“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)
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)
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