Pitron & Protege Pampering

When it comes to clubbing in the capital, there is little doubt that Vauxhall still pretty much reigns supreme, although with venues like The Coronet & Pulse, it seems that south of the river is where much is happening, the vast majority of the big brands choosing these locations as their preferred choices, whether it be Beyond, Orange, WE Party, SuperMartXe or Lovechild, even Trade re-locating here for the last few birthday parties. And with this shift change in clubbing hotspots, it seems that Soho & Central London having faded somewhat in recent times, not least with the disappearance of venues like Astoria & The Hippadrome, the big brands giving way to the more boutique & bespoke clubs that find favour with the more compact & bijou style venues, while if you are into your pop & are just out of school shorts then, of course, there is G.A.Y. at Heaven, probably the only surviving super scale club offering Central London can boast. However, with so many people converging on the Soho, especially at the weekend, there is one hip & happening hangout that, since its launch four years ago, has done a fine job in filling the gap left by the bigger venues.

Lo-Profile Look

Lo-Profile for us, it would be fair to say, took a bit of getting used to, the pretty stark decor & the relatively uninviting feel of the place meaning that our visits would be rare, the ill-fated Rome one of only a small handful of visits during its first couple of years in operation. However, when Profile the smaller sister & bar operation moved in upstairs, the whole complexion & appeal of a night on Wardour street suddenly changed, Lo-Profile beginning to attract some of the scene big name D.J.’s to play its decks, the introduction of specialist nights further enhancing the offer. And this year has seen a real surge in its popularity, not least due to the fabulous Thursday night foray Gigolo, the inspiration of David & Lambros Hart and very much in the style of Room Service, this in itself spurting new Friday night themes, first “Society” and now “Play Time” steering the Soho set into Saturday, both breathing new life into what were faltering Friday’s as other draws such as Onyx in Vauxhall seemed to be steeling much of the spotlight.

Time To Play

So, with a visit somewhat overdue & with Beyond boys Steve Pitron & Mikey D both on deck duty creating a tantalisation treat temptation too much to resist, we made haste from a late finish at work to make it back into the West End in time for a bit of pre clubbing socialising, a quick call into Rupert St preceding our arrival on Wardour St and a swift entry into Lo-Profile in advance of the doors opening. And, within moments of arriving, an energetic Steve Pitron was very much in playful mood (as we were we to be honest), a sequence of chases around the club ensuing, our eccentric behaviour not going unnoticed by the crowd that was beginning to fill Lo-Profile, we both very much befitting the “Play Time” theme of the night, even beautiful Brazilian Bel joining in with our antics, tweeting & whistling, Steve using her as a ploy to trap us on our corner spot by the D.J. booth, squirming & squealing with tickled excitement. However, what our playful antics did highlight was the change in layout of Lo-Profile, the previous roadblock stairwell by the D.J. booth screened off, a more sensible flow through entrance around the upper level making for a much improved arena, spacing out the crowd across the dancefloor & other areas of the club.

Spinning Star Steve

However, with Steve now in pole position and we armed with refreshments along with the companionship of the Brazilian bunch, not least the charming Celso, our newly formed spot already proving the place for piles of Pitron pandering, this maestro mixer lined up tremendous track after track to tempt us to spin on our spot, a colossal collection of classic Crash style sounds remixed leaving us breathless with their brilliance. With our shoulder injury now pushed to the back of our mind, we did indeed spin on our spot, ducking & diving as lighting master James manipulated the lasers & effects with exceptional employment, the already amazing atmosphere made even better by Bel’s whistles, Steve’s occasional orations of “MAAAAATTTT!!” and Celso’s cooling blows to our overheating forehead. But with continual fabulously familiar tunes like “So Much Love” and “Bitch Lady” thrown into the mix along with all the brilliant new tunes he was digging out, it was clear Mr Pitron was in his “Play Time” element, we lapping up every magnificent morsel of his masterful music, this already proving one of the best Lo-Profile outings we have had in a long time, perhaps ever.

Brazilian Babe Bel

With the time absolutely flying, as they say it does when you have so much fun, Steve’s stint was already coming to an end, the expectant arrival of back-to-back playing partner Mikey D now firmly planted in our minds, although with 1 a.m. coming & going with no sign of his arrival, Steve’s set looked like extending further than planned, the classic “Here Comes The Rain” continuing what had already been one of those pitch perfect Pitron performances that we have come to adore. However, with still no sign of Mr Dower or even a planned replacement, for a few nail biting moments, it seemed that Steve’s set would end up being a super extended one, his look in our direction saying it all, but with the cute & capable Zach Burns in the house following a spectacular showing in Profile upstairs earlier, this young superstar in the making was to prove the perfect stand in for an absent Mikey D. With the relief on Steve’s face translating into a final threesome of fabulous tunes, Avici’s “Levels”, the rapturous re-make of “Fusion” & then the truly terrific “You Better” rounding off a phenomenal Pitron pampering that had us smiling from ear to ear in absolute adoration of a stunning string of sounds that ranked as one of the best we had experienced in his hands for a very long time indeed, well Beyond excepted of course.

Brilliant Mr Burns

Now it was the turn of Mr Burns to shine under the spotlight and after a momentary catch up with Steve before his & Celso’s departure, we were right back on our spot & soaking up Zach’s equally superb sounds, a wholesome meal of music ranging from disco classics rehashed through up to date heavenly house, all keeping the cavorting crowd on their tingling toes. Plus, with the continual appearances of the sexy studs come go-go dancers on the podiums the enigmatic eye candy, despite our earlier antics with Steve straining our shoulder, we were intent on pursuing this “Play Time” outing to its full extent, Zach’s own pandering helping us along our wonderful way, not least with a new rendition of a favourite tune of ours, “Stupiddisco” never failing to hit our hypnotic mark. And with a host of familiar faces popping up to say hello, along with a complimentary comment coming from a follower of our features, Lo-Profile and its newish Friday nighter was certainly proving the prolific party we had hoped for, its stand in star also proving every inch a match for the might of Mikey D and proof of the pudding that he finds a worthy position within a select list of protégé’s of ours. But as good a time we were having and as spectacular a set Zach was treating us to, our niggling shoulder injury was to eventually take its towel throwing toll, we gracing our exit with just an hour to go, melting into sedate suburbia to reflect on an exceptional evening’s entertainment blueprinted by both Pitron & protégé pampering.   

Luminous Lighting

Without question, Lo-Profile has established a solid position within the capitals clubbing circuit, its compact & bijou dimensions never a match for the might of the central London venues no more, yet it remains a refreshing change for those used to venturing down to Vauxhall or braving the bigger brands. And with the club attracting some of the scene’s top D.J. stars, there is no shortage of superb sounds, while recent efforts to improve the lighting & effects, as well as introducing specialist nights like “Play Time” have certainly paid dividends. Moreover, with Profile now positioned right above, the destination package couldn’t be any better, this combination certainly proving a winning one & now the most popular in Soho for sure. As for our latest venture to Lo-Profile, well it was packed with fun & frivolity, not to mention magnificent music, both Steve Pitron & Zach Burns proving their worth & more, a better start to our weekend we couldn’t have wished for, the magical mix of magnificent music, charming company & an amazing atmosphere all adding up to a resounding recipe of rapture that carries our full flavoured recommendation and meaning that we will surely be back for more very soon. (DISCO MATT)