LOVE 2 LOVE – LOVECHILD’S 1ST BIRTHDAY
– SATURDAY 13TH FEBRUARY
REVIEW FOR SEENQUEEN
There is something about Valentines that always seems to bring the best out of a healthy gAylist scene in London, although with much of the big guns showing their cards on other weekends, it was down to one club event to steal the show on Valentines Saturday, actually running into the day itself. What’s more, with the name evoking the theme of the love saint’s anniversary and the added bonus of celebrating its first birthday, plus on the back of an amazing time in their nominated room at the massive New Year’s Day party, “As One”, added to the ever increasing list of accomplished & scene favourite D.J.’s, there was hardly going to be anything to stop us from attending, warming everything up with a brilliant pre-party at Rupert Street the night before (see separate review).
The party? the celebration? the outing? Well Lovechild of course, the brand that looked to change & re-invigorate the Sunday clubbing scene, but instead found its niche on a Saturday, really hitting the good times securing a residency at Fire in Vauxhall, adding a healthy dose of raunch, sex & seductiveness to the glamour it quickly became famous for in its original London home Pacha. Choosing the second Saturday of the month to host it’s events in the capital, the move was a very tactical one, yet very astute, meaning it didn’t face the prospect of clashing with the other big gAylisting gatherings, although with the team that promoter Alex Erfan has developed & nurtured, there is no surprising that the brand has become the success it is and that the best decisions are being made.
So, with our head still recovering from the Sambuca shots the previous night, kind courtesy of Chris Geary, we tarted ourselves up and made to shortish trip down to Vauxhall, arriving at Fire’s doors in good time to see Saturday turn into Sunday, meaning Valentine’s Day had started for real. Greeted on the door by the fabulous Naomi Cuiz, looking as resplendent as ever in a gorgeous fur number, holding court controlling the entrance as only she knows best, we knew we were in good hands at this “Love 2 Love Lovechild’s 1st Birthday”, with thoughts that we might find our own Valentine for once. And just after having deposited our bits & bobs into the coatcheck, it seemed our wish was going to come true as we came across the gorgeous Norbert & the sexy Mariusz, who had arrived not long before us and were finding their feet at the top of Fire’s main room. Having always had so much fun with these pair and especially Mariusz after a saucy outing at Barcode Soho, it seemed our night was going to be full of treats, especially with the infamous contact “back” room on tap. But, eager to search out the spaces, we left the duo to their devices and headed off to check out the club.
With the contact room yet to open, the main room was the focus and was being warmed up nicely by D.J. Phil Hewson, who was pumping out some sparkling house tunes to inject some pump into the atmosphere, the space having been festooned with glittering ruby red love hearts & the fixed screens added to with clever stretched white fabric ones, displaying fantastic Lovechild visuals to add to the incredible laser lighting effects. However the dancefloor proper was taking a while to fill, it seemed that many were grabbing drinks or catching up socially in the “love lounge” next door, an intimate space offering a delightful breather to the larger rooms next door, but with plenty of uplifting music on offer, Craig Daniels behind the decks delivering some really groovy & funky tracks to compliment the party mood. There we caught up with a plethora of faces from the night before, including Roni Inan, smartly dressed top to tail in a matching leopard skin like suit & huge hat, really cutting a stride, then Jerry Boston, hirsute and in heels looking every bit the part, Danny Shubert, cute as ever, Jeffery Davids, dressed to deliver in a Hustlaball sort of way, and the man himself Alex Erfan, looking his usual smart self, all who had eager anticipation over their faces for a brilliant birthday bash which was due to unfold.
And that it did, as the main room quickly filled, Phil Hewson handing over to Push FM’s Tony English, who not only treated us to a SuperMartXe style set, but injected some real passion into the party, all added by the sexy go-go’s that ascended the podiums, framing a overtly dressed tall drag queen pouting & sashaying to the delight of the crowd of onlookers & Lovechild’s video snapper, recording it all for posterity. We were really getting into our stride with Tony’s set, finding our favourite spot next to the D.J. booth as the space became busier & busier, although some were anticipating the contact room firing up in the hands of Gabriele Cutrano. However, like the main room, this second space took a while to get going, but this did not detract from the super sexy sounds Mr Gabriele was selecting, the perfect backdrop for the two dancers a-top the podiums, who were definitely not holding back, stripping down to their jocks & then more, revealing their assets for all to see and certainly popping our eyes out with their prone positions.
But we were, by now, “love lounge” bound in search of Brent Nicholls who had pledged an early arrival and found the space brimming with a gorgeous mix of muscled queens, party girls and a plethora of cute boys, very much a delightful change to Fire outings of old, all soaking up the terrific tunes that Lee Harris was serving up, who had taken over from Craig Daniels. Having tracked Brent down, who was clearly in demand, we grabbed a quick hello before leaving him to his devices for a while, returning first to the main room, catching Pagano’s arrival, shortly followed by that of Alessandro, heralding yet a further delectable direction in the music. And it was long before they were both in their respective places, Alessandro picking up where Tony had left off, with a superb selection of sounds, latin beats & funky tunes to keep the main room pumping, but it was Pagano that really grabbed the party by the neck, gave it a good shake & delivered some awe inspiring tracks that had us breathless in a minute, packing out the contact room with his mesmeric musical magic. By now the steamy shows were at full tilt, the mass of sexy go-go’s being caught in pose by the gaggle of gay camera clickers & with the lighting & pyro rocket displays elevating an already electric action to pure fever pitch, this was definitely the place to be for most.
But the night was far from over and we were once again “love lounge” bound where we grabbed a little more of Brent Nicholls attention, before being pulled away to the bar by Jerry & Naomi, where Alex was uncorking a bottle of champagne in birthday celebration mode offering up a glass, although with our favourite track of the moment being played, Joey Negro’s “Can’t Get High Without U”, we tore away to the D.J. booth for a moment to find Brent in situ. This heralded a start to a two hour stint of stupendous sounds, with one track after the next really hitting our sweet spot, a brilliant collection of funky, uplifting, electro & hard hitting house that had is dancing deliriously. And the lounge was littered with a mix of cuties & disco queens that were definitely in the groove, but was also tinged with moments of hilarity & delight, including a man dressing down to his underwear, handing his i-phone to Brent to store safely behind the booth, to another who appeared with a massive bag of sweets, in a moment toppling us from our candyman status. But nothing was going to detract from the monstrous music and only a moment of guilt drew us away to seek out Alessandro in the main space & then Paul Heron, who had taken over in the contact room, very much keeping the party going.
With Brent finishing a polished performance and Pagano waving his goodbyes to us after another terrific turnout, the focus was very much on the contact room where Hugh Stevenson had taken the helm, the main room never really injecting anywhere near the excitement of earlier, even though the lovely Mattias was doing his best, but with 6 a.m. quickly turning to 7, it seemed that the call of afterhours partying at Beyond was draining the crowd and it wasn’t long before we called it a day too, losing a departing Brent in the melay of the coatcheck wait and then saying our goodbye’s to Alex, Roni, Paul & Alessandro before heading off into a Vauxhall dawn to carry on our partying deep into Sunday morning.
So what did we think of the “Love 2 Love – Lovechild 1st Birthday”? and what were the real highlights? Well, despite the party taking a little while to get going, once it did, this latest instalment at their new home Fire, really did set alight. There is little doubt that the contact room is the space where most of the action happens & certainly Pagano had the crowd eating out of his hands with some magical music, although Brent Nicholls really pulled a special set out of the bag, seemingly revelling in the intimate “love lounge” space and raised the thermometer of action to melting point with some spectacular selections But that takes nothing away from the other D.J.’s who all performed really well and made for a truly fantastic party that Alex & his team should be really proud of.
There is no doubt that Lovechild has really found its feet in its new home and choosing the second weekend of the month to host its events has not detracted from the numbers, rather has added to its popularity. There was definitely no shortage of the new style of sex & seductiveness and these new dimensions have really seen the brand strike its own identity, yet still having the capacity to draw a varied crowd. Add to that one of the strongest line up of resident D.J.’s that would make anyone envious, coupled with some of the horniest dancers around and this club looks like celebrating many more birthdays to come. We certainly cannot wait for the next party in March and recommend you make it a date too. (DISCO MATT)
– SATURDAY 13TH FEBRUARY
REVIEW FOR SEENQUEEN
There is something about Valentines that always seems to bring the best out of a healthy gAylist scene in London, although with much of the big guns showing their cards on other weekends, it was down to one club event to steal the show on Valentines Saturday, actually running into the day itself. What’s more, with the name evoking the theme of the love saint’s anniversary and the added bonus of celebrating its first birthday, plus on the back of an amazing time in their nominated room at the massive New Year’s Day party, “As One”, added to the ever increasing list of accomplished & scene favourite D.J.’s, there was hardly going to be anything to stop us from attending, warming everything up with a brilliant pre-party at Rupert Street the night before (see separate review).
The party? the celebration? the outing? Well Lovechild of course, the brand that looked to change & re-invigorate the Sunday clubbing scene, but instead found its niche on a Saturday, really hitting the good times securing a residency at Fire in Vauxhall, adding a healthy dose of raunch, sex & seductiveness to the glamour it quickly became famous for in its original London home Pacha. Choosing the second Saturday of the month to host it’s events in the capital, the move was a very tactical one, yet very astute, meaning it didn’t face the prospect of clashing with the other big gAylisting gatherings, although with the team that promoter Alex Erfan has developed & nurtured, there is no surprising that the brand has become the success it is and that the best decisions are being made.
So, with our head still recovering from the Sambuca shots the previous night, kind courtesy of Chris Geary, we tarted ourselves up and made to shortish trip down to Vauxhall, arriving at Fire’s doors in good time to see Saturday turn into Sunday, meaning Valentine’s Day had started for real. Greeted on the door by the fabulous Naomi Cuiz, looking as resplendent as ever in a gorgeous fur number, holding court controlling the entrance as only she knows best, we knew we were in good hands at this “Love 2 Love Lovechild’s 1st Birthday”, with thoughts that we might find our own Valentine for once. And just after having deposited our bits & bobs into the coatcheck, it seemed our wish was going to come true as we came across the gorgeous Norbert & the sexy Mariusz, who had arrived not long before us and were finding their feet at the top of Fire’s main room. Having always had so much fun with these pair and especially Mariusz after a saucy outing at Barcode Soho, it seemed our night was going to be full of treats, especially with the infamous contact “back” room on tap. But, eager to search out the spaces, we left the duo to their devices and headed off to check out the club.
With the contact room yet to open, the main room was the focus and was being warmed up nicely by D.J. Phil Hewson, who was pumping out some sparkling house tunes to inject some pump into the atmosphere, the space having been festooned with glittering ruby red love hearts & the fixed screens added to with clever stretched white fabric ones, displaying fantastic Lovechild visuals to add to the incredible laser lighting effects. However the dancefloor proper was taking a while to fill, it seemed that many were grabbing drinks or catching up socially in the “love lounge” next door, an intimate space offering a delightful breather to the larger rooms next door, but with plenty of uplifting music on offer, Craig Daniels behind the decks delivering some really groovy & funky tracks to compliment the party mood. There we caught up with a plethora of faces from the night before, including Roni Inan, smartly dressed top to tail in a matching leopard skin like suit & huge hat, really cutting a stride, then Jerry Boston, hirsute and in heels looking every bit the part, Danny Shubert, cute as ever, Jeffery Davids, dressed to deliver in a Hustlaball sort of way, and the man himself Alex Erfan, looking his usual smart self, all who had eager anticipation over their faces for a brilliant birthday bash which was due to unfold.
And that it did, as the main room quickly filled, Phil Hewson handing over to Push FM’s Tony English, who not only treated us to a SuperMartXe style set, but injected some real passion into the party, all added by the sexy go-go’s that ascended the podiums, framing a overtly dressed tall drag queen pouting & sashaying to the delight of the crowd of onlookers & Lovechild’s video snapper, recording it all for posterity. We were really getting into our stride with Tony’s set, finding our favourite spot next to the D.J. booth as the space became busier & busier, although some were anticipating the contact room firing up in the hands of Gabriele Cutrano. However, like the main room, this second space took a while to get going, but this did not detract from the super sexy sounds Mr Gabriele was selecting, the perfect backdrop for the two dancers a-top the podiums, who were definitely not holding back, stripping down to their jocks & then more, revealing their assets for all to see and certainly popping our eyes out with their prone positions.
But we were, by now, “love lounge” bound in search of Brent Nicholls who had pledged an early arrival and found the space brimming with a gorgeous mix of muscled queens, party girls and a plethora of cute boys, very much a delightful change to Fire outings of old, all soaking up the terrific tunes that Lee Harris was serving up, who had taken over from Craig Daniels. Having tracked Brent down, who was clearly in demand, we grabbed a quick hello before leaving him to his devices for a while, returning first to the main room, catching Pagano’s arrival, shortly followed by that of Alessandro, heralding yet a further delectable direction in the music. And it was long before they were both in their respective places, Alessandro picking up where Tony had left off, with a superb selection of sounds, latin beats & funky tunes to keep the main room pumping, but it was Pagano that really grabbed the party by the neck, gave it a good shake & delivered some awe inspiring tracks that had us breathless in a minute, packing out the contact room with his mesmeric musical magic. By now the steamy shows were at full tilt, the mass of sexy go-go’s being caught in pose by the gaggle of gay camera clickers & with the lighting & pyro rocket displays elevating an already electric action to pure fever pitch, this was definitely the place to be for most.
But the night was far from over and we were once again “love lounge” bound where we grabbed a little more of Brent Nicholls attention, before being pulled away to the bar by Jerry & Naomi, where Alex was uncorking a bottle of champagne in birthday celebration mode offering up a glass, although with our favourite track of the moment being played, Joey Negro’s “Can’t Get High Without U”, we tore away to the D.J. booth for a moment to find Brent in situ. This heralded a start to a two hour stint of stupendous sounds, with one track after the next really hitting our sweet spot, a brilliant collection of funky, uplifting, electro & hard hitting house that had is dancing deliriously. And the lounge was littered with a mix of cuties & disco queens that were definitely in the groove, but was also tinged with moments of hilarity & delight, including a man dressing down to his underwear, handing his i-phone to Brent to store safely behind the booth, to another who appeared with a massive bag of sweets, in a moment toppling us from our candyman status. But nothing was going to detract from the monstrous music and only a moment of guilt drew us away to seek out Alessandro in the main space & then Paul Heron, who had taken over in the contact room, very much keeping the party going.
With Brent finishing a polished performance and Pagano waving his goodbyes to us after another terrific turnout, the focus was very much on the contact room where Hugh Stevenson had taken the helm, the main room never really injecting anywhere near the excitement of earlier, even though the lovely Mattias was doing his best, but with 6 a.m. quickly turning to 7, it seemed that the call of afterhours partying at Beyond was draining the crowd and it wasn’t long before we called it a day too, losing a departing Brent in the melay of the coatcheck wait and then saying our goodbye’s to Alex, Roni, Paul & Alessandro before heading off into a Vauxhall dawn to carry on our partying deep into Sunday morning.
So what did we think of the “Love 2 Love – Lovechild 1st Birthday”? and what were the real highlights? Well, despite the party taking a little while to get going, once it did, this latest instalment at their new home Fire, really did set alight. There is little doubt that the contact room is the space where most of the action happens & certainly Pagano had the crowd eating out of his hands with some magical music, although Brent Nicholls really pulled a special set out of the bag, seemingly revelling in the intimate “love lounge” space and raised the thermometer of action to melting point with some spectacular selections But that takes nothing away from the other D.J.’s who all performed really well and made for a truly fantastic party that Alex & his team should be really proud of.
There is no doubt that Lovechild has really found its feet in its new home and choosing the second weekend of the month to host its events has not detracted from the numbers, rather has added to its popularity. There was definitely no shortage of the new style of sex & seductiveness and these new dimensions have really seen the brand strike its own identity, yet still having the capacity to draw a varied crowd. Add to that one of the strongest line up of resident D.J.’s that would make anyone envious, coupled with some of the horniest dancers around and this club looks like celebrating many more birthdays to come. We certainly cannot wait for the next party in March and recommend you make it a date too. (DISCO MATT)
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