Posts Tagged ‘Dish’
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)
Posted in Recommends | 
Tags: Borja Pena, Cathal, Dish, East Bloc, Mark-Asley Dupe, Tom Stephan, Wayne Shires | 
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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)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: As One In the Park, Dish, Hustlaball, La Demence, Matinee, Muccassassina, Playtime, Red & Blue, Scream, Super Electro Party Machine, The Farm, Tramp | 2 Comments »
With spring having finally sprung, it seems the scene is also springing into action this weekend, a champion choice of a marvellous set of Saturday meets seeing us extend our Best Bites from three to four, we offering ample alternatives to what will no doubt be the most dynamic draw & most popular party of the day.
Having been plagued with a serious viral illness along with other health complications, we have been pretty much out of action for a good few weeks, but with a determination to do what we do best, we thought we would kick start our return with our Weekend Recommends newsletter, picking out our Best Bites of where to be & be seen on the scene this weekend, we acknowledging that one party looks like being the most dynamic draw, while the other three offer ample alternatives for those looking for something a little different.
So let’s get to it and to our first Best Bite, which goes to DISH, which returns this Saturday (13th Sept) at East Bloc for its fourth outing of the year, this brilliant brand having celebrated its birthday back in January and has continued to ride a wave crest that has seen both the February & March events packed to the rafters. Indeed part of the draw of DISH is that amazing atmosphere that host venue East Bloc engenders, the underground & cavernous nature of the club harping back to the decadent feel of the nineties, yet with an up to date & modern twist, many party goers of that era making comparisons with Crash. AS for DISH itself, in the twelve of so months that it has been running, promoters Tom Stephan & Borja Pena have benefitted from a loyal following while also attracting one of the most stylishly mixed crowds we have seen in a long while, DISH’s forefather, MEAT, also having cemented the latter as one of the hip, hot & happening events on the capitals clubbing calendar. AS for this month’s event, well the team seem to be sticking with that winning formula, which thirty neatly explain by saying “…Here at DISH we follow a very simple recipe, quality beats served by London’s finest chefs…” the chefs clearly the D.J.’s, no less than six serving up scores of scintillating sounds across three rooms of fun, the aptly named “Main Dish” room brimming with “…hearty beats to satisfy!…” from both Tom & Borja, while the “Side Dish” second space sees Mark-Ashley Dupé & Daniel Delay will keep the room jumping & pumping with “…familiar favourites we all know and love!…”. But it doesn’t stop there as the compact & bijou “Tapas” third room where Cathal & Franx De Crystal will “…tease your appetite with a bit of spice!…” translating to tons of terrific tunes, proceedings helped along by hosts La Pequeña, Andrew Moore & Tomino, doors opening at East Bloc this Saturday (14th Apr) from 10.30 p.m., with DISH running to a planned 6 a.m. finish, entry £7 before midnight, £10 thereafter, the team urging you to arrive early to guarantee entry, more detail should you need it out at https://facebook.com/DISHLONDON &/or https://facebook.com/events/553122601387843/.
So onto our second Best Bite and we stick with Shoreditch, moving slightly further round to Hoxton in fact and to The Hoxton Pony, a venue that was very much at the forefront of the explosion of this area as the new hip, happening & trendsetting spot in London a small handful of years ago and while Hoxton may have been absorbed into the expanse that we known as Shoreditch, it remains at the epicentre of metrosexual clubbing activity. Indeed, The Hoxton Pony, having firmly established its niche yet stylish clubbing & socialising set following its launch in 2009, can also be proud as being part of the expansion of the Shoreditch scene which today sees one of the biggest concentration of club venues in the whole of London. Famed for its decadence and a smidgen of anarchy, The Hoxton Pony is particularly popular with locals on a Friday night, a whole host of D.J.’s from across the capital landing on this jewel in the Hoxton clubbing crown, names such as Zach Burns & Tony English adding their own brand of upfront house music to the more electro tech beats of the Pony’s resident D.J.’s. However, it is Saturday’s and particularly the venue’s new night, Rapture, that is turning heads & drawing the crowds, the promoters saying of this night, “…Rapture delivers the ultimate night of mayhem and despicable party antics with a mixed crowd…”, this Saturday (13th April) seeing one The Hoxton Pony’s favourite D.J.’s hit the decks for a specially extended 6 hour set and one that will surely showcase Tony’s diverse genre styles which range from electro through upfront vocal house to more eurostyle beats that belie his indistinct links with Spain & Ibiza. Indeed, having played out to capacity crowds for polysexual clubbing brand Puscha, for whom he has been a resident for close on 10 years, his repertoire also extends to familiar gay territory parties including Lovechild, Hustlaball, Popcorn at Heaven and the recent launched club collaboration, This Is Prohibition, while Spanish clubbing brand SuperMartXe is among a number of other mainland & Ibiza based clubs he has played for, while he was the creator of Gaydar Radio’s very popular Saturday night show, Club Nation & has hosted a number of other radio shows in his time. As for Rapture itself, well it takes place at The Hoxton Pony this coming Saturday (13th April) from an early start of 8 p.m., running through till 2.a.m, the team hinting that you should “…dress to impress, we’re the most glamorous and best night out in Shoreditch. No other night will offer you the opportunity to mix fashion, hedonism and exhibitionism…”, entry £8 while its £6 for guestlist entrants before 10 p.m., further info including dresscode policy out at https://www.facebook.com/events/145455472299619/.
To our third Best Bite now and we head into Soho for monthly meet BakeBox which plays out for the third time at the Green Carnation this Saturday (13th April), no doubt building on the success of the launch back in February when it was known as Baked. However, a shift in the name change has only served to attract even more attention and last month’s meet was every bit as popular, the blend of house classics & anthems with more upfront & current house tunes, with a dollop of disco for good measure, really hitting the mark with followers of the BakeBox beats recipe. And promoters Chris Brogan & Jay Jaymen have very much created a brand that offers something delightfully different to the norm, the light & fluffy music policy setting it aside for its clubbing compatriots, both boys say of BakeBox, “…this is our Box. It’s not just any Box. It’s a Box full of YOUR favourites. And by favourites, we mean all those tracks that get your feet tapping, hands clapping, divas singing and men jigging…” adding “…we are bringing back more fun, more frolics and more floor fillers for those who love their classic, vocal and disco house and a whole lot of anthems. BakeBox has been mixed and prepared by the very best DJs, bringing Soho something fresh and new!…”, guest D.J. Nathan Six fitting in with the formula really well. Indeed, having seen more than a handful of prolific performances from the talent individual, Nathan having played for the likes of Beyond, Matinee & SuperMartXe, while he was a staple resident ingredient for the sadly demised Profile & Lo-Profile where his sounds selections showed just why the BakeBox team have chosen him for this next party, his sets nothing short of spectacular on all the occasions we have seen him play. As for the BakeBox event detail, well its takes place this Saturday (13th April) at The Green Carnation from 9 p.m., entry on the door just £8 with a special concessions price of £5 before midnight, while once inside there are a number of drinks deals exclusive to “BakeBoxers”, which include £10 bottles of house red/white wine, £3.50 on Becks & Corona and £4.50 house double spirits & mixers, further info out & available at https://facebook.com/events/456356457765905/ &/or https://facebook.com/bakeboxsoho.
So, we reach our fourth Best Bite and, surprisingly for some, land on Matinee which returns to London this Saturday (13th April) with its “Starship” party, surely set to see host venue Fire a complete roadblock and, potentially, uncomfortable with it. Indeed, we have stated our case against the venue as the right place for this Spanish superclub & global brand giant, not least that Matinee is famed for its flamboyant & huge production, the arched nature of Fire just not right. But it seems that the London promotions team are intent on continuing the matinee story here and one thing that we cannot deny is its sheer popularity, hence that we felt it should be included here. And, true to form with the matinee top brass, they are flying across one of their main resident super star D.J.’s to headline this London event, Lydia Sanz very much part of a team that has recently expanded, Lydia having become more popular across Europe in recent months, hence why she is being used more & more often as part of the touring team. But the list of D.J.’s extend much further, Matinee London landing some of its top residents for this “Starship” event, D’Johnny, Gonzalo Rivas and Jamie Head joining Lydia in the Fire main room, while Massimo Paramour and Maze & Masters sort he sounds in the second Mirrorarch space, while across in the third, lounge room, its Rob Sykes, Zach Burns & Fabio Luigi that offer something delightfully different to the full-on main room. As for the production/, well expect the usual Matinee thrills & spills, even if the stage has nowhere near that impact “Starship” deserves, while we are sure the dancers with be dressed to the high nines in space themed costumes to make up for the lack of stage space. In terms of the event detail, Matinee “Starship” takes place this coming Saturday (13th April) at Fire in Vauxhall, doors opening at 11 p.m. and the party running through to a planned 7 a.m. finish, although with Beyond (the official “Starship” afterparty) opening its doors at the early time of 3.am., we reckon it may drain Fire earlier than the Matinee team would like. In terms of tickets, you can grab yours online at http://orangenation.co.uk priced at a hefty £15, while Soho outlets Prowler & Clone Zone are also selling, the advance way the best way to go, as queues to get in are likely to be lengthy & slow, while keep your eyes peeled once in for special entry passes to Beyond, further info & the latest news on Matinee “Starship” up at https://facebook.com/matineelondon.
Well, that’s just about it for this our first Best Bites newsletter in a number of weeks and while we remain too unwell to step out, we hope we have given you a diverse enough choice of where to lay your hat this Saturday particularly. But whatever you do and wherever it finds you, have a great weekend and remember, to “Be There!” you need to Go There!”. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: BakeBox, Borja Pena, Chris Brogan, D'Johnny, Dish, East Bloc, Fabio Luigi, Fire, Gonzalo Rivas, Green Carnation, Jamie Head, Jay Jaymen, Lydia Sanz, Massimo Paramour, Matinee, Maze & Masters, Nathan Six, Rapture, Rob Sykes, The Hoxton Pony, Tom Stephan, Tony English, Zach Burns | No Comments »
We hadn’t eaten for a while, so we were hungry, hungry for a banquet of bountiful beats and what better place to satisfy our appetite than the delicious DISH, this magnificent mover & shaker on the scene celebrating its first birthday. But did we have our cake & eat it? Or were we left with an irritable bout of overeating indigestion?
Having trodden many clubbing boards during our times back home in South Africa, across in continental Europe and right here in London, we can count ourselves extremely fortunate to have encountered some of the best brands, the most prolific parties & exceptional events over the years, a collection that would take up a whole paragraph if we were to list them chronologically or otherwise, some sticking out in our minds more than others. Yet while Antwerp, Brussels, Cape Town, Paris & Rome would feature large, it is here in the capital where we would find the lion’s share of that lengthy list, such has been the diversity of the scene, club owners & promoters seeming to cater for every taste, sometimes all too often leaving us spoilt for choice in where to hang our hat or left with the difficult decision who to favour & who we would disappoint. But while we have gravitated towards the more popular places, in recent months driven by certain D.J.’s & clubbing characters, we have always attempted to spread our support right across the scene, sometimes stepping outside of our clubbing comfort zone to sample the true diversity that the capitals clubbing circuit has boasted, Shoreditch one such example of the out of the box expedition, our strange psyche saying that, in distance terms, it is a step too far, yet with a melting pot of magnificent meets, not least a delicious monthly delectation, tempting us to take the trip, this situ having left smiling & satisfied when we have made the rare effort venture forth.
So, spreading our clubbing wings in the direction of Shoreditch for the first time this year, fulfilled a promise that we would put our money where our mouth was and pay a visit to something different to the same old, same old, the likes of what has become boring Beyond, monotonous Matinee & waning WE, all falling from our favour, not that the latter two brands were offering anything in January, while in terms of what was our favourite afterhours, was leaving a bitter taste in our mouth with its maddening “Midnight” meets. And having reengaged on previous promises and with its first birthday looming, we were determined to delight in DISH, the clubbing creation of Tom Stephan & Borja Pena, this monthly meet a product of the demise of the former & fabulous MEAT, Tom particularly keen to maintain the momentum but give DISH a delightful format twist, the home of East Bloc on Shoreditch retained, but the D.J. line-up and music much more in the mix. Indeed, building on the success of the former, DISH has, during its first year in operation, attracted one of the most diverse & up for it crowds the east end has seen, many people, like us, used to Vauxhall, switching to Shoreditch to support Tom, Borja & the whole team, not least that the atmosphere, the music & the overall experience delivered delightful difference in bucket loads, while evoking clubbing times of past, references made to the days of Crash common place n comments & feedback finding its way to us.
With this convincing case cast, we headed out into the cold, but glad in warm clothing, the journey which we were convinced was a long one, actually only took thirty minutes, door to door, the destination door being East Bloc on City Rd and a welcome from the venue promoter & top cheese Wayne Shires, while a quick check in the list saw us down into DISH in a trice, a considerable crowd having already gathered, hinting towards a heaving happening in the cavernous club. So, we were pleased we had made it in before midnight, quickly grabbing some refreshments at the bar & finding our spot by the edge of the main room dancefloor, this proving a perfect vantage point to peer at proceedings without plunging into the pack of party people that were joyously jiving to the brilliant beats of Borja, his collection of tunes that were clearly captivating the clubbing collective in front of him, the mix of music on the lighter side of funky & tech house, with dollops of nu & retro disco an absolute delight. Indeed such was his scintillating style, we were quickly smiling like a Cheshire cat, not least that this was the first formal & exemplary evidence that DISH had a delightful difference to MEAT, he music make-up much more up our sounds street, while the whole feel of the club was already so much more friendly than those same old, same old outings we mentioned earlier.
Now we were set fair to sink into the full splendour of the three roomed course of cavorting DISH was serving up, although our initial tour around the club was momentarily yet marvellously halted by Tom Stephan who was clearly pleased as punch we had finally made it down, we returning his warming welcome with a flood of compliments on his clubbing concept that has & remains the talk of the town, as well as proving a resounding success. And as we then headed off to the second space, it was clear that virtually every nook & cranny of East Bloc was filling out with fervent followers, our arrival finding the room wall to wall with revellers soaking up the side dish of sounds from the dynamic duo of Mark Ashley Dupe & Scott Webster, while we had a particular penchant for the compact & aptly called “Pudding” third room, Cathal’s characterful collection of tunes keeping us away from the main room longer than planned. But with the call of review duty, we were soon back on our spot, although within a room that was packed out even more than before, familiar faces beginning to appear by the lorry load, giving the party a even more friendlier feel with every passing minute, Tom now in charge of the tunes and treating us to his trademark underground style of sound, part of the package that was seeing DISH evoke days of old but with a modern & new twist, the inevitable comparisons with Crash both in terms of amazing atmosphere & decadent delight.
So, it was now time to take up our spot by the D.J. booth we squeezing into the one remaining space where we found yet more familiar faces, not least Cliff from Q.X., birthday girl Andrea Drudikova and here bevy of boys, while it would be the arrival of Nick Tcherniak that would transform our evening ecstatically, it being such a long time since we had caught up with this charming chap, we quickly taking the opportunity for a boogie with this brilliant bloke before retreating to the bar for the first of a round of refreshments and a proper catch up on club meeting opportunities missed. However, having found a much sought after & in demand quite spot to sit & chat, it wasn’t long before we were back by the D.J. booth, Nick keen to help Andrea celebrate her birthday in style and we also wanting to engulf ourselves his her enigmatic energy, our enjoyment slightly impaired by the arrival of our once clubbing companion, Stephen, although we were not going to let him spoil proceedings, Tom’s terrific tunes seeing to that in an instant, while with Borja in close call, this DISH first birthday bash was going from strength to strength. And with thoughts far away from our usual scene stomping ground, we were smarting in the splendour of this Shoreditch spot & the scintillating sounds of this marvellous meet’s prolific players, all proving that there is clubbing life beyond those borders of Albert embankment & South Lambeth road. With our stay extending well past three, we were tempted to stay right till the 6 a.m. finish, although the comfort call of home drawing us away from the amazing main room action, we made a final quick tour of DISH’s other two spaces, just like the room we had vacated, both still packed & pumping, we satisfied with our lot, so gracing our exit from this enthralling event.
So, what made DISH so delightful?, did we have our cake & eat it? or were we left with an irritable bout of overeating indigestion? Well, to answer the first of our three questions, while the inevitable comparison with Tom Stephan’s previous party MEAT was in our mind for the first few moments following our arrival, it became quickly clear that this brilliant brand of Borja’s & Tom joint creation had its our captivating character, proved every bit as popular as one the it replaced and is , without doubt, a real gem in the East Bloc clubbing crown calendar, Wayne Shires surely more than satisfied with the outcome of this prolific party & its first birthday bash particularly. As for having our cake and eating it, you bet we did, the captivating three roomed course superb sound servings making this a stand-out shindig that is proof of the pudding of its popularity, its alternative label cast by certain quarters of the press unfounded in each & every respect, especially given the east meets west crowd & everyone between, we sinking into each & every slice of this scene splendour superbly. Indeed, with DISH being so delightful we would have been more than happen to act like Oliver and ask for more, not overeating of this outing quite possible, so no bout of irritable indigestion, rather an ample appetite for this amazing & audacious action, filling us with a fabulous feeling that only a very small handful of clubs have achieved. So, if you haven’t yet delved into the delight of DISH, we cannot recommend enough that you make next month’s meet a massive mark in your dance diaries, while, given just what a tremendous time we had, it won’t be long before we are back too. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Reviews | Tags: Borja Pena, Dish, East Bloc, Mark Ashley Dupe, Nick Tcherniak, Tom Stephan, Wayne Shires | No Comments »
Back in the driving seat, we kick off our new phase of features with the first in a series of “Pick of The Day” posts, our choice for today (Sat 9th March) going to DISH, which takes place at East Bloc in Shoreditch, event details a “Pick of The Day” banner selection away opposite or an image click below, while we prelude this party beneath.
Now well into its first full year of frolicking, DISH has certainly served up some sumptuous soiree’s since it started out last January, co-promoters Tom Stephan (aka Superchumbo) & Borja Pena having created an uncomplicated clubbing concept that draws in the stylish Shoreditch set along with east end girls, west end boys and pretty much a marvellous mixture between, even the cream of the Vauxhall clubbers, all who have & continue to crave for something much more delightfully debaucherous to in monotony norm. And DISH delivers, not just in this department, but has enthrallingly re-emulated the feel of London clubbing from the halcyon underground days of Crash, yet has a terrifically modern twist to it, served through the sounds of its three course room menu of marvellousness that is the enigmatic East Bloc, a compactly cavernous yet characterful club that has spearheaded a movement from south to east.
So, it pretty much goes without saying that DISH gets our vote not just today, but any day, while QX magazine has been quoted as saying of “…the best thing to happen to the gay scene since Freddy Mercury cruised at the Colherene…” and Tom & Borja concur, saying “…we couldn’t have put it better ourselves!…”, adding “…this month we offer you a brand new side dish consisting of the tantalizing Tamer Wilde and the delectable Daniel Delay. Mmm Mmm Good! Head chef Tom Stephan is back in the booth with his partner Borja Peña cooking up the finest beats in town!…” and finishing off my roll calling the revellers when they shout out “…Get yourself on down to DISH and grab a bite!!…”. And, as much as we hear their cry and would love to be there, we are still convalescing from a period of still unexplained & diagnosed illness that stretch back to our Antwerp trip, so will have to graciously sit this one out. However, we reckon that DISH is THE place to be & be seen on the scene this Saturday night, so get your dancing shoes on, dress to dare and head to East Bloc for this fabulous three course frolic, further event details, including D.J. line up’s, hosts, opening times & door taxes, a click away at https://facebook.com/events/428252740589797/, remembering that, to “Be There!” you need to “Go There!” (DISCO MATT)
Having turned tails on our regular format following the shock Soho scene closure stunner, we have reverted to combining our Best Bites & Short Shouts, tripping from Vauxhall to Shoreditch & then to Paris for our top of the tree choices, while mini mentions go to our best of the rest both in London & internationally, along with news of new & noteworthy disco dance diary dates.
With over a week having gone by but the news still shaking the scene that Profile & Lo-Profile are no more, it has also crushed us to the core, our Friday frolics to PLAY>TIME now mere memories and our favourite Soho spot no more, the impact has reached our recommends newsletter, as the Soho, Vauxhall, Shoreditch format has been smashed to smithereens. However from the ashes of that former format comes a new avenue of opportunity to propel parties over the continent, as well as retain the Vauxhall & Shoreditch elements in a revised Best Bites that will, in time, again break away from our pack of picks, while for this week it all gun-ho, as we combine our top of the tree choices with mini mentions & disco dance diary dates.
So let’s get into the recommends mix first heading to Vauxhall and to A:M, which this coming Friday (18th Jan) goes into birthday celebration mode, not its own but of its hostess, the marvellous Minty (HRH to those in the know), a true scene sister who has been superbly steering party people through the doors of some of the capitals biggest & best clubs, a list that has included Crash, Beyond, Matinee, Orange & WE, while she has been holding sway at A:M for many a moon now. However, this will be her first birthday celebration at the club, we having been used to marking the occasion for a handful of years at Industri, the Thursday frolic that will forever be Minty’s (along with Brent & Paul too), although with this superb soiree no more and A:M now her delectable dive into dancing debauchery, it certainly makes a perfect place for her to party, the birthday event PR tagline being “…get the London look with Minty as she celebrates her Birthday A:M style…” while the team go on to say “..join the queen of the disco and her gang of beautiful dirty Vauxhall bunnies on an epic journey of dance, music and glamour through till Saturday morning…”. And with a D.J. line up to die for, The Sharp Boys joined by D’Johnny, Gonzalo Rivas and special guest Fabio Luigi (a Minty request) in the main room, A:M still have splashes of Onyx within it that make it an “Ultra” event, DMS delivering the pop-tastic tunes in the second space, all this taking place at Fire, doors opening at 11 p.m., the club running through till 9 a.m. Saturday morning, entry charges as follows, with a flyer or ad, £3 before midnight, £6 before 3 a.m., £8 before 5 a.m. or £10 thereafter, more info, including that Orange Nation membership free entry offer up at http://orangenation.co.uk or via http://facebook.com/events/181258335331581/.
To a couple of Vauxhall Short Shouts now and how could we avoid mentioning Beyond, even though the seemingly never-ending “Midnight” sequence of sessions seemingly continue unabated which, for us, are becoming yawn worthy. However, with special guest D.J. GSP (of XLsior fame) commanding the main room from 6 a.m., others on duty including Fat Tony, Jamie Head & Rob Sykes and doors opening at midnight this Saturday (19th Jan), more detail in true Ben Kaye promotions style up is out and available at http://www.facebook.com/events/523689437663032/
And making it at Orange Nation threesome inclusion here, Orange is certainly soaking up a splendid citric squeeze, a fresh yet familiar format from a few years ago back with a bang, new promoter Fat Tony having taken the helm just last weekend and is already making subtle changes, including the resplendent return of the gregarious Glendora this Sunday (20th Jan), regular resident The Oli joined on the decks by Jamie head, more detail on the full line-up out at http://facebook.com/events/104636443047790/,
Our other mini mention goes to a club night that just like the three already mentioned, is a capital clubbing circuit colossus come institution, Horse Meat Disco still in birthday celebratory mode, the ad saying it all when it exclaims that the club has been “…proudly serving disco burgers for the last 10 years…”, one of its residents that was there from the start, Severino, doing his own serving with a special six hour set, doors opening a hour earlier than usual at 8 p.m this Sunday (20th Jan)., more detail out via http://facebook.com/Eagle.London/.
So, skirting Soho, we head across to Shoreditch and to our second top of the tree choice, another birthday bash too, as the superb SOS celebrates its second this Saturday (19th Jan) at the exceptional East Bloc, Jim Warboy’s club one of the most popular on the calendar at this heavenly hangout, so sure to be a packed out affair. Indeed, having gained a reputation for being a “…tri-sexual underworld…” event, the crowd is a colourful as you will find anywhere, all up for partying & playing to the full and, in the process, saving their souls from mundane boredom, while the philosophy of the club is very simple, “…tune in, turn on, drop the attitude…” hinting towards a warm & welcoming Warboy wonder. And it seems that, in celebration of the second birthday milestone, Jim has gone to great lengths to bring the best in beats, he joined in the main room by east end & SOS favourites Hannah Holland & Joe Robots, while the second space gets a boost with special guest, the queen of the socialite scene, Room Service’s Jodie Harsh, headlining two back-to-back sets from the duo’s Chris Murdoch & Matthew Josephs and Anton Douglas & David Motta. But it doesn’t stop there as the marvellous Mark-Ashley Dupé masterminds the music in the back bar, accompanied by The Plastic Boy & Iccarus, while the big news for this brilliant birthday bash is the introduction of special host (or is that hostess?!) Jonny Woo, who is sure to spice up proceedings significantly, while can only be intrigued by fellow host Oozing Gloop, one very much boggling our mind. That said, this is one birthday you won’t want to miss, doors at East Bloc opening at 10.30 p.m. and the club running through till 6 a.m., entry £6 before midnight or £10 thereafter, more detail up at http://www.sosnow.co.uk/ and/or via the Facebook events page at http://facebook.com/events/478290032211425/.
To a couple of Shoreditch Shouts and we stick with East Bloc for our first and this Friday (18th Jan) when Larry tee rolls our another Super Electro Party Machine, this week welcoming new hip hop clubbing sensation, Hard Cock Life, who take over the main room madness from 10 p.m., while Mr Tee mixes it in the second space with Attack Attack Attack, more info up at http://facebook.com/groups/255553057341/.
As for the second, weill its goes to The Joiners Arms who have a pretty busy weekend, Friday seeing Rob Sykes on the decks for the weekly outing “Yes”, while the following evening, it’s the second instalment of new club night “Pantastic” with Alessandro Londra on the decks, Sunday’s “SPQR” with resident Julian de Apostate serving up the sounds, the club’s Facebook profile at http://facebook.com/joiners.arms.9 the place to go for further info.
So we move to the new & exciting part of our weekly recommends newsletter as we go international, although not literally as it will be February before we hit the continent again (more on that in a mo), although having trodden the dancefloor boards of this Parisian pleasure just two weeks ago, selecting Scream as our top of the three third Best Bite choice has come very easy indeed. But what has made it even easier, is that our premier protégé player, Zach Burns, stars in this Saturday’s (19th Jan) showing, this his second appearance for this brilliant brand which has been partying in Paris since 1996, no mean feat when you consider how tough the scene in the French capital has been and how much turmoil it has gone through in recent years. However, with a main room that compares with the best in Europe, a second space that serves up pure pop classics and a third play area where dancing is replaced by dark (we get our drift?!), there is no shortage of delightful distractions & diversions to keep even the most demanding of dancers sufficiently satisfied. But in Zach Burns, Scream has a D.J. that will surely have the main room packed and party heads eating oout of his funky, progressive & vocally infused house heaven, our mr Burns having laid down a compilation to mark the occasion and one well worth a listen via https://soundcloud.com/djzachburns/dj-zach-burns-house-sessions in advance of heading down to what is labelled as “…the biggest weekly French gay party…”, one that has welcomed the likes of Peter Rauhofer, Hector Fonseca, Offer Nissam & Pagano, Zach finding himself in amongst great company. Plus, with regular resident Tommy Marcus kicking the party off from 11 p.m. and special host Mika Paoleti caring for your every need, should you find yourselves in paris, this is definitely the place to be & be seen, more info out at http://scream-paris.com and/or http://facebook.com/groups/53427623634/.
To a couple of international Short Shouts now, a mini mention having to go to Muccassassina, which holds its “Play” party this Friday (19th Jan), welcoming special guest D.J. Danny Tor, joining resident Luigi Rosi in the main room, but with no less than three other dance come play spaces to choose from, this Rome club now into its 23rd season and still going as strong as ever, more info out at http://facebook.com/events/425666644169750/.
As for our second?, well we head much further afield, to Mexico in fact, although with a birthday theme running through this newsletter, plus with a Parisian pick under our belt, we couldn’t help but propel Heaven Queretaro, which celebrates its fifth anniversary this Saturday (19th Jan) and welcomes our Parisian pal, Leomeo to the decks, he sure to go down a storm with the Mexican crowd, more detail out at http://facebook.com/pages/Heaven-Club-Queretaro-Official/225745691617.
So, that’s just about it for our Best Bites & best of the rest Short Shouts, while we did promise to give you some disco dance diary dates, we looking ahead into February, Saturday 2nd, seing new club night “Baked” launch in London at Green Carnation in Soho, pitting its wits against big boys Matinee Pervert at Fire in Vauxhall & Pushca at Electric in Brixton, while the menWhoFell2Earth add to your choice, the boys back to East Bloc on the same night. However, if you want to hang your hat internationally that weekend, then why not join us and head out to Belgium, to Antwerp in fact, when prolific party “Propaganda” plays out at Red & Blue, while looking slightly further forward, another weekend in fact, it seems that back in London, its all about east, as DISH returns to East Bloc on Saturday 9th and then the talk of the town, Deelooded, kicks off in its new Shoreditch location, at a new venue, Xono, and on a new night, Sunday 10th February, this more than any other mentioned here, an absolute MUST for your diary, we having covered it all in detail within our preview “Making Majestic Moves” out at http://discomatt.com/web/?p=6708
Well, that really is it for this week, plenty of picks to keep you dancing right through from Friday to Sunday, while for us it’s a quiet one, the prospect of snow here in London sure to send us running for sofa comfort cover, although whatever you may be up to or wherever it finds you, have a terrific weekend time, naturally making sure that you “Go There! Be There!” (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: A:M, Baked, Beyond, Deelooded, Dish, Horse Meat Disco, Matinee, Muccassassina, Orange, Pushca, Scream, SOS, Super Electro Party Machine, The Joiners Arms | No Comments »
Striding into Saturday, we are in “Pick Of The Day” mode, landing our top of the tree choice on the delicious DISH, which celebrates its 1st birthday at East Bloc tonight (Sat 12th Jan), a mains meal of music from Tom Stephan & Borja Peña, , while Mark-Ashley Dupé & Scott Webster serve the sounds sides in the second space, & Cathal & co pop it up in the pudding room, all the event detail a banner selection away opposite or an image click below, while we re-serve slices of our Weekend Focus as Extra Bites bits beneath.
Having lauded our full Weekend Focus attention on the delectable DISH earlier this week, some of you may have missed the feature, so we thought we would re-serve some slices relevant to tonight’s event, while also summarising the event info in Extra Bite bits, pretty much like this…
“…First there was MEAT and then came DISH, both the brainchild of Superchumbo, better known in London as Tom Stephan, the D.J./Producer who has successfully turned his hand to club promoting too…”
“…so it would be MEAT that would propel Tom in the club promotions spotlight, at the time he running the club alongside former studio partner, a fellow D.J./Producer & club promoter, our Shoreditch son, Kris Di Angelis, the off-shoot special, Downtown, pulling in Jodie Harsh…”
“… Yet while MEAT was hugely successful, it barely ran past its first anniversary, Tom & Kris going their separate ways, Mr Stephan sticking with the winning formula that made MEAT so successful, but switching the name to DISH, a club & concept that has been running since January last year and so, naturally, this coming Saturday (11th Jan), celebrates its 1st birthday…”
“…as we have already hinted, it’s the clubs first birthday, so we highly suspect an extra cake course to add to the other three, the starters very much looked after by Maitre d’s, Laurent & Benoit who will be masterminding your safe & smooth passage through East Bloc’s doors & to your tables of fun, your servers come hosts, La Pequeña, Kane Luke, Melvin & Andrew Moore pandering to your every whim..”.
“…But DISH’s main course of music is what you will want to tuck into and what a course it is, as the mighty Superchmbo will be serving up an underground house heaven of a set to savour, he joined by Borja Pena’s who’s electro twisted & tech toned house makes for a perfect accompaniment to Tom’s brilliant beats, very much making a delightful DISH of main room music to marvel at…”
“…However, no main dish is complete without a couple of portions of sides and so across in East Bloc’s second space the team do just that with Mark-Ashley Dupé & Scott Webster sorting the sounds with two scrumptious sets, while the team tell us to expect a few surprises too…”
Introducing our Menu of signature dishes (and a few surprises on the night!)
Main Dish
Tom Stephan
Borja Peña
Side Dish
Mark-Ashley Dupé
Scott Webster
Pudding
Franx de Crystal
Cathal
Served by
La Pequeña
Kane Luke
Melvin
Andrew Moore
Maitre d’s
Laurent
Benoit
East Bloc, 217 City Rd, London, EC1
10:30pm-6am
“…So, with DISH serving from 10.30 p.m. this Saturday (12th Jan) & running till 6 a.m., its just £7 on the door before midnight & then £10 after, while an early arrival is advised to guarantee entry to your table, while wearing a DISH t-shirt will get you in free before 12…”
Well, after all that we are feeling pretty hungry, hungry for some heavenly house music & fun filled frolicking, DISH definitely the place we will be heading to satisfy our taste-buds, so if you see us, come say hi, of course making sure that you “Go There! Be There! (DISCO MATT)
With a surging sense of enthusiasm for 2013 in what we have called our year of positivity, we set out our plans in the first of a returning “Monthly Message”, sharing recent reviews, reports, recommends & music features, while looking forward to other reporting & reviewing returnees as well as some dates for your disco diary.
There is no shadow of a doubt that 2012 proved a rollercoaster of a ride for our reviewing, reporting & recommending, a fall in features compared to the previous year symptomatic of the challenges we faced and the distractions they caused and while there were plenty of highlights, our activity wasn’t one of them. So, with a determination to restore the status quo to where it was in 2011 and with this year very much one of “positivity”, plus with a real sense of resurgence in our fortunes, we are keen to bring back some reviews & reports that were noticeably absent in 2012, this our monthly message one, while there are others which we will be covering below. But true to our monthly message form, we will run through the sections on our website, picking up on activity for the last month, in this case December and then hinting as to what to expect from the coming month.
REVIEWS
December saw a continued return to reviews, WE’s “Formula 2” anniversary event along with two Beyond reflections posted, while towards the end of the month, we reviewed the year in general with our Annual Address, rounding off 2012 with our Clubs review, January starting virtually as we finished, with Beyond NYD getting the super sized review treatment, while our 2012 music reviews, three of them dominated the first week, our trip to Scream just over seven days ago on the cusp of completion while tomorrow’s DISH will be the next in a once a week review delivery, our highlight review from December that final Beyond fling of 2012.
RECOMMENDS/PICKS
During December we combined our Picks choices with our Extra Bites focuses, Orange’s “Christmas Day”, A:M’s “Boxing Day” Beyond “Midnight” & Splash Roma four, while pure Picks went to Room Service, PLAY>TIME, Muccassassina & ClubNation, while we posted just two Weekend Focus features, one on Beyond & the other on Orange Nation’s festive offerings. As for our newsletters, just one went public, the weekend before Christmas getting our Short Shots attention. As for January, well we have short shouted already, extra bited on WE’s “Vogue” party and focussed on both Scream & DISH, a special focus up on Orange Nations “Free January Clubbing” while our picks choices still get published via Facebook & will be up on our website from next week too, while our highlight recommends/picks post goes to Beyond from 22nd December.
MUSIC/D.J.’S
While we had plenty of plans to make our music newsletters weekly, it didn’t happen, although we started publishing our “Track of The Week” choices via Facebook, while a special music feature went up on WE “Formula 2”, we also focussing on D.J.’s Jamie Head & Mikey D. As for January, well it started with our four music reviews of 2012, covering our top 40 track chart, producers, podcasts & sets, while we plan from next weekend to bring back those D.J. focuses, the newsletters, plus our podcast & track of the week postings via our website as well as on Facebook. As for our December highlight, well it could only be that WE special feature.
REPORTS
With no postings to speak of in December, this is one area that we really want to re-propel during January, the returning “That Was The Week That Was” report come review re-commencing from next Friday, while we have already posted three reports this month already, two on Gaydar Radio & the other on Profile/Lo-Profile. But we also want to launch our “Seventh Day Sermon”, while as scene news hits, we aim to report it as we always used to, that first Gaydar report our highlight, even if it was a January rather than December publication.
PREVIEWS/DISCO MATTERS
With nothing to show for in December, we certainly want to get our previews back on stream, the first on Puscha & Matinee Pervert due up in the next week, while Deelooded’s move out east will also get our advance focus. Plus, with a Seamus Hajji interview looking like it could come our way, Disco Matters should be back too.
NIBBLE SIZE TWEETS
A really popular feature of ours which, partly due to technical difficulties, all but halted towards the end of 2012, although following a number of requests to see them back, we will be re-launching these live from the dancefloor transmissions from the beginning of February, beaming our clubbing cavorting all the way from Antwerp, direct to http://twitter.com/discomatt.
COMING UP
With January already having seen us trip across the channel to Paris, while closer to our London home, East Bloc drew us in for DISH, the next couple of weekends will see us forging ahead with our “activity acceleration” plans, before a further trip onto the continent the first weekend of February, Antwerp, Red & Blue & Propaganda calling, while South Africa comes in March & then back to Paris for Easter & Matinee “La-Leche”. But with plenty of parties in-between, we will be attempting some mid-week as well as weekend dancing dervishes, Popcorn, Gigolo, Room Service & new club Swallow on our disco diary radar
KEEP UP
Naturally you can tune into all our activity right here, while for posts like our “Pick Of The Day”, Podcast & Track Of The Week” and our “Does…” photo albums, then our Facebook page at http://facebook.com/pages/Disco-Matt/112730602119746 is the place to go, while our group at http://facebook.com/groups/discomatt/ & our personal profile at http://facebook.com/discomattlondon are worth keeping tabs on, while in “Picks” terms, why not check out & follow our Tumblr page at http://discomatt.tumblr.com.
So, with much to do and a stringent schedule set, it’s all steam ahead in 2013 with our “activity acceleration” programme to put us back where we belong, as London’s original party boy independent journalist who’s reviews, reports, recommends & music posts position us as a prominent source of scene clubs, events, music, D.J.’s, news, interviews and much much more. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Reports, Reviews | Tags: A:M, Beyond, ClubNation, Dish, Gaydar Radio, Jamie Head, Mikey D, Muccassassina, Orange, Playtime, Room Service, Scream, WE | No Comments »
With Soho sustaining a significant shock this week, the sudden closure of Profile & Lo-Profile leaving any simply stunned, the effects have been far reaching, even hitting our recommendations schedule. So, as we pick up the pieces of our “Best Bites” format, we forge ahead with our Short Shouts of where to be & be seen on the scene in Soho, Vauxhall & Shoreditch this weekend.
Well, what a shocking surprise of a week it has been, starting with the stunning & out of the blue announcement of the immediate closure of Profile & Lo-Profile, the blame laid with tenancy agreement issues, while we all know it was down to that word beginning with M and what we all seem to need to survive. So, having played a prominent part in our weekly Best Bites newsletters, where we chose our top of the tree picks, one from Soho, Vauxhall & Shoreditch, these Wardour St wonders, apart from leaving a gaping hole on the scene, has resorted us to a Best Bites re-think. But while we re-configure that part of our weekend newsletters, our Short Shouts continue unabated and with plenty going, despite the sad Soho news, there is much to cheer the cockles of clubbers across the expected chilly weekend weather.
So let’s crack on and yes to Soho first, The Shadow Lounge very much in pole position once more, although sticking to its Friday “Therapy” formula but with a range of new roving residents, Adam Turner making a superb sound splash from midnight, while Saturday’s have become known for nothing else but “Inferno” and Andrew Elmore, details of these & other nights such as “Balearic”, out at http://theshadowlounge.co.uk
Onwards to Circa and that marvellous music man Adam Turner pitches up again, tonight (Thurs 10th Jan) seeing him warm you up for Room Service alongside Munroe Bergdorf, who returns on Friday night with her own style soiree, “Discipline”, very much keeping you in line, while its Adam again on Saturday (we can’t get enough of him), a little birdie telling us the 4 a.m. licence is still in place, more info up at http://circasoho.com & via Facebook at http://facebook.com/pages/Circa/183683868348892
Moving just round the square, that Soho Sq, and The Edge certainly packs a powerful punch on both Friday & Saturday, tomorrow night (11th Jan) welcoming Brazilian boy beatmaster Doug Silva to the decks, while our premier protégé player has a heavenly handle on Saturday’s with his “I Love Saturday House Sessions”, mixing the best current chart house remixes with uplifted funky & vocal house jams, hostess Felicia Van Cartier & her gorge go-go’s added into the mix, more details up at http://edgesoho.co.uk/ & on Facebook at http://facebook.com/groups/edgebarsoho/.
To Ku Bar and tomorrow sees DMS & Alvaro spin the sounds at “Klub”, the Friday frolic that combines popular picks, floor fillers & vocal house, while their new night on Saturday (12th Jan), “La Mix”, an Ibiza themed party takes over both the bar & the club, D.J.’s Doug Silva & Athanas Sak spinning the sounds, the bar & the club showing off some of the best looking serving studs in town who go bare topped each night, including Sunday which sees Lady Lloyd go all pop (that’s the music style), further info out at http://ku-bar.co.uk & http://facebook.com/kubarlondon.
To Rupert Street now and while this long running & popular watering hole has gone through the mill recently, a tumbling in both popularity and business seeing the new manager, Karl Nixon, scratch his head a little, Orange Nation have come to its rescue with a planned programme of pre-parties, Saturday (12th Jan) seeing Beyond take centre stage, Jamie Head on deck duty, so one not to be missed, http://facebook.com/events/393534407404054/ telling you more.
And finally, we couldn’t let the moment pass without a mention for the Profile & Lo-Profile farewell drinks event, which takes place at the Yard from 7 p.m. this Saturday (12th Jan), the upstairs space set aside for this glorious send off gathering and is expected to be a packed out affair, especially as many will have been caught out by the sudden closure. So, if you want to say your au-revoir’s but surely not goodbyes to the team, then this is the place to do it, more info up at http://facebook.com/events/244194319045789/246340292164525/.
To Vauxhall now and Orange Nation are in the driving seat, their “Free January Clubbing” encompassing parties from Gravity to Orange & everything in between, while, if we are brutally honest (and a tad controversial), we cannot quite believe that Beyond goes all “Midnight” on us again this weekend, the club having used this format for three of the last four weeks & looks like doing so for the rest of the month. But apparently it was packed with punters last Saturday night into Sunday morning & will surely be again, details of D.J.’s on duty, etc, etc, up at http://www.facebook.com/events/116714235167756/
But the big news on the Orange Nation front is that Fat Tony has taken over promoting Orange, adding this amazing afterhours institution of a Monday morning meet to Gravity & Deelooded, both shinning under his steership, Orange in need of a fresh citric squeeze, Tony the man to do it, not least as he was at the centre of the clubs launch some fourteen years ago, so is sure to bring the good times & the fun back, while also introducing new guest D.J.’s to the main room, this one to watch, Sunday’s event info up at http://otangenation.co.uk & via the events page at http://facebook.com/events/516510358381533/
Just before we leave Orange Nation, it’s worth re-mentioning that “Free January Clubbing” offer which covers clubs Gravity, A:M, Beyond, Later & Orange, we having attempted to confound the theory that nothing in life is for free in our special focus feature “Some Things In Life Are For Free”, we having dug deep into the promotional PR, digesting the detail & producing our own view on what is, on face value, a fabulous free filler for your jaded post festive January, so well worth a look at http://discomatt.com/web/?p=6614 as well as checking out http://oramgenation.co.uk/membership
To the Eagle now who’s winning weekend is three faceted, “Tonker” doing its beefy & brawny bloke thing on Friday (11th Jan), promoter Tim Jones joined on the decks by another Jones, Ross making music for the men, while on the following night sees “Eagle Saturday’s” take centre stage, a genre blend of 70’s/80’s/90’s hits combined with more modern funky, electro & tech tainted house, Prince Nelly providing the former, while Severino sorts the latter. And with the mere words “Horse Meat Disco” speaking enough Sunday volumes, head to http://eaglelondon.com & http://www.facebook.com/Eagle.London for more.
And we couldn’t let Vauxhall pass go without a mention for venerable institution, The Royal Vauxhall Tavern, which hit the headlines recently when welcoming back Paul O’Grady to what was his hallowed turf as Lilly Savage, while its fringe events continue to reign supreme in the week & this Friday as it goes, as “Wotever World” is what it’s about, Saturday, Amy Lame & The Readers Wives meaning only one thing, “Duckie”, while Sunday is synonymous with “S.L.A.G.S./Chill-out”, more info up at http://thervt.org.uk or via the venue’s Facebook group, http://facebook.com/groups/thervt/.
To Shoreditch now and to East Bloc which has two terrific turns this weekend, the first mention having to go to DISH, which celebrates its first birthday on Saturday (12th Jan) and has been subject to our own Weekend Focus feature, “Tasty Turn Turns One”, which tells all about the club & about Saturday’s shindig at http://discomatt.com/web/?p=6624, while we are sure it will scoop our Saturday “Pick Of The Day” too, so very much the place to be & be seen, more info out at http://facebook.com/DISHLONDON.
As for that second soiree, well its Friday and “Super Electro Party Machine”, Larry Tee’s off the wall wonder that sees a superb selection of stars spin the sounds, this week seeing Mr Tee welcome Guy Williams & his Paradise 45 crew, the “Electro” being substituted for “Paradise” on the event info, while the hot off the press news is that Princess Julia will be making her majestic musical mark too, she another product from the Wayne Shires Crash camp that have moved out east, details up at http://facebook.com/events/520317934655157/.
Up the road we now go to The Dalston Superstore in fact, which has a full weekend of wonders, we running through them in reverse, Sunday being “Tutti Frutti” day, while on Saturday its gender bender time with the return of Shoreditch son Kris Di Angelis’s club, “Tramp”, this time going hot, Munroe Bergdorf joined by Jonny Woo upstairs, while Kris serves up a four hour set downstairs (check http://facebook.com/events/427982320607845/ for more info). And with Friday asking to just “Say Yes”, The DSS has all this & much more to offer, info out at http://facebook.com/groups/dalstonsuperstore/.
For our final Short Shout, we head back into Shoreditch proper and to the Joiners Arms which has certainly seen a resurgence in popularity recently, due in no part to the fact that they sport some of the bigger D.J. names from the capitals clubbing circuit, This Saturday (12th Jan) seeing newish night “Pantastic” welcome Ariel to the decks, while it has been Sunday soiree “SPQR” (standing for Sexy Parties Queer Revels) that has really put The Joiners back on the circuit map, we having to head down soon, while you can head to http://joinersshoreditch.com for more detail on these, Friday’s “Yes” and the other four days delights too.
Well that’s it for our singular recommends newsletter, we hoping to be back with our revised Best Bites part next week, on top of more Short Shout includees such as Clapham’s Bridge Bar & Soho’s Room Service, although with over twenty events & parties covered here there is much to mull over & lay your hat on this weekend. As for us, it’s a DISH weekend after a quick Saturday Soho sortie to Rupert St & the Edge, so with plenty of places to be & be seen on the scene, if you see us out come say hi, naturally in doing so, making sure you “Go There! Be There!” (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: Beyond, Circa, Dish, Duckie, East Bloc, Horse Meat Disco, Inferno, Ku Bar, Orange, Orange Nation, Pantastic, Rupert Street, S.L.A.G.S./Chill-out, SPQR, Super Electro Party Machine, The Dalston Superstore, The Eagle, The Edge, The Joiners Arms, The RVT, The Shadow Lounge, Therapy, Tonker, Tramp, Wotever World | No Comments »
First there was MEAT and then came DISH, both the brainchild of Superchumbo, better known in London as Tom Stephan, the D.J./Producer who has successfully turned his hand to club promoting too. And as DISH turns one this Saturday (12th Jan), we thought it just & proper to parcel up our own birthday present in the form of a focus fanfare, looking at the club, some of its key players & what main’s sides & dessert to expect on Saturday.
When we look back across our times clubbing here in the capital, there are a few familiar faces that were around when we first made it big, we are talking the nineties darling, a period when Trade reigned supreme on a Sunday, Love Muscle still scored highly on a Saturday & Soho was a hot bed of activity, Substation one of THE places to be & be seen (or sometimes not depending on where in the club you were) on the scene. But the big clubbing news back then was the launch of the now legendary club Crash which was, justifiably so, the forefather of the scene that we see today down in Vauxhall, this brilliant brand’s promoter, Wayne Shires, bringing many notable names to the eyes & ears of clubbers, Steve Pitron, Jamie Head, Tasty Tim, Brent Nicholls & many more emerging stars of that time, while from day one, this underground giant sported the towering talents of one Tom Stephan, the two forming a friendship which has remained as strong some fifteen years down the line as it was around the time of Crash’s opening. And while our beloved club is no more, much other water having flown under the proverbial bridge that saw Wayne & Tom up Vauxhall sticks & head east, what they have managed to retain from those halcyon Crash days, is the sense of clubbing intrigue, excitement & anticipation, along with a cutting edge style that was the prolific package we called “Underground” back then.
So while Vauxhall under the auspices of Orange Nation has taken clubbing to a different level, heading out east to the Old Street area of Shoreditch and what you will find is a slice of south of the river nostalgia, not quite the Crash that we knew then and still look back on with fabulous fondness now, but a set up pretty similar, nowhere near the size or scale of its predecessor, but with all the enthralling elements that made Crash loved & adored by so many. And this slice of nostalgia?, Well its East Bloc of course, the compact, bijou & uber trendy underground venue on City Road which, from the outside looks pretty unassuming, yet, once down the stairs, opens out into a labyrinth of rooms & passageways that transport you from the stark city life outside, into a seductive set of spaces that intrigue & excite, the off the wall decor speaking its own statement and echoing those memories of Crash old but now very much East Bloc new. And with a family of club brands having made the place their home, despite its small size, Wayne Shires has created a club venue that had made a big impact, one very much at the core of the Shoreditch movement which gathered steams a couple of years ago and now pulls in crowds not too far removed from Room Service, Circus, & Lo-Profile (as was), while even elements of the Vauxhall crowd now make it across, the likes of Gutterslut, SOS, Songs Of Praise, & Super Electro Party Machine attracting them over.
And within all this has been the endured friendship & working relationship between Wayne & Tom Stephan, the first real step in a clubbing brand concept being Disco Fag Bar, which kind of started the whole East Bloc movement off, although it would be MEAT that would propel Tom in the club promotions spotlight, at the time he running the club alongside former studio partner, a fellow D.J./Producer & club promoter, our Shoreditch son, Kris Di Angelis, the off-shoot special, Downtown, pulling in Jodie Harsh. Yet while MEAT was hugely successful, it barely ran past its first anniversary, Tom & Kris going their separate ways, Mr Stephan sticking with the winning formula that made MEAT so successful, but switching the name to DISH, a club & concept that has been running since January last year and so, naturally, this coming Saturday (11th Jan), celebrates its 1st birthday. Indeed, we know Tom & fellow DISH promoter, Borja Pena, are excitedly expectant of an even hotter looking crowd than usual, the club having gained a ravenous reputation for pulling in stunning looking lads who are up for more than just one course of cavorting, rather taking in DISH’s scrumptious starters, marvellous mains & delicious desserts, aka the three rooms of fun that the club serves in on a prolific party platter each & every month. Plus, with the stylish west end set mixing with the east end trendies, DISH is a magnificent melting pot of a meet that marries men & music in a menu of madcap melays that has much much more, while don’t be put off with our play with words as this is not a men only club, not at all, plenty of gorge girls diving into DISH too.
So that’s DISH in a dinner plate size delectation, but what about this Saturday’s shindig? Well, as we have already hinted, it’s the clubs first birthday, so we highly suspect an extra cake course to add to the other three, the starters very much looked after by Maitre d’s, Laurent & Benoit who will be masterminding your safe & smooth passage through East Bloc’s doors & to your tables of fun, your servers come hosts, La Pequeña, Kane Luke, Melvin & Andrew Moore pandering to your every whim. But DISH’s main course of music is what you will want to tuck into and what a course it is, as the mighty Superchmbo will be serving up an underground house heaven of a set to savour, he joined by Borja Pena’s who’s electro twisted & tech toned house makes for a perfect accompaniment to Tom’s brilliant beats, very much making a delightful DISH of main room music to marvel at. However, no main dish is complete without a couple of portions of sides and so across in East Bloc’s second space the team do just that with Mark-Ashley Dupé & Scott Webster sorting the sounds with two scrumptious sets, while the team tell us to expect a few surprises too, having lamented on DISH, “…we have served you some of the tastiest parties in 2012. One roadblock after another, just stuffing our faces with the hottest boys and the most sweet ass beats London has to offer…” adding that “…on 12th January we celebrate our first birthday and our gift to you is what we’ve all been asking for- MORE!…” in what will surely prove an “…all-you-can-eat feast for your senses!…”. So, with DISH serving from 10.30 p.m. this Saturday (12th Jan) & running till 6 a.m., its just £7 on the door before midnight & then £10 after, while an early arrival is advised to guarantee entry to your table, while wearing a DISH t-shirt will get you in free before 12, further info, should you need it, out on events page http://facebook.com/events/128493743978850/.
Well, we certainly need no further convincing to head across to East Bloc & dive into DISH, meaning this Oliver will be definitely be asking for more, more & more on Saturday, so if you see us, come say hi, of course making sure you “Go There! Be There! (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: Borja Pena, Dish, East Bloc, Laurent Chaumet, Mark Ashley Dupe, Scott Webster, Tom Stephan | 1 Comment »
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11 May 2013 | 0 Comments
Recommends – “Tel Aviv Treat” – DISH – Saturday 11th May – Pick of The Day – Mini Feature
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 & ...
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9 May 2013 | 2 Comments
Recommends – “Marching Into May” – Best Bites & Short Shouts – Friday 10th to Sunday 12th May – Weekend Newsletter
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 ...
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11 Apr 2013 | 0 Comments
Recommends – “Fulsome Foursome” – Weekend Best Bites – Friday 12th to Sunday 14th April – Newsletter
With spring having finally sprung, it seems the scene is also springing into action this weekend, a champion choice of a marvellous set of Saturday meets seeing us extend our Best Bites from three to four, we offering ample alternatives to what will no doubt be the most dynamic draw ...
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19 Mar 2013 | 0 Comments
Reviews – “Brilliant Birthday Bash Banquet” – DISH “The First Birthday” – Saturday 12th January – Full Size Review
We hadn’t eaten for a while, so we were hungry, hungry for a banquet of bountiful beats and what better place to satisfy our appetite than the delicious DISH, this magnificent mover & shaker on the scene celebrating its first birthday. But did we have our cake & eat it? ...
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9 Mar 2013 | 0 Comments
Recommends – “Fabulous Three Course Frolic” – DISH – Saturday 9th March – Pick of The Day
Back in the driving seat, we kick off our new phase of features with the first in a series of “Pick of The Day” posts, our choice for today (Sat 9th March) going to DISH, which takes place at East Bloc in Shoreditch, event details a “Pick of The Day” ...
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16 Jan 2013 | 0 Comments
Recommends – “From Birthday’s To Burning & Back Again” – Weekend Best Bites & Short Shouts Newsletter – Friday 18th to Sunday 20th January
Having turned tails on our regular format following the shock Soho scene closure stunner, we have reverted to combining our Best Bites & Short Shouts, tripping from Vauxhall to Shoreditch & then to Paris for our top of the tree choices, while mini mentions go to our best of the ...
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12 Jan 2013 | 0 Comments
Picks/Recommends – “Three Course Cavorting” – DISH “The First Birthday” – Saturday 12th January – Pick Of The Day/Extra Bites
Striding into Saturday, we are in “Pick Of The Day” mode, landing our top of the tree choice on the delicious DISH, which celebrates its 1st birthday at East Bloc tonight (Sat 12th Jan), a mains meal of music from Tom Stephan & Borja Peña, , while Mark-Ashley Dupé & ...
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11 Jan 2013 | 0 Comments
Reviews/Reports – “Activity Acceleration” – D.M.’s Monthly Message – Friday 11th January
With a surging sense of enthusiasm for 2013 in what we have called our year of positivity, we set out our plans in the first of a returning “Monthly Message”, sharing recent reviews, reports, recommends & music features, while looking forward to other reporting & reviewing returnees as well as ...
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10 Jan 2013 | 0 Comments
Recommends – “Soho Stunner Shifts Shouts” – Weekend Short Shouts Newsletter – Thursday 10th to Sunday 13th January
With Soho sustaining a significant shock this week, the sudden closure of Profile & Lo-Profile leaving any simply stunned, the effects have been far reaching, even hitting our recommendations schedule. So, as we pick up the pieces of our “Best Bites” format, we forge ahead with our Short Shouts of ...
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9 Jan 2013 | 1 Comment
Recommends – “Tasty Turn Turns One” – DISH “The First Birthday” – Saturday 12th January – Weekend Focus
First there was MEAT and then came DISH, both the brainchild of Superchumbo, better known in London as Tom Stephan, the D.J./Producer who has successfully turned his hand to club promoting too. And as DISH turns one this Saturday (12th Jan), we thought it just & proper to parcel up ...
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