LOVECHILD “RED, HOT ‘N’ SEXY” – SUNDAY 24TH MAY
REVIEW FOR SEENQUEEN
With opulence and style being just two of the bywords of gAylist/land London, when an event comes around that evokes these & more, it certainly draws our attention, especially when it falls on a Bank Holiday Sunday, meaning we don’t have to get up for Monday. However, as recent long weekends seem to have proven, it has been tricky to draw anywhere near as the kind of crowds that special club nights have done in previous years, proving that life remains very difficult not only for promoters laying on events, but party goers choosing where to spend their hard earned cash.
Lovechild seems to have been one such an outing, which has had mixed fortunes since its launch in London, back in February. The first party was quite successful, with the V.I.P. area open, albeit that many didn’t take up the tempting offer of complimentary champagne & table treats, whereas as a Salvation-esque crowd filled out the space below, enjoying magnificent music, superb shows & pumping P.A. performances, pointing towards good times ahead for the brand in London. The second instalment, however, failed to ignite fully although the crowd were still stylish and sexy & the combination of this, along with the amazing atmosphere bolstered by the dazzling dancers & magical music in the hands of Mattias & Per Q.X., really made it for us. So what was in store at the next Lovechild event?
Well, we were certainly anticipating it alot, not least with the expectation of being joined by new found friend Joel, who was determined to make the most of a window of opportunity between work commitments, and with us prompting him, decided that Lovechild would be the best choice amongst other offerings. To add to the excitement, Industri pals Paul Heron, Minty & Stephen were planning to be there, and with Brent Nicholls lined up to D.J. in the V.I.P. room, the scene was set for a perfect party ahead. All that was left to decide was the time to pitch up at Pasha, with a starting time of 6 p.m. seemingly a little early, it was eventually agreed that an 8 ish arrival would be the best, so, shaking off a hefty Saturday evening of activity (which actually ended on Sunday morning), we had a pre club rendezvous with our clubbing companion Joel at Barcode Vauxhall to get the night going and catch up on matters since our last meet.
With 8 p.m. fast approaching, we were Victoria bound and to Lovechild at Pacha, arriving at the entrance to join a smattering of a queue that was holding station, waiting for the return of the door host. In the meantime the security guard beckoned us forward simply so we could supply our photo I.D., not something we had done at any other venue, but having been asked at Pacha before, it didn’t really faze us. With the return of the lady with the list, it was clear it wasn’t the familiar face of the masterful Marky B, but a fem. fatale of a figurine, who then couldn’t find us on the guestlist (what again!! – and how embarrassing in front of our friend) but with our entry committed, we were waved passed the security checks and in through the entrance to pay our dues at the desk.
Once inside the main room it was clear that maybe a 9 p.m. arrival would have been more appropriate as there were a mere handful of hopefuls savouring what a less than lively atmosphere which clearly needed bodies to boost it. We retired to the bar to seek refreshment, spotting Minty & boyfriend standing by, bounding up to say hello and enquiring on her time of arrival. Being the vivacious and positive figure she is Minty immediately praised a set of superb sounds delivered by warm up D.J. and Lovechild resident Tony English, saying that despite the numbers his set was smashing and had really hit her spot.
Back over at the bar and chatting more with our friend Joel, we bumped into an old pal of his who joined the select party of people, but with such small numbers in attendance it was clear that Lovechild was going to struggle. Anxious to see whether Brent Nicholls had arrived and indeed whether Paul Heron was on his way, we enquired with Minty whether either had been spotted, then hurriedly sending text messages to both, we waited in anticipation. By now imported Spanish talent Eros was behind the decks trying to stir up some enthusiasm, but with limited numbers it was always going to be an uphill battle. Even the appearance of Chris Geary with camera in hand, catching Joel his pal & us in pose did little to lift the lack lustre vibe, although everyone present was making the most of the situation.
At least the show was imminent and with the appearance of a gang of gorgeous go-go’s dressed seductively in tight red, revealing raunchy body hugging corsets, garbed to the gills in knee length black boots and strutting their stuff on the stage, although in order to woo the crowd, they quickly descended onto the dancefloor to dazzle and performed perfectly to the sexy sounds Eros was delivering. With the lighting displays setting them off, even after the show was over, they continued to be the major eye candy gyrating on the podiums. Eros’s euro style hard hitting house tunes continued at a pace, but then soon gave way to the mixing maestro Mattias, a Lovechild as well as a big scene favourite & yummy at that, to increase the momentum more and do his bit in keeping the party going.
Alex Erfan wafted by, said a quick hello,commenting on the lack of people and you could see the disappointment on his face, a shame as he is such a hard working individual who has a track record of laying on great gatherings & crowded celebrations. But, with the numbers beginning to dwindle and our desire to show Joel a good time, it wasn’t going to happen at Lovechild, so reluctantly, we agreed that a trip back over the river was our only option, waving goodbye to Minty and her crew, and heading back to Vauxhall to enlighten our evening.
So, where did Lovechild go wrong? Well, in some ways it is quite puzzling as there are many reasons a concept like this should succeed, not least for sumptuous surroundings in the perfectly formed Pacha, scintillating sounds supplied by a delightful line up of D.J’s, and stylish shows supplied by Chris Geary’s go-go’s, ingredients that have worked before, so why not now? Well, was it the weather? It was an amazing day of sunshine, probably the best of the year so far, begging the question, did people want to be outside or in? Was it the venue? Is Pacha really gay friendly or is the location the reason? Perhaps the thought of producing photographic I.D. put some people off, it doesn’t bother us but some may feel that big brother is watching over them. Then was it the timing? As we have always said, the T-dance slot has recently proven a difficult nut to crack, Yes, in the early days of DTPM and then Factor 25 as well as Salvation at Café De Paris, it worked, but times they have changed and people’s attitudes have with them.
No, whilst all these are valid reasons, we suspect that it was down to the question of selection & choice. With massive turnouts at SuperMartXe then Beyond, most of the party heads were partied out both in energy & pocket, the rest saving themselves for Orange or even going dutch at Barcode Vauxhall which was rammed. In these times of economic difficulty, even us pink pounders are watching our pennies and therefore choosing & selecting our events with care, whether it be a Bank Holiday or not, seemed to seal Lovechild’s fate this time round. The question is, can it survive or will it be put to bed? We have our own theory on this one. (DISCO MATT)
REVIEW FOR SEENQUEEN
With opulence and style being just two of the bywords of gAylist/land London, when an event comes around that evokes these & more, it certainly draws our attention, especially when it falls on a Bank Holiday Sunday, meaning we don’t have to get up for Monday. However, as recent long weekends seem to have proven, it has been tricky to draw anywhere near as the kind of crowds that special club nights have done in previous years, proving that life remains very difficult not only for promoters laying on events, but party goers choosing where to spend their hard earned cash.
Lovechild seems to have been one such an outing, which has had mixed fortunes since its launch in London, back in February. The first party was quite successful, with the V.I.P. area open, albeit that many didn’t take up the tempting offer of complimentary champagne & table treats, whereas as a Salvation-esque crowd filled out the space below, enjoying magnificent music, superb shows & pumping P.A. performances, pointing towards good times ahead for the brand in London. The second instalment, however, failed to ignite fully although the crowd were still stylish and sexy & the combination of this, along with the amazing atmosphere bolstered by the dazzling dancers & magical music in the hands of Mattias & Per Q.X., really made it for us. So what was in store at the next Lovechild event?
Well, we were certainly anticipating it alot, not least with the expectation of being joined by new found friend Joel, who was determined to make the most of a window of opportunity between work commitments, and with us prompting him, decided that Lovechild would be the best choice amongst other offerings. To add to the excitement, Industri pals Paul Heron, Minty & Stephen were planning to be there, and with Brent Nicholls lined up to D.J. in the V.I.P. room, the scene was set for a perfect party ahead. All that was left to decide was the time to pitch up at Pasha, with a starting time of 6 p.m. seemingly a little early, it was eventually agreed that an 8 ish arrival would be the best, so, shaking off a hefty Saturday evening of activity (which actually ended on Sunday morning), we had a pre club rendezvous with our clubbing companion Joel at Barcode Vauxhall to get the night going and catch up on matters since our last meet.
With 8 p.m. fast approaching, we were Victoria bound and to Lovechild at Pacha, arriving at the entrance to join a smattering of a queue that was holding station, waiting for the return of the door host. In the meantime the security guard beckoned us forward simply so we could supply our photo I.D., not something we had done at any other venue, but having been asked at Pacha before, it didn’t really faze us. With the return of the lady with the list, it was clear it wasn’t the familiar face of the masterful Marky B, but a fem. fatale of a figurine, who then couldn’t find us on the guestlist (what again!! – and how embarrassing in front of our friend) but with our entry committed, we were waved passed the security checks and in through the entrance to pay our dues at the desk.
Once inside the main room it was clear that maybe a 9 p.m. arrival would have been more appropriate as there were a mere handful of hopefuls savouring what a less than lively atmosphere which clearly needed bodies to boost it. We retired to the bar to seek refreshment, spotting Minty & boyfriend standing by, bounding up to say hello and enquiring on her time of arrival. Being the vivacious and positive figure she is Minty immediately praised a set of superb sounds delivered by warm up D.J. and Lovechild resident Tony English, saying that despite the numbers his set was smashing and had really hit her spot.
Back over at the bar and chatting more with our friend Joel, we bumped into an old pal of his who joined the select party of people, but with such small numbers in attendance it was clear that Lovechild was going to struggle. Anxious to see whether Brent Nicholls had arrived and indeed whether Paul Heron was on his way, we enquired with Minty whether either had been spotted, then hurriedly sending text messages to both, we waited in anticipation. By now imported Spanish talent Eros was behind the decks trying to stir up some enthusiasm, but with limited numbers it was always going to be an uphill battle. Even the appearance of Chris Geary with camera in hand, catching Joel his pal & us in pose did little to lift the lack lustre vibe, although everyone present was making the most of the situation.
At least the show was imminent and with the appearance of a gang of gorgeous go-go’s dressed seductively in tight red, revealing raunchy body hugging corsets, garbed to the gills in knee length black boots and strutting their stuff on the stage, although in order to woo the crowd, they quickly descended onto the dancefloor to dazzle and performed perfectly to the sexy sounds Eros was delivering. With the lighting displays setting them off, even after the show was over, they continued to be the major eye candy gyrating on the podiums. Eros’s euro style hard hitting house tunes continued at a pace, but then soon gave way to the mixing maestro Mattias, a Lovechild as well as a big scene favourite & yummy at that, to increase the momentum more and do his bit in keeping the party going.
Alex Erfan wafted by, said a quick hello,commenting on the lack of people and you could see the disappointment on his face, a shame as he is such a hard working individual who has a track record of laying on great gatherings & crowded celebrations. But, with the numbers beginning to dwindle and our desire to show Joel a good time, it wasn’t going to happen at Lovechild, so reluctantly, we agreed that a trip back over the river was our only option, waving goodbye to Minty and her crew, and heading back to Vauxhall to enlighten our evening.
So, where did Lovechild go wrong? Well, in some ways it is quite puzzling as there are many reasons a concept like this should succeed, not least for sumptuous surroundings in the perfectly formed Pacha, scintillating sounds supplied by a delightful line up of D.J’s, and stylish shows supplied by Chris Geary’s go-go’s, ingredients that have worked before, so why not now? Well, was it the weather? It was an amazing day of sunshine, probably the best of the year so far, begging the question, did people want to be outside or in? Was it the venue? Is Pacha really gay friendly or is the location the reason? Perhaps the thought of producing photographic I.D. put some people off, it doesn’t bother us but some may feel that big brother is watching over them. Then was it the timing? As we have always said, the T-dance slot has recently proven a difficult nut to crack, Yes, in the early days of DTPM and then Factor 25 as well as Salvation at Café De Paris, it worked, but times they have changed and people’s attitudes have with them.
No, whilst all these are valid reasons, we suspect that it was down to the question of selection & choice. With massive turnouts at SuperMartXe then Beyond, most of the party heads were partied out both in energy & pocket, the rest saving themselves for Orange or even going dutch at Barcode Vauxhall which was rammed. In these times of economic difficulty, even us pink pounders are watching our pennies and therefore choosing & selecting our events with care, whether it be a Bank Holiday or not, seemed to seal Lovechild’s fate this time round. The question is, can it survive or will it be put to bed? We have our own theory on this one. (DISCO MATT)
No comments:
Post a Comment