Leeds gets its superclub: Mint XL opens in the old PRYZM building with a sold-out night of Craig Richards, Enzo Siragusa, and Sonja Moonear
Mint and their legacy of world-beating clubs and programming is a well-told story that, over the years, has been a constant source of inspiration in not just the North of England, but the UK and the wider European scene. Having lost the original Mint Club when the flagship venue closed in 2019 after twenty years of service, Mint Warehouse has more than carried on the Mint lineage. On Friday 25 September, the team behind these legendary venues delivered the next chapter in their story, and they have not done it by halves.
Mint XL opened its doors at the Merrion Centre site on Woodhouse Lane, formerly home to PRYZM and by all accounts the redevelopment of this site has been substantial. With carefully curated images and floor plans circulating online prior to opening, the expectation and buzz surrounding the opening of Mint XL was massive, to say the least.
Who better to program the great unveiling than in-house Mint brand system. Being well-versed in the art of programming a lineup, they most definitely put the venue through its paces as each room was stacked to the rafters with old-school talent. After climbing the metal staircases up to the next floor, the sheer scale of the MINT XL became apparent. With each room being linked by long, wide walkways, getting around the venue was easy once you figured out the best way to get from A to B.
Our first port of call was Prosumer, who was literally taking apart the Ballroom by the time we arrived just after 10pm. The biggest room at Mint XL was already filled to the brim and undulating under the tough percussive grooves that the Panoramabar resident was shelling out. Stripped back, muscular house music was the order of the day and the crowd responded in kind. With barely a breakdown to be seen or heard throughout his 2-hour set, Prosumer primed the dancefloor perfectly for the back-to-back from Craig Richards and Francesco Del Garda, which would be coming later.
Taking a break from the main room, we go check out the rest of the club, and there is plenty to see. Over in The Cage, a large pillared room Foehne & Jerome are handing over to Truly Madly, but it is the Club Room that we are headed to. In a serious ode to the Mint Club of old, the LED roof has been lovingly brought back to life and is currently bathing the room in a multicoloured glow while Rich NxT acquaints himself with the generously sized booth. Working through a slew of heavy-hitting rollers, catching up with the Mint favourite, he was excited for what is to come for the impressive venue: “So glad to be involved in the start of this new era. It’s a huge addition for the UK music scene. If you didn’t get to visit over this opening weekend, get down for a night out as soon as you can.”
Needing some fresh air, we head to the decked open-air area and as well as the welcome cool atmosphere, we were struck by how friendly the crowd were. There were ravers of varying ages, but most seemed to be there for the right reasons and were well aware of just how much work had gone into delivering such an impressive venue. With a cold drink in hand and a fresh set of ears, we head back to The Ballroom to catch Craig Richards and Francesco Del Garda in action. Perhaps one of the finest double acts around. A friendship formed over years of sharing the decks in fabric’s Room 1 and countless other parties around the world, the expectation surrounding their arrival in the booth was mounting, and they arrived without any fanfare, record bags in hand and ready for business.
The following two hours would act as a masterclass in balanced chaos. Shifting between rock-solid grooves and deep warping basslines, both selectors tempered these moments with lush, rave-influenced breakdowns. It was clear that Craig and Francesco were just as at ease behind these decks as they were playing with each other, as they flicked between the business of shelling the main room and sharing an in-joke and the odd embrace with each other. With time marching on and the night magically disappearing, the soundtrack moved away from the stripped-back house that Prosumer had built up to a more maximal, bleepy electro stance. With Craig Richard’s history with the city of Leeds stretching way back, we were able to get some thoughts from him post-set: “For many years, Leeds and its various dancefloors have helped to define Britain’s musical heritage. It holds a dear place in my heart as I played at many of those groundbreaking nights. The recent opening of Mint XL signifies great promise for the city.”
Now faced with a difficult choice of where to spend the last remaining hours of the night, the closing sets were approaching. The handover in The Ballroom was an incredible thing to see as four DJs at the very top of their game crossed paths. Craig Richards and Francesco Del Garda gave way to a much more groove-based direction from crowd favourites Sonja Moonear and Enzo Siragusa. Their tightly woven mix of upbeat tech-house and techno was just the ticket for most, as they maintained impeccable energy levels throughout their set.
With enough time being spent in The Ballroom, we made our way over to catch Fumiya Tanaka who was navigating his way through a more garage-led set, and perhaps one of the only tracks that was easily recognised throughout the night was Oliver Dollars’ bass-heavy anthem “Doin Your Thing”. This is one of the most important aspects of having a club where phones are strongly discouraged. Instead of music languishing on a photo reel, the music you heard that night would live on in your memory, and you would stay in the moment it was designed for. Shifting through various shades of upfront house and garage, as the end of the night approached, Fumiya soon began to drill down into more minimal territory.
We finished our night with the closing set from none other than Voigtmann, and for the faithful supporters that were keeping the dancefloor burning in the Club Room, there was not one person sitting down. Although the room is surrounded by plush seating areas, nobody was interested in using them. Voigtmann’s style simply does not allow for it. Catching up wth Claus after his set, he had this to say about the venue: “Great sounding rooms and a crowd that’s not messing about. Everybody was having it and lost about 5kg of sweat, including myself.” He was not wrong; across all rooms there were some serious shapes being cut, and the crowd came to dance. As well as all the DJs performing to the highest level, the club itself performed well. Given that this was the launch event of a huge weekend of programming, there were few noticeable issues.
The major player in the whole venue was the sound and lighting system. The audio coverage was impeccable from room to room; the isolation was also impressive, with no bleed coming from the other rooms whatsoever, and the clarity was something else. Every room had a distinct character and tightness to it depending on the size. The Club Room was tight, as you would expect. The Cage had just the right amount of air to it, as the room was that little bit taller, and The Ballroom had that bit of hoover you get when a seriously big system is pushing serious air pressure levels around a big space. The massive Funkion One Vero system gave everybody in the room the main room treatment.
Magical times await with Mint XL, but who better to explain the finer details of the journey than the team behind Mint. We first of all spoke with the man behind it all, Mint owner Shane Graham, and he began laying bare the journey: “Bringing Mint XL to life has been an incredible journey and without doubt one of the biggest and most ambitious projects we’ve undertaken. Transforming a space of this scale into the venue we envisioned has come with its challenges, but seeing everything finally come together has made all the hard work worthwhile.
Having been privy to the huge operation that goes into Mint XL before the doors opening, Shane continues by thanking all the people that have had a hand in getting the venue up to scratch, “First and foremost, a huge thank you to everyone who has played a part in making this happen. From the tradesmen and venue staff to our marketing, programming, finance and office teams, there have been so many people working tirelessly behind the scenes to turn this vision into a reality. It’s been a massive collective effort, and we genuinely couldn’t have done it without them. He continues to show love for his hard-working team: “We also want to say a special thank you to the Merrion Centre team for their continued support throughout the process, particularly in helping us secure the space and bring our vision for the venue to life.”
To anybody who has seen even just a video clip of the inside of Mint XL, you will know that no expense or effort has been spared in the realisation of this huge project. None so, especially Shane. “A massive thank you also goes to Audio Plus and SR Lighting for their incredible work across the entire venue. From the production and sound design through to the installation of the audio, lighting and technical production across all three spaces, the attention to detail has been outstanding. Each room has its own distinct identity and atmosphere, and we’re absolutely over the moon with how everything has turned out.
He goes on to say, “It’s taken a huge amount of time, planning and determination to deliver a venue of this scale and to the standard we set out to achieve. We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve created and even more excited about what’s to come. Ultimately, Mint XL is about creating something special for Leeds. We want to bring incredible artists, unforgettable nights and a new energy to the city centre, while playing our part in supporting its nightlife and wider economy. We can’t wait to welcome everyone through the doors and finally share what we’ve been working so hard to build.”
It is a well-known fact that long-standing clubs are only as good as their resident DJs, and Mint has two of the finest in the game. Firstly, we speak to Bobby ODonnel, and as ever is the down-to-earth hero he is well known to be: “Since 2008 It’s been an absolute privilege to put the first records on at The Mint Club, Mint Warehouse, Mint Festival and now Mint XL. Mad to think how many chapters of the Mint story I’ve been lucky enough to be part of over the years.”
He goes on to show respect to the rest of his team, “Massive respect to everyone who grafted tirelessly behind the scenes to get Mint XL ready and open on time. The amount of work that goes into something like this often goes unseen, but it really showed on the night. Everything ran so slickly, and everyone involved should be proud of what they pulled off.
Finally, huge love to all the team and everyone who came down and made the opening what it was.”
We couldn’t speak to the team behind Mint without the enigmatic Annie Errez. Her tenure at Mint Club has been built on years of squirrelling away the finest wax for every conceivable scenario and the skills and ear to present them to legions of dancers. She had this to say about her beloved Mint, “System has always been about quality and bringing everyone together for a good party so I think we can expect more of the same on a bigger scale. Mint XL is so exciting, the new space and bespoke sound systems – which are integral ingredients of quality parties – bring lots of possibilities and even more versatility and freedom to experiment with lineups, production and special events. I’m just buzzing thinking about all of the amazing artists we’re going to get to listen to and all of the opportunities this incredible new space will bring.
One of the best things about System (and there are many) is that it’s always felt like an intimate party, whether that’s been at Mint Club or hosting a huge festival stage, because it originated and grew from an intimate party in a pub. Our new home may be XL but the intimate System spirit will still be very much alive and I can’t wait to see how it evolves in Mint XL.”
As you might expect, there are a lot of top-flight bookings and events on the cards that include a full club takeover from system. and Fuse London on Friday, December 11th. As well as these three room events, Mint XL will also be home to a new concept called Framework. Taking advantage of The Cage’s intimate, yet well-rounded, self-contained space, but focusing on vinyl-forward selectors of the highest order. Upcoming editions will see sets from Ben UFO on November 20th, Nicolas Lutz and Junie Inoue on November 28th, Mugpie with Christian AB and Unai Trotti on December 19th and who knows who might drop by in 2027.
More info on Mint XL
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