About us

Coorie Doon was started by a group of friends who wanted to put on a party in Glasgow in the spirit of David Mancuso’s legendary Loft parties in NYC.

We’ve been inspired by many of the parties which have done that in other cities – Lucky Cloud, Beauty & The Beat and All Our Friends in London, Do One in Manchester, and Cloud 9 in Barcelona, to name a few. The success of such parties has shown there is an alternative to the increasingly commodified approach to the dancefloor, and we want to emulate that in our own modest way.

Though very much influenced by the global and ongoing legacy of the Loft, the rich social and cultural history of Glasgow and its residents is an important source of inspiration. Indeed our name, Coorie Doon, comes from the folk song of the same name by Glaswegian musician Matt McGinn. It's important for us to think about the lineage of workers and citizens that came together through music, in times of celebration and to get through challenges. Our lives and setting may be drastically different in the 21st century, but we are still looking for the same fundamental human experiences. That idea of transcending daily life collectively through the power of music and a warming embrace is the guiding principle that we aspire to.

The party was founded on friendships and our aim is to expand that by building a community of like-minded friends who voluntarily come together to make it happen. We hope those who attend will be inspired to get involved. In the words of Ian Hamilton Finlay “the dancers inherit the party”.

We are a non-profit and any proceeds from one party will be invested into making the next one even better. In the long term we also hope to raise money for charities and local groups aligned with our values

Who is David Mancuso and what exactly is The Loft?

“If disco – and the music which came after – has an angel, it is the raggedy figure of David Mancuso. If it has a birthplace, it is his club, the Loft.” Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton, Last Night a DJ Saved My Life.

On 14 February 1970, David Mancuso hosted a rent party in his loft apartment at 647 Broadway, NY. The party had no name as such but on the invites he had the phrase “Love Saves the Day”, a nod to the psychedelic nature of the party. This became a weekly event and as its reputation grew it came to be known simply as the ‘Loft’. Mancuso’s house parties were a place where people from all backgrounds, social classes, races and sexual orientation could dance together at a time when nightlife was incredibly segregated. His obsession with audiophile sound led him to create probably the finest sound system in New York, and his open minded approach to music selection was hugely influential to many future DJs. Early dancers at the Loft included Nick Siano, Larry Levan and Frankie Knuckles, who went on to establish The Gallery, Paradise Garage and The Warehouse respectively. The roots of dance music culture go all the way back to the Loft dancefloor.

That’s a very quick summary but there are many other who have written and spoken about this history in much more detail and more eloquently than we can. If you want to read more these are some good places to start:

Still Saving The Day: The Most Influential Dance Party In History Turns 50 by Piotr Orlov. This article celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Loft, is a great starting point to understand the history and ethos of the party.

Love Saves The Day by Tim Lawrence. A must-read history of dance music culture that was responsible for highlighting the importance of David Mancuso.

Love is the Message. An excellent podcast on the history of dance music culture by Tim Lawrence and Jeremy Gilbert.

If you want to get straight into the music then Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy’s tribute to David Mancuso, broadcast on Worldwide FM shortly after he passed away, or François Kevorkian’s excellent homage.