“AWESOME AFTERPARTY” –
ORANGE/HUSTLA-THE TEMPLE OF THE PHARAOHS
MONDAY 3RD MAY
CLUB REVIEW
Looking back over the number of bank holidays we have enjoyed on the gAylist clubbing scene in London in recent times, there is generally one club that rounds off our weekend in style. It is true that a few other protagonists have tried to steal the crown of excellence, but have failed to wrestle the prize away from the one that does it for us. So, when news came through that it would be joining forces with Hustlaball to provide them with a fun-filled frolic of an afterhours event, despite nursing wounds from an accident & still in recovery mode from an illness, the temptation to make our immediate future a little brighter in the hands of Orange was too much to resist, especially given the immensely strong D.J. line up that was spread across five rooms of action, with Jodie Harsh’s “Circus” club joining in the fun, it was going to take wild horses to keep us away.
So, with our leathers replaced by our regular clubbing gear and our batteries rejuvenated from our exploits at Hustlaball, we met up with clubbing pal Jason at the head of the queue into Fire’s “lightbox” entrance, a more unconventional way of entering the club, although it was clear the plan was to slowly open the various spaces backward from the new Raw room, eventually stretching right across to the lounge, over what is one incredible expanse & variety of rooms. Having been greeted at the door by Orange’s own Stephen Sharp, we were through past the developing queue in a trice, and with the new coatcheck efficiently handling our rather large bag, we were inside and savouring the new room before you could say “Orange-Hustla”, or maybe more like “The Temple Of The Pharaohs”, well it was very swift put it that way. And was it a delightful little space or what, perfectly formed with the super sound and lavish decor & lighting, the elevated D.J. booth sporting Terry Bryan behind the decks, he delivering a delectable collection of chunky tunes that had the space well & truly pumping. Having caught his eye, we soaked up one fabulous tune after the next, this space & Terry’s music proving the most perfect start to this Orange-Hustla afterparty anarchy.
But, we were keen to venture across into the other rooms and first falling on the Lightbox after bumping into Matinee & SuperMartXe pals, as well as friends Benoit Cliniot, we decided to indulge in a bit of “Circus” style sashaying in the hands of Jodie Harsh & co, advancing into the room and find the fabulous Kris Di Angelis behind the decks, spinning some sensational uplifting sounds that got our disco feet moving & grooving in an instant, Kris thrilled to see us after so long, the feeling being mutual and while the room only had a smattering of faithful bopping away, the atmosphere was still quite enchanting. However, our forays further soon saw us head into the Mirrorarch room, which had been set aside for Hustlaball and with an extremely appetising D.J. line up, the space being kicked off by Stewart Whoo, a scene stalwart that has entertained us on many occasions across the years & was a welcome addition to the line-up. And it was clear he was revelling in his inclusion, treating us to some stonkingly funky & chunky house tunes, that had the room absolutely pumping in adoration of his selections, we lapping up every morsel of magical music, fierce partner in crime Lexi, joining us to well & truly get down the brilliant beats, even Hustlaball honcho’s Roni Inan, Danny Shubert, Jerry Boston & the man himself, Alex Erfan, delighting in the wonders of Stewart’s performance.
So now the scene was set for yet another amazing Orange gathering with the added Hustlaball ingredients and with the music doing much of the talking in the Mirrorarch, we were going nowhere else, especially given Mr Whoo’s scintillating set, which paved the way for the legendary Alan X, the man taking up the gauntlet laid down before him in magnificent style, delivering one incredible track after the next, evoking for us, memories of classic moments in his hands at Crash & Beyond way back when, but his sound selections still having that fresh feel. With our corner feeling more like a D.J’s harem, Hugh Stevenson in close call, Eduardo De La Torre & boyf lapping up the fun, Stewart very much in party mood following his set, even incumbent guests Steven Redant & Jack Chang arriving & soaking up the splendour of this arousing afterparty we were certainly in regal company while we danced away to Alan’s superb set. And, as we sought some refreshments at the bar, yet more D.J. pals popped up, Lee Harris of Lovechild fame and a truly enthusiastic Jamie Hammond, with whom we spent a few moments catching up on news of Onyx’s parties & new record releases.
Our eyes were now on the main room which had swung into action and with The Oli injecting an Orange flavoured feel to the space, dishing up some fabulous funky electro tainted & vocal drenched house tunes, complimented by the luminous lasers & vivacious visuals that saw the room fill with a crowd very much ready to see their party activity stretch deep into Monday afternoon, settling into the room and lapping up the special feeling of the space. We were soon joined by pal Benoit who remarked just what a great time he was having, dancing away to the far more uplifting beats akin to his taste, then a further rendezvous with D.J. Nick Tcherniak, who had been given a free pass to enjoy himself at this Orange-Hustla gathering, Nick’s naughty partner Tom in tow, also gearing up to boogie way past brunch and it was the main room that got the lion’s share of our devotion as The Oli’s prolific performance gave way to a superb showing from George Sharp, which it itself paved the way for the plu-perfect Pitron.
However, we wanted to check out the lounge space too and before the arrival of mister maestro, we headed through to catch Mikey D on the decks, spinning a soother & smoother version of the scintillating sets we often get privileged to witness at Beyond, he also featuring regularly at Orange bank holiday bashes and treating us to alternative vibes, his Easter set over at Area being a perfect example. And, here he was doing it again, the delectably different groves really hitting our sweet spot as well as those around us, only heightened when an amazing new version of our fave dancefloor track “Release Me” excited the atmosphere to fever pitch, the band of merry revellers around showing their appreciation with a dervish of dancing moves, creating an extra special feel to this lovely lounge space. However, the magic of our maestro wasn’t going to keep us away from the main space, so back into a pulsating room we went & with Steve in position, we were once again in awe as record after record, track after track & tune after tune had us in dancing heaven, our weary legs rejuvenated and our heart beating in ecstatic admiration of the mesmeric music, characteristic uplifting huge vocal fuelled electro tainted house hits including a rendition of “Rising” a new version of the awesome “Addicted” and naturally the full on version remix of “Release Me”, all sending the crowd wild and afterparty experience all but complete. And with dancers aloft the podiums including the lovely Naomi, we knew in an instant that we were witnessing & part of yet another brilliant Orange bank holiday bash.
But it was far from over as friend Graham joined us on the main floor adding hilarity & fun to proceedings, trading dancing moves, high kicks and a whole paraphernalia of amusing antics that had us in stitches, injecting yet more energy & passion into our experience and before we knew it its was Paul Heron’s turn to continue the party vibe, although not before we were tempted outside for a catch up and break before our final leg of this amazing frolic with Orange’s pharaohs themed event. However, our trip outside proved a little longer than planned, as a sudden hail storm besieged us and revellers dived for cover, many not wishing to get caught in the wet running to the only remaining entrance to get back into the action, although it wasn’t long before we found ourselves back inside and lapping up the final hour or so of Paul’s set, a slightly harder edged tech infused journey of sound but with some rousing tunes, like the brilliant “Downpipe”, that saw us making it through to the end, finishing off our dancing frolics next to Trade baby pal Rob. And with the final record fading, we had made it from start to finish of this superb afterparty, clocking up an incredible sixteen hours of virtual non-stop dancing in the hands of Hustlaball & Orange, resisting calls to continue the mayhem at Later in Area, rather sauntering, satisfied our weekend ended in superb style.
In concluding, there are few words that could give justice to just how good the Hustlaball afterparty “Orange/Hustla – The Temple Of The Pharaohs” was, however, terrific, ecstatic, & fantastic are three, incredible, phenomenal & wonderful are three others and from the minute we stepped into Fire, until the moment we waved bye to our chums to head home, we had a simply enchanting time, courtesy of magnificent music supplied by a string of D.J’s that performed excellently, Terry Bryan, Kris Di Angelis, Stewart Whoo, Alan X, Mikey D, Steve Pitron & Paul Heron, all topping our list, that in itself speaking volumes. But it was also the superb company we kept throughout that once again made this bank holiday outing on the wild side special and testament to the fact that when it comes to having fun, it’s difficult to beat Orange for ending our weekend on a high, whether it be at Fire or Area, both the Easter party and this one real highlights of our year so far, meaning that, come the next bank holiday, we will be looking out for another reason to end our three days of frolicking in the hands of promoter Steven Sharp’s citric splendour, bring it on! (DISCO MATT)
ORANGE/HUSTLA-THE TEMPLE OF THE PHARAOHS
MONDAY 3RD MAY
CLUB REVIEW
Looking back over the number of bank holidays we have enjoyed on the gAylist clubbing scene in London in recent times, there is generally one club that rounds off our weekend in style. It is true that a few other protagonists have tried to steal the crown of excellence, but have failed to wrestle the prize away from the one that does it for us. So, when news came through that it would be joining forces with Hustlaball to provide them with a fun-filled frolic of an afterhours event, despite nursing wounds from an accident & still in recovery mode from an illness, the temptation to make our immediate future a little brighter in the hands of Orange was too much to resist, especially given the immensely strong D.J. line up that was spread across five rooms of action, with Jodie Harsh’s “Circus” club joining in the fun, it was going to take wild horses to keep us away.
So, with our leathers replaced by our regular clubbing gear and our batteries rejuvenated from our exploits at Hustlaball, we met up with clubbing pal Jason at the head of the queue into Fire’s “lightbox” entrance, a more unconventional way of entering the club, although it was clear the plan was to slowly open the various spaces backward from the new Raw room, eventually stretching right across to the lounge, over what is one incredible expanse & variety of rooms. Having been greeted at the door by Orange’s own Stephen Sharp, we were through past the developing queue in a trice, and with the new coatcheck efficiently handling our rather large bag, we were inside and savouring the new room before you could say “Orange-Hustla”, or maybe more like “The Temple Of The Pharaohs”, well it was very swift put it that way. And was it a delightful little space or what, perfectly formed with the super sound and lavish decor & lighting, the elevated D.J. booth sporting Terry Bryan behind the decks, he delivering a delectable collection of chunky tunes that had the space well & truly pumping. Having caught his eye, we soaked up one fabulous tune after the next, this space & Terry’s music proving the most perfect start to this Orange-Hustla afterparty anarchy.
But, we were keen to venture across into the other rooms and first falling on the Lightbox after bumping into Matinee & SuperMartXe pals, as well as friends Benoit Cliniot, we decided to indulge in a bit of “Circus” style sashaying in the hands of Jodie Harsh & co, advancing into the room and find the fabulous Kris Di Angelis behind the decks, spinning some sensational uplifting sounds that got our disco feet moving & grooving in an instant, Kris thrilled to see us after so long, the feeling being mutual and while the room only had a smattering of faithful bopping away, the atmosphere was still quite enchanting. However, our forays further soon saw us head into the Mirrorarch room, which had been set aside for Hustlaball and with an extremely appetising D.J. line up, the space being kicked off by Stewart Whoo, a scene stalwart that has entertained us on many occasions across the years & was a welcome addition to the line-up. And it was clear he was revelling in his inclusion, treating us to some stonkingly funky & chunky house tunes, that had the room absolutely pumping in adoration of his selections, we lapping up every morsel of magical music, fierce partner in crime Lexi, joining us to well & truly get down the brilliant beats, even Hustlaball honcho’s Roni Inan, Danny Shubert, Jerry Boston & the man himself, Alex Erfan, delighting in the wonders of Stewart’s performance.
So now the scene was set for yet another amazing Orange gathering with the added Hustlaball ingredients and with the music doing much of the talking in the Mirrorarch, we were going nowhere else, especially given Mr Whoo’s scintillating set, which paved the way for the legendary Alan X, the man taking up the gauntlet laid down before him in magnificent style, delivering one incredible track after the next, evoking for us, memories of classic moments in his hands at Crash & Beyond way back when, but his sound selections still having that fresh feel. With our corner feeling more like a D.J’s harem, Hugh Stevenson in close call, Eduardo De La Torre & boyf lapping up the fun, Stewart very much in party mood following his set, even incumbent guests Steven Redant & Jack Chang arriving & soaking up the splendour of this arousing afterparty we were certainly in regal company while we danced away to Alan’s superb set. And, as we sought some refreshments at the bar, yet more D.J. pals popped up, Lee Harris of Lovechild fame and a truly enthusiastic Jamie Hammond, with whom we spent a few moments catching up on news of Onyx’s parties & new record releases.
Our eyes were now on the main room which had swung into action and with The Oli injecting an Orange flavoured feel to the space, dishing up some fabulous funky electro tainted & vocal drenched house tunes, complimented by the luminous lasers & vivacious visuals that saw the room fill with a crowd very much ready to see their party activity stretch deep into Monday afternoon, settling into the room and lapping up the special feeling of the space. We were soon joined by pal Benoit who remarked just what a great time he was having, dancing away to the far more uplifting beats akin to his taste, then a further rendezvous with D.J. Nick Tcherniak, who had been given a free pass to enjoy himself at this Orange-Hustla gathering, Nick’s naughty partner Tom in tow, also gearing up to boogie way past brunch and it was the main room that got the lion’s share of our devotion as The Oli’s prolific performance gave way to a superb showing from George Sharp, which it itself paved the way for the plu-perfect Pitron.
However, we wanted to check out the lounge space too and before the arrival of mister maestro, we headed through to catch Mikey D on the decks, spinning a soother & smoother version of the scintillating sets we often get privileged to witness at Beyond, he also featuring regularly at Orange bank holiday bashes and treating us to alternative vibes, his Easter set over at Area being a perfect example. And, here he was doing it again, the delectably different groves really hitting our sweet spot as well as those around us, only heightened when an amazing new version of our fave dancefloor track “Release Me” excited the atmosphere to fever pitch, the band of merry revellers around showing their appreciation with a dervish of dancing moves, creating an extra special feel to this lovely lounge space. However, the magic of our maestro wasn’t going to keep us away from the main space, so back into a pulsating room we went & with Steve in position, we were once again in awe as record after record, track after track & tune after tune had us in dancing heaven, our weary legs rejuvenated and our heart beating in ecstatic admiration of the mesmeric music, characteristic uplifting huge vocal fuelled electro tainted house hits including a rendition of “Rising” a new version of the awesome “Addicted” and naturally the full on version remix of “Release Me”, all sending the crowd wild and afterparty experience all but complete. And with dancers aloft the podiums including the lovely Naomi, we knew in an instant that we were witnessing & part of yet another brilliant Orange bank holiday bash.
But it was far from over as friend Graham joined us on the main floor adding hilarity & fun to proceedings, trading dancing moves, high kicks and a whole paraphernalia of amusing antics that had us in stitches, injecting yet more energy & passion into our experience and before we knew it its was Paul Heron’s turn to continue the party vibe, although not before we were tempted outside for a catch up and break before our final leg of this amazing frolic with Orange’s pharaohs themed event. However, our trip outside proved a little longer than planned, as a sudden hail storm besieged us and revellers dived for cover, many not wishing to get caught in the wet running to the only remaining entrance to get back into the action, although it wasn’t long before we found ourselves back inside and lapping up the final hour or so of Paul’s set, a slightly harder edged tech infused journey of sound but with some rousing tunes, like the brilliant “Downpipe”, that saw us making it through to the end, finishing off our dancing frolics next to Trade baby pal Rob. And with the final record fading, we had made it from start to finish of this superb afterparty, clocking up an incredible sixteen hours of virtual non-stop dancing in the hands of Hustlaball & Orange, resisting calls to continue the mayhem at Later in Area, rather sauntering, satisfied our weekend ended in superb style.
In concluding, there are few words that could give justice to just how good the Hustlaball afterparty “Orange/Hustla – The Temple Of The Pharaohs” was, however, terrific, ecstatic, & fantastic are three, incredible, phenomenal & wonderful are three others and from the minute we stepped into Fire, until the moment we waved bye to our chums to head home, we had a simply enchanting time, courtesy of magnificent music supplied by a string of D.J’s that performed excellently, Terry Bryan, Kris Di Angelis, Stewart Whoo, Alan X, Mikey D, Steve Pitron & Paul Heron, all topping our list, that in itself speaking volumes. But it was also the superb company we kept throughout that once again made this bank holiday outing on the wild side special and testament to the fact that when it comes to having fun, it’s difficult to beat Orange for ending our weekend on a high, whether it be at Fire or Area, both the Easter party and this one real highlights of our year so far, meaning that, come the next bank holiday, we will be looking out for another reason to end our three days of frolicking in the hands of promoter Steven Sharp’s citric splendour, bring it on! (DISCO MATT)
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