Alex Lloyd reports on a York night spot named as one of the north's best.

WHILE York's heritage, restaurants and attractions regularly top "best of" lists, the opposite can usually be said of the city's club nights.

So it was heartening to see that last month's edition of dance music bible DJ Mag named Widescreen as one of the top five nights out in the north.

The monthly house and breaks session is part of Dance Culture at Kennedy's, a free Monday night event featuring a rotating line-up of genres.

Widescreen began life at The Fruit Cupboard in Leeds in 2003 when progressive house fans Gazz Hughes and Mark Fudance felt the genre was suffering from a lack of good nights.

A regular slot at Oslo followed but the pair abandoned the saturated dance scene in Leeds for York last September, where Gazz had previously served a short stint as a resident for Prognosis.

"It's really hard to fill a bar or club on a week night in Leeds - there's just too much choice," says Gazz. "York is much busier."

Despite their love of prog, Widescreen's music policy is to promote all forms of house, hence the name. Tech, breaks, tribal, electro, techo, funky, trancy, or whatever sub-genre you wish to create, are all equally welcome.

Gazz says: "There was a bit of a stigma about progressive but our music is making a comeback. We like to put on a wide selection - it keeps things varied - and whatever the guests are playing, we try and fit in with that style."

Joining Gazzman and Fudance this month will be the Metaform DJs, from Leeds, who specialise in minimal funky acid techno and are due to launch a night in Newcastle, and York lad Dan Thomason, who rocked November's event with his groovy house sounds in the vein of Basics.

Widescreen at Kennedy's Caf-Bar, Little Stonegate, Monday, 7pm till late, free entry. For more information, phone 01904 620222 or visit the website www.widescreenuk.net

Widescreen is committed to promoting local DJ talent so anyone looking for a chance to play out should send a mix CD to Widescreen Promotions, 48 Plantation Way, Wigginton, York, YO32 2ZE.

Updated: 15:47 Thursday, February 03, 2005