"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.

"Towering Techno Trip" - Berghain - International Club Review

“TOWERING TECHNO TRIP”
BERGHAIN – SUNDAY 24TH OCTOBER
INTERNATIONAL CLUB REVIEW


Having mentioned to a number of people that we would be partying in Germany’s capital, the original plan simply to savour Salvation, but then also realising that Hustlaball was a homage we would hook onto, although, before leaving London, virtually everyone we spoke to about our latest clubbing expedition into Europe, said, “...if you are going to Berlin you have to go to Berghain...”, explaining that we would be blown away by the venue, the music & the people that populate the place, some even going as far to say that this colossal club was one of THE best in Europe and maybe even the world. So, with such a prolific picture having been painted, regardless of just how huge Hustlaball turned out to be & how superb Salvation was, our weekend of decadent dancing delrium would not be complete without at worst, a look in on this iconic industrial style institution, we thinking there would be at least one person truly disgusted if we returned to London having missed out. So, what was so special about this Sunday morning? And what made Berghain so brilliant?

Well, despite so many people having been so forthright in their views about this Berlin beast of a club, much of the devil in the detail was left out, the only clue as to what we could expect being in the music, which we kind of knew would be planted firmly in the techno bracket, the general trend in Germany (particularly Berlin) being to this much tougher end of tech. But having done little or no research on the club, we were totally unprepared to for sheer size of the place & the divine decadence that Berghain would bring, our only thoughts that it would be the Berlin equivalent of Beyond, but we were to be shocked & surprised by the scale of our underestimation of just what this East Berlin bounty would bring. Indeed, to compare it with London’s audacious afterhours, as we were in our heads, is like saying hot is cold, on is off, & black is white, the only similarity being that they both begin with B but that’s exactly where the comparisons begin & end.

But before we go on, it is worth highlighting a little history of the club, the name being derived from the two quarters of the city it straddles, Kruezberg to the north & Friedrichshain to the south, hence the club being called Berghain, the venue a former power plant standing tall on the landscape just east of Berlin’s fourth largest railway station Ostkreuz, itself the inspiration for the legendary club Ostgut, of which Berghain is a re-incarnation. But the foundations of Berghain go deeper, having emerged out of fetish men only nightclub, Snax, an event that still takes place yearly, although echoes of it remain within Berghain each & every week, the extensive basement a massive darkroom where trance & techno are traded for sex & seduction, although the main emphasis of the club is the main floor where the 18 metre high dancefloor dominates the design & a further upward trip leads to the Panorama bar which has equally huge proportions but a slightly more laid back feel to the music & vibe.

So, with the history lesson over & a pinch of a picture painted, our Berghain experience started with a trip from across town, Salvation in Shoneberg to be exact, in the fabulous company of D.J. Nick Tcherniak & singer P.A. Valerie, our trip fantastic to Berlin’s best in the hands of a taxi driver who fortunately knew exactly where to head, such is the magnitude of the clubs standing & familiarity in the German capital. And as we disembarked from the taxi, whilst we had a vision in our minds of what to expect, nothing could have prepared us for the sight before our eyes, the gigantic ex power plant raising skywards like a Berlin version of Tate Modern, although we could hardly take in the sheer scale of it all quite yet, as the hilarious conversation with which we had engaged with both Nick & Valerie in the cab, continued virtually to the door. With a healthy queue assembled, we thought we would chance our luck with a fast track entrance, Valerie bowling up to the rather scary looking brute on the door to test a little of the German her sister had religiously taught her, although the straight forward English approach from Nick seemed to be getting a better reception, yet, despite our pleas for accelerated entry, our request eventually fell on deaf ears, we finding our place in the queue, to patiently wait on the start of our Berghain bash.

Now, we promised we wouldn’t quote, but such was the continued hilarity the three of us were indulging while waiting, was not going unnoticed, Valerie coming out with one laughable line after the next, Nick stoking her fire & even our little anecdotes causing a stir around us, the waiting crowd nothing like any queue for a club we had seen before, well with the possible exception of Trade in its heyday, each & every person waiting their turn to enter this mecca of techno clubbing in Berlin, clearly music fans rather than posing queens, even the cross between Lady Gaga & Lena Zavaroni, this wasn’t a case of being glamorous rather being passionate. And when our turn arrived, the guy that had the look as though he had just chewed a wasp & Valerie’s tough northerner, gave us a smile & waved us through without incident, the incredibly tough door policy entrance now negotiated and our towering techno trip to Berghain now well & truly on its way.

With yet another incredibly efficient coatcheck process complete, Nick needed to spend a penny, so went in search of what looked like the toilets, disappearing into this dark space, but coming back as quckly as he went, exclaiming “...I just want to confirm that that is NOT the toilets...” need we say more, the poor innocent Mr Tcherniak having walked straight into the infamous darkroom. So, with the laughter back, we all started ascending this incredible space, a truly industrial setting like we have never seen the like of in any club, the continual references to Tate Modern without the art & paintwork flooding through our minds eyes, the backdrop of pure Techno beginning to pump through our bodies. Having made it to the main floor, our breath was simply taken away by the dimensions of the space, the place teaming with party heads that were clearly well into the incredible tough sounding beats that were bouncing off the metal surfaces & the discreet yet inviting lighting illuminating just enough to retain that drench of decadence that we hadn’t seen in a club in close on 20 years.

Nick had now found the proper facilities, returning suitably relieved to gather us up and take us round through the labyrinth of corridors and then up yet further metal stairs to the Panorama bar, a second space in this incredible clubbing cathedral that made for Berghain’s host venue, the might, the mass & the magnificence of the place now really beginning to dawn on us. And like the huge room now below us, this Panorama bar was filled with ardent clubbers, locals rather than travellers, Berliners that were mixed in their makeup but liberal with their attitude, such a refreshing change from the g queen pushing & shoving that happens all too often back home, just a cavorting crowd intent on escaping into the trance house grooves that set this space aside from its bigger techno triumph downstairs. But, looking around, whilst the dimesions of this space weren’t quite as vast as before, they were no less awe inspiring, huge pieces of art spread across the far wall (hence our continual refrence to Tate Modern) & just a handful of spot lighting to add to the already awesome ambiance.

So, with yet more refreshments in our hands, we headed for a neat spot in the corner, where we had a superb view of East Berlin outside (albeit a peak through the substantial metal blinds), as well as resident D.J. Cassy who was selecting some superlative sounds & from vinyl no less, this together with the whole atmosphere, somehow transporting us back in time to our early days of clubbing, mixing in with a most eclectic crowd of people that simply just wanted to party. So, with Nick & Valerie in close call, we very much joined in on this pulsating Panorama party, throwing ourselves into the deep grooves, trading moves with our twosome dancing partners as well as others around us, only momentarily pausing to record this tremendous time for posterity on our phone, yet more hilarity occurring as a virtual synchronistic Facebook broadcast was in motion, neatly followed by Valerie’s make-up moment (you had to be there), we ourselves exclaiming to the world “...here we are at Berghain with Nick Tcherniak & Valerie post Salvation & couldn’t be in better company in this amazing club...”, our morning getter better by the minute, our enjoyment levels rising as quickly as the sun outside & the inescapable feeling that we were experiencing something very special indeed.

Having all agreed that after the splendour of Salvation before, our braving of Berghain would be just a short pop in to say, “...we have done it...”, so good was this club & so incredible was the venue, that an hour extended to two and then into a third, Cass’s music hitting every single sweet spot in our body and our company enriching the whole experience more than words can say. But as the D.J. switch came & then music took on a more electro feel, the call of time on our towering techno trip was coming close, both Nick & Valerie conscious of their impending flight back to London & our need to re-charge our batteries for our final forays around this wonderful city we had found ourselves within. So, squeezing our way past the party people packing out the Panorama bar, we meandered back through the myriad of corridors still strewn with clubbers taking respite from the two rooms of musical madness, down the metal stairs to collect our belongings & then out into the East Berlin morning sunshine to make our way back west, conversing lyrically with Nick & Valerie on what was, without question THE most amazing outing we have enjoyed in years.

To say that Berghain is breathtaking only tells a minuscule amount of the full story, every single element of this colossal club adding up to make it the best event we have witnessed in Europe, ever. Yes, the music is firmly planted in purist techno in the towering main space, and the draconian darkroom downstairs would be a shock for some, but there is always the Panorama bar for the slightly more feint hearted, yet the whole Berghain offering is quite unique and one that we would never really believe we would say “...you have to go...” until we did. For us, the club captures everything that is so decadent yet so splendid about the city within which it stands, Berlin, and by golly do the Berliners know how to party, our simple three hour snippet of a showing a mere drop in the ocean compared with the eighteen or so of hedonistic hours that the club’s doors are open, from dark to dawn to dusk, the decadence doesn’t stop. So, while Beyond is undoubtedly brilliant, Berghain is the best and by a long shot and we will be back. (DISCO MATT)

"Sashaying in Shoneberg" - Salvation Berlin - International Club Review

“SASHAYING IN SHONEBERG”
SALVATION BERLIN – SATURDAY 23RD OCTOBER
INTERNATIONAL CLUB REVIEW


When we look back over the years, there have been only a small number of club brands that have survived the test of time, more often than not, their lasting appeal down to the fact that they have a following both internationally as well as here in London. And there is no doubt that Salvation’s success, particularly of late, has been as a result of its global rather than domestic standing, the foundations that were originally built in London, now firmly planted in Europe, allowing promoter Steve Elliot & his team to springboard the concept into South America, Australia & South Africa, but also to include destinations like Paris, Stockholm, Ibiza & Mykonos in their year round calendar packed schedule, Berlin having been added to the stable of favourite forays a couple of years ago. So, when we decided to also stretch our own legs into Europe, Salvation simply had to be on our schedule too, a trip to the German capital etched in our dairy a good three months ago and our excitement & anticipation rising relentlessly as the big weekend arrived. So, why all this enthusiasm and were our expectations fulfilled?

Having just about re-charged our batteries from Hustlaball the previous evening, we made a rendezvous with D.J. pals Eduardo De La Torre & Danny Verde, Edu having forgone a Friday meet up due to work commitments & Danny having just arrived from Milan, a late lunch then followed by a sneak preview of Salvations host venue. Having checked out the literature beforehand, we were expecting the place to be pretty close to where we were staying in Shoneburg, although knowing Berlin as we do now, this district of the German capital is pretty large, our trip with Edu, Mrs De la Torre & Danny in the car taking us right into the sticks. However, the trip proved invaluable, as we managed to landmark our directions for later, having decided to be adventurous & t6ake the train, rather than a cab, even bumping into a fellow Londoner on route who had done the same. Mind you, has it not been for our i-phone map application, we may not have made it to the industrial Malzfabrik at all, our arrival instead being as smooth as silk.

Having decided on an early arrival, we were at Salvation’s doors at just turned 11.30 p.m., virtually immediately bumping into a busy looking Steve Elliot, one familiar face in amongst many others, although, to our surprise the cute looking guy managing the entrance also recognised us (what happened to anonymity in this city?!?!), we being waved through in a trice and our belongings efficiently packed away in the adjacent coatcheck. With that small formality over, our sashaying in Schoneburg was about to begin, the main room literally opening out in front of us, this massive warehouse having previously been the home of the infamous sex parties held by the Kitkat club, the raw feel of the warehouse style of the place broken by sophisticated lighting & the massive LED D.J. booth which was making a colourful splash & statement.

And this was our first port of call, bounding up to say hello to Edu, who was warming up this Salvation showing with some seriously tech infused sounds which were booming out from the massive speakers banging down from the ceiling which was a good 50 foot above. With our greetings over, we retreated to the bar to seek refreshments, this time opting for the energy boosting choice rather than the beer of Hustlaball before, we also being conscious that some serious pacing was going to be required , should we also make the essential trip to Berghain as so many people had said we should do. Relaxing into a spot by the bar, it was clear we had arrived early, as it took quite some time for the crowd to develop, however, like many Saturday night gatherings in London, one minute the place seemed rather empty & the next it was packed full, the collective crowd very much more the club type we were used to, a myriad of muscled men, plenty of glamorous girls & even familiar club kids, one guy in particular noticing us from our times at Fire in Vauxhall (isn’t the world small sometimes), while a number of other faces were familiar, obviously the trip to Berlin this weekend being a popular choice & Salvation a definite draw.

But, we were now very expectant of the arrival of not just Danny Verde, but also an inbound Nick Tcherniak, whom we had seen just a week or so previously back in London, both of us very much looking forward to partying together outside of our usual haunts, rather internationally for the first time. And arrive they both did, Danny spotting us as he made his way to take over from Edu in Malzfabrik’s main room, while Nick assumed the decks up in the second room upstairs, the entry to which was up a most industrial & well worn set of stairs, the whole ambience both on the ascension & the arrival in the room, much more draconian than we were used to, although Nick’s music was anything but, we finding our steps to his sounds in an instant, the space soon filling out with plenty of party people, very much into the more intimate atmosphere of this separate space. And with a tremendously warm welcome from the man himself, we couldn’t have felt more at home, this feeling made even more fulsome by the second familiar face of fellow D.J. Paul Coals, who had been warming up the space & was later to take position in the main room.

Now we were very much in Salvation mood, trading this lofty space with devotions to Danny downstairs, each visit back & forth timed to perfection as both Nick & our Milano mate picked tunes that tripped off our musical memories, Nick’s “My People” track yet again a highlight, having already played a prolific part in our weekend, Danny’s “Let Me See Your Underwear”, “Pushin To The Top” & even his bootleg of Madonna’s “Vogue” getting airplay. However, the music in the main room was only part of the scintillating story, as not only were we treated to a pulsating P.A. performance by London based Valerie, but a succession of dancers were intermixed by fire eating displays & a most explosive angle grinding show, played out virtually in front of our eyes on the expansive podium to (yes you guessed it) the left of the D.J. booth, our favoured spot in any club.

Henceforth, we simply couldn’t separate the delectable deliveries from the deck maestro’s performing in our midst, darts back & forth intermixed with plenty of camera clicking of Raul Gonzalez’s drop dead gorgeous go-go’s both males & females impressing immensely, the crowd showing their appreciation with every move they made on the podiums, Danny’s brilliant beats even ensuring that on the few occasions the elevated areas were absent, they were quickly filled with bare tops beauties from the cavorting crowd, the laser lighting & ticker tape drops from the ceiling above adding to the amazing atmosphere in this truly voluptuous venue. Even Nick was having his say upstairs, true devotees to his terrific tech honed house music there by choice, we even bumping into yet more faces from back in London who were as pleased to see us as we them, the sweat from their furied frolicking evidence of just how good our fabulous friend was entertaining enthrallingly.

With Danny virtually done with his set, the second impromptu back-to-back set of the weekend was about to take place, the duo of Nick Tcherniak & Paul Coals taking over the main room music, both upping the tempo from the second room before, Paul especially impressing with his diversity compared with his guest spots & residencies back in London, Nick sliding easily into the change of pace & playing to the crowd like the seasoned pro he is. And, the crowd were incredibly receptive of their performance, not the thinning out that you all too often get back in London, when the call of a certain afterhours drags people away prematurely, these Salvation sophisticates seeing out most of the remainder of this exceptional event close to the 7 a.m. finish, even the performers, Danny, Edu & Valerie partying around us right till the end, everyone thoroughly enjoying the whole experience so much they, like us, didn’t want it to end. But, with the last tune played out by Nick, the time had come to move on, we choosing a relatively swift exit with Mr Tcherniak & Valerie, to make that essential must visit to Berlin’s Berghain club to continue what had been a simply sensational Saturday come Sunday soaked in Salvation splendour.

In Salvation as a club brand we have enjoyed some truly prolific parties, most if not all in London’s Cafe de Paris, very much on the glamorous end of the clubbing venue market. Having said that, the Hippodrome made for a truly awe inspiring setting, as have the couple of occasions we have sampled it in the brilliance of Barcelona, although to see it acted out in the Industrial & bohemian setting that was Malzfabrik in Berlin was an experience we will remember for a long time to come, as not only did it show Salvation in a new light, but it made for an altogether fresh & fulfilling time in what has fast become one of our favourite city destinations. Yes, the venue was a little bit out in the sticks but that made Salvation much more of an adventure & given the numbers through the doors, there is still clearly a penchant for this long established brand, not just in Berlin but across Europe & even the further reaches across the globe, meaning that sashaying in Shoneberg was certainly scintillating & we salute you, superb Salvation, bring on the next party, we can’t wait. (DISCO MATT)

"Macho Meet Up In Mitte" - Hustlaball Berlin - International Club Review

“MACHO MEET-UP IN MITTE”
HUSTLABALL BERLIN – FRIDAY 22ND OCTOBER
INTERNATIONAL CLUB REVIEW


When it comes to combining horny action with disco dancing, it doesn’t come much better than Hustlaball, the club brand that has its origins in New York, but has very much spread its word across in Europe, first touching our lives just over two years ago when it landed on London for the time, taking our breath away at Renaissance rooms, the combination of superbly saucy stage shows & heaps of horny horseplay, very much giving us an appetite for more of the same. Having repeated the affair back in May, even meeting up with the Hustlaball top brass, the club was firmly on our radar, so when a trip to Berlin was planned, it came as no surprise that a second macho meet up, this time in the city’s Mitte district at the new Kitkat club no less, simply had to be on the cards. But, how did our third liaison with this erotic event turn out? Was it bonking in Berlin? or simply monotony in Mitte?

We like to think of ourselves as pretty organised, although for some reason, whenever we travel abroad, however much planning we do, certain elements never turn out as they should expect, our trip to Berlin & Hustlaball being a perfect example. Yes, we knew that it would be on the cards and yes, we had come prepared, packing our leather chaps, boots & accompaniments, although no, we had not done much research as to where & when the main event would take place, an update on our favourite social networking site seemingly indicating the party being scheduled for the Sunday, our minds fixing on this when deciding to devote the whole of Friday to touring around the beauty of Berlin’s superb sights, rather than concentrating on clubbing cavorting. However, fate was to lend us a helping hand as not only did we bump into the familiar face of D.J. & club entrepreneur Fabio White within hours of landing in Germany’s capital, but a well timed text deluded to the fact that we had got our dates seriously wrong & had just three hours to get our act together & head for the Kitkat club in Mitte.

So, with all our leather paraphernalia sorted & us looking very much dressed to impress, we made the relatively straight forward trip across to Kopenicker Street, arriving at Hustlball’s host venue doors at not long turned 10.30 p.m., quite early by Berlin & our own standards, although with news that the party was a sell-out, we didn’t want to be disappointed with missing out in any way. Finding an already healthy queue of people waiting to enter, it wasn’t long before we found ourselves within the Kitkat club, leaving our belongings with the well organised & speedy coatcheck and then sinking ourselves straight into the action, the multi layered & cavernous club opening out in front of us, immediately drawing comparisons in our minds with Turnmills back in London, the Kitkat club a much bigger version, yet with that same decadent & delightful feel that has made Trade’s ancestral home so special.

Indeed, as we wandered around the myriad of rooms, each one having their own character & feel, yet all connected with an air of mystery & intrigue, there was no doubt in our mind that Hustlaball had found the perfect place for pitching their porno party, from the generous outside terrace, to the calm chill-out room with plunge pool, & from the magnificent main room through to the compact yet charming underground bar, the club had it all, save for a sling or two, well at least what we thought, although we were kindly informed the following evening that there were plenty & much activity in them too, damn & blast!! Mind you, such was the labyrinth of nooks, crannies, rooms & passage ways; it wasn’t surprising that we failed to find them, our thoughts more on the main room action, rather than the play areas.

So, finding a spot, surprisingly just left of the D.J. booth (sounds familiar), we watched as the space filled pretty rapidly, Sorry Shoes head poncho, Mike Kelly, in charge of the tunes, pumping out a mix of electro tech & uplifting beats to a crowd that was as nearly eclectic as his record choices, men sporting leather harnesses & the like, dancing right next to guys in sports gear with much in between, but all intent on soaking up the building atmosphere. And it wasn’t long before a bevy of beauties ascended the podiums & bar top not far from where we were standing, adding their own element of saucy sexual intrigue in advance of the main show which was about to come, the arrival of both incumbent D.J., Fabio White & show host Chi Ch La Rue almost simultaneous, all eyes moving towards the stage & Miss La Rue’s gaggle of gorgeous go go’s, while ours were pointed more towards the booth where Mr White was gearing up for his own prolific performance.

With Chi Chi’s rousing of the crowd over & the go-go’s intermixing their displays with the odd porn star here & there, most of the attention swung towards the dancing and no surprise really, as Fabio White certainly took up the mantle marvellously, the height of Mr Kelly’s set, a superb rendition of the Tcherniak & Thomas hit, “My People”, been reached & surpassed with virtually every record choice, Fabio hitting the mark & sending the crowd wild with a glorious mix of funky & chunky tunes to match the raunchy & rocking feel of this Hustlaball Berlin main space, laser lighting at full tilt & the podiums swarming with party heads intent on dancing till dawn & beyond. Indeed, such was the amazing atmosphere, the room continuing to pack out with people, even our relative anonymity smashed by the arrival of Svetlana Queen, whom we had bumped into upon our arrival in Berlin two days previously & were now partying hard once again, even Lovechild’s Dee Crooks popping across to say hello, yet another unexpected yet lovely liaison.

Now we were well into our stride, the familiar spot by the D.J. booth helping us feel at home & an ever attentive barman making our time all the more pleasurable, although it was the magnificent music that Fabio White was serving up that was the epitome of our enjoyment, one track after the next having us dancing in a dervish, in between clicking shots of the action in front of our eyes with our phone camera, even catching the man himself in action, Fabio clearly revelling in the rapturous reception he was receiving. But, as good as the main room was, we had to take a few moments to explore the other spaces, first stopping off to say our hello’s to Chris Bekker in the second space & then made a dart across to the outside area, where we bumped into Mr Hustlaball himself, Jeffrey David, he very much content with his lot and quite rightly so, as reports had come in of a 3000 plus turnout, we not at all surprised as it seemed virtually every square inch was buzzing with party heads.

But it was back to the main room where Fabio was polishing off his prolific performance before handing over to yet another Italian, this time the good yet menacing looking Phil Romano who had not long arrived with fellow D.J. & pal Steven Redant, both deciding that an impromptu back-to-back session was the order of the day, Mr White relinquishing the decks and then disappearing into the madding crowd for a bit of post disc spinning saucery. And, with Messrs Romano & Redant doing their full on tech & progressive stuff, we were soon taken on a much tougher journey of sound, although by now we were completely carefree, such had been the euphoric extent of Fabio’s set, even the uncharacteristic amount of beverages we had consumed not dampening our spirits. However, having pretty much danced our socks off but not having taken anything off (if you know what we mean!), a final investigation around the club was required, before we decided to call it a morning, well it was by now, waving farewell to the Kitkat club, to return to our weekend base to re-charge our batteries (phone & all) for the next instalment in our Berlin bonanza break.

Walking away from this Hustlaball party with a smile as big as a Cheshire cat, pretty much summed up our experience at the Kitkat club, the smile very much representative of our amazement at the venue and the magnificent music, not least from Fabio White who served up a truly stellar set. We have to say that the crowd was not quite the handsome looking lot we have seen at events in London and the mix of sports gear & leather was an interesting combination, but you cannot deny that the whole party had a much more raunchy, intimate & sexy feel than the two Hustlball’s we have witnessed back home which made this Berlin outing all the more enjoyable. Plus, in answering those questions we raised earlier, to say that Hustalball Berlin was simply mundane in Mitte would be a judgement way past the mark, yet whilst, for us it wasn’t quite bonking in Berlin, it could have been had we found those illusive slings (then our cousin Crisco Matt would definitely have been out), but we had a good enough time as it was, meaning that come 2011, we will certainly be considering a re-visit. (DISCO MATT)

"Brimming With Buff Bodies" - Lovechild "Hot Muscle" - Club Review

“BRIMMING WITH BUFF BODIES”
LOVECHILD “HOT MUSCLE” – SATURDAY 16TH OCTOBER
CLUB REVIEW


You have probably realised that hardly a month goes by now without us making a homage to the club that saw promoter Alex Erfan re-emerge as one of the big players on the scene in London, this brand certainly seeing no signs of succumbing to the toils & troubles of a floundering economy. However, with our European tour of duties getting the start it needed in Paris at the end of September, we missed out on the last outing, a marriage with French outfit Delice and all those drop dead gorgeous boys that come with it, reports coming in that they certainly wowed their captive audience as they always seem to do. But, with the prospect of a more manly & beefed up affair this time round, we were certainly not going to miss a trip down to Fire to savour the delights of Lovechild at its testosterone best, the male body also being projected as the art form it is in this memento to all things muscular. So, what was “Hot Muscle” meet all about, were we inspired by all the man meat around & did we come away satisfied with our lot?

Having been plagued with one piece of bad news after the next just over a week before, very much putting paid to most of what was looking like a hectic weekend, with matters somewhat more settled in our world, we were in much more of a fun filled frame of mind as we made our way down to Vauxhall for this muscle-bound man fest, marking our first trip to Fire in nearly four weeks (a rarity these days), the last being the wonderful The Week event which set us up beautifully for our trip to Paris. But eyes were very much on Lovechild this time round, as we arrived at the re-organised rear entrance to the club, the ever smiling Andrew Jones on hand to welcome us, although it was a mere moment before the radiant Roni Inan arrived, his trademark fur coat number on (it was a pretty cold night) to usher us in. Mind you, with duties pulling him away before you could say brass monkey’s, we joined a long & slow moving coatcheck in the outdoors, waiting patiently for our turn, only relinquishing our coat at the last minute due to the cold.

Inside and we immediately headed for the bar, Booster Romain Lopez spotting us and doing the honours while catching up on news of the previous weekend, but with drinks in hand we were keen to investigate this hot lovechild muscle meet, advancing into the main room where new resident & good looker to boot, Doug Ui’im was in charge of the decks, pumping out a glorious mix of funky & chunky euro style beats with an uplifting twist that was certainly warming the already considerable crowd into this latest love-in with Alex Erfan’s brilliant brand. Looking around the room, it was evident that the planned artwork from Anthony Chia-Bradley was being displayed all around the room, interesting canvases swinging in amongst the banks of laser lighting that were bombarding the walls & ceilings of this evolving main space in Fire. Indeed, on in advancing right down to the end, it was clear that nine bells were still being knocked out of the room, a planned new bar area & mezzanine VIP lounge in the making.

With the main room gaining momentum & the massive new light installation at full tilt, we headed into the lounge to catch up with regular D.J. resident, Gabrielle Cutrano, who was mixing up a delicious cocktail of tech infused yet laid back tunes that had a select crowd moving & grooving around the central pole-dancing podium, two excitable individuals swinging around like spinning tops in a child’s playground. There we caught a moment with incumbent D.J. Hugh Stevenson, who was due to play a back-to-back set with other former Beyond Colosseum icon disc spinner, Alan X, we very much looking forward to their performance, probably more than any other on the line-up, although our attention was soon grabbed first by Danny Shubert and then by an off duty Phil Hewson who had special guest New Yorker Justin Ryan in his midst, the main floor bound man having flown in especially for this Lovechild event from a tour of duty in Brazil, we catching a mere moment of his time before heading back into the action next door.

Back in the main space & Leroy Tayler was now selecting the sounds, the crowd being further delighted by the arrival of a collection of muscle-bound go-go’s, very much on the man end of the scale compared with previous events, the foursome very much cutting a considerable stride on the generous dance stage wrapping around the D.J. booth, their tight torso’s & pumping pecs exciting the crowd in front of them, although merely paving the way for bigger things to come as the main event body builders from head muscle man Lucas Alexander’s stable were yet to show their hand. However two people that did were Industri pal Stephen & fellow friend Stefan, both bounding up to say hello & then Stefan, without warning, jumped onto the podium in front of us, now vacated by the dancers, and gave us his own impromptu performance, soon being joined by the larger than life yet magnificent Chrissy Darling, dressed in yet another unique & striking costume, the duo attracting much attention from the wave of camera’s pointed in their direction.

However, by now the duo of Alan X & Hugh Stevenson where firing up the mirrorarch which some truly terrific tunes, we choosing this room over the two others for our lion’s share of devotions for the rest of the evening, many more also making the same choice, such was the extent & enjoyment from the heavenly house hits this dynamic duo were delivering. Indeed, we would have stayed put for the rest of their set, had it not been for a roll call from Alex, his request pulling us back into the main room where the bevy of body builders had gathered on the stage for a rip roaring pose down, each & every one of them seemingly enjoying showing off their assets to the goggle eyed admirers in front of them, the music pace first slowing as the muscle men posed & then gathered considerable pace as Mr Alexander had a go on the decks, pulling out the track that never fails to get a reaction, “Release Me” short of blowing the roof off Fire, the posers replaced by prancers revelling in the brilliant beats, guest D.J. Justin Ryan then taking over & moving the music up a further gear or two with a distinct New York style hard edge to it that had the room pulsating.

However, both Alan & Hugh were drawing us back, so we headed through to the mirrorarch once more, being stopped in our tracks by Paul Heron, whom we had not seen for such a long time, but who was very much looking forward to setting his designated room alight, this second room spot right up his street, he hardly failing to hit the mark with tonnes of terrific tunes. And with the dynamic duo bowing out, it was Paul’s turn to show the crowd what he was made of, the room soon swelling to capacity as he set about laying down some scintillating sounds, tech & progressive based but rip roaring in their delivery that had the room rampant. Then to add to the incredible atmosphere, first the muscled body builders returned to delight and then the room’s sponsor, Regulation, placed a small collection of dildo’s on one of the podiums next to us, although while the collection may have been small the dildo’s were far from, one absolutely huge, wider than our arm in fact. So, the inevitable happened and with Chris Jepson in situ, first one dildo was pushed against our lips, then another, this time by the ever present Roni Inan, a few more people getting in on the act with Chris snapping away merrily, this very much setting the tone for the remainder of our evening in the hands of a prolific performance by Paul & in the delightful company of Roni, Danny, Stefan & Stephen, seeing out our testosterone & muscle inspired walk on the Lovechild side close to the 7 a.m. finish before heading to pastures Beyond.

Having been part of our regular monthly calendar for close on a year now, it would be fair to say that in Lovechild we sometimes take things a little too much for granted and it is only sitting back a few days after an event these days that we truly realise just how good the parties actually are. And in “Hot Muscle” this was very much the case, the experience at the time not feeling anything too special, yet looking back, it actually was. With a choice of three rooms serving up significantly different styles of music from a wealth of talent in both resident & guest D.J.’s, there is no question that Lovechild deserves its spot in our devotions and whilst the formula may be pretty much the same, Alex & his team always keep the theme fresh & inviting, meaning there is always something new to inspire & delight. As for this time, well our delight were those dildo’s & the inspiration was the incredible music, so keep it coming Lovechild and we can’t wait for the next party in November. (DISCO MATT)

"Prolonged Pop-In" - Profile Bar - Review

“PROLONGED POP-IN”
PROFILE BAR – FRIDAY 15TH OCTOBER
BAR REVIEW


It seems such a long time since we devoted a review to a bar, but then to be honest, following a guiding light back in May, we have severely cut down our alcohol intake, not that we need to consume this kind of liquid to be in & around bars, although the culture in the capital seems to lend itself to that. Mind you, we still partake of the odd shandy here & there, generally as a quick refreshing boost after a long day burning up London’s roads, more often on a Friday, although the days of wobbling home are long gone, meaning if we make a night of a bar trip or hop, our rule of thumb is home first James & then back out on two feet rather than two wheels. But you know what they say about rules and by golly did we break ours last Friday, Profile being the host for our night of naughtiness, all in the best possible taste though.

Now, without question, the bar that has ruled the roost in our times knocking around the Soho scene has been Rupert Street, our devotions to this stylish sophisticate having been consistent since it opened over 12 years ago, although the recent re-location of relative new kid, Profile Bar, to Wardour Street has made it much more accessible & indeed with bigger sister Lo-Profile now just downstairs, makes for a superb combined destination night out. Mind you, come Friday’s there is only one place for us to be and that is upstairs, whether it be a trip back for one of the many pre-parties the bar hosts, or if a mere drop in after work before making the journey home. However, this last Friday ended up being something much more extended and a great deal of fun to boot.

So, having initially planned merely to pop into our usual stop off at Rupert Street, a voice in the back of our mind was also saying to zoom round to Profile bar to say a quick hello to Friday resident D.J. Phil Marriot, who always gets the evening started in superb style, this Gaydar Radio jock also transmitting his set live on the stations clubnation show. So, the music he selects is always incredibly accessible, uplifting yet club like, making for an altogether sumptuous set of sounds to start the weekend in style. So, having made our way up & into this Wardour Street watering hole, we headed straight for the D.J. corner to makes our presence felt by the man behind the decks, Phil beaming out at us in his usual fashion while clearly in the zone with his mixing. Leaving him to his devices, we headed to the bar to grab refreshments, catching our favourite barman’s attention, the usual “black sambuca” joke (long story) raising smiles from both of us.

Back in our position by the booth we caught up on news with Phil, at this stage our visit planned as just a brief one before heading home after a long day toiling around London’s roads, but with the expected arrival of New York glamour drag queen, Peppermint, we were keen to make a liaison, our glass soon emptying and a refill sought at the now very busy bar, Profile a heavenly haven for some very good looking men & luxuriant ladies, a real buzz in the air & a mix between drinkers & diners making for an altogether enchanting experience. But we were intent on making a little mayhem in our corner, Phil also in a naughty mood ahead of the arrival of his partner, Russell (we won’t use his nickname) who was expected any minute. And arrive he did, bounding up to Phil and engaging in an endearing embrace before turning to us to say hello, remarking that it had been a while, back in June in fact at Onyx in Vauxhall, on that occasion it being a momentary meet.

Now it was clear that our evening at Profile was going to be much more prolonged than we had expected, although very much in a good way of course, as it became clear that we had much more in common with Russell than we had thought, he too having firm roots in South Africa, his accent in our more fulsome conversation coming out much more clearly than before. So it wasn’t long before we started reminiscing about our homeland, talk of braai’s borevoors & biltong intermixed with all sorts of other splendid South African specialities that had us transfixed & transcending into magical memory moments minute after minute. Such was the extent of our enjoyment, all thought of our homeward journey was long gone, even Russell deciding to stay in the grip of Profile rather than head for a planned meet with work colleagues, the time flowing by effortlessly as was the conversation, we even being treated to snippets of our second tongue, Afrikaans, from the expert in our midst.

With the truly superb night unfolding, it wasn’t long before we were tempted into consuming sambuca shots & jaeger bombs (lethal), Phil joining in on the frivolity, as was a number of people that had arrived, choosing our corner of calamity & cavorting, dancing friend Andrea making an appearance which, in itself, signalled a yet further terrific treat to our evening. Through all this activity around him, Phil was doing a sterling job concentrating on his job in hand, he delivering track after track that kept grabbing our attention in amongst our reminiscing with Russell, one particular favourite of ours & the song of the moment for us, “Happiness” getting an airing, although yet another version to the ones we had heard both recently & when the track broke our world. And the fabulous music kept coming, making any intended departure all the more difficult, although we were far from ready to throw in the towel, rather carry on with the chat & calamity, the dancing & the drinking that was making this very much impromptu evening something rather special.

Profile was now a sea of people all intent of fulfilling their Friday, some starting their night here before venturing to pastures new, but many more others ready to party deep into Saturday morning down in sister venue Lo-Profile below, where D.J. delights Jamie Head & Paul Heron were ready to entertain, posters plastered around Profile’s walls to advertise the fact. And before we knew it, the jovial Jamie was in our midst, weaving through the crowd & coming up to say his usual warm hello before descending to get things going downstairs. This was virtually immediately followed by the arrival of Peppermint, this New York glamour puss preparing for a showing at Shadow Lounge, but putting time aside to come & meet up with Mr Marriot, an introduction coming our way before she disappeared into the night nearly as quickly as she had come out of it.

By now we were feeling a little worse for wear, the sambuca & the jaeger bombs having taken effect, although it was not curbing our enthusiasm for this truly enigmatic evening we were experiencing, conversation with Russell still at full tilt & Phil looking over virtually constantly trying to grab a piece of the action in between choosing tunes. However, with 11 p.m. approached & gone in a flash, time was close to calling a halt to what had been one of the best Friday’s we could remember for a long time, although an energetic Andrea was determined for our night to continue down in Lo-Profile, we very close to be tempted save for the need to collect our belongings that had been safely stored away in Rupert Street, our first call for the evening. So, with this march of time, we waved our farewells to Phil, to Russell and to the collective crowd that had touched our evening, departing to wend our way home & reflect on a most fantastic Friday of full on Profile fun & giving thanks to everyone that touched our time there, especially Phil & Russell, we are privileged to know you.

Having been around for both the launch and the first birthday, Profile in its new location on Wardour Street has certainly become a firm favourite of ours. Not only does it provide a haven from the sometimes hectic surroundings it finds itself within in Soho, but with an extensive food menu, all prepared fresh (and we mean fresh) on the premises to American style booth tables & even snacks to the bar area, the whole experience is one of complete satisfaction. Furthermore, the previous issues with slow drinks service has been significantly improved, the engaging & friendly bar team going that extra mile to make your visit one to remember rather than forget, meaning we cannot express our recommendation highly enough apart from saying as we always say, Go There! Be There! (DISCO MATT)