Posts Tagged ‘Jc Christopher’
September 14, 2012 | 
Author We can’t quite believe its three years since Onyx emerged on the capitals clubbing circuit, having pretty much taken the scene by storm from day one, it riding the rollercoaster of unbelievable up’s & dinky doses of downs that has been the last thirty six months, tonight (Fri 14th Sept) seeing this captivating club uncork the celebratory champagne, we landing our “Pick Of The Day” choice at Onyx’s doors, all the event detail a banner selection away opposite or an image click below, while we reflect the clubs past, present & future beneath.
Has it really been just three years since Onyx opened its doors? Well, if the event PR is anything to go by then yes it has, although if we are honest it seems that this colourful & captivating club has been around for much longer, perhaps as it is now very much part of the capital’s circuit Friday furniture, it having captured the clubbing public’s imagination pretty much from the off, in its first year alone scooping a cupboard full of awards from the scene’s top brass press publications & websites. Yet under the veneer of this shiny spectacle Onyx has also had its fair share of upheavals, the club having changed promotional hands no less than three times, its original helm head falling from grace in a pretty dramatic fashion, his replacement soaring skyward in the eyes of the scene, while Onyx’s third pair of hands has had to cope with the club’s most turbulent period yet, its crowing popularity having been wrestled away by a Soho bit hitter in the form of the very popular Play>Time.
That said, along with its Orange Nation stable of running mates, brands such as Beyond, A:M, Gravity, Later & (of course) Orange, Onyx is now very much an indelible part of weekly clubbing life, surely its most notable achievement to date being the transformation of Friday frolicking and setting the standard that many others have followed. Onyx has also attracted is fair share of the cream of the gay D.J/Producer scene, figures including our Italian Stallion Pagano, super Swede Per Q.X., Gaydar Radio’s Club Nation host Phil Marriott, shining stars Jamie Hammond, Jc Christopher & Lee Harris, all gracing historic home Area’s main room decks. But moreover, the brilliant blend of upfront house into pop & commercial through tech & tribal across three spaces has been the clubs most formidable force to be reckoned with, scene icons Tasty Tim & Miss Dusty O spearheading that pop cultural revolution in Onyx’s second space, while an assortment of others including Lisa German, Ariel, Paul Christian & David Jimenez have turned the terrace room tech-tastic in Onyx’s three year time.
Then there have been the new kids on the Onyx & D.J. scene block, names such as Adam Turner & Matt Bogard, who have kept the offer fresh, while each promotional hand has played his & her part in creating a Friday phenomenon which, at its height, has knocked very hard on the door of Beyond as the biggest & best weekly around. So who have been those promotional hands? Well for much of Onyx’s history it has been Jonny marsh steering the ship, while more recently his Brighton bred sidekick Verity Mayes has held the helm, she having taken over at a pivotal moment in Onyx’s relatively short history and sees its moving from that historical home Area to the newer more compact club next door, Covert. Yet while this is a pretty substantial shift for the club, in some ways Onyx has come full circle as it marks its third birthday, as original promoter Steve Geller is very much back in the picture, heading up the main room D.J. line-up for this special celebration while we have a sneaking suspicion that he will also be re-arresting the promotional reigns back as the club sets sail into its fourth year, Mr Geller surely the one to return Onyx to the top of the Friday clubbing pile.
With that bite size reflection on the past present & future of Onyx done & dusted, let’s fill you in on a little detail of tonight’s third birthday bash which, if you have been paying attention, takes place at new home Covert, the club having waved a fond farewell to Area with its “Last Dance” affair one week ago. So, with a determined step into the future, Onyx rings in the new from 10 p.m. tonight, advance tickets priced at just £6 available online via direct link http://orangenation.clubtickets.com/gb/2012-09/14/onyx-the-third-birthday, while joint entry to A:M is just a further £6 via the same link, entry on the door a similar price while by going to http://gayguestlists.com/onyx, you can get yourselves discounted entry, a flyer also a discount option, entry before midnight having already been advertised as free (you know what to do). And in terms on the music, the Onyx team welcome special guest D.J. DMS to the new second space at Covert, alongside Tasty Tim & Lady Lloyd, while Steven Geller spins a special headline guest slot set in the main room, ability abetted by Jonny M & Matt Bogard. Plus, the go-go boys are back too and we suspect (although not in the PR) the tallest & most welcoming hostess in the land, Chrissy Darling, will be taking centre stage as usual, more info, should you need it, out via http://facebook.com/onyxlondon.
So, suffice to say, its looks like Onyx will be rocking & rolling tonight at Covert and is definitely a brilliant place to be & be seen on the scene on Friday, we hoping to make our inaugural visit to this Vauxhall venue & celebrate with Steven, Chrissy, Jonny & The Onyx crew, not forgetting the one & only Tom Fuller, so if you see us come say hi, but if not then keep your eyes peeled at http://twitter.com/discomatt for our live nibble size review tweets. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | 
Tags: Adam Turner, Area, Ariel, Covert, isa German, Jamie Hammond, Jc Christopher, Jonny Marsh, Lee Harris, Matt Bogard, Miss Dusty O, Onyx, Pagano, Paul Christian, Per QX, Phil Marriott, Steven Geller, Tasty Tim, Verity Mayes | 
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We have seen the return of Gigolo, the launch of Blitz and now Soho prepares for a third protagonist to the social soiree set, as enigmatic individual, Johnny Sparkle brings his dream of promoting a club on the capitals circuit to fruition, Disco Matt biting into the detail on Lush-Moa which storms the scene this Sunday.
Sparking Amidst The Snow
February on the capital’s clubbing circuit is usually a month for taking stock and preparing for spring, although like the shift in the global climate, it seems that a handful of individuals are rather using it to bring to budding fruition hopes & plans for long dreamed about creations. So, we have witnessed the weekly return of Gigolo at new home The Shadow Lounge, we have seen the launch of Blitz, a new bar come club at the old stomping ground of Kudos, and now we see a venue on Greek Street which is also getting in on this amazing act, the Soho scene seemingly sparkling like spring, rather than withering like winter. And in Green Carnation, we find this new protagonist within the Soho clubbing circuit, the venue a stylish spot that has been around as long as we can remember, its previous incarnation as Sanctuary pretty much responsible for the vibrant social soiree scene that we see today, Room Service just a block away heading up a long list of adventures that make this niche end of the clubbing market so appealing. But with Tuesday’s, Wednesday’s, & Thursday’s pretty much a done deal, new to the London promotions game, Johnny Sparkle, has chosen Sunday as his day of reckoning as be brings us his clubbing concept, Lush-Moi.
Johnny Jamboree
So what’s it all about Alfie? Well, the ideology behind the club night is an injection of French chic & fancy to London, Mr Sparkle looking to bring across some special Parisian players to join the band of Brits he has lined up as his D.J. residency team (more on them in a mo). However, more than that, Lush-Moi aims itself at the stylish & sophisticated Soho set, the oasis that is Green Carnation the perfect place to pull in a cosmopolitan yet classy crowd, Johnny explaining of his concept, “…imagine a sophisticated party known for its glamour, sumptuous surroundings and the most eligible crowd and you have Lush-Moi…”, he adding of our expectations, “…As soon as you walk through the doors, the sound and the atmosphere seduce you into the fabulous world of self-indulgence…” and if you have ventured into Green Carnation of late, that is pretty much what the venue offers and a feel that Lush-Moi will be extenuating through an exemplary experience. And Johnny brings a fair amount of experience to the fore in this new venture, he having organised & ran clubs & events both here in London across in France & as far away as Brazil, he being noted as saying in a recent interview, “…I am really excited to bring to the scene a French taste to energise the London 2012 clubbing scene and with the world’s eyes focussing on the capital with the upcoming Olympics, I consider this as the right time to bring the best of London’s clubbing scene to the forefront…”.
O For Outstanding
Now, with the concept capped, what’s on offer on the music front?, Well, Mr Sparkle has enlisted a team of residents that harp from his “Booster” times, the team including Sharon O Love, a terrific talent that had a huge 2011, tours of Mexico & gigs across Europe showering her schedule, he funky, upfront & tech toned house music sure to fit the Lush-Moi ethos, a selection of her sounds well worth checking out at http://soundcloud.com/dj-sharon-o-love, her music always having an uplifting feel with drenches of vocals, her latest creation for Amsterdam’s “Funhouse” probably as close to the style of sound to expect from Sharon at the launch tonight. Then there is Jc Christopher, a guy in the thick if the music industry, working for agency Milk n Sugar, while in terms of D.J.’ing he has, of course played “Booster”, he has a regular slot with Friday nighter “Onyx” and makes the occasional appearance for Soho’s Rupert St, as well as being accredited to clubbing brands that include As One, Lovechild, Later, & Salvation, while a selection of his podcast pressings, which he titles “House Mix Tapes” out at http://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/house-mix-tapes/id343071724. With other residents including La Gosse, Dan K (of Barcode & “Booster” fame) & Joz F, while there seems to be a pretty thick “Booster” vein flowing through this team, Lush-Moi & its music is very much a major departure from both Vauxhall & this former Sunday night session, perhaps the seventh day in the week, the only real association.
Every Sparkle Has A Silver Lining
So that’s the music, what about the detail?, Well, Lush-Moi launches tonight (Sun 5th Feb) at The Green Carnation (4-5 Greek St, Soho), doors opening at 7 p.m. and the club running through to a workable closing time of 1 a.m., the team tempting you in with a happy hour which runs for two, from 7 till 9, while entry is £8 (£6 with flyer, concession or ad), that pretty much summing up all you need to know, while a refresher on the detail is just a click away at http://everysparkle.co.uk/. Therefore, with us wishing Johnny & his team every success for this new Soho soiree splendour, we leave it to Mr Sparkle to sum up the event, when he says of Lush-Moi, “…think provocative, play full and witty, enjoy the experience of a delightful theatrical role play, see and feel everything that is Lush full and fabulous, when you open yourself to fantasy, your Lush-Moi comes to life…” he concluding “…let’s get Sunday’s parties started…” meaning snow or no snow Soho looks set to sparkle when Lush-Moi moseys on down into town, meaning you should definitely “Go There! Be There! (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: Dan K, Green Carnation, Jc Christopher, Johnny Sparkle, Lush-Moi, Sharon O Love | No Comments »
With the New Year weekend on our doorsteps, Disco Matt gets his Recommends act together and after revealing his plans to split his weekly newsletter into two parts, covers his “Best Bites” choices of where to be & be seen on the scene in this, part one.
Looking back over the last few weeks, nay months, if there has been one part of our writing that we have yearned for the most, it is our weekly recommends newsletter, one which has come & gone more often than a London bus, the sheer size & scale of the post meaning we have to set aside a sizeable chunk of our time, which, simply hasn’t been there of late. Yet, as we begin to draw the curtains on 2011 & welcome in 2012, we are determined to bring this much maligned newsletter back, although for sake of speed & regularity, will be splitting it into two each week, focussing on our “Best Bites” in part one (here) and our “Short Shouts” in part two., while our Weekend Focuses & Extra Bites will continue as before. So, with that revision to our newsletter made public, let’s crack on with this part, looking at our Best Bites for the New Year Weekend across Soho, Vauxhall & Shoreditch.
Pitch Of Prolific Parties
So to Soho first and we are thrilled to welcome back & be recommending Profile & Lo-Profile the creative combo on Wardour St that has really been motoring while we have been away, not least Lo-Profile, as their home-gown brand “Society” has successfully switched from Friday’s to Thursday’s, while its replacement, “Playtime”, has made hay while the sun shines on them rather than their Friday competition. And while “Society” now falls a little outside the remit of this newsletter, we still had to give tonight’s (Thurs 29th) party a mention as it features two of our favourite talents, Jamie Head & Terry Bryan , although the main focus clearly falls first on “Playtime” tomorrow night (Fri 30th), when Lovechild resident jocks Tony English & Alessandro London head up a Friday frolic that will surely include plenty of that handsome & hunky eye-candy which the club has become notorious for, this week, porn stars Kriss Aston & Will Helm flaunting their wares. Plus with host Jay Roberts also tempting the lucky ones into his backroom boudoir for some extracurricular attention, “Playtime” is very much the place to be & be seen this Friday, doors swinging open at 10 p.m. & the club running to a planned 4 a.m. finish, entry just £5 before midnight or £8 thereafter, while upstairs in Profile, our very own protégé player, Junior Moura, gets you in playful mood from 8 .30 till 11.30 p.m. more info on Lo-Profile up at http://loprofile.com.
2012 Here We Come
However, it is New Years Eve that looks like being the big one for Profile & Lo-Profile, not least that the two will be combining to make one huge venue for the night, free flowing between to two, while entry will be monitored & masterminded via the Lo-Profile door. So what can you expect from this NYE combo? Well, first & foremost, we are reliably informed that the numbers to this event will be strictly limited so as to avoid those dreadful crushes that all so often besiege these sorts of bashes, this also allowing the gorgeous hunks of bar boys (and the beautiful bar girls too) to serve you with relative speed and we have to say that, following our Christmas drinks do with The Pitron posse there last Friday, we are really digging some of the Profile new recruits, yum yum!! But we digress, so back to the party and the music, which looks like being absolutely top draw, not least that newcomer to the Profile/Lo-Profile resident team, the cheeky Steven Artis will be sorting the superb sounds along with Nathan 6, a terrific talent who impresses us on all levels (if you know what we mean!), while Nick Evans is sure to add that uplifting/upfront house feel that any New Year’s party should have, these music makers on top of the team turning out the best of their gorgeous go-go dancers to woo & wow you on the podiums downstairs, while they will be doing plenty of circulating upstairs too, just to make sure you are all entering into the spirit. Add to that special offers on bottles of bubbly to see in 2012 in style and there is no surprise why this is one prolific NYE package, doors opening at 10 p.m. and the party running through to an extended 6 a.m. finish, entry available on the door for just £10, while if you have joined or quickly join the clubs mailing list, then you may be one of the lucky ones who gets free entry, more info on this available at http://loprofile.com, while details of drinks offers & those champagne prices/listings are out at http://profilesoho.com.
Recharged & Ready
Onward to Vauxhall now and while there are quite a few contenders to our Best Bites NYE/NYD weekend crown, it has to be The Orange Group that gets knighted here, as they do have the lions share of shindigs on offer, three which have already been given extensive coverage. So, as Beyond NYD, As One & WE (not Vauxhall of course) have benefitted from their own devotions in our “Gigantic Gilded Gambit” post, we (pardon the pun) won’t go over old ground, rather focus on Later & two other Beyond offerings, the first a little known quantity as not much has been said about it in the wider press, meaning you read it here first. And it relates to Beyond, as the club & team actually ring in 2012 with the NYD event’s pre-party at Factory, bringing with it splashes of Beyond itself in the form of a handful of residents from the superstar team, while the pyro’s & effects should come close to matching the fireworks just up the river outside, added to which there will also be a special countdown to midnight to make sure you don’t miss out. Advance £10 (only) tickets are on sale online at http://orangenation.clubtickets.com/gb/2011-12/31/nye-pre-beyond-party-factory while entry will be available on the door, Factory (entrance on Goding St) opening at 10 p.m. & the club running through till a staggering 7 a.m., free entry all night offered to “Golden Ticket” holders. Then while NYD Beyond takes over, we fast forward another 24 hours as this awesome afterhours does it all again, Beyond “Recharged” kicking in as As One empties out, Area’s door opening at 7 a.m., Monday 2nd Jan and the club running through till a 2 p.m. finish. Now while the D.J. line-up remains unconfirmed as yet, names in the frame include Alan K, Jamie Hammond, The Oli, Fat Tony, Hifi Sean, Paul Christian & The Sharp Boys (well boy actually & probably George), while what we do know this that this will be a carry-on to carry on to, advance tickets at £12 available online at http://orangenation.clubtickets.com/gb/2012-01/02/beyond-recharged-the-second-comin (the early bird £10 ones are sold out), while entry will be available on the door, but expect to pay more.
Its Never To Late For Later
So that’s Beyond, now what about Later? Well, to be honest, we often overlook Later in our Weekend round-ups & focuses so we thought it high time to give it an extra special mention, not least that, having rubbed shoulders with one of its resident D.J.’s at our Christmas drinks do last week, Jamie Head reminded us of just how amazing a purple patch the club is finding itself in at the moment. And with Later on NYD having formed such an important part of our own clubbing heritage, it will come as no surprise that promoter Jay Sharp Vokins is looking to re-emulate those halcyon days (no doubt drawing us in this coming Sunday), as he draws on the towering talents of one-time regular resident Per Q.X. to headline the club’s NYD party, another D.J. icon of the clubbing scene, Guy Williams, joining him on the decks. Now, while we know Jamie will be away partying hard at Berghain in Berlin & D’Johnny cutting a WE stride in Madrid, we can guarantee that Jay will have other residents on hand, including The Oli, advance tickets (recommended) available for just £8 at http://orangenation.clubtickets.com/gb/2012-01/01/later-nyd-2012. Then, if you have the energy & stamina, like Beyond, Later has a second coming the following afternoon (Mon 2nd Jan), when the team will be doing it all again and with a strap line that shouts “We Can Do It”, Jay is certainly willing us on to do just that, especially as he welcomes special guest Jc Christopher & Leonardo Glovibes to the decks, joining an ever present Oli along with others for sure, doors opening at 1 p.m. and the event running “superlate”, while on NYD, Later’s opening times are midday till 8 p.m., further info available at http://fireclub.co.uk/gayparties.
It's Gonna Be Craaaaazy!!
So to our Shoreditch NY weekend Best Bite and it has to be Gutterslut, which holds sway on New Years Eve at its hip & happening home, East Bloc on City Rd. Now, with NYE being a Saturday, Gutterslut-ers will feel pretty much at home with their clubbing clock, while they will still have fond memories of the recent Gutterball at Rhythmn Factory in their minds & souls, so will sure want to “ave it” on Saturday night (31st Dec). And the Gutterslut crew will be giving it to them, not least as Per & Nic welcome two special guest D.J.’s who will be playing out in the “Rave” room, relative new name to the world of dance music, Birdee, the first, this emerging talent explaining of his sound “…a blend of housey beats, obscure 70s samples and wobbly b-lines…” while his latest release “Shake It” has been aired by a no less than BBC Radio 1, along with the likes of Boris Dlugosch & Tom Staar. Then, Per is thrilled to welcome feloow Swede Peo de Pitte (can’t be his real name?!) who hails from Stockholm, although (like Mr Q.X.) relocated to London a while ago, his trademark combination of big room beats and cutting edge synth’s sure to go down a storm with Gutterslut-ers, especially in the knowledge that his production work has won support from a long list of music tall poppy’s including Afrojack, Groove Armada & Roger Sanchez (wow!). With our super Swede, Per Q.X., along with Nic Fischer completing the “Rave” room line-up, over in the “Discoslut” space, it’s down to resident Ralf to keep DJ disco dudes Miltos & The Golden Fleece and Shay Malt in check, our Gutterslut man having his hands full, especially when we look at their resume’s which include the words, frenzied, hotrod, hijack & sexbag, surely meaning its going to be an absolute riot in there. Plus, with Miss MC Crystal doing her outrageous thing, with visuals supplied by both PrickImage & the Dalston Gay Mafia, need we say anymore apart from, if its alternative & outrageous antics you are after, look no further than right here, making sure you grab one of the remaining advance tickets at http://www.ticketweb.co.uk/user/?region=gb_london&query=detail&event=482048, while you may (and we say may) get entry on the door, but we highly suspect it will be one in-one out within minutes of opening at 11 p.m., the club running to a wayout & whacky 9 a.m., meaning that, in the inimitable words of Mr Fischer, “…its gonna be craaaazy!!!…” and we LOVE IT!!.
So that’s our Best Bites for this N.Y. weekend done & dusted, but hold tight for a delightful dozen of “Short Shouts” coming up, while we take the first of many opportunities to wish you a very happy New Year, our plans on hold due to the dreaded flu, although, fingers crossed, we will be better & seeing it in with some close & dear friends before the NYD onslaught. But whatever you are up to & wherever it may find you ringing in 2012, have a terrific time, naturally making sure you “Go There! Be There! (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: Alessandro Londra, Beyond, Gutterslut, Guy Williams, Jay Sharp Vokins, Jc Christopher, Junior Moura, Later, Leonardo Glovibes, Lo-Porfile, Nathan 6, Nic Fischer, Nick Evans, Per Q.X., Profile, Steven Artis, The Oli, Tony English | No Comments »
Gay's Gang Gather
Having firmly established itself as a Friday favourite & having recently celebrated its 2nd birthday, it seems that Onyx continues to ride a wave crest that shows no signs of coming into shore, new(ish) promoter Verity Meyes, having grasped what was already a winning formula and adding her own fabulous & feminine touch to the club which seems to have further broadened its appeal. And having witnessed the club for ourselves over the birthday weekend(s), the subtle changes both to the club & the crowd are actually quite noticeable, Verity’s presence very much felt at every single event. So, with a hugely successful bank holiday weekend behind the club, which played out to audiences in London & Manchester, its back to business as usual this week, although with an exciting twist, as The Orange Group’s association with Gary Henshaw’s Ku-Bar/Klub extends to Onyx, with an injection of D.J. talent from the Ku camp & a Ku themed pop room.
So, what can you expect from this “Ku Takeover” event?, Well, three room of fun for a start, as the Onyx residents will be joining forces with Ku’s established & rising stars in a marriage of musical minds that will deliver the delectable diversity that the club has become renowned. So, main room wise, its young stallions Jc Christopher & Lee Harris that take up the rhythmic reigns, charging the electrified atmosphere with upfront & uplifting house, while in the terrace its more about tech tones, as Lisa German & Ariel turbo charge the tunes, the handful or more of Balearic beats added into the mix, along with the artistic percussionist additions from Donald that give the room its own unique feel & following.
Norbert M
But it’s the pop room that sees Gary’s gang gather, Verity explaining that “…we welcome to the decks the gorgeous and super-talented winner Thanos Sak and runner up Norbert M of the Ku Bar DJ Quest. It’s a Ku Takeover as the most talked about additions to the London DJ circuit play together for the first time as DJs in their own right at a gay clubnight…”. Now, whist we haven’t heard much at all about the winner Thomas, to beat Norbert M into second place seems to indicate that he is a considerable talent, Norbert having already made a splash on the scene with gigs at Rupert St, A:M & Heaven, his podcasts very much hinting towards this emerging talents mighty mixing & & superb sound spotting qualities, his latest creation, “D.I.S.CO.” definitely worth a listen at http://norbertmik.podomatic.com/entry/2011-08-18T13_38_05-07_00. But the Ku takeover doesn’t stop there, as regular residents The Very Miss Dusty O & Lady Lloyd perform an exclusive back-to-back set that is sure to be crammed with pop paraphernalia and add that third dimension to the whole affair.
So, with the music pretty much tied up, what about the detail?, well Onyx “the Ku Takeover” kicks off tonight (Friday 9th Sept) from 10 p.m. at Area, the club running through to a planned 5 a.m, with advance tickets on sale online at http://clubtickets.com priced at just £5, while if you get your skates on & arrive before 11.30 p.m., its free. Entry after that is £6, while to get on the Onyx guestlist, simply pay a visit to http://gayguestlists.com/onyx. So, far from burning a hole in your pocket, Onyx is a great deal to start your weekend, not least as the fabulous drinks deals kick in from the off, shots at just £1 each & special prices on spirits, beers & alcopops. Plus, with Thiago Drewery’s drop dead gorgeous dancers, the simply gorgeous Chrissy Darling hosting the door & party, and as Verity rightly say’s “…you have London’s best destination Friday night party, so come & play!…”.
So, if its dynamic dancing, magical music, amazing atmospherics, prolific pyrotechnics, & exceptional effects, Onyx is definitely THE place to be & be seen in Vauxhall this Friday night, so make sure you “Go There! Be There! (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: Ariel, Chrissy Darling, Gary Henshaw, Jc Christopher, Ku Bar, Ku-Klub, Lady Lloyd, Lee Harris, Lisa German, Norbert M, Onyx, The Very Miss Dusty O, Verity Meyes | No Comments »
Beach Party Birthday
Over the last few weeks there have been a clutch of birthday celebrations in clubland London, some marking many years in existence, Rupert Street turning fifteen, Shadow Lounge ten, but one Friday nighter that in the short time it has been around, marking a mere two years, albeit that it seems it has been around for so much longer. Yet in celebrating its second birthday, it seemed appropriate that the club would spread their celebrations over two parties and make the most of the mini milestone, this time with a special beach party in recognition of the summer we should be having rather than the one we were suffering. Having savoured the first part of a birthday double bill and being remarkably surprised by the changes to Onyx from our visit a few months previously, we were still smarting from an exceptional experience and one that proved to be one of our best Friday nights out in a long while. So, we were raring to go for the second half, not least as we wanted to complete the full birthday picture.
However, with other pressing engagements that weekend, including the Later Boat Party & new club launch Blessed, those on top of unexpected personal commitments both on the Friday & Saturday, we decided to call on our “Secret Squirrel” undercover reviewer to cover the event and report back to us. Mind you given the recent controversy over our last “undercover” review of Barcode, we were a little wary, although with independent reports flying in from all quarters, just how good this second Onyx birthday bash was, we felt assured the coast would be clear for a rapturous review. The question’s are, what was this Onyx birthday double bill part two actually like? And what were the highlights for our stand-in reviewer? Well, this is what he had to say…..
Fabulous Friday
“…Hardly a Friday has gone by in recent times that I haven’t found myself walking away from Vauxhall having soaked up an Onyx event so I guess that I am a pretty good barometer for reporting on how the club has been doing, the types of crows it has been attracting and how it has benefitted from recent subtle changes. But before I touch on that, it was Onyx’s 2nd birthday part two that I was asked to report back on, the task in front of me a much easier prospect than the last, not least that Onyx is always pretty busy compared with that other place, even with all three rooms open. Plus what I always love about going to Onyx, as well as other clubs run by the Orange group, is being chatted up (in a lovely way of course) by that really friendly guy that is always either managing the queues, in & around the clubs promoting events or simply being the charming bloke that he is, tonight being no exception.
So with the friendly greeting over and a welcome by the Onyx door team just as friendly, I was into the club and enjoying the party, the decision of where to be & what to see always a difficult one as the choice is so good yet so varied. Would it be the terrace room with Ariel & Lisa German, the tech music they play I really love, or would it be the pop room, that chapel bar space in the middle with the outrageous yet brilliant Tasty Tim, or would I go for the younger flesh of Jc Christopher & the gorgeous Lee Harris (quite fancy him!) in the main room? Well you can probably guess where I ended up, but in doing so I also lucky enough to witness a brilliant set from Gonzalo Rivas who was the special guest of this Onyx second part, 2nd birthday, and while all the other D.J.’s played really well, Gonzalo was the star of the show for me, and for a packed out main room too, helped along by a fabulous show from singer Kathy Brown who performed really well too.
Outstanding Onyx
As for the rest of this Onyx birthday party, the beach theme worked really well and most of the team & staff entered into the spirit, while the dancer’s beachwear costumes were really eye catching too. But while my eyes strayed over a whole host of cute guys, the mix of the crowd & the more quality feel of the clubbers was a noticeable difference to Onyx parties of a few months ago. So I kind of guess congratulations have to go to the new promoter Verity Mayes, as well as the rest of the Onyx team, that guy out front, the hostess Chrissy Darling. For me Onyx is by far the best Friday night club around and with the welcome I had, plus all the fun once inside, I will definitely be back for more very soon. So happy birthday Onyx, I hope you are around to celebrate many more…”
Well what can we say apart from it is clear we missed another prolific party & a terrific time, leaving us a little envious that we had chosen to sit this one out. Having seen the difference new Onyx promoter Verity Mayes had made when comparing our visit a week previously with that a few months before, it is pleasing that we are not the only ones that have seen the change plain & clear. And in Onyx we have a Friday night offering that offers one of the best choices of music we know, some would say pandering to too many elements of the scene, while we see it as a magnificent move that gives the clubber the choice they deserve. As for this second half of the birthday double bill, we echo the sentiments of our secret squirrel in applauding Gonzalo Rivas for his superb showing, this terrific talent never failing to impress with prolific performances, this Onyx guest slot clearly another example of his diversity, style of sound & flair that make him one of the most sought after stars of the capitals clubbing scene. So to Onyx, many happy second returns and we are sure to be back for more a long time before you celebrate your third. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Reviews | Tags: Area, Ariel, Chrissy Darling, Gonzalo Rivas, Jason Prince, Jc Christopher, Lee Harris, Lisa German, Onyx, Tasty Tim, Verity Meyes | No Comments »
Having taken a break last weekend from our Best Bites & Short Shouts recommendations as we honed in on what proved to be the real highlight of London Pride 2011, The Fire Dance Stage, also wanting to concentrate on our post rather than pre-reporting, putting our much missed full length reviews back on the map, we return with our look forward to the highlights of the coming three days on the clubbing scene, picking out our choices of where to be & be seen. And having already laid out hat on two, we will share the links to those Weekend Focus posts, as well as running down what best & otherwise in Soho, Vauxhall & elsewhere.
Stylish Soho Spot
So, let’s get to it and have a look at the capital’s first & favourite gay village, rising like cream in a milk bottle being Profile & Lo-Profile (yes they’re here every week we know!) who are still very much talking the talk & walking the walk on a bar & club scene awash with also rans, Lo-Profile particularly proving an exciting alternative to our friends south of the river. But let’s have a look at its smaller but perfectly formed partner, Profile very much a stylish spot to kick start your weekend, not least as they offer the best combo of quality drinks & food that we know, all in swish surroundings that also sport some of the scene’s top D.J.’s as well as new talent on both Friday’s & Saturday’s to compliment the outstanding offer & warm you into taking a trip downstairs to bigger sister Lo-Profile. And this weekend looks like being another greater starter for clubbers & socialites alike, as two Profile resident favourites return to spin some superb sounds to get you moving & grooving to the bar-tastic beats, tomorrow night (Friday 8th) seeing Nathan Six dive behind the D.J. decks, no doubt still smarting from a stellar set the previous night for social splendour Gigolo’s “Fever” foray, while on Saturday (9th), it’s the turn of scene stalwart Rob Sykes to select those supercharged sounds & slide you into the dancing dervishness of downstairs. With the D.J.’s revving up the rhythms from 8 p.m., a happy hour running between 4 & 7 & plenty more on offer, go check out the bar’s website at http://profilesoho.com for more details.
Society Stars Set To Shine
So to Lo-Profile and the spotlight having been on Gigolo tonight (Thurs 7th), this Soho splendour having firmly established itself on the social soiree scene, tomorrow night it’s the turn of another glorious gathering with plenty of social style but a more clubbier edge to have that spotlight shone on it, “Society” reaching for the stars with two star D.J.’s of the scene, one of the biggest in the business, Steve Pitron kicking off proceedings from 10 p.m., no doubt treating us to a Beyond-esque performance full of all those adorable anthems & heavenly house hits we have come to love, while the cute yet capable Zach Burns makes its two nights in a row, returning to the Lo-Profile scene of the crime to lay down another stormer of a set that has made him one of the clubs shining new stars & very much a rising talent in our books, Zack taking over from Mr Pitron at 1 a.m. & carrying you through till the 4 a.m. finish. Then on Saturday, it’s the Beyond pre-party with one of this awesome afterhours former & one of current residents pointing you in the direction of Sunday morning & a date with Area, Hugh Stevenson starting off the night of musical magic, with D’Johnny fresh from WE parties last weekend in London & Madrid, caps off a superb session of sounds. Add to all that, a new night event “Bear Trap”, launching this coming Monday (11th July) with Ben Jamin & Phil Marriott in charge of the chunky tunes and there is much going on down Lo-Profile way, more details on happenings available at http://lo-profile.com
Now to some Short Shouts and first to Ku Bar on Lisle Street, who continue their D.J. talent contest tomorrow night (Fri 8th), with The Very Miss Dusty O, mistress of ceremonies, while fast forwarding to Sunday, gender bender Lady Lloyd legs its back from Trannyshack at Summer Rites to roll out another “Hit Factory” evening of pop & classic house, Monday seeing the delectable DouGuim spin the sounds at “Citric”. More info on Ku Bar & its events can be found at http://ku-bar.co.uk.
Onto Rupert St and they roll our tow of their favourites to add to resident Alessandro Londra’s regular Sunday session, tomorrow (Fri 8th) seeing foxy female D.J. Minx take to the decks, while on Saturday, Oliver M will no doubt be sharing his tales of the La Demence cruise & some new sounds he has picked up on his travels. With a revamp on its way, you can still check out the bars website for offer info by going to http://rupertstreet.com.
Finally for Soho, two quick reminders, the first being a permanent closure as Barcode graced its exit from the scene last week, new owners, Freedom, about to undertake some major refurbishments, while its a refurb of another scale across at Shadow Lounge, which gets a extensive nip & tuck from next week, closing its doors until the re-launch in time for its 10th birthday on 25th July. Watch this space for a full feature on this stylish trendsetter as it celebrates its milestone, while we will let you know more on Barcode’s successor as soon as news reaches us.
Right onto Vauxhall and firstly we cannot contain our excitement in reporting the return of Alex Erfan’s brilliant brand Lovechild, which having taken a short break is coming back bigger & better. Now we covered their “Super Heroes” event, which takes place this Saturday (9th July) in our Weekend Focus post, “From Fire To Fever”, (out & available via direct link http://discomatt.com/web/2011/07/recommends-from-fire-to-fever-lovechild-super-heroes-meets-fever-saturdays-9th-16th-july-weekend-focus-special/), while to re-enforce our details, with this post pride party just a fiver to get in & offering a host of international D.J. talent, drop dead gorgeous dancers, magnificent music & sexy shows, it has to be a must on your Saturday schedule.
Recovery Rhythms
However, while Lovechild definitely gets our vote, our Best Bite goes to the Orange Group who are holding a weekend of post pride tank you parties, starting with Onyx tomorrow night (Fri 9th July) at Area & bringing you the best in “Classic” partying, with resident D.J.’s including Lee Harris Jc Christopher, Lisa German, Ariel, Jason Prince & James St James, play uplifting house, tough tech & purist pop across three rooms of fun, new promoter Verity Meyes, has introduced two new guests to the line up, Lady Lloyd joining the pop-tastic crew in the chapel room, while the delectable DouGuim toughs it out in the in the terrace space. With all the usual luminous laser lighting, prolific pyrotechnics & exceptional effects, the entertainment also extends to vivacious vocalist, Tonnic, who takes to a specially positioned stage in the main room, performing alongside both Lee & J.c across the events proceedings Labelled as much as a “Pride Recovery” party as a thank-you, the big thank you being free entry with an ad or flyer before midnight, while this free offer also extends to anyone on the guestlist that makes it to Onyx’s doors before the witching hour, that guestlist inclusion available by going to http://gayguestlists.com. For those not sharp or quick enough to make it before midnight, it’s still worth grabbing a flyer from Tom’s boys in town, or from the man himself who will be on tireless duty into the wee hours, entrance after midnight at £6 with that flyer, while its £8 for others, that’s if you haven’t bought your advance £5 ticket online at http://area.clubtickets.com. And if those special entrance offers aren’t enough, then drinks prices at just £1 for shots & £2.90 for selected bottles should please, more info on Onyx available by going to http://fireclub.co.uk/gayparties.
Thank You Throng
Then it’s a case of looking forward to Sunday morning (10th July) as Beyond then stands under the post pride thank-you spotlight, serving up a special party, again to sat a big thank you from the team for making their “Super Pride” event the huge success it was, very much sending nearly all the other parties across the weekend sliding into the shade. Indeed, we were there to review it all, sparkling sets from both Mikey D & Steve Pitron, along with spectacular showings from a host of others including Fat Tony, The Sharp Boys & The Oli (check out our review at http://discomatt.com/web/2011/07/reviews-rapturous-return-erupts-emotions-beyond-super-pride-sunday-3rd-july-full-size-review/). As for this coming Sunday, we are expecting more of the same, The Oli & Fat Tony definitely taking charge of the terrace room, while the future house chapel space will see regular Paul Christian joined by Hifi Sean, fresh from his exploits over in Spain for Madrid Pride last weekend. As for the main room, while we are still awaiting the final line-up, but are hedging our bets on a return for Paul Heron, fresh from his La Demence cruise exploits & having played for Beyond on the boat day six, while we are flipping a coin between Messrs Dower, Rivas & The Sharp’s to pick up the other two slots on this superb shindig. Now, here’s the deal on that thank you that the team are offering and it comes with one of their best ever, as with your hands on the Beyond “Pride Thank You Party” flyer, entry before 8 a.m. is just £5, that’s a full £15 discount on the usual door price entry. However, for those not wise enough to get in on this amazing act, then advance tickets at £10 are available at outlets Prowler, Clone Zone & 50, at bars Rupert St & The Yard, as well as online at http://area.clubtickets.com, with further details available at the clubs dedicated website run by promoter Jonny Marsh at http://jonny-m.co.uk/beyond. Plus, don’t forget “Beyond On the Radio”, which sports a whole seven hours of those spectacular sets from last week’s “Super Pride” event, this being no better way to warm up for the club itself, than by tuning in at http://gaydarradio.com.
Now to some Short Shouts & we stay with The Orange Group for our first, as the team now have not one day in the week to rest as Patrick Lilley’s “Work” club runs from The Lightbox at Fire each Wednesday, completing an exhaustive line-up that also includes Gravity on Thursday’s, A:M on Saturday morning, Later Sunday afternoon, Orange Monday morning & Open on Tuesday’s, while over at Area, Beyond & Onyx are joined by Deuces on a Thursday & Booster on a Sunday night, details of all these events available at http://fireclub.co.uk/gayparties.
Our other Vauxhall Short Shout goes to The Eagle who have a full weekend on offer, Friday set aside for Tim Jones’ “Tonker”, while on Sunday its Jim Stanton & James Hillard’s “Horse Meat Disco”. But the big gun is the return of “Sugar” this coming Saturday (9th July)the iconic nineties & noughties RnB slanted shindig with headline D.J. Anthony Crank supported by the likes of Simon Allen, Lee Thomas & Simon Kilner, all with a brilliant bag of beats to barnstorm this epic event, so well worth a look in. For details of these & other events across the week, go to http://eaglelondon.com.
Fabulous Festival Fun
So to our alternatives and to the hint from our post title, as Sunday afternoon & afterwards looks set to be dominated by the return of fabulous festival Summer Rites, which holds its boutique clubbing style outdoor event “Remixed” at Shoreditch Park, we having covered the devil in the detail in our Weekend Focus post “Fantastic Festival Re-Formed” (out at direct link http://discomatt.com/web/2011/07/recommends-fantastic-festival-re-formed-summer-rites-re-mixed-sunday-10th-july-weekend-focus/), the team behind this Hoxton happening very much very much praying for some sun amidst what is a spell of vey unseasonable weather, yet will be THE place to be come Sunday afternoon. So, without doubt Summer Rites “Remixed gets our alternative Best Bite vote for this weekend, the detail laid out for all to see in our focus post. However, to recap on some of the important info, please note that online tickets while still available at http://summer-rites.com priced at £20, you will need to collect these at the entry gates, while outlets Prowler & Expectations are selling too, although only have a limited stock available, so it’s worth placing a call before you visit. Failing that, you can pay for entry at the park gates, although please ensure you have the readies with you, as card payments cannot be accepted. And just to remind you that with brilliant clubbing brands out in force including Salvation, Trannyshack, XXL, Meat, Gutterslut & Bootylicious, this is one outdoor event, brolley or not, you won’t want to miss. However, one part of proceedings we didn’t hit off in our extensive Summer Rites devotion, was the afterparty arrangements, “Encore” being the “official post festival gathering at urban warehouse venue, Village Underground, just 15 minutes away from Shoreditch Park, this party kicking off from 9 p.m. until late & sporting a D.J. line-up that includes Per Q.X, Tom Stephan, Jeffrey Hinton & Paul Coals, while entry to this event is a mere £5 with wristband, (until 11 p.m. & available in the park all day) plus £5 before 10 p.m. or £10 otherwise, more details available at http://summer-rites.com or http://eastbloc.co.uk.
So, to a couple of Short Shouts to round off our Weekend recommendations & we cannot resist serving up a double dose of “Meat”, as Tom Stephan will not only be flying this magnificent meet’s flag at Summer Rites, but the night before (Sat 9th July) will be in the thick of the action at host venue, East Bloc, along with Meat men Kris Di Angelis & James Pople, while Munroe Bergdorf & Kingsley look after room two. But while this will be a Saturday storm (more details at http://eastbloc.co.uk) Sunday will see Tom & his team serve up more Meat go-go’s, more Meat comedy/twisted porn, bigger beats from Messrs Stephan & Pople & the promise of the biggest tent in the park meaning it’s time to get your fill of Meat “Two Ways”.
Our other Short Shout goes to the return of one of the alternative clubbing scene’s greatest, as “Wig Out” comes at ya this coming Saturday (9th July), oh the choice!!!, this pop institution that was forced to close when host venue Ghetto was condemned to the bulldozer to make way for Crossrail, makes a triumphant scene resurgence at the aptly named Ghetto Factory, off Aldwych, with a special performance by none other than Pete Burns, while D.J.’s on duty will include Tommy Turntables & Lady Lloyd., added to which 2-4-1 drinks from opening at 10 p.m. for the first (happy) hour & not over £2.80 afterwards is as big a draw for some as Pete is for others.
Right, that’s just about it for another week, but a reminder that if you would like us to give your favourite bar, club or event a Short Shout, or even if you feel it deserves a Best Bite inclusion, then drop us a line at matt@discomatt.com, or send us a message via our Facebook page at http://facebook.com/discomattlondon. Plus, we will be launching a new section on our website called “Lists”, where will be popping regular brief posts detailing the all important information of those choices where DM reckons you should be & be seen on the scene, so keep your eyes peeled for more news on that.
In the meantime, we hope you like our choices here and wish you a wonderful weekend, while for us, it looks like we will be popping into “Society” at Lo-Profile tomorrow night (Fri 8th July) for a catch up with Messrs Pitron & Burns, while on Saturday, it’s a “Super Lovers” night as we will be on review duty at Lovechild, Sunday being devoted to Shoreditch Park & Summer Rites “Remixed”. So, if you see us out, come say hi, but wherever you are & whatever you do, make sure you “Go There! Be There! (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: A:M, Alessandro Londra, Area, Ariel, Beyond, Booster, D'Johnny, Deuces, East Bloc, Gonzalo Rivas, Gravity, Hifi Sean, Hugh Stevenson, James Pople, Jc Christopher, Kris Di Angelis, Ku Bar, Lady Lloyd, Later, Lee Harris, Lisa German, Lo-Profile, Lovechild Fire, Meat, Minx, Nathan Six, Oliver M, Onyx, Orange, Paul Heron, Per Q.X., Porfile, Rob Sykes, Rupert St, Salvation, Steve Pitron, Summer Rites, The Oli, The Orange Group, The Sharp Boys, Trannyshack, Wig Out, Work, Zack Burns | No Comments »
Pride 2011 The Orange Way
When we were making our gingerly steps out onto the clubbing scene some twenty years ago, Gay Pride celebrations in the capital were somewhat different to what they are today, our first ever foray being down in Kennington Park, a reasonably sedate affair which was followed by successive years at Brockwell Park, Clapham Common, Victoria Park & Finsbury Park, the big baby being Hyde Park when Pride in London was at its peak. However, sustaining such large park style events & keeping everything free proved a battle the organisers were never going to win. Add to that the surge in popularity & size of competitor pride events in Cologne & Madrid and in the last three/four years Gay Pride in London has become a shadow of its former self, although with the staging of post parade celebrations in Trafalgar, Leicester & Soho Square(s), have seen it regain some of its status in the yes of the public, the central London locale of the celebrations, taking in the gay village of Soho, seems to work well, although it has to be said that the previous park cohesion has been replaced with a more fragmented offering.
Now whilst there is no doubt that we do miss the fabulous dance tents that used to feature large in the park celebrations, we have also enjoyed the replacement dance stages at Soho Pride on a few occasions and there is no doubt that when it comes to London’s current Gay Pride set up, of the three designated square set up’s ,the dance stage is our favourite by far. However, with the this arena being consigned to Leicester Square last year, a whole load of excuses being waged by Westminster Council & the police as to why Soho Sqaure couldn’t be used, while sponsors The Orange Group made the most of a bad job, it wasn’t a patch on the dance stage’s natural home, many complaining about the overzealous security & lack of facilities, plus the feel that everything having seemingly been implemeted & orchestrated by Gay Pride’s organisers at the last minute. That said, we had a terrific time, not least being treated to a back stage pass & in so doing, hooking up with many of the D.J.’s & Orange Group top brass, this outstanding organisation digging deep into its own pockets to support Pride both morally & financially.
Outstanding Orange Offer
So, with London Gay Pride 2011 literally days away, but with there being somewhat of a hush surrounding this year’s festival, we can celebrate in the fact that not only do we have Soho Square back, but the dance stage will once again be hosted & sponsored by Fire. And furthermore, with a whole succession of peripheral parties across the weekend, it seems that London Gay Pride 2011 looks like being dominated by the “Outstanding Orange Offer”, as no less than twelve separate parties will be hosted by the group, making them the biggest single contributor to the Pride festival, Craig Elder & his terrific team very proud to play a prolific part in Pride this year. So, with so much activity, on the clubbing front at least, we thought it only fair to devote a special Weekend Focus post to all things Orange, showcasing their outstanding offer, focussing on club nights Onyx, A:M, WE Party, Beyond, Later, Orange & Open, as well as looking at The Fire Dance Stage, which centre pieces the weekend.
Head To Head Happening
So, while the Orange offer actually starts this coming Wednesday (29th June) with Patrick Lilley’s Work, then continues on Thursday (30th June) with both Deuces at Area & & Gravity at Fire, it is the “I A:M Onyx” party that gets our first full focus, the clever play on words indicating that Onyx will be going head to head with afterhours A:M, spreading across the three rooms of Area on Friday 1st July, very much the group’s main pre-pride affair and combining the tip top talents from both clubs for one night only. And looking at the line-up, it seems we will be in for a magnificent musical treat, as the main room will very much be an Onyx/A:M head to head, with Onyx residents Lee Harris, Jc Christopher, Jonny M & new promoter Verity Mayes squaring up to the might of Gonzalo Rivas & D’Johnny from A:M, making for a lavish line up, especially given given the club is open for just eight hours (we make that 70 mins each!), while it seems to be Onyx business as usual in the other two rooms, regulars Lisa German & Ariel tearing up the terrace with their tech & electro house, while Tasty Tim commands the chapel room ably assisted by Jason Price & James St James, all serving up pop-tastic tunes that make this room the popular place it is. Add to that the Onyx influence of fire eating displays & drop dead gorgeous go-go’s, while the dynamic David H adds the A:M percussionist touch to proceedings, while hosts Chrissy Darling & Glendora share the spotlight both on the door & inside the club, steering you through this spectacular showcase from start to finish. And what of that start?, well this Onyx/A:M head-to-head kicks off from 10 p.m. this Friday (1st July), with the club running through to an advertised “superlate” timing. Advance £5 tickets are on sale online at http://clubtickets.com, while if you get yourselves on the guest list by going to http://gayguestlists.com/onyx, it’s a mere £1 before midnight, while for others its £2 before & £8 after.
Soho Sqaure Smash
Onto Saturday and daytime gives way to the Fire Dance Stage in Soho Square, probably looking to prove itself as the most popular of the three, it coming as no surprise that The Orange Group will be digging deep into their reserves to serve up a colossal combination of D.J. stars & P.A. artists, this Soho arena famed for offering the best in open air clubbing, the intimate yet absorbing atmosphere of the square perfect for this post pride parade celebration & the whole proceedings in the superb & safe hands of tip tip promoter Steven Sharp. Now, having been given exclusive access to the line-up for The Dance stage, we can confirm here & now that, in terms of the D.J performances, Steve Pitron & Mikey D will be playing a special back-to-back set, with other names in the frame include Fat Tony, The Oli, D’Johnny, Jamie Head, & Jonny M, with the likelihood of further names & back-to-back sets, while The Sharp Boys will be closing proceedings around 8 p.m. As for the P.A.’s, Sonique has be confirmed and there will be an extra special guest appearing, although this is very much being kept under wraps, but we are hedging our bets on it being something to do with the word “Stronger”. Plus, we have been reliably informed that prolific percussionist David H will be on hand, along with a host of other artists to compliment the D.J.’s sets. So, with a line up like that & much more surprises in store, the Dance Stage arena will be packed with post pride party goers, although as the capacity within Soho Square will need to be limited for safety reasons, we recommend you get there early, as experience from previous years means that post 4 p.m. you will expect to find a one in one out situation, especially as entry is free, although the organisers do urge you to dig deep & make contributions however big or small, to ensure that London’s Gay pride remains a free festival. More information on this Fire hosted dance stage event can be found by going to http://freclub.co.uk &/or http://pridelondon.org.
Post Pride Party
Then, when dusk turns to dark, the choice widens to three, between “official” post pride party, Liberation, the chunky & hunky Bear Necessity & the Spanish Sensation WE Party, all things Orange very much catering for all clubbing tastes. So, let’s look Liberation first, this post pride party taking place at Fire this Saturday (2nd July), kicking off extra early at 8 p.m. with a special “Smirnoff Garden Party”, this brand one of the main pride 2011/2012 sponsors & hosting this alfresco offering across the extensive Fire outside space, with expertly made drinks served by the specially selected Smirnoff team, while relaxing ambient music will both serve as a welcome interlude from the frenetic action of the Fire Dance stage, but will also allow you to draw breath before the heated up post pride action inside, which kicks off from 11 p.m. And the Liberation line-up is very impressive, probably the strongest yet, showcasing some of the capitals best talents across four very different & diverse rooms. So what’s on offer?, well the main room will be spearheaded by Fire residents Mikey D, The Sharp Boys, Fat Tony & Lee Harris, while the second space will have a definite Onyx “Pop”, feel to it, residents Tasty Tim, Jason Prince & James St James joined by Gaydar Radio’s Alex Taylor. Then across in room three it’s all about RnB, as Queer Nation’s Big John Freeman Jeffrey Hinton & promoter Patrick Lilley take charge, the fourth space given away to the very cute Ku Bar boys & resident jock DouGuim. Plus, Fire have secured two terrific P.A.’s, Elloitte Williams, famed for the massive hit “Pride (A Deeper Love)”, while Sharlene Hector will also perform her hit “Sunshine Into My Life” and we are also told to expect a very special guest. So, with diversity very much the name of the game & Liberation attracting the glitterati of the Pride Festival, Fire looks set to host Pride’s best “official” party yet, advance tickets available online only at http://fire.clubtickets.com/gb/2011-07/02/liberation-pride-party priced at £12, with door entry at £15, those doors opening to the main event from 11 p.m. & the night running through till 6 a.m.
Hairier Area
Across at Area & it’s about chunky, hunky & funky action as big brand Bear Necessity rolls into town for a Pride special party , welcoming special gust Nick Tcherniak to the main room decks, he being joined by Bear Necessity London resident Micky Galliano, while over in the chapel room it will be all about Tonker, head honcho Tim Jones taking turns spinning the sounds with fellow bear brute Paul Coals, while Bruno Knight’s 21st Century men will be spilling the brawn, a line up of the hottest bear god go-go’s gyrating in the many podiums across both rooms, while a special stage show should set the whole event alight with action & compliment the touch tech & dance music. Add to that special host for the night, the attractive Andy Garcia , aka Dr Woof, along with a special pre-party at Tonker on Friday (1st July), Megawoof’s Tim Mcloone taking to The Eagle decks, and the all-in package advance tickets priced at just £14 are already selling like hot cakes and are available at http://clubtickets.com/gb/2011-07/02/bear-necessity-london-pride, while if you choose just the main party at Area, which kicks off at an early 9 p.m., then the £10 options are also available, while entry will be available on the door, but for more. Now, as the venue will need to prepare for the massive Beyond “Super Pride” party, Bear Necessity will run until 5 a.m. & not into Beyond as before.
Shawnee Stronger Show Stealer
However, despite these two amazing attractions, both which should draw their own crowds, there is no escaping the fact that the big party of the weekend (we reckon the second biggest) will be WE party, which, following the massive roadblock sell-out of “WE Candy”, is expected to be a repeat, this “WE Heroes” event having created a real buzz literally days after the last party. And for good reason, as it is clear this brilliant brand has taken over from where SuperMartXe left off, The Coronet proving both a popular & perfect home for the huge lighting, laser & stage installations that WE has become renowned for. So, whilst we are expecting amazing things from this latest party in terms of the stage shows & all the effects that will surely make it one of THE most prolific parties of the Gay Pride weekend, it is the music which should make this “Heroes” happening a real winner. So who can you expect to marvel you with their scintilating sounds?, well it goes without saying that Spain’s best import, Carlos Gallardo, will be making a rapturous return, WE party never quite the same without his inclusion, while he will be joined by our very own Italian Stallion, Pagano, who plays for WE in the capital for the first time & should go down a storm, especially as he seems to excel on the big stage, London WE residents Gonzalo Rivas & D’Johnny completing the current line-up. But the really exciting news for us, is the inclusion of PA Shawnee Taylor, who will no doubt be performing her massive new release “Stronger”, a track that has quickly established itself as the Pitron/DM anthem and is spreading across the dancefloors of the clubbing world like wildfire. Now, given the positioning & size of this event, we expect it to be a complete sell-out, which means you need to grab your tickets fast, advance £18 ones available online at http://wepartylondon.com, similarly priced tickets on sales at Soho outlets Prowler, Clone Zone, 50 & Solarstation, as well as The Yard, Rupert St & Profile Bar(s). However, if you leave it to get in on the doors, which open at 11 p.m., then expect to pay more & be prepared to get there early as if the last event was anything to go by, the queue will be massive, this latest WE party running through to a planned 7 a.m.
Now, as we head onto the next & what looks like the biggest party of the weekend, we suspect that many of you WE party goers will want to head to Beyond too, the terrific team headed up by Tom Fuller having laid on transport you from The Coronet to Area, the convoy of coaches leaving from 6 a.m. & setting you down at Area, all for the very reasonable price of £5. But here is the real deal clincher on this, as that £5 & coach trip will not only get you free coatcheck for up to two items, but it will also gain you fast track entry into the club, the Barcode side of this Beyond “Super Pride” party set aside for coach arrivals only. However, you will need to be in receipt of a ticket for Beyond, advance online ones at £15 available at http://area.clubtickets.com/gb/2011-07/03/beyond, while the usual outlets in Soho (see above) have tickets on sale too. However, for those of you that don’t manage either, then never fear as £20 ones will be on sale at WE, so keep your eyes peeled for Tom & his team.
All Pride Roads Lead Here
So to Beyond, all roads surely leading to Area come Sunday morning (3rd June), the road slightly widened as the club once again joins forces with Barcode to make this a super sized “Super Pride” event. Now for those of you that missed out on Beyond “Super Size” on the last Bank Holiday weekend, then prepare to be amazed & impressed with all that extra space both inside & out, Area’s & Barcode’s frontages combined to make one huge alfresco hangout from the hectic happenings inside, while the usual Beyond three dancefloors will be increased to five with the addition of Barcode’s front & back spaces. In terms of the D.J. line up, we can confirm that the following Beyond all stars will be present, the main room spearheaded by Steve Pitron, he joined by Mikey D, The Sharp Boys & Gonzalo Rivas, while The Chapel Room will sport Paul Christian & D’Johnny, The Terrace space most likely the domain of Jamie Head, The Oli & Fat Tony. However, with the additional two spaces next door to consider, names in the frame include Alessandro Londra, Ariel, Onyx’s promoter Verity Meyes & Beyond promoter Jonny Marsh, although as yet no news on any Barcode D.J.’s. Now, it has to be said that we are far from keen with the idea of a club promoter also D.J.’ing, especially as in this case, Beyond’s super size will need its promoter in the spotlight, but we suspect Mr Marsh will be drawing on additional talent to compliment the line-up, so watch this space for news on that. However, what you can expect of this “Super Pride” event is “…more space, more music, more dancers, more effects, more everything!..,” and Beyond itself will be digging into its own pockets to donate £1 per person to Pride, to keep this festival free. As for the detail, Beyond opens its doors at 6 a.m. the club running through till 1 p.m., online tickets available at http://area.clubtickets.com/gb/2011-07/03/beyond, priced at £15, along with sales at Prowler, Clone Zone 50, Rupert St & The Yard in Soho & Barcode in Vauxhall, a reminder of this & last minute detail on both Beyond & WE “Heroes” coming your way via an Extra Bites post later this week.
Helter Skelter Heaven
Next up in the all things Orange Pride weekend line-up is Later on Sunday afternoon (3rd July), who roll out one of their infamous “Funfair” parties, this Pride devoted one sure to be popular, especially if the sun is shining. With the team turning out all those fabulous funfair rides, some in miniature scale, the helter skelter is sure to prove a winner again, while the extensive outside space will be packed with revellers who will want to take respite from a sequence of parties already counting seven. But there will be no rest for the wicked inside, as promoter Jay Sharp leans on his towering residents team to turn out truck loads of tech toned tunes, with dollops of dance to delight, D.J.’s The Oli, Paul Martin, Jamie Head, & D’Johnny, sure to pack out the place, advance £8 tickets on sale online only at http://fire.clubtickets.com/gb/2011-07/03/the-later-funfair-pride-party, while entry on the door is priced at £10, although discount stamps will be on offer at Beyond, so make sure you check with Area’s door staff before you head across to Fire. Plus, all Later entrants will be able to get their hands on a free (yes free!) ticket to the “The Only Way Is Orange” Gay Pride closing party.
Orange Is The Only Way To End Pride
So that neatly moves onto Orange who, after hosting some of the biggest & most successful Bank Holiday parties this year, have been invited to officially close Gay Pride proceedings this coming weekend, opening their doors on Sunday (3rd July) at 11 p.m., the club running for a massive eight hours until 9 a.m. on Monday morning, promoter Steven Sharp & his team pulling out all the stops to make sure this is a party for Pride to be proud of. And looking at the D.J. line-up, there is lots to savour, the main room masterminded by the famed Orange “Citrus All-Star” residents Paul Martin, The Oli & The Sharp Boys, although the duo of Fat Tony & Tonnic should prove a crowd draw & pleaser too. Add to that shows from Elektra Paris & her dance troupe, while the gregarious Glendora will no doubt attract a flock of followers as she hosts like no other. But it doesn’t stop there as the Orange RAW room will be on duty too, original residents David Jimenez & Gonzalo Rivas welcoming extra special guest Nick Tcherniak to the fold, Nick making his second appearance in this special space. As for entry, it seems that if you make it to any of the Orange Group parties across the weekend & keeps your eyes closely peeled for special free entry passes, then this closing party will prove as a massive thank you for supporting the group & Pride itself. However, if not then £10 advance ticket are available online at http://fire.clubtickets.com/, while a limited number of £5 tickets will be handed out at the Fire Dance Stage post parade celebrations, standard Orange entry prices of £12 before midnight & £15 thereafter applying.
Final Pride Fling
However, whilst Orange officially closes the Pride weekend, it isn’t quite over as Tuesday morning madness Open makes a rare return to London afterhours clubbing for, in the words of the promotions team, “…the party to end all parties!…” and we highly expect that it will, especially for those that don’t have any work commitments on Tuesday (5th July), the club opening at 5 a.m. & running through to an advertised “superlate” timing, which in translation probably means 11 a.m., while this party is also aimed at those scene workers how have toiled away across the weekend, Open giving them an opportunity to let their hair down, now the hard work is behind them. As for the D.J. line up, well none other than Gonzalo Rivas will headline the neat & tidy team of talents, Mr Rivas treating us to a “classic” set that will no doubt include a mixture of the vast genre of sounds within his amazing armoury, while The Sharp Boys, George & Steven, who incidentally are co-promoting this event, will also feature, with guests yet to be announced, but possibly to include DouGuim & Fat Tony. Entry to the club is just £3 before 7 a.m. with a flyer, while for scene staff with suitable I.D., it’s just £2, the Open team out on the streets of Soho on Monday night, handing out special discount flyers, more info available at http://freclub.co.uk/gayparties.
So, that’s The Orange Group’s biggest Gay Pride weekend yet in a nutshell, well not quite a nutshell, more the most comprehensive guide you will find anywhere and testament to the fact that this clubbing company is making a massive contribution to London’s Pride Festival, both in terms of offering clubbers a complete experience from Friday through Tuesday & very much underpinning this “Outstanding Orange Offer” which includes some of the capitals best clubbing brands & artists. Therefore, it goes without saying that we will be joining Craig Elder & his team across this prolific Pride weekend of clubbing & hope that you will also “Go There! Be There! (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: A:M, Alessandro Londra, Area, Ariel, Bear Neccesity, Beyond, Carlos Gallardo, Chrissy Darling, Craig Elder, D'Johnny, DouGuim, Elektra Paris, Fat Tony, Fire, Fire Dance Stage, Glendora, Gonzalo Rivas, James St James, Jamie Head, Jason Prince, Jc Christopher, Jonny M, Jonny Marsh, Later, Leandro Kloppel, Lee Harris, Liberation, Lisa German, Micky Galliano, Mikey D, Nick Tcherniak, Onyx, Open, Orange, Orange RAW, Pagano, Paul Coals, Paul Martin, Pride, Pride London 2011, Queer Nation, Shawnee Taylor, Soho Sqaure, Sonique, Steve Pitron, Steven Sharp, Tast Tim, The Oli, The Sharp Boys, Tim Jones, Tom Fuller, Tonker, Verity Meyes, WE Heroes, WE Party, WE Party London | 1 Comment »
The bunch of bank holidays may have consumed the pockets of many, but as we move into June, the capitals clubbing scene shows no sign of taking a breather, this weekend already shaping up to be superb, with a new club launch, a brace of bargain bashes & a summer starter amongst many other offerings. So, naturally and having returned to our usual format, we have waded through the choices to decide on our Best Bites across Soho, Vauxhall & elsewhere, along with stacks of short shouts to make your decision on where to be & been seen all the easier.
So, to Soho first and it has to be Profile & Lo-Profile that grabs our Best Bite for this start of summer weekend, Profile proving the perfect retreat from the hectic happenings on Old Compton Street, Soho Square & surrounding areas, not least as the team draw on some of the best D.J. talent in town to spin the sounds each Friday & Saturday night from 8 p.m., this week being no exception, as tonight (Fri 3rd June) it’s the cute yet capable Zach Burns on the decks, a man very much in the zone right now, so
Soho's Sophisticated Spot
a set to savour for sure. Then tomorrow night, its playful tearaway Craig Daniels selecting the sounds, Saturday’s always spectacular in his hands. As for the rest of the Profile offer, having recently upgraded their menu, with lots of more substantial mains to compliment the “diner” style options, there isn’t a better place to get a bite, while their happy hour from 4 till 7 p.m. each day is a draw. Check out http://profilesoho.com for more info.
Now to Lo-Profile downstairs, which after the success of last Friday’s “Society” with Nathan 6 & Tony English tearing the place up with truck loads of tremendous tunes, this superb social soiree returns again tonight, Nathan back for a second bite at the sweet sounding cherry that he gobbled up with gusto seven days ago, while the terrifically talented Hugh Stevenson takes over at 1 a.m. to send you soaring into Saturday with stacks of superb sounds. Then, talking of Saturday, tomorrow (Sat 4th June) to be exact, Lo-Profile takes on a Beyond-esque feel as they welcome two of this amazing afterhours’ resident jocks, Gonzalo Rivas kicking off the night from 10 p.m. with bag loads of brilliant beats, while the jam in this Soho sound spectacle sandwich, Jamie Head, makes the magical music mix magnificently from 1 a.m., the Lo-Profile team celebrating Beyond going live on Gaydar Radio too, Gaydar being the driving force behind this Wardour St wonder. Check out http://lo-profile.com for more details on this sophisticated Soho spot.
Now to some short shouts & first mention goes to Ku-Bar on Lisle St, who have a full-on week as usual, which includes “O Zone” tonight (Fri 3rd)with The Very Miss Dusty O of course, while Sunday is a “Hit Factory” night with lady Lloyd, Monday sees the delectable DouGuim return for all things “Citrus”, while “Shinky Shonky” sakes tour Wednesdays. Go to http://ku-bar.co.uk for more details.
To Rupert St (the bar that is), who look like raking them in this weekend, our favourite foxy lady, D.J. Minx in the mix on the decks tonight, while tomorrow its, the superb Severino selecting the sounds, while on Sunday our Bello Italiano Alessandro Londra glides you into the new working week, more info available at http://rupertstreet.com.
Looking further into next week & both Gigolo & Room Service are back for more next week, both having reported healthy turnouts this (we were there), David & L.a. Hart’s newbie beginning to find its feet fabulously, the look of Lo-Profile last night simply superb, plus with Zach Burns headlining the event on Thurs (9th June), it should be a corker. Catch more details at http://gigolodisco,com
Room Service across the other side of Soho at Diu continues to pull in the party heads, a 25 minute wait in the queue last night, evident of that & it was pumping in there too. Jodie Harsh & her crew definitely know how to press those brilliant buttons & this coming Thursday looks no different with Horse meat Disco’s Jim Stanton starting while international playboy D.J. Paul heron follows, both turning up the tune-tastic volume. For more info on this most hip of happenings, go to http://clubroomservice.com.
Free Fire Fabulousness
Right onwards to Vauxhall and after a momentous last few days that have seen severed ties healed & fixed back together, we are delighted to return the Orange Group to its rightful Best Bites position in this club mecca of gay London. And it looks like a pretty busy one for them this weekend, tonight (Fr 3rd June), seeing Onyx in “Recovery Party” mode, this having become a bit of a post bank holiday institution, with lots of free things being thrown around, like free entry to Fire’s party tomorrow & free entry to Beyond on Sunday (more in that in a Focus post coming up), while its free to get in before midnight as long as you’re on the guest list (go to http://gayguestlists.com/onyx) D.J’s Lee Harris, Jc Christopher, Ariel, Tasty Tim, Lisa German & more masterminding the magical music. Plus with a special £5 joint ticket entry to both Onyx & A:M afterhours after, which sees Guy Williams headlining a strong line-up, available at http://clubtickets.com/gb/2011-06/03/onyx you can’t say fairer than all that. Then, to that party at Fire tomorrow (Sat 4th June), when the team open the doors free from 11 p.m. till 1 a.m., very much as a thank you for the amazing bank holiday weekend just gone, with the likes of Mikey D, Jamie Head, D’Johnny & Leandro Kloppel on D.J. duty, while the drinks are dropping (yes dropping!) in price with shots of Sambuca & Tequila at just £1 and beers plus spirit & mixers at a mere £2.90 (now that’s what we call a thank you!), the back to basics feel of this party looking like a winner from where we are standing. Of course, other stable mates Later, Booster & Orange complete the weekend wonderment with more details on all these parties available at http://fireclub.co.uk/gayparties.
To some short shouts & first a new club launch at Factory, Gaydar radio’s Phil Marriot plunging into the club promotions game with his venture “Club I”, which aims to be an inspirational, independent & iconic invent, with indie/alternative music come electro disco spread across to rooms, a live Pa & plenty more. Now, we will be bringing you a full focus on Phil’s new night very soon, but with the likes of “Hard On!, “Bodyshakers” & “Desire” all moving to this Vauxhall venue, Factory is very much up & coming, more details available at http://clubfactory.co.uk.
Venerable institution The Royal Vauxhall Tavern (RVT) is next & has another full-on weekend into week, with “Speedwagon” tonight, “Duckie” tomorrow night, “S.LA.G.S./Chill-out on Sunday, “Bingo Pub Night” on Monday, & new night “Burger Queen” on Wednesday, the latter hosted by Scottee who say’s of the night, “…it’s time for us fatties to fight back& exercise our right to be big, bold & beautiful…” so you get the drift. With burger & chips the order onf the day (or is that night) & four sizable shows, this looks like joining the iconic ranks of The RVT’s other nights , more info out at http://thervt.org.uk.
Then the Vauxhall scene is complimented by The Eagle, who also have their weekly say, “Tonker” tonight welcoming special guest jock Chris Brogan, while their “Saturday’s” cruise & booze night gives way to “Carpet Burn” this week, while it’s the iconic “Horse Meat Disco” on Sunday and Ashley Ryder’s “Strip Academy” on Tuesday. Plus with probably THE best beer garden in town, The Eagle is a great place to soak up the start to the summer sun, more info out at http://theeaglelondon.com.
East Bloc Excellence
So to some alternatives, Shoreditch certainly spearheading what looks like being a scorching summer in the capital, not least as “Summer Rites” returns to the scene, this year honing in on Shoreditch Park as the place (watch this space for a full preview), while it is promoter Wayne Shires’ hip & happening hangout East Bloc that grabs our Best Bite slot this week, the plu popular “Disco Fag Bar” kicking off their weekend tonight (Fri 3rd June) with residents Laurent C, James Phillips & yes, Wayne Shires on the decks, doors opening at 10.30 p.m. & the club running till super Saturday late. Then, moving to Saturday and the brilliant “Men Who Fell To Earth” returns, welcoming special guest D.J’s Is Tropical to the main room madness, they in fact dominating proceedings with their so called “…bass heavy, beat driven, pop influenced & lo-fi dance music…” this unique UK appearance probably your only chance to see this sound of the summer D.J. duo in action, while the way out wording of room two “Forgive me GAYLORD For I Have Synth” pretty much sums up what will be going down here. But if you are still not sure what musical magic to expect, then it’s worth taking a peek listen at http://soundcloud.com/themenwhofell2earth, while Is Tropical’s website also tells all at http://istropical.com. Plus, with dates to look forward to including the magnificent “Meat” net Saturday (11th June), go check out more info on East Bloc at http://eastbloc.co.uk where you will find directions to this City Road smash.
To our final Short Shouts for this week and first one goes to The Dalston Superstore, who have a full-on threesome, starting with “Ecstasy, Passion & Pain” tonight (Fri 3rd), while tomorrow it’s “HomoElectrc”, with “Tutti Fruitti” completing the picture on Sunday. Add to that a fabulous food offer & other entertainment during the week & this Dalston High St hangout (it’s in the name) is well worth a visit, as is their website for further details on what’s going down, a click away at http://thedalstonsuperstore.com.
Heading across to south London, if your bag is tech house, then The Brixton Clubhouse is THE place to be on Sunday (5th June) from 2 p.m. onwards, as “Get Diverted” kicks off a much anticipated monthly residency at this swanky refurbished two tier terrace triumph. And given their launch party a few weeks ago when “Get Diverted” attracted close on 200 party goers, the team are expecting great things from this upcoming event, no less than seven D.J’s & an extra special guest sorting the sounds through till the 1 a.m. (Monday morning) finish. More info on this & other events at this smart spot up above Brixton can be found by going to http://thebrixtonclubhouse.com.
Solar Soaked Sun
With our choice picks over, if you are still undecided what to do with your weekend (how can you be?!), then you can always take the advice of London’s clubbing bible, SeenQueen, who have their own hot tips on where to be & be seen on the scene, listings and much more available at http://seenqueen.com, while if you don’t get chance to lay in the sun on either Saturday or Sunday, then you can always take the easy option by diving on a Solarstation sun bed, more info out at http://solarstation.co.uk.
Right that’s it from us, apart from wishing you all a wonderful weekend, our plans pretty much on hold while we wait by the phone for news from far away, if the going is good, we may make it to “Tonker” & Club I” in Vauxhall tonight, have no plans tomorrow, but, if we are not 35,000 ft up in the air flying home, Sunday morning will see us go stratospheric at the Beyond “Summer Season Opener” with Steve Pitron & co, so if we make it out & you see us, then please come & say hi, but whatever you do & wherever it finds you, make sure you “Go There! Be There! (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: Ariel, Beyond, Booster, Carpet Burn, David Hart, East Bloc, Gigolo, Gonzalo Rivas, Horse Meat Disco, Hug Steveson, Jamie Head, Jc Christopher, Jodie Harsh, Ku Bar, Later, Laurent C, Lee Harris, Lis German, Lo-Profile, Nathan Six, Onyx A:M, Orange, Profile, Room Service, Ruper St, S.L.A.G.S./Chill-out, SeenQueen, Solarstation, Steve Pitron, Tasty Tim, The Brixton Clubhouse, The Dalston Superstore, The Eagle, The Orange Group, The RVT, Tonker, Wayne Shires, Zach Burns | No Comments »
Billed as a special thank you to everyone that had voted for the club in the recent Boyz awards, Beyond was in celebratory mood, swinging open its doors extra early at (as the title hints), midnight, the Terrace Room spilling out into The Chapel and eventually the main space. Now, given the special start & nature of this latest Beyond bash, you would have thought the team would have been prepared for the hoards that descended on Area, yet as we arrived at just shy of 4.30 a.m., we were greeted with complete pandemonium, organisational cogs in the wrong place & a free for all queue system. But saving that detail for another report, once inside, all was forgotten as Hifi Sean served up some superb sounds to get us in the right mood for what was to come, our arrival on our spot in the main room timed to perfection as Steve Pitron had just got into gear for his 2 ½ hours set stint that was simply sensational. With track after track blowing our minds and, like “Muscle” three weeks ago, sending us on an emotional rollercoaster ride of music merriment, we were yet again treated to minutes of magic standing next to the man in the D.J. booth, as he delivered an awesome mix of Rebeka Brown’s “Offshore”, neatly followed by classics “Last Forever” & the biggie “Release Me”, all three erupting tears of joy & happiness from our eyes. But it didn’t stop there as renditions from podcasts “Summer 2010” & “Afterhours 2011” left us awe inspired, the captivating company making it all the more magnificent, especially the bountiful Bailey who made a brilliant Beyond even better. Plus with a supporting cast including The Sharp Boys, Mikey D, Paul Heron, The Oli, Fat Tony, D’Johnny, Paul Christian, DouGuim, Jc Christopher & the two terrifc talents already mentioned, the music doesn’t get better than this, that statement of our last three outings proving a little flawed, as in this “Midnight” magnificence, it did get better & by a long shot. So, with so much more to say, its “ready steady go for the review” (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Previews, Reports | Tags: Beyond, DouGuim, Fat Tony, Hifi Sean, Jc Christopher, Mikey D, Paul Christian, Paul Heron, Steve Pitron, The Oli, The Sharp Boys | No Comments »
Well, what a hideous week it has been in Disco Matt land, with the ravages of a heavy flu attack having laid our last weekend to waste but also rearing a hideous & horrible ear infection that has left us writhing in agony & reeling with in-balance & hearing. Mind you, we put best foot forward on Wednesday, blowing out some cobwebs at Industri with the marvellous Minty & a very cheeky Brent Nicholls who raised more than a laugh or two with his tongue in cheek chortles over our disposition. But with the nasty infection showing little signs of abating, our weekend may well be in tatters again, although this shouldn’t stop you all from making the most of January, as there are plenty of happenings to haul you out of home & into the action, so we take a quick rundown of our Best Bites and nothing more.
First to Soho and as much as we would love to pick out somewhere else as our Best Bite, you simply can’t beat the combo of Profile & Lo-Profile in wetting your weekend with wonderment, especially given the big club feel that the sparking roving resident D.J.’s provide through their magnificent music, names like Mikey D, Brent Nicholls, Alessandro Londra & Paul Heron. And this weekend is no exception as the team follow on from where they left off last weekend, with yet another rip roaring rousing two days of tune-tastic treats, tonight (Fri 14th) seeing Steve Pitron make a welcome return to the decks, although not with usual partner in crime Mikey D, but rather another Beyond boy, the terrifically talented D’Johnny, who has made a full recovery from a nasty tooth infection and, in his own words, “…is coming to gettacha…”, his first stop being Lo-Profile. Saturday (15th Jan) sees some Beyond old time favourites (no offence lads) as Hugh Stevenson & Gonzalo Rivas rev up your evening and prepare you for a morning of audaciousness at Area, as it is the “official” Beyond pre-party at Lo-Profile which, is usually a packed out affair, meaning an early arrival is always a good move. Meanwhile Profile upstairs has really found itself and both Friday’s & Saturday’s are gaining popularity by the week, tonight (Fri 14th) seeing resident & Gaydar D.J. Phil Marriot massage the music both for the live audience & that of Gaydar Radio show ClubNation which beams live from Profile between 7 p.m. & 11.30 p.m., while on Saturday Nick Evans will rock the place with a whole host of uplifting and heavenly house that has made him so popular with the punters. Plus with an unrivalled & fabulous food offer, plus a special happy hour on both nights that includes 2 for 1 on house double spirits, at £10 a bottle & pints of Stella at £2.50, there can’t be a better reason to get your weekend party going early and choosing Profile & Lo-Profile as your choice cut in the Soho social scene, further info available at both http://loprofile.com & http://profileshoho.com.
Now to Vauxhall and yet again it’s the Orange Group that edge the competition with a truly spectacular weekend of action, encompassing brands Onyx, A:M, Beyond, Later, Booster &, of course Orange, sitting neatly in the middle being Alex Erfan’s own Lovechild, their “Snowball” event getting our Weekend Focus attention and taking place on Sat (15th), full details out at http://discomatt.com/web/2011/01/weekend-focus-surfing-snowboard-lovechild-snowball-saturday-15th-january/. As for the rest?, well Onyx is getting, what the promoter calls, an “upgrade look”, with the main room D.J. stars slightly re-aligned to include Lee Harris & Jc Christopher along with, yes you guessed it, promoter Jonny M (interesting!), while much of the rest of the line up looks the same, save for Paul Christian who joins Lisa German toughing it out in the Terrace bar. We will bring you full details of the changes in a special post coming up, but suffice to say tonight (Fri 15th) should be a corker as Booster main man , Romain Lopez, is celebrating his birthday, the boy continuing the partying at A:M, who welcome special guest Mikey D to the decks in the main room, while the likes of Fat Tony, Gonzalo Rivas, Alan K, Pier Morrocco & D’Johnny make for a brilliant blend and whilst much water has flown under the Oliver M/Disco matt bridge, we salute him for pulling round the clubs fortunes and making it the talk of the town. Leaping to Sunday and it’s a threesome of Beyond, Later & Booster, the whole weekend being polished off with another citric squeeze splendour, Steven React Sharp’s Orange carrying you deep into Monday morning in usual outrage & ostentationess. Middle of the month & a January month to boot and you may think it will be a bit quiet, but if last year is anything to go by, not at all, plus with such a great choice and the cream of the D.J. crop playing, Area & Fire will be pumping from Friday through Monday. Further details of events across the Orange group calendar can be found at http://fireclub.co.uk/fire-nightclub-london-gay-parties.php and you can also participate in their various guestlist offerings by going to http://gayguestlists/ and adding your preferred club after the slash.
Moving on and over east and with “east” being the optimum word, it is East Bloc on City Roads that pips The Dalston Superstore to our alternatives Best Bite slot, not least as its ever more popular Friday nighter “Disco Fag Bar” (DFB) is right up our street and making waves as big as a Tsunami over in Shoreditch. The brainchild on of Wayne Shires, the man behind underground club phenomenon Crash, has extended his underground roots into DFB in big style, as not only does the club combine that NYC style of basement action, but it has all the industrial feel that made Crash so popular, the main difference being that the crowd is much more mixed, some would say polysexual, we prefer metrosexual & mature in their making. And this Friday (15th Jan) looks like being a blast, as DFB goes up against UturnS , who will introduce what they aptly call as a bit of “…pop porn…” (we like it already!) mashing up electro beats, tech house & synth pop to enthralling effect, D.J.’s Non D’Script & Calemma joining birthday boy Fool V.O. on the decks. Then on Saturday DFB moves over to welcome in “Robot Disco”, the interGAYlactic & supersonic sound filled night that sports future (or Futurama to the gang) disco, and hypnotic house with a dollop of hi-NRG thrown in for good measure, this coming as no surprise when you spot the amazing Lee-Lee in a line up that includes Eat Bloc’s Laurent Chaumet & Macho City’s Dave Kendrick, all joined by special guest Rob Sykes who takes to trip to gay Shoreditch and a slot at East Bloc for the second time. Now, whilst it is not compulsory, be aware that this Shoreditch lot love a bit of dressing up, so if you fancy partaking and looking even the teeniest bit robotic, then the gang will allow you free entry, although if you are down to City Road before midnight, its free also, then a very respectable & reasonable £5, the rates being similar for DFB, more details on these & other events at East Bloc available by going to http://eastbloc.co.uk.
So, what’s happened to our other bites & recommendations?, well due to our ear infection misfortunes, we are a little late in getting the proverbial pen to paper, hence the slimline look this week. However, we have definite plans to roll out our “Rest Bites” posts very soon, so if you want a mention then get your details across to Disco Matt headquarters by e-mail at matt@discomatt.com or by popping your events details into our Facebook inbox, or even plastering them on our wall(s), that way you can guarantee a mention.
Now, that’s kind of it for this week, although no recommendation post of ours would be complete without a big up mention for tip top clubbing website SeenQueen, who have been evolving their own recommendations of late, a whole stream of posts going out in advance of ours, as well as a new listings box on their home page. So, it’s all worth checking out by going to http://seenqueen.com.
So, as we conclude our post watch this space for upcoming Focus reports on Minty’s Birthday bash at Industri, this coming on Wednesday (19th Jan), the return of Bear Necessity next Saturday (22nd Jan) and then The Week at The Coronet on Saturday 29th Jan, plus much more besides, all right here at http://discomatt.com.
All that’s left to say is, whatever you are up to and wherever the weekend will find you, have a fantastic one and whilst ours looks pretty quiet, fingers crossed we will have our ear plug at the ready for a trip to Lovechild’s “Snowball” event, followed by a brief foray to Beyond. So, if we make it and you happen to see us out, come say hi, but as we always say, Go There! Be There! (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: A:M, Alan K, Beyond, Booster, D'Johnny, Disco Fag Bar, East Bloc, Gonzalo Rivas, Hugh Stevenson, Jc Christopher, Jonny M, Later, Laurent Chaumet, Lee Harris, Lisa German, Lo-Profile, Lovechild, Mikey D, Nick Evans, Onyx, Orange, Paul Christian, Phil Marriot, Pier Morrocco, Profile Bar, Steve Pitron, Wayne Shires | No Comments »
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14 Sep 2012 | 0 Comments
Picks/Recommends – “The Boy Is Back” – Onyx “Third Birthday” – Friday 14th September – Pick of The Day/Special Focus
We can’t quite believe its three years since Onyx emerged on the capitals clubbing circuit, having pretty much taken the scene by storm from day one, it riding the rollercoaster of unbelievable up’s & dinky doses of downs that has been the last thirty six months, tonight (Fri 14th Sept) ...
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5 Feb 2012 | 0 Comments
Recommends – “Sparkling Amidst The Snow” – Lush-Moi “The Launch” – Sunday 5th February – Weekend Extra Bites
We have seen the return of Gigolo, the launch of Blitz and now Soho prepares for a third protagonist to the social soiree set, as enigmatic individual, Johnny Sparkle brings his dream of promoting a club on the capitals circuit to fruition, Disco Matt biting into the detail on Lush-Moa ...
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29 Dec 2011 | 0 Comments
Recommends – “Happy New Year Highlights” – N.Y. Weekend Best Bites – Fri 30th Dec to Mon 2nd Jan – Newsletter Part One
With the New Year weekend on our doorsteps, Disco Matt gets his Recommends act together and after revealing his plans to split his weekly newsletter into two parts, covers his “Best Bites” choices of where to be & be seen on the scene in this, part one. Looking back over ...
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9 Sep 2011 | 0 Comments
Recommends – “Gary’s Gang Gather” – Onyx “The Ku Takeover” – Friday 9th September – Weekend Extra Bites
Having firmly established itself as a Friday favourite & having recently celebrated its 2nd birthday, it seems that Onyx continues to ride a wave crest that shows no signs of coming into shore, new(ish) promoter Verity Meyes, having grasped what was already a winning formula and adding her own fabulous ...
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9 Aug 2011 | 0 Comments
Reviews – “Gigantic Gonzalo Gift” – Onyx 2nd Birthday Double Bill “Part Two” – Friday 29th July – Second Bite Size Review
Over the last few weeks there have been a clutch of birthday celebrations in clubland London, some marking many years in existence, Rupert Street turning fifteen, Shadow Lounge ten, but one Friday nighter that in the short time it has been around, marking a mere two years, albeit that it ...
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8 Jul 2011 | 0 Comments
Recommends – “Festival Fun Praying For Sun” – Weekend Best Bites & Short Shouts – Friday 8th to Sunday 10th July
Having taken a break last weekend from our Best Bites & Short Shouts recommendations as we honed in on what proved to be the real highlight of London Pride 2011, The Fire Dance Stage, also wanting to concentrate on our post rather than pre-reporting, putting our much missed full length ...
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28 Jun 2011 | 1 Comment
Recommends – “Proud To Play A Prolific Part In Pride – London Gay Pride 2011 – “Outstanding Orange Offer” – Friday 1st to Tuesday 5th July – Weekend Focus Special
When we were making our gingerly steps out onto the clubbing scene some twenty years ago, Gay Pride celebrations in the capital were somewhat different to what they are today, our first ever foray being down in Kennington Park, a reasonably sedate affair which was followed by successive years at ...
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3 Jun 2011 | 0 Comments
Recommends – “No Bed If You’re A Party Head” – Weekend Best Bites & Short Shouts – Friday 3rd to Sunday 5th June
The bunch of bank holidays may have consumed the pockets of many, but as we move into June, the capitals clubbing scene shows no sign of taking a breather, this weekend already shaping up to be superb, with a new club launch, a brace of bargain bashes & a summer ...
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10 Apr 2011 | 0 Comments
Reports – “It Does Get Better & It Did!” – Beyond “Midnight” – Sunday 10th April – Preview the Review
Billed as a special thank you to everyone that had voted for the club in the recent Boyz awards, Beyond was in celebratory mood, swinging open its doors extra early at (as the title hints), midnight, the Terrace Room spilling out into The Chapel and eventually the main space. Now, ...
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14 Jan 2011 | 0 Comments
DM Recommends – “Ear Plug At The Ready” – Weekend Best Bites – Fri 14th to Sun 16th January
Well, what a hideous week it has been in Disco Matt land, with the ravages of a heavy flu attack having laid our last weekend to waste but also rearing a hideous & horrible ear infection that has left us writhing in agony & reeling with in-balance & hearing. Mind ...
Event Review – “Bare Ches… : It would be fair to say that, over the years, we have s...posted on December 22, 2010
Recommends – “The Bel Ami… :
It hardly seems twelve months since we went str...posted on May 5, 2011
Reviews : Here you will find regular reviews of clubs, special ev...posted on October 7, 2010- Previews : Here we preview rather than review clubs & events that ...posted on October 7, 2010
- Music : Here we focus on, review and recommend the latest podca...posted on October 7, 2010
- Recommends : Here you will find recommendations for upcoming events ...posted on November 24, 2010
Reviews – “Eye-Opener Of … : Generally unplanned & unscheduled events in our clubbin...posted on March 2, 2011
Recommends – “Gay Boys In… : When the seeds were first sown on a specialist evening ...posted on April 11, 2011
Recommends – “Shoreditch … :
Having given East Bloc plenty of coverage in our We...posted on May 14, 2011- Reports : Here you will find reports & features on the latest new...posted on November 24, 2010
