"SECOND SPANISH SUNDAY SMASH”
MATINEE “OPEN AIR SUMMER PARTY II” –
SUNDAY 12TH SEPTEMBER
CLUB REVIEW
Having been absolutely astounded by the magnificence of Matinee’s new look & style at Ministry of Sound (MOS) back in July, we can safely say that the event of the year so far had definitely set the standard for this Spanish brands new Sunday soiree’s, the terrace theme working like a dream, not only as the weather was kind to promoter Logan Schmitz and his team, but there seemed a real desire for something new & refreshing, Matinee itself craving for its own identity to set it aside from the teams other stable-mate, SuperMartXe. And with the “Open Air Summer Party”, Logan certainly achieved that, not only capturing the mood & captivating his admiring audience, but in MOS, he had found a venue that seemed to suit Matinee well, this even having been a favoured choice of previous promoter Oliver M, when deciding on his next move from Colosseum & Cable.
With MOS certainly delivering first time round and Matinee was very much the talk of the town, mixed fortunes for the Logan presents team over August Bank Holiday seemed to propel to perceived popularity of this second summer special, although planting the event into September, admittedly marrying it with the brands closing parties around the world, was a risky prospect, particularly considering that the success of the “Ibiza Terrace” theme hedging itself against the uncertainty of the capitals climate. But with a D.J. line up stronger than we had seen at a Matinee since Cable, as well as the inclusion of diva vocalist Vanessa Klein, the scene was set for a Second Spanish Summer Smash to match the first and with back up plans to move outside in, should the weather dictate, all was set fair for another magical Matinee full of mesmeric music at MOS. So, how did this second open air summer special turn out? Was it about outside, in or both? And did the Soho Pink Sunday event effect affect Matinee in any way?
Having well & truly sweated it out at Suzie Krueger’s sporty fetish frolic the previous night, a planned trip to Beyond was shelved in favour of finding fresh legs for the extravagance of Matinee’s “Open Air Summer Party II” at MOS and having savoured all the delights of the pre-party just two days previously at the Box in Covent Garden, we were definitely in party mood as we approached the entrance at just before 4 p.m., for us a fashionably late arrival compared with our previous visit in July. With just a small queue to negotiate, as well as a rather over-zealous security guard who felt the need to search under our crotch, we were into the club before you could say “how very dare you” and into the main room to be greeted immediately by a beaming Paul Heron, who reminded us of our camp claim from Hype, before caching up on news of his Mykonos exploits & more recent developments. But with refreshments on our mind, we headed for the bar and then joined Paul & fellow D.J. Hugh Stevenson behind the main room decks, where bello Alesaandro Londra was waving his magical musical wand, the screens showing Matinee parties past & present and the lighting in full swing, illuminating the dancefloor below, a select crowd soaking up his euro & Spanish influenced sounds.
Clearly, however, the emphasis at this relatively early hour in Matinee’s second outing at MOS was on the outside, so with Industri pal Stephen arriving, we headed off the terrace to check out the action, finding a cavorting crowd bopping to the beats that pre-party star Leandro Kloppel was dishing out, an uplifting yet hard hitting collection of chunky tunes to inject some pace & passion to proceedings. Looking around there were plenty of familiar faces already gathered, we spotting Logan’s lot, including, Naomi, Luke, Dilmar, Fabio and, of course the ever smiling Mauricio, who remarked on our Matinee t-shirt and then produced a fresh new black number for us to wear with pride. But plenty more had already gathered, a whole collection of muscular Latino men, gorgeous girls, club kids & much in between, friend & fierce partner in crime, Lexi, catching our attention and immediately trading delightfully extravert dance moves with us, very much setting the standard to things to come. But, whilst the terrace was filling out nicely and the sun shining, the summer heat that was very much evident at the first party was missing, which seemed to affect the atmosphere somewhat, the crowd seemingly more in sociable mood rather than dancing delirium, although as Paul Heron took to the decks, we were certainly poised to prance, over indulgent ducks & dives to the Balearic inspired beats attracting the attention of D.J. pal Micky Galliano, who was determined to get us up onto the podium, while the rebellious Romano was also trading with our affections in his usual mischievous manner.
Taking a moments respite from the ever increasing pace of the party outside, we headed in to pay a visit and were somewhat shocked by the actions of a security guard in the conveniences, who was being far too heavy handed with customers in the cubicles, even pulling one poor individual out and short of making him choke from the shock. Then, on heading back out onto the terrace, yet another incident involving this security guard erupted, as a whole bunch of people getting caught in a commotion which definitely deflated the atmosphere somewhat, although in typical style it was mere moments before Mr Heron had restored the equilibrium & raised the pace back to fever pitch with a selection of sounds that had the terrace rocking, a now off duty Alessandro adding his own element of excitement with continued toots on the infamous air horn that had been so much a part of the previous party. However, as good Paul’s performance was, we had to spread our wings a little, so headed back in to see what delights incumbent main room D.J. Nick Tchernaik had to dish out, but not before catching up with female clubbing friend Michele Thornber, who had not long arrived to savour her own slice of this summer special, like many, remarking on the chillier climate and the shortfall in numbers, although our impression was that this Matinee was much busier than the last.
And arriving inside it was plain to see that many had traded the terrace for the main room, Nick Tcherniak treating his ever increasing audience to a truck load of tremendous tunes, plenty of uplifting & tech fuelled beats to build the dance action, we again finding our dancing feet in an instant, especially when the fabulous Alan X remix of “My People” was belted out, this really signalling a step change in the mood towards this Matinee party, as there seemed to be a sudden surge of arrivals, possibly having peeled off from the Soho Pink Sunday event, which, for us was somewhat an afterthought to the lack of a proper pride party, yet was fortunate that the sun was shining. Such was the excellence of Nick’s set, that we totally missed the P.A. performance outside, the stand –in for an absent Vanessa Klein, the brilliant Abigail Bailey, who apparently more than made up for the missing Spanish diva vocalist, Paul Heron also extending his set to compensate for the non arrival of Matinee resident J Louis, whom we had been informed was stuck in Ibiza with Vanessa following cancelled flights.
But none of this mattered much, as not only has both Nick & Paul treated us to some terrific tunes & pulsating performances, but Michel Mizrahi then took up the mantle inside to really stir the emotions with some electric euro beats that well & truly hit the mark, only to be ousted from his seat by a late arriving Pagano, who was intended to fill the vacant slot outside. But with sound issues halting proceedings on the terrace earlier than expected at 9 p.m., our Italian stallion assumed his position in the main room and with everyone inside, the place ended up absolutely heaving, Mr P pulling out a procession of progressive & pumping beats that truly ignited the party beyond all expectations, we trading spots next to the D.J. booth, dancing with fellow Francesco fan & friend Rob, with moments at the bar with Nick, Michelle & a beaming Fidel Trotman. With plenty more besides deciding to trade yet more dancing moves with us, including the lovely Lexi & the luscious Luke, all this audacious action pretty much wore us out, calling an end to our Matinee experience, but not before we had a battle behind the booth to retrieve our belongings, a jovial & friendly Pagano refusing to let us leave, rather soak up the remaining moments of what was a scintillating set. However, take our leave we had to, slinking out into the a late Sunday evening and waving farewell to as many as we could before heading to Soho to see for ourselves what the pink Sunday fuss had been about.
Looking back on this second Matinee Open Air party, we can say that, despite the cooler climate, plus the complications the team encountered both with missing artists and outside sound issues, it actually made for a very good party indeed. Yes the expectations were high and in some ways that may have be a factor in the rollercoaster atmosphere outside earlier on. But there was no doubt in our mind that that numbers were up on the last event and the later finishing time of midnight was most definitely a hit with the crowd. Given that Soho Pink Sunday was pitched on the same day, didn’t seem to have much of an effect on Matinee in the end and with all the D.J.’s performing brilliantly, Logan & his team can be pleased with themselves for pulling off another excellent party. In MOS, they have definitely found the right home for Matinee, although there still remains the question of the sometimes overpowering security that took a shade of shine off this sparkling end of summer smash, although in saying that, this latest instalment in the history of this Spanish giant in London, once again proved the strength of Matinee as a brand & the surging popularity of Sunday clubbing. Bring on the next one, summer or not, we will be there for sure. (DISCO MATT)
MATINEE “OPEN AIR SUMMER PARTY II” –
SUNDAY 12TH SEPTEMBER
CLUB REVIEW
Having been absolutely astounded by the magnificence of Matinee’s new look & style at Ministry of Sound (MOS) back in July, we can safely say that the event of the year so far had definitely set the standard for this Spanish brands new Sunday soiree’s, the terrace theme working like a dream, not only as the weather was kind to promoter Logan Schmitz and his team, but there seemed a real desire for something new & refreshing, Matinee itself craving for its own identity to set it aside from the teams other stable-mate, SuperMartXe. And with the “Open Air Summer Party”, Logan certainly achieved that, not only capturing the mood & captivating his admiring audience, but in MOS, he had found a venue that seemed to suit Matinee well, this even having been a favoured choice of previous promoter Oliver M, when deciding on his next move from Colosseum & Cable.
With MOS certainly delivering first time round and Matinee was very much the talk of the town, mixed fortunes for the Logan presents team over August Bank Holiday seemed to propel to perceived popularity of this second summer special, although planting the event into September, admittedly marrying it with the brands closing parties around the world, was a risky prospect, particularly considering that the success of the “Ibiza Terrace” theme hedging itself against the uncertainty of the capitals climate. But with a D.J. line up stronger than we had seen at a Matinee since Cable, as well as the inclusion of diva vocalist Vanessa Klein, the scene was set for a Second Spanish Summer Smash to match the first and with back up plans to move outside in, should the weather dictate, all was set fair for another magical Matinee full of mesmeric music at MOS. So, how did this second open air summer special turn out? Was it about outside, in or both? And did the Soho Pink Sunday event effect affect Matinee in any way?
Having well & truly sweated it out at Suzie Krueger’s sporty fetish frolic the previous night, a planned trip to Beyond was shelved in favour of finding fresh legs for the extravagance of Matinee’s “Open Air Summer Party II” at MOS and having savoured all the delights of the pre-party just two days previously at the Box in Covent Garden, we were definitely in party mood as we approached the entrance at just before 4 p.m., for us a fashionably late arrival compared with our previous visit in July. With just a small queue to negotiate, as well as a rather over-zealous security guard who felt the need to search under our crotch, we were into the club before you could say “how very dare you” and into the main room to be greeted immediately by a beaming Paul Heron, who reminded us of our camp claim from Hype, before caching up on news of his Mykonos exploits & more recent developments. But with refreshments on our mind, we headed for the bar and then joined Paul & fellow D.J. Hugh Stevenson behind the main room decks, where bello Alesaandro Londra was waving his magical musical wand, the screens showing Matinee parties past & present and the lighting in full swing, illuminating the dancefloor below, a select crowd soaking up his euro & Spanish influenced sounds.
Clearly, however, the emphasis at this relatively early hour in Matinee’s second outing at MOS was on the outside, so with Industri pal Stephen arriving, we headed off the terrace to check out the action, finding a cavorting crowd bopping to the beats that pre-party star Leandro Kloppel was dishing out, an uplifting yet hard hitting collection of chunky tunes to inject some pace & passion to proceedings. Looking around there were plenty of familiar faces already gathered, we spotting Logan’s lot, including, Naomi, Luke, Dilmar, Fabio and, of course the ever smiling Mauricio, who remarked on our Matinee t-shirt and then produced a fresh new black number for us to wear with pride. But plenty more had already gathered, a whole collection of muscular Latino men, gorgeous girls, club kids & much in between, friend & fierce partner in crime, Lexi, catching our attention and immediately trading delightfully extravert dance moves with us, very much setting the standard to things to come. But, whilst the terrace was filling out nicely and the sun shining, the summer heat that was very much evident at the first party was missing, which seemed to affect the atmosphere somewhat, the crowd seemingly more in sociable mood rather than dancing delirium, although as Paul Heron took to the decks, we were certainly poised to prance, over indulgent ducks & dives to the Balearic inspired beats attracting the attention of D.J. pal Micky Galliano, who was determined to get us up onto the podium, while the rebellious Romano was also trading with our affections in his usual mischievous manner.
Taking a moments respite from the ever increasing pace of the party outside, we headed in to pay a visit and were somewhat shocked by the actions of a security guard in the conveniences, who was being far too heavy handed with customers in the cubicles, even pulling one poor individual out and short of making him choke from the shock. Then, on heading back out onto the terrace, yet another incident involving this security guard erupted, as a whole bunch of people getting caught in a commotion which definitely deflated the atmosphere somewhat, although in typical style it was mere moments before Mr Heron had restored the equilibrium & raised the pace back to fever pitch with a selection of sounds that had the terrace rocking, a now off duty Alessandro adding his own element of excitement with continued toots on the infamous air horn that had been so much a part of the previous party. However, as good Paul’s performance was, we had to spread our wings a little, so headed back in to see what delights incumbent main room D.J. Nick Tchernaik had to dish out, but not before catching up with female clubbing friend Michele Thornber, who had not long arrived to savour her own slice of this summer special, like many, remarking on the chillier climate and the shortfall in numbers, although our impression was that this Matinee was much busier than the last.
And arriving inside it was plain to see that many had traded the terrace for the main room, Nick Tcherniak treating his ever increasing audience to a truck load of tremendous tunes, plenty of uplifting & tech fuelled beats to build the dance action, we again finding our dancing feet in an instant, especially when the fabulous Alan X remix of “My People” was belted out, this really signalling a step change in the mood towards this Matinee party, as there seemed to be a sudden surge of arrivals, possibly having peeled off from the Soho Pink Sunday event, which, for us was somewhat an afterthought to the lack of a proper pride party, yet was fortunate that the sun was shining. Such was the excellence of Nick’s set, that we totally missed the P.A. performance outside, the stand –in for an absent Vanessa Klein, the brilliant Abigail Bailey, who apparently more than made up for the missing Spanish diva vocalist, Paul Heron also extending his set to compensate for the non arrival of Matinee resident J Louis, whom we had been informed was stuck in Ibiza with Vanessa following cancelled flights.
But none of this mattered much, as not only has both Nick & Paul treated us to some terrific tunes & pulsating performances, but Michel Mizrahi then took up the mantle inside to really stir the emotions with some electric euro beats that well & truly hit the mark, only to be ousted from his seat by a late arriving Pagano, who was intended to fill the vacant slot outside. But with sound issues halting proceedings on the terrace earlier than expected at 9 p.m., our Italian stallion assumed his position in the main room and with everyone inside, the place ended up absolutely heaving, Mr P pulling out a procession of progressive & pumping beats that truly ignited the party beyond all expectations, we trading spots next to the D.J. booth, dancing with fellow Francesco fan & friend Rob, with moments at the bar with Nick, Michelle & a beaming Fidel Trotman. With plenty more besides deciding to trade yet more dancing moves with us, including the lovely Lexi & the luscious Luke, all this audacious action pretty much wore us out, calling an end to our Matinee experience, but not before we had a battle behind the booth to retrieve our belongings, a jovial & friendly Pagano refusing to let us leave, rather soak up the remaining moments of what was a scintillating set. However, take our leave we had to, slinking out into the a late Sunday evening and waving farewell to as many as we could before heading to Soho to see for ourselves what the pink Sunday fuss had been about.
Looking back on this second Matinee Open Air party, we can say that, despite the cooler climate, plus the complications the team encountered both with missing artists and outside sound issues, it actually made for a very good party indeed. Yes the expectations were high and in some ways that may have be a factor in the rollercoaster atmosphere outside earlier on. But there was no doubt in our mind that that numbers were up on the last event and the later finishing time of midnight was most definitely a hit with the crowd. Given that Soho Pink Sunday was pitched on the same day, didn’t seem to have much of an effect on Matinee in the end and with all the D.J.’s performing brilliantly, Logan & his team can be pleased with themselves for pulling off another excellent party. In MOS, they have definitely found the right home for Matinee, although there still remains the question of the sometimes overpowering security that took a shade of shine off this sparkling end of summer smash, although in saying that, this latest instalment in the history of this Spanish giant in London, once again proved the strength of Matinee as a brand & the surging popularity of Sunday clubbing. Bring on the next one, summer or not, we will be there for sure. (DISCO MATT)
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