"Wonderfully Extravagant" - WE Party London Launch - Club Review

“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 Indeed, whilst the whole fabric of the scene in the capital has changed in recent years, quality crowds having been replaced by a somewhat scruffier element, it has only been the likes of these monthly Spanish imports that have continued to attract the kind of good looking & stylish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)

"A New Look, A New Direction" - DiscoMatt.com "Go For Launch"

“A NEW LOOK, A NEW DIRECTION”
DISCOMATT.COM “GO FOR LAUNCH”
REPORT – MONDAY 6TH DECEMBER


Well, it has been a long time coming, but the day has arrived when we can, excitingly, announce the launch of our new one-stop website, a momentous day in Disco Matt land and one which we are coining “go for launch”, perhaps not quite as spectacular as the first rocket in space, the first man on the moon or even that first space shuttle mission, but a significant launch & step in our relatively short yet eventful history.

And yes, it has been just under three years since we started putting pen to paper, Disco Matt having been born & developed following publication of his review of Matinee in February 2008, on tip top clubbing website SeenQueen, we having gone on to rack up exactly 200 reviews since then, although as we have broadened our services ,other posts & reports have pushed up that incredible figure to well over 400, adding previews, weekend recommendations, hot dates & music pages to our family of blogs.

But in an ever changing & fast moving world and with our reputation & name established, the time came for us to step out of our “blogging” label, by creating a full-on website to encompass the full range of our work, offering a “one-stop shop” for our regular readers & wider audiences. So, given this momentous change, we have decided to slowly phase out our posts via BlogSpot, with the plan to fully integrate into DiscoMatt.com from the beginning of 2011. However, till then, you will be able to find out posts both here & at the new site.

So, why not take a look at our new look now & our post “A New Look & New Direction” which gives you a complete rundown on the new features, pages & site navigation tools, by simply clicking on http://discomatt.com/. We hope you like our new look and welcome your feedback, good, bad or indifferent. (DISCO MATT)

"Thoroughly Thrilling Third" - Lo-Profile 3rd Birthday - Club Review

“THOROUGHLY THRILLING THIRD”
LO-PROFILE 3RD BIRTHDAY – FRIDAY 19TH NOVEMBER
CLUB REVIEW


When multi-national organisation Gaydar decided to take the plunge into the bar & clubbing market, adding to its already well established online dating & networking business, as well as its popular radio shows & other online services, some immediately questioned why they should be entering a market place that was in complete contradiction to is regular offerings. Yet, with its first foray out on Frith Street, the venue gained considerable following, filling a neat gap in the selection of Soho sophisticates, although this massive conglomerate was keen to make a bigger impact of the capital’s clubbing scene and like its bar operation, fill a much needed gap in central London, particularly given the fact that many existing venues were either closing down (in some case bulldozed) or diminishing in popularity. So, they soon sought out a space on Wardour Street which had previously seen failed attempts to do similar, a launch under the guise of “Sweet Suite” falling at the first hurdle, although with the might of Gaydar behind it, this new operation had every chance of succeeding where others had failed.

Lo-Profile hit the ground running in 2007, very much capturing a change in clubbing trends, as people began to desert the larger venues in preference to the more moderate affairs that were better matching the needs & demands of a shrinking audience, some laying the blame on this change, funnily enough, at the door of online organisations like Gaydar, for revolutionising the way people meet & connect, this trend change meaning that the traditional way of meeting people, in bars & clubs, was becoming much less the norm. So, very much flying in the face of their bread & butter business, the bold move to open a nightclub was seen by some as controversial, as was the extrovert decor of Lo-Profile, the overt shapes of lighting around its entrance working well, but the replication across the club , a little too much for some. Plus, with certain club ventures failing to ignite expected attraction, it seemed the club was, like its predecessors, would flounder, although three years on, it is not only still alive, but very muck kicking.

So, given both the appeal of its sister venue, Profile, now located directly above on Wardour Street, plus with all the recent improvements to the club space, we simply couldn’t forgo making the trip down to Lo-Profile for its 3rd birthday celebration, even if we had stated we were suspending our reviewing activity for November, we very much pleased to make this exception. Therefore, we made plans to meet up with D.J. close pal Brent Nicholls, who was due to perform at this special birthday bash, making our way to Profile for around 10 p.m. for the liaison with our friend, also catching up with Profile’s Friday resident D.J. Phil Marriot, who was in his usual chirpy mood & keen to party on downstairs after his stint behind the decks, transmitting his show live to Gaydar Radio’s Club Nation audience. And with the bar a frenzy of activity, not least with the bubbly enthusiasm exuded from fellow friend Andrea, who bounded up to make her presence felt

But the main focus was downstairs, so with Brent Nicholls leading the way, we headed through Profile and then down past the clubs reception, entering Lo-Profile’s space in time to catch the end of the VIP reception for this special birthday occasion, D’Johnny in charge of the musical direction, pumping out a neat selection of tech infused house hits to a select bunch of invitees ready to party deep into the night. So, soon finding ourselves at the bar, we grabbed some refreshments, served by the charming Philippe and began to circulate the space, bumping into familiar face, one after the other, including yet more D.J. pals (was it a convention?!) Alessandro Londra, Paul Heron, Nick Evans & Jamie Head, all making their appearance to toast Lo-Profile on its third year in operation. Plus, some the Gaydar top brass were around, we even getting invited to a glass of champagne, most agreeable, everyone in cheerful & celebratory mood as the club began to swell in numbers before our eyes, the staff motoring to get everyone served in their now customary efficient manner, special “3” balloons festooning the back bar to re-enforce the birthday message.

So, now we were set fair to soak up this Lo-Profile special occasion, planting ourselves in our favourite spot (come on you should know by now) just by the D.J. booth, the perfect vantage point to see the new lighting system swing into action, the bank of lasers swinging to the beats D’Johnny was bashing out & bouncing off the sea of bodies that was now filling the dancefloor. But when the podiums filled, first with enthusiastic party goers, one such hunk stripping to the waist, although he was soon to make way for an even tastier guy, part of the troupe of dancers that were to entertain our eyes throughout the rest of this pulsating party. And it came as no surprise that Mr photographer himself, Chris Jepson, was on queue to snap the gorgeous dancers in action, although fortunately we were also in pole position with our phone pointed directly at this sexy stud in front of us, our hands quivering as we shot away to our hearts content.

With D’Johnny’s set now over, it was down to Brent Nicholls to further elevate the already awesome atmosphere, he very much taking the music, grasping it with both hands and giving it his trademark latino edged & funky filled touches, with plenty of house heaven anthems from across the three years of Lo-Profile’s existence, trading classics like “Sunday’s At Heaven”, with more recent hits “Devil Walking” “Hey, Hey” and many more, although the rapturous reaction to Toca’s “Miracle” was one of the most amazing we have seen anywhere & proved a truly magical moment within this Aussie D.J’s superlative set. And we were very much in full flow, especially in the company of Mr Marriot, who had now made it down from upstairs to join in the party, we not only trading dance moves, but also sharing more than a joke or two which was, yet again, proving to be a fabulous Friday sashaying in Soho rather than being vivacious in Vauxhall.

With Brent in complete control of the decks and the new lighting & effects in full tilt, we were going nowhere, our original plans to stay for just an hour or two, laid to waste, our dancing dervishness showing no signs of slowing down, so good was Lo-Profile, even outstaying the usually energetic Andrea, who curtain called before us. But with yet more people swinging by, including the charming Suzana Quentin & the lovely Naomi Ruiz, as well as beautiful Brazilian Lunarde Martins, the captivating company couldn’t have been better, our spot by the D.J. booth proving the perfect place to be, Brent continuing to delight with one delicious dance tune after the next, all very evocative of this special 3rd birthday bash, he pitching the music perfectly, ensuring the dancefloor remained rammed right up to the 4 a.m. finish. And, whilst we really wanted to stay to the end, the call of our bed & resting before a journey to family duties the following morning, meant we had to grace our exit, collecting our bits from behind the D.J. booth, saying farewells to those around us, then sliding out into Soho to wend our way home & reflect on what was certainly a superb celebratory event extra-ordinaire.

There is absolutely no doubt that Lo-Profile, in its three year history, has gone from strength to strength, Fridays as well as Saturdays proving more & more popular as time has gone by, this being no surprise, particularly when you consider the wealth of D.J. talent the team employ to attract the masses, talents Steve Pitron, Mikey D, Jamie Head, Paul Heron & Gonzalo Rivas, among a host of others, all very much the cream of the London clubbing scene, that many a larger club operation would be proud to sport, meaning the music is the best you will find anywhere. And with both D’Johnny & Brent Nicholls masterminding that music for this 3rd birthday bash, we were very much treated to a truck load of terrific tunes from start to finish, all added to by the brilliant new lighting installations that have made such a big difference to both the atmosphere & ambiance of this Soho sophisticate, combining to make Lo-Profile, not just a credible alternative to the larger offerings south of the river, but a captivating club in its own right. So, we raise our glass in hearty congratulations to the team behind this prolific place & look forward to celebrating the next birthday in just as much style as this. (DISCO MATT)

Postscript

To mark Lo-Profile’s third birthday, resident D.J. Brent Nicholls has compiled a special mix, marking this special occasion, his 18 track devotion covering the three years of the clubs history with some truly amazing anthems, Brent describing it, modestly, as “...nothing groundbreaking, just a collection of good time memories defined by house music...” this hardly doing justice to what is one of his best creations of 2010 so far, keeping us addicted from start to finish and will surely do the same for you too.

So, to download this mesmeric mix, go to http://djbrentnicholls.com/music & click on the relevant link. Plus, to see the new look Lo-Profile in full swing, captured in video by Mr Nicholls, go to either his own website or to direct link http://seenqueen.com/web/tag/lo-profile-3rd-birthday/ and sink yourself into both the music & the action of this outstanding outfit.

"Mr Medina Makes His Mark" - Lovechild "1st Anniversary" - Club Review

"MR MEDINA MAKES HIS MARK”
LOVECHILD “1st ANNIVERSARY” – SATURDAY 13TH NOVEMBER
CLUB REVIEW


Looking back over the last few months, indeed years, there is no doubt that when it comes to Saturday night clubbing, the scene in London has seen some quite dramatic changes in trend, this usually most popular weekend slot having pitched & yawed in popularity, only a handful of brands surviving to tell the tale. Indeed save for some of the major brands, finding somewhere to party like (as the song goes) 1999, is increasingly more difficult, much of the central London locations either having been bulldozed to make way for other uses or filled with club brands that don’t necessarily appeal. So, as a consequence, Saturday’s have become rich pickings for the likes of SuperMartXe and, until recently, Matinee, one other brand showing itself on a monthly basis to make its own mark on a struggling slot when venues such as Barcode & Lo-Profile end up making the most of.

Lovechild very much has established itself as a prime contender for Saturday nights in the capital, making the bold move to change its original Sunday slot in favour of what, at the time, proved a wise choice & & popular decision. Indeed, it hardly seems a year since promoter Alex Erfan decided to move his lovable clubbing brand from its first home, Pacha in Victoria, to Fire in Vauxhall, the move giving him the flexibility he need to broaden both the appeal & dynamic of the monthly parties, a whole host of events having made a considerable splash on the capitals scene, firmly establishing it as one of the venues more popular events, well on a Saturday at least. This move to Vauxhall has also allowed Mr Erfan & his close team to expand into other brands, both home grown & international imports, although it would be fair to say that Lovechild is Alex’s first born in his recent relationship with Craig Elder’s group, so remains close to his heart and one which we have both supported & attended on a regular basis. So, despite certain issues with another scene club promoter, forcing us to take a sabbatical from our review duties, we made an exception for this special Lovechild “Anniversary”.

Another major reason for breaking our embargo on reviewing, was the arrival in London of Barcelona based boy, Javier Medina, whose work we have been promoting since the spring & indeed someone that has become a good friend, we spending time together as recent as September in Paris, as well as having connecting when he played on behalf of Lovechild at the August Bank Holiday As One event. So, whilst up until the actual day, it seemed doubtful we would make it to Fire, as Saturday dawned, we decided to brush aside, or at least dispel for a few hours, the issues that had forced us to suspend our writing & clubbing, the night actually becoming quite busy early on, with a boat party trip on the Thames, followed by a dip into Soho to celebrate both friends Michelle Thornber’s & Tom Marchant’s birthdays. But, a 1 a.m. liaison with Brent Nicholls, who was due on Lovechild duty, saw us arrive at Fire at a little shy of 2 a.m., we eventually finding ourselves at the venues “Lightbox” entrance, the revised arrangements for this anniversary occasion.

Making our way through & around towards the rear entrance (not tradesman’s before you ask) we were greeted by the man himself, Alex Erfan, who was beaming from ear to ear although very much concealing his concerns over the revised set up for this special one year celebration of his lovable brand, he guiding both us & Brent through into the replacement for the usual lounge space, the small “raw” room, which, if we are honest, has never really worked from the day it was opened, the space being very much divorced from the rest of the club. Dropping off our bits & boobs behind the D.J. booth & catching a hello with Terry Vietheer behind the decks, Alex then escorted us through into the Lightbox area and then on into the mirrorarch room, we very keen to catch up with our Catalonian companion, although as we arrived at the D.J. booth, Mr Medina was nowhere to be found, instead, Tony English was in charge of the sounds, Alex advising that a revision to the D.J.’s timings had been necessary due to the change in the club configuration. So, after a brief stop off in the upstairs VIP area, when Alex discussed some issues of the day with us & Brent, we found ourselves back in the raw space where Mr Nicholls acclimatised himself with the change in surroundings & scenery and prepared to commence his set.

Still wanting to catch up with Javier, we soon headed back into the mirrorarch to find him in situ by the D.J. booth, our Barca boy giving us a hearty hug & delving into catch up conversation, we also being introduced to his travelling companion, who was already stripped to the waist & well into the action. Fitting in a sneaking smoke break, we soon found ourselves back in the mirrorarch & getting into the swing of Mr English’s sounds, very much more uplifting & accessible than we normally expect from this talented D.J., his usual style more euro-beat in its make-up, Ibiza & Spanish influences much more his flavour, although with the room packed & Thiagio Drewery’s dancers making the first of many showings, this anniversary event was certainly hitting the spot, the macho & testosterone fuelled feel that Lovechild has come to be known for, back with a bang & even the dancers much more butch & muscular than we had seen of late.

But the best was to come as Mr Medina rose to the decks, immediately upping the pace of the music & taking the crowd on a magical mystery tour through Spanish sounds, tribal tunes & much more hard edged house, the kind that always seems to go down well in this, our favourite space at Fire, Javier really capturing the imagination of the crowd, who soon filled the podiums in front of the D.J. booth & further down the room, whoops & cheers coming with every record selection & a stream of people coming up to our spot to find out who the maestro in charge of the music was. Indeed with scores of people intent on soaking up his superb sounds, the mirrorarch, which had been packed before, saw no signs of receding, rather filling out even further as the waves of go-go dancers delighted & then the superb PA performance by Lizzie France well & truly erupted this exceptional event.

However, in contrast to Mr Medina, who was definitely making his mark, as good as both Mattias in the Lightbox & Brent in the raw room were, they were struggling to capture the crowd & the imagination, even though their music was very much in tune with Lovechild & the moment, Javier rather having the lion’s share of the party people. And the already busy main space filled further when two hunky half naked dancers ascended the stage and began a teasing display, slowly revealing their prone assets for all to see, not least Mr scene photographer himself, Chris Jepson, in perfect position to catch these well endowed muscle men’s posing, even D.J. & pal Phil Hewson looking on in amazement. Now, we were going absolutely nowhere, Mr Medina’s music captivating us with every track selection, we spinning on our spot in a-typical Disco Matt dervishness and loving every minute of it.

But, with an unfortunate encounter with one of our clubbing critics, a protagonist that had become intensely personal following an issue at Beyond a few weeks before, our elevated mood was dented considerably and with Javier’s stint nearly over, although looking like it would continue as Gonzalo Rivas had not yet arrived, we headed for the comfort & security of the raw room & Brent Nicholls, who was still spinning his latin infused & funky sounds, his friendly reassuring smile filling us with the confidence we had lost, even Paul Heron’s impromptu arrival helping tremendously, Brent joining in the joviality which made for an altogether pleasant end to our stay at this special Anniversary Lovechild celebration. However, with the call of Beyond, yet the need to drop our excess baggage off at home, Brent dispatched us to say our farewells to Javier, before we made our way out of Fire and into the Vauxhall early morning to reflect on a party with a difference, some for good reasons, others not so.

There is no doubt that, in the room format that we found it, Lovechild this time round had a distinctly different feel and without both the main room & the lounge spaces, was definitely lacking in overall appeal & satisfaction. However, the mirrorarch space very much made up for the missing elements, not least Javier Medina’s performance, which truly captured the essence of Lovechild for us, euro style sounds & macho mesmeric music that was much more akin to the brand rather than the usual uplifting & energetic genres that seem to feature across the London scene so much. That said, Tony English’s performance went down extremely well, we also hearing that Phil Hewson’s set was superb, plus with the calibre of D.J.’s like Brent Nicholls, Mattias Alessandro Londra, & Terry Vietheer, not to mention the prolific PA Lizzie France, there was no short of terrific talent on this special occasion.

However, as good as all these individuals were, not forgetting the drop dead gorgeous dancers on display f course, we cannot escape the fact that the topsy turvy room set up at compared to previous Lovechild’s in Fire, was not just disruptive to the flow of the party, but made it feel completely different, a shame when this was supposed to be a celebration of Fire being this brilliant brands best home so far. Plus, when we heard the main room had been given away to another event, so as to keep the refurbishments fresh for Revolver the following weekend, we were short of dismayed at this move on many counts, mostly, as being one year on, you would have thought the venues management would have allowed its strongest Saturday night brand the free run of the venue it deserved, rather than reserving some final changes to the main room for a crowd that might not (and indeed failed to) materialise. As for Lovechild itself, with expansions into Europe & beyond, life couldn’t be better for Mr Erfan’s lovable club & with London firmly established, we look forward to celebrating many more anniversaries as well as birthday’s to come. (DISCO MATT)

Postscript – Lovechild Music

There is little doubt that Lovechild has & continues to sport one of the strongest resident line-up’s on the capitals clubbing scene, not to mention a host of guest D.J.’s that make the music it plays not just diverse & interesting, but some of the best you will find anywhere. International talents that have graced the clubs decks in the year it has partied hard at Fire have included Albert Neve, Leomeo Carandang, Justin Ryan, Johan Khoury and, of course, Javier Medina, while London based guests extend to Terry Bryan, The Oli, Alan K & Nick Tcherniak. Yet, as this list wasn’t sparkling enough, you then include the list of residents & it truly becomes awesome, Italian’s Pagano, Gabriele Cutrano & Alessandro Londra, Australian’s, Brent Nicholls & Terry Vietheer, Englishmen, Phil Hewson, Tony English, Lee Harris & Jc Christopher, Scot, Paul Heron and Swede, Mattias, even South African Leroy Tayler, a roll call indeed.

But it gets better, as not only is there a special site dedicated to the music of Lovechild, mixes available from the likes of Nick T, Paul H, Mattias, Alessandro, Gabriele & many more, all 13 episodes which can be downloaded from http://lovechildclub.podomatic.com/. But, yet more are available via the D.J.’s direct web pages, all worth a look, http://events.leroytayler.podomatic.com/, http://justinryan.podomatic.com/, http://soundcloud.com/djalessandrolondra, http://funkylondon.podomatic.com/ (Phi Hewson’s site) & http://soundcloud.com/gabrielecutrano.

However, marking this 1st Anniversary party as only he can do best, is Brent Nicholls, with his compilation entitled “LoveChildOne – Feels Like Fire Mix”, which he describes as “...a collection of funky flavoured nu-funk, tech dipped & disco inspired tunes...” and he is not wrong there, our fave tracks being “C’mon Get Funky”, “Let’s All Chant”, “Sweep The Floor” & “Disco Disco Disco” (there’s a surprise), but with 13 more terrific tunes besides, making for what we would describe as a retro meets modern gem of a compilation with the Nicholls magical twist to it. So, this is truly a gorgeous gift to Lovechild on their 1st Anniversary and can be one to you too, by going to http://djbrentnicholls.com/ and then either scrolling down the home page, or selecting his “music” section.

Finally, the “official” Lovechild Anniversary compilation was pressed onto CD for the party & handed out across the evening, this 44 minute marvel mixed by resident D.J. Tony English, which is a glorious gathering of both uplifting vocal tunes & euro-style beats, very much evocate of his superb set on the night and is a MUST for your collection. Now, for those of you that weren’t around & didn’t get a copy, the good news is that it will be released on http://lovechildclub.podomatic.com in the next week or so, although in the meantime, if you fancy a copy, then just drop your details to Disco Matt headquarters via discomatt@hotmail.com & we will arrange to forward a copy to you. Plus, for Tony’s regular podcasts, go to http://tonyenglish.podomatic.com.

So, with well over twenty Lovechild inspired mixes available right here, as we love to say, “...sit back, select those sounds, turn up the volume & let them play, as Music Is The Answer...”

"Cavorting At Cargo" - D.T.P.M. "Eastbender" - Club Review

“CAVORTING AT CARGO”
D.T.P.M. “EASTBENDER” – SUNDAY 31ST OCTOBER
CLUB REVIEW


When we first landed on London and started our clubbing career in the capital, Sunday’s were very much the day to party hard & decadently, this trend having been forged by the mighty Trade, which when opening its doors back in 1990, quickly caught the imagination & short of transformed Sunday’s into the vogue day of the week, many swapping paper reading for partying, church for cavorting. So, it was natural that, when spilling out of Turnmills (Trade’s home) the energetic throngs of clubbers simply didn’t want the merriment to stop, thus an institution was born that, like its Sunday morning mother, firmly established itself on the capitals clubbing calendar, host venue Villa Stefano’s a must visit for any post Trade baby looking to dance deep into Sunday evening in what become the most decadent tea dance we have ever known.

DTPM is without doubt one of the leading clubbing brands, whose reputation has stretched far & wide, a club that has very much moved with the times, literally, from its original slot of 3 p.m. on a Sunday through to more of a Monday morning club & back ago, its 18 year history littered with amazing parties at a host of venues in the capital, including The End, Fabric & more latterly Paramount, but finding favour for us the most both in that original timing slot & at ancestral home Villa Stefano’s, it also being the natural follower to any Trade event. Indeed, living up to its name, in Latin, “Delirium Tremens Post Meridian”, roughly translated (in Disco Matt talk) as meaning “Delirious Teadance Post Midday”, it always seemed to have more significance on a Sunday afternoon rather than a Monday morning and so, when we heard that it would be making a welcome return to the scene, not only in our favouring timing slot, but following Trade’s 20th birthday event, we simply had to include it in our schedule, not least as promoter Lee Freeman had chosen the superb Cargo as a host venue for this “Eastbenders” titled trounce.

With Trade wearing us out in more ways than one (all for good reasons of course), we felt the need for a respite before landing on Rivington Street in London’s select situ Shoreditch for DTPM’s afternoon event, a short amount of re-fuelling of energy sought at hip hop hangout Rupert Street, before landing on Cargo at just turned 5 p.m. Whilst our arrival was a little later than planned, plus a good 4 hours after the party had kicked off, we were still in time to catch the ever engaging Laurent Chaumet on the door, who greeted us with his familiar French charm & warmth, escorting us through the entrance & past the friendly security staff & into the club proper, taking a moment to catch up in bits & bobs with us, before returning to his met & greet duties. Then it was just a case of finding the coatcheck to deposit our bits & bobs , while acclimatising ourselves to the inside of Cargo, this being our first visit, although the location being familiar to us as our daytime duties often require us to call on the address.

Ready & raring to go, we made our way into the main room space, filled nicely with plenty of partygoers, many whom had made the trip up form Trade, while a select few had very much more fresher legs to carry them through to the planned 10.30 p.m. finish. Moving around the dancefloor towards the bar to grab refreshments, we soon came across familiar faces, including Clington Forbes, who was still looking remarkably fresh following well over 12 hours of clubbing (like us), he having changed out of his Halloween attire that he had graced so fabulously at Vauxhall Chainsaw Massacre the night before, he getting down to the magnificent music at this “Eastbender” event with his usual gusto, invoking a similar reaction from our now refreshed legs, the New York & nu disco house that incumbent D.J. Guy Williams was selecting, very much hitting the mark & easing us into the party perfectly. And, it wasn’t long before we found ourselves at the D.J. booth saying our hello’s to the man behind the decks, Mr Williams still looking full of beans, even after the full-on fourth birthday bash for his own club brand Black Rabbit, as well as succumbing to the pleasures of Trade, which included a set in the lite lounge, the man clearly in party mood & enjoying this DTPM leg in his marathon weekend immensely. Indeed, he was very much in the grove with his music selections, the style much more akin to his performances at paradise 45 (another brand of his), but every bit the part for this cavorting at Cargo.

Feeling the need for a quick break out on the terrace to indulge in our re-emerged vice, we first caught up with Simon Patrick whom we had seen a mere four or so ours ago in a similar spot at Trade, he having taking the sensible decision to pop home & refresh himself for this post midday shindig. With a clutch of other familiar faces also taking a breather from the action inside, including D.J. Mikey D, who bounded up to say hello, soon followed by main man Lee Freeman, sporting his trademark trilby hat, who was just as pleased to see us, diving deep into conversation about all things DTPM, also touching on the change in D.J. line-up, Boy George, who was supposed to be headlining the event, cancelling (we were told for good reason) at the last minute, although such was the strength of the rest of the team, it didn’t make any difference to the party’s outcome.

With the familiar uplifting music sounds piping through onto the terrace, we starting searching for the source, soon finding it in the shape of the intimate second space, which was tucked away at the end of the venue, a neat little room with its own bar & make shift dance area, filled with a select crowd of faithful's lapping up the superb sounds of the man in the seat, none other than Fat Tony, who had, just hours before, captivated us in Trade’s lite lounge. And with Clington in attendance, we soon get into the swing of this more uplifting & funky offering, spinning on our spot by the D.J. booth, even Lee & Simon joining in for a while, others also spilling in the space and adding to the already audacious atmosphere, all helped along by Tony’s selections which would never be complete without “Release Me” and “Here Comes The Rain”, both erupting the room & everyone in it.

But, as good as this little space was, we were being drawn back into the main room, our arrival timed to perfection as Guy Williams was ready to hand over the reins to the duo of Nick Tcherniak & Steve Thomas, an increasing gathering of party goers having assembled around the D.J. booth & stage, including the naughty but nice Tom Marchant, as well as Mr Patrick’s crew, which included TTD men Billy Richard & Greg Mitchell. And, with Guy in a really mischievous mood, not just playing with the red light behind the booth, but joking u with us & Steve, it wasn’t long before the whole affair descended into one hilarious moment after the next, Mr Williams continually put Mr Thomas off his stroke as soon as he got anywhere near the decks to mix a record, Nick having to assume control, while we were bent over in fits of laughter, Gus face an absolute picture and everyone around entering into the spirit of this jovial encounter extra-ordniarre.

So, with Mr Tckerniak in complete control of the music and his selections finding favour, the music more on the tougher side & much more akin to the DTPM style we had been used to, the stage also erupted into action, two scantily dressed go-go’s ascending each side & displaying their wares in front of the massive screen which was flashing vivacious visuals to enhance the show the twosome were entertaining the crowd with, the whole place pulsating with action and the atmosphere building by the second. Yet, as good as the party was becoming, our energy levels suddenly fagged somewhat, the previous 12 hours plus of hectic dancing beginning to take its toll on our remaining reserves, so we resigned our mind into following what our body was telling us, gracing our exit from this exceptional “Eastbender” event, to saunter back across town, leaving a still buzzing Cargo & DTPM mash up which partied on deep into Sunday night in style.

Having made the effort to make it across to Shoreditch & the brilliant host venue Cargo on Rivington Street, there was no doubt in our minds that this was the best choice place that lee Freeman had made since bringing the brand back to London just about a year ago. Yes, the location was not the most familiar to many, perhaps reflecting in the overall attendance, but the whole feel & vibe of Cargo suited DTPM perfectly for us, that post midday timeslot also finding our favour, added to the fact that the pitch of the music was just right, Guy Williams’ nu-disco blending into Nick’s more tech infused style brilliantly, while the second space in the hands of Fat Tony right up our street. And, while our stay wasn’t as long as we would have liked, the time we had there was full of fun from start to finish, the atmosphere amazing & the company equally so, meaning that our Cavorting At Cargo ended up being a most enjoyable experience, we looking forward to the next DTPM outing with interest, especially if the host venue is this swish spot in Shoreditch. (DISCO MATT)

"Tremendous Twenty Turn" - Trade 20th Birthday - Club Review

"TREMENDOUS TWENTY TURN"

TRADE “20TH BIRTHDAY” – SUNDAY 31ST OCTOBER
CLUB REVIEW


Casting our minds back to when we were twenty, finds us frolicking in the clubs in & around Johannesburg, our informative years having been spent in South Africa, but in moving to London when we did, signalled a real step change in the way we clubbed. And the music we listened to, the hi-nrg sounds of the eighties transforming to the hard house tunes of the nineties with one club shinning out over & above the rest as the real trendsetter in this respect. Plus, setting its stool on a Sunday morning was also very much an evolutionary step for the London scene, especially at a time when the only option after the mainstream clubs closed, were illegal raves for clubbers & cruising for others, this now legendary institution quickly establishing itself as THE place to be & be seen, the place being Turnmills & the club being Trade.

Since its launch back in 1990, Trade has assumed that legendary status with consummate ease, along the way bringing us larger than life character’s, not least its creator Laurence Malice, but also other including the amazing artist, known best as Trade Mark, as well as a host of D.J. talents from Malcolm Duffy, Alan Thompson, Steve (Janet) Thomas, Ian M, Pete Wardman, Gonzalo & who can ever forget, the late great Tony De Vit. And these main room D.J.’s really set the trend for the hard edged Sunday morning partying that went on at Turnmills throughout the 90’s, further enhancements including the introduction of the Trade lite lounge, spurning greats like Guy Williams, The Sharp Boys & Fat Tony, while the post weekly Turnmills years have seen the brand choose venues like The Renaissance Rooms, Colosseum, Area, Fire, Egg, & MOS to lay its specialist night hat, never failing to celebrate its birthday in style somewhere, the most memorable of late being the 18th, which was held at The Arches in Southwark. So, celebrating Trade’s 20th birthday was a given and in returning it the place of those memories of two years ago seemed an incredibly popular move, but how did this landmark anniversary in the clubs history turn out? and what were our huge highlights?

With the anticipation for this 20th birthday building to a crescendo, we found ourselves in a lengthy queue at Arcadia’s (formerly The Arches) doors at not long turned 5.30 a.m., the fevered frenzy feel that used to grip us back in the days of Turnmills back with fervent, our hearts tripping a beat as we patiently waited for our turn to be checked in by the extremely overzealous security on the entrance. Mind you, given the incidents at the 18th birthday, it came as no surprise that the checks were somewhat over the top, clearly slowing the process down, as was the woefully undermanned coat check system once we were inside Arcadia’s walls. However, as with those heady days back in the 90’s, we quickly learnt patience needed to be the order of the day, this being rewarded by our release into the club with fellow Trade party goer Benoit, to grab refreshments at the busy main bar, having already in this short time, caught up with a score or more of familiar faces.

Main room bound, we were keen to check on exactly what the D.J. line up would be, the first room by the entrance already having been laid aside for Gabriele Cutrano to warm the crowd into proceedings, we finding the delectable Per QX opening, not necessarily the start we had expected, the usual form of Malcolm Duffy mysteriously absent. However, we quickly warmed to Per’s electro twisted beats, the main room already filled to brimming, even at this early hour, an indication that this commemorative Trade outing was the lions share choice over any other. Establishing our spot, strangely nowhere near the D.J. booth for a change, we soon bumped into yet more friends & faces from clubbing years past & present, Chris Brogan & co lapping up the building main room atmosphere, even old Trade babies Glen & Maz, two iconic individuals from our years in Turnmills, very much in the thick of the developing action, the Arcadia main room having the closest feel to the former Farringdon home we have experienced. And looking around, the team had certainly gone to extra effort to make it feel as much like Trade & Turnmills as possible, the walls blazoned with Trade Mark artwork, classic trade production hanging from the ceilings & just enough laser lighting to give it that truly decadent & rave house feel that we had so loved back in the club’s heydays.

But, we were keen to investigate further & with the other spaces opening, we ventured forth, first checking out the classic room which was about to get going, then the space opposite, interestingly set aside as a darkroom, and eventually finding our way down to the lite lounge where Circus resident Kris Di Angelis was setting the scene with some sordid sounds. Bounding up to say hello, he seemed as pleased to see us, as we him, our encounter temporarily putting him off his stroke, although it wasn’t long before he was back in the groove & stirring up a storm of terrific tunes to tantalise, so, having found our feet across the expanse of the venue, we headed back into the main room where Nick Tcherniak had taken over the decks duty. Finding favour with each & every track selection, his set slowly built from the more melodic classic Trade sounds through to energetic hard hitting house that had us spinning in a dervish in our spot towards the back of the dancefloor, yet with the space now rammed with party heads, we struggled to find room to dance extravagantly as we had so been used to doing both in the Trade of old & the Beyond of new, eventually finding a spot to swing our pants & settle into his set.

So good was Nick’s music, especially when he pulled out & played the fabulous “My People”, we were in absolute heaven & loving every minute of his magical mixing, our pal Benoit struggling to find his own pace with the tough edged tech sounds, but so many old Trade faces lapping up this 20th birthday bash with gusto. Then, as if Nick had been brilliant enough, up stepped recording partner & Trade original resident Steve Thomas (known affectionately as Janet) upped the ante with an octane fuelled string of sounds that well & truly set the room alight, closing our eyes for moments of his magnificent music, transporting us right back to the 90’s & those tremendous times at Turnmills in his hands. So superb were the sounds & so amazing the atmosphere, we were now going absolutely nowhere, even the massive screen in front of the D.J. booth firing up & displaying iconic Trade visuals to add to the incredible laser lighting & other effects that were giving this main space at Arcadia a fantastic Trade-esque feel.

Now the place was swarming, our extravert moves on the dancefloor only rarely traded for refreshment & relieving stops, the whole venue a veritable feast of eclectic & euphoric Trade followers, very much a who’s who of clubbing and clearly the only place to be on this final day of October 2010. And with the morning hardly half way through, there was so much in store, not only from a prolific PA performance from Lizzie France, who, to our delight, ascended the main room podium right next to us to belt out the Tcherniak & Thomas collaborative EP hit “The Answer”, but didn’t stop there, treating us to three other tracks, before making her leave & handing the controls of this colossal commemoration to Trade over to none other than Pagano. In an instant, this disc spinning maestro had the room in his grip, switching the feel, pace & direction delightfully, swarms of Pagano followers surging forward towards the D.J. booth to soak up his sounds, while the podiums were topped with Logan’s muscle-bound go-go dancers to give this Trade party a distinctive edge.

With the heat of the main room beginning to bite and our pal Benoit in need of some lighter edged music, not to mention a truck load of messages on our phone from a sadly missed & absent D.J. friend, we headed into the lite lounge where Fat Tony had taken charge, flanked by the vivacious vocalist Tonnic, ready to take the space by storm. And that they did, the room a wall to wall sea of bare chested bodied man hunks & glorious girls, all intent on non-stop dancing to Tony’s towering tracks, while, like in the main room before, we quickly found our feet re-tuning ourselves to this more uplifting & accessible musical magic, this time positioning ourselves in our favoured spot, yes you guessed it, just left of the D.J. booth, fighting off the perspiration & heat of this lite lounge love-in, as Tonnic delightfully added her vocal infusions to the scintillating sounds been selected. Now Benoit was in his own heaven, the feel more akin to Beyond than Trade, although we knew exactly where we were, memories of two years ago flooding back in our minds, only the stifling heat stopping us in our tracks in favour of respite out on the rain soaked smoking terrace and the occasional dive into the main room.

With morning turning to afternoon & the a list crowd showing no signs of dissipating, we continued to savour the delights of this awesome Trade anniversary, the lite lounge finding favour over the other spaces, many familiar faces also finding their way there, we catching up with the pals Michelle Thornber, Clayton Wright, Tom Marchant, Clington Forbes, Tamsin Roberts, Joel Thomson, Guy Williams & many more, all soaking up the lite lounge sounds, even bumping into yet more faces old & new. Plus, catch up moments out in the terrace, including those with Simon Patrick & Pagano himself, matched by earlier liaisons with Per QX, Lee Yeomans, Mauricio Ortiz, Paul Weller, Adam Barr, Gabriele Cutrano, Ross Patterson & Hassan Hatoum, to mention just a few (we can’t leave out Glen & Maz of course), meant that this party was living up to its billing as not the place to be but the gAylist place to be. Indeed, the constant wave of people either saying their hello’s to us as Matt or as Disco Matt, some recognising us from recent times, others from the past, all combined to make this one of the more memorable events in our clubbing year thus far.

But, as truly terrific this Trade birthday bash was, our decadent delighting had to come to an end, the stifling heat in the lite lounge having drained us of most if not all of our energy, an upsetting encounter in the main room sealing our departure fate, not to nicest end to this prolific party that we had wanted, although the mound of mesmeric minutes we have experienced throughout our nine hour marathon far outweighing this unfortunate end to our day. So, waving farewell to Arcadia & Trade, we sauntered into the West End to recharge our batteries & gather ourselves for the next instalment in our weekend of wonderment at DTPM’s “Eastbenders” bash, yet still full of tremendous moments of Trade magic etched on our mind & in our soul that would mean it would be hours before the euphoria of this epic encounter with the mother of all clubbing brands wear off.

Trade, having dominated our lives throughout the nineties, can be held solely responsible for shaping our clubbing world. Yes there have been so truly ground breaking clubs since that have & still form a major part of our lives, the iconic Crash being one & Beyond undoubtedly the other. Yet, as much as Trade is now only an occasional outing, it still holds all that magic it did back in those heady days of Turnmills. And with its 20th birthday bash, the brand proved that it remains just as decadent, just as debaucherous & just as delightful as it always was. Whilst Arcadia did prove a brilliant host venue, the heat of both the main room & the lite lounge was sometimes too much to bear, plus the overzealous security did put a dampener on the party for some, reports coming in of sporadic checks for no reason, an unfortunate result of issues from two years before, added to the fact that the place was a little on the dirty side for others.

However, that said, Trade’s 20th lived up to our expectations & more, real highlights coming in the shape of scintillating sets from Nick Tchernaik, Steve Thomas & Fat Tony, even the vocal infusions from Lizzie France, Tonnic & friend, adding extra spice to an already enormous event that has to go down as another titanic Trade triumph. But, all the highlights aside, what really made the party were the people, a magnificent mix of old faces & new, all intent on having the best time possible & making the most of this mesmeric mash up as only Trade & a handful of other parties can achieve. Plus, the news that Laurence’s brand will be back for more on a regular basis, should sufficiently shake up the scene & give it the injection of energy it needs, leaving us to raise our glass to Trade & its Tremendous Twenty Turn and may we wish it plenty more. (DISCO MATT)

"Halloween House Horror" - Vauxhall Chainsaw Massacre - Club Review

“HALLOWEEN HOUSE HORROR”
VAUXHALL CHAINSAW MASSACRE – SATURDAY 30TH OCTOBER
CLUB REVIEW


Over the years we have slowly seen Halloween gain popularity in London, the all American style of celebrating infiltrating Britain & very much taking over the traditional pagan style parties that used to take place up until only a few years ago. And in clubland, it seems that Halloween is much more of a significant date too, many jumping on the bandwagon & choosing to throw specialist events to celebrate what is traditionally simply the eve of All Saints day, but has come to mean so much more for many. Indeed, more & more grown-ups go to the trouble & expense of dressing up in ghostly & ghoulish outfits to mark the occasion, parading around the streets of London with gay abandon and entering into the spirit of Halloween, often out numbering ten to one, the children playing out the more typical trick & treat antics, the adults trading the doorstep for the dancefloor to cavort in their costumes for one night only, well maybe the morning after too.

So, it came as no surprise that the club scene south of the river would be serving up its own offering for Halloween, doing its best to tempt people out with s specially themed party, aptly named “Vauxhall Chainsaw Massacre”, with the added enticement of a headline international D.J./Producer to compliment the impressive line-up, not to mention much promise with regard the decor & delights in prospect at host venue, superclub Colosseum. Add the that the teaming up of new A:M promoter & the flavour of the moment, Oliver M, with the Beyond B2B team, the scene was set for a spectacular Saturday night down Vauxhall way, we having been enticed away from our planned visit to Guy Williams’ “Black Rabbit” 4th birthday bash, in preference to supporting Mr Mohns, plus catching up with Industri pals & D.J. close friends Brent Nicholls & Eduardo De La Torre. However, two questions’s remained, did we make the right decision? And how did this Halloween House Horror turn out?

With much debate occurring between us & friend Benoit during the day, not just over the change of clocks, but whether we would venture out clubbing before the big one, Trade’s 20th Birthday, we finally decided that a trip to Vauxhall rather than Maida Vale was on the cards, firming up arrangements during the course of the evening and then scheduling an arrival at Colosseum at not long turned midnight. And as we had been greeted at A:M just a few hours before, the ever smiling & welcoming Minty was on hand to greet us, we eventually negotiating the maze of fencing at the door to find ourselves in her presence, even joint promoter, Oliver M, appearing at the door to say hello. But with the weather having turned quite cold & wet, we were keen to get inside the club, although not before the usual formalities, which this time included catching up with Tom Fuller who was keeping warm just inside the entrance and making himself useful with ticket collections & sales.

With the promise of delivering a warming shot of Sambuca back downstairs to Minty complete, we armed ourselves with our own refreshments and sad our hello’s to Pier Morrocco, who like Minty, we had seen at A:M and was, this time, on D.J. duty in the aptly named “Riverbar”, a view of the Thames out from its windows the inspiration. Mind you, with most of the action happening in the main room, we soon found ourselves in our usual spot, yes you guessed it, just left of the D.J. booth and savouring the delights of guest D.J. Andrei Stan for the second time this Halloween weekend, this enigmatic & fun-filled young man serving up a superb selection of sounds, tough & euro-style yet uplifting enough to rouse the select audience into audacious action. But, as select as the crowd may have been, we were very impressed with the amount of people that had made the effort to come in costume, the pathetic extent of our outfit merely a skull & cross-bones on a t-shirt, paining in significance to those around us, especially one such person who surprised us with a tap on the shoulder. Reacting to this prompt, we turned to face the individual, who we did not immediately recognise, only a closer inspection revealing it to be our Industri close pal Stephen, the make-up shrouding his familiar features and his clothing completely hiding his usual persona, so well that we were astounded by his transformation. Clutching a skull in one hand & a spear in the other, not to mention a ball & chain tied to his leg, Stephen was cutting an impressive stride and certainly matching the best costumes in this Halloween house horror of a happening, even many of the dancers outfits failing to make as much of an impression.

Looking around the main room, the team had certainly gone to the effort of sprucing up the place to give it a ghostly & ghoulish feel, the performing stage to the side featuring a similar chair to that we had seen in A:M’s Asylum party, although there were plenty more effects besides which certainly gave the main room a special feel, even if the atmosphere felt a little flat. With Andrei still in control, we went in search of the VIP (second room) space, having seen the posters indicating that Brent Nicholls was playing, we sure this not being the case as he was already committed to Hard On! and our conversation earlier had indicated that he wasn’t due to play at this “Massacre” event until later, our suspicions being confirmed when we found Lee Harris waiting patiently, the room still not open, a poor Mr Harris having been left high & dry for most of the first couple of hours with no real news to the contrary.

Having grabbed a short break outside & taken a message from our friend Benoit who was heading our way, we were back in the main room & catching up with plenty of familiar faces including Industri friends, Chris, Jeremy & Andrew, as well as long standing clubbing pal Johnny Salas with his own little entourage, many of whom had adorned themselves with suitable Halloween make-up & more, very much throwing themselves into the event with gusto. But it was back to our spot next to the D.J. booth that we found ourselves, Andrei having handed over to special guest, D.J/Producer David Penn, who assumed the decks and set about treating us to a full on euro-style & euphoric set of sounds, although it seemed that even he wasn’t going to lift the lack lustre atmosphere, the flat as a pancake feel a bit perplexing as was the scant amount of numbers, even if many had made the effort to dress to impress. Plus with no real second space on offer, we were condemned to making the most of what we had, our friend Benoit arriving & quickly drawing the same conclusions as us on proceedings.

However, we were boosted with the arrival of D.J. close pal Eduardo de la Torre, who was due to play in the second space, we praying that a change of heart by the event promoter, the seemingly single handed Oliver M, would see this VIP space roar into action. But, none of it, poor Eduardo, who had travelled across from his Berlin base especially for the promised gig, being left out in the proverbial cold with no proper explanation or information. It now seemed a case of damage limitation as the stage show did it’s best to ignite the faltering atmosphere, The Free Radical Formation’s Rob Harris injecting all his energy into a powerful & punchy performance of two tracks which gave the event a temporary lift, as did the drop dead gorgeous hunks of dancers that were framing him on the podium in front of the D.J. booth. But, with the show over, we were beginning to watch the clock until our trip across to Trade, it seemingly like many had chosen to either save themselves for the big birthday, or had decided Halloween parties at home were the preferred option, news also coming our way that Brent Nicholls had been cancelled, signalling the last straw in our stamina for this party.

It was now just a case of counting down until we could grace our exit, although with Gonzalo taking over the decks, we were given some joy, as his selections were definitely hitting the mark, even our pal Benoit beginning to enjoy himself at last. And with Mis-White & friend in close call trading dancing moves with us, we made the most of our final massacre minutes, the whole party feeling very much that, rather than the resounding success the build up & billing had promised. So, with the strike of 5 a.m., it was curtain call time on this chainsaw calamity, the main room dancefloor having thinned before our eyes, many either choosing a hip skip & jump across to Beyond Hell at Area, which was getting underway, or like us, making the journey across to Southwark & the mother of all parties this Halloween weekend, Trade’s 20th birthday.

Well, what can we say about this promised biggest & scariest Halloween party in London that was the Vauxhall Chainsaw Massacre that we haven’t already? Well, apart from the fact that it failed to attract anywhere near the following the team had expected, the whole night felt extremely flat & monotone, only brief sparks of brilliance coming from the D.J.’s on duty, as well as the stage performers & dancers. And of those duty D.J.’s, it simply beggars belief the way Eduardo de La Torre was treated during this event. Yes, the decision was made not to open the second room and yes, he was probably paid a cancellation fee, but having travelled all the way from Berlin and not even been given the opportunity to play in preference to London based D.J.’s is a disgrace in our books. Had it not been for the fact that we were in good company, that so many people had made the effort to dress for the party & that we really wanted to catch up with the people we did, we would have left Colosseum a lot earlier than we did, or indeed forgone the party completely. As another review after the event summarised, the party definitely lived up to its name and we will leave you to judge exactly what name that was. (DISCO MATT)