BEHIND THE SCENE: SWITCH SOUTHAMPTON

The brainchild of four partners, Switch opened in what was once an old cinema theatre in the middle of September. Seth Troxler, Sigma, Groove Armada and MK are just some of the names that have headlined so far, while Chase & Status and Paul Woolford played on NYE and NYD.

Previously the Square Balloon venue, one huge room with two floors offering three bars and three VIP booths, Switch's gallery overlooks a single booth and a dancefloor set within jet-black walls and a dark red glow. Fitted with a Funktion One throughout, the venue boasts a stock of massive lasers, eight-metre LED screens and a video link-up between VIP rooms and the booth. Switch really is bringing a state-of-the-art offering to this student-heavy town on the south coast.

“Southampton year-on-year has been growing its house scene and the popularity cried out for a mega soundsystem in the city to cater for this,” says Switch's Ryan Kearny. “All of us involved are passionate about putting Southampton on the map for the right reasons and continually booking the best DJs that, in years gone by, people were only getting to see if they travelled to Bristol or London.”

Ryan, who's run student events across the south coast for nearly 10 years, is the man behind  Southampton's WH brand, a dance event often run in collusion with Audio Brighton's Gary Bennetton, a 20-year scene veteran who started the High Tide boat parties. It's this working relationship that led to Switch's conception, with two additional partners in Richard Gilbert, who bought Whitehouse in 2004, and DBP's Peter Toland.

Every Saturday, WH takes over the space with DJs like Second City, wAFF, Oliver $ and Route 94 alongside headline acts in a way that was previously lacking in the city, Ryan believes. “Simply put, (we offer) the biggest names in house and dance music, regularly, at affordable prices,” he adds.

With venues like Halo in Bournemouth and Portsmouth's Astoria already supplying decent sounds to the south coast, Switch has joined Junk Club as a high-end source of dance music, putting  Southampton on the map. “Southampton really does offer a bit for everyone really — there is an underlying love for house music across the city,” concludes Ryan.

SWITCH IT UP!

WHAT'S ON AT SWITCH THIS MONTH!

WH Presents... RAMAJAM - DAVID RODIGAN, SHY FX, VENUM SOUND
Fri 6th Feb
8:00pm ENGINE ROOMS in Southampton
United Kingdom

JULIO BASHMORE + Special Guests
Sat 7th Feb, 9:30pm 
SWITCH in Southampton, United Kingdom

PATRICK TOPPING + LEFTWING & KODY
Sat 14th Feb, 9:00pm
SWITCH in Southampton, United Kingdom

FOOD MUSIC - Shadow Child, Kry Wolf, Eli & Fur
Sat 21st Feb
9:00pm SWITCH in Southampton
United Kingdom  

Photo Credit: www.liamsimmons.co.uk