"Brazilian Beats Lauding It In London " - The Week - Club Review

"BRAZILIAN BEATS LAUDING IT IN LONDON”
THE WEEK – SATURDAY 18TH SEPTEMBER
CLUB REVIEW


It would be fair to say that we are lucky to have some amazing home-grown club brands that have made a impact across the world and that we can be proud of, names such as Trade, DTPM, Love Muscle & Crash springing to mind, oh and not forgetting Beyond of course, this Sunday morning afterhours having made more than a splash in Amsterdam & Paris, while the former brands have made it further a-field, destinations including Australia, South Africa & even South America. Now, as much as we can be proud of our British brands, the diversity of our scene is such that we often welcome overseas clubs with open arms, although there has seemingly been a dominance by all things Spanish in this respect, Matinee Space & SuperMartXe ruling supreme in the import stakes, while others like Muccassassina, Nightkomn & Scream only getting a recent look in at specialist event The London Global Dance Festival (LGDF). But the man behind this huge undertaking which dominated the Whitsun Bank Holiday weekend, who was also responsible for the NYD success story that was As One, Mr Alex Erfan, had something else up his sleeve, the arrival of a club event in London, this time from Brazil and a brand that is not only a legend in its own country, but had just last month made its mark of Barcelona’s Circuit Festival.

The Week, whilst relatively unknown to the average Joe in London, is simply huge in its home town of Sao Paulo, as well as making considerable waves across Brazil in both Rio & Florianopolis, this club event in South America’s largest city regularly attracting well over 2500 revellers through its doors in a club setting that simply blows the mind, two huge rooms illuminated with wall to wall laser lighting and plenty more besides, plus an outside area sporting a swimming pool & views over Sao Paulo to absolutely die for and we haven’t even touched on the Rio setting yet. And as for the crowd The Week attracts, well you can imagine that it is full to brimming with bare chested Brazilians, handsome & scantily dressed go-go dancing boys, muscular men & gorgeous girls, all who know exactly what having a good time is about, topping all that with magnificent music of the uplifting, funky & fulsome kind, from some of the best looking D.J.’s in the business. So, with this massive brand making strides not just in its home country, but slowly & surely across the globe, London simply had to be on their touring agenda and what better man to make it happen than Mr As One & LGDF himself.

So, with our sights firmly set on Fire and with the prospect of something quite special, at least by London standards, we made our way down to Vauxhall, arriving at the venues doors a little after midnight, negotiating a rather healthy queue of people as eager as us to see just how this Brazilian brand of a club would work in London. With door pleasantries over, we stepped into the club proper, first calling on the coatcheck to drop off our bits & bobs and then grab some refreshments at the bar, meeting almost immediately the delightful Danny Shubert, who was on a relative free reign to enjoy the party, while partner Roni was masterminding proceedings from a background position. With Danny soon off to locate his liege, we headed down into the main room, very much taken a-back by the considerable changes that had been made, the D.J. booth completely moved from its original spot, now standing proud towards the far end of the room, which had been knocked back as far as the building perimeter, a large stage area wrapping around both sides of the booth in readiness for the spectacular carnival of a show that had been promised.

Finding a spot to the left of the D.J. booth, we surveyed the new territory that was Fire’s main room, the most striking addition being a massive LED lighting affair on the back wall, to compliment the banks of video screens down one side & the infamous Fire laser lighting that set off the yellow & green decor & interesting ceiling decor that was certainly making a statement. But much more of a statement was coming from the D.J. both, not so much from his music, which for us was a bit off beat, but from his smouldering good looks, Doug Uim certainly cutting a stride and impressing pal Danny who had rejoined our side. With a quick visit into the lounge space over, we were back in the main room and ready for the duo of Steve Pitron & Mikey D, both who never fail to deliver delectable & majestic music whenever they perform alone, but to get them together and at this The Week party was to be an outstanding highlight. And, do you know what, they delivered in each & every department, track after track mesmerising the crowd and short of lifting the roof off Fire.

But it wasn’t just their music that was making our experience special, as both Steve & Mikey made us feel so much a part of proceedings, Mr Pitron bounding over before his back to back performance, to say hello and share a “who am I speaking to" joke with us, then calling us across to the other side of the booth as his stupendous set with Mikey commenced, even Mr Dower looking over constantly and, having also said his hellos’ yet another quip about his latest compilation release entering into conversation. With the duo in full swing and the main room literally bursting at the seams, also reports coming in the queue outside was stretching up towards Starbucks, the heat from the mesmeric music was one thing, but the heat from the un air conditioned main room was another, so something had to give, the team rolling open the doors to the mirrorarch room early, Doug Uim stepping in ahead of Gonzalo Rivas’s arrival to ease the roadblock that was both the main room and the waiting masses outside.

Now the party was in full swing, the crowd getting bigger & bigger by the minute and the good looking muscle men intermixing with Brazilian boys & classic Fire club kids to create an enticing mix of dance crazy people that just wanted to party. And with the amazing LED display behind the main room D.J. booth firing on all cylinders, displaying Steve’s & Mikey’s names in bright white lights, both stars very were much in their element and loving every minute of it. Then to further add to our euphoria, we were joined by fantastic friend Brent Nicholls, who had his camera in hand ready to take shots of the incumbent stage show, as well as plenty of the other action going on around the club, although it was soon apparent that the full show would not be set in motion until close on 3 a.m., the start of his set next door in the “Latin” lounge, although having Mr Nicholls with both Steve & Mikey, not just under the same roof at the same time, but performing at the same party, was bliss indeed and took us back to the days of Crash, Ultra & the original Beyond, brilliant!.

With Steve & Mikey’s performance coming close to an end, we retreated from the stifling heat of the main room to take a few moments out in the “Latin” lounge before Brent’s set, catching up on news & downing iced refreshments with our pal before he started his stint behind the decks, our devotions from here on in very much torn between Brent in the lounge and Paul Heron in the mirror arch, who had taken over from the might of Gonzalo Rivas and was stirring up some superb sounds of his own. Meanwhile in the main room, the drop dead gorgeous & muscular to boot, Leandro Bekker, had taken charge of the decks, his tougher sounding house finding favour with the Brazilian lot, but the carnival of a show that preceded his full on performance, stole much of the limelight, twelve appropriately dressed dancers parading round the extended stage to samba style sounds that had the crowd cheering in appreciation of the sparkling spectacle. But having savoured the show, our main devotions were to the more Latin flavoured & funky beats Brent was masterminding next door, he pulling plenty of our favourite tunes out of the bag, the room pitching & yawing with followers of funk. Even Industri pal Stephen was getting in on the Latin act, rising to the occasion and swinging around on the dancing pole in the middle of the room, much to our hilarity, although being far braver than us in his escapades.

Such was the brilliance of the party that the time literally flew by, Per Q.X. eventually taking up the main room mantle and Pier Morrorco, who had been enjoying the party, called to duty to step in for a swift departing Mr Heron, the final few moments of our stay occupied with liaisons towards a now off duty Leandro Bekker and Spirit Of Star supremo, the engaging Michel Mau, although with 6 a.m. approaching fast, our attentions were now diverted to forays across Vauxhall at Beyond, a trip we had not made for some time. So, negotiating the very lengthy coatcheck queue to collect our belongings, we waved bye to Brent, eventually leaving Fire and a hugely successful The Week event behind, smiling from ear to ear from this ecstatic experience.

Without doubt we can conclude that in The Week at Fire, Alex Erfan & everyone involved in the organisation of this incredible event very much pulled of one of the best parties we have seen in Fire this year. Not only were we taken a-back by the numbers through the doors, but the music from the top class D.J. line up, definitely delivered to expectations & more. The changes to Fire’s main room were certainly impressive, the LED lighting display shouting out a stunning statement and whilst many would say the London effort wasn’t a patch on those In Sao Paulo & Rio, we thought the party packed a considerable punch, showing the rest of clubland in the capital at least, just how good it can be done at Fire. As for our highlights, well it has to be the spellbinding back-to-back performance by Messrs Dower & Pitron, along with the Latin infused excellence of Brent Nicholls, all three serving to prove that we definitely have top quality D.J.’s in London to match anywhere in the world. The Week definitely did it for us and we can’t wait to see it lauding itself in London again, as we will be there for sure. (DISCO MATT)

"Second Spanish Sunday Smash" - Matinee - Club Review

"SECOND SPANISH SUNDAY SMASH”
MATINEE “OPEN AIR SUMMER PARTY II” –
SUNDAY 12TH SEPTEMBER
CLUB REVIEW


Having been absolutely astounded by the magnificence of Matinee’s new look & style at Ministry of Sound (MOS) back in July, we can safely say that the event of the year so far had definitely set the standard for this Spanish brands new Sunday soiree’s, the terrace theme working like a dream, not only as the weather was kind to promoter Logan Schmitz and his team, but there seemed a real desire for something new & refreshing, Matinee itself craving for its own identity to set it aside from the teams other stable-mate, SuperMartXe. And with the “Open Air Summer Party”, Logan certainly achieved that, not only capturing the mood & captivating his admiring audience, but in MOS, he had found a venue that seemed to suit Matinee well, this even having been a favoured choice of previous promoter Oliver M, when deciding on his next move from Colosseum & Cable.

With MOS certainly delivering first time round and Matinee was very much the talk of the town, mixed fortunes for the Logan presents team over August Bank Holiday seemed to propel to perceived popularity of this second summer special, although planting the event into September, admittedly marrying it with the brands closing parties around the world, was a risky prospect, particularly considering that the success of the “Ibiza Terrace” theme hedging itself against the uncertainty of the capitals climate. But with a D.J. line up stronger than we had seen at a Matinee since Cable, as well as the inclusion of diva vocalist Vanessa Klein, the scene was set for a Second Spanish Summer Smash to match the first and with back up plans to move outside in, should the weather dictate, all was set fair for another magical Matinee full of mesmeric music at MOS. So, how did this second open air summer special turn out? Was it about outside, in or both? And did the Soho Pink Sunday event effect affect Matinee in any way?

Having well & truly sweated it out at Suzie Krueger’s sporty fetish frolic the previous night, a planned trip to Beyond was shelved in favour of finding fresh legs for the extravagance of Matinee’s “Open Air Summer Party II” at MOS and having savoured all the delights of the pre-party just two days previously at the Box in Covent Garden, we were definitely in party mood as we approached the entrance at just before 4 p.m., for us a fashionably late arrival compared with our previous visit in July. With just a small queue to negotiate, as well as a rather over-zealous security guard who felt the need to search under our crotch, we were into the club before you could say “how very dare you” and into the main room to be greeted immediately by a beaming Paul Heron, who reminded us of our camp claim from Hype, before caching up on news of his Mykonos exploits & more recent developments. But with refreshments on our mind, we headed for the bar and then joined Paul & fellow D.J. Hugh Stevenson behind the main room decks, where bello Alesaandro Londra was waving his magical musical wand, the screens showing Matinee parties past & present and the lighting in full swing, illuminating the dancefloor below, a select crowd soaking up his euro & Spanish influenced sounds.

Clearly, however, the emphasis at this relatively early hour in Matinee’s second outing at MOS was on the outside, so with Industri pal Stephen arriving, we headed off the terrace to check out the action, finding a cavorting crowd bopping to the beats that pre-party star Leandro Kloppel was dishing out, an uplifting yet hard hitting collection of chunky tunes to inject some pace & passion to proceedings. Looking around there were plenty of familiar faces already gathered, we spotting Logan’s lot, including, Naomi, Luke, Dilmar, Fabio and, of course the ever smiling Mauricio, who remarked on our Matinee t-shirt and then produced a fresh new black number for us to wear with pride. But plenty more had already gathered, a whole collection of muscular Latino men, gorgeous girls, club kids & much in between, friend & fierce partner in crime, Lexi, catching our attention and immediately trading delightfully extravert dance moves with us, very much setting the standard to things to come. But, whilst the terrace was filling out nicely and the sun shining, the summer heat that was very much evident at the first party was missing, which seemed to affect the atmosphere somewhat, the crowd seemingly more in sociable mood rather than dancing delirium, although as Paul Heron took to the decks, we were certainly poised to prance, over indulgent ducks & dives to the Balearic inspired beats attracting the attention of D.J. pal Micky Galliano, who was determined to get us up onto the podium, while the rebellious Romano was also trading with our affections in his usual mischievous manner.

Taking a moments respite from the ever increasing pace of the party outside, we headed in to pay a visit and were somewhat shocked by the actions of a security guard in the conveniences, who was being far too heavy handed with customers in the cubicles, even pulling one poor individual out and short of making him choke from the shock. Then, on heading back out onto the terrace, yet another incident involving this security guard erupted, as a whole bunch of people getting caught in a commotion which definitely deflated the atmosphere somewhat, although in typical style it was mere moments before Mr Heron had restored the equilibrium & raised the pace back to fever pitch with a selection of sounds that had the terrace rocking, a now off duty Alessandro adding his own element of excitement with continued toots on the infamous air horn that had been so much a part of the previous party. However, as good Paul’s performance was, we had to spread our wings a little, so headed back in to see what delights incumbent main room D.J. Nick Tchernaik had to dish out, but not before catching up with female clubbing friend Michele Thornber, who had not long arrived to savour her own slice of this summer special, like many, remarking on the chillier climate and the shortfall in numbers, although our impression was that this Matinee was much busier than the last.

And arriving inside it was plain to see that many had traded the terrace for the main room, Nick Tcherniak treating his ever increasing audience to a truck load of tremendous tunes, plenty of uplifting & tech fuelled beats to build the dance action, we again finding our dancing feet in an instant, especially when the fabulous Alan X remix of “My People” was belted out, this really signalling a step change in the mood towards this Matinee party, as there seemed to be a sudden surge of arrivals, possibly having peeled off from the Soho Pink Sunday event, which, for us was somewhat an afterthought to the lack of a proper pride party, yet was fortunate that the sun was shining. Such was the excellence of Nick’s set, that we totally missed the P.A. performance outside, the stand –in for an absent Vanessa Klein, the brilliant Abigail Bailey, who apparently more than made up for the missing Spanish diva vocalist, Paul Heron also extending his set to compensate for the non arrival of Matinee resident J Louis, whom we had been informed was stuck in Ibiza with Vanessa following cancelled flights.

But none of this mattered much, as not only has both Nick & Paul treated us to some terrific tunes & pulsating performances, but Michel Mizrahi then took up the mantle inside to really stir the emotions with some electric euro beats that well & truly hit the mark, only to be ousted from his seat by a late arriving Pagano, who was intended to fill the vacant slot outside. But with sound issues halting proceedings on the terrace earlier than expected at 9 p.m., our Italian stallion assumed his position in the main room and with everyone inside, the place ended up absolutely heaving, Mr P pulling out a procession of progressive & pumping beats that truly ignited the party beyond all expectations, we trading spots next to the D.J. booth, dancing with fellow Francesco fan & friend Rob, with moments at the bar with Nick, Michelle & a beaming Fidel Trotman. With plenty more besides deciding to trade yet more dancing moves with us, including the lovely Lexi & the luscious Luke, all this audacious action pretty much wore us out, calling an end to our Matinee experience, but not before we had a battle behind the booth to retrieve our belongings, a jovial & friendly Pagano refusing to let us leave, rather soak up the remaining moments of what was a scintillating set. However, take our leave we had to, slinking out into the a late Sunday evening and waving farewell to as many as we could before heading to Soho to see for ourselves what the pink Sunday fuss had been about.

Looking back on this second Matinee Open Air party, we can say that, despite the cooler climate, plus the complications the team encountered both with missing artists and outside sound issues, it actually made for a very good party indeed. Yes the expectations were high and in some ways that may have be a factor in the rollercoaster atmosphere outside earlier on. But there was no doubt in our mind that that numbers were up on the last event and the later finishing time of midnight was most definitely a hit with the crowd. Given that Soho Pink Sunday was pitched on the same day, didn’t seem to have much of an effect on Matinee in the end and with all the D.J.’s performing brilliantly, Logan & his team can be pleased with themselves for pulling off another excellent party. In MOS, they have definitely found the right home for Matinee, although there still remains the question of the sometimes overpowering security that took a shade of shine off this sparkling end of summer smash, although in saying that, this latest instalment in the history of this Spanish giant in London, once again proved the strength of Matinee as a brand & the surging popularity of Sunday clubbing. Bring on the next one, summer or not, we will be there for sure. (DISCO MATT)

"All Hot & Steamy" - Sweat - Club Review

“ALL HOT & STEAMY”
SWEAT – SATURDAY 11TH SEPTEMBER
CLUB REVIEW


When it comes to a bit of a horny action, it comes no better these days for us, than making a trip to Hard On!, the fetish club brand that very much took over from where the fabulous Fist left off, although whilst Suzie Krueger’s hit has very much established itself as a firm favourite of ours, our trips to Hidden clad in leather and not much more, are seldom often enough, as the end of month slot occupied by this erotic event tends to clash with other more mainstream offerings that crave for our attention. However, in her sporty event, Sweat, we found an event that was not quite so extreme as Hard On!, but nevertheless promised sufficient sexual intrigue & activity, centred around the theme of humped up action in sports gear or less, all played out to the horny house soundtrack by her Hidden resident D.J.’s. A tempting prospect indeed, yet one that had thus far eluded our attention, although with our diary decks cleared especially, our date with Sweat was set and our night to get all hot & steamy secured.

Now, for those of you that have been tracking this Ms Krueger off-shoot to Hard On! will notice, the event that is Sweat was formerly called Sex, although due to difficulties in advertising with such an explicit name, Suzie was forced to re-think and so came up with the next most appropriate name for the club, the night being hosted & held in the gym & sauna outfit that is Sweatbox in Soho, well just shy of Oxford Street to be exact, a venue known more for its workout than its fetish frolicking. But the marriage of minds between Suzie & the management of this popular retreat saw a gap in the market and an opportunity to offer something a little sexy for the sporty kind, combining the facilities of Sweatbox, the sauna, the steam room & other elements, with a blend of bonking beats to raise the already heated temperature & desires of its customers, giving the option to come dressed in seductive sportswear and then strip down further and indulge in some audacious action. So, how did our sporty Saturday at Sweat turn out? and did our expectations & exploits rise to the occasion?

Well, we were not quite sure what to expect of Sweat, the billing very much setting the scene that music & sports gear were central to the theme, whilst in the knowledge that the steamy sauna setting would also have its part to play in proceedings. So, setting our minds on our outfit for the night, we aimed for the more sporty look, choosing Addidas high risers, a matching shirt, football socks & knee length swimwear as our option for the night, although decided to head to Barcode Soho and a rendezvous with scene favourite D.J. Brent Nicholls for some suitable encouragement & nerve calming before hitting Sweatbox at just turned 11.30 p.m. Quite why we were so apprehensive of our visit to Sweat we don’t know, as we have been no stranger to sauna’s in the past, indeed in our earlier youth, not a Friday would go by without an extended visit to a whole host of hot & sweaty hangouts across the capital and our familiarity with all things horny & sweaty as natural in those days, as our clubbing is today.

With a queue already formed at the entrance, a smiling Suzie soon arrived to escort us downstairs and show us the Sweatbox ropes, leading us down to the lower of two levels and into the changing area, where we swapped our jeans & regular t-shirt for our sporty one & swimwear, revealing our red, white & blue boots and matching socks that very much shouted a statement about our expectations for the evening. Wending our way through the darkened corridor of cabins that led to the chill-out area, it was clear the preferred attire was a towel, although our dresscode was certainly getting plenty of attention as we made it through the line of sweaty bodies and into safety of the relaxation room, where we immediately caught the eye of D.J. Hifi Sean, who was beating out some barnstorming beats to a select crowd of steamy sexpots, taking a short respite from the action upstairs. With us immediately getting the feeling we were somewhat overdressed, we retreated to the side of Sean, re-capping on the brilliance of Barcode the previous weekend, when he & Nick had treated us to a right royal musical rumpus, Mr Hifi then immediately digging out his own mix of “Deep Water” to play for us, also remarking that he had been testing out some terrific new sounds all night since starting spinning at Sweat from 9 p.m.

Grabbing some refreshments at the bar, we soon returned to our spot, savouring Sean’s superb sounds, as a whole host of scantily clad men wandered through to grab a piece of the musical action, some moving & grooving to the horny house Sean was serving up, others simply taking time out from the steamy & sexual saucery around the corridors & rooms of Sweatbox. Then, to our sudden surprise, into the chill-out area stepped charismatic photographer, Chris Jepson, himself dressed in just a towel, making our overt sporty clothing look even more over the top, his camera pointing at us, crotch level of course, he having made an early appearance at Suzie’s fetish off-shoot before heading off to further exploits down at heaven for camp outing G.A.Y. With Chris, Sean & Suzie all joining voices for us to dress down, we continued to resist, rather reclining into our corner of comfort, inwardly plucking up the courage to change, yet outwardly showing our reluctance to do so, Suzie then challenged us to wander round in our full sports regalia and see what reaction we would get, our exploration of both floors of this steamy & sweaty sauna bearing little fruit although plenty of admiring looks.

So, on arrival from our first tour of the two floors back in the chill-out area, where we caught a departing Sean, off to Vauxhall for Amsterdam import event, Bear Necessity, it was incumbent D.J. & pal Brent Nicholls who eventually persuaded us to disrobe and head off for some hot horny action and that we did, a number of trips up to the Turkish steam room, the Jacuzzi & the sauna intermixed with plenty of sexual encounters in the corridors, seeing our towel drop and our tool rise on a number of occasions, the sensual soundtrack of music from Mr Nicholls being piped around the venue to add to the audacious atmosphere. But despite the action we were getting upstairs, it was the chill-out area we gravitated to the most, the draw of the heavenly house from Brent, the calming & cooling antidote to our hot & horny humping and it was here that we eventually saw out the rest of our evening, catching up on news & views, opinions & observations of the clubbing scene and events upcoming, having had our fill of sexual intrigue & activity and with 4 a.m. approaching, we changed back to our regular attire, discarding a soaked towel for dry jeans, leaving Sweatbox behind, heading home to reflect on a fetish frolic on the sporty side with a difference.

Having not really known what to expect, it was clear that while Sweat certainly stakes it claim to the sporty side of the fetish scene, the majority of customers through the door were more intent on towelling down & tooling up across Sweatbox’s two floors. The elements of music in the chill-out room and the midnight foam bath in the shower area are definite attractions on the night and we are reliably informed that many do normally make the effort both to dress in appropriate sportswear, for the start of the event at least, as well as bop to the beats from the band of resident D.J.’s, undoubtedly the main thrust of the party happens away from the music, as any good fetish night should be. We did love the feeling of dressing to dare in sports gear and it was a shame that more didn’t on this occasion, but with record numbers through Sweat’s doors and a terrific time had by all, us included, you simply can’t argue with that, meaning that we will certainly consider another visit sometime soon. (DISCO MATT)

"In The Deep Water End" - Deep Water Record Launch at BCV - Event Review

“IN THE DEEP WATER END”
BARCODE VAUXHALL – SATURDAY 5TH SEPTEMBER
EVENT REVIEW


There is no doubt that when underground club sensation, Crash, launched itself onto an unsuspecting public, choosing a railway arch in Vauxhall to do it, the then pretty much unknown suburb south of the river, started to hit the gAylist headlines. Yes, there had always been places like The RVT, & The Market Tavern, as well as specialist haunt The Hoist, but when other clubs followed Crash’s lead, Vauxhall really took off as a destination to rival Soho, although there was always a distinct lack of a quality bar offer in this new hotspot in town, certainly one strong enough to compete with the offers in its larger & more popular gay village up town. But when Troy Weir & his team decided it was time to stretch their legs & open a sister branch to its Soho venue, Barcode Vauxhall pretty much elevated Vauxhall to a one-stop shop for many, with now a bar come dance venue also feeding into the myriad of club brands & events for which this part of London has now become famous for, very much securing its place on the clubbers destination map.

Indeed it would be fair to say that Barcode Vauxhall pretty much transformed the scene down in Vauxhall, in lots of ways adding the missing link to a multi pieced jigsaw of pubs, clubs & events, many of which are still going strong today. BCV, as it is often referred to as, has also sported some amazing nights, the queen of the all for us being Industri on a Thursday, which has transformed our clubbing & socialising life, very much being the lynch pin in our weekly calendar, BCV itself quite often now serving as the perfect starting point for a night or indeed weekend of clubbing. But whilst a whole host of other nights have sprung up over the four years of its successful history, it is the regular Saturday nights that seem to continue to reign supreme for BCV, when straight forward music from some of the best D.J.’s on the London scene, keep the offer uncomplicated and the crowds packing out the place. Yet, when something just a little more special gets thrown into the mix, what usual turns out to be a brilliant & uncomplicated night anyway, is even more thrilling a prospect.

And this was very much the case with our latest foray into a BCV Saturday, when delightful D.J. and pal to boot, Nick Tcherniak took the opportunity to launch his new collaborative smash track “Deep Water”, a wonderful piece of work put together with studio partner & iconic Trade D.J., Steve Thomas, this being the follow up to their amazing record “My People”, each getting the backing of a veritable feast of top notch jocks, both in playlist, live sets & remixes, but also with the backing of the record label, Sorry Shoes. So, not only were we about to savour one of the best nights we had enjoyed in BCV in a long time, but we also had the thrilling prospect of a special back-to-back set by Nick & fellow tech house tower of strength, Hifi Sean Dickson, who himself had already given “Deep Water” his own psychedelic house mix treatment and was to prove the perfect playing partner for Mr Tcherniak in the new look dance bar. But it wasn’t stopping there, as up front were terrific talents Terry Vietheer & Sharon O Love, with the whole line up being crowned by the might of Gonzalo Rivas, who would see the crowd through until the 7 a.m. finish. So, how did our night turn out? and what of the new track?

Arriving at just after 10 p.m., we found the front bar already brimming with party heads & clubbers, some using BCV as a warm up for other events across Vauxhall, plenty of Megawoof types circling around, as well as pre Queer Nation’ers also warming to the beats of Terry Vietheer, who had kick stared proceedings on this record launch night. And to the D.J. booth was where we headed virtually straight away, catching up with Terry between his track selections, both reporting on the heavenly time at Hola just two days before, plus sharing our joy to be savouring a Saturday totally devoted to BCV for a change. With pal Stephen arriving, we grabbed refreshments at the bar, but with him seemingly distracted, we found a spot away from the mad rush for drinks, to soak up the superb sounds Terry was turning out, deep & groovy tech house that had us spinning on our spot in an instant, soon being joined by Industri pals Chris & Kim, as well as a returning Stephen. But, spotting the arrival of Hifi Sean, we headed over to say hello, both keen to find out whether the man himself, Nick Tcherniak, had arrived for the start of proceedings down in the dance bar. With Sean off in search of his back-to-back playing partner & we embarrassingly mistaking a man behind the bar for our “Deep Water” mix master Nick T, we quickly retreated to our former spot to twist & turn to the tremendous tech house fuelled set Mr Vietheer was spinning, our devotions to the front room being far longer than we had planned, but for good reason.

But it was the “Deep Water” record launch we were here for and with pal Stephen choosing Queer Nations company over ours, we sunk into the dance bar and headed for the new look & postioned D.J. booth at the far end of the space, finding a perfect spot to catch both Nick & Sean in action, both taking roughly 30 minutes stints to serve up a constant stream of scintillating tech progressive & awe inspiring beats, that had us burning up our corner in an instant. With the room rapidly filling, the lighting & lasers at full tilt and the sea of mirrorballs on the ceiling adding to the already amazing atmosphere, we were very much in our element and loving every minute of it. Then, to add to our delight, we were joined in our corner by a host of familiar faces, including Lizzie Jane France, whom we had exchanged dancing moves just weeks before in Brighton and who had been commissioned to add the vocal twists to “Deep Water”, her arrival sparking a rendition of the record from behind the booth, to her sheer delight and to the rest of the room.

Now the event was in full swing, the music at fever pitch and the atmosphere explosive, our excitement brimming over with extravert dance moves in our corner, all being captured for posterity on video by an exuberant Nick, Lizzie with her dark glasses on & pouting at the camera, us ducking & diving in dance delirium and even Mr Dickson included in the fabulous footage, Nick then getting a taste of his own medicine, as the camera lens was turned on him when he took back to the decks. And, as if the music wasn’t amazing enough, Mr Tcherniak then pulled out a prolific re-mix of former hit “My People, superbly re-worked by Alan X, which, without question, was our record of the evening (if there had to be one from the string of scintillating sounds we had been treated to all night), his “peephole” version a bouncy uplifting & vocal drenched triumph that must surely hit the big time very soon, especially with a forthcoming official release on the Sorry Shoes label.

So good was the night & the time we were having, not to mention the company we were keeping, we hardly paused for breath in the remaining moments of Nick & Sean’s stupendous back-to-back set and were very much in fine fettle, were content to stay right through Gonzalo’s set too, but an unfortunate encounter further up the bar brought a rather swift end to our evening, the euphoria of the special “Deep Water” record launch night at BCV somewhat tarnished, although fortunately only temporarily. So, we waved our goodbyes to Nick & Sean, as well as Lizzie and her posse and made tracks for home, the superb sounds still ringing through our ears & the memories of another superb Saturday courtesy of Barcode clear as crystal in our minds.

To sum up the special record launch of a night with one word is really quite simple, it was outstanding! Yes, we may have missed Sean’s own mix of the track “Deep Water”, but with a further rendition being turned out by Nick to accompany all the other terrific tracks, pretty much sealed the deal on the night for us. Not only was the music magnificent, the company captivating and the atmosphere amazing, but in the new look set up in BCV’s back room we have a new found friend & dancing spot and one we look forward to re-visiting very soon. As for Nick & Steve’s new track, well it is certainly destined for great things and with it already having cracked the top 20 on two major download charts, plus having gotten the remix treatment by over five artists, we are very much in the deep water end with this release and loving it. (DISCO MATT)

Postscript

“Deep Water” remixes are available for download on Beatport at the following link https://beatport.com/de-DE/html/content/release/detail/277517/deep_water_remixes, while you can catch video footage of the record launch at BCV, (sound tracked with “Deep Water” of course) at http://youtube.com/watch?v=HH4PH3DTcN8. Plus, why not check out Alan X’s remix of “My People” at http://soundcloud.com/alanx/my-people-alan-x-peephole-vocal-remix-v3-mstr which is a pumping vocal version of a truly brilliant track.

"Nu Disco In Da House" - Paradise 45 - Club Review

“NU DISCO IN DA HOUSE”
PARADISE 45 – FRIDAY 3RD OCTOBER
CLUB REVIEW


Despite them being some time ago in our life, we still remember our informative days on the dancefloor, our late teens & early twenties being spent finding our feet in clubs down in the southern hemisphere, in South Africa no less, finding those dancing feet that have carried us through a whole host of music genres and an even wider style of clubbing venues, but through all these step changes & journeys through our clubbing history, those early memories are as fresh as ever, especially when we get a reminder every now and then. It would be fair to say that our experiences back in Johannesburg & Cape Town were similar to the iconic New York style of clubbing which we have since heard so much about, but were pleasantly unaware of while savouring our own slice of NYC at the tip of the African continent. Indeed, certain experiences in the capital have evoked this unique form of dance & music, although none quite so upfront & personal as our exploits on a post Bank Holiday trip out east.

Since its launch back in March, Paradise 45 has very much been on our radar, a night promising plenty of new style music, but with its concept planted firmly in that New York underground clubbing style, the whole idea of this new Friday night experience the brainchild of one Guy Williams, a D.J. that has not only been bridging the gap between the gay & straight elements in clubland, which we term as metrosexual, but has also pioneered a new wave of music, applying elements of disco to electro & tech, to produce a stunning sound, appropriately called “nu-disco”, a genre of music which has been played out at a number of club happenings in the capital, but most notably at both Reverse, another clubbing concept that like Guy’s latest offering, has successfully married both gay & straight strands to produce a mixed crowd that have one objective, to indulge in magnificent music, nu disco style. Now, it is true that this style of clubbing is somewhat a departure from our norm, but the enticement of this new style music, which we had savoured for ourselves at Reverse, was a temptation too much to resist, so how did our experience out east turn out? and would we do it again?

Well, having made a couple of attempts to find host venue, The Dalston Superstore and failing, we were more determined than ever to make it this time round, even asking for directions, first from Phil Marriot & pal at Profile bar and then with a collection of friends in Rupert Street, as we warmed up for our trip fantastic that would hopefully see us to our destination much smoother than before. Yet, while we usually pride ourselves on our directional abilities, once again they failed as we ended up heading in the wrong way when arriving in Dalston, mixing our minds in favour of Kingsland Road rather than the High Street, a slip of an error that saw a simple journey turn into an absolute nightmare and a mile long walk yielding nothing, apart from a taxi journey re-tracking all our paces and then eventually delivering us to the Paradise 45’s doors at not long before midnight. However, despite our late arrival and our hideous journey, were we going to be in for a treat or what.

Stepping into The Dalston Superstore immediately brought memories of home back, as the ground floor space had a distinct feel of Cape Town’s Cafe Manhattan meets The Bronx Bar to it, the whole decor, lighting & feel very much a departure from the squeakily shiny Soho spots we had just vacated, the warm & welcoming atmosphere akin to those we had so much enjoyed in our favourite mother city hangouts, the whole floor buzzing with activity and full with an eclectic crowd of locals & clubbers from further a-field, very much enjoying the rustic & uncomplicated nature of this east end entity. Making our way through the bar, familiarising ourselves with the layout as we did, we came across the man himself, Guy Williams, taking a break from the D.J. decks downstairs, our sheer relief at finally making it to a Paradise 45 event, spilling out fervently, as was our praise of the venue which was already proving a hit and we hadn’t even made it down to the real action yet. But that was about to come as Guy led us down the back stairwell and into the small yet perfectly formed basement room, encompassing a small bar at one end, expanding out to a square dancefloor & small D.J. booth at the end, a quite unassuming space, but one that immediately took us back to those early days clubbing in Johannesburg, very much capturing that NYC underground club feel that we had so much been part of back then.

Storing our bits & bobs behind the booth where Serge Santiago was in full swing, it was definitely a case of nu disco in da house, as he laid down a succession of terrific tracks that had us moving & grooving in the tight space towards the end of the room, where our view of the laser beams bouncing off the walls & the images created by the single mirrorball in the corner well & truly captured the whole essence of that underground New York style club venue feel and just kept bringing memories of old flooding back, but yet with feelings of new running through us. With Guy and co dancing alongside us, we sank into the whole Paradise 45 experience with consummate ease, even pointing our phone camera down the short space in front of us to capture the magical memory filled moments we were enjoying in what was turning out to be a trip long in the coming but well worth making, especially given the fact that this was so far removed from our usual clubbing exploits, but refreshingly so.

With Serge’s stint over, Mr Williams assumed the decks and pulled out some truly amazing tracks that had us completely mesmerised with the nu disco sound, lots of 80’s & 90’s disco beats rehashed & re-engineered to produced the kind of groove that not just befitted the moment, but captured the imagination, Guy very much in the zone with his selections and like Serge before him, spellbinding our mind & transporting us back to those heady early dancing days in our clubbing history. So magnificent was the music and so amazing the atmosphere, that we hardly moved from our spot, save for a quick refreshment break back upstairs, which was still buzzing with socialites, all soaking up everything the Dalston Superstore was serving up, the D.J.’s in situ treating the crowd to exciting electro & retro-tastic beats that seemed to be going down a storm.

However, our devotions were back downstairs and the stunning space that we had quickly grown extremely fond of & comfortable with, not least as the music Mr Williams was serving up kept getting better & better, shades of Grace Jones, Imagination, & Shalamar-esque sounds re-treated with modern tech twists but with soothing disco tones running through them that had us captivated on our spot. But the 2 a.m. finish came all too soon, especially as our late-ish arrival meant we only managed to catch just over half the experience, but by golly what an amazing half it turned out to be, we catching up with both Guy & Serge at the end to lament on just have marvellous the music had been and how amazing was the basement space. So, with nu-disco running through our veins, we departed the Dalston Superstore to wend our way home, safe in the knowledge that our extended journey out east was more than worth the initial hassle and that a return the Friday night magnificence that is Paradise 45 will definitely be on the cards again.

Well, it pretty much goes without saying that Guy Williams’ new club concept is an absolute winner in our books. Not only does it serve up something delightfully different to the norm, the nu-disco sounds being truly spectacular, but in host venue, The Dalston Superstore, it has the perfect setting for the Paradise 45 theme of NYC underground clubbing. Yes we may not have sampled the real New York for ourselves, but with memories of our early clubbing days coming flooding back, courtesy of this Friday night fantastique, we certainly say with conviction that this is one club that we will definitely be returning to, and very soon. So, if you want to sample some of the nu-disco sounds, in superb surroundings, with an eclectic crowd well up for social & dance splendour, then Paradise 45 is definitely for you, we know it is for us. (DISCO MATT)

"Heavenly House A-La Hed Kandi Style" - Hola - Club Review

“HEAVENLY HOUSE A-LA HED KANDI STYLE”
HOLA AT SHADOW LOUNGE – THURSDAY 2ND SEPTEMBER
CLUB REVIEW


There is no question that when it comes to style, sophistication & sumptuousness and then connect those words with Soho, there is one venue that seems to reign supreme, not just in the gAylist world, but in amongst some of the A-listers destinations, after all, the venue has, in its nine year history drawn in not just the upper echelons of the gAylist circuit, but this hallowed turf has welcomed celebrities & Hollywood stars through its doors on a regular basis, notorieties including Joan Collins, Elizabeth Taylor, Elton John, Graham Norton, Paul O’Grady, Cilla Black, Kylie Minogue & Sharon Osbourne, to mention a mere few. But it doesn’t stop there as this jewel in the Soho circuit crown has also attracted coverage in both the broadsheet & tabloid national press, getting the resounding thumbs up from loud mouth journalist Janet Street Porter no less.

Yes, The Shadow Lounge on Brewer street may look quite unassuming from the outside, yet on entering, it opens out like a tardis of unashamed elegance & opulence that transports you into a different & most luxurious sumptuous space, a far cry from the somewhat shabby surroundings outside and serves up a charismatic combination of comfort & quality unrivalled anywhere in the area, well that’s the impression & reputation it has built for itself over the years. But it is also true that in doing all this, The Shadow Lounge has attracted an air of exclusivity, some would say pompousness, meaning an experience within its doors feels more like a who’s who, especially for those within “the circle”, yet for those out of this circle, the average Joe , it can feel more like a “who are you?”. However, with specialist monthly night, Hola, we were expecting a much more accessible crowd, not to mention plenty of magnificent music, both making a trip into town on a school night sufficiently appealing. So, how did this crowd & this music turn out?

It would be fair to say that the Shadow Lounge has not been a regular haunt of ours, or indeed on our “favourites” list, perhaps for a few of the influences mentioned above, but in Hola we had been tempted to make an appearance for a number of months, especially given the involvement of prolific promoter, Laurent Chaumet and delectable Aussie D.J. Terry Vietheer. However, our Thursday’s are usually reserved for Industri, the venerable Vauxhall institution headed up by the queen of hosting, Minty and with scene favourite D.J.’s Brent Nicholls & Paul Heron, so diverting our attentions to another always seems a to feel as though we are breaking with tradition and letting down our faithful, especially having gained the reputation for supplying sweets & the nickname (one of seven) of “The Canndyman”. But with all this in mind, we made a diversion to Vauxhall on our way to Soho, dropping off the said sweets and then resuming our journey to the Shadow Lounge and our date with the heavenly house ala Hed Kandi style at Hola.

Arriving at the entrance at just turned 11 p.m., we were greeted by the gorgeous & ever eye pleasing Clinton, who managed our smooth entrance impeccably, seeing us down the glittering Shadow Lounge staircase and into the club in a trice. Despite not having visited for quite some time, the space opened out in front of our eyes in familiar fashion, plenty of shining surfaces, masses of mirrors, luminous lighting and that infamous sunken dancefloor that is very much a USP of the venue, if but giving the space a slight gladiatorial feel. So, rather than immediately indulging in its draw, we tip toed around and past the D.J. booth, stopping briefly to catch Mr Vietheer in action, he in the heavenly house mood we were expecting, playing out a succession of classic tunes, very akin to those that filled our ears for many years in our Hed Kandi era, classics like “I Will Follow You”, “Take Me Away”, “Brighter Days” and many more, all hitting resonance and bring magical memories flooding back in our mind. Having said our hello’s to Terry, we headed for the bar, expecting to pay the usual fortune for refreshments, but were pleasantly surprised to find plenty of change from the fiver we passed over, the place buzzing with a select mix of socialites, some faces familiar, others not, although there remained this air of exclusivity which, for us, is very trademark Shadow Lounge, despite our hopes that Hola would somehow dispel these feelings.

However, finding a comfortable spot to view proceedings both on the dancefloor and around the outskirts, we sank ourselves into the sounds that Terry was serving up, our mind on the music only being momentarily interrupted by a wave of text messages from our pal south of the river, still trying to get to grips with our woes following the Bank Holiday weekend just gone, when a certain Italian D.J. occupied our spirit & soul. But such was the quality of the music crossing our bows, that our thoughts were very much sunk into the dance music as others sunk onto the dancefloor to delight in the heavenly house being dished out in bucket loads by the vivacious Mr Vietheer. With our transfixation to the tunes pretty much complete, we hardly noticed the developing crowd around us, although as midnight approached & passed with veritable speed, the space began to swell nicely, even considering that the post Bank Holiday effect would naturally have a bearing on the numbers through Hola & Shadow Lounges doors, rather we being pleasantly surprised by the turnout and the resultant mix in the clientele, which took on much more of an all encompassing feel rather than the who’s who element we have come to expect from this Soho sophisticate in the past.

Now we were fully in Hola mood, even the wave of texts hardly disputing our mood & mind on the matter in hand, especially when the star of this latest outing, fellow Aussie D.J. Alex Taylor arrived to assume duties on the decks, this man having been at the forefront of the of dance music scene for well over a decade and starring at some of the biggest clubs on the scene in his home country, as well as whole host of guest appearances across in world including, regular trips over into Asia, the America’s & Europe. While London was a rare stop for him, the Hola team were thrilled to land his services, the celebrity style of Shadow Lounge very much suiting Alex’s persona, especially given his appearances at a host of A-list private parties, including Madonna’s during her “Girlie Show” tour of Oz, not to mention having played along the cream of the D.J. scene, the likes of Armand Van Helden, Roger Sanchez, Paul Oakenfold, Miguel Migs, Frankie Knuckles & Sandy Rivera. And this impeccable C.V. of achievements was to shine through in a pulsating performance, Mr Taylor taking up the classic house mantle of Hola with consummate ease, treating us to a plethora of precision perfect & terrific tunes that had the Shadow Lunge well & truly swinging.

With Terry retired to socialise with friends and further catch up with us on proceedings, we were also graced with the presence of superb singer Peyton, who somehow caught us off-guard as we didn’t recognise him at first, although he did us, but having engaged in colourful conversation about plenty of past, present & future exploits, we felt even more comfortable with our lot, soaking up Alex’s performance behind the decks and refreshing our glass on a couple of occasions throughout the remaining hour of this Hola event. With Clinton now on duty within the club, we spent a moment with him, before yet more familiar faces appeared to glide us through to our 2.30 a.m. departure, only work commitments on the Friday stopping us short of savouring the whole experience in favour a some much needed shut-eye, we wending our way home with plenty of classic house still ringing in our ears.

So, what was our verdict on Hola? And were our affections towards Shadow Lounge improved with the experience? Well, without doubt the music was right up our street, both Terry Vietheer & guest Alex Taylor, really going to town in pulling out some heavenly house tunes ala Hed Kandi style, that very much hit the mark and with the theme of this brand being “... a night of dedication to classic house...”, it certainly delivered in this respect & more. Whilst the venue still has that air of exclusivity for us and is very much a place to be & be seen, in Hola it has an event that serves well as both a dance party & a social soiree all wrapped in one and as result, we would certainly consider a re-visit, although perhaps with a bunch of friends with us to make the experience just that little bit more fulfilling. As for Shadow Lounge itself, we were pleasantly surprised by the less than inflated drinks prices compared to what we had been used to and with news of a revamp nip & tuck on the way, look forward to seeing the changes on our next visit, of which there will undoubtedly be one. (DISCO MATT)

"Banking On A Brilliant Blend Of Brands" - As One - Club Review

“BANKING ON A BRILLIANT BLEND OF BRANDS”
AS ONE “MASSIVE FUNFAIR GARDEN PARTY” –
SUNDAY 3OTH AUGUST
EVENT REVIEW


We are very lucky here in the capital to have an incredible amount of strong branded clubs that offer us the diversity that many other cities around the world would bite our hands off for and yet as amazing as the choice is, bringing brands together seems to be a harder & harder prospect, particularly in the scene that seems to be becoming even more fiercely competitive for a slice of our hard earned cash. So, when promoter Alex Erfan came up with the concept to bring clubs together as a united front to produce an event not seen in London for quite a few years, although as successful as the inaugural event on New Year’s day was, which was followed up by an equally popular Easter outing, we had pretty much resigned ourselves to waiting until, January 2011 before the hit of NYD showed its face on the schedule again, plans for a Gay Pride party pulled at the 11th hour and as little as three weeks before this final Bank Holiday of the year, the collaboration talk of town was playing no part in proceedings. But as we keep telling ourselves, a week club & Disco Matt land is a long time and with news of its sudden inclusion hitting our decks, plus the exciting prospect of the inclusion of a Spanish D.J. talent friend of ours in the line-up, as well as a handful of other pals, we made plans to flex our own calendar of events.

As One made such a splash on the gAylist scene when it was launched at the head of the year, that just the mere mention of the name engenders a real sense of togetherness that the drawing in of like minded promoters & their branded clubs created at the first two parties, so we were certainly not going to miss out on the third instalment of this amazing amalgamation, original players Lovechild, Lo-Profile & Megawoof being joined this time, by Brighton’s Wild Fruit & London’s Later, to create an afternoon event combining both indoors & out, the timing changed from the previous parties. In backing this collaborative collective into Sunday afternoon, the team were very much banking on the feeding effects from both Beyond & M.O.S.T., as well as the golden ticket trend that now seems to be swinging in favour of this 7th day p.m. slot and, in the case of a Bank Holiday, a readymade audience very much up for partying hard, some from Friday, others just starting their weekend. So given all this, how did this latest As One affair turn out? Was it the success the team had hoped for? And who & what floated our boat the most?

Despite some last minute jitters which included some upsetting personal developments, having been plucked out of Beyond to gather ourselves back together over coffee, some reassuring words & then a phone conversation with the in-bound Mr Medina, concentrated our mind on the next instalment in our weekend of furied activity and we arrived at Fire’s rear entrance at not long before midday. Finding Javier waiting for us very much boosted our lagging mood and we entered As One’s host venue to not only see it in its empty state, an experience first, but also make the most of a complete guided tour of all six rooms, more for the benefit of our Spanish D.J. pal, but nevertheless an enlightening few moments worth, especially given the renovation plans which were clearly beginning to take shape. But it was back in the Mirrorarch space, the room set aside for the Lovechild branded segment of this afternoon aural audacity, that we rested for a while, waiting for the party to swing into action, being joined first by the ever smiling & engaging Minty, who was back where she belonged, in charge of door & guest proceedings and then by incumbent opening slot D.J., the cute & charming Eduardo De la Torre in usual bubbly mood & ready to kick-start this brilliant blend of brands.

So the scene was set for another scintillating staging of the success story of 2010, the promoters usual apprehensions laid to rest swiftly as the crowds came in ever increasing numbers, soon swelling not just the Lovechild room were Eduardo was stirring up a storm of spectacular sounds, but filling out the main room which was being stoked up by Lee Harris, flying the Wild Fruit flag, through to the Lo-Profile lounge where the wonderful Stewart Whoo was casting his magical music spell. However, our attention was on our Barcelona boy and, following a second excursion out for coffee, we returned to the thick of the action in the Lovechild room, selecting a space by the bar to watch over proceedings, Mr De La Torre’s funky, chunky & octane fuelled tech & electro tunes with, not unsurprisingly, hints of latin beats running through them, were definitely doing the business, the space well & truly rocking. And it would be this rooms that had the lion’s share of activity across the whole event, not just when Javier took over the reins, his tribal & progressive euro styled sounds finding favour with the faithful, even if competing against the other rooms & the outside funfair was a battle, then with Lovechild residents Paul Heron & Alessandro arresting the atmosphere with two amazing performances that were purple patch in their positioning & rapturous in their reception.

But the main room had its say too, Lee Harris’s uplifting soundtrack finding popular resonance, special guests Prok & Fitch playing it tougher for the packed out space and Terry Bryan whipping up a hurricane of heavenly house hits to delight. But to say that the Lo-Profile lounge was simply popular, was a trice of an understatement, the fat end of the afternoon in this select space in the hands of scene favourite Brent Nicholls, whose selection of elements of disco, electro & funky latino house had the room absolutely pumping, torso’s with shirts taken off & the heat very much turned on, such was the energy of the music & the crowd. And as a result of the extent of the room’s popularity, we were finding it difficult to do our best to spread our devotions between Javier across in the mirrorarch & Brent in this, the Lo-Profile lounge, darting two & fro as well as keeping a watchful glance on the main room in-between & the lightbox, which was being managed magnificently by the Megawoof team, also dipping out into the Fire garden area, which was in full Later funfair mode and proving just as popular as each & every space inside.

However, it was the inside rather than the out that would get most of our attention, we continually gravitating back to the mirrorarch to support our Spanish senor and serenade his set with our dancing dervishes next to the D.J. booth, Javier’s tough tech toned tribal beats keeping us moving & grooving right to the end of his stint, his final flurry preparing us for his swift send off to duties in Ibiza, our short first liaison over as quickly as it had began just a few hours earlier and leaving us to sink back into the remainder of our stay. But with Mr Medina gone, our mind seemed to float back to the upsetting issues that had hounded our trip to beyond and whilst we did our level best to get into the stride, first of Brent Nicholls’ barnstorming beats & then Paul Heron’s prolific performance, even the magnificent Minty who rarely fails to lift our spirits, could see there was something not quite right. So, grabbing our bag from behind the mirrorarch D.J. booth, having said our farewells, we sank out into the garden to beat our retreat, but in finding the space packed to the rafters, all the funfair attractions in full swing, especially the helter skelter slide, we bumped into handfuls of familiar faces to whom we had to make our exiting excuses, including friends Michelle & Clayton, still going strong from their similar Saturday start to ours, and then to Alessandro, who was taking a moment before his stormer of a set that, we were reliably informed, short of stole to show. However, despite their pleas for us to stay, our mind was fixed on home and a comforting curl under our duvet, leaving Vauxhall, Fire & As One behind to grab all the plaudits as one of the true highlights of a hit & miss Bank Holiday weekend of ours.

Despite our own gloomy mood, it was clear As One made plenty people happy, not least the various promoters involved, as well as the team around them, reports coming in that the numbers topped the previous party and given the elements up against it, the pretty poor weather in the capital, the draw of Manchester Pride & the general difficult trading environment in clubland, banking on a brilliant blend of brands worked wonderfully. Whist we never really found our own stride sufficiently, going back & forth as we did, we got a feel for just how busy this latest As One incarnation was, each space & club brand playing their part perfectly and plenty of D.J.’s shining with superb sets. To pick out specific highlights would be difficult, as even though we weren’t firing on all cylinders, there was plenty for us to be joyful about, from an exceptionally energetic & entertaining enthralment from Eduardo, to a brilliantly breathtaking ballad of beats from Brent, who did more than his fair share of boat floating and much more besides, but we were thrilled the most to meet & see Javier in action, so that will be our lasting memory of this amazing amalgamation. In terms of As One itself, well there was no doubt that it turned out terrifically and in doing so has secured a well deserved place in our clubbing calendar, meaning that January 1st 2010 is already etched in our diary. (DISCO MATT)

Postscript

To not just compliment but to boost this reflective look at As One, why not check out this videocut from the event, at http://facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1484487706983&ref=mf and also the special compilation mix from Lovechild room opener, Eduardo De Lat Torre, at http://soundcloud.com/dj-edu-de-la-torre/as-one-london-bank-holliday-especial-mixed-by-dj-edu-de-la-torre.

"Stumped In Selecting Sunday Afterhours Offerings" - Special Review/Reflection

“STUMPED IN SELECTING SUNDAY AFTERHOURS OFFERINGS”
LOGAN PRESENTS’ M.O.S.T. & ORANGE GROUP’S BEYOND –
SUNDAY 29TH AUGUST
SPECIAL REVIEW/REFLECTION


Never in our time in clubbing has one particular slot in the calendar held such reverence as a Sunday morning and indeed in using such a word, in times of old this slot in the week would only ever be considered as a time for attending church for those with religious intent, while those not quite so disposed would be sitting at home, maybe reading the Sunday papers & relaxing on what was always know as “the day of rest”. But Sunday’s very much changed in our lives with the advent of Trade, which for many was seen as their trip to church, or so it was affectionately known, this legendary afterhours going on to dominate the nineties like no other club we know. But as the nineties changed to the noughties, new kid on the block Beyond began to dominate and went on to commit weekly Trade parties to the clubbing compost heap, very much being the new dream ticket, especially as gay village Vauxhall was the place to club, booze & cruise. However, as much as Beyond has very much gripped the Sunday morning afterhours slot, and in doing so seeing off many pretenders to the crown who have fallen at the first hurdle, as good as the club is and as much of a favourite it has become, we get the sense that there is a desire for something new, something fresh & something a little different. Or is there?

Well, there is one man in clubland that definitely thinks so and in launching his own home-grown brand M.O.S.T. was very much looking to the concept as “...an opportunity to shed more light on London daytime clubbing...” Matinee & SuperMartXe London promoter Logan Schmitz going boldly where others have gone before in squaring up against the might of Beyond, although in this case the inside track on M.O.S.T. seemed to be suggesting that this new kid on the block is aiming itself at a slightly different market to Beyond, the event being lined up more as an afterparty rather than a full-on afterhours, this first launch outing also very much reliant on reasonable weather, given its “Ibiza Terrace” style, not to mention being fed from the likes of SuperMartXe or , in this case, Hype. However, given the line-up of D.J.’s which included our longstanding Italian friend Danny Verde, a man whose career has ballooned in the last 18 months, as well as Sicilian Pagano, Spanish D.J. guest of Hype, Carlos Gallardo, as well as Brazil’s Leonardo Kloppel & Israeli Michel Mizrahi, would this totally international line-up stand up to the more familiar feel of Beyond’s with the might of Steve Pitron, Mikey D, Alan K, Jamie Head, Hifi Sean & co? And would we be able to fit both neatly into our already hectic Sunday schedule?

In truth, the answer to the last question was always going to be no, although making the choice that we were faced with, whilst at first seemed pretty straight forward, actually ended up as one of the most difficult we have ever made. However, with pal Danny flying in from Italy to play especially for M.O.S.T., the decision at the outset was relatively clear and with the events credentials looking pretty strong, we were hopeful of a party at MOS that would carry us through to our next scheduled engagement at amazing amalgamation, As One, on Sunday afternoon. So, with our mindset clear & the weekend upon us, we headed to Elephant & Castle for the second clubbing instalment on our Bank Holiday calendar, safe in the knowledge that M.O.S.T. would be our next port of call and our rendezvous with Danny one of the highlights of our weekend. But as much as we love our new piece of technology, it has already proven a dangerous tool, especially when factoring in our favourite social networking site and before we had even stepped into the Coronet’s doors, messages were flowing in tempting us to head for the “Super Size” party taking place in Vauxhall, although with friends Michelle Thornber & Clayton Wright on hand, our resolve was strong & our intent clear that M.O.S.T. would be our port of call on Sunday morning and a meet up with Danny to see him perform and then party with us afterwards.

Arriving at MOS’s doors at not long gone 6 a.m., it was clear the venue were still clearing out the previous event, an extra special post afterparty for the SW4 music festival, but despite this, we were keen for our own afterparty to swing into action, a healthy queue had formed for this inaugural M.O.S.T. outing, all very much braving the chilly conditions (well cold for August at least) But despite the delay & the cold compounded by many peeling off & heading for Vauxhall, we persevered and were soon to be rewarded with entry into the venue. Dropping our bits & bobs off in the coatcheck, rather than heading back into MOS’s main room, where Leonardo Kloppel was stoking up the atmosphere with some tough, chunky & funky wholes house tunes, we headed out onto the terrace expecting to see friend Danny preparing to kick start the Ibiza style proceedings, although it was clear that the late running of the previous party had left the venue’s organisers woefully behind in preparing from Logan’s event. With the wind very much picking up, making the space chilly to say the least and with no sign of Mr Verde, we beat a hasty retreat inside to soak up the energy on the main dancefloor.

With the “Super Size” badgering continuing and the relatively healthy main room crowd thinning before our eyes, our grip on reality and our focus on the liaison with our friend all but disappeared in the tide of dutiful thoughts & confused messages that saw our mind focus on heading to Beyond to continue our weekend reporting, leaving M.O.S.T. behind, without having really given the club a chance. With the brief hello with Danny over, Michele, Clayton & co chaperoned us out of the club and onto the crazy journey to Vauxhall and into the grip of Beyond, which, from the outside at least seemed to be rocking Area’s walls to their foundations. Indeed an emerging Chris Jepson confirmed the place was jam packed, no surprise really as all previous Bank Holiday’s have proven to be the same and even with the changes to Area, the extra space on the main room, the extended Blackbox space & the clearing of podiums on the respective dancefloors were still not going to be enough to cope with the sheer numbers through the doors, such was the wave of enthusiasm for Beyond on a Bank Holiday.

And entering the club ahead of Michelle & Clayton, our guide Romain Lopez led us into the Terrace room and towards the bar where we landed in the grip of Craig Elder, Tom Fuller & Dorin Andrei, all whom had grabbed a moment away from the mayhem to take stock on this, their biggest Beyond yet, the main room a sea of sweaty torso’s pumping to the beats of a Steve Pitron & a Mikey D back-to-back set, the second space awash with clubbers soaking up the sounds of German club, Sexy, here in the hands of resident D.J. Roni, and the Terrace room, where we found ourselves wedged, packed out & hooked to the heavenly house hits from Hifi Sean. In toasting Mr Elder on his birthday with shocking shots of Sambuca & Tequila, he led us into the main room to cast our eyes on proceedings, although the call of duty released us to squirm & squeeze our way down to the D.J. both to wave hello to one of the main protagonists in craving for our attendance at this “Super Size” party, Mr Pitron concentrating in the job in hand, but briefly popping his head up to smile & wave in our direction.

But in truth, as good as the main room felt, as gay as the crowd seemed and as pleasing it was to see hoards of fellow clubbing friends, not to mention the likes of Steve, Mikey, Alan, Jamie, Sean & Johnny, we were far from comfortable with our lot and our minds were cast back to Danny Verde, who we just couldn’t clear from our thoughts. Moving into the second room we spotted Oliver Mohns behind the decks, as well as the cute & cuddly Andrei 1, but even these two could not raise our deteriorating mood, all thoughts of our reporting duties now pushed to very back of our mind, rather Mr Verde planted right in the front and our concentration on the job in hand, reviewing what looked like becoming the success story of the Bank Holiday, completely lost. So, with our focus on all things afterhours now gone, it was down to liege Alex Erfan to pick up our dishevelled state & mood, plucking us out of Beyond as he did, taking us into the normality (if there is one) of a Vauxhall late morning to look forward to the next party on our schedule, rather than look back at the events of the last few hours, knowing that the arrival of one Javier Medina would most likely be the remedy to our woes. So that was our afterhours Bank Holiday experience in the hands of M.O.S.T. & Beyond, less than two hours spent in each club and our weekend hanging precariously in the balance

Now you may ask, what is the point of this review, or as we prefer to call it, reflection? Well, for us it has multiple meanings, first and foremost that business & pleasure rarely mix in complete harmony and trying to do so can be fraught with danger. However, our reflection has also shown how easy it can be for us to be swept away in the tide of emotion, confusing duty with loyalty, friendships with acquaintances and rhyme with reason, also highlighting that is it very difficult, especially in our position, to please everyone all of the time. There comes a point when decisions, whether right or wrong, have to be made and in the heat of the moment & in this case, we probably made the wrong one. In leaving our friend as we did, we may well have lost that friend, but in reflecting as we have, our only hope is that he comes to some understanding of the why in all of this, as well as our heartfelt desire to please wherever possible and our aim to strike that difficult balance between work & play. To summarise this as our own "afterhours horribilis" of an outing is to hope that we can forget this, our Bank Holiday Sunday morning experience as soon as we stop remembering it, and in doing so, move forward & not back.

As for the Sunday afterhours parties themselves, well it was clear that Beyond “Super Size” outperformed all expectations of the team. We have never seen the place so packed, even if it was too hot to bear at times and the winning formula of desirable D.J.’s producing magnificent music as well as exceptional effects creating an amazing atmosphere, together with all the other ingredients that make Beyond the success it is, ended up being the proof in the pudding that made this party rise to the top of the pile once again this weekend. Plus, there is no doubt in our mind that Beyond remains as popular as ever and looks set not just to survive but continue to thrive. As for M.O.S.T., well the concept is a good one and the intent of the promoter we feel to be honourable, plus the pitch of the party means that it should have room to sit alongside Beyond in the afterhours stakes, it was just the timing of this event & a few other unexpected factors that meant it wasn’t the success it set itself out to be, although perseverance is definitely the name of the game. However, what we can say with conviction is that the Sunday mornings afterhours market is as strong as ever and long live this, our favoured clubbing slot. (DISCO MATT)

"Home Grown Hybrid" - Hype - Club Review

“HOME-GROWN HYBRID”
HYPE – SATURDAY 28TH AUGUST
CLUB REVIEW


Few will doubt the capabilities for one Logan Schmitz to put on prolific parties, this enigmatic individual having made a massive splash on the gAylist London clubbing scene back in November 2008 when he brought Spanish smash hit brand SuperMartXe to the capital, creating an immediate buzz and attracting the kind of crowd that had been missing from many a party before it. Indeed, such has been the success of Logan in London, that the top brass of rival Spanish brand Matinee saw in Mr Schmitz, a man that could resurrect their lagging fortunes here in the UK and restore it as a clubbing experience of popular choice & demand. But, never wishing to stand still in trying to deliver first rate & quality clubbing offerings, Logan has been looking to expand on his portfolio of parties for a while now, his promotions vehicle, Logan Presents, having held loose ties with Beyond & As One in recent times, although the man behind the Spanish franchises in London, has craved for his own brands to carve out a new direction & identity for this mid west USA dancer come club promoter. Indeed in pursuit of his dreams & desires, the summer slipping away from us has seen private party “UP” make quite a considerable impact, paving the way for the second instalment of a brand which was launched onto a public who, at the time, were still engrossed in the sheen & sparkle of SuperMartXe.

When Hype hit the headlines back in May 2009, it would be fair to say that Logan’s captive audience was not quite ready for the brand which aimed at delivering, not so much a party full of prolific performances & stunning stage shows, but more one than concentrated on the music. And, on paper at least, it had the credentials to deliver in this department, London stars D’Johnny & Steve Pitron flying the flag for home faithfull’s & Rafa Ariza of Matinee & Pacha fame looking like packing a punch, as would top notch PA Rebeka Brown. However, the inevitable comparisons were drawn with SuperMartXe, not least as the signage was virtually the same and whilst the vicious reaction to our review at the time seemed to contradict ours & others views on the success of the party, Hype nevertheless disappeared from the clubbing schedule as its Spanish inspiration continued to dominate Saturday clubbing. However, the original concept of Hype, in delivering magnificent music, was still very much alive in Logan’s mind, so it came as no surprise that it would re-appear at a time when his production team & his parties were very much the talk of the town, testing the market for a second time, albeit on the tricky slot that was a Bank Holiday Saturday. So how did Hype go down this time round? And did it find favour with the faithful?

Arriving at Coronet’s doors at not long turned midnight, there seemed to be a buzz in the air as well as a small queue of party goers forming to see what all the hype was about and spotting Michael on the door we bounded up to say hello and secure our entrance into the club, the team now clearly drilled in the procedure and our safe passage secured in a matter of moments. Finding little or no wait at the outside coatcheck, once we had weaved our way through and had greeted pal & hairdresser extraordinaire, Luis, we were set free to drop down into The Coronet’s main room to investigate proceedings fully, looking first at virtually empty dancefloor, but then mingling with a healthy crowd which had assembled up in the extensive bar area. Searching for refreshments, we came across the ever smiling Johnny Hooley, standing resplendent in a brilliant black & silver number and towering high over us in piecing stiletto’s that made our feet whimper at the prospect, although engaging in chat & catch up proved an absolute pleasure, making for the ideal ice breaker on a somewhat shaky start this second Hype outing.

But it wasn’t long before the dancefloor began to fill out and we assumed our usual Coronet spot down just shy of the stage, much of the focus being on the massive neon displays in front & behind the D.J. booth where the familiar face & figure of Paul Heron was bopping up & down to the beats he was bashing out, including a rather uplifting number, yet an appealing version of Kelis’ “Acapella”, then blending into a string of more a-typical Heron house tunes on the tech & electro side that had us swinging on our spot, alongside familiar faces that included D.J. Phil Hewson & his Aussie pal, Matinee friend & fellow clubbing party head Michelle Thornber, along with her posse pals Clayton Wright & Dan Mator as well as a veritable feast of muscle-bound men & gorgeous girls, very much the smart set that we are used to at Logan Presents parties. But we were even more thrilled when pal Dorin appeared through the crowd and joined us in some major dancing moves, also catching up on news in between Paul’s hypnotic house hits that had us smiling from ear to ear, our enjoyment added to by the advances of Mauricio, Luke, Dilmar & Fabio, all lapping up this much improved Hype showing on fifteen months ago.

Looking around the venue, much of the usual overt production was not in evidence, rather the spectacular neon lighting & laser displays were doing all the talking, creating impressive displays both on the huge stage curtain and around the theatre style space for all to see, very much a refreshing change to the SuperMartXe norm that we are used to here in Elephant & Castle, not that we were ever making comparisons this time round, Hype very much standing on its own two feet & seemingly proud to do so. Then, with a twitch & swing of that massive curtain, the music pace completely changed and the neon lighting flashed up the words “Free Radical Formation”, signalling the entry of the PA performance for the night, from the duo made up of the vocal talents of Brit Rob Harris & Spanish electronic music wizard Sergi Gadi, who stepped out & delivered their brand new smash “Broken Dreams” to a captivated crowd that like us, had their eyes transfixed on the stage for this first exclusive live airing of Rob & Sergi’s latest track, although with just the one song performed, it was down to incumbent D.J. Carlos Gallardo took over proceedings, storming Hype with some massive Euro style sounds & current house hits that had the place pumping with his barnstorming beats.

With Mr Gallardo was now in full control, a delighted Paul Heron joined us out on in front of the stage to soak up the enthralling atmosphere that was being heightened by the gaggle of gorgeous go-go’s that were standing proud on podiums both on the stage, framing the D.J. booth and out deep in the dancefloor, a virtually unstoppable showing of brawn & beauty keeping up the eye candy content right through Carlos’s stupendous set, that for us rivalled any Spanish D.J. import guest we have seen, ever. So struck were we on the quality of his music and the statement the impressive lighting was making, with our new found toy in our hand, we clicked away, amassing a colourful collection of snaps to reflect on this illuminating Hype of an experience, even finding a spot at the back on the main floor to take in the full extent of the incredible displays as well as soak up Mr Gallardo’s prolific performance, only pausing briefly for refreshments in our exploits to land the perfect picture, finding every possible vantage point to catch the full extent of the stage & neon displays.

Back down by the dancefloor, the eye catching Geisha girl style dancer on the centre stage became the focal point of our never ending clicking, but with shots in hand & and second more energetic performance by the PA duo, Free Radical Formation, soaked up, it was down to Carlos and then London’s own Tony English to carry us & this Hype happening through until the 6 a.m. finish, we now firmly planted back in our favoured spot & trading moves with the remaining crowd, many of whom, like us, were looking forward to the next Logan home-grown brand, M.O.S.T. at Ministry Of Sound. Mind you our night of fun & frivolity in the hands of Hype was to be rounded off by a lively Andrew Harris who traded quips & dance moves with us in the remaining minutes of our stay, although the intentions of the neon displays were clear, signalling our retreat to collect our belongings & head across to MOS with Michelle, Clayton & co for the next instalment of our hectic weekend of clubbing, safe in the knowledge that we were content with our lot with Hype & pleased to have been part of this home-gown hybrid a-la Schmitz style.
Now, we have never been accused of shying away from the truth & for being honest in our opinion, although given the ferocity of reaction to our first Hype review are treading little carefully, not that we need to in reality as, unlike the party last May, we were actually quite impressed with Logan’s own brand this time round. Not only had they broken away from SuperMartXe in the branding stakes, but the whole concept of delivering top notch music was much clearer and much more successful, the lighting employed was nothing short of breathtaking & gave the whole party a unique feel that very much set it aside from its Spanish peer. Yes, the numbers were down on what one would normally expect at a Coronet Logan Presents event, but given the fact that it was a Bank Holiday Saturday, the team, in our view, did extremely well in attracting the numbers they did.

When you consider the inclement weather conditions, together with the heavyweight nature of events in Vauxhall sucking the life out of Saturday and switching the emphasis to Sunday & Monday, Hype stood up commendably. Are we making excuses for Logan? And does this signal a reverse in the so called “...secret support in someone else’s agenda...” waged at us by one of our fiercest critic’s last time round, absolutely not!! Hype was a credible party that delivered everything it said on the tin, so if by saying everything we have, we will once again be accused, quite wrongly so, of being “...like the mainstream media, presenting you with blatant lies...” then let those accusers come forward & be counted. We had a really enjoyable time at this Hype & that’s that. (DISCO MATT)