Thinking of Boddington’s conjures up images of ‘the cream of Manchester’, so brilliantly advertised in the early to mid-nineties. The popular brew flowed from the monolithic Strangeways site through Britain and beyond until eighteen months ago, when production was shifted to Lancashire and South Wales. Since then, the iconic building has remained inactive, but that isn’t something that will remain the case. Now think of warehouse parties; to the early nineties acid house era. Recent press articles have signalled its return, following mass raves in fields across the country. But did it ever go away? Of course not – well certainly not the spirit, that’s for sure.

Using the colossal Boddington’s factory as a base, the Warehouse Project looks set to reaffirm Manchester’s place in the UK’s musical subconscious. Hosting three parties each week up to – and including New Year’s Eve – should ensure no-one misses out, whatever they’re in to. It’s certainly going to be pretty inclusive of every musical taste conceivable in the modern rave climate.

Following the highly-publicised first night with Public Enemy, the official Launch Party got things going proper. The sound issues experienced with Public Enemy appeared to have been resolved, with sound engineers Ear to the Ground responding by installing 80 feet of drapes to control noise reflection.

There were still some complaints from those in the gargantuan Racking House, but these were soon forgotten as the steady trickle of people entering the site became a torrent. Clubbers flitted between here and The Box, occasionally pausing for breath in the courtyard between the two. A distinct festival vibe was in evidence.

A relatively modest, yet very lively affair, which John Digweed called “Proper back to basics raving”, the evening got off to a steady start. DJ Marco Giannini kicked off proceedings in The Box, harking back to his Tribal Sessions days by building the tension with the deep groove of Carl Craig’s monster ‘Angola’ before moving into funky electro-house with Spiritcatcher’s ‘Time Emulator’ then mellowing the mood with Depeche Mode’s melodic ‘Precious’. The set defined the mood for the night with its energy, dynamism and electronic mayhem.

This was less a night packed with superstar DJs – although both Danny Howells, with his "deepsexyfuturistictechfunkhouse" and remix king Digweed turned in three hour sets – it provided a taster of what’s to come and gave people a chance to know the venue that many will be returning to for the next twelve weeks.

So while the halcyon days of the acid house age have long died, here stands a living testament to its influence. No need to get directions to a muddy field in the pitch black from the leader of a convoy of clapped out bangers. You can’t miss the place and with the line ups being boasted, too numerous to mention here, you really shouldn’t miss it.

Warehouse Project Info: www.thewarehouseproject.com