I suppose you just know you’ve got something truly special on your hands when an hour after its return is put into the public domain, it becomes the talk of the town. Yes, last night saw the return of Wakefield’s undisputed king of club nights. I am of course talking about Swagger.
Their second birthday coincided with a special return to the brand’s original venue, Hub. After branching out on a few occasions to Leeds, and most recently their trip to Wakefield’s Black Flag Warehouse, the long-awaited re-opening of Hub just meant there was an added dimension to the build-up.
You see, Hub and its premier brand have most certainly had their critics in the past. The connotations brought from its music policy draw frowns from the most ardent of house music fans, but the numbers simply don't lie. Cynicism comes as a bi-product of success, and its fans in the city will tell you that in its prime, Hub was a phenomenon; particularly so when Swagger brought their dedicated army of ardent followers and descended on Hub’s small dimensions.
So what of the new, re-branded club? Walking down those stairs certainly brought back memories of all those great nights out it gave its customers in its prime. Now known as The Hub, every single aspect of it is better than before. They’ve updated everything from the soundsystem to minor details such as the new décor throughout the club. Little details they may well be, but the little things add up and the improvement is clear. The elevated DJ box in the back room is also a great addition.
Every person who’s witnessed the incredible rise of Swagger will have their own stand-out memories. The booking of Julie McKnight was a tough one to beat though, and her live performance of the hair-raising Finally was just one of those moments that’ll stay with everyone who witnessed it forever.
The venture to Black Flag was indeed a success. Numbers speak volumes but the venue’s size and arena-like set-up meant it lacked The Hub’s key trait: intimacy.
I’m glad to report that this feeling’s back, and although it’s not unfair to say that Swagger can fill far bigger venues than The Hub, the two just go hand in hand. You almost get the sense that in ten years those who were at the Swagger nights at The Hub will reminisce fondly about these occasions. The questionable air conditioning, the classics in the bar, and the iconic moments in the back room will all be remembered when we’re watching our kids getting ready to go out. This is surely testament to Swagger’s huge success that it’s got this aura surrounding it every time it’s on. I think everyone’s well aware that the brand’s now achieved a lot in its two years and could easily become a monthly, even weekly event and still fill clubs, but its current set-up is perfect as the pre-night hype that surrounds it is quite surreal. It truly becomes the talk of the town.
