“BOWLED OVER & BREATHLESS”
BEYOND @ THE LOVE WEEKEND – SUNDAY 16TH MAY
CLUB REVIEW
There are a mere handful of clubs that has made a massive impact on us over the years, some which have sadly fallen by the wayside as the gAylist scene has developed, changed & moved on, while others have survived to continuingly influence our weekends and draw us out to party, as mega pop legend Prince said in his song “like it’s 1999” and by golly did we party back in those days. But just three years after, one club was launched that sees us doing just that virtually every Sunday and as such gets virtually unrivalled attention and for good reason, so, it was inevitable that we would once again be gracing the doors of Beyond in an all encompassing “Love Weekend” which saw even our aging disco legs make it through four out of the five events, this mega Sunday morning afterhours playing its part. But how did it turn out? And what was our verdict on this clubbing experience extra-ordinare under the direction of its new promoter?
In reality no weekend would be complete these days in Disco Matt land, without us including Beyond, the club that relentlessly ticks virtually every box in our criteria for providing the truly perfect clubbing experience and one that was very much on our radar following our “love in” with Lovechild, making up the third out of four clubbing exploits over this special weekend. And arriving at the doors just shy of 7 a.m., we were greeted, as usual by doorman extra-ordinare Tom & hostess Naomi, both who week in week out make sure of our smooth & speedy entry into what is, without doubt, our favourite club & venue, this occasion being no different as we were inside in a trice and upstairs depositing our belongings in the coatcheck ready to hit the club proper. And that we did running, as entering the Terrace room, the atmosphere was already buzzing as we witnessed the welcome return of The Sharp Boys, both George & Steven treating us to some stupendous sounds that had the space well & truly rocking, very much like the old days of Beyond at Area, people up on the dance platform gyrating to the magical music & the whole space alight with audacious activity.
Inevitably, we wanted to get a feel of the other parts of the club and moving down into the Blackbox room, Paul Christian was definitely holding his own, with a select crowd craving for his harder edged tunes, the phased opening of the club always ensuring that this middle space gets its fair share of devotion from the masses that pour into Area each Sunday morning. But it was the main room where we headed and which had not long fired up in the hands of rapturous resident Gonzalo Rivas, who set about truly delighting us with a dream collection of hedonistic house hits which injected incredible vitality to a an already packed dancefloor and it was in our usual spot just shy of the D.J. booth in what has become our most favourite spot of any club in the capital and one we feel most at home spinning to the special sounds that Beyond delivers on every visit.
And this latest adventure was to be no different as we found our stride within minutes, moving in motion to the magnificent music, the tech infused yet uplifting notes that Gonzalo was delivering hitting the mark with every twist & turn we were trading with those around us, which included a collection of faithfull’s positioning themselves for the incumbent Steve Pitron who was due to take over the reins from Gonzalo in his now regular slot of 9 a.m. Seeing these familiar faces gathering signalled a respite before what would become an all consuming two hours of fever pitch paced & dizzy dancing dervishness to the mixing maestro at work, as we headed out back to where our experience stared, the Terrace room, where the Sharp Boys were right in the middle of handing over to the house hero Hifi Sean, whose stints in this special space always prove a real hit and were sure to do the same yet again. Plus having been promised that the doors onto the outside space would be swung open, we weren’t to be disappointed, as new Beyond promoter James Brewer, ensured our wishes were his command, especially as by now the sun was shining and the magical feel of alfresco dancing on the tables as well as throngs of party goers mingling to soak up the incredible atmosphere only served to spur Sean on, who treated us to some wonderfully wax lyrical tunes that had us burning up our spot in satisfying showmanship style dance steps.
But it wasn’t long before we found ourselves back in our favoured position on the main floor with Steve Pitron now in charge of the decks and Logan’s gorgeous dancers poised on the podiums ready to impress with the energetic & striking moves to the musical mastery that was unfolding. And what an awe inspiring selection of sounds were we then treated to as a whole string of terrific tunes were played to please over the next mesmeric two hours of dance delirium, including massive dance floor hits “Release Me”, “Acapella”, “Here Comes The Rain Again” & “Downpipe”, all receiving rapturous whoops & cheers from a crowd that nevertheless seemed different & somewhat strange to the usual incredibly enthusiastic bunch we have come to expect at Beyond. Undeterred, Steve continued to pour out track after track that had us moving magnificently and to the surprise & gaze of those around us, emulating the moves of the gorgeous go-go muscle hunks shimmering under the incredible Area lighting and effects, which included ticker tape explosions and ceiling height whizzing rockets, all released in time with the crescendo moments of Steve’s superb selections that also featured one of favourite records of now, Dave Ramone’s brilliant mix treatment of Edward Maya’s “Stereo Love”, which is fast becoming one of those Pitron anthems that are so trademark of the vitality & energy that he creates behind the decks like no other.
Our morning was now in full swing and our enthusiasm for this breathtakingly brilliant Beyond at dizzy heights, especially when the star resident jock that would see us into Sunday afternoon arrived, Alan K popping his head above the D.J. booth parapet, spotting us and then jaunting out to say hello with the look of pure excitement on his face and ready to increase the pace of our already chanter pumping heart with his unique and skilful multi mixing, which on this occasion had the added dimension of a D.J. pal (the name escapes us) going back-to back with him during what was a totally fun filled & frenetic remaining two hours of our stay at Area. Not only were we treated to some wonderful Alan renditions of hands in the air floor fillers, mixed in with new versions of old classics from his partner in D.J. crime, but when yet another new & incredible mix version of Zoe Baldwin’s huge hit was lined up, the whole main room once again exploded in roars & cheers to what has become probably the most prolific & popular tune that, in over twelve months since its release, still captures the imagination and invokes the biggest reaction of any record we know, “Release Me” hitting our sweet spot every time and one which we never become bored of being all the more brilliant in the hands of the mixing master that is Mr K.
With Alan steering us way past midday and with no real respite in the atmosphere, our stay at Beyond was destined to see us dance right through until the final moments, a rarity for us but nevertheless a culmination of over six hours of scintillating sounds served up by some of the best D.J.’s on the gAylist London circuit and left us more than satisfied with our lot. So, collecting our belongings we eventually tore ourselves away from Area to sink into a restful Sunday afternoon, although upon trying to escape the clutches of this audacious afterhours, we were spotted by a lively Tom, whom we had traded chit chats on the outside space during the brief moments we escaped the prolific proceedings inside, who without too much arm twisting, persuaded us to continue of “Love Weekend” of activity across Vauxhall at Later, turning up at Fire to the welcoming yet amazed arms of Naomi, Steve, Paul Heron & Mikey D, all who had partied hard themselves at Area beforehand.
Reflecting as we have, over two weeks since this bountiful Beyond as part of the special “Love Weekend”, memories of outing are still crystal clear in our mind and despite the somewhat strange feel to the crowd, yet again all the D.J.’s delivered impeccably and entertaining us impressively from start to finish. Not only were we delighted to see the old feel of the Terrace room recaptured, courtesy of the doors being swung open, but were equally impressed with new promoter James Brewer’s attentiveness right across the club throughout the whole morning and it seems that Beyond is definitely in safe hands under his control, James picking up the intact & incredible legacy left behind by the super Steven Sharp. Yes it is fair to say that Beyond has a readymade captive audience, but in no way is it resting on its laurels, moreover continuing to strive to deliver the very best experience that sees it remain at the top of its game, plus is still ours and many people’s top choice clubbing destination. Bravo Beyond, we were definitely “bowled over & breathless”. (DISCO MATT)
BEYOND @ THE LOVE WEEKEND – SUNDAY 16TH MAY
CLUB REVIEW
There are a mere handful of clubs that has made a massive impact on us over the years, some which have sadly fallen by the wayside as the gAylist scene has developed, changed & moved on, while others have survived to continuingly influence our weekends and draw us out to party, as mega pop legend Prince said in his song “like it’s 1999” and by golly did we party back in those days. But just three years after, one club was launched that sees us doing just that virtually every Sunday and as such gets virtually unrivalled attention and for good reason, so, it was inevitable that we would once again be gracing the doors of Beyond in an all encompassing “Love Weekend” which saw even our aging disco legs make it through four out of the five events, this mega Sunday morning afterhours playing its part. But how did it turn out? And what was our verdict on this clubbing experience extra-ordinare under the direction of its new promoter?
In reality no weekend would be complete these days in Disco Matt land, without us including Beyond, the club that relentlessly ticks virtually every box in our criteria for providing the truly perfect clubbing experience and one that was very much on our radar following our “love in” with Lovechild, making up the third out of four clubbing exploits over this special weekend. And arriving at the doors just shy of 7 a.m., we were greeted, as usual by doorman extra-ordinare Tom & hostess Naomi, both who week in week out make sure of our smooth & speedy entry into what is, without doubt, our favourite club & venue, this occasion being no different as we were inside in a trice and upstairs depositing our belongings in the coatcheck ready to hit the club proper. And that we did running, as entering the Terrace room, the atmosphere was already buzzing as we witnessed the welcome return of The Sharp Boys, both George & Steven treating us to some stupendous sounds that had the space well & truly rocking, very much like the old days of Beyond at Area, people up on the dance platform gyrating to the magical music & the whole space alight with audacious activity.
Inevitably, we wanted to get a feel of the other parts of the club and moving down into the Blackbox room, Paul Christian was definitely holding his own, with a select crowd craving for his harder edged tunes, the phased opening of the club always ensuring that this middle space gets its fair share of devotion from the masses that pour into Area each Sunday morning. But it was the main room where we headed and which had not long fired up in the hands of rapturous resident Gonzalo Rivas, who set about truly delighting us with a dream collection of hedonistic house hits which injected incredible vitality to a an already packed dancefloor and it was in our usual spot just shy of the D.J. booth in what has become our most favourite spot of any club in the capital and one we feel most at home spinning to the special sounds that Beyond delivers on every visit.
And this latest adventure was to be no different as we found our stride within minutes, moving in motion to the magnificent music, the tech infused yet uplifting notes that Gonzalo was delivering hitting the mark with every twist & turn we were trading with those around us, which included a collection of faithfull’s positioning themselves for the incumbent Steve Pitron who was due to take over the reins from Gonzalo in his now regular slot of 9 a.m. Seeing these familiar faces gathering signalled a respite before what would become an all consuming two hours of fever pitch paced & dizzy dancing dervishness to the mixing maestro at work, as we headed out back to where our experience stared, the Terrace room, where the Sharp Boys were right in the middle of handing over to the house hero Hifi Sean, whose stints in this special space always prove a real hit and were sure to do the same yet again. Plus having been promised that the doors onto the outside space would be swung open, we weren’t to be disappointed, as new Beyond promoter James Brewer, ensured our wishes were his command, especially as by now the sun was shining and the magical feel of alfresco dancing on the tables as well as throngs of party goers mingling to soak up the incredible atmosphere only served to spur Sean on, who treated us to some wonderfully wax lyrical tunes that had us burning up our spot in satisfying showmanship style dance steps.
But it wasn’t long before we found ourselves back in our favoured position on the main floor with Steve Pitron now in charge of the decks and Logan’s gorgeous dancers poised on the podiums ready to impress with the energetic & striking moves to the musical mastery that was unfolding. And what an awe inspiring selection of sounds were we then treated to as a whole string of terrific tunes were played to please over the next mesmeric two hours of dance delirium, including massive dance floor hits “Release Me”, “Acapella”, “Here Comes The Rain Again” & “Downpipe”, all receiving rapturous whoops & cheers from a crowd that nevertheless seemed different & somewhat strange to the usual incredibly enthusiastic bunch we have come to expect at Beyond. Undeterred, Steve continued to pour out track after track that had us moving magnificently and to the surprise & gaze of those around us, emulating the moves of the gorgeous go-go muscle hunks shimmering under the incredible Area lighting and effects, which included ticker tape explosions and ceiling height whizzing rockets, all released in time with the crescendo moments of Steve’s superb selections that also featured one of favourite records of now, Dave Ramone’s brilliant mix treatment of Edward Maya’s “Stereo Love”, which is fast becoming one of those Pitron anthems that are so trademark of the vitality & energy that he creates behind the decks like no other.
Our morning was now in full swing and our enthusiasm for this breathtakingly brilliant Beyond at dizzy heights, especially when the star resident jock that would see us into Sunday afternoon arrived, Alan K popping his head above the D.J. booth parapet, spotting us and then jaunting out to say hello with the look of pure excitement on his face and ready to increase the pace of our already chanter pumping heart with his unique and skilful multi mixing, which on this occasion had the added dimension of a D.J. pal (the name escapes us) going back-to back with him during what was a totally fun filled & frenetic remaining two hours of our stay at Area. Not only were we treated to some wonderful Alan renditions of hands in the air floor fillers, mixed in with new versions of old classics from his partner in D.J. crime, but when yet another new & incredible mix version of Zoe Baldwin’s huge hit was lined up, the whole main room once again exploded in roars & cheers to what has become probably the most prolific & popular tune that, in over twelve months since its release, still captures the imagination and invokes the biggest reaction of any record we know, “Release Me” hitting our sweet spot every time and one which we never become bored of being all the more brilliant in the hands of the mixing master that is Mr K.
With Alan steering us way past midday and with no real respite in the atmosphere, our stay at Beyond was destined to see us dance right through until the final moments, a rarity for us but nevertheless a culmination of over six hours of scintillating sounds served up by some of the best D.J.’s on the gAylist London circuit and left us more than satisfied with our lot. So, collecting our belongings we eventually tore ourselves away from Area to sink into a restful Sunday afternoon, although upon trying to escape the clutches of this audacious afterhours, we were spotted by a lively Tom, whom we had traded chit chats on the outside space during the brief moments we escaped the prolific proceedings inside, who without too much arm twisting, persuaded us to continue of “Love Weekend” of activity across Vauxhall at Later, turning up at Fire to the welcoming yet amazed arms of Naomi, Steve, Paul Heron & Mikey D, all who had partied hard themselves at Area beforehand.
Reflecting as we have, over two weeks since this bountiful Beyond as part of the special “Love Weekend”, memories of outing are still crystal clear in our mind and despite the somewhat strange feel to the crowd, yet again all the D.J.’s delivered impeccably and entertaining us impressively from start to finish. Not only were we delighted to see the old feel of the Terrace room recaptured, courtesy of the doors being swung open, but were equally impressed with new promoter James Brewer’s attentiveness right across the club throughout the whole morning and it seems that Beyond is definitely in safe hands under his control, James picking up the intact & incredible legacy left behind by the super Steven Sharp. Yes it is fair to say that Beyond has a readymade captive audience, but in no way is it resting on its laurels, moreover continuing to strive to deliver the very best experience that sees it remain at the top of its game, plus is still ours and many people’s top choice clubbing destination. Bravo Beyond, we were definitely “bowled over & breathless”. (DISCO MATT)
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