It was the soiree sensation of 2012, turning heads & wagging tongues even before the actual launch in February, while true to form in 2013, the divine Deelooded is doing it again, making majestic moves out east, throwing the cat amongst the pigeons and creating a scene shake-up stir, we looking at this brilliant brand & it’s “Eastside” event in our first preview of the year.
We have so often said that if we had a penny for the sheer volume of club launches we have seen come & ago, some with alarming speed, we would not just have pennies, but pounds enough to fill a jam jar & more, while of all those pounds that we could have amassed, just a few remain today after all the years we have been circulating the capitals circuit, Beyond being one, Orange another and A:M a third, all surviving well beyond the so called seven year itch. However, more recent additions to the dynamic & diverse scene that is London, continue to make their mark, Room Service, Gigolo & WAR, three examples, while just this last weekend, we helped DISH celebrate its first birthday and, given its success, should be celebrating the second in a year or so. Indeed, as for second’s, one of the biggest import successes of late has been the Spanish splendour that is WE, the “Formula 2” anniversary back in December proving just what a prolific &popular party it is, while this coming weekend, a shindig on a smaller scale also marks its second birthday, Jim Warboy’s SOS celebrating in style at the enthralling East Bloc. So talking of East and talking of recent additions, there is a club brand that has been turning heads & wagging tongues since its start back in February last year and looks set to create as much of a stir twelve months on with a majestic move out east, also switching from a Saturday to a Sunday, a change of location, of venue and of appeal set to send this club on a soaring course of success.
Deelooded has certainly created a stir on the scene, this brilliant brand having gained considerable kudos even before it opened its doors at Factory in Vauxhall almost a year ago now, a rundown space that was soon converted into what we now know as Covert, the eye catching Deelooded advertising campaign certainly turning those heads more than any other club launch we can think of, and we have seen a lot in our time. The brainchild of Fat Tony, a scene figure that has gained iconic (some would say legendary) status over the years, Trade having propelled him into the eyes of the world, while T.V. documentary appearances and regular inclusions in the press have kept this colourful character in the scene spotlight for as many moons as we have been circulating clubs. But with his Deelooded creation, Tony had his the first full-on promotion that he could call his own, his involvement with many others, Orange included, along with his extensive portfolio of D.J. gig appearances, as well as scores of scene connections, placed Deelooded in a very powerful pulling position from the off, the tongue in cheek poke at celebrities & stars, not just of the clubbing scene, but much further afield, attracting plenty of attention and setting the club on a course that would see a sequences of successes from February through November last year. Indeed, with an a-list of scene D.J.’s having played for Deeloooded, Superchumbo, Danny Rampling & Boy George included, plus with the likes of Kate Moss & Jake Shears having paid visits, the club has certainly made its mark magnificently.
So what of that string of successes in 2012? Well, the launch night on 25th February at Factory was an absolute roadblock affair, by all accounts queues stretching close to Vauxhall tube station, such was the desire of droves to be at what was THE place to be & be seen on the scene, Tony & his terrific team transforming the rather squalid space into something quite special, this pulsating party followed by a repeat roadblock performance on May Day bank holiday weekend, while just a month later the brand was royally Deelooded, joining the while country in celebrating the wedding of Will & Kate. And the strength of these successful showings remained in the marvellous marketing deployed well in advance of outings, Tony always armed with Deelooded stickers at each & every club he played, while that playful poke at people also ensured it remained a focal attention grabber, even we getting the “Deelooded” label across a score of social networking pages. But the success story continued deep into the summer, the “Cos Everything’s Not Black & White” benefitting brilliantly from that amazing advertising placement campaign that the club had become so adept at, while capturing the mood of the moment in August, as Olympic Games fever swept across London, its “Let the Games Commence” event boasted its own team of dynamic D.J. athletes, Pagano among them, while others in this resplendent run have included Jodie Harsh & Smokin Jo, Tony also pushing new talent Matt Bogard into the spotlight, along with established others like La Gosse & Guy Williams.
Yet, as big a splash & as a much a resounding success Deelooded had proven to be in that run between the launch in February & the amazing August outing, it seemed that the promotional wheels came off a little, the usual advanced advertising & propelling of the next party, “Fake Realness”, noticeably absent. So, even to he untrained eye, there was definitely destablising forces distracting Deelooded from doing what it did best, sods law for us, as this would be our first appearance at the brilliant brand, although with a sterling set performance from Danny Rampling, an equally entertaining evening among many friends & familiar faces, Jamie Head’s second space showing a heavenly highlight, we had a good enough time. However, over & above those discontented distractions, there was a feeling that the Deelooded head of success steam was running out, a turnout that fell short of expectations signalling the need to change, we having been privy to plans from the clubs promoter to switch from south to east, his aim quite clear, to put this brilliant brand in amongst what has clearly become an artisan alternative scene spot, the likes of East Bloc, The Dalston Superstore & The Joiners Arms attracting a clubbing crowd that has made Shoreditch the latest marvellous melting pot of a place to be seen. That said, Deelooded was still making its mark on mainstream clubbing, the very first day of 2013 seeing it “Take Over WE Vogue”, sporting the second space at The Coronet, the team talk back to its fabulous form, Tony remarking that “…we all know that everyone’s been dying to go to WE Party Vogue for the sole purpose of partying it up in the DEELOODED room…” adding “…we are back, fresher, more fabulous and slightly more DEELOODED than the last party…”, while eyes were already pointing towards that move out east and renewed fortunes for this faltering frolic.
So, with the Deelooded movement cast dyed, all eyes are now on the brands effective 1st anniversary event on Sunday 10th February, yes a Sunday rather than a Saturday, but a switch that we have every confidence will go down just as well as the move out east, Xoyo the new host venue, one situating in the epicentre of Shoreditch. Nestled between East Bloc to the west & The Joiners Arms to the east, Xoyo can be found on Cowper Street and is s a warehouse style venue but with a sophisticated style, a trip to http://xoyo.co.uk/ revealing more about the place & its parties, while from talking to Tony, he has is just as assured as us that it will prove as good if not a better space for Deelooded than Covert was. And, while this move of locale puts Deelooded firmly in the “East London” bracket, Tony is keen to stress that his brand is “…not just about East London, this party is about London as a whole…” adding that “,,,last year Deelooded shook up the scene, bringing east and south together in South London, now it’s about taking the best of the south and the east and taking it to a fresh venue in the east..” although we would go as far to say that this next event will attract guys & gals from the north & west too, not to mention the central Soho set, as Tony & his team set a brave new & wonderful world course for Deelooded, the PR going on to say this, “…look what the cat dragged in to 2013…” this, “…set to shake up London even more…” and this “…the cat is well and truly amongst the pigeons and the fur is gonna fly!…”.
With the PR doing the talking and the amazing advertising beginning to kick in, what of the event detail itself? Well Deelooded “Eastside”, as we have said, takes place on Sunday 10th February at Xoyo in Shoreditch and pitches its party at the t-dance timing of 4 p.m. through till 1 a.m., hence our prediction that this majestic move will prove very popular with party people & fervent followers alike, the team talk brimming confidence when they say “…Deelooded will bring a scale to the east that is rarely achieved, in a big, industrial warehouse style location, combining the fun to be had in Vauxhole with the coolness of east across 2 rooms…” that tongue in cheek reference to its former home spot, true to Deelooded form, while familiar D.J. team territory balances the switch stauts quo, Boy George, Superchumbo (aka Tom Stephan) , Jodie Harsh & Tony himself all returning for “Eastside”, while an east end influence was inevitable, Hannah Holland a welcome addition to the main room team. However, with Deelooded host of old, Mark-Ashley Dupe also hosting the second space, taking to the decks himself, along with Dayne Harper & Tom Frankel, this “Eastside” event certainly has a fresh feel to it, Daniel Lismore another ample addition to the team, he taking over the main hosting & promotional duties, while Alex Palumbo completes the lustered line-up. As for entry prices and advance tickets, we expect to receive details in the next few days, so watch this space for news, while to keep tabs, you can always visit the club’s Facebook page at http://facebook.com/deelooded.
So, concurring with the clubs creator, we reckon that Deelooded, with this majestic move, has definitely put the cat amongst the pigeons and already looks like being THE place to be & be seen on the scene with its “Eastside event, meaning Sunday 10th February should be in your disco dance diary, as it is ours. (DISCO MATT)
