BEYOND – SUNDAY 16TH JUNE
REVIEW FOR SEENQUEEN
In a world where everyone seems to be struggling to make ends meet, where words like recession, cutting back, job losses & closures seem to becoming part of everyday life, where wars are raging, where there is much political unrest & the news is full of depressing reporting, there is little wonder that people feel like escaping from time to time. Some decide to immerse themselves into new activities to clear the mind & cleanse the soul, others choose to get away from it all, retreating to pastures new, while some decide to lay low, waiting for things to get better. Then there of those of us that throw caution to the wind, say what the hell & go for it big time, perhaps burning the proverbial candle at both ends, but feeling much better for it.
And where do we end up, when having nearly burnt that candle?, well Beyond of course!!, the club that has so much to answer for over the years, the club that seemingly keeps going, bucking the trend of many, and the club that never fails to disappoint, whether it’s rammed packed solid or where there is room to spare. Yes, we are sure, that reading this, many of you have experienced the Beyond magic at some stage, in one incarnation or another and we bet that in the right circumstances, with a gentle push & caving into pressure, you too would succumb its draw.
Well, that’s exactly what happened to us when the call of our bed fell on deaf ears and rather than a cosy sleep at home after the excesses of Barcode Soho, followed by Matinee, then bpm, we found ourselves in amogst the hedonistic clubbers within Area’s walls, who like us, just didn’t know when to sleep, seemingly never wanting the party to end. With a swift check by security, leaving chief protagonist of our derailment from original plans, Lee Yeomans, behind, we were in through the entrance and paying our dues, heading straight for the main room, up the stairs to park our belongings in the coatcheck, then sweeping back down, well stumbling a bit actually, we headed through, to the terrace bar area & finding no D.J. in situ, made straight for the second room, where we were sure to get a welcoming greeting.
Lo and behold, who was in charge of the decks but the effervescent Hi-Fi Sean, who was spinning some superb sounds, tempting a select crowd who were clearly lapping up his hunky tech infused house and we ran up to the D.J. booth to say hello and look for our mirrorball (an in-house joke). As always with Sean, we received a rapturous welcome and smile, but unlike many visits before where we have paused to savour his musical mixes, we were keen to track down our friend Benoit, whom we were sure would be in the main room, where more upbeat, floor filling & hands in the air music was more the order of the day (right up his street!). So pausing for energy boosting refreshments (well he had been going for 12 hours already!!) we headed into the main space, not before bumping into pal Cliff Jackson again (was he following us around?) who seemed to be having a good time, running a mock between the three rooms in a way only he knows best.
Now we were into the room one and it was immediately evident that this was the place to be, with Beyond (amongst other clubs) legend Steve Pitron in charge of the decks, delivering a delirious combination of huge house hits, often mixing older classics with new tunes to great effect. With the room packed to brimming, we couldn’t see our friend Benoit, so assumed our usual spot to the far side of the D.J. booth where we have always found space to stretch & legs & strut our stuff. By the time we squeezed our way round, the first of a virtual constant wave of dancers appeared onto the podiums in front of us, dressed seductively in black leather outfits with interesting neon light tipped glove apparel that they used to great effect, shining across their audience & adding to the already incredible luminous lighting effects being masterminded by Andrew Harris from behind the D.J. booth. With the myriad of mirror balls on Area’s ceiling, combined with the huge smoke & air cannons which regularly emitted pulses of plumes, the atmosphere was amazing, complimented by the huge screens at both ends of the room display Beyond graphics, adding to the already characteristic production of this now clubbing icon.
With Steve continuing to plough a pulsating pace with his shimmering sounds, we well and truly found our stride, summoning our energies, dancing dizzily on our spot, trading moves with others around us and competing with the performers on their podiums, one of which was go-go organiser Logan Schmitz who gracefully greeted us before assuming his stage to entertain the crowd. We really didn’t want to break away from the fun, not least as Mr Pitron was spinning magnificent mixes, new twists on retro classics like Funk K’s – “Dirty Cash” & Devil Toy’s “Now Your Gone”, not to mention a superb rendition of J Velarde’s Sundays at Heaven” as well as his newbie “Serious Emotions” as well as many of our fave tracks of now, but we needed a moments respite. So, having taken a short stroll, returning to the main room, we were grabbed by this bronzed Brazilian who had clear amorous intentions in mind, halting us in our tracks and then making serious moves to raid our crown jewels (ooh err missus!!), a delightful distraction that caught us by surprise but was a nice one nevertheless.
With Steve eventually handing over the D.J. reigns to Fire resident Alan K, our energy began to sap and we soon retired to the Terrace Bar, where the gorge Jamie Head’s music pace was more akin to our mood and we saw out the rest of our stay here, like many wanting more to move, grove & chill as Sunday morning was fast changing into Sunday afternoon. However, the inevitable hanging up of our boots arrived, so saying our goodbye’s to Jamie, to remaining friends around us and to pal Benoit, who was still at full steam on the main dancefloor, we sidled out of Area and home to relax, recover & recap on our experiences.
So, what did we think of our latest brush with Beyond, was brilliant or boring? Well, what do you think? To say it was brilliant was a little understated. It was true that the club was never packed as we have seen it before, surprising in some way’s as when Matinee runs, the club ends up over spilling, although we love it when there is room to move around and to be fair, we didn’t arrive till well gone 9 a.m. Nevertheless, the main floor atmosphere was awesome, the lighting effects electric & the dancing displays dynamic. However the star performer in our eyes was Steve Pitron, as yet again he proved that Beyond seems to be his favourite backyard, where his first rate D.J. talents always seem to come to the fore, a true asset to the Beyond brand & well worth his legendary status.
There is no doubt that the scene is going through tough times at the moment, with many clubbers either being very selective about where & when they spend their hard earned cash, the big brands feeling it just as much as the little minnows, with Vauxhall more than any other sector of gAyland London seemingly suffering. The view seems to be that people are in search of not just value for money, but something fresh to re-inject enthusiasm and with some promoters already waking up to this desire, there should be some interesting developments as the summer season progresses. However, Beyond seems to continue to buck the trend, perhaps because its recipe is tried & tested and its afterhours appeal remains strong. And on the basis of this latest instalment we are sure it’s longevity will remain intact, we certainly hope so. (DISCO MATT)
REVIEW FOR SEENQUEEN
In a world where everyone seems to be struggling to make ends meet, where words like recession, cutting back, job losses & closures seem to becoming part of everyday life, where wars are raging, where there is much political unrest & the news is full of depressing reporting, there is little wonder that people feel like escaping from time to time. Some decide to immerse themselves into new activities to clear the mind & cleanse the soul, others choose to get away from it all, retreating to pastures new, while some decide to lay low, waiting for things to get better. Then there of those of us that throw caution to the wind, say what the hell & go for it big time, perhaps burning the proverbial candle at both ends, but feeling much better for it.
And where do we end up, when having nearly burnt that candle?, well Beyond of course!!, the club that has so much to answer for over the years, the club that seemingly keeps going, bucking the trend of many, and the club that never fails to disappoint, whether it’s rammed packed solid or where there is room to spare. Yes, we are sure, that reading this, many of you have experienced the Beyond magic at some stage, in one incarnation or another and we bet that in the right circumstances, with a gentle push & caving into pressure, you too would succumb its draw.
Well, that’s exactly what happened to us when the call of our bed fell on deaf ears and rather than a cosy sleep at home after the excesses of Barcode Soho, followed by Matinee, then bpm, we found ourselves in amogst the hedonistic clubbers within Area’s walls, who like us, just didn’t know when to sleep, seemingly never wanting the party to end. With a swift check by security, leaving chief protagonist of our derailment from original plans, Lee Yeomans, behind, we were in through the entrance and paying our dues, heading straight for the main room, up the stairs to park our belongings in the coatcheck, then sweeping back down, well stumbling a bit actually, we headed through, to the terrace bar area & finding no D.J. in situ, made straight for the second room, where we were sure to get a welcoming greeting.
Lo and behold, who was in charge of the decks but the effervescent Hi-Fi Sean, who was spinning some superb sounds, tempting a select crowd who were clearly lapping up his hunky tech infused house and we ran up to the D.J. booth to say hello and look for our mirrorball (an in-house joke). As always with Sean, we received a rapturous welcome and smile, but unlike many visits before where we have paused to savour his musical mixes, we were keen to track down our friend Benoit, whom we were sure would be in the main room, where more upbeat, floor filling & hands in the air music was more the order of the day (right up his street!). So pausing for energy boosting refreshments (well he had been going for 12 hours already!!) we headed into the main space, not before bumping into pal Cliff Jackson again (was he following us around?) who seemed to be having a good time, running a mock between the three rooms in a way only he knows best.
Now we were into the room one and it was immediately evident that this was the place to be, with Beyond (amongst other clubs) legend Steve Pitron in charge of the decks, delivering a delirious combination of huge house hits, often mixing older classics with new tunes to great effect. With the room packed to brimming, we couldn’t see our friend Benoit, so assumed our usual spot to the far side of the D.J. booth where we have always found space to stretch & legs & strut our stuff. By the time we squeezed our way round, the first of a virtual constant wave of dancers appeared onto the podiums in front of us, dressed seductively in black leather outfits with interesting neon light tipped glove apparel that they used to great effect, shining across their audience & adding to the already incredible luminous lighting effects being masterminded by Andrew Harris from behind the D.J. booth. With the myriad of mirror balls on Area’s ceiling, combined with the huge smoke & air cannons which regularly emitted pulses of plumes, the atmosphere was amazing, complimented by the huge screens at both ends of the room display Beyond graphics, adding to the already characteristic production of this now clubbing icon.
With Steve continuing to plough a pulsating pace with his shimmering sounds, we well and truly found our stride, summoning our energies, dancing dizzily on our spot, trading moves with others around us and competing with the performers on their podiums, one of which was go-go organiser Logan Schmitz who gracefully greeted us before assuming his stage to entertain the crowd. We really didn’t want to break away from the fun, not least as Mr Pitron was spinning magnificent mixes, new twists on retro classics like Funk K’s – “Dirty Cash” & Devil Toy’s “Now Your Gone”, not to mention a superb rendition of J Velarde’s Sundays at Heaven” as well as his newbie “Serious Emotions” as well as many of our fave tracks of now, but we needed a moments respite. So, having taken a short stroll, returning to the main room, we were grabbed by this bronzed Brazilian who had clear amorous intentions in mind, halting us in our tracks and then making serious moves to raid our crown jewels (ooh err missus!!), a delightful distraction that caught us by surprise but was a nice one nevertheless.
With Steve eventually handing over the D.J. reigns to Fire resident Alan K, our energy began to sap and we soon retired to the Terrace Bar, where the gorge Jamie Head’s music pace was more akin to our mood and we saw out the rest of our stay here, like many wanting more to move, grove & chill as Sunday morning was fast changing into Sunday afternoon. However, the inevitable hanging up of our boots arrived, so saying our goodbye’s to Jamie, to remaining friends around us and to pal Benoit, who was still at full steam on the main dancefloor, we sidled out of Area and home to relax, recover & recap on our experiences.
So, what did we think of our latest brush with Beyond, was brilliant or boring? Well, what do you think? To say it was brilliant was a little understated. It was true that the club was never packed as we have seen it before, surprising in some way’s as when Matinee runs, the club ends up over spilling, although we love it when there is room to move around and to be fair, we didn’t arrive till well gone 9 a.m. Nevertheless, the main floor atmosphere was awesome, the lighting effects electric & the dancing displays dynamic. However the star performer in our eyes was Steve Pitron, as yet again he proved that Beyond seems to be his favourite backyard, where his first rate D.J. talents always seem to come to the fore, a true asset to the Beyond brand & well worth his legendary status.
There is no doubt that the scene is going through tough times at the moment, with many clubbers either being very selective about where & when they spend their hard earned cash, the big brands feeling it just as much as the little minnows, with Vauxhall more than any other sector of gAyland London seemingly suffering. The view seems to be that people are in search of not just value for money, but something fresh to re-inject enthusiasm and with some promoters already waking up to this desire, there should be some interesting developments as the summer season progresses. However, Beyond seems to continue to buck the trend, perhaps because its recipe is tried & tested and its afterhours appeal remains strong. And on the basis of this latest instalment we are sure it’s longevity will remain intact, we certainly hope so. (DISCO MATT)
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