SuperMartXe - "1st Anniversary" - Club Review

SUPERMARTXE “1ST ANNIVERSARY” – SATURDAY 28TH NOVEMBER
REVIEW FOR SEENQUEEN


When a virtually unheard of club brand across UK shores takes London by storm at its launch, attracting massive attention and gaining almost immediate popularity, effectively grabbing the gAylist scene by the throat & giving it a good old shake, it is very difficult not to get drawn into its charm, even if it comes with massive doses of overtness. Then, as event by event continued to cement its position close to the top of the pile in peoples choices, seemingly untouched by the ravages of economic downturn which has hit numbers across the capital’s clubs, the marking of 12 months being out there was always going to be a “roadblock”, but exactly to what extent?

We are, of course, talking about SuperMartXe, the Spanish superclub brand which is a major rival for fellow Espaniol supreme, Matinee, but in true fact having a completely different feel, thus attracting a more varied clientele. Brought to London by Logan Schmitz last November, SuperMartXe in the capital has not been without controversy, but has nevertheless continued to well & truly hit the headlines for much more good reasons than bad, with a sound reputation for scintillating stage shows, magnificent music and prolific production that many of its competitors can only dream of. Outstanding events have to be their “Peep Show” in May & “Under The Sea” in September, but what is quite surprising is that despite making such a splash on the scene, there have been just five parties since the launch, a testament to the pure power & regard that this club night holds.

So, we were definitely not going to miss out on the “1st Anniversary” party, even if much of the detail was kept firmly under wraps by Logan & his team, securing our ticket nearly three weeks in advance (just days after being released), so as not to be disappointed. To add to the excitement, we were to be joined for the evening my our fab clubbing pal Joel, who wanted to make the most of a rare long weekend off work and as the night drew closer more & more friends confirmed they would be there, so it seemed that it would be not just a collection of familiar faces, but more of a “who’s who” attendance, there clearly being a penchant for this special event.

Arriving at our characteristic timing of just turned midnight, which in recent events has proven the best timing, as the inclination for most has always been to get there early, this time it was different, as a massive queue was forming for pre-paid online ticket holders as well as those without, although with a “paper” one in out mitts, we were into the club within seconds (yes you heard us right), although our elation on such a swift entry was short lived as we had to negotiate a lengthy queue for the coatcheck, but at least our choice to stomach standing in the rain for the outside one proved to better & speedier one, with reports coming in that friends were waiting well over an hour inside, while others simply gave up. At least we also had Joel on hand who soothed our wait, thrusting a nice chilled can of beer into our hands & keeping us company throughout.

Once inside the club, it became apparent why there was the issue with the coatcheck, as The Coronet was absolutely rammed solid, as “the world & his wife” has clearly descended on SuperMartXe’s birthday bash, the bar area teaming with people clambering for refreshments and the huge dancefloor packed fuller than we had ever seen it before. Finding friends was like looking for needles in a haystack, although Joel was keen to hook up with some of his, but as it turned out they were still caught in the queues. So, instead we ventured down to the front by the stage, with the curtains still firmly shut, but taking the initial limelight was superstar Steve Pitron, who was serving up a delicious delectation of delightful disc’s, mixing uplifting and pleasurable tracks with a-typical SuperMartXe sounds that has the whole space screaming for more, hands in the air in adoration of his sparkling performance. And what a set it was, as the man was clearly in party mood, playing out a full 3 ¼ hours of fun filled frivolity, before eventually relinquishing his spot to Spanish resident recruit AB Garcia.

By this time, both in our confined spot by the stage and our limited trips squeezing through the crowds, we had managed to bump into a myriad of friends, including Matinee’s own Romano, Industri pal Jeremy & boyfriend Andy, off duty D.J’s Max Sanna & JC Christopher, Rupert Street pal Norbert, fellow Trade baby (well we were one once!) Rob, ex work colleague Darren, Barcode Manager Jeremy Precelton & partner Tim Banham, as well as a whole host of other familiar faces, all savouring the unique feel & vibe that SuperMartXe at the Coronet exudes. Then, with Joel off in search of pals Julian & Fergie, we were joined by Stephen, a victim of the coatcheck issues, bag & coat in hand & looking somewhat dejected, but it wasn’t going to spoil our expectation & enjoyment of the stage show to come, as AB Garcia’s entrance signalled the drawback of the curtains, revealing a gold spangled triple tiered stage, with over a dozen dancers all dressed in a variety of glittering costumes to befit the occasion. And with new D.J. recruit taking centre stage, the scene was set for another spectacular show, or was it?

With the usual superb lighting, the impact the dancers had in their elevated position, as well as the ticker tape & pyrotechnic explosions, made for quite an atmosphere, all the usual ingredients being present, as we have come to expect from SuperMartXe shows, and yet another regular ingredient, Therese, was there too and performed not once but twice throughout what seemed to be an everlasting display from Logan’s dancers, with A.B. Garcia skipping through a whole host of musical genres, from down & dirty euro-style house, through underground then uplifting and back again, definitely keeping the packed out main room on their toes. And it was clear that space was at a premium across the whole venue, as brief trips away from the stage took ages although the respites we did take, allowed us to bump into and catch up with familiar faces a plenty.

One such trip was extra special, as we fell upon the Rupert Street boys & gals, lauding it up on one of the VIP spots, which proved a perfect vantage point for both the constant showcasing by the dancers on the stage as well as providing a perfect view of the revellers on the dancefloor below, but the best thing of all was feeling of space away from the cramped space that was the main room. And my were they having a great time in this exclusive place, Oli, Vlad, Sylvester, Remy, Enrico, Brad (we love it when he calls us Jessica!), Cathy et all, really entering into the spirit & loving every minute.

But we were soon drawn back down onto the dancefloor & whilst A.B. Garcia’s style & music choices weren’t really doing it for us, when Nick Tcherniak took to the decks, we were going nowhere and found our stride dancing away deliriously to his incredible progressive, tech & electro beats that had a packed Coronet going wild, not least when he played a fab remix of the Frankie Goes to Hollywood classic “Relax”, pure magic! With boyf Tom still having fun with his braces next to us, & best pal Joel in close quarters, we saw out the rest of our stay at this special SuperMartXe event until close on 7 a.m., when the calling cries of “Beyond” were ringing through our ears & we departed with our clubbing friend to continue the party in Vauxhall.

So what of SuperMartXe’s 1st Anniversary party? Well, it was definitely true to say that it was a “roadblock” event, the venue absolutely rammed, many saying both during & after the party that it was probably too busy (can a club be too busy...well yes!), with hardly room to swing our hips for most of Steve Pitron’s set (well, we did our best!). Then, as more than a handful of people were very unhappy with the coatcheck issues (again!), the venue really let Logan & his team down on what should have been a “no-brainer” in terms of preparation for the massive numbers that turned out.

As for the party itself, well if our eyes were deceiving us we may have thought it was a “regular” SuperMartXe, nothing wrong in that at all, but being the 1st birthday, we concluded that it was a little lack-lustre, falling short of our expectations & the very high standards the promoter has set himself. The highlights were definitely a storming set by Steve Pitron and a terrific one by Nick Tcherniak, the low points, well the lack of space on the dancefloor, the somewhat ordinary stage show & Therese, she is good but it was hardly the surprise billing we were looking forward to. But, somehow, the night was, nevertheless, delightful, not least for all the friendly faces around & the company we kept. And anyway, Joel absolutely loved it, so that’s good enough for us. (DISCO MATT)

DTPM "The Bitch is Back" - Club Review

DTPM “THE BITCH IS BACK” – SUNDAY 15TH NOVEMBER
REVIEW FOR SEENQUEEN


We are very lucky to sport some amazing club brands in gAylist/land London, which make a real impact on our decisions about where & when to, as we always say, “Go There!! Be There!!”, in this most buzzing scene in the capital. Some events continue to prove regular monthly outings for many, while others are less often so, yet still attract the glitzy & the glamorous, thus stamping their mark on an ever relentlessly paced scene. But when a club event literally captures the imagination in unprecedented levels, creating the biggest stir we have seen in ages, so much so that it was a complete sell-out within hours of the ticket sales releases, this was going to be one party we simply didn’t want to miss.

Ever since its infancy, back in the days of the bijous yet fabulous venue Villa Stefano, through further incarnations on Shaftesbury Avenue, then at The End & more latterly at Fabric, DTPM has always proven to be one of the most popular Sunday clubbing events we know, changing with the times which meant moving the original 3 p.m. start back later & later, eventually making it the one club that became responsible for so many Monday morning sickies. Then, when promoter Lee Freeman decided to put this mega institution to bed, the Sunday partying landscape looked set to change forever, but you can never keep a good thing down and it was inevitable that DTPM would make a return, but oh what a return it turned out to be!!

With the only letters on peoples lips being D, T, P and M, throughout the preceding few days, all eyes were on the amazing Paramount venue, the host space for “The Bitch Is Back” event which definitely had tongues wagging & anticipation at fever pitch, as we made our way up to central London amidst a thankfully dry early afternoon in time for the 3 p.m. start of DTPM’s magnificent return to centre stage at Centrepoint, although (as usual) we were running slightly late. Arriving at the foot this tall West End landmark at a shade past 4 p.m. there was already an incredible buzz in the air, with many making an early arrival to avoid a potential crush, but moreover to witness a magnificent sunset followed by panoramic views of London’s lit up magic. To say that this was one of the smoothest entrances to a club we have ever encountered was an understatement, as we were treated like pure royalty, escorted by the fabulous door hostess up the entrance stairs, through the foyer, past any coatcheck complications (not that there were any) and straight to our waiting lift to shoot us up 31 floors, what better a start to a clubbing experience you couldn’t have dreamt of.

So, we had arrived and were immediately greeted by the gorge & hunky Lloyd from Manhunt, part of the band of eye-candy floating around to delight, although it seemed that many were aghast with the view, crowding around the windows to watch dusk become dark. Unfortunately, with hazy clouds rolling up to steal away what could have been a jaw droppingly stunning sunset, we instead headed for the bar to grab refreshments, coming across some “Trade Baby” faces of old and catching up on the last outing at MOS as well as recapping memories of DT at Villa Stefano’s, with Paramount swelling with a truly gAylisting crowd of familiar faces, scene stars, off-duty D.J’s and devoted DTPM’ers, who were going to make this a return, nay reunion to remember. Next grabbing our attention was Tony Tansley who was definitely in party mood, chatting away about our previous Matinee & other exploits, before our eyes were diverted by Chris Jepson’s flashing camera, then a whole host of people who wanted to say hello, including friends Oliver & Robbie as well as Jules from Q.X., D.J. Emma “Mis-White” who was still in birthday mode having stretched her celebrations to encompass this special DT party & Lee Yeomans, whom we hadn’t seen for a long time.

But music was definitely the name of the game and whilst the Paramount’s lofty position was breathtaking, as the pace picked up in the hands of DTPM resident Miguel Pellitero, the heat was definitely building, causing the windows to steam up in sympathy. Yes the crowd was hot, hot hot, but so was the space, but this didn’t stop people piling onto the dancefloor to soak up Miguel’s sexy & funky sounds, which was heightened when scene legend Fat Tony took over the decks, taking the music in a much more uplifting & electro tainted direction, playing out some a-typical Tony tunes mixed in with amazing floor fillers like Serge Devant’s “Addicted” which drew whoops & cheers from the dancing mass of bodies. Now we were really into our stride and when we came across D.J. pal Nick Tcherniak & husband Tom (who was celebrating his birthday), we knew the party would just get better & better. Mind you, we were glad of the encounter, as we had been carrying Tom’s birthday card around all afternoon, although the look of delight on his face was well worth it (even if he thought the message in the card was like a letter from Gordon Brown!!).

So, with a tug on our braces from Tom, which prompted a whole host of “twangs” from all around, our place on the dancefloor was pretty much cemented, and why not, as Mr Fat Tony was stirring up some serious sounds (not least our fave record, Zoe Baldwin’s “Release Me”) and we were in just the right spot next to the massive neon flashing wall, in prime position to bump into yet more scene faces wandering in, JC Christopher, Jon Dennis (bless him for his advice on our review writing!) Guy Williams & boyf Rob Ferguson & then the man himself, Lee Freeman, who definitely had his eye on making this the best comeback party London had ever seen. And that’s just how it was turning out, as a terrific set from Tony was following by a gigantically glorious one from Guy Williams, who took over and short of blew the roof off Paramount, with a mega mix of funk, tech & nu disco that had the 31st floor rocking right to the foundations. Looking around, everyone was having an absolutely superb time and it was as though the old DTPM style was back, whey hay!!

Taking a brief respite back round in the bar area, it was like walking into a “who’s who” gathering and we were struggling to choose between all the faces, but tip top promoter Wayne Shires grabbed our attention, then long time friend & D.J. extra-ordinaire Kris De-Angelis was the next one to get a piece of us (in a manner of speaking of-course), before we were back in the thick of party boy Tom’s company, Nick Tcherniak now holding court with fellow D.J. & recording partner, the one & only Steve “Janet” Thomas, who was over from Spain especially for the occasion & up on the decks after Mr Williams. Glancing at our watch, we could hardly believe it was less than two hours till midnight (where had the time gone – well you know what they say?!) and as much as we wanted to see out the rest of the night at DT, not least to see Miss “Janet” perform, we said our farewells, heading to Rupert Street to try and come down from the dizzy heights of happiness.

But then the day, the night, well everything actually, was about “The Bitch Is Back” and this bitch was, as we made a triumphant return not 20 minutes before we left, with D.J. pal Alessandro in tow, making straight for Paramount’s dancefloor to see Steve Thomas behind the decks & all our other scene pals in place. Everyone was soaking up the octane fuelled, upbeat, hard house tinged yet adoring string of tunes Steve was putting together, which took us back to all those heady days of sets of his at Trade, of-course at the DT of old, but with a definite vein of newness running through it all, absolutely stupendous. Even Nick Tcherniak was in awe (and they are recording partners!), that’s how good the music was. So, with braces off, (leant to Tom as a birthday treat), tops off and the tempo at fever pitch, we danced away well past midnight not wanting the party to end (and if Mr Freeman had got his way, it would have gone on and on – and she can move on the dancefloor!!), but after a third encore from Steve, the party drew to a close and we headed to ground level once more to saunter home and reflect of what could probably be THE party of the year.

So, what can we can we say about the return of DTPM? Well, it is definitely back for sure, and did the “Bitch” make an impact of what! Yes, it is fair to say that Paramount as a venue has its good & bad points, the good being the views, the bad being the lack of sufficient toilets to powder one’s nose (and a girl needs to do that!), but the sleek minimalist design of the space allows for other elements to really speak volumes. And the music did just that, Miguel Pellitero warming things up brilliantly, Fat Tony taking it to a higher level, Guy Williams short of lifting the roof off and then Steve Thomas sending everyone present to heaven & back (and we couldn’t have been closer to heaven!!). Then there was the crowd, the best we have mixed with for a long time, never being short of a familiar face to say hello to, making it not just a dance club but a socialising splendour.

With the massive & overwhelming response to this DTPM party, with tickets selling so quickly and everyone we spoke to who didn’t have one, really wanting one, Lee Freeman & his team could have filled Paramount three times over at least, being a real & true testament to the longevity of this brand which has been going for most of our clubbing life. It was an absolute honour to be part of it all, to be treated so well throughout, to get so many great comments from all around & to see so many happy & joyful faces from start to finish. “The Bitch” is definitely back and with a planned NYD spectacular at similar dizzy heights, we cannot wait. (DISCO MATT)

Matinee "The Next Chapter" - Club Review

MATINEE “THE NEXT CHAPTER” – SATURDAY 7TH NOVEMBER
REVIEW FOR SEENQUEEN


Whether we like it or not, there is no doubt that there are a few “big gun” club events that attract a huge amount of attention, drawing in crowds from far & wide, making them must visit nights, although, sadly for other events that clash, meaning that the so called “big guns” steal the lions share away from others, but in the true sense of gAylist events, it is no real surprise. Add into the mix probably one of London’s freshest venue’s with an extra special vibe & feel, top notch sound and superb facilities and it is clear that the recipe only has success written right across it. So what is this recipe? Well Matinee of course at uber new club Cable in London Bridge, a venue that has really breathed new life into this most popular of club brands.

Having missed out on the 3rd birthday celebration, we were definitely not going to forego this latest instalment of Matinee magic and indeed the build up & excitement for us was nothing like we have experienced for a long time. Indeed we soaked up both of the pre-parties in The Box on Friday & then at Rupert Street on the night itself, connecting with Evolved Events supremo Oliver Mohns, all the Matinee boys, including the outrageous Romano, D.J. & pal Alessandro as well as friends Stephen & Stefan, although it seemed that Stephen had other things on his mind & was struggling to get into the party mood, despite our attempts to liven up the situation. Nevertheless, our excitement wasn’t going to be dampened, although our planned early arrival at Matinee wasn’t going to happen, with delays in our carriages to London Bridge dissolving our excitement & consuming us with rage in a childish hissy “Disco” fit!! (laudable at the time, but quite embarrassing in retrospect).

Eventually arriving at Cable’s entrance on Bermondsey Street at the overdue hour of 1 a.m., even though the club had been open since 11 p.m., there were two sizeable queues both for guests & paying customers & it was clear that delectable door hosts Marky B & Minty had their hands full managing people’s expectations, some who looked like losing patience, so hurriedly Minty strapped our VIP pass round our wrist and Marky B urged us into the club with speed, giving us no time to wait for our friends (well they were!) Stephen & Stefan, whom we had offered speedy entrance to (all good plans laid to waste), leaving them in the queue melee & Stephen swearing expletives down our mobile phone (well our ears were full of it when we eventually picked up the message hours later!).

Inside Cable and it was clear that Matinee was the popular choice of the night, as the “Matinee” room was already brimming with a veritable feast of gorgeous Latino’s, muscle queens, scene faces & stylish gAylisters all out to have a raucous time. And they were certainly doing that for sure, in the hands of music maestro Guy Williams, who was pumping out his trademark tough tech house tunes, bodies gyrating to his chunky sounds & the extra lighting imported for this party making a real statement on the far wall of the room. We said a brief hello to Guy, before whizzing around the rest of the club to get our usual bearings, first hitting on the “bpm” room where guest D.J. Steven Redant was cutting an impressive stride behind the decks, delivering euro-style house hits to a crowd that were definitely up for it all. Swinging briefly into the VIP area to collect refreshments & arm ourselves for the night ahead, it was then into the middle “Parlour” room, which was also busy & buzzing, Brent Nicholls in charge of the music, injecting some real punch into proceedings with his funky latin infused & electro tainted house style to energetic effect.

And it was the parlour room where we hung our hat for a good while, as Brent continued his musical theme, elevating the atmosphere notch by notch sending us into dancing deliriousim, especially when he pulled out of the bag, not one, but two of our most favourite tunes of now (guess?!), Zoe Baldwin’s “Release Me” and then Norman Dorat’s “Last Forever” (what a naughty D.J.!!) erupting the space in ecstatic enjoyment & causing impromptu dancing atop of the bar. Mind you, with Stephen giving us the cold shoulder, our spirits were once again dampened and we headed out of his way, back into the main room where Guy’s superb stint was virtually over & Spanish resident J Louis was ascending the decks. This heralded the emergence of Mark M Forn’s Fierce Intl dancers to a superb dance intro recorded & orchestrated by Alessandro, muscle-bound boys & gorgeous girls cramming the elevated stage with the superb lighting backdrop behind them, all moving in perfect motion to the Matinee soundtrack followed by J Louis’s tempting tunes.

By now, we were well into party mood and wandering back through the club, continually bumped into familiar faces, including Jeremy & boyf Andy, Industri pals Chris & Terry, off duty D.J.’s Jon Dennis, Hugh Stephenson, Mikey D & Steven Artis, The Box’s owner Frank, club promoter extraordinaire Wayne Shires, Rupert Street boys Jon & Ollie, Marky B & Minty who had finished up with their door duties, Clington Forbes, Clone Zone pal Rob with a hunky friend in tow (yum yum!), old work colleagues Renato & Roy, Greek god Dimitrios, pal JC Christopher (who was actually there! - a long story!!) and plenty more besides, making us feel at ease, even if one person that really mattered wasn’t speaking to us! Mind you, we did manage to catch up with Steven Redant, who had finished his set in the “bpm” room and had excitement written all over in his face in adoration of what was turning out to be a very special Matinee indeed.

And it was in the “bpm” room where we found ourselves, Paul Heron now in charge of the D.J. decks & dishing out some deep & dirty hedonistic house beats, sending the packed gathering wild, many ascending podiums to delight in the truly incredible atmosphere he was building, Paul’s enthusiastic energy adding an extra dimension to a room erupted with laser lighting and effects. So good was his music and the whole vibe, we were very close to jumping up on a podium ourselves, but instead glued ourselves to a spot by the D.J. booth dancing away in awe of this man’s performance. Not that the music quality was lacking elsewhere, as Brent Nicholls had now handed over to Trade legend Fat Tony in the “parlour” room, who, since being included as a Matinee resident, has brought even more depth to an already brilliant D.J. line up (probably the best of any club we know) adding an extra element of musical mastery to proceedings. Even J Louis was doing the business in the “Matinee” room and we are never normally fans of the Spanish all star imports.

But the icing on what was already a scrumptious cake was about to unfold, as into the main room swept Italian stallion Pagano, stealing our attention in an instant stating that we wanted “50 words” in our review (well would 50 be enough?) and then assumed the decks to start what was a completely mesmeric set of musical madness, progressive tech house heaven & tasty tracks, renewing our energy levels which, after all the delirious dancing to Brent & Paul’s sets was beginning to wane a little. With podiums full of revellers & the lighting technician matching Pagano’s music with flashing exhibitionism, we were now in our element, cutting our own stride aside the D.J. booth, track after track choice from the pitch perfect Pagano delighting an ever increasing crowd in front of him. Having witnessed some truly amazing sets of his at past Matinee parties, this one certainly rivalled any and proved that he is most definitely a worthy inclusion in any event. So good was his performance that even fellow Italian Alessandro’s sounds couldn’t drag us away from the “Matinee” room for long, although he was definitely waving his magical music wand in the “parlour” room, keeping it lively right through to the end.

With night turning to day outside & 7 a.m. coming & then going with incredible speed, we decided our time was up, so did a quick run around saying our farewells, first to Paul Heron, then to Alessandro, to Guy Williams, to Pagano and not forgetting the man himself, Oliver M, who was clearly thrilled about how this latest instalment of Matinee had gone. Having had such a good time at Cable we really didn’t want it to end, or for any other club to taint our view, even ignoring the advancing encouragement calls by many to head to Beyond, including those of Fierce Intl dancer pal Nik Ripley, rather deciding to wander home happy & content enough, the magnificent music still buzzing in our head.

So, what did we think of Matinee “The Next Chapter”? and did it prove to be a new chapter in the success of this bold brand? or just a continuance of what has been a glorious 3 years of clubbing excellence in London by this Spanish import? Well, without question this was the best Matinee party we have been to in a long while, so good, we can even say with conviction that it matched the excellence of Viva, our most favourite Matinee party to date. Cable has definitely given Evolved Events’ monthly outing an injection of class & glamour that Colosseum couldn’t and people are now used to & comfortable with travelling to London Bridge. Yes you could say it was a new chapter in some ways but also a reflection that Matinee is well & truly back where it belongs, at the top of its game.

With the quality of the venue, with all the added ingredients, the Fierce Intl dancers, the new lighting, the production and the revised D.J timings, “The Next Chapter” worked like a dream. But the music & the D.J.’s performances really spoke volumes, each & every one of them playing their part to perfection, Steven was superb, Alessandro amazing, Guy was glorious, J Louis jubilant and Fat Tony terrific. Then there was Paul who was pulsatingly pumping, Brent who was breathtakingly brilliant & Pagano who was pure perfection personified (see, three words are enough Francesco!). With music definately being the food of love (we adore that phrase!) our affair with Matinee in the hands of all of these D.J. talents is assured and we can’t wait for the next party. (DISCO MATT)

"Beyond The Grave" - Club Review

“BEYOND THE GRAVE” – HALLOWEEN SPECIAL
SUNDAY 1ST NOVEMBER
REVIEW FOR SEENQUEEN


There is no escaping the fact that despite the amazing choice of clubs we have across this most diverse of scene’s in London, whether it be mainstream, underground, East End, West End, gAylist or fringe, there are only a few brands that stand out like tall poppies in a field of flowers. Moreover, when it comes to current “afterhours” clubbing, there is just one name that immediately springs to mind, probably being the tallest poppy of all in this respect. Yes, it’s Beyond, the club that has truly dominated Sunday morning’s this decade, which, throughout its various incarnations, twists & turns, continues in its popularity where others have either fallen by the wayside or have failed to take off at all.

So, it would come as no surprise that we made early plans to attend Beyond’s special Halloween party “Beyond The Grave”, although what was more of a surprise (and a shock to our system) was that we chose to sit out Saturday night, rather rising at 6 a.m. Sunday morning to make the short trip down to Vauxhall, feeling rested and fresh (if but a bit bleary eyed!), in the knowledge that our advancing years could cope with the full 7-8 hours of Beyond madness. In times gone by, Beyond has always been a further instalment of a hectic Saturday of activity and whilst in days of old we could go on & on, more recently we have struggled to keep the faith past 11 a.m.

So, in the knowledge we were going to stay the distance, we arrived at Area’s doors to find a lengthy queue, signalling that this was going to be yet another packed out event, although we were pleased to be greeted by the smiling face of Tom Fuller, who was looking his perky self & now recovered from his recent shock heart attack, certainly back where he belongs & very glad for it. We were given the royal treatment (we love it) by Tom and were soon ticked off the guest list, but there was more “red carpet” service in the form of Andrew, a most charming security guard who chaperoned us straight to the entrance & got us whisked into the club in a trice (Craig Elder please note!), a truly brilliant way to start our “Beyond The Grave” experience.

Inside the club and it was clear that many had got here at the crack of dawn as the terrace bar was already full, the main room was pumping and even the middle (Black room) had a healthy crowd present. The coat check took a bit of negotiating, but with that chore over, we were released to take in everything that the club had to offer. So, having finished our initial & usual run around each dance floor, we went in search of the D.J. listing which is generally pinned up in various spots around the venue, although we were struggling to find it on this occasion, so relied on our own judgment instead. The Sharp Boys were in command of a packed main room & were certainly getting the party into a real swing, with some incredibly uplifting & hard hitting house tunes that were hard to resist. Over in the Black room, Paul Christian had given way to David Jiminez, who was going down & dirty with his trademark tough tech house, not to everybody’s taste, but a truly alternative choice of music vibe (don’t we love a good choice!?!), whilst the fab D’Johnny was turbo boosting the atmosphere in the Terrace bar, with his energetic, funky & chunky house.

We settled on this latter space for a while, observing a whole host of scene faces, party boys & girls and the veritable feast of people in Halloween mode, some in extravagant makeup, looking like the living dead, others simply made up as horny devils, ghosts & pale faced zombies, but all in all adding to what was already an amazing feel to this special Beyond party. Some had clearly come on from parties before, whether it had been Juicy’s “Bloodbath” or even Hard On! (there were quite a few leather queens about) and this was true when we bumped into pal Rob, who gave us the lowdown on Suzi Kruger’s latest event. Not that he was the only familiar face around as we were soon greeted by Keith, with boyf in tow, then Andy and not long after that, Industri pal Stephen who had just arrived from an all night house party, all enquiring as to the whereabouts of our clubbing pal Joel, who in recent times has been by our side, but was sadly away on work duty this time round.

With D’Johnny really creating a storm of music passion, we were hard pressed to tear ourselves away, but were somehow drawn the main room again, where the Sharp Boys were about to welcome Chris Geary’s go-go’s onto the dance podiums, all three dressed for the occasion in very fitting ghastly & garish head gear/costumes. They took to the stage in an explosion on ticker tape, flashing pyrotechnics & CO2 cannons, as only Area does best, the laser lighting & effects adding to the already electric atmosphere and with plumes of smoke as well as the brilliant Beyond production, added to for this special party by a massive spooky clown face dominating the far wall, we knew we had arrived at an extra special outing.

Being relieved to be just in time for the show, we felt a real surge in our energy levels, helped along by the arrival of D.J. Mikey D, who said a brief hello before assuming the decks and then lifting the music madness to a much higher level, stringing one superb one octane infused house tune after the other together, sometimes mixing two tunes into one in perfect harmony, that had us spinning on our spot & dancing in pure ecstasy. Having enjoyed so many good sets in the hands of this talented D.J., in the Crash days of old, then at Beyond in Colloseum, we have to say, this set ranked as one of his best, a pure delight and a feast of fabulous, familiar tracks intertwined with new hits that had the audience gasping for air, yet screaming in extravert excitement and us in pure hedonistic heaven (no wonder the room was packed to the rafters!!).

Taking a moments breath, we squeezed past the torso to torso crowd in the main room, seeking a little relief back in the Terrace bar, to find D’Johnny preparing to hand over the reigns to another fave D.J. of ours, the gorge Jamie Head, whom we hadn’t seen for ages but had unknowingly missed him by minutes at Lo-Profile just two days before. With the weather quite inclement outside, the Terrace bar was fuller than usual and as Jamie began his set the space seemed to fill out even more, his chunky electro tainted yet bold & boisterous house style & choice of tunes striking a chord with many around, including our pal Stephen who was well into the action by now. To be faced with such a choice, would it be Jamie in the Terrace bar? or Mikey in the Main room? was a difficult if but delightful predicament to be in, so rather than making a choice, we ferried our way backward & forward, taking in everything that was brilliant at Beyond in the hands of these two music maestro’s.

With Mikey eventually handing over to resident Alan K, the party was far from over as the main room continued at fever pitch pace, Alan dishing up some delectable & tasty tracks of uplifting sexy & sumptuous house, a real purple patch in his set culminating with a remix favourite of ours “Get Busy” which had us craving for more. But we were still captivated by the Terrace room too and Jamie was now laying down some serious sounds that sent us into a stratosphere of dancing delrionism, with midday well & truly gone and our longest stay in beyond for ages about to be racked up. There was no sign of the crowd abating either and when our pal Stephen walked by with a young man in tow, we knew his day was far from over, moreover about to begin.

Jamie kept us entertained right through until the 1.30 p.m. finish, when we thought better of continuing the party at “Later” over in Fire, rather saying our goodbye’s, firstly to Alan K who was still mashing it up in the main room and then to Jamie himself, who, like Mikey D had made this “Beyond The Grave” outing a really special experience for us. So with plenty to think over, let alone a whole myriad of tunes still ringing through our ears & buzzing through our head, we hit a windy & wet Vauxhall to speed home & reflect on yet another perfect Sunday morning clubbing at Area.

So, how do we conclude our views on Beyond’s Halloween special? Well, in truth the words already laid out speak for themselves, but to sum it all up, the whole experience was magic! From the superb greetings & treatment at the door, to the up for it & friendly crowd we encountered inside, to the brilliant music from start to finish and to the host of familiar faces that meant we never felt out of place. Moreover, were made well & truly welcome, especially by the band of D.J’s whom we were so privileged to see play, The Sharp Boys, then Mikey D, & Alan K in the main room, as well as D’Johnny & Jamie Head in the Terrace Bar, all making a point of saying hello, what more could you ask for?!?

To say that this was a brilliant Beyond is a little of an understatement, but having been lucky to experience some truly great parties at this club icon of an event, we would hate to set it too far apart from any other. However, each & every person played their part in making it truly memorable and our thanks go to so many, but particularly to Messrs Dower & Head who pulled off two truly remarkable sets, only added to by the sparkling performances of all the other D.J.’s. If music be the food of love, then Beyond had it in bountiful’s and we can’t wait for the next party. (DISCO MATT)

Soho Best Bars on a Friday - Review

SOHO’S BEST BAR’S ON A FRIDAY – 30TH OCTOBER
REVIEW FOR SEENQUEEN

Now, our Friday’s in Soho seem to be becoming quite a tradition, in what can only be described as fitting end to a hard working week, or more appropriately, “hair of the dog” after an overindulgent Thursday night at Industri, not that we make a habit of doing either (who are we kidding!?!). But who could resist the draw of the capitals best & busiest gay village on a Friday, with plenty of gAylisters around to soak up a blissful evening’s entertainment with. It is not surprising that our favourite clubbing website has just added a new section devoted to the best bars in Soho, so we thought it would be a fitting tribute to this launch to give you a snippet (well for us anyway!) of what three of these bars have on offer on a Friday.

But this was going to be no ordinary Friday, as there was something quite big going on in Trafalgar Square which looked like stealing the usual focus away from the bars. What was this event? well the “Candlelight Vigil” of course, in memory of an innocent life lost to the callous brutality of homophobes who took a dislike to two men showing their affection for each other. With a reported gathering well into the thousands, Soho was embracing itself to take the strain as we arrived in Rupert Street bar, the first of our three (well four actually) stop-off’s, squeezing our way past an already buoyant crowd to find our usual spot at the top end of the bar, where we always get exemplary service from the ever smiling Luca (but then all the bar staff are really friendly & helpful).

The team had a lot planned across the night, not only were they scheduled to pay respects with two minutes silence at 9 p.m. (the vigil, remember!?) but they had an amazing pre-party for Lovechild lined up too, Rupert Street’s General Manager Cathy filling us in on all the details and just in time too, as the whole troupe of sexy go-go dancers all dressed in tight red lycra body suits appeared, with promoter Alex Erfan right in the thick of it. We managed to grab a hello from him and from Chris Geary (the dancer’s organiser) before they sped off into Soho to spread the good “Lovechild” word. Rupert Street resident D.J. Alessandro was due to start at 9 p.m. and with us in the company of his boyf as well as an over exuberant Jon, we were tempted to stay, but the call of D.J. friends slightly further a-field got the better of us and we left a pulsating Rupert Street to head off to our next destination.

Just a hop, skip & jump up Wardour Street and we found ourselves at the door of Profile Bar, the stylish new(ish) stable mate to Lo-Profile and what is proving to be a popular place to eat drink & socialise in superb surroundings with magical music on offer from some the scene’s biggest D.J. names. And tonight was no exception, as the place was actually quite busy (considering the vigil) and as we sauntered round past the bar area, we headed in the direction of the makeshift D.J. booth, where Brent Nicholls was limbering up for a night delivering delectable disc’s of music to a burgeoning, gorgeous looking and definitely gAylist crowd. We said our, by now, usual greetings to Mr N, before retreating momentarily to the bar to order up refreshments, served by the pleasurable Philippe (pleasure personified indeed) who was truly deserving of a tip (at least) for his very efficient service.

Back over with Brent and we really settled into Profile’s surroundings, as he grappled with the unfamiliar music system to then commenced playing out some truly uplifting & huge house hits to really give the atmosphere a boost. With food being ferried past by waiters with precision regularity (General Manager Rosella enjoying a brief bite herself) and we have to say, it all looked really appetising (especially the sausage & mash!!) so we vowed at that moment to make a point of coming down another day to try it for out ourselves. But food was not on our mind at this point, moreover classy conversation with our D.J. pal who had, cutely, prepared a quite wonderful speech for the planned two minute silence break at 9 p.m. but then no surprise as the man is nearly as eloquent as us (joke!). With track after track gluing us to our spot, especially when he pulled out our favourite track of the moment (twice in 24 hours!!), we were going no-where and continued to postpone our visit to The Box, to well past 9.30 p.m., but eventually felt obliged to head across Soho for our next stop-off of the night.

And we weren’t to be disappointed as upon arrival the bar was brimming with familiar faces, good looking hunks & off duty scene workers, joining forces with an emerging crowd from the vigil, reports coming our way that over 10,000 people were present. Not that it had dampened the turnout at this favourite Friday nighter of ours, and who could blame us for thinking so, with owner Frank always being so kind & gracious to us, the gorgeous Gilliume behind the bar, looking after us wonderfully & then Oliver M who regularly provides the tunes, tonight going back-to-back with D.J. Moussa. To add to the excitement, top club promoter Steve Elliot was in town, whom we hadn’t seen since Scandal, but was in fantastic form.

Oliver, when seeing us, popped out from behind the D.J. booth and grasped us in an enormous hug, lifting us off our feet in embrace (well, it’s become a bit of a tradition!) and spent a moment catching up with us since we had last been together, just seven days ago. He filled us in on his trip to Brussels & also discussed the merits of the forthcoming Halloween club events across the weekend, before returning to duty, playing our second favourite track of 2009 (well Zoe Baldwin is first of course!), Norman Dorat’s “Last Forever” which heightened our already happy mood further. It was clear, however, that Oliver had a demanding audience of people continually attracting his attention and, feeling a little sidelined, we said our premature farewells, heading back in the direction of Profile Bar.

Upon our return, Brent was coming to the end of his set, but wanted to investigate downstairs in Lo-Profile when he finished and we thought it would be rude not to accompany him. So, as the 11 p.m. transition occurred we followed our lead down the special entrance between the two spaces & into Lo-Profile, where fellow Industri resident, Paul Heron was commanding the D.J. decks. Popping across to the bar, the familiar smiling face of Philippe greeted us, remembering our drink (a sign of a good barman), releasing us in an instant to rejoin our pals over by the D.J. booth. The atmosphere was building nicely, as was the crowd, just as classy as it had been upstairs & far removed from the sometimes torturous mob that frequent parts of Vauxhall. And the atmosphere continued to rise when out from nowhere appeared two drop dead gorgeous muscle hunks, who took to improvised podiums & wowed the onlookers, moving & dancing in motion to the marvellous house music Paul Heron was delivering.

Brent was in camera clicking mode and went in search of some tasty material to add to the shots he had already taken of the go-go boys, but soon returned to join us and then encourage us onto one of the podiums as Paul played (yes you guessed it!) our favourite record (the naughty boy), Zoe Baldwin’s “Release Me”, nearly succeeding on getting us enticed onto the elevated spot, a pastime we used to love in the days of old, but now not quite so brash as we were. By now, our night was well & truly fulfilled and having held such great company right through it, the inevitable call of time approached & with Brent also throwing in the towel, we headed out of Lo-Profile, in the blissful ignorance that one of our favourite D.J.’s was about to take over from Paul, Jamie Head (damn, how did we miss that?!?!), rather collecting ourselves for a perilous peddle home to reflect on another superb Friday in Soho.

So, how did our night at three of Soho’s best gAylist bars reflect? And what, which, where & when would we recommend? Well, it was always going to be tricky to spread our allegiances as thinly as we did. However, it is fair to say that each bar visit had its own merits. Rupert Street remains as popular as ever and you can always guarantee a busy atmosphere & superb service from the staff (well we do anyway!). The Box on a Friday is very special and attracts a very high quality crowd, many scene faces yes, but it has an air of class about it that makes for a perfect Friday frolic. However, we have to say that we were very impressed with Profile Bar. This was only our fourth visit, but we are really warming to the place. The crowd, like The Box, are stylish & good looking and the service we got from the bar (well Philippe) was exemplary. Lo Profile was good too, although they have to do something about the decor (come on Gaydar!), but we were pleasantly surprised by just how much we enjoyed it down there.

In terms of recommendations, well all three rank really high. When you consider that for little or no entrance fee to any of these tip top bars, you getting scene headlining D.J.’s like we enjoyed, Alessandro, Oliver M & Jamie Head , who would complain if they did charge. Then, look at the two talents that are Brent Nicholls & Paul Heron and we would pay to hear them play any day. As for choosing a night to visit, well, The Box is definitely best on a Friday, Rupert Street is busy pretty much every night, but Saturday’s & Sunday’s are particularly good. As for Profile, well, if it’s fabulous food, magnificent music & an amazing atmosphere you crave, then visit Thursday through Saturday and we think you won’t come away disappointed. Add to that the attraction of Lo-Profile just downstairs and it makes for a great combo. So, a big cheer & thanks to all three venues for making our Friday really special and we will be back to all of you, that’s for sure. (DISCO MATT)