Greenwich’s Old Royal Naval College has borne witness to a huge amount of history since it was built at the turn of the 18th century. The UNESCO world heritage site, designed by Christopher Wren, has seen Kings, Queens, and cultural zeitgeists come and go – washing in and out like the tide on the Thames it overlooks.
In recent years, its grand and unique architecture has been used as an ideal film location. But now, on account of Labyrinth Events, the site has a new string to its bow: as a cutting-edge space for electronic music.
When interviewing Labyrinth co-founder Nick Castleman just a couple of years into his fast-evolving endeavour – which spawned from club nights at Notting Hill Arts Club – he said it was founded on a “burning desire to take the dance floor away from the standard nightclub and into unique spaces.”
Well, looking around this stunning setting, he’s certainly achieved that.
Commencing this blend of the new and the truly historic across the next two weeks, was Black Coffee – the South African titan of deep and afro house – whose opening night sold out so quickly, event organisers simply had to add another.
It’s hard to think of a better artist to launch the series. As well as being a barometer of Labyrinth’s pull factor, Black Coffee’s sound – spacious, refined, and globally rooted – matched the setting. As the grey Friday evening sky faded into the night, he took the crowd on a patient, pulsing journey of rich rhythms and melodies.
There were no gimmicks or over-the-top visuals. Working in collaboration with production company High Scream for the audio-visual elements, organisers clearly knew that in a space like this, with the backdrop of the Thames, you let the surroundings do most of the talking, and worked in symmetry with that, with lighting cascading over Wren’s symmetrical columns.
Black Coffee built things gradually, as he so often does, with a set that was slick, warm and quietly hypnotic, adding deeper cuts elsewhere like The Good Men’s ‘Give It Up’ and &LEZ’s ‘The Rhythm Of Dancing’.
Tickets weren’t cheap, and the crowd at times felt more corporate box office than Friday evening blowout. But that largely comes with the territory for such a big-hitting name as Black Coffee, who commands a huge booking fee and who, for many, embodies a class and luxuriousness associated with his longstanding residency at the prestigious Hï Ibiza.
What’s more, these were the kind of grounds worth respecting; a chance to experience something different, even rare. That drink you might subtly drop on the floor at another event? It’s probably worth picking up here.
The sound quality, too, was of particularly high quality. The space didn’t suffer from some of the usual trappings of an open-air venue, with the surrounding Grade I-listed buildings seemingly maximising the sound from every corner, allowing for both intimacy and scale. Yet even at full capacity, the atmosphere felt open rather than overcrowded.
There’s more to come from Labyrinth On The Thames over the next week or so. Aussie electronic duo Empire Of The Sun brought their vibrant live energy to bear the following day, for their first UK show in six years; deep house and techno stalwart Solomun will be laying down his heavy marker; and FISHER, another much-loved Australian export, will play his euphoric tech house.
Rounding-off this year’s series, meanwhile, will be a showcase from revered dance label Anjunadeep, who will flex some of their roster, with sets from James Grant, Natascha Polké, YOTTO and more.
Beyond that, provided no logistical hiccups unfold, or noise complaints from SE10 residents mount up, you feel this may be just the start of an annual series. Greenwich’s Old Royal Naval College may have been around for more than three centuries, but safe to say it hasn’t quite seen anything like this yet.
