Continuing his special series devoted to the diamond jubilee weekend, Disco Matt once again looks to fabulous Friday for his next “Diamond Pick”, when Onyx joins forces with A:M to bring you their “Queen Of DiA:Monds” event, the queen with the crown being headline D.J. Smokin Jo, all the detail a banner selection away opposite or an image click below, while DM deals out his card pack prologue beneath.
When we look at Friday’s on the capitals clubbing circuit across the years there have been a handful of brands & names that have become synonymous with this traditional start to the weekend, there was & still is “Camp Attack”, brought to you from the promoters of G.A.Y., while who can forget Fiction, the cavorting club that reigned supreme over The Cross for a purple patch period, while more recently, one looks to Vauxhall for another prolific party that very much hit the ground running when it launched some three years ago & has continued to drawn in a fervent following ranking it at least equal & sometimes exceptional to its peer brands. Yes, we can only be talking about Onyx, the fabulous Friday frolic that has not only ridden the storm that has faced the scene during its history, a succession of promoters having taken it in different directions, both visually & musically, but with a whole host of specialist events, such as “Neon”, “Resolution”, “Recovery” & “Digital Generation”, it’s popularity has been propelled, while with the assistance of afterhours club A;M, Onyx’s appeal has been accentuated, particularly on recent big bank holiday weekends & when its backyard, Area, was closed for refurbishment.
And as we find ourselves on the precipice of another huge weekend in clubland, the promotional powers of these two clubs have once again joined forces to serve up a spectacle stretching a full ten hours, the best bots of both brands being merged into one end to end event that will see D.J. stars take turns to serve up a superb selection of sounds that showcase both the Onyx & A:M style. So from the Onyx camp we have ex-promoter of the club Jonny M & new terrific talent Matt Bogard take up the main room reigns, they joined by A:M regular residents Fat Tony, D’Johnny & David Jimenez, while the rich vein of Onyx runs through room two, The Chapel being all about pop music with none other than gender benders Tasty Tim & Lady Lloyd dishing out the dance delectations. Then with the terrace space given away to the alternative antics of “Obey”, the club kid feel of this space spearheaded by Mark-Ashley Dupe & his gang, in the traditions of Onyx, there is a delightfully different feel to each space, the added A;M ingredient sure to carry revellers partying deep into Saturday morning,
This will surely especially be the case when the legend that is Smokin Jo hits the decks, she very much the queen bee of this “Queen Of DiA:Monds” event, A:M’s promoter Steven Sharp thrilled to be welcoming her back to the decks following her appearance for the brand back in March & this simply stunning set at As One on NYD when she held sway in the Orange room, taking us back to those halcyon days when she trounced Trade with her terrific tunes. But having played at gigs right across the globe & attracted amazing accolades as a result, career highlights have to include scooping the industry’s biggest mag D.J. of year award, Jo still the only female to have lifted this coveted crown, while club brands she has played for stretch to mainstream clubs Puscha, Tribal Gathering, Cream & Full Circle, while she still plays to gay audiences across the capital, recent appearances for Paris Acid Ball & Fat Tony’s club Deelooded, notable highlights, the latter re-forming a working relationship & friendship that goes back to those groundbreaking days of Trade. Gigs aside, Smokin Jo is pretty productive in the recording studio, a current album project close to fruition while a host of track releases & remixes scatter a discography that stretches to well over 30, a small selection available by following the Beatport link at http://smokinjo.com/music/, plenty there to get you in the mood for what will surely be another prolific performance form this quintessential queen of the D.J. scene.
As for the detail on this “Queen Of DiA:Mond’s” A:M & Onyx amalgam, just click on the super sized image above, while we leave you by simply saying, to be seen on the scene you need to “Go There! Be There! (DISCO MATT)