Iconic dance duo Groove Armada packed out Victoria Warehouse last night with an incredible final live show.
The renowned dance act brought their Twenty Five farewell tour to Manchester on April 9 after more than two decades on the road – and they did not disappoint.
Fans of all ages went wild for classic hits including I See You Baby, At the River, Superstylin’ and Song 4 Mutya (Out of Control) as well as newer tunes. The pair, which were supported by a live band, where also joined by singer Saint Saviour and Luke Una.
New to the tour was an immersive surround sound system and impressive light show – much to the delight of fans. Music lovers erupted in cheers as hundreds of laser beams lit up the room.
The gig forms part of the dance duo’s final UK tour after calling it quits on their live shows. The renowned dance act kicked off the dates in Glasgow on April 5 and will close at London’s Brixton Academy on April 16 and 17. Guests and support acts include Ewan McVicar, PBR Streetgang, Andy Baxter, Luke Una, Ishmael Ensemble, Warm DJs, Arielle Free, Hot Blood and Normal Jay MBE.
The electronic dance music legends, comprising of Andy Cato and Tom Findlay, have so far released eight studio albums, first dropping Northern Star in 1998. The pair have produced huge hits over the years including At the River, I See You Baby and Superstylin’.
The pair are also set to release a 25th anniversary package later this year, including new music and remixes of their work dating back to 1997.
Speaking to the Manchester Evening News ahead of the show, Andy Cato said: “We always said things would stop when they were at their peak. This is the retirement of the live band, we still want to DJ.
“Almost 10 years ago we did a last night at Brixton Academy and retired the live band. We said were going to DJ from now on – it had lost the magic.
“We were supposed to have done our last gig 10 years ago. We got the gang together; we were on the road with the same people for 15 years. We would hang out and see each other again and we decided to do a few shows for a laugh and the magic was still there. We decided to do this second send off. It’s the right time to leave it just because it’s never been better.
“Manchester is fundamental to us and everything we’ve done. Tom was there in college and I was there clubbing in the late 80s. It’s a formative place for us – we've had some fantastic gigs there over the years.
“We were a resident at Sankey's for years and had magical times there. It had to be on this last run.”
