Profile "The Re-Launch" - Bar Review

PROFILE “A NEW BIGINNING – THE OFFICIAL OPENING”
WEDNESDAY 15TH JULY
REVIEW FOR SEENQUEEN


Well, it’s true to say that some things in life don’t change that much and you could be mistaken for making that judgment when looking around the scene in London. As a long standing friend of ours said when we met up last Saturday in Rupert Street, things looked pretty much the same for him, returning after a long break away in New Zealand. However, under the surfaces & if you look carefully, there have been some ring changes, some more subtle than others, although there has been one unmistakable shift, movement, whatever you want to call it, that has grabbed gAylist London’s attention.

Yes it is Profile bar, which having been launched to major accolade at its original home on Frith Street, has now made the perfectly sensible move across Soho, joining it’s slightly younger sister, Lo-Profile, at its location on Wardour Street, making the perfect marriage between the two elements of this popular brand, of course backed up by the might of Gaydar. In the words of the owners & management, “there’s been a change of plan…all 900 square feet of it” and we certainly wanted to take a look at the new combination, so what better a way to do it than at the official opening, labelled “a red carpet launch”, admittedly on a “school” night, but a temptation way too much to resist.

With plans made well in advance and deciding on new(ish) found clubbing pal Joel to be our partner in crime for the evening, we decided on a smart casual dress approach, starting the evenings proceedings off with some warm up drinks at Rupert Street. Joel was already in fine form, with a luncheon & then afternoon out with a friend under his belt, so we could already sense that we were in for an interesting time, not least that the invite indicated that complimentary drinks would be on offer. This always spells danger for us, but then with tastes from the delicious new menu providing balance, surely everything would be fine.

Arriving at Profile’s door at about 7.30 p.m., the first real statement was a massive extended New York cab outside, signalling the kind of style the team had developed for the new venue, not just a bar but a restaurant in the “diner” style, yellow being the bold colour (along with black of course), so nothing understated here! Greeting us on the door was Gaydar’s marketing mogul Simon Johnson, who ticked us off his rather extensive list and immediately pointed us in the direction of the bar. It was clear from stepping in, that this was going to be a busy event, as the space was already brimming with a truly cosmopolitan and very much gAylist tinged crowd of hopefuls, all eager to sample a slice of this new space on the scene.

With Joel grabbing us glasses of complimentary champagne & then spotting familiar faces all around, we decided to mingle and it was apparent that this was going to be a “who’s who” of gatherings, Mark M Forms being the first of many people we came across savouring the buzz and excitement of Profile’s launch. Then there was Jamie Head and pals stretching out in the one free corner just past the D.J. booth, Paul Heron in conversation with a female friend, Rob Sykes mixing in with a bevvie of beauties, all added to by the wave by wave arrival of yet more friends, including Sean Day, Clington Goldsmith, and then Evolved Events supremo Oliver Mohns accompanied by Romano Hendry & our close buddy D.J. Alessandro. Even the gay press gang were in attendance, Cliff Joannou & Stephen Vowles from Q.X. magazine, David Bridle & Luke Till from Boyz, all like us, mixing business with pleasure, reporting on the launch of the month so far.

Catching up with Oliver, who was unable to give us his characteristic hug as there was little or no room to move, a train of waiters kept slinking past, silver salvers held high, with delectable tasters from the bars brand new menu, although our endeavours were focussed on refreshing our glasses and watching over companion Joel, who was well and truly into the swing of things by now. Then, literally as we mentioned his name, Brent Nicholls arrived, camera in hand, looking over in-between the masses now assembled, in apparent amazement of the sheer numbers packing out Profile.

He joined us and the throng of D.J’s that had gathered by the booth, where Gaydar Radio star Phil Marriot was spinning the sounds, but with the feeling of being packed in like sardines and the service at the bar slowing dramatically, the team announced that the club, Lo-Profile, was opening downstairs, with more than a hint towards relieving the pressure the new bar space was under. So, with General Manager Rozella leading the way, dressed in a figure hugging/flesh revealing bright blue & silver number, we followed suit with Joel & Brent, Oliver & Alessandro in tow, bumping first into Stewart Who & then Gaydar pin-ups Dimitrious & Andy, leaving Brent momentarily while his camera clicked away and then winding down the stairs & into the familiar space of Lo Profile. Here, D.J. Nick Evans had kindly jumped onto the decks to mix some music, although with many now down in the club, the service pace behind the bar was just as slow as upstairs, then losing both Brent & a worse for wear companion Joel in the crowds, we decided to return upstairs, as after all it was Profile & not Lo-Profile we were here to review.

Back in Profile and making our way through the ever so slightly thinned out crowd, but with the bar still three deep, we first caught up with Mikey D, who had not long returned from Madrid, then with Steve Pitron, who was intent on oiling his gills, even catching SuperMartXe London promoter Logan Schmitz arrive, but finally heading for the sanctuary of the far corner by the entrance, where Oliver, Alessandro & Romano had settled. However, despite their intentions to keep us there, by now our exasperations on lack of being able to refresh our glasses overtook our emotions and when, after a less than cordial encounter with Gaydar big cheese Trevor, we thought better of searching out missing friend Joel, rather waving goodbye to a still hectic Profile bar, with the intention of returning another day to sample all of its delights in a much more relaxed and reflective mood.

And that is just what we did, Saturday signalling a real jaunt around Soho, Profile bar being the ideal warm up to the nights proceedings. Walking into the venue with pal Benoit not long before 9 p.m., we were immediately taken with the bright yet stylish décor, spacious booths lining each side, with the angular centrally positioned bar dominating the space. But with plenty of plush high stools around with yet more booths towards the back, there was certainly no shortage of seating, very much in the bar/restaurant style we had expected. Stark yellow contrasts beautifully with sparking black tiling, the theme running right through, occasionally broken up by wooden tan panels and a very smart “profile” logo, so the whole effect is one of quality and opulence in an American diner way, very impressive. What was not impressive however, was the kitchen being closed, so the whole reason for attending, to taste the food, dissolved (very annoyingly) in an instant, with little or no explanation from the bar staff, whom we had to say struggled with command of English. After a very hairy (and embarrassing) moment, General Manager Rosella explained that plans for serving food had been scaled back a little, with the full food menu now stopping at
6 p.m. (they start at 8 a.m.!), although they anticipate serving snack & light bites beyond that in the coming weeks. So, after repairing damaged egos, we, together with Benoit, sought to fill our empty stomachs around the corner at Balans café.

So what do we think of Profile bar? And did the “Red Carpet” event live up to expectations? Well, the launch night was clearly a P.R. success for the team, not least for the amount of scene faces, gAylisters, club promoters, D.J’s & paparazzi present, although we remain a little bemused by the sheer amount of people that were there. Given the fact our assumptions were that the crowd would be relatively exclusive, it actually turned out to be all inclusive, with the resultant pressure on the team to deliver drinks service efficiently, drastically affected. However, in our experience, all successful launch parties end up this way and we suspect no amount of additional staff would have made matters much easier. Plus, with the bar being free for well over two hours, with complimentary food nibbles & everyone having a superb time, what more could you ask for? Nothing!

In terms of Profile bar, our subsequent visit allowed us to take in aspects of the décor, the drinks offers, the staff & the surroundings (although sadly not the food offer) in a much more measured way and our verdict is we really like the venue. The marriage with sister Lo-Profile makes perfect sense and the feel of the bar will certainly attract, especially with the added bonus of D.J’s on certain days (we had the pleasure of enjoying D’Johnny on our Sat visit). However, we remain undecided on the food offer, not having been able to sample any, so cannot yet comment on that, but then if it turns out like all the other elements, it should prove a hit with gAylisters around, although only time will tell whether it is. (DISCO MATT)

Trade Pride 09 "The Afterhours" - Club Review

TRADE – PRIDE 09 “THE AFTERHOURS” – SUNDAY 5TH JULY
REVIEW FOR SEENQUEEN


Now, there has always been something really appealing about clubbing on a Sunday morning, it is a feeling of being quite devilish, striking out against the proletariat and in a sense entering territory where our straight cousins would probably fear to tread. We like equal rights of course but there is no denying that we like to be different in many ways, our clubbing being one area where we love setting the trend. It is certainly true that gAylist/land London has done that, especially in afterhours terms, with clubs over the years that have truly captured the imagination, whether it be A.M. (well it was a Saturday morning), Crash (the afterhours version of course) and probably our favourite, Beyond (in all of its incarnations). But there is one that separates itself from all of these with sheer iconic status.

Yes, we are talking about Trade, a club that has had a bigger influence on our lives than many others put together and a club that is synonymous the afterhours experience and all that comes with it. Ever since its launch back in 1990, it has been groundbreaking for a whole host of reasons and even since its weekly demise at Turnmills, has continued to capture the imagination with a series of parties in various venues & locations (who can forget the 18th Birthday celebration), so it was no surprise that the team would be rolling out another special event for London Pride. But this was to be no ordinary outing as in securing Ministry of Sound (MOS), Trade was certainly aiming high and making a real statement of intent, fusing what is probably the most iconic gay club with a legendary straight venue.

Right from the moment it was announced, this was going to be one party we were definitely not going to miss, securing our ticket weeks in advance to avoid disappointment and setting plans in stone with our clubbing buddy Joel, even though, at the time and having never visited, there was much debate about the actual location of MOS (not in Greenwich..silly us!!). With that little problem ironed out & with plans to be at SuperMartXe beforehand, when 6 a.m. came, it was just a hop skip & jump up to Trade’s temporary home, in the company of pals Alessandro & Chris, who were debating whether to hit the club or head home (they were tired but strangely had other things on their minds, dirty birdies!!). Joining the expectant queue and spotting Minty & beau, we whiled away our wait catching up on news since we had last met.

As we got closer to the entrance, our anticipation & excitement grew and in some ways took us back to those heady days of queuing at Turnmills, and when we finally made it in, we could hardly wait to investigate the club, but paused for a moment to make rendezvous plans with our friend who had just risen & was making tracks towards this latest of Trade temptations. We were now ready to take in the most awaited event of the year so far and entering the main room, could already get a sense of an exceptional experience to come. Whilst MOS, like other clubs, is based under arches, there was an incredible sense of space in the main room and with the party stretching over four different floors, was definitely sizable and we were then curious as to which room was what. So spotting a poster on the wall which answered our questions, the main room (so called) acting as (in Trade terms) the lite lounge, the Box Room (so called) acting as (in Trade Terms) the main room, with the addition of two extra spaces sporting the two ends of the clubs music spectrum, the Baby Box room serving up toughened head banging hard house & the loft offering a much more relaxing vibe, the D.J’s being an obvious pointer as to which room was what. And then there was the terrace, an outside space which was all set to deliver an alfresco avalanche of music mayhem as a retreat from the indoors insanity, well that was the plan anyway.

So, with our bearings well and truly rooted, we decided to settle on the main room to begin with and it was no time at all before we found our grove next to the D.J. booth where Jonny M was kick starting the hedonism with an uplifting string of sounds. Like us, many that were arriving were also finding their bearings, wandering through the main room and then heading off in all directions, but in amongst the movement we spotted out Guy Williams who came over to say hello, chatting a while and then pondering on proceedings before taking his place behind the D.J. booth. By now our pal Joel had arrived and wanted to track down a friend of his, so took us with him in search, heading into the Box Room which was already full with revellers soaking up the tougher tunes, much more Trade like, being dished out by Kammishake.

As Joel had now linking up with his friend, we left them to their devices, returning to the main room, not wanting to miss out on Guy’s set and we certainly were not to be disappointed as he laid down a heap of heavenly hard edged tech house tracks, so characteristic of his style and much more to our liking. Really finding our pace, we sank into the amazing atmosphere he was developing and with the huge screens above the bar flashing up classic Trade visuals, adding to the laser lighting swirling around the space, we were in pure ecstasy. With Joel back with us and familiar faces a plenty passing by, including Hook’d promoter Paul Beauchamp, D.J’s Hi-Fi Sean & Paul Coles, Clington Forbes, Lee Yeomans, Max Sanna, Tamsin Roberts, we felt at home and they all kept coming & going, no surprise really as, like us, they didn’t want to miss out on anything. But, with four rooms in full swing, we couldn’t be everywhere at once, although with Nick Tcherniak setting the Box room alight, Gary H creating mayhem in the Baby Box room & Kate Lawler up in the Loft room, we were spoilt for choice and quality choice at that. But so good was Guy, we just couldn’t tear ourselves away and when Mr Williams was replaced by Mr Heron, it seemed we were destined not to move from this main room come lite lounge.

But it was time to sample some more of the Box room delights and with Nick & partner Tom hijacking us away from the main room while Joel was refuelling & refreshing himself, we found ourselves in amongst the Box room badness where Pagano was in full steam, whipping up a frenzy in advance of the special P.A. by Stewart Who, performing the collaboration track “Back To the Future” and then giving way to Logan’s troupe of dancers to continue the entertaining. But, the heat and pace was a little too much for us, so we decided to grab some fresh air, heading out onto the terrace, although there was no D.J. booth to be found, rather the music from the main room being piped out. And it was Paul Heron’s sounds spilling through which drew us back in, finding Joel in position where we had left him, so we settled once more, soaking up every ounce of energy the mixing maestro was giving out through his magical music. The trend continued when Trade legend Fat Tony took to the decks from Paul, changing the direction & the pace of the sounds, stylishly enhanced by the vocals of Tonnic and then by Trade head poncho Lawrence Malice with his usually inspired if sometimes bizarre microphone mumbles.

With Sunday morning turning into Sunday afternoon, we made our final appearance into the Box room, where Pete Wardman was now setting the pace and with more space to stretch ourselves into, we really began to enjoy this period in proceedings, the room’s temperature not as stifling as before and the music very much of the style we used to adore in the days of Turmills, where Pete always used to round off our gigantic journey through afterhours audacity. But, the draw of the main room was the inevitable winner, where we saw out the remainder of our stay, eventually deciding to call time on Trade at just gone 2 a.m., picking up our belongings and heading out into the sunshine of a July Sunday afternoon, Joel escorting us to our tube stop home, then leaving us to chill & reflect on another marathon party under our belts.

So, what did we think of Trade’s Pride special? And did it live up to expectations? What did we think of MOS as a venue? And are we going to include this party on our memorable list? Well, first things first, we were glad we made it to this latest Trade instalment, not least for the quality collection of people there, such a breath of fresh air compared to other similar trappings. Then there was the music, which for us was the best we had heard all weekend, real highlights being Guy Williams, Paul Heron & Fat Tony, each of them the epitomy of what we thought was great about the 18th Birthday bash, but then Pagano wasn’t bad either (if ever there was an understatement, this is it!) and together with Pete Wardman, as well as Nick Tcherniak, ended up in setting the musical standard bar extremely high this time round. So, for these reasons we can say that, for us, our expectations were met is some ways, but then sometimes we are easy to please.

However, on the flip side, we found MOS as a venue for Trade far too clinical, taking the edge off what has always been a decadent affair, rather making it squeaky clean and lacking in outrageous action. The layout of the rooms and the way in which they were used seemed strange to say the least and the lack of the billed Ibiza style terrace, which in reality ended up just being an outdoor area to chill, was disappointing. Then there was the apparent absence of certain D.J.’s, we certainly not spotting anywhere near the number of listed stars, Lady Bianca & Malcolm Duffy being just two examples. So in reality, for those in search of classic Trade, it wasn’t going to be so this time, some Trade babies probably not finding favour with this outing at all. Nevertheless, taking the party in isolation, not making comparisons to other events, but rather focussing on what worked, there was a lot going for it. No, it probably won’t find a place on our memorable list, but we had a good enough time to remember it for at least a while to come. (DISCO MATT)

SuperMartXe Commando - Club Review

SUPERMARTXE COMMANDO – SATURDAY 4TH JULY
REVIEW FOR SEENQUEEN


With Ibiza’s season well under way and a real feel of summer in recent weeks, all eyes were concentrated not just on what the capital was going to deliver for it’s Pride festival, but what would the clubbing big guns have to contribute to this special day in the calendar. However, with Madrid seemingly grabbing most of the “hotties”, would the big brands be able to draw a captive audience and succeed in what has become a tough old time in gAylist/land London. Given all of this, it was no surprise that not everyone was showing their cards this weekend, some saving energies for later in the month, but for others the temptation to get involved & maybe steal the limelight was too much to turn away from.

SuperMartXe was one such club event, which, in previous outings has proven a massive draw, making a real impact with their Easter special party, Silicon Babies and then following it up with another spectacular showing on the second Bank Holiday in May, Peep Show, which continued the trend set by events before. So there was much expectation of Commando but in typical style, with the marketing machinery in full swing & plenty of build up, there was no surprise that it became THE talk of the town in the weeks & days before. So was Commando going to live up to it all? And was it going to be memorable for all the right reasons?

With it all kicking off for us with a pre-party at Rupert Street on the Friday night, our expectations were high, but the night itself fell far short of the mark, with a distinct lack of the ingredients we expect from a warm up outing. Yes the venue was decorated superbly, just the ticket in fact, but with the lack of the inclusion of sexy dancers (a sure fire inclusion you would have thought), with only a mere handful of SuperMartXe give-aways & the lack of a real feel of pre-clubbing magic. Mind you, at least D’Johnny made up for our disappointment, not only making us feel quite special in taking time to chat & catch up with us, but then played out some superb sounds that was a real highlight in an otherwise lacklustre evening.

So, we were determined that the main event wasn’t going to be so, indeed we pulled out our own stops, dressing up in camo gear to get us pumped up for the action, arriving at the Coronet as soon after midnight that we could, given our previous commitments. With ticket in hand and no queue to negotiate (well not much anyway), we were through the efficient and friendly security checks swiftly and with just the bizarre hiccup of being corrected for asking for the coatcheck (apparently we should have said cloakroom!!...what?!?!), we headed through the outside smoking area, dropped off our bits and bobs & headed straight into the main room, which was packed out with party goers that had clearly decided arriving early was the way to do it.

Shimmying ourselves around passed the bar area, pausing momentarily to grab some refreshments, ignoring a strange & pungent smell, we headed down towards a rammed dancefloor, bumping into promoter Logan Schmitz, who clearly had his hands full but paused momentarily to say hello us before heading off back stage in probable preparation for the show to come. With energetic espaniol & euro house tunes ringing out, we glanced up to the D.J. booth to see Steve Pitron holding court, revelling in the massive theatre style setting, so different to his more regular exploits at Fire & Beyond, serving up some special sounds to put some spice into proceedings. There were plenty of familiar faces around, including Lee Yeomans who was in birthday celebration mode, partner Max Sanna soaking up the atmosphere, JC in attendance, Chris Geary circling the crowd, camera in hand, and a plethora of Barcode & Rupert St bar boys out after a long Pride day in Soho, as well as more than a smattering of sexy Latino’s, bronzed muscle hunks & gorgeous gals, making for a stylish crowd indeed.

With Steve’s set over and the man himself greeting us as he disappeared into the crowd to party away, Hugo Sanchez took over the musical mastery, stepping up the pace and laying down some terrific tunes that got us dancing in an instant, retiring to our favoured spot of the club midway up the right hand aisle, where we could get a brilliant view, not jut of one of the best looking & sexiest D.J’s we have seen in a long time, but of the stage & show that was about ready to erupt before our eyes. With a sudden change in the music, the massive curtains were drawn back, revealing an incredibly dressed stage, in every way the “Commando” themed style, a huge artificial yet authentic looking tank dominating the space, with sexy go-go’s and dancers on elevated podiums, dressed appropriately and making a statement, all topped with the arrival of P.A. extraordinaire, Therese, who made her characteristically impressive impact on proceedings.

With the first of a succession of shows & appearances over, but with this strange smell still wafting around the club, we got a little self conscious & decided to de-robe our camo gear and then retired to the smoking terrace for a while, bumping into pals Vlad, Brad, and Nick’s man Tom, who were also grabbing some fresh air. Then, after a strange encounter and comment from Steven Geller, we headed back into the main room, back to our dancing spot to sink into the remainder of Hugo Sanchez’s sensational set, pausing only briefly to say hello’s to Pagano who was arriving to take over for the final session & Jamie Head who was making for the extended Beyond party to fulfil his duties. But it was Mr Sanchez and his music we were concentrating on, the shows in some ways being eclipsed by his phenomenal performance, but the combination of D.J. eye candy & splendid sights on stage were a definite statement.

With all the usual SuperMartXe sparkle, CO2 cannons, ticker tape explosions, pyrotechnic & lighting, not to mention the appearance of the now famed massive beach ball, the team were pulling out all the stops to ensure a good time was had by all and with Pagano injecting his own special blend of progressive hard house heaven to proceedings, the main floor remained packed right through the rest of our stay, even if there were some serious spaces up by the bar, which, in past parties has always stayed packed. Was it the fact that many had partied themselves out and couldn’t stay the distance? Were people enticed away to the beckon of Beyond? Or was it possibly the strange smell which seemed to linger more in this area. Whatever it was, we continued to dance away in our spot, before finally calling time on proceedings, to take a brief break & respite before the mother of all parties round the corner at Ministry of Sound.

So, what was our verdict on SuperMartXe Commando? Well, there was no doubt that the build up and expectation was as great if not greater than previous events and there is no denying the fact that Logan & his team worked extremely hard, not just on promoting the event, but creating a stunning stage and providing one of the strongest D.J. line up’s we have seen yet. With the numbers present when we arrived, it was clear that it was an incredibly popular choice, but then with the headcount dwindling earlier than usual, the question or questions as to why this happened still remain. For us, it certainly wasn’t the music, as we thought both Steve Pitron & Pagano produced solid performances and then we come to Hugo Sanchez, who we thought was simply sensational, going so far as to say he is the best Spanish resident D.J. import we have seen in London yet, not just at SuperMartXe, but other events including Matinee.

But, we cannot escape the fact that the strange smell pervading around the club was an overriding off-put, scores of people confirming our view in discussions since the event. What the promoters could have done we don’t know and it is clearly a problem that the venue’s owners should have and need to address. In these tough times for the scene, gAylist or not, people are looking for perfection and if not that then definitely value for money with an experience to match. SuperMartXe has certainly delivered this in the past and in lots of ways did it again, but clubbers can be very fickle and what would be considered as a trivial problem could in fact affect a clubs future popularity and there was definitely a problem on everybody’s lips this time. However, we have to say that, venue issues aside, Commando was a good party, maybe not a great party, but made special by one person who proved one big highlight not just of the event but of our Pride weekend. So, big thanks go to Mr Sanchez. (DISCO MATT)

London Pride "A Soho Evening" - Special Review

LONDON PRIDE 2009 – “A SOHO EVENING” – SATURDAY 4TH JULY
SPECIAL REVIEW


In years gone by, just the thought of this most special day in the gAylist calendar, in probably what has become THE capital of gay throughout the world, meant magnanimous marches through the streets, with floats a plenty, celebrating such a diverse scene & shouting “out & proud” everything that was great about being gay in London, yes it was always tinged with politics, but it usually signalled the time simply to have fun. Then, after parading past Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square & even Downing Street (yes they used to let us down that way!), we would all then assemble in a park somewhere, Brockwell, Clapham, Victoria, Finsbury, even Hyde!, (we don’t talk Hackney Marshes) to party like it was 1999 (strangely all the best ones happened before then), with main stage stars performing, music tents to dance our tits (sorry ladies) off, fairground rides to shout out in ecstasy & many more activities.

However, in recent years, Pride in London has been much more of a sedate affair (well for us anyway), although, taking over Central London for the day now seems to be the name of the game, spreading across all three squares (Trafalgar, Leicester & Soho), but moreover spilling around the streets between, consuming massive amounts of alcohol & soaking up the atmospheres in special events run by bars to tempt people off the streets. Yes there is entertainment, yes there are stages, but it seems that the whole essence of the celebration has changed, and rather than everything being gathered in onr big space, it is somewhat fragmented with more than a hop, skip & jump between the four main areas. Mind you, if you believe what the organisers say “Pride London is well established as one of the largest events in the UK and is now one of the biggest LGBT events in the world”. So, did this prove to be the case this year? And was all the excitement, fun & thrill evident this time around?

Well, the sun was shinning on London town, not quite the sultry (well love it) conditions of the previous week, but certainly set fair for the masses who decided to join the parade that headed off from Baker Street at 1 p.m., marching right through the heart of shopping land down Oxford & Regent streets, meandering round and finishing just past Trafalgar square. With our best foot far from forward and all good intentions laid to waste (shame on us!), we missed out on most of the main ceremonies, as by the “the third stroke” the time was almost 6 p.m., so we shifted plans to take in all the merriment of the evenings trappings, which we hoped would include trips to The Edge, to Thirst in Greek St, to Barcode Soho & to Rupert Street and all this before a quick jaunt across to the fusion event, Club Together, held at the revamped venue The Den.

Arriving at the most northerly point of Soho, in an attempt to avoid wading through crowds, what seemed like a good idea at the time, ended up being a real struggle as we encountered a sheer wall of bodies, including a mass of Hari Krishna supporters who were blocking our entrance to Soho Square and our first stop off at The Edge. So, having finally negotiated our way past and gazing across the square, which was still packed with revellers who had clearly been soaking up all the festivities laid on by the long list of D.J.’s on “The Orange” dance stage, we wedged ourselves round and into the bar, which was already full of the most eclectic mix of people we had ever seen in The Edge, but then it was Pride!?! Over in the corner, we spotted Brent Nicholls aloft in the D.J. booth, spinning out a truly uplifting & party-esque collection of tracks, which already had the bar & its customers (not to mention the staff) cranked up and dancing deliriously. We sauntered over and said our hello’s, pausing for breath to survey all around us, before heading to the bar for refreshments.

Now, we are never shy at opening our wallets, indeed, as the saying goes, “you get what you pay for”, but being used to arming ourselves with a pint of our favoured tipple, with no draught products on tap, we were resigned to a luke warm, smallish tin which actually stung a larger whole in our wallet!! (it never ceases to amaze us that our pounds are taken advantage of on special occasions like these). Nevertheless, refreshments in hand, we returned to our spot by the D.J. booth, looking around in marvel at the merriment of many, who had clearly been up to it for most of the day. With Brent continuing to entertain, we decided on a supposed quick sprint across to our other stop off’s, but leaving The Edge behind, it was clear with was going to be no sprint at all, as Soho’s streets were simply brimming with people. Struggling past the newly re-branded Pendulum bar on Frith Street, we decided to give Thirst a miss, rather heading towards Rupert Street to rendezvous with our pal Alessandro, although it took us an age to weave down Old Compton Street, avoiding not just over exuberant party goers but pavements & roads simply covered in litter, yuk!.

By the time we got into Rupert Street, just like outside, there was no spare room to move, save for the sanctuary of the D.J. booth area, where Lee Yeomans was masterminding some serious sounds to enthral the crowd, a pleasant surprise indeed, despite our expectations to see Alessandro in place, although this superb talent & Rupert St resident was not far away & popped his head up, just as we were about to search him out, greeting us with his typical Italian charm & vigour. Taking over from Lee, we really wanted to stick around enjoy some of Alessandro’s set but time was already against us and we needed to head back to The Edge for onward movement to Club Together with Brent Nicholls, as our presence was most definitely required there, meaning we had to pass on the temptations of Barcode. So, speeding as quickly as we could, we got back to Soho square & into the bar to find tip top vocalist Tonnic injecting yet more energy into an already alive atmosphere. With Brent handing over the decks to a new sprung talent & winner of the recent D.J. competition at Escape, it was now across to our final Soho (ish) stop for the night, The Den.

The collaboration of club promoter moguls Oliver Mohns, Wayne Shires & Patrick Lilley was surely a recipe for success, although with much competition around, not least all the antics south of the river, Club Together was going to be a difficult call. Add to that the venue, which for those used to D.T.P.M. & Discotec parties is relatively easy to find, there is no escaping the fact that it is slightly off the beaten track of Soho for the comfort of those relatively unfamiliar with the territory. Nevertheless, directions sorted, we arrived at The Den’s doors, greeted as we reached our destination by the non other than the hostess with the mostest, Minty, who looked in command of proceedings as always. With entrance passes in hand, we headed down the stairs and into the familiar surroundings of what used to be The End club, heading with Brent onto the main floor, which had a smattering of hopefuls dancing away to the delightful music mixes of D.J. Paul Heron. As we returned from the bar, refreshments in hand, the man himself Wayne Shires bounded up, embracing us & thankful of our appearance, a true pleasure on our part as we love everything this man turns his hands to. With the second “rnb” room pumping, we sunk into the whole post pride atmosphere that was developing on the main floor, helped along by an energetic Tony Tansley who short of chased us round the club getting us all excited, with Sean Day & his pals also in our company, spicing up proceedings, which were heightened even more when Brent Nicholls took to the decks to carry on where Paul had left off it was turning out to be a special party. However, having changed into our camo gear, SuperMartXe duty called, so we said our farewells to everyone, slipping up the stairs and out of The Den to continue our exploits south of the river.

So what of London Pride this year? Well, it is fair to say that our take time round was very much different to previous ones. With the demise of the big park style celebrations in favour of smaller scale Central London festivities, it seems to have simply resulted in people taking over the streets of Soho, seemingly reducing the event into one massive drinking session. Given the enormous amount of litter on the streets which we had to wade through in the evening, coupled with masses of over exuberant (we should say inebriated!!) bodies around, our walk around Soho was far from pleasant and we can only imagine what it had been like at the height of the afternoon!. Yes, there were some great moments for us, we loved the fun atmosphere in The Edge, albeit that the crowd wasn’t quite us, it was good to see Rupert St buzzing with Lee Yeomans in action and the Club Together experience was a fun filled enjoyable one.

However, the fact remains that with not just Cologne Pride running on the same weekend (big enough in itself), the huge draw that is Madrid Pride, definitely drains London of the pick of the gAylist bunch of hotties & party heads and this is no surprise, as the Spanish certainly know how to put on a party for the masses, with the whole city embracing the event with, yes, Pride!!, no hiding in the back streets here, no small scale stages, no quibbling about paying for a quality event, rather encompassing a massive party weekend on a grand scale that London can only dream of. In our view, the labelled “one of biggest LGBT events in the world” is far from it and, for us the excitement, fun & thrill has gone from London Pride. So what needs to be done? Well, we say, bring back the big park celebrations, give value for money rather than ripping off and inject the real fun & passion back into this special event in the calendar. Also, maybe consider re-positioning the date, so as not to clash with the biggest pride party in Euorpe. Think about it, makes sense to us! (DISCO MATT)

Barcode Vauxhall's 3rd Birthday - Bar Review

BARCODE VAUXHALL - 3RD BIRTHDAY PARTY
SATURDAY 27TH JUNE
REVIEW FOR SEENQUEEN


Ever since coming out on the scene in London, the bar culture has formed a major part of our social lives, whether it be the good old traditional pub, venues like The Pennyfarthing, The Birdcage & Comptons, or the swanky up-market bar, you know, places like Rupert Street The Box & The Edge, but with so many venues to choose from & having frequented so many over the years, it would be difficult to single one particular bar out as a favourite, but there is one that comes pretty high on our list.

Yes, as you may have guessed, Barcode is one such brand that is very much up there and ever since its launch over 14 years ago, we have seen the Soho venue evolve & change, but always end up maintaining its popularity, despite stiff competition. We have made many friends there and to this day continue to grace its doors, especially on a Saturday night downstairs in the dance area, which has proven such a brilliant warm up to our clubbing exploits. So, you can imagine our delight when just 3 years ago, the team branched out, opening a new venue in Vauxhall, which immediately caught the imagination and a bar which we now like to call our local & (if you ask the bar staff) our second home!!

So, there was absolutely no way we were going to miss out on its 3rd birthday celebrations, especially as we had already been warmed up for the occasion at the Clapham Street party that afternoon, followed by a stylist garden gathering not too far away. Swiftly nipping home to change & refresh ourselves before arriving at Barcode’s doors just before 10 p.m., as always we were greeted by the friendly & welcoming Emilio, who waved us into the venue which was already filling nicely with like minded folk who were looking to celebrate the bar’s special day. Having already planned to meet Industri pals, Chris & Stephen as well as hostess extraordinaire, the effervescent Minty, the scene for quite a raucous outing had already been set before we even started.

Heading for the bar, we were pleased to see so many of the regular faces in place, who know & treat us so well, tonight being no exception. With refreshments in hand, we headed straight for the club space to see what was occurring, to find the lovely & bubbly Hi-Fi Sean Dickson behind the decks, mixing up a magical potion of popular house dancefloor fillers to really get the atmosphere going. With the laser lighting at full steam already, it was clear that space to dance would soon be at a premium, as it wasn’t long before a continuing trail of bodies, a true eclectic mix of regulars, scene faces, good lookers & simple party goers began to fill the room, dancing deliriously to the ever increasing tempo of tunes Mr Hi-Fi was spinning.

Despite the temptations of this club space so soon into proceedings, we headed back to the front bar to connect with our pals & found them all gathered around one of the hotly contested tables, Minty, boyfriend Thigio, Industri pals Chris, Stephen, Terry & Paul, all slowly warming to the party mood. Looking around, the team had decorated the venue with very fetching “No 3’s”, cut out from some sort of wood and cleverly decorated with fluorescent blue paint which sparkled in the bright lights of the sweeping spots as well as those clicking pictures with flash camera’s. With one coming off its sparsely strung hanging in our hands (well we may have given it a little gentle persuasion!!), we immediately started parading round the front bar, to the amusement of our friends, who then immediately caught us in action with their camera’s for posterity. Mind you one of the staff didn’t seem too amused and took it upon himself to confiscate the sign from us (the spoil sport), although that was not going to be the last Barcode was going to see of our “No 3” antics that night!!

The front room was now well and truly packed and with Paul Coles really heating things up with his delectable disco house delights, the party was well and truly underway and we were certainly in the mood for more action, although seemed a little wary that our previous antics had not gone un-noticed. So, we thought it better to disappear to the club space behind, “No 3” in hand of course, where Hi-Fi Sean was about to hand over to the handsome & hunky Mattias, a real Barcode favourite who was bound to brew up a storm with his musical mastery. Armed with yet more refreshments, complimentary of the management (a big thanks for that by the way!) as well as other aids, we were now in full swing and decided to throw all caution to the wind, ascending one of the podiums at the back of the venue, dancing most of the rest of the night away, with only momentary rests to catch up with friendly faces, including close pal Benoit, whom we hadn’t seen out in a while (well a week at least!) & who later re-collected how over exuberant we appeared (what caused that we wonder?!?!).

The party atmosphere kept building, not least with the help of Mark M Forms’ magnificent Fierce Intl dancers, who gave a dazzling (as well as revealing) display from the mezzanine balcony, with revellers gazing up in amazement at their altogether (if you catch our drift?) appearances & with D.J Saki (a man of many talents..he also manages BCV you know?!) performing his own terrific trail of heady house tunes it was no surprise that it was gone 4 a.m. before we came to our senses, calmed down and relaxed back in the front bar in the company of Minty & The Box owner, the lovely Frank. We also managed to catch up with Mark to congratulate him on his dancers show, & then happened to be caught on camera yet again, of course sporting the “No 3” sign (we had a 3 on the back of our t-shirt too!), this time by non other than Chris Jepson. Mind you, having danced so much, it was soon time to call it a day, so exhausted from our exploits, we slumped out of Barcode and home to sink into our bed, reflecting on yet another pulsating party & trying to recollect our on audacious activities.

So, did Barcode Vauxhall’s 3rd birthday bash live up to expectations? Well, for us it has to be a resounding yes, simply as we had an absolute ball from start to finish. Not only were we were privileged to be in the company of terrific people, soaking up the amazing atmosphere, especially in the club bar, but prancing on the podium with our “No 3” in hand was genuine fun and being treated to some tremendous tunes from Hi-Fi Sean, Paul Coles, Mattias & Saki was a true delight. Yes there were some D.J. names missing from what was a special celebration, but with the size of the crowd present, it was clear that many had the same idea as us, & with the added bonus of the dishy dancers, it was certainly a beautifully fun-filled birthday, which we won’t forget in a while.

In these difficult times, when many of us are watching our hard earned pennies, it seems that the bar culture is keeping its head above water and there is no doubt that Barcode Vauxhall’s popularity is still there to be seen, particularly on Friday’s & Saturday’s, when it proves a worthy alternative to the clubs both near & far, that don’t offer too much more for a lot more door charge (what do we call that?, value for money?!). However, times are tough and with some of the changes being made to its D.J. line up’s, Barcode needs to tread carefully if it is to retain its custom. What people seem to like, is that you often see the big names of the scene gracing its decks, providing the kind of musical entertainment equivalent to the big clubs, making Barcode Vauxhall particularly, not only a neat place to drink & socialise, but a cool place to dance the night away. We hope that this may long continue. (DISCO MATT)

Claphan Street Party - Event Review

CLAPHAM STREET PARTY – SATURDAY 27TH JUNE
REVIEW FOR SEENQUEEN


In years gone by the scene in gAyland London has been renowned for putting on amazing events, not just for commemorating the equality rights movements through annual Pride events, but in true celebration of music & dance. These saw some incredible post march parties as well as destination gatherings, Brockwell & Finsbury parks proving to be real highlights among many others, including Clapham Common, all of which hold amazing memories for us. However, in more recent times the massive park undertakings have been replaced by smaller scale events, where celebrating in the streets was much more the name of the game, Soho really spearheading this change direction.

But with South London being a traditional host for events, it was no surprise that the Clapham Street party was born and immediately made an impression on the scene, quickly becoming a must visit event and signalling the start of outdoor celebrations across the capital throughout the summer. Much more a social gathering of like minded people, but with the classic ingredient of camp cabaret, in its five years of running it has always attracted a considerable crowd, packing out Edgerley Road next to Kazbar on Clapham High Street, so would this year be any different? And what was in store at this super sized soiree?

Well, with an eye on the weather, which when Wimbledon is in full swing is always doubtful, we were pleased to see the sun shining as we took a short stroll across to Kazbar through the byways of Clapham and as we approached our destination just after 3 p.m., there was no mistaking the hum of music & voices swirling around the streets but clearly emanating from Edgerley Road. Arriving at the entrance & gratifyingly giving a donation to The Albert Kennedy Trust, an amazing charitable organisation, established 20 years ago with the aim of supporting, mentoring, providing advice & information as well as offering safe lodgings for homeless LGBT young people, we headed inside to arm ourselves with refreshments.

Kazbar resident D.J. Julius was spinning a collection of commercial tunes to inject a real party atmosphere and with the revamped & revitalised interior creating a brighter airier feel, not least helped by the new expanse of glass across the side of the venue, the inside felt more like out, but is was outside where we were heading, in time to meet up with our posse of pals, including Chris, & Stephen, both who were on their respective ways. So waiting not too far from the entrance, so as not to lose them in the crowd, which looked a little thinner than last years party, it was inevitable that we would bump into a plethora of familiar faces & friends and it certainly didn’t take long before being spotted by Rupert Street pals Vlad & Enrico with their men & other friends gathered, Vlad’s other half, Brad, affectionately grabbing our attention by shouting out our other nickname, Jessica (a long story!!), which always creates ripples of laughter.

With messages a plenty coming through on our mobile phone indicating imminent arrivals and appearances by friends, with the crowd beginning to swell, we were joined first by Chris, then by Stephen who grabbed some summery refreshments, heading with us to the cabaret stage, where fellow Industri pal Jeremy had stationed himself, with a perfect view of the shows. Slowly winding our way up, we continued to bump into scene & familiar faces a plenty, including Hook’d promoter Paul Beauchamp who had laid on a hedonistic happening just a week ago, we eventually reached the stage area with our posse had gathered, Chris, Paul, Terry, even Andre who had clubbed hard with us the previous weekend, soaking up the sunshine and the unique atmosphere of this social street soiree. With drag star Mrs Moore entertaining, we joined Jeremy’s side to see out her rendition of a Shirley Bassey classic, sporting the longest feather bowa we have seen, then with hostess cabaret scene superstar Sandra, taking over momentarily, cracking jokes & befriending members of the audience as only she knows best, Lola Lasagne took to the stage, delivering her dry humour to efficient effect.

We needed to take a moments respite to relieve then refresh ourselves, so patiently paraded back through the throng, but before we could get back inside, not only did we bump into the Italian Stallion D.J. Pagano, spotting us and coming over catching up on news & exchanging details of exploits out to The Circuit Festival, we then got called back to Vlad’s bunch as great friend Alessandro had arrived to join in the festivities. Then, to add to ever increasing sea of familiarity, we were again halted in our tracks as Salvation supremo Steve Elliot appeared, only to be followed by the SuperMartXe dream team machine, as Logan & his sexy troupe of go-go dancers arrived, all appropriately dressed in camouflage vests, hot pants & sun visors (very cute!) promoting the forthcoming party, with the huge SuperMartXe beach ball hung right above the main outside bar, making a real statement.

With all our hello’s out of the way, we ventured back inside a packed to the rafters Kazbar and instantly realised why as Yonika had taken over the decks and was spinning a string of Michael Jackson classics in an inspired tribute to the King of Pop, which was clearly going down superbly with the revellers around, ramping up the already electric atmosphere and the seventies style multicoloured tiled lightened dancefloor making it all the more a real poptastic party feel. But with scarcely little room to move and the queue at the bar six deep, we retreated back outside and to the draw of the amazing duo on the stage, Miss Jason & Maisie Trollette (known as Two’s Company) who performed, for us, the show of the day, having us in hysterics with their antics, banter and superb songs.

However, when momentarily glancing up into the sky, the look was very ominous, with massive black clouds forming. So, with the prospect of the heavens opening, we headed back down through the crowd, expecting a veritable stampede should the rain arrive, but with no space inside Kazbar, we joined Steve Elliot who had found a semi covered spot just outside, providing us with a surprisingly spacious & comfortable spot. And here we saw out the rest of our stay at this street party spectacular before retiring with pal Alessandro around the corner to a truly gAylist & gorgeous garden party, which proved a real highlight of our day, mixing with likeminded folk, listening to heavenly house tunes & rounding off our day in sumptuous style (a special thanks to the hosts for making us so welcome!).

So, was this year’s Clapham Street party any different to previous outings? Well, it was fair to say that the crowd didn’t seem quite as large as our last visit and that in itself is a reflection of the tough times we find ourselves in. However, in terms of a social gathering it certainly ticked all the boxes for us, with a long list of friends & familiar faces around and for those of you into cabaret, there was no shortage of top notch entertainment. However, for us the music within Kazbar was a little too much pop, not enough house, so for our close knit scene pals, that aspect failed to hit the mark, so when combining it with over inflated dinks prices (warm beer etc), & nothing much else happening, especially if drag shows were not your thang, the draw of the garden gathering in preference was no real surprise We are sure that the street party was again a success & will be back with a bang next year. Will we be there? we suspect so, if only to fulfil our socialising desires. (DISCO MATT)

Hook'd - Paul's Birthday Special - Club Review

HOOK’D – PAUL’S BIRTHDAY SPECIAL – SATURDAY 20TH JUNE
REVIEW FOR SEENQUEEN



Now, when was it that we first got into hardcore techno & tough house? ah yes, in those heady days of Trade, way back when, with weekly homage’s to Turnmills (cutely referred to as “Church” by many) which more than filled our boots with amazing sounds, delivered by such as Ian M, Gonzalo & Pete Wardman (to mention just three of many!) which had us advancing in the aisles, burning up the dancefloor in the then decadent afterhours timing of 4 a.m. Sunday mornings, until whenever it stopped (sometimes as late as 5 or 6 p.m., remember those?). Setting the standard but sadly fading from weekly slots, Trade’s demise at Turnmills left an inevitable gap which needed to be filled, but by whom?

Well, the gap did have to be filled, not least as people couldn’t hold out for the odd special here & there, and so it was that Hook’d came into being, the brainchild of Trade devotee Paul Beauchamp, who like us had spent many a happy Sunday absorbing everything that was great about the legendary club that had us coming back for more. With a massive launch party at The Arches in Southwark, back in July last year, indeed the last time we graced it’s doors (how naughty of us) and reported on what was a great party, but which sadly for us came to an abrupt ending, on our return, we were determined not to see a repeat of that, but rather to go the distance, savouring the whole Hook’d hedonism. So did we achieve it? (what do you think!).

With our day starting really early, but having made firm plans to visit with new found clubbing friend Joel, we also teamed up with his best friend Andre and having sampled a sherry or two in Barcode Vauxhall, took the short walk towards Hidden, arriving at its doors not long after midnight, seemingly perfect timing as we also bumped into Trade baby friend Rob, who guided us in nicely with hardly any fuss with security checks and swiftly into the club having been efficiently ticked off our guestlist entry (thanks Paul). Strangely, however, Hook’d seemed only to have secured half of the venue, with a totally different party being held in the other side, the only conjoining being at the toilets (rather odd, especially as it was a straight party going on!). Mind you, it didn’t bother us much as we dropped our belongings off at the coatcheck, changing into a fresh top for the occasion & Joel sporting a fab t-shirt, the perfect statement for the club (now we wonder what it said on it?!?!).

So, into the singular dancing space for this revised timing of 10 p.m. till 6 a.m. (no more afterhours stuff here), we found ourselves, immediately getting into our stride as Trade D.J. legend Ian M was tempting everyone with techno taste buds, pouring out classic renditions which brought the memories flooding back, as well as up to date tough tunes that really hit the mark. However, it seemed that our third protagonist., Andre, was struggling with the super speeding pace of proceedings and looked a little uncomfortable, until we suggested that, like us, his dancing style didn’t need to change much from that he displays in usual haunts like Beyond, but just simply to step up the tempo. Our advice seemed to work, as it wasn’t long before he too was dancing delightfully cutting a confident combination of moves to rival those around us.

We were keen to catch up with birthday boy Paul and weren’t to be disappointed as he soon appeared, recognising us in an instant, well actually spotting Joel first (how did he manage that? – well another Trade follower that’s how) and as we remarked on what a good job Mr M was doing & how long it had been for us since we had been entertained to his musical mastery, Paul rightly commented “well you haven’t graced our doors that often” – guilty as charged! So with Mr Beauchamp now off to greet and host as only he knows best, we, together with Joel & Andre, immersed ourselves into the heavenly hardcore happenings (musically wise ofcourse), with only the occasional brief respite outside to grab a little fresh air, away from the octane fuelled fantasy’s being laid before us.

With Ian M handing over the reign’s to Hook’d newcomer Ross Homson, who really made an incredible impression right from the start of his scintillating set, reminding us very much of Gonzalo’s similar prominent performances in years gone by, this wasn’t being missed by the captive audience around, who showed their appreciation through non-stop dancing deliriousness to well and truly capture the mood. Looking across to our buddy Joel, he seemed a little perturbed that his fabulous T-shirt was being sported by someone else aswell (a fashion nightmare in anyone’s books) although we tried to make him feel better by saying how much better he looked in his black & white version with shining sparkly bits, showing off his well toned frame to great effect.

As Ross’s set unfolded more, we simply couldn’t resist being drawn in, even leaving Andre to his own devices with Joel (were we jealous? – ofcourse not!) while we continued to catch the cute laddish like barman out of the corner of our eye, who seemed to be spying in on our every move (not that we didn’t welcome the attention). With a slightly thinner on the ground ardent bunch of Hook’d followers continuing to be well and truly caught up in the techno tasties, maintained when JP & Ducsey assumed D.J’ing duties, followed by Barry Harding & more, the frenetic pace was kept going right up to the planned finish of 6 a.m., although by which time both an obviously tired Joel & the effervescent Andre had waved their goodbye’s, leaving us to exchange flirtatious moves & looks with that barman, until our corruption by this beauty had to come to an inevitable end. So, we too decided to call it a day (or morning, whichever way you want to look at it), sauntering across Vauxhall, avoiding the draw of Beyond, rather heading home to reflect on a terrific techno tinged night to rival any.

So, what did we think of Hook’d this time round? And was its revised timings the success it deserved to be? Well, it is fair to say that even though our preferred pace is more Heron, Nicholls & Pitron in style, we nevertheless really enjoyed a trip back towards techno & with pulsating performances by Ian M & then Ross Homson. The sometimes select yet fabulously friendly bunch of people around us really made the night quite special (not least in the company of Joel & Andre), so perhaps the only thing lacking was the addition of a second room, offering a slightly lighter tempo of tunes, which ad it been available would probably have secured our friend Joel’s stay later than as worked out. However, taking nothing away from what was on offer, we thought that this latest instalment far outstripped our previous outing, Hidden proving to be a truly happening venue for Hook’d.

Changing from the afterhours format did seem a little strange at first, but in some ways made perfect sense, especially as the 10 till 6 timeslot felt more accessible & inviting. We would think that promoter Paul was very pleased with the results of his labour of love and that future planned events could do far worse than sticking with this new formula. There is no doubt that Hook’d has certainly filled the vacant gap left by Trade to a point, the inclusion of a second room being the only ingredient that was missing. We will certainly keep our eyes peeled for the next event with interest & if techno is your thang, you will definitely find a friend in Hook’d, that’s for sure. (DISCO MATT)