Posts Tagged ‘Gutterslut’
May 13, 2013 | 
Author True to form & in an ever moving & changing capital clubbing circuit, we “Extra Bite” report on two Soho soiree slot shifts & what their switching means for the scene, while we also fit in some newsworthy nibbles on some upcoming events well worth considering your appearance attention.
In the conformist Monday to Friday, nine to five, working week that many of us abide by, it comes as no surprise that it is the weekend when we let our hair down fully, yet the capitals clubbing circuit seems to pay no attention to this, a whole host of happenings filling out the week and pandering to all sorts of tastes. But, true to form in an ever changing world & with an ever moving target audience, two Soho soiree mid-week meets have decided to shift slots, we reporting on these, what impact their changes may have, before running through some upcoming newsworthy events.
So to the first of our of Soho soiree week night meets and the new(ish) Wednesday wonder, Revival, a marvellous meet at Manbar in Soho & a brand bases itself on the simple principle that “…everything old is new again…”, the night very much about the music within a relaxed social atmosphere, Revival the brainchild of scene favourite D.J. Brent Nicholls whose musical taste & collection spans the decades and who can boast a playlist deep into the 1000’s. And as the club name suggests, Revival is about pulling out tracks from the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and 00’s from the 2000 strong playlist that the weekly “…live jukebox…” that is our Mr Nicholls, he taking requests across the night which can range from Abba to Adele, from “You’re So Vain” to “Mr Vain”, “from RnB to House & anthems to one hit wonders plus all that’s in between (you get the idea?!), Brent taking requests across the night which runs from 10 p.m. till 2 a.m. Add into the mix, heavenly hostess with the mostest, Jonny Hooley and Revival has really caught the social scene imagination, a fervent & loyal following seeing it outlive other comparable club concepts, although to add to the appeal, the team have decided to move the night from its Wednesday slot to what will be likely to prove a more popular night for this niche meet, Thursday’s very much more the start of the weekend for many, especially if the likes of Room Service & Gravity are anything to go by, Revival now firmly in this soiree slot having switched last week.
And it seems that the heat is really being turned up on the Soho soiree scene on Thursday’s, as another club on the capitals circuit has decided to swing itself into this slot, although in Gigolo we find a prolific party that had its origins on this night of the week when it launched at Lo-Profile some two years ago. However, after a heavenly honeymoon period that saw Gigolo sit comfortably with its compatriot Soho soiree clubbing competition across on Greek St, with a change of venue to The Shadow Lounge, also came a change of day to a Wednesday night, the payback for the promoters being that they could fulfil the brand aspirations for more XXX rated fun & action to the full, the Shadow Lounge’s booths & secluded setting fitting the Gigolo ethos like a glove. Yet, while the team have run with the Wednesday’s for some time now, certain weeks more populous than others, it appears that that start to the weekend slot that it started with, is one both The Shadow Lounge & Gigolo now want to run with, last week’s “Cover Star” event marking the start of a new beginning for this superb Soho soiree that finds itself once again squaring up with it’s nemesis, the ever popular & packed out Room Service, the formula’s of both clubs quite similar although the settings a chalk & cheese comparison, perhaps deluding how these two will once again settle down as soiree bedfellows.
So, with Room Service having enjoyed a pretty long & exclusive Soho soiree run, it seems that Thursday’s with both Revival & Gigolo’s switch has suddenly exploded into eventing action and poses some interesting scenario’s for how these slot switches will pan out. That said, in Revival we have a gathering that is niche by virtue of the brand offering, the venue very much in the “Marmite” category, although despite its undoubted popularity, Room Service’s home, Maibella, is a love it or hate it compact & crowded affair, while The Shadow Lounge has always been, for us particularly, a venue aimed at a select few taller poppy’s of the scene, so has a certain stigma attached to it, all probably meaning that the three clubs will continue to attract their core following, while perhaps also benefitting from what will surely be a much bigger Thursday footfall give the increased choice on offer. However, of the three, we reckon Gigolo has the biggest challenge to cope with in matching the might of Room Service and the next few weeks will be telling in terms of whether it was the right decision or not, Revival perhaps looking like it will have an easier ride, even if the numbers may not swell significantly as a result. But, there is no doubt that Thursday’s in Soho have suddenly become so much more exciting and we hope this has a positive impact, not just on these three clubs, but across the clubbing circuit as a whole, plenty of opportunities for Soho bars & later running clubs to capitalise on these slot switches.
To some “News Nibbles” now and up first is what marks the beginning of the season of Pride festivals/weekends, Brussels taking centre stage & three stand-out parties getting our attention, Hustlaball taking place this Friday (17th May) at Fuse, while the following night, Hunkut stands in the Pride spotlight, special guest D.J. Hector Fonseca sure to draw considerable crowd, the ever popular La Demence rounding off the weekend with its “Leather Me” event on Sunday (19th May), details on all three out via the following links, https://facebook.com/groups/47578419534/, https://facebook.com/events/231651163639557/ & https://facebook.com/events/582943995067829/.
Moving to Matinee and lovers of with global giant will be pleased as punch as their summer season begins in earnest on Sunday 9th June with a twelve hour festival event in Barcelona, while the following weekend, Matinee kicks of the Ibiza season with a massive party at Amnesia, France & Toulouse preceding both with special “VIP” gathering this coming Sunday (19th May), Taito Tikaro among the guests, details on this out at https://facebook.com/events/127824810744558/, while for more on the Barcelona festival & the Amnesia season start head to https://facebook.com/matineegroup.
Back to London now and to the superb Shoreditch spot that is East Bloc, Wayne Shires & his team having really made their mark on the capitals clubbing circuit, hosting prolific parties such as DISH, Super Electro Party Machine, WAR & Gutterslut, as well as attracting others across, Bootyliscious the latest addition to the venue’s monthly Sunday schedule, while we have news that Queer Nation will be setting up “Social” stool from Sunday 2nd June, the other date we want to share going to Gutterslut, which returns in two weeks time (Sat 25th May), event details up at https://facebook.com/events/375244545927287/.
Then, looking further forward into June, the date & details of the ever popular Clapham Street Party have been announced, this exceptional event, now in its 9th year, which also happens to be right on our own doorstep, once again takes place on the third Saturday of the month (22nd June) and, given the queues to the last four events, will be choc-a-block, although this year & given its popularity, a standard entry of £4 is being charged, while fast track entry tickets are also on sale at http://ticketsource.co.uk/ details on the latest line-up & special guests out at https://facebook.com/events/377543915684510/.
And finally, also coming full circle, a quick mention goes to both Room Service & Gigolo, both having stretched their soiree legs, Jodie Harsh & her team well into a hugely successful run in New York, so much so that the parties are weekly each Wednesday, while Gigolo goes continental this coming Sunday (16th May) as it makes its second trip to Paris, event details in full out at https://facebook.com/events/548802628504919/, while for details on Room Service’s NYC parties head to https://facebook.com/clubroomservice.
So that’s about it for this our first of what will hopefully be a weekly “Extra Bites/News Nibbles” feature, while watch this space for more event recommendations including a special preview on one of our three latest “Hot Shot Happenings”, the massive festival that is As One In The Park. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends, Reports | 
Tags: Amnesia, Gigolo, Gutterslut, Hunkut, Hustlaball, La Demence, Matinee, Queer Nation Social, Revival, Room Service, The Clapham Street Party | 
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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 »
With much happening on the scene this last weekend, the timing of the return of our “That Was The Weekend That Was” review & report couldn’t have been better, we looking at the good, the bad & the ugly new ventures to hit the capitals clubbing circuit, while reporting on other highlight happenings and forthcoming frolics
What a funny old year 2012 was for us, not least the spluttering start on a special weekly feature originally called “That Was the Week That Was”, the intention to report back on events of the day and look forward to ones coming up. But as we struggled to even keep our review head above water, we decided to peg this new features back to just the weekend gone rather than the whole week, although even this proved a tough old task, as did much of our writing if we are honest. However, with the distractions that thwarted our publication progress at least parked and with 2013 very much our year of positivity, we are back with the new look “That Was The Weekend That Was” a punchy post that will pick on highlight happenings, good bad or otherwise from past weekend just while also looking forward to the next.
Right, let’s get on and did right into the detail of what very much proved to be a weekend of new club launches, great news on the surface, but scratching beneath it proving that there was elements of god, bad and (in our view) downright ugly. So to the good first and Saturday (16th Feb) and This Is Prohibition, a new clubbing concept that combined brands Lovechild, Bear Necessity, Queer Nation & Butch, a collaboration of like minded promotional minds similar to the halcyon days of As One, & Famous Five, bringing together a wealth of D.J. talent from both London & internationally and stamping its mark on the scene from The Sidings in Southwark, a venue formerly known as The Arches but now under new management & ownership. And, while we were laid up with a nasty virus, the feedback we got on this “Love Resurrection” first party & launch was extremely positive, the numbers buoyant, well over 100o through the door, while the brands worked together brilliantly, Lovechild the main focus & drive, not least with a prolific performance from P.A. Abigail Bailey, while with a string of superb sets from Oliver M, Tony English & Alan K, as well as pulsating performances in the other rooms, promoters Alex Erfan, Patrick Lilley & Manu Cartagenero were pleased as punch with the result. And while there is still work to do both on the venue & the format, This Is Prohibition will be back, no specific date yet set, but the likelihood is a May or June return, we bringing you news as soon as we get it.
Now to the bad and the ugly and if you saw our preview “Dad’s Army Antics”, you will quickly guess that we are talking about Manic Panic! And District XXX, the latest Friday night frolic twosome to come out of the Orange Nation creative stable. But creative they are not, particularly the latter, a whole host of people both within & outside of these two clubs, feeding back and concurring with our views on these fault filled ventures. You only have to read some of the event detail, a line which never fails to leave us aghast being “…a team of the craziest, limit pushing, disco pumped club kids will be rolling around the club each Friday night to ensure no one leaves without returning hot sweat flashbacks of their time at MANIC. These will be named The Panics…”, it speaking volumes for a club concept which, in the eyes of many is just a complete laughing stock. Yet, with international heavyweight Pagano headlining the vent each week, there is a glimmer of hope within the Manic Panic part of proceedings, while we cannot help but look upon it as a bad bash that puts all the good work of Onyx to shame. And it seems that clubbers agreed, as reports came in that numbers for Friday’s (15th Feb) launch, were not as expected, a figure of 600 being bandied around, this across three rooms, that second space sporting our ugly element as, again in our view, District XXX is a rip-off of the truly terrific PLAY>TIME, which fell afoul of the sudden closure of Lo-Profile in January. However, with hardly a care or a blink of the eye, a number of team members & D.J.’s previously part of the PLAY>TIME package have simply jumped ships and are now imitating this brilliant brand, from what we can see, trying to build a club within a club which is flawed for all sorts of reasons. So, with these reported numbers not good, the Manic Panic concept bad & the District XXX imitating downright ugly, time will tell whether this already maligned meet while last.
To other happenings over the weekend and to Friday again first, out east proving the place to be, as Larry Tee’s Super Electro Party machine not only celebrated London fashion week, but welcoming special guest D.J./Producer, D Ramirez to the decks, they coming back for more on Sunday (17th Feb) with their “Fashion Disaster” party, Jodie Harsh the guest this time. And sticking with East Bloc, the superb SOS was back on Saturday, Jim Warboy and his terrific team proving, yet again, how popular this party is, while with new Thursday edition Butch on the weekly schedule and next Saturday seeing the return of Gutterslut, Wayne Shires’ Shoreditch spot is certainly cooking on gas at the moment. As for Soho, while it is still clearly missing Profile & Lo-Profile, The Edge, Circa, Ku-Bar and new(ish) macho hangout, Manbar are taking the strain and all reported good numbers & atmospheres across the weekend, while Suzie Kruger’s Hard On!, currently based out of Union in Vauxhall, recorded one of their biggest turnouts in well over twelve months on Saturday, giving rise to the fact that the diversity within the scene that has been sadly lacking of late, is beginning to turn around for the good, rather than the bad that a certain group have been driving & diving the capitals clubbing circuit into. That said, Beyond, thank heavens, returned to its age-old format of a Sunday morning start, although while labelled as a “Temptation” event, it didn’t quite tempt enough to make it a roadblock event, despite the flock of frolics feeding it, but, disrobing developments aside, there is no doubt it remains a clubbing & clubber favourite.
Well, that was the weekend just gone, but what about the one coming up? Well, we have already mentioned Gutterslut, which is back to East Bloc with a bang this Saturday (23rd Feb), special guest D.J.’s Femi B & Bryony Masters heading up the rave room, while Princess Julia & Thirsty Kirsty take charge of the tunes in the DiscoSlut space, while alternative antics out east included “Pantastic” at The Joiners Arms and “Handsome” at The Visions Video Bar, both also on Saturday, while another shindig of the same day worth a shout is “Club R18” at the Eagle in Vauxhall, special guest Jack Chang on deck duty. AS for other choices, Soho’s The Edge with Zach Burns and Circa with Adam Turner are always good bets, while if you want bad & ugly, then its Manic Panic & District XXX again this Friday (22nd Feb). And talking of bad, at least creative bad, Beyond goes “Midnight” on us again this week, that’s now a total of five out of the last eight, vindicating our view that the promoter is attempting or at least sending a message that this once brilliant brand is now no longer just an afterhours amazement, but is trying to be a club for all Saturday & Sunday seasons, something it really doesn’t need to or should be. On the Orange Nation positive, Later welcomes back original Terry Bryan, a set you should definitely not miss, while before all that, something you also shouldn’t miss is this Thursday’s (21st Feb) Room Service, Jodie Harsh & co welcoming both Hifi Sean & Pagano to the decks, details of all of these upcoming events (excepting Manic Panic & District XXX) available a banner click away right here at http://discomatt.com/web, while you can also head to the online versions of both Boyz & Q.X. at http://boyz.co.uk & http://qxmagazine.com respectively.
So, that’s our “That Was The Weekend That Was”, good, bad and ugly as it proved for us, while we hope, wherever you had been & seen, it was a good one for you and with a selection of superb soiree’s coming up, that this next weekend is packed with positively pumping parties And, while clubbing is not specifically on our weekend agenda, with a birthday bash & them a meeting of minds, we will have much to share about a more diverse yet inclusive scene that London always used to be famed for, so here’s to a wonderful weekend that will be . (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Reports, Reviews | Tags: Beyond, Circa, District XXX, Gutterslut, Hard On!, Later, Manbar, Manic Panic, SOS, Super Electro Party Machine, The Eagle, The Edge, This Is Prohibition | No Comments »
Reaching the second month in what we have called our “year of positivity” the last month has seen some doors close, but plenty more open, so with much to report on what has been one of the most productive periods in well over a year and with much to look forward to in February, we are back sharing recent reviews, reports, recommends & music features, as well as hinting on some dynamic dates for your disco dance diaries
Having been pretty determined to lay the gremlins of 2012 to rest, we can be pretty contented with the written results, as January has proven to be our most productive month for a good twelve or more, features having re-appeared for the first time in a long while, we also having taken a serious look at where we found ourselves in 2012 and what needed to change. And while these changes are still work in progress, it is true to say that during January, some doors have either closed or we have closed them, while we are pleased to report other doors either opening or re-opening that have given us the inspiration to move on from the old to the new. Plus, with a whole host of new clubs launching in February, as well as much to look forward to further into the spring, lets share this and what we have been up to in January.
REVIEWS
The first week of January found us pretty much consumed in our three full length music reviews of 2012 and, while that year is one we would rather regret, what the completion of these reviews did prove was that (as always) music was the answer to our problems and it was a twelve months packed with prolific podcasts & towering tunes. As for our other review activity, well we are still to publish our accounts of Scream in Paris from Sat 5th and DISH’s 1st birthday from the following week, February the month to get these out while also putting our reviews back on the rails, while we did reflect on Beyond’s NYD event, one which may prove to be our last. As for our highlight review, it has to go to that first music review, covering our top tracks of 2012
PREVIEWS
After a barren period when not one single preview was posted, January saw a veritable feast of features to comparison, we breaking the preview drought with a look at Deelooded, which this coming Sunday (10th Feb) moves out east, while we also took a detailed look at both Puscha’s “Undercover” event & Matinee’s “Pervert” party. Also re-capping on Deelooded with further updating news, we finished a month of deluged with devotions, as we delved into new clubbing combo & collaboration, Prohibition, one that is very much one of those new doors, so a preview that gets our choice pick here. As for February, we have a lot to live up to, but with an international exploits close to the top of our agenda, so our previews will have an international flavour too.
RECOMMENDS
For a week or so in January, we were a little confounded by the sudden & shock Soho closure, meaning we kind of turned our Best Bites & Short Shouts newsletter on its head, re-combining the two but also introducing an international element and with three newsletters posted, we are heading back to that weekly posting target. As for our Weekend Focus features, Scream & DISH benefitted from our coverage, while Orange under the new (well returning) steership of Fat Tony, got our Extra Bites attention, we also devoting a special feature to Orange Nation’s January free clubbing offer. However, as February will see us sitting on the sidelines, our recommendations will take priority over reviews & previews, so should come to the fore, while our highlight pick goes to one of those three newsletter publications.
REPORTS
January, at least the first few days, seemed to be a depressing period when doors were closing rather than opening, as first came the announcement of Gaydar’s closure, then came the sad, sudden and shocking news of the demise of Profile/Lo-Profile, very much a blow to the Soho scene, although one that would inspire those new door openings that presented themselves later in the month. And these were the focus of our reporting in the month, although with a new “Seventh Day Sermon” report on the publication precipice; watch this space for the return of our controversial columnist character, while it’s the Soho closure that gets our monthly highlight reporting pick.
MUSIC
In a determined attempt and effort to get our music newsletters back up & running, we simplified our approach while a whole new series for 2013, entitled “Podcast Picks & Tracks In The Mix”, two volumes issued in January, the first focusing on podcasts and the second on track producers. And with a further two volumes to come in February, we will also be re-developing our special features to fill the weekly gaps, along with adding to the two weekly “Podcast & Track Of The Week” features, so much more to come. As for our highlight, well it has to go to that track producers newsletter, without doubt our best yet.
D.J.’s
Our much loved D.J. focuses returned in January, both Adam Turner & Pier Morrocco under our marvellous musical microscope, while with many more planned for February, including Elof de Neve, Zach Burns & Tony English, our passion for our sounds spinners & their magical music making remains as strong as ever, while our devotion to the terrific Mr Turner gets our monthly pick vote.
DISCO MATTERS
Like our reviews, this was back after an over extended leave of absence, we having been presented with the overwhelming opportunity to interview D.J./Music producer Seamus Haji ahead of his appearance for Pushca’s “Undercover” party and the result was one of THE best pieces we have published in our history. So, it goes without saying that it was also THE highlight of our month and right at the time that one of those doors (a D.J. one at that) looked like it was closing. But the with Disco Matters door very much open we are already lining up our next for February, while we have much to do to top Mr Haji’s here.
PICKS
Given all the above, a total of thirty one posts & features, something had to give and it was our Picks posts, although we continued to fly the daily flag through Facebook & Tumblr, while our weekly Podcast & Track picks racked up two features in January. But with plans to hit at least three simple picks post a week in February the target, this part of our activity should, in balance with everything else, have an increasing presence, while we select our Pagano Track & Turner Podcast as our highlight choice for January.
COMING UP
As we mentioned above, the reviews of Scream & DISH simply have to be completed, while we have Red & Blue from the weekend to reflect upon. Deelooded’s “Eastside was to be on the cards, but a nasty virus has laid our plans there to waste, while we hope to be back in time for Prohibition. Preview wise, we will take a look at new Friday frolic Manic, as well as looking into March early, both Lovechild & Matinee La-Leche previews planned. Our recommendations will move to the February fore, as will our reports, controversial or otherwise, while with two more newsletter volumes & at least three D.J.’s focuses, music will play its part too. And with all to be revealed on our next Disco Matters feature and Picks posts peppering our publications, there is much activity on the horizon.
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.
DISCO DANCE DIARY DATES
February has already started with a brilliant new club launch in the form of Baked (re-named BakeBox), the next party planned for Sat 2nd March, while that new clubbing combo, Prohibition, is another welcome & fresh faced addition to the capitals circuit calendar, next Saturday (16th Feb) a definite dance diary date. Plus, for those of that persuasion, Orange nation launch their new Friday nighter, Manic on 15th Feb, which also encompasses District XXX, while we look to be torn between two lovers next weekend as WAR celebrates a year of heavenly happenings on Saturday (16th Feb), while SOS on the same night and Gutterslut the following Saturday (23rd Feb) complete our monthly London picks.
Well that’s it for another monthly message, while, we cannot tell you just how good it feels to be back on writing form again and although we are currently struggling with a nasty viral infection related to our ongoing illness, we remain determined to keep pace with our posting pledges, at least match our January output, that one post a day our goal and the self satisfaction as well as supporting scores of scene others, February sure to prove every bit as fruitful as January has been. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Reports | Tags: Adam Turner, Baked, Deelooded, Elof De Neve, Gutterslut, Manic, Pier Morrocco, Prohibition, SOS, Tony Engish, War, Zach Burns | No Comments »
In a year that has seen a pitiful amount of review publications, we attempt to end 2012 on a high, looking back at the capital’s circuit clubs & clubbing events that made a big impression not just on us, but packs of party people who pushed aside austerity in favour of fun, while we also chronicle the changes that have swept the scene, this the second in our special “What A Year” review series.
In a year of huge highs & horrendous, mainly health lows, 2012 saw a significant shift in both our personal & vocational lives, the personal part already covered in our first annual address review, while we also touched on some of the clubbing highs that made it an unforgettable year. Yet, the cornerstone and the one constant in our activity over the last few years, our reviews, not only dipped in 2012, but suffered a veritable nose dive, plummeting out of the scene sky & spotlight like a stone, just nineteen completed & published, clearly equating to less than two a month, this far from a truthful reflective record of the events we attended throughout the year. However, with more than a handful started but not finished, along with a plethora of picks posts published, will we attempt to patch together a picturing of the parties that made it big in 2012, like our annual address, splitting the seasons into four separate paragraphs, while eventually selecting our star sets from a select list of scene spinners, also landing on our top five club events of the year from a seasonal section rating, a chart that required alteration as late in the day as yesterday. So, sit back and hold on tight as we speed you through our January to December jamboree of jaunts, hot footing it through a veritable feast of frolics while sifting some select slices from those rare reviews of ours, finishing off with a mention for a myriad of movers, shakers, winners, losers, lost & found in a year that saw a catalogue of changes to the capitals clubbing circuit.
To our first season and to the first day of the year, one which served up a trio of treats the now traditional NYD Beyond taking centre stage, although waiting in the wonderful wings was WE “Safari” which not only surprised but stunned us with the best spectacle this Madrid made meet had showed off in London yet, edging out the former foray in terms of enthralling excellence, the third in the trio a packed out party that inevitably, in comparison with the other two, was always going to have a mountain to climb to reach their divine dizzy heights. So with a start like that, you would have thought we were armed with a spring in our winter step, but it would be February before we put our review boots on, a Saturday/Sunday session of CasaLatina’s “A Space Odyssey” event followed by a Beyond which we labelled as a “Shell Shocking Steve Stunner”, Mr Pitron playing his socks off to a packed out place, all three rooms full, this no special event but had all the tremendous trappings of the terrific “Tokyo” & the exceptional “Erotica” , so was a serious contender for our club event of the year, while it has piped WE to seasonal top spot, Beyond’s NYD event a close behind third. In terms of big come headline hitting happenings, Trade came out to play for Valentine’s on 11th February, while Later was in 9th birthday mode in March, those with a penchant for wig wearing had the “Masked Ball” to parade through, also in March, while Shoreditch splendour East Bloc continued on its rise & rise, although the magnificent MEAT found itself on the chopping block, effectively cut into two, Tom Stephan heading one way with DISH, while previous promotions partner, Kris Di Angelis, headed in another, waging WAR that was to prove a huge 2012 hit.
So, with Beyond’s February foray taking seasonal top spot, here is a conclusive slice from our review that shows you just why. “…Having played witness to some truly brilliant & breathtaking Beyond’s in our time, “Tokyo” &” Erotica” two standouts among a seas of scintillating others, what we experienced this morning was a shell shocking & stunning something else, Steve Pitron exceeding our expectations even more than we could have imagined or hoped for. And having completely absorbed ourselves in the rapturous rollercoaster ride we found ourselves on, those emotional eruptions bigger than ever before, it will be a morning that will remain in our memories for a long time to come…” we adding that “…while in the very capable promotional hands of Steven Sharp, there is no doubt that Beyond continues to ride that wave crest it has found itself on for so long. Plus, while it may have only reached a lowly fifth in a certain scene website’s annual club poll, in the hands of its all-star resident D.J.’s & other invincible ingredients, this brilliant brand showed us why is remains the best club in town, one deserved of a top slot in ANY scene award ceremony and certainly one that gets our vote every single time…” it clearly having risen to the top of our January to March tree the rest of the review at http://discomatt.com/web/?p=4403 showing you why..
To our next seasonal sector now and one that sported clubbing celebration with a real royal connection, this period encompassing the pomp & circumstance around the marriage of Will & Kate, as well as the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. But all that was to come, as it was Easter that stood in the season spotlight first, Beyond going into “XLsior” mode, while London sported another WE party premiere, this time “Fluro” colourfully captivating the capital. Then, just like the colossal combo that it was, As One saw of clubbing & clubbers convergence that was nothing short of a roadblock, although it was to prove the last popular party for this once brilliant brand blend, while another Easter bunny bash that emerged and then disappeared was Discotec. So, while this second biggest weekend of the year lacked a little lustre, there was much anticipation for a diamond jubilee one full of dancing delights, the dynamic developer of the year, Deelooded, grabbing plenty of its own headlines, while we completely sat out the weekend due to ill health. But there was one place that we weren’t going to sit out, the pulsating PLAY>TIME party a prominent part of our prancing in this period, the magnificent meet on 11th May seeing our premier player & our premier protégé player sort the sounds, Steve’s stellar set for once, eclipsed by a Zach Burns performance that has seen him storm into our Y.E. top 5, this Friday frolic also making it to top spot this season, even if it was devoid of an real competition, save for Beyond, which tuned the seasonal tables on WE, beating the June “Fast Food” foray into third, hanging our second place hat this awesome afterhours achiever’s 13th May party, a fabulous frenzy that, purely from a fun-filled perspective, had to be right up there.
The real shocker of this 2012 reflection is that we recorded not one review between March & May, a period that was, without doubt, our toughest, so we thought we would step back to New Year’s Day and share a small slice from our super sized study of “Safari” our summary saying “…So, it pretty much goes without saying that we were immensely impressed with this latest WE event, “Safari” exceeding our expectations by a country mile, the visuals some of the best we have seen anytime & anywhere, while the stage dancers , effects & lighting added to the awesome atmosphere that was evident from start to finish…” along with “…what made it truly spectacular was being on that select stage spot, a privileged position where we could savour every single second of a simply scintillating Steve Pitron set & performance, our prolific pal playing to the extent of our emotions so effectively that we were continually left breathless in admiration…”, we concluding that “…“Safari” in our estimation shot higher into the sky than the largest African Savannah plain tree branches that soar above the reach of the tallest of giraffe’s, a prolific & pulsating party that has set the standard for future WE’s to come, raising the bar brilliantly…” the whole review a worthy read by going to http://discomatt.com/web/?p=4708/
Onwards to the summer season and one that started with our scene sabbatical announcement, although it would be relatively short lived given the immensity of incarnations that were to play their part in this period and drag us, sometimes kicking & screaming, to successive soiree’s in a purple patch August three weeks. However, that was after the Olympics in July, along with what ended up a debacle of a London Pride celebration, clubbing corporation, Orange Nation, rescuing what was an utterly unacceptable maze of mismanagement by the committee responsible for, not just the capital’s celebration, but of the whole “World Pride” proceedings that delivered nothing, rather leaving us and many more disgusted & disappointed. But out of the ashes of a piss poor Pride came another brilliant Beyond on that weekend Sunday and our first review in three months, creating a catalyst for more to follow, that purple patch August period scooping all three seasonal spots in our club event chart, Beyond on 12th sandwiched by two Lo-Profile parties, ClubNation sporting a six hour back-to-back set from Steve Pitron & Max Sanna on 19th, while it was PLAY>TIME that would savour the spoils of seasonal victory, this marvellous meet that fell on first Friday of the month, delivering another Y.E. set chart entrant, this time from Nathan Six who added, in phenomenal fashion, to an already pulsating Pitron performance. This terrific trio apart, there was much more to melt into, boutique clubbing brands WAR, Gigolo, Room Service & new turn Tramp, showing the bigger boys a clean pair of heels, while Lovebox was an a huge highlight for us, there inevitably being low points for some, SuperMartXe’s “Olympiade” event failing to sufficiently ignite its own torch, while former Friday leader of the party pack, Onyx, found itself on the ropes after a battered bruising at the hands of its Soho rival, something it would never recover from. But perhaps the most saddening slump was that of Salvation, its prolific promoter Steve Elliot having suddenly passed away in March, leaving a void that not even his best friend & fellow promoter, Oliver Mohns, could fill, the promise of renewed London fortunes for what had become an global giant in the hands of Mr Elliot, falling at the first hurdle.
To our seasonal select and a piece from our PLAY>TIME review “Pitron & Six Pack A Punch”, our concluding comments leaving us in no doubt that our decision was the right one, the compelling evidence as follows “...In PLAY>TIME the team behind Lo-Profile have certainly found a winner on a number of fronts, it having established itself as a Friday night market leader, even knocking the might of Onyx off its pedestal, promoter Jay Roberts having developed a brand that neatly balances socialising, dancing, music & men in the most marvellous way and like lots of long running clubs on the capitals circuit, it seems this magnificent weekly meet has lengthy legs in it for sure…” our case continuing “…such has been the success of PLAY>TIME here in London, that the club has extended its welcoming arms across Europe, Paris’s Spyce having entertained Jay & his team on a couple of occasions this year already, while with the might of worldwide organisation Gaydar behind it, a little birdie tells us that there are bigger & better plans ahead to achieve the clubs aspirations abroad…”, we couldn’t conclude with championing Steve Pitron & Nathan Six, both propelling us into “…musical seventh heaven, Mr Pitron’s picks particularly pulsating & mesmerising although, to be fair to Nathan, despite having a hard act to follow, more than held his own, in fact, served up a simply spectacular set to savour & show his senior…” the full review out at http://discomatt.com/web/?p=5758.
To the final four months of the year now, we having squeezed September into this 2012 swansong season, a period that from a personal point of view proved to be packed with phenomenal positives, as our annual address illustrates, while a whole host of enthralling events have fallen outside the remit of this review, Brighton Pride, Steve’s 40th birthday party & two colossal concerts, Florence & The Machine & Robbie Williams, four exceptional examples. Yet, from a capital circuit point of view, there was as much to celebrate, a brace of birthday’s in September, one for Onyx which turned three on the 14th, while scene starlet Munroe Bergdorf was just a tad older at Room Service the previous night, November seeing another birthday, this time for Orange who marked their fourteenth on 11th, we unashamedly making mention of ours on 20th December (not a club event but it had to be done). Birthday’s aside, it was all change in November, as Later headed in a “Nu Direction” prolific promoter Steven Sharp now in charge, while A:M went all “Ultra” on us, shifting from a Saturday to a Friday start & gobbling up the already ill fated Onyx. Beyond has its fair share of change during the season too, a new promoter in the form of Ben Kaye shaking up the residency team of D.J.’s, ruffling some feathers along the way, while early October was a patch we would rather forget, WE “Bitches On The Beach” our worst experience ever, although it was to be brilliantly counter-balanced by WE’s own birthday bash, “Formula 2”, which was nothing short of phenomenal, leaving us in no doubt that it rightfully deserves our season top spot, although a decision we did deliberate upon, given in enormity of two breathtaking Beyond events in December, the 9th & the 30th (that’s yesterday!) to be exact. So, you can see what’s coming, these two towering turns taking second & third slots, pushing a captivating ClubNation from 24th November out into the chart cold, while Steve Pitron’s clean sweep of sets was inevitable, although has left us with a delicate dilemma to deal with.
So, before we hit on the movers & shakers, winners & losers of the year, here select slices from the final two paragraphs from our WE “Formula 2” review, starting with “… having experienced virtually every single outing here in London since the launch back in 2010, we can say with confident qualification that this best by a long shot…” then “…we acknowledge that “Formula 2” had some way to go to top “Safari” as our favourite & most fabulous WE party in London, it did in leaps & bounds and in virtually every department…” followed with “…it is the D.J.’s who get the lion’s share of our plaudits, some sets we missed, while others we savoured…” adding “…a superb set from Carlos Gallardo, in any other company would have made it to that premier podium position, he once again proving to us why we hold him in such high regard compared to his Spanish compatriots…” eventually concluding that “…it was Steve Pitron who crossed the chequered flag first, a simply stunning set that left us emotionally enthralled throughout, his choice picks hitting every heavenly house music mark we could mention, highlight ones without doubt “Not Alone” & Beautiful Lie”, while we would go as far to say that, just like this wonderful latest WE event & like his specially devoted podcast, this was the most phenomenal Pitron performance we have witnessed, no more to say…” our super sized showcase a click away at http://discomatt.com/web/?p=6178.
Well that covers of four seasoned 2012 scene step outs & highlight happenings, but what of the ones we may have missed and what of the movers, the shakers, the winners, the losers, the lost & the found? Well, Matinee made a magnificent return with a plethora of parties, a couple of twelve hours spectacles & a Beyond combo that found it return to its first London home, Area, while the scene’s Spanish superstar was undoubtedly WE, both “Pharoah” & “Hi Japan” overlooked above, yet in combination with the rest of their party pack, made it one of the most prominent performers. We briefly mentioned Deeleoded, which was another season on season scene success and sure to be a Y.E. award winner, while As One joined the ranks of losers that included Toybox, Shine, Bearzone, SuperMartXe, Discotec, Detox, Onyx & Circus, the latter sliding off the clubbing calendar quite surprisingly, while many of the others also fall into the lost & found categories, outdoor eventing a real loser in 2012, Pride already covered but a sad Summer Rites not. However on the bright side, there was always Beyond, this awesome afterhours continuing to ride a 2012 wave crest as tall as the previous four seasons, although it did have its fair share of challenges to cope with, a temporary shift to Fire in March one dark patch in a twelve month period that has surely secured another set of awards & accolades. That said, the big winners were the boutique clubbing brands, Room Service, Gigolo, WAR, Gutterslut, Carpet Burn & SOS heading up a long list of others, as like the austerity measures committed by the collation, the capitals clubbing circuit clubbing numbers did see a decline in 2012, paving the way for these more compact & bijou bashes to boost. Yet when we look at our own clubbing chart toppers, it is the big come bigger guns that have dominated the year, while in set terms, the delicate dilemma we faced was answered with an simple & straight forward epiphany, let our heart rule over our head and go with our gut, our podium position places, clubbing wise seeing Beyond secure both third & second spots with WE “Formula 2” standing top tall, while in terms of sets, it’s a podium packed out by Steve Pitron, a better way to finish this second 2012 review we couldn’t think of, as it is this incredible individual that has influenced our clubbing cavorting more than any other. (DISCO MATT)
Postscript
It was pretty tight with a variety of others to choose from, but here are the final five in both the club event & set chart categories
Club Events Chart Top 5
- WE “Formula 2” – 1st December
- Beyond “Music Is All You Need” – 30th December
- Beyond “Early Disco Doors” – 19th February
- WE “Safari” – 1st January
- PLAY>TIME – 3rd August
Club Sets Chart Top 5
- Steve Pitron – Beyond “Music Is All You Need” – 30th December
- Steve Pitron – Beyond “Early Disco Doors” – 19th February
- Steve Pitron – WE “Formula 2” – 1st December
- Nathan Six – PLAY>TIME – 3rd August
- Zach Burns – PLAY>TIME – 11th May
Posted in Reviews | Tags: A:M, Beyond, Carpet Burn, Dish, Gutterslut, Lo-Profile, Max Sanna, Nathan Six, Onyx, Playtime, Room Service, SOS, Steve Pitron, Tramp, War, WE | 1 Comment »
Come this weekend, forget the Mayan myth about the end of the world, as it will not just be beginning but will very much be feeling a lot like Christmas, we selecting our own three ships across Soho, Vauxhall & Shoreditch that make up our best bite choices of where to be & be seen ahead of the eve and the day, DM dipping into the detail of each of his top of the tree trips.
Well, what a barren Best Bites year it has been with a spartan set of newsletters to speak off, although we are determined to end 2012 with a flourish, this our penultimate weekend opportunity to propel our premier picks of where to be & be seen in Soho, Vauxhall & Shoreditch and while they may not have a specific Christmas feel to them, you can bet your bottom dollar that everyone involved will be very much in fine festive fettle, championing plenty of Christmas cheer and propelling you into magnificent party mood.
So without further ado, lets head to Soho and to Lo-Profile which has a wonderful weekend in store, actually starting tomorrow night (Thurs 20th Dec) as their branded baby “Society” celebrates its first birthday (shares it with us) with Fabio Luigi on deck duty and host John Brooks, with a helping hand from Martin Princess, masterminding this celebratory meet, the vent blurb including Society is the hottest weeknight party bringing you not only the vibrant energy from the heart of Soho but the sexiest mix of hot boys you’ll find. Bringing the freshest mix of some of the best DJ’s in London, playing the funkiest, uplifting house music along with an atmosphere like no other place you’ll find. Attitude free where everyone comes together…”. However, having switched from its original Friday slot, Society gave way to the pulsating PLAY>TIME which has proven one of the success stories of 2012, the night going from strength to strength, this week’s event looking as good as ever, Fabio Luigi back for more, joined by Steven Artis on D.J. duty, while promoter Jay Roberts welcomes gogo’s Jack & Ray who will turn up the horny heat to the muscled max, Jay exclaiming that
“…experienced PLAY>TIME fans know well our porn star PLAY>MATES, but they also worship the mouth-watering go-go boys just as much we presenting, two special boys will be both who are stunners, Jack muscled & chiselled to perfection with penetrating eyes that melt you on contact while Ray has a perfect body, dark features and a smoky attitude…”. Then, as if that was enough, the Lo-Pro team come back at you on Saturday (22nd Dec) with ClubNation and a dynamic D.J. duo that have formed a playing partnership during 2012 having rubbed shoulders in clubs for years before, from Crash to Beyond, Later to Orange and PLAY>TIME too, their back-to-back performance at ClubNation one you won’t want to miss. As for each event, a rundown of opening times across all three nights sees a 10 p.m. start across the board, with 3 & 4 a.m. finishes, while entrance fees vary, details on Society out at http://facebook.com/events/389496144466148/, PLAY>TIME up at http://facebook.com/events/386837734735670/ and ClubNation’s details available through Lo-Profile’s page at http://facebook.com/pages/Lo-Profile/163759593639440 where you also grab the all important info on their NYE party (More on that next week), while for details on VIP table bookings & other offers, take a trip to http://loprofile.com.
Onward to Vauxhall and it will come as no surprise that its’ all about Orange Nation for our top of the tree choice south of the river, the team gearing up for a busy Christmas Day & Boxing Day with an equally busy weekend, a three tier sandwich of shindigs sure to fill your Christmas scene stepping out stocking with plenty of clubbing cheer, from A:M to Beyond to Later, meaning it’s all go from Friday to Sunday night, while Orange takes a Sunday/ Monday (oh my that Christmas Eve) rest as it comes at you on Christmas Day (more on that in an Extra Bites Xmas Special). Now, we have covered Beyond’s “The End Of The World” party in our special Weekend Focus feature and it looks a corker, although the other three fillings in the ON sandwich are pretty damn fine too, A:M “Ultra” is back at Fire, after a short two week tour across to smaller sister Covert, promoter Steven Sharp looking forward to the massive Boxing day event of course, while telling us “… I am so pleased that A:M Ultra returns to its spiritual home this weekend for one final fling before Christmas…” he adding that “…disco doors, that’s Fire’s main entrance, open at 11pm and music powers across 2 rooms of excellence featuring Ania, Matt Bogard, D’Johnny & Fat Tony on the A:M Ultra supercharged main floor and only the finest pop in the Onyx Pop Lounge from Tasty Tim & DMS…”.
Then looking to Later, while we don’t as yet have the confirmed D.J. line up, a little birdie tells us that The Oli & George Sharp will feature, perhaps D’Johnny making up the tune-tastic threesome, while after a storming string of packed out parties following Steven Sharp having successfully steered this Sunday daytime disco in a “Nu Direction”, culminating with a cracking Christmas party last weekend. However, the whole team are still in a Xmas Jamboree mood and ready bring musical joy to your world & rock you around their Christmas tree with Sunday (23rd Dec) from 11 a.m. through till 7 p.m., entry a mere £5 before 1 p.m. then £8 thereafter, more info on both out at http://orangenation.co.uk while you can head to networking pages http://facebook.com/AMafterhours & http://www.facebook.com/LATER.INFO for more event info as it hits. And while we are on the festive event subject, a reminder that A:M goes super ultra on Boxing Day with a blowout bash, super advance tickets still available online at the ON website, while its back to regular “Ultra” format the following Friday (28th Dec). As for Later, they have a superlate event on Sunday 30th Dec, then go large with a NYD spectacular followed by an “Xtra” party on Wednesday 2nd Jan for you lucky ones that have an extra day off.
So to Shoreditch and an easy choice for our Best Bite as it couldn’t go to a more willing & able candidate, East Bloc rising to the top of our tree with two exceptional events that once again cement its reputation as an amazing alternative to its Soho & Vauxhall adversaries with a fabulous family of brilliant brands & parties that sometimes put the other two places to shame, the likes of Gutterslut, Dish, War, SOS, TheMenWhoFell2Earth & Songs Of Praise all regular monthly outings, while Paradise 45 has trodden the East Bloc boards, the marvellous meet that was Meat was founded there and, driven by prolific promoter Wayne Shires, the return of Summer Rites more that turned heads. Indeed, East Bloc has forged a path that has seen it become vogue among the smart set in town, striking a chord with East & West enders alike, Friday’s no exception, especially as Larry Tee’s club night “Super Electro Party Machine” has amazed a loyal following along with bringing some of the scene’s D.J. stars across, Jodie Harsh, Adam Turner & Terry Vietheer just three among a whole host of others, while our own Shoreditch son, Kris Di Angelis spins sounds for Larry from time to time. This Friday (21st Dec), Mr Tee goes a tad further down the alternative route, welcoming Raff Daddy, one half of The 2 Bears, who joins Larry in the main space while taking over the back is Alis Pellischi’s Santa Sluts party with h DJ Boadicea, Serious Thugs, My Panda Shall Fly, Iicarus bringing the best garage, techno and house music to East Bloc, further event info, including opening times & door taxes, out at http://facebook.com/events/135106463313857/.
But on Saturday (22nd Dec) after the end of the world has had its say (or not as the case will be), Wayne welcomes back the brilliant Bloc Party that has stormed Shoreditch on Sunday’s in a string of special parties throughout 2012, turning out for the last time this year, he pleased as punch that it falls on a Saturday for a change, Songs Of Praise pushing back from its usual slot & Dish having taken a December break, creating a space in the schedule, Mr Shires telling us that “…all your favourite D.J.’s will be under one roof for the ultimate pre Xmas Party, each bringing you all those dirty beats to set your Banjee Booty on fire…” he adding “…expect deep, sexy, ratchet beats all night long across 3 rooms…” And judging by the line up, he isn’t wrong as the main room sports brilliant young blood beatmasters Matt Bogard Dmitry Strigun & Frankco Harris &NG, the former two having starred for Room Service, while Mark Ashley Dupe hosts & plays the second “Dupes Den” space, alongside Jeffrey Hinton & Nasty McQuaid, the aptly named “Bixa Booth” seeing Frankie Layd spinning the basement ragga sounds. Add to that, hosts Richard Logins, Yute Belgrave & Nick Adams-Byam and there is an air of alternative audacity running right through this prolific party which kicks off from 10.30 p.m. and runs till 6 a.m., entry a mere £6 before midnight or £10 thereafter, more info should you need it, out at http://facebook.com/events/452236451500695/ , while news on forthcoming Super Electro Party Machine events sees Kris Di Angelis back on the decks next Friday (28th Dec) with Severino sorting the sounds on 4th January. Plus, watch this space for news on NYE at East Bloc, Songs Of Praise making hay with an “Extra” size special & Gutterslut’s Xmas party on Sat 29th Dec.
Well that’s it for this penultimate Best Bites newsletter of 2012, we hoping to bring you our Short Shouts serving by Friday, mini mentions for plenty, while we take this opportunity of wishing you a very merry Christmas, hoping that you make the most of this last weekend before all that festive indulgence on the 25th, perhaps landing on one or more of our choices here and in doing do making sure you “Go There! Be There!” (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: A:M, Beyond, ClubNation, East Bloc, Gutterslut, Later, Lo=Profile, Playtime, Society, Super Electro Party Machine | No Comments »
With a significant shift in the scene towards Shoreditch, it comes as no surprise that Disco Matt points is pick of the day finger in the direction of East Bloc, which holds its “Prick Up Your Ears” event tonight (Thurs 10th May), the dinky detail a banner selection away opposite or an image click below, while DM delves a little deeper into the excellence that has become East Bloc beneath.
When we look back across the years we have been circulating the capitals clubbing circuit, there have been some landmark moments in our life, the Trade days at Turnmills, the Beyond days at Colosseum & now Area and even the Lovechild days at Fire, all purple patch periods in our partying. However, if there was one era that changed our clubbing world immeasurably, it was the emergence of a club & venue in Vauxhall called Crash, this leader of the then underground movement pack having been responsible for cementing some of the most important friendships in our lives, many of which still exist today. Yet while Crash & it’s off-shoot party’s had a resplendent run of close on eight years, pretty much transforming the scene south of the river & indeed changed the face of clubbing in the capital, perhaps forever, its brainchild boy & prolific promoter Wayne Shires had taken his fill of Vauxhall & graced an exit from the scene that, at the time, looked like a permanent one, like many he becoming disaffected by the strong arm tactics & desire to monopolise the clubbing circuit by a certain Vauxhall venture.
But, as the saying goes, you can’t keep a good man down and it seemed that Wayne’s penchant for promoting a party was still running strong in the veins of his mind body & soul and with a collective of clubbers along with a whole section of society favouring new found frolicking fields out east, this was where Mr Shires was to set up shop in Shoreditch, once again spearheading not just a revival of that underground ethos that put Vauxhall on the clubbing map, but encouraging a whole new sector of the scene that has grown from an afterthought alternative to considerable contributor to a desire for those craving for something delightfully different to the same old, same old. Yet, having chosen a lowly basement base on City Rd, the glamour of Soho feeling a million miles away, what Wayne has managed to achieve with his gaff East Bloc, is to draw in both the scene stars, faces & followers from the former, helped along by a host of prolific party’s that can now call East Bloc their home venue, while he has also tapped into the amazingly artistic & articulate audience that used to be commonly known as The Hoxton set, along the way helping to make Shoreditch a sizzling spot on the scene.
So what of all these brilliant brands?, Well probably top of the list is Gutterslut, the way out & whacky wonder that has been drawing people for far & wide for close on five years now, East Bloc proving the perfect landing base for its fabulous format of anything goes audacity, while it was probably Tom Stephan’s MEAT, a collaboration with our own Shoreditch son Kris Di Angelis, that really put East Bloc in the clubbing map in the eyes of the Soho set, its links with Room Service helping to bridge that perceived gap. But there are plenty more, not least, The Men Who Fell 2 Earth, SOS, & Super Electro Party Machine, while with the demise of MEAT at the end of last year came two new club nights that have taken that strength to even dizzier heights, Kris Di Angelis heading up the brilliant brand that is WAR, just three parties in proving to be the place to be seen, out trumping its Vauxhall compatriots pretty much hands down, while Tom Stephan’s new offering, DISH, is doing exactly the same. But as if all that was enough excellence, we then have Paradise 45, the nu-disco & New York style underground club concept from Guy Williams, which enjoyed a superb stay at The Dalston Superstore, but is has held residency at East Bloc since last August & fitting the venue like a glove, Guy’s guest D.J. slots continuing to pull in the punters, that along with the recent combo with Super Electro Party Machine, which went down a storm. Then we look slightly outside the East Bloc box, there is Summer Rites, which Wayne brought back last year, staging it in the centre of Shoreditch, East Bloc proving a perfect place to hold both pre & post parties, while The Bloc Party just last Sunday attracted an amazing audience, that neatly being followed by Kris’s “Warhead” afterhours.
So, life at East Bloc has certainly blossomed & Shoreditch very much part of the picture, Wayne slowly having built on the success of the above brands & extending the East Bloc offer to cover Sunday’s & now Thursday’s, his “Prick Up Your Ears” evening harping a little bit back to those impressive informative days of Crash back in Vauxhall, not least that the iconic Princess Julia is one of the residents, while Shoreditch & East End spinners such as John Sizzle, Dave Kendrick & Kevin Clash make up a terrific team of talent that gives this Thursday frolic an enthralling edge, the night being as much about the magnificent music as the stylish set that frequent it. And such has been the success of Prick Up Your Ears, a dedicated second space has been developed by Kevin Clash, “Robot Rock” taking up residence on the 1st & 3rd Thursdays’ of each month, the comments on the group’s wall at http://facebook.com/groups/RRRRoom/ pretty much speaking for themselves. As for tonight’s event, well it naturally takes place at East Bloc, doors opening at 11 p.m. & the club running through until 4 a.m., entry a mere £3 with a flyer or ad after midnight or £5 otherwise, although it’s worth hitting the place before midnight as entry is free, more info on this & all events at this Shoreditch splendour available by going to the clubs website at http://eastbloc.co.uk &/or social networking pages http://.facebook.com/EastBlocLondon & http://facebook.com/groups/255553057341/.
So, with Shoreditch looking like the new Soho & with East Bloc’s brilliant brands wiping the veneer off Vauxhall, it certainly seems that trendsetters are traversing town & heading out for the exciting events on offer, so a big up to Wayne Shires & a whole load of others that have made this spot on the scene the place to be seen. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Reports | Tags: Dish, East Bloc, Gutterslut, John Sizzle, Kris Di Angelis, Meat, Prick Up Your Ears, Princess Julia, Summer Rites, Super Techno Party Machine, War, Wayne Shires, YTom Stephan | No Comments »
With the New Year weekend on our doorsteps, Disco Matt gets his Recommends act together and after revealing his plans to split his weekly newsletter into two parts, covers his “Best Bites” choices of where to be & be seen on the scene in this, part one.
Looking back over the last few weeks, nay months, if there has been one part of our writing that we have yearned for the most, it is our weekly recommends newsletter, one which has come & gone more often than a London bus, the sheer size & scale of the post meaning we have to set aside a sizeable chunk of our time, which, simply hasn’t been there of late. Yet, as we begin to draw the curtains on 2011 & welcome in 2012, we are determined to bring this much maligned newsletter back, although for sake of speed & regularity, will be splitting it into two each week, focussing on our “Best Bites” in part one (here) and our “Short Shouts” in part two., while our Weekend Focuses & Extra Bites will continue as before. So, with that revision to our newsletter made public, let’s crack on with this part, looking at our Best Bites for the New Year Weekend across Soho, Vauxhall & Shoreditch.
Pitch Of Prolific Parties
So to Soho first and we are thrilled to welcome back & be recommending Profile & Lo-Profile the creative combo on Wardour St that has really been motoring while we have been away, not least Lo-Profile, as their home-gown brand “Society” has successfully switched from Friday’s to Thursday’s, while its replacement, “Playtime”, has made hay while the sun shines on them rather than their Friday competition. And while “Society” now falls a little outside the remit of this newsletter, we still had to give tonight’s (Thurs 29th) party a mention as it features two of our favourite talents, Jamie Head & Terry Bryan , although the main focus clearly falls first on “Playtime” tomorrow night (Fri 30th), when Lovechild resident jocks Tony English & Alessandro London head up a Friday frolic that will surely include plenty of that handsome & hunky eye-candy which the club has become notorious for, this week, porn stars Kriss Aston & Will Helm flaunting their wares. Plus with host Jay Roberts also tempting the lucky ones into his backroom boudoir for some extracurricular attention, “Playtime” is very much the place to be & be seen this Friday, doors swinging open at 10 p.m. & the club running to a planned 4 a.m. finish, entry just £5 before midnight or £8 thereafter, while upstairs in Profile, our very own protégé player, Junior Moura, gets you in playful mood from 8 .30 till 11.30 p.m. more info on Lo-Profile up at http://loprofile.com.
2012 Here We Come
However, it is New Years Eve that looks like being the big one for Profile & Lo-Profile, not least that the two will be combining to make one huge venue for the night, free flowing between to two, while entry will be monitored & masterminded via the Lo-Profile door. So what can you expect from this NYE combo? Well, first & foremost, we are reliably informed that the numbers to this event will be strictly limited so as to avoid those dreadful crushes that all so often besiege these sorts of bashes, this also allowing the gorgeous hunks of bar boys (and the beautiful bar girls too) to serve you with relative speed and we have to say that, following our Christmas drinks do with The Pitron posse there last Friday, we are really digging some of the Profile new recruits, yum yum!! But we digress, so back to the party and the music, which looks like being absolutely top draw, not least that newcomer to the Profile/Lo-Profile resident team, the cheeky Steven Artis will be sorting the superb sounds along with Nathan 6, a terrific talent who impresses us on all levels (if you know what we mean!), while Nick Evans is sure to add that uplifting/upfront house feel that any New Year’s party should have, these music makers on top of the team turning out the best of their gorgeous go-go dancers to woo & wow you on the podiums downstairs, while they will be doing plenty of circulating upstairs too, just to make sure you are all entering into the spirit. Add to that special offers on bottles of bubbly to see in 2012 in style and there is no surprise why this is one prolific NYE package, doors opening at 10 p.m. and the party running through to an extended 6 a.m. finish, entry available on the door for just £10, while if you have joined or quickly join the clubs mailing list, then you may be one of the lucky ones who gets free entry, more info on this available at http://loprofile.com, while details of drinks offers & those champagne prices/listings are out at http://profilesoho.com.
Recharged & Ready
Onward to Vauxhall now and while there are quite a few contenders to our Best Bites NYE/NYD weekend crown, it has to be The Orange Group that gets knighted here, as they do have the lions share of shindigs on offer, three which have already been given extensive coverage. So, as Beyond NYD, As One & WE (not Vauxhall of course) have benefitted from their own devotions in our “Gigantic Gilded Gambit” post, we (pardon the pun) won’t go over old ground, rather focus on Later & two other Beyond offerings, the first a little known quantity as not much has been said about it in the wider press, meaning you read it here first. And it relates to Beyond, as the club & team actually ring in 2012 with the NYD event’s pre-party at Factory, bringing with it splashes of Beyond itself in the form of a handful of residents from the superstar team, while the pyro’s & effects should come close to matching the fireworks just up the river outside, added to which there will also be a special countdown to midnight to make sure you don’t miss out. Advance £10 (only) tickets are on sale online at http://orangenation.clubtickets.com/gb/2011-12/31/nye-pre-beyond-party-factory while entry will be available on the door, Factory (entrance on Goding St) opening at 10 p.m. & the club running through till a staggering 7 a.m., free entry all night offered to “Golden Ticket” holders. Then while NYD Beyond takes over, we fast forward another 24 hours as this awesome afterhours does it all again, Beyond “Recharged” kicking in as As One empties out, Area’s door opening at 7 a.m., Monday 2nd Jan and the club running through till a 2 p.m. finish. Now while the D.J. line-up remains unconfirmed as yet, names in the frame include Alan K, Jamie Hammond, The Oli, Fat Tony, Hifi Sean, Paul Christian & The Sharp Boys (well boy actually & probably George), while what we do know this that this will be a carry-on to carry on to, advance tickets at £12 available online at http://orangenation.clubtickets.com/gb/2012-01/02/beyond-recharged-the-second-comin (the early bird £10 ones are sold out), while entry will be available on the door, but expect to pay more.
Its Never To Late For Later
So that’s Beyond, now what about Later? Well, to be honest, we often overlook Later in our Weekend round-ups & focuses so we thought it high time to give it an extra special mention, not least that, having rubbed shoulders with one of its resident D.J.’s at our Christmas drinks do last week, Jamie Head reminded us of just how amazing a purple patch the club is finding itself in at the moment. And with Later on NYD having formed such an important part of our own clubbing heritage, it will come as no surprise that promoter Jay Sharp Vokins is looking to re-emulate those halcyon days (no doubt drawing us in this coming Sunday), as he draws on the towering talents of one-time regular resident Per Q.X. to headline the club’s NYD party, another D.J. icon of the clubbing scene, Guy Williams, joining him on the decks. Now, while we know Jamie will be away partying hard at Berghain in Berlin & D’Johnny cutting a WE stride in Madrid, we can guarantee that Jay will have other residents on hand, including The Oli, advance tickets (recommended) available for just £8 at http://orangenation.clubtickets.com/gb/2012-01/01/later-nyd-2012. Then, if you have the energy & stamina, like Beyond, Later has a second coming the following afternoon (Mon 2nd Jan), when the team will be doing it all again and with a strap line that shouts “We Can Do It”, Jay is certainly willing us on to do just that, especially as he welcomes special guest Jc Christopher & Leonardo Glovibes to the decks, joining an ever present Oli along with others for sure, doors opening at 1 p.m. and the event running “superlate”, while on NYD, Later’s opening times are midday till 8 p.m., further info available at http://fireclub.co.uk/gayparties.
It's Gonna Be Craaaaazy!!
So to our Shoreditch NY weekend Best Bite and it has to be Gutterslut, which holds sway on New Years Eve at its hip & happening home, East Bloc on City Rd. Now, with NYE being a Saturday, Gutterslut-ers will feel pretty much at home with their clubbing clock, while they will still have fond memories of the recent Gutterball at Rhythmn Factory in their minds & souls, so will sure want to “ave it” on Saturday night (31st Dec). And the Gutterslut crew will be giving it to them, not least as Per & Nic welcome two special guest D.J.’s who will be playing out in the “Rave” room, relative new name to the world of dance music, Birdee, the first, this emerging talent explaining of his sound “…a blend of housey beats, obscure 70s samples and wobbly b-lines…” while his latest release “Shake It” has been aired by a no less than BBC Radio 1, along with the likes of Boris Dlugosch & Tom Staar. Then, Per is thrilled to welcome feloow Swede Peo de Pitte (can’t be his real name?!) who hails from Stockholm, although (like Mr Q.X.) relocated to London a while ago, his trademark combination of big room beats and cutting edge synth’s sure to go down a storm with Gutterslut-ers, especially in the knowledge that his production work has won support from a long list of music tall poppy’s including Afrojack, Groove Armada & Roger Sanchez (wow!). With our super Swede, Per Q.X., along with Nic Fischer completing the “Rave” room line-up, over in the “Discoslut” space, it’s down to resident Ralf to keep DJ disco dudes Miltos & The Golden Fleece and Shay Malt in check, our Gutterslut man having his hands full, especially when we look at their resume’s which include the words, frenzied, hotrod, hijack & sexbag, surely meaning its going to be an absolute riot in there. Plus, with Miss MC Crystal doing her outrageous thing, with visuals supplied by both PrickImage & the Dalston Gay Mafia, need we say anymore apart from, if its alternative & outrageous antics you are after, look no further than right here, making sure you grab one of the remaining advance tickets at http://www.ticketweb.co.uk/user/?region=gb_london&query=detail&event=482048, while you may (and we say may) get entry on the door, but we highly suspect it will be one in-one out within minutes of opening at 11 p.m., the club running to a wayout & whacky 9 a.m., meaning that, in the inimitable words of Mr Fischer, “…its gonna be craaaazy!!!…” and we LOVE IT!!.
So that’s our Best Bites for this N.Y. weekend done & dusted, but hold tight for a delightful dozen of “Short Shouts” coming up, while we take the first of many opportunities to wish you a very happy New Year, our plans on hold due to the dreaded flu, although, fingers crossed, we will be better & seeing it in with some close & dear friends before the NYD onslaught. But whatever you are up to & wherever it may find you ringing in 2012, have a terrific time, naturally making sure you “Go There! Be There! (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: Alessandro Londra, Beyond, Gutterslut, Guy Williams, Jay Sharp Vokins, Jc Christopher, Junior Moura, Later, Leonardo Glovibes, Lo-Porfile, Nathan 6, Nic Fischer, Nick Evans, Per Q.X., Profile, Steven Artis, The Oli, Tony English | No Comments »
Looking back on October alone it seems that even Alton Towers has nothing on the rollercoaster ride we have found ourselves on, last weekend a perfect example of huge Friday highs followed by Saturday lows, an amazing “Play Time” at Lo-Profile followed by missing in action absences from The Week & Lovechild. And our expected return to weekly newsletters was also on the rocks, our physical & so mental wellbeing having taken severe dent, although while we may be down & out on circulating the scene, it doesn’t mean that you should be, so it is only right that our recommends show should go on with a selection of Best Bites & Short Shouts tips of where to be & be seen on the scene in Soho, Vauxhall & elsewhere this coming weekend.
Brilliant Bar
So, to Soho first and top of our tree has to go to Profile & Lo-Profile, the continuing success story of this bar & club combo attracting plenty of attention, well in our books at least, although it seems across the scene too, especially given a packed out place last Friday, both upstairs & downstairs. And then trend is surely going to continue in the same vein this weekend, with Profile serving up D.J.’s on both Friday & Saturday, while also serving up plenty of mouth watering food & liquid refreshments to wash it all down, all served up by one of the friendliest teams in town. Now, as for the D.J.’s, tomorrow night (Fri 21st) sees Rob Sykes take to the decks, no doubt serving up his usual cocktail of classics & latest hits, while on Saturday, relative unknown (we must find out more on him) Renato Ponto spins the sounds. In terms of that food offer, Profile’s Sunday roast is definitely worth a try, while their tempting daily bistro menu with the weekend lunchtime “2 for £10” offer is a great refuelling value for money temptation to drag you away from those Oxford St shops. And with a happy hour from 4 till 7 p.m. daily & the D.J.’s on show from 8 p.m., there’s every reason to start your night out early, more info on Profile’s offering out at http://profilesoho.com.
Time To Play
Now, downstairs in Lo-Profile, it’s a busy three day weekend, new(ish) night “Play Time” having replaced the former “Society” which has moved back to Thursday’s (more on that in our “Soho Social Soiree Shake-up” report out shortly), this week’s Friday night saucy shindig getting a tad sexier with the influence of home-grown porn star & all round birthday suit enthusiast Ashley Ryder, who brings some of his boys with him, joining handsome host Jay Roberts, while its just as eye candying tasty behind the decks, as the cute yet capable Zach Burns is back (officially this week), taking up the first stint, while Nick Evans completes the “Play Time” picture. Then on Saturday (22nd), it’s Lo-Profile in the raw with resident D.J.’s Nathan Six & Tony English sorting the sounds, the advertised billing that includes Alessandro Londra a tad inaccurate as our Italian bello is actually away in Poland on gig duty this weekend. But Lo-profile’s weekend doesn’t stop there, as the clubs major sponsor Gaydar has another celebration for its radio station’s 10th birthday with main man Phil Marriott hosting another “Secret Sunday’s” session, this event very much living up to its name with the surprise guest still under wraps, although judging from posted reviews, is one not to be missed. With Monday night meet “Beartrap” completing the Lo-Profile weekly package, check out their website at http://loprofile.com for more info on opening times, etc.
To some Short Shouts now and to Ku-Bar first, who have a full weekend of activity both their Lisle & frith St operations, the former sporting the likes of Dusty O, Lady Lloyd & DouGuim on the decks, while their no shortage young blood across on Frith St, more info on both available by going to http://ku-bar.co.uk.
Rupert St have a similarly busy weekend with D.J.’s on all three nights, our original foxy female Minx charging the tunes on Friday (21st), while scene favourite Brent Nicholls will no doubt be leathered up for his Saturday stint before heading down to Hard On! (more on that in a mo), while Alessandro lands back from Poland just in time for his usual Sunday slot, more info out at http://rupertstreet.com.
Shadow Sunday's
Onto the Shadow Lounge & firm favourites “Therapy” & “Inferno” fill their weekend, resident’s Sonathaq & Andrew Elmore, respectively, sorting the sounds, although we shouldn’t forget Sunday nights as Sister Dee Chanelle hosts the karaoke, live show & disco bonanza “Confessions Dbyk”, a weeklong list of events plus all you need to know on this Soho splendour out at http://theshadowlounge.co.uk.
Our last Soho Short Shout goes to Circa which all too often gets overlooked, although is a sumptuous & sophisticated little spot on Frith St up the Soho Sq end, which we find a perfect retreat from the manic movements around and has the added advantage of being open till 3 a.m., as well as sporting D.J.’s on all three nights of the weekend, including Munroe Bergdorf & Heidi Liscious, more info available at http://circasoho.com.
I'm Free
Right down to Vauxhall we go and to The Orange group who head up our league table of treats this weekend, a sea of activity encompassing some of your favourite brands around, Onyx, A:M, Beyond, Later, Booster & Orange all having their say, while the centrepiece of the weekend is the “Fire Free Party” on Saturday (22nd) which also serves as the official afterparty for “The Big Gay Lifestyle Show” (watch out for our Extra Bites post on this). And when the team say free, they mean it, although you do need to get into the club before 1 a.m. (no real hardship) with an ad or flyer (it’s £10 without), a superb line-up of D.J.’s on duty including D’Johnny, The Sharp Boys & Leandro Kloppel in the main room, while Ariel takes over the lounge, accompanied with his percussionist, hostess Elektra Paris keeping her gorge go-go’s in check & stage managing the shows as only she knows best. Plus, with selected shots at a mere £2.50 and spirit/mixer’s & beers at £2.90, this is one austerity busting bash that will certainly not burn a whole in your pocket, rather get you in the mood for partying right through till Monday morning, talking of which, Booster, which was shelved a few weeks ago, makes a welcome return to the schedule, guest D.J. Oliver M headlining this Sunday (23rd) at Area in advance of heading off for La Demence’s anniversary weekend, so will be a set & showing not to be missed. As for the other parties, A:M’s promoter Steven Sharp leaves the club in the capable hands of his resident D.J. team while he jets off to Amsterdam, those residents including Guy Williams, Fat Tony, Paul Heron & Jamie Head (top draw or what?!?!), while no weekend would be complete without a squeeze of citric clubbing from Orange, The Oli, Paul Martin & Fat Tony in the main room & RAW residents Gonzalo Rivas & David Jimenez keeping the beats banging till gone 9 a.m., more info on all these outings available at http://fireclub.co.uk/gayparties.
So to some Short Shouts and firstly you will see that we left out Le Boy from the line-up above and for good reason, as this is the first regular outing to take residence in new club Protocol which, given all the tongue wagging, is well worth a visit for the decor alone. Now Le Boy, having launched just two weeks ago, is beginning to find its feet, so for a sense of sophistication 7 style in an otherwise more manic Vauxhall world, why not pay Protocol & Le Boy a visit tomorrow night (Fri 21st), more details out at http://protocollondon.com.
Next up is venerable institution The Royal Vauxhall Tavern (RVT) who, as always, have a fun filled weekend kicking off on Friday with a truly alternative night called “Seeing The Red Project”, presented by the Bar Wotever crew, while Saturday sees the infamous” Duckie” roll out another raucous party, Sunday of course set aside for “S.L.A.G.S./Chill-out” who have announced the release of early bird tickets for their NYE “Pink Ball” (early or what!), more info on all of this out at http://thervt.org.uk.
Rubber Up
To The Eagle now and a venue down on Kennington Lane very much masculine in it manner as well as its weekend events, not least “Tonker” tomorrow night (Fri 21st), promoter Tim Jones welcoming special guest Ben Jamin (not to be missed) to the decks, while Sunday’s are Sunday’s when its Horse meat Disco. However, these two regular nights sandwich the new to London “Cockette” (the name say’s it all) on Saturday (22nd), this Milan import bringing D.J.’s Max M & Gigi LP with it, so well worth a visit, as is The Eagle’s website at http://eaglelondon.com.
Our fourth & final Short Shout goes to Hard On! which returns this Saturday (22nd) to serve up your fetish fill at Factory, promoter Suzie Krueger supported & sponsored by Invincible Rubber this month, who bring a dirty sleazy rubbered up show to the party, the sounds just as sexy & sleazy in the hands of residents Brent Nicholls, Halo-is & Sharon O Love, while a reminder that this is strict dresscode as well as a members only club, all details of which you can find by going to http://hardonclub.co.uk.
Dalston Delight
So to our alternative action and we head out east for our Best Bite choice, The Dalston Superstore taking our plaudits this weekend with a full-on schedule that starts off with the return of monthly Friday night frolic “Back To Back”, this gigantic gathering packed with electronic house, disco beats & electro to techno tunes, delivered from a dream team of D.J.’s that includes Attaque, Ian Robinson, Kezokicki, Mr F & James Harris, this hip happening spread across both floors and for good reason as it does get, in the venue’s own words “…absolutely rammo…”, meaning an early doors arrival (we reckon before 10 p.m.) is well advisable. However, its Saturday that steal much more of the limelight as a special one-off night called “Strange Desires” devours DSS, Disco Bloodbath’s Damon Martin marking his own official warm up for Halloween and drawing on the terrific D.J. talents of Dirtbox, Crisco Disco, Jos Gibson and, straight in from Berlin’s Panorama Bar, their star turn Carsten Klemann, meaning the music is sure to be deep & techno based in the basement, while upstairs the feel will be a bit lighter with Londoners Dave Kendrick & Dan Beaumont in charge of the tunes, much more akin to the “Hot Mess” style of sounds that come out of this DSS regular, that being handbag house, disco, Italo & pop. And like Friday, with “Strange Desires” kicking off from 9 p.m., we recommend an early arrival to avoid not getting in or being crushed by the competition for a select spot, although on Sunday, it will not quite be the case, as D.J. Squeaky brings you another “Tutti Frutti” session to soothe you smoothly into the new working week. But the DSS story also extends to a fabulous food offer right across the weekend, this the perfect daytime retreat for a bite to eat and with everything freshly prepared on the premises catering for all tastes from vegetarians to carnivores and all at extremely reasonable prices too, the place is well worth a visit at some point, even if you can’t take in the full extent of their three nights of heavenly happenings, more details on the venue & its offerings out at http://thedalstonsuperstore.com.
Right, to our final round of Short Shouts and we head down the road, to City Rd in fact, where you will find East Bloc, the venue that hosts parties such as “Gutterslut” & “Meat”, although this Saturday (22nd) sees a new night launched called “Songs Of Praise” and before you ask, no they won’t be screening the BBC1 Sunday night programme, rather the team behind “Kimono Krush” (of RVT fame) move across east to deliver a sermon of sounds that include pop classics & future house in the aptly named altar room, while in the chapel (it had to be!) it’s all about indie, a visit to http://eastbloc.co.uk revealing more.
Shoreditch Son Shindig
Next up is another east end offering, this time from Shoreditch son Kris Di Angelis, who has created yet another event/brand to brave the scene (where will this man’s talents end?!), “Love Below” having a pseudo Room Service feel about it, well in D.J. & hosting terms at least, as Kris is joined on the decks by Dimitry Strigun & Ricardo Borsi, while Munroe Bergdorf adds a touch of glamour to this unabated sex fuelled basement of a venue on Great Eastern St. (the place is GC’s at No. 54), deep house the order of the music. Now, we can’t provide a web link, but can direct you to the event page on for further details, which is http://facebook.com/event.php?eid=161645427262964.
Last but by no means least, although a departure from our usual picks, but keeping it close to home is a Short Shout for the Two Brewers in Clapham, which celebrates a staggering 30 years of strutting its stiletto stuff with a jam packed weekend of top notch cabaret (the stuff it does the best, better than all the rest) Friday (21st) seeing a special Drag Idol bringing back some of the competitions winners from years gone by, while on Saturday it’s the actual birthday bash, Sunday seeing no less than 14 of the cabaret circuit’s best, this the night we would recommend if you have to choose, details of the venue location & other tit bits (no pun intended) available at http://the2brewers.com.
Well that’s our picks for where to be & be seen on the scene this weekend, but just before we sign off, just a quick mention for our friends at Seen Queen who have been busy re-packing their shelves with lots of video’s & gallery pics from around the scene over the last few weeks, as well as looking forward to Halloween which is next weekend (ish), that on top of their own tip top choices (any the same as ours?!?), all worth a damn good rummage by going to http://seenqueen.com/.
So, all that’s left to say is to wish you a wonderful weekend wherever it finds you & whatever you end up getting down to, while for us it looks like being a quiet one as the shoulder injury won’t go away, but we are taking it day by day, so anything is possible, meaning if you do see us out, come say hi, naturally making sure you “Go There! Be There” (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: A:M, Andrew Elmore, Area, Beyond, Booster, Brent Nicholls, Circa, D'Johnny, David Jimenez, East Bloc, Fat Tony, Fire, Gonzalo Rivas, Gutterslut, Hard On!, Ku Bar, Later, Le Boy, Lo-Profile, Love Below, Meat, Mix, Nathan Six, Nick Evans, Onyx, Orange, Paul Martin, Profile, Rupert St, Seen Queen, The Dalston Superstore, The Eagle, The Oli, The Orange Group, The RVT, The Shadow Lounge, The Two Brewers, Tony English, Zach Burns | 1 Comment »
It was just last weekend that we took a serious look at our Weekend Recommendations newsletter, our format of “Best Bites & Short Shouts” having been running for close on six months, although the concept behind it for much longer. However, as we detailed in our report, “Best Bites On A Break” (direct link http://discomatt.com/web/2011/07/reports-best-bites-on-a-break-weekend-recommends-newsletter-review-saturday-23rd-july/), we questioned the possible favouritism we were adopting by choosing certain bars, clubs & events over others and in so doing decided that, for this newsletter at least, we would trial a new look & a new direction, as our title here suggest, making it less exclusive & more inclusive, covering more by mentioning less & setting aside our preferences for other posts like our Weekend Focus & Extra Bites reports.
As a result, the new, or should we say, trial newsletter is here, our “Bar Bites & Club Cuts” aimed at running you through what’s on offer across Soho Vauxhall & elsewhere, but in the Short Shout rather than the Best Bite format, yet still retaining that element of where we think you should be & be seen on the scene. So, let’s crack on, although with the format as new to us as it is to you, hold on tight as we whistle-stop tour you through the highlights of what’s on offer this weekend.
Wardour St Wonders
To Soho first & Profile Bar, always a good way to start your weekend, this one being no exception as tomorrow night (Fri 29th) Jamie Hammond makes a welcome return to the scene, warming up your weekend from 8 p.m., while on Saturday its scene stalwart Rob Sykes’s turn to do the same. Now, don’t forget the happy hour, which runs daily from 4 p.m. till 7 (all night on Monday), while their food offer just has to be sampled, full details of the menu & other offerings available via their website at http://profilesho.com.
Downstairs at Lo-Profile it’s another “Society” Friday, the team welcoming Nathan Six & D’Johnny to the decks, so expect plenty of beefy beats to match these music making men’s physique’s, while the go-go dancers will also pop your eyes out (maybe something else too!), while on Saturday we hear cheeky Czech, Andrea Drudikova, is playing hostess with the moistest, sorry mostest, the club having a real Beyond flavour to it with Gonzalo Rivas & Mikey D on the decks., so surely a night not to be missed. With doors opening both nights at 11 p.m. & the club running through till 4 a.m., entrance is £8, while more details on these & other events can be found at http://loprofile.com.
To Rupert Street and having celebrated their 15th birthday last weekend, its business as usual this, D.J. duties going to main resident Alessandro Londra which picks up both Friday (29th) & Sunday (31st), while he is sandwiched by Brent Nicholls on Saturday night, both Friday & Saturday’s kicking off from 9 p.m. through till midnight, whereas Sunday is a little earlier from 7.30 p.m. till 10.30 p.m. With food served during the day, every day, plus a tasty champagne offer from 5 p.m. till 8 p.m., it’s worth starting early, more details out at http://rupertstreet.com.
Cute Ku
Down to Ku-Bar, the Lisle St one, and the weekend highlight is once again tomorrow night (Fri 29th) as resident The Very Miss Dusty O hosts another heat of their “D.J. Quest 2011” competition, this being the right same place that the delectable DouGuim came to fame. Revving up the rhythms from 10 p.m. through till 3 a.m. expects plenty of cute lads & their admirers, while Sunday’s “Hit Factory” with Lady Lloyd is also worth a look in, as it Lisle St’s dinky little sister bar on Frith St is attracting quite a following, not least as they have the most gorge set of barmen around, as well as D.J.’s on duty right across the weekend. Check out http://ku-bar.co.uk for more info.
Now to The Shadow Lounge, which re-opened on Monday following an extensive re-ft in time for its 10th birthday bash which takes place tonight (Thurs 28th), this being the official re-opening and sure to attract the scene glitterati as well as a host of special VIP celebrity guests & the lion’s share of the press (although not us sadly!). With Friday (29th) seeing the return of regular night “Therapy” and the ever popular “Inferno” on Saturday (30th) with Andrew Elmore back too, Sunday (31st) sees a new east meets west night kicking off from 6 p.m. & running through till midnight, so plenty going on in the new era of Shadow Lounge, details of which are out at http://theshadowlounge.co.uk.
What Do You Wear To Bed?
So that’s our bar bites for Soho, what about our club cuts?, well it would be fair to say Soho is no longer renowned for full on clubbing, although just on the edge at Cafe De Paris, Jodie Harsh’s “Circus” roils into town for its annual pyjama party and one looking every bit as outrageously fabulous as last year. With Kris Di Angelis, Jim Warboy & Jodie herself providing the slumber styled soundtrack, expect the followers of fashion to dress down into their bedroom wear which could even mean the odd naked torso or two, while hosts aplenty will make sure all your dreams come true tomorrow night (Fri 29th), more info on this exceptional event out at http://thisiscircus.com.
Right down to Vauxhall and there’s lots happening this weekend, not least some new nights & special events to grab your attention. So let’s head to Barcode first who have first bite at the new cherry with the launch of “React Now”, an old skool, nu skool party with a D.J. line up of superhero’s that includes icons Blu Peter, Princess Julia, Rich B, Jon Dennis, Mark Westhenry & Jo Publik among many more. Plus, with the launch tomorrow night (Fr1 29th) being free entry, this should see Barcode back packed & pumping, while Saturday’s remain as popular as ever, this week seeing Micky Galliano, Steve Artis, Elliot J Brown & Mattias masterminding the music, so plenty of great names to conjure with, more info on this Vauxhall watering hole come club out at http://bar-code.co.uk.
Now to the Orange Group and as usual they have a breathtaking schedule of parties right across the weekend, for us kicking off with Onyx tomorrow night (Fri 29th) when they hold the 2nd part of their birthday “Double Bill”, this one seeing Area transformed into a beach oasis, welcoming party goers to dress in swimwear & the like, the hot, hot, hot go-go’s definitely leading the way in that department. Music wise, special guest Gonzalo Rivas takes to the main room decks, supported by lee Harris & Jc Christopher, while its tech in the terrace & pop in the chapel. With doors opening at 10 p.m. & free entry until midnight (grab a flyer though), not to mention special drinks offers, it seems birthdays don’t get better, more info out at http://fireclub.co.uk/gayparties.
Double Whammy Delight
Onward and to Sunday morning when Beyond have their double say, holding a “Double Whammy” party which basically rolls entry to this awesome afterhours in with Later afterwards, which has its usual session at Fire on Sunday afternoon. Back to beyond and you can expect the lion’s share of the clubs all-star D.J. residents, including The Sharp Boys, Mike D, Paul Christian, The Oil & Fat Tony, while main man Steve Pitron rests up before his return the following weekend. Advance tickets are definitely the way to go if you don’t want to queue or burn a huge hole in your pocket, as they come in at just £10 from with http://clubtickets.com or from the usual Soho outlets, while make sure you get that stamp for Later afterwards as the forecast for Sunday is looking sun, sun, sun all the way.
But hang on we hear you say, we though Later was hitting the high seas? Well, yes it is, as The Later “Summer Boat Party” takes place too, this more of an exclusive offering as the good ship Fire has a limited capacity of just 250. Now we covered this special event in an Extra Bites post (out at http://discomatt.com/web/2011/07/recommends-setting-sail-on-sunday-later-summer-boat-party-sunday-31st-july-weekend-extra-bites/) but suffice to say, with The Thames looking like a mill pond on Sunday, you won’t need strong sea legs to cope with this club cruise with a difference, so best you get your hands on one of the last remaining tickets at http://clubtickets.com/gb/2011-07/31/later-boat-party and join host Mauricio Ortiz along with D.J.’s Jamie Head & Junior as this will definitely be a summer highlight not to miss.
Sunday Service
Then when the good ship Fire disembarks, its straight back to Vauxhall for new club night launch “Blessed” which takes the place of Booster at Area. Aimed at a slightly more upmarket crowd, Area will see the terrace bar transformed into a relaxing chill-out zone with table service, great quality drinks & that all important link to the outside space, while the music worshipping will take place in the aptly named chapel room, D.J.’s Fat Tony, Mikey D & DouGuim head up a residency team that includes Booster’s Ferno & Matt King. Having covered to detail in our post “New Times Two” at http://discomatt.com/web/2011/07/recommends-new-times-two-blessed-le-boy-sunday-31st-july-friday-5th-august-weekend-focus-special/, suffice to say, all Later party goers (boat & terra firmer included) get free entry to “Blessed” , which runs from 7 p.m. till midnight, leading neatly to Orange afterwards.
Looking slightly further afield and another new night launches on Saturday (30th), this time at The Eagle, who host “Frisky”, a concept brought to the scene by the peeps behind Megawoof & Funkarama (that will be Daz & Diddy then), this new venture serving up sounds akin to Chicago house & NYC old skool, as well as more modern tech by the likes of Leonardo Glovibes, Nico de Ceglia & Astroboy, the Eagle crew throwing in a free bbq for good measure. With “Frisky” framed by regular nights Tonker on Friday (29th) & Horse meat Disco on Sunday (31st), check out their website at http://eaglelondon.co.uk for more details.
No Vauxhall coverage would be complete without mentioning the venerable institution that is The Royal Vauxhall Tavern (RVT), who have another classic weekend in store, not least as their “Anthem Old Skool Renuion” takes place tomorrow (Fri 29th), with Wayne G, Porl Young & Steve B turning out uplifting NRG, trance & heavenly house hits that made this club a Saturday must in the late 90’s & early 00’s, while “Duckie” takes over on Saturday, followed by S.L.A.G.S./Chill-out on Sunday (31st), more info out at http://thervt.org.uk.
East Bloc Excess
Right to our alternative choices and first to Shoreditch at The East Bloc who have a massive weekend in store, its star player being Gutterslut, who return to this Shoreditch spot on Saturday (30th), resplendent from their superb showing at Summer Rites three weeks ago, with a prolific party that will see favourites Per Q.X., Nic Fisher & Miss MC Crystal joined by special guests Musisclove Makers in the rave room, while GS’s Ralf Obergal will also feature alongside James Phillips & Will Viper in the second space, so a definitely must for way out wackiness followers. Add to that, another new night on the scene, as East Bloc brings “May’s Buckled Up & Ready For Something Dirty” tomorrow (Fri 29th) along with “Ponystep” which takes up residency at East Bloc on Sunday (31st) and this vibrant venue to certainly proving the place to be out east at the moment, more details of the weekly happenings available at http://eastbloc.co.uk.
Heading south and The Brixton Clubhouse are creating a bit of a stir on the scene and with the weather perking up this weekend look like coming into their own with that terrific two tiered outside terrace space that is its usp. And with Steven Geller’s “Bodyshakers” having chosen to hang its hat here on Friday’s, tomorrow (29th) will see it return with guests Steve Thomas & Daniel Stone joining Mr Geller on the decks, while on Saturday (30th) the man returns with Daniel for another late night/early morning session called “Crunch”. However, it’s Sunday (31st) that will steal much of the spotlight, as the scene sees the return of club promoter Logan Schmitz, who holds the first of his summer private parties, “Up” returning to the venue that was Dex when it was last held, Per QX included in the D.J. line up which will also see Tony English spin selective sounds. Now, this is strictly invite only, so make sure you check your e-mail inbox, details of all other happenings at The Brixton Clubhouse available at http://thebrixtonclubhouse.com.
Magic Mag
Now, in the spirit of the “inclusive nature of this new style newsletter, here are some short shouts for other offerings across the scene in Soho, Vauxhall & elsewhere, very much depicting what a diverse yet dynamic scene we find ourselves within. So, other options for Friday (29th) include Popstarz at The Den, G.A.Y’s “Camp Attack” at Heaven, A:M at Fire, , “Discolicious” at Village, “Disco 3000” at Escape, & “Addiction” at The Edge, then on Saturday (30th) G.A.Y.is back at Heaven with a special “Wii” inspired party, while other options include “Fabulous” at Ku Bar, “Wig Out” at Ghetto Factory, “Adamix” at Village, & “Kitsch Karaoke” at Escape Bar, while further afield, West 5 celebrate their lucky for some 13th birthday. As for Sunday, well cabaret seems to rule the waves, The Two Brewers, 79 CXR, Halfway To heaven, The Stage, The Cambria, Molly Moggs & The Black Cap doing the business, details of all these options available by going online to http://boyz.co.uk.
Right, that’s about it for this new look “Bar Bites & Club Cuts” newsletter and as we get used to the new look we hope you will too. So, it’s just left for us to wish you a wonderful weekend wherever it finds you & whatever you get up to. As for us, it’s Onyx tonight for the 2nd half of their birthday “Double Bill”, then looks like we are on strict orders to make it to Beyond, having been missing last week, that followed by Later’s “Summer Boat Party” & the “Blessed” launch. So, if you see us out come say hi, but remember, to be & be seen on the scene you need to “Go There! Be There!” (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: Barcode, Beyond, Blessed, East Bloc, Gutterslut, Ku Bar, Later, Lo-Profile, Onyx, Orange, Ponystep, Profile, Rupert St, S.L.A.G.S./Chill-out, The Brixton Clubhouse, The Eagle, The RVT, The Shadow Lounge | No Comments »
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13 May 2013 | 0 Comments
Recommends/Reports – “Soho Soiree’s Shift” – Revival & Gigolo – Monday 13th May – Extra Bites/News Nibbles
True to form & in an ever moving & changing capital clubbing circuit, we “Extra Bite” report on two Soho soiree slot shifts & what their switching means for the scene, while we also fit in some newsworthy nibbles on some upcoming events well worth considering your appearance attention. ...
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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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18 Feb 2013 | 0 Comments
Reviews/Reports – “The Good, The Bad & The Ugly” – That Was The Weekend That Was” – Friday 15th to Sunday 17th February
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4 Feb 2013 | 0 Comments
Reports – “Some Doors Close, Others Open & Re-Open” – DM’s Monthly Message – Monday 4th February
Reaching the second month in what we have called our “year of positivity” the last month has seen some doors close, but plenty more open, so with much to report on what has been one of the most productive periods in well over a year and with much to look ...
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31 Dec 2012 | 1 Comment
Reviews – “What A Year ~ Of Rare Reflections” – D.M.’s 2012 Clubs & Clubbing Round-up” – Monday 31st December – Special Review
In a year that has seen a pitiful amount of review publications, we attempt to end 2012 on a high, looking back at the capital’s circuit clubs & clubbing events that made a big impression not just on us, but packs of party people who pushed aside austerity in favour ...
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19 Dec 2012 | 0 Comments
Recommends – “Its Beginning To Feel A Lot Like Christmas” – Weekend Best Bites Newsletter – Friday 21st to Sunday 23rd December
Come this weekend, forget the Mayan myth about the end of the world, as it will not just be beginning but will very much be feeling a lot like Christmas, we selecting our own three ships across Soho, Vauxhall & Shoreditch that make up our best bite choices of where ...
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10 May 2012 | 0 Comments
Picks/Reports – Prick Up Your Ears @ East Bloc – Thursday 10th May – Pick Of The Day/Special Feature
With a significant shift in the scene towards Shoreditch, it comes as no surprise that Disco Matt points is pick of the day finger in the direction of East Bloc, which holds its “Prick Up Your Ears” event tonight (Thurs 10th May), the dinky detail a banner selection away opposite ...
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29 Dec 2011 | 0 Comments
Recommends – “Happy New Year Highlights” – N.Y. Weekend Best Bites – Fri 30th Dec to Mon 2nd Jan – Newsletter Part One
With the New Year weekend on our doorsteps, Disco Matt gets his Recommends act together and after revealing his plans to split his weekly newsletter into two parts, covers his “Best Bites” choices of where to be & be seen on the scene in this, part one. Looking back over ...
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20 Oct 2011 | 1 Comment
Recommends – “Autumn Appetisers” – Weekend Best Bites & Short Shouts – Friday 21st to Sunday 23rd October – Recommends Newsletter
Looking back on October alone it seems that even Alton Towers has nothing on the rollercoaster ride we have found ourselves on, last weekend a perfect example of huge Friday highs followed by Saturday lows, an amazing “Play Time” at Lo-Profile followed by missing in action absences from The Week ...
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29 Jul 2011 | 0 Comments
Recommends – “Less Exclusive, More Inclusive” – Weekend Bar Bites & Club Cuts – Friday 29th to Sunday 31st July
It was just last weekend that we took a serious look at our Weekend Recommendations newsletter, our format of “Best Bites & Short Shouts” having been running for close on six months, although the concept behind it for much longer. However, as we detailed in our report, “Best Bites On ...
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