Posts Tagged ‘East Bloc’
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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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)
With the weekend looking like a quiet one on the capitals clubbing circuit, we decide to split out our best Bites into their own newsletter, picking on an exceptional east end event to fly the London flag, while its international for our other two, we heading east & then further east, this before milking a marvellous meet you should make.
While having seen a string of new club launches in the first three weeks of February, some spectacularly superb others brilliantly bad and one undeniably ugly, it seems London at least is taking a breather before a spring tide that will see some significant shifts in the scene, much of it currently being carried out behind closed doors, although the fruits of this labour will soon be showing their hand. So, while the capitals clubbing circuit cues itself for the changes, we or meets microscope offshore, splitting our Best Bites into their own newsletter part, the “East Is East” theme however driven by an exceptional east end event that is, by far, the highlight of an otherwise lacklustre London weekend of winners.
So, straight to the east end event we go and it couldn’t be anything else on this last weekend of the month, as the way out & whacky Gutterslut returns to East Bloc in Shoreditch, the club now into its seventh year of pulling punters away from the norm and into the alternative, the halcyon days out in Hackney still marvellous memories, while in East Bloc, promoters Per QX & Nicholas Fisher have found a fabulous & brilliant bedfellow. And, with a Saturday schedule across the scene sporting nothing in terms of what we would call big brands, Gutterslut stands out proud & tall in a poppy field of fallow frolics, meaning East Bloc is likely to be yet another roadblock this weekend, as it was last for SOS and the week before last for DISH. However, it’s Gutterslut we are talking about here, the team chomping at the bit after taking a well earned & deserved break in January following their fantastic festive frolic, Nic Fisher taking hold of the reigns while Per is back in Sweden for the massive Melodifestival, Nic ably assisted by none other than Miss Crystal MC, who will oversee the two sound spaces, the rave room welcoming special D.J. guests Femi B of Discotec fame and one half of Maze & Masters, Bryony the beatmaster in question, Mr Fischer also having his deck spinning say. Then, across in the DiscoSlut space, the legend that is Princess Julia stars alongside Gutterslut regular Thirsty Kirsty, while with images across the club brought to you by PRICKIMAGE & The Dalston Gay Mafia, there will be plenty of visual as well a sound sensual to stimulate your minds bodies & souls at this superb Saturday spectacle. With doors opening at East Bloc from 11 p.m. and the club running through to a planned 6 a.m. finish, entrance is a mere £8 before midnight or £10 thereafter, further event info available and out at http://gutterslut.net &/or https://facebook.com/events/341721782607813/.
For our next two Best Bites, we head across to the continent, landing over the channel in France, well Paris to be exact and the scintillating Scream, a captivating club which has been popular with Parisians and visitors from much further afield for over fifteen years, while drawing in some of the best D.J. talent from the international circuit, recent guest including Pagano, Steven Redant, Danny Verde, Phil Romano & Guy Scheiman, while the soon to be released from our Premier Protégé Player status, as he spreads his wings as we hoped & intended, Zach Burns, flew the London flag back in January. However, this coming Saturday (23rd Feb), the clubs promoter Ludo Scream & his terrific team look to Spain and one half of recording label Guareber, Nacho Chapado to sort the sexy sounds, the theme of this week’s party being “Casanova”, Mr Chapado joined in the Scream spotlight by over ten, as Ludo explains “…very hot, cute & horny boys…”, host Nicolas Nucci sure to see the stage shows stretch right through the night, while resident D.J. Tommy Marcus will also be on hand to spin some sounds at the start and then maybe at the end too. However, with a second space that is pure pop music and then a third room that is dark (you know what we mean), Scream is diversity & dynamism personified, while the party goes on after Scream’s doors close at 6 a.m., as the marvellous Ben Manson brings the afterhours aplomb, “Wake Up”, kicking off from 7 a.m. at Theatre Rouge and welcoming David Judge & Sebastian Reyes to the decks. So, if you happen to find yourselves in Paris this weekend, the Scream’s “Casanova” & then “Wake Up” are the places to be & be seen, further information on both a party cluck away at http://scream-paris.com.
Onwards to the third of three and we really move east this time, a lot further east across Europe in fact, as we make it to Milan and The Farm, a new(ish) club on both the Italian & international circuit scene, but one that has developed both a resounding reputation for throwing a prolific party, as well as attracting a fervent following. And this is perhaps that, like a lot of our continental clubbing cousins, The Farm often welcomes D.J.’s from beyond its borders, our brilliant Belgian beatmaster, Elof de Neve one, while Hifi Sean, Ivan Gomez & Dani Toro are among a stable of stars that spin this marvellous meet’s decks. Plus, just two weeks ago, the club played host to Matinee, who extended their “Pervert” party theme to Milan, having already played out right here in London, the event a virtual sell-out we are told, perhaps as special guest Dick Ray headlined an event that, judging by the photo’s, was packed & pumping, this on top of the previous week, when Elof starred and, by all accounts, stormed the place. This week however, on Saturday (23rd Feb) in fact, the team roll out there also very popular night, “Animal Instinct”, sporting resident D.J. stars Andrea Appolloni & Davide Paoni, they joined by rotational resident Dani Toro, who jets in from Barcelona especially for the event, so sure to draw mounds of muscle-bound Milano men & their followers. And with the club opening at 11 p.m. and running through till 6 a.m., if the last two weeks alone are anything to go by, then you would do with getting there early, further event info & other details out at https://www.facebook.com/events/495242307188806/ & http://thefarmmilano.com.
Right, well that’s our three Best Bites for this weekend, but before we head off to Short Shout a selection of shindigs in part tow of our weekend newsletters, we promised to milk a marvellous meet that we think you should make, Matinee returning to Paris this Easter Sunday (31st March) for their first “La-Leche” party of 2013, this Parisian party the biggest production outside of Spain and the best Matinee party outside of Barcelona, the D.J. line-up quite dream worthy as this Spanish super clubs latest resident D.J. Javier Medina, as well as long standing star J Louis, are flown in to join our Parisian pal Leomeo, while our Belgian beatmaster Elof de Neve jumps the border especially for the event, this definitely one for your disco dance diaries, more detail out at https://facebook.com/events/203927216412350/.
So that’s it, our “East Is East” event picks, one for London, one Paris & one for Milan in our most internationally inspired Best Bites yet, while watch this space for more weekend choices to come, leaving us to simply say, to “Be There!” you need to “Go There!” (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: East Bloc, Gutterslut, La Leche, Matinee, Scream, The Farm | No Comments »
Always wanting to lend our supporting hand to new club launches, its pleasing to see another sprout up in the melting pot that is Shoreditch, East Bloc playing host to promoter Manu Cartagenero’s latest manly meet, Butch, which comes out to play tonight (Thurs 7th Feb), meaning it simply had to make it to our “Pick of the Day”, the event detail a banner selection away opposite or an image click below, while we summarise the info beneath.
Butch London – A new weekly men only cruise night especially for East End boys
Your host Manuel Garcia welcomes a rotation D.J. team that includes East End favourites Dave Kendrick, Ben Jamin & Howard Turner and, for the launch night, the new back-to-back duo D.J.’s Done & Dusted, aka Louis Lennon
Plus, with free entry before midnight or £5 thereafter, which includes coatcheck and your first drink, matched by special drinks offers throughout the night, it’s definitely one for the men as well as the boys, so come join it, it will be fun!!
Doors open 11 p.m. till 4 a.m.
More info at
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: Alan X, Ben Jamin, Butch, Dave Kendrick, East Bloc, Howard Turner, Louis Lennon, Manuel Garcia | No Comments »
Continuing to find a new niche for our Best Bites within our weekend newsletter, this time we have decided to ditch the former format further, simplifying our selections into our top three choices of where to be & be seen on the scene, whether in London or internationally, we then squeezing in a small selection of short shouts along with news nibbles of some more February frolics to look forward to.
Well, the closure of Profile & Lo-Profile continues to leave us at sea with sustaining our former newsletter format of bringing you our Weekend Best Bites choices one each from Soho, Vauxhall & Shoreditch, last week seeing us introduce an international flavour, one we are keen to keep up. And a week on finds us with another fresh pair of eyes on the recommendations prize, deciding to ditch the former format further, making it as simply as possible, picking our top or the tree three from wherever they may be, the question remaining, will Vauxhall sweep the board or will our continental cousins get a look in?
So let’s get to answer that question, our first choice from Vauxhall, A:M making it here two weeks in a row, not least that there is big news on the promotions front, although for us mixed emotions as it seems that Steven Sharp, in our books the best in the game, is no longer the clubs promoter, this news having passed right under our radar save for an inkling when we saw this week’s events page. And as if we had already had enough bad news following those sudden Profile/Lo-Profile closures, this is a major blow both for the club and for the scene in general, Mr Sharp, without doubt, the most adept in PR, in artwork ideas, in networking, well in all aspects of promotion really, while its was Steven that turned the fortunes of A:M around, cleaning up its crowd act, focusing on the music and bringing in some big named guests to propel AM’s profile. So, it is a sad day indeed for us and we wish Steven well with his further promotional aspirations, while we are sure he will throw himself into his D.J.’ing & production with studio & playing partner George Sharp who together, naturally, make up The Sharp Boys.
With Steven gone , who has taken over?, Well by all accounts the marvellous Mauricio Ortiz has stepped into the breach and will, at least, be holding the fort while a fully fledged promoter can be found. That said, Mauricio’s experience n & around the promotions game speaks for itself, from SuperMartXe to Beyond, CasaLatina to Matinee, our brilliant Brazilian has seasoned promotional hands, while he is a real grafter, often being the one that puts in the hard work while others bask in the glory, so we feel that A:M is certainly in a safe pair of hands. So that’s the news, what about tomorrow’s (Fri 25th Jan) event?, well it is quite a special one, as it marks the long awaited & much anticipated return to the capitals clubbing circuit of international playboy D.J. Paul Heron, who had taken a leave of absence to get married & soak up the sun in Southern Africa. But he is back and headlining this event, which takes place at Fire in Vauxhall from 11 p.m., others on duty including D’Johnny, Matt Bogard & (wait for it) The Sharp Boys, while Onyx holds on by the skin of its teeth to the second lounge space, DMS serving the pop, while it’s tech & euphoric house heaven in the main room. Hosted by Andre Hellstrom & Louise Port, entry is free before 4am with a brand new Orange Nation membership card, otherwise with a flyer or ad its £3 before midnight, £6 before 5 a.m. and £10 after, while that full price £10 is for all others, further info out on the events page at https://facebook.com/events/322450467855010/.
One down, two to go and we stay in Vauxhall moving from Saturday to Sunday morning, which can only mean one thing, yes it’s Beyond which, in reality, is never far from our attention, even if NYD was the last time we trod its dancefloor boards. However, with Paris the first weekend, then DISH the second, plus with the prospect of a string of “Midnight” format frolics to contend with, we made it clear that we would give our favourite club of all time a bit of a break. Indeed on the subject of this “Midnight” format, we still can’t quite understand the package, a club that has always been in the amazing afterhours bracket, not once, twice or three times, but six in the last eight stretching an extra 4/5 hours back into Saturday, seems to us quite ludicrous. And it’s not as though the main room is open from that time, not at all, as it’s just the terrace till 3, then the chapel space till 5 or 6 when the sardine like squash forces the promotions team to react and open the main room, this the reality of what clubbers come up against and feel about this format. That said, on the special occasions, like for example a Beyond vs. Matinee party, this “Midnight” format makes inherent sense, but on a dark, dank & cold January Saturday, no, not at all!!, we having made our views perfectly clear to the promotions team on more than one occasions.
So, are we relieved, pleased & ecstatic that Ben Kaye & his crews have woken up and smelt the roses, as Beyond from this week kicks off at a much more reasonable 4 a.m. start, this sure to make all the difference to the D.J.’s, the atmosphere and the whole feel of the club, returning that hedonistic feel that starting your clubbing in the wee early hours brings. And Sunday (26th Jan) also marks the return of Beyond’s all-star resident, a man who has been there since the start and continues to have the pulling power & prolific performance credentials that he had back then, yes of course, its Steve Pitron, an extended 2 ½ hour set from 7 a.m. sure to pack that Area main room to the rafters. As for the rest, well Fat Tony follows Steve until close at midday, while the chapel sports the dynamic duo of David Jimenez & D’Johnny, girl power the name of the game in the terrace, with Ania (still not sure about her music) & the back-to-back Maze & Masters. And as Ben tells us, “…come and see what all the fuss is about as London’s best weekly party takes centre stage. ON memberships are still valid on this the last weekend of January and the Guest List will be open but only for a few hours; so make sure if you are on it…” while advance tickets are on sale online at http://orangenation.co.uk and at Soho outlets Prowler, Clone Zone & Fifty Dean, as well as at both Ku-Bars and at Rupert St which, every Saturday, hosts the Beyond pre-party from 9 p.m. till midnight, more details up at https://facebook.com/events/199497296862075/.
Now how are we doing so far with that answer? Well, Vauxhall gets two, who’s going to get the third, well we stay with London this week as it’s all about Europe for us next, our third Best Bite choice seeing us head out east to the place on City Road that has been a major contributor in transforming the Shoreditch scene into one of the hottest & hip happening hangouts in London. And the same could be said for East Bloc, the brainchild & inspiration of Wayne Shires, the man behind the truly legendary underground club Crash, which itself transformed Vauxhall into the clubbing mecca it quickly became. So it seems this transformation trend runs through Wayne’s veins, as he is virtually replicated what Crash achieved with East Bloc, the club sporting some of the most amazing & alternative clubbing brands on the scene, DISH, Guttersult, TheMenWhoFell2Earth, Songs Of Praise, Super Electro Party Machine &, of course, WAR, while the depth of D.J. talent speaks for itself, Tom Stephan, Borja Pena, Kris Di Angelis, Per Q.X. & Jim Warboy, just five among a fantastic flock, Wayne also keen to push & promote new talent that truly sets East Bloc and its events apart from the same old same old merry-go-round resident regurgitation that all too often plagues Mr Shires’ former playing ground. And having witnessed East Bloc just a couple of weeks ago, we saw the fruits of his labour paying dividends big time, the underground feel of the place emulating Crash, albeit on a smaller scale, while the crowd is delightfully different and gives the place that true club feel that takes us back to the days of our youth.
So that’s the venue, what about our event pick? Well East Bloc pulls in another party to add to its already illustrious list, as the Get With Me! Crew take over this Saturday (26th Jan) with big plans to transform this compact & cavernous club “…into your next holiday destination…” which, in itself, is intriguing enough to draw us right in. But this outing is truly alternative as not only does it combine the musical genres of what the team call, “Dancehall”, “Kpop” & “Reggeaton”, with some good old R&B throw in too, but the cast of D.J.’s are names unfamiliar to us in their entirety, so yet another intriguing draw. But maybe you will recognise the names of Matthew Stone, Theo Adams & Richard Mortimer, while the likes of Chris & Mathew, Anarchic Female, Jonbenet Blonde, Gabriel Gabriel and Sharna & Hermes will, in combination with all the others, spread the super Get With Me! Sound across East Bloc’s three spaces. So it seems that this alternative antic is definitely one to watch and actually indulge in, East Bloc’s doors opening for Get With Me! this Saturday (26th Jan) from 10 p.m., the club running through to a planned 6 a.m. finish, entry on the door a mere £5 before midnight and then £8 after, while with happy hour drinks between 10 & 11 and the fact that this will be yet another event that will pack out Wayne’s place, early arrival is advisable, details on the venue up at http://eastbloc.co.uk and more on the event itself out at https://www.facebook.com/events/472070932828639/
Now, with our plans to re-separate our Short Shouts back out into their own fully fledged newsletter in the next couple of weeks, we have time & space for just a small handful here, a real pick of the bunch, the first going to Delice, who land on London tomorrow night (Fri 25th Jan) at The Shadow Lounge in Soho, for another pre-party for their “Dream” dance festival, more info up at https://facebook.com/events/103722013131480/, this looking to be the hottest Soho ticket in town this weekend.
So, skirting Vauxhall completely, its back to Shoreditch & East Bloc we go, as Friday night frolic, Super Electro Party Machine, grabs our attention, not least that promoter Larry Tee welcomes back Jodie Harsh to proceedings, she joined with superb Room Service sidekick Munroe Bergdorf, while there is a Vauxhall influence as Maze & Masters creep across to spin some sounds too, the free vodka bar another reason why you should head out to City Rd, a summary of this soiree up at https://facebook.com/events/134989263329260/.
Okay, so we head onto the continent now for our two final Short Shouts, flying across to Rome first for Muccassassina, we having pretty much fallen in love with the brand since its showing at the huge LGDF gathering three years ago, while when we visted the club itself, we were blown away. And since that marvellous May with Danny Verde & Micky Galliano, Mucca has benefitted from our weekly support, Friday’s (25th Jan) event, “Porca” right up there, their event page at https://facebook.com/events/276699969122473/ telling the superb story much better than us.
Then, another love affair that we made as recently as three weekends ago was with Scream, the Parisian party that has been cutting a significant stride since 1996 and never fails to hit the mark with its weekly meets, Ludo & his terrific team joining forces with the superb Spyce to bring a specialist celebratory “Circus” event this Saturday (26th Jan), a full-on French feel from a D.J. team that includes Messrs Boumati, Nucci & Triumph, more detail available at http://scream-paris.com &/or https://facebook.com/groups/53427623634/.
Now to those news nibbles of February frolics that are worthy dates into your disco dance dairies, next Saturday (2nd Feb) serving up a splendid selection, Puscha’s “Undercover” party at Brixton Electric heading a London field that includes Matinee “Pervert at Fire & new night “Baked” at Green Carnation in Soho, while for us, it’s all about Propaganda at Red & Blue in Antwerp, this our second European trip of the year. Back in London and to the following day (Sun 3rd Feb) and a slice of Soho moves south, “Society” launching at Area in Vauxhall from 6 p.m., an event an news item that will be covered in an upcoming “Extra Bites” post, as will be Deelooded’s news of its second space line-up, this prolific party also on the move the following Sunday (10th Feb) to a new Shoreditch spot and is already looking like THE place t be & be seen that weekend. Internationally again, and WE Madrid will be in carnival mood the day before (Sat 9th Feb) at La Riviera, Phil Romano joining resident Manuel de Diego, while we zoom back to London for our final piece of clubbing news and a new club launching in Mayfair on Tuesday 5th February with Micky Galliano & Zach Burns, more info on this to come too.
So, that is it for another weekend, these our choices of where to be & be seen on the scene, while a veritable feast of London frolics can be found by heading to the listings in both http://boyz.co.uk & http://qxmagazine.com making for a world is your oyster array of outings, while our “Top Of The Tree Three” along with our short shouts given you plenty to party with. As for us?, well a nasty knew injury looks like confining us to the comfort of our sofa, but with lots of heavenly happenings to hone in on, we trust that this weekend will see you “Go There! Be There!” (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: A:M, Baked, Beyond, Deelooded, Delice, Delice Dream, East Bloc, Get With Me!, Matinee, Muccassassina, Propaganda, Pushca, Red & Blue, Scream, Society, Super Electro Party Machine, Swallow, The Shadow Lounge, WE Party Madrid | 1 Comment »
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 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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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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20 Feb 2013 | 0 Comments
Recommends – “East Is East” – Weekend Best Bites – Friday 22nd to Sunday 24th February – Newsletter Part One
With the weekend looking like a quiet one on the capitals clubbing circuit, we decide to split out our best Bites into their own newsletter, picking on an exceptional east end event to fly the London flag, while its international for our other two, we heading east & then further ...
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7 Feb 2013 | 0 Comments
Picks – “Manu’s Manly Meet” – Butch “The Launch” – Thursday 7th February – Pick Of The Day
Always wanting to lend our supporting hand to new club launches, its pleasing to see another sprout up in the melting pot that is Shoreditch, East Bloc playing host to promoter Manu Cartagenero’s latest manly meet, Butch, which comes out to play tonight (Thurs 7th Feb), meaning it simply had ...
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24 Jan 2013 | 1 Comment
Recommends – “Top Of The Tree Three” – Best Bites & Short Shouts – Friday 25th to Sunday 27th January – Weekend Newsletter
Continuing to find a new niche for our Best Bites within our weekend newsletter, this time we have decided to ditch the former format further, simplifying our selections into our top three choices of where to be & be seen on the scene, whether in London or internationally, we then ...
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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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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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