“A SOCIAL SOIREE SPLENDOUR’S RETROSPECTIVE REFLECTION”
INDUSTRI – CLUB REVIEW
24TH MARCH
We have been clubbing in the capital for many a year now and there may be some substance to the phrase we are sometimes labeled witth, “London’s original party boy” and whilst there are a handful of faces that we have rubbed shoulders with as far back as Trade’s formative days in the early nineties still around, we have seen not just the faces change but the whole face of gAylist clubbing change too, with favourite clubs coming & going, while others having stood the test of time and are still around to thrill. To say that clubbing here in London continues to evolve & change is true, but for us it is the people that make our scene so special, creating an amazing social network that has certainly enriched our lives over the years, making us feel right at home in so many venues & club nights we visit. However there is one place, one night that, for us, probably ranks as THE most friendly, THE most sociable and one that has not only cemented a whole host of friendships in recent times, but has become so much a part of our social calendar that we feel a real loss whenever we miss out on it.
Industri was born back in January 2008 when three of the scene’s most prolific faces got together and decided that what was needed was a club that lacked attitude, rather gave people the opportunity to mix in a relaxing & inviting atmosphere, played out under the banner of some of the best music on offer, the joining of forces by scene favourite D.J. Brent Nicholls, international superstar D.J. talent Paul Heron, and the hostess supreme & one of the most familiar faces of gAylist London, Minty, was immediately a match made in heaven, quickly establishing the club as a leader of the pack on Thursday offerings & adding to the already popular status held by host venue Barcode Vauxhall. Indeed the night quickly attracted a merry band of loyal followers, all who became quite close, giving this treat on Thursday a real sense of family like no other club night we have ever known. So, this special review of the social soiree splendour that has become indelibly Industri is our reflection of what has become in institution in our eyes, looking at the characters & the whole fabric of the club, but moreover givig an insight as to why it works so well, also reflecting on some of the changes, for better or for worse.
So, where do we start? Well like any great social soiree it is the people that make it a success and what a fabulous collection of people the club has attracted in its short history, although we have to start with the three for whom Industri would never have become what it is today. Minty in reality is the linchpin of the night, without which Industri would just be another gathering in a bar anywhere in London. She has this incredibly warming presence, yet commands such respect within the throng that she attracts, her enigmatic charm, her genuine generosity and her impeccable hosting skills remain un-paralled, her skill of joining people from so many different walks of life incredible and her care & consideration for everybody walking into Industri’s presence is simply amazing. Her services not just to Industri, but to the wider gay community over the years deserves not just celebrating but commending and for us, she will always remain the hostess with the mostest, the best in her field and someone for whom we have tremendous respect & affection.
Then we turn to the dynamic duo of Brent Nicholls & Paul Heron, the synergy of these two massive D.J. talents working like a dream from day one. Not that the two , before Industri, were unfamiliar with spinning sounds together at the same club in the same space, oh no, as in the heyday of Beyond in its launch at The Colloseum, these scene favourite jocks combined to make the VIP room a very special place to be. And in the early days of Industri, when both would be present & playing b2b for the five hour stint, it was pure magic, the trademark latin tinged, funky & electro tainted house of Brent blending beautifully with the more tech infused & progressive sounds of Paul, although both have always used the night to test out new sounds, new tracks & new genres of their house music craft to a captive audience of regulars, who, like them, crave wonderful music with style flair & enthusiasm, some often showing their appreciation through dazzling dancing moves of motion. Then, when times began to change in Industri’s fortunes and the D.J. duo was split to rotate on a fortnightly basis, the dynamism of the music offer changed considerably and whilst it took a while to get used to, the treat of hooking up with one D.J. one week, the other the next, has become quite compelling, recapturing some of the magical feel of Industri’s informative times.
Then there are the ardent followers, a band of merry folk who crave for the social splendour that only Industri seems to be able to deliver consistently. And for us, it has become akin to a family of friendly folk, whose weekly reunion is not just refreshing but sometimes the highlight of the hectic & demanding lifestyle we lead. There is Chris, the man with the camera, who has captured for posterity hundreds, no thousands of shots of the brilliant times & memoires that Industri and the people that make up this special gathering have created. Through picture albums compiled with love care & affection, Chris’s passion for Industri shows through and he is one of those remarkable individuals for whom the club & night would be a poorer place without. That also goes for Stephen, with whom we have formed a special friendship. He is one of those characters that truly sets a party alight, the focal of attention, yet so genuine with it, full of fun just when it counts and a brilliant conversationalist, as well as a rock in our lives right now. We have lost count the number of brilliant times we have had in his company and he is definitely a face of Industri that everyone in the “family” has come to love & adore. But there are so many more, Terry & Paul, Jeremy & Andrew, David & Stuart & Sofie & Matt, all who have been part of superb memories & memorable parties, although the list of friendly faces is long, Kym, Marlon, Frank, Graham, Andre, Ian, Steven, Glen and even our favourite go-go dancer Dilmar, but many many more that make Industri the social soiree splendour it is.
So, what is a typical Industri evening? Indeed is there one? Well, when we arrive, our friends, our Industri family are there, we chat, we catch up, we socialise and most importantly we listen to great music and have a great time. And the music? Well, whether it be Brent playing out the latest & cutting edge sounds & records that are due to make it big, his latin infused & funky chunky style intermixed with a occasional camp & disco tipped moment, or whether it be Paul, trying out his latest musical mix masterminded in the studio or opting for a collection of crowd pleasing tunes to bring smiles to our faces, in both their hands, the music does as much of the talking that the crowd do with each other. And when they pick out our favourite tunes, the list being countless but the one that always does it, Emma Baldwin’s “Release Me”, & more latterly a great Beyonce dance mix, almost instinctively they invoke reactions, smiles & dancing grooves, we absolutely adore our times there in their masterful musical hands, often staying beyond bedtime & indulging in the kind of audacious activity that would normally be reserved for a non school night.
Then there are the celebrations, the birthdays that are marked with cakes, candle blowing activity and banners, even drawing a whole collection of D.J’s to celebrate in style, Paul Heron’s being a truly memorable night. The big occasions like Easter never fail to disappoint, when throngs appear from nowhere & pack Barcode to the rafters, but in truth we never really need an excuse to celebrate, raise more than a glass or two, to indulge in potentially hangover causing sequences of shots, Minty’s & our favourite “Sassy Bitch” really hitting the spot, or even when “The Candyman” (who could that be?!) arriving with sweets, whether it be liquorice allsorts, marshmallows or the like, such is the uniqueness of the night that activity like this that would be frowned upon elsewhere, but is considered the norm at Industri. And it is all these kind of wonderful elements that have become tradition that makes this club night really stand out as being a truly special outing like no other we have ever known, pushing the boundaries, striking that individual pose, yet being the epitomy of every that that is great about the diversity of the scene within which we live, this fun filled Thursday night fulfilling everything that that we could dream of in our land of social soiree splendour.
So, what more can we say about this extra special night in the clubbing calendar? Well, not much really apart from the fact that if you haven’t been to an Industri night yet, where have you been? Yes it’s true that this incredible outing’s fortunes have waxed & waned, but through the tough times remain the good, no the great and through the adversity comes strength, not least due to the amazing people that make up the fabric of the club, whether it be off duty D.J’s, scene faces, club kids or your average joe, Industri has it all. But mostly it has Minty’s magnificence, Brent’s brilliance & Paul’s perfection, meaning that there has rarely been a better place to be in our clubbing & socialising life, for us Industri, ticking every box. Now, if this is seen by some as us being biased, well so be it, but we cannot praise this threesome enough for the magic they bring us week & week out, not to mention all the other people involved. Industri, you are incredible & we will always love you wherever we are. (DISCO MATT)
INDUSTRI – CLUB REVIEW
24TH MARCH
We have been clubbing in the capital for many a year now and there may be some substance to the phrase we are sometimes labeled witth, “London’s original party boy” and whilst there are a handful of faces that we have rubbed shoulders with as far back as Trade’s formative days in the early nineties still around, we have seen not just the faces change but the whole face of gAylist clubbing change too, with favourite clubs coming & going, while others having stood the test of time and are still around to thrill. To say that clubbing here in London continues to evolve & change is true, but for us it is the people that make our scene so special, creating an amazing social network that has certainly enriched our lives over the years, making us feel right at home in so many venues & club nights we visit. However there is one place, one night that, for us, probably ranks as THE most friendly, THE most sociable and one that has not only cemented a whole host of friendships in recent times, but has become so much a part of our social calendar that we feel a real loss whenever we miss out on it.
Industri was born back in January 2008 when three of the scene’s most prolific faces got together and decided that what was needed was a club that lacked attitude, rather gave people the opportunity to mix in a relaxing & inviting atmosphere, played out under the banner of some of the best music on offer, the joining of forces by scene favourite D.J. Brent Nicholls, international superstar D.J. talent Paul Heron, and the hostess supreme & one of the most familiar faces of gAylist London, Minty, was immediately a match made in heaven, quickly establishing the club as a leader of the pack on Thursday offerings & adding to the already popular status held by host venue Barcode Vauxhall. Indeed the night quickly attracted a merry band of loyal followers, all who became quite close, giving this treat on Thursday a real sense of family like no other club night we have ever known. So, this special review of the social soiree splendour that has become indelibly Industri is our reflection of what has become in institution in our eyes, looking at the characters & the whole fabric of the club, but moreover givig an insight as to why it works so well, also reflecting on some of the changes, for better or for worse.
So, where do we start? Well like any great social soiree it is the people that make it a success and what a fabulous collection of people the club has attracted in its short history, although we have to start with the three for whom Industri would never have become what it is today. Minty in reality is the linchpin of the night, without which Industri would just be another gathering in a bar anywhere in London. She has this incredibly warming presence, yet commands such respect within the throng that she attracts, her enigmatic charm, her genuine generosity and her impeccable hosting skills remain un-paralled, her skill of joining people from so many different walks of life incredible and her care & consideration for everybody walking into Industri’s presence is simply amazing. Her services not just to Industri, but to the wider gay community over the years deserves not just celebrating but commending and for us, she will always remain the hostess with the mostest, the best in her field and someone for whom we have tremendous respect & affection.
Then we turn to the dynamic duo of Brent Nicholls & Paul Heron, the synergy of these two massive D.J. talents working like a dream from day one. Not that the two , before Industri, were unfamiliar with spinning sounds together at the same club in the same space, oh no, as in the heyday of Beyond in its launch at The Colloseum, these scene favourite jocks combined to make the VIP room a very special place to be. And in the early days of Industri, when both would be present & playing b2b for the five hour stint, it was pure magic, the trademark latin tinged, funky & electro tainted house of Brent blending beautifully with the more tech infused & progressive sounds of Paul, although both have always used the night to test out new sounds, new tracks & new genres of their house music craft to a captive audience of regulars, who, like them, crave wonderful music with style flair & enthusiasm, some often showing their appreciation through dazzling dancing moves of motion. Then, when times began to change in Industri’s fortunes and the D.J. duo was split to rotate on a fortnightly basis, the dynamism of the music offer changed considerably and whilst it took a while to get used to, the treat of hooking up with one D.J. one week, the other the next, has become quite compelling, recapturing some of the magical feel of Industri’s informative times.
Then there are the ardent followers, a band of merry folk who crave for the social splendour that only Industri seems to be able to deliver consistently. And for us, it has become akin to a family of friendly folk, whose weekly reunion is not just refreshing but sometimes the highlight of the hectic & demanding lifestyle we lead. There is Chris, the man with the camera, who has captured for posterity hundreds, no thousands of shots of the brilliant times & memoires that Industri and the people that make up this special gathering have created. Through picture albums compiled with love care & affection, Chris’s passion for Industri shows through and he is one of those remarkable individuals for whom the club & night would be a poorer place without. That also goes for Stephen, with whom we have formed a special friendship. He is one of those characters that truly sets a party alight, the focal of attention, yet so genuine with it, full of fun just when it counts and a brilliant conversationalist, as well as a rock in our lives right now. We have lost count the number of brilliant times we have had in his company and he is definitely a face of Industri that everyone in the “family” has come to love & adore. But there are so many more, Terry & Paul, Jeremy & Andrew, David & Stuart & Sofie & Matt, all who have been part of superb memories & memorable parties, although the list of friendly faces is long, Kym, Marlon, Frank, Graham, Andre, Ian, Steven, Glen and even our favourite go-go dancer Dilmar, but many many more that make Industri the social soiree splendour it is.
So, what is a typical Industri evening? Indeed is there one? Well, when we arrive, our friends, our Industri family are there, we chat, we catch up, we socialise and most importantly we listen to great music and have a great time. And the music? Well, whether it be Brent playing out the latest & cutting edge sounds & records that are due to make it big, his latin infused & funky chunky style intermixed with a occasional camp & disco tipped moment, or whether it be Paul, trying out his latest musical mix masterminded in the studio or opting for a collection of crowd pleasing tunes to bring smiles to our faces, in both their hands, the music does as much of the talking that the crowd do with each other. And when they pick out our favourite tunes, the list being countless but the one that always does it, Emma Baldwin’s “Release Me”, & more latterly a great Beyonce dance mix, almost instinctively they invoke reactions, smiles & dancing grooves, we absolutely adore our times there in their masterful musical hands, often staying beyond bedtime & indulging in the kind of audacious activity that would normally be reserved for a non school night.
Then there are the celebrations, the birthdays that are marked with cakes, candle blowing activity and banners, even drawing a whole collection of D.J’s to celebrate in style, Paul Heron’s being a truly memorable night. The big occasions like Easter never fail to disappoint, when throngs appear from nowhere & pack Barcode to the rafters, but in truth we never really need an excuse to celebrate, raise more than a glass or two, to indulge in potentially hangover causing sequences of shots, Minty’s & our favourite “Sassy Bitch” really hitting the spot, or even when “The Candyman” (who could that be?!) arriving with sweets, whether it be liquorice allsorts, marshmallows or the like, such is the uniqueness of the night that activity like this that would be frowned upon elsewhere, but is considered the norm at Industri. And it is all these kind of wonderful elements that have become tradition that makes this club night really stand out as being a truly special outing like no other we have ever known, pushing the boundaries, striking that individual pose, yet being the epitomy of every that that is great about the diversity of the scene within which we live, this fun filled Thursday night fulfilling everything that that we could dream of in our land of social soiree splendour.
So, what more can we say about this extra special night in the clubbing calendar? Well, not much really apart from the fact that if you haven’t been to an Industri night yet, where have you been? Yes it’s true that this incredible outing’s fortunes have waxed & waned, but through the tough times remain the good, no the great and through the adversity comes strength, not least due to the amazing people that make up the fabric of the club, whether it be off duty D.J’s, scene faces, club kids or your average joe, Industri has it all. But mostly it has Minty’s magnificence, Brent’s brilliance & Paul’s perfection, meaning that there has rarely been a better place to be in our clubbing & socialising life, for us Industri, ticking every box. Now, if this is seen by some as us being biased, well so be it, but we cannot praise this threesome enough for the magic they bring us week & week out, not to mention all the other people involved. Industri, you are incredible & we will always love you wherever we are. (DISCO MATT)
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