ONE NIGHT IN SOHO’S CLUB BARS - RUPERT ST. & BARCODE
SATURDAY 21ST FEBRUARY
REVIEW FOR SEEQUEEN
On a day that we normally herald as “Super Saturday”, we were feeling far from it, with thoughts in our minds stretching 1000’s of miles away which left us wanting of comforting and friendly company, rather than the unfamiliarity of house party offerings & clubbing escapades out in Greenwich, so it was with simple resignation that we opted for the easy choice, a trip into Soho to enjoy an ordinary night out.
But tonight was to prove no ordinary one, as we arrived at the doors of Barcode on Archer St, just before 10 p.m., and being waved through by the friendly security staff, we zoomed up to deposit our bits & bobs in the first floor coatcheck, soon returning back down to a packed ground floor bar, where we were joined by friend & companion Benoit, who had much news to fill us in on, after our respective outings to Matinee, Beyond & Love Child the previous weekend. We were also joined by Industri pal Stephen, who had a fun night out at XXL lined up and was using Barcode as a warm up, and no better way we could imagine, well nearly.
With the club space opening slightly later than usual, we three exchanged chit chat before descending the stairs and through a rapidly filling space, to the side of the D.J. booth, finding Brent Nicholls behind the decks, seemingly in “disco” mood, sending out some major hands in the air stuff which was clearly going down well. Turning and greeting us in his customary warm & welcoming manner, remarking upon noticing Stephen & Benoit, that it was good to see us out “with our pose”, we immediately slipped into characteristic Barcode mood, arming ourselves with refreshments and then soaking up the music, which was stepping up pace, track by track, turning tougher, funkier but never not danceable and engaging.
In the company of our friends we were having an absolute ball, trading comments, laughable moments & memories of the weekend gone before and with the crowd swelling more and more, we soon forgot the thoughts & homesick pangs we had been so consumed with all day. Barcode Soho, since is revamp last May, has gone from strength to strength and with the very recent installation of a new sound system, the club space is superb, with the acoustics amazing, the lighting effects quite brilliant and the perfect blend between bar & club executed wonderfully. Testament to this, is it’s popularity, whether destination or pre-club visiting, and tonight was no exception as the space was soon full and pulsating as well as hot, hot, hot.
With Stephen taking his leave and Benoit off flirting on the ground floor, we decided on a quick romp around the competition, so made our excuses and headed off round the corner to Rupert St., more a bar than a club, but attracting a similar crowd to Barcode and with the draw of a weekly line up of D.J.’s remains one of the most popular retreats for those that want to be seen on the scene. Squeezing our way through the pulsating crowd, we headed for the bar to the troupe of staff, so familiar & friendly towards us, that sets this bar apart from any other. With drinks in hand, we advanced further round to the makeshift D.J. booth to find Faye Lanson in control of proceedings, for us the female equivalent of Per QX, so much so is her enthusiasm and energy and with her cutting edge choice of house filled tunes, it was so good to she her back where she belongs, behind the decks and giving pleasure to the masses Having, in her D.J. career history, held residencies at Barcode and played many a club event, gaining respect from her peers, Faye has been sorely missed in recent weeks, although it was clear she was enjoying the Rupert Street experience, a more relaxed affair it was true, but just the ticket after an voluntary sabbatical.
With a rotating list of Saturday stars which has included Lee Yeomans, Mikey Galliano, Luke Hope and the man who masterminded it all, Alessandro, the choice to hand over the music on Saturday’s to D.J.’s has proven really successful and with Alessandro attracted names like Pier Morrocco, Jamie Head & Mikey D, there is no shortage of big name scene faces to attract an audience. With each individual bringing their unique and varied sound to the fray, each weekend has a different feel, keeping the format fresh and appealing and coupled to this, with one of the most engaging & fun-filled bar team, a Saturday visit soon becomes a real treat.
As midnight struck, it was time for us to wave goodbye to Faye and the Rupert St. team, including Manager Cathy who had just celebrated her birthday, but with the inevitable draw of Barcode and Brent Nicholls, we found ourselves back in situ within moments. With our friend Benoit wondering where we had disappeared to, we got back into the much faster more clubbier pace of our favourite Saturday bar-club spot, next to the D.J. booth watching over proceedings and also dancing away, as Brent picked on one familiar tune after the next to get us gyrating on our spot and succumbing to one of the best atmospheres we know. To further delight our evening, Manager Jeremy bounded up to say hello, taking a well earned moments respite from his hectic evening, and filling us in on his recent cruise trip, before returning to his duties.
By now our evening fulfilled as we savoured scintillating sounds and superb company with Barcode’s club space continuing to rock, full with a glorious mix of good lookers, scene faces, west end lovers and folk just up for a good old dance. Arming ourselves & our friend with final refreshments for the night, we saw out the rest of our evening at in the hands of Brent Nicholls, Jeremy & his team, right the way through to the 1 a.m. finish, waving our goodbyes as the lights turned up, then shunning the temptations of other bar club venues like Escape, Shadow Lounge & Lo-Profile and even Barcode’s sister venue in Vauxhall, to retire home to bed and dream over yet another enjoyable outing to Soho.
So, would we recommend both Barcode Soho & Rupert Street as Saturday destinations? Undoubtedly so. Both sport fabulous surroundings, both offer a superb blend of bar and club and both have brilliant music on offer. Rupert Street has a more laid back feel but remains a very popular venue, but is restricted to a midnight closure. Barcode has the benefit of two floors and a much more clubbier feel that makes it both a true destination choice as well as a perfect pre-club option and with first class D.J.’s Brent Nicholls & Gonzalo, superb sounds are pretty much guaranteed. Did we have a good time, well not so much a good time but a great time and just what we had needed. It was great to take time out from the frenzy of headline clubbing and for this reason, among many others, we are sure to be savouring the delights of a Saturday trip to Barcode Soho and Rupert St. again very soon. (DISCO MATT)
Thursday, 26 February 2009
Wednesday, 18 February 2009
Love Child - Club Review
“LOVE CHILD” AT PACHA – SUNDAY 15TH FEBRUARY
REVIEW FOR SEENQUEEN
Well, as if we hadn’t already fulfilled our “love weekend”, with it being kick started by Industri’s party “all tied up and somewhere to go” on the Thursday, this club always proving an ideal warm up to any weekend, but especially so this time, in the hands of Minty, her boys and a band of regulars, who all seemed in the love mood, we then had a superb time on Valentines day itself, at Matinee’s Masked Ball, where birthday celebrations, breathtaking costumes & the wonderful royal treatment we received from Mark M Forms & Nik Ripley of Fierce Intl, were true highlights, but no, not enough as there was yet more on offer.
And in what form did this come? well, the sumptuous and scintillating party “Love Child” brought to us by fabulous promoter Alex Erfan, renowned for laying on fantastic parties and really pushing the boundaries. Choosing Pacha to host a gay event may have seemed brave, but add to that the Sunday T-Dance format, tricky to say the least, was a bold choice indeed but one that proved successful for many reasons.
So, arriving at shortly before 7 p.m., clutching our V.I.P. pass, we were given the characteristically warm welcome on the door by Marky B, who, like at Matinee the night before, was managing proceedings very smoothly & in complete control of his lot. This engaging and charming man works extremely hard to ensure everyone’s smooth entrance to clubs and is a familiar face from the days of D.T.P.M. and it is always a pleasure to see him.
With complimentary champagne vouchers in hand (thanks Mark) we entered the club and as Pacha virgins were somewhat surprised to be asked for ID, but with our photo card scanned we were quickly waved through and into the ground floor space, where Tony English was in charge of the decks, warming up a select crowd with some hard hitting & uplifting house tunes to build the atmosphere, Looking around, we were immediately struck by the glorious and glamorous surroundings. We were then keen to explore more and with our V.I.P band around our wrist, soon found our way up and into the exclusive space, including a separate dancefloor on the first floor where scene legend Stewart Who? was in command, laying out a characteristic set filled with retro classic’s intermixed with lounge tunes, progressing into house beats too step up the pace as only he knows best. Bounding up to say hello, we also found D.J. Wayne G holding court and immediately caught up on news with this international globetrotting talent, back to London on just a short stay in his whistlestop life, but looking as fresh as ever.
With our taste buds tingling with the thought of champagne, we carried further round and armed with bubbly, marvelled at the impressive balcony which gave us and other privileged V.I.P ticket holders a birdseye view of proceedings downstairs and not just that but the glittering surroundings, including a huge spinning mirrorball and two elegant chandeliers which dominated the space. Some had chosen to hire out special booths, with bucket loads of champagne & goodies supplied, while others simply soaked up the wonderful feel of this special space.
Back downstairs, the crowd was building quite nicely and what a good looking and sexy crowd they were too, a true mix of metrosexuals, Latino hunks, muscle queens and a plethora of scene faces and gAylisters, with a stable full of off duty D.J’s including Hugh Stevenson, Jamie Head, Steve Pitron, Alan X, Lee Yeomans, Max Sanna and even Brent Nicholls, who had entertained us so well at Matinee earlier, but was out on photocall duty, camera in hand, as we said our hello’s.
The but centre piece was the stage area and with a sudden change in music pace, a whole collection of muscled & revealingly garbed go-go’s and dancers gathered to carry out (lofted high) the first P.A. of the evening, Marcella Woods, to the stage to perform among others, her fab anthem “Hands Up”, literally lifting the crowds hands up into the air and injecting some real passion into the room. With ticker tape explosions, amazing lighting and inspired dancing performances, courtesy of Chris Geary’s troupe, the party was well and truly underway.
You could see the delight on Alex Erfan’s face behind the D.J. decks, dressed resplendently in a black outfit and matching classy hat as tip top D.J. star Michael Gray then took over the decks, continuing the uplifting theme with some immediately recognisable tracks intermixed with electro beats and house classics like Robin’s S’s “Show Me Love” (how many times can this track be remixed yet so popular). We were intent on continuing our circuit drive around the venue, bumping into yet more gorgeous and familiar faces, old & new, with the off duty D.J. list continuing to grow as the lovely Gabriele Cutrano spotted us, introducing his friends who were out to have a good time.
Back upstairs, Stewart Who? had really stepped up the pace of the music and had attracted a bigger crowd to hand over to the energetic Per QX, whom we had seen downstairs, promising us of an “all inclusive” set which her certainly delivered to magical effect, further swelling the crowd, albeit the select V.I.P lot who were settling into their comfortable surroundings. Yet more champagne followed, courtesy of Marky B (naughty boy) and we traded first floor with ground, returning downstairs in time for a brilliant show by Tara MacDonald, again performing some huge anthems and her new track “You Got Me Twisted”, a Love Child excusive, being played out for the very first time, magnificent.
With the main room well and truly buzzing, D.J. Mattias was now behind the decks, stepping up the pace even more, ensuring the already electric atmosphere could only get better and with more and more bare-chested hunks savouring the music, the party was set to rock right through to the 2 a.m. finish. However, with our legs weary from our previous exploits combined with thoughts of an early start, we faced the inevitable journey home, having rounded off an awesome “love weekend” in phenomenal style.
So what did we think of Love Child? Well, despite the slow start, the party went off in real style with quality being the buzz word of the night. Pacha proved an ideal setting, although perhaps, in our view, the V.I.P area could have been restricted to the balcony, so as to ensure the first floor dance space was as popular as the ground floor. Some inspired performances by the P.A’s and Chris Geary’s dancers were true highlights, but for us it was the gorgeous & sexy crowd, filled with so many familiar faces, (some not seen for ages and drawn out by the promise of a stylish affair) that really made the party special, so akin to Salvation events of old.
With the success of the brand around the world, especially in Moscow, which hosted a massive party just a day before, we are sure that Love Child will survive in London, T-Dance Sunday format or not and we will certainly be giving it our support. Our hats go off to Alex Erfan for bringing us yet another new, fresh and purely first class party to the scene. (DISCO MATT)
REVIEW FOR SEENQUEEN
Well, as if we hadn’t already fulfilled our “love weekend”, with it being kick started by Industri’s party “all tied up and somewhere to go” on the Thursday, this club always proving an ideal warm up to any weekend, but especially so this time, in the hands of Minty, her boys and a band of regulars, who all seemed in the love mood, we then had a superb time on Valentines day itself, at Matinee’s Masked Ball, where birthday celebrations, breathtaking costumes & the wonderful royal treatment we received from Mark M Forms & Nik Ripley of Fierce Intl, were true highlights, but no, not enough as there was yet more on offer.
And in what form did this come? well, the sumptuous and scintillating party “Love Child” brought to us by fabulous promoter Alex Erfan, renowned for laying on fantastic parties and really pushing the boundaries. Choosing Pacha to host a gay event may have seemed brave, but add to that the Sunday T-Dance format, tricky to say the least, was a bold choice indeed but one that proved successful for many reasons.
So, arriving at shortly before 7 p.m., clutching our V.I.P. pass, we were given the characteristically warm welcome on the door by Marky B, who, like at Matinee the night before, was managing proceedings very smoothly & in complete control of his lot. This engaging and charming man works extremely hard to ensure everyone’s smooth entrance to clubs and is a familiar face from the days of D.T.P.M. and it is always a pleasure to see him.
With complimentary champagne vouchers in hand (thanks Mark) we entered the club and as Pacha virgins were somewhat surprised to be asked for ID, but with our photo card scanned we were quickly waved through and into the ground floor space, where Tony English was in charge of the decks, warming up a select crowd with some hard hitting & uplifting house tunes to build the atmosphere, Looking around, we were immediately struck by the glorious and glamorous surroundings. We were then keen to explore more and with our V.I.P band around our wrist, soon found our way up and into the exclusive space, including a separate dancefloor on the first floor where scene legend Stewart Who? was in command, laying out a characteristic set filled with retro classic’s intermixed with lounge tunes, progressing into house beats too step up the pace as only he knows best. Bounding up to say hello, we also found D.J. Wayne G holding court and immediately caught up on news with this international globetrotting talent, back to London on just a short stay in his whistlestop life, but looking as fresh as ever.
With our taste buds tingling with the thought of champagne, we carried further round and armed with bubbly, marvelled at the impressive balcony which gave us and other privileged V.I.P ticket holders a birdseye view of proceedings downstairs and not just that but the glittering surroundings, including a huge spinning mirrorball and two elegant chandeliers which dominated the space. Some had chosen to hire out special booths, with bucket loads of champagne & goodies supplied, while others simply soaked up the wonderful feel of this special space.
Back downstairs, the crowd was building quite nicely and what a good looking and sexy crowd they were too, a true mix of metrosexuals, Latino hunks, muscle queens and a plethora of scene faces and gAylisters, with a stable full of off duty D.J’s including Hugh Stevenson, Jamie Head, Steve Pitron, Alan X, Lee Yeomans, Max Sanna and even Brent Nicholls, who had entertained us so well at Matinee earlier, but was out on photocall duty, camera in hand, as we said our hello’s.
The but centre piece was the stage area and with a sudden change in music pace, a whole collection of muscled & revealingly garbed go-go’s and dancers gathered to carry out (lofted high) the first P.A. of the evening, Marcella Woods, to the stage to perform among others, her fab anthem “Hands Up”, literally lifting the crowds hands up into the air and injecting some real passion into the room. With ticker tape explosions, amazing lighting and inspired dancing performances, courtesy of Chris Geary’s troupe, the party was well and truly underway.
You could see the delight on Alex Erfan’s face behind the D.J. decks, dressed resplendently in a black outfit and matching classy hat as tip top D.J. star Michael Gray then took over the decks, continuing the uplifting theme with some immediately recognisable tracks intermixed with electro beats and house classics like Robin’s S’s “Show Me Love” (how many times can this track be remixed yet so popular). We were intent on continuing our circuit drive around the venue, bumping into yet more gorgeous and familiar faces, old & new, with the off duty D.J. list continuing to grow as the lovely Gabriele Cutrano spotted us, introducing his friends who were out to have a good time.
Back upstairs, Stewart Who? had really stepped up the pace of the music and had attracted a bigger crowd to hand over to the energetic Per QX, whom we had seen downstairs, promising us of an “all inclusive” set which her certainly delivered to magical effect, further swelling the crowd, albeit the select V.I.P lot who were settling into their comfortable surroundings. Yet more champagne followed, courtesy of Marky B (naughty boy) and we traded first floor with ground, returning downstairs in time for a brilliant show by Tara MacDonald, again performing some huge anthems and her new track “You Got Me Twisted”, a Love Child excusive, being played out for the very first time, magnificent.
With the main room well and truly buzzing, D.J. Mattias was now behind the decks, stepping up the pace even more, ensuring the already electric atmosphere could only get better and with more and more bare-chested hunks savouring the music, the party was set to rock right through to the 2 a.m. finish. However, with our legs weary from our previous exploits combined with thoughts of an early start, we faced the inevitable journey home, having rounded off an awesome “love weekend” in phenomenal style.
So what did we think of Love Child? Well, despite the slow start, the party went off in real style with quality being the buzz word of the night. Pacha proved an ideal setting, although perhaps, in our view, the V.I.P area could have been restricted to the balcony, so as to ensure the first floor dance space was as popular as the ground floor. Some inspired performances by the P.A’s and Chris Geary’s dancers were true highlights, but for us it was the gorgeous & sexy crowd, filled with so many familiar faces, (some not seen for ages and drawn out by the promise of a stylish affair) that really made the party special, so akin to Salvation events of old.
With the success of the brand around the world, especially in Moscow, which hosted a massive party just a day before, we are sure that Love Child will survive in London, T-Dance Sunday format or not and we will certainly be giving it our support. Our hats go off to Alex Erfan for bringing us yet another new, fresh and purely first class party to the scene. (DISCO MATT)
Tuesday, 17 February 2009
Matinee Masked Ball - Club Review
MATINEE “MASKED BALL” – SATURDAY 14TH FEBRUARY
REVIEW FOR SEENQUEEN
Falling bang slap on THE love day of the year and corner stoning our “love weekend”, we simply couldn’t resist the temptations of yet another Matinee party, our top choice amongst equals and certainly outweighing the fierce competition for the hard earned pounds of many in what always proves to be a tricky month, even in pink pound land.
Add to this the prospect of a real party atmosphere with not one, not two, but three birthday celebrations, Evolved Events big cheese, Oliver Mohns, stellar D.J. star Pier Morrocco and lighting specialist extraordinaire “Bubbles”, not to mention the exciting prospect of being taken backstage (we’ll tell your more of that in a minute), there was simply no way we were going to miss this one.
So, meeting up with friend Benoit, just after midnight, we strolled up to super club Colosseum to be greeted by the effervescent Minty, nay Hrh Minty and the gorge Marky B, who were in complete command of the door. Meeting these two and the rapturous welcome they always give us, really gets Matinee parties off to a good start and after a brief chat, we were whisked through the entrance to be faced with a considerably busy foyer and a winding queue for the coatcheck. However, never fear as to our rescue came birthday boy Oliver M, who gave us the red carpet treatment and took us straight to the heart of the club and behind the D.J. booth in the main room, to store our bits.
On the way, we were given a guided tour and it was clear that no effort had been spared to glamorise the venue, with sumptuous red drapes adorning the whole of the main room, the stage at the back being no exception and the front elevated dancing area dressed with a luxury chez longe and accompanying furniture to really set off the space. The theme ran through the rest of the club and with two large screens each side of the main room floor, showing Matinee encrusted video scenes, not to mention extra special lighting in all the rooms, the amazing look was complete.
Arriving at the D.J. booth, we were greeted by the second birthday boy, D.J. Pier Morrocco, who was in command of the decks and warming the crowd up brilliantly, with a delightful mix of vocal tipped house tunes intermixed with tougher electro twisted vibes to get the party going and with the main floor filling rapidly, we quickly armed ourselves with drinks and goodies, joining the masses in the main room to soak up the atmosphere. With plenty of familiar faces wandering by, the final piece in the birthday jigsaw was found in the form of “bubbles” and we compared notes with him on this latest wow of a Matinee look and the superb show at Revolver a couple of weeks before, before letting the man go to inject his magic on the clubs lighting system.
With our short trip down to the test lounge to support and encourage our friend and Matinee virgin behind the decks, D.J. Saki, we were back in the main room and wedging ourselves into a dancing space, when a tap on the shoulder found us in the welcoming arms of Fierce International boys Mark M Forms and Nik Ripley who were hastily preparing themselves and the team for the shows to come, but had spared to time to come and say hello. With camera’s flashing, we were caught in motion with these two, although the best was yet to come, as it wasn’t long before Mark re-appeared, grabbing our hand and taking us backstage to meet the whole crew. And a more welcoming bunch you couldn’t have found, with many ready to go in the most fabulous costumes we had seen in a long while, so appropriate to the Masked Ball theme, truly spectacular. With Oliver’s boyfriend and co-promoter joining the fray, yet more photo’s followed and the troupe were then ready to begin, filing out into the main space to assume their positions as Matinee Spanish resident star D.J. Taito Tikaro hit the decks. With the dancers in place around the room and on the two stages, receiving massive cheers from the crowd, they laid down a serious of breathtakingly sexy and revealing shows that blew us away and keep drawing us back throughout the night.
But, it is fair to say that our Matinee experience of late is never complete without a trip into the VIP room and with Brent Nicholls arriving and catching us on the main dancefloor, we squeezed past the maze of people and through the entrance behind the D.J. booth into this special space, which had a scant crowd lapping up the sounds of Nathan 6. Catching up on news with Brent, we had completely forgot our friend Benoit, who we had left stranded in the main room, so we went back in search of him, to no avail, only to find him in situ in the VIP room with Brent behind the decks. “Where else” was the response, when we asked where he had gone and where else indeed as we sank into the familiar latino twisted, funky house and harder edged tunes with the odd dancefloor anthem thrown in for good measure of this D.J. talent, as Brent worked this superb if but sometimes difficult room to play. One of the things we adore about this space is the intimacy and the fact that we always end up bumping into friends a plenty with tonight being no exception, pals Matt Bird, Lee Yeomans, Chris Wilcox and a superbly dressed Stephen Davies (to mention a few) all wafted through to say hello as we spent out the next 3 hours of our time at Matinee, with only occasional trips back to the main room the check out the Fierce crew.
With D.J. Alessandro taking up the reigns for the final set in the VIP room, we became strangely restless, but ended up back on the main floor with Pagano delivering yet another characteristic progressive set of amazing tech house tracks that had the audience captivated and held the lions share of revellers who soaked up a brilliant performance by this Italian Stallion who always greets us in friendly fashion, this time being no exception. With other D.J. pal Hugh Stevenson in attendance among the rest of our pals, including Benoit, this was now clearly the space to be and with Paul Heron catching us behind the booth just before taking over from Pagano, to continue the amazing music in his charismatic style and energy behind the decks, our night was now complete. So it seemed we had no choice but to see out the remainder of our stay in the main room, with Brent also enjoying proceedings and the plethora of Fierce boys letting their hair down with us for one last push.
But by 7.30 a.m. our time was up and with the prospect of needing to freshen our legs in time for the Love Child party at Pacha later that Sunday, we decided to wave goodbye to Matinee for another month, slipping out of the Colosseum and home to rest off a hectic yet fun filled evening, reflecting on some incredible moments that set this party aside from all others before it.
So, did Matinee’s Masked Ball fulfil expectations? The answer is absolutely yes, yes, yes. The production in the club was the best we have ever seen, a glowing tribute to the Evolved Events team who pulled out all the stops. The music was yet again the best we could ever wish to find, in the hands of one of the strongest D.J. line up’s around, with glittering A1 performances from Pier Morrocco, Brent Nicholls, Pagano and Paul Heron, combined with one of the friendliest crowds we know, who could ask for more? But there was more for us and what truly set this night apart from any other, the Fierce International crew, who laid on not just brilliant shows, but in the welcoming hands of the handsome & capable Mark M Forms, together with gorge partner Nik Ripley, made our night so special, by treating us so kindly and giving us the royal treatment, well we were lost for words (what us, never!!).
If there is one thing that sets Matinee aside from any other offering, it is the people. From Minty & Marky B on the door, through the stellar D.J.’s, through all the organisers including Oliver & Co, but also to the Fierce crew, a true bunch of wonderful people that give us the sense of “family”, what more can we say? Well, simply, we want more, more, more, bring on the next event, it can’t come quickly enough. (DISCO MATT)
REVIEW FOR SEENQUEEN
Falling bang slap on THE love day of the year and corner stoning our “love weekend”, we simply couldn’t resist the temptations of yet another Matinee party, our top choice amongst equals and certainly outweighing the fierce competition for the hard earned pounds of many in what always proves to be a tricky month, even in pink pound land.
Add to this the prospect of a real party atmosphere with not one, not two, but three birthday celebrations, Evolved Events big cheese, Oliver Mohns, stellar D.J. star Pier Morrocco and lighting specialist extraordinaire “Bubbles”, not to mention the exciting prospect of being taken backstage (we’ll tell your more of that in a minute), there was simply no way we were going to miss this one.
So, meeting up with friend Benoit, just after midnight, we strolled up to super club Colosseum to be greeted by the effervescent Minty, nay Hrh Minty and the gorge Marky B, who were in complete command of the door. Meeting these two and the rapturous welcome they always give us, really gets Matinee parties off to a good start and after a brief chat, we were whisked through the entrance to be faced with a considerably busy foyer and a winding queue for the coatcheck. However, never fear as to our rescue came birthday boy Oliver M, who gave us the red carpet treatment and took us straight to the heart of the club and behind the D.J. booth in the main room, to store our bits.
On the way, we were given a guided tour and it was clear that no effort had been spared to glamorise the venue, with sumptuous red drapes adorning the whole of the main room, the stage at the back being no exception and the front elevated dancing area dressed with a luxury chez longe and accompanying furniture to really set off the space. The theme ran through the rest of the club and with two large screens each side of the main room floor, showing Matinee encrusted video scenes, not to mention extra special lighting in all the rooms, the amazing look was complete.
Arriving at the D.J. booth, we were greeted by the second birthday boy, D.J. Pier Morrocco, who was in command of the decks and warming the crowd up brilliantly, with a delightful mix of vocal tipped house tunes intermixed with tougher electro twisted vibes to get the party going and with the main floor filling rapidly, we quickly armed ourselves with drinks and goodies, joining the masses in the main room to soak up the atmosphere. With plenty of familiar faces wandering by, the final piece in the birthday jigsaw was found in the form of “bubbles” and we compared notes with him on this latest wow of a Matinee look and the superb show at Revolver a couple of weeks before, before letting the man go to inject his magic on the clubs lighting system.
With our short trip down to the test lounge to support and encourage our friend and Matinee virgin behind the decks, D.J. Saki, we were back in the main room and wedging ourselves into a dancing space, when a tap on the shoulder found us in the welcoming arms of Fierce International boys Mark M Forms and Nik Ripley who were hastily preparing themselves and the team for the shows to come, but had spared to time to come and say hello. With camera’s flashing, we were caught in motion with these two, although the best was yet to come, as it wasn’t long before Mark re-appeared, grabbing our hand and taking us backstage to meet the whole crew. And a more welcoming bunch you couldn’t have found, with many ready to go in the most fabulous costumes we had seen in a long while, so appropriate to the Masked Ball theme, truly spectacular. With Oliver’s boyfriend and co-promoter joining the fray, yet more photo’s followed and the troupe were then ready to begin, filing out into the main space to assume their positions as Matinee Spanish resident star D.J. Taito Tikaro hit the decks. With the dancers in place around the room and on the two stages, receiving massive cheers from the crowd, they laid down a serious of breathtakingly sexy and revealing shows that blew us away and keep drawing us back throughout the night.
But, it is fair to say that our Matinee experience of late is never complete without a trip into the VIP room and with Brent Nicholls arriving and catching us on the main dancefloor, we squeezed past the maze of people and through the entrance behind the D.J. booth into this special space, which had a scant crowd lapping up the sounds of Nathan 6. Catching up on news with Brent, we had completely forgot our friend Benoit, who we had left stranded in the main room, so we went back in search of him, to no avail, only to find him in situ in the VIP room with Brent behind the decks. “Where else” was the response, when we asked where he had gone and where else indeed as we sank into the familiar latino twisted, funky house and harder edged tunes with the odd dancefloor anthem thrown in for good measure of this D.J. talent, as Brent worked this superb if but sometimes difficult room to play. One of the things we adore about this space is the intimacy and the fact that we always end up bumping into friends a plenty with tonight being no exception, pals Matt Bird, Lee Yeomans, Chris Wilcox and a superbly dressed Stephen Davies (to mention a few) all wafted through to say hello as we spent out the next 3 hours of our time at Matinee, with only occasional trips back to the main room the check out the Fierce crew.
With D.J. Alessandro taking up the reigns for the final set in the VIP room, we became strangely restless, but ended up back on the main floor with Pagano delivering yet another characteristic progressive set of amazing tech house tracks that had the audience captivated and held the lions share of revellers who soaked up a brilliant performance by this Italian Stallion who always greets us in friendly fashion, this time being no exception. With other D.J. pal Hugh Stevenson in attendance among the rest of our pals, including Benoit, this was now clearly the space to be and with Paul Heron catching us behind the booth just before taking over from Pagano, to continue the amazing music in his charismatic style and energy behind the decks, our night was now complete. So it seemed we had no choice but to see out the remainder of our stay in the main room, with Brent also enjoying proceedings and the plethora of Fierce boys letting their hair down with us for one last push.
But by 7.30 a.m. our time was up and with the prospect of needing to freshen our legs in time for the Love Child party at Pacha later that Sunday, we decided to wave goodbye to Matinee for another month, slipping out of the Colosseum and home to rest off a hectic yet fun filled evening, reflecting on some incredible moments that set this party aside from all others before it.
So, did Matinee’s Masked Ball fulfil expectations? The answer is absolutely yes, yes, yes. The production in the club was the best we have ever seen, a glowing tribute to the Evolved Events team who pulled out all the stops. The music was yet again the best we could ever wish to find, in the hands of one of the strongest D.J. line up’s around, with glittering A1 performances from Pier Morrocco, Brent Nicholls, Pagano and Paul Heron, combined with one of the friendliest crowds we know, who could ask for more? But there was more for us and what truly set this night apart from any other, the Fierce International crew, who laid on not just brilliant shows, but in the welcoming hands of the handsome & capable Mark M Forms, together with gorge partner Nik Ripley, made our night so special, by treating us so kindly and giving us the royal treatment, well we were lost for words (what us, never!!).
If there is one thing that sets Matinee aside from any other offering, it is the people. From Minty & Marky B on the door, through the stellar D.J.’s, through all the organisers including Oliver & Co, but also to the Fierce crew, a true bunch of wonderful people that give us the sense of “family”, what more can we say? Well, simply, we want more, more, more, bring on the next event, it can’t come quickly enough. (DISCO MATT)
Tuesday, 10 February 2009
SuperMartXe Kaos City - Club Review
SUPERMARTXE – KAOS CITY – SATURDAY 7TH FEBRUARY
REVIEW FOR SEENQUEEN
Amidst some pretty awful wintry weather, we were definitely in need of injecting some Latino fire into our weekend and what better way we thought, than securing a ticket for the London version of Spanish super club SuperMartXe and what has become known as “super Saturday” (well for us anyway). And, with plenty of re-assurances that previous problems with queues, coatcheck's and chilly temperatures in The Coronet would be resolved, we were feeling optimistic about the themed Kaos City party getting off to a smooth start.
So, arriving not long after midnight, at a time we thought would be perfect for a quick entry, we were positively shocked by the length of the queue to get into the club, a winding mass of people stretching down Old Kent Road and into a side street. Fortunately our friend Benoit spotted us and we managed to advance a little way up the line, although it still took us a long time to actually get to the entrance.
Once through the efficient security checks, we were directed to the inside coatcheck upstairs and, sadly the wait was worse than on the launch night in November. With the security guard not knowing where the queue started or ended, we joined others to wait, wait & wait, but with people continuing to ascend the stairs, armed with coats and nothing moving, pandemonium ensued (well it was Kaos City, wasn’t it!). With our previous experiences in mind, after nearly 30 minutes, we gave in and tried our luck in the “outside” check, although the queue here was just as bad. What had happened to the promised “third” coatcheck and why was the venue not ready to cope?!
So, in resignation, bag in hand, we headed into the main room and down to the front of the stage, where we bumped into a plethora of people, including pals Alessandro, Lee Yeomans, Max Sanna, JC and also Miss Emma Miswhite White (did we spell it properly!). Glancing up to the D.J. booth, we spotted Micky Galliano in control of the decks, pumping out some truly amazing uplifting hard house tunes and throwing in such enthusiasm with it, we couldn’t resist jiving away to the music, even though we were still aggrieved about having our bag in attendance (our bag of belongings we mean!!).
We were not going to rest easy until we had conquered the coatcheck and three further attempts failed and it was just under 2 hours later that we finally deposited our bits into a newly opened check (thank god for that!). Now we could relax and to further calm our nerves, headed off to the smoking area, where we found Steve Pitron with Max and a couple of others socialising away. Looking at Steve’s two friends, we couldn’t help notice that they were dressed in exactly the same clothes, glam T-shirts, matching shoes & jeans (just their haircuts were different – hilarious!). We were introduced but soon decided to head back in, and in good time, as with Micky Galliano was handing over the reigns to SuperMartXe Spain D.J. resident Pablo Kopanos (my was he sexy looking!) and with a sudden change in the music pace, the massive curtains shrouding the stage were drawn back and P.A. Therese burst out of a makeshift wall, with two muscled go-go’ in attendance and commenced to entertain a packed to the rafters main room, to rapturous cheers and applauses. Behind her, the stage stretched back and was suitably decorated in a kind of New York style ghetto (very apt for the Kaos City theme) and with pyrotechnics and superb laser lighting complimenting the mood, it actually looked quite stunning, as were all the dancers.
With the show over, we retired to the bar for refreshments and having bumped into a whole host of people (some who knew us as Matt, many as Disco Matt) we came across our pal Frank, with whom we had such a great time at the last SuperMartXe party. He seemed relieved to see us and we soon found ourselves down the right hand aisle in the main room, by a large podium, which was strangely absent of dancers. It seemed that the security guards in regular attendance were not happy for revellers to dance there (why? it’s a podium!) as quickly as people ascended they were quickly brought back to ground (what a shame!). With the atmosphere building and us getting into a really naughty mood, Frank began to play on the crowd around us and passing by, which had us in complete hysterics (we haven’t laughed so much in ages!). Then to further add to the already brilliant atmosphere, our friend Benoit (whom we had lost in the coatcheck queue) appeared to join the party, although Frank was centre of attention, tom fooling around and generally having a fantastic time, as were we.
With D.J. supremo Pablo Kopanos continuing to deliver a sumptuous mix of deep hard edged euro style house tunes, very much matching the SuperMartXe brand, we were to be continually delighted by a series of magnificent stage shows by dancers garbed in “rapper” gear, dancing appropriately and acrobatically to dazzle the massive audience stretching right round the huge main room. We were still having heaps of fun in the aisle and when our friend Frank appeared clutching a SuperMartXe round sign and sporting it on his chest then turning it into a phallic symbol, we were in apoplexy, laughing so much, we hardly noticed the action going on around us, merely concentrating on our pals antics and laughing more than we have ever done in a nightclub before, just brilliant!!
But the night was to get even better, as D.J. legend Steve Pitron wafted by us, confirming he was about to hit the decks and did he hit the decks or what!?, with a further sudden change in the music signalling Therese’s final showdown on the stage and then Mr Pitron starting his set with the magnificent J Velarde’s “Sundays at Heaven”, to be followed by a whole series of superb electro twisted, hard house tracks, infused with future disco style beats, euro tunes and classic anthems remixed, pure and utter delight. What better a way to see out our stay at this eight hour clubbing extravaganza not long before the 7 a.m. close, when we finally decided to slip away into the early morning to rest our weary legs from dancing & our worn out jaws from laughing.
So, how was the third SuperMartXe outing? Well, the stage shows were as spectacular as we have seen at the previous parties, Therese performed really well, but the real delight for us was firstly in the amazing music from all main room D.J’s,, each in their own way contributing uniquely to a mix of tracks that were simply top draw, then to a who’s who of familiar scene faces recognising us, but finally & mostly to our pal Frank, who made the night so special, with his over the top antics that had us in stitches, like never before.
Had it not been for these three elements, SuperMartXe Kaos City have been very average, for us, as a result of overzealous security who were clearly not ready to cope with over 2000 hedonistic gay party goers having a good time (our friend Frank ended up being removed from the club for doing just that), with promised resolutions to the long queues not being resolved, and most of all, the truly appalling coatcheck organisation. So, yet again it is clear the Coronet venue’s organisers & staff have let down Logan, his team and the SuperMartXe brand. In addition, with others complaining that the venue was cold in many parts, what happened to the extra heating? When they were clearly aware of the numbers expected, to be so disorganised and to then make excuses, just doesn’t wash.
We did actually have a great time and simply judging by the numbers, SuperMartXe was indeed a success and for this reason alone, we will probably be back. But the problematical issues have to be ironed out (DISCO MATT)
REVIEW FOR SEENQUEEN
Amidst some pretty awful wintry weather, we were definitely in need of injecting some Latino fire into our weekend and what better way we thought, than securing a ticket for the London version of Spanish super club SuperMartXe and what has become known as “super Saturday” (well for us anyway). And, with plenty of re-assurances that previous problems with queues, coatcheck's and chilly temperatures in The Coronet would be resolved, we were feeling optimistic about the themed Kaos City party getting off to a smooth start.
So, arriving not long after midnight, at a time we thought would be perfect for a quick entry, we were positively shocked by the length of the queue to get into the club, a winding mass of people stretching down Old Kent Road and into a side street. Fortunately our friend Benoit spotted us and we managed to advance a little way up the line, although it still took us a long time to actually get to the entrance.
Once through the efficient security checks, we were directed to the inside coatcheck upstairs and, sadly the wait was worse than on the launch night in November. With the security guard not knowing where the queue started or ended, we joined others to wait, wait & wait, but with people continuing to ascend the stairs, armed with coats and nothing moving, pandemonium ensued (well it was Kaos City, wasn’t it!). With our previous experiences in mind, after nearly 30 minutes, we gave in and tried our luck in the “outside” check, although the queue here was just as bad. What had happened to the promised “third” coatcheck and why was the venue not ready to cope?!
So, in resignation, bag in hand, we headed into the main room and down to the front of the stage, where we bumped into a plethora of people, including pals Alessandro, Lee Yeomans, Max Sanna, JC and also Miss Emma Miswhite White (did we spell it properly!). Glancing up to the D.J. booth, we spotted Micky Galliano in control of the decks, pumping out some truly amazing uplifting hard house tunes and throwing in such enthusiasm with it, we couldn’t resist jiving away to the music, even though we were still aggrieved about having our bag in attendance (our bag of belongings we mean!!).
We were not going to rest easy until we had conquered the coatcheck and three further attempts failed and it was just under 2 hours later that we finally deposited our bits into a newly opened check (thank god for that!). Now we could relax and to further calm our nerves, headed off to the smoking area, where we found Steve Pitron with Max and a couple of others socialising away. Looking at Steve’s two friends, we couldn’t help notice that they were dressed in exactly the same clothes, glam T-shirts, matching shoes & jeans (just their haircuts were different – hilarious!). We were introduced but soon decided to head back in, and in good time, as with Micky Galliano was handing over the reigns to SuperMartXe Spain D.J. resident Pablo Kopanos (my was he sexy looking!) and with a sudden change in the music pace, the massive curtains shrouding the stage were drawn back and P.A. Therese burst out of a makeshift wall, with two muscled go-go’ in attendance and commenced to entertain a packed to the rafters main room, to rapturous cheers and applauses. Behind her, the stage stretched back and was suitably decorated in a kind of New York style ghetto (very apt for the Kaos City theme) and with pyrotechnics and superb laser lighting complimenting the mood, it actually looked quite stunning, as were all the dancers.
With the show over, we retired to the bar for refreshments and having bumped into a whole host of people (some who knew us as Matt, many as Disco Matt) we came across our pal Frank, with whom we had such a great time at the last SuperMartXe party. He seemed relieved to see us and we soon found ourselves down the right hand aisle in the main room, by a large podium, which was strangely absent of dancers. It seemed that the security guards in regular attendance were not happy for revellers to dance there (why? it’s a podium!) as quickly as people ascended they were quickly brought back to ground (what a shame!). With the atmosphere building and us getting into a really naughty mood, Frank began to play on the crowd around us and passing by, which had us in complete hysterics (we haven’t laughed so much in ages!). Then to further add to the already brilliant atmosphere, our friend Benoit (whom we had lost in the coatcheck queue) appeared to join the party, although Frank was centre of attention, tom fooling around and generally having a fantastic time, as were we.
With D.J. supremo Pablo Kopanos continuing to deliver a sumptuous mix of deep hard edged euro style house tunes, very much matching the SuperMartXe brand, we were to be continually delighted by a series of magnificent stage shows by dancers garbed in “rapper” gear, dancing appropriately and acrobatically to dazzle the massive audience stretching right round the huge main room. We were still having heaps of fun in the aisle and when our friend Frank appeared clutching a SuperMartXe round sign and sporting it on his chest then turning it into a phallic symbol, we were in apoplexy, laughing so much, we hardly noticed the action going on around us, merely concentrating on our pals antics and laughing more than we have ever done in a nightclub before, just brilliant!!
But the night was to get even better, as D.J. legend Steve Pitron wafted by us, confirming he was about to hit the decks and did he hit the decks or what!?, with a further sudden change in the music signalling Therese’s final showdown on the stage and then Mr Pitron starting his set with the magnificent J Velarde’s “Sundays at Heaven”, to be followed by a whole series of superb electro twisted, hard house tracks, infused with future disco style beats, euro tunes and classic anthems remixed, pure and utter delight. What better a way to see out our stay at this eight hour clubbing extravaganza not long before the 7 a.m. close, when we finally decided to slip away into the early morning to rest our weary legs from dancing & our worn out jaws from laughing.
So, how was the third SuperMartXe outing? Well, the stage shows were as spectacular as we have seen at the previous parties, Therese performed really well, but the real delight for us was firstly in the amazing music from all main room D.J’s,, each in their own way contributing uniquely to a mix of tracks that were simply top draw, then to a who’s who of familiar scene faces recognising us, but finally & mostly to our pal Frank, who made the night so special, with his over the top antics that had us in stitches, like never before.
Had it not been for these three elements, SuperMartXe Kaos City have been very average, for us, as a result of overzealous security who were clearly not ready to cope with over 2000 hedonistic gay party goers having a good time (our friend Frank ended up being removed from the club for doing just that), with promised resolutions to the long queues not being resolved, and most of all, the truly appalling coatcheck organisation. So, yet again it is clear the Coronet venue’s organisers & staff have let down Logan, his team and the SuperMartXe brand. In addition, with others complaining that the venue was cold in many parts, what happened to the extra heating? When they were clearly aware of the numbers expected, to be so disorganised and to then make excuses, just doesn’t wash.
We did actually have a great time and simply judging by the numbers, SuperMartXe was indeed a success and for this reason alone, we will probably be back. But the problematical issues have to be ironed out (DISCO MATT)
Tuesday, 3 February 2009
Revolver Re-Launch Party at The Fridge - Club Review
REVOLVER – RE-LAUNCH AT THE FRIDGE
SATURDAY 31ST JANUARY 2009
REVIEW FOR SEENQUEEN
Since this clubbing concept was conceived, back in May last year, it has attracted much attention, with a reputation for pulling out all the stops, creating an electric atmosphere at all it’s parties, through exceptional production (unrivalled in ANY club), superb hard edged music, breathtaking shows accompanied by headline P.A’s and the kind of euro style circuit feel that London rarely sees.
It’s short history at Scala, a venue we thought was impressive and the epitomy of Revolver, was followed by the urge to move more centrally and with lots of juggling in the West End, the Evolved events team secured The Astoria, deciding, bravely, to go weekly, where many had failed before. Yes it was the West End, but it’s time at Astoria was always going to be limited with the demolition timebomb looming and as much as the first couple of parties were successful, faithful followers just couldn’t get used to their new home. Then, when plans for a NYE party were scuppered, the brand went “underground”.
However, you can never keep a good thing down and we were thrilled to hear of a further metamorphosis with the news that The Fridge in Brixton was to host this party extraordinaire, a venue synonymous with scene clubbing throughout the nineties, with Love Muscle taking centre stage. In recent times however, gay parties at this iconic location have been few and far between, Vauxhall steeling the show, so it was a bold move, verging on a gamble, to opt for this south London destination, albeit a mere 20 minutes from Soho. Mind you, for us, it is just a hop, skip & jump from home, so good in our books.
Arriving at the Fridge’s doors at just after 11.30, we were greeted by the familiar & friendly faces of Marky B and Minty, with a queue of people already building. With our wrist pass clutched in our hand, Marky waved us straight through (don’t we just love special treatment) and were handled efficiently by security (and what friendly security they were too) and then quickly past the door staff (even more friendly), all of which couldn’t have made for a more welcoming and smooth entry.
Needing directions up to the coatcheck, we soon found our bearings and when we found ourselves in the main room, the memories came flooding back, as the venue looked much unchanged from all those years ago. However, Oliver Mohn’s and his team had spared no expense to adorn the venue with Revolver production, a massive “floating” Revolver emblem dominating above the stage, which had a suitably decorated D.J. booth and screen visuals to each side. What really made the feel though, was the incredible lighting, which simply took our breath away and it was no surprise as scene legend “Bubbles” was in charge behind the massive bank of controls opposite the stage, inviting us in to view his domain (happy birthday by the way) and there we had the perfect view of the brilliant effects his dazzling computerised compilations were having on a main room building in atmosphere by the minute.
With some major chunky and tough tech house sounds pumping out across the dancefloor, from the brand new sound system, who else could it have been behind the decks, but D.J. maestro Paul Heron, who was in complete command, enticing the growing crowd into the amphitheatre style space to soak up his tunes in adoration. Moving across towards him, we decided to risk the approaches by security (this has happened at Revolver events in the past) and head right up behind the booth, where we were greeted with a hug and kiss, not that we could then converse much, yes the music was loud, impressively so from the huge speakers, but moreover that we had a failing voice and spookily, so did Paul. In a blink, the man himself, Evolved events supremo Oliver Mohns appeared and gave us a welcome so warm that we instantly felt special and at ease.
Our pal, D.J. Alessandro was setting up in the V.I.P. room next to the main space and we popped our head in as he warmed up the equipment, but it was clear that the action was concentrating in the main room, so we soon returned back through and across the back of the main room dance space, which was now full of Revolver revellers. There, a series of people came up to say hello (well our online messages had prompted them to do so) and a whole host of familiar faces were around, from clubbing days of old and more recently, giving the crowd a super friendly feel. And there were off duty D.J’s a plenty too, including Joel Antunes, Lee Yeomans, Max Sanna, but especially Gabriele Cutrano, who made the effort and point of saying hello spotting us at the bar, so we thought it only fair to indulge him in refreshments too and catch up on news (it had been a while since we had seen him) although our failing voice wasn’t helping with the flow of conversation.
Then, with a superb flash of fire spurting from four turrets around the edge of the dancefloor, Mark M Forms’ Fierce International crew of dancers arrived and consumed the podiums and spaces on the massive stage, dressed in an eclectic mix of sultry and seductive costumes and making a considerable impact on the space and the atmosphere. As the musical reigns were handed over from Paul Heron to Spanish Heaven & Matinee resident D.J. Luque, the pace and style changed in preparation for the P.A. performance we, and many around us, had been waiting for.
With further flashes of fire around the room and then a burst of pyrotechnics from behind the D.J. booth, Giovanna entered the fray, centre stage, greeting the crowd and then emanating those tongue tingling words “Sunday’s at Heaven”. And so, THE anthem of 2008 was played out through a sound system just perfect for the job, with the lady herself adding the inimitable vocals, with the crowd going absolutely wild and with the Fridge’s roof erupting with thunderous pleasure. Now, we have seen some big P.A.’s in our time, but this has to rank as one of the best and Giovanna didn’t stop there, performing yet more and what else but her twist on Toca’s Miracle, just fantastic.
Now the Revolver machine had clearly aimed fired and hit all the right spots and the dancefloor was awash with a gorgeous mix of latino’s muscle queens, scene faces and metrosexual beauties funking away to the melodic euro styled tunes of the handsome Luque. However, we had to hold back, our voice now in tatters after singing along to the P.A., but were then joined by Oliver, Minty, Paul and Gabriele to view the dancefloor pulsating away, our evening’s pleasure increasing as suddenly, with a tap on our shoulders, Italian Stallion Pagano, who was due to play out the final set at this massive re-launch party, appeared joining the elite crowd before disappearing to set up.
As much as we wanted to see out the rest of the party, with no voice and sapping energy levels we decided to call it a day, not long after Pagano took the D.J. booth by storm, slipping out into the cold of the advancing winter Sunday morning and negotiating the short walk home to dwell on a Revolver experience not to forget.
So, what of Revolver’s re-launch. Well it would be fair to say that we were not sure about The Fridge as a venue choice, but you know, it actually worked. The brilliant sound system was a triumph, the lighting & pyrotechnic effects were truly awesome and the music of an impressive quality so trademark Revolver. It is fair to say that the numbers were not as big as they could have been, but the crowd that was there stayed and clearly had an amazing time. The success of the night was the P.A. which proves that when you put on a great show it makes all the difference and it certainly did. Bring on the next instalment. (DISCO MATT)
SATURDAY 31ST JANUARY 2009
REVIEW FOR SEENQUEEN
Since this clubbing concept was conceived, back in May last year, it has attracted much attention, with a reputation for pulling out all the stops, creating an electric atmosphere at all it’s parties, through exceptional production (unrivalled in ANY club), superb hard edged music, breathtaking shows accompanied by headline P.A’s and the kind of euro style circuit feel that London rarely sees.
It’s short history at Scala, a venue we thought was impressive and the epitomy of Revolver, was followed by the urge to move more centrally and with lots of juggling in the West End, the Evolved events team secured The Astoria, deciding, bravely, to go weekly, where many had failed before. Yes it was the West End, but it’s time at Astoria was always going to be limited with the demolition timebomb looming and as much as the first couple of parties were successful, faithful followers just couldn’t get used to their new home. Then, when plans for a NYE party were scuppered, the brand went “underground”.
However, you can never keep a good thing down and we were thrilled to hear of a further metamorphosis with the news that The Fridge in Brixton was to host this party extraordinaire, a venue synonymous with scene clubbing throughout the nineties, with Love Muscle taking centre stage. In recent times however, gay parties at this iconic location have been few and far between, Vauxhall steeling the show, so it was a bold move, verging on a gamble, to opt for this south London destination, albeit a mere 20 minutes from Soho. Mind you, for us, it is just a hop, skip & jump from home, so good in our books.
Arriving at the Fridge’s doors at just after 11.30, we were greeted by the familiar & friendly faces of Marky B and Minty, with a queue of people already building. With our wrist pass clutched in our hand, Marky waved us straight through (don’t we just love special treatment) and were handled efficiently by security (and what friendly security they were too) and then quickly past the door staff (even more friendly), all of which couldn’t have made for a more welcoming and smooth entry.
Needing directions up to the coatcheck, we soon found our bearings and when we found ourselves in the main room, the memories came flooding back, as the venue looked much unchanged from all those years ago. However, Oliver Mohn’s and his team had spared no expense to adorn the venue with Revolver production, a massive “floating” Revolver emblem dominating above the stage, which had a suitably decorated D.J. booth and screen visuals to each side. What really made the feel though, was the incredible lighting, which simply took our breath away and it was no surprise as scene legend “Bubbles” was in charge behind the massive bank of controls opposite the stage, inviting us in to view his domain (happy birthday by the way) and there we had the perfect view of the brilliant effects his dazzling computerised compilations were having on a main room building in atmosphere by the minute.
With some major chunky and tough tech house sounds pumping out across the dancefloor, from the brand new sound system, who else could it have been behind the decks, but D.J. maestro Paul Heron, who was in complete command, enticing the growing crowd into the amphitheatre style space to soak up his tunes in adoration. Moving across towards him, we decided to risk the approaches by security (this has happened at Revolver events in the past) and head right up behind the booth, where we were greeted with a hug and kiss, not that we could then converse much, yes the music was loud, impressively so from the huge speakers, but moreover that we had a failing voice and spookily, so did Paul. In a blink, the man himself, Evolved events supremo Oliver Mohns appeared and gave us a welcome so warm that we instantly felt special and at ease.
Our pal, D.J. Alessandro was setting up in the V.I.P. room next to the main space and we popped our head in as he warmed up the equipment, but it was clear that the action was concentrating in the main room, so we soon returned back through and across the back of the main room dance space, which was now full of Revolver revellers. There, a series of people came up to say hello (well our online messages had prompted them to do so) and a whole host of familiar faces were around, from clubbing days of old and more recently, giving the crowd a super friendly feel. And there were off duty D.J’s a plenty too, including Joel Antunes, Lee Yeomans, Max Sanna, but especially Gabriele Cutrano, who made the effort and point of saying hello spotting us at the bar, so we thought it only fair to indulge him in refreshments too and catch up on news (it had been a while since we had seen him) although our failing voice wasn’t helping with the flow of conversation.
Then, with a superb flash of fire spurting from four turrets around the edge of the dancefloor, Mark M Forms’ Fierce International crew of dancers arrived and consumed the podiums and spaces on the massive stage, dressed in an eclectic mix of sultry and seductive costumes and making a considerable impact on the space and the atmosphere. As the musical reigns were handed over from Paul Heron to Spanish Heaven & Matinee resident D.J. Luque, the pace and style changed in preparation for the P.A. performance we, and many around us, had been waiting for.
With further flashes of fire around the room and then a burst of pyrotechnics from behind the D.J. booth, Giovanna entered the fray, centre stage, greeting the crowd and then emanating those tongue tingling words “Sunday’s at Heaven”. And so, THE anthem of 2008 was played out through a sound system just perfect for the job, with the lady herself adding the inimitable vocals, with the crowd going absolutely wild and with the Fridge’s roof erupting with thunderous pleasure. Now, we have seen some big P.A.’s in our time, but this has to rank as one of the best and Giovanna didn’t stop there, performing yet more and what else but her twist on Toca’s Miracle, just fantastic.
Now the Revolver machine had clearly aimed fired and hit all the right spots and the dancefloor was awash with a gorgeous mix of latino’s muscle queens, scene faces and metrosexual beauties funking away to the melodic euro styled tunes of the handsome Luque. However, we had to hold back, our voice now in tatters after singing along to the P.A., but were then joined by Oliver, Minty, Paul and Gabriele to view the dancefloor pulsating away, our evening’s pleasure increasing as suddenly, with a tap on our shoulders, Italian Stallion Pagano, who was due to play out the final set at this massive re-launch party, appeared joining the elite crowd before disappearing to set up.
As much as we wanted to see out the rest of the party, with no voice and sapping energy levels we decided to call it a day, not long after Pagano took the D.J. booth by storm, slipping out into the cold of the advancing winter Sunday morning and negotiating the short walk home to dwell on a Revolver experience not to forget.
So, what of Revolver’s re-launch. Well it would be fair to say that we were not sure about The Fridge as a venue choice, but you know, it actually worked. The brilliant sound system was a triumph, the lighting & pyrotechnic effects were truly awesome and the music of an impressive quality so trademark Revolver. It is fair to say that the numbers were not as big as they could have been, but the crowd that was there stayed and clearly had an amazing time. The success of the night was the P.A. which proves that when you put on a great show it makes all the difference and it certainly did. Bring on the next instalment. (DISCO MATT)
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