A.M. 9TH BIRTHDAY – SATURDAY 6TH FEBRUARY
REVIEW FOR SEENQUEEN
Now, there is something about afterhours clubbing that really appeals to us and we are privileged to have witnessed some brilliant parties stretching well into Sunday mornings (sometimes afternoon) regularly, as well as the occasional Bank Holiday specials that stretch well into Monday morning, the main protagonists having been Trade, Orange and of course Beyond. But, there is another club which does the afterhours experience just as well, but in recent times has been completely overlooked by us, despite having been in the thick of it when it all started back at the turn of the millennium. But, when we heard of a special birthday celebration party, we simply couldn’t resist returning, as we are real suckers for a birthday bash.
So, whose birthday was it? Well A.M. of course and what better a way to start our weekend of fun than taking a trip down to Fire and changing our Saturday morning landscape normality for just one weekend. With the promise of some great music across two rooms of fun & with plenty of the trademark Fire production, lighting et all, we were in for a bit of a treat and were not to be disappointed, arriving at the clubs doors slightly later than planned at 5 a.m. but just in time to catch the start of D’Johnny’s set, who had taken over the D.J. reigns from A.M. stalwart David Jiminez, a talent we came to love & adore back in the heady days of “Crash” and “Beyond” at Colloseum. So, having been treated like royalty by the fabulous & gorge Naomi Cuiz, resplendent in a white fur number, leading us past the lengthy queue and straight into the club, we grabbed refreshments & headed for our now favourite dancing spot, just left (looking at it) of the D.J. booth.
Having been absent from A.M. for quite a few years & many a party, we didn’t quite know what to expect and looking at the crowd, which was an eclectic collection of klub kids, off duty scene workers, Vauxhall waifs & strays & everything in-between, you could be forgiven for thinking that this was a collective collision from hell. But far from it, as it was clear everyone was into the music & wanted to party away, D’Johnny providing a perfect musical back drop to fulfil our desires. Knowing this talent as we do, but not having seen him perform at A.M. before, we absolutely marvelled in his stupendous set that had us dancing merrily on our spot on the main floor, trading moves with plenty around us who were also clearly into the Johnny vibes. And with our body fuelled for the action, we hardly moved from our favoured place, excepting when the brilliant hostess Naomi sought us out and led us into the “lounge” room all ready to pose for a photograph from one of those weekly rags! (will we be in it?...who knows).
Having found ourselves in this a aptly named “vinyl lounge” space, the duo that was Paul Martin & The Oli were combining to weave a magical mystifying mix of heavenly house tunes, as the room billing appropriately highlighted, it’s about the funk! and the music was definitely that, a truly uplifting collection of tunes offering light relief from the heavy undertones of the main room. But it was the number one space that drew us back, savouring the rest of D’Johnny’s set and marvelling at his sheer enthusiasm behind the decks, before he handed over to Mr god of a D.J., Gonzalo Rivas, so much the talent responsible for many a Sunday morning at Trade leading us down the path of wickedness in the search of great music, which we always found. And, true to form, he delivered an impeccable set, taking the A.M. party to new heights, his precision work just the ticket to keep us merrily dancing away well into Saturday morning. And others around us were doing the same, pal Clington Forbes moving & grooving in a series of acrobatic displays & even an off-duty Jamie Head getting into the party mood.
But, let’s not forget the entertainment, the collection of delectable dancers, two muscle hunks, followed by more feminine versions, all strutting their stuff on the podiums in front of us. Mind you, with one cross dressing guy wearing heels, we, together with Johnny, looked on hilariously as the poor girl in the middle was dwarfed by the guy next to her, although she also saw the funny side of it all, looking over with a massive laughing grin on her face. With the whole club adorned with appropriate production, the main room “A.M.....azing” and the “Vinyl Lounge” decked in dozens of disc’s hanging from the ceiling & a glorious gold encrusted “Funk” sign at the end, you simply couldn’t mistake what party you were at. Add to that, the superb backdrop of lighting behind the main room podiums, a huge neon “A.M.” sign & a flashing number 9, it was clear the team had spared no expense to celebrate the birthday bash in style, which, together with regular CO2 bursts & pyrotechnic ticker tape explosions, made for an altogether fever pitch atmosphere, Gonzalo’s scintillating track selections providing the perfect antidote to our increasing fatigue.
Further respites into the “vinyl lounge” served to fuel our excitement and appetite for the harder sounding main room and we simply couldn’t resist succumbing to the full on music fest that was being handed out by Mr Rivas, we knowing in an instant why this man is pure genius behind the decks & a real asset to the Fire team. With D’Johnny re-appearing to catch a brief word, we were grateful for the lovely birthday gift he handed us, an A.M. privilege card & card holder, a lovely touch indeed, although we were firmly in dance mood, as Gonzalo was really touching our musical sweet spot. For us, his set could have continued into Saturday afternoon, but as the morning moved on, it was time for him to hand over the reins to dancefloor filler favourite Alan K, who spotted us and made his hello’s warmly before heading behind the booth to prepare for his set. And it turned out to be fantastic, a smooth transition from the tough tech intermixed with some real old skool tracks (well it was the 9th birthday after all!) that Gonzalo was dishing up, to full on uplifting funky yet hard hitting house, Alan, increasing the pace a further couple of notches, picking some really energetic tunes to keep the atmosphere at mesmeric levels. We absolutely love Alan’s passion for entertaining his audience & thriving on their energy levels, reflecting in the records he plays, his final slot in any party being just right to round off a brilliant dance experience.
With the now inclusion of a percussionist as well as the dancers still lauding it on the podiums, the morning was set to turn into an afternoon, and we did our best to savour Alan’s full set, although we had our minds set on partying the following night, Matinee being part of the beck & call, which would no doubt be followed by some Beyond bawdiness. So resisting the temptation to party on to the 11 a.m. finish, we eventually decided to hang up our boots around an hour before, waving goodbye to all concerned, the enigmatic Naomi, the bubbly Jay Sharp Vokins, and of course Mr K, before collecting our belongings and heading off into a dank grey Saturday morning. Feeling far removed from the glitterati that was A.M.’s 9th birthday bash in an instant, we sought attempt rekindle our thoughts of the fabulous music we had savoured at this audacious afterhours A.M. birthday bash, by playing our tip top tune, Soul Avengerz’s “Drop The Bomb”, as we headed in the short distance journey home.
So, what was our take on our first A.M. visit for many a year? And did the birthday live up to our expectations? Well, there is no doubt that the club continues to draw in the sort of crowd that don’t want their Friday night to end and from our memories of a few years ago, A.M. has retained that unique vibe that makes any visit feel hedonistic & decadent, very much the ethos of an afterhours party in our books. What we did notice that was different however, was the quality of the music, which was absolutely amazing, simply scintillating & truly terrific. Each & every D.J. across both rooms played their part, individually & collectively taking us on a progressive journey through a whole host of house music genres that never left us feeling wanting. The entertainment from the dancers was pitched perfectly and the usual Fire high quality production truly complimented the event & it definitely had a real birthday feel to it. Special mentions have to go to Naomi, for looking after us so much and to Jay Sharp Vokins for making us so welcome,
But, with that said, A.M.’s 9th birthday (and we suspect every A.M. party) was all about the music, so each and every D.J. on duty needs to be congratulated for delivering exactly what it say’s on the “A.M. box”, “it’s all about the music baby – we rock & we won’t stop”. And that really sums it all up as the 9th birthday bash was very much about the music, it definitely rocked & we didn’t stop dancing for virtually the whole time we were there, so the outing without doubt fulfilled all our expectations. What more can we say, apart from happy birthday A.M. and it will definitely be a long time before your next one that we will head back to Fire on a Saturday morning. (DISCO MATT)
REVIEW FOR SEENQUEEN
Now, there is something about afterhours clubbing that really appeals to us and we are privileged to have witnessed some brilliant parties stretching well into Sunday mornings (sometimes afternoon) regularly, as well as the occasional Bank Holiday specials that stretch well into Monday morning, the main protagonists having been Trade, Orange and of course Beyond. But, there is another club which does the afterhours experience just as well, but in recent times has been completely overlooked by us, despite having been in the thick of it when it all started back at the turn of the millennium. But, when we heard of a special birthday celebration party, we simply couldn’t resist returning, as we are real suckers for a birthday bash.
So, whose birthday was it? Well A.M. of course and what better a way to start our weekend of fun than taking a trip down to Fire and changing our Saturday morning landscape normality for just one weekend. With the promise of some great music across two rooms of fun & with plenty of the trademark Fire production, lighting et all, we were in for a bit of a treat and were not to be disappointed, arriving at the clubs doors slightly later than planned at 5 a.m. but just in time to catch the start of D’Johnny’s set, who had taken over the D.J. reigns from A.M. stalwart David Jiminez, a talent we came to love & adore back in the heady days of “Crash” and “Beyond” at Colloseum. So, having been treated like royalty by the fabulous & gorge Naomi Cuiz, resplendent in a white fur number, leading us past the lengthy queue and straight into the club, we grabbed refreshments & headed for our now favourite dancing spot, just left (looking at it) of the D.J. booth.
Having been absent from A.M. for quite a few years & many a party, we didn’t quite know what to expect and looking at the crowd, which was an eclectic collection of klub kids, off duty scene workers, Vauxhall waifs & strays & everything in-between, you could be forgiven for thinking that this was a collective collision from hell. But far from it, as it was clear everyone was into the music & wanted to party away, D’Johnny providing a perfect musical back drop to fulfil our desires. Knowing this talent as we do, but not having seen him perform at A.M. before, we absolutely marvelled in his stupendous set that had us dancing merrily on our spot on the main floor, trading moves with plenty around us who were also clearly into the Johnny vibes. And with our body fuelled for the action, we hardly moved from our favoured place, excepting when the brilliant hostess Naomi sought us out and led us into the “lounge” room all ready to pose for a photograph from one of those weekly rags! (will we be in it?...who knows).
Having found ourselves in this a aptly named “vinyl lounge” space, the duo that was Paul Martin & The Oli were combining to weave a magical mystifying mix of heavenly house tunes, as the room billing appropriately highlighted, it’s about the funk! and the music was definitely that, a truly uplifting collection of tunes offering light relief from the heavy undertones of the main room. But it was the number one space that drew us back, savouring the rest of D’Johnny’s set and marvelling at his sheer enthusiasm behind the decks, before he handed over to Mr god of a D.J., Gonzalo Rivas, so much the talent responsible for many a Sunday morning at Trade leading us down the path of wickedness in the search of great music, which we always found. And, true to form, he delivered an impeccable set, taking the A.M. party to new heights, his precision work just the ticket to keep us merrily dancing away well into Saturday morning. And others around us were doing the same, pal Clington Forbes moving & grooving in a series of acrobatic displays & even an off-duty Jamie Head getting into the party mood.
But, let’s not forget the entertainment, the collection of delectable dancers, two muscle hunks, followed by more feminine versions, all strutting their stuff on the podiums in front of us. Mind you, with one cross dressing guy wearing heels, we, together with Johnny, looked on hilariously as the poor girl in the middle was dwarfed by the guy next to her, although she also saw the funny side of it all, looking over with a massive laughing grin on her face. With the whole club adorned with appropriate production, the main room “A.M.....azing” and the “Vinyl Lounge” decked in dozens of disc’s hanging from the ceiling & a glorious gold encrusted “Funk” sign at the end, you simply couldn’t mistake what party you were at. Add to that, the superb backdrop of lighting behind the main room podiums, a huge neon “A.M.” sign & a flashing number 9, it was clear the team had spared no expense to celebrate the birthday bash in style, which, together with regular CO2 bursts & pyrotechnic ticker tape explosions, made for an altogether fever pitch atmosphere, Gonzalo’s scintillating track selections providing the perfect antidote to our increasing fatigue.
Further respites into the “vinyl lounge” served to fuel our excitement and appetite for the harder sounding main room and we simply couldn’t resist succumbing to the full on music fest that was being handed out by Mr Rivas, we knowing in an instant why this man is pure genius behind the decks & a real asset to the Fire team. With D’Johnny re-appearing to catch a brief word, we were grateful for the lovely birthday gift he handed us, an A.M. privilege card & card holder, a lovely touch indeed, although we were firmly in dance mood, as Gonzalo was really touching our musical sweet spot. For us, his set could have continued into Saturday afternoon, but as the morning moved on, it was time for him to hand over the reins to dancefloor filler favourite Alan K, who spotted us and made his hello’s warmly before heading behind the booth to prepare for his set. And it turned out to be fantastic, a smooth transition from the tough tech intermixed with some real old skool tracks (well it was the 9th birthday after all!) that Gonzalo was dishing up, to full on uplifting funky yet hard hitting house, Alan, increasing the pace a further couple of notches, picking some really energetic tunes to keep the atmosphere at mesmeric levels. We absolutely love Alan’s passion for entertaining his audience & thriving on their energy levels, reflecting in the records he plays, his final slot in any party being just right to round off a brilliant dance experience.
With the now inclusion of a percussionist as well as the dancers still lauding it on the podiums, the morning was set to turn into an afternoon, and we did our best to savour Alan’s full set, although we had our minds set on partying the following night, Matinee being part of the beck & call, which would no doubt be followed by some Beyond bawdiness. So resisting the temptation to party on to the 11 a.m. finish, we eventually decided to hang up our boots around an hour before, waving goodbye to all concerned, the enigmatic Naomi, the bubbly Jay Sharp Vokins, and of course Mr K, before collecting our belongings and heading off into a dank grey Saturday morning. Feeling far removed from the glitterati that was A.M.’s 9th birthday bash in an instant, we sought attempt rekindle our thoughts of the fabulous music we had savoured at this audacious afterhours A.M. birthday bash, by playing our tip top tune, Soul Avengerz’s “Drop The Bomb”, as we headed in the short distance journey home.
So, what was our take on our first A.M. visit for many a year? And did the birthday live up to our expectations? Well, there is no doubt that the club continues to draw in the sort of crowd that don’t want their Friday night to end and from our memories of a few years ago, A.M. has retained that unique vibe that makes any visit feel hedonistic & decadent, very much the ethos of an afterhours party in our books. What we did notice that was different however, was the quality of the music, which was absolutely amazing, simply scintillating & truly terrific. Each & every D.J. across both rooms played their part, individually & collectively taking us on a progressive journey through a whole host of house music genres that never left us feeling wanting. The entertainment from the dancers was pitched perfectly and the usual Fire high quality production truly complimented the event & it definitely had a real birthday feel to it. Special mentions have to go to Naomi, for looking after us so much and to Jay Sharp Vokins for making us so welcome,
But, with that said, A.M.’s 9th birthday (and we suspect every A.M. party) was all about the music, so each and every D.J. on duty needs to be congratulated for delivering exactly what it say’s on the “A.M. box”, “it’s all about the music baby – we rock & we won’t stop”. And that really sums it all up as the 9th birthday bash was very much about the music, it definitely rocked & we didn’t stop dancing for virtually the whole time we were there, so the outing without doubt fulfilled all our expectations. What more can we say, apart from happy birthday A.M. and it will definitely be a long time before your next one that we will head back to Fire on a Saturday morning. (DISCO MATT)
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