"Thoroughly Thrilling Third" - Lo-Profile 3rd Birthday - Club Review

“THOROUGHLY THRILLING THIRD”
LO-PROFILE 3RD BIRTHDAY – FRIDAY 19TH NOVEMBER
CLUB REVIEW


When multi-national organisation Gaydar decided to take the plunge into the bar & clubbing market, adding to its already well established online dating & networking business, as well as its popular radio shows & other online services, some immediately questioned why they should be entering a market place that was in complete contradiction to is regular offerings. Yet, with its first foray out on Frith Street, the venue gained considerable following, filling a neat gap in the selection of Soho sophisticates, although this massive conglomerate was keen to make a bigger impact of the capital’s clubbing scene and like its bar operation, fill a much needed gap in central London, particularly given the fact that many existing venues were either closing down (in some case bulldozed) or diminishing in popularity. So, they soon sought out a space on Wardour Street which had previously seen failed attempts to do similar, a launch under the guise of “Sweet Suite” falling at the first hurdle, although with the might of Gaydar behind it, this new operation had every chance of succeeding where others had failed.

Lo-Profile hit the ground running in 2007, very much capturing a change in clubbing trends, as people began to desert the larger venues in preference to the more moderate affairs that were better matching the needs & demands of a shrinking audience, some laying the blame on this change, funnily enough, at the door of online organisations like Gaydar, for revolutionising the way people meet & connect, this trend change meaning that the traditional way of meeting people, in bars & clubs, was becoming much less the norm. So, very much flying in the face of their bread & butter business, the bold move to open a nightclub was seen by some as controversial, as was the extrovert decor of Lo-Profile, the overt shapes of lighting around its entrance working well, but the replication across the club , a little too much for some. Plus, with certain club ventures failing to ignite expected attraction, it seemed the club was, like its predecessors, would flounder, although three years on, it is not only still alive, but very muck kicking.

So, given both the appeal of its sister venue, Profile, now located directly above on Wardour Street, plus with all the recent improvements to the club space, we simply couldn’t forgo making the trip down to Lo-Profile for its 3rd birthday celebration, even if we had stated we were suspending our reviewing activity for November, we very much pleased to make this exception. Therefore, we made plans to meet up with D.J. close pal Brent Nicholls, who was due to perform at this special birthday bash, making our way to Profile for around 10 p.m. for the liaison with our friend, also catching up with Profile’s Friday resident D.J. Phil Marriot, who was in his usual chirpy mood & keen to party on downstairs after his stint behind the decks, transmitting his show live to Gaydar Radio’s Club Nation audience. And with the bar a frenzy of activity, not least with the bubbly enthusiasm exuded from fellow friend Andrea, who bounded up to make her presence felt

But the main focus was downstairs, so with Brent Nicholls leading the way, we headed through Profile and then down past the clubs reception, entering Lo-Profile’s space in time to catch the end of the VIP reception for this special birthday occasion, D’Johnny in charge of the musical direction, pumping out a neat selection of tech infused house hits to a select bunch of invitees ready to party deep into the night. So, soon finding ourselves at the bar, we grabbed some refreshments, served by the charming Philippe and began to circulate the space, bumping into familiar face, one after the other, including yet more D.J. pals (was it a convention?!) Alessandro Londra, Paul Heron, Nick Evans & Jamie Head, all making their appearance to toast Lo-Profile on its third year in operation. Plus, some the Gaydar top brass were around, we even getting invited to a glass of champagne, most agreeable, everyone in cheerful & celebratory mood as the club began to swell in numbers before our eyes, the staff motoring to get everyone served in their now customary efficient manner, special “3” balloons festooning the back bar to re-enforce the birthday message.

So, now we were set fair to soak up this Lo-Profile special occasion, planting ourselves in our favourite spot (come on you should know by now) just by the D.J. booth, the perfect vantage point to see the new lighting system swing into action, the bank of lasers swinging to the beats D’Johnny was bashing out & bouncing off the sea of bodies that was now filling the dancefloor. But when the podiums filled, first with enthusiastic party goers, one such hunk stripping to the waist, although he was soon to make way for an even tastier guy, part of the troupe of dancers that were to entertain our eyes throughout the rest of this pulsating party. And it came as no surprise that Mr photographer himself, Chris Jepson, was on queue to snap the gorgeous dancers in action, although fortunately we were also in pole position with our phone pointed directly at this sexy stud in front of us, our hands quivering as we shot away to our hearts content.

With D’Johnny’s set now over, it was down to Brent Nicholls to further elevate the already awesome atmosphere, he very much taking the music, grasping it with both hands and giving it his trademark latino edged & funky filled touches, with plenty of house heaven anthems from across the three years of Lo-Profile’s existence, trading classics like “Sunday’s At Heaven”, with more recent hits “Devil Walking” “Hey, Hey” and many more, although the rapturous reaction to Toca’s “Miracle” was one of the most amazing we have seen anywhere & proved a truly magical moment within this Aussie D.J’s superlative set. And we were very much in full flow, especially in the company of Mr Marriot, who had now made it down from upstairs to join in the party, we not only trading dance moves, but also sharing more than a joke or two which was, yet again, proving to be a fabulous Friday sashaying in Soho rather than being vivacious in Vauxhall.

With Brent in complete control of the decks and the new lighting & effects in full tilt, we were going nowhere, our original plans to stay for just an hour or two, laid to waste, our dancing dervishness showing no signs of slowing down, so good was Lo-Profile, even outstaying the usually energetic Andrea, who curtain called before us. But with yet more people swinging by, including the charming Suzana Quentin & the lovely Naomi Ruiz, as well as beautiful Brazilian Lunarde Martins, the captivating company couldn’t have been better, our spot by the D.J. booth proving the perfect place to be, Brent continuing to delight with one delicious dance tune after the next, all very evocative of this special 3rd birthday bash, he pitching the music perfectly, ensuring the dancefloor remained rammed right up to the 4 a.m. finish. And, whilst we really wanted to stay to the end, the call of our bed & resting before a journey to family duties the following morning, meant we had to grace our exit, collecting our bits from behind the D.J. booth, saying farewells to those around us, then sliding out into Soho to wend our way home & reflect on what was certainly a superb celebratory event extra-ordinaire.

There is absolutely no doubt that Lo-Profile, in its three year history, has gone from strength to strength, Fridays as well as Saturdays proving more & more popular as time has gone by, this being no surprise, particularly when you consider the wealth of D.J. talent the team employ to attract the masses, talents Steve Pitron, Mikey D, Jamie Head, Paul Heron & Gonzalo Rivas, among a host of others, all very much the cream of the London clubbing scene, that many a larger club operation would be proud to sport, meaning the music is the best you will find anywhere. And with both D’Johnny & Brent Nicholls masterminding that music for this 3rd birthday bash, we were very much treated to a truck load of terrific tunes from start to finish, all added to by the brilliant new lighting installations that have made such a big difference to both the atmosphere & ambiance of this Soho sophisticate, combining to make Lo-Profile, not just a credible alternative to the larger offerings south of the river, but a captivating club in its own right. So, we raise our glass in hearty congratulations to the team behind this prolific place & look forward to celebrating the next birthday in just as much style as this. (DISCO MATT)

Postscript

To mark Lo-Profile’s third birthday, resident D.J. Brent Nicholls has compiled a special mix, marking this special occasion, his 18 track devotion covering the three years of the clubs history with some truly amazing anthems, Brent describing it, modestly, as “...nothing groundbreaking, just a collection of good time memories defined by house music...” this hardly doing justice to what is one of his best creations of 2010 so far, keeping us addicted from start to finish and will surely do the same for you too.

So, to download this mesmeric mix, go to http://djbrentnicholls.com/music & click on the relevant link. Plus, to see the new look Lo-Profile in full swing, captured in video by Mr Nicholls, go to either his own website or to direct link http://seenqueen.com/web/tag/lo-profile-3rd-birthday/ and sink yourself into both the music & the action of this outstanding outfit.

"Mr Medina Makes His Mark" - Lovechild "1st Anniversary" - Club Review

"MR MEDINA MAKES HIS MARK”
LOVECHILD “1st ANNIVERSARY” – SATURDAY 13TH NOVEMBER
CLUB REVIEW


Looking back over the last few months, indeed years, there is no doubt that when it comes to Saturday night clubbing, the scene in London has seen some quite dramatic changes in trend, this usually most popular weekend slot having pitched & yawed in popularity, only a handful of brands surviving to tell the tale. Indeed save for some of the major brands, finding somewhere to party like (as the song goes) 1999, is increasingly more difficult, much of the central London locations either having been bulldozed to make way for other uses or filled with club brands that don’t necessarily appeal. So, as a consequence, Saturday’s have become rich pickings for the likes of SuperMartXe and, until recently, Matinee, one other brand showing itself on a monthly basis to make its own mark on a struggling slot when venues such as Barcode & Lo-Profile end up making the most of.

Lovechild very much has established itself as a prime contender for Saturday nights in the capital, making the bold move to change its original Sunday slot in favour of what, at the time, proved a wise choice & & popular decision. Indeed, it hardly seems a year since promoter Alex Erfan decided to move his lovable clubbing brand from its first home, Pacha in Victoria, to Fire in Vauxhall, the move giving him the flexibility he need to broaden both the appeal & dynamic of the monthly parties, a whole host of events having made a considerable splash on the capitals scene, firmly establishing it as one of the venues more popular events, well on a Saturday at least. This move to Vauxhall has also allowed Mr Erfan & his close team to expand into other brands, both home grown & international imports, although it would be fair to say that Lovechild is Alex’s first born in his recent relationship with Craig Elder’s group, so remains close to his heart and one which we have both supported & attended on a regular basis. So, despite certain issues with another scene club promoter, forcing us to take a sabbatical from our review duties, we made an exception for this special Lovechild “Anniversary”.

Another major reason for breaking our embargo on reviewing, was the arrival in London of Barcelona based boy, Javier Medina, whose work we have been promoting since the spring & indeed someone that has become a good friend, we spending time together as recent as September in Paris, as well as having connecting when he played on behalf of Lovechild at the August Bank Holiday As One event. So, whilst up until the actual day, it seemed doubtful we would make it to Fire, as Saturday dawned, we decided to brush aside, or at least dispel for a few hours, the issues that had forced us to suspend our writing & clubbing, the night actually becoming quite busy early on, with a boat party trip on the Thames, followed by a dip into Soho to celebrate both friends Michelle Thornber’s & Tom Marchant’s birthdays. But, a 1 a.m. liaison with Brent Nicholls, who was due on Lovechild duty, saw us arrive at Fire at a little shy of 2 a.m., we eventually finding ourselves at the venues “Lightbox” entrance, the revised arrangements for this anniversary occasion.

Making our way through & around towards the rear entrance (not tradesman’s before you ask) we were greeted by the man himself, Alex Erfan, who was beaming from ear to ear although very much concealing his concerns over the revised set up for this special one year celebration of his lovable brand, he guiding both us & Brent through into the replacement for the usual lounge space, the small “raw” room, which, if we are honest, has never really worked from the day it was opened, the space being very much divorced from the rest of the club. Dropping off our bits & boobs behind the D.J. booth & catching a hello with Terry Vietheer behind the decks, Alex then escorted us through into the Lightbox area and then on into the mirrorarch room, we very keen to catch up with our Catalonian companion, although as we arrived at the D.J. booth, Mr Medina was nowhere to be found, instead, Tony English was in charge of the sounds, Alex advising that a revision to the D.J.’s timings had been necessary due to the change in the club configuration. So, after a brief stop off in the upstairs VIP area, when Alex discussed some issues of the day with us & Brent, we found ourselves back in the raw space where Mr Nicholls acclimatised himself with the change in surroundings & scenery and prepared to commence his set.

Still wanting to catch up with Javier, we soon headed back into the mirrorarch to find him in situ by the D.J. booth, our Barca boy giving us a hearty hug & delving into catch up conversation, we also being introduced to his travelling companion, who was already stripped to the waist & well into the action. Fitting in a sneaking smoke break, we soon found ourselves back in the mirrorarch & getting into the swing of Mr English’s sounds, very much more uplifting & accessible than we normally expect from this talented D.J., his usual style more euro-beat in its make-up, Ibiza & Spanish influences much more his flavour, although with the room packed & Thiagio Drewery’s dancers making the first of many showings, this anniversary event was certainly hitting the spot, the macho & testosterone fuelled feel that Lovechild has come to be known for, back with a bang & even the dancers much more butch & muscular than we had seen of late.

But the best was to come as Mr Medina rose to the decks, immediately upping the pace of the music & taking the crowd on a magical mystery tour through Spanish sounds, tribal tunes & much more hard edged house, the kind that always seems to go down well in this, our favourite space at Fire, Javier really capturing the imagination of the crowd, who soon filled the podiums in front of the D.J. booth & further down the room, whoops & cheers coming with every record selection & a stream of people coming up to our spot to find out who the maestro in charge of the music was. Indeed with scores of people intent on soaking up his superb sounds, the mirrorarch, which had been packed before, saw no signs of receding, rather filling out even further as the waves of go-go dancers delighted & then the superb PA performance by Lizzie France well & truly erupted this exceptional event.

However, in contrast to Mr Medina, who was definitely making his mark, as good as both Mattias in the Lightbox & Brent in the raw room were, they were struggling to capture the crowd & the imagination, even though their music was very much in tune with Lovechild & the moment, Javier rather having the lion’s share of the party people. And the already busy main space filled further when two hunky half naked dancers ascended the stage and began a teasing display, slowly revealing their prone assets for all to see, not least Mr scene photographer himself, Chris Jepson, in perfect position to catch these well endowed muscle men’s posing, even D.J. & pal Phil Hewson looking on in amazement. Now, we were going absolutely nowhere, Mr Medina’s music captivating us with every track selection, we spinning on our spot in a-typical Disco Matt dervishness and loving every minute of it.

But, with an unfortunate encounter with one of our clubbing critics, a protagonist that had become intensely personal following an issue at Beyond a few weeks before, our elevated mood was dented considerably and with Javier’s stint nearly over, although looking like it would continue as Gonzalo Rivas had not yet arrived, we headed for the comfort & security of the raw room & Brent Nicholls, who was still spinning his latin infused & funky sounds, his friendly reassuring smile filling us with the confidence we had lost, even Paul Heron’s impromptu arrival helping tremendously, Brent joining in the joviality which made for an altogether pleasant end to our stay at this special Anniversary Lovechild celebration. However, with the call of Beyond, yet the need to drop our excess baggage off at home, Brent dispatched us to say our farewells to Javier, before we made our way out of Fire and into the Vauxhall early morning to reflect on a party with a difference, some for good reasons, others not so.

There is no doubt that, in the room format that we found it, Lovechild this time round had a distinctly different feel and without both the main room & the lounge spaces, was definitely lacking in overall appeal & satisfaction. However, the mirrorarch space very much made up for the missing elements, not least Javier Medina’s performance, which truly captured the essence of Lovechild for us, euro style sounds & macho mesmeric music that was much more akin to the brand rather than the usual uplifting & energetic genres that seem to feature across the London scene so much. That said, Tony English’s performance went down extremely well, we also hearing that Phil Hewson’s set was superb, plus with the calibre of D.J.’s like Brent Nicholls, Mattias Alessandro Londra, & Terry Vietheer, not to mention the prolific PA Lizzie France, there was no short of terrific talent on this special occasion.

However, as good as all these individuals were, not forgetting the drop dead gorgeous dancers on display f course, we cannot escape the fact that the topsy turvy room set up at compared to previous Lovechild’s in Fire, was not just disruptive to the flow of the party, but made it feel completely different, a shame when this was supposed to be a celebration of Fire being this brilliant brands best home so far. Plus, when we heard the main room had been given away to another event, so as to keep the refurbishments fresh for Revolver the following weekend, we were short of dismayed at this move on many counts, mostly, as being one year on, you would have thought the venues management would have allowed its strongest Saturday night brand the free run of the venue it deserved, rather than reserving some final changes to the main room for a crowd that might not (and indeed failed to) materialise. As for Lovechild itself, with expansions into Europe & beyond, life couldn’t be better for Mr Erfan’s lovable club & with London firmly established, we look forward to celebrating many more anniversaries as well as birthday’s to come. (DISCO MATT)

Postscript – Lovechild Music

There is little doubt that Lovechild has & continues to sport one of the strongest resident line-up’s on the capitals clubbing scene, not to mention a host of guest D.J.’s that make the music it plays not just diverse & interesting, but some of the best you will find anywhere. International talents that have graced the clubs decks in the year it has partied hard at Fire have included Albert Neve, Leomeo Carandang, Justin Ryan, Johan Khoury and, of course, Javier Medina, while London based guests extend to Terry Bryan, The Oli, Alan K & Nick Tcherniak. Yet, as this list wasn’t sparkling enough, you then include the list of residents & it truly becomes awesome, Italian’s Pagano, Gabriele Cutrano & Alessandro Londra, Australian’s, Brent Nicholls & Terry Vietheer, Englishmen, Phil Hewson, Tony English, Lee Harris & Jc Christopher, Scot, Paul Heron and Swede, Mattias, even South African Leroy Tayler, a roll call indeed.

But it gets better, as not only is there a special site dedicated to the music of Lovechild, mixes available from the likes of Nick T, Paul H, Mattias, Alessandro, Gabriele & many more, all 13 episodes which can be downloaded from http://lovechildclub.podomatic.com/. But, yet more are available via the D.J.’s direct web pages, all worth a look, http://events.leroytayler.podomatic.com/, http://justinryan.podomatic.com/, http://soundcloud.com/djalessandrolondra, http://funkylondon.podomatic.com/ (Phi Hewson’s site) & http://soundcloud.com/gabrielecutrano.

However, marking this 1st Anniversary party as only he can do best, is Brent Nicholls, with his compilation entitled “LoveChildOne – Feels Like Fire Mix”, which he describes as “...a collection of funky flavoured nu-funk, tech dipped & disco inspired tunes...” and he is not wrong there, our fave tracks being “C’mon Get Funky”, “Let’s All Chant”, “Sweep The Floor” & “Disco Disco Disco” (there’s a surprise), but with 13 more terrific tunes besides, making for what we would describe as a retro meets modern gem of a compilation with the Nicholls magical twist to it. So, this is truly a gorgeous gift to Lovechild on their 1st Anniversary and can be one to you too, by going to http://djbrentnicholls.com/ and then either scrolling down the home page, or selecting his “music” section.

Finally, the “official” Lovechild Anniversary compilation was pressed onto CD for the party & handed out across the evening, this 44 minute marvel mixed by resident D.J. Tony English, which is a glorious gathering of both uplifting vocal tunes & euro-style beats, very much evocate of his superb set on the night and is a MUST for your collection. Now, for those of you that weren’t around & didn’t get a copy, the good news is that it will be released on http://lovechildclub.podomatic.com in the next week or so, although in the meantime, if you fancy a copy, then just drop your details to Disco Matt headquarters via discomatt@hotmail.com & we will arrange to forward a copy to you. Plus, for Tony’s regular podcasts, go to http://tonyenglish.podomatic.com.

So, with well over twenty Lovechild inspired mixes available right here, as we love to say, “...sit back, select those sounds, turn up the volume & let them play, as Music Is The Answer...”

"Cavorting At Cargo" - D.T.P.M. "Eastbender" - Club Review

“CAVORTING AT CARGO”
D.T.P.M. “EASTBENDER” – SUNDAY 31ST OCTOBER
CLUB REVIEW


When we first landed on London and started our clubbing career in the capital, Sunday’s were very much the day to party hard & decadently, this trend having been forged by the mighty Trade, which when opening its doors back in 1990, quickly caught the imagination & short of transformed Sunday’s into the vogue day of the week, many swapping paper reading for partying, church for cavorting. So, it was natural that, when spilling out of Turnmills (Trade’s home) the energetic throngs of clubbers simply didn’t want the merriment to stop, thus an institution was born that, like its Sunday morning mother, firmly established itself on the capitals clubbing calendar, host venue Villa Stefano’s a must visit for any post Trade baby looking to dance deep into Sunday evening in what become the most decadent tea dance we have ever known.

DTPM is without doubt one of the leading clubbing brands, whose reputation has stretched far & wide, a club that has very much moved with the times, literally, from its original slot of 3 p.m. on a Sunday through to more of a Monday morning club & back ago, its 18 year history littered with amazing parties at a host of venues in the capital, including The End, Fabric & more latterly Paramount, but finding favour for us the most both in that original timing slot & at ancestral home Villa Stefano’s, it also being the natural follower to any Trade event. Indeed, living up to its name, in Latin, “Delirium Tremens Post Meridian”, roughly translated (in Disco Matt talk) as meaning “Delirious Teadance Post Midday”, it always seemed to have more significance on a Sunday afternoon rather than a Monday morning and so, when we heard that it would be making a welcome return to the scene, not only in our favouring timing slot, but following Trade’s 20th birthday event, we simply had to include it in our schedule, not least as promoter Lee Freeman had chosen the superb Cargo as a host venue for this “Eastbenders” titled trounce.

With Trade wearing us out in more ways than one (all for good reasons of course), we felt the need for a respite before landing on Rivington Street in London’s select situ Shoreditch for DTPM’s afternoon event, a short amount of re-fuelling of energy sought at hip hop hangout Rupert Street, before landing on Cargo at just turned 5 p.m. Whilst our arrival was a little later than planned, plus a good 4 hours after the party had kicked off, we were still in time to catch the ever engaging Laurent Chaumet on the door, who greeted us with his familiar French charm & warmth, escorting us through the entrance & past the friendly security staff & into the club proper, taking a moment to catch up in bits & bobs with us, before returning to his met & greet duties. Then it was just a case of finding the coatcheck to deposit our bits & bobs , while acclimatising ourselves to the inside of Cargo, this being our first visit, although the location being familiar to us as our daytime duties often require us to call on the address.

Ready & raring to go, we made our way into the main room space, filled nicely with plenty of partygoers, many whom had made the trip up form Trade, while a select few had very much more fresher legs to carry them through to the planned 10.30 p.m. finish. Moving around the dancefloor towards the bar to grab refreshments, we soon came across familiar faces, including Clington Forbes, who was still looking remarkably fresh following well over 12 hours of clubbing (like us), he having changed out of his Halloween attire that he had graced so fabulously at Vauxhall Chainsaw Massacre the night before, he getting down to the magnificent music at this “Eastbender” event with his usual gusto, invoking a similar reaction from our now refreshed legs, the New York & nu disco house that incumbent D.J. Guy Williams was selecting, very much hitting the mark & easing us into the party perfectly. And, it wasn’t long before we found ourselves at the D.J. booth saying our hello’s to the man behind the decks, Mr Williams still looking full of beans, even after the full-on fourth birthday bash for his own club brand Black Rabbit, as well as succumbing to the pleasures of Trade, which included a set in the lite lounge, the man clearly in party mood & enjoying this DTPM leg in his marathon weekend immensely. Indeed, he was very much in the grove with his music selections, the style much more akin to his performances at paradise 45 (another brand of his), but every bit the part for this cavorting at Cargo.

Feeling the need for a quick break out on the terrace to indulge in our re-emerged vice, we first caught up with Simon Patrick whom we had seen a mere four or so ours ago in a similar spot at Trade, he having taking the sensible decision to pop home & refresh himself for this post midday shindig. With a clutch of other familiar faces also taking a breather from the action inside, including D.J. Mikey D, who bounded up to say hello, soon followed by main man Lee Freeman, sporting his trademark trilby hat, who was just as pleased to see us, diving deep into conversation about all things DTPM, also touching on the change in D.J. line-up, Boy George, who was supposed to be headlining the event, cancelling (we were told for good reason) at the last minute, although such was the strength of the rest of the team, it didn’t make any difference to the party’s outcome.

With the familiar uplifting music sounds piping through onto the terrace, we starting searching for the source, soon finding it in the shape of the intimate second space, which was tucked away at the end of the venue, a neat little room with its own bar & make shift dance area, filled with a select crowd of faithful's lapping up the superb sounds of the man in the seat, none other than Fat Tony, who had, just hours before, captivated us in Trade’s lite lounge. And with Clington in attendance, we soon get into the swing of this more uplifting & funky offering, spinning on our spot by the D.J. booth, even Lee & Simon joining in for a while, others also spilling in the space and adding to the already audacious atmosphere, all helped along by Tony’s selections which would never be complete without “Release Me” and “Here Comes The Rain”, both erupting the room & everyone in it.

But, as good as this little space was, we were being drawn back into the main room, our arrival timed to perfection as Guy Williams was ready to hand over the reins to the duo of Nick Tcherniak & Steve Thomas, an increasing gathering of party goers having assembled around the D.J. booth & stage, including the naughty but nice Tom Marchant, as well as Mr Patrick’s crew, which included TTD men Billy Richard & Greg Mitchell. And, with Guy in a really mischievous mood, not just playing with the red light behind the booth, but joking u with us & Steve, it wasn’t long before the whole affair descended into one hilarious moment after the next, Mr Williams continually put Mr Thomas off his stroke as soon as he got anywhere near the decks to mix a record, Nick having to assume control, while we were bent over in fits of laughter, Gus face an absolute picture and everyone around entering into the spirit of this jovial encounter extra-ordniarre.

So, with Mr Tckerniak in complete control of the music and his selections finding favour, the music more on the tougher side & much more akin to the DTPM style we had been used to, the stage also erupted into action, two scantily dressed go-go’s ascending each side & displaying their wares in front of the massive screen which was flashing vivacious visuals to enhance the show the twosome were entertaining the crowd with, the whole place pulsating with action and the atmosphere building by the second. Yet, as good as the party was becoming, our energy levels suddenly fagged somewhat, the previous 12 hours plus of hectic dancing beginning to take its toll on our remaining reserves, so we resigned our mind into following what our body was telling us, gracing our exit from this exceptional “Eastbender” event, to saunter back across town, leaving a still buzzing Cargo & DTPM mash up which partied on deep into Sunday night in style.

Having made the effort to make it across to Shoreditch & the brilliant host venue Cargo on Rivington Street, there was no doubt in our minds that this was the best choice place that lee Freeman had made since bringing the brand back to London just about a year ago. Yes, the location was not the most familiar to many, perhaps reflecting in the overall attendance, but the whole feel & vibe of Cargo suited DTPM perfectly for us, that post midday timeslot also finding our favour, added to the fact that the pitch of the music was just right, Guy Williams’ nu-disco blending into Nick’s more tech infused style brilliantly, while the second space in the hands of Fat Tony right up our street. And, while our stay wasn’t as long as we would have liked, the time we had there was full of fun from start to finish, the atmosphere amazing & the company equally so, meaning that our Cavorting At Cargo ended up being a most enjoyable experience, we looking forward to the next DTPM outing with interest, especially if the host venue is this swish spot in Shoreditch. (DISCO MATT)

"Tremendous Twenty Turn" - Trade 20th Birthday - Club Review

"TREMENDOUS TWENTY TURN"

TRADE “20TH BIRTHDAY” – SUNDAY 31ST OCTOBER
CLUB REVIEW


Casting our minds back to when we were twenty, finds us frolicking in the clubs in & around Johannesburg, our informative years having been spent in South Africa, but in moving to London when we did, signalled a real step change in the way we clubbed. And the music we listened to, the hi-nrg sounds of the eighties transforming to the hard house tunes of the nineties with one club shinning out over & above the rest as the real trendsetter in this respect. Plus, setting its stool on a Sunday morning was also very much an evolutionary step for the London scene, especially at a time when the only option after the mainstream clubs closed, were illegal raves for clubbers & cruising for others, this now legendary institution quickly establishing itself as THE place to be & be seen, the place being Turnmills & the club being Trade.

Since its launch back in 1990, Trade has assumed that legendary status with consummate ease, along the way bringing us larger than life character’s, not least its creator Laurence Malice, but also other including the amazing artist, known best as Trade Mark, as well as a host of D.J. talents from Malcolm Duffy, Alan Thompson, Steve (Janet) Thomas, Ian M, Pete Wardman, Gonzalo & who can ever forget, the late great Tony De Vit. And these main room D.J.’s really set the trend for the hard edged Sunday morning partying that went on at Turnmills throughout the 90’s, further enhancements including the introduction of the Trade lite lounge, spurning greats like Guy Williams, The Sharp Boys & Fat Tony, while the post weekly Turnmills years have seen the brand choose venues like The Renaissance Rooms, Colosseum, Area, Fire, Egg, & MOS to lay its specialist night hat, never failing to celebrate its birthday in style somewhere, the most memorable of late being the 18th, which was held at The Arches in Southwark. So, celebrating Trade’s 20th birthday was a given and in returning it the place of those memories of two years ago seemed an incredibly popular move, but how did this landmark anniversary in the clubs history turn out? and what were our huge highlights?

With the anticipation for this 20th birthday building to a crescendo, we found ourselves in a lengthy queue at Arcadia’s (formerly The Arches) doors at not long turned 5.30 a.m., the fevered frenzy feel that used to grip us back in the days of Turnmills back with fervent, our hearts tripping a beat as we patiently waited for our turn to be checked in by the extremely overzealous security on the entrance. Mind you, given the incidents at the 18th birthday, it came as no surprise that the checks were somewhat over the top, clearly slowing the process down, as was the woefully undermanned coat check system once we were inside Arcadia’s walls. However, as with those heady days back in the 90’s, we quickly learnt patience needed to be the order of the day, this being rewarded by our release into the club with fellow Trade party goer Benoit, to grab refreshments at the busy main bar, having already in this short time, caught up with a score or more of familiar faces.

Main room bound, we were keen to check on exactly what the D.J. line up would be, the first room by the entrance already having been laid aside for Gabriele Cutrano to warm the crowd into proceedings, we finding the delectable Per QX opening, not necessarily the start we had expected, the usual form of Malcolm Duffy mysteriously absent. However, we quickly warmed to Per’s electro twisted beats, the main room already filled to brimming, even at this early hour, an indication that this commemorative Trade outing was the lions share choice over any other. Establishing our spot, strangely nowhere near the D.J. booth for a change, we soon bumped into yet more friends & faces from clubbing years past & present, Chris Brogan & co lapping up the building main room atmosphere, even old Trade babies Glen & Maz, two iconic individuals from our years in Turnmills, very much in the thick of the developing action, the Arcadia main room having the closest feel to the former Farringdon home we have experienced. And looking around, the team had certainly gone to extra effort to make it feel as much like Trade & Turnmills as possible, the walls blazoned with Trade Mark artwork, classic trade production hanging from the ceilings & just enough laser lighting to give it that truly decadent & rave house feel that we had so loved back in the club’s heydays.

But, we were keen to investigate further & with the other spaces opening, we ventured forth, first checking out the classic room which was about to get going, then the space opposite, interestingly set aside as a darkroom, and eventually finding our way down to the lite lounge where Circus resident Kris Di Angelis was setting the scene with some sordid sounds. Bounding up to say hello, he seemed as pleased to see us, as we him, our encounter temporarily putting him off his stroke, although it wasn’t long before he was back in the groove & stirring up a storm of terrific tunes to tantalise, so, having found our feet across the expanse of the venue, we headed back into the main room where Nick Tcherniak had taken over the decks duty. Finding favour with each & every track selection, his set slowly built from the more melodic classic Trade sounds through to energetic hard hitting house that had us spinning in a dervish in our spot towards the back of the dancefloor, yet with the space now rammed with party heads, we struggled to find room to dance extravagantly as we had so been used to doing both in the Trade of old & the Beyond of new, eventually finding a spot to swing our pants & settle into his set.

So good was Nick’s music, especially when he pulled out & played the fabulous “My People”, we were in absolute heaven & loving every minute of his magical mixing, our pal Benoit struggling to find his own pace with the tough edged tech sounds, but so many old Trade faces lapping up this 20th birthday bash with gusto. Then, as if Nick had been brilliant enough, up stepped recording partner & Trade original resident Steve Thomas (known affectionately as Janet) upped the ante with an octane fuelled string of sounds that well & truly set the room alight, closing our eyes for moments of his magnificent music, transporting us right back to the 90’s & those tremendous times at Turnmills in his hands. So superb were the sounds & so amazing the atmosphere, we were now going absolutely nowhere, even the massive screen in front of the D.J. booth firing up & displaying iconic Trade visuals to add to the incredible laser lighting & other effects that were giving this main space at Arcadia a fantastic Trade-esque feel.

Now the place was swarming, our extravert moves on the dancefloor only rarely traded for refreshment & relieving stops, the whole venue a veritable feast of eclectic & euphoric Trade followers, very much a who’s who of clubbing and clearly the only place to be on this final day of October 2010. And with the morning hardly half way through, there was so much in store, not only from a prolific PA performance from Lizzie France, who, to our delight, ascended the main room podium right next to us to belt out the Tcherniak & Thomas collaborative EP hit “The Answer”, but didn’t stop there, treating us to three other tracks, before making her leave & handing the controls of this colossal commemoration to Trade over to none other than Pagano. In an instant, this disc spinning maestro had the room in his grip, switching the feel, pace & direction delightfully, swarms of Pagano followers surging forward towards the D.J. booth to soak up his sounds, while the podiums were topped with Logan’s muscle-bound go-go dancers to give this Trade party a distinctive edge.

With the heat of the main room beginning to bite and our pal Benoit in need of some lighter edged music, not to mention a truck load of messages on our phone from a sadly missed & absent D.J. friend, we headed into the lite lounge where Fat Tony had taken charge, flanked by the vivacious vocalist Tonnic, ready to take the space by storm. And that they did, the room a wall to wall sea of bare chested bodied man hunks & glorious girls, all intent on non-stop dancing to Tony’s towering tracks, while, like in the main room before, we quickly found our feet re-tuning ourselves to this more uplifting & accessible musical magic, this time positioning ourselves in our favoured spot, yes you guessed it, just left of the D.J. booth, fighting off the perspiration & heat of this lite lounge love-in, as Tonnic delightfully added her vocal infusions to the scintillating sounds been selected. Now Benoit was in his own heaven, the feel more akin to Beyond than Trade, although we knew exactly where we were, memories of two years ago flooding back in our minds, only the stifling heat stopping us in our tracks in favour of respite out on the rain soaked smoking terrace and the occasional dive into the main room.

With morning turning to afternoon & the a list crowd showing no signs of dissipating, we continued to savour the delights of this awesome Trade anniversary, the lite lounge finding favour over the other spaces, many familiar faces also finding their way there, we catching up with the pals Michelle Thornber, Clayton Wright, Tom Marchant, Clington Forbes, Tamsin Roberts, Joel Thomson, Guy Williams & many more, all soaking up the lite lounge sounds, even bumping into yet more faces old & new. Plus, catch up moments out in the terrace, including those with Simon Patrick & Pagano himself, matched by earlier liaisons with Per QX, Lee Yeomans, Mauricio Ortiz, Paul Weller, Adam Barr, Gabriele Cutrano, Ross Patterson & Hassan Hatoum, to mention just a few (we can’t leave out Glen & Maz of course), meant that this party was living up to its billing as not the place to be but the gAylist place to be. Indeed, the constant wave of people either saying their hello’s to us as Matt or as Disco Matt, some recognising us from recent times, others from the past, all combined to make this one of the more memorable events in our clubbing year thus far.

But, as truly terrific this Trade birthday bash was, our decadent delighting had to come to an end, the stifling heat in the lite lounge having drained us of most if not all of our energy, an upsetting encounter in the main room sealing our departure fate, not to nicest end to this prolific party that we had wanted, although the mound of mesmeric minutes we have experienced throughout our nine hour marathon far outweighing this unfortunate end to our day. So, waving farewell to Arcadia & Trade, we sauntered into the West End to recharge our batteries & gather ourselves for the next instalment in our weekend of wonderment at DTPM’s “Eastbenders” bash, yet still full of tremendous moments of Trade magic etched on our mind & in our soul that would mean it would be hours before the euphoria of this epic encounter with the mother of all clubbing brands wear off.

Trade, having dominated our lives throughout the nineties, can be held solely responsible for shaping our clubbing world. Yes there have been so truly ground breaking clubs since that have & still form a major part of our lives, the iconic Crash being one & Beyond undoubtedly the other. Yet, as much as Trade is now only an occasional outing, it still holds all that magic it did back in those heady days of Turnmills. And with its 20th birthday bash, the brand proved that it remains just as decadent, just as debaucherous & just as delightful as it always was. Whilst Arcadia did prove a brilliant host venue, the heat of both the main room & the lite lounge was sometimes too much to bear, plus the overzealous security did put a dampener on the party for some, reports coming in of sporadic checks for no reason, an unfortunate result of issues from two years before, added to the fact that the place was a little on the dirty side for others.

However, that said, Trade’s 20th lived up to our expectations & more, real highlights coming in the shape of scintillating sets from Nick Tchernaik, Steve Thomas & Fat Tony, even the vocal infusions from Lizzie France, Tonnic & friend, adding extra spice to an already enormous event that has to go down as another titanic Trade triumph. But, all the highlights aside, what really made the party were the people, a magnificent mix of old faces & new, all intent on having the best time possible & making the most of this mesmeric mash up as only Trade & a handful of other parties can achieve. Plus, the news that Laurence’s brand will be back for more on a regular basis, should sufficiently shake up the scene & give it the injection of energy it needs, leaving us to raise our glass to Trade & its Tremendous Twenty Turn and may we wish it plenty more. (DISCO MATT)

"Halloween House Horror" - Vauxhall Chainsaw Massacre - Club Review

“HALLOWEEN HOUSE HORROR”
VAUXHALL CHAINSAW MASSACRE – SATURDAY 30TH OCTOBER
CLUB REVIEW


Over the years we have slowly seen Halloween gain popularity in London, the all American style of celebrating infiltrating Britain & very much taking over the traditional pagan style parties that used to take place up until only a few years ago. And in clubland, it seems that Halloween is much more of a significant date too, many jumping on the bandwagon & choosing to throw specialist events to celebrate what is traditionally simply the eve of All Saints day, but has come to mean so much more for many. Indeed, more & more grown-ups go to the trouble & expense of dressing up in ghostly & ghoulish outfits to mark the occasion, parading around the streets of London with gay abandon and entering into the spirit of Halloween, often out numbering ten to one, the children playing out the more typical trick & treat antics, the adults trading the doorstep for the dancefloor to cavort in their costumes for one night only, well maybe the morning after too.

So, it came as no surprise that the club scene south of the river would be serving up its own offering for Halloween, doing its best to tempt people out with s specially themed party, aptly named “Vauxhall Chainsaw Massacre”, with the added enticement of a headline international D.J./Producer to compliment the impressive line-up, not to mention much promise with regard the decor & delights in prospect at host venue, superclub Colosseum. Add the that the teaming up of new A:M promoter & the flavour of the moment, Oliver M, with the Beyond B2B team, the scene was set for a spectacular Saturday night down Vauxhall way, we having been enticed away from our planned visit to Guy Williams’ “Black Rabbit” 4th birthday bash, in preference to supporting Mr Mohns, plus catching up with Industri pals & D.J. close friends Brent Nicholls & Eduardo De La Torre. However, two questions’s remained, did we make the right decision? And how did this Halloween House Horror turn out?

With much debate occurring between us & friend Benoit during the day, not just over the change of clocks, but whether we would venture out clubbing before the big one, Trade’s 20th Birthday, we finally decided that a trip to Vauxhall rather than Maida Vale was on the cards, firming up arrangements during the course of the evening and then scheduling an arrival at Colosseum at not long turned midnight. And as we had been greeted at A:M just a few hours before, the ever smiling & welcoming Minty was on hand to greet us, we eventually negotiating the maze of fencing at the door to find ourselves in her presence, even joint promoter, Oliver M, appearing at the door to say hello. But with the weather having turned quite cold & wet, we were keen to get inside the club, although not before the usual formalities, which this time included catching up with Tom Fuller who was keeping warm just inside the entrance and making himself useful with ticket collections & sales.

With the promise of delivering a warming shot of Sambuca back downstairs to Minty complete, we armed ourselves with our own refreshments and sad our hello’s to Pier Morrocco, who like Minty, we had seen at A:M and was, this time, on D.J. duty in the aptly named “Riverbar”, a view of the Thames out from its windows the inspiration. Mind you, with most of the action happening in the main room, we soon found ourselves in our usual spot, yes you guessed it, just left of the D.J. booth and savouring the delights of guest D.J. Andrei Stan for the second time this Halloween weekend, this enigmatic & fun-filled young man serving up a superb selection of sounds, tough & euro-style yet uplifting enough to rouse the select audience into audacious action. But, as select as the crowd may have been, we were very impressed with the amount of people that had made the effort to come in costume, the pathetic extent of our outfit merely a skull & cross-bones on a t-shirt, paining in significance to those around us, especially one such person who surprised us with a tap on the shoulder. Reacting to this prompt, we turned to face the individual, who we did not immediately recognise, only a closer inspection revealing it to be our Industri close pal Stephen, the make-up shrouding his familiar features and his clothing completely hiding his usual persona, so well that we were astounded by his transformation. Clutching a skull in one hand & a spear in the other, not to mention a ball & chain tied to his leg, Stephen was cutting an impressive stride and certainly matching the best costumes in this Halloween house horror of a happening, even many of the dancers outfits failing to make as much of an impression.

Looking around the main room, the team had certainly gone to the effort of sprucing up the place to give it a ghostly & ghoulish feel, the performing stage to the side featuring a similar chair to that we had seen in A:M’s Asylum party, although there were plenty more effects besides which certainly gave the main room a special feel, even if the atmosphere felt a little flat. With Andrei still in control, we went in search of the VIP (second room) space, having seen the posters indicating that Brent Nicholls was playing, we sure this not being the case as he was already committed to Hard On! and our conversation earlier had indicated that he wasn’t due to play at this “Massacre” event until later, our suspicions being confirmed when we found Lee Harris waiting patiently, the room still not open, a poor Mr Harris having been left high & dry for most of the first couple of hours with no real news to the contrary.

Having grabbed a short break outside & taken a message from our friend Benoit who was heading our way, we were back in the main room & catching up with plenty of familiar faces including Industri friends, Chris, Jeremy & Andrew, as well as long standing clubbing pal Johnny Salas with his own little entourage, many of whom had adorned themselves with suitable Halloween make-up & more, very much throwing themselves into the event with gusto. But it was back to our spot next to the D.J. booth that we found ourselves, Andrei having handed over to special guest, D.J/Producer David Penn, who assumed the decks and set about treating us to a full on euro-style & euphoric set of sounds, although it seemed that even he wasn’t going to lift the lack lustre atmosphere, the flat as a pancake feel a bit perplexing as was the scant amount of numbers, even if many had made the effort to dress to impress. Plus with no real second space on offer, we were condemned to making the most of what we had, our friend Benoit arriving & quickly drawing the same conclusions as us on proceedings.

However, we were boosted with the arrival of D.J. close pal Eduardo de la Torre, who was due to play in the second space, we praying that a change of heart by the event promoter, the seemingly single handed Oliver M, would see this VIP space roar into action. But, none of it, poor Eduardo, who had travelled across from his Berlin base especially for the promised gig, being left out in the proverbial cold with no proper explanation or information. It now seemed a case of damage limitation as the stage show did it’s best to ignite the faltering atmosphere, The Free Radical Formation’s Rob Harris injecting all his energy into a powerful & punchy performance of two tracks which gave the event a temporary lift, as did the drop dead gorgeous hunks of dancers that were framing him on the podium in front of the D.J. booth. But, with the show over, we were beginning to watch the clock until our trip across to Trade, it seemingly like many had chosen to either save themselves for the big birthday, or had decided Halloween parties at home were the preferred option, news also coming our way that Brent Nicholls had been cancelled, signalling the last straw in our stamina for this party.

It was now just a case of counting down until we could grace our exit, although with Gonzalo taking over the decks, we were given some joy, as his selections were definitely hitting the mark, even our pal Benoit beginning to enjoy himself at last. And with Mis-White & friend in close call trading dancing moves with us, we made the most of our final massacre minutes, the whole party feeling very much that, rather than the resounding success the build up & billing had promised. So, with the strike of 5 a.m., it was curtain call time on this chainsaw calamity, the main room dancefloor having thinned before our eyes, many either choosing a hip skip & jump across to Beyond Hell at Area, which was getting underway, or like us, making the journey across to Southwark & the mother of all parties this Halloween weekend, Trade’s 20th birthday.

Well, what can we say about this promised biggest & scariest Halloween party in London that was the Vauxhall Chainsaw Massacre that we haven’t already? Well, apart from the fact that it failed to attract anywhere near the following the team had expected, the whole night felt extremely flat & monotone, only brief sparks of brilliance coming from the D.J.’s on duty, as well as the stage performers & dancers. And of those duty D.J.’s, it simply beggars belief the way Eduardo de La Torre was treated during this event. Yes, the decision was made not to open the second room and yes, he was probably paid a cancellation fee, but having travelled all the way from Berlin and not even been given the opportunity to play in preference to London based D.J.’s is a disgrace in our books. Had it not been for the fact that we were in good company, that so many people had made the effort to dress for the party & that we really wanted to catch up with the people we did, we would have left Colosseum a lot earlier than we did, or indeed forgone the party completely. As another review after the event summarised, the party definitely lived up to its name and we will leave you to judge exactly what name that was. (DISCO MATT)

"Amazing Morning" - A:M "Asylum" - Club Review

“AMAZING MORNING”
A:M “ASYLUM” – SATURDAY 30TH OCTOBER
CLUB REVIEW


When it comes to afterhours clubbing, there is something quite special about the whole feel of partying deep into a morning, particularly at the weekend, pushing the boundaries of normality & delving into dancing decadence while most other folk are tending to the regularities of life, whether it be the housework, the grocery chopping or simply relaxing & readings the broadsheet press. Sunday mornings have always grabbed the lion’s share of our extravert clubbing activity, from the days when we paid homage to our own version of church, better known as Trade at Turnmills, through to more recent times when Beyond has pretty much dominated the Sabbath day more than anything else we can think of. However, Saturday mornings rarely get our attention, more latterly due to work demands during the week & then clubbing demands in the fat end of our weekend, although with much a-foot following the re-designing & refocusing of one such Saturday sortie, we felt it was high time to make the effort & pull our finger (maybe more) out.

A:M has quietly & consistently filled the gap in the Vauxhall clubbing market between Friday & Saturday nights, the nature of its popularity & its crowd waxing & waning with the changing times over its 9+ years of existence, the club rarely hitting the headlines, rather its cool & calm persona seeing it survive the test of time, while other offerings hardly failed to get off the ground. Yet, A:M never really ignited into something special, it being the Christmas equivalent to a stocking filler to the club circuit, rather than a full-on whacking great big present under the tree, although with news that the team behind this Saturday morning outfit, The Orange Group, were to introduce a new look, a new style, but moreover a new promoter, we were very much preparing ourselves for something exciting, fresh & much more appealing to the former look. Incumbent A:M top cheese, one Oliver M (of ex-Matinee through Matador & Impact fame) promised much in terms of new D.J.’s, new direction & an altogether more delicious new feel and with news filtering through following the re-launch night that the difference was considerable, we simply had see it for ourselves.

So, having succumbed to another impromptu yet thoroughly entertaining evening with Phil Marriot & his man Russel at Profile in Soho, swiftly followed by a foray Onyx way, we dashed home to re-collect ourselves ready for our walk on the wild side back to Vauxhall and A:M’s Halloween offering, “Asylum”, a fitting start (well continuation as it turned out) to our hectic weekend of clubbing activity on this last weekend in October. Arriving at Fire’s doors at not long before 5 a.m., we were greeted by the door hostess with the mostest, the magnificent Minty, the first hint of some majorly positive changes to the club, although in some ways it was a bit of a homecoming for her, as in years gone by she had been the face of A:M, so much more of a welcome back rather than a welcome to.

With catch up formalities over, we negotiated the rather large coatcheck queue; always an issue with Fire, yet a good sign in a way as the club was clearly busy, eventually finding our chilling bones inside & into the heat of the lounge space which was packed to the rafters & wall to wall with bodies, pulsating to the pumping & uplifting house, the legendary Fat Tony was turning out, the whole room alight with the sort of electric atmosphere normally reserved for Trade, Beyond & Orange. With a whole host of familiar faces lapping up Mr T’s terrific tracks, after one hello after the other, we found a small spot just shy of the D.J. booth where we came upon clubbing scene face & effervescent character, Romano Hendry, we immediately trading moves & talking points on what was clearly the party to be at, the lounge in Tony’s hands the perfect way to warm up our Saturday & get us in the mood to party deep into the morning. Our already excitable mood was heightened more when the deck meister pulled out none other than “Release Me”, sending the soaring atmosphere skyward, those who had room among the mass of bopping bodies, raising their hands (as the lyrics go) high above their heads in exultation of both the sound selection & the song itself, pure heaven.

But, we were keen to investigate the rest of the club, so squeezing our way out of the tightly packed lounge space, we headed for the main room, which was equally as full with a cavorting crowd lapping up the tougher yet accessible euro beat sounds of guest D.J., the adorable & cuddly Andrei Stan, of La Demence fame. Indeed, the man behind the decks was clearly enthralling his audience with one terrific tune after the next, very much testament to his tremendous talent that we had been so impressed with following his spectacular showing at both Matador & then Beyond earlier in the year. But, before we could dive behind the D.J. booth to say our hello’s, A:M’s new man Oliver M bounded up to say hello, lifting us high into the air in his usually charming & welcoming fashion, then immediately seeking our views on the club & the changes he had been masterminding. And, in fairness to what we had witnessed thus far, not only did the place feel much busier than we had seen it in a long time, but the D.J.’s choice of music certainly seemed to be hitting many more sweet spots, the lighter edge to the sounds much more palatable than before and the club itself feeling much more of a club & gay with it, rather than a stop off point for drunken debauchery & straight socialising that had all too often been an overriding element of the old.

Intent on catching up with Andrei, we were behind the D.J. booth in a trice & delighting in the company of the little man between his superb selections, he even entertaining us with his dancing by the decks, not to mention an improvised hop-scotch performance that had us in hysterics. Yet, as good as Andrei’s dancing & disc spinning was, we were perfectly placed to see the incumbent stage show, as Elektra Paris & her team ascended the space in front of us, to play out a pervy Halloween inspired performance, centre-pieced by a huge chair with a gorgeous go-go tied to its arms & back & enacting an electro twisted torture in the hands of a masterful Elektra (who else), much to the delight of the crowd who were cheering her every move, not to mention the macho male’s squirming in the seat. With the show over all too soon, Andrei re-assumed control of the main (turbocharged) room, continuing to strike resonance with the revellers in advance of the arrival of Alessandro Londra, who was to assume the decks & the headline main room slot for the night.

However, we were mirrorarch (fresh) room, which had been opened to its full extent, D’Johnny in charge of the decks and filling the space in an instant with his superlative sounds, very much more in the old style of A:M, tougher funky & electro twisted beats finding favour with the faithful and short of emptying the main floor of followers. And it was here where we caught up with pal Tom Fuller, who was enjoying some r&r after yet another hectic Friday shepherding scores of clubbers into Onyx before & now A:M as no other person can do better. Standing by the bar looking on & across this second room space, it was clear that this was now where the party was at, D’Johnny revelling in the action, as the podiums quickly filled with party heads intent on showing their appreciation for his efforts. However, what was to follow, somewhat left us (and many) bamboozled, as not long short of 7 a.m., the music ground to an immediate halt & the room was closed, leaving many wondering why.

Hunting down promoter Oliver M, we discovered that he was concerned that the main room had emptied, so had made the conscious decision to close the mirrorarch in attempt to recapture the turbocharged impetuous of before, although rather than leaving Alessandro to re-ignite the full-on feel, Andrei Stan was back behind the decks, picking up where he had left off and leaving our bello Mr Londra confused & deflated as a result. But more was to come, as not too long afterwards, the mirrorarch was re-opened but only as far as the now erected screens, leaving second D.J. for the night, Pier Morrocco, to play behind the screens & to an empty dancefloor, meaning that he couldn’t see his audience or his audience him, we scratching our heads in dismay, then like many, choosing outside for in, drinking for dancing & socialising for sashaying, wondering quite what direction the remainder of this A:M outing would take us.

However, with the morning still quite young, we threw ourselves into proceedings, re-joining Andrei behind the main room decks, further showings by Elektra & her dancers, doing their best to re-kindle the amazing atmosphere of before and Fat Tony still holding considerable sway in the NYC style lounge. And it was here where we saw out the remainder of this “Asylum” action, Minty holding court and Alessandro by our side still shook up by the happenings of the day, we doing our best to console him & put a positive spin on it all. But, with our sights on a hectic schedule ahead, we dived back into the main room for a final fling, catching in-bound D.J. Alan K (a welcome return at that) who was to capture the initiative & see the party out in his usual pulsating & powerful style, we eventually bowing out to head home & reflect the good, the bad & the indifferent of this new look A:M.

In drawing our conclusion as quickly yet as positively as we can, there is absolutely no doubt that A:M is improved on before. Not only does it feel much more of a club outing now, but it has much more of a qualitative content over the old. Fat Tony is obviously a huge asset & it showed in just how he packed out the lounge space, plus the introduction of more depth to the D.J. line up has had an evolutionary effect, although probably the most striking improvement is in the crowd, which is very much gayer, clubbier than & not quite as trashy as before. Plus, there is no question that all these changes have made A:M much more popular, the numbers through the doors speaking for themselves and the overall effect is that the club has a more accessible feel and our overall impression is, on the whole, a positive one.

Yet, as good as all these improvements are, we walked away dumbfounded by aspects of the delivery at “Asylum”, not least the non- sensicle use of the D.J.’s and the two/fro closure & opening of the mirrorarch. To use a D.J. to play to an empty dancefloor is simply ridiculous and to chop & change the main room artists, ended up being short of disastrous, leaving us to wander whether it was done in a moment of madness & whether there was any method to the decision making. In defence of A:M, we understand the second room was not set up properly, but then surely this was a fundamental error that should have been spotted at outset and, in our view, is the responsibility of the promoter to ensure that the club is prepared as it should be, before the doors are opened. Add to this the decisions made during the course of the evening, plus the fall-out & threats waged at us following the event, and we are left scratching our heads over the actions of A:M’s new hands. That said, as for the club itself, we like the new direction & we wish it every success for the future, a future we hope is full of good decisions & delivery. (DISCO MATT)

"Live With A Legend" - Jean Michel Jarre In Concert - 10/10/10 - Special Review

“LIVE WITH A LEGEND”
JEAN-MICHEL JARRE IN CONCERT – SUNDAY 10TH OCTOBER
SPECIAL REVIEW


Having been consumed by all things house music since the early nineties (yes we are talking last century), much of our music devotions from previous years in our lives have all but faded from our playlists, even our most recent times whizzing around London’s roads listening to music as we do, reserved for a select few D.J.’s & their compilations. However, a small minority of artists that formed our music listening during our teens & early twenties still survive & occasionally get airplay in our ears, or while relaxing at home, Abba standing head & shoulders over a whole host of other pop bands that litter our music library & collections. But, the super Swede’s apart, there is one artist that has always been top of our tree & who is responsible for so many memories of our informative years through his music, that, for us, is very much a legend in our lifetime.

Jean-Michel Jarre has without doubt impacted on our lives in a way that few others have, not least as his “Magnetic Fields” album was the first ever non Abba purchase we made, going on to be the most played set of tunes of any record (well tape, then CD & now MP3) we have owned, a whole succession of JMJ acquisitions following similar suit, amounting to a collection that hit double figures during the eighties & remains the most represented in our comprehensive music collection. However, whilst we have revered this man & his music for close on three decades now, the one thing we have never done, is see him play live, despite there having been a number of occasions that this would or could have been possible, China would have been amazing, as would have Hong Kong, we heard Houston was incredible, Lyon fantastic & Docklands simply spectacular. But, in a casual conversation, the subject of his latest London date came up and realising that clubbing connections & friends had the same passion, the dream became a reality & we were destined to re-kindle our misspent youth years.

So, with the date arriving before we knew it and a significant one at that, 10/10/10 having significance for Jean-Michel apart from anyone else, the history of this man’s concerts marking landmark events & times, for example he was in Docklands for the millennium, Houston around the shuttle disaster (the album Rendez-Vous dedicated to the lost astronauts), he even marking the change of sovereignty with a concert in Hong Kong. So, with 10/10/10 a one-off date, it was no surprise that Mr Jarre would be playing somewhere, although in choosing London the choice was a simple one as he adores the city & it holds such great memories for him. Plus, in the O2 arena there was yet more significance, why we here you ask?, well for any JMJ fan, this would be immediately apparent from the links with his massive worldwide album success, “Oxygene”, so, all in all, this latest trip to the capital by, what we can only describe as "...THE master of the electronic keyboard..." & by our friend & liege for the night, Tom, "...the originator of Trance...", simply was unmissable & would mark a step change in our lives for a number of reasons.

With our trip to Beyond “Tokyo” still fresh in our minds, we headed down to the London Eye on the Thames to meet up with Tom & fellow JMJ enthusiasts Dorin & Kyriacos, the four of us taking a leisurely trip up to the concert venue on the river boat (a very civilised way to travel), although missing a fifth person in our party which was disappointing to say the least (Mr Elder please note). With the journey wending us past some of the capitals best tourist sites, it wasn’t long before we arrived at the impressive destination that was the O2 Arena, standing tall in front of us as we disembarked the boat & made our way round into the massive entrance, the whole space looking both hi-tech & modern, shops & restaurants a plenty framing the main arena. Having figured out our tickets, VIP ones no less which had been arranged on our behalf by the wonderful Craig Daniels, we headed straight for the souvenir desk to grab some memento’s of this illustrious occasion before making our was up into the auditorium & the Arena proper to take our seats in the VIP box (oops we said it again) which gave us an incredible view looking right down across the stage where the legend Mr Jarre would soon be performing.

Having never visited the O2 before, we were taken a-back by the sheer size & atmosphere of the place, all this further enhanced by subtle smoke effects creating shimmering effects from the banks of lights, but moreover the background sounds that were unmistakably elements of JMJ’s “Waiting For Cousteau” album, the combination heightening our already overt excitement even more. So, with the lights suddenly dimming, the show was about ready to start, as the lights around the arena were dimmed leaving a two spots shinning & pointing to the far end of the arena, where Jean Michel was commencing his walk down through the crowd & towards the stage. the music building to a slow crescendo, the sounds of bells, drums & keyboard effects culminating on his leap onto the performing area with the crowd roaring as he proclaimed “...Good Evening London...”. So, the scene was now set for close on two hours of musical mastery from the energetic Mr Jarre, each & every selection of sounds sending shivers up our spins in pure delight at what we were witnessing & experiencing and from our vantage point we could literally see him flex his fingers on the keyboards he was playing, on the laser harp he was plucking & all the other instruments he was manipulating to create the unmistakable sounds of his mesmeric music.

With Dorin & Kyriacos having decided to venture further round to get a better “full on” view of the stage, we, together with Tom & a handful of others around were more than pleased with a view of the man in action, downward multi spots illuminating JMJ & his support artists as they played out renditions of classics like Equinox V, Magnetic Fields II, & Oxygene II, even going as far too include Rendez-vous II which we had literally pre-empted with a cursory comment to our liege Tom, “...I wonder whether he will play Rendez-vous?...”. With our lofty VIP position & placing allowing us to look across the whole expanse of the arena, not only was the concentrated lighting & other effects of the stage, mesmerising, but the constant camera flashes around lit up like shimmering stars, as our star & legend Jean-Michel continued to wow, not least when yet more amazing memories of years gone by flashed before our eyes as tracks “Apregiator”, “Orient Express” “Souvenir Of China” and then the incredible “Laser Harp” , left us breathless & emotional, even Tom like us, holding back the tears, as we saw the magnificence of incredible piece of equipment on full show, the green beams being struck with incredible precision to create that unique resonance for which JMJ has become famous for.

Now we were completely glued to the action in front of us, the stage set right in our sights, the never-ending multicoloured lighting flashing on the banks of musical equipment & artists supporting the great man, who continued to stand out proud, his insatiable energy showing through as he bounded between instruments with athletic ease, occasionally rousing the massive audience with his clapping, but in reality with the majority seemingly JMJ officinal’s, recognising each & every track as they were selected. And such was the depth of his choices, ranging right across his discography, from “Equinox”, through “Revolutions”, “Magnetic Fields” to “Zoolook” & “Oxygene” past “Rendez-Vous” & even elements of “Chronologie” not to mention “Concerts In China” it was all there, even extracts from his live concerts across the years, all making for a simply stunning show that we didn’t want to end. But as all great things do, the show was coming to an end, the time having flew from the minute we took our seat to the curtain call of JMJ’s performance, although as he & his team took their bows & departed, it was clear the crowd wanted more and the veteran concert appearance & experience of Tom immediately came to bear, there was going to be an encore, “Oxygene IV" no less, although not before he had given a final speech on stage, calling for the audience to beam the show across the globe via their phones, which they did with dramatic effect, the whole of the O2 lighting up with tiny flashes from their devices making for one of those magical moments which, to be honest, the whole evening had been full of.

However, the ultimate end to this colossal concert could only be probably THE most recognisable record that Mr Jarre had been responsible for and very appropriate for the venue he was playing in to, as “Oxygene IV” was played out in scintillating style, the twist of the live performance giving the record the edge it needed & leaving us in complete admiration of the star of this spectacular show, JMJ eventually gracing his exit & leaving us to gather ourselves as the lights came up & we were returned to that “Waiting For Cousteau” inspired atmospheric music. And as we left our treasured VIP place & the fantastic feel that this incredible individual & his small yet terrific team had sunk us into for a hypnotic couple of hours, there was nothing else on our lips as we reflected on so many magical moments with both Tom & the people around us as we waited for our river charge back to the normality of Vauxhall, a far cry from the magical world of the legend in our lifetime, the fabulous Frenchman Jean Michel Jarre.

Finding the words to describe just how amazing this concert was would never do justice to the atmosphere that was created & the magical mesmerism of Mr Jarre’s music. Listening as we have over the years to all of his albums which remain as fresh as they did on the first hearing, now pail in significance to the heights achieved by this exceptional live experience. Capturing as much as we could in both still pictures & videos, while rekindling some of those magical moments also only give a snapshot & a tiny picture of just how special this whole evening was and we cannot fault one moment of the whole night, from the minute we left home on our Jarre journey, until we returned. The company we held couldn’t have been better, so in recognition of that fact, we devote this review to our companions Dorin & Kyriacos, but especially to our liege & now close friend Tom, who is every bit a Jarre fan like us (more so in some ways) and without whom, this whole trip would not have been possible.

Now, we kind of hinted towards a step change in our lives following this concert and in so many ways the passing of 10/10/10 & seeing the man that was such an important part of our informative musical years play live, has well & truly changed us. Not only have we re-connected with certain family members, rekindled old friendships as well as forging new ones, but we have begun to re-visit times in our lives that we never thought we would & most of all, we are playing Jean Michel Jarre vierutally every day again. So, to say that this concert holds very special meaning is a bit of an understatement and we cannot thank Mr Fuller enough for inviting us to share in what has become one of the most momentous musical milestones in our lives. But our final words have to go to the man himself, Jean Michel Jarre, who was amazing, brilliant, exceptional, fabulous, glorious, incredible, superb, terrific & wonderful, yet as expressive as all those words are, the best way we can sum up this musical master is to say that "Jean" should stand for joyous, "Michel" for magnificent & "Jarre" for jubilant, although there should surely be an L in there too, standing simply for legend, because to us, that is exactly what Jean-Michel Jarre is. (DISCO MATT)

Postscript

Our reflection on this extra special occasion could not be complete without some of those video captions we captured that give you a feel of just how phenomenal Jean Michel Jarre Live at the O2 on 10/10/10 was. So check out the links & enter a little into this the life of this legend go to http://youtube.com/watch?v=W4TaMnszRYc, http://youtube.com/watch?v=AXdtI6MMy9o, http://youtube.com/watch?v=Z3UEmz-_7xA, http://youtube.com/watch?v=J8b3Dh9EajE, http://youtube.com/watch?v=Wpz6Lo-lrgE, http://youtube.com/watch?v=sslZ7-UPsYM, http://youtube.com/watch?v=Re_-QmlyN6U & http://youtube.com/watch?v=0XT-sLhNd5s.