taking events such as Manchester’s Warehouse Project by storm, and precisely that can be said for his Liverpool appearance at Baltic Weekender. The combination of experimental dance, the buzz of youth culture and the impressive lighting and production at Camp and Furnace made this a standout performance of the first day.
Day two opened with the sun shining and the introduction of two new venues to the lineup, Brick Street and District. Brick Street, an entirely outdoor venue, hosted what was listed as the “Baltic All-Stars”, predominantly student and local DJs given the chance to showcase their talent. They all rose to the occasion, bouncing off the vibe of the ever-growing crowds they were attracting. Crucast, a Nottingham Drum and Bass collective, took over Hangar 34 for the entirety of the day which proved to be extremely popular amongst the student population. Camp and Furnace again presented the biggest names on the line-up with a live set from Techno and House specialist Ross from Friends. Subsequently, DJ Seinfeld closed the show, mixing electronic dance classics from the likes of Bicep.
The weekend ended with an absolutely packed out after party in 24 Kitchen Street, which did seem like the only fitting way to sum up the events of the past 48 hours. Baltic Weekender was a true showcase of northern and UK wide talent, submerged within the exultancy of what felt like the first days of summer.
Eden Wilkinson
