Boyz Goes Blue
With the weekend set to be dominated by some song contest over in Germany, oh yes it Eurovision again! And with hopes for a strong showing by the UK this year as pop band “Blue” have reformed to try & lift the contest crown for good old blighty, we will be doing our best to steer you into a Eurovision free zone with our Best Bites & Short Shouts choices this weekend. But before we do, a big up all those bars that will be showing the contest, plus those of you throwing Eurovision parties, as well as the thousands that have made it across to Dusseldorf to cheer our boys along. And my don’t they look just a tad yummy on the cover of Boyz Magazine this week, this incidentally where you can get all the detail on Eurovision & where to be across the capitals extensive gay scene to catch the contest live. Just go to http://boyz.co.uk/onlineViewer/viewer.php & it’s all at your finger tips, well that & loads more.
So, with Eurovision put to bed, lets crack on with our choices this week for Soho Vauxhall & elsewhere, some new, some regular, some switched, others included but a reminder here & now, if you want a mention right here, then get those all important details across to us, press releases, newsletters, you name it, just mail us at matt@discomatt.com, as, if like one organisation, you don’t, then you may miss out.
Bar Brilliance
Right let’s get going by looking at Soho first and our Best Bite this week goes, once again, to Profile & Lo-Profile, the dynamic duo on Wardour Street that never fail to tip our enjoyment scales, this weekend looking no different. So, looking at Profile first, Friday sees a welcome return to the decks by the cute & compact Zach Burns, who takes pole position to pump out those sounds from 8 p.m., while on Saturday (14th May), Profile favourite Nathan Six will definitely ensure your Saturday thoughts do not stray to Eurovision, rather his energetic & euphoric dance delights, both he & Zach warm you up for proceedings below on their respective nights. As for profile itself, don’t forget their latest updated food menu, serving tasty nibbles right to full blown American diner inspired fare, specialist offers including a Sunday roast & a Tuesday Steak night (we like the sound of that). Plus, with a daily happy hour between 4 & 7 p.m., a lunch special between 12 & 4 p.m. Mon to Fri, Profile is the perfect place to hang out, more details available at http://profileshoho.com
Soho Smash Hit
As for Lo-Profile downstairs, well it would be fair to say that we were pretty taken by their new night “Society”, not least the drop dead gorgeous go-go dancers (one in particular actually) so Friday’s on Wardour Street just seem to be getting hotter by the minute. And this week should prove no different with two sparking stars on the scene on duty to dish out dollops of heavenly house hits, Mikey D taking the early slot, while D’Johnny lands from Berlin to rev up your weekend & lead you into Saturday with some superb sounds. A for Saturday, well two favourites of the Lo-Profile crowd return to keep all thoughts of Eurovision at bay, Rob Sykes on first, followed by bello Alessandro Londra, who, having spoken to last night, has a whole raft of new rhythms to rain form his repertoire. That aside, if you are planning a party, want to keep in touch with what’s happening or grab some tasty special offers, then a visit to http://loprofile.com is in order, although a visit in person this weekend gets our hearty recommendation.
Right to some Short Shouts and first to two new kids on the social soiree block, first Glamour & Trash, which launches at Diu this coming Tuesday (17th May), promoter Aubrey, hostess Minty & mix master Brent Nicholls come at ya with their new night, while on Thursday (q9th May) the guys from ShootMeUp join forces with Lo-Profile to bring you their new night Gigolo. So, given these two new nights on the Soho scene, we will be bring you all the lowdown & info in a special Extra Bites post, “Soho’s Social Set Soars” right after this, but two dates definitely to go in the diary (my are we having a busy week already!).
Over at the Shadow Lounge they have made some changes to the guestlist entry, being conscious of those tighter pockets of ours, so now g/list entry from Mon to Thurs is free all night (wow!), while on Friday’s & Saturday’s its free up till 11 p.m. & then just £5 thereafter. So, how do you get on the guestlist, well, just drop the darlings an e-mail at info@theshadowlounge.co.uk or visit their website for more details. Incidentally, Inferno tonight (Fri 13th May) sees Paul Heron on sound spinning duty, while D.J. Sonathaq stands in for Andrew Elmore at Inferno tomorrow night (Sat 14th).
As for our other usual entrants, Rupert St & Ku-Bar, well we can’t guarantee them as Eurovison free zones, so best you take your chances, but with D.J.’s Saki & Alessandro at Rupert Street on Friday & Saturday respectively, then Ku Bar, well see for yourselves in Boyz, the party atmosphere should be amazing.
Now quickly before we move on and the latest news with Barcode is that it is going to be retained as a bar and not turned into a restaurant as we had first thought. The transition will be taking place sometime this month, although as yet we are not sure what it will look like coming out the other side. But with our contact on Archer St in pole position to ply us with news, we do at least know the whole frontage is to be opened out in cafe style, while as for nights like Industri, well they look set to stop. However, when we know, you will know, so watch this space.
Communication Is The Key
Right onto Vauxhall and back to what we mentioned earlier about sending through details, one group in particular having seen fit to remove us from their press release mailings, without any notice or discussion may we add. Now, regardless of the fact that they may dominate the Vauxhall scene, with nights like Gravity, Onyx, A:M, Later, Booster & Orange, oh and not forgetting our favourite club of all time, Beyond, The Orange Group under the steership of its new master Jonny Marsh, have done just that, removed us from their mailing list without warning. In what had always been a very harmonious working relationship with promoters & managers alike, has very much been soured by this individual, who has not only ignored our continual requests to sit down and discuss certain issues, may we add, an offer he made many months ago but failed to follow through, he has now seen fit to adopt child like tactics, perhaps as a result of us going to press on a Beyond report that we had also given him plenty of opportunity to respond on. So, we will be adopting, unlike him, the professional approach and have been in touch with the individual promoters of A:M, Later, Booster & Orange, as well as our contact within Beyond and, from next week will be bringing you in either Best Bite or Short Shout form, postings on these three clubs. As for the rest, especially Onyx & events like WE Party, The Week & As One, until this dispute is resolved, we will be reserving our recommendations to a minimum. Should you wish to find out what’s happening across The Orange Group, then you can sign up for their newsletter or simply go to http://fireclub.co.uk/gayparties.
That said, we have put the full weight of our recommendation force behind Lovechild, which takes place at Fire on Saturday (14th may), our Weekend Focus report out at direct link http://discomatt.com/web/2011/05/recommends-double-dose-of-pride-lovechild-meets-fff-saturday-14th-may-weekend-focus/ with all the detail you need to know on what may be the last Lovechild at Fire (ooh er missus!).
Now, let’s get some positive vibes going and give some Short Shouts to a couple of venues who quietly & consistently pull the punters in The R.V.T. has a full programme of events this weekend, Friday (13th May) seeing “Kimono Krush return for their May dance, while its “Duckie” on Saturday and “S.L.A.G.S./Chill-out” on Sunday. Check out http://thervt.org.co.uk for more details. Then there is The Eagle, which rolls out two favourites, sandwiching their “Eagle Saturdays” as “Tonker” is back tonight (Fri), while on Sunday (15th May), it’s another Horse Meat Disco mash-up. More info can be found by going to http://eaglelondon.com
Final mention in Vauxhall goes to Barcode and we are awaiting details of the D.J. line-ups across both Friday & Saturday, although can definitely guarantee it as a Eurovision free zone, Saturday itself surely to be a packed out affair given what else is on offer. Listings should be back to normal from next week In the meantime, why not check out their website at http://bar-code.co.uk
Prolific Prospect
Okay, so let’s move onto our alternative options and Best Bite this week goes to East Bloc and their Saturday night shindig “Meat”, which is rolling out its fourth party this Saturday (14th May) and looks like a biggie, as having already spoken with Kris De Angelis, who is by the way, D.J.’ing too, he reckons the world & his wife will be getting over to Shoreditch, many wanting to avoid that song contest thingy!! But Kris isn’t the only delectable D.J. on the decks, oh no, as the mighty Tom Stephan (aka Superchumbo) will also being selecting some serious sounds and judging by the tracks coming out of his recording studio at the moment, we are going to be in for a treat, he having also collaborated with Kris on a new tune that is sure to get airplay, Plus with James Pople joining the duo & room two sporting Urban White Boy Kingsley & Munroe Bergdorf, the music is going to be fierce. But the East Bloc weekend isn’t just confined to Saturday, as tonight (Friday 13th) it’s another “Disco Fag Bar”, promoter Wayne Shires in attention and Laurent Chaumet together with guests on the decks, while Club Infidel making a showing in room two with their brand of dirty electro nasty robo techno (whatever that is!) a live PA by Disco Damage & Electro Dreams among others. Plus with all this on, not least the uber sexy “Meat”, the East Bloc men wish to make clear that it is definitely a Eurovision free zone. More info on this hip & happening Industrial come NYC underground hangout can be found by going to http://eastbloc.co.uk, while watch this space for an Extra Bites post on “Meat” as there is just loads going on & this is simply unmissable.
We Are Two
Now, given the shortage of a Best Bite in Vauxhall (there could have been Mr Marsh!!), we have given an extra cherry pick to the East End and to The Dalston Superstore (DSS) who are two this weekend. So, it’s quite a celebratory one for Dan & the boys, the festivities kicking off tonight (Fri 13th May) with a “Back-To-Back” birthday special with residents Not Shy & Kezeokichi, plus an extra special guest D.J. up their sleeves. But tomorrow (Sat 14th May) is the biggie & the boys are laying on a “Tranny Attack” to celebrate their 2nd birthday, polysexuals including Jonny Woo, A Man To Pet & Ma Butcher, while John Sizzle will be in residence together with a guest slot from Jeffrey Hinton, joining Dan Beaumont & The lovely Jonjo. Plus we are reliably informed that there will be plenty of birthday surprises and the celebratory drinks will definitely be flowing & in large supply. As Dan say’s “…it’s gonna be a big one, triple WOOF…” which means you need to get down there early, as it all kicks off from 9 p.m. & runs until 4 a.m. and all for just a fiver! AAAmazing!. Then to cure your hangover’s D.J. Squeaky will be taking it easy on you with Tutti Frutti on Sunday (15th May), more details on DSS available at http://thedalstonsuperstore.com.
We mention Wayne Shires earlier and it seems his pie fingers have stretched back down into South London, to The Brixton Clubhouse (formerly Dex) no less, as well as taking charge of The Prince downstairs. So, whilst we believe it’s an invite only do, we thought we would mention it (have ours!) as there is a Brixton Clubhouse “Exclusive Members Weekend” event tomorrow (Sat 14th May) & Sunday (15th), both starting at 5 p.m. (gorge!), where you can get to view the new terrace spaces plus the further refurbishments which looked great when we saw them at “Downtown”. Plus with the weather looking reasonable (that wind has gone!) it should be a splendid shindig. So, keep your eyes peeled for that Extra Bites post on “Meat” as we will be tagging this on the end (there’s a tie you know!).
Right, just time to squeeze in a mention for tip top clubbing website SeenQueen, who have just this week updated their site to include hot dates into June, while some of their choices for the upcoming Bank Holiday have also been rolled out, so well worth a visit at http://seenqueen.com/web, the home page then guiding you to a veritable feast of content.
Well, that’s just about it for this weekend and it feels good to be back Best Biting & Short Shouting, although our weekend may end up being a bit lame, as a course of antibiotics will prevent us from indulging, so looks like we will be Eurovision free too. However, Mr Di Angelis has our arm right up our back so “Meat” is on the cards and we are sure The Brixton Clubhouse will see us too, although there will be no Beyond or Lovechild (its complicated!) in our schedule, so not just a Eurovision, but a Vauxhall free weekend too. So, whatever you are up to, have a great one and as we always say, make sure you Go There! Be There! (DISCO MATT)