Well the now Mayan myth about the end of the world may have come & gone but Beyond is sticking with its guns and celebrating this fabled finale with their “End Of The World” party which is under way right now, we landing on it as our “Pick of The Day”, all the event detail a banner selection away opposite or an image click below, while we Extra Bite on bits from our Weekend Focus beneath.
Well what a year it has been for us and in some ways with the woes that have troubled us, we may well have been grateful to the Mayan’s if the end of the world had actually happened. However, we sit here some fifty hours after this ancient forecast failed to materialise looking at our favourite club of all time which survives this fabled finale of mother earth yet pokes in the eye of this now clear pie in the sky theory with its “End Of The World” party. And as the promotions team behind Beyond told us, “…the fun is only just getting started…”, having rolled out another of their infamous “Midnight” format frolics, the fun is actually well under way, the clubs ex promoter & also ex director of Orange Nation events, Jonny Marsh due to start his last ever U.K. set (yes he is a D.J. too), joined by some of Beyond’s all star residents, Jamie Head, Fat Tony, D’Johnny & David Jimenez, while as Mr Marsh bows out, this global apocalypse get together marks the resplendent return of one Paul Christian. So, having devoted a full Weekend Focus, our “Fabled Finale”, we thought we would pick out some best bits, tweak them a little and then put them into this special Extra Bites post and in so doing re-affirm our decision to make Beyond our “Pick of The Day today (Sun 23rd Dec).
So, here of some chunky bites from our Weekend Focus for you to chew on….
Having breathed a sigh of relief that the Maylan’s were wrong, we also having gotten in one of the best birthday’s in years, including that brilliant & best present EVER, the reality of our continued 2012 health woes has hit hard, meaning that we won’t be joining the clubbing celebration train this morning, although we know there will be plenty of you doing so within the wonderful walls of our favourite & most brilliant brand, Beyond striking a chord when it says of its “End Of The World” event today (Sun 23rd Dec) that “…the fun is just beginning…” the question they having posed “…if the world ends, where would you want to be?…” the answer surely being Beyond and to be honest, if the world had been ending, then we couldn’t think of a better place to go out with a bang.
Now, if you’re one of the lucky ones that are off until January, but even if you’re not, this is definitely the last Beyond before Christmas, so is likely to be a jam packed affair as everyone gets firmly into some festive frolicking with a dance work out to make room for all that Christmas Day chow. And having ruled the capitals clubbing circuit waves for the whole of 2012, Beyond is certainly not holding back with this final fling before Christmas, as they roll out one of their now infamous “Midnight” affairs, hence why it’s billed as a Saturday start (even though we all know it’s actually Sunday when the doors open). Plus, with the possibility that the club will run extra late being as certain as death & taxes, not least given how popular its parties have been this month alone, the “all roads lead to” reputation should play out to exceptional effect as both Soho & Shoreditch shindigs empty out and their party heads forge a path to Vauxhall.
So, with a Sunday lunchtime finish on the cards and a glittering line up of resident D.J.’s to keep you dancing way past dawn, who could resist taking in the full extent of this “End Of The World” event, Beyond’s main room sporting Jamie Head & Fat Tony, both having established a presence in this premier pitch during 2012 and should rock the main room to its fabulous finale fable foundations, while finale is very much the byword of what will be the last ever (so we are reliably informed) set from Beyond’s former promoter Jonny Marsh. Having recently spread his wings of the jet packed variety, sowing new rooting seeds in Australia, Mr Marsh will be saying bye to his old backyard Beyond, Jonny “…opening the main room personally…” performing his last set in London (and the UK) before flying back out to Oz, the whole Beyond family present to wave him a fond farewell, so is one bon voyage you won’t want to miss, whichever side of the Marsh fence you sit on.
However, the biggest and best news for us and we think for Beyond under the current premiership of Mr Kaye is the wonderfully welcome & resounding return of Paul Christian who has, in our view been sorely missed, Paul synonymous with The Chapel space and the start up D.J. to beat them all, even Hifi Sean whom we were also pleased to see back last weekend after protracted problems following a hernia operation. So there should be a real buzz about Beyond’s second space on Saturday (or is that Sunday!?!), Paul one of we hope many moves to restore our faith it what has become a brand that, despite its continued popularity, has been losing its way. So as good as Paul’s return is and as good as the inclusion of D’Johnny & David Jimenez in the Chapel this weekend are, it is our beloved Terrace room that is desperate for corrective attention, the lack of the likes of The Sharp Boys, The Oli & others that have, like us, adored the atmosphere & electricity of this special space, recent times seeing the dynamic duo of Verity Mayes & Bryony Masters (who are on deck duty this morning) having played to a mere handful of hedonists.
That said, this Beyond “End Of The World” bash gets our full recommendation (goes without saying surely), this “Midnight” event already underway as we go to press, doors having opened at midnight and the club running through to a billed late, late finish which we suspect could be midday,. advance tickets very much the way to go as always, having been a foregone conclusion, remembering that, £10 tickets are available for all Beyond events online at http://orangenation.co.uk/, while a trips to Soho outlets Prowler, Clone Zone (both stores) & 50 Dean, as well as at Comptons, Rupert St & Lo-Profile will gain you a similar priced pass. However, if you are pitching up in the next few hours, then paying on the door is your only option, but expect to pay more, while concessions are available with an ad or flyer at £12 till 7 a.m., the last words going to Beyond’s promoter Ben Kaye who takes the opportunity to send “…you all the best Xmas wishes and hope 2013 is all you want for and more. I want to personally say thank you for making 2012 such a great Beyond year for me, while to see everyone having so much fun week in week out really makes all the hard work worth it…”. (DISCO MATT)
