Posts Tagged ‘Jonny Woo’

Fab Festival

 

When it comes to music festivals there are some biggies of the annual calendar, Glastonbury very much setting the scene in June, while Radio One have their say right across the country throughout the summer, a firm favourite of Londoner’s being SW4, which for the last two years, we have found virtually on our doorstep, being a resident of Clapham. But while all these events tip the scales for many, there is one that seems to have gathered recent momentum & following since its launch back in 2004, Lovebox very much capturing the imagination and attracting some massive names in the music & entertainment industry in a three day festival that has grown into something quite special. And, whilst the Friday & Saturday are superb in their own rights, it is Sunday that has created a pretty gigantic gay following, this year seemingly bigger than ever, meaning we simply had to mark the occasion with our own look at this third of three days of prolific music making, entertainment extravaganza’s & outdoor offerings that will see the cream of the partying scene head for East London & a liaison with Lovebox.

 

Circus Creation

So, what sets Sunday aside from the other two day? And what can you expect by way of star players & gay tainted treats? Well, first & foremost, Sunday has the terrific title of “Out & Fierce” the added tagline of “Not Shady Just Fierce” hinting towards the offer & not the weather, that latter looking to dominates people’s minds as the day approaches, as the famed British summer seems to be rearing its ugly head. However when you consider the fabulous line up right across this third day in Victoria Park, even torrential rain doesn’t look like deterring the faithful from flocking to see the likes of The Scissor Sisters, Robyn, Blondie, Kelis, Beth Ditto, & gay crowd favourite, Marc Almond perform on the Lovebox main stage, while a host of peripheral parties will also see a gay swarm of scene faces who will care not if they get a soaking, more wanting to soak up the shows. And with some of the best alternative brands on offer, there will be plenty of choice, Jodie Harsh’s “Circus” probably one of the best fits for this third day, co-promoter Kris Di Angelis having planned a prolific stage show performance, we suspect including a sea of extravert entertainers, headlined by a special appearance by Boy George along with Mel Blatt, while Jim Warboy, Erol Sabadosh, Filthy Dukes & Fred Falke will be charging up the Circus inspired tunes, so a stage not to miss.

 

Afterparty Antics

However, the gay interest continues with Horse Meat Disco taking a significant slice of the action, Jim Stanton & James Hillard pulling in some of their big named D.J.’s to delight, including Severino & Luke Howard (aka filthy Luka – say no more), while they will be continuing the partying afterwards too, celebrating the conclusion of what is surely to be a fourth year of superb showings at Lovebox, with an afterparty back in Vauxhall, welcoming dynamic duo, Opitmo, to the Disco decks, the duo of JD Twitch and JG Wilkes being quoted as “…renowned and highly respected for their memorable and ecstatic sets. “…exhibiting a unique disregard for genres and musical restrictions in their craft, creating a nightclub experience that strikes out into territories far beyond the accepted boundaries of club music..” so should be a showing to see. But back to Lovebox itself and amazing alternative, Trailer Trash, will also be making an appearance, along with other East end alternative gay/metrosexual meets, Hot Boy Dancing & Disco Bloodbath, the latter taking up a spot in the VIP arena along with Dirtbox, the likes of Tom Stephan, Dan Beaumont, Hannah Holland, Mikki Most, Jonny Woo, Tensnake, & The Lovely Jonjo, flying the gay flag, while a special set D.J. from none other than Peaches, will surely be a main stage draw.

 

Line-up Look

So with the tremendously tempting prospect of catching all those terrific talents in action, added to which there will be scores of stages, cabaret & entertainment arena’s, circus spots and vintage bazaar banks, together with street theatre & art installation attractions , there is much on offer at this latest Lovebox festival. So, what if you haven’t yet booked and want to head out to Victoria Park tomorrow (Sun 17th July), well, while its  pretty much last minute in terms of grabbing a ticket, having just glanced at the official Lovebox website (http://lovebox.net/), there are still advanced purchases available, although, having booked, you will need to take your confirmation & relevant ID along with you, in order to pick up the tickets on the gate, while entrance on the day will be strictly limited, so we recommend booking in advance. As for further details, http://lovebox.net is the place to go, while to confirm, gates open at 12.30 p.m. with this third day of the festival running through until 10 p.m.

 

Now, it goes without saying that we will be there to review & report on it all and having kept a close eye on that all important weather, it looks like showers will dominate the day, so we will definitely be armed with an umbrella & maybe some sturdy boots as it is likely to be damp under foot. So, if you see us sliding or running around, no doubt screaming “…GET OFF ME!!…” as a gregarious girl chases us shouting “…I WANT MY PORDDIGE!!…” then stop us in our tracks & say hi, but moreover make sure you “Go There! Be There!” (DISCO MATT)

 

Hey Folks,

 Having missed out on two parties, weren’t we just glad we made the third last weekend, as Beyond “Tokyo” as a truly amazing event, probably one of the best this year so far, so it goes without saying that we gave it our full review treatment, which you can check out now at direct link http://discomatt.blogspot.com/2010/10/blog-post & don’t forget to check the postscript link to three fabulous podcasts.

 Right, moving on and the week seems to have flow by, meaning that another weekend is on our doorsteps, so it’s time once again, to weed through the offerings & pick our Best Bites for the weekend across Soho, Vauxhall & elsewhere. But before we do, this post is due to take on a new look & we will also be including a Rest Bites post too, so if you want your event, club or bar mentioned, then get your details across to discomatt@hotmail.com.

 Now to Soho and what can you expect this weekend in the capital’s premier gay hotspot? Well, Rupert Street comes top of our choices this week as the team are expanding their D.J. offer to all three nights, last Friday having seen a spectacular showing from D.J. Minx, who went down an absolute storm, even the unusually warm October weather that night not tearing them away from inside for out. This Friday (15th Oct) should see a repeat, as the team welcome Terry Vietheer to the D.J. decks, this amiable Aussie sure to serve up plenty of cool house cuts to satisfy Rupert Street discerning crowd that like their weekends warmed up with accessible house & pop. Then, Saturday sees new A:M promoter Oliver M play, he very much familiar with this slot at Soho’s premier bar & will no doubt have the place pumping all night, while resident Alessandro Londra makes it back from Istanbul just in time for a Sunday session from 8 p.m. As for Friday’s & Saturday’s, the D.J.’s get down to it from 9 p.m. & don’t forget the bar closes at midnight, further information available either via the Rupert Street Facebook page or at http://rupertstreet.com.

 Our other best bite goes to Profile & Lo-Profile, although those naughty boys & girls on Wardour Street very much led us & many astray with their advert last week, we expecting the dynamic duo of Mikey D & Steve Pitron on Friday, although, with SuperMartXe holding their pre-party at this ever increasingly popular Soho destination, a last minute change to the D.J. line up was made, Leandro Kloppel & Tony English doing their bit for Logan Schmitz & his team. So to avoid a repeat this week, we have checked out direct with the venue & can confirm Lo-Profile’s line up as Jamie Head & Paul Heron on Friday & Gonzalo Rivas & Brent Nicholls on Sat (16th Oct), the former duo also being joined by ace percussionist David H. Up in Profile & things are much more orderly, Gaydar radio’s Phil Marriot in regular situ, fizzing up your Friday’s with some heavenly house hits & latest sounds, his set being transmitted live on  radio music show clubnation, while on Saturday & after a scorching show at the annual wig party, Rob Sykes selects the sounds in this funky  bar, not forgetting that Profile is now open until 11.30 p.m. Plus, the team are pleased to introduce some tasty new dishes to their fabulous Autumn two for £10 food menu, which is well worth a look, especially if you need a fill after or even before a West End shopping spree. Further details of this great menu & much more can be found at http://profilesoho.com.

 Other shouts go to Shadow Lounge who on Friday have a special performance from one of New York’s greatest drag queens, Peppermint, joining “Therapy” foxy female D.J.’s Miswhite & Minx, while favourite Andrew Elmore returns on Saturday for a hot “Inferno” session. But Barcode also have their say as it’s the manly “Cave” night on Friday, guest D.J. Daz Saund joining the team of residents, while the busy Brent Nicholls looks after Saturday down in the club bar.

 Onto Vauxhall and The Orange Group once again hit the high notes in our Best Bites, their unstoppable juggernaut of jaunts leaving us breathless even now. “Onyx” starts your weekend as it should mean to go on with another ostentatious outing at Area, resident D.J’s Phil Marriot, Lee Harris, Lisa German, Ariel & Jason Prince mixing it up across three rooms of frolicking, new boy DouG’uim also getting in on the act with some superb sounds, this leading onto A:M at Fire on Saturday morning, new(ish) D.J. talent Norbert M celebrating his big break on the main floor, the shakeup in resident jocks seemingly going down well in some quarters, not in others, although undoubtedly the fresh new approach has been received positively. Saturday night means only one thing and that is “Hot Muscle”, this latest Lovechild outing getting out full focus at http://discomattweekend.blogspot.com/2010/10/weekend-focus-lovechild-hot-muscle, while after a truly awesome Beyond “Tokyo” last Sunday (check our review at http://discomatt.blogspot.com/2010/10/blog-post) it simply has to be on the cards again, especially having gotten all hot with those gorgeous body builders at Fire beforehand. “Later” & “Booster” do their usual thing on Sunday early, but the rest of the weekend has to go to Orange, who have a very special celebration, as it’s “RAW’s” fourth birthday, meaning the whole night will be given away to the tougher side of citric splendour. We will be honing in on the event in full, so watch this space for our upcoming Weekend Focus, although in the meantime, further info & guest list offers can be found via the following sites, http://tinyurl.com/onyxguestlists, http://evolvedevents.co.uk (A;M), http://alexerfan.com (Lovechild) http://tunyurl.com/laterguestlist & http://romainlopez.com (Booster).

 With so much domination south of the river, you would be forgiven that Vauxhall isn’t offering up much more, although there you would be wrong as The Eagle makes a fantastic alternative, Friday being sewn up with another testosterone trip with “Tonker”, special guest D.J. Mr Jones, joining the other Jones, Tim that is, for some tough muscular tunes, while on Saturday (16th Oct) “Carpet Burn” roll up for more, this week entertaining guest D.J. Prince Nelly alongside regular Martyn Fitzgerald, with Sunday never being Sunday without the horsin around antics of Horse Meat Disco, Jim Stanton & co making sure Monday remains as distant a thought as possible. More info on The Eagle & its events throughout the week can be found at http://eaglelondon.com.

 So, it’s now down to the alternatives to extend the options and The Dalston Superstore once again rises to the top like the cream in the milk, kicking off the weekend with the fabulous “Snap Crackle & Pop” on Friday (15th Oct) with a superb blend of beats, eclectic music, banging bands & delectable D.J’s, guests for this monthly outing being bands, Stop Making Me & O Children, while Harry Jones does his bit on the decks alongside some DSS regulars. Then on Saturday, resident D.J. Dan Beaumont steps into promoter boots with his new outing “Soundstage”, which showcases some of the best alternative D.J.’s on the London scene, this first outing including talents Dave Kendrick, Charlie Trevor & extra special attendee Luke Howard, all taking charge of the basement, while upstairs Jonny Woo & John Sizzle re-enact a mini Gutterball gathering, this looking like being one splendid affair indeed & was it not for our planned trip to Lovechild, we know where we would be for sure with Sunday seeing another “Tutti Frutti” session with W/Squeaky & friends sliding into the following week with consummate ease. Now, whilst there is no official website, the boys are always posting up stuff on Twitter, so why not follow them at http://twitter.com/dsuperstore plus watch this space for an Extra Bites post on upcoming birthday bash for “Body Talk” which takes place next Saturday (23rd Oct).

 Our other alternative Best Bite goes to East Bloc, who entertain yet again with “Disco Fag Bar” this Friday, the club gaining an increasing following week on week and no surprise, as not only is the name chic & cool, but the setting at East Bloc is superb, matched by the D.J’s, this week Laurent C, John Sizzle & Borja Pena sharing the plaudits, while the door is masterminded by the delights that are Kristoffer & Diego. Then, on Saturday, this Shoreditch hangout entertains night “Nancy” which tempts in the fashion end of fetishism & fancy dress who want to flirt & flaunt their wares across the three rooms of fun, the sounds served up by David TG of Torture Garden fame, Hot Mess’s Holestar & Scally DanDan in the main space, while the wild & whacky Scottee sorts out the second space with special guests & vintage pop & skool disco is the name of the game in the third room with Princess Julia in charge, Felicity Hayward adding her own vintage colour to the whole affair.

 So that’s our Best Bites picks across Soho, Vauxhall & elsewhere, further details available either via the direct web links in our post, on the events pages on social networking site Facebook, or failing that in the popular weekly press rags.

 Now, just a quick mention, as always, to tip top clubbing website SeenQueen, which has further complemented its new look with a new “What’s Hot” section detailing the hot happenings across the gAylist world, RAW’s 4th birthday & Lovechild “Hot Muscle” getting focus, plus much more. And with plenty more features besides, go check out the new look site & all its fab features at http://seenqueen.com.

 Right, that’s about it for this week and as always we wish each & every one of you a splendid weekend, whatever you are up to & wherever you are. As for us, it’s a relatively pedestrian one as we still have much to mull over away from the scene, but all being well, we will make Lovechild, Beyond & Orange, although day by day is our maxim at the moment. But if we make it out, come say hi and as we always say……Go There! Be There!

 xDM

Now, it kind of goes without saying that we all too often fall into the trap of normality (some would say mundaness) on any given weekend, the trappings of Soho & Vauxhall plus the likes of Matinee, SuperMartXe et all, very much precluding us from venturing forth to pastures more prolific. But if we boldly went where we rarely go, our journeys would take us to the alternative antics that many fill their weekends full in hip hop hangouts that Shoreditch, Hoxton & Dalston and even (yes, we know) Hackney, club nights like Paradise 45, Caligula, Pooldisco & Disco Fag Bar (we love that name) very much up there in the cutting edge stakes. And yet, while a host of venues that have sprung up in the area, supporting this diversity, hang out’s such as The Dalston Superstore, Shoreditch House, East Bloc & Basing House, it is one club that we look to when it comes to way out wackiness at its best, very much standing head & shoulders above all the recent movers & shakers.

Since its launch back in 2007, Gutterslut has been cutting it with the best of the alternative offerings, for a while very much ruling the roost out east, its success bringing on the likes of Trailer Trash & many more, the whole essence of Gutterslut being based on an eclectic mix of gays, transsexuals & metrosexuals, all up for a wonderful time in colourful yet charismatic company, with the underpin of energetic blends electro & disco tech house by D.J.’s known for their explorative sounds & cutting edge beats. Having sampled more than a slice of Gutterslut, we can be witness to just what a fun event & experience it is, the likes of Per Q.X, Elliot J Brown, Nic Fisher & co treating us to some magnificent music, while MC Crystal & the larger than life Jonny Woo entertaining us from start to finish. And all this has very much been the success of Gutterslut as an event, which would inevitably spurn some sort of annual celebration of whacky wonderment, where likeminded people would go that extra mile to dress up in pure slutty fashion, a bit like the east end equivalent of a Mayfair dinner dance, hence, the concept to call this gathering Gutterball became a reality.

So, after a hugely successful first event last year, comes Gutterball “The Second Edition”, in what looks like being a bigger & better affair than before, the team turning out a veritable feast of musical & other entertainment to thrill. Returning to the ever popular Rhythm Factory this coming Saturday (9th October), while all the latin boys may be playing down in Elephant & Castle, anyone with a slight alternative penchant will surely be joining the scores of Hoxton & Shoreditch-ites, who will be stepping put in style in Whitechapel, ready for, as the team most appropriately put it, “…another gang-bang extravaganza of whores in heels & boys on wheels…”, sounds fun before we even start. And making sure that plenty of fun will be had, comes courtesy of the wild & wonderful Jonny Woo, who may still be in recovery mode from a said recent birthday, but will surely be on top form for the troops and if there is a dancing pole anywhere near, treating us to a truck load of twists & turns for good measure. Plus, to add to the merriment, Jonny will be overseeing the annual best, or should we say, trashiest dressed up person in the house, those beady Woo eyes presiding over the judging right through the night, which means it’s time to pull out your craziest, sluttiest & most outrageous outfit to lift that coveted Dalston gay Mafia Gutterball crown.

In terms of the music, it will be equally impressive as the cavorting crowd, with all your favourite Gutterslut residents on duty for this special annual shindig, Per Q.X. no doubt blowing a trumpet or two, Elliot J Brown trading a bit of teaching for plenty of turntable trouncing, both sure to electrify with electro, tantalise with tech & delight with some cutting edge nu-disco. But Nic Fisher will be there too, along with MC Crystal on the mic to make all your Gutterslutters at home, a sample of the style of music Nic will be serving up, available at http://samurai.fm/nic-fisher/nic-does-techno-vol-1, while they will be joined in the “Rave Ballroom” by Trailer Trash’s We’re Not Cool & D.J. Mag credited Joe Roberts, completing a superb line up that will have the superb sounds sorted, signed, sealed & delivered. But, for the slightly lighter hearted in you, there is always the opportunity to check out the “Disco Ballroom” guest D.J. from Carpet Burn, Paul Burston, will join the Discoslut D.J.’s & final Gutterslut resident (amongst many others), Jon Sizzle, both this and the “rave” room awash with live visuals from Prickstrap-On, who certainly wowed the crowd last time round and are sure to repeat their success. However, the team are pleased to announce the addition of a further act to compliment the already incredibly strong line up, the amazing, A Man To Pet, creating plenty of havoc in the “Disco” Ballroom, where we expect large glittery rather that gutterly ones will be on the ball-tastic menu.

Well, all in all, this looks like being one hell of a way-out & whacky event not to be missed for those with an eye & ear for the alternative, the slightly outrageous & the downright flamboyant. So, if this is you, making a date with Gutterball “The Second Edition” should be a given and making it down to The Rhythm Factory on Whitechapel this Saturday (9th October) a done deal. But, if you haven’t secured your advance £8 ticket (bargain) yet, then you better e quick, as the news on the ground is that sales have rocketed this week and not that many are left, meaning a visit to http://ticketweb.co.uk/user/?region=gb_london&query=detail&event=410257 should be made sooner rather than later, or failing which & if you find yourselves Dalston way, pop into The Dalston Superstore, where a limited amount will be on sale, a wise move considering the door charge will be £15, such is the demand for this event, especially given the huge turnout last year.

So, forget the black tie & the cocktail dress, as Jonny is expecting much more exuberant & extravagant attire and just to get you in the mood, why not check out the special showreel video laid down by Per Q.X. following Gutterslut’s 2nd birthday at The Rhythm Factory earlier this year (link http://youtube.com/watch?v=BWCryiQUBIY) and get a cop load of the expected action for yourselves, surely tipping the scales that this will be THE place to be for you this Saturday. (DISCO MATT)

This Is Disco Matt
Who Is Disco Matt?
Disco Matt is London’s original party boy and independent journalist who previews, reviews & recommends London's best gay clubs, events & businesses, links to & reviews the scene top D.J.’s and generally covers the gay scene including international gay clubs & events.
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