PERVERT GOLD – SATURDAY 23RD JANUARY
REVIEW FOR SEENQUEEN
With the Latin influence in gAylist clubbing in London being very much Spanish, “Matinee” & “SuperMartXe” making the biggest splashes, it is refreshing to see other countries give it a go, the Italian’s staging a mini invasion with well known & sexy brand “Billy” and the carnival feel that Rio is famed for also giving it a crack with “Go-Go Brazil”, but it seems that the Espaniol grip on the foreign feel to the capital’s club scene has been hard to loosen, Ibiza’s “Space” another example swinging the pendulum towards Spain. But there is something about Italy & Italians that really excite us, turning our minds to the words passion, emotion, beauty & style, so when we heard that a clubbing product of Milan was going to hit our shores our ears pricked up like an excited horse in anticipation.
So, who are we talking about? Well, “Pervert”, a brand that is no stranger to London, but on previous visits has merely imported their renowned stage shows, with the sense of style, opulence & panache, mixed in with a strong doze of sexual intrigue that have seen performances go down well, especially at Trade. The club’s origins are very much Italian, its creators Christian & Ivan really emulating the ethos of the brand, being larger than life characters who’s skill in laying on lavish parties with a unique flavour have definitely set “Pervert” aside from many other clubs in Italy, often attracting a very mixed crowd who have come to love the flamboyant shows & the monstrous music. However, if when drawing comparisons with ventures we have seen in London, “Hustlaball” & “Lovechild” spring to mind, so it came as no surprise that “Pervert’s” creators decided to join forces with Alex Erfan in bringing this Italian spectacle to the capital as a full-on club event.
With plenty of anticipation & excitement surrounding “Pervert Gold”, even a nasty chest infection wasn’t going to stop us from attending, although, fortunately, we had all but fully recovered by the Saturday evening and, following a brief call into Barcode, sped the short distance across Vauxhall, arriving at the entrance to Fire, “Pervert’s” host venue for the evening. With only a small queue to negotiate & then with our name neatly checked off the guestlist & all other formalities efficiently handled, greetings from both door host Marky B & then chief behind the scenes organiser Simon Patrick made us immediately feel at home, Alex Erfan also in attendance to complete the perfect arrival. So, into the club we were and a brief wiz around, checking out the main space and then sliding back into the VIP area was in order, grabbing refreshments and then catching up with friends Jeremy & Andy who were waiting expectantly for our appearance. It was great to see the m both, having been weeks rather than the usual days, so plenty of news catch up was required before heading back into the main room to savour the building atmosphere.
With Italian new name to the scene Gepy behind the decks, the music was funky, chunky & electro infused, very much the ticket for getting the party going and whilst the crowd was slow to build, it was clear that the Latin trait for partying late coming to bear as it was a good two hours into the nights events before the main room was packed and the third space was fired up, the mirror arch in the hands of Gonzalo Rivas trading tech & progressive infused blows with the main room where Obi Baby (aka Christian) had taken charge of the D.J. decks, cutting a much more deep & dark journey of sound in anticipation of the stage show to come. But with Jc Christopher firing up next door in the VIP room we wanted to disappear to say hello, but were stopped in our tracks by Simon Patrick, warning us that the show was pending, so finding a spot, we waited patiently while three muscle-bound dancers frolicked around the makeshift stage, the only indication of a show being one outrageously dressed tall model weaving in & out of the expectant crowd & visuals of previous “Pervert” parties & shows flashing up in the trio of screens across the stage front.
With no sign of the full show starting, we retreated to the VIP room, first catching up with Fire owner Craig Elder, who was entertaining a business colleague but seemed pleased to see us, charging our empty glass & briefly filling us in on plans for the refurbishment of the main room. Then, we headed across to the D.J. booth, where Jc was in control, delivering a hard & funky filled set to a select gathering and scene favourite Brent Nicholls had arrived in good time to click his camera before starting his D.J. duty. Pleased to see us, yet contemptuous of our presence given our recent ill health, he joined us in a return to the main room as yet more prompts of the imminent start of the show were coming our way. So, squeezing through the now jam packed area, halted in our advance to the front by off duty D.J. Phil Hewson & long standing friend Toby, we said our hearty hello’s, then bee-lined for the stage, rubbing shoulders with photographer Chris Jepson, Brent, Craig, Jeremy & Andy, then waiting, waiting and waiting.
In what seemed like an age, the curtains were drawn back on the stage, but the screen stayed put, although the dancers & artists seemed ready to start the spectacle of a show, although by now our anticipation was turning to frustration at the wait. But then, as the music pace changed followed by the screen firing up with a vocal intro & then raised to reveal a sequence of elaborate dressed dancers & entertainers, not your average go-go’s or performers, but a an interesting collection ranging from a dwarf with a devils mask on, through muscled men with ostentatious feathered headgear & necks weighted in jewellery to the centre-piece of the dazzling display, a tall sylph like female dressed from shoulder to toe in generous folds of sparkling gold material, encrusted with bands of bright gold lights, off-setting her starkling face make-up which reminded us of a slightly gory version of opera singing diva Plava Laguna from the film The Fifth Element. She certainly made a statement, swaying back & forth in time to the music while the bevy of beauties around her continued to dazzle the excited crowd, but as the music pace increased, most of the dancers retreated, leaving just a couple of performers to keep to overt display going.
With that & in following Brent’s lead we headed back to the VIP room where Jc was still in full swing, coming across more familiar faces, including Lee Yeomans & D.J’s Alessandro & the Pagano, both like Brent, were due on disc spinning duty shortly, although not before more camera clicking and a catch up on news with all four, a busy looking Alex Erfan joining us momentarily before dashing off into the crowd. We too decided to venture fourth, passing through the main room which had thinned somewhat, curious to see what was happening in the mirror arch & found the space rammed solid with revellers & the podiums filled with a collection of dancers from the previous show & an interesting hoop hanging as if ready for some audacious action. And we weren’t to be disappointed, as once again, the music pace changed, Gonzalo’s hard hitting tech house being replaced by a classic Marlene Dietrich style tune and a bowler hat topped female rose atop the plinth, stripped down to virtual nakedness & then performed an acrobatic display, swinging through & round the hoop to jaw dropping applause.
By now the pace and the atmosphere of the party was simply electric and in full swing, we attempting to decide on which room would grab our alliance and as we made our choice, heading for the VIP room, the music suddenly stopped in all three rooms, an eerie silence falling over Fire for a moment, then with the status quo resumed in two of the rooms, lots of hurried activity ensued in the remaining space which was void of music while we looked on in amazement, standing with Craig who seemed shocked & embarrassed by the incident. But with the culprit faulty amp fixed, Brent was back to duty in a jiffy, the huge hit & guaranteed dancefloor filler Toca’s Miracle drawing the crowd back in an instant, his characteristic Latin infused electro beats then seeing the VIP room full for most of the rest of the “Pervert” party. It was then a case of cat & mouse for us, as we chased around the club, bumping into more familiar faces including Chris Geary in fine fettle & a wavering Julian who seemed a little partied out, as well as being introduced to Obi Baby who seemed thrilled with the eventual outcome of his creation. However, we were keen to make the most of the threesome that was Pagano in the main room, Alessandro in the mirror arch & Brent in the VIP room, who each were casting their own inimitable musical spell on the “Pervert Gold” party, which for us, had entered its purple patch, each space & each D.J. fulfilling their audiences desires brilliantly, the crowd hardly thinning until close on the 7 a.m. closing.
With Craig Elder & Alex Erfan’s business partner, Roni Inan tempting us to Beyond, we gave it some thought although not wishing to push our healing body too far, held back a little before grabbing our coat and then saying our goodbye’s to Alessandro who still had the mirror arch pumping, to Pagano who had delighted us with yet another scintillating set and finally to Brent, who despite the drama’s with the sound issues, had entertained impeccably together with the other two disc meisters, making for a superb final three hours of pure perfection perverted partying. Heading best advice from our learned friend that we should do what was right for us, the right choice albeit a hard one, was restrain from continual partying in favour of a sensible journey home to rest our by now weary legs & tightening chest.
So, what was our verdict on “Pervert Gold” and did it live up to expectations? Well, there was no doubt that the team had gone to great effort in staging the party and considering it was the third weekend of January, the turnout was sizeable, even if it felt that the party took a while to really take off. This wasn’t really helped by the show which seemed to take an age to start and whist it was a an eye pleasing performance, we felt it was not quite the stunning theatrical spectacle we were expecting, the long wait resulting in a bit of an anti-climax rather than the impressive impact. With all the ostentation that comes with a “Pervert” show, it surely deserves a much bigger stage presence, allowing the drama of the outrageous yet glamorous costumes & the statement making dancers the chance to be seen at their best.
However, there was no doubt that the party did find its legs, hitting a real groove, not least for the amazing music served up by the succession of D.J’s in each room and despite the technical hiccup which halted proceedings, we have to say that Messrs, Londra, Pagano & Nicholls did us proud all being part of the “purple patch” we talked about. “Pervert Gold” definitely had a unique feel, the crowd being very much that and we think with a bit of tinkering & tweaking it could make a great occasional event in London and the scene is certainly craving for something a little different, a little quirky & a little avante garde, so the ingredients are definitely there, the team may just need to change the recipe slightly. That said, we had a great time & if/when it is back, we will be too. (DISCO MATT)
REVIEW FOR SEENQUEEN
With the Latin influence in gAylist clubbing in London being very much Spanish, “Matinee” & “SuperMartXe” making the biggest splashes, it is refreshing to see other countries give it a go, the Italian’s staging a mini invasion with well known & sexy brand “Billy” and the carnival feel that Rio is famed for also giving it a crack with “Go-Go Brazil”, but it seems that the Espaniol grip on the foreign feel to the capital’s club scene has been hard to loosen, Ibiza’s “Space” another example swinging the pendulum towards Spain. But there is something about Italy & Italians that really excite us, turning our minds to the words passion, emotion, beauty & style, so when we heard that a clubbing product of Milan was going to hit our shores our ears pricked up like an excited horse in anticipation.
So, who are we talking about? Well, “Pervert”, a brand that is no stranger to London, but on previous visits has merely imported their renowned stage shows, with the sense of style, opulence & panache, mixed in with a strong doze of sexual intrigue that have seen performances go down well, especially at Trade. The club’s origins are very much Italian, its creators Christian & Ivan really emulating the ethos of the brand, being larger than life characters who’s skill in laying on lavish parties with a unique flavour have definitely set “Pervert” aside from many other clubs in Italy, often attracting a very mixed crowd who have come to love the flamboyant shows & the monstrous music. However, if when drawing comparisons with ventures we have seen in London, “Hustlaball” & “Lovechild” spring to mind, so it came as no surprise that “Pervert’s” creators decided to join forces with Alex Erfan in bringing this Italian spectacle to the capital as a full-on club event.
With plenty of anticipation & excitement surrounding “Pervert Gold”, even a nasty chest infection wasn’t going to stop us from attending, although, fortunately, we had all but fully recovered by the Saturday evening and, following a brief call into Barcode, sped the short distance across Vauxhall, arriving at the entrance to Fire, “Pervert’s” host venue for the evening. With only a small queue to negotiate & then with our name neatly checked off the guestlist & all other formalities efficiently handled, greetings from both door host Marky B & then chief behind the scenes organiser Simon Patrick made us immediately feel at home, Alex Erfan also in attendance to complete the perfect arrival. So, into the club we were and a brief wiz around, checking out the main space and then sliding back into the VIP area was in order, grabbing refreshments and then catching up with friends Jeremy & Andy who were waiting expectantly for our appearance. It was great to see the m both, having been weeks rather than the usual days, so plenty of news catch up was required before heading back into the main room to savour the building atmosphere.
With Italian new name to the scene Gepy behind the decks, the music was funky, chunky & electro infused, very much the ticket for getting the party going and whilst the crowd was slow to build, it was clear that the Latin trait for partying late coming to bear as it was a good two hours into the nights events before the main room was packed and the third space was fired up, the mirror arch in the hands of Gonzalo Rivas trading tech & progressive infused blows with the main room where Obi Baby (aka Christian) had taken charge of the D.J. decks, cutting a much more deep & dark journey of sound in anticipation of the stage show to come. But with Jc Christopher firing up next door in the VIP room we wanted to disappear to say hello, but were stopped in our tracks by Simon Patrick, warning us that the show was pending, so finding a spot, we waited patiently while three muscle-bound dancers frolicked around the makeshift stage, the only indication of a show being one outrageously dressed tall model weaving in & out of the expectant crowd & visuals of previous “Pervert” parties & shows flashing up in the trio of screens across the stage front.
With no sign of the full show starting, we retreated to the VIP room, first catching up with Fire owner Craig Elder, who was entertaining a business colleague but seemed pleased to see us, charging our empty glass & briefly filling us in on plans for the refurbishment of the main room. Then, we headed across to the D.J. booth, where Jc was in control, delivering a hard & funky filled set to a select gathering and scene favourite Brent Nicholls had arrived in good time to click his camera before starting his D.J. duty. Pleased to see us, yet contemptuous of our presence given our recent ill health, he joined us in a return to the main room as yet more prompts of the imminent start of the show were coming our way. So, squeezing through the now jam packed area, halted in our advance to the front by off duty D.J. Phil Hewson & long standing friend Toby, we said our hearty hello’s, then bee-lined for the stage, rubbing shoulders with photographer Chris Jepson, Brent, Craig, Jeremy & Andy, then waiting, waiting and waiting.
In what seemed like an age, the curtains were drawn back on the stage, but the screen stayed put, although the dancers & artists seemed ready to start the spectacle of a show, although by now our anticipation was turning to frustration at the wait. But then, as the music pace changed followed by the screen firing up with a vocal intro & then raised to reveal a sequence of elaborate dressed dancers & entertainers, not your average go-go’s or performers, but a an interesting collection ranging from a dwarf with a devils mask on, through muscled men with ostentatious feathered headgear & necks weighted in jewellery to the centre-piece of the dazzling display, a tall sylph like female dressed from shoulder to toe in generous folds of sparkling gold material, encrusted with bands of bright gold lights, off-setting her starkling face make-up which reminded us of a slightly gory version of opera singing diva Plava Laguna from the film The Fifth Element. She certainly made a statement, swaying back & forth in time to the music while the bevy of beauties around her continued to dazzle the excited crowd, but as the music pace increased, most of the dancers retreated, leaving just a couple of performers to keep to overt display going.
With that & in following Brent’s lead we headed back to the VIP room where Jc was still in full swing, coming across more familiar faces, including Lee Yeomans & D.J’s Alessandro & the Pagano, both like Brent, were due on disc spinning duty shortly, although not before more camera clicking and a catch up on news with all four, a busy looking Alex Erfan joining us momentarily before dashing off into the crowd. We too decided to venture fourth, passing through the main room which had thinned somewhat, curious to see what was happening in the mirror arch & found the space rammed solid with revellers & the podiums filled with a collection of dancers from the previous show & an interesting hoop hanging as if ready for some audacious action. And we weren’t to be disappointed, as once again, the music pace changed, Gonzalo’s hard hitting tech house being replaced by a classic Marlene Dietrich style tune and a bowler hat topped female rose atop the plinth, stripped down to virtual nakedness & then performed an acrobatic display, swinging through & round the hoop to jaw dropping applause.
By now the pace and the atmosphere of the party was simply electric and in full swing, we attempting to decide on which room would grab our alliance and as we made our choice, heading for the VIP room, the music suddenly stopped in all three rooms, an eerie silence falling over Fire for a moment, then with the status quo resumed in two of the rooms, lots of hurried activity ensued in the remaining space which was void of music while we looked on in amazement, standing with Craig who seemed shocked & embarrassed by the incident. But with the culprit faulty amp fixed, Brent was back to duty in a jiffy, the huge hit & guaranteed dancefloor filler Toca’s Miracle drawing the crowd back in an instant, his characteristic Latin infused electro beats then seeing the VIP room full for most of the rest of the “Pervert” party. It was then a case of cat & mouse for us, as we chased around the club, bumping into more familiar faces including Chris Geary in fine fettle & a wavering Julian who seemed a little partied out, as well as being introduced to Obi Baby who seemed thrilled with the eventual outcome of his creation. However, we were keen to make the most of the threesome that was Pagano in the main room, Alessandro in the mirror arch & Brent in the VIP room, who each were casting their own inimitable musical spell on the “Pervert Gold” party, which for us, had entered its purple patch, each space & each D.J. fulfilling their audiences desires brilliantly, the crowd hardly thinning until close on the 7 a.m. closing.
With Craig Elder & Alex Erfan’s business partner, Roni Inan tempting us to Beyond, we gave it some thought although not wishing to push our healing body too far, held back a little before grabbing our coat and then saying our goodbye’s to Alessandro who still had the mirror arch pumping, to Pagano who had delighted us with yet another scintillating set and finally to Brent, who despite the drama’s with the sound issues, had entertained impeccably together with the other two disc meisters, making for a superb final three hours of pure perfection perverted partying. Heading best advice from our learned friend that we should do what was right for us, the right choice albeit a hard one, was restrain from continual partying in favour of a sensible journey home to rest our by now weary legs & tightening chest.
So, what was our verdict on “Pervert Gold” and did it live up to expectations? Well, there was no doubt that the team had gone to great effort in staging the party and considering it was the third weekend of January, the turnout was sizeable, even if it felt that the party took a while to really take off. This wasn’t really helped by the show which seemed to take an age to start and whist it was a an eye pleasing performance, we felt it was not quite the stunning theatrical spectacle we were expecting, the long wait resulting in a bit of an anti-climax rather than the impressive impact. With all the ostentation that comes with a “Pervert” show, it surely deserves a much bigger stage presence, allowing the drama of the outrageous yet glamorous costumes & the statement making dancers the chance to be seen at their best.
However, there was no doubt that the party did find its legs, hitting a real groove, not least for the amazing music served up by the succession of D.J’s in each room and despite the technical hiccup which halted proceedings, we have to say that Messrs, Londra, Pagano & Nicholls did us proud all being part of the “purple patch” we talked about. “Pervert Gold” definitely had a unique feel, the crowd being very much that and we think with a bit of tinkering & tweaking it could make a great occasional event in London and the scene is certainly craving for something a little different, a little quirky & a little avante garde, so the ingredients are definitely there, the team may just need to change the recipe slightly. That said, we had a great time & if/when it is back, we will be too. (DISCO MATT)
2 comments:
great review DM :-)
have put my Pervert pics online too if you wanna look:
LondonClubland.com/
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