Norvun Devolution 28th April Roadhouse

Hey everybody get yourselves down to Norvun Devolution this month, Its worth taking a look at the innovative visuals and extraodinary collaboration between Djs and live musicians.

If you havnt seen the press then check out these write ups which detail some of the previous entertainment & artists we have had along.

Norvun Devolution
review by Daniel Thompson Manchester After Dark

The Roadhouse, home to the ever-popular hip hop night Friends and Family, is currently hosting one of the most ambitious and innovative nights in Manchester’s Clubland.

Norvun Devolution, offers a clubbing experience that I have never before encountered in Manchester. The eclectic mix of laid-back dub, independent hip hop and jazz-fused drum n bass cuts back and forth from the vinyl collection of resident DJs to the sounds of a collective live band that boasts some of the finest young musicians in our fair city.

And although the revolution will not be televised, the devolution most certainly is. Well, sort of. The band remains anonymous throughout their performance, hidden behind a projector screen presenting a constant stream of surreal and provocative images, ranging from Soul Jazz Records album sleeves to topical scenes of war in the Middle East. The effect of this is to create an almost seamless link between the live and recorded grooves.

As for the music policy, pretty much anything goes. The tunes vary from the likes of the legendary Lee Perry, emerging acts Edan and Lyrics Born, and hip hop luminaries such as The Roots and Roots Manuva. However, the night really comes alive when the band strikes up. With funky guitar licks, jazzy horns and a St Germain-inspired groove, the fusion of sounds creates a buzz around the venue, reflected in the response of the appreciative crowd.

Dark and atmospheric, the Roadhouse lends itself perfectly to the dirty beats of Norvun Devolution. Although perhaps not for everyone, those with an open mind and an ear for underground sounds should show their support for new nights like this and take a trip down to Norvun Devolution. And maybe one day we’ll be comparing up-and-coming nights to this monthly gathering.

*********************PRESS RELEASE*****************

NORVUN DEVOLUTION HAD SPECIAL VISIT FROM ROOTS MANUVA LAST FRIDAY

Following their sell-out performance at the Academy last Friday (Nov 25th), NORVUN DEVOLUTION are proud to announce that the country’s foremost hip hop act Roots Manuva and all the Banana Clan chose to come visit us Devolutionaries at the Roadhouse after their gig.
Rodney Smith (aka Roots Manuva), Ricky Rankin (long-time South London hip-hop and ragga dude), Cosmo, Gordon G, the tour’s kickin’ support act Jimmy Screech and the Manuvadelics – a live band with seemingly limitless ability – all came down to chill with the Devolutionary crew after leaving the Academy. Needless to say, those people who didn’t believe us were surprised, those with more faith were just incredibly chuffed. Initially we had just encouraged them to come down and check out a night that has been not insignificantly inspired by their work and words over the last few years. But at seven o’clock Noel, the tour manager, called to make sure we had the equipment for them to actually perform some tunes!

And still people we told didn’t believe us. They showed up around half 11 ready for some more action.
Christ, we thought. But a track from our other pal Mr Scruff had Rodney straight into rhyming, with our very own DJ providing the beats.
We couldn’t have imagined what a special live version of the now infamous "Witness" would sound like, and I’d find it hard to properly explain to you even now, but it was goooooood. "Too Cold" and the new single \"Seat Yourself\" from the Awfully DeEP with the monolithic silhouettes of these large London lads dancing behind the screen were an audio/visual phenomena new to even the Roadhouse’s experienced walls.

Jimmy Screech’s contribution kept up the electricity – his energy and enthusiasm were palpable, and the crowd loved him. I could spend all day thinking of a better word to describe what it was like but there isn’t one: we were simply buzzing.

This is the really important part: Nowhere else in Manchester could this eclectic bunch of MCs, DJs, turntablists, drummers, trumpeters, singers, saxophonists, bass players and visual artists contribute simultaneously, from the same stage, to the beats permeating the dance floor.

A live feed of events managed and projected by Chairtv onto their screen repeatedly snapped revellers out of their dancing reminding them Roots Manuva was actually in the room and this wasn’t just a particularly brilliant recording of one of his records to 3D Visuals.

The prospect of a ‘real’ hip-hop night, with genuine local DJs, musicians and MCs, without cool names or accolades, but with plenty of love for the music attracted them to the night.

Ricky Rankin and Cosmo – one of the show’s DJs – commented on how refreshing it was to see such a unique set-up, and to meet people with both a genuine passion for what they were doing and a (sometimes) worrying disregard for how much money it will make them.
Even after our guests had stepped down and started gearing themselves up for the long tour-bus trip to Glasgow, the vibe continued with more new, never-before heard lyrical talent accompanied by live drums and scratching.

True to form, and showing no intimidation, the Norvun Devolution crew matched beat for beat their more-experienced co-performers, who, by this time, were thoroughly relaxed and enjoying the 3D visuals, a couple of cans, and, in the case of the Great Man himself, a wee snooze in the back room. Life on the road is tough you know. Bless. All things considered it was a pretty brilliant.