Hook'd - Paul's Birthday Special - Club Review

HOOK’D – PAUL’S BIRTHDAY SPECIAL – SATURDAY 20TH JUNE
REVIEW FOR SEENQUEEN



Now, when was it that we first got into hardcore techno & tough house? ah yes, in those heady days of Trade, way back when, with weekly homage’s to Turnmills (cutely referred to as “Church” by many) which more than filled our boots with amazing sounds, delivered by such as Ian M, Gonzalo & Pete Wardman (to mention just three of many!) which had us advancing in the aisles, burning up the dancefloor in the then decadent afterhours timing of 4 a.m. Sunday mornings, until whenever it stopped (sometimes as late as 5 or 6 p.m., remember those?). Setting the standard but sadly fading from weekly slots, Trade’s demise at Turnmills left an inevitable gap which needed to be filled, but by whom?

Well, the gap did have to be filled, not least as people couldn’t hold out for the odd special here & there, and so it was that Hook’d came into being, the brainchild of Trade devotee Paul Beauchamp, who like us had spent many a happy Sunday absorbing everything that was great about the legendary club that had us coming back for more. With a massive launch party at The Arches in Southwark, back in July last year, indeed the last time we graced it’s doors (how naughty of us) and reported on what was a great party, but which sadly for us came to an abrupt ending, on our return, we were determined not to see a repeat of that, but rather to go the distance, savouring the whole Hook’d hedonism. So did we achieve it? (what do you think!).

With our day starting really early, but having made firm plans to visit with new found clubbing friend Joel, we also teamed up with his best friend Andre and having sampled a sherry or two in Barcode Vauxhall, took the short walk towards Hidden, arriving at its doors not long after midnight, seemingly perfect timing as we also bumped into Trade baby friend Rob, who guided us in nicely with hardly any fuss with security checks and swiftly into the club having been efficiently ticked off our guestlist entry (thanks Paul). Strangely, however, Hook’d seemed only to have secured half of the venue, with a totally different party being held in the other side, the only conjoining being at the toilets (rather odd, especially as it was a straight party going on!). Mind you, it didn’t bother us much as we dropped our belongings off at the coatcheck, changing into a fresh top for the occasion & Joel sporting a fab t-shirt, the perfect statement for the club (now we wonder what it said on it?!?!).

So, into the singular dancing space for this revised timing of 10 p.m. till 6 a.m. (no more afterhours stuff here), we found ourselves, immediately getting into our stride as Trade D.J. legend Ian M was tempting everyone with techno taste buds, pouring out classic renditions which brought the memories flooding back, as well as up to date tough tunes that really hit the mark. However, it seemed that our third protagonist., Andre, was struggling with the super speeding pace of proceedings and looked a little uncomfortable, until we suggested that, like us, his dancing style didn’t need to change much from that he displays in usual haunts like Beyond, but just simply to step up the tempo. Our advice seemed to work, as it wasn’t long before he too was dancing delightfully cutting a confident combination of moves to rival those around us.

We were keen to catch up with birthday boy Paul and weren’t to be disappointed as he soon appeared, recognising us in an instant, well actually spotting Joel first (how did he manage that? – well another Trade follower that’s how) and as we remarked on what a good job Mr M was doing & how long it had been for us since we had been entertained to his musical mastery, Paul rightly commented “well you haven’t graced our doors that often” – guilty as charged! So with Mr Beauchamp now off to greet and host as only he knows best, we, together with Joel & Andre, immersed ourselves into the heavenly hardcore happenings (musically wise ofcourse), with only the occasional brief respite outside to grab a little fresh air, away from the octane fuelled fantasy’s being laid before us.

With Ian M handing over the reign’s to Hook’d newcomer Ross Homson, who really made an incredible impression right from the start of his scintillating set, reminding us very much of Gonzalo’s similar prominent performances in years gone by, this wasn’t being missed by the captive audience around, who showed their appreciation through non-stop dancing deliriousness to well and truly capture the mood. Looking across to our buddy Joel, he seemed a little perturbed that his fabulous T-shirt was being sported by someone else aswell (a fashion nightmare in anyone’s books) although we tried to make him feel better by saying how much better he looked in his black & white version with shining sparkly bits, showing off his well toned frame to great effect.

As Ross’s set unfolded more, we simply couldn’t resist being drawn in, even leaving Andre to his own devices with Joel (were we jealous? – ofcourse not!) while we continued to catch the cute laddish like barman out of the corner of our eye, who seemed to be spying in on our every move (not that we didn’t welcome the attention). With a slightly thinner on the ground ardent bunch of Hook’d followers continuing to be well and truly caught up in the techno tasties, maintained when JP & Ducsey assumed D.J’ing duties, followed by Barry Harding & more, the frenetic pace was kept going right up to the planned finish of 6 a.m., although by which time both an obviously tired Joel & the effervescent Andre had waved their goodbye’s, leaving us to exchange flirtatious moves & looks with that barman, until our corruption by this beauty had to come to an inevitable end. So, we too decided to call it a day (or morning, whichever way you want to look at it), sauntering across Vauxhall, avoiding the draw of Beyond, rather heading home to reflect on a terrific techno tinged night to rival any.

So, what did we think of Hook’d this time round? And was its revised timings the success it deserved to be? Well, it is fair to say that even though our preferred pace is more Heron, Nicholls & Pitron in style, we nevertheless really enjoyed a trip back towards techno & with pulsating performances by Ian M & then Ross Homson. The sometimes select yet fabulously friendly bunch of people around us really made the night quite special (not least in the company of Joel & Andre), so perhaps the only thing lacking was the addition of a second room, offering a slightly lighter tempo of tunes, which ad it been available would probably have secured our friend Joel’s stay later than as worked out. However, taking nothing away from what was on offer, we thought that this latest instalment far outstripped our previous outing, Hidden proving to be a truly happening venue for Hook’d.

Changing from the afterhours format did seem a little strange at first, but in some ways made perfect sense, especially as the 10 till 6 timeslot felt more accessible & inviting. We would think that promoter Paul was very pleased with the results of his labour of love and that future planned events could do far worse than sticking with this new formula. There is no doubt that Hook’d has certainly filled the vacant gap left by Trade to a point, the inclusion of a second room being the only ingredient that was missing. We will certainly keep our eyes peeled for the next event with interest & if techno is your thang, you will definitely find a friend in Hook’d, that’s for sure. (DISCO MATT)