"Clubbing is dead." "These young ravers don't get."
Thank you for the input, Ian from accounts, but, respectfully, you haven't danced under the influence of Franky Rizardo's FLOW.
Neither had Scotland, until Saturday night. The chance to road-test the Rizzmaster’s FLOW party ahead of its Pacha Ibiza residency launch in less than two weeks was an assignment the Scots embraced with open arms.
Glasgow's famed SWG3 Galvanisers - an acoustically unforgiving club for the masses - asks the same questions Ibiza will. Can you hold it? Can you carve out club intimacy on a warehouse scale? Can you make five hours feel like 40 minutes?
Testament to the FLOW party ethos, all 4,000 partygoers of Galvaniser's maxed-out floor capacity were already well into their answer before our headliner and host had even touched the decks. Here's how it went down.
Franky Rizardo presents FLOW | SWG3
Saturday 4 April
Just shy of 22:00 and only a mere hour since doors had opened, yet somehow we already felt late to the party.
Liverpudlian upstart Tre Reynolds is whipping up on deck, proving that the art of the warm-up DJ is a craft, not an afterthought. Reading the room with a precision beyond his years, Reynolds primes the night ahead with his trademark full-bodied basslines and glossed-over vocal cuts.
Don't Go (Don't Leave), Tre Reynolds’ latest and most rapidly streamed release, which samples Wretch 32’s 2011 UK number one, makes the producer’s closing sentiment. It's one the crowd sing back in unison, exchanging warm glances around the room.
Embracing FLOW's mantra of meaningful connection, the night brings two new wave DJs together for their debut back-to-back session. From Argentina, Tech House selector Nacho Scoppa. From Rizardo’s own home turf of Amsterdam, Rooléh is a producer with a fine ear for textural samples and undeniable groove.
The duo sync up in quick succession for two hours of serious House selections.
Amongst the fluid rapport of said tracks, RAYZIR's 2025 ID Delay plays out. Laced Afro beats, acid ripples and a moody bass reverberate from floor to ceiling with understated swagger.
Now entering the final minutes of the set, the packed-out warehouse is operating on pure body heat.
Rooléh’s Tech House roller Cabana radiates luscious Latin rhythms. Close your eyes, and you could almost convince yourself you’re dancing under the iconic Pacha cherries.
Dipping out to the bar for a five minute breather, a starry-eyed lad speaks for the room when he calls out "Rizardo make me move, Rizardo make me groove," in beautifully broad Glaswegian.
Now, on the fun side of midnight, the man himself enters. It's time for Franky Rizardo.
The Dutchman plugs in and gets straight down to business with his remix of Storm Queen's 2010 Look Right Through. Oh, it's on.
The glowing visuals and the now wide-open DJ booth, filled with bodies, deepen the mind-body connection and intimacy that FLOW stands for. Sonically and emotively, vibrations are at peak.
Baile De Fantome, a Tech House staple of Rizardo's catalogue, receives nods of respect from the room with its insatiable percussive groove. Much like Don’t You Want My Love which is given its spotlight in the set moment later.
Hands are thrown, shapes are cut. Everyone bounces and hollers like it's the last party on earth.
Tell you what, the young team might get a hard time from the Ians of this world. Saturday night, there was no case to be made. The energy commitment from this crowd was off the charts.
Amongst the absolute bangers, Franky Rizardo ensures to work in some lesser-known IDs that catch you off guard. Kyle Walker and Nate Katz's Cowboy Killer is one of those finds that lands, thanks to those immaculate piano keys and funky undercurrent.
With the clock ticking, it’s all-in for the final half an hour. The bar has long been abandoned. There’s not a second on the dancefloor to lose.
"Clubbing is dead." Sure, Ian.
Tell that to the 4,000 believers in Glasgow on 4 April night, already counting the days until they step off the plane and jump a taxi straight to Pacha.
Luckily, the wait is not long. Franky Rizardo presents FLOW hosts the first of five Tuesday night takeovers on 28 April, weekly thereafter on 5, 12 and 19 May and again for a reprieve on 18 August.
Across them, a stacked guest list of DJs are invited throughout, including Vintage Culture, East End Dubs, Ilario Alicante, Mason Collective and more.
Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased below.
PHOTOGRAPHY | by Selina Paton
