Coronavirus: The ‘safe rave’ helping Manchester cope with life in lockdown

The COVID-19 pandemic has done something rare – it’s taken something from everybody.

For some, it’s their livelihoods. Others, their loved ones. But, from us all, it’s taken our freedom.

And perhaps that’s why filming a “safe rave” as part of Sky News’ Life in Lockdown series felt so special.

On paper, it was just a DJ playing music on a balcony to his neighbours in central Manchester.

But, during these strange, difficult times, it felt frivolous, spontaneous, communal.

And, because of that, deeply moving.

Nkosi Inniss is a DJ. He’s played nightclubs for years but switched to weddings and corporate events when he and his wife had a baby, 18 months ago.

“This is only the second year I’ve been doing weddings,” he tells me, “and I thought it was going to be a good season.”

“I had about 60 bookings, so I got loads of new equipment and then almost as soon as it all arrived, they said lockdown was coming.”

In a few days, all of Inniss’ bookings were either cancelled or postponed.

“It’s been hard,” he says. “You do get down about it.”

But, along with a neighbour, he came up with a plan.

Inniss lives in Ancoats, an area of Manchester where old warehouses and factories have been converted into flats.

There are plenty of roof terraces and lots of balconies.

“My neighbour Rich Salisbury knew I wasn’t working and said: ‘Why don’t you get your speakers up onto the roof terrace and do a set? Just to cheer everyone up?'”

“We did it once and all the feedback from neighbours has been amazing.”

The pair carefully planned the set-time – 6.45pm – so it’s not too late for families living nearby.

And at 15 minutes long, the gig is short but sweet.

“It’s also the time when NHS workers have a shift change,” Rich tells me, “so it’s something to send them off to work with, or for people to look forward to when they come home.”

The night we film, it’s the pair’s second rooftop session.

We watch Inniss as he sets up, prepares his lights, mixer and smoke machine.

You can see he’s nervous. He wants to make this 15 minutes count.

“I’ve changed the set about 10 times already,” he says, making last-minute tweaks to sound levels.

“This isn’t about being best DJ in the world, but about playing uplifting tunes that gets everyone dancing.”

And then, it’s time.

“Ancoats, are you ready?”, Inniss calls into the microphone. “This is for the key workers! This is for everyone that’s feeling alone!”

What follows is a medley of classic House tunes, some Manchester stalwarts (Oasis, of course), and a finale of Bill Withers’ Lovely Day.

Remember: this is the city that birthed the Hacienda nightclub, UK rave culture and Bez, with his tambourine.

And all around, on balconies, rooftops and out of windows, neighbours are dancing, waving their arms, calling out in response to Inniss’ shouts to “say yeah!”.

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You can take the Mancunians out of the clubs, but you can’t take the club out of the Mancunians.

Tonight, there are people alone; people in pairs. Most have a drink in hand; some have put up their own disco lights.

One woman is dancing with her young son in her arms.

I’m trying to concentrate on what’s happening, but I’m punching the air.

My colleague, filming, is grinning through it all. It’s utterly joyful, at a time when that’s exactly what we miss.

At street-level, people have stopped for an impromptu dance.

There’s a young couple out walking their dog; a man on a bike ride; people coming home with shopping – all now looking up to the rooftop to try and see where the music is coming from.

An older couple in the middle of the road, swaying to the music, are holding hands.

Everyone keeps their distance but, for a brief moment, everyone feels united.

And that’s the point.

“People are going to be isolated right now, and feeling really alone,” Inniss says.

“And I think playing this kind of music, where everybody is jumping up and down together, you feel the energy.

“And even without seeing people, all of a sudden you feel like you’re not on your own.

“It feels really nice.”

(c) Sky News 2020: Coronavirus: The ‘safe rave’ helping Manchester cope with life in lockdown