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Recommends – “Fantastic Foray At Fuse” – La Demence “Leather Me” – Sunday 19th May – Pick of The Day Mini Feature

May 19, 2013 | Author

It may be a sedate Sunday in our world, but Brussels will be banging to bags of brilliant beats tonight as La Demence rounds off a glorious Gay Pride weekend with their “Leather Me” event, the dynamic D.J. line up including Steven Redant, Paul Heron & Ben Manson making our “Pick of The Day” selection simple, further details an image click below, while we deliver our own devotion beneath

    If you are regular followers of our features, you will be familiar with a collection of clubs that we rank & rate highly among the wealth of others we have visited in the twenty or so years we have been stepping out on the scene, destinations that sport our selections extending to Antwerp, Barcelona, Brussels, Cape Town, London, Paris & Rome, while our historical & informative years home, Johannesburg makes it in too, the list of clubs reading as our own style clubbing who’s who. With names in the frames including clubs Bronx, Decadence, Matinee, Mucca, Red & Blue, Scream & Trade, when you to synch these seven with the eight  cities, you will realise there is a name missing, but which & to which city? Well the answer lies in Belgium, not Antwerp of course as that is Red & Blue, but in Brussels & La Demence, a club that from the moment we stepped foot through Fuse’s front door, this brilliant brand’s base camp, we realised it was something quite special, the whole feel of the place, from the main room through the second space & upstairs to the play area, had an atmosphere akin to our decadent clubbing days of old, while it was the friendliness of the people, particularly the promoter & his terrific team that elevated this exceptional & captivating club to the who’s who heights we now place it.     Now, while we have only visited two, it pretty much goes without saying that La Demence gets our whole hearted recommendation and this tonight is no different, not least as its “Leather Me” event rounds off Brussels Pride weekend, one which has already seen Hustlaball stand in the spotlight on Friday and at Fuse no less, Hector Fonseca in town the following night & pulling a colossal crowd, both parties pretty much laying down the gauntlet, although one we know La Demence is able to meet squarely in the eye & take up the challenge. And with a star cast of D.J.’s ranging from regular & roving residents, Andrei Stan kicking off the main room madness, followed by superstar international D.J./Producer Steven Redant, fresh from his stunning set & showing at Paris’s Scream, Paul Heron making a welcome return to the La Demence decks too, the place will be packed & pumping. But there is much more, Ben Manson another prolific player making it up from Paris, while Amsterdam based Dikky Vendetta is sure to shine, La Demence renowned for attracting a crowd not just from across Belgium, but from Amsterdam, London, Paris & even Spain, many of the Hustlaball heavies sticking around to see out Pride in style, the full line up a click away at https://facebook.com/events/582943995067829/, while more info on the club & this exceptional event can be found at http://lademence.com.   So, with La Demence landing our “Pick of The Day” choice, it’s all steam ahead for their latest outing “Leather Me”, we wishing we could be there to once again soak up the awesome atmosphere, while f you are in Brussels, then party, party, party on our behalf, naturally making sure you “Go There! Be There! (DISCO MATT)      

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Recommends – “Super Swede At The Superstore” – Little Brother Presents “Big Top” – Saturday 18th May – Pick of The Day/ Special Feature

May 18, 2013 | Author

It may be Eurovision night in Malmo, but the scintillating sounds of our Super Swede, Per QX are far more enticing than Bonny & co in Sweden, he headlining Little Brother’s “Big Top” event which takes place at The Dalston Superstore tonight (Sat 18th May), event details a “Pick of The Day” banner selection away opposite or an image click below, while we shares slices of the Superstore piece on Per, his bag of DSS tricks & then dinky event details beneath.

 

 

While a whole host of bars in Soho & the suburbs are gripped with Eurovision fever, tuning into Sweden & Malmo, we are shunning this song contest & Sweden itself, we rather focussing on our “Super Swede”, Per QX who lands back in London & on The Dalston Superstore (DSS) tonight, headlining Little Brother’s “Big Top event. And marking this marvellous meet, this Stockholm star was put under the DSS the Q&A spotlight, our selected snippets an intriguing insight into the latest world of the prolific D.J./Producer Per, while to mark tonight’s meet he has compiled a ten track chart of tracks that look like playing their part in his performance, http://beatport.com/charts/per-qx-chart-4-lgb-dalston-superstore-18-may/181074 the pace to preview what to sounds to expect in his set.

 

 

Now to those Q&A spotlight snippets, the interview starting off by covering Per’s repatriation to homeland Stockholm…

 

You used to live in London- what made you want to move back to your native Sweden?

 

I love London and Stockholm, but in Stockholm I’ve always known more music producers and songwriters, and I felt that it was about time go back and concentrate on music. I still love DJing in London and putting on the Guterslut parties there with Ralf, Nic and MS Crystal Mc. I do miss my London friends when I’m in Stockholm though.

 

Do you play out much in Stockholm and what’s the queer scene like there?

 

I don’t DJ here in Stockholm that often. I play occasionally at some clubs and raves. The raves here are great. It’s a mix of techno heads, hippies, homos, heterosexuals and freaks all coming together, a bit like back in the good old days in UK. All the misfits that don’t agree on our government’s strict policies.There’s not a gay scene as such, There are a few bars and parties. We don’t have the same community and street culture here like you have in London, Berlin or New York.

 

 

…the interview also covering Per’s new production project…

 

Who is your new production alter ego Ruefus?

 

I started the project at the beginning of this year. I wanted to do something different to my party sound. Ruefus is a bit slower and deeper, 117 bmp to 122 bpm, still melodic and energetic.My studio friend Zoo Brazil  is working together with me on a whole Ruefus and Zoo Brazil project. The first single is out in June. He’s a great guy and knows how to make things sounding gritty and dirty.

 

…finishing off with some quick-fire questions, including…

 

Who would be your dream artist to collaborate with?

 

Armand van Helden.

 

What/who were your musical influences growing up?

 

De La Soul, Public Enemy, Snap, Leila K, NWA, Whitney Houston and Todd Terry.

 

Any hidden circus skills you can show off at Little Gay Brother Presents: Big Top?

 

The helicopter!!!!

 

To see the interview in full, head to direct link http://dalstonsuperstore.com/features/per-qx/, while the DSS website is well worth a look through if you have a spare hour or two, as its packed with fabulous features, upcoming events & much more.

 

 

So, we finish our feature with the promised dinky event detail and with the DSS crew confirming that   “…Swedish DJ/producer and Gutterslut co-founder Per QX joins us from Stockholm this weekend as a special laser basement guest for Little Gay Brother’s latest circus themed party. LBG resident Terry Vietheer and guest C_A_C complete the basement line-up whilst upstairs music and merriment come courtesy of Chris Camplin, James Phillips and NuAge…” we simply need to add that, if you haven’t been to the DSS yet, then this is a perfect event to break that ice, Per particularly a performance not to be missed, while for more details on the venue & for directions, head to http://dalstonsuperstore.com, &/or https://facebook.com/dalstonsuperstore. (DISCO MATT)

 


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

May 17, 2013 | Author

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)

 

 

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Recommends – “Brilliant Brits vs. Exceptional European’s” – Best Bits & Short Shouts – Friday 17th to Sunday 19th May – Weekend Newsletter

May 16, 2013 | Author

Firmly in the recommends newsletter groove, we hit on two of our fourteen Best Bites for the coming weekend, sharing a Short Shouts selection of the remainder taking place in both London & internationally, a clubbing choice of “Brilliant Brits vs. Exceptional European’s”

 

With the London scene, which was always seen as the most spectacular of all, seemingly struggling compared with a year or so ago, there is, however, a sparkling selection of exceptional events to engross yourselves into this coming weekend, our broad choice of places to be & be seen on the scene stretching from Vauxhall to Soho, to Shoreditch, while the capital’s continental counterparts are no slouches either. So, it only seemed fair to share our two best bites between the Brits & the European’s, while we also spread our Short Shout love across the two, no less than eight of our fourteen weekend picks included here, while we finish with a mini mention for an upcoming festival ahead of our full preview piece.

 

 

So to the Brits first and our Best Bites choice which goes Friday frolic Super Electro Party Machine (SEPM), promoter Larry Tee having created what has become one of the most popular parties at its home venue, East Bloc, rivalling Saturday soiree’s DISH & Gutterslut, such has become its fervent following. Yet Larry has had to plug away for a good year now, while with the likes of Tom Stephan (aka D Ramirez, Guy Williams, Jodie Harsh, & Princess Julia as special guests, he has attracted considerable attention to his club concept that, akin to a caterpillar & butterfly, has very much spread its wings. Indeed, in addition to Friday nights, the clubs calendar also includes a set of special Sunday soiree’s across Shoreditch at Xoyo, the next event in June, building on the success of last month’s meet here, while back to Friday’s and SEPM has really found its flight in 2013, building brilliantly on that hard graft of Larry’s, like it’s Saturday sisters, pulling party people across from Soho  even Vauxhall, East Bloc owner Wayne Shires really pleased with the progress Mr Tee  the club night have achieved. So, it was an easy choice in making this our Best Brit Bite, SEPM fighting off the likes of Beyond, Little Brother’s “Big Top”, Trannyshack & Yes, tomorrow night (Fri 1th May) seeing one half of the duo known as The 2 Bears, Raf Daddy heading a line-up that includes a live performance by Q Boy along with SEPM residents Larry & Attack Attack, Attack (just one D.J. in case you were asking) on the decks in the main room, while the second space East Bloc favourite Josh You Are is joined by Q Boy, fresh from the main room, also spinning sounds that extend to the hottest 90′s RnB and hip hop. And with this shaping up to be yet another splendid soiree & popular party, we recommend you get across to East Bloc early as free drinks tickets are up for grabs for the first 100 people in, doors opening at 11 p.m. and the club running till a planned 6 a.m. finish, event details out at https://facebook.com/events/541304032587229/.

 

So to our three London Short Shouts, firstly landing on The Edge who are going all Eurovision on us this Saturday (18th May), showing the whole event live on big screens across the venue as well as boasting Soho’s largest video wall, D.J. Niko keeping you entertained throughout & afterwards, https://facebook.com/groups/edgebarsoho sharing more details.

 

Onwards but back to Shoreditch (well Dalston to be exact) and The Dalston Superstore (DSS) who entertain club night Little Brother & their event “Big Top”, our super Swede, per Q.X. heading a two floored line-up that also includes amazing Aussie, the terrific Terry Vietheer, further info out via the DSS page at https://facebook.com/dalstonsuperstore.

 

And finally for the Brits, our third Short Shout goes to Beyond, a club that has dropped off our supporting radar recently, although with promising changes afoot, plus with this coming Sunday’s (19th May) party title “Best Of Brits” too much to resist, we thought we would give it a mention, the main room D.J. line-up hinting towards a tougher tech style sound show, while it’s the re-formed of old terrace format that gets a huge tick from us, Fat Tony back & Paul Martin too, more event details out at https://facebook.com/events/390756851038764/.

 

 

Now we head over the channel and to Brussels our second Best Bite, well more “bites” really as its quite a special weekend ahead in the Belgian capital, why?, well its Brussels Pride and with each of the three events we have ended up landed on being equally enticing, we simply couldn’t split them. And a bigger, more butch start you couldn’t wish for as global brand Hustlaball bares its wonderful wares here for the first time, taking up temporary Friday night residence at Fuse club (the home of La Demence), the US & UK promotions team once again joining forces to serve up the cream of the porn star crop, including Marco Sessions, Lucio Saints, Trenton Ducati, Mathew Rush & Tomas Brand in what looks set to be a set of steamy shows not to be missed. Add to that a D.J. dream team that includes Paris based Leomeo who is quite a catch for Hustlball (in more ways than one) given his non-stop global schedule, while London’s & Lovechild resident Tony English makes his Hustlball debut, as does Spain’s Ivan Gomez who brings his studio production partner Nacho Chapado with him, both sure to be a hit with the already confirmed capacity crowd. So, need we say more as this is a sell-out event, although if you haven’t grabbed a ticket, it’s still worth heading to Fuse tomorrow night (Fri 17th May) as we are sure you can squeeze in, more details out at http://vimeo.com/63933134 & https://facebook.com/groups/47578419534/. Then the following night (Sat 18th), it’s the turn of compact yet considerable club Hunkut to stand in the Pride spotlight and it will definitely be shining bright as the team have landed one of the biggest names on the worldwide clubbing circuit, Hector Fonseca amply able to pull a crowd that would fill the club six or seven times over, meaning if you want to see this true superstar in action, you need to head to Hunkut well in advance of the 10 p.m. start, the events page at https://facebook.com/events/231651163639557/ speaking volumes and leaving us & so you in no doubt that Mr Fonseca’s set will be one not to be missed. Then, to complete our trio and this Pride weekend, Brussels rolls out its own red carpet club, the internationally renowned La Demence, which takes Sunday centre stage in the familiar surroundings of Fuse (where else really), the party sure to attract a crowd not just from across Belgium, but from Amsterdam, London, Paris & even Spain, many of the Hustlaball heavies sticking around to see out Pride in style. And the superb sounds from D.J.’s including Steven Redant, Paul Heron, Dikky Vendetta  Ben Manson sure to see to that, the events page providing the full line up, this a click away at https://facebook.com/events/582943995067829/, while more info on the club & this exceptional event can be found at http://lademence.com.

 

Now to our three Short Shout choice picks for here and whilst we have already devoted a post to Paris party Scream & its headlining D.J. this Saturday (18th May), Steven Redant, (well worth a read at http://discomatt.com/web/?p=7647), we could resist giving it a further mini mention, as this is one (if you’re not in Brussels) you won’t want to miss, a click on https://facebook.com/events/195478440600592/ extolling, if in French, exactly why.

 

Next up is The Farm, the Milan based club that is really gathered a fabulous following in its latest season, so much so that it has spread its monthly wings to Spain too, Madrid in fact, this Saturday (18th May) see the two city’s hold events simultaneously, Milan welcoming guest D.J. Rony, while the club’s regular resident, Davide Paoni jets out to Madrid & OHM club, more details on both up via https://facebook.com/groups/113621278781468/ &/or https://facebook.com/TheFarmMilano.

 

 

And finishing on a flourish, our final mini mention had to go to Matinee, this global clubbing giant very much back with a bang in 2013, it on the cusp of what looks like a huge summer season in Spain, while it’s Revolution tour is paving the way, this Saturday & Sunday seeing no less than three events, starting with a “Sunset” soiree, followed by the latest “Pervert” party, both on Saturday (19th May), then on Sunday, a special “VIP” event, further & more detailed info up at https://facebook.com/matineearoundtheworld, while watch this space for a special feature on the brand ahead of its Spanish summer season start.

 

Now, just before we sign off (for today at least), we did promise to touch on an upcoming festival, As One In The Park the subject matter and, having hit the headlines as long ago as January, is now just over a week away, this billed as the biggest event on the gay clubbing & partying calendar of the year so far. Yet while the news broke so early, further announcements trickling out, it seems to be have a little quiet on the front recently, hence our own big push of a preview, “Now That’s What I Call A Festival” coming up on Monday, a trip now to the dedicated info page at https://facebook.com/AsOneInThePark, leading you to the all important ticket links, as well as plenty of info & visuals.

 

Well, that really is it for this newsletter and while we continue with our treatment recovery, meaning we can’t come out to play, we hope there are plenty of choices of where to be & be seen that grab your fancy, we wishing you a wonderful weekend while wherever it finds you & whatever you get up to, you are sure to “Go There! Be There! (DISCO MATT)

 


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Recommends/Music – “Resplendent Redant Return” – Scream – Saturday 18th May – Pick of The Day/Mini D.J. Focus

May 15, 2013 | Author

With a bag full of brilliant beats and making a resplendent return, the very popular Parisian party Scream welcomes star D.J. Steven Redant back to the decks with open arms, this marvellous meet making our “Pick of The Day” choice for today (Wed 15th May), event details an image click below, while we look forward to this exceptional event & share some of Steven’s latest sounds beneath.

 

 

Having just in the last few days published our review of prolific Parisian party Scream, our trip to the French capital back in January & our rapturous reflection of the club well worth a read at,   impressive Israeli, D.J./Producer Guy Scheiman having headlined this particular happening, serving up a superb set, that on top on resident Tommy Marcus’s marvellous music, made this a memorable meet. And in Scream we have a club that virtually every week welcomes guest D.J.’s from right across the international clubbing scene, names such as Danny Verde, Pagano, Paul Heron, Tom Stephan, Nacho Chapado, Steven Redant, & Phil Romano, the club having been established back in 1997, quickly building its reputation as “the biggest French gay party…” and solely  on the basis of the spinning stars it attracts, this is a claim that holds weighty water, while on our account alone, it is clear that Scream in popular & packed week in week out,. Furthermore, it has survived while many others have fallen by the wayside, especially in the dreadful dive hat the Parisian clubbing scene fell into in recent years, a previously vibrant circuit of clubs reduced to specialist events & occasional international brand visits. Yet the continued success of Scream has provided a considerable cornerstone for the re-building of the French capital’s clubbing scene and new parties are springing up with regularity, “Wake Up” the official afterparty for Scream, while Revolution is attracting interest and Matinee Paris is now the biggest franchise outside of Spain, much of this down to the hard work of Ludo, Jerome & Tristan (the Scream brothers) in maintaining interest in Parisian partying.

 

 

So Scream’s stool is certainly a significant one, the club up high on the Parisian partying pedestal and this, on top of all the fastidious efforts by the clubs terrific team, is very much down to the international D.J./Producers that play, one of whom makes his resplendent return to Scream this Saturday (18th May), Steven Redant one of Scream’s most popular guests, he making a resplendent return, having last headlined back in February and is sure to attract an adorning audience, especially given his recent riding high dance music chart successes. Having already scored a number one on one of the world’s leading & most respected charts, Billboard, his collaboration with Danny Verde & Guy Scheiman (as The Bent Collective) on the Avicii vs. Nicky Romero Smash “I Could Be The One”

 

YouTube Preview Image

 

Mr Redant’s studio productions building up a superb head of steam, he once again making it to the top of the Billboard chart, this time with his remix of Alexis Jordan’s latest release, “Acid Rain”, one which, in its own right has scored highly in charts, particularly in the US where she is based & has a huge following. And in this choice Steven has selected a single that really suits his sound style, plenty of punchy peaks, vivacious vocals & tech undertones within the original, Steven enhancing it into heavenly house hit with his re-work (up at https://soundcloud.com/stevenredant), giving it the dancefloor creditability it deserves and one we can easily picture making it big in clubs such as Beyond, Muccassassina, Red & Blue, La Demence and, naturally, Scream. So,  he sure to pull it out of his bag of beats on Saturday, along with a host of other studio works of his, possibly including “Beam Me Up”,  “Oh Hey”, “Summer Is Crazy” & “Try”, all of which you can stream via his full Sound site page at https://soundcloud.com/stevenredant, while if you are in Paris on Saturday, then head to Scream as Steven’s set will definitely be one to savour, remembering to click on the large image above for more details on this exceptional event . (DISCO MATT)

 

 

 

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Recommends/Reports – “Soho Soiree’s Shift” – Revival & Gigolo – Monday 13th May – Extra Bites/News Nibbles

May 13, 2013 | Author

True to form & in an ever moving & changing capital clubbing circuit, we “Extra Bite” report on two Soho soiree slot shifts & what their switching means for the scene, while we also fit in some newsworthy nibbles on some upcoming events well worth considering your appearance attention.

 

In the conformist Monday to Friday, nine to five, working week that many of us abide by, it comes as no surprise that it is the weekend when we let our hair down fully, yet the capitals clubbing circuit seems to pay no attention to this, a whole host of happenings filling out the week and pandering to all sorts of tastes. But, true to form in an ever changing world & with an ever moving target audience, two Soho soiree mid-week meets have decided to shift slots, we reporting on these, what impact their changes may have, before running through some upcoming newsworthy events.

 

So to the first of our of Soho soiree week night meets and the new(ish) Wednesday wonder, Revival, a marvellous meet at Manbar in Soho & a brand bases itself on the simple principle that “…everything old is new again…”, the night very much about the music within a relaxed social atmosphere, Revival the brainchild of scene favourite D.J. Brent Nicholls whose musical taste & collection spans the decades and who can boast a playlist deep into the 1000’s. And as the club name suggests, Revival is about pulling out tracks from the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and 00’s from the 2000 strong playlist that the weekly “…live jukebox…” that is our Mr Nicholls, he taking requests across the night which can range from Abba to Adele, from “You’re So Vain” to “Mr Vain”, “from RnB to House & anthems to one hit wonders plus all that’s in between (you get the idea?!), Brent taking requests across the night which runs from 10 p.m. till 2 a.m. Add into the mix, heavenly hostess with the mostest, Jonny Hooley and Revival has really caught the social scene imagination, a fervent & loyal following seeing it outlive other comparable club concepts, although to add to the appeal, the team have decided to move the night from its Wednesday slot to what will be likely to prove a more popular night for this niche meet, Thursday’s very much more the start of the weekend for many, especially if the likes of Room Service & Gravity are anything to go by, Revival now firmly in this soiree slot having switched last week.    

 

And it seems that the heat is really being turned up on the Soho soiree scene on Thursday’s, as another club on the capitals circuit has decided to swing itself into this slot, although in Gigolo we find a prolific party that had its origins on this night of the week when it launched at Lo-Profile some two years ago. However, after a heavenly honeymoon period that saw Gigolo sit comfortably with its compatriot Soho soiree clubbing competition across on Greek St, with a change of venue to The Shadow Lounge, also came a change of day to a Wednesday night, the payback for the promoters being that they could fulfil the brand aspirations for more XXX rated fun & action to the full, the Shadow Lounge’s booths & secluded setting fitting the Gigolo ethos like a glove. Yet, while the team have run with the Wednesday’s for some time now, certain weeks more populous than others, it appears that that start to the weekend slot that it started with, is one both The Shadow Lounge & Gigolo now want to run with, last week’s “Cover Star” event marking the start of a new beginning for this superb Soho soiree that finds itself once again squaring up with it’s nemesis, the ever popular & packed out Room Service, the formula’s of both clubs quite similar although the settings a chalk & cheese comparison, perhaps deluding how these two will once again settle down as soiree bedfellows.

 

So, with Room Service having enjoyed a pretty long & exclusive Soho soiree run, it seems that Thursday’s with both Revival & Gigolo’s switch has suddenly exploded into eventing action and poses some interesting scenario’s for how these slot switches will pan out. That said, in Revival we have a gathering that is niche by virtue of the brand offering, the venue very much in the “Marmite” category, although despite its undoubted popularity, Room Service’s home, Maibella, is a love it or hate it compact & crowded affair, while The Shadow Lounge has always been, for us particularly, a venue aimed at a select few taller poppy’s of the scene, so has a certain stigma attached to it, all probably meaning that the three clubs will continue to attract their core following, while perhaps also benefitting from what will surely be a much bigger Thursday footfall give the increased choice on offer. However, of the three, we reckon Gigolo has the biggest challenge to cope with in matching the might of Room Service and the next few weeks will be telling in terms of whether it was the right decision or not, Revival perhaps looking like it will have an easier ride, even if the numbers may not swell significantly as a result. But, there is no doubt that Thursday’s in Soho have suddenly become so much more exciting and we hope this has a positive impact, not just on these three clubs, but across the clubbing circuit as a whole, plenty of opportunities for Soho bars & later running clubs to capitalise on these slot switches.

 

 

To some “News  Nibbles” now and up first is what marks the beginning of the season of Pride festivals/weekends, Brussels taking centre stage & three stand-out parties getting our attention, Hustlaball taking place this Friday (17th May) at Fuse, while the following night, Hunkut stands in the Pride spotlight, special guest D.J. Hector Fonseca sure to draw considerable crowd, the ever popular La Demence rounding off the weekend with its “Leather Me” event on Sunday (19th May), details on all three out via the following links, https://facebook.com/groups/47578419534/, https://facebook.com/events/231651163639557/ & https://facebook.com/events/582943995067829/.

 

 

Moving to Matinee and lovers of with global giant will be pleased as punch as their summer season begins in earnest on Sunday 9th June with a twelve hour festival event  in Barcelona, while the following weekend, Matinee kicks of the Ibiza season with a massive party at Amnesia, France & Toulouse preceding both with special “VIP” gathering this coming Sunday (19th May), Taito Tikaro among the guests, details on this out at https://facebook.com/events/127824810744558/, while for more on the Barcelona festival & the Amnesia season start head to https://facebook.com/matineegroup.

 

 

Back to London now and to the superb Shoreditch spot that is East Bloc, Wayne Shires & his team having really made their mark on the capitals clubbing circuit, hosting prolific parties such as DISH, Super Electro Party Machine, WAR & Gutterslut, as well as attracting others across, Bootyliscious the latest addition to the venue’s monthly Sunday schedule, while we have news that Queer Nation will be setting up “Social” stool from Sunday 2nd June, the other date we want to share going to Gutterslut, which returns in two weeks time (Sat 25th May), event details up at https://facebook.com/events/375244545927287/.

 

 

Then, looking further forward into June, the date & details of the ever popular Clapham Street Party have been announced, this exceptional event, now in its 9th year, which also happens to be right on our own doorstep, once again takes place on the third Saturday of the month (22nd June) and, given the queues to the last four events, will be choc-a-block, although this year & given its popularity, a standard entry of £4 is being charged, while fast track entry tickets are also on sale at http://ticketsource.co.uk/ details on the latest line-up & special guests out at https://facebook.com/events/377543915684510/.

 

 

And finally, also coming full circle, a quick mention goes to both Room Service & Gigolo, both having stretched their soiree legs, Jodie Harsh & her team well into a hugely successful run in New York, so much so that the parties are weekly each Wednesday, while Gigolo goes continental this coming Sunday (16th May) as it makes its second trip to Paris, event details in full out at https://facebook.com/events/548802628504919/, while for details on Room Service’s NYC parties head to https://facebook.com/clubroomservice.

 

So that’s about it for this our first of what will hopefully be a weekly “Extra Bites/News Nibbles” feature, while watch this space for more event recommendations including a special preview on one of our three latest “Hot Shot Happenings”, the massive festival that is As One In The Park. (DISCO MATT)   

 

 

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Recommends – “Tel Aviv Treat” – DISH – Saturday 11th May – Pick of The Day – Mini Feature

May 11, 2013 | Author

Back for its fifth outing this year, one of the capital clubbing circuit’s most popular parties, DISH, serves up a special guest D.J. Avihay Partok jetting in from Tel Aviv, making this an event not to be missed & so attaining our “Pick of The Day” choice, full line-up & other details a banner selection away opposite or an image click below, while we give our own take on DISH & this must visit meet beneath.

 

 

When the news hit that one of the most groundbreaking, uber chic & trendy parties the capital had seen for a long while, MEAT, was hanging up its boots after just one year of storming the capitals clubbing scene, off-shoot Downtown (combining MEAT with Room Service) also a victim of the splitting of ways between D.J./Producers turned promoters Tom Stephan & Kris Di Angelis, we wondered whether this marvellous meet could ever be replaced. But within a month of MEAT’s demise, Tom along with new co-promoter Borja Peña came right back at us with a brave new brand called DISH, the formula very similar to the former, the venue home the same, but what has been proved some fifteen months in, the legs & the popularity is even stronger than what came before, East Bloc’s Wayne Shires & his terrific team proud to have DISH within their monthly schedule of soiree’s. And while we say that the DISH formula is very similar, for the initiated to both parties, they have realised that Tom & Borja, along with their resident D.J.’s, have established a brand identity for DISH  that is quite unique, evoking its name in much of the set up, with a “mains dish” first room, a “side dish” second space and a neatly named “tapas” third room, all that fits into the cavernous & tardis like underground space that is East Bloc, which also fits DISH like a glove.

 

 

Brand identity aside, DISH is very much about the music, each room offering delightfully different vibes, Tom & Borja usually in charge of the main room, both complimenting each other with a mix of funky, NYC style house with classic & nu choices thrown into the mix, while the second space, steered by Mark-Ashley Dupé, Scott Webster, is very much more hip-hop, disco & RnB, while in the heavenly hands of Cathal & Franx De Crystal, as the “tapas” label suggests, it’s anything goes in the third room. And it this diverse music genre choice that makes DISH so popular, the club usually full to the brim by midnight, meaning an early arrival is always recommended, while the whole club evokes memories of when clubbing was debaucherous & decadent & people came together to dance, socialise & have a great time with no hang-up’s or pushy attitude’s that often plague the bigger clubs these days. So, all in all, it is no surprise that DISH has not just survived, but thrived tonight’s (Sat 11th May) event sure to cement that reputation, as Tom & Borja are thrilled to welcome a special guest D.J. into the usual mix, Avihay Partok jetting in from Tel Aviv for this event, bringing his trademark sound of hot and spicy beats. Avihay is one of the resident’s at the infamous PAG parties that have been running for ten years in Tel Aviv, so brings both experience & a special set of sounds to DISH that will really spice up the “mains dish” room, so makes this an event not to be missed, further & full coverage, including running times & door prices, within our weekend newsletter (direct link http://discomatt.com/web/?p=7533), DISH not just our “Pick of The Day” but probably our party of the whole weekend, so carrying our unbridled recommendation as THE place to be & be seen tonight.

 

So, while we still find ourselves in hospital, so sadly cannot make it, you have no excuse not to head over to Shoreditch & to the delights of DISH, hosts La Pequeña, Andrew Moore & Kane Luke sure to add to a warm welcome from Laurent & Benoit on the door, Wayne, Diego, Tom & Borja never far away, making this not just one of the most popular but one of the friendliest on the capitals clubbing circuit, meaning, you should really “Go There! Be There!”. (DISCO MATT)

 


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Recommends – “Roberts’ Resplendent Return” – PLAY>TIME – Friday 10th May – Pick of The Day

May 10, 2013 | Author

A favourite Friday frolic that stormed Soho right from the start, attained awards & accolades & proved of formidable force on the capitals clubbing circuit, after the sudden closure of its historical home, PLAY>TIME is now back, bigger, braver & bolder with a super sized soiree tonight (Fri 10th May), this prolific party making our “Pick of The Day”, details a banner selection away opposite or an image click below, while we look into its resplendent return beneath.

 

  

It pretty much goes without saying that, since its launch a couple of years ago, PLAY>TIME has scored significant successes on the scene, promoter Jay Roberts capturing the imagination of clubbers with a enticing concoction of magnificent music from a band of top London based D.J.’s, while mixing in sexy seductive intrigue with a pack of pumped porn stars. Yet while PLAY>TIME stormed Soho from the start, shook up its compatriot competition south of the river, attained awards & accolades galore and proved a formidable Friday force, there was no doubt that it’s Soho home, Lo-Profile, was a little constrictive in allowing promoter Jay Roberts, deliver his desires for this brilliant brand to the full, the porn element of the party having to be pegged back to podium dancing & not much more. That said, PLAY>TIME proved ever more popular as it entered its second year & from our own personal perspective became one of our most favourite forays, even rivalling the might of Beyond. And with D.J.’s such as Mikey D, Jamie Head, Brent Nicholls, & our then premier protégé player Zach Burns in the mix with the towering talent that is Steve Pitron, we have so many happy memories of PLAY>TIME during 2012 which we will savour forever.

 

 

However, when the shock news of Lo-Profile’s sudden closure at the beginning of January this year hit home, a brace of bashes effectively going to the wall, it was PLAY>TIME that the Soho & wider scene was going to miss the most, although with the occasional nod in our direction from Jay Roberts, we always knew that PLAY>TIME would be back in some form or another. And so we couldn’t have been more thrilled when the news finally broke of its resplendent return to the scene, although even we were slightly taken aback by the size & scale of Jay’s plans. That said, having decided to scale up, as well as find a venue where he could extend to porn element of the brand to a full, it seems that PLAY>TIME  as a club night & event is coming of age, tonight’s re-launch in London, at the Colosseum in Vauxhall, a real acid test for Jay & his team, but given its previous popularity and the intrigue created by the pre-party promotion of this event, we have every confidence that PLAY>TIME  will be a packed out affair, despite the copy cat competition, District XXX running at the same time. Indeed Jay has pulled out all the stops, pulling in massive porn star Francois Sagat among a bevy of other beauties, while two of his resident D.J.’s,, Brent Nicholls & Steven Artis will no doubt provide the sexy seductive soundtrack to match this magnificent meet.

 

So it is little surprise that PLAY>TIME has not only made it to our “Pick of The Day”, but also benefitted from a detailed devotion in our weekend newsletter (direct link http://discomatt.com/web/?p=7533) and while we cannot be there to support Jay & his terrific team, we wish them well and cannot recommend enough that, a PLAY>TIME regular or not, you head down to the Colosseum tonight, as this is one party you won’t want to miss. (DISCO MATT)

 


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Recommends – “Marching Into May” – Best Bites & Short Shouts – Friday 10th to Sunday 12th May – Weekend Newsletter

May 9, 2013 | Author

It may be the weekend after the bank holiday, but it seems the march into May has a real spring in its step with much going on, making our first newsletter in over a month a pretty packed affair, our two “Best Bite” choices boosted by others that get a short shout, as well as some hot shot happenings, one hinting towards summer.

 

 

 Well, it feels great to be back and while we remain in hospital and with a tough road of recovery still ahead, just like the late start to the spring, we have a similar starting step as we march into May and take a detailed look into two of the fourteen “Best Bites” choices of clubs & events featured right here on our website, happening not just this coming weekend but beyond, a selection of the remaining eleven making up our “Short Shouts” while we also hint towards a small handful of “Hot Shot Happenings” as we get our feet back under our post production table.

 

So without further ado let’s get to our first “Best Bite” for the coming weekend which goes to PLAY>TIME, this fabulous Friday frolic making a return to the scene tomorrow night (Friday 10th May) at new venue home, the Colosseum in Vauxhall, promoter Jay Roberts truly excited to be back on the London clubbing map and sizing up his brilliant brand to fit the space of PLAY>TIME’s new home. And this switch comes following the shock & sudden closure of Lo-Profile in January, PLAY>TIME’s former home, which left many of us reeling and Mr Roberts & his team without a home for their party, but out of the ashes of that sudden end come the phoenix rise in the form of this more super sized event that with a full blown club venue  gives Jay much more scope to develop both the brand and the weekly parties in the direction he has always wanted to, the restrictions that Lo-Profile presented in terms of the porn element of the PLAY>TIME events no longer an issue. Plus, while it may have been absent from the scene for some four or so months, the brand that is PLAY>TIME is as strong as ever and will surely see this re-launch/return prove a huge success despite the (copycat) competition across Vauxhall, District XXX which runs at the same time. So, what of the detail of this resplendent PLAY>TIME return & event?, well, in the word’s of Jay himself, expect a party “…bigger, braver & bolder than anything ever seen in London nightlife…” and what has also been billed as an event that “…will be the most discussed Friday club event of the year so far…”. And with massive (in more ways than one) international porn star Francois Sagat taking centre stage among a bevy of brawn in a succession of saucy & steamy stage shows throughout the night, it seems Jay’s XXX rated desires for PLAY>TIME as a party will be played out to the full & in a superb space to boot, while the music will also be top draw as Mr Roberts pulls in the talents of two of his regular PLAY>TIME residents, both Brent Nicholls & Steven Artis sure to go down a storm. Now, while we cannot quote entry prices, we can confirm that PLAY>TIME kicks off at the Colosseum tomorrow (Fri 10th May) at 10.30 p.m., running through till a planned 5 a.m. finish, a trip to the events page at https://facebook.com/events/451401594952610/ going into more detail about the party itself.

 

 

Now to a couple of our other Friday meets featured in our “Best Bites” selections and Super Electro Party Machine is the first, Larry Tee’s madcap meet taking place tomorrow (Fri 10th May) at East Bloc in Shoreditch, Larry welcoming back Room Service’s own Jodie Harsh to the decks alongside Mark-Ashley Dupe & more, further details out at via the East Bloc page at https://facebook.com/EastBlocLondon.

 

 

Our other Friday Best Bite come Short Shout mention goes to Rome’s Muccassassina, also taking place tonight and playing host to the first of a string of pre-parties for Europride 2013, which takes place in Marseille this year, the Mucca team rolling out their team of home based D.J. residents, full details of this ever popular & packed out party available by heading to https://facebook.com/events/458447380900220/.

 

Right, back to our full blown “Best Bite” choices, our second going to DISH, which returns for its fifth outing of the year at East Bloc in Shoreditch on Saturday night (11th May), promoters Tom Stephan & Borja Peña welcoming an extra special guest D.J. for this month’s meet. But before we touch on him, let’s run through the DISH format for those as yet initiated to this, one of the most popular parties on both the East Bloc & the capitals clubbing circuit calendar, DISH evoking its name in much of the set up, with a “mains dish” first room, a “side dish” second space and a neatly named “tapas” third room, all that fits into the uber chic underground space that is East Bloc, DISH’s venue home. And this monthly meet, having been running for over a year has, as we said, firmly established itself as a real star of the scene, meaning that the club runs to capacity and fills out really quickly compared to many of its compatriots, an arrival after midnight finding it full & pumping with action, while the bigger clubs struggle, so an early arrival is always recommended as once DISH is full, its full!! So that’s this brilliant brand what about this month’s meet?, well as we mentioned earlier, Tom & Borja are welcoming a special guest D.J., Avihay Partok jetting in from Tel Aviv for this event, bringing his trademark sound of hot and spicy beats. Partok is one of the resident’s at the infamous PAG parties that have been running for ten years in Tel Aviv, so brings both experience & a special set of sounds to DISH that will really spice up the “mains dish” room, while in the other two spaces, it’s down to regulars Mark-Ashley Dupé, Scott Webster, Cathal & Franx De Crystal to deliver delectable dance, hip hop, & plenty of other genre beats that give DISH its vivacious variety very much akin to a three course meal offering. In terms of further detail, doors open at 10 p.m. on Saturday night (11th May), hosts La Pequeña, Andrew Moore & Kane Luke adding to a warm welcome from Laurent & Benoit, entry £7 before midnight or £10 after, further info up at https://facebook.com/events/592308114114875/, this DISH is set to be a very special one which cannot recommend enough & should not be missed, even if we cannot make it ourselves.

 

 

So to some Saturday short shouts that have made our “Best Bites” selections for the weekend, the first going to Tramp which also runs in Shoreditch although further up at The Dalston Superstore, promoter Kris Di Angelis welcoming guest D.J. Bryony Masters to the downstairs decks, while its trans tranny action upstairs with Stacy Dee Collins & Jonathan Bestley, ably abetted by Jonny Woo & Dave Tester, more detail out at https://facebook.com/events/515834591785855/

 

 

We head across the channel for our second short shout come best bite, Scream in Paris the destination and their special monthly “Festival” party, which celebrates the clubs home-grown resident D.J. talent, & performers, including Tommy Marcus, David Judge, Nicholas Nucci, Paris Topher & Trippy Gonzalez, this outing one of the most colourful on the Scream calendar, so one to savour for sure, while the partying carries on at Ben Manson’s Wake Up, which runs deep into Sunday morning, more detail on both up at http://scream-paris.com.

 

Moving up from France we head into Belgium and to Antwerp which can only mean one club, Red & Blue, who entertain a special guest D.J., like DISH here in London, looking to Tel Aviv but in this case, Guy Scheiman, who makes his first appearance here on Saturday night (11thMay), but based on his sound style & productions, is sure to go down a storm, he joined by resident Gust Morris, more detail out at http://redandblue.eu. 

 

Then we head across to Milan for our fourth & final mini mention for the coming weekend, another “Best Bites” selection for Saturday going to the Farm who, like Scream, are also in festival mood, their “Under The Sea” themed party pointing towards summer as they entertain the XLsior festival from Mykonos, D.J. GSP flying the XL flag & a special P.A. performance from Soraya Noayin, more info up at https://facebook.com/events/276694449134324/.

 

 

Now, we promised to touch on some of our “Hot Shot Happenings” and we have three to share, the first being next weekend when horny brand Hustlaball meets up with La Demence for a special weekend in Brussels, the former taking place on Friday (17th May) at Fuse, while the on the Sunday, La Demence goes all leather on us, event details on both available via https://facebook.com/pages/LA-DEMENCE/118510491162. Then we come to probably the biggest event of the London clubbing calendar so far this year, the massive festival that is As One In the Park taking place on Sunday 26th May for which we will be devoting a special preview feature in the next few days, while in the meantime, you can trawl through their page at https://facebook.com/AsOneInThePark for details of the massive line-up, clubs involved, ticket details etc. And our third “Hot Shot Happening” very much looks to summer, as its the Matinee Amnesia launch, taking place on Saturday 15th June, the likes of Taito Tikaro, Lydia Sanz, & Flavio Zarza on D.J. duty between the terrace & main room, Vanessa Klein never far away, initial info up at https://www.facebook.com/matineegroup, while you can also head right here for details of Matinee’s first summer festival which takes place at Matinee’s historical home in Barcelona the previous Sunday (9th June), this 12 hour non-stop party one not to be missed, more coverage due up here v soon.

 

 

So that’s pretty much it for is weekend, our selection of no less than eight events in London & across Europe and of “Best Bite” quality at that giving you plenty to choose from wherever you find yourselves and while we will be on those hospital sidelines, we wish you all a wonderful weekend of clubbing, remembering that, to be seen on the scene, you need to “Go There! Be There!”. (DISCO MATT)

 

 

 

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Recommends – “Soho Soiree Switch” – Gigolo “Cover Star” – Thursday 9th May – Pick of The Day

May 9, 2013 | Author

It started life at Lo-Profile on a Thursday, then found new legs at The Shadow Lounge on a Wednesday, but tonight see’s promoters L.a. & David Hart switch their Soho soiree back to Thursday’s, Gigolo the club that once again squares up against its counterpart on Greek St., we looking into this change & what it means for the Thursday night clubbing scene, while this “Cover Star” event makes our “Pick of The Day”, all the detail a banner selection away opposite or an image click below.

 

 

 When the phrase “…Thursday’s have become the new Friday’s…” very much became a Soho reality with the launch of the still hugely successful Room Service, it came as no surprise that the heat would be turned up with some clubbing competition in the form of Gigolo, a concept developed & then launched at Lo-Profile by the boys behind ShootMeUp, David & L.a. Hart, their bold branded bash scoring initial successes & seemingly neatly rubbing shoulders with its counterpart across the other side of Soho. However, with a major part of the Gigolo concept being the propulsion of porn star action into the music mix, the team realised they needed to find a new home to deliver their dream to the full and in The Shadow Lounge, the Hart’s found their perfect bedfellow, even if it meant moving their weekly meet to a Wednesday. Yet while the home proved right, the more extrovert XXX rated action post midnight presenting none of the complications that Lo-Profile had carried, it seemed & ultimately proved that the midweek timing was always going to be limited in terms of numbers & popularity, even if there was little or no competition.

 

It was therefore inevitable and has come as no surprise that Gigolo once again has decided to switch back to Thursday’s, while retaining its brilliant bedfellow venue on Brewer St., which has excting prospects for not just upping the Thursday clubbing ante, but for no doubt increasing the footfall into Soho which still continues to miss both Profile & Lo-Profile. That said, Gigolo has interesting times ahead, especially given how successful that Room Service remains, but in the spirit of clubbing choice, it will and should certainly play its part, while like its counterpart, Gigolo certainly has a loyal following that the team have nurtured over its two years or so in equally successful existence. So, tonight marks a new beginning for this superb Shadow Lounge based Soho soiree, it’s “Cover Star” event welcoming back Athens based D.J. GSP to the decks, alongside relative new boy to the Gigolo residency team, Adam Watts, while all that XXX rated porn star action will continue as before, no doubt adding extra spice to the Thursday night clubbing mix, full details of tonight’s party available via the events page at https://www.facebook.com/events/519327474770591/.

 

So, as we sit on the sidelines from our hospital bed, we wish the Hart’s & the whole team at Gigolo & The Shadow Lounge all the best with the switch and hope that the promise of a boost to the Thursday Soho scene is spearheaded by this new slot selection. (DISCO MATT)

 

 

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Disco Matt is London’s original party boy and independent journalist who previews, reviews & recommends London's best gay clubs, events & businesses, links to & reviews the scene top D.J.’s and generally covers the gay scene including international gay clubs & events.
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