Recommends/Reports – “Blimey! ~ Back Backing” – Beyond “Best of Brits (As One In the Park Pre-Party) – Sunday 19th May – Extra Bites/Special Feature

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It started out competing for our affections over Trade, then won our hearts for no less than ten years, but 2013 saw a faltering & then failure in favour, disturbing promotional & other developments denting our devotions, but with the club looking like turning a back in the right direction corner, we are back backing Beyond & its “Best of Brits” event which takes place this Sunday morning (19th May), this Extra Bites post plugging the party & those corner turning tit bits.

 

 

Of all the clubs we have visited and experienced in London, Europe & back home in South Africa (and there are a lot on our lengthy list), we can count on a single hand those that have dominated our world, while two have absorbed also our lives, one of them being Beyond which, for the last ten years, has ruled our clubbing waves like no other. And despite a short break & switch in venues in 2006/07, our unwavering & unstinting support for this colossal club standing strong against the test of time and amidst an avalanche of changes in promoters, particularly in its current home, Area. Indeed, we have run with the rough & the smooth, along the was speaking our minds, particularly in the Jonny Marsh era, on some of the changes (for changes sake) that we disagreed with, while the club has received an unrivalled amount of rapturous reviews, recommendations & continuous coverage, all this based on its stature & standing as THE best afterhours club we have known ever. So, when that goal post was moved in early 2013, we questioned why Beyond seemed to be becoming a twelve hours rather than an afterhours club, the “Midnight” format in the past used for the odd specialist event, now a weekly feature, this disturbing development, in our view, damaging to the brand, not least that with clumsy room & running orders, it was evident that the club never filled that much before the usual 4 or 5 a.m. start of old. But with promoter Ben Kaye’s insistence that this extending format continued, but moreover a meddling with the D.J.’s, meant that our faltering favour quickly became a total fall-out in disgusted disillusionment.

 

 

However, having still kept a watchful eye on our once much loved afterhours audacity of an Sunday morning outing, Beyond from this week looks like turning a corner, not so much in the timing, as for this Sunday’s (19th May) “Best Of Brits” event, we are at least pleased that the halcyon days of the terrace room are being rekindled, as Fat Tony who, with all that recent D.J. meddling we mentioned, was moved first to The Chapel space and then to the main room, retruns to the terrace where we always said he should belong, not that he wasn’t really popular in both other spots, but that we think he performs at his very best in this magical third room, Jamie head another that seems to shine here, as does The Oli. Indeed, going back to days of early Area old, so did Paul Martin, while he played his weekly part at Colosseum (Beyond’s original home) too, it being a delight to see him back behind the Beyond decks and playing the Terrace too. So, while this dreaded “Midnight” format is still a ditching work in progress, our sources however suggesting the club’s hand will be forced in pegging back its running hours by the enforcing powers that be, this subtle change to the terrace is good enough news for us to plug this weekend’s party, full event details available by going to https://facebook.com/events/390756851038764/, this “Best of Brits” bash also serving as the main London re-party for the upcoming As One In the Park festival which takes place at Victoria Park next Sunday (26th May).

 

So, are we back backing Beyond as regularly as before?, well time will tell and that ditching of the weekly “Midnight” format will help, we remaining cautious for now, while happily pushing that particular party, then keeping a watching brief on further right direction corner turns and its hopeful peg back from its current extended hours borders . (DISCO MATT)

 

 

About discomatt

The History........................................................Created in 2008 after a short period of blogging under his real name, the pseudonym, “Disco Matt”, was born on the back of a reputation for being London’s original party boy having partied and clubbed across the London gay scene since in mid 1990’s.........................................................Through his series of blogs via individual blogging pages which soon morphed into a full blown website (http://discomatt.com), Disco Matt established himself as an independent journalist come columnist who quickly gained a reputation for supporting & promoting one of the world’s most prolific clubbing scenes. He previewed, reviewed & recommended London gay clubs, as well as the diverse gay/metrosexual London club/bar culture, linking to & reviewing the scene top D.J.’s and generally covering the gay scene including international gay events....................................................Regularly reporting on the top events across the scene, Disco Matt’s reviews, over the years, developed a strong following, not just by clubbers, D.J’s, promoters, music producers & scene faces, but people far and wide that were looking for an insight to the incredible scene that was London. He also previewed upcoming events that signalled, either a major change or update of existing clubs, new ventures on the gAylist/metrosexual scene, or where he considered events that deserved more comprehensive coverage to that provided in other posts.............................................However, having pretty much reached the top of his game in his chosen specific field, due to a number of personal predicaments, challenges & changes in his life priorities, Disco Matt parked his writing and operation in February 2014. While the burning desire to continue remained, what this much needed period of inactivity did provide was the time & space to re-think & re-focus his activities on a broader spectrum of media and entertainment............................................................So, following this long two year lay-off, he built up the foundations for this diversification into the areas of film, theatre, radio & television where his reviewing, recommending & reporting was to be replicated & resurrected, also pointing his promotions through more visuals & video's linked to all these areas along with his core activities and passions ................................................................................The Present....................................After another (shorter) period of lay-off from mid 2016, a life changing event reignited his passion and early into 2017, Disco Matt has delivered on his promise for a new, more modern look to his website, shedding the old & tired skin in favour of something far more in keeping with the times and with his blogging roots. And he has waived a fond farewell to his clubbing days, this having also been ditched from his site & activity, rather now just focussing on the genres of film, theatre, radio, television, video and of course, music, in so doing, aiming to broaden his appeal to a much wider audience interested in the latest most cutting edge areas of media & entertainment.............................................................................His aim is to be highly regarded across the industry for his writing in these fields and ultimately become a full time critic in film &/or theatre.