“WONDERFULLY EXTRAVAGANT”
WE PARTY LONDON LAUNCH – SATURDAY 4TH DECEMBER
CLUB REVIEW
When we talk of the so called “Spanish Armada”, the names that immediately spring to mind are Matinee SuperMartXe & maybe Space, the other protagonist to this crown being La Troya, each one having gained measured success and/or exposure to the tricky & competitive clubbing market that is London. Indeed, whilst the whole fabric of the scene in the capital has changed in recent years, quality crowds having been replaced by a somewhat scruffier element, it has only been the likes of these monthly Spanish imports that have continued to attract the kind of good looking & stylish clubbers that were so much am every day occurrence only a few years ago. However, times continue to change & even giants like Matinee & SuperMartXe can easily fall out of favour with the very picky public that make up our scene here in the capital, so when news began to sweep across London that a newcomer from Spain was about to land, tongues began to wag as to exactly what to expect, especially given the party launch would be one week after its biggest competitor celebrated its 2nd anniversary.
Having fanfared back in its home country of Spain & city of Madrid just over a year ago, WE Party’s rise to the upper echelons of club brands has been nothing short of meteoric, promoter & artistic director, Victor Pallas, spreading the good WE word right across the globe, having made a splash at The Circuit Festival in August with a prolific pool party, then marvelled in Mykonos at XLsior, as well as having firmly cemented roots at the amazing La Riviera back in Madrid, very much picking up where SuperMartXe left off. Indeed, WE has very much captured the imagination of gay audiences across Spain, meaning it has become THE hot property & talk of town and with dates set for its world tour growing by the week, landing in London was always going to be a question of when as opposed to if. And so it was, the marriage of minds between the WE Spain team & the promotions vehicle iLondon events, the joint venture between Lovechild & As One promoter Alex Erfan & the Orange Group’s Craig Elder, an added irony being that it was to launch where SuperMartXe had done just two years ago.
So, having taken a sabbatical which meant we missed out on much of the calamity of the previous weekend, mixed reports coming in about WE Party’s competitor, some good, some indifferent, many bad, our hopes for a busy launch in London for Victor Pallas’s brand were buoyant to say the least, although with worries over the arctic like weather conditions, plus a wildcat strike by the Spanish air traffic controllers, much organisation & mobilisation was required to effectively get the show on the road. But, with the might of The Orange group behind then, both the host venue, The Coronet, and the joint promotions teams for this WE Party launch in London, moved with the efficiency of a German panzer tank battalion to ensure the logistics of the night would run as smoothly as a baby’s bottom and by golly did they or what, the whole experience a dream, literally from the minute we arrived at the stroke of midnight, to a free flowing queue of party goers & then to the most friendly security staff we had seen in a long time. Adding to our immediate pleasure were the familiar faces of the terrific Tom Fuller, the marvellous Minty & our lovely Latino, Juanjo, all doing their bit to welcome not just us, but the constant stream of others eager to get a slice of this new Spanish splendour.But more than that, were we pleased as punch or what, when the lovely Dave Cross pitched up, immediately entering into jovial conversation as to our presence (...were we Matt, Disco Matt, or indeed Crisco Matt?!...) bringing a huge smile to our faces (how many!!), fabulous.
With entrance formalities over & our liaison with close friend Stephen complete, not to mention a whole host of hello’s in the foyer & then the upstairs VIP area, including Andrew Jones, Guy Williams and iLondon events man Alex Erfan, with refreshments in hand and a text message from incumbent D.J. Steve Pitron received, we headed round into the Coronet’s main arena, escorted by the ever inviting Romain Lopez, who gave us a guided tour of the VIP balcony and the main space, at this point shrouded by a massive black curtain, awaiting the full reveal to a by now rammed packed bar space. So, tour over & a certain club promoter avoided, we sought refuge with our friends Stephen & Stefan, although not before bumping into a host of familiar faces, first & foremost Craig Elder, who was so pleased to see us, then Romano Hendry & his lot, the charming TTD promoter Billy Richard, and Industri pals Jeremy, Andy & David, in amongst a wave of others that were not only pleased to see us, but poured heaps of support on us & our attendance to this WE London launch, marking our return to our review duties.
Now we were keen for the party to gather its full head of steam and with the reveal complete & the expanse of the incredible stage displays & lighting looming large in everyone’s eyes, we headed down towards the massive dancefloor, being greeted at the bottom by a beaming Steve Pitron, who immediately took us across to his posse who were all ready to lap up both his set & the impending action. And, it wasn’t long before the space began to fill with crowds of others, all intent on getting a brilliant view of the stage, the dancers, the lighting & the incredible screen effects which have become a WE trademark, the whole ethos of the brand based on a new evolution & a new formula of clubbing, the inevitable yet hilarious association with washing, bubbles & the like, the by word of the brand (just look at their signature identity). Yet, while the space was filling nicely & D’Johnny’s music warming up proceedings, the temperature of The Coronet was decidedly chilly, despite the huge efforts to heat the place with industrial size contraptions, many complaining of the cold, while joining us in our dancing dervishness to ward off the winter like conditions.
However, to the rescue came Mr Pitron, immediately upping the pace of the music & treating us to a veritable feat of fantastic tunes, many lifted straight from his magnificent mix, recorded in celebration of this WE London launch, the dancefloor now well & truly packed with revellers intent on partying the night away, the likes of friend & partner in fierceness Lexi, trading moves with us, birthday boy Stweart Who in attendance, the Lo-Profile team swarming around and the angelic Andrea & her boys right next to us adding to the now enthralling entertainment. But, was it going to get better or what, as with a sudden slow in the music, the WE dancers made their sultry & sexy moves onto the stage, then in a brilliant flash of lighting, the huge screens fired up in all their splendour, completely wowing the audience, looks of amazement at the enormous neon effects on everyone’s faces around, testament to the incredible impact this fresh new formula had created, all added to by first plumes of bubbles filling the theatrical space, then with a massive fanfare of sound, the biggest ticker tape canon explosions erupted, multi coloured plumes thrown high into the air, elevating the atmosphere to stratospheric levels.
Now all thoughts of the cold were far from people’s minds, indeed the heat projected from the huge screens sought to raise the temperature, all added to by Mr Pitron’s pulsating performance, the teams of dancers strutting their stuff on the stage podiums, we even being amused by the position of WE letters on one gorgeous hunks crotch (WE on the front...what on the back?), the whole essence of this party brand swinging into focus, the fun element that had so been missing in many a club night & brand before, evident for all to see. And with moments of hilarity continuing in our captivating company, our enjoyment of this exceptional event was growing by the minute & added to by yet more familiar faces, D.J’s. Alan K, Jamie Head, Mikey D, Alessandro, & Tony English, The Orange group elite, including Jonny M & the Elder brothers, even a busy as a bee Phillipe Giovanni Chiarella, as well as our favourite couple Dorin & Kyriacos, and the Polish boys Mariusz & Norbert, amongst a myriad of others making for a truly magnificent magical montage of men & women in our midst.
With the party at full tilt & Steve have graced his exit, the Spanish invasion was now in control, first Manuel De Diego dazzling with a euro-beat-tastic trip of tunes that had the main space completely pumping with pulsating party heads, the crowd showing no signs of relenting to the fever pitch pace of proceedings and the dancers continuing to delight in front the awe inspired effects & visuals. And, the atmosphere only improved yet more notches when it was headlining WE party resident, Carlos Gallardo’s turn to delight the crowd with his divine dance tracks, we even being thrilled & graced with a back stage intro just in advance of his spectacular set, this being just one highlight in a long list of others that rounded off this wonderfully extravagant event in the best possible way. And, whilst we really wanted the party to go on & on, time was against us & with sights now on the afterparty, we waved our farewells to the Coronet & this wicked WE party, heading home to recharge our batteries s before Beyond WE, when we did it all over again.
We were expecting great things from this WE launch, especially having seen the impact that the brand had made thus far both at home in Madrid and across Europe, but nothing quite prepared us for the amazing effects & atmosphere that we witnessed at The Coronet. To say we were spell bound by the enormous neon effects is an understatement and what’s more, the music matched in every respect, the team of main room stars each adding their own elements to create one of the best Spanish sorties on a Saturday we have seen in London in a long time. Now, we were going to fill our review with amusing analogies, like first wash cycle cold, midway rinse rapturous & second spin spectacular, but to be honest, they would simply deflect from the truly tremendous time we had and the wonderment that is WE. But moreover it would not reflect just how smooth the whole operation was, much down to the incredible organisation of the iLondon events crew, who along with the venue & WE’s Spanish team, should be heartily congratulated for pulling off this party without hardly a hitch. WE London was Well Executed, encapsulated a Wonderful Ensemble, ended up being a truly Wicked Event and we enjoyed every minute of it, meaning we cannot wait for this Wonderful Espaniol to return, to once again make for the perfect WEekend. (DISCO MATT)
WE PARTY LONDON LAUNCH – SATURDAY 4TH DECEMBER
CLUB REVIEW
When we talk of the so called “Spanish Armada”, the names that immediately spring to mind are Matinee SuperMartXe & maybe Space, the other protagonist to this crown being La Troya, each one having gained measured success and/or exposure to the tricky & competitive clubbing market that is London. Indeed, whilst the whole fabric of the scene in the capital has changed in recent years, quality crowds having been replaced by a somewhat scruffier element, it has only been the likes of these monthly Spanish imports that have continued to attract the kind of good looking & stylish clubbers that were so much am every day occurrence only a few years ago. However, times continue to change & even giants like Matinee & SuperMartXe can easily fall out of favour with the very picky public that make up our scene here in the capital, so when news began to sweep across London that a newcomer from Spain was about to land, tongues began to wag as to exactly what to expect, especially given the party launch would be one week after its biggest competitor celebrated its 2nd anniversary.
Having fanfared back in its home country of Spain & city of Madrid just over a year ago, WE Party’s rise to the upper echelons of club brands has been nothing short of meteoric, promoter & artistic director, Victor Pallas, spreading the good WE word right across the globe, having made a splash at The Circuit Festival in August with a prolific pool party, then marvelled in Mykonos at XLsior, as well as having firmly cemented roots at the amazing La Riviera back in Madrid, very much picking up where SuperMartXe left off. Indeed, WE has very much captured the imagination of gay audiences across Spain, meaning it has become THE hot property & talk of town and with dates set for its world tour growing by the week, landing in London was always going to be a question of when as opposed to if. And so it was, the marriage of minds between the WE Spain team & the promotions vehicle iLondon events, the joint venture between Lovechild & As One promoter Alex Erfan & the Orange Group’s Craig Elder, an added irony being that it was to launch where SuperMartXe had done just two years ago.
So, having taken a sabbatical which meant we missed out on much of the calamity of the previous weekend, mixed reports coming in about WE Party’s competitor, some good, some indifferent, many bad, our hopes for a busy launch in London for Victor Pallas’s brand were buoyant to say the least, although with worries over the arctic like weather conditions, plus a wildcat strike by the Spanish air traffic controllers, much organisation & mobilisation was required to effectively get the show on the road. But, with the might of The Orange group behind then, both the host venue, The Coronet, and the joint promotions teams for this WE Party launch in London, moved with the efficiency of a German panzer tank battalion to ensure the logistics of the night would run as smoothly as a baby’s bottom and by golly did they or what, the whole experience a dream, literally from the minute we arrived at the stroke of midnight, to a free flowing queue of party goers & then to the most friendly security staff we had seen in a long time. Adding to our immediate pleasure were the familiar faces of the terrific Tom Fuller, the marvellous Minty & our lovely Latino, Juanjo, all doing their bit to welcome not just us, but the constant stream of others eager to get a slice of this new Spanish splendour.But more than that, were we pleased as punch or what, when the lovely Dave Cross pitched up, immediately entering into jovial conversation as to our presence (...were we Matt, Disco Matt, or indeed Crisco Matt?!...) bringing a huge smile to our faces (how many!!), fabulous.
With entrance formalities over & our liaison with close friend Stephen complete, not to mention a whole host of hello’s in the foyer & then the upstairs VIP area, including Andrew Jones, Guy Williams and iLondon events man Alex Erfan, with refreshments in hand and a text message from incumbent D.J. Steve Pitron received, we headed round into the Coronet’s main arena, escorted by the ever inviting Romain Lopez, who gave us a guided tour of the VIP balcony and the main space, at this point shrouded by a massive black curtain, awaiting the full reveal to a by now rammed packed bar space. So, tour over & a certain club promoter avoided, we sought refuge with our friends Stephen & Stefan, although not before bumping into a host of familiar faces, first & foremost Craig Elder, who was so pleased to see us, then Romano Hendry & his lot, the charming TTD promoter Billy Richard, and Industri pals Jeremy, Andy & David, in amongst a wave of others that were not only pleased to see us, but poured heaps of support on us & our attendance to this WE London launch, marking our return to our review duties.
Now we were keen for the party to gather its full head of steam and with the reveal complete & the expanse of the incredible stage displays & lighting looming large in everyone’s eyes, we headed down towards the massive dancefloor, being greeted at the bottom by a beaming Steve Pitron, who immediately took us across to his posse who were all ready to lap up both his set & the impending action. And, it wasn’t long before the space began to fill with crowds of others, all intent on getting a brilliant view of the stage, the dancers, the lighting & the incredible screen effects which have become a WE trademark, the whole ethos of the brand based on a new evolution & a new formula of clubbing, the inevitable yet hilarious association with washing, bubbles & the like, the by word of the brand (just look at their signature identity). Yet, while the space was filling nicely & D’Johnny’s music warming up proceedings, the temperature of The Coronet was decidedly chilly, despite the huge efforts to heat the place with industrial size contraptions, many complaining of the cold, while joining us in our dancing dervishness to ward off the winter like conditions.
However, to the rescue came Mr Pitron, immediately upping the pace of the music & treating us to a veritable feat of fantastic tunes, many lifted straight from his magnificent mix, recorded in celebration of this WE London launch, the dancefloor now well & truly packed with revellers intent on partying the night away, the likes of friend & partner in fierceness Lexi, trading moves with us, birthday boy Stweart Who in attendance, the Lo-Profile team swarming around and the angelic Andrea & her boys right next to us adding to the now enthralling entertainment. But, was it going to get better or what, as with a sudden slow in the music, the WE dancers made their sultry & sexy moves onto the stage, then in a brilliant flash of lighting, the huge screens fired up in all their splendour, completely wowing the audience, looks of amazement at the enormous neon effects on everyone’s faces around, testament to the incredible impact this fresh new formula had created, all added to by first plumes of bubbles filling the theatrical space, then with a massive fanfare of sound, the biggest ticker tape canon explosions erupted, multi coloured plumes thrown high into the air, elevating the atmosphere to stratospheric levels.
Now all thoughts of the cold were far from people’s minds, indeed the heat projected from the huge screens sought to raise the temperature, all added to by Mr Pitron’s pulsating performance, the teams of dancers strutting their stuff on the stage podiums, we even being amused by the position of WE letters on one gorgeous hunks crotch (WE on the front...what on the back?), the whole essence of this party brand swinging into focus, the fun element that had so been missing in many a club night & brand before, evident for all to see. And with moments of hilarity continuing in our captivating company, our enjoyment of this exceptional event was growing by the minute & added to by yet more familiar faces, D.J’s. Alan K, Jamie Head, Mikey D, Alessandro, & Tony English, The Orange group elite, including Jonny M & the Elder brothers, even a busy as a bee Phillipe Giovanni Chiarella, as well as our favourite couple Dorin & Kyriacos, and the Polish boys Mariusz & Norbert, amongst a myriad of others making for a truly magnificent magical montage of men & women in our midst.
With the party at full tilt & Steve have graced his exit, the Spanish invasion was now in control, first Manuel De Diego dazzling with a euro-beat-tastic trip of tunes that had the main space completely pumping with pulsating party heads, the crowd showing no signs of relenting to the fever pitch pace of proceedings and the dancers continuing to delight in front the awe inspired effects & visuals. And, the atmosphere only improved yet more notches when it was headlining WE party resident, Carlos Gallardo’s turn to delight the crowd with his divine dance tracks, we even being thrilled & graced with a back stage intro just in advance of his spectacular set, this being just one highlight in a long list of others that rounded off this wonderfully extravagant event in the best possible way. And, whilst we really wanted the party to go on & on, time was against us & with sights now on the afterparty, we waved our farewells to the Coronet & this wicked WE party, heading home to recharge our batteries s before Beyond WE, when we did it all over again.
We were expecting great things from this WE launch, especially having seen the impact that the brand had made thus far both at home in Madrid and across Europe, but nothing quite prepared us for the amazing effects & atmosphere that we witnessed at The Coronet. To say we were spell bound by the enormous neon effects is an understatement and what’s more, the music matched in every respect, the team of main room stars each adding their own elements to create one of the best Spanish sorties on a Saturday we have seen in London in a long time. Now, we were going to fill our review with amusing analogies, like first wash cycle cold, midway rinse rapturous & second spin spectacular, but to be honest, they would simply deflect from the truly tremendous time we had and the wonderment that is WE. But moreover it would not reflect just how smooth the whole operation was, much down to the incredible organisation of the iLondon events crew, who along with the venue & WE’s Spanish team, should be heartily congratulated for pulling off this party without hardly a hitch. WE London was Well Executed, encapsulated a Wonderful Ensemble, ended up being a truly Wicked Event and we enjoyed every minute of it, meaning we cannot wait for this Wonderful Espaniol to return, to once again make for the perfect WEekend. (DISCO MATT)
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