“WONDERFULLY WET” – LOVECHILD
SATURDAY 17TH APRIL
CLUB REVIEW
Now, when it comes to complete transformations & change in fortunes, it is rare to see such prolific advancements than we have seen in clubbing brands across what is both a very active & competitive gAylist clubbing scene in London. It seems that well established brands still tend to steal the limelight and attract the lion’s share of the crowds, but in Lovechild, we have seen one of the most amazing advancements, following the promoters decision to move the brand into Fire at Vauxhall, a venue that has been a popular hotbed of activity for most of the decade, sporting some of the biggest club nights. In the short time it has played host to Alex Erfan’s cornerstone club brand in his “presents” family, Fire has allowed Lovechild to really find a new identity, help the team push the boundaries a little and introduce fresh new ideas to compliment the feel of the night. And with its latest party, Lovechild “Wet” that was exactly what was promised, so did it fulfil expectations?
Having savoured a snapshot of the Lovechild mood at the pre-party, held on the Friday at Rupert Street bar in Soho, in the capable musical hands of D.J. Alessandro, we decided on the night itself to head to Barcode Vauxhall for a small warm up before hitting the event proper. Bumping into D.J. cheeky minx Steven Artis, the pattern for the night was quickly established, as his naughty advances got us right in the mood & the “wet” theme of Lovechild was definitely intriguing both of us, we having resisted the temptation to get some inside information on the planned installation of showers (yes you heard us right), rather preferring to be surprised by the effect. However, the anticipation was too much, so downing refreshments, we headed down to Fire and a smoothly negotiated entrance to this latest instalment of the luscious loveliness that has become Lovechild, arriving at just turned midnight & being greeted at the door by the welcoming Simon Patrick, who ensured our smooth & speedy passage, once being inside it was a mere minute before our bits & bobs where checked in and we were free to start our night proper.
Moving down onto the main floor, the space was slowly beginning to fill out with party goers that also seemed quite intrigued about the “wet” theme and you could feel the air of excitement within the atmosphere, all being helped along by the wonderful Phil Hewson, who was delivering a delightful dishful of disc’s, uplifting & funky house tunes to really get the party going. Making ourselves known but not wishing to interrupt his flow, a quick peck on the cheek was enough acknowledgement and we retired into the “love” lounge, where Egg’s resident D.J, the enchanting Gabriele Cutrano, was serving up some funky yet soulful house sounds to give the room a real seductive feel. We paused for a moment or two, waving across at the booth and then turning as our shoulder was tapped by Roni Inan, as always dressed really smartly and looking excited about the night ahead, Danny Shubert by his side and both really pleased to see us and it wasn’t long before the man himself flew in, promoter Alex Erfan, who seemed suitably calm and collective, even given the radical shower installation in the aptly named “contact wet” room, that was as yet untested.
And that’s where we were next headed, the space not yet open but Alex keen to give us a guided tour and seeing the shower display in the flesh, we immediately recognised that it would definitely make a considerable splash. Waiting in the wings and preparing for his set was Australian guest D.J. Johan Khoury, who came bounding up to say hello, immediately making us feel weak at the knees with his good looks & antipodean charm, although with his set about to start, he soon had to disappear behind the decks to get ready, although in an instant we knew exactly where we were going to be for the next two hours at least. Then, with the “contact” room firing into action, the choice was pretty straightforward, as Johan treated us to a superb set, full of uplifting electro tainted & tech infused beats that had us stripped down to our waist, dancing in an instant and quickly drawing in a crowd that saw the room packed and pumping. And, as a result, fellow guest D.J. Danny Bond of The Basemonkey’s, struggled to hold an audience in the main room, while Craig Daniel had a nice collection of cuties (as always) lapping up his laid back & funky sounds in the “love” lounge.
But all eyes were on the “Contact” room, where not only was the shower now in full action, Chris Geary’s gorgeous go-go’s shimmering through the perspex casing definitely making for a unique & drenching display, although, for us, it was the roll tap bath on the stage in front on the D.J. booth that was making the most impact, as go-go, one after the next took their turn to dive in and get fully covered in blue & silver glitter and adding further to the sexual intrigue of their near naked bodies, we by now in prime viewing spot (surprise, surprise) next just right of the D.J. booth. And just in time too, as Pagano arrived, spotting us and giving us a very unusual welcome (too rude to mention) leaving us both aghast & in hysterics, before he took his place behind the decks to deliver on of the best sets we had heard in a long time, a gorgeous mix of progressive & deep sounds, old Pagano favourites mixed in with new stormers that meant we were going nowhere, the bath in front of us still attracting plenty of attention, and Alex & co popping through every now & then to keep us company. However, our inevitable moment of sexual intrigue occurred when fab photographer Chris Jepson appeared and, with curiosity killing the cat, dragged us into the “contact playroom” to see what all the fuss was about, the space certainly fulfilling the brief of sex meeting glamour, although we strangely reluctant to indulge, preferring to reserve our audacious activity on the darkroom side for Hard On!
With D.J. pal Alessandro arriving and having danced virtually for the whole of Pagano’s stupendous set, only brief trips into the main room, where Tony English was re-capturing the crowd with his stirring performance, breaking the Francesco frenetic set service, our night was definitely on heat, in more ways than one, the superb lighting & the magnificent pyrotechnics in the hands of the angelical Dorin, who popped out of his lofted control station briefly to say hello, ensured the “wet” event was certainly meeting expectations. And with Alessandro picking up from where Pagano left, the Italian stallion giving us yet another erotic approach as he stepped down from the D.J. booth (the saucy man!), the magnificent music continued, Alessandro pulling out some real gems from his bag of tools, very much his style of latin infused electro funk with splash of tech that continued to capture the imagination of the crowd.
But the Alan K jungle drums were beating and tempting us into the main room and wow were we in for a treat or what! as what had been a pretty lack-lustre space was now well & truly brimming with gyrating bodies, go-go dancers aloft the podiums, Fire’s main room lasers casting superb spells of enlightening effects on the crowd, flashing in time to the amazing energetic beats that Alan was delivering, making for an altogether electric atmosphere. Making his appearance at Lovechild for the first time, seemed undaunting to Alan, Mr K being right at home in the main space and treating us to a Beyond-esque style closing set that was short of breathtaking, injecting his massive enthusiasm into every track selected, many multi-mixed in true Alan style, the decision to include him in the line up an inspired move by the promoters. But when he played one of our favourite tracks of now, Denis Christopher’s “No More Lies”, we went into stratospheric dancing mode, in pure heaven & absolutely enthralled with the music we were having the honour of lapping up. And the crowd response was the same, the room absolutely kicking virtually right through till the end at 7 a.m., Alan truly deserving his slot at this incredibly fun-filled & wonderful “wet” Lovechild event.
So, what was our verdict on Alex Erfan Presents’ latest offering? And who really did it for us? Well, as we said at the beginning of our review, there is no doubt that Fire is proving to be a brilliant home for Lovechild and the expanse of spaces , the differing feel of the various dance spaces and the popularity of venue has worked like a dream for this luscious clubbing brand. The “contact” room space always seems to work the best, but each of the other two spaces also have their draws, although in the case of this “wet” event, the temptations of the shower installation, the fabulous roll top bath touch, not to mention the scintillating sets from Johan Khoury & Pagano, were too much to resist. However, there can be no doubt that Alan K’s performance blew us away, even the promoters remarked just how good it was and the way he transformed the main room was short of miraculous. So, yes, this Lovechild “wet” was definitely wonderful with a whole host of shining stars that made it so special & we can’t wait for the next party. (DISCO MATT)
SATURDAY 17TH APRIL
CLUB REVIEW
Now, when it comes to complete transformations & change in fortunes, it is rare to see such prolific advancements than we have seen in clubbing brands across what is both a very active & competitive gAylist clubbing scene in London. It seems that well established brands still tend to steal the limelight and attract the lion’s share of the crowds, but in Lovechild, we have seen one of the most amazing advancements, following the promoters decision to move the brand into Fire at Vauxhall, a venue that has been a popular hotbed of activity for most of the decade, sporting some of the biggest club nights. In the short time it has played host to Alex Erfan’s cornerstone club brand in his “presents” family, Fire has allowed Lovechild to really find a new identity, help the team push the boundaries a little and introduce fresh new ideas to compliment the feel of the night. And with its latest party, Lovechild “Wet” that was exactly what was promised, so did it fulfil expectations?
Having savoured a snapshot of the Lovechild mood at the pre-party, held on the Friday at Rupert Street bar in Soho, in the capable musical hands of D.J. Alessandro, we decided on the night itself to head to Barcode Vauxhall for a small warm up before hitting the event proper. Bumping into D.J. cheeky minx Steven Artis, the pattern for the night was quickly established, as his naughty advances got us right in the mood & the “wet” theme of Lovechild was definitely intriguing both of us, we having resisted the temptation to get some inside information on the planned installation of showers (yes you heard us right), rather preferring to be surprised by the effect. However, the anticipation was too much, so downing refreshments, we headed down to Fire and a smoothly negotiated entrance to this latest instalment of the luscious loveliness that has become Lovechild, arriving at just turned midnight & being greeted at the door by the welcoming Simon Patrick, who ensured our smooth & speedy passage, once being inside it was a mere minute before our bits & bobs where checked in and we were free to start our night proper.
Moving down onto the main floor, the space was slowly beginning to fill out with party goers that also seemed quite intrigued about the “wet” theme and you could feel the air of excitement within the atmosphere, all being helped along by the wonderful Phil Hewson, who was delivering a delightful dishful of disc’s, uplifting & funky house tunes to really get the party going. Making ourselves known but not wishing to interrupt his flow, a quick peck on the cheek was enough acknowledgement and we retired into the “love” lounge, where Egg’s resident D.J, the enchanting Gabriele Cutrano, was serving up some funky yet soulful house sounds to give the room a real seductive feel. We paused for a moment or two, waving across at the booth and then turning as our shoulder was tapped by Roni Inan, as always dressed really smartly and looking excited about the night ahead, Danny Shubert by his side and both really pleased to see us and it wasn’t long before the man himself flew in, promoter Alex Erfan, who seemed suitably calm and collective, even given the radical shower installation in the aptly named “contact wet” room, that was as yet untested.
And that’s where we were next headed, the space not yet open but Alex keen to give us a guided tour and seeing the shower display in the flesh, we immediately recognised that it would definitely make a considerable splash. Waiting in the wings and preparing for his set was Australian guest D.J. Johan Khoury, who came bounding up to say hello, immediately making us feel weak at the knees with his good looks & antipodean charm, although with his set about to start, he soon had to disappear behind the decks to get ready, although in an instant we knew exactly where we were going to be for the next two hours at least. Then, with the “contact” room firing into action, the choice was pretty straightforward, as Johan treated us to a superb set, full of uplifting electro tainted & tech infused beats that had us stripped down to our waist, dancing in an instant and quickly drawing in a crowd that saw the room packed and pumping. And, as a result, fellow guest D.J. Danny Bond of The Basemonkey’s, struggled to hold an audience in the main room, while Craig Daniel had a nice collection of cuties (as always) lapping up his laid back & funky sounds in the “love” lounge.
But all eyes were on the “Contact” room, where not only was the shower now in full action, Chris Geary’s gorgeous go-go’s shimmering through the perspex casing definitely making for a unique & drenching display, although, for us, it was the roll tap bath on the stage in front on the D.J. booth that was making the most impact, as go-go, one after the next took their turn to dive in and get fully covered in blue & silver glitter and adding further to the sexual intrigue of their near naked bodies, we by now in prime viewing spot (surprise, surprise) next just right of the D.J. booth. And just in time too, as Pagano arrived, spotting us and giving us a very unusual welcome (too rude to mention) leaving us both aghast & in hysterics, before he took his place behind the decks to deliver on of the best sets we had heard in a long time, a gorgeous mix of progressive & deep sounds, old Pagano favourites mixed in with new stormers that meant we were going nowhere, the bath in front of us still attracting plenty of attention, and Alex & co popping through every now & then to keep us company. However, our inevitable moment of sexual intrigue occurred when fab photographer Chris Jepson appeared and, with curiosity killing the cat, dragged us into the “contact playroom” to see what all the fuss was about, the space certainly fulfilling the brief of sex meeting glamour, although we strangely reluctant to indulge, preferring to reserve our audacious activity on the darkroom side for Hard On!
With D.J. pal Alessandro arriving and having danced virtually for the whole of Pagano’s stupendous set, only brief trips into the main room, where Tony English was re-capturing the crowd with his stirring performance, breaking the Francesco frenetic set service, our night was definitely on heat, in more ways than one, the superb lighting & the magnificent pyrotechnics in the hands of the angelical Dorin, who popped out of his lofted control station briefly to say hello, ensured the “wet” event was certainly meeting expectations. And with Alessandro picking up from where Pagano left, the Italian stallion giving us yet another erotic approach as he stepped down from the D.J. booth (the saucy man!), the magnificent music continued, Alessandro pulling out some real gems from his bag of tools, very much his style of latin infused electro funk with splash of tech that continued to capture the imagination of the crowd.
But the Alan K jungle drums were beating and tempting us into the main room and wow were we in for a treat or what! as what had been a pretty lack-lustre space was now well & truly brimming with gyrating bodies, go-go dancers aloft the podiums, Fire’s main room lasers casting superb spells of enlightening effects on the crowd, flashing in time to the amazing energetic beats that Alan was delivering, making for an altogether electric atmosphere. Making his appearance at Lovechild for the first time, seemed undaunting to Alan, Mr K being right at home in the main space and treating us to a Beyond-esque style closing set that was short of breathtaking, injecting his massive enthusiasm into every track selected, many multi-mixed in true Alan style, the decision to include him in the line up an inspired move by the promoters. But when he played one of our favourite tracks of now, Denis Christopher’s “No More Lies”, we went into stratospheric dancing mode, in pure heaven & absolutely enthralled with the music we were having the honour of lapping up. And the crowd response was the same, the room absolutely kicking virtually right through till the end at 7 a.m., Alan truly deserving his slot at this incredibly fun-filled & wonderful “wet” Lovechild event.
So, what was our verdict on Alex Erfan Presents’ latest offering? And who really did it for us? Well, as we said at the beginning of our review, there is no doubt that Fire is proving to be a brilliant home for Lovechild and the expanse of spaces , the differing feel of the various dance spaces and the popularity of venue has worked like a dream for this luscious clubbing brand. The “contact” room space always seems to work the best, but each of the other two spaces also have their draws, although in the case of this “wet” event, the temptations of the shower installation, the fabulous roll top bath touch, not to mention the scintillating sets from Johan Khoury & Pagano, were too much to resist. However, there can be no doubt that Alan K’s performance blew us away, even the promoters remarked just how good it was and the way he transformed the main room was short of miraculous. So, yes, this Lovechild “wet” was definitely wonderful with a whole host of shining stars that made it so special & we can’t wait for the next party. (DISCO MATT)
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