“SPLENDID SUNDAY SUNSHINE SOIREE”
MATINEE “OPEN AIR SUMMER” PARTY – SUNDAY 11TH JULY
CLUB REVIEW
When the Barcelona big brass decided to inject London with a huge syringe full of Matinee potion back in 2006 at Area, they clearly wanted this Spanish superclub to make a considerable impact on the capitals gAylist scene. And it certainly did, further moves first to Fabric in Farringdon, then to Colosseum back in Vauxhall hitting some real high notes & gAylisting moments, although the fateful conclusion for the then promoter at Cable in London Bridge, saw Matinee by this stage, chasing its competitors for plaudits as the best offering in town. Having witnessed some truly amazing events in the brand s history here in Britannia, the early days of Area stand out in a myriad of also ran parties, especially in recent times, when Matinee in London has been struggling to find its true identity, while rival offers like SuperMartXe & Beyond have gone from strength to strength. But when the news came through that Logan Schmitz was taking over this London Latino franchise back on NYD, we always thought something quite spectacular was in store for this, our favourite clubbing brand by far, a construction period leading to what can only be described as a summer sizzler of an event. So what made this Matinee so special? And what is the future for this brilliant brand in Britain?
With the weather forecast of sumptuous sunshine pretty much guaranteed and us wanting to look our Matinee best, we donned a classic 2009 inspired t-shirt, admittedly a little tighter than we would have liked, then hot footed it to Elephant & Castle to arrive at host venue Ministry Of Sound’s doors not long after 1.30 p.m. Immediately our body compass pointed us in the direction of the outside terrace where Paul Heron was laying down heaps of funky chunky outdoor inspired musical mainstream, his choices immediately hitting resonance with the developing crowd, our attempts at avoiding the marauds of Matinee lovers falling at the first hurdle as a poke in our back signalled a smiling & saucy Per Q.X. who, along with his pals, we were well into their sashaying stride, lapping up the bountiful beats of a lively Mr Heron and his energetic, pumping & pulsating musical pace. Indeed, the atmosphere out on this superb sun trap of a space was already spot on, the blue sky contrasting the multicoloured Matinee & other signage below, while the artificial green turf made dancing on the concrete floor much more comfortable & completed the scene, well except for the odd plane flying overhead, we convincing ourselves that one had "Logan Presents" splashed down the side, just like the advertising slogan for this major Matinee party.
But we wanted to check out Bello Alessandro inside, who was treating us to a right royal rousing rendition of hot & happening house, a very uplifting string of sounds contrasting to Paul’s more progressive beats outside. Early naked numbers of Matinee admirers & followers turned into a full on dinner suit selective of gAylist hob nobs of the luxury chocolate coated kind, our unapologetic plaudits of most notable scene faces going to & including off duty D.J.’s Steve Pitron, Jamie Head, Mikey D, Eduardo De La Torre & Nick Tcherniak, delectable dancers Naomi Cruz & Dilmar Brito, press people Chris Jepson, Chris Geary & Cliff Joannou and clubbing collectives Marky B Barrett, Dorin Andrei, Simon Patrick, James Brewer, Roni Inan, & Danny Shubert, an exhaustible list of familiar faces craving for a quick nod and wink in acknowledgement of our presence. Then, as if this glorified gathering wasn't enough for us, an endless chorus line of cavorters were doing their best to get their own slice of our attention, pal Rob, Rupert St boy Oli & even our hairdresser Luis, all succumbing to this outside area which was now full to brimming with people intent on making this a party to remember rather than to forget and anyone who was anyone, cramming onto MOS’s terrace to take in this tremendous Matinee trip of a lifetime.
So the focus was now on partying in prolific alfresco style, the sun beating down on the terrace, Paul Heron’s music choices the perfect recipe for this altogether Ibiza inspired event, the additions of ice cannons & the nifty air horn that played a massive part in the SuperMartXe “Hot Wheels” outing, doing their bit in projecting the pulsating party vibe right across this amazing outdoor space, an excitable Alessandro making the most of both implements to the delight of all around. With photographer extraordinaire Chris Jepson pointing his lens where it didn’t belong (our direction) and the dancing mercury hitting boiling point, the lovely Mauricio’s Matinee fans were a welcome relief from the summer sunrays, although with the space close on bursting point by now, the last thing on our mind was sun protection, rather alfresco dancing audacity with the now late arrival Taito Tikaro rousing our emotions with some truly uplifting tracks that included our favourite “Release Me”, which got its usual hands -in-the-air reaction and sending the atmosphere into enjoyment overdrive. Mind you, it was helped along by the delectable dancers who ascended the podiums astride of the D.J. booth, one of the foursome a perfect specimen of a man, each of his many muscles shimmering in the sunlight and his taught torso tantalising a truck load of looks, Luke Baden-Barnsley being the epitomy of everything that was hot & horny about this Matinee eye catching event, this gorgeous go-go even lavishing attention on us with leading lines of questions that made for our million dollar Matinee moment.
By now we were in absolute wonder of one of the best parties of the year unfolding before our eyes, the atmosphere on this terrific terrace tipping the temperature scales and Spanish resident Taito Tikaro in seventh heaven with his huge house hits that had a hypnotic quality to them. That said, indoors was also getting its say, MOS’s main room now in the charge & direction of Italian stallion Pagano, who was ready to create plenty of drama on the dancefloor with a succession of smash progressive & tech fuelled tunes, very much classic Francesco, that saw more than a handful of hopefuls sink into his sounds, choosing the inside over the outside to fulfil their dancing desires. And despite the football being shown on the selection of screens around this main space, much more attention was directed to the dance tracks being selected, one trademark Pagano track after the next seeing the space swell with swarms of sophisticated scene gAylisters lapping up Francesco’s fabulous & magical music.
But, sinking back into the temptations of the terrace, as being outdoor at this Matinee summer smash was very much the vogue, the summer sunshine gave way to a dimming dusk, prompting the massive terrace florescent lights to illuinate the scene and with dancer/D.J. Marco Da Silva’s soundtrack of scintillating & uplifting inclusions igniting the already amazing atmosphere, we were content in seeing the remainder of our stay at this Matinee magnificence of an extravagant event out on the terrace. Mr Da Silva was certainly pumping up the volume, his dancing pedigree & dexterity showing through in his performance behind the decks, the tunes he was selecting equalling the energy & vitality he was displaying, added to even further by an impromptu advance onto the podium next to the D.J. booth, Logan himself taking up the challenge & ascending the other, much to the delight of their audience of admirers, beeps on the horn & pulses from the ice cannons accentuating their dancing deliveries.
And to be honest, we didn’t want our experience to end, as the music had been so magnificent, the go-go dancers delightful and the party people a perfect complement to this incredible outing so full of the Matinee magic that had been missing from many an event before it. But with 10 p.m. come & gone, eventually Marco gave in to the venues calls to halt this pulsating party, although in truth it could have gone on well into the early hours of Monday morning, such was the enthusiasm for this mesmeric Matinee at MOS. So, we said our farewells to our crowd of cavorting collectives on the terrace, catching those words with the lovely Luke, before sliding into the normality of the surrounding streets and an onward rendezvous with pals Joel & Julian, seeing us waxing lyrically about this magnificent 9 hours of clubbing splendour, in what was sinking in as being not only the best Matinee of the year, but the best party of any we had enjoyed in 2010 so far.
MATINEE “OPEN AIR SUMMER” PARTY – SUNDAY 11TH JULY
CLUB REVIEW
When the Barcelona big brass decided to inject London with a huge syringe full of Matinee potion back in 2006 at Area, they clearly wanted this Spanish superclub to make a considerable impact on the capitals gAylist scene. And it certainly did, further moves first to Fabric in Farringdon, then to Colosseum back in Vauxhall hitting some real high notes & gAylisting moments, although the fateful conclusion for the then promoter at Cable in London Bridge, saw Matinee by this stage, chasing its competitors for plaudits as the best offering in town. Having witnessed some truly amazing events in the brand s history here in Britannia, the early days of Area stand out in a myriad of also ran parties, especially in recent times, when Matinee in London has been struggling to find its true identity, while rival offers like SuperMartXe & Beyond have gone from strength to strength. But when the news came through that Logan Schmitz was taking over this London Latino franchise back on NYD, we always thought something quite spectacular was in store for this, our favourite clubbing brand by far, a construction period leading to what can only be described as a summer sizzler of an event. So what made this Matinee so special? And what is the future for this brilliant brand in Britain?
With the weather forecast of sumptuous sunshine pretty much guaranteed and us wanting to look our Matinee best, we donned a classic 2009 inspired t-shirt, admittedly a little tighter than we would have liked, then hot footed it to Elephant & Castle to arrive at host venue Ministry Of Sound’s doors not long after 1.30 p.m. Immediately our body compass pointed us in the direction of the outside terrace where Paul Heron was laying down heaps of funky chunky outdoor inspired musical mainstream, his choices immediately hitting resonance with the developing crowd, our attempts at avoiding the marauds of Matinee lovers falling at the first hurdle as a poke in our back signalled a smiling & saucy Per Q.X. who, along with his pals, we were well into their sashaying stride, lapping up the bountiful beats of a lively Mr Heron and his energetic, pumping & pulsating musical pace. Indeed, the atmosphere out on this superb sun trap of a space was already spot on, the blue sky contrasting the multicoloured Matinee & other signage below, while the artificial green turf made dancing on the concrete floor much more comfortable & completed the scene, well except for the odd plane flying overhead, we convincing ourselves that one had "Logan Presents" splashed down the side, just like the advertising slogan for this major Matinee party.
But we wanted to check out Bello Alessandro inside, who was treating us to a right royal rousing rendition of hot & happening house, a very uplifting string of sounds contrasting to Paul’s more progressive beats outside. Early naked numbers of Matinee admirers & followers turned into a full on dinner suit selective of gAylist hob nobs of the luxury chocolate coated kind, our unapologetic plaudits of most notable scene faces going to & including off duty D.J.’s Steve Pitron, Jamie Head, Mikey D, Eduardo De La Torre & Nick Tcherniak, delectable dancers Naomi Cruz & Dilmar Brito, press people Chris Jepson, Chris Geary & Cliff Joannou and clubbing collectives Marky B Barrett, Dorin Andrei, Simon Patrick, James Brewer, Roni Inan, & Danny Shubert, an exhaustible list of familiar faces craving for a quick nod and wink in acknowledgement of our presence. Then, as if this glorified gathering wasn't enough for us, an endless chorus line of cavorters were doing their best to get their own slice of our attention, pal Rob, Rupert St boy Oli & even our hairdresser Luis, all succumbing to this outside area which was now full to brimming with people intent on making this a party to remember rather than to forget and anyone who was anyone, cramming onto MOS’s terrace to take in this tremendous Matinee trip of a lifetime.
So the focus was now on partying in prolific alfresco style, the sun beating down on the terrace, Paul Heron’s music choices the perfect recipe for this altogether Ibiza inspired event, the additions of ice cannons & the nifty air horn that played a massive part in the SuperMartXe “Hot Wheels” outing, doing their bit in projecting the pulsating party vibe right across this amazing outdoor space, an excitable Alessandro making the most of both implements to the delight of all around. With photographer extraordinaire Chris Jepson pointing his lens where it didn’t belong (our direction) and the dancing mercury hitting boiling point, the lovely Mauricio’s Matinee fans were a welcome relief from the summer sunrays, although with the space close on bursting point by now, the last thing on our mind was sun protection, rather alfresco dancing audacity with the now late arrival Taito Tikaro rousing our emotions with some truly uplifting tracks that included our favourite “Release Me”, which got its usual hands -in-the-air reaction and sending the atmosphere into enjoyment overdrive. Mind you, it was helped along by the delectable dancers who ascended the podiums astride of the D.J. booth, one of the foursome a perfect specimen of a man, each of his many muscles shimmering in the sunlight and his taught torso tantalising a truck load of looks, Luke Baden-Barnsley being the epitomy of everything that was hot & horny about this Matinee eye catching event, this gorgeous go-go even lavishing attention on us with leading lines of questions that made for our million dollar Matinee moment.
By now we were in absolute wonder of one of the best parties of the year unfolding before our eyes, the atmosphere on this terrific terrace tipping the temperature scales and Spanish resident Taito Tikaro in seventh heaven with his huge house hits that had a hypnotic quality to them. That said, indoors was also getting its say, MOS’s main room now in the charge & direction of Italian stallion Pagano, who was ready to create plenty of drama on the dancefloor with a succession of smash progressive & tech fuelled tunes, very much classic Francesco, that saw more than a handful of hopefuls sink into his sounds, choosing the inside over the outside to fulfil their dancing desires. And despite the football being shown on the selection of screens around this main space, much more attention was directed to the dance tracks being selected, one trademark Pagano track after the next seeing the space swell with swarms of sophisticated scene gAylisters lapping up Francesco’s fabulous & magical music.
But, sinking back into the temptations of the terrace, as being outdoor at this Matinee summer smash was very much the vogue, the summer sunshine gave way to a dimming dusk, prompting the massive terrace florescent lights to illuinate the scene and with dancer/D.J. Marco Da Silva’s soundtrack of scintillating & uplifting inclusions igniting the already amazing atmosphere, we were content in seeing the remainder of our stay at this Matinee magnificence of an extravagant event out on the terrace. Mr Da Silva was certainly pumping up the volume, his dancing pedigree & dexterity showing through in his performance behind the decks, the tunes he was selecting equalling the energy & vitality he was displaying, added to even further by an impromptu advance onto the podium next to the D.J. booth, Logan himself taking up the challenge & ascending the other, much to the delight of their audience of admirers, beeps on the horn & pulses from the ice cannons accentuating their dancing deliveries.
And to be honest, we didn’t want our experience to end, as the music had been so magnificent, the go-go dancers delightful and the party people a perfect complement to this incredible outing so full of the Matinee magic that had been missing from many an event before it. But with 10 p.m. come & gone, eventually Marco gave in to the venues calls to halt this pulsating party, although in truth it could have gone on well into the early hours of Monday morning, such was the enthusiasm for this mesmeric Matinee at MOS. So, we said our farewells to our crowd of cavorting collectives on the terrace, catching those words with the lovely Luke, before sliding into the normality of the surrounding streets and an onward rendezvous with pals Joel & Julian, seeing us waxing lyrically about this magnificent 9 hours of clubbing splendour, in what was sinking in as being not only the best Matinee of the year, but the best party of any we had enjoyed in 2010 so far.
Our memories of Matinee in London are probably some of our most treasured and it can be said that we have witnessed some incredible parties, “Knockout” & “Viva” being right up there, although there was always a comparison to the first forays at Area that, for us, showed the brand in its Saturday best. However, in deciding to take the club back to its Barcelona afterhours origins was a brave yet inspired move by Logan, the idea of linking it all in with an Ibiza styled alfresco outing, proving to be Matinee’s making in London. In doing so, not only has Logan given the brand a new & exciting identity, distinguishing it clearly apart from former competitor in the capital, SuperMartXe, but it has injected much needed vitality into a precariously stale & faltering clubbing scene full of the same old same old. Sunday afternoon clubbing has once again come of age, Matinee spearheading this momentum and gAylist gatherings in the capital courtesy of Mr Schmitz & his superb schmitzels are very much alive & kicking. As the soundtrack to this scintilating summer soiree shouts, we are well & truly "Addicted" to the new style of our favouite clubbing brand, so move over Beyond, the 2010 plaudits will surely be heading Matinee’s way and we cannot wait for the next party, which you must not miss for anything. (DISCO MATT)
Postscript
If you were unfortunate to miss out on this magnanimous Matinee, you can get a slice of the superb sounds, as resident D.J. and star of Sunday’s party, Alessandro Londra, has laid down two compilations which are perfect sovenirs of this smash hit of an event. Part One is a nod towards the tougher side of Matinee’s music, while part two very much mirrors Alessandro’s set on Sunday, both worthy additions to your collection, which you can play/download at http://soundcloud.com/djalessandrolondra.
1 comment:
Excellent review - completely agree.
Was a great afternoon/evening!
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