With a significant shift in the scene towards Shoreditch, it comes as no surprise that Disco Matt points is pick of the day finger in the direction of East Bloc, which holds its “Prick Up Your Ears” event tonight (Thurs 10^th May), the dinky detail a banner selection away opposite or an image click below, while DM delves a little deeper into the excellence that has become East Bloc beneath.

When we look back across the years we have been circulating the capitals clubbing circuit, there have been some landmark moments in our life, the Trade days at Turnmills, the Beyond days at Colosseum & now Area and even the Lovechild days at Fire, all purple patch periods in our partying. However, if there was one era that changed our clubbing world immeasurably, it was the emergence of a club & venue in Vauxhall called Crash, this leader of the then underground movement pack having been responsible for cementing some of the most important friendships in our lives, many of which still exist today. Yet while Crash & it’s off-shoot party’s had a resplendent run of close on eight years, pretty much transforming the scene south of the river & indeed changed the face of clubbing in the capital, perhaps forever, its brainchild boy & prolific promoter Wayne Shires had taken his fill of Vauxhall & graced an exit from the scene that, at the time, looked like a permanent one, like many he becoming disaffected by the strong arm tactics & desire to monopolise the clubbing circuit by a certain Vauxhall venture.

But, as the saying goes, you can’t keep a good man down and it seemed that Wayne’s penchant for promoting a party was still running strong in the veins of his mind body & soul and with a collective of clubbers along with a whole section of society favouring new found frolicking fields out east, this was where Mr Shires was to set up shop in Shoreditch, once again spearheading not just a revival of that underground ethos that put Vauxhall on the clubbing map, but encouraging a whole new sector of the scene that has grown from an afterthought alternative to considerable contributor to a desire for those craving for something delightfully different to the same old, same old. Yet, having chosen a lowly basement base on City Rd, the glamour of Soho feeling a million miles away, what Wayne has managed to achieve with his gaff East Bloc, is to draw in both the scene stars, faces & followers from the former, helped along by a host of prolific party’s that can now call East Bloc their home venue, while he has also tapped into the amazingly artistic & articulate audience that used to be commonly known as The Hoxton set, along the way helping to make Shoreditch a sizzling spot on the scene.

So what of all these brilliant brands?, Well probably top of the list is Gutterslut, the way out & whacky wonder that has been drawing people for far & wide for close on five years now, East Bloc proving the perfect landing base for its fabulous format of anything goes audacity, while it was probably Tom Stephan’s MEAT, a collaboration with our own Shoreditch son Kris Di Angelis, that really put East Bloc in the clubbing map in the eyes of the Soho set, its links with Room Service helping to bridge that perceived gap. But there are plenty more, not least, The Men Who Fell 2 Earth, SOS, & Super Electro Party Machine, while with the demise of MEAT at the end of last year came two new club nights that have taken that strength to even dizzier heights, Kris Di Angelis heading up the brilliant brand that is WAR, just three parties in proving to be the place to be seen, out trumping its Vauxhall compatriots pretty much hands down, while Tom Stephan’s new offering, DISH, is doing exactly the same. But as if all that was enough excellence, we then have Paradise 45, the nu-disco & New York style underground club concept from Guy Williams, which enjoyed a superb stay at The Dalston Superstore, but is has held residency at East Bloc since last August & fitting the venue like a glove, Guy’s guest D.J. slots continuing to pull in the punters, that along with the recent combo with Super Electro Party Machine, which went down a storm. Then we look slightly outside the East Bloc box, there is Summer Rites, which Wayne  brought back last year, staging it in the centre of Shoreditch, East Bloc proving a perfect place to hold both pre & post parties, while The Bloc Party just last Sunday attracted an amazing audience, that neatly being followed by Kris’s “Warhead” afterhours.

So, life at East Bloc has certainly blossomed & Shoreditch very much part of the picture, Wayne slowly having built on the success of the above brands & extending the East Bloc offer to cover Sunday’s & now Thursday’s, his “Prick Up Your Ears” evening harping a little bit back to those impressive informative days of Crash back in Vauxhall, not least that the iconic Princess Julia is one of the residents, while Shoreditch & East End spinners such as John Sizzle, Dave Kendrick & Kevin Clash make up a terrific team of talent that gives this Thursday frolic an enthralling edge, the night being as much about the magnificent music as the stylish set that frequent it. And such has been the success of Prick Up Your Ears, a dedicated second space has been developed by Kevin Clash, “Robot Rock” taking up residence on the 1^st & 3^rd Thursdays’ of each month, the comments on the group’s wall at http://facebook.com/groups/RRRRoom/ pretty much speaking for themselves. As for tonight’s event, well it naturally takes place at East Bloc, doors opening at 11 p.m. & the club running through until 4 a.m., entry a mere £3 with a flyer or ad after midnight or £5 otherwise, although it’s worth hitting the place before midnight as entry is free, more info on this & all events at this Shoreditch splendour available by going to the clubs website at  http://eastbloc.co.uk &/or social networking pages http://.facebook.com/EastBlocLondon & http://facebook.com/groups/255553057341/.

So, with Shoreditch looking like the new Soho & with East Bloc’s brilliant brands wiping the veneer off Vauxhall, it certainly seems that trendsetters are traversing town & heading out for the exciting events on offer, so a big up to Wayne Shires & a whole load of others that have made this spot on the scene the place to be seen. (DISCO MATT)

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