Archive for October 2010
October 17, 2010 | 
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“BLIGHTY BASED BOYS”
DM DOES THE NEWS (PART ONE) –
SUNDAY 17TH OCTOBER
MUSIC IS THE ANSWER
With life over the last few weeks being topsy turvy to say the least, while we have been holding our own with both reviews & preview (weekend) posts, our much beloved Music Is The Answer reports have taken a back step. But with there being a relentless amount of new music out there, we thought we would get back into gear with not one, but two D.M. Does The News posts, this one concentrating on U.K. based talents and their latest compilations, tracks or simply just news on forthcoming gigs. So, sit back as we rifle through a veritable feast of D.J.’s & their work, giving the all important links to spectacular new sounds, as well as linking into other reports of ours.
Right, so we kick off very much with a Beyond theme, especially given just how good last weekend’s Japanese inspired bash was, “Tokyo” probably our best this year yet in so many ways, although the music did much of the talking, not least from the main floor boys of Steve Pitron, Mikey D & Alan K. So before we dive into them, here’s the link to our review which you can catch at http://discomatt.blogspot.com/2010/10/blog-post.
Turning to the D.J’s and first Steve Pitron, his set was full of amazing Beyond anthems as well as tunes from his “Summer 2010” which we still cannot put down, so simply can’t resist mentioning it again as it will certainly be vying for top spot in our year end compilation round up. So, go check it out at http://stevepitronsessions.podomatic.com & for those of you that were at Beyond “Tokyo”, relive some of those magic moments. While we are waiting for a follow up from Steve, he remains busy in the studio with production partner Max Sanna, their latest a pure gem of a remix of Robyn’s single “Indestructible”, which also made his set on Sunday & is well worth grabbing at http://soundcloud.com/maxsanna/sets/robyn-indestructible-max-sanna-steve-pitron-remix. Plus, with Steve’s birthday round the corner, what better way to wish him many happy returns with the first mention here.
Right onto Mikey D, who has also recently released a smashing compilation, “Lose Control” right up there in our rankings & filling our ears virtually every day. Seeing & hearing him performance at Beyond “Tokyo” was like sitting right in this magnificent mix, which has 14 truly amazing tracks on it, virtually all making his set on Sunday, fan-flaming-tastic. So, you just have to grab this compilation which (yes we know) we have mentioned a few times already. So, go to http://mikeyd.podomatic.com, immerse yourself into “Lose Control” & come out well & truly elevated. Plus, while you’re at it, go check out the official video for opening track “Seek Bromance” at http://youtube.com/watch?v=eWUC5Q0RCAA.
Onto Alan K and never have we seen a D.J. with so much effervescent energy behind the decks, he especially coming into his own at Beyond. Having flown the flag for the club in Greece, Holland & France over the summer, we were so pleased to see him last Sunday and savour the majority of his set (we tried to leave twice but couldn’t tear ourselves away), so are as pleased as punch that he has laid down a compilation marking his prolific performance at “Tokyo” on Sunday morning. This amazing mix truly transfixed us from start to finish, as did his set, so we cannot recommend it enough, which you can play & download at http://djalank.podomatic.com.
Now, before we leave the Beyond subject, Hifi Sean gets his own look in, his pulsating performance in the Terrace room truly magical, especially given he had literally landed straight into “Tokyo” from Athens. We referred to his showing as “Sushi Sounds Sean Style”, although he preferred the phrase “teriyaki tech”, the word tech very much the vogue come R.A.W.’s 4th birthday at Orange in a few short hours, Sean having laid down a special mix to mark the occasion, he being very much in the thick of the action. Plus, hot off the press is his latest monthly “hifi-cast” as well as the second in his “Chill” series, all three marvellous mixes available at http://hifiseandj.podomatic.com.
Onward and linking into Nick Tcherniak, who has been a very busy boy indeed, having had a spell out in Spain, in the recording studio with production partner Steve Thomas, the duo still riding high on the back of both “My People” & “Deep Water”, the latter’s remix package still at number one in a host of download charts, Hifi Sean’s mix a particular favourite of ours. Add to that his new EP, “The Answer” featuring vocal from Lizzie France, which has started promo just this week and there is no question Nick is riding high at the moment, he even having had time to lay down two podcasts following his appearances at Matinee & SuperMartXe, both including “The Answer” & the Matinee mix also featuring “Deep Water” & Alan X’s stunning remix of “My People. So these are essentials for your collection which you can get now at http://nicktcherniak.podomatic.com. 
Talking of SuperMartXe, Tony English is certainly getting in on the act recently, having starred at the last two parties, as well as playing at Logan Schmitz’s home-grown brand, Hype, back on August Bank Holiday. That apart & he plays for both Lovechild & Puscha in London, as well as connecting with a host of European D.J.’s through his weekly Saturday radio show on Push.FM, which he compresses into monthly podcasts in a series of “Social” releases, that latest featuring WE & Cafe Ole resident Danny Leblack. Tony always manages to dig deep & find a whole host of hits making it big on the continent, so these podcasts are certainly worth a listen, which you can do so at http://tonyenglish.podomatic.com, the man also about to release his SuperMartXe “Porno Star” mix, due out tomorrow.
Now, while we are in Logan mode, lets fire through some mixes you should go grab, the Logan presents podcast page worth a look at http://loganpresentspodcast.podomatic.com, the latest edition put together by Tony English, while Matinee’s Michel Mizrahi has also been busy in the studio, his latest “Autumn Beats” mix a fabulous 114 minutes of mixes well worth tapping into at http://soundcloud.com/michel-mizrahi. And before we leave the subject our own Italian stallion, Pagano, will be featuring large at the forthcoming Logan Presents Matinee outing at MOS, but you can catch a slice of his last prolific performance at http://facebook.com/video.php?v=486674111270, while his studio work continues unabated, his latest “Rave Monkey” remix of the track “I Try” by Made By Monkeys, available to listen via http://youtube.com/watch?v=nz_BTVc7_wg, apple tart anyone?! (hilarious!!), plus we will keep you posted on that much anticipated “Digital Generation” compilation release.
Right, switching alliances a little, we head in the direction of Lovechild & a band of residents that have been busy recording, the terrific Terry Vietheer having popped up here there & everywhere recently, his Lovechild mix now fourth in-line with more later releases that include compilations for B2B & Barcode, while he has a new track out too, “East Village” having been released just two days ago & is a corker. Catch all these compilations & this new track at http://soundcloud.com/terryvietheer, while another Lovechild youngster, Jc Christopher, has added Friday night club Onyx to his D.J. roster, as well as laying down a vocal edition in his “House Mix Tapes” series, which has 14 brilliant tracks on it & is a worthy addition to your collection which you can grab at http://jcchristopher.podomatic.com. But Lovechild also have their own podcast site, various D.J.’s taking turns to add their own stamp to the growing series, the latest coming from Gabriele Cutrano who performed perfectly at “Lovechild Meets Delice” at the end of September, this mix very much evoking his superb set, which is well worth checking out at http://lovechildclub.podomatic.com.
But the Lovechild story continues, as resident Alessandro Londra has very much been flying the flag for the brand overseas recently, a tour of Australia a couple of weeks ago, immediately followed by Amsterdam last Saturday and our hard working bello is literally on his way back from Istanbul, where he was representing & promoting Alex Erfan’s outfit at The Otherside club. Yet, having clocked up well over 20,000 air miles in three weeks, he has still managed to lay down a compilation, which was handed out on CD at the party last night, but is also available at http://lovechildclub.podomatic.com.
Now, another Lovechild resident has been feverishly busy in the studio of late, not to mention lauding it around London at a vast array of clubs, from TTD to Hotwired, Hard-On to Sweat, Lo-Profile to Barcode, even making a stunning show at The Week back in September when we were glued to the Latin Lounge for close on three hours. Add to that his web work for SeenQueen & the launch of new social networking site MyGayFace (MGF) and Brent Nicholls just doesn’t know how or when to stop. And he doesn’t stand still in music terms either, three mixes having been released in just over a month, dedications to Hard On’s! 7th birthday & new club T.T.D. two great mixes, although for us, can’t quite match the magic of his “Get On MyGayFace” compilation, which is knocking on the door for top spot in our 2010 chart. Now, we will be going in-depth on MGF in a forthcoming Disco Matt-ers report, but in the meantime, go sample Brent’s latest works at http://djbrentnicholls.com/web/music and watch this space for a new 3 hour mix of re-hashed, re-mixed & re-made classic pop tunes along with some latest hits rolled in for good measure, which we have been privy to for just over a week now (it’s amazing).
Right, we are nearly there, but before we finish up, coming back full circle (ish), quick mentions go to Norbert M who made his A:M debut yesterday morning, having triumphed in a recent D.J. competition at Heaven’s club night Popcorn, his latest podcast very much a reflection of his performance which you can grab at http://norbertmik.podomatic.com, while Popcorn resident Jamie Hammond has just issued his own latest mix “Live Set 08/10” which we think is his best yet, so well worth a listen at http://d-jamie.podomatic.com. Now, sadly, we missed out on The Wig Party last Sunday, but heard it was amazing, Rob Sykes certainly making an impact at both the main event at Cafe de Paris & the afterparty in Area, although it was the after afterparty where he laid down his latest mix in front of friends & family, so is rather special & worth checking out at http://djrobsykes.podomatic.com.
So what was this full circle we were referring to? Well, we started with Beyond & we finish with a Beyond resident, but someone who will be an intrinsic ingredient at R.A.W.’s 4th birthday later tonight, being the lynch pin in the duo that started it all in 2006. Now, he may have proclaimed that Tony De Vit is his greatest D.J. of all time, but Gonzalo Rivas has to be right up there for so many people too. To say his career is littered with plaudits is an understatement and he has featured in some of the biggest parties & club brands around. With yet another birthday (the big one) just around the corner, Gonzalo is definitely in the mood to celebrate, so has, along with Hifi Sean, laid down a new compilation especially for R.A.W’s anniversary which is truly awesome, although we know the Trade one (currently in the making) will be just as good, if not better. Plus, his A;M blast from the past mix is classic Gonzalo too, so while he may be last in our post he is far from least in our estimation, meaning that both mixes are in our collection and should be in yours too, so don’t delay, get downloading at http://gonzalorivas.podomatic.com.
Well, we are out of time & space, but just want to give quick shouts to Per Q.X. who has some fab new tracks out, to Elliot J Brown how has been mixing in the studio, to new talent Zach Burns that amazed at A:M last week, to Nathan 6 who has put out some new music and finally to Glasgow based Michael Dow, all who will be part of forthcoming posts in the next couple of weeks.
In the meantime, keep your eyes peeled for our “Energetic Euro’s” news post which will be out shortly, but we hope you find favour with the choices here, leaving us to simply say “sit back, turn up the volume, select those sounds & let them play, as music is the answer”. (DISCO MATT)
Postscript
We started this post with a flavour of Beyond and we simply had to share yet another amazing experience, courtesy of two incredible individuals that went that extra mile with us this morning in Area.
Not only have we known him for close on 14 years now, but the musical journey Steve Pitron has taken us on is immense, a whole variety of clubs & events touching our lives where Steve has been involved. But, we were simply blown away by his comradeship this morning in Beyond, so much so we once again witnessed 2 hours of Pitron perfection in a set that included every anthem you could wish for. The man is genius and words cannot describe just how much, our best way to show appreciation of his art is to dance “…in our spot…” knowing that the man knows we are there and, in the words of one anthem, “…let the music pump right through me I can feel it in my bones…” & “…come on now show me pretty ladies how you really like to dance…” as in Steve’s hands do we dance or what.
Then, as if our morning wasn’t special enough, were in for a treat or what when Alan K invited us behind the D.J. booth where we witnessed this multi mixing maestro in full flow. His euphoric interpretations of records like “Release Me” (lyrics extracts above) & “Underground” are amazing from the dancefloor, but when you witness him waving his magical wand over them first hand, it is a glorious sight to behold. The energy he develops & what comes back from the crowd is truly remarkable and grovel in gratification of his, another genius in our eyes.
What more is there to say, apart from Beyond should always include an S, a P, an A & a K. You guys are awesome and we are so lucky to know you.
Posted in Music | 
Tags: A:M, Alan K, Alessandro Londra, Beyond, Gonzalo Rivas R.A.W., Hifi Sean, Jamie Hammond, Jc Christopher, Logan Presents, Lovechild, Matinee, Michel Mizrahi, Mikey D, Nick Tcherniak, Norbert M, Orange, Pagano, Rob Sykes, Steve Pitron, Steve Thomas, SuperMartXe, Terry Vietheer, Tony English | 
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Hey Folks,
Having missed out on two parties, weren’t we just glad we made the third last weekend, as Beyond “Tokyo” as a truly amazing event, probably one of the best this year so far, so it goes without saying that we gave it our full review treatment, which you can check out now at direct link http://discomatt.blogspot.com/2010/10/blog-post & don’t forget to check the postscript link to three fabulous podcasts.
Right, moving on and the week seems to have flow by, meaning that another weekend is on our doorsteps, so it’s time once again, to weed through the offerings & pick our Best Bites for the weekend across Soho, Vauxhall & elsewhere. But before we do, this post is due to take on a new look & we will also be including a Rest Bites post too, so if you want your event, club or bar mentioned, then get your details across to discomatt@hotmail.com.
Now to Soho and what can you expect this weekend in the capital’s premier gay hotspot? Well, Rupert Street comes top of our choices this week as the team are expanding their D.J. offer to all three nights, last Friday having seen a spectacular showing from D.J. Minx, who went down an absolute storm, even the unusually warm October weather that night not tearing them away from inside for out. This Friday (15th Oct) should see a repeat, as the team welcome Terry Vietheer to the D.J. decks, this amiable Aussie sure to serve up plenty of cool house cuts to satisfy Rupert Street discerning crowd that like their weekends warmed up with accessible house & pop. Then, Saturday sees new A:M promoter Oliver M play, he very much familiar with this slot at Soho’s premier bar & will no doubt have the place pumping all night, while resident Alessandro Londra makes it back from Istanbul just in time for a Sunday session from 8 p.m. As for Friday’s & Saturday’s, the D.J.’s get down to it from 9 p.m. & don’t forget the bar closes at midnight, further information available either via the Rupert Street Facebook page or at http://rupertstreet.com.
Our other best bite goes to Profile & Lo-Profile, although those naughty boys & girls on Wardour Street very much led us & many astray with their advert last week, we expecting the dynamic duo of Mikey D & Steve Pitron on Friday, although, with SuperMartXe holding their pre-party at this ever increasingly popular Soho destination, a last minute change to the D.J. line up was made, Leandro Kloppel & Tony English doing their bit for Logan Schmitz & his team. So to avoid a repeat this week, we have checked out direct with the venue & can confirm Lo-Profile’s line up as Jamie Head & Paul Heron on Friday & Gonzalo Rivas & Brent Nicholls on Sat (16th Oct), the former duo also being joined by ace percussionist David H. Up in Profile & things are much more orderly, Gaydar radio’s Phil Marriot in regular situ, fizzing up your Friday’s with some heavenly house hits & latest sounds, his set being transmitted live on radio music show clubnation, while on Saturday & after a scorching show at the annual wig party, Rob Sykes selects the sounds in this funky bar, not forgetting that Profile is now open until 11.30 p.m. Plus, the team are pleased to introduce some tasty new dishes to their fabulous Autumn two for £10 food menu, which is well worth a look, especially if you need a fill after or even before a West End shopping spree. Further details of this great menu & much more can be found at http://profilesoho.com.
Other shouts go to Shadow Lounge who on Friday have a special performance from one of New York’s greatest drag queens, Peppermint, joining “Therapy” foxy female D.J.’s Miswhite & Minx, while favourite Andrew Elmore returns on Saturday for a hot “Inferno” session. But Barcode also have their say as it’s the manly “Cave” night on Friday, guest D.J. Daz Saund joining the team of residents, while the busy Brent Nicholls looks after Saturday down in the club bar.
Onto Vauxhall and The Orange Group once again hit the high notes in our Best Bites, their unstoppable juggernaut of jaunts leaving us breathless even now. “Onyx” starts your weekend as it should mean to go on with another ostentatious outing at Area, resident D.J’s Phil Marriot, Lee Harris, Lisa German, Ariel & Jason Prince mixing it up across three rooms of frolicking, new boy DouG’uim also getting in on the act with some superb sounds, this leading onto A:M at Fire on Saturday morning, new(ish) D.J. talent Norbert M celebrating his big break on the main floor, the shakeup in resident jocks seemingly going down well in some quarters, not in others, although undoubtedly the fresh new approach has been received positively. Saturday night means only one thing and that is “Hot Muscle”, this latest Lovechild outing getting out full focus at http://discomattweekend.blogspot.com/2010/10/weekend-focus-lovechild-hot-muscle, while after a truly awesome Beyond “Tokyo” last Sunday (check our review at http://discomatt.blogspot.com/2010/10/blog-post) it simply has to be on the cards again, especially having gotten all hot with those gorgeous body builders at Fire beforehand. “Later” & “Booster” do their usual thing on Sunday early, but the rest of the weekend has to go to Orange, who have a very special celebration, as it’s “RAW’s” fourth birthday, meaning the whole night will be given away to the tougher side of citric splendour. We will be honing in on the event in full, so watch this space for our upcoming Weekend Focus, although in the meantime, further info & guest list offers can be found via the following sites, http://tinyurl.com/onyxguestlists, http://evolvedevents.co.uk (A;M), http://alexerfan.com (Lovechild) http://tunyurl.com/laterguestlist & http://romainlopez.com (Booster).
With so much domination south of the river, you would be forgiven that Vauxhall isn’t offering up much more, although there you would be wrong as The Eagle makes a fantastic alternative, Friday being sewn up with another testosterone trip with “Tonker”, special guest D.J. Mr Jones, joining the other Jones, Tim that is, for some tough muscular tunes, while on Saturday (16th Oct) “Carpet Burn” roll up for more, this week entertaining guest D.J. Prince Nelly alongside regular Martyn Fitzgerald, with Sunday never being Sunday without the horsin around antics of Horse Meat Disco, Jim Stanton & co making sure Monday remains as distant a thought as possible. More info on The Eagle & its events throughout the week can be found at http://eaglelondon.com.
So, it’s now down to the alternatives to extend the options and The Dalston Superstore once again rises to the top like the cream in the milk, kicking off the weekend with the fabulous “Snap Crackle & Pop” on Friday (15th Oct) with a superb blend of beats, eclectic music, banging bands & delectable D.J’s, guests for this monthly outing being bands, Stop Making Me & O Children, while Harry Jones does his bit on the decks alongside some DSS regulars. Then on Saturday, resident D.J. Dan Beaumont steps into promoter boots with his new outing “Soundstage”, which showcases some of the best alternative D.J.’s on the London scene, this first outing including talents Dave Kendrick, Charlie Trevor & extra special attendee Luke Howard, all taking charge of the basement, while upstairs Jonny Woo & John Sizzle re-enact a mini Gutterball gathering, this looking like being one splendid affair indeed & was it not for our planned trip to Lovechild, we know where we would be for sure with Sunday seeing another “Tutti Frutti” session with W/Squeaky & friends sliding into the following week with consummate ease. Now, whilst there is no official website, the boys are always posting up stuff on Twitter, so why not follow them at http://twitter.com/dsuperstore plus watch this space for an Extra Bites post on upcoming birthday bash for “Body Talk” which takes place next Saturday (23rd Oct).
Our other alternative Best Bite goes to East Bloc, who entertain yet again with “Disco Fag Bar” this Friday, the club gaining an increasing following week on week and no surprise, as not only is the name chic & cool, but the setting at East Bloc is superb, matched by the D.J’s, this week Laurent C, John Sizzle & Borja Pena sharing the plaudits, while the door is masterminded by the delights that are Kristoffer & Diego. Then, on Saturday, this Shoreditch hangout entertains night “Nancy” which tempts in the fashion end of fetishism & fancy dress who want to flirt & flaunt their wares across the three rooms of fun, the sounds served up by David TG of Torture Garden fame, Hot Mess’s Holestar & Scally DanDan in the main space, while the wild & whacky Scottee sorts out the second space with special guests & vintage pop & skool disco is the name of the game in the third room with Princess Julia in charge, Felicity Hayward adding her own vintage colour to the whole affair.
So that’s our Best Bites picks across Soho, Vauxhall & elsewhere, further details available either via the direct web links in our post, on the events pages on social networking site Facebook, or failing that in the popular weekly press rags.
Now, just a quick mention, as always, to tip top clubbing website SeenQueen, which has further complemented its new look with a new “What’s Hot” section detailing the hot happenings across the gAylist world, RAW’s 4th birthday & Lovechild “Hot Muscle” getting focus, plus much more. And with plenty more features besides, go check out the new look site & all its fab features at http://seenqueen.com.
Right, that’s about it for this week and as always we wish each & every one of you a splendid weekend, whatever you are up to & wherever you are. As for us, it’s a relatively pedestrian one as we still have much to mull over away from the scene, but all being well, we will make Lovechild, Beyond & Orange, although day by day is our maxim at the moment. But if we make it out, come say hi and as we always say……Go There! Be There!
xDM
Posted in Recommends | Tags: Ariel, Barcode Soho, Beyond, Booster, Brent Nicholls, Carpet Burn, D.J.Minx, Dalston Superstore, Disco Fag Bar, East Bloc, Gonzalo Rivas, Horse Meat Disco, Jamie Head, John Sizzle, Jonny Woo, Later, Laurent C, Lee Harris, Lisa German, Lo-Profile, Luke Howard, Mikey D, Oliver M, Onyx, Orange, Paul Heron, Phil Marriot, Profile, R.A.W., Rob Sykes, Rupert St, Shadow Lounge, Steve Pitron, Terry Vietheer, Tonker | No Comments »
The last couple of months have been a strange old time in our clubbing world, as whilst we have been as busy as we have always been, there has been a definite missing link in our clubbing calendar. Yes, we have had a slice of Spanish with a magical Matinee party, we have done the Brazilian thing with The Week, tucked our forelock in the direction of NYC underground house with Paradise 45 & even gone French continental with The Supersize party in Paris. But while an Onyx outing, a hook up with Hype & an afternoon with As One have touched our dancefloor lives recently, there being plenty more besides, one club has not figured as large as it normally does. Yet, when we sit here kick starting our review of this amazing afterhours, we have amazed ourselves at just why it hasn’t been part of our landscape, well since July in the capital & August in Brighton.
Beyond has been an intrinsic part of our lives now for close on a decade now, even given the fact that it took a short break back in 2006, although since establishing itself at current home, Area in Vauxhall, this amazing afterhours has gone from strength to strength, for us hitting a real purple patch earlier this year, when our weekly homage’s just seemed to get better & better in unrelentless fashion. Although, like an over inflated balloon, the pop was inevitable and extreme elation turned into deflation when an unfortunate incident (no fault of the club we must stress) left us not only nervous of a re-visit, but saddened that something so important to us & our weekly existence was destined to become just another also ran club in our calendar. But, such is our passion & love for this very special brand & the people involved, that a return was always on the cards, so just why did the re-engagement happen & how did we find Beyond having been absent for so long?
Having been plagued with one bad piece of news after the other, what was looking like becoming a busy weekend for us, deteriorated rapidly, trips to both fetish club Hotwired & SuperMartXe’s “Porno Star” event(s) aborted, well they didn’t even start if the truth be known, but there was something in the back of our mind that said we needed to make Beyond, so an alarm call at 5 a.m. rose us from our slumber & we headed down to Vauxhall and a liaison with our favourite club & all friends connected with it. And indeed, on checking social networking updates, it became apparent to us, that, not only was this latest Beyond party a special, with a Japanese theme, we spookily having left the house & the Japanese F1 Grand Prix on the T.V. screen, but more importantly for us, we simply had to be there to mark the occasion of promoter Steven Sharp’s last event in charge of this Sunday morning phenomenon.
With the usual pleasantries with doorman extra-ordinaire Tom & plans for our concert visit later that evening pretty much sorted, we were in the considerable queue to get into this special “Tokyo” event, waiting patiently to gain entry to what looked like an incredibly busy Beyond already. However, it was a shame that one such individual didn’t have the patience, pushing & shoving his way past, with an attitude to match his barging, very much giving Latino’s a bad name, although, having exclaimed to us, “who are you?!” his face was an absolutely picture when a beaming Steven Sharp plucked us from the queue & led us straight into the club, past the coatcheck and into the main room, red carpet service indeed.
Having taken a moment to commiserate with him on this, his last Beyond, we left Steven, drink in hand and headed down the packed main room, aiming for our spot which everyone who knows us at Beyond will recall is right next to the D.J. booth. And there we found ourselves, very much back with a bang, especially as the maestro was at work, Steve Pitron bopping up & down and beating out a never-ending succession of truly amazing tracks, many Beyond anthems and a-typical Pitron style. Rather than attracting his attention, it was clear we were attraction n many others, a stream of familiar faces passing us by and pausing to say hello. To say we were overcome with emotion at being back in our favourite club & being around so many friendly clubbers, was an understatement, our fragile state tinterring & we fighting back the tears with determined dance moves to banish all thoughts of our bad week from our minds.
So, the scene was set for a morning filled with incredible music & all the magic that Beyond at Area is renowned for, the best lighting, pyrotechnics & effects in the business, undoubtedly some of the best D.J.’s in town & even all the new additions to the venue, not least the massive elevated stage at the far end of the main room. With Steve in full flow and we going absolutely nowhere, rather burning up our corner with exuberant dancing dervishness, even the incredible heat in the place was not stopping us in our tracks, the only slight halt to our movements being the never-ending stream of people cramming into the room to lap up what was becoming the best Beyond we had been to in a long time. And it was going to get better, as not only did a succession of dancers hit the main stage, but then we were treated to a P.A. performance by Hadley, to compliment the striking dancers both Shaun Capewell & Elektra Paris were co-ordinating.
Now, it has to be said that we are never that keen on P.A.’s in Area, mainly because all they seem to do is interrupt the flow of our morning and, to be honest, this was it same, the whole situation not being helped by technical issues with her mic, but in typical Pitron style, Steve carried on regardless, made the best of a bad situation & soon we were back into our stride, especially when he pulled out our record of now, “Happiness”, this once again bring tears of eyes, although this time tears of happiness, Steve even looking over, spotting us & giving us a huge thumbs up. With a few hello’s to the Orange Group top brass, Alex Erfan, Jonny Marsh, Dave Cross, & Jay Vokins, all who were strangely present & on cue. But the music was our real devotion & with Mikey D soon taking over the reins, what had been a truly exceptional set by Steve, was to be equalled in every way & even exceeded in some, a small refreshment break, finding us rejuvenated & ready for another non-stop two hours of moving & grooving to Mikey’s music.
To say that by now we were losing control only referred to the fact that track after track reminded us of Mikey’s brilliant compilation “lose Control”, we in absolute heaven with every track he was choosing and very much in our element in our most favourite club, every moment just getting better & better, the crowd one of the most jovial friendly & good looking we had seen in ages. So good was our experience becoming, we felt compelled to tell the world, remarking on our experiences via our mobile & social networking sites, the pitch hitting a true crescendo when Mr Dower played the magnificent “Elevated”, the track an absolute reflection of our mood & what Beyond had transformed from a downbeat & fragile individual, to a determined & ecstatic person.
Being back to our comfortable self, the morning only going to improve, with Steven Sharp passing by & escorting us to the Terrace for refreshments, where we caught up with Hifi Sean who was preparing for his set, taking over from Paul Christian, while the duo of David Jimenez & D’Johnny (we affectionately label them D.J.’s D.J. & D.J….get it?!?!) playing a storming back-to-back set in the new extended middle space, now called The Chapel Bar, very much re-kindling this is a creditable dance room. Whilst Sean was a little tired, having flown in direct from Athens to play at this special Beyond party, it certainly didn’t show in his music, a sparkling set of sounds that he aptly termed teriyaki tech, it certainly touching our sweet spot perfectly. But, with a serious eye now on the clock & with Tom’s 12 midday deadline ringing in our heads, we dived back into the main room to catch up with Alan K, although such was the brilliant & euphoria of his set, we simply couldn’t tear ourselves away, only eventually doing so under duress at just before the 1 p.m. closing, leaving Area behind to reflect on a simply scintillating session at Beyond.
Well, what can we say, apart from the fact that Beyond Tokyo was, for us, probably THE best one this year. Yes, we had not witnessed much of the August Bank Holiday Super Size party, which so many people remark as being the best, but if it was anywhere near as good as this one (which we doubt) then it also is top of the tree. From the minute we were whisked out of the queue, till the moment we left Area’s doors, not only were we made to feel well & truly welcome by so many people, but we felt so much at home & ease with the club that has meant & means so much to us. Finding the exact words to describe just how magical it all was is difficult, but Beyond just seems to have that all important edge over any other experience & Sunday mornings surely now have to begin with B & end in D and no longer T & E as what was previously our tip top afterhours experience, Trade, having had its crown well & truly stolen by the might of Craig Elder’s creation.
As for Steven Sharp, like our journey on this special Tokyo event, from the minute he took over as Beyond promoter, till the final moments of his tenure end, you couldn’t ask for a more charming, generous, kind & thoughtful individual to run the club. His dedication to his audience & his customers has been immense and he knows exactly how to pitch his presence perfectly, this care for what he does showing through in bucket loads, his popularity with the punters speaking for itself. All this means that, like when Steve, Mikey, Jamie or Sean are not at Beyond (no offense to the other D.J.’s of course), it is never the same for us and without Steven there, it won’t be the same, so we just hope that whoever takes over the club has the same care, consideration & dedication, but with Beyond Tokyo being such a good party, we will be back regardless. (DISCO MATT)
Postscript
If you were unfortunate enough to miss out on this brilliant Beyond bash, then you can always get a slice of the action through three tremendous compilations, one a direct recording from his set at “Tokyo”. So, let’s cover that one off first, as Alan K treats us to yet another beyond mix, which you can grab now at http://djalank.podomatic.com. As for the other two, well we have mentioned them before, but they are so good & evoke so many great memories of this & previous Beyond parties, you simply have to add them to your collections. Steve Pitron’s “Summer 2010” has become a classic & is still available at http://stevepitronsessions.podomatic.com while Mikey D’s rare but latest offering “Lose Control” has his performance at Beyond Tokyo written all over it, so is an essential mix for any Beyond main room enthusiast which you can grab at http://mikeyd.podomatic.com.
Posted in Reviews | Tags: Alex Erfan, Area, Beyond, Craig Elder, D'Johnny, David Jimenez, Hifi Sean, Mikey D, Steve Pitron, Steven Sharp, Trade | No Comments »
Since moving to new host venue Fire just over a year ago, Lovechild has very much moved up a gear or two, the flexibility & space this Vauxhall hotspot provides, the perfect setting for the various parties promoter Alex Erfan has held there. In fact, over the last few months we have seen a rich variety of themes for this, his first & main club brand since breaking away from Salvation, this lovable clubbing event having really established itself as a firm favourite, not just in London, but down in Brighton too, having held sway at the recent Gay Dance Weekend & August Bank Holiday, but has also made it big internationally, a series of gigs in Europe extending much further beyond with a recent event out in Sydney & this coming weekend, will be represented out in Istanbul, Turnkey.
But back in London and having seen so many incarnations, from “Wet” to “Makin Hay”, from Hot Tropicana” to “Meets Delice” and much in between, it’s time for another instalment in this history of Lovechild at Fire, as Alex Erfan & his team present “Hot Muscle”, a party dedicated to the male body form in the hottest way possible, which takes place this coming Saturday (16th Oct) at Fire in Vauxhall. As the party title suggests, the emphasis will be on muscle, the team having drafted in the services of Anthony Chia-Bradley, who will providing a spectacular art installation, yes art in Fire, encompassing a whole collection of huge original canvases, sculptural displays & other art forms, all based of the male physique. Not only will these pieces of art (sorry we can’t help saying it) be visually stunning, but through a wide variety of colours in the various compositions, they are all sure to attract plenty of eye & other attention and we for one, cannot wait to see how Fire looks with this injection of culture. But, if you can’t wait to feast your eyes on all this art on Saturday, you can get a sneak preview of Anthony’s work now, by going to http://muscleboydesigns.com
The art aside, further “muscle” intended extra’s will be on offer, not least from sponsor, Jubilee Hall Gym, who will have their own set up, we believe in the Contact (Mirrorarch) room, where a team of experts will be providing a special protein counter to guide you through elements of diet when it comes to building muscle, as well as offering samples of protein shakes & various other supplements that aid individuals training regimes. But, adding to that will be the presence of British Body Building champion, Lucas Alexander, who will be showcasing his new brand of nutritional & (that word again) protein supplements, details of which you can find at his website, http://lucasalexander.net. In addition, Lucas will be bringing along six young body builders (steady), all fresh from the latest British Body Building championship, who will perform a pose down to really get those muscles flexed & heartbeats pumping. So, it looks like dance choreographer & co-ordinator Thiagio Drewery will have his hands full competing with these young boys, but he will surely turn out some extra special & sexy go-go dancers to compete on all levels, the famed strip shows for which Lovechild customers always look for, back, and if you want to do a little stripping of yourselves, then there is always the play area at the back on the contact room (strictly men only of course).
Turning to the music and, given the line –up, we certainly expect it to be hot & pumped up if not necessarily muscular (muscular music…a new genre?!?!), with regulars Paul Heron, Gabriele Cutrano, Leroy Tayler & Lee Harris being joined by some special guests. First & foremost, Alex is proud to welcome Justin Ryan to London, an internationally renowned D.J. that made his debut behind the decks in New York, but soon spread his wings across America, playing an intrinsic part in Miami’s “Winter Party” & the city’s “Out In The Parks” summer tour, also playing out to packed audiences in Washington DC, Philadelphia, Dallas, Atlanta & Fire Island, as well as up in Montreal, Canada. However, spreading wings comes naturally to Justin and he has formed serious foundation in Australia, establishing a residency with one of the top events teams there, which has seen him play at the huge Sydney Mardi Gras, as well as for club brands Love Muscle, MarXe, Big Q Rising, and latterly, Live, the club that co-hosted the Lovechild party we mentioned earlier, Justin playing alongside Sydney based Johan Khoury (also a Lovechild guest D.J.) and London resident Alessandra Londra. Mr Ryan’s characteristic uplifting vocals & melodic house hits, intermixed with progressive, latin & euro style beats are sure to go down a treat on the Lovechild London main floor and his energy & enthusiasm for his art will definitely come through, he remarking that “…I always try to deliver the highest energy through my performances, I like to feel part of the crowd and lead them through the party…” And, in celebration of his recent Sydney appearance & that for London this Saturday, Alex has laid down a special compilation, simply entitled “Lovechild” which is well worth a listen at http://justinryan.podomatic.com/ & judging by some of the tracks on here, gosh are we in for a treat at Fire (also check out his photo…he & Johan Khoury have to be related, what do you think?!).
Alex Ryan aside, Mr Erfan is also pleased to present the combined forces of Alan X & Hugh Stevenson, both who have played individually at Lovechild before, but never together. Alan & Hugh will be performing an extra-special back-to-back set, no doubt taking us back to those halcyon days when they used to rule supreme on Beyond’s main floor (at Colosseum), yet will surely have plenty of new beats & rhythms to add to their extensive playlists and we know that they have been piling in the hours, collaborating on exactly which records to chose & how to pitch their performance, so this is one back-to-back set you won’t want to miss. But, if that wasn’t enough, the crafty Alex Erfan will be, once again, showcasing the talents of new D.J. name Isavin from Romania, this London based boy having made a splash at the last Lovechild outing, certainly rousing the main floor with his pumping progressive sounds, not to mention smouldering looks, so keep your eyes peeled for him.
Now to the all important detail and this latest Lovechild meet, “Hot Muscle” take place this Saturday (16th Oct) at Fire in Vauxhall, doors opening at 11 p.m. & the club running through to a planned 7 a.m. £10 advance tickets are available online at http://clubtickets.com and at Soho outlets Prowler Clone Zone & DV8, with more on sale on the door, which will be hosted as usual by the fabulous Chrissy “Lovechild” Darling. Plus, don’t forget that the official afterparty is Beyond over at Area & the first 100 customers through Lovechild’s doors will receive a free entry wristband to this Sunday morning phenomenon More info on Lovechild can be found by going to http://alexerfan.com where you can also sign up for their e-list.
So come Saturday at Fire, “Hot Muscle” is the name & hot muscular action will be the game, which means you would be mad to miss out on this latest Lovechild love-in, leaving us to say just one more thing….Go There! Be There! (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: Alan X, Alex Erfan, Alex Ryan, Beyond, Fire, Gabriele Cutrano. lee Harris, Hugh Stevenson, Lovechild, Paul Heron. Leroy taler, Thiagio Drewery | No Comments »
“TERRIFIC TIME DANCING”
T.T.D.LAUNCH PARTY – SUNDAY 3RD OCTOBER
CLUB REVIEW
We very much look back on our early clubbing days in the capital with fond appreciation, many magical memories of a rich variety of clubs making for our very colourful weekend existence. Sunday in particular was always held in high regard, not least due to the legendary Trade, the equally iconic FF & Warriors, the delight that was DTPM & even clubs like Sherbert, Factor 25 and, who can forget, Salvation & PSP. Yes, Sunday’s were certainly very special in our world back then and looking at all these clubs, they had two things in common, firstly, central locations with a capital C & secondly, style with a big fat capital S. However, as time has moved on & trends changed, Vauxhall is the place now, other parts of South London sparkling on Sunday’s, although for us, both the C & S words are too often missing, therefore leaving a considerable gap in the market.
However, one man has very much grasped the nettle and with his new club T.T.D. (still waiting to find out exactly what it stands for) has combining those magical ingredients of Sunday P.M. clubbing in a central location. But not only that, creator & visionary behind this new clubbing brand, Billy Richard, ticked the central London & Sunday afternoon/evening boxes, with T.T.D., the plan is to bring a little bit of sophistication back into clubbing, not so much the pompous A listing of certain venues that see themselves as select and not the mundane weekly happenings that occur south of the river, but something delightfully in between the two, dare we say a kick back to the halcyon days of Salvation, Factor 25 et all. The question is, did T.T.D. achieve this on the launch? & how did we find our first experience in Sound?
So, in true style & feeling a little perkier after being laid low for a few days, we got ourselves organised nice & early, meeting up with friend & D.J. Brent Nicholls at just turned 3.30 p.m., he himself having started early at a private Cowboy/Cowgirl party over in The Shadow Lounge, a brief snack & catch up then finding us at Sound’s doors just on the strike of four & ready for the planned opening time (if but a little early in our estimation). With promoter Billy Richard running around finalising what preparations still needed to be done, it was down to the cool, clam & collected Simon Patrick to show us up to the main (3rd) floor, giving us a brief tour around the rather impressive venue, before we settled at the makeshift D.J. booth, Brent finding his bearings and firing up some uplifting & funky sounds to fill Sound with music.
Looking around at the space, it certainly had an impressive feel about it, the industrial chrome look, blending well with the striking lighting & furnishings, although the paint splashed wall panels around the dancefloor were a little too garish for our liking. However, with two further floors to the venue, there was certainly plenty of space, although, in our fragile state, the fair hike to the toilets was always going to be a challenge, but even given this we were suitably impressed with Sound as a host for T.T.D., Billy having added his own touches of production & lighting to give the main space an extra special feel, vivacious visuals playing on the bank of screens & imposing three dimensional lettering floating behind the D.J. booth where Mr Nicholls was now in full flight, even if he was challenged by not having a monitor to accurately mix tracks, although some of his attempts were cause for some hilarity on our part, we get more than a taste of our own medicine back from a jovial Brent, who’s quips as well as music kept us & the select few around entertained
With people slowing beginning to drift in, including the dancing crew, the gorgeous Mark bounding up so say hello to Brent & us before heading off to change, the gauntlet was thrown down for us to warm up the dancefloor with our energetic moves, some of them being caught on video, especially as the crowd began to develop & join in with our antics. With other clubbing pals joining in on this T.T.D. launch fun, Andrea, & co, Chris Brogan, Industri pal Stephen & occasional visitors Jeremy & Andy, the magnificent Minty, who made her usual commanding entrance, friends David & Stuart ready to party, we were certainly getting into our stride, soaking up the full on funky & latin twisted sounds Brent was serving up, one moment of hilarity being followed by the next, from a collapsible chair behind a speak, to a very interesting energy drink we were consuming, “Pussy” very much being the word of the party, even if it did taste a little odd.
With the arrival of incumbent D.J. Nick Tcherniak, we were looking forward to trading some moves with pal Mr B, although the absent monitor was causing continual concern, but with equipment on its way, Brent extended his two hour stint, eventually handing over the reins at not long before 7 p.m., by which time a healthy, if but eclectic crowd had developed, the brighter lighting of before traded for something much more appealing, the previously absent smoke effects now in full tilt & improving the atmosphere on the dancefloor considerably, encouraging even more people to join in with our overt antics. Nick was now himself adjusting to the lack of a sufficient equipment behind the D.J. booth, selecting some superb sounds, that included the massive “Deep Water” & “My People”, partner Tom also in situ exchanging latest bits of news with us, as the pace of the party continued increase momentum, minute after minute, the arrival of the dancers onto the main floor attracting attention, especially Mr Mark who was fetchingly dressed in thigh length boots & a tight fitting bodice, all which was showing off every asset (& my has he got some tasty ones) to their best.
Now the launch sequence of T.T.D. was way behind up, Billy’s spaceship of a club having reached the upper stratosphere in terms of atmosphere, we totally engrossed in our dancing, our continued hilarity with Brent, Stephen & Andrea and our “pussy” providing the rocket fuel we needed to keeping us from plummeting back down to earthly reality. And it was only going to get better when the Italian stallion himself, Pagano arrived, ready to take on an extended set to add to the already brilliant time we were having, surrounded by one of the most fun filled & carefree crowds we have been with for a long time, even arrivals Mis-White, Andrew Harris, & Dimity K blossoming the bountiful brigade of party people wanting to get their slice of this new Sunday sophisticate. With the Sicilian splendour taking to the decks, shrugging off the absence of a monitor & diving straight into action with classic Pagano tunes that brought even more people onto the square dancefloor, the bevy of beautiful dancers exchanging positions & moves each side of the maestro D.J. at work, completing the pulsating picture of perfection that was now T.T.D. However, with a good things unfortunately, they have to come to an end and with an eye on the clock which was creeping up towards 11 p.m. & commitments the following day, we were forced to call a halt on our terrific time dancing at T.T.D., saying our farewells and heading home to reflect on a successful start in the life on this new extremely enjoyable Sunday clubbing experience.
So, what was our conclusion on T.T.D. as a viable venture & what should the team concentrate on for future parties? Well, first & foremost, there was no doubt in our mind that this new kid on the gAylist scene block is such a refreshing change to the now normality of Vauxhall, the central location a real winner in many people’s eyes, even if Sound as a venue took a little getting used to. It was clear that the music was the main statement, all three D.J.’s putting up prolific performances, the whole essence of a musical journey being satisfied superbly and with the combination of that Sunday socialising feel to it, we can definitely see T.T.D. increasing with popularity, party after party.
Yes, Sound was never packed, but when you consider that the team had to face inclement weather & tube strikes, the numbers they pulled in were impressive enough and whilst the party lacked a little polish here & there, the absence of certain equipment & proper podiums for the dancers, the in balance of lighting early & the lack of smoke & laser effects which made a huge difference, are all things that can be put right quite easily. Given this was Billy Richard’s first ever full on clubbing event, he can be proud of what he has achieved, his team truly committed to the cause & the result a party that everyone (and we mean everyone) we have spoken to since, thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience, so like us, will be back for plenty more of that terrific time dancing that we had, come 7th November & you should be there too. (DISCO MATT)
Postscript.
Why not check out the specially commissioned compilation for the T.T.D. launch party by Brent Nicholls, which you can grab by either going to http://djbrentnicholls.com/music or by downloading the mix at http://speedyshare.com/files/24364407/1009_TTD_Pre_Launch_Warm_Up-_Welcome_To_The_Club_128.mp3
Posted in Reviews | Tags: Billy Richard, Brent Nicholls, Deep Water, Minty, My People, Nick Tcherniak, Pagano, Simon Patrick, Sound, T.T.D. | No Comments »
For all those well into the Fetish side of clubbing, the one event that has been very much on the lips is Hotwired, an extra special leather & rubber themed gathering on a large scale, think Hard On! but double the size (at least). However, whilst we have known about the event for well over 3 months now, the location has been kept top secret, meaning the anticipation has been killing us, but at long last & with literally two days to go, news has finally hit our desks on the location of uber sexy & rauchy fetish event, Hot Wired, which takes place this Saturday (9th October). Promoter Suzi Krueger has been keeping the details very close to her chest, but we can now reveal that the location of the venue is at Eve Street Car Park in Suffolk.
A car park we hear you say?!?! well it’s not an outdoor event, if that’s what you were thinking (would be a bit horny though don’t you think!?), as, for those of you familiar with the area will realise, Eve Street Car Park is right next to the arches underneath the railway line that leads to London Bridge & both Charing Cross & Blackfriars (don’t worry, the trains won’t disturb your horny activities) and judging from the height of some of the arches & the general look of the place, the atmosphere is going to be spot on.
Now, the full address details of this amazing venue are as follows; Eve Street Car Park, 29 Great Suffolk Street, London, SE1 0NS, and the entrance, we are informed is directly off Great Suffolk Street. For those of you not familiar with the area, it is not far at all from the venue Arcadia, which hosts XXL, & will also be sporting Trade’s 20th birthday at the end of the month (more details of that in a special preview coming up) but if you need precise instructions, then check out the following link. http://dontstayin.com/uk/london/29-great-suffolk-street. Now, we have literally swung past the location & can’t wait to look inside, although having spoken with Suzi in person when we were at Sweat last month, when she showed us some shots, it looks amazing in there, the whole ambience & setting reminding us of some of the best European leather parties we have been too and has memories of Imperial Gardens (Fist’s last home) flooding back. Plus, our friends at http://fetishpig.co.uk have actually been into the place (the lucky swine’s) and have seen the amazing spaces, as well as all the new high tech lighting & equipment installed and tell us that you will simply be blown away.
Honing down on a little more detail, Hotwired looks like being THE fetish gathering of the year in the capital, as we are expecting a whole mixture of leather & rubber officinal’s to turn out, some travelling into London from overseas for the event proper, which kicks off this Saturday evening from 10 p.m., running through until 5 a.m. As for the venue layout, well we know that there are a myriad of arches, some designated for playing (you know what we mean) and others for dancing. But don’t expect a polished clean look, oh no, much more of a brick & industrial feel, graffiti on the walls etc, so all adding up to a truly sexy feel & ideal for this sort of fetish fling.
For those that want to dance as well as play, the music should be equally as horny, especially given the line-up across the two rooms of sound. For those of you that are regular’s to monthly night, Hard On!, the line up will look reasonably familiar as Brent Nicholls, Hugo’s-land & D-Mak will be in the, surprise, surprise, Hard On! room, plying a range of electro, tech fuelled & hard house sounds, while over in the RUT space, Dick Rok & John Delano will be joined by Joe & Willask. So, expect plenty of action on both dancefloors to match the fevered activity in the various play areas.
Then, if all that isn’t enough, the organisers have laid on an afterparty at Fire, where D.J’s Steven Black & Saki will be supplying the sounds, the venue being transformed especially for this one-off Sunday morning event, to include a special play area come darkroom, the party kicking off at 5 a.m. & running through until 11 a.m. But it doesn’t stop there, as Suzi then moves the action across to Soho for a special edition of sports fetish club, Sweat, which will probably be more of a naked romp (the official dresscode is jockstrap or towel!) around the sauna & steam rooms as well as the myriad of cabin spaces, plus with Brent Nicholls in action in the chill-out zone, the music should be just as sultry as the surroundings, he being joined by Simon Simple on the decks. Plus, there is a pre-party on Friday (tomorrow) at The Eagle in Vauxhall, when Tonker hosts (see our Best Bites post).
So, to the all important detail & recap, Hotwired taking place this Saturday (9th Oct) at Ewer Street Car Park, from 10 .m. until 5 a.m., the afterparty at Fire then commencing at 5 a.m. & running through till 11 a.m. Sunday morning (10th) Oct, while Sweat starts at 1 p.m. & runs through until 6 p.m. Advance £20 tickets for Hotwired are available online at http://clubtickets.com & at participating stores, Clone Zone, DV8, RoB & Regulation. However, you can get joint tickets for £25, which will get you into Fire after as well, although Sweat entrance charges are separate at £15, but remember, that entitles you to stay as long as you want (the place is open 24 7 apparently). As for the dress code at the main Hotwired event, we are told it is strict leather & rubber and nothing else, but in terms of uniform, military & skinhead gear, watch this space as we have asked the question and await an answer.
Right, well Hotwired certainly looks like making an impact this weekend, for us especially, as according to a close friend who will remain nameless (no its not you Toby), a certain piece of equipment has been reserved for our use on Saturday night, meaning that our long lost cousin, Crisco Matt, will be making his fetish clubbing debut, in fact, he has written most of this post, so we will let him sign off by saying, “get that leather & rubber out, if you see us in our revealing chaps, come say hi and as Disco Matt always say’s…..Go There! Be There! (CRISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: Brent Nicholls, Dmac, Fire, Hard On!, Hotwired, Hugosland, Leather, Rubber, RUT, Saki, Siomon Simple, Steven Black, Suzie Kruegar, Sweat | No Comments »
Hey Folks,
Well, what a weekend we had, having succumbed to something nasty following our trip to Paris, what looked like a hectic one, ended up being rather sedate, although our trip to TTD certainly made up for missing out on A:M’s re-launch, Reactivate & B2B. We will, of course, be reporting on our experiences at Sound, so keep your eyes peeled for our review, “Truly Tremendous Dancing” coming up in due course.
In the meantime we look forward to a weekend with improved fortunes, with some splendid parties lined up, making this yet another hectic one for many, us included (fingers crossed), focuses already having gone out on SuperMartXe’s “Porno Star” event & the whacky yet wonderful Gutterball. But those two besides, there are plenty more offerings on the cards to tempt you out and with the weather looking to be very summer-like, there will be no excuse to be a couch potato.
So, as usual we serve up our best bites look at the weekend, kicking off as we do in Soho, and Profile & Lo-Profile heading the list of attractions, starting as they mean to go on with hosting SuperMartXe’s “Porn Pre-Party” which kick starts in profile tomorrow (Fri 8th Oct), Mauricio making sure everything is looking spic & SMX spam & Logan ensuring the gorgeous X rated go-go’s show just about enough in the bar’s windows for onlookers & expectant customers. As of going to press, Phil Marriot will be on duty behind the decks up in Profile, also broadcasting live on Gaydar’s clubnation radio show, the SuperMartXe team then moving downstairs where the brilliant Beyond duo of Steve Pitron & Mikey D will be playing it large.. But the pace doesn’t really change on Saturday, as its Craig Daniels who will get the party going in profile, while Nathan 6, then Nick Evans will steer the charismatic Lo-Profile crowd deep into Sunday with plenty of scintillating sounds. Further details of both venues on Wardour Street, including the latest food & drinks offers can be found by going to http://profilesoho.com & http://lo-profile.com.
Over on Brewer Street and The Shadow Lounge have just about recovered from their “Winter Warmer” weekend, that included the launch of the venues new look & that retro disco lighted new dancefloor. However, there is no rest for the wicked as they say and those naughty boys & girls at your favourite swanky sophisticate have a weekend full of fun & frivolity, Friday seeing the delightful duo of D.J. Minx & Mis-White conduct another “Therapy” music session, although the theme will be much more on the man & women hunt, as cruising site Grindr host the evenings other entertainment. Saturday (9th Oct) sees favourite Andrew Elmore return to the decks for another immense “Inferno” night of uplifting & heavenly house and don’t forget that if you want to grab a place on the free guest list, which is open until midnight both nights, then email info@theshadowlounge.co.uk to be received no later than 7 p.m.
As for the best of the best, well Rupert Street is right up there, extending their D.J. entertainment back to include Friday’s, the lady herself, D.J. Minx, securing to slot, starting from tomorrow, while on Saturday, it’s the turn of , well your guess is as good as ours actually, maybe its Alessandro to select some superb sounds. However, recent news worth noting is that the grand master of ceremonies at that famous old boozer, Compton’s, is back in charge & knocking the place back into shape. So with Neil back where he belongs, it won’t be long before things are back to the way they were & this veteran venue on the scene makes t into our listings more often, welcome back Neil.
Down in Vauxhall and The Orange Group have yet another exhausting schedule (when don’t they have), starting tonight (Thurs 7th) with Gravity at Fire, and ending with The Wig Afterparty at Area on Sunday, which, unbeknownst to the popular press, will be extending deep into Monday morning, as Steven Sharp’s citric splendour, Orange moves over to join in the wigtastic fun. So, whilst this looks like being the highlight of many, the likes of Rob Sykes, Paul Heron & Alan X D.J.’ing, followed by the Orange residents that include The Oli & Paul Martin, other big events over the weekend include the much awaited Beyond “Tokyo” at Area on Sunday morning, both Steve Pitron & Mikey D back in the driving seat (phew), while Queer Nation also plays it large at Area on Sat night, co hosts Fierce Angels taking a slot in the main room & Katherine Ellis performing some classic heavenly house tunes while ex Hed Kandi poncho Mark Doyle spins the sounds. Plus, with a second P.A. in the form of Sam Oberniek & the Queer Nation resident faves including Micky Galliano, Supadon, Pierre Nedd & Fredi Dimanche, this should be a corker of a party. Other parties completing the full-on line up include Onyx, Later & Booster, further details available through the plethora of Facebook group pages or via http://fireclub.co.uk. Oh, and how could we forget A:M, which takes a further step in it new direction, welcoming faces Paul Heron, Zach Burns Leonardo Glovibes & Micky Galliano to the ranks, long standing resident D’Johnny squeezing in an appearance.
Other big shot south of the river this weekend is The Eagle who have a threesome to reckon with, Friday (8th Oct) seeing tough macho night, Tonker, go even harder with a special “Hotwired” party night, dedicated to the new club of the same name, which takes place the following night in Southwark (more on that in a bit), promoter Tim Jones being joined on the decks by Italian guest D.J. Roberto Varano. On Saturday, its Carpet Burn’s 2nd birthday, so should be a special night with lots of surprises in store, not least from PA for the night, the outrageous Pete Burns, while the magnificent Mark Moore keeps the 80’s, 80’s glam & hi-nrg pop sounds in synch. The, of course, Sunday would not be Sunday without a gymkhana end to the weekend, as Lim Stanton, James Hillard & co take you through another hip-tastic Horse meat Disco, counting more than twenty hands high with plenty of hypnotic house music. More info on these, other events & going’s on at the Eagle can be found by going to http://eaglelondon.com.
As for our best of the rest, well, The RVT gets our Vauxhall vote, but more for Friday than Sunday, even though the S.LA.G.S./Chill-out session has become an institution. No, Friday sees another 2nd birthday, this time the audacious & outrageous Kimino Krush, when Al Dente, The Sugarlow Boys & The Duchess Of Pork spin plenty of 80’s & 90’s favourites, plus will no doubt throw in a handful of noughties smash hits for good measure, plus with entertainment from the wild & whacky Jonny Woo, warming up for the Gutterball, & from the larger than life drag artist, le Gateau Chocolat, plenty of fun will be had at this venerable boozer.
Turning to our alternative choices, with Gutterball getting our full focus, it’s down to The Dalston Superstore to lead the way and what another busy weekend have the boys got for you. Friday gets off in superb style as the Do It crew return after a summer break to present their fabulous night “Idiot Proof” with the electro synth & nu-disco style tunes courtesy of D.J’s We’re Not Cool, Not Shy &, of course, Idiot Proof, while upstairs both Liz Bisoux & Cathal with plenty of “Lick My Bass” beats. Then on Saturday, it a scorcher, as “Severino & Friends” returns for another scintillating Saturday of Italio nu-disco, electro funk & cutting edge beats, although in guest, Terry Farley, expect plenty of NYC & American house, the man one of the first UK exponents of this unique sound and through his own record label to boot. Severino is also welcoming Dave Kendrick, Borja Pena & Seb Patene, the three holding the fort upstairs with some top notch electro & twisted tech and a packed out DSS for sure, so make sure you get there nice & early. Then on Sunday, the boys ease the thought that it’s the end of the weekend, with another “Tutti Frutti” session of smooth & soothing sounds from resident jock Squeaky plus friends. Now, further information on events at the DSS can be found on their FB page, which gets updated at least weekly (well done guys) or by mailing the team at hello@dalstonsuperstore.com, plus you can follow them on twitter at http://twitter.com/dsuperstore.
Other quick alternative mentions go to “Caligula” at Basing House on Friday, as always full of cute boys, glammed up girls & plenty of electrifying sounds, while a hop, skip & jump across Shoreditch will find you at Wayne Sires’ amazing “Disco Fag Bar” at East Bloc on City Road, which is well worth the short trip, as the super sounds will come from residents Laurent C, Jeffrey Hinton, Gibson & Ganio. As for Saturday, The Green up in Islington looks like a good choice as both Munroe Burgdorf & the fabulous Rosella host for new(ish) night “Runway”, so expect plenty of uplifting eats & plenty of fun. Finally, Sunday is all about wigs for sure as the annual Wig Party returns to Cafe De Paris, although as the event is already sold out, we won’t ponder on it here, but will bring you an extra bites post with all the last minute info for excited attendees.
Now, just a very quick mention goes to SeenQueen, who not only have a brand spanking new look, but have been ultra busy with updating their club diary, which now stretches deep into November. So, to catch this & many more features, posts, blogs, interviews, etc, go now to http://seenqueen.com.
Right, that’s it for another week folks, but keep your eyes peeled for a Weekend Focus special on Hotwired, which should be out shortly, as well as our review of TTD from last Sunday & lots more posts (hopefully). As for our coming weekend, well we have SuperMartXe’s pre & main party(ies) on the agenda, as well as Hotwired & Beyond. However, with lots on our plate away from the scene, we are going to be taking everything over the next few days, step by step & day by day. However, whatever you are up to, have a brilliant one and as we always say….Go There! Be There!
xDM
Posted in Recommends | Tags: A:M, Alessandro Londra, Andrw Elmore, Best Bites, Beyond, Caligula, Carpet Burn, Comptons, Craig Daniels, D'Johnny, D.J.Minx, Disco Fag Bar, Fat Tony, Go There! Be There!, Gravity, Hotwired, Later, Lo-Profile, Logan Presents, Mauricio Mau, Micky Galliano, Mikey D, Mis-White, Onyx, Orange, Phil Marriot, Profile, Rupert Street, Severino, Steve Pitron, SuperMartXe, The Dalston Superstore, The Eagle, The Shadow Lounge, The Wig Party, Tonker, TTD, Zach Burns | No Comments »
Now, it kind of goes without saying that we all too often fall into the trap of normality (some would say mundaness) on any given weekend, the trappings of Soho & Vauxhall plus the likes of Matinee, SuperMartXe et all, very much precluding us from venturing forth to pastures more prolific. But if we boldly went where we rarely go, our journeys would take us to the alternative antics that many fill their weekends full in hip hop hangouts that Shoreditch, Hoxton & Dalston and even (yes, we know) Hackney, club nights like Paradise 45, Caligula, Pooldisco & Disco Fag Bar (we love that name) very much up there in the cutting edge stakes. And yet, while a host of venues that have sprung up in the area, supporting this diversity, hang out’s such as The Dalston Superstore, Shoreditch House, East Bloc & Basing House, it is one club that we look to when it comes to way out wackiness at its best, very much standing head & shoulders above all the recent movers & shakers.
Since its launch back in 2007, Gutterslut has been cutting it with the best of the alternative offerings, for a while very much ruling the roost out east, its success bringing on the likes of Trailer Trash & many more, the whole essence of Gutterslut being based on an eclectic mix of gays, transsexuals & metrosexuals, all up for a wonderful time in colourful yet charismatic company, with the underpin of energetic blends electro & disco tech house by D.J.’s known for their explorative sounds & cutting edge beats. Having sampled more than a slice of Gutterslut, we can be witness to just what a fun event & experience it is, the likes of Per Q.X, Elliot J Brown, Nic Fisher & co treating us to some magnificent music, while MC Crystal & the larger than life Jonny Woo entertaining us from start to finish. And all this has very much been the success of Gutterslut as an event, which would inevitably spurn some sort of annual celebration of whacky wonderment, where likeminded people would go that extra mile to dress up in pure slutty fashion, a bit like the east end equivalent of a Mayfair dinner dance, hence, the concept to call this gathering Gutterball became a reality.
So, after a hugely successful first event last year, comes Gutterball “The Second Edition”, in what looks like being a bigger & better affair than before, the team turning out a veritable feast of musical & other entertainment to thrill. Returning to the ever popular Rhythm Factory this coming Saturday (9th October), while all the latin boys may be playing down in Elephant & Castle, anyone with a slight alternative penchant will surely be joining the scores of Hoxton & Shoreditch-ites, who will be stepping put in style in Whitechapel, ready for, as the team most appropriately put it, “…another gang-bang extravaganza of whores in heels & boys on wheels…”, sounds fun before we even start. And making sure that plenty of fun will be had, comes courtesy of the wild & wonderful Jonny Woo, who may still be in recovery mode from a said recent birthday, but will surely be on top form for the troops and if there is a dancing pole anywhere near, treating us to a truck load of twists & turns for good measure. Plus, to add to the merriment, Jonny will be overseeing the annual best, or should we say, trashiest dressed up person in the house, those beady Woo eyes presiding over the judging right through the night, which means it’s time to pull out your craziest, sluttiest & most outrageous outfit to lift that coveted Dalston gay Mafia Gutterball crown.
In terms of the music, it will be equally impressive as the cavorting crowd, with all your favourite Gutterslut residents on duty for this special annual shindig, Per Q.X. no doubt blowing a trumpet or two, Elliot J Brown trading a bit of teaching for plenty of turntable trouncing, both sure to electrify with electro, tantalise with tech & delight with some cutting edge nu-disco. But Nic Fisher will be there too, along with MC Crystal on the mic to make all your Gutterslutters at home, a sample of the style of music Nic will be serving up, available at http://samurai.fm/nic-fisher/nic-does-techno-vol-1, while they will be joined in the “Rave Ballroom” by Trailer Trash’s We’re Not Cool & D.J. Mag credited Joe Roberts, completing a superb line up that will have the superb sounds sorted, signed, sealed & delivered. But, for the slightly lighter hearted in you, there is always the opportunity to check out the “Disco Ballroom” guest D.J. from Carpet Burn, Paul Burston, will join the Discoslut D.J.’s & final Gutterslut resident (amongst many others), Jon Sizzle, both this and the “rave” room awash with live visuals from Prickstrap-On, who certainly wowed the crowd last time round and are sure to repeat their success. However, the team are pleased to announce the addition of a further act to compliment the already incredibly strong line up, the amazing, A Man To Pet, creating plenty of havoc in the “Disco” Ballroom, where we expect large glittery rather that gutterly ones will be on the ball-tastic menu.
Well, all in all, this looks like being one hell of a way-out & whacky event not to be missed for those with an eye & ear for the alternative, the slightly outrageous & the downright flamboyant. So, if this is you, making a date with Gutterball “The Second Edition” should be a given and making it down to The Rhythm Factory on Whitechapel this Saturday (9th October) a done deal. But, if you haven’t secured your advance £8 ticket (bargain) yet, then you better e quick, as the news on the ground is that sales have rocketed this week and not that many are left, meaning a visit to http://ticketweb.co.uk/user/?region=gb_london&query=detail&event=410257 should be made sooner rather than later, or failing which & if you find yourselves Dalston way, pop into The Dalston Superstore, where a limited amount will be on sale, a wise move considering the door charge will be £15, such is the demand for this event, especially given the huge turnout last year.
So, forget the black tie & the cocktail dress, as Jonny is expecting much more exuberant & extravagant attire and just to get you in the mood, why not check out the special showreel video laid down by Per Q.X. following Gutterslut’s 2nd birthday at The Rhythm Factory earlier this year (link http://youtube.com/watch?v=BWCryiQUBIY) and get a cop load of the expected action for yourselves, surely tipping the scales that this will be THE place to be for you this Saturday. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: Caligula, Dlaston Gay Mafia, Elliot J Brown, Gutterball, Gutterslut, John Sizzle, Jonny Woo, MC Cyrstal, Nic Fisher, Paradise 45, Per Q.X., Pooldisco, The Rhythm Factory, Trailer Trash | No Comments »
We can hardly believe that it has been just over three months since we saw the infamous beach ball bouncing around The Coronet, our last visit having been devoted to home-grown brand Hype, although as good as that party was, there is no question that the Spanish import that took London by storm just under two years ago (November 2008 to be exact) has a particular attraction & popularity. Indeed, promoter Logan Schmitz very much hit the ground running, making a huge impact on the gAylist capital clubbing scene from day one, a whole succession of hugely successful parties (as well as off shoots) culminating in the last showing on 3rd July when host venue The Cornet was transformed into the wonderful world of The Wizard Of Oz, Logan & his terrific team pulling off one of the most spectacular stage settings we have seen.
Yes, we can only be talking of SuperMartXe, which, this Saturday (9th October) makes a triumphant return to take centre stage on the gAylist clubbing calendar, with a super sexy “Porno Star” theme that what looks like being one of the hottest tickets in town, not to mention one of the hottest & x-rated shows The Cornet has seen. Now, for those of you familiar with the history of the Spanish superclub in London will remember, the Logan presents team have visited this theme once before, “Peep Show” back in May last year, although in this outing, we experienced more of a sexy red light district boudoir, rather than the full on flesh that “Porno Star” promises to deliver.
And deliver this latest SuperMartXe porn themed party is sure to do, as centre staging the team of drop dead gorgeous dancers displaying more than a pec, cheek or private part, will be two true hunks of men in the form of Francesco D’Macho & Damien Crosse, both well known faces in the world of porn and who have teamed up to form their own enterprise outfit, Staghomme (say no more!) and both who epitomise the hot & horny look that Staghomme is becoming notorious for, just check out these video images if you don’t believe us, http://youtube.com/watch?v=2iifBwJYDAo & http://youtube.com/watch?v=d7kycENpy4o and then tell us you melted with lustful desire too. So, before we even think of the stunning show they & all the performers are likely to turn out, Francesco & Damien are just two of many reasons why “Porno Star” is such a hot date.
So, what else will be on offer? Well, SuperMartXe resident D.J. Vitti, himself a bit of a looker and who will always be inextricably linked to the massive “Sundays At Heaven” who fellow studio production artist J Velarde looked to for input on the massive dancefloor smash of three years ago, but a record that still rouses incredible response when played to this day, the record even still featuring large on his web page at http://myspace.com/djvitti. However, he is also inextricably linked with SuperMartXe and will no doubt have his record bag full of huge euro-style beats of tunes, just grab a load of these four part videos of him in action at http://youtube.com/watch?v=Dl2M6LFrHYs&p=1D7FE914915723E3&index=1&feature=BF, these testament to the man’s popularity over in Spain and, surely an indication that he will get a similar reaction here. Joining him on the decks will be London resident’s Tony English, fresh from the closing parties in Ibiza, so is sure to have all the latest sounds in his mitts to pour out across The Coronet, while Nick Tcherniak makes a welcome return, he two not long back from Spain, having completed some hugely productive work in the studio with fellow D.J. & producer, Steve Thomas, so expect some brand new tunes & no doubt an airing of both “My People” & “Deep Water”, which have really hit the big time across Europe & The USA.
So, not only will the fine forms of Francesco D’Macho & Damien Crosse make a huge super sexy splash on this “Porno Star” event, but the music looks like being equally sexy & supercharged too, as we are sure will be Logan’s troupe of gorgeous dancers who never fail to hit the eye candy mark, packing a pulsating punch on the various podiums around the stage & dancefloor. Plus, with the usual outstanding production that the team employ across host venue The Coronet, not to mention the prolific lighting, which, if it is anything like it was at Hype, will certainly wow the huge crowds that are expected to attend on Saturday. But if all that wasn’t enough, then singing sensation, Nalaya Brown, returns to the capital for another spectacular show of songs at SuperMartXe, renditions of “Don’t Stop Till I Get Enough” & (surprise, surprise) “SuperMartXe” sandwiching her new smash hit “Over You”, which gets coverage at http://youtube.com/watch?v=gpczIe0dFDw, the video featuring inbound SuperMartXe resident D.J. Vitti.
Right, now to the all important detail & SuperMartXe “Porno Star” takes place this Saturday (9th October) at the Cornet in Elephant & Castle, doors opening at 10.30 p.m. and the club running through till 7 a.m. Advance tickets are still available, although we highly recommend you grab yours quickly, as they will be seriously hot & hard to find come Saturday, so either go now to http://www.clubtickets.com/gb/2010-10/09/supermartx-london-porno-star, or get yourselves down to Soho outlets Prowler, Clone Zone, DV8 & Solarstion, failing which try Barcode in Soho who will probably have a small stock handy. If you fancy going a bit posh and want to see the spectacle from the VIP balcony, then check out the £50 tickets at the above online link r go to http://loganpresents.com, enquiries for tables & reserved balconies needing to be directed to vip@loganpresents.com. And, if all else fails on the advance ticket front, why not pop down to Profile &/or Lo-Profile this Friday (8th Oct) when Logan, Mauricio & co will be throwing a “Porno Pre-Party” with plenty of pounding & pumping of sounds from (wait for it) Steve Pitron & Mikey D (let’s see if Mr S will make it), who themselves will be fresh (or not so possibly) from the Ibiza closing party weekend.
Well, all that’s left to say is that Saturday should be all about SuperMartXe which will very much be a Staghomme supercharged & supersexy smash for sure, you know where to be. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: DJ Vitti, Logan Presents, Nalaya Brown, Nick Tcherniak, SuperMartXe, The Coronet, Tony English | No Comments »
Whilst our first steps into a club and onto the dancefloor were deep down in the southern hemisphere in South Africa, the real roots of our clubbing devotions are planted firmly here in London, although having been accustomed to plenty of travelling in our youth, the penchant to take combine two incredible passions in our life has been an ambition for some time now, the thought of us becoming ever so slightly European or international an exciting prospect. Yet, such is the daily demands on our life & the continual draws of the prolific scene that we find ourselves within, that we have struggled to break free from the capital, only this August seeing our first venture outside the boundaries of London, well in the collaborative clubbing, travelling & writing perspective at least, our first real escapade being back in August for the Gay Dance Weekend down in Brighton, which was to give us the incentive we needed, more the renewed desire to seek out new territories beyond our usual comfort zone.
And with this new found enthusiasm came our first opportunity as the massive Spirit Of Star event was popping over the horizon, as The Supersize Pool Party was once again returning to France’s capital for another huge splash in Europe’s biggest indoor waterpark, The Aquaboulevard in Paris, promoters Michel Mau & Aurel Devil joining forces with Brazil’s best, The Week, which had, just seven days before, taken London by storm at the hugely successful event down Vauxhall way. But as much as The Supersize Pool party was the major draw, news in a D.J. pal being in town at the same time made our first clubbing trip over the channel as Disco Matt all the more enticing. By the very nature of its name, The Supersize Pool party had very much painted lots of pictures in our mind, of masses of muscled men plunging in the pools then dancing themselves dry, the images these thoughts were creating, combined with the eye catching advertising, very much evoking everything that seemed splendid with marrying poolside antics with dancing dervishness, then add in the element of the romance of gaaay Paris and our expectations were high for a supersize experience to match the stats of this event, so did Spirit Of Star’s crowning glory deliver? And what were the highlights of our aquatic inspired antics?
Being in unfamiliar territory, we were certainly glad to have D.J. & friend Javier Medina to guide us around Paris on our arrival, although it was clear that The Supersize Pool party was not really his bag, meaning we would be venturing across to Aquabouelvard on out tod, although as is the case back here in the capital, this tends to be the norm for us, but in this case we would likely to be far more anonymous. So, with directions in hand and deciding to brave the perils of an unknown Paris road & Metro system (why didn’t we just take a taxi?!?), our journey of exploration & excitement to reach our aquatic destination began at just turned 10.30 p.m. Now to say that the journey was a mere 3 or 4 kilometres from our start point was the extent of our trip, but when we finally reached the splendour that was The Supersize’s host venue and glanced at our clock, we couldn’t believe that it had taken us over an hour to make it, which say’s enough about our directional abilities in the dark of an unknown territory.
However, we were here and have paid our way into this special aquatic party, we were then directed into the first of two massive changing areas, where we stripped down from our regular clubbing attire into an unflattering pair of knee length swimming shorts, the extent of our footwear, a simple pair of Kappa flip-flops, yet not quite brave enough to strip ourselves of the skimpy club t-shirt we had packed for the occasion, although looking around at the myriad of others also preparing for the party ahead, we seemed a trice over dressed. However, undaunted, we left our belongings with the utterly charming French coatcheck ladies and then meandered back through the entrance, past the second & more extensive changing area and into the Aquaboelvard waterpark proper. By now, we had missed much of the pool antics that had started back at 9 p.m., with Spirit Of Star’s Little Nemo (very apt name) in charge of the tunes, although it was never really our intention to indulge in that part of the outing, our interest much more in how the clubbing & dancing party of this massive event much more the reason for our visit.
However, despite our fevered anticipation, acclimatising ourselves to strange clubbing surroundings of this waterpark took some time, the climatic temperature soon making us strip off that skimpy clubbing t-shirt, joining virtually everyone else in the 1500 or so throng of Supersizer’s that were sinking into the sounds of resident jock Aurel devil, playing aloft from a D.J. booth that looked out across one of the few expanses of dry land. And this space had certainly been dressed to give the feel of a dancefloor, plenty of laser & flashing lights adding to the atmosphere, a huge stage to one side with a massive video screen enticing the eye to visuals of the various sponsors of the event, as well as tasty pictures to compliment the actual eye candy in front of us, while further screens sandwiching the D.J. booth completed the scene.
Now, it would be fair to say that we were relatively unfamiliar with Aurel Devil’s music style, although having seen him perform back in May at the London Global Dance Festival, we were certainly expecting a slightly tougher more tech fuelled set compared with the, we have to say it, G.A.Y. like string of sounds he was putting together, but despite our disliking to the music, it was clear the majority were very much into this lighter more accessible collection of tunes he was playing, the Aquaboulevard a light with dancing delirium from a hot bed of lovely Latino’s through muscled European’s & everything in between, very much combining the mixes of crowds we were used to seeing at SuperMartXe, Beyond & Matinee all into one, yet pleasantly attitude free & welcomingly friendly. Music aside, we were slowly beginning to accustom our mind to this very different clubbing experience, helped along by the stage shows that has sprung into action, a collection of drop dead gorgeous go-go dancers ascending the podiums by the D.J. booth and the stage itself alight with action, plumes of smoke from a huge cannon held my a muscled hunk adding to the exceptional effects that were making the most of The Supersize pool party’s home.
Pausing momentarily for refreshments back at the bar, set away from the dance area, we were somewhat taken a-back by the 10 euro charge for a drink, opting for a energy re-fuelling liquid with a kick as our relief from the shock to our wallet, but then quickly resigning ourselves to the fact that this Supersize experience was a special excursion, so well worth the price. So, back to the dancing we found ourselves and having mastered the art of moving & grooving in flip-flops, the arrival of The Week resident Leandro Bekker lifting our spirits considerably, the music taking on much more of a familiar & favoured ring to it, plenty of electro, funky & tech tracks intermixed with octane fuelled beats that included the record that never ceases to get us dancing deliriously, Zoe Baldwin’s “Release Me”, which somehow injected extra vitality into our legs and energy in our veins, Leandro very much stepping up to the mark & hitting our musical sweet spots with every track choice he made.
Indeed, after the more camp & frivolous set of Aurel Devil, this much more forthright & fulsome performance by Leandro had transformed our experience from one of relative boredom to outright enjoyment, verging on the ecstatic, even our relative anonymity at this event being broken, first by Leandro himself, who spotted us dancing next to the booth, waving across in acknowledgement, then by Sprit Of Star’s own Michel Mau, both whom we had met at The Week party back in London the previous weekend. But it didn’t stop there as we were spotted by a whole crowd of Londoner’s back at the bar, very much consigning our obscurity to the rubbish heap, all this adding to the outstanding outing we were now savouring, Mr Bekker’s beats saving our musical day & the exceptional shows together with the eye candy filled crowd topping off this pool party in Paris with pure panache, we seeing it through close to the 6 a.m. finish with ease, only a rendezvous at the afterparty with our liege, Javier, tugging us away from seeing out the end of this exceptional event.
To try and give this Supersize Pool Party the justice it deserves in just several paragraphs is difficult and in some ways, you had to be there to experience the full extent of just what made this prolific Paris brilliance of a bash special. Yes, it was totally different to any clubbing event we had witnessed or enjoyed, but enjoy it we did, the interesting yet enchanting setting only adding to the amazing atmosphere that the Aquaboulevard brought to this Spirit Of Star spectacle. Yes, we missed out on the pool antics and it took us time to get used to the feel of the vent, Aurel Devil’s music not quite hitting the mark for us, but Leandro Bekker & the influence of The Week on proceedings was a definite plus, making for an altogether spectacular end to a thrilling aquatic influenced clubbing trip that will certainly remain in our memories for a long time to come.
Having very much been enchanted by Paris as a charming city during our whistle-stop tour of France’s finest, we can also say that, in the Supersize Pool Party, we found our own clubbing fatal attraction, that this reflection & review has only served to heighten and in the imitable words of that Debbie Harry song, Paris was definitely calling & this Supersize spectacle was doing plenty of French kissing on our mind spirit & soul. Would we do it again? Well, we would most definitely consider it and maybe next time take the pool plunge we missed out on during this visit and having gotten used to the experience of dancing in swimwear & not much more, would definitely recommend the feeling of frolicking freedom it gives and with a clubbing crowd that has to have been one of the friendliest we have come across, not to mention the best looking, what more could you ask from a party. Isn’t it just a shame that Supersize is only a twice yearly event? (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Reviews | Tags: Javier Medina, Leandro Bekker, Michel Mau, Paris, Party, Pool, Reviews, The Week | No Comments »
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17 Oct 2010 | 0 Comments
“Blighty Based Boys” – DM Does The News – Music Newsletter – Sunday 17th October
“BLIGHTY BASED BOYS” DM DOES THE NEWS (PART ONE) – SUNDAY 17TH OCTOBER MUSIC IS THE ANSWER With life over the last few weeks being topsy turvy to say the least, while we have been holding our own with both reviews & preview (weekend) posts, our much beloved Music Is ...
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14 Oct 2010 | 0 Comments
Weekend Best Bites – Fri 15th to Sun 17th Oct
Hey Folks, Having missed out on two parties, weren’t we just glad we made the third last weekend, as Beyond “Tokyo” as a truly amazing event, probably one of the best this year so far, so it goes without saying that we gave it our full review treatment, which you ...
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14 Oct 2010 | 0 Comments
Club Review – “Jubilant Japanese Jaunt” – Beyond “Tokyo” – 10th October
The last couple of months have been a strange old time in our clubbing world, as whilst we have been as busy as we have always been, there has been a definite missing link in our clubbing calendar. Yes, we have had a slice of Spanish with a magical ...
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14 Oct 2010 | 0 Comments
Weekend Focus – “Loving The Muscle Manfest” – Lovechild – Sat 16th Oct
Since moving to new host venue Fire just over a year ago, Lovechild has very much moved up a gear or two, the flexibility & space this Vauxhall hotspot provides, the perfect setting for the various parties promoter Alex Erfan has held there. In fact, over the last few ...
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13 Oct 2010 | 0 Comments
Club Review – T.T.D. Launch – 3rd October
“TERRIFIC TIME DANCING” T.T.D.LAUNCH PARTY – SUNDAY 3RD OCTOBER CLUB REVIEW We very much look back on our early clubbing days in the capital with fond appreciation, many magical memories of a rich variety of clubs making for our very colourful weekend existence. Sunday in particular was always held ...
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8 Oct 2010 | 0 Comments
Weekend Focus Extra – Hotwired – Sat/Sun 9th/10th Oct
For all those well into the Fetish side of clubbing, the one event that has been very much on the lips is Hotwired, an extra special leather & rubber themed gathering on a large scale, think Hard On! but double the size (at least). However, whilst we have known about ...
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8 Oct 2010 | 0 Comments
Weekend Best Bites – 8th to 10th October
Hey Folks, Well, what a weekend we had, having succumbed to something nasty following our trip to Paris, what looked like a hectic one, ended up being rather sedate, although our trip to TTD certainly made up for missing out on A:M’s re-launch, Reactivate & B2B. We will, of course, ...
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6 Oct 2010 | 0 Comments
Weekend Focus – “Way Out Wackiness With The Woo” – Gutterball – Saturday 9th October
Now, it kind of goes without saying that we all too often fall into the trap of normality (some would say mundaness) on any given weekend, the trappings of Soho & Vauxhall plus the likes of Matinee, SuperMartXe et all, very much precluding us from venturing forth to pastures more ...
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6 Oct 2010 | 0 Comments
Weekend Focus – “Supercharged Spanish Smash Goes Supersexy – SuperMartXe “Porno Star” – Saturday 9th October
We can hardly believe that it has been just over three months since we saw the infamous beach ball bouncing around The Coronet, our last visit having been devoted to home-grown brand Hype, although as good as that party was, there is no question that the Spanish import that took ...
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6 Oct 2010 | 0 Comments
Club Review – “Poolside Plunge In Paris” – SuperSize Pool Party – Saturday 26th September
Whilst our first steps into a club and onto the dancefloor were deep down in the southern hemisphere in South Africa, the real roots of our clubbing devotions are planted firmly here in London, although having been accustomed to plenty of travelling in our youth, the penchant to take combine ...
Event Review – “Bare Ches… : It would be fair to say that, over the years, we have s...posted on December 22, 2010
Recommends – “The Bel Ami… :
It hardly seems twelve months since we went str...posted on May 5, 2011
Reviews : Here you will find regular reviews of clubs, special ev...posted on October 7, 2010- Previews : Here we preview rather than review clubs & events that ...posted on October 7, 2010
- Music : Here we focus on, review and recommend the latest podca...posted on October 7, 2010
- Recommends : Here you will find recommendations for upcoming events ...posted on November 24, 2010
Reviews – “Eye-Opener Of … : Generally unplanned & unscheduled events in our clubbin...posted on March 2, 2011
Recommends – “Gay Boys In… : When the seeds were first sown on a specialist evening ...posted on April 11, 2011
Recommends – “Shoreditch … :
Having given East Bloc plenty of coverage in our We...posted on May 14, 2011- Reports : Here you will find reports & features on the latest new...posted on November 24, 2010
