PROFILE & LO-PROFILE – “FROM BIRTHDAY TO CHRISTMAS”
19TH, 20TH & 23RD DECEMBER 2009
SPECIAL REVIEW FOR SEENQUEEN
December is an extra special month for us, as not only does it signal the biggest festival of the year, Christmas, but it is the month of our birth, therefore potentially rolling a whole week into one big party. Mind you, with most focussing on Christmas, we tend to have to go with the flow and fit in our birthday celebrations when we can, although the last couple of years have seen our plans become a little more extravagant, more extensive, encompassing a whole host of venues, clubs & outings to satisfy not only our desires, but in an effort ensure that as many of our friends can make our birthday celebrations during the close run up to Christmas.
But the question remained this year was, where were we going to spend our actual birthday? Falling on a Sunday, there were a few choices, but then we like celebrating right from the start, from midnight onwards, so decided that it should all kick off on 19th (well we did actually start on 17th at Industri & then Gravity, but that’s another story!!). So, looking at the options & deciding who would be where, we eventually plumped for the venue that is due to be awarded first spot in our end of year “best bar” vote (oops we let that slip!), which would be neatly followed by a trip just downstairs. Was it Barcode Soho? No. Was it Ku-Bar & Ku-Klub? No. So where was it? Well, Profile Bar & Lo-Profile of course.
Since its launch back in July, Profile bar’s new venue & location has steadily grown on us. In the days of its life over on Frith Street, we seldom visited, as not only was it a bit off the beaten track (well ours anyway), but the space failed to ignite any enthusiasm, but was nevertheless a popular haunt for many a gAylister. But, moving Profile across Soho to join its younger sister, was definitely the right choice for the brand, giving Profile as a bar a new lease of life, giving it a sumptuous new look, giving it to expand its offer & all with the hope of increasing its clientele. And, in the short months it has been on Wardour Street, Profile has become a favoured destination for those wishing to relax, socialise & chat without the hussle & bustle that accompanies some other bars, with the added bonus of great food served by a bunch of sexy waiters & great music from some of the scene’s top notch D.J’s.
So, deciding on Profile to kick of our birthday celebrations (well, you know what we mean!) was a given & arriving at its doors just before 10 p.m. (yes we were late again) we were greeted by pal Stephen, who had forgone other plans to join us for our special outing. To add further spice to the evening, as we wandered around the bar, past filled out booths where a whole host of gorgeous gAylisters were succumbing to Profile’s tempting & tasty food, we fell upon none other than D.J. pal Paul Heron, who was providing the musical entertainment, a lovely surprise indeed, although it was difficult to tell who looked more astonished at their presence. This immediately signalled a trip to the bar to seek refreshments, although in the knowledge that this one achilles heel of Profile bar meant that we pre-planned to stock up on drinks, but on this occasion it was deemed unnecessary as the service was so much quicker than we had experienced in past visits.
Back over by the D.J. booth, we caught up on news both with pal Stephen, whom we had missed company at Industri just two days before & bought him up to speed with the trials & tribulations of the night that had nearly put our whole birthday in jeopardy. Then, turning to Mr Heron, it was a pleasure to see him again, having savoured to smashing sounds of his at our favourite social soiree a mere 36 hours ago and we were set fair to enjoy yet another superb set of his tonight, yes very much more commercial & uplifting, yet a true testament to this man’s talents. As a measure of his affection, Paul dug deep into his music collection to find our favourite record and playing it out to a, by now packed Profile bar, struck a chord not only with us but with many around, including one of the waitresses who remarked on its brilliance with us. By now the party mood was building, with Paul playing out some terrific tracks to delight and with the drinks well & truly flowing, eyes were beginning to turn to the club downstairs, where proceedings were being kicked off by fellow Industri resident D.J. Brent Nicholls.
So, as the stroke of 11 o’clock arrived, Paul’s set came to an all too short end (our fault as we were late) and we, together with Stephen, made our way round and down into Lo-Profile to continue the party and see in our birthday 24 hours in style. Arriving in this cavernous space and falling upon the D.J. booth almost immediately, Brent turned to greet us, although Stephan had already wandered straight towards the bar, but soon returned to deposit his belongings, along with ours, behind the D.J. booth, avoiding the surmountable queue that had developed across the dancefloor. Looking around, nothing much had changed since our last visit to Lo-Profile and it has to be said that we are not big fans of the bright & extrovert decor, with most of the club being given over to seating areas and much of the rest to bar space. Whilst this proves great for socialising in groups, we have never found it to be a thrilling & scintillating dance venue.
Mind you, Brent was doing his level best to change all of that, playing some magnificent music which saw the petite yet plentiful dancefloor fill to virtual capacity, soaking up the superb sounds. With glasses replenished & eyes on the time, we boogied & bopped away blissfully oblivious to the surroundings, but with more than one eye on the stylish & gorgeous looking crowd who were filling Lo-Profile’s spaces, a particularly hunky guy taking our fancy, until his boyfriend walked up (damn) and we were forced to avert our attentions elsewhere. But to our rescue came midnight & with Stephen arriving, Champagne in hand, it was our birthday proper and we raised our glasses in toast & triumph that we had reached another milestone. And so the night took an altogether hedonistic turn, with Brent ramping up the magical music even more, playing what can only be described as the tune of moment “Get Lifted” which had us dancing deliriously, nearly jumping onto an impromptu podium like we used to do all those years ago during his sets at Crash.
With the night going from strength to strength, Brent gave way to Alessandro on the D.J. decks, who had finished his stint at Rupert Street, bringing fellow birthday boy Vlad & his team of merry men with him to heighten the atmosphere. We then knew that two celebrations would collide with dramatic yet delightful consequences, first seeing out the early hours of our birthday at Lo-Profile in the hands of the amazing Alessandro, but then with a venture south of the river to Barcode Vauxhall, where when Nick Tcherniak once again led us astray with a stonking set, we knew that our special day indulging ourselves with shopping & lunch was set to be ruined, but in the best possible way as the clubbing & partying wasn’t going to stop at 6 a.m. at Barcode, as we hit Beyond, sending us deep into the second half of December 20th, most magnificently.
But the story doesn’t end there, as Profile bar was to draw us back & then slide us headlong into Christmas, a mere 3 days later & with yet further fun, when we ventured into Soho for our last outing and get together before the big day. It seemed we were greeted at the door by our fierce partner in crime, Lexi, the evervescent & sparkling new host of the bar, although our mind was elsewhere as our eagerness to deliver candy (long story) meant we completely missed him (how rude), rather making an immediate b-line for the D.J. booth where Brent Nicholls was playing an enchanting collection of smooth house tunes to ease the select crowd into the evening. And, what better a way to slide into the Christmas mood than indulge in wonderful conversation, in sumptuous surroundings & in fabulous company, which was exactly what we did, all courtesy of Brent Nicholls, Lexi, indeed everyone else around, succumbing to the temptations of our favourite liquorice sweets, then supping our favourite tipple and all with the magnanimous music Mr D.J. was selecting, running through our veins. Now, who could ask for anything more?! But with all good things having to come to an end (boo hoo), we eventually gave in to work commitments the following day, waving bye to Profile, our temporary home for the last few days, melting into the cold December night to head home & reflect on a new found friend of a Soho spot that made our start to both our birthday & Christmas extra special.
Well, were we surprised by just how good both Profile & Lo-Profile turned out to be for our special occasion? And would we recommend swinging by these Soho specialities sometime soon? Well, the answer to both questions is a resounding and massive YES. Not only does Profile Bar deliver a superbly sophisticated & splendid night out all on its own, but with the marrying with younger sister Lo-Profile into one venue, has made for a combination virtually unbeatable. Yes, the decor in Lo-Profile really needs some attention, but the space itself more than makes up for that and we had a fabulous time down there, in fact the best to date. However, the real gem is Profile upstairs, as whilst admitting that we love our Rupert Street visits and The Box is great on a Friday too, there is something quite enchanting & endearing about Profile, a hangout we hanker more & more. So, ensure you give the place a visit soon & if Soho is your destination make a whole night of it on Wardour Street, at Profile & lo-Profile. (DISCO MATT)
19TH, 20TH & 23RD DECEMBER 2009
SPECIAL REVIEW FOR SEENQUEEN
December is an extra special month for us, as not only does it signal the biggest festival of the year, Christmas, but it is the month of our birth, therefore potentially rolling a whole week into one big party. Mind you, with most focussing on Christmas, we tend to have to go with the flow and fit in our birthday celebrations when we can, although the last couple of years have seen our plans become a little more extravagant, more extensive, encompassing a whole host of venues, clubs & outings to satisfy not only our desires, but in an effort ensure that as many of our friends can make our birthday celebrations during the close run up to Christmas.
But the question remained this year was, where were we going to spend our actual birthday? Falling on a Sunday, there were a few choices, but then we like celebrating right from the start, from midnight onwards, so decided that it should all kick off on 19th (well we did actually start on 17th at Industri & then Gravity, but that’s another story!!). So, looking at the options & deciding who would be where, we eventually plumped for the venue that is due to be awarded first spot in our end of year “best bar” vote (oops we let that slip!), which would be neatly followed by a trip just downstairs. Was it Barcode Soho? No. Was it Ku-Bar & Ku-Klub? No. So where was it? Well, Profile Bar & Lo-Profile of course.
Since its launch back in July, Profile bar’s new venue & location has steadily grown on us. In the days of its life over on Frith Street, we seldom visited, as not only was it a bit off the beaten track (well ours anyway), but the space failed to ignite any enthusiasm, but was nevertheless a popular haunt for many a gAylister. But, moving Profile across Soho to join its younger sister, was definitely the right choice for the brand, giving Profile as a bar a new lease of life, giving it a sumptuous new look, giving it to expand its offer & all with the hope of increasing its clientele. And, in the short months it has been on Wardour Street, Profile has become a favoured destination for those wishing to relax, socialise & chat without the hussle & bustle that accompanies some other bars, with the added bonus of great food served by a bunch of sexy waiters & great music from some of the scene’s top notch D.J’s.
So, deciding on Profile to kick of our birthday celebrations (well, you know what we mean!) was a given & arriving at its doors just before 10 p.m. (yes we were late again) we were greeted by pal Stephen, who had forgone other plans to join us for our special outing. To add further spice to the evening, as we wandered around the bar, past filled out booths where a whole host of gorgeous gAylisters were succumbing to Profile’s tempting & tasty food, we fell upon none other than D.J. pal Paul Heron, who was providing the musical entertainment, a lovely surprise indeed, although it was difficult to tell who looked more astonished at their presence. This immediately signalled a trip to the bar to seek refreshments, although in the knowledge that this one achilles heel of Profile bar meant that we pre-planned to stock up on drinks, but on this occasion it was deemed unnecessary as the service was so much quicker than we had experienced in past visits.
Back over by the D.J. booth, we caught up on news both with pal Stephen, whom we had missed company at Industri just two days before & bought him up to speed with the trials & tribulations of the night that had nearly put our whole birthday in jeopardy. Then, turning to Mr Heron, it was a pleasure to see him again, having savoured to smashing sounds of his at our favourite social soiree a mere 36 hours ago and we were set fair to enjoy yet another superb set of his tonight, yes very much more commercial & uplifting, yet a true testament to this man’s talents. As a measure of his affection, Paul dug deep into his music collection to find our favourite record and playing it out to a, by now packed Profile bar, struck a chord not only with us but with many around, including one of the waitresses who remarked on its brilliance with us. By now the party mood was building, with Paul playing out some terrific tracks to delight and with the drinks well & truly flowing, eyes were beginning to turn to the club downstairs, where proceedings were being kicked off by fellow Industri resident D.J. Brent Nicholls.
So, as the stroke of 11 o’clock arrived, Paul’s set came to an all too short end (our fault as we were late) and we, together with Stephen, made our way round and down into Lo-Profile to continue the party and see in our birthday 24 hours in style. Arriving in this cavernous space and falling upon the D.J. booth almost immediately, Brent turned to greet us, although Stephan had already wandered straight towards the bar, but soon returned to deposit his belongings, along with ours, behind the D.J. booth, avoiding the surmountable queue that had developed across the dancefloor. Looking around, nothing much had changed since our last visit to Lo-Profile and it has to be said that we are not big fans of the bright & extrovert decor, with most of the club being given over to seating areas and much of the rest to bar space. Whilst this proves great for socialising in groups, we have never found it to be a thrilling & scintillating dance venue.
Mind you, Brent was doing his level best to change all of that, playing some magnificent music which saw the petite yet plentiful dancefloor fill to virtual capacity, soaking up the superb sounds. With glasses replenished & eyes on the time, we boogied & bopped away blissfully oblivious to the surroundings, but with more than one eye on the stylish & gorgeous looking crowd who were filling Lo-Profile’s spaces, a particularly hunky guy taking our fancy, until his boyfriend walked up (damn) and we were forced to avert our attentions elsewhere. But to our rescue came midnight & with Stephen arriving, Champagne in hand, it was our birthday proper and we raised our glasses in toast & triumph that we had reached another milestone. And so the night took an altogether hedonistic turn, with Brent ramping up the magical music even more, playing what can only be described as the tune of moment “Get Lifted” which had us dancing deliriously, nearly jumping onto an impromptu podium like we used to do all those years ago during his sets at Crash.
With the night going from strength to strength, Brent gave way to Alessandro on the D.J. decks, who had finished his stint at Rupert Street, bringing fellow birthday boy Vlad & his team of merry men with him to heighten the atmosphere. We then knew that two celebrations would collide with dramatic yet delightful consequences, first seeing out the early hours of our birthday at Lo-Profile in the hands of the amazing Alessandro, but then with a venture south of the river to Barcode Vauxhall, where when Nick Tcherniak once again led us astray with a stonking set, we knew that our special day indulging ourselves with shopping & lunch was set to be ruined, but in the best possible way as the clubbing & partying wasn’t going to stop at 6 a.m. at Barcode, as we hit Beyond, sending us deep into the second half of December 20th, most magnificently.
But the story doesn’t end there, as Profile bar was to draw us back & then slide us headlong into Christmas, a mere 3 days later & with yet further fun, when we ventured into Soho for our last outing and get together before the big day. It seemed we were greeted at the door by our fierce partner in crime, Lexi, the evervescent & sparkling new host of the bar, although our mind was elsewhere as our eagerness to deliver candy (long story) meant we completely missed him (how rude), rather making an immediate b-line for the D.J. booth where Brent Nicholls was playing an enchanting collection of smooth house tunes to ease the select crowd into the evening. And, what better a way to slide into the Christmas mood than indulge in wonderful conversation, in sumptuous surroundings & in fabulous company, which was exactly what we did, all courtesy of Brent Nicholls, Lexi, indeed everyone else around, succumbing to the temptations of our favourite liquorice sweets, then supping our favourite tipple and all with the magnanimous music Mr D.J. was selecting, running through our veins. Now, who could ask for anything more?! But with all good things having to come to an end (boo hoo), we eventually gave in to work commitments the following day, waving bye to Profile, our temporary home for the last few days, melting into the cold December night to head home & reflect on a new found friend of a Soho spot that made our start to both our birthday & Christmas extra special.
Well, were we surprised by just how good both Profile & Lo-Profile turned out to be for our special occasion? And would we recommend swinging by these Soho specialities sometime soon? Well, the answer to both questions is a resounding and massive YES. Not only does Profile Bar deliver a superbly sophisticated & splendid night out all on its own, but with the marrying with younger sister Lo-Profile into one venue, has made for a combination virtually unbeatable. Yes, the decor in Lo-Profile really needs some attention, but the space itself more than makes up for that and we had a fabulous time down there, in fact the best to date. However, the real gem is Profile upstairs, as whilst admitting that we love our Rupert Street visits and The Box is great on a Friday too, there is something quite enchanting & endearing about Profile, a hangout we hanker more & more. So, ensure you give the place a visit soon & if Soho is your destination make a whole night of it on Wardour Street, at Profile & lo-Profile. (DISCO MATT)
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