While history shows the shortest reigning queen sitting on her throne for just nine days, it seems  history is about to be re-written by the new queen of the social soiree scene, Disco Matt breaking the news of SuperSocial’s suspension in not nine by just six days since its own throne ascension last Wednesday. But what does the future hold for this “upgraded” Industri and G&T offering?

Superseding Soiree Suspended

We have always said that six months is a long time on the capitals clubbing circuit as changes happen with alarming regularity, clubs & events coming & going as frequently as the London buses that swarm our streets, but even we would have to admit that, rather than six months, six days is a very short time indeed. And six days seems to be the actual period that new social soiree splendour, SuperSocial, has lasted, or if we are to believe the postings on the club’s social network group, it has merely been put on hold while the team search for a new venue to house this soiree splendour. So while Brent Nicholls, Paul Heron & Minty, the trio behind this new Wednesday night affair, hailed it as “…the new Industri…” shouting from the rooftops that “……we are back, with a new name, a new night & a new upgrade…”, we have to say that we are nothing short of stunned that SuperSocial has not made it beyond the first week. But moreover, as we take in this terrible news, the reality is sinking in that, with just the one event last Wednesday & news hitting those social network pages yesterday, this supposed new start has literally fallen at the first fence, not made it past the first furlong & failed to fulfil its potential.

Pimping The SuperSocial Profile

But before we look at how the wheels of this super social have come off, let’s look at what this soiree was setting out to achieve? Now, for those relatively uninitiated to the Industri ideal, the club, which ran at Barcode Vauxhall for three successive seasons, was all about socialites gathering as if they were at a house party, while a soundtrack of stylish, funky & full-on house made for a music & social marriage in heaven,  the trio of Brent, Paul & Minty working like a dream and the club quickly establishing a loyal following that saw friendships formed, rekindled & strengthened, as well as marking the place that one Disco Matt came into being. So, the club has undoubted significance for us and while Industri has been consigned to the clubbing circuit history books, the desire to recreate this house party style event has run strong with two of the three, G&T the first attempt to rekindle this soiree love affair, while in SuperSocial, Brent has been quoted as saying, “…Like Industri, SuperSocial is a place where you can drop in, have a drink, a dance, a gossip. Mi Casa es Su Casa…” adding that “…More like a house party where friends, friends of friends and friends we haven’t met yet are invited…it’s a place where anything can happen and usually does, From mild to wild and back again, SuperSocial is your Soiree, it is what you make it….”.

The Five P's

Now while the good intentions of SuperSocial’s organisers come promoters are clear for everyone to see, it is however also clear that something has gone dreadfully wrong to see it collapse like an overbeaten soufflé & crumble like an overcooked cake as quickly as it has. But how come this SuperSocial weekly event in the making has come a cropper so soon? Well, while we can make our own presupposed judgements on what did go wrong, naturally given how close Industri has been to our hearts, we contacted both Brent & Minty to get their version of events, their responses seeming to indicate that there has been some sort of disagreement with the venue (Blitz Bar) over fees & payments and that the venue couldn’t see the value of hosts in the SuperSocial process. However, with Minty having been a key element & selling point of the Industri ideal, naturally the same can be said for SuperSocial, so without that host element, the promotions team (Brent, Minty & Paul) simply couldn’t see the soiree either operating or surviving without. But, reading between the lines, there seems to be more going on than meets the eye, as we were aware that the venue was running into licensing problems even before the launch, while promised improvements in the decor downstairs failed to materialise. Moreover, having been involved in running bars & clubs in our lifetime, we simply cannot fathom out why, after just one event,  the venue shifted the goalposts on the issues of hosts, payments & fees as far as they have, raising the questions, was it simply down to lack of numbers & revenue?, or was there an absence of formal agreements, informed discussions & a lack of proper foresight planning & promotion? (you know the five P’s?!?!).   

MiniCast Marvel

However, what we are not going to do here is speculate, the primary purpose of this newsflash extra being to report the SuperSocial position as it is, the simple fact remaining that, after just six days, the club has been put on hold, suspended, sidelined, however you want to say it, which means that, come tomorrow night, we will have no new Industri to indulge in & no SuperSocial to savour. And we base this on what has been broadcast on the clubs social networking site group wall, while plenty of accentuating the positive is also being applied, with photo postings from the “…one & only…” event celebrating the clubs very short life, we taking a little heart from comments such as “…plans are being made…” & “…the SuperSocial music lives on…”.  Indeed, talking of which, Brent Nicholls has released a podcast which is definitely worth a listen at http://djbrentnicholls.com/web/2012/02/14/podcast-supersocialcast/, which, in his own words, was “…made with the intention to promote SuperSocial…” he adding that “…both Paul & I picked five tracks each from our current top ten & created this minicast, one song on one song off, reflecting the unison of our individual styles to create a unique podcast…”.  So, while Blitz may have blitzed SuperSocial, it seems the team behind this soiree splendour are steadfast in their desire to rise again and we wish them well with their endeavours.

Brand Blitzkrieg

As for Blitz Bar, well the future remains in considerable doubt. Clearly SuperSocial is no longer part of the picture and news just in seems to indicate that Friday fancy, PeepShow, is also very much on the rocks, that nagging doubt in the benefit of hosts to the clubbing process condemning this night too, Brad’s head on the Blitz block, Tom having been sent to the proverbial tower & the D.J. residents left very much in the dark (have Blitz paid their electricity bill?!?!). And with Saturday’s Global Blitz plans also put on the back burner following a first night that was more akin to a Blitz blizzard than a barnstorming bash, the whole pack of cards seem to have come crashing down in soap opera proportions, while the queen of tarts that is Blitz is definitely suffering from  a soggy bottom, it having barely beaten the shortest throne reign record of another queen, Lady Jane Grey, who like the Blitz brands, was sent to the tower and eventually put on the chopping block, not so much a blitz, more like a blitzkrieg. But, with the writing on the wall long before the doors swung open for business, it seems hindsight is actually a wonderful thing and so, in the words someone near & dear, we say to anyone looking to get involved with Blitz henceforth, “…just say you’re too busy, have too many commitments & then run!!!!…” (DISCO MATT)

Be Sociable, Share!

•