Posts Tagged ‘Horse Meat Disco’
March 10, 2013 | 
Author As we lament over what should have been a sortie to the southern hemisphere, we rather finding ourselves lame in London, when it comes to our “Pick of The Day” for today (Sun 10th March), lame simply doesn’t come into the equation as far as our champion choice is concerned, Horse Meat Disco’s near legendary status making our selection simple & straightforward, further club/event details a “Pick of The Day” banner click away opposite or an image one below, while we saddle up to serenade this superb soiree beneath
When it comes to staying the distance, fulfilling every furlong, jumping a clear and cantering over the weekly finishing line with a flourish, there can be no club that fits the bill better than Horse Meat Disco, the marvellous meet that, week in week out, packs in not only its fervent followers, but plenty more looking to end their weekend on a horsin’ around high. And having been in business for a decade, no mean feat in this day & age, Jim Stanton & his superb stable mates have created a club that will, without doubt, go down as one of the greats of the capitals clubbing circuit. Yet the formula has been simple from the start, based on superb sounds and equally stimulating socialising in an environment that engenders fun & frivolity, the cornerstone of this cavorting canter of a club. Indeed with the resident D.J. foursome that is Severino, Luke Howard, James Hillard & Jim Stanton, you could ask for a more terrific team, the funky, nu, Italio, NYC & retro disco mixed in with more upfront house, Horse Meat Disco’s soundtrack & beats of beeches brook build with their brilliance.
Yet, despite all this, it seems that Horse Meat Disco all too often falls below many clubbers radar’s, although if you are Vauxhall bound on a Sunday night, it is by far the best place to be, the massive queues outside host venue The Eagle speaking their own volumes, while scores of customer comments like “…thanks for Sunday – a brilliant, lovely time yet again…” add weight to what is already a real gem capitals clubbing circuit schedule. But the Horse Meat Disco story, as good as it is with this weekly wonder where it is, extends much further, as both Friday’s & Saturday’s see it guesting in a string of Shoreditch shindigs, while Brighton is also a popular annual destination for Jim, James & the HMD team, while back home on Kennington Lane, the clubs bank holiday bashes are, just like Horse Meat Disco itself, are of near legendary status, the numbers flocking to the doors justifying a venue twice the size to accommodate. And our ensuring memories of this magnificent meet lie in the early years of the club when, in the company of Minty, Paul Heron & Guy Williams, we would dance till near dawn with hardly a care for the following day, that’s how captivating the club is and one that richly deserves our horsy title, “Gold Cup Cavorting”, as it is every bit as compelling as the Cheltenham festival we refer to.
So, Horse meat Disco gets our “Pick Of The Day” vote and one we cannot recommend enough, meaning if you want to be & be seen on the scene this Sunday night, then head to The Eagle in Vauxhall, but get there early to avoid the inevitable queues, naturally making sure you “Go There!” “Be There!”. (DISCO MATT)
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Tags: Horse Meat Disco, James Hillard, Jim Stanton, Luke Howard, Severino, The Eagle | 
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Having turned tails on our regular format following the shock Soho scene closure stunner, we have reverted to combining our Best Bites & Short Shouts, tripping from Vauxhall to Shoreditch & then to Paris for our top of the tree choices, while mini mentions go to our best of the rest both in London & internationally, along with news of new & noteworthy disco dance diary dates.
With over a week having gone by but the news still shaking the scene that Profile & Lo-Profile are no more, it has also crushed us to the core, our Friday frolics to PLAY>TIME now mere memories and our favourite Soho spot no more, the impact has reached our recommends newsletter, as the Soho, Vauxhall, Shoreditch format has been smashed to smithereens. However from the ashes of that former format comes a new avenue of opportunity to propel parties over the continent, as well as retain the Vauxhall & Shoreditch elements in a revised Best Bites that will, in time, again break away from our pack of picks, while for this week it all gun-ho, as we combine our top of the tree choices with mini mentions & disco dance diary dates.
So let’s get into the recommends mix first heading to Vauxhall and to A:M, which this coming Friday (18th Jan) goes into birthday celebration mode, not its own but of its hostess, the marvellous Minty (HRH to those in the know), a true scene sister who has been superbly steering party people through the doors of some of the capitals biggest & best clubs, a list that has included Crash, Beyond, Matinee, Orange & WE, while she has been holding sway at A:M for many a moon now. However, this will be her first birthday celebration at the club, we having been used to marking the occasion for a handful of years at Industri, the Thursday frolic that will forever be Minty’s (along with Brent & Paul too), although with this superb soiree no more and A:M now her delectable dive into dancing debauchery, it certainly makes a perfect place for her to party, the birthday event PR tagline being “…get the London look with Minty as she celebrates her Birthday A:M style…” while the team go on to say “..join the queen of the disco and her gang of beautiful dirty Vauxhall bunnies on an epic journey of dance, music and glamour through till Saturday morning…”. And with a D.J. line up to die for, The Sharp Boys joined by D’Johnny, Gonzalo Rivas and special guest Fabio Luigi (a Minty request) in the main room, A:M still have splashes of Onyx within it that make it an “Ultra” event, DMS delivering the pop-tastic tunes in the second space, all this taking place at Fire, doors opening at 11 p.m., the club running through till 9 a.m. Saturday morning, entry charges as follows, with a flyer or ad, £3 before midnight, £6 before 3 a.m., £8 before 5 a.m. or £10 thereafter, more info, including that Orange Nation membership free entry offer up at http://orangenation.co.uk or via http://facebook.com/events/181258335331581/.
To a couple of Vauxhall Short Shouts now and how could we avoid mentioning Beyond, even though the seemingly never-ending “Midnight” sequence of sessions seemingly continue unabated which, for us, are becoming yawn worthy. However, with special guest D.J. GSP (of XLsior fame) commanding the main room from 6 a.m., others on duty including Fat Tony, Jamie Head & Rob Sykes and doors opening at midnight this Saturday (19th Jan), more detail in true Ben Kaye promotions style up is out and available at http://www.facebook.com/events/523689437663032/
And making it at Orange Nation threesome inclusion here, Orange is certainly soaking up a splendid citric squeeze, a fresh yet familiar format from a few years ago back with a bang, new promoter Fat Tony having taken the helm just last weekend and is already making subtle changes, including the resplendent return of the gregarious Glendora this Sunday (20th Jan), regular resident The Oli joined on the decks by Jamie head, more detail on the full line-up out at http://facebook.com/events/104636443047790/,
Our other mini mention goes to a club night that just like the three already mentioned, is a capital clubbing circuit colossus come institution, Horse Meat Disco still in birthday celebratory mode, the ad saying it all when it exclaims that the club has been “…proudly serving disco burgers for the last 10 years…”, one of its residents that was there from the start, Severino, doing his own serving with a special six hour set, doors opening a hour earlier than usual at 8 p.m this Sunday (20th Jan)., more detail out via http://facebook.com/Eagle.London/.
So, skirting Soho, we head across to Shoreditch and to our second top of the tree choice, another birthday bash too, as the superb SOS celebrates its second this Saturday (19th Jan) at the exceptional East Bloc, Jim Warboy’s club one of the most popular on the calendar at this heavenly hangout, so sure to be a packed out affair. Indeed, having gained a reputation for being a “…tri-sexual underworld…” event, the crowd is a colourful as you will find anywhere, all up for partying & playing to the full and, in the process, saving their souls from mundane boredom, while the philosophy of the club is very simple, “…tune in, turn on, drop the attitude…” hinting towards a warm & welcoming Warboy wonder. And it seems that, in celebration of the second birthday milestone, Jim has gone to great lengths to bring the best in beats, he joined in the main room by east end & SOS favourites Hannah Holland & Joe Robots, while the second space gets a boost with special guest, the queen of the socialite scene, Room Service’s Jodie Harsh, headlining two back-to-back sets from the duo’s Chris Murdoch & Matthew Josephs and Anton Douglas & David Motta. But it doesn’t stop there as the marvellous Mark-Ashley Dupé masterminds the music in the back bar, accompanied by The Plastic Boy & Iccarus, while the big news for this brilliant birthday bash is the introduction of special host (or is that hostess?!) Jonny Woo, who is sure to spice up proceedings significantly, while can only be intrigued by fellow host Oozing Gloop, one very much boggling our mind. That said, this is one birthday you won’t want to miss, doors at East Bloc opening at 10.30 p.m. and the club running through till 6 a.m., entry £6 before midnight or £10 thereafter, more detail up at http://www.sosnow.co.uk/ and/or via the Facebook events page at http://facebook.com/events/478290032211425/.
To a couple of Shoreditch Shouts and we stick with East Bloc for our first and this Friday (18th Jan) when Larry tee rolls our another Super Electro Party Machine, this week welcoming new hip hop clubbing sensation, Hard Cock Life, who take over the main room madness from 10 p.m., while Mr Tee mixes it in the second space with Attack Attack Attack, more info up at http://facebook.com/groups/255553057341/.
As for the second, weill its goes to The Joiners Arms who have a pretty busy weekend, Friday seeing Rob Sykes on the decks for the weekly outing “Yes”, while the following evening, it’s the second instalment of new club night “Pantastic” with Alessandro Londra on the decks, Sunday’s “SPQR” with resident Julian de Apostate serving up the sounds, the club’s Facebook profile at http://facebook.com/joiners.arms.9 the place to go for further info.
So we move to the new & exciting part of our weekly recommends newsletter as we go international, although not literally as it will be February before we hit the continent again (more on that in a mo), although having trodden the dancefloor boards of this Parisian pleasure just two weeks ago, selecting Scream as our top of the three third Best Bite choice has come very easy indeed. But what has made it even easier, is that our premier protégé player, Zach Burns, stars in this Saturday’s (19th Jan) showing, this his second appearance for this brilliant brand which has been partying in Paris since 1996, no mean feat when you consider how tough the scene in the French capital has been and how much turmoil it has gone through in recent years. However, with a main room that compares with the best in Europe, a second space that serves up pure pop classics and a third play area where dancing is replaced by dark (we get our drift?!), there is no shortage of delightful distractions & diversions to keep even the most demanding of dancers sufficiently satisfied. But in Zach Burns, Scream has a D.J. that will surely have the main room packed and party heads eating oout of his funky, progressive & vocally infused house heaven, our mr Burns having laid down a compilation to mark the occasion and one well worth a listen via https://soundcloud.com/djzachburns/dj-zach-burns-house-sessions in advance of heading down to what is labelled as “…the biggest weekly French gay party…”, one that has welcomed the likes of Peter Rauhofer, Hector Fonseca, Offer Nissam & Pagano, Zach finding himself in amongst great company. Plus, with regular resident Tommy Marcus kicking the party off from 11 p.m. and special host Mika Paoleti caring for your every need, should you find yourselves in paris, this is definitely the place to be & be seen, more info out at http://scream-paris.com and/or http://facebook.com/groups/53427623634/.
To a couple of international Short Shouts now, a mini mention having to go to Muccassassina, which holds its “Play” party this Friday (19th Jan), welcoming special guest D.J. Danny Tor, joining resident Luigi Rosi in the main room, but with no less than three other dance come play spaces to choose from, this Rome club now into its 23rd season and still going as strong as ever, more info out at http://facebook.com/events/425666644169750/.
As for our second?, well we head much further afield, to Mexico in fact, although with a birthday theme running through this newsletter, plus with a Parisian pick under our belt, we couldn’t help but propel Heaven Queretaro, which celebrates its fifth anniversary this Saturday (19th Jan) and welcomes our Parisian pal, Leomeo to the decks, he sure to go down a storm with the Mexican crowd, more detail out at http://facebook.com/pages/Heaven-Club-Queretaro-Official/225745691617.
So, that’s just about it for our Best Bites & best of the rest Short Shouts, while we did promise to give you some disco dance diary dates, we looking ahead into February, Saturday 2nd, seing new club night “Baked” launch in London at Green Carnation in Soho, pitting its wits against big boys Matinee Pervert at Fire in Vauxhall & Pushca at Electric in Brixton, while the menWhoFell2Earth add to your choice, the boys back to East Bloc on the same night. However, if you want to hang your hat internationally that weekend, then why not join us and head out to Belgium, to Antwerp in fact, when prolific party “Propaganda” plays out at Red & Blue, while looking slightly further forward, another weekend in fact, it seems that back in London, its all about east, as DISH returns to East Bloc on Saturday 9th and then the talk of the town, Deelooded, kicks off in its new Shoreditch location, at a new venue, Xono, and on a new night, Sunday 10th February, this more than any other mentioned here, an absolute MUST for your diary, we having covered it all in detail within our preview “Making Majestic Moves” out at http://discomatt.com/web/?p=6708
Well, that really is it for this week, plenty of picks to keep you dancing right through from Friday to Sunday, while for us it’s a quiet one, the prospect of snow here in London sure to send us running for sofa comfort cover, although whatever you may be up to or wherever it finds you, have a terrific weekend time, naturally making sure that you “Go There! Be There!” (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: A:M, Baked, Beyond, Deelooded, Dish, Horse Meat Disco, Matinee, Muccassassina, Orange, Pushca, Scream, SOS, Super Electro Party Machine, The Joiners Arms | No Comments »
With Soho sustaining a significant shock this week, the sudden closure of Profile & Lo-Profile leaving any simply stunned, the effects have been far reaching, even hitting our recommendations schedule. So, as we pick up the pieces of our “Best Bites” format, we forge ahead with our Short Shouts of where to be & be seen on the scene in Soho, Vauxhall & Shoreditch this weekend.
Well, what a shocking surprise of a week it has been, starting with the stunning & out of the blue announcement of the immediate closure of Profile & Lo-Profile, the blame laid with tenancy agreement issues, while we all know it was down to that word beginning with M and what we all seem to need to survive. So, having played a prominent part in our weekly Best Bites newsletters, where we chose our top of the tree picks, one from Soho, Vauxhall & Shoreditch, these Wardour St wonders, apart from leaving a gaping hole on the scene, has resorted us to a Best Bites re-think. But while we re-configure that part of our weekend newsletters, our Short Shouts continue unabated and with plenty going, despite the sad Soho news, there is much to cheer the cockles of clubbers across the expected chilly weekend weather.
So let’s crack on and yes to Soho first, The Shadow Lounge very much in pole position once more, although sticking to its Friday “Therapy” formula but with a range of new roving residents, Adam Turner making a superb sound splash from midnight, while Saturday’s have become known for nothing else but “Inferno” and Andrew Elmore, details of these & other nights such as “Balearic”, out at http://theshadowlounge.co.uk
Onwards to Circa and that marvellous music man Adam Turner pitches up again, tonight (Thurs 10th Jan) seeing him warm you up for Room Service alongside Munroe Bergdorf, who returns on Friday night with her own style soiree, “Discipline”, very much keeping you in line, while its Adam again on Saturday (we can’t get enough of him), a little birdie telling us the 4 a.m. licence is still in place, more info up at http://circasoho.com & via Facebook at http://facebook.com/pages/Circa/183683868348892
Moving just round the square, that Soho Sq, and The Edge certainly packs a powerful punch on both Friday & Saturday, tomorrow night (11th Jan) welcoming Brazilian boy beatmaster Doug Silva to the decks, while our premier protégé player has a heavenly handle on Saturday’s with his “I Love Saturday House Sessions”, mixing the best current chart house remixes with uplifted funky & vocal house jams, hostess Felicia Van Cartier & her gorge go-go’s added into the mix, more details up at http://edgesoho.co.uk/ & on Facebook at http://facebook.com/groups/edgebarsoho/.
To Ku Bar and tomorrow sees DMS & Alvaro spin the sounds at “Klub”, the Friday frolic that combines popular picks, floor fillers & vocal house, while their new night on Saturday (12th Jan), “La Mix”, an Ibiza themed party takes over both the bar & the club, D.J.’s Doug Silva & Athanas Sak spinning the sounds, the bar & the club showing off some of the best looking serving studs in town who go bare topped each night, including Sunday which sees Lady Lloyd go all pop (that’s the music style), further info out at http://ku-bar.co.uk & http://facebook.com/kubarlondon.
To Rupert Street now and while this long running & popular watering hole has gone through the mill recently, a tumbling in both popularity and business seeing the new manager, Karl Nixon, scratch his head a little, Orange Nation have come to its rescue with a planned programme of pre-parties, Saturday (12th Jan) seeing Beyond take centre stage, Jamie Head on deck duty, so one not to be missed, http://facebook.com/events/393534407404054/ telling you more.
And finally, we couldn’t let the moment pass without a mention for the Profile & Lo-Profile farewell drinks event, which takes place at the Yard from 7 p.m. this Saturday (12th Jan), the upstairs space set aside for this glorious send off gathering and is expected to be a packed out affair, especially as many will have been caught out by the sudden closure. So, if you want to say your au-revoir’s but surely not goodbyes to the team, then this is the place to do it, more info up at http://facebook.com/events/244194319045789/246340292164525/.
To Vauxhall now and Orange Nation are in the driving seat, their “Free January Clubbing” encompassing parties from Gravity to Orange & everything in between, while, if we are brutally honest (and a tad controversial), we cannot quite believe that Beyond goes all “Midnight” on us again this weekend, the club having used this format for three of the last four weeks & looks like doing so for the rest of the month. But apparently it was packed with punters last Saturday night into Sunday morning & will surely be again, details of D.J.’s on duty, etc, etc, up at http://www.facebook.com/events/116714235167756/
But the big news on the Orange Nation front is that Fat Tony has taken over promoting Orange, adding this amazing afterhours institution of a Monday morning meet to Gravity & Deelooded, both shinning under his steership, Orange in need of a fresh citric squeeze, Tony the man to do it, not least as he was at the centre of the clubs launch some fourteen years ago, so is sure to bring the good times & the fun back, while also introducing new guest D.J.’s to the main room, this one to watch, Sunday’s event info up at http://otangenation.co.uk & via the events page at http://facebook.com/events/516510358381533/
Just before we leave Orange Nation, it’s worth re-mentioning that “Free January Clubbing” offer which covers clubs Gravity, A:M, Beyond, Later & Orange, we having attempted to confound the theory that nothing in life is for free in our special focus feature “Some Things In Life Are For Free”, we having dug deep into the promotional PR, digesting the detail & producing our own view on what is, on face value, a fabulous free filler for your jaded post festive January, so well worth a look at http://discomatt.com/web/?p=6614 as well as checking out http://oramgenation.co.uk/membership
To the Eagle now who’s winning weekend is three faceted, “Tonker” doing its beefy & brawny bloke thing on Friday (11th Jan), promoter Tim Jones joined on the decks by another Jones, Ross making music for the men, while on the following night sees “Eagle Saturday’s” take centre stage, a genre blend of 70’s/80’s/90’s hits combined with more modern funky, electro & tech tainted house, Prince Nelly providing the former, while Severino sorts the latter. And with the mere words “Horse Meat Disco” speaking enough Sunday volumes, head to http://eaglelondon.com & http://www.facebook.com/Eagle.London for more.
And we couldn’t let Vauxhall pass go without a mention for venerable institution, The Royal Vauxhall Tavern, which hit the headlines recently when welcoming back Paul O’Grady to what was his hallowed turf as Lilly Savage, while its fringe events continue to reign supreme in the week & this Friday as it goes, as “Wotever World” is what it’s about, Saturday, Amy Lame & The Readers Wives meaning only one thing, “Duckie”, while Sunday is synonymous with “S.L.A.G.S./Chill-out”, more info up at http://thervt.org.uk or via the venue’s Facebook group, http://facebook.com/groups/thervt/.
To Shoreditch now and to East Bloc which has two terrific turns this weekend, the first mention having to go to DISH, which celebrates its first birthday on Saturday (12th Jan) and has been subject to our own Weekend Focus feature, “Tasty Turn Turns One”, which tells all about the club & about Saturday’s shindig at http://discomatt.com/web/?p=6624, while we are sure it will scoop our Saturday “Pick Of The Day” too, so very much the place to be & be seen, more info out at http://facebook.com/DISHLONDON.
As for that second soiree, well its Friday and “Super Electro Party Machine”, Larry Tee’s off the wall wonder that sees a superb selection of stars spin the sounds, this week seeing Mr Tee welcome Guy Williams & his Paradise 45 crew, the “Electro” being substituted for “Paradise” on the event info, while the hot off the press news is that Princess Julia will be making her majestic musical mark too, she another product from the Wayne Shires Crash camp that have moved out east, details up at http://facebook.com/events/520317934655157/.
Up the road we now go to The Dalston Superstore in fact, which has a full weekend of wonders, we running through them in reverse, Sunday being “Tutti Frutti” day, while on Saturday its gender bender time with the return of Shoreditch son Kris Di Angelis’s club, “Tramp”, this time going hot, Munroe Bergdorf joined by Jonny Woo upstairs, while Kris serves up a four hour set downstairs (check http://facebook.com/events/427982320607845/ for more info). And with Friday asking to just “Say Yes”, The DSS has all this & much more to offer, info out at http://facebook.com/groups/dalstonsuperstore/.
For our final Short Shout, we head back into Shoreditch proper and to the Joiners Arms which has certainly seen a resurgence in popularity recently, due in no part to the fact that they sport some of the bigger D.J. names from the capitals clubbing circuit, This Saturday (12th Jan) seeing newish night “Pantastic” welcome Ariel to the decks, while it has been Sunday soiree “SPQR” (standing for Sexy Parties Queer Revels) that has really put The Joiners back on the circuit map, we having to head down soon, while you can head to http://joinersshoreditch.com for more detail on these, Friday’s “Yes” and the other four days delights too.
Well that’s it for our singular recommends newsletter, we hoping to be back with our revised Best Bites part next week, on top of more Short Shout includees such as Clapham’s Bridge Bar & Soho’s Room Service, although with over twenty events & parties covered here there is much to mull over & lay your hat on this weekend. As for us, it’s a DISH weekend after a quick Saturday Soho sortie to Rupert St & the Edge, so with plenty of places to be & be seen on the scene, if you see us out come say hi, naturally in doing so, making sure you “Go There! Be There!” (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: Beyond, Circa, Dish, Duckie, East Bloc, Horse Meat Disco, Inferno, Ku Bar, Orange, Orange Nation, Pantastic, Rupert Street, S.L.A.G.S./Chill-out, SPQR, Super Electro Party Machine, The Dalston Superstore, The Eagle, The Edge, The Joiners Arms, The RVT, The Shadow Lounge, Therapy, Tonker, Tramp, Wotever World | No Comments »
Back in the best biting newsletter driving seat, our short shouts sister follows suit, a host of happenings across Soho, Vauxhall & elsewhere that are worth more than a look in this weekend, getting a mini mention, all this with a focus on the fundraising events marking World AIDS day this Saturday.
Well we are back and having broadcasted our best bites of where to be & be seen on the scene, the added addition of a handful of hot shots complimenting our Weekend Focus features, it’s now time to turn to the host of other happenings that warrant a mini mention, or as we prefer to say, a short shout. But with a cause & concern close to our heart falling right in the middle of the weekend, we will be highlighting those clubs, bars & events that are fundraising for World AIDS Day (WAD), while watch this space for our special feature “Acquired African Affectant”, looking at the virus, its effects, the treatments & the charities that have touched & are touching so many lives around the world, but particularly across our home continent & country, Africa & South Africa.
All that said, lets crack on with our Short Shouts, heading to Soho first at The Shadow Lounge who stay true to form with their nights “Therapy” on Fri (30th Nov) & “Inferno” on Saturday, D.J.’s on duty including Tristan Temple, Peter Perovic & Andrew Elmore, while this classy club now opens until 6 a.m. on both nights (wow!). Plus, with the team showing their support for The Elton John AIDS Foundation, they are certainly doing their WAD bit, more info on goings on down Brewer St way out at http://theshadowlounge.com.
Round the corner and Rupert Street are ringing the changes with a re-formed affiliation with Orange Nation (Formerly The Orange Group) who will be support this brilliant bar in its revitalisation with a series of special pre-parties across December & beyond (no pun intended), the first being tomorrow night (Sat 1st Dec) when it will all about WE, this the prelude to the massive “Formula 2” event, The Oli revving up the rhythms, while from next Friday, A:M will be holding pre-parties, more info on tomorrow’s event out at http://facebook.com/events/492976230747619/
Ku-bar is our next Soho stop and having kicked off their WAD weekend last night with the now infamous “Staff Auction” (they are yum!) in aid of The Food Chain, tonight sees Ku-Klub take to spotlight with D.J.’s DMS, Doug Silva & Alvaro on rotation, while Saturday sees Doug returns with his brilliant Brazilian beats, he accompanied by the tasty topless bar boys boasting bags of brawn. While those Food Chain buckets will be out craving for your donations, so did deep, more detail on both bars & the club out at http://ku-bar.co.uk.
Circa is our next Short Shout and a compact yet classy place to be & be seen on the scene, especially on Saturday when terrific talent Adam Turner spins the sounds, his uplifting, euphoric & Steve Pitron-esqe style sure to please, while tonight (Fri 30th Nov), it’s all about “Discipline”, the Munroe Bergdorf way, cool pop & R&B the rapturous rhythms that will beat you into submission, while on Sunday its “Studio Dusty” with the incomparable The Very Miss Dusty O delving into her box of magical pop music beat, also not forgetting that Thursday is a Room Service pre-party down on Frith St, a click on http://circa-soho.com telling you more, while extended opening hours till 4 am run throughout December.
Our final Soho Short Shout goes to The Edge who have not one, two or three, but four floors of space for you to relax, dance, drink & be merry, a roving D.J. team on Friday’s complimented by live vocals from the one the only Tonnic, while on Saturday our “premier protégé player” Zach Burns takes to the decks, sliding into Sunday with a mixture of music that touts his towering talents and, had it not been for WE, we would have been by his side as this is a Saturday showing that ranks as the best in Soho in our books, while more on The Edge can be found at http://theedgesoho.co.uk
Right, down to Vauxhall we go and having already given Beyond a big mention in our feature focus, it does however warrant another, as it is THE event of the weekend south of the river for a number of reasons, that “all roads lead to” reputation sure to play out prolifically on Sunday (2nd Dec), while with our WAD hat on, we are pleased as punch that our favourite club & brand are raising funds for our preferred charity, The Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) http://tht.org.uk/) the emphasis very much on fundraising, although with a wonderful WE influence & a special guest D.J., go check out our feature “Brett’s Magnificent Bag Of Masterbeats” at http://discomatt.com/web/?p=6136.
But The Orange Nation picture is prominent with plenty more this weekend, A:M “Ultra” filling out Friday, although is on the move this weekend, a short stay at Covert on the cards, while Later is going stratospheric on Sunday’s, this week entertaining Italian impresser Marco Gee, playing alongside Jamie Head & Paul Heron, no Monday morning quite the same without Orange which welcomes Elliot J Brown back this week. Plus, with a quick mention for Gravity which turns 8 on Thurs (6th Dec), a click on http://orangenation.co.uk will spill the beans on the ON family of brilliant brands & magnificent meets.
Turning to the Royal Vauxhall Tavern (The RVT) and the focus in WAD terms is Sunday when the incredible institution that is S.L.A.G.S/Chill-out hold their “Red Ribbon Ball” raising funds in aid of GMFA, THT & The Food Chain, the winning format continuing with Simon le vans on early deck duty, The D.E. Experience stealing all the spotlight with another must see show from 5 p.m. & then Andy Almighty & Sean Sirrs keeping a packed to the rafters RVT going until v late, detail on this & other RVT happenings across the weekend out at http://rvt.org.uk &/or http://facebook.com/groups/thervt/.
Third of our Vauxhall Short Shout three (or was that four?!) is The Eagle which has two brilliant brand nights sandwiching its WAD headline event, Tonker the turn for bears cubs & their admirers, the chunky tunes match the meaty men, promoter Tim Jones welcoming Micky Galliano to the decks, while the second piece of bread in the sandwich is Sunday star Horse Meat Disco, we saying no more of this magnificent meet than it has to be experienced to be believed. But the filling comes in the form of Carpet Burn this Saturday (1st Dec) which holds a “Tastiest Tranny Ball” & welcomes Tasty Tim to the decks, joined by Johnny Kalifornia, donations going to GMFA, more on all this up at http://eaglelondon.com
So let’s head elsewhere and a mixed bag that first comes from Tramp, the Kris Di Angelis promoted party that returns for a special WAD event this Saturday (1st Dec) at The Dalston Superstore. Aptly named “Super Tramp” Kris welcoming guest D.J.’s JonBent Blonde & Jamie Ritchie who play downstairs with Mr Di Angelis, while Munroe Bergdorf takes charge upstairs, WAD fundraising going towards charity Positive East (http://positiveeast.org.uk), Friday at The DSS is all about Hectic with Kris’s old studio recording pal Tom Stephan stretching his own promotional legs in what is a busy old evening for him, more info on DSS stuff at http://facebook.com/dalstonsuperstore, while event details on Tramp are up at http://www.facebook.com/events/178613928945253/.
Down the road at East Bloc and we already gave a Best Bite big up for TheMenWhoFell2Earth who celebrate their second birthday this Saturday, although tonight (Fri 30th Nov) sees Larry Tee’s terrific turn, Super Electro Party Machine take centre stage welcoming Room Service’s very own Jodie Harsh to the decks, joining Larry in what is always a brilliant curtain raiser to the East Bloc weekend, other parties in Dec to watch out for including DISH, SOS & Gutterslut, while a visit to http://eastbloc.co.uk &/or http://facebook.com/groups/255553057341/ will reveal all.
Then we head further south but still out east to new night Mister UK, which launches in London tonight (Fri 30th Nov) at Studio Space, 110 Pennington St, coinciding with the launch of mobile dating/networking app http://misterapp.com in this country, the event entertaining D.J.’s that include Pagano, Tom Stephan, Borja Pena & Dave Kendrick, while extra special guest Boris Of Berghain (aka Boris Dolinski) jets in from Berlin to headline along with our Italian stallion Pagano, meaning the music will be top draw, as will be the men, Mister UK a men only event, details of which are out at http://facebook.com/events/459859484065344/
Back into Shoreditch for our final fourth and we head to the Joiners Arms which is an east end institution and marks WAD with their party “Pantastic” this Saturday (1st Dec) with 50% of the door take going to charity Positive East, the donation sure to be substantial as Paul Heron is on the decks, while the ever popular SPQR spotlights on Sunday, DJ Julian De Apostate sorting the sounds, while tonight, all you have to say is YES, as this weekly outing wets your appetite for more until 4 a.m., that appetite sure to be hungry for more by paying a visit to http://joinershoreditch.com/ where info on all three nights & much more can be found.
Now, with an eye of plenty of other clubs, bars & events marking WAD, here is some tiny touting for those making a fundraising effort this Saturday (1st Dec), Soho’s The Duke Of Welling & The Admiral Duncan two, while north its Central Station in Kings Cross The The Black Cap in Camden that rattle that WAD donator box with special cabaret shows, all raising funds for GMFA (http://gmfa.org.uk) as is The Two Brewers in Clapham who entertain with Angie Brown, more on these & others a click away at http://boyz.co.uk where you can get your hands on a comprehensive listing of events across the scene throughout the whole seven day week from Thursday to Wednesday.
So, having eased our way back in with no less than fourteen Short Shouts, the plan will be to further extend our coverage curtain as the weeks progress, so if you are a club promoter, a venue manager or an event organiser and fancy being included, just drop us a line at matt@discomatt.com or plaster our Facebook group (http://facebook.com/groups/discomatt) & page (http://facebook.com/pages/Disco-Matt/112730602119746) walls at with your event links & other details and we will do our best to include you. As for this WAD weekend, wherever you are & whatever you are up to, have a terrific time, while we hope our choices give you some inspirational ideas of where to be & be seen on the scene, remembering that to do so, you need to “Go There! Be There! (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: A:M, Beyond, Carpet Burn, Circa, East Bloc, Hectic, Horse Meat Disco, Ku Bar, Later, Orange, Rupert St, S.L.A.G.S./Chill-out, Super Electro Party Machine, The Dalston Superstore, The Edge, The Joiners Arms, The RVT The Eagle, The Shadow Lounge, TheMen, Tonker, Tramp | No Comments »
Shooting from the hip, we are back shouting from the roof tops, mini size selections of a host of clubs & events to take in across Soho, Vauxhall & Shoreditch this weekend, the briefest of detail with links to websites making this a nifty newsletter, our shouts syncing superbly below
Having gotten back into the recommendations mode & mood after an altogether atrociously lengthy break, we are raring to go in short shouting for a spree of shindigs across Soho Vauxhall & Shoreditch that have caught our eye this weekend, brevity the name & links to websites & event pages the game, the aim to give you a wider choice of places to lay your clubbing hat to those topping our Best Bites tree, it’s as simple as that.
So to Soho & our first short shout, Saturday (6th Oct) seeing ClubNation roll out another exceptional event at L-Profile with Mikey D & Paul Coals on the decks, doors to this Wardour St wonder opening at 10 p.m. & the club running through till 4 a.m., further details on this outing available at http://facebook.com/pages/Lo-Profile/163759593639440, info on the venue out at http://loprofile.com.
Next Soho shout goes to the Shadow Lounge who roll out another “Therapy” session tomorrow night (Fri 6th Oct) and Paul Heron & MisWhite on the decks, while the ever popular Andre Elmore spins upfront & uplifting house ala “Inferno” style on Saturday, not forgetting “Baleric on Thursday’s weekly, more info on all three out at http://theshadowlounge.co.uk or via their Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/theshadowlounge/
To the Edge now and another fun filled Friday beckoning with the dynamic duo of Andrew Elmore & D.J. Alabastor, while the added draw of vocals from Tonnic is a tasty treat for sure, Saturday seeing another tasty treat in the form of Zach Burns on the decks, hat “Come Play With Me” poster too provocative for words, but it works!! And with plenty more on offer plus late licensing, go check out their group at http://facebook.com/groups/edgebarsoho/ for more info.
Then, just a hop & skip around the corner is the compact & bijou yet superbly stylish Circa, tomorrow night seeing the marvellous Munroe Bergdorf both host & D.J. for the night they call “Discipline”, while another of our protégé players (Zach Burns is one) Adam Turner, spins the superb sounds on Saturday (6th Oct), Sunday seeing “Studio Dusty” of the Miss O variety take hold, all three nights offering free entry & running till 1 a.m. more detail on this brilliant bar out at http://circasoho.com.
So to our fabulous fifth & it goes this week to Rupert St, even though we are shocked by the news that while we have been off air, manager Cathy has moved (or was she pushed!!) onto pastures new, replacement Karl Nixon supposedly ringing the changes although with Alessandro on the decks both Friday (5th) & Sunday (7th) & Brent Nicholls the music meat in the sound sandwich on Saturday, this once packed out place looking to bounce back, more info out at http://facebook.com/groups/130804876996933/.
To Vauxhall now and we hone in on The Orange Group first, splitting four events out from each other, the first being Onyx, which plays proud host to the “Toolbox House 9th Birthday Tour” tomorrow night (Fri 5th Oct), welcoming special guest D.J. Nik Denton to the Covert main room decks, alongside Jonny M & Matt Bogard, while room two sees Munroe Bergdorf, Lady Lloyd & tasty Tim go to play, more info including opening times, entrance fees & drinks offers out via http://facebook.com/onyxlondon.
Following neatly on is A:M, which celebrated its anniversary last weekend, but keeps the house music heavenly heat turned to full on Saturday morning (6th Oct) from 3 a.m., with special guest D.J. Paul Harris, while a star cast extends to residents Fat Tony, Guy Williams, D’Johnny, Paul Heron & Fat Tony, along with a b2b set from Alan K & Paulo Moreno, the usual Fire venue hosting giving away to a joint protocol & Lightbox effort, more info in Mr Harris & the whole event out at http://www.facebook.com/events/428454637202317/
Jumping to Sunday and the later which, now under the capable & safe hands steership of Steven React Sharp is heading in a “Nu Direction”, this his second week at the helm & one that has a birthday feel to it, special guest D.J. Marco gee’s partner celebrating, while after Marco, Jamie Head & then The Oli spin the sounds, this sure to be a packed out affair as post WE party heads will bounce on from Beyond not wishing to stop, this daytime disco delight sure to go from strength to strength now Steven is in charge, more info on this particular outing up at http://facebook.com/events/428454637202317/ .
Then to number four in the Orange stable & to Orange itself, the Monday morning madcap melay that actually starts on Sunday night but takes you deep into the start of the working week, this week being quite special as RAW is back, albeit that original resident Gonzalo Rivas is not, while co-originator David Jimenez is, he taking charge on RAW on its 6th anniversary this Sunday/Monday (7th/8th Oct), while main room men include The Sharp Boys, Fat Tony & The Oli, more detail available by scouting the ON Facebook group page at http://facebook.com/groups/2412805063/ which also links into David’s special devoted RAW podcast.
Elsewhere in Vauxhall there is much happening, not least as Popstarz re-locates to south of the river & Hidden, the legacy left behind by the much missed Simon Hobart continuing in style, the extra space this venue offers, allowing the promoter & his team to deliver the biggest R&B room in Popstarz history, resident D.J.’s Tommy Turntables, Dennis The Menace & Lady Lloyd among those at this launch tomorrow night (Fri 5th Oct) more info up at http://popstarz.org.
Our significant & final sixth south of the river goes to Horse Meat Disco, the Sunday night meet that continues to pull in a considerable crowd week in week out, the relaxed atmosphere of host venue The Eagle contributing to that factor, while promoters James Hillard & Jim Stanton also re cognise the maxim that, “…if it isn’t broke don’t fix it…”, the winning formula hardly changed, that going for the resplendent return on Severino to the HMD decks this weekend (Sun 7th Oct), further detail out at http://facebook.com/groups/horsemeatdisco &/or http://eaglelondon.com.
Moving across town to Shoreditch and while having best bitten on the venue, we can’t but give a shout for East Bloc, this time for their Friday frolic, Super Electro Party Machine, promoter & D.J. Larry Tee welcoming three special guests to the decks, such has become the popularity of this prolific party, he joined by Jim Warboy, NYC’s Velissa Yeo & our own protégé player, Adam Turner in what looks like a corker & one we would be at tomorrow night (Fri 5th Oct) for sure if we hadn’t committed to PLAY>TIME, while you may not have that conundrum, more detail up at http://facebook.com/groups/255553057341/.
Then we move just up the road to Dalston & The DSS (Dalston Superstore) which entertains Borja Pena & his B(e)ast crew this Saturday (6th Oct), the Tel Aviv gay party PAG going head to head with the former, no doubt attracting sexy swarms of Israeli men, while the feast of D.J. talent both upstairs & downstairs will be just as much of a draw, Borja naturally flying the B(e)ast flag, he joined by Simon Rigg, founder of Phonica records upstairs, while downstairs, Avihai Partok is the PAG influence, he joined by Berliner come London based D.J. Tom Peters, more info out at http://facebook.com/events/431805860188409/.
Final in our foray East threesome goes to The Joiners Arms which has found a real niche for itself on a Sunday, not only drawing in the Hoxton locals, but with D.J.’s like Paul Heron, Alessandro Londra & Kris Di Angelis having graced the SPRQ (that’s the club night name) decks, this Sunday night shindig is drawing in a much wider audience & is very much becoming the place to be & be seen, particularly if you are after some old that old time decadence & debauchery that was so common place on the scene in times gone by. And amidst the spit & sawdust style of The Joiners (we are told it has had a lick of paint recently though) this Sunday (7th Oct) the extrovert Julian De Apostate spins the sounds, locale details & more available at http://facebook.com/joiners.arms.9.
Right , that’s just about it from us for this edition of Short Shouts save for a reminder that if you fancy your club or event being given a mention, then drop us a line at matt@discomatt.com or failing that then plaster either our Facebook group wall at http://facebook.com/groups/discomatt/ or our page at http://facebook.com/pages/Disco-Matt/112730602119746, while, failing a mention here, we will be happy to include you the the promotional banners on our website, so artwork can be forwarded to our e-mail address as above.
So, all that’s left is to wish you all a very happy weekend of clubbing, or whatever else you have planned, while as for us it looks like Lo-Prfile on Friday, WE Party on Saturday & possibly Later on Sunday, so if you see us out please come up & say hi, you may even get a nibble size tweet mention at http://twitter.com/discomatt, although if not simply remember that to be & be seen on the scene you need to “Go There! Be There! (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: A:M, B(e)ast, Circa, ClubNation, DSS, East Bloc, Hidden, Horse Meat Disco, Later, Lo-Profile, Onyx, Orange, Popstarz, Rupert Street, SPQR, Super Electro Party Machine, The Eagle, The Edge, The Joiners Arms, The Shadow Lounge | No Comments »
With of first set of 2012 Best Bites done & dusted, we couldn’t let the weekend begin without giving a dozen delectable’s a shot at winning your recovery or resolution affections, meaning it’s time to run down the best of the rest in Soho, Vauxhall & Shoreditch.
We may find ourselves in the first week of the first month of 2012, one that is traditionally a quiet one for the scene as it recovers from the hectic festive season, along with the very busy New Year weekend just gone, but as one clubbing conglomerate aptly put it, “…we don’t have the January blues, rather it’s all about the good times…”. And it seems that they are not along in this philosophy as there is actually plenty going on this weekend, so, having chosen our “Best Bites”, it now time to give the rest a shot, a dozen or so that we recommend as great places to be & be seen on the scene, whether in Soho, Vauxhall or Shoreditch.
New Era, Existing Events
So to Soho first and The Shadow Lounge who are still recovering from their massive New Year’s Eve party, “Greek Gods & Gladiators”, but are back with “Therapy” tonight (Fri 6th Jan) with D.J. Sonathaq on the decks from 10 p.m. entry free until 11 & £10 thereafter, the same applying to Saturday when the ever popular Andrew Elmore sorts the SL sounds at “Inferno”, more info on these two happenings plus the whole weeks activity available a click away at http://theshadowlounge.co.uk.
Next up is Ku (well the two Ku’s actually) who also find themselves in recovery mode after a busy NY weekend, Lisle St leading the way this with “O Zone” tonight (Fri 6th Jan) with who else but The Very Miss Dusty O sorting the sounds, while its another “Fabulous Saturday session tomorrow, pop & disco the name of the game, Sunday rounding off it all with a double dose of do’s “Karaoke & Cabaret” having moved across town for an early (6 till 9) start, then Lady Lloyd’s “Hit Factory” takes you through to a 3 a.m. finish. As for “Little Ku” on Frith St, well the doors are open all weekend, with D.J.’s on duty downstairs each night, more info on both out at http://ku-bar.co.uk.
To Rupert Street and a trio of DJ treats this weekend, tonight seeing Barcode boy Saki spin the sounds, while the brilliant Brazilian Doug Silva tries to woo his own branch of The Brazilian “Biiiicha” bunch (there will be a lot in town) tomorrow night (Sat 7th Jan) meaning we may need to hop between here & Profile, while on Sunday, iconic D.J. Rich B packing a punch, while with a drinks list as long as our arm, nit least the best value for money champers in town (pass the Bolli darling!), much of the detail up at http://rupertstreet.com.
Compact Yet Captivating Circa
Our fourth Short Soho Shout goes to Circa, fast becoming one of the most popular hang-outs in town, not least due to the style & sumptuousness along with free entry all night until the wee hours of 3 a.m., tonight (Fri 6th Jan) seeing Munroe Bergdorf delight the decks while tomorrow night it’s the turn of the handsome Adam Turner turn out the tunes, the compact & bijou style of this hip & happening hangout ensuring the is always an amazing atmosphere & a glorious gathering to boot, plenty more details a click away at http://circasoho.com.
But we can’t forget The Edge in our shouts, as its less about our themes Recovery & Resolution this weekend, rather “Addiction” which centre stages tonight, Harvey Adam playing out on the ground floor, while upstairs its D.J. Neroli, although Saturday sees “Revelation” take over with our own protégé player & weekly resident Zach Burns shining in the sound spinning spotlight and is one set you won’t want to miss, especially given his recent prolific performances for Gigolo & Profile/Lo-Profile, his services very much in demand, more details on this Soho Square spot available at http://edgesoho.co.uk.
Institution Icon
So we move south to Vauxhall now and hot on the venerable institution that is The Royal Vauxhall Tavern (RVT) who shake off the New year blues with a barnstorming weekend, “Rooster” starting it all tonight, D.J.’s ComeAndTurn oing hostess Timberlina & artist extraordinaire JonJo, while no Saturday would be the same without “Duckie”, the irrepressible Amy Lame making sure all those partying resolutions will be met. Then, how could you miss out on another institution in the form of The dame Edna Experience on Sunday (8th Jan), the best cabaret show in town kicking off along with all the S.L.A.G.S. devotee’s from 5 p.m., while the “Chill-out” element starts from 7, more info on the whole seven day schedule out at http://thervt.org.uk.
Moving further down the Kennington Road to The Eagle and to manly meet “Tonker” which is now into its eight year of strutting on the scene, although with welcoming arms rather than attitude, the club attracts a magnificent mix of men, big, small & everything in between, not least due to the superb sounds as eclectic as its following, tonight seeing promoter & resident Tim Jones spin alongside Italian in London, D.J. Astroboy. But Saturday sees the captivating “Carpet Burn” swing into action, D.J.’s Jonny Kalifornia & Severino masterminding the 80’s & 90’s music, while the team acknowledge that the new year may have burned pocket holes so it’s what they call “…it’s madness, its half price madness…” entry from 9 p.m. just £2.50 & drinks prices hemmed to match. Plus with the infamous “Horse Meat Disco” horsing around on Sunday, the weekend is looking good, info up at http://eaglelondon.com.
Now, while we may have given our Vauxhall “Best Bite” away to The Orange Group (OG), it was just Onyx & Fire’s “Recovery” party that filled our focus, there is plenty else going on, not least beyond on Sunday morning, & Later after that, the latter getting the first if three OG Short Shouts, promoter Jay Sharp Vokins launches the clubs programme with this Sunday’s meet, aptly called “2012 – As We Continue”, residents Jamie Head, The Oli & D’Johnny proving a pumping package that is hard to beat, the infamous Later garden still popular even in the chilly winter months, while the chill-out zone also plays its part in this prolific party, doors opening this Sunday (8th Jan) at midday., the club running through till 7.30 p.m., entry a mere £6 and more details up at http://fireclub.co.uk/gayparties.
Amazing Morning
But before that it’s the turn of A: M, the new look artwork to this Saturday morning sensation deluding to the winning formula that current promoter Steven Sharp has established in his relatively short tenure. And that formula focuses on the music, with resident stars including Guy Williams, Paul Heron, Fat Tony & D’Johnny, all four playing out in the club’s main room this weekend (Sat 7th Jan), while other David Jimenez looks after room two, this “Phuture of Saturday Mornings” getting going at 3 a.m. & running through to a normality bending 10.30 a.m. free & discount stamps from previous Orange outing Onyx available, while a trip to http://fireclub.co.uk/gayparties will tell you more.
Then, rounding off the weekend & our Short Vauxhall Shouts (well almost) is Orange and our promoter of 2011 (oops we let it slip) Steven Sharp polishes off your weekend with the club that started it all in Fire at the turn of the century, while had to be the star of the Xmas/NY show in terms of both the Orange/Trade meet & that smokin’ main room at As One. But with 2012 firmly focussed now, Steven heralds the Olympic year with the package that keeps them coming, D.J.’s Fat Tony, The Oli, & the Sharp Boys main rooming it, while RAW residents David Jimenez & Hifi Sean go deep every week not just with the music, but carrying you to the 9 a.m. Monday morning finish, that 10 hours after opening at 11 p.m on Sunday, this Sunday in fact (8th Jan) at Fire. Plus, with new host Danny Boyce making a big impression, find out more about Orange at http://orangenation.co.uk.
Now, while this is a Short Shouts newsletter, before we leave Vauxhall & the Orange Group, we have just two tantilising teasers in the form of two of the biggest brands in global clubbing, Matinee & Trade. But all we will be divulging right now are the dates you need to note, Saturday 28th January belonging to Matinee & Saturday 11th February to Trade. So note your diaries now & watch this space for more news & detail in this dynamic duo of dancing delectations.
Bloc Brilliance
So to Shoreditch and East Bloc is our sole Short Shout, although what a one it is, as Friday’s now sees exceptional event “Super Electro Party Machine” go weekly, D.J. Larry Tee turning out the tunes along with the freshest new talent around, while sandwiching the weekend is new outing “Sunday Service”, the everything goes policy extending to electro, techno, disco & pure house. But it is Saturday that has a roving commission, this week (7th Jan) seeing “Songs Of Praise” attract a captive congregation as it’s all about pop music in the aptly named “Altar” room, while the cockabilly chapel space has rockabilly 50’s & 60’s sounds (interesting), very much the alternative yet amazing antics we have come to expect from East Bloc, more info out at http://eastbloc.co.uk, while watch this space for a full focus on Tom Stephan’s new night “Dish” which launches next Saturday (14th Jan).
Right that’s it for another weekend and one which will be quite a quiet one for us as we catch up on reviews, reviews & more reviews, although may be escaping the keyboard for a short while tomorrow night to pop into Profile & possibly then Lo-Profile, so if you do see us come say hi. But with plenty of reasons & paces for you yourselves to be seen on the scene, wherever the weekend finds you, have a terrific time, of course making sure that you “Go There! Be There!” (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: A:M, Carpet Burn, Circa, East Bloc, Horse Meat Disco, Ku Bar, Matinee, Orange, Rupert St, Songs Of Praise, Super Electro Party Machine, The Eagle, The Edge, The Orange Group, The RVT, The Shadow Lounge, Tonker, Trade | No Comments »
With our “Best Bites” posted in part one, now it’s time to “Short Shout” in part two, this second half of our re-styled newsletter guiding you through the forthcoming N.Y. weekend, covering a delightful dozen of scene showings where you could be laying your Happy New hat, whether your choice is Soho, Vauxhall or Shoreditch, each shout getting the Disco Matt thumbs up!
Well, the die is cast, our weekly recommends newsletters are back, although in a slightly revised format, splitting our “Best Bites” away from our “Short Shouts” (here), making the weekly roll call of where to be & be seen on the scene a two part affair. And in dividing it the way we do, we are hoping to shout for many more bars, clubs & events here, this N.Y. weekend being no exception, meaning it’s time to crack on & mention many, this in addition to those “Best Bites” & Focus” recommendations already reaped.
Gods, Greeks, & Gladiators
So to Soho first and The Shadow Lounge, who are ringing in 2012 with a special party, the theme “Greek Gods & Gladiators”, very much hinting towards a year in London that will be all about The Olympics, the relay team of D.J.’s including Andrew Elmore, Adam Turner & Harvey Adam, while there will be a mass of mythological majesties to feast your eyes on, bronzed hunks & plenty more besides, that on top of free canopies & champagne for the first 100 guests through the door. Kicking off at 9 p.m. on NYE (Sat 31st) , advanced tickets & info on this event is available via http://theshadowlounge.co.uk while we will be popping an Extra Bites post out in time for tomorrow.
Our next Soho shout goes to Rupert Street who never fail to pull in the punters on NYE, the free entry to the premier place on the bar treading trip a pretty good reason why a flock of folks do just that. And with resident D.J. Alessandro Londra spinning the sounds, it should be a right good knees up, the bevy of beauties that are the bar staff sure to get you in the party mood, while with house champagne at just £15 a bottle, is cheaper than going to the offie. Add that to fellow Bello Italian Micky Galliano on the D.J. decks tomorrow night (Fri 30th) and this brilliant bar definitely gets a huge tick from us, more info out at http://rupertstreet.com.
Onward and to Ku-Bar, both venues seeing in the New Year in style with promises of poppers, streamers, blowers, hats, whistles & the rest, Lisle St switching the big screens to go live to the BBC before midnight, so you can take the whole London fireworks display in without leaving your beer, your wine or (preferably) your champers behind. So, rather than braving the cold, succumb to the heat of both Ku’s, the temperature rising with all those cute Ku boys floating around, while a delightful drop of D.J.’s will be spinning the sounds including The Very Miss Dusty O & Lady Lloyd, further details on happenings available by going to http://ku-bar.co.uk
Going Completely GaGa
Then how could we leave out The Edge, this four floored fabulousness up on Soho Square already beginning to decked out for one of the biggest NYE parties on the block, the team promising a drove of drag queens, a bunch of bar hunks & a score of scene starlets, all deployed to pump up proceedings, while music pumping will certainly be the name of the game too as weekly resident & our king pin protégé player of 2011, Zach Burns, spins the pop, and (we hate to use the word but…) commercial tunes, although “aga-doo” has been banned. That said, with a theme that demands you to dress to impress, anything could happen in the wardrobe department, more details on the NYE delight as well as other shenanigans at http://edgesoho.co.uk.
To our final Soho Short Shout and Circa, a bar which we warmed to from the minute we stepped foot in it not too long after the launch earlier this year, the place oozing style & sophistication, if a little compact & bijou. But what Circa lacks in size, it makes up for in substance, this NYE being no different to the norm in that respect, as the team welcome Munroe Bergdorf & Adam Turner (my he’s a busy boy!!) to the decks, while the exceptional eye-candy that frequents the place will be well worth saving that first 2012 kiss for, the late opening till 4 a.m. another reason to swing by, more info available at http://circasoho.com.
Twelve Hour Treat
Right, let’s mosey on down to Vauxhall and while The Orange Group has already been given a big slice of our New Year cake coverage, there was one event that fell through the DM recommends net, perhaps as it falls on Friday, i.e. tomorrow (30th Dec). Yet with Onyx once again teaming up with A:M to produce a party that lasts for a full twelve hours, we are not sure how we could have missed it, especially as joint promoters Steven Sharp & Verity Mayes are welcoming special guest (a prolific promoter herself) Jodie Harsh to the decks, she a pretty accomplished D.J. along with being a real crowd puller/pleaser. Plus with residents that include Onyx’s Lee Harris, Jc Christopher & Lisa German, along with A:Mer’s Fat Tony, David Jimenez, & D’Johnny, this “Christmas Nativity Headliners Part 2” is well worth a look in, host venue Area’s doors opening at 10 p.m., with more details available at http://orangenation.com.
Well that wasn’t that short for a shout was it, so let’s try again, this time hitting off on The Royal Vauxhall Tavern (RVT), who as usual have a packed weekend, tomorrow (Fri 30th) seeing “Robyn Hood”, otherwise known as the annual RVT panto take to the stage, while the rest of their NY weekend is given away to “S.L.A.G.S./Chillout” who hold a special “Pink NYE Ball” on Sat (31st), while on NYD it’s another session with D.E.E. & co, added to which on Monday (2nd Jan), jeepers creepers, its yet another one, the third “Experience” in one weekend never enough for her faithful following, more details on this legendary venue available at http://thervt.org.uk.
Read Into This
Moving just down the street (or is that lane) and we find The Eagle who, themselves, have a pretty hectic NY weekend, tomorrow night seeing the Tonker boys ring in the New Year, even if it is a day early, while on NYE, it could only be Carpet Burn with their “Big Bang” party, welcoming Readers Wives to the guest D.J. slot. Then, as if you had seen the back of a double (or in some cases a treble) dosage of do’s, both NYD & bank holiday Monday sees the Horse Meat Disco crew celebrate reaching 2012 in one piece, guest D.J John Morales welcomed with open arms on NYD, while its Maurice Fulton’s turn to fill the same slot on Monday, more details on all happenings out at http://theeaglelondon.com.
Now, just before we head east, let’s move a little south, to Brixton in fact, as it is The Brixton Club House that gets our next Short Shout and for good reason, as the black & beautiful (or should that be bootyful?!) Bootylicious finds itself a fleeting visit of a one-off home for NYD, the team making advantage of the their hosts revamped spaces that now include a state-of-the-art dancefloor along with a brand new chill area. And with the D.J. line up that includes Jeffrey Hinton, Kartel Brown, & Tyron, Mc Brandy will also be on hand, no doubt keeping everyone in party mood, this party kicking off from 11 p.m. on Sunday (1st Jan) & running through till 5 a.m., more info out at http://thebrixtonclubhouse.co.uk.
Boys On the Bloc
So, out east we go and to Shoreditch, East Bloc equally as busy as some of its Vauxhall counterparts, we having already given our Best Bite slot in this neck of the woods to the venue who host Gustterslut on NYE. But the partying starts a night before, tomorrow in fact with the superb Super Techno Party Machine, D.J. Larry Tee turning out the tunes, while hopping across the NY weekend to NYD and its two parties that steal the East Bloc spotlight, midday affair Kowloon picking up where Gutterslut left off, entertaining the likes of DTPM’s Miguel Pellittero, Borja Pena, Daniel Delay & special Berliner guest Kevin Funkt (we know who he’s dating!). But the picture is completed by Blue Jeans, a spin-off of from Meat, promoter & D.J./producer Kris Di Angelis trying out his new clubbing concept, the night having an equally Room Service inspired feel with Jodie Harsh, Dmitry Strugen & Joshyou Are sorting the sounds, info on the exceptional East Bloc available at http://eastbloc.co.uk.
Then heading up into Dalston, we find The Dalston Superstore, who also have a three tiered NY weekend, although in attempting to keep it a Short Shout, we just hit off on NYE & NYD, the former in the hands of Sink The Pink, who hold their “Tranarchy” event with, yes you guessed it, a transgender team that includes their now infamous “Stick a Wig On The…” competition, while the musical moments are provided by Holestar, Prince Nelly & John Sizzle. Then on NYD, DSS has a Gutterslut feel to it when Wet-N-Wild, takeover DSS for both the day & the night, serving up disco, electro & plenty more, Per Q.X. Nic Fischer & Shay Malt among the 10 strong D.J. team, more details on this all events at this hip & happening hangout a mere click away at http://thedalstonsuperstore.com.
Total Pie & Mash-Up
But we continue in the realm of Gutterslut for our final Short Shout out east, as it is Trailertrash that takes over from GS on NYD (well runs a little simultaneously actually), kicking off its “Pie-n-Mashup” party at The Dolphin, 160 Mare St, Hackney from 5 a.m., serving up tasty musical treats until 1 p.m. which the team tell us could well include “…anything & everything from Whitney to Techno, Chas n Dave to Disco…” while they also warn us to expect “…a lot of people falling over on the floor…” oh and we can’t forget plenty of pies (yes real East End pie & mash) too. So, with the likes of Mikki Most, Ian Robinson, Josh Caffe, Rokk & D.J. Squeaky on the decks, this is sure to be a mash-up to end them all, more info up at http://trailertrash.co.uk.
Right, that’s just about it for this part two of our re-styled recommends newsletter, we hoping that by separating our Short Shouts from our Best Bites will, in time, allow us to cover a richer variety of bars, clubs & events on a weekly basis. And with that in mind, should you wish someone, somewhere, or something mentioned in future part two’s, then just drop us a line at matt@discomatt.com, or fill out a comment to this post. So, in signing off, we take the opportunity (again) of wishing you a very Happy New Year and with all our shouts here plus our choices in part one, we hope like us, you are seen on the scene somewhere this NY weekend, meaning you will definitely “Go There! Be There! (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: Blue Jeans, Bootylicious, Carpet Burn, Circa, East Bloc, Guuterslut, Horse Meat Disco, Kowloon, Ku Bar, Onyx vs. A:M, Rupert Street, S.L.A.G.S./Chill-out, Sink The Pink, Super Techno Party Machine, The Brixton Club House, The Dalston Superstore, The Eagle, The Edge, The RVT, The Shadow Lounge, Tonker, Traliertrash | No Comments »
Also Back With A Bang
Having toiled over which direction we would be taking our regular weekly “Recommends” newsletter, in conjunction with our summer siesta, we gave this post a bit of a break while we rejuvenated our batteries & cleared the clog in that directional dilemma. So, finding our feet back under the proverbial table and having taken the decision to ditch what was always going to be a mere experiment of a change in the “Bar Bites & Club Cuts” concept, we are back to our former self & newsletter formula, that is picking out our top of the tree choices of where to be & be seen on the scene, as well as giving a mini mention to others that are well worth a look in. So, while our Best Bite & Short Shout format is back & here to stay, as we get back into the groove, we will be trying to make the post a little more inclusive, adding extra short shouts where we can & where they are warranted, although we will naturally be hanging our hat on those events that we either plan to review or would review, given the resource & time. Plus, we have included links to those parties that have got extra special attention via our Weekend Focus features, Orange’s 13th Birthday one, while, like us, SuperMartXe is also back with a bang, but more on those in a min.
Profile Package
So let’s crack on a look to Soho first which gets two top of the tree choices, Profile Bar our first Best Bite of the weekend and for good reason as this has now very much established itself as one of the more stylish & sumptuous places to be, the captivating cocktail of delicious drinks, fabulous food & magnificent music, intermixed with the amazing ambience that the smart socialising set it attracts, create. And of that music, this weekend sees two of its roving resident D.J. team turn out the tunes, Friday (9th Sept) seeing scene stalwart Rob Sykes spin some serious sounds, while on Saturday, the team welcome the cute yet capable Zach Burns to the D.J. decks, his Profile popularity no surprise given what a mature musical head he has on his shoulders, always treating us to a truck load of terrific tunes when he plays, so is sure to do the same this Saturday. But music aside, don’t forget the bars happy hour, which kicks in daily from 4 till 7 p.m., while lunchtime food offers make this a brilliant re-fuelling stop-off, the Sunday roast menu particularly appealing too. Plus, why not sign up for their new weekly newsletter which, along with much more info on the venue & its offer, is available at http://profilesoho.com.
Society The Spot
Moving downstairs and Lo-Profile has certainly stretched its appeal in recent weeks, due in no part to Thursday night frolic Gigolo, this social soiree splendour having recently taking its own short summer siesta of a break, but is back tomorrow night (8th Sept) with its “Stronger” event, Fredi Dimanche making his Gigolo debut and marking a very welcome addition to the resident team, while the clubs launch night sensation, Zach Burns kick starts the event which gets going from 10 p.m. So, with Lo-Profile’s weekend having already got underway, Friday (9th Sept) sees its own weekly social cum club night, “Society” stand in the Soho spotlight, Zach Burns making the second of three appearances across the weekend, although we certainly aren’t complaining, as he never fails to score with his superb stack of sounds. But, he doesn’t get all the say, far from it, as the pumping powerhouse that is Nathan Six takes up the musical mantle too and is sure to mesmerise the masses which his majestic mixes as always. But the weekend if far from over, as Saturday (10th) sees a real latin flavour to proceedings, as Gonzalo Rivas teams up with Alessandro Londra in an anglo Spanish/Italian concoction that should see the place packed & pumping all night. Add to that the Monday night meet “Beartrap” and there are loads of reasons to make Lo-Profile your dance destination, more details up at http://lo-profile.com.
Now to some Short Shouts and Ku-Bar/Club on Lisle St gets a first mini mention, Dusty O reassuming her spot this Friday (9th Sept) having compared the long running D.J. quest for the last three months, while favourite “Fabulous” takes over Saturday & Lady Lloyd’s “Hit Factory” steers your Sunday. Plus, if you missed seeing the winning D.J. scoop the prize last weekend, fear not as he will be playing at Ku’s Frith St pad this Saturday (10th Sept), more info on Ku available at http://ku-bar.co.uk.
Next is Rupert St, still Soho’s busiest bar and a popular hangout to boot, not least that they have D.J.’s on duty right across the weekend, main resident Alessandro London taking his usual Sunday slot, as well as Saturday (10th Sept) this week, while Leonardo Glovibes takes it turn on Friday. But with a fab food offer & extra special prices on champagne & cocktails, Rupert S is a great place t be & be seen, more details out at http://rupertstreet.com.
Our third Short Shout goes to The Shadow Lounge which, after celebrating its 10th birthday a few weeks ago, has settled back into its regular routine, Friday (9th Sept) seeing “Therapy” with D.J. Sonathaq on the decks, while the ever popular Andrew Elmore is back on Saturday with “Inferno”, while they will be in the thick of the Soho Pink Sunday event next weekend (post coming up), more details on this Brewer St. Brilliance out at http://theshadowlounge.co.uk.
Steve Thomas Treat
Right moving onto Vauxhall and there is lots happening this weekend, well if you are affiliated to the Orange Group that is, so they get our Best Bite, top of the tree choice, as a whole host of events are worth much more than a mini mention, so much so that we will be issuing a couple of Extra Bites posts shortly for both Onyx & Furrvert and with Beyond going “Super Size”, a report entitled “Spanish Scramble” will cover all you need to know about that. But it doesn’t stop there of course, as Orange (the club not the group) marks its 13th birthday this Sunday with a “Clockwork Orange” themed event, we having devoted a special Weekend Focus feature to this citric celebration, the direct link for our devotion being http://discomatt.com/web/2011/09/recommends-birthday-candles-on-fire-orange-13th-birthday-clockwork-orange-sunday-11th-september/ . However, with parties like Gravity, Later & Booster also part of the weekend mix, one afterhours that is really finding a new head of steam is A:M, the Saturday morning smash that is now under the steership of Steven Sharp, the man behind Orange, but also a well established & accomplished D.J./Producer and one half of The Sharp Boys. Having stripped A:M back to its basic formula, Steven is introducing some exciting D.J. talent to take the music back to where A:M was in the halcyon days of its launch, this week being no exception as Steve Thomas (of Trade fame) takes to the decks, joining a residency team that includes Paul heron, Jamie Head, & Fat Tony, while Mr Sharp is also impressing the “Majority Gay” policy of the club, while naturally welcoming many regulars of all genders that have been supporting A:M over the years. With further exciting guest D.J’s to come, this Saturday morning is a sure-fire (excuse the pun) sensation & well worth a visit, more details of this & all Orange Group events at Fire available at http://fireclub.co.uk/gayparties.
To some Short Shouts now and first up is the institution that is The Royal Vauxhall Tavern (RVT), a packed weekend kicking off with “Loud” tomorrow night (Fri 9th Sept) with Massimo Paramour mixing up synth pop, new wave & indie dance in an 80’s inspired evening, Pauline Henry from the Chimes the P.A., while on Saturday its regular romp “Duckie”. Then no Sunday would be complete without a “S.L.A.G.S./Chill-out” event, not even the forecast heavy rain keeping the faithful away & the venue rammed, more info on this & the RVT’s weeklong schedule out at http://thervt.org.uk.
Just down the road is The Eagle, home to Sunday smash Horse Meat Disco, which rolls out another session with residents Jim Stanton, James Hillard & Severino, while sandwiching Saturday is “Tonker” tomorrow night, promoter Tim Jones welcoming guest D.J. Micky Galliano to the decks, this Muccassassina resident well worth a look in, as is Eagle, further details on happenings available at http://eaglelondon.co.uk.
Our third mini mention goes to barcode, which seems to have taken on a new direction recently, also filling the boots that used to be occupied by Union, Steven Geller’s brands “Bodyshakers” & “Crunch” taking up residency, both extending the bar’s usual trading hours deep into Saturday & Sunday morning, both these parties of the afterhours antics type. Then there is “Fitladz”, which holds another horny happening at Barcode tomorrow night (Fri 9th Sept), although access for this men only club night is through the Goding St & not the main entrance on Albert Embankment, more info on Barcode out at http://bar-code.co/.uk.
Amazing Alternative
So, we move onto our alternative options, naturally headed up by SuperMartXe, which makes a welcome return to the scene this Saturday (10th Sept) with a lights out inspired “Blackout” event that is set to steal the spotlight for sure. And, having missed out on the last four, we will definitely be heading to Pulse, also having given it a big thumbs up in our Weekend Focus feature which you can check out at http://discomatt.com/web/2011/09/recommends-logan-back-in-the-limelight-supermartxe-blackout-saturday-10th-september/. That said, we are pretty miffed that we will be missing out on another “Meat” party, which also takes place on Saturday, this Shoreditch shindig having gained considerable legs since having been launched back in February, co-promoters Tom Stephan & Kris Di Angelis having created a cult club that has grown in both stature & following, month on month. And it seems that the recipe to is soaring success is in both the music & the crowd, as the sounds served up by Tom Kris & a along with other roving resident D.J.’s including James Pople, Jeffrey Hinton & Munroe Bergdorf, the combo of electro & underground beats in the main room, with rnb, soul & classics in the “mincemeat” room make for a colourful combination, as is the crowd, east end boys mixing with west end girls, arty types, scene faces & even a smattering of big room clubbers making “Meat” their dance destination. So, with a “School Boy Beats” theme their way of marking the start of the new term, for a night full of diverse debauchery, you should look no further, full details out at http://facebook.com/event.php?eid=112923042144285.
So, to a couple of Short Shouts and just up the Shoreditch road is The Dalston Superstore (DSS), which also has packed weekend of events, two highlights being “Back To Back” this Friday (9th Sept), the name implying what to expect, D.J.’s Goodhand, Kezokichi, Sigmund, Kraftwerk & Dietrich mix up the music, while the “Body Talk” crew take over the DSS on Saturday with a special event dedicated to the music of Prince, promoter & resident D.J. Rokk, heading up a team that includes Tristan reed & Charlie Bones. Plus with Squeaky holding court on Sunday, the DSS has lots to offer this weekend, more info out & available at http://thedalstonsuperstore.com.
For our final mini mention we head back closer to town, as “Wig Out”, having moved from weekly to monthly is back, setting its superb stool at Ghetto Factory in Aldwych, this alternative, indie & 80/’s/90’s night welcoming pop princess Toyah Wilcox as their special guest, this goddess of the 80’s performing live, while budget beating door entry 7 drinks prices make this a poptastic night well worth a visit, more details available via the event page at http://facebook.com/event.php?eid=240144349363358.
Time For A Tan
Now, just before we close, a quick couple of mentions go to, first, clubbing bible website SeenQueen (http://seenqueen.com) who have had a bit of a botox makeover while we have been off air, the new look well worth a peek, as are lots of the features that cram its pages, while as we wave goodbye to the summer (what summer we hear you cry), it’s definitely time to feel good by grabbing a tan, Solarstation the place to do it, more info out at http://solarstation.co.uk.
So, that’s just about it for our return newsletter and look at the coming weekend, one which you can definitely catch us at SuperMartXe’s “Blackout” event & Orange’s 13th Birthday, while we may also make a stop-off at Beyond. So, if you see us out come say hi, but whatever you are up to & wherever its finds you, have a great weekend, remembering that to be & be seen on the scene you need to “Go There! Be There!. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: A:M, Alessandro Londra, Beyond, Booster, Fire, Gigolo, Gonzalo Rivas, Gravity, Horse Meat Disco, Ku Bar, Later, Lo-Profile, Meat, Nathan Six, Orange, Profile, Rupert St, Society, SuperMartXe, The Dalston Superstore, The Eagle, The R.V.T., The Shadow Lounge, Tonker, Zach Burns | No Comments »
Mud, Mud, Hideous Mud
We sit in our study looking out onto a bright & sunny Sunday afternoon, not a hint of rain in the sky, rather a warm July day that we could have done with at the same time last week, rather a shower soaked Sunday & a muddy meet the order of that day. However with another seven to also review & report on, including a pack of prolific parties & some not quite so, it’s time to once again look back on “That Was The Week That Was”, this latest lament also covering our moment, our track & our tweet of the week. But we will also be saving a small space for some of the latest news of upcoming outings to watch out for, as well as providing links to the websites of those bars, clubs & events that we cover.
Service Latin Style
So, let’s get down to the detail and to Thursday first, Room Service leading the way with their pre-party for Casa Latina, although drawing on the D.J. talents of resident D.J.’s Fat Tony & Kris Di Angelis, who were joined by East End boy Dan Beaumont. However, with Casa’s Mauricio Ortiz & Naomi Ruiz on hand to balance out the Latino influence, it was clear the appearance of George Michael the previous week had attracted attention, Diu absolutely packed to the rafters, a queue of hopefuls outside desperate to get a piece of the audacious action. So, it seems that whatever style of Shindig Jodie & her team turn their hands to, in Room Service they can pretty much guarantee to terrific turnout, this week looking no different Paul Heron kick starts his Room Service residency, Severino picking up the second slot. More info on Room Service in London, as well as their Monday nighter in Ibiza, can be found by going to http://clubroomservice.com. Plus, don’t forget that if you are a Room Service key holder, then complimentary champagne is available until 11.30 p.m. each Thursday, now we like the sound of that!
They Did It
Across Soho at Lo-Profile and it seemed that Gigolo was also getting its fair share of the action, its “Do It” party attracting a healthy crowd of scene faces & socialites, while the amazing Aussie Terry Vietheer treated the turnout to a terrific set of tunes, this tremendous talent seemingly fitting the clubs style like a glove, he being followed by the mighty Jamie Head, a Lo-Profile/Profile favourite who ensured Gigolo gyrated right through till the 3 a.m. finish. Now, whilst it has been a while since we have made a personal appearance, our undercover reviewer has been making it down virtually every week and it certainly seems that David & L.a. Hart’s creation has found a following that will definitely see it remaining a feature of Thursday’s for a long time to come. And the next event on the calendar (Thu 28th) may even see us gracing Gigolo with our presence, as Zach Burns is back, along with Guy Williams, a duo sure to score with the Soho social set, more info on this & much more out at http://gigolodisco.com.
Soho Society Set
Moving to Friday and the usual suspects swung into action, Onyx drawing breath before a double bill of birthday bashes at Area, celebrating 2 whole years in the business, while up in Soho, it was Society at Lo-Profile with Nick Evans & D’Johnny on the decks that reported the best turnout across a host of other venues making hay now that Barcode has closed. But it was the alternative bights that were really doing the business, all inclusive & generally gender bending gorgeousness Club Wotever, taking over The Royal Vauxhall Tavern, to celebrate its 8th birthday, very much kick starting a weekend of anniversary’s, promoter Ingo telling us that the night went down a storm, especially with the theme being “Carry On Wotever”, everybody did!! Then, sprinting across to the East End and the lads into lads club, Fitladz, made the move from Vauxhall to uber cool underground outfit East Bloc, the switch from west to east attracting a horny set of boys from far & wide, the underground nature & feel of East Bloc working really well, while another club on the move was Bodyshakers, which now finds itself at The Brixton Clubhouse with resident D.J. Steve Thomas, the unique roof top style of this south London gaff adding a new dimension to Steven Geller’s club creation. With the momentum that Friday’s gained earlier on in the year seeming to wax & wane a little, to choice of where to be & be seen has become quite diverse, but as they say, variety is the spice of life, so check out the following websites for info on happenings this coming week, http://loprofile.com, http://eastbloc.co.uk, http://thebrixtonclubhouse.com, http://thervt.org.uk. & http://fireclub.co.uk/gayparties, one highlight to watch out for will be the second in Onyx’s “Double Bill” of birthday celebrations, the club being transformed into a beach oasis & welcoming special guest P.A. Kathy Brown.
Casa Carwash Colossus
Saturday saw Vauxhall standing under the scene spotlight the most, not least that there were two birthday celebrations, club of colour Bootylicious celebrating 10 years in business, opening its doors at Colosseum & attracting many of its longstanding regulars along with some new faces too. Then there was Barcode, this venue on Albert Embankment that took the scene by storm when it launched 5 years ago, throwing an anniversary celebration that certainly packed in the punters, although having sent in our undercover reviewer, it seemed that the birthday element was a little lacking (check out our review at http://discomatt.com/web/2011/07/reviews-birthday-bamboozle-barcode-5th-anniversary-saturday-16th-july-bite-size-review/). But the plaudits for us had to go to Casa Latina, which held its second showing at Fire and had the venue absolutely rammo with a magical mix of drop dead gorgeous Latino’s, club kids, muscle hunks & everything else in between. With a Brazilian based main room D.J, team that included Leandro Kloppel, & DouGuim, it was new boy Junior Moura that really tipped our scales with a superb set, while this “Super Carwash” event saw one of the best productions in Fire we have seen, no doubt as a result of in Mauricio Ortiz influence, while the lighting in the hands of Dorn Andrei was simply spectacular. Having had so much more to say about this Casa colossus, we lauded our full review treatment on the night, which you can check out at http://discomatt.com/web/2011/07/reviews-junior-jamboree-casa-latina-super-carwash-saturday-16th-july-full-size-review/.
Homo Headliners
With Sunday set to be dominated by Lovebox, which in itself was dominated by the good old British summertime, we made our mind rule our heart, so skirted around Beyond which reported an average turnout, many of the Casa lot thinking the same as us, indeed with this third day in the music festival over at Victoria Park having a distinctly gay influence, it seemed that the world & his wife were heading east on Sunday afternoon. However, with a completely rain soaked Saturday leaving the park a Hippo’s haven, it was definitely mud, mud, hideous mud, as slipped & slided around Lovebox while the likes of The Scissor Sisters, Marc Almond, Boy George, Kelis, Robyn & The Sugarbabes performed. But the gay influence also extended to Horse Meat Disco, Trailer Trash and the highlight for us, as Circus pretty much stole the show, not least with that eight piece orchestra on stage, truly amazing. Now, we did report on our account of Lovebox with our special reflection, “Music & Mayhem In The Mud” at http://discomatt.com/web/2011/07/reviews-music-mayhem-in-the-mud-lovebox-sunday-17th-july-special-review-reflection/, while this Sunday we will be swapping the mud for the water, as Later takes to the seas, well the Thames actually, with its “Summer Boat Party” during the afternoon, while its a new club launch in the evening as Blessed takes over from Booster, more details of both coming up in the first of three Weekend Focus posts this week.
Tasty Monday Trap
Monday through Wednesday was pretty much a case of same old, same old, Popcorn riding the popularity stakes at heaven on Monday night with another packed out student affair, Citrus doing the pseudo Popcorn pre-party bit at Ku Bar, while it was eyes down for a full house at The RVT, as their final bingo session for the summer took place. Tuesday’s were given away to Vauxhall with Ashley Ryder’s “Strip Academy” at The Eagle, while Bar Wotever were still recovering from a severe birthday hangover following the clubs birthday bash the previous Friday, Wednesday being all about the fantabulous “Shinky Shonky”, Boogaloo Stu’s madcap meet gaining popularity by the week, the combination of pop-tastic music, game shows & performances making it one of the most fun-filled parties of the week. However, while it seemed business as usual for many, there was a new club launch, Lo-Profile in Soho playing host to Bear Trap, the creation of Manu Cartegenero of Cafe Ole fame, the evening attracting a smattering of scene faces supporting the launch, filling the gap left by The Cave (also a Manu creation). With D.J. residents Ben Jamin, Phil Marriott & Leonardo Glovibes rotating on a weekly basis, time will tell whether the club will survive the ravages of the current dip in the scene, but with the might of Gaydar behind it, there is no reason to suggest otherwise. For more details on these week night happenings, check out websites http://loprofile.com, http://eaglelodon.co.uk & http://ku-bar.co.uk.
10 Years On
Now to some news and this week, Thursday (28th) in fact, sees The Shadow Lounge celebrate 10 years as one of the Soho scene’s smartest & sophisticated spots with their “official” birthday party which looks like drawing in the who’s who of the gay celebrity scene, very much reflective of its first 10 years. However, with doors re-opening tonight (Monday 25th) when free (yes you heard us right) membership will be on offer, plus a 50% reduction on drinks prices, tomorrow seeing “OMFG” return, those free membership still up for grabs, while new Wednesday night affair “Balearic Beats” completes the mid-week line-up. With more info on their weekend parties coming up in our new “Bar Bites & Club Cuts” newsletter later this week, you can check on all the happenings down at the even smarter & sophisticated new era Shadow lounge at http://theshadowlounge.co.uk.
Casting our eyes forward a few months, to October actually, when The Wig Party takes London by storm once again, although with many more celebrities wanting to get in on the act, it seems the organisers are aiming high with this year’s party, a new much swankier venue already lined up (think Mayfair & you’re getting close) which will fit the bill more than Cafe De Paris. Mind you having been made privy to the details as far back as last November, we have been asked to keep it under wraps for now, although as the wig parade come pageant is likely to be bigger & better than before, the team are already asking for entrants, details along with the £30 ticket purchases available at http://wigparty.org.
Blessed In The Chapel
Now, we gave a hint towards a new club night down Vauxhall way this coming weekend, “Blessed” being joined by another the following Friday, as Fire kick back with a new men only night called “Le Boy”, the name kind of suggesting a Rudeboiz style shindig, especially when you consider that the co-promoter of this new night is Kian Lee Thompson (aka D.J. Devilish). But none of it to be honest, as the night is much more of a music & macho meet rather than the porn & filth of the former, the D.J. line-up pretty grown up too, Paul Heron, Gonzalo Rivas & Hifi Sean taking up the musical mantles for the launch next Friday (5th August). We will be combining both “Blessed” & “Le Boy” in one of those Weekend Focus reports we deluded to earlier, so keep your eyes peeled for that.
So, we are on the home straight, meaning it’s time for our moment, our track & our tweet of the week, the moment (or is that moments?!?) having to go to the “Porridge Woman”, our Alyson making us jump out of our skin at Mile End tube station on the way to Lovebox last Sunday, it coming as no surprise that Steve Pitron was behind the ploy to get us trapped in her amorous arms & stare, the tweet of the week coming from the same day, a few minutes later in fact when we said “…Disco Matt has arrived at Lovebox & is with Steve, Celso, Pabs, Jess & a very amorous Alyson who keeps undressing us with her eyes. Papa bear is scared…”. For this and many more Nibble Size review tweets, you can tune in live or simply follow us by going to http://twitter.com/discomatt.
Review Nibbling
As for our track of the week, well there were actually a handful, a couple that made it right here in the last two weeks, so we had to choose another which we hope to include in our “Autumn Arousers” podcast, that is of course if our “Summer Scorchers” release actually gets to a final pressing, two attempts already taking the ten track compilation back to the mixing board or maybe even the scrap heap. However, in the Roy Davis Jr’s hit, “Enjoy The Ride”, we have a track that not only sends superb sensations up our spine, but is really appropriate to our Sunday of fairground fun at Lovebox, the James Talk & Ridney remix so very addictive, not least the amazing vocals by Kaye Fox, the full 6 minute version available to listen to at http://youtube.com/watch?v=yL2hBGwhc4E.
Right, that’s it for another “that Was The Week That Was” review/report, leaving us to remind you that if you want us to shout out for your favourite bar, club or event that rocked & rolled in the coming week, then plaster our Facebook wall with your details at http://facebook.com/discomattlondon or drop us a line at matt@discomatt.com. As for our upcoming activity, well its Shadow Lounge’s 10th Birthday this Thursday (28th July), which means we might swoop on Gigolo & Room Service too, while Friday sees the second Onyx birthday session, definite other dates being Later’s “Summer Boat Party” on Sunday afternoon (31st July) & then new club launch “Blessed” on Sunday night. So if you see us out, come say hi, but remember it’s good to “Go There! Be There!” (DISCO MATT)
Done & Dusted
Posted in Reports, Reviews | Tags: Ben Jamin, Beyond, Blessed, Brent Nicholls, Casa Latina, Circus, David Hart, DouGuim, Gigolo, Guy Williams, Horse Meat Disco, Jamie Head, Jodie Harsh, Junior Moura, Kri Di Angelis, Ku Bar, L.a. Hart, Later, Leandro Kloppel, Lo-Profile, Lovebox, Onyx, Phil Marriott, Popcorn, Room Service, Society, Steve Pitron, Terry Vietheer, The Eagle, The RVT, Verity Mayes, Zach Burns | No Comments »
Music & Mayhem In the Mud
Now we definitely love the sunshine and coming from a country where it shines pretty much all the year round, living & breathing the outdoors was part & parcel of our weekends. So, having landed in London, we always looked forward to summers in the hope & expectation that when it came to enjoying a slice of the great outdoors, that the weather would be kind & considerate, especially at the clutch of park based & other festivals that we have come to adore over the years. However, with the unpredictability of the so-called British Summertime having rained on many a parade, the Glastonbury festival a prime soaking suspect, gay pride park parties also having their fair share of dampening downpours, we have come to expect that the weather would play a significant part in success & popularity of these outdoor events. Indeed, this year has already proven another one of those, reach for the brolly summers, recent outdoor excursions to London Pride & Summer Rites leaving us wanting for the heat & sunshine we so miss from South Africa, but with Lovebox looming, we were hoping for something a little different, not least that it was our first visit and in captivating company too, the question remaining, did the weather dominate or the event enthral?
Having heard so much about Lovebox from last year, especially the Sunday which had more & more of a gay influence than ever before, when the prospect of partying in Victoria Park presented itself to us, we grabbed it with gusto, the weather the last thing on our minds, rather that captivating company were to going to hold and the magnificent music on offer in the forefront of our thoughts. And with a line-up that included the likes of The Scissor Sisters, Blondie, Kelis, Robyn, Boy George & Marc Almond, the gay perspective gained even more prominence with the involvement of clubbing brands Circus, Horse Meat Disco & Trailer Trash along with scene stars Jodie Harsh, Kris Di Angelis, Tom Stephan, Jim Stanton, James Hillard, Mickey Most & Jonny Woo, just to mention a few. So, when the phone call came through saying “…Matt, get a Lovebox ticket for Sunday, we’re going…” we were booking a place in these prolific park proceedings without the slightest consideration for the climate. However, as the day drew closer, it was clear that we would perhaps been doing more wallowing in the mud than marvelling at the music, but how did our first Lovebox experience actually turn out? and were we left in a mucky mess or in festival fulfillance?
Wobbled By The Waltzers
Sunday started with sunshine and the hope that it would be reaping its resplendence on the righteous, yet the reality was that, having been soaked for a significant slice of Saturday, Victoria Park was sure to be much more of a mudbox, yet the prospect of dressing for the occasion not finding our favour, the only compromise being the selection of some heavier trainers to ward off the weather. With plans for our liaison with pals Steve Pitron & Celso Moura sorted and a 3 p.m. arrival agreed, we were however cautious of being caught on route by the now famed “Porridge Woman” (Alyson), although with assurances from Steve that she was waiting in the park, we felt pretty safe as we reached our tube station destination. But we should have known better, as a Pitron ploy led us straight into the amorous arms of Alyson, sending us screaming up Mike End Road, a large crowd of onlookers surely wondering what the heck was going on. However, with a truce called, we made it intact to the park, the Pitron posse swelling to six with the arrival of Pabs, entrance formalities soon over and we finding ourselves sinking into this fulsome festival, also sinking into the inevitable mud box that was Lovebox.
It was then a case of finding our bearings among the myriad of stages, stalls & stands, the temptation to dive on one of the many fairground rides by Alyson, met with resistance by the rest of us, rather the call for refreshments in the VIP area our aim. However, with the mud & sweeping showers taking the focus off the real reason for our Victoria Park visit, the conditions clearly playing a part of many people’s minds, some wearing wellies, others wrapped up in waterproofs, we skirted most of the mud that we could, arriving behind the main stage & to our exclusive arena entrance relatively intact and ready to start savouring a succession of stage appearances as well as other entertainment offerings. And, with refreshments in hand, it was back out into the mud mix of this Lovebox festival, deciding to get those fairground rides out of the way, although following a relatively sedate wheel spin, it was the next that was to claim the first Pitron posse victims, the man himself having to grace his earlier than expected exit, having been well & truly wobbled by the waltzers.
Lovebox? More Like Mudbox!
With Alyson & Jess shooting off to catch Blondie on the main stage, we soon found ourselves heading towards what was to become out highlight of this Lovebox festival, as arriving at the Circus stage, we were met with two guys literally diving & wallowing in the mud, a massive impromptu circle formed around them as they played to the crowd and caked themselves from head to toe. However the Circus showing was every bit as entertaining, Kris Di Angelis treating us to a sparkling set that was taken to the next level when he was joined by an eight piece orchestra on stage, simply superb. But with this mud never that far away, we somehow began to lose the will for lasting the Lovebox distance, even liaisons with familiar faces & friends Andrea, Stephen, & Muir not enough to keep is captivated with Circus, a trek back across the park in search of the girls eventually bearing fruit, although with a dash to catch Kelis also signalling towel throw in due to a medication moment, we left a rain & mud splattered Victoria Park to reflect on an outing that had much promise but fell short of expectations.
There is no doubt that this reflection on Lovebox is very much a personal account of our experience, although as a festival there was much on offer on this third of three days, the stars, the shows & the stages that should & could have grabbed our attention. But, as great a time we actually had, not least in the company we kept, there was no escaping the fact that the weather played a significant part in proceedings, the phrase “damp underfoot” being somewhat of a underestimation of just how slippery & muddy the park was. Yes we had fun on the fairground rides, yes we were entertained by the Circus stage & peripheral showings, but we really didn’t do Lovebox the justice it deserved, rather finding ourselves being bogged down by the mud, sometimes literally, so as a result, wandering aimlessly around the park and not able to hang our hat on any particular happening. We highly suspect that scores of people felt the same, while others had a marvellous time making the most of the magnificent music that was no doubt on offer, but we cannot say with conviction that we walked away fulfilled with this festival, while we can definitely confirm that we ended up in a mucky mess leaving us to wonder whether Lovebox will be on our cavorting calendar next year. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Reviews | Tags: Circus, Horse Meat Disco, Jodie Harsh, Kris Di Angelis, Lovebox, Steve Pitron, Tom Stephan, Trailer Trash | 1 Comment »
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