“MAGNIFICENT MARRIAGE OF MINDS”
DANCE NATION –
AS PART OF GAY BRIGHTON DANCE WEEKEND –
SATURDAY 7TH AUGUST
CLUB REVIEW
With the whole landscape of Brighton’s pride weekend under considerable question, not least as a result of a catalogue of failings and precarious decision making by the Brighton Pride committee, the catalyst that saw the emergence of the concept known as Gay Brighton Pride Weekend, was the shocking withdrawal of one of the city’s biggest players which had unquestionably been the single most longstanding supporter of what has become the UK’s most popular pride weekends. In pulling out for all the right reasons, Wild Fruits absence from park proceedings in 2010 not only had the domino effect, a handful of other key players/individuals also pulling out of pride, but left considerable scares across the city’s LGBT community that still run deep in certain quarters. However, from the ashes of a lost park dance tent & bar contract, rose the phoenix of the joining of forces with over 15 venues & 25 club brands to produce a 29 strong schedule of dance events that became the Gay Brighton Dance weekend, its centrepiece the Saturday night event, Dance Nation, but did this event deliver to expectations? and was it the “magnificent marriage of minds” it set out to be?
Being our first full review experience of a club in Brighton (well we had Audio under our belts, just) we were not entirely sure what to expect, although having sampled what we would call “provincial” clubs during a previous working life out in Essex, we were building a picture as we arrived at host venue Tru’s doors on Brighton’s West Street. Being in the company of Lovechild’s Alex Erfan, Roni Inan & Danny Shubert, once into the empty venue, we threw ourselves into the final preparations the crew were making, before arming ourselves with refreshments from the now ready bar. Making the most of our spare time before the club opened for the feature event that was Dance Nation, we got the chance to take a good old butchers around the venue and like those handful of other provincial places we have visited, Tru was a-typical chrome & carpet in its complexion, although the main room with its dual staircases & viewing balcony was quite an impressive space, the lower area spreading back from the dancefloor to include sumptuous seating areas, while a second room was tucked away neatly, very much separating it away from the main expanse, a third space also accessible from the upper deck of the venue.
So, with us settled into our surroundings, it was now a case of waiting for the doors to swing open on this Dance Nation delirium and the partying to commence, it being a matter of minutes before people started drip feeding in, filling up the dancefloor & surrounding areas and soaking up the uplifting house heaven that opening D.J., Lovechild’s Leroy Tayler was delivering. But before we go on, perhaps we should explain the concept of Dance Nation, a gathering of promoter minds, to create a fusion of four club brands across three rooms, London’s Lovechild, Macho City & Tonker joining forces with Brighton’s Wild Fruit to create a mini style As One (the success story of NYD in the capital), although with a very different feel & vibe. Right, back to the action and from our vantage point just left of the enclosed D.J. booth, a general spot that we always seem to prefer & find favour with, we had a good view of the developing crowd in front of us, like Audio before it, proving to be a mix of locals & Londoner’s and as the numbers swelled & the room filled close to capacity within a blink of an eye, it was clear that Dance Nation was the place to be, with the party packing the biggest punch on this Brighton pride Saturday night.
Keen to see what was going on around the venue, we left our comfortable spot in the main room, circling the stairs & upper deck, first landing in on the select space given away to Macho City, before swooping in on the outside area for a brief respite, then re-tracing our steps downstairs and into room two, where the Tonker crew were tipping the popularity scales. Here we found resident D.J. & Tonker main man, Tim Jones in charge of the tunes, serving up a selection of sounds not dissimilar to the bombastic beats in the main room, although this space had a very much more intimate feel, an intriguing area in the corner clearly set aside for pole dancing & the like, the theme of carpet, chrome & luminous lighting highlighting the provincial feel of the place. However, both Tim’s & then Alan X’s soundtrack of vocal infused, funky, chunky house was enjoying considerable following, not just from the bevy of Brightoner’s but loads on London boys too, all very much loving their Tonker fill of fun.
But it was the main room, which was being shared by Wild Fruit & Lovechild, that had the majority of our devotions across the night, the superb opener of a set supplied by Leroy Tayler giving way to Wild Fruit’s own Neil Duffie who had so entertained us earlier at Audio. By now the place was pulsating with action, the music doing much of the talking in anticipation of the PA performance to come and having caught up with her upon landing in Brighton, we were keenly awaiting the arrival of Krysten Cummings, our spot by the D.J. booth the perfect position to catch the full extent of her extravert performance. However, the spotlight was first to fall on second Lovechild resident for the night, Tony English, who took up the mantle left by Neil Duffie and, once again, treated us to a sparkling set full of tech toned euro style & rip roaring sounds of now, one tune after the next hitting the mark magnificently and paving the way for Krysten’s coming.
With the lasers & lighting pointing on the small stage in front of the D.J. booth and the party people pushed back to make way, in came a gang of gorgeous go-go’s to frame the slightly built Krysten standing proud in the middle of the stage, she then proceeding to belt out a sequence of songs that definitely roused the revellers, not that they needed it, although there was no doubt that her showing was spectacular. Miss Cumming’s cavorting around the stage had filled the upper galleries which were teaming with onlookers taking in the full extent of her frolicking, while the dancers continued to flex muscles, flaunt their fulsome frames & taut torso’s to the delight of the audience in front of them, the whole show very much stamping it mark on Dance Nation . With the first of two stage showings over, the focus switched back to the D.J. booth and this time headlining act The Hoxton Whores, the duo setting about their business of delivering an eclectic mix & style of sounds that, for us, sadly didn’t quite match the previous performance of Lovechilder Tony English, their choices failing to ignite our dancing enthusiasm anywhere near like we were enjoying before.
So, finding respite behind the D.J. booth, we took stock of this Dance Nation event and caught up with friendly faces including Industri (that’s the London Thursday soiree before you ask) pals Jeremy & Andy, as well as the ever present promoters Alex Erfan & Paul Kemp, both who seemed pleased with their lot. But it was the arrival of Steve Pitron and partner Celso that re-ignited the excitement that had waned in us, a cheerful Celso bounding up to say hello and an equally happy Steve clearly pleased to see us, as we were him, this legendary D.J. and Beyond club main room maestro having been sorely missed while on a well earned holiday abroad. Now our night was going to take a terrific turn, as Mr Pitron pronounced his arrival behind the decks with not one, not two, but well over twenty tremendous tunes that had us an a dancing dervish in our new found spot just right of the booth. With Celso trading the occasional move with us amidst the huge house hits Steve was selecting, hits like “Here Comes the Rain” which was quickly followed by “Release Me” intermixed with latest dance gems, this musical mastery resulted in yet another scintillating set from this splendid D.J., marking his return to the decks and our clubbing exploits in the best way possible. But this climax of a closing set was to end all too soon, the call of Beyond in London dragging Steve, Celso & co away, while we were destined for our own slice of Beyond brilliance just down the road at The Honeyclub, we heading to our next outing very satisfied with our lot and our expectations fulfilled.
You may have noticed that we used the word provincial a few times and in truth, our visit to Tru did feel a little bit like that, the chrome & carpeting adding to the sense that we were experiencing something a world apart from that which we are used to in the capital. That said, the influx of Londoner’s which included a plethora of familiar faces bounding up to say hello, meant that we did feel quite at home with our Dance Nation experience and the anonymity that we were expecting, simply didn’t happen (all in a good way of course). As for the highlights of the night, well Krysten Cummings’ prolific PA performance was definitely up there, as was Tony English’s superb set, but you cannot take away the brilliance of Steve Pitron & his ability to lift the spirits like virtually no other D.J. we know. To see him back where he belonged, in charge of the tunes and storming the show with his delectable dance hits was pure delight at its best and witnessing his performance in provincial land was a tip top tastic treat. As for the night overall, the joining of forces between the four club brands certainly proved to be a "magnificent marriage of minds" and we can see this concept being repeated again, again & again, so hats off to all involved for making Dance Nation the enthralling event it was. (DISCO MATT)
DANCE NATION –
AS PART OF GAY BRIGHTON DANCE WEEKEND –
SATURDAY 7TH AUGUST
CLUB REVIEW
With the whole landscape of Brighton’s pride weekend under considerable question, not least as a result of a catalogue of failings and precarious decision making by the Brighton Pride committee, the catalyst that saw the emergence of the concept known as Gay Brighton Pride Weekend, was the shocking withdrawal of one of the city’s biggest players which had unquestionably been the single most longstanding supporter of what has become the UK’s most popular pride weekends. In pulling out for all the right reasons, Wild Fruits absence from park proceedings in 2010 not only had the domino effect, a handful of other key players/individuals also pulling out of pride, but left considerable scares across the city’s LGBT community that still run deep in certain quarters. However, from the ashes of a lost park dance tent & bar contract, rose the phoenix of the joining of forces with over 15 venues & 25 club brands to produce a 29 strong schedule of dance events that became the Gay Brighton Dance weekend, its centrepiece the Saturday night event, Dance Nation, but did this event deliver to expectations? and was it the “magnificent marriage of minds” it set out to be?
Being our first full review experience of a club in Brighton (well we had Audio under our belts, just) we were not entirely sure what to expect, although having sampled what we would call “provincial” clubs during a previous working life out in Essex, we were building a picture as we arrived at host venue Tru’s doors on Brighton’s West Street. Being in the company of Lovechild’s Alex Erfan, Roni Inan & Danny Shubert, once into the empty venue, we threw ourselves into the final preparations the crew were making, before arming ourselves with refreshments from the now ready bar. Making the most of our spare time before the club opened for the feature event that was Dance Nation, we got the chance to take a good old butchers around the venue and like those handful of other provincial places we have visited, Tru was a-typical chrome & carpet in its complexion, although the main room with its dual staircases & viewing balcony was quite an impressive space, the lower area spreading back from the dancefloor to include sumptuous seating areas, while a second room was tucked away neatly, very much separating it away from the main expanse, a third space also accessible from the upper deck of the venue.
So, with us settled into our surroundings, it was now a case of waiting for the doors to swing open on this Dance Nation delirium and the partying to commence, it being a matter of minutes before people started drip feeding in, filling up the dancefloor & surrounding areas and soaking up the uplifting house heaven that opening D.J., Lovechild’s Leroy Tayler was delivering. But before we go on, perhaps we should explain the concept of Dance Nation, a gathering of promoter minds, to create a fusion of four club brands across three rooms, London’s Lovechild, Macho City & Tonker joining forces with Brighton’s Wild Fruit to create a mini style As One (the success story of NYD in the capital), although with a very different feel & vibe. Right, back to the action and from our vantage point just left of the enclosed D.J. booth, a general spot that we always seem to prefer & find favour with, we had a good view of the developing crowd in front of us, like Audio before it, proving to be a mix of locals & Londoner’s and as the numbers swelled & the room filled close to capacity within a blink of an eye, it was clear that Dance Nation was the place to be, with the party packing the biggest punch on this Brighton pride Saturday night.
Keen to see what was going on around the venue, we left our comfortable spot in the main room, circling the stairs & upper deck, first landing in on the select space given away to Macho City, before swooping in on the outside area for a brief respite, then re-tracing our steps downstairs and into room two, where the Tonker crew were tipping the popularity scales. Here we found resident D.J. & Tonker main man, Tim Jones in charge of the tunes, serving up a selection of sounds not dissimilar to the bombastic beats in the main room, although this space had a very much more intimate feel, an intriguing area in the corner clearly set aside for pole dancing & the like, the theme of carpet, chrome & luminous lighting highlighting the provincial feel of the place. However, both Tim’s & then Alan X’s soundtrack of vocal infused, funky, chunky house was enjoying considerable following, not just from the bevy of Brightoner’s but loads on London boys too, all very much loving their Tonker fill of fun.
But it was the main room, which was being shared by Wild Fruit & Lovechild, that had the majority of our devotions across the night, the superb opener of a set supplied by Leroy Tayler giving way to Wild Fruit’s own Neil Duffie who had so entertained us earlier at Audio. By now the place was pulsating with action, the music doing much of the talking in anticipation of the PA performance to come and having caught up with her upon landing in Brighton, we were keenly awaiting the arrival of Krysten Cummings, our spot by the D.J. booth the perfect position to catch the full extent of her extravert performance. However, the spotlight was first to fall on second Lovechild resident for the night, Tony English, who took up the mantle left by Neil Duffie and, once again, treated us to a sparkling set full of tech toned euro style & rip roaring sounds of now, one tune after the next hitting the mark magnificently and paving the way for Krysten’s coming.
With the lasers & lighting pointing on the small stage in front of the D.J. booth and the party people pushed back to make way, in came a gang of gorgeous go-go’s to frame the slightly built Krysten standing proud in the middle of the stage, she then proceeding to belt out a sequence of songs that definitely roused the revellers, not that they needed it, although there was no doubt that her showing was spectacular. Miss Cumming’s cavorting around the stage had filled the upper galleries which were teaming with onlookers taking in the full extent of her frolicking, while the dancers continued to flex muscles, flaunt their fulsome frames & taut torso’s to the delight of the audience in front of them, the whole show very much stamping it mark on Dance Nation . With the first of two stage showings over, the focus switched back to the D.J. booth and this time headlining act The Hoxton Whores, the duo setting about their business of delivering an eclectic mix & style of sounds that, for us, sadly didn’t quite match the previous performance of Lovechilder Tony English, their choices failing to ignite our dancing enthusiasm anywhere near like we were enjoying before.
So, finding respite behind the D.J. booth, we took stock of this Dance Nation event and caught up with friendly faces including Industri (that’s the London Thursday soiree before you ask) pals Jeremy & Andy, as well as the ever present promoters Alex Erfan & Paul Kemp, both who seemed pleased with their lot. But it was the arrival of Steve Pitron and partner Celso that re-ignited the excitement that had waned in us, a cheerful Celso bounding up to say hello and an equally happy Steve clearly pleased to see us, as we were him, this legendary D.J. and Beyond club main room maestro having been sorely missed while on a well earned holiday abroad. Now our night was going to take a terrific turn, as Mr Pitron pronounced his arrival behind the decks with not one, not two, but well over twenty tremendous tunes that had us an a dancing dervish in our new found spot just right of the booth. With Celso trading the occasional move with us amidst the huge house hits Steve was selecting, hits like “Here Comes the Rain” which was quickly followed by “Release Me” intermixed with latest dance gems, this musical mastery resulted in yet another scintillating set from this splendid D.J., marking his return to the decks and our clubbing exploits in the best way possible. But this climax of a closing set was to end all too soon, the call of Beyond in London dragging Steve, Celso & co away, while we were destined for our own slice of Beyond brilliance just down the road at The Honeyclub, we heading to our next outing very satisfied with our lot and our expectations fulfilled.
You may have noticed that we used the word provincial a few times and in truth, our visit to Tru did feel a little bit like that, the chrome & carpeting adding to the sense that we were experiencing something a world apart from that which we are used to in the capital. That said, the influx of Londoner’s which included a plethora of familiar faces bounding up to say hello, meant that we did feel quite at home with our Dance Nation experience and the anonymity that we were expecting, simply didn’t happen (all in a good way of course). As for the highlights of the night, well Krysten Cummings’ prolific PA performance was definitely up there, as was Tony English’s superb set, but you cannot take away the brilliance of Steve Pitron & his ability to lift the spirits like virtually no other D.J. we know. To see him back where he belonged, in charge of the tunes and storming the show with his delectable dance hits was pure delight at its best and witnessing his performance in provincial land was a tip top tastic treat. As for the night overall, the joining of forces between the four club brands certainly proved to be a "magnificent marriage of minds" and we can see this concept being repeated again, again & again, so hats off to all involved for making Dance Nation the enthralling event it was. (DISCO MATT)
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