GO-GO BRAZIL @ HEVEAN – SUNDAY 19TH OCTOBER
REVIEW FOR SEENQUEEN
On a scene that either seems to rely on tried & tested themes or regurgitate old club brands, it is refreshing to see new ideas & concepts coming through, even if they seem to have the need to fall back on existing venues that have the risk of taking the edge off the freshness of the innovation. So when we first caught news of the launch of a Sunday night club with a difference, we were not only intrigued but very excited and despite some doubts in our minds, were determined to give this opening our support.
Styled as a seductive & sexy outing bringing the world famous Ipanema beach party feel to London, Go-Go Brazil, as it’s name suggested, had a central theme around go-go dancers, with those gorgeous hunks brave enough to enter the lined up competition and show their wears, up for bagging a holiday to the heavenly Brazilian destination, Rio De Janeiro. With the promise of a handsome and stylish crowd to match, we called on all our energy reserves, after succumbing to over 12 hours of fun at BCS, Revolver & Breakfast at Egg, in the hope of rounding off our weekend in true latino party fashion.
So, arriving at Heaven at just turned 8.30 p.m., admittedly a little later than the opening time of 6 o’clock, we were directed to the guest list entrance, only to find our name mysteriously absent. Experience of the (miss) management of lists in recent new club ventures left us unsurprised, so we paid our way and wandered into the familiar space of this iconic club, dropping our bits off in the coat check & arming ourselves with energy boosting refreshments, heading directly for the main room. We were immediately and literally dazzled by the white bright strobe lighting and juddered by the floor vibrating from the incredibly loud sounds emanating from the huge speakers to our side. Glancing around the massive main room, it was scantly clad with a mix of muscle queens, latino boys & their admirers attempting to fill the space, dancing away to the delightful house infused tunes being delivered by D.J. Luke Hope.
Deciding to momentarily investigate the temptations of room two, where it was rumoured the genius talent that is Paul Heron was waving his magical musical wand, we were stopped at the door, not being one of the privileged with the illusive green wristband. So, we returned to the main room where the crowd were beginning to build in anticipation of the go-go performance to come, the giant screen on the stage encouraging everyone to place their votes in favour of the sexiest & best dancer on show. As Luke Hope handed over the D.J. decks to scene favourite Brent Nicholls, it wasn’t long before there was a sudden halt to the music, with the entrance on stage of a glorious looking & magnificently dressed male accompanied by the event host, who proceeded to rouse the crowd and explain the format of the approaching go-go competition.
And the bevy of ten beauties appeared on the stage and then, with the lights dropping and the music, much funkier & dancier than before being pumped out, the go-go’s then swooped into the crowd and, in twosomes, ascended the podiums staged around the main room, effectively inviting the adoring throng of latino enthusiasts to make their vote by placing provided Brazilian Dollar effect paper notes into the shorts of their favoured dancer. In the wonderful hype that this caused, we caught Paul Heron in the crowd, clutching a huge bunch of notes. After exchanging hugs and recollecting our Revolver incident, we both selected our favourite hunk (strangely the same) and stuffed the notes in excitingly (think we made the right choice Paul). It was all in aid of fun and was quite amusing, if a little arousing in such close contact to bare flesh! With some of the go-go’s shorts bulging (yes with notes!) the array of dancing hunks slipped off backstage, giving way to a sparkling & spectacular Brazilian infused carnival style procession through the amassed crowd on the main dancefloor. With drums beating and feathers from jaw droppingly fantastic head-dresses fluttering, a collection of performers hit the stage and began to delight their audience with a series of solo dances, curvy girls belly popping, muscle-bound guys cutting a stride and cameras flashing, the show captivating everyone and providing a superb highlight to the night’s entertainment.
With stage proceedings over, Brent Nicholls assumed the decks and let rip with his trademark funky, latin infused house mixes which always get us going. However, as good as the music was, the crowd thinned out after a while, although it was fair to say it wasn’t huge to begin with, even during the shows. We suspect that some decided to return to the more intimate space of the second room, where Brazilian D.J. Dannie was in charge of proceedings, although Heaven’s main space, it has to be said, is one of the most difficult to build a decent atmosphere, for many reasons.
Catching the attention of Chris Jepson out front of the main room, we discussed the merits of the night as a concept and agreed that the idea was great, the shows were entertaining, but with the lack of people, the blame could be laid on the choice of venue. Back on the main floor, all effort was being made to keep the party going, but with our energy levels having taken a beating from previous clubbing exploits, we made our invited way to behind the D.J. booth to exchange thoughts and catch up on the weekend’s news before retiring home.
So, what did we think of Go-Go Brazil as a clubbing venture? Well, there was no doubt where it succeeded. In the shows which were magnificent, in the idea of the go-go competition which was novel if a little dated with the “note packing” concept, fun yes (but at £1 a time what were they thinking!?!), in the music delivery in the main room (we couldn’t speak for room 2) which was well matched to the latino theme and normally that would have been enough. But with a crowd sadly lacking in numbers and the décor in the club falling way short of Ipanema beach party expectations, for us, Go-Go Brazil didn’t have the magical feel that we were expecting.
The question therefore remains, where did it go wrong? Well, in truth, with everything said, it can only be the venue. Heaven was too big and not suited to this venture. Questions over the success of the 6 p.m. till 2 a.m. format on Sunday’s can be quickly dispelled by other club nights, Salvation comes to mind, therefore leaving only one reason why. The dated lighting, the shabby look of the main room, the disproportionately distorted sound (no fault of the D.J.’s) and the “old hat” smoke system all sum it up for us. For Go-Go Brazil to thrive on its planned monthly excursions, we believe it needs to find a venue to suit. Where, we are not sure. We have a few suggestions, but one of them is not Heaven. (DISCO MATT)
REVIEW FOR SEENQUEEN
On a scene that either seems to rely on tried & tested themes or regurgitate old club brands, it is refreshing to see new ideas & concepts coming through, even if they seem to have the need to fall back on existing venues that have the risk of taking the edge off the freshness of the innovation. So when we first caught news of the launch of a Sunday night club with a difference, we were not only intrigued but very excited and despite some doubts in our minds, were determined to give this opening our support.
Styled as a seductive & sexy outing bringing the world famous Ipanema beach party feel to London, Go-Go Brazil, as it’s name suggested, had a central theme around go-go dancers, with those gorgeous hunks brave enough to enter the lined up competition and show their wears, up for bagging a holiday to the heavenly Brazilian destination, Rio De Janeiro. With the promise of a handsome and stylish crowd to match, we called on all our energy reserves, after succumbing to over 12 hours of fun at BCS, Revolver & Breakfast at Egg, in the hope of rounding off our weekend in true latino party fashion.
So, arriving at Heaven at just turned 8.30 p.m., admittedly a little later than the opening time of 6 o’clock, we were directed to the guest list entrance, only to find our name mysteriously absent. Experience of the (miss) management of lists in recent new club ventures left us unsurprised, so we paid our way and wandered into the familiar space of this iconic club, dropping our bits off in the coat check & arming ourselves with energy boosting refreshments, heading directly for the main room. We were immediately and literally dazzled by the white bright strobe lighting and juddered by the floor vibrating from the incredibly loud sounds emanating from the huge speakers to our side. Glancing around the massive main room, it was scantly clad with a mix of muscle queens, latino boys & their admirers attempting to fill the space, dancing away to the delightful house infused tunes being delivered by D.J. Luke Hope.
Deciding to momentarily investigate the temptations of room two, where it was rumoured the genius talent that is Paul Heron was waving his magical musical wand, we were stopped at the door, not being one of the privileged with the illusive green wristband. So, we returned to the main room where the crowd were beginning to build in anticipation of the go-go performance to come, the giant screen on the stage encouraging everyone to place their votes in favour of the sexiest & best dancer on show. As Luke Hope handed over the D.J. decks to scene favourite Brent Nicholls, it wasn’t long before there was a sudden halt to the music, with the entrance on stage of a glorious looking & magnificently dressed male accompanied by the event host, who proceeded to rouse the crowd and explain the format of the approaching go-go competition.
And the bevy of ten beauties appeared on the stage and then, with the lights dropping and the music, much funkier & dancier than before being pumped out, the go-go’s then swooped into the crowd and, in twosomes, ascended the podiums staged around the main room, effectively inviting the adoring throng of latino enthusiasts to make their vote by placing provided Brazilian Dollar effect paper notes into the shorts of their favoured dancer. In the wonderful hype that this caused, we caught Paul Heron in the crowd, clutching a huge bunch of notes. After exchanging hugs and recollecting our Revolver incident, we both selected our favourite hunk (strangely the same) and stuffed the notes in excitingly (think we made the right choice Paul). It was all in aid of fun and was quite amusing, if a little arousing in such close contact to bare flesh! With some of the go-go’s shorts bulging (yes with notes!) the array of dancing hunks slipped off backstage, giving way to a sparkling & spectacular Brazilian infused carnival style procession through the amassed crowd on the main dancefloor. With drums beating and feathers from jaw droppingly fantastic head-dresses fluttering, a collection of performers hit the stage and began to delight their audience with a series of solo dances, curvy girls belly popping, muscle-bound guys cutting a stride and cameras flashing, the show captivating everyone and providing a superb highlight to the night’s entertainment.
With stage proceedings over, Brent Nicholls assumed the decks and let rip with his trademark funky, latin infused house mixes which always get us going. However, as good as the music was, the crowd thinned out after a while, although it was fair to say it wasn’t huge to begin with, even during the shows. We suspect that some decided to return to the more intimate space of the second room, where Brazilian D.J. Dannie was in charge of proceedings, although Heaven’s main space, it has to be said, is one of the most difficult to build a decent atmosphere, for many reasons.
Catching the attention of Chris Jepson out front of the main room, we discussed the merits of the night as a concept and agreed that the idea was great, the shows were entertaining, but with the lack of people, the blame could be laid on the choice of venue. Back on the main floor, all effort was being made to keep the party going, but with our energy levels having taken a beating from previous clubbing exploits, we made our invited way to behind the D.J. booth to exchange thoughts and catch up on the weekend’s news before retiring home.
So, what did we think of Go-Go Brazil as a clubbing venture? Well, there was no doubt where it succeeded. In the shows which were magnificent, in the idea of the go-go competition which was novel if a little dated with the “note packing” concept, fun yes (but at £1 a time what were they thinking!?!), in the music delivery in the main room (we couldn’t speak for room 2) which was well matched to the latino theme and normally that would have been enough. But with a crowd sadly lacking in numbers and the décor in the club falling way short of Ipanema beach party expectations, for us, Go-Go Brazil didn’t have the magical feel that we were expecting.
The question therefore remains, where did it go wrong? Well, in truth, with everything said, it can only be the venue. Heaven was too big and not suited to this venture. Questions over the success of the 6 p.m. till 2 a.m. format on Sunday’s can be quickly dispelled by other club nights, Salvation comes to mind, therefore leaving only one reason why. The dated lighting, the shabby look of the main room, the disproportionately distorted sound (no fault of the D.J.’s) and the “old hat” smoke system all sum it up for us. For Go-Go Brazil to thrive on its planned monthly excursions, we believe it needs to find a venue to suit. Where, we are not sure. We have a few suggestions, but one of them is not Heaven. (DISCO MATT)
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