Jo Whiley transports Coventry back to the ‘90s at hmv Empire

hmv Empire, Coventry, 21 March 2025

Hidden in plain sight, hmv Empire can be found on Hertford Street, Coventry. The club is an easily overlooked gem within the nightlife scene for University of Warwick students, with a host of music events awaiting behind the club front. On 21 March 2025, I attend the venue with no prior knowledge of what lies within and prepare to see BBC Radio 1 and 2’s Jo Whiley and her ‘90s anthems – and what better person to bring along for the ride than my class of ’97 mum. Only a professional ‘90s party animal would suffice as a plus-one for this performance. We enter at 7:30pm, ready to soak up the pre-show atmosphere. 

With both indoor space and an outdoor terrace, the bar area was ambient, warm and excitable. We even get talking to another group of ‘90s graduates, but the overall age demographic of the evening is completely varied. I can easily award high praise to the venue for providing complementary drink covers, which are not only testament to the venue’s anti-spiking efforts but also work wonderfully to minimise spillages on the dance floor when busting shapes (much needed, as we soon discovered).   

At 8:30pm, the audience begins to fill the Main Room. Obligatory bucket hats bounce around the crowd in their masses, a sure sign of some true ‘90s rave professionals. Whiley’s warm up act is Toby Spins, and no stone is left unturned as he does exactly that – audience members are sufficiently warm and aglow as he plays one of my personal favourites and ’90s chart topper, Darude’s ‘Sandstorm’. You may not know it by the song’s name but trust me: you know it. Bringing brit-pop, jungle, and club classics to the floor, he establishes the vibe of the evening perfectly. ‘Disco 2000’, by Pulp, also provides ample sing-along opportunity. 

I’m not claiming that dancing to music is the key to eternal youth, but Whiley’s radiant energy is astounding, and never dwindles throughout the night

At 9:30pm on the dot, the show begins. Jo Whiley has an hour and a half to work with and doesn’t waste a second. A montage of nostalgic ‘90s pop culture moments light up the screen, including commercials, news stories, game show and interview moments and much more. Running through the decade year by year, tension builds. At the ’99 mark, Whiley enters her DJ platform, decks at the ready.  

Around five-or-so people from the front barrier, the crowd density is still entirely comfortable and there is plenty of (much needed) room for dancing. Do not misinterpret this for an empty dance floor: groups are grooving from entrance door to stage, but a shared understanding of personal space resonates throughout. 

I’m not claiming that dancing to music is the key to eternal youth, but Whiley’s radiant energy is astounding, and never dwindles throughout the night. ‘Rhythm Is a Dancer’ by SNAP! and ‘Professional Widow’ by Tori Amos are amongst the many club classics playing. As expected, Brit-pop classics such as ‘Common People’ by Pulp are given time in the limelight, as well as some of the most iconic techno tracks in British music history, such as ‘Born Slippy (Nuxx)’ by Underworld.  

As the show draws to an end, Whiley dedicates ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’ by Oasis, to any NHS workers in the audience. In a show of united adoration for those who take care of us, all hands are in the air for the grand finale

I feel most securely in my musical element as Britney Spears’s ‘… Baby One More Time’ is added to the mix. Whiley questions: “I don’t know whether Coventry is too cool for this!” I assure you, Whiley, we are not.  

Despite coming with a completely open mind and no expectations for any particular genre of music, there is one song I absolutely want to hear. Still lingering on every club DJ’s go-to set list, ‘Insomnia’ by Faithless remains one of the finest dance tracks to this day. Of course, Jo Whiley delivers. The crowd chants ‘I can’t get no sleep!’, and with the monumental beat drop, in come the lasers. It is a well-known fact that to do ‘Insomnia’ justice, a laser show is required. Frenzied strobes of white and beams of neon green fill the floor in what is possibly my favourite moment of the night.  

As the show draws to an end, Whiley dedicates ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’ by Oasis, to any NHS workers in the audience. In a show of united adoration for those who take care of us, all hands are in the air for the grand finale. The song’s unfathomable ability to rouse emotion in even the toughest of listeners makes it the perfect song to end an already incredible performance. Thank you, Jo Whiley, for transporting us back in time to one of Brit-pop and dance music’s most pivotal decades. hmv Empire: we will be back!

★★★★★