Lovechild - Club Review

LOVECHILD – SUNDAY 29TH MARCH
REVIEW FOR SEENQUEEN


Now, T-dance clubbing of late always seems to be a tricky affair, unless it is on a Bank Holiday weekend, although for some reason, we really adore the feel of hedonistic activities on an early Sunday evening, so the prospect of a second party at Pacha in Victoria (famed for massive Hed Kandi parties), a most glamorous venue, which attracted a crowd to match on Lovechild’s London launch in February, was to tempting to resist and with friends making the trip for the first time, one still celebrating his birthday, how could we say no?, especially as this was going to be no regular outing, rather more a definitive gAylist party, just what we like!

So, fighting off a heavy cough & cold, we made our excuses from our extended lunch date in the East End and sped across the city, landing in Victoria, admittedly late at 8.30 p.m. (over 2 hours after the club had opened) although, fortunately, were not too late to be greeted by the marvellous Marky B, door host extraordinaire, who gave us a huge hug & kiss (well we returned the favour ofcourse) and we briefly caught up on news, before being released into the club. With tight (and it has to be said, unfriendly) security, we had a full search and also had to I.D. ourselves, but all was soon forgotten as we entered the club, feeling the quality and glamour immediately (and we were only in the foyer!!).

Stopping at the coatcheck, we couldn’t help hearing the familiar music sounds emanating from the main room, as D.J./Producer friend Danny Verde’s new track, “open your heart” was blasting out. As we entered the space, the lights were blazing, the smoke was filling the room and the stage was full of sensational looking dancers, acrobatically waving huge red feather fans and performing an impressive routine that was certainly making a statement. Looking around there was a reasonable crowd in attendance, although it was fair to say the room was far from full, but it was still relatively early and we wandered, had everyone remembered to put their clocks forward?!?

When the show finished, we headed to the bar for refreshments, but spotted Minty & friend Jeremy (birthday boy) in the crowd, so bounded up to say hello, apologising for our late arrival. Their reactions were the same, both staring at their watches, but they greeted us warmly and were clearly soaking up the atmosphere of their first Lovechild visit. Looking over to the D.J. booth in anticipation of seeing Brent Nicholls behind the decks, we suddenly realised we had missed his set (oops!) as the sexy Leomeo was in situ. Having not heard him play before, we were pleasantly surprised with his deliverance of progressive tech & euro house, very Matinee-esque, although possibly a little on the heavy side for a T-dance party.

With refreshments in hand, it was evident that, once again, Lovechild had attracted a handsome, hunky & hip crowd, a lovely mix of scene faces, glamour boys & girls, off duty D.J.’s & promoters, not to mention many friends whom we had seen at the first party. So we assumed our spot, along with Jeremy & co, by the D.J. booth as the music, the lighting, the dancers & the crowd contributed to an ever building atmosphere, a great one at that. A sudden flash of a camera, signalled the arrival of Chris Jepson, who caught Minty & friend in pose, then we stood back as a dancefloor casualty was carried away. Then, the faces kept appearing, first Stewart Who?, who was supposed to be playing out in the VIP area, although with the small(ish) numbers was resigned to enjoying himself on the dancefloor, then the lovely Tamsin Roberts, followed by Jamie Head (looking as gorgeous as ever), our sexy Brazilian barman from Barcode (what is his name?!?!) and then the man himself, Lovechild promoter Alex Erfan, resplendent in a black suit but missing the trademark trilby.

Back and holding court with Minty, Lovechild was feeling more like a social soiree than a dance club and we were delighted when muscle man Chris Geary, who was the exemplary organiser of the troupe of dancers & the shows, bounded up, said hello and then clicked his camera on Minty & us. Familiar faces kept coming, Marky B, who was done on the door, Mark Williams, one of the busiest club workers we know, but the biggest thrill was the appearance of Oliver Mohns, (how many more gAylisters could we bump into?!). It was great to see Oliver after being lifted off the floor (quite literally) only a week ago and we were keen to find out how his skiing trip had gone, as well talking about plans for Easter & then the Circuit Festival in Barcelona.

With more refreshments in hand and having soon lost Oliver in the crowd, we swung round the side of the D.J. booth, where headliners The Hoxton Whores were now on duty and finally bumped into Brent Nicholls, explaining away missing his set, before moving onto the dancefloor with Jeremy to trade moves. However, the music the Hoxton Whore duo were delivering was , shall we say, disjointed, dysfunctional and disappointing, given their billing, with only a smattering of tunes hitting the spot. For us, their set kept sending the club’s atmosphere on an erratic rollercoaster of a ride that was only rescued by Chris Geary’s boys & girls performances which were real attention grabbers. So, we went back into social soiree mood spotting yet more faces, including Stevie B, Logan Schmitz & Steven (React) Sharp, before being drawn back to the D.J. booth by the arrival of the always energetic Per Q.X., who was, on this occasion, in need of an energy boost, so we had to oblige (don’t ask!).

The Hoxton Whores “long” set was now nearly at an end and with the remaining crowd holding station, the decision to allow D.J. Mattias & Per Q.X. to go back-to-back was inspired, as they both set about to lay down a collection of truly uplifting funky and chunky dancefloor delights that really got the crowd moving. You could really feel the energy of these two coming through and they seemed like naturals mixing together. We were now in musical heaven and despite our dwindled posse, the atmosphere for us remained electric, with the dancers still performing (such hard workers), the lighting superbly setting off the main room & stage and the magical mastery of the duo in charge of the decks was awesome.

However, with the witching hour fast approaching coupled with the need to be fresh for meetings the following morning, we slipped out of the club and saying our thanks & goodbye’s to Alex Erfan at the door, also resisting the request to appear at the afterparty, sauntered home to reflect on a Lovechild party that was great in lots of ways, but missed the mark in others.

So, why this reaction? Well, the early Sunday night format obviously remains a difficult draw and this was evident in the footfall through the club. The fact that the V.I.P. area wasn’t opened shouted one statement & with the main floor not much more than half full, proves our point, but also that maybe with a massive Easter weekend on the horizon, party goers may have been saving themselves. Moreover for us however, was the lack of a P.A. on the billing, the link up with Orange for the afterparty, which may have put some people off the event as a whole, and then, on the night itself, the performance of the Hoxton Whores who failed wow like their headlining opportunity should have delivered.

That said, what made the night for us, was the superb atmosphere, the exhilarating dancers, the brilliant collaboration of Mattias & Per Q.X., but mostly the people. Yes, there were tinges of Fire clubbers there (we suspect down to the Orange connection) but quality & familiar faces came through to make it feel quite special. Despite the low numbers, we really hope Lovechild will survive and with a nip here & a tuck there, it has every chance of working. (DISCO MATT)

Barcode Soho & Vauxhall - Club Review

BARCODE SOHO & VAUXHALL – SATURDAY 21ST MARCH
REVIEW FOR SEENQUEEN


It seems lately that the third weekend of the month is a quiet affair in gAylist London, with just the usual weekly clubs open and no real special events to tantalise us out. However, with D.J Alessandro celebrating his birthday, we kind of agreed to hit Soho & particularly Rupert Street, should we get back from a day trip to Brighton in time. At least, with no big clubs tempting us it would be an early evening, nothing too heavy. Well that was the plan anyway.

Having enjoyed a beautiful spring day on the south coast with friends, lapping up all of what Brighton had to offer, then returning home mid evening, we really had no excuse not to pitch up to see Alessandro, so headed for Soho, arriving in Archer Street at about 9.30 p.m. But, rather than going straight to Rupert Street, we opted to pop into Barcode Soho, which, with two floors open, and the basement offering more of a club feel and being glamorous with it, the temptation was too much and with the venue often serving as a “pre-club” starting point, old habits die hard, so why not we thought.

Once inside and arming ourselves with refreshments and the ground floor already packed with socialites out for a good time, we stationed ourselves in the foyer area, in anticipation of the downstairs space opening. Minding our own, suddenly in walked a bronzed Brent Nicholls, who had only yesterday returned from a part work, part play sabbatical away in Australia & Thailand. It was good to see him but we chatted only briefly as he needed to set up for his stint in the club.

With just minutes gone, the our treasured room was open & we descended the stairs and into the space below, which is one of our most favourite of any, not just in Soho but in the whole of gAyland London. Quickly moving over to our usual position just behind the D.J. booth, we needed to seek more refreshments, so hit the bar and were served by the sexy Brazilian, who is always so prompt in attention and with a smile at that. Back in our spot we were keen to catch up on plenty of news with Brent, although as the room was already filling rapidly he was regularly torn away to concentrate on the job in hand, delivering some fantastic funky, latin twisted & electro infused tracks, combined with superb laser lighting effects that soon had the room alight with dancing action.

In between conversations, we spotted familiar faces around, including Cliff Jackson, who popped over to say hello, then Rupert Street regulars, but a real thrill came our way when out of nowhere came fab club promoter Oliver Mohns, who bounded up to the D.J. booth, grabbing us in a massive embrace. It was so good to see him and we traded our latest stories, before he was torn back to his flyering duties, not before he grabbed us again, lifting us high off the floor in a loving move, what a man & a real friend. It seemed like a D.J’s harem, as not long after, another regular Barcode resident, Gonzalo arrived, having held out a four week run while Brent was away in Oz, but with a night off, was celebrating his birthday & looking very smart to boot. Then, yet more friendly faces appeared, as in came Nik Ripley and (not again we here you say) grabbed us in a huge embrace, before retiring with his friends to the bar.

Now plans for an early evening were slipping away by the seconds, so we thought we may as well pop over to Rupert St to see birthday boy Alessandro, although over visit was short lived as Barcode seemed the place to be. And so it was, as we returned to find the club space rammed with a wonderful mix of drinkers, clubbers, dancers, well you name it. And with Nik Ripley back, this time on his own, we felt the night had only just begun. As the music heaven continued and we boogied and gyrated, trading moves with our dancing friend. However, with the 1 a.m. finish looming, we hadn’t yet had our fill of Barcode, so in an instant we decided on a trip south to Barcode Vauxhall, well not quite our idea but Nik’s (mind you in fairness he only just beat us to the suggestion!). And at least our partying would end in Barcode, sampling both Soho & Vauxhall in one night proving to be a marvellous move.

So, arriving south of the river in a jiffy, we entered Barcode Vauxhall to an already alive front room, but headed straight for the clubbing space behind, first dropping our bits off in the coatcheck, then stopping at the bar before arriving onto a packed out dancefloor, spotting D.J. Mattias behind the decks pumping out his trademark uplifting house tunes, which had the room mesmerised. The fantastic lighting system, with striking lasers, mirror balls a plenty & swinging spots was setting off the room brilliantly and we simply couldn’t resist, so we found a spot near the podiums at the back and picked up with Nik where we had left off at Barcode Soho, although we had our work cut out to go stride for stride as we were up against an amazing Fierce International dancer, but then we are always up for a challenge.

And did we rise to the challenge? Of course we did. With years of podium dancing under our belt, Crash, Beyond, Later, you name it, it was high time we hit another and with two spaces empty, we ascended one, with Nik on the other and began to entertain ourselves and the crowd in front of us, to a head-to-head dance off extraordinaire, fuelled by enthusiasm, energy and (well yes) more, hardly stopping for breath, seeing out Mattias’s superb set and continuing the dancing well into Astroboy’s turn. By now we were getting really heated up, so stripping down to the waist, continued our podium madness, until in a frenzied move, we lost our footing and came crashing down to earth with a huge bang, crash & wallop!! Nik came to our rescue and this signalled a retreat to the bar to lick our wounds before one final dance off (well we didn’t feel much after the fall – what do they say….no sense no feeling!!) before finally calling it a day, thus resisting the temptation of Beyond that was about to open.

So with the sun coming up, we waved goodbye to Barcode, to Nik, whom we packed off home to rest in anticipation of his husbands return from overseas, while we limped our way along the short journey to our bed (the pain was beginning to come through) to rest our injuries and reflect on yet another phenomenal weekend of fun. And it was all down to three people that made it so special for us, Brent, Oliver, but especially Nik.

In a city that offers so many clubbing events, whether weekly or monthly, whether huge or modest, whether established or groundbreaking, we cannot praise Barcode enough for stepping up to the plate & yet again offering a genuine club feel in bar like surroundings, as both Soho & Vauxhall offer dance spaces that are glamorous, spacious & well equipped. But there is more, with the most reasonable entry charges we know, drinks prices to match, and with a first class D.J. line up that any club would be proud of, what more could you ask for. Furthermore, with seven days of entertainment on offer, not least our fave outing Industri every Thursday at Vauxhall, all that remains to say is Barcode we love you. (DISCO MATT)

Beyond Belief - Club Review

BEYOND BELIEF – SUNDAY 15TH MARCH
REVIEW FOR SEENQUEEN


Over the years, we have really enjoyed “afterhours” clubbing, firstly with weekly homage’s to Trade at Turnmills and then when Beyond hit the scene, formerly at super club Colosseum, our Sunday mornings were fun-filled and complete. However, some good things tend to come to an end and when Beyond closed its doors back in 2006, our Sunday’s were set to change. However, when the re-launch was announced, not at Colosseum, but at Area, we were intrigued, albeit in the hands of the Orange group.

So it was, Beyond was back on the scene and with the launch party a huge success, it has, over the last 10 months established itself as the genuine “afterhours” club it always was and has steadily re-built its popularity, despite sometimes drawing in a less attractive and quality crowd than in the days of Colosseum. Despite enjoying an amazing Pride Beyond event, we have not been regular visitors, far from it in fact, however, this latest instalment, styled “Beyond Belief”, swinging open it’s doors at the early start of 3 a.m., coupled with the prospect of a post Matinee party, we decided to break with recent tradition and make the trip

Our weekend was already well underway, thanks to firstly Industri and then to Matinee Erotica, where we had already partied wildly, latterly in the hands of pal Deni, who had us dancing furiously on Colosseum’s main floor, so we needed to summon all our energies to make it to Area. Arriving at the doors about 7.30 a.m., the queue was long and the club packed to the rafters, so much so it was one-in, one-out! However, with a little gentle persuasion, we, along with Deni, were given a fast track entry into what was clearly the event to be at. Mind you, with the club already seemingly at capacity, we struggled to get our belongings into the coatcheck. But, came to our rescue he did, as the gorge Jamie Head stored our stuff behind the D.J. booth in the Black room, where he was playing out to a eclectic mix of clubbers, some, like us, who had been playing at Matinee, others, clearly up for the string of fantastic tunes, Jamie was delivering.

Our friend Deni was being extra friendly both in the coatcheck queue and then on the dancefloor, picking up where he had left off in Matinee and we responded in charismatic fashion, lapping up the attention and dancing away. But we were keen to check out the rest of the club and leaving Deni to his devices out on the terrace, we headed for the main room. To say we had to wedge ourselves in was an understatement, so quite how the masses of bodies had the space to dance, we don’t know, although we were intent on getting to the D.J. booth to say hello to Mikey D, who had entertained so brilliantly at the Pride party last year. And it was clear he was once again entertaining the crowd here, set off by the trademark Area vivacious visuals & luminous lighting, with all the podiums filled with dancers, some with amazing multicoloured huge neon wands. However, we couldn’t find a spot to dance, so returned, firstly to the Black room, where hunky & chunky D.J. Hi-Fi Sean Dickson had taken over, then outside via the Terrace room, swinging past Terry Bryan, who was spinning some lighter sounds to compliment the more relaxed & social atmosphere in this space.

On the outside terrace, we paused for breath, spotting Deni up to his usual naughtiness and also plenty of other familiar faces, including Minty & Neil (ex Compton’s Mgr) who was over from his now native Malta for a short break. With a beautifully sunny Sunday morning developing, making the space quite warm, we also chatted with Dimitrios, whom we had traded dancefloor spaces in Matinee, talking about clubbing, not just in London, but around the globe. We still had plenty of urges to dance, so soon retired back indoors, trading the Black Room with the Terrace Bar, sampling Hi-Fi Sean’s tougher edged electro disco, with Terry Bryan’s anthem filled music choices. However, we knew we were in for a treat when Gonzalo took over & we weren’t to be disappointed, as the Terrace Bar space filled out completely with dancing merriment and Gonzalo entertained us with some hard hitting tech house tracks.

One last attempt to get onto the main room dancefloor failed as it was still packed out, so we settled on the more comfortable Black Room, with regular trips both into the Terrace room and then on to the outside space, which had the feeling of an alfresco Disco party, with a bright blue sky backdrop and all manner of folks out enjoying this unique space, some dancing on the tables, many just chatting & relaxing away from the frenetic goings on inside. But, yet again, it was inside where we were bound, but decided to settle on the Terrace room for a while and a good choice it was, as the music for the “afterhours” vibe, was just right and at least we had space to dance.

With more familiar faces popping up, including the lovely Jeremy Precelton as well as Cliff from Q.X., we continued to spot clubbers from Matinee, mixing in with Fire style ravers & a whole bunch of Barcode babes, who just didn’t want their weekend to end. And as the morning speeded on, it seemed that Beyond was getting busier rather than quieter, with the main floor still brimming, now in the hands of Alan K, Hi-Fi Sean still pulling in the punters in the Black Room, but the star of the evening (well morning actually) was Gonzalo, who had the whole Terrace room lapping up every morsel of music & every amp of the electric atmosphere. However, our energy levels soon sapped and after socialising out on the terrace we decided it was time to leave the rest to it and, along with Deni, departed Beyond Belief to slump home and sleep off our excesses.

So, did Beyond Belief measure up to our expectations? Well, there is no doubt that it has established itself as one of the most popular “afterhours” events on the scene at the moment. However, with the main room overfilled and with a “one-in, one-out” queue to negotiate, we heard that many changed their minds and at times the club was uncomfortably busy. Nevertheless the Black room in the hands of Jamie Head & then Hi-Fi Sean, coupled with a brilliant performance by Gonzalo as well as the outside space to enjoy & socialise, made up for the other disappointments.

But you cannot escape the fact that it still has the feel of an Orange group club, which is fine for some, but not really our thing. Thankfully, with Matinee running beforehand, the crowd had tinges of quality and we were graced by the company of our friend Deni, who has “fun” as his middle name, so made all the difference. However, given the popularity of Beyond this time round, it is clearly pressing the right buttons, although we truly believe there is room for more afterhours clubs to truly rekindle this special time of the weekend and bring back our hedonistic Sundays. (DISCO MATT)

Matinee Erotica - Club Review

MATINEE EROTICA – SATURDAY 14TH MARCH
REVIEW FOR SEENQUEEN


With every month in gAyland London heralding some parties that have incredible anticipation, Matinee is one such event which has really found its feet, secure in its new home at super club Colosseum in Vauxhall. On the back of a superb Masked Ball party in February, what could we expect from this months outing? Well, quite a lot actually and as it turned out one of the best we have been to so far.

Styled “Erotica” and with the promise of hot XXX rated shows, it was interesting that the competition chose to follow suit with Love Muscle heading the trend to copy what was clearly an inspired idea, although if previous Matinee performances were anything to go by we were definitely going to be in for a treat and with the involvement of Mark M Forms, Nik Ripley & the Fierce International crew, we were definitely going to be in good hands.

So, arriving in Vauxhall, a little later than planned as a disco nap turned into a disco snooze, we made haste to Colosseum to be greeted by door hostess Minty looking absolutely stunning in a full military uniform, mixing strict with seductive in superb style, just the ticket for the erotica theme. Fellow door host Marky B was mysteriously absent although we were blessed to bump into both Nik & Mark who were gathering their dancers to prepare for the party ahead. With pleasantries over, we entered the club and joined the coatcheck queue, which was, for two weeks in a row, being efficiently whittled down and as we got to the foot of the stairs, Evolved Events co-promoter Rob, bounded up and saw us through the check and with refreshments in hand then gave us the royal treatment with a guided tour of the club. And what an amazing job the team had done in transforming Colosseum, with delicious drapes, seductive spaces, & passionate props on the main stages, which were the real focal points, restrictive railings removed to make both spaces much more accessible. As we ventured round with Rob, we caught up on news of plans for Easter, Revolver, new afterhours venture BPM and lots of other matters, including all the shenanigans that still seem to be ravaging the scene, promoters at loggerheads, ideas being stolen and more, although there is no escaping that the Evolved Events team continue to keep things fresh and do what it says on the packet, evolve their events superbly.

With our tour over, we just had to escape behind the D.J. booth to welcome back Guy Williams who had literally flown in from the other side of the world, straight into an opening Matinee set. And what a set it was, characteristic Guy, with lots of chunky tech infused tunes intermixed with future disco tracks which he is spearheading and which is becoming more and more popular. Quite how this legendary D.J. had the energy to fulfil his set, we don’t know, but it is a real testament to his professionalism and talent, that had the main room packed and pulsating to his sounds, getting Matinee Erotica off to the start it deserved. To further excite the by now packed main room, the Fierce International dancers rolled out in revealing costumes, showing off muscles and curves to perfect proportions, ascending the stages to dance away to Guy’s tunes, which then melted seamlessly into Matinee resident D.J. star J Louis’s, who took hold and sent the main room manic as familiar Matinee anthem, one after the other, was blasted out. With breathtaking lighting setting off the whole room in glorious effect, controlled by the talented & experienced Bubbles, the scene was set for yet another scintillating affair with this clubbing brand giant.

We had to visit the other parts of the club, to check out proceedings, and Messer’s Saki, then Lee Yeomans were keeping matters in check downstairs and the V.I.P room was being looked after in style, first by Nathan 6 and then by talent Alessandro, who was doing a mammoth 5 hour set, which saw the room packed for most of the night, providing a fabulous escape from the main floor mania. But it was this main space that was the focus for us, as we hooked up with Industri pals Chris & Stephen, jockeying places between the two stages, the back one superbly decorated with chain curtains & makeshift cages, housing first the gorge & sexy Fierce boys and then some (shall we say) interesting strippers! Over on the other stage, a most revealing show was being played out, which had the transfixed crowds eyes popping out and us wincing, as positions we could only imagine were being achieved by this stripper extraordinaire.

We were intent on dancing away but were struggling to find a spot and our stride, which wasn’t much helped as Clington Forbes held a brief stint on the decks, although as J Louis reassumed his spot, the music took on a much tougher slant, no doubt in warm up for the line up to come and it wasn’t then long before Italian stallion Pagano arrived and the whole atmosphere of the club took a giant leap forward, rose to the challenge and started playing out a humungous mix of progressive tech house heaven which we have come to love & adore. This D.J. really makes a difference to any party and his purple patch performances continue unabated, which had the glamorous mix of muscle queens, Latino’s disco boys & scene stars dancing deliriously. Keep him Matinee, it will not be the same without him.

Familiar faces, including the sexy Steven Artis, Matt’s Bird & Kruger, the walking tall Enrico, the handsome & hunky Dimitrios, and many more past us by, even Marky B who had turned up, giving us a massive hug in the process, but moreover seeing and sharing in all the fun with Evolved Events supremo Oliver Mohns, was delightful, as was rubbing shoulders with the Fierce boys Mark & Nik, who have been wonderful friends and along with the many people involved with Matinee, make it feel like a real family. But the best was yet to come, as Pagano continued to pump out the tracks, the crowd suddenly parted & Brazilian wonder Deni appeared, full of energy as always and beaming, grabbing us in charismatic embrace and then dancing furiously with us for most of the rest of the night, truly making it memorable. With friend Stephen also in close call, we fell headlong into the whole experience and had an awesome time, continued in superb style by the ever popular Paul Heron, who had us hopping, bopping and swinging our pants past dawn, until we drew breath for our next clubbing escapade across the other side of Vauxhall.

So it was at about 7.30 that our friend Deni accompanied our leave of Matinee at the Colosseum, not before saying our goodbyes, to Pagano (off to rest before heading to Rapido in Amsterdam), to Nik who was also off to rest his dancing bones, to Stephen & Chris who always make our outings special and to Paul Heron, who remained, injecting his enthusiasm & passion into a set that still had a good size crowd dancing away.

So, was Matinee Erotica a success? With a resounding yes, it was. Not only was the production of the club absolutely amazing (the Colosseum has never looked better), not only was the music brilliant, with extra special efforts from Guy, Pagano & Paul, not only were the stage shows wonderfully seductive & sexy in the hands of the magnificent Fierce International crew, not only were the crowd exactly the quality you come to expect from matinee outings, but moreover the company we enjoyed was extra special, especially in the hands of Deni, who’s excitement & energy lifted us onto cloud nine for which we have only now floated off.

We were asked, after the event, whether Erotica surpassed our most favourite Matinee party, Viva, and the answer is, well not quite, but it came very close. There is no doubt that settling on Colosseum was the best thing that this brand has done, with a crowd much bigger than the last event and with massive plans for a trio Easter outings, including the infamous LaLeche, the team continue to push the boundaries and offer London a taste of Spain & the Mediterranean to bring a smile to our faces. All we can say is, may you continue to do just that, marvellous Matinee. (DISCO MATT)

Megawoof - Club review

MEGAWOOF – SATURDAY 7TH MARCH
REVIEW FOR SEENQUEEN



With our first Saturday of the month generally filled with our more usual clubbing exploits, like Crash (of old) & SuperMartXe (of new) we have always missed out on this tougher offering on the scene and despite all the great comments we have received, Megawoof has slipped through the Disco Matt net, time after time. However, we thought it was now the occasion that we made the effort to rub shoulders with the hunky, chunky & macho crowd that befits this popular event & be less “disco” & more “butch”.

Now, had we been brave enough, we would have ventured into Colloseum unaided (well we are used to the venue with regular trips to Matinee of late & weekly homage’s in the heady days of Beyond) but Megawoof presented a different prospect entirely, so we opted to arrive in the capable & experienced hands of pal Benoit, accompanied by Cliniot, who like us was also making his first visit to this testosterone filled party. Arriving at the doors of the club at just after midnight, a healthy queue had already built, although we glided through the guest list entrance being kindly invited by Italian stallion D.J. Pagano, who was taking centre stage in a star studded line up. After negotiating a somewhat tricky security guard who was intent on flexing what little power he had over the door, we joined a huge coatcheck queue, so typical of Colloseum, although were surprised at the efficiency of the team as we were dealt with in a jiffy, releasing us to venture up the stairs and into the club itself.

Stopping at the bar for refreshments and looking around, it was clear that the crowd were definitely more man than boy, more brawn than buff & more muscle chunk than muscle tone, although we were not completely alone as there was a grateful smattering of disco tainted clubbers, who, like us, had strayed from their usual haunts to sample a taste of the tougher side. Advancing into the main room, the crowd had already built nicely and were soaking up the eclectic sounds of Megawoof fave D.J. and co-promoter Daz Saund, who was in compete command of the decks in a dance space adorned with macho production, black drapes, and with a surprise dark room at the back (you won’t get us in there though!), so different to our Matinee experiences. Moving through, we wanted to see if the V.I.P. room was open, and yes it was, although only sparsely filled with a handful of party goers, with the fabtastic
Jo-Public in charge of the decks. We caught up on news with him, lamenting our pals who were absent, rather going great guns at Mardi Gras in Sydney, but soon returned to the main room where all the action was happening.

Finding a spot right next to the D.J. booth, with Daz still delivering some great dance tunes, the crowd was getting bigger & bigger (in more ways than one) but we were pleasantly surprised to see plenty of familiar faces including Jhonny Salas & pal who were admittedly out of their comfort zone, but clearly having a great time flirting with the muscle hunks surrounding them. We also caught glimpse of the tall and handsome Enrico who strode through the crowd, came & said hello and then, making a b-line for the smoking area, left us to our devices, as we traded dancing spaces with Jhonny & other disco queens partying amongst more Megawoof like men, most of whom, like us, were now stripped down to the waist. Our friend Benoit was occasionally in attendance, although he had found a roomier spot to dance in by the stage, but we remained glued to our spot by the D.J. booth anticipating the arrival of the main man Pagano, who was now overdue. Was he going to make it? well he better we thought!

Whilst still waiting for him to arrive, we made a brief departure to the balcony bar and couldn’t believe our eyes on seeing our Industri pal Stephen, with friends in tow, having decided on Megawoof in preference to a trip to Fire, but it was great to see him and his arrival signalled a major uplift in our already exciting night. Armed with drinks, we headed back into the main room and reassumed our spot next to the D.J. booth, and with our posse around us, it couldn’t possibly get better, but it did, with the arrival of the Italian stallion D.J. Pagano, who lifted the atmosphere to dizzy heights with his trademark tough edged, but truly enchanting combination of tech house meets electro blended into a superbly progressive yet responsive set to the now packed main room. Track after track had us mesmerised , especially with the inclusion of Danny Verde’s latest single mix, absolute brilliance, which left us dancing merrily, only distracted by hilarious goings on with Stephen (a cocktail story of bows, curtseys, dwarfs & Fierce Intl – you had to be there!!).

With Pagano done, but ending his set to rapturous applauses & cheers, so well deserved, we slipped to the back of the D.J. booth to thank him both for his magnificent set and for our guest list spot, whilst Diddy took over, shortly followed by Deep Wolf, both pointing the music choice back into a more eclectic direction. We resumed our spot on the dancefloor, soaking up the Megawoof atmosphere and continuing our hilarious exploits with Stephen, who for us came a close second to Pagano in terms of pure unadulterated entertainment action. But there was plenty of action going on around us and indeed all over the club, making it purely evident that these Megawoof faithfuls definitely know how to have fun. So we continued to party into the wee hours, even bumping into the cute & lovely D.J. Steven Artis, who had torn himself away from a club not far away, but like us, soon had his mind on rest rather than play. Suddenly, with the inevitable call to our bed to wear of a full 18 hours of hectic activity, we had to retire, although our departure from Colloseum, was momentarily delayed as we bumped into the man of the night, Pagano, giving us the chance to properly catch up with him on news of clubs, clubbing, music, D.J’s, promoters & more, before making the short journey home.

So, what was our verdict on Megawoof? Well, in truth, the crowd were not the sort we would choose to mix with ordinarily, but it was fair to say there was no shortage of muscled beefcakes and good lookers to provide enough eye candy to keep us enticed. However, where Megawoof really excelled was in the relaxing & friendly atmosphere coupled with a truly outstanding performance by Pagano, who is a real attribute to the D.J. line up of any club let alone Megawoof. And with superb company in the form of pals Benoit, Cliniot, Jhonny, Enrico & especially Stephen, what more could we ask for? well nothing really.

In a club where boozing & cruising mix perfectly with dancing & prancing, where muscled hunks mix with muscle mary’s and where admirers of all of this are welcomed with open arms, in one of our favourite London club venues to boot, we can certainly see the attraction. Will we make another trip? well there is every chance, especially if there is the prospect of having as much fun as we had this time round. The next party in April has a “porn” theme, so will no doubt deliver plenty of raunchy action and we love a bit of that, so you may well catch us in Megawoof, seeking out the butch side in us, however small it may be. (DISCO MATT)

Rapido - Club Review

RAPIDO @ KOKO CLUB – SUNDAY 1ST MARCH
REVIEW FOR SSENQUEEN



Having missed out on the last party back in December, which received some amazing comments and feedback, we were certainly not going to miss out this time round, with the Amsterdam giant swinging into Camden Town in true euro-style fashion, filing what was already a very busy weekend in Disco Matt land.

So, on the back of a hectic “super Saturday” (so called) and needing to squeeze so much into such a small window of opportunity before the 8 p.m. Rapido arrival deadline, waving bon voyage to Brent Nicholls at BCV – off to Sydney Mardi Gras, the lucky bunny, and then joining Revolver superstar performer pal D.J. Danny Verde for a farewell supper before his return to his native Milan, sandwiched by a dash into Rupert St to catch up with D.J. Alessandro, Camden was calling on us loud and clear, so we made haste as well as speed and hit club Koko, admittedly later than planned, at about 8.30 p.m.

Being greeted by the most engaging drag queen of a door hostess we have seen in a long while, who gave us incredible banter amongst such a warming welcome, it was already clear this night was going to be extra special. Being Koko virgins, we tip toed our way into the club, gingerly finding our way past the coatcheck and into what can only be described at the most wonderful setting we have seen for a club since the heady days of Café De Paris!! Think of that and so much more, as we gazed down onto the expansive space, already full with revellers soaking up the atmosphere in this tremendous setting. Yes, we had arrived too late to enjoy Italian stallion Pagano’s set, who was dishing his usual delights up first, but we did have the amazing Max Morel to look forward to, together with Italiano Giangi Cappai, who was making a real mark on the massive room that was the beautiful Koko theatrical club space.

Having also, apparently missed out on the main show, we actually thought we had not really missed anything as we spotted the handsome Mark M Forms, head of the Fierce Intl crew of dancers, striding one of the big podiums, having the best vantage point to see his go-go boys in action. And what a show they were performing, with (yet again) amazing costumes befitting the macho image that is clearly Rapido, but not just that, but two guys standing extra tall on stage, pinned on stilts and gyrating to the sounds in pure acrobatic synchronisation, which had us and the crowd completely spellbound.

It was fair to say that this Rapido crowd was the most sexy & jaw-droppingly gorgeous we have seen anywhere, with muscles & brawn being the recipe right across the club and even our slight frame (fitter for all our recent cycling) seemingly unambiguous amongst the macho men around us, as we stripped down to our waist to join in the fun. Accompanied by our Industri pal Stephen, for the second night in a row, also spotting old (not old as in old if you get our drift) Trade baby Rob as well as new found friend Demetrious (what a looker!!), we seemed right at home, even if it was our first outing to this magnificent event.

But our night was just going to get better & better, as a whole series of stage shows were intermixed by truly fabulous euro-style house heavenly tunes in the hands of Giangi Cappai and then Amsterdam D.J. mogul Max Morel. So good it was, we simply couldn’t stop indulging, trading spots around the dancefloor and feeling engulfed by the whole atmosphere. And we continued to bump into familiar faces, Gabriele Cutrano & man friend, Tamsin Roberts, who had made a speedy journey from an inbound flight (she doesn’t know when to stop partying – well like us actually!) even Stephen Sharp, who had torn himself away from Vauxhall to not miss out on what was the best party, not just of the weekend, not just of the month (well, not difficult as it was the first day of March), but actually the best of the year so far. Think of the best Matinee party (the last being a perfect example) and times it by ten, that is how good Rapido was becoming.

Yet more spectacular stage appearances were made by Mark’s Fierce crew, this time sporting bucket full's of neon light sticks, hurling them into the crowd in gay abandon, the masses lapping them up, waving them around in hands, putting them in indescribable places, all truly lighting up the whole space, not that it really needed it, as, when in a momentary gaze above, we spotted the elegant & gigantic chandeliers hanging from the ceiling up high, then viewing the production the Rapido team had adorned this splendid Koko space with, not to mention the superb lighting, not just on the stage, not just behind the D.J. booth, but around the whole room.

Pausing for breath, we headed to the bar for energy boosting refreshments & what an awesome bar space it was, with red illuminated shelf after shelf providing an incredible backdrop, and with subtle touches like freshly cut oranges on the bar and lollipops a plenty on offer, it was clear the Koko team knew the score here, pandering to all us disco heads who were indulging in you know what, as if we really didn’t need assistance to thoroughly enjoy this dazzling experience.

With our friend Stephen retiring for the night, we completely let ourselves go and rubbed shoulders with muscle queens, euro hunks and hedonistic party peeps, one of which made a considerable move on us, although we were so consumed with the music, we hardly reacted (what is wrong with you man!), simply continuing to dance away to the mixing magic of Max More and with the stilted dancers mixing in with the crowd, it doesn’t get any better than this!. But, with the inevitable call of work, we eventually tore ourselves away from the dancefloor, to make our way home, taking the long trip from Camden to Clapham, with the biggest post club smile on our face we have had in many a year.

So, what did we think of Rapido at the Koko club? Well, the venue was indescribably perfect in every way. The music was top notch in true continental style, the stage shows in the hands of Mark M Forms Fierce Intl crew, simply phenomenal & the best we have seen anywhere, the lighting & production first class, but the overridingly incredibly sexy, seductive, handsome, hunky & (dare we say it again – we have to!) jaw-droppingly gorgeous crowd we have ever experienced, the true highlight of the evening.

On our way home, we were simply lost for words of how to describe how brilliant Rapido was. But we can say this, it was more mesmeretic than Matinee, better than Beyond, more spectacular than SuperMartXe, but not just that, Rapdio was a proper, pukka 100%, glorious exquisite, real, fabulous, magnificent, wonderful club event in every way. All we can say is wow! wow! wow! wow! wow! We and London have experienced a club that has really pushed out the boundaries, setting the standard really high and leaving us to only imagine what is ever going to surpass Rapido. Our thanks go out, not only to Simon Patrick & his team, but to everyone that touched our night. We were so privileged to be part of this incredible venture and have never had so much pleasure in reporting on what was a hugely successful party. We are truly awe-inspired. (DISCO MATT)

Revolver Re-Loaded - Club Review

REVOLVER RE-LOADED – SATURDAY 28TH FEBRUARY
REVIEW FOR SEENQUEEN



With February coming to a speedy close and with much on offer on this last weekend of the month, we were very much looking forward to a further instalment of Revolver at it’s new home, The Fridge, so synonymous with the 90’s & the “Love Muscle” brand, although a venue perfect for the Revolver ideology of big theatre circuit style clubbing.

Our anticipation was further heightened by the inclusion of D.J. & producer Danny Verde, who has hit the big time with successful chart topping mixes “pushin to the top” and “open your heart” followed by a series of resident slots around Europe, including his native Italy, in a D.J. line up sporting some of London’s best, Paul Heron & Pagano. And as if this wasn’t enough, after the huge PA success of the January party, the Evolved Events team had lined up Spanish super drag star Diva Houston, a household name at SuperMartXe and many top Madrid club offerings. Add to that ,the entertainment cocktail was further strengthened with the wonderful & sexy Fierce International dancers, who have taken both Revolver & its bigger sister Matinee London to new heights, you couldn’t simply ask for more & with a boxing theme to boot, we were truly excited about this latest Revolver party.

So, it was with real excitement in our feet and energy pumping through our veins that we arrived at the doors of The Fridge jus before midnight to be welcomed by the bubbly & vivacious Minty, who was in her usual masterful control of entry proceedings, dressed elegantly in a long black number to fight off the chilly temperatures. As Minty sought to check our name off her extensive list, a collection of party goers soon joined us in the queue including the lovely Jeremy Precelton & partner Tim Banham, both looking so well after their recent mammoth cruise holiday. Waving us through and with the promise of a warming shot of Sambuca, we left Minty to her devices and swung into the club, quickly depositing our belongings in the coatcheck upstairs and made our way into the main room, and straight to the bar for refreshments. A crowd was already gathering and many familiar faces too, including Matt Bird, Joel Antunes and Industri pal Chris Wilcox, making us feel immediately at home.

Looking around the space, in true Evolved Events style, the team had changed around the format with the D.J booth now in with the lighting crew and looking through we spotted the familiar figure of Paul Heron, injecting his characteristic energy and passion to his set, bopping up and down in tune to the beats, a superb mix of electro and funky house, to entice revellers onto the dancefloor. We said our hello’s and then left him to his musical motions, also then spotted the effervescent “bubbles” who promised us of yet another dazzling lighting display (and if the last outing was anything to go by, we were in for a real treat). As the bar space continued to fill, D.J. Alessandro wafted by, catching & greeting us quickly as he running around organising some behind the scenes issues, although he had time to point us in the direction of Danny Verde, who was just setting up his records in preparation for his headlining set. It was so good to see him and we caught up on news of his recent party exploits.

We were also keen to get backstage to see the Fierce crew and particularly supremo Mark M Forms, who along with partner Nik Ripley had treated us so well at Matinee’s last outing, although Nik was abroad on work duty and when we found our way around the meandering corridors, back stage pass strapped to our wrist, we made it to the dressing room, to find Mark absent from proceedings, on the call of duty at Lo-Profile, we were somewhat deflated, although, with the troupe of dancers seemingly well organised & in the capable hands of Mark & Nik’s right hand lady Claire and all of them garbing themselves appropriately for the shows to come, we knew we were in good hands.

Back in the main room, we bumped into yet more friends, including go-go dancer Bepe (aka Craig) and pals, as well as D.J’s Lee Yeomans & Max Sanna and then back at the bar, re-joining our Industri pal Chris, we were further delighted by the arrival of fellow Industri faithful, Stephen, who had lead us so astray not two days ago (well we didn’t take too much persuading really!). So our “posse” now seemed complete and with Paul Heron handing over the D.J. reigns to Danny Verde, we headed onto the dancefloor to savour the unique amphitheatre style feel of this main space, lapping up the tougher euro style house tunes Danny was delivering.

Anticipation of the stage shows just kept growing and with the space still blacked out, apart from the odd flicker of lighting, it was clear a real impact was expected and we were not to be disappointed as, with a sudden change to the music pace, the stage was lit up, revealing a boxing ring which dominated the space. With seductive females sporting numbered cards standing each side of the ring, out came the sexy buffed up Fierce go-go boys, resplendent in boxing gear, two muscled guys entering the ring, to then entertain us to an enthralling and hilarious boxing/sparring routine intermixed with acrobatic dance moves, which had us truly spellbound. Yet again the Fierce crew had delivered a superb concept & stage setting, and the brainchild of the combo of Mark, Nik, Rob & Claire (what a team!).But more was to come as the lighting display went into super stratospheric mode, hailing the arrival of Diva Houston, who looking amazing and had such incredible stage presence as she performed in tune to the selected music lifting the already electric atmosphere to dizzy heights.

Now, Revolver was well and truly kicking, although it was fair to say the crowd wasn’t huge, but nevertheless what we would call a select bunch of scene faces, Matinee style Latino’s, elegantly dressed party heads & a vibrant mix of muscle queens and club kids, who just wanted to have fun. So, despite the low numbers, everyone seemed to be having just that, lapping up the superb sounds, the scintillating shows and everything that went with it. And with Diva Houston making a second stage appearance to keep up the pace, then with Danny’s brilliant set over, Pagano & Alessandro went back-to-back on the decks to keep the crowd entertained. With Minty & Paul Heron in close attendance, along with Chris & Stephen, it felt a little like an Industri gathering, behind the D.J. booth, where we saw out the rest of our stay, before retiring home to rest before our next clubbing instalment in a hectic weekend.

Well, what was the verdict of one of our most anticipated Revolver events? Well, it was fair to say that all the ingredients were in place to make it a successful party, a wonderfully prepared venue with typically superb production, the stage shows having all the impact you could expect, an amazing PA together with a top notch D.J. line up, not to mention fabulous lighting and atmosphere to match. However, the event simply lacked numbers and as a consequence struggled to meet all the expectations we had built up in our minds over the previous days & weeks of anticipation.

Catching up with promoter Oliver Mohns, it was clear he was disappointed and remains doubtful of the continuance of future parties. However, with so many great ingredients in place, it would be a shame to see Revolver’s demise, albeit that footfall is clearly what is needed, especially in the tough economic times we currently live in, although with numbers generally down across the capital, we are not sure that this is achievable, however good the party is. Nevertheless, we certainly enjoyed ourselves and will continue to give the brand all the support it truly deserves. (DISCO MATT)