Posts Tagged ‘Lee Harris’
April 13, 2012 | 
Author As the scene shakes off the hangover resulting from the biggest weekend of the year so far, some sporting the spoils of success, others simply reflecting on what could have been, time rests for no man, victorious or defeated, so the scene steps forward into April, Disco Matt picking out his top of the tree three places to be stepping out on the scene in Soho, Vauxhall & Shoreditch.
What an Easter weekend that was, a whole host of parties & events recording terrific turnouts, some very much against the form book, while others that had promised so much, failed to deliver, our own weekend reflecting that situation a thrilling Thursday followed by a phenomenal Friday, led a superb Saturday night come Sunday morning , then turned into a soggy rest of a Sunday & a manically depressive Monday (and we aren’t talking weather here folks), Room Service, Society, Play>time, A:M & Beyond our real winners, while WE “Fluro” & As One ended up condemning what could have been a brilliant “big” weekend to our own review rubbish heap. But with the winners still to reap our reflections, it’s our coming weekend recommendations that get our immediate attention, our top of tree three places to be seen on the scene this weekend, our brief look at a trio of best bites across Soho Vauxhall & Shoreditch.
So, let’s get to it and to Soho first, it coming as little or no surprise to you regular readers of our recommendations, that it is Profile & Lo-Profile that gets our Best Bite pick here, having served us superbly well not just last weekend, but for much of March (well the whole year so far to be honest), the captivating combination of bar above & club below, very hard to beat, especially as both venues continue to draw in some of the scene top D.J. names, along with fresh new talent to tantalise & tickle your musical taste buds, while with now firmly established brands that include “Society”, “Play>Time”, “ClubNation” & “Beartrap”, that along with the might of Gaydar behind them, this delightful duo look set to, once again, prove to be the places to be & be seen on the Soho scene this weekend. So, with D.J. regulars Rob Sykes tonight (Fri 13th) and Jamie Head tomorrow (Sat 14th) upstairs in Profile, both kicking off the music from 8.30 p.m. through till the 11.30 p.m. finish, it is downstairs that gets our full if but briefer best bite attention, the award winning “Play>Time” up first, prolific promoter Jay Roberts back after (it has to be said0 probably THE best event in the brands history so far, but will be pulling out all the stops to top last week, not least that he welcomes fellow award winning D.J/producer & all round good egg Steve Pitron to the decks, along with cheeky chappy & a damn fine D.J. in his own right, Steven Artis. Add to that an ashes style porn star shoot out, as Brit boy Marco Sessions squares up to Aussie hunk Tate Ryder in a go-go dance off & back room play off, Jay your referee & you ((if you’re the luck one) caught in this sexy & seductive man hunk of a scrum, further details up in our “Pick Of The Day” post at http://discomatt.com/web/?p=5087. Then, tomorrow (Sat 14th) sees the return of “ClubNation” & also the return of Lee Harris, who will be performing a specially extended five hour set very much in the vein of his similarly named House Nation podcasts, which means you can expect plenty of uplifting, chunky & euphoric house hits, Lo-Profile swinging open its doors on both nights at 10.30 p.m. & running through until 4 a.m., entry & other details available by going to http://loprofile.com.
Onto Vauxhall now and there is lots going in within The Orange Group (or is that Orange Nation?!?) who grab our Best Bites slot this weekend, not least the breaking news that Onyx has been put out to grass for a while, so leaving a pretty vacant gap in the usually hectic schedule, although very much paving the way for A;M to possibly extend its opening hours, although more news on that to follow. However, one club that is definitely extending its hours this weekend & then henceforth, is Beyond, the new starting time of 3 a.m. every week looking like a pretty popular move, although only time will tell how successful a move this will actually be, our hope however, is that it consigns the all too often “Midnight” format to just the occasional & special scheduling. Add to the a mini shake up within the team of resident D.J.’s and as of going to press, we are not sure who will be playing come this Sunday morning (15th Apr), but reckon The Sharp Boys, Alan K, Fat Tony, The Oli & Paul Christian will surely be in situ, while Steve Pitron is taking a rest this weekend after his colossal classics set last, which pretty much stole the “XLsior” show. However, one party that we can be confident about when picking the D.J. & other line up, is the “Easter Thank-You” party at Fire tomorrow night (Sat 14th), as it’s all about award winners, D.J.’s The Sharp Boys, Junior Moura & (naturally) Steve Pitron, stepping into the spotlight, while there will be plenty of other guests, including D’Johnny & Paulo Moreno, to fill out the two rooms of fun, similarly award winning hosts Chrissy Darling & Elektra Paris sharing the duty plaudits, further details on this event out at http://facebook.com/events/356254587759955/, including opening times, door prices & guest list opportunities. But with Later & Orange completing the partying picture, it is another hectic weekend of activity in both Fire & Area, whiles the new jewel in the Orange Nation crown, Covert, prepares for its launch party in three weeks, more on that coming up in a special feature.
So to the third in our trio of top of the tree choices, this time seeing us head across to Shoreditch & to East Bloc, the hip & happening hangout on City Road, masterminded by the one & only Wayne Shires, he, the venue & all the brands its sports very much flying the alternative clubbing scene flag, a stable of showings including Gutterslut, SOS, The Men Who Fell 2 Earth, Paradise 45 & Dish, while regular Friday nighter, Super Electro Party Machine, which once again opens its doors tonight (Fri 13th Apr) from 10 p.m., is a great way to get your weekend going. However, our main focus of attention goes to Saturday night (14th Apr), when our very own Shoreditch son, Kris Di Angelis, rolls out a further instalment in the already soaring success story that is his new venture, “War”, a club that has pretty much be born out of the sad passing of “Meat”, the former club collaboration between Kris & Tom Stephan. And while Tom’s new prolific project, “Dish”, was in the Shoreditch spotlight last weekend, it’s the turn of “War “ this, Kris being joined in the “Warzone” main room by Severino & Joshyouare, while over in the “Battlefield” second space, its Jodie Harsh, Munroe Bergdorf & Kingsley shooting off the sounds. Plus with hosts JJ Clark, Jonathan Beastley, Ben Kaye & Alex Palemo, not only doesn’t it have a pseudo Room Service feel about it, be you can bet your bottom dollar that of cream of the east end girl to west end boy scene set will be out to wage wonderful clubbing & socialising war tomorrow night, doors at East Bloc (217 City Rd, nearest tube Old St.) opening at 10.30 p.m. & the club running through to a planned 6 a.m. finish, entry £8 before midnight & then £12 thereafter (so get there early folks), while free entry passes will be up for grabs at the “War” pre-party at Circa in Soho tonight (Fri 13th), more details on that coming up in our Short Shouts, while further info on “war” itself can be found by going to http://facebook.com/events/404481699576795/.
Now just before we go we thought, having not yet fully paid our respects to the sad loss to the scene of the gentle giant of the club promotions game, Steve Elliot, we would mention our upcoming tribute, “Salvation Star Much Missed”, to the man behind the international success of this brilliant brand in recent years, we looking back on his clubbing career & including fellow friend’s own tributes to this untimely & premature passing. Plus, with news this week that iconic drag queen Adrella has also been taken from us, our thoughts are very much with the families of both of these much treasured & already much missed pillars of the scene and we send our sincere wishes during what can only be the most difficult time for those that were close & dear to both Steve & Peter.
Right, that’s just about it for this Best Bites newsletter, but watch out for our Short Shouts part, “Shimmering Scene Seven”, while if you happen to lay your hat on one of our three here, then it is likely you may catch us too, “Play>Time” definitely on our schedule, while we are currently clearing the decks for either Fire or “War”, so keep your eyes peeled at http://twitter.com/discomatt for the live action as it happens & as we Go There! Be There!. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | 
Tags: Area, Beyond, Chrissy Darling, ClubNation, D'Johnny, East Bloc, Elektra Paris, Fat Tony, Fire, Jamie Head, Jay Roberts, Jodie Harsh, Junior Moura, Kris Di Angelis, Later, Lee Harris, Lo-Profile, Nathan 6, Onyx, Orange, Orange Nation, Paul Christian, Playtime, Severino, Steve Pitron, Steven Artis, The Sharp Boys, Wayne Shires | 
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We finished the last year on our recommends newsletter right foot, so had to start the New Year on it too, looking at our best choices for where to be & be seen on the scene across Soho, Vauxhall & Shoreditch. But who, what & where top our tree in this part one? Well there’s only one way to find out….
Having savoured the best start to a New Year ever, our NY weekend starting with profile on the Friday & also including Beyond, WE “Safari” & As One on NYD, we are most definitely in recovery mode this coming weekend, not least as we catch up on reviews of all four events, along with our 2011 music & club special posts. However, while we may be dipping out of the scene, there is plenty on offer to tempt you out, picking out our top choices across Soho, Vauxhall & Shoreditch with all the detail you need to know along with those all important website links.
Dynamic Duo
So, with both “recovery” & “resolution” being the bywords of this weekend, we head to Soho first with our top of the tree choice going to Profile & Lo-Profile, both venues very much recovering from a hectic NY weekend, yet having stated as the mean to go on in 2012, have a sparkling line-up of D.J.’s both old & new and experienced & fresh faced, although what they all have in common is descending devotion to their art. And Profile leads the way in both venues three day weekend which starts tonight (Thurs 5th Jan), scene stalwart & swinger Brent Nicholls spinning most likely a blend of beats that includes his trademark nu-funk & disco, while on Friday its new boy to Profile Andy Mac’s turn to trip the tune fantastic, this relative unknown quantity out to prove his Profile worth. However, it is Saturday (7th Jan) that gets our biggest thumbs up as our very own protégé player, Junior (Celso) Moura takes to the decks, this following a superb showing last Friday, he hitting our magnificent mark with a majestic mound of music that packed out Profile from the 8 p.m. spinning start to the extended 11.30 finish, so is sure to do the same this weekend, bringing with him his Brazilian “biiiiicha!” bunch who make any party a carnival, not least the handsome Mhardenn Teixeira who will be celebrating his birthday (we will be there for that alone). Then you add in the drop dead gorgeous bar team, along with some of the best food the scene can offer, not to mention a drinks & cocktails list that is hard to beat and Profile is a brilliant way to both start & finish your weekend in style & sophistication, not forgetting their fab Sunday lunch, served each week from 1 p.m., further details of all these & other yummy pickings available by hitting their website link http://profilesoho.com.
Playful Porn
Then we turn to bigger sister Lo-Profile which really came into its own last year, not least helped by superb social soiree Gigolo. Yet while The Hart’s may have moved on, the legacy they have left behind means that Thursday’s in the form of home grown brand “Society” are fitting nicely into this now very popular starting night to the weekend, tonight seeing the delightful Doug Silva joins fellow Brazilian Ale Amaral on the decks, both sure to mix up plenty of Brazilian come euro-style beats with more uplifting house hits. But naturally, the weekend proper begins tomorrow night (Fri 6th Jan) with “Playtime” the saucy, sexy & steamy night hosted by the handsome & hunky Jay Roberts, a night which stepped into “Society’s” shoes just a handful of months ago, but has really transformed Friday’s, record numbers of party people making “Playtime” their preferred choice. And by starting 2012 as they mean to go on, in choosing the cute yet very capable Zach Burns as their anchor D.J., a towering talent that seems to play to enthralling excess in this exceptional event, with our Italian Bello Alessandro Londra kicking off proceedings from 10 p.m., while the eye candy by two porn stars, our own Ben Brown joined by US hunk Race Cooper, both sure to be flaunting their wares both on the podiums & in Jay’s backroom boudoir which, if you play your cards right, can be your special bonus to the bravado. Then on Saturday (7th Jan), we find international playboy D.J. Paul Heron very much in birthday mood, although earning a crust spinning some sounds along with playing & close pal Nick Evans, the two working off each other like an absolute dream, so this is one Saturday session you won’t want to miss. Now, with each night’s doors opening at 10 p.m. & running through to 4 a.m. (3 on Thur’s), entry just £5 before midnight each night & guest list options available, for more details on these nights & other happenings, go to http://loprofile.com.
Area Antics
Right to Vauxhall now and our top tree choice simply had to go to The Orange Group, although wading through the choices of parties in the rick pickings that make up their weekend schedule was pretty tricky, should it be Friday foray Onyx, the refreshed & revitalised A:M, the breathtakingly brilliant Beyond, the afternoon audacity that is Later or the club that started it all, Orange?. Well, while we could have picked on all of them, we just don’t have the room so with both “Recovery” & “Resolution” part & parcel of our post, the choice became quickly clear, Onyx getting first bite at the cherry tomorrow night (Fri 6th Jan) with their, yes you guessed it, “Resolution” party, the team certainly resolute to make 2012 a play & party hard year, starting 2012 as they mean to go on by re-introducing the very popular £1 shots as one of many glorious gambits to get you in that party mood too. And those gambits certainly extend to the music, as the team have had a little shake-up for 2012, welcoming two towering talents in the form of Hifi Sean & The Oli, both sure to pull a crowd as well as you onto the dancefloor with their brilliant beats, both being Beyond boys too which is a good enough excuse in our books. Joining them in the main room is regular Lee Harris, the pint sized powerhouse that has turbocharged tunes to match his mates, room two is all about pop with Lady Lloyd & James St James, while girl power players Lisa German & Verity Mayes steal the show in the terrace space their harder house & tougher tech tones always going down a treat. Add to & the best managed door entry in the land, masterminded by the terrific Tom Fuller, along with larger than life hostess Chrissy Darling, who will be handing out free Smirnoff Vanilla shots to the first 200 customers through those doors, that along with £2.50 drinks offers and you have plenty of excuses to make Onyx one of your first clubbing resolutions of 2012, “Resolution” kick-starting your weekend from 10 p.m., the club running through until 5 a.m., with entry free before 11.30 p.m. with flyer, ad or guest list entry (details at http://gayguestlists.com/onyx), while advance £5 tickets are available at http://orangenation.co.uk.
Recovered & Ready
So with “Resolution” covered, it’s time for “recovery” to take its turn and in Fire on Saturday (7th Jan) we have just that, as not only can we celebrate this iconic venue being well & truly back among us, we can do as they are doing when they say, “…at Fire we don’t have the January blues, rather it’s all about the good times…” the still surely smarting from those so called “good times” following the truly amazing As One, which was the busiest one yet, promoter Steven Sharp pitching the party perfectly, not least pitting Orange against Trade which ended up a marriage of minds that worked like a dream and for the second time in a week at that. So, in what has been become a post bank holiday weekend tradition, Fire will be swinging open its doors for another “Recovery” party, asking you to launch yourselves into 2012 as you mean to go on, D.J.’s The Sharp Boys, D’Johnny, & Jamie Head sure to do just that, while a yet undisclosed guest line-up will add to the superb set of sounds that will surely make this a party to pull in the punters, the lighting, the pyro’s and those sparkling stage shows courtesy of Elektra Paris & Shaun Capewell along with their drove of delectable dancers making their captivating contribution. Plus, in the spirit of caring & sharing in what is always a tight first monetary month of the year, Fire is extending their free guest list offer that usually accompanies their “Recovery” events, a simple click onto http://tinyurl.com/2012recovery sure to secure your entry although you will need to get in fast as they have, naturally, limited the free passes. Mind you, if you weren’t around at any of the NY parties & grabbed a ticket, then watch out for the boys in & around Soho this tomorrow night & Saturday, while you can always just grab a £10 ticket online or at the usual Soho outlets, the online link being http://orangenation.clubtickets.com/gb/2012-01/07/fire-new-year-recovery-party (wow what a big one!), doors opening at 11 p.m., with the event running through till 7 a.m. and don’t forget that a £10 ticket purchase will get you into Beyond for free, yippee!!!
Shoreditch Son Show
So to Shoreditch and a switch from City Road to Kingsland High Street, at it is The Dalston Superstore (DSS) that gets our Best Bite choice this weekend, and for good reason as our very own Shoreditch son, Kris Di Angelis, is treading the DSS boards on Saturday, while a firm Friday favourite also returns for another madcap meet tomorrow night (Fri 6th Jan), while no Sunday would ever be the same without a trip to “Tutti Frutti” with D.J. Squeaky & friends. But it is the other two that get our focus and Friday first as “Blondie” returns for its inaugural outing of 2012, Liz Bisoux heading up a team of Hi-NRG, electronic & disco D.J.’s downstairs, they also throwing in a bit of garage house music for good measure, while upstairs in the hands of Grizzle, its pop classics all the way, that along with the infamous “Blondie Bar Top Cabaret”, not to be missed, plus, with it being free entry all night, that’s from 9 pm. till 3 a.m., this is no bank breaker by any means. Then on Saturday Kris Di Angelis brings back the debaucherous “Delirium” to the DSS, with, as our angelic (not) Kris saying “…what better place to break your New Year’s resolutions than everyone’s favourite disco honeypot, The Dalston Superstore….” he adding of Delirium itself “…is back with quite frankly a banger of a line up…”, Kris being joined by fellow resident Jaime Ritchie, while guest jock for this outing is Ashley Beedle, all three spinning electro disco come tech. But, as with all DSS parties (well most) this is a two floor affair, upstairs being in the hands of Tony Dunne & Cathal, with special guest Ross Allen. With proceedings kicking off at 9 p.m. Kris adds, “…it’s free before 11pm (£5 after) so even if you’ve blown your load over Christmas and New Year you can still come and join the fun…” and we couldn’t have said it better ourselves, while these events aside, don’t forget that The DSS makes for a great food fuel stop off during the day too, all information on offers, menu’s & other happenings available by going to http://thedalstonsuperstore.com or by watching the boys tweets at http://twitter.com/dsuperstore.
Right, that’s it for our Best Bites on this first full weekend of 2012, but watch out for part two of our newsletter coming up next, when we Short Shout for a dozen or so delights, giving you plenty of other choices of where to lay your partying hat this weekend, whether it be in Soho, Vauxhall or Shoreditch, thereby making sure you “Go There! Be There! (DISCO MATT).
Posted in Recommends | Tags: Alessandro Londra, Area, Blondie, Brent Nicholls, Celso Moura, Chrissy Darling, D'Johnny, Delirium, Fire, Hifi Sean, Jamie Head, Kris Di Angelis, Lee Harris, Lisa German, Lo-Profile, Nick Evans, Onyx, Paul Heron, Profile, The Dalston Superstore, The Oli, The Sharp Boys, Tom Fuller, Verity Mayes | No Comments »
Globetrotting G Land In London
In times of old, Friday night clubbing was always seen as the poor cousin to Saturdays & Sundays, the lion’s share of the bigger brands on the capitals circuit choosing the latter two as their preferred options when pitching their parties, Friday very much being viewed more as the end to the working week rather than the beginning of the weekend. And whilst there were a smattering of clubs that served the scene, one side of the scale being “Camp Attack” while the other was the iconic “Fiction”, Saturday always proved a much punchier player in the partying picture, a typical week sporting heavyweights such as Action, Crash & Heaven, more latterly also including the likes of Juicy, Matinee & SuperMartXe. However, Friday’s were to take a terrific turn just over two years ago when the then promoter of this new clubbing kid on the block, Steven Geller, created a brand that pretty much took the scene by storm and with the brilliant backing of The Orange Group, coerced & then captivated an audience of admirers at host venue Area in Vauxhall.
Outstanding Onyx
Without doubt Onyx has transformed Friday night clubbing beyond recognition compared to what was on offer before it arrived on the scene, not just cementing its position as the most popular outing of any, but also welcoming a host of tip top D.J.’s as both residents & guests, the likes of Boy George, Pagano & Fat Tony having shone in the Onyx spotlight, while the club can boast a residency team that currently includes D.J. icons Tasty Tim, Lisa German & Ariel. But more than that, what Onyx offers in terms of three distinct arenas of sound, as well as one of the most mixed & up for it crowds anywhere, this rapturous recipe is certainly a winning formula and his seen this brilliant brand scoop a number of awards in its short two year history, confirming it as a popular pick among the capitals clubbing crowd, the brand even travelling up as far as Manchester & down to Brighton, spreading its wonderful word outside of London. Plus, with intrinsic inclusions in some of the biggest weekends on the clubbing circuit, as a brand, Onyx has firmly established itself of one of the best around, current promoter, Verity Mayes, continuing to build on the solid foundations cemented by her two predecessors, not least welcoming an international D.J.’ing superstar to the fold, who takes up residency tomorrow night (Friday 4th Nov).
We Do Know Who You Are
Wayne G has most certainly attained that superstar status across the globe in recent years, his career behind the decks started back in 1996 right here in London, playing to an audience of over 4000 at the infamous “Red Heart” party, although it was his residency at the then top of the pile Heaven club that made him a household name both in the capital & throughout the world, at the time this mecca of clubbing constantly in the spotlight. However, even bigger & better things were to come for Wayne, as tours across all five continents & appearances for some of the biggest festivals on the global calendar have helped secure his position as a true international star, Sydney’s Mardi Gras, San Franscico’s Folsom, Berlin’s Love Parade & The White party circuit of parties across the USA are just four among a long list of achievements, while his residency of Atlantis cruises keeps him stateside for a far proportion of the year. But Wayne’s production & re-mixing skills are also part of his prolific package, accreditations on his work reading like a who’s who of the pop world, Cher, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Kylie Minogue, Christina Aquilera & Kelis, just a handful among a long list of others. Plus with his productions seeing releases on labels such as Hed Kandi, Tommy Boy & Almighty records, there is no doubting this man’s credentials & standing within the industry, while D.J.’ing at The Grammy’s this year ranks as a huge highlight in his quite illustrious career behind the decks.
Prolific Podcast
So, given all of that, it comes as no surprise that Verity Mayes is thrilled to welcome Wayne into the Onyx fold, although this is not the first time the globetrotting Mr G has found himself in front of the clubs cavorters, his last visit to the capital seeing a spectacular showing alongside partner & music maker Stewart Who, while Wayne has been quoted as saying of his return, “…I have loved the club from the first time I played there earlier this year. This will be a great platform for me to bring my new studio sounds directly to the London dancefloor, can’t wait to rock the club again…”. And given his reputation for injecting energetic & vocally infused house music into his performances, mixing in his own productions with current floor fillers & chart topping hits, we are already anticipating a magical musical journey on Onyx’s main room floor tomorrow night, while we hope to hear some of the terrific tunes that Wayne is currently digging out of his vast vaults, as he prepares for the launch of his new digital label. However, for the uninitiated to the Wayne G style of sound, picking out his podcast page at http://wayneg.podomatic.com/ should more than adequately acquaint you in advance of his appearance at Area, the choice extending to over 10 compilations, although his “White Party Springs” mix is probably as close as you will get to a live set of his.
Colossal Combo
Now, while Wayne is clearly a fabulous feature of Onyx tomorrow night, there is much more on offer, not least as with the temporary closure of Fire, afterhours club A:M joins forces with its Friday night compatriot, making this a combination of clubs that stretches for a full twelve hours, the Onyx flag being held high by residents Lee Harris, Lady Lloyd, Lisa German, Ariel & James St James, while the A:M influence will come from D’Johnny, Fat Tony & David Jimenez, the music spread across Area’s three rooms and, in true Onyx style, serving up that distinctly different & diverse dance music, that ranges from upfront in the main room, to commercial anthems in the chapel space, through to tech grooves in the terrace. Plus with hostess Chrissy Darling doing the rounds in the club, while Tom Fuller looks after Onyx entrants & then hands over to Hrh Minty to manage the A:M adorers, this whole package is definitely one not to be missed. As for the detail, Area’s doors open tomorrow night (Fri 4th Nov) at 10 p.m., free entry available before 11.30 p.m. by going to http://gayguestlists.com/onyx, while standard £8 advance tickets for the whole event are available at http://clubtickets.com as well as at all the usual Soho outlets.
So, as we make our own return to the capitals clubbing circuit, we will be landing on this Onyx vs. A:M, event to report on it all, no doubt nibble size review tweeting through Wayne’s set, our live action from the party available by following us at http://twitter.com/discomatt, although we hope to see you on the dancefloor, meaning that if you do, come say hi, clearly making sure that you “Go There! Be There!” (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: A:M, Area, Ariel, Chrissy Darling, D'Johnny, David Jimenez, Fat Tony, Hrh Minty, James St James, Lady Lloyd, Lee Harris, Lisa German, Onyx, Tom Fuller, Verity Mayes, Wayne G | No Comments »
After a pretty topsy turvy summer season which started & ended with hospitalisation, that on top of writing prospect promises that failed to materialise, we point ourselves towards the autumn with renewed vigour, this new found furver in our footsteps seeing the return of our weekly recommends newsletter which we now plan to extend into Thursday’s as it seems the weekend does actually start here for many. Plus, while we did experiment with an all encompassing version “Bar Bites & Club Cuts”, a move dictated by a certain weekly magazine rag, now that ties have been severed, we are pleased that our best format is back & here to stay.
Fabulous Food
So, let’s crack on and take a look at Soho first, our top of the tree choice here going to Profile & Lo-Profile, that latter having seen a bit of a shuffle while we were off air, but more on that in a minute. As for Profile, well, it’s business as usual down Wardour St way, the ever friendly & gorge bar team making for the most hospitable welcome we know and with plenty of special offers up their sleeves, like the Tuesday “Steak Night”, the Wednesday “Burger Bonanza” & their exemplary Sunday roast, we couldn’t think of a better place to take a snack or even dive into their considerable menu, the lunch offer of two main courses for £10 looking particularly tempting, while it is worth noting that everything is prepared on the premises from fresh local sourced ingredients. Equally appealing is the weekend music entertainment as the bar boasts regular residents that include Jamie Head, Nick Evans, Nathan Six & Zach Burns, while this Friday (7th Oct) the team are banking on new boy James Whalley to pull in the punters, while on Saturday, regular D’Johnny is highly likely to be in WE Party mood as he warms up the WE worshipers before heading down to E&C himself. So, we think there are more than enough reasons there to entice you to pay Profile a visit sometime this weekend, not forgetting their fab happy hour which kicks in from 4 p.m. daily & now includes cocktail pitchers at just £15, further details out at http://profilesoho.com.
Naughty New Night
Now to Lo-Profile and as we touched on earlier, it’s been all change on Friday’s while we have been out of action, the weekly social splendour “Society” having given way to new night “Play Time”, this very much upping the ante on the raunchy side, with the addition of a bevy of gorgeous go-go’s, plus a roving commission of sponsors, this week seeing English Lads play host, while on the decks the exceptional experience of Jamie Head will be complimented by the fresh faced looks & music of new to Lo-Profile, Renato Porto. However, the clubs weekend will have already started thanks to Thursday night thriller Gigolo, the Hart boys David & Lambros bringing another edition of this increasingly popular boutique style brilliance, this week the theme being “Heat” and the musical heat definitely on max with man of the moment, Zach Burns, kick starting the night, Mykonos Xlsior festival superstar George Spiliopoulos jets in add to plenty of Greek heat to proceedings. Then jumping through to Saturday, Lo-Profile assumes relative normality with Nathan Six & Alessandro Londra serving up the sounds, although the weekend is far from over as Sunday (9th Oct) yet another new night hits town, as Gaydar Radio’s Phil Marriott hosts a sequence of “Secret Sunday” sessions to mark the radio station’s 10th birthday, the night kicking off from 5 p.m. with live shows each week from 6.30 p.m. from house bands, this week Just Like Little People & Ryan Keen featuring, while Mr Marriott will be jumping on the decks too. With advance tickets at just £5 on sale at http://gaydar-radio.clubtickets.com, while entry is also available on the door, this should prove a superb way to end your weekend in superb style, info on this & all happenings out at http://loprofile.com.
Meat Men
Now to a couple of Short Shouts and first, with our extension to include Thursday’s, we give a plug to Room Service, who continue to pull in scene starlets & celebs at host venue Diu, tonight (Thurs 6th) seeing D.J. duo Kris Di Angelis & Tom Stephan give the night a meaty feel ahead of “Meat” which has its monthly meet on Saturday. Also acted as WE’s pre-party, Room Service looks like being another heavenly happening, more details available at http://clubroomservice.com.
Other our Soho Short Shout goes to Rupert St who continue to pull in the punters, despite the current downturn in consumer spending, the pink pound apparently still quite buoyant, either that or a sense of escaping from reality still alive & kicking. And to help the happy mood are its resident D.J’s that play out each Friday, Saturday & Sunday, this week seeing our foxy female D.J. Minx sort the sounds on Friday, while its Alessandro Londra that steers both Saturday & Sunday, more info on the bars food & drinks offers out at http://rupertstreet.com.
Right let’s move down to Vauxhall and with the lion’s share of activity it will come as no surprise that The Orange Group get our Best Bite devotion this week, the launch of new club night Le Boy one of the more exciting prospects and one which we covered in a Weekend Focus post, all the detail out at http://discomatt.com/web/2011/10/recommends-false-start-fixed-le-boy-the-launch-friday-7th-october-weekend-focus/. But while Le Boy steals some of the Friday spotlight, Onyx have their own bite at the
Friday Fresh
cherry with their “Freshman – Class Of 2011 Freshers Party” very much aiming at drawing in those student types that are about to knuckle down to a term of study but need a Friday fling to get them in the mood, D.J.’s Jonny M & Lee Harris pumping the main room, while Onyx’s own Verity Mayes joins Lisa German & Ariel in The Terrace, The Chapel space all about pop with Lady Lloyd & James St James. Jumping to Sunday and, as usual, all roads will lead to beyond, not least tempting those WE Party boys & girls that want to continue their cavorting, this weekend marking the resplendent return of Beyond’s very own Steve Pitron which can only mean one thing for us, yes you guessed it, that emotional rollercoaster ride, so watch this space for a special Extra Bites post due out on Saturday morning devoted to Steve’s return. But the offer across the weekend also includes Gravity tonight (Thurs 6th Oct), Later on Sunday & Orange on Monday morning, although Booster no longer takes place & Saturday will be given away to WE (more on that in a min). Full details of all these parties can of course be found by going to http://fireclub.co.uk/gayparties, as well as adding your preferred club option to http://gayguestlists.com while http://clubtickets.com is also worth a trawl for advance tickets & event details. However, how could we forget Queer Nation who celebrate their 21st birthday on Saturday (8th Oct), pretty much a record on the scene, Fire the venue where it all happens, our second Extra Bites post of the week devoted to this momentous occasion, so watch this space for that.
Sunday Sensation
To a couple of Short Shouts now and the venerable institution that is The Royal Vauxhall Tavern (The RVT) getting our first shout, a weekend packed with entertainment kicking off with “Rooster” on Friday (7th Oct), a night for “…art makers & bedroom porn stars…” and with Jonjo & Timberlina in the driving seat, anything could happen, while regulars “Duckie” on Saturday & “S.LA.G.S./Chill-out” on Sunday will surely find their fabulous followers, more info on the full seven days of activity available by going to http://thervt.org.uk.
For our second Short Shout we venture just down Kennington Lane where we find The Eagle who also have a weekend full of engrossing events, the manly “Tonker” on Friday & the madcap “Horse Meat Disco” on Sunday (9th Oct) sandwiching new(is) night “Goodfellas” on Saturday, a our foursome of fella’s on the D.J. decks sure to hit the mark, Leonardo Glovibes, Micky Galliano & Severino being joined by Nico de Ceglia, plenty of Italian & Latin influence sure to pump up some passionate action in this raunchy resting place, further details of all three nights out at http://eaglelondon.com.
Now, moving onto our alternative choices and whilst not alternative in nature, given its location in Elephant & Castle, WE Party certainly sits here in our rundown of happenings, their “I Love WE” event taking place on Saturday (8th Oct), our Weekend Focus post “Banking On Brand Buoyancy” telling all at http://discomatt.com/web/2011/10/recommends-banking-on-brand-buoyancy-we-party-london-i-love-we-saturday-8th-october-weekend-focus/, leaving a clear path to Shoreditch splendour, East Bloc, to grab our Best Bite slot. And for good reason too, as not only did the venue celebrate its first full year in
Hankies At the Ready
operation last Friday, no mean feat in the tricky trading tide its finds itself within, but with big brand Gutterslut now firmly established at this Old Street operation, the venue’s owner & promoter, Wayne Shires, couldn’t be happier, a chance meet on the street just yesterday confirming that. But this weekend, it’s all about another brilliant brand which East Bloc boasts and one home-grown at that, as the magnificence of “Meat” returns for another of its monthly sessions, the theme this time round being “Hanky Panky”, not that they really needed to as plenty of that goes on usually anyway. However, as co-promoter Kris Di Angelis explained to us, “…the deal is that we hand you a hanky and then you have to do whatever the hanky say’s that you are into…”, which in our case could include a multitude of sins, but will certainly throw plenty of extra spice into this already meaty meet. And that “hanky” theme will also extend to those that are familiar with its calling sign, for instance “…if you’re a top, wear it in your left back pocket, if you’re a bottom then it’s the right….” while Kris also adds, “…into oral? light blue is your colour, cross dressing? light lavender, size queen? mustard yellow, military man? Khaki, food play? lime green, no limits? orange, spanking? fuchsia, cigar play? tan…..and so on…”, so it seems the usual hanky panky will be even more so, although the music is also pretty much guaranteed to be top draw, Messrs Di Angelis & Stephan (that’s Tom) will be joined in the main room by James Pople, while over in the “mincemeat” space (we love that!), Jonny Woo & Lee Dalloway entertain. Kicking off at 10.30 p.m., check out all the detail via http://facebook.com/event.php?eid=271734846182429, while take a look that the latest monthly video at http://youtube.com/watch?v=nGjCdTy6s44 which spells out the hanky panky!!
Blonde Bombshell Bash
Right to a couple of Short Shouts and firstly to the Dalston Superstore up in, yes you guessed it, Dalston, the team turning out a weekend full of events, Friday seeing “Blonde” take charge, the likes of Jim Warboy & A Man To Pet on the decks, while on Saturday (8th Oct) the Sink The Pink crew are back with the ever popular “Happy Shopper” with one of east end’s best, Prince Nelly, on the decks among a host of others. Then to finish off the weekend, Squeaky pulls in loads of friends for “Tutti Frutti”, details of all three events available by going to http://thedalstonsuperstore.com.
Our final Short Shout for this newsletter goes to Exilio, the Latin niche night that has been going now for an impressive 15 years, such is its fervent following, so the team mark this momentous occasion with a special celebration down at Guy’s Bar on St Thomas St, London Bridge, salsa, meringue, cumbia & plenty more on offer. Plus being relatively early doors, starting at 9.30 p.m. this Saturday (8th Oct), WE enthusiasts can kill two birds with one stone, but be prepared to fork out £10 for this birthday bash.
So that’s just about it for our newsletter return, while as for our weekend, well it looks like Le Boy on Friday, Meat on Saturday and then, without question, Beyond on Sunday morning, we already having been put under starting orders by Mr Pitron so will be on our spot ready for his set. So, if you see us out, come up & say hi, but whatever you do & wherever it finds you, have a great weekend & remember to “Go There! Be There! (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: Alessandro Londra, Ariel, Beyond, East Bloc, Gigolo, Jamie Head, Jonny M, Later, Le Boy, Lee Harris, Leonardo Glovibes, Lisa German, Lo-Profile, Meat, Micky Galliano, Nathan Six, Onyx, Orange, Orange Group, Phil Marriott, Profile, Queer Nation, Room Service, Rupert St, Secret Sundays, Steve Pitron, The Dalston Superstore, The Eagle, The RVT, Verity Mayes, Zach Burns | 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 »
Having set about catching up on lost time incurred during April & May with a series of four newsletters, for the eagle eyed in you, this fourth newsletter in that catch up series has been a long time coming, virtually two months to be exact, this in itself meaning we have catching up on catching up to do (heavens above!) . So, with our music hat firmly back on, as we get close to waving farewell to yet another month in 2011 (where is the year going?!?!), it’s time for that final chapter, as we cover off not just those music makers missing the previous three, but also bring you right up to date with the activities of some of those that did. Therefore, the term “colossal” could not be more appropriate, our most comprehensive newsletter yet pointing you towards a month that will see music come back to our core weekly postings, meaning more focuses, more special features & more newsletters.
Lecca, Lecca
So, let’s get to it and to our first catch up star Alessandro Londra, who has certainly had a busy last few months regular residencies at Rupert St, Lo-Profile, Lovechild, A:M & Barcode just a part of the picture, excursions with Alex Erfan’s loveable brand taking him as far as Istanbul & Sydney. So he can be kind of forgiven for the lack of studio work, although (like we are doing) has made up for lost ground with two recent releases. Sporting titles that couldn’t be any different, “Poison” & “Lecca Lecca” (Italian for kiss, kiss), both are representative of the Londra musical genre that has tech & progressive beats as core ingredients, these two podcasts allowing him to express his love for the tougher edged afterhours sound where he truly excels. These two mixes are certainly not mass market in appeal, but nevertheless reflect an emerging style of sound that is seeing alternative clubs sprout up right across Europe & the States, both worth a thorough investigation at http://djalessandrolondra.podomatic.com/.
Shoreditch Son
Now one of those D.J.’s that is right up there serving up what we like to call the “Shoreditch Sound”, this tech, come electro twisted vibes, is Kris Di Angelis and it would be fair to say that his decision to follow this direction with his music has paid huge dividends. From his involvement with the madcap metrosexual club Circus, through to the phenomenon that is Room Service, not to mention the magnificent Meat & the prolific Pooldisco, Kris’s year got even better when he reached an important career landmark after what can only be described as painstaking & solid hard work. And another crowning glory recently was his performance for Circus at Lovebox with an twelve piece orchestra on stage no less. So with all this going on, he would be forgiven too for not being in the recording studio, but none of it, as Mr Di Angelis has been a busy bee and with over 40 tracks, mixes & compilations to choose from, including his “Live” series of podcasts, meaning you can sink into the world of Kris & his hip hop, electro twisted, jazz funk & soul, by going to http://soundcloud.com/krisdiangelis/. Plus watch this space for news on on the return of the stylish & sophisticated “Bachelor Block Party” which Kris will be hosting at Soho house, this most talked about private Soho shindigs back for more this August Bank Holiday Monday with guest D.J.’s including scene queen Jodie Harsh & the priness of Soho, Munroe Bergdorf, both joining our Shoreditch son on the decks.
Blowing His Trumpet
While we are out Shoreditch way, we couldn’t let the moment pass without taking a brief look at super Swede Per Q.X., who, for those of you that follow these posts regularly will know, has been one of a mere handful of incredible influences on our clubbing career, residencies way back when at Barcode very much sticking in the mind, while we had one of the best New Years days in his hands in 2006. As for more recent times, there is no doubt that his intrinsic involvement with the way out & whacky Gutterslut has elevated this brand close to iconic status, Per seen by many in this alternative scene movement as a bit of a pioneer of what is now quite vogue. That said, he does show his hand back across in Vauxhall every now & then and played at uber chic private party “Up” last month, while showings for Lovechild, Queer Nation, Later and his old stomping ground, Barcode, have been recent features too. However, spreading his wings is very much reflected in his studio works of late, a recording from his live set at Ministry Of Sound high on the list, while gigs across Europe are represented by a slice from a Verona appearance among many others. And while his track “Blow Your Trumpet” very much catapulted his name right across the industry, his latest piece, “Ever Before” is right up there for us too, his long list of releases available by going to http://soundcloud.com/perqx/sets.
Right, time for a quick track interlude and one that is tipping our scales right now, but has been out there for a while, Roy Davis Jnr’s “Enjoy The Ride” is no dancefloor smash, but has considerable resonance with our rollercoaster ride experiences both on those dancefloors & elsewhere in our lives, the lyrics shouting exactly what we need to do. Having been given the James Talk & Ridney remix treatment, this immense track will be fighting for a slot in our year end top ten for sure and is available in full length glory at http://youtube.com/watch?v=yL2hBGwhc4E, while more & more D.J.’s seem to be including it in their performances & podcasts.
Gigolo Guy
Heading away from Shoreditch and more to Sydney, next up in our catch-up collective is Aussie born & bred Terry Vietheer, who has very much laid his hat here in London and to great effect, having landed guest & residency spots that include clubs Lovechild & Popcorn, as well as the recent new smash Gigolo, all three spurning compilation creations, the former following his tour with the brand to Israel, while Popcorn celebrated its 14th birthday recently, Terry in the thick of the action and marking the occasion with a mix. Then of course there is Gigolo, Terry having featured large in three of its parties already, his compilation from their “Do It” event earlier this month very representative of his & the clubs disco house sound, so well worth a listen at http://soundcloud.com/gigolo-disco/gigolo-disco-sessions-mix-5. But compilations aside, Terry is also a fine producer of tracks, alongside recording partner Chris Cooper, their recent bootleg of Annie Lennox’s “Little Bird” one of our favourites, this along with all his others & a selection of those podcasts available at http://soundcloud.com/terryvietheer/.
Man Of All Seasons
Sticking with the Sydney & Aussie theme is a new entrant to our newsletters, but a worthy addition none the less, as Alex Taylor has an international reputation that has seen him play across all corners of the world, along the way picking up awards, making appearances at parties of the biggest names in the music industry and, as a result, commanding a C.V. that reads like a who’s who of the clubbing community. Harping from Auckland in New Zealand, Alex has adopted Sydney as his home & base, but is fortunate enough to be able to escape the tardy winters in the southern hemisphere, jetting up to Ibiza & Europe for a summer season that has also seen him land in London occasionally. Indeed Mr Taylor is currently enjoying a bit of summer sun and has laid down a compilation to mark the occasion of his northern hemisphere appearance, his “European Summer Mix 2011” packed with pumping beats & summery sounds including “You’ve Got The Love” & “Stronger” (now where have we seen those?!?!) among 15 others, a compilation well worth adding to your collection via http://djalextaylor.podomatic.com/. Plus, watch this space for a focus on this man from Oz coming up, as there is so much more of this terrific talent to share.
Sorry Shoes Star
So, finding ourselves back in Europe, it’s to Germany that we head now, although interestingly it’s another Aussie that gets our attention, Sydney born & bred Mike Kelly having made Cologne his home, a brilliant base to spread his good musical word right across Europe, although such has been the success of the record label & agency business he launched, a fair chunk of Mike’s time is devoted to Sorry Shoes recordings which boasts a significant stable of artists including Oliver M, Nick Tcherniak, Steve Thomas, Hifi Sean, Guy Scheiman, Ivan Gomez & Nacho Chapado, along with fellow creator Jean Phillips. That said, Mike remains just as busy as ever live, playing across Germany and Spain, while his studio works also leave us breathless with their regularity, whether it be full-on compilations or track releases. So, with much to catch-up on in the Kelly world, the last three months alone having seen no less than seven podcasts & two track pressings, highlights for us have to be his “Bouncin” compilation, a 104 minute marvel that sends superb sparks through the soul to get your feet well & truly tapping, while for the more progressive come techno feel of the Germanic music sound, his “Late Night Steamer” mix is one to savour. However, with so much more to choose, the easiest way is to check out all nine by going to http://soundcloud.com/djmikekelly/ and watch this space for news of a new joint release of Mike’s with Nick Tcherniak’s other half Tom Marchant, featuring the vivacious vocals of Lizzie France.
Berlin Based Boy
Sticking with Germany although heading for its capital, next on our list of entrants is Eduardo De La Torre, this vivacious Venezuelan having made Berlin his home just over three years ago and hasn’t looked back, although he still draws on his experiences in both Spain & here in London, both having been bases for Edu during his D.J.’ing career. However, it is the German capital where his production work has really come alive, a studio collaboration known as, No Scene, they having risen to the heights of an entry into The Eurovision Song Contest no less, while Edu’s individual tracks & compilations continue to float our boat. Indeed, since we have been off musical air, Mr De La Torre has remained busy recording as well as playing live across Europe & at his residency spots in Berlin, a never-ending stream of sounds coming out of his stable, making picking out highlights quite tricky, although we do love his “From Berlin To Ibiza” mix which was pressed back in June, while the Ibiza theme continues with his latest podcast, both which you can grab at http://djdelatorre.podomatic.com/. However, the Ibiza theme doesn’t stop there, as No Scene have released their latest track “Step Ibiza” out on Beat port, a production labelled as progressive house but has tribal & tech intentions with uplifting flows & vocal injections that has the white isle written all over it and is sure to make the playlists of D.J.’s not just in Ibiza but right across Europe too, so one to check out at http://www.beatport.com/#track/step-ibiza-2011-original-mix/2066805.
Belgian Brilliance
Right, jumping over the border from Germany to Belgium, we find a superstar D.J. that is, for us, the Belgian equivalent to Steve Pitron, such is the terrific talent that is Elof De Neve, an incredible individual that is just as prolific in the studio as he is live. And having first seen him play at Red & Blue in Antwerp on Christmas Day last year no less, we have since been treated to further spectacular sets both back in Antwerp and across in Barcelona for the Delice Dream festival in April. And it would be fair to say that in the few short months we have been following Elof & his music, we have grown to love his sound style nearly as much as the prolific Mr Pitron, although having missed out on a further trip to Antwerp in June, we were robbed of another of his simply superb sets that he pulls out, week in week out at Red & Blue. But we fear not, as we find immediate solace in his compilation’s which give us the Elof fill we need, his aptly named “Finest Selection” series cramming our collection, each edition brimming with that uplifting & energetic sound that we have come to adore, perhaps his “The Summer Feeling Mix” tipping our scales the most. That said, we will leave it up to you to decide which one does it for you the most, by checking each & every one out at http://soundcloud.com/ElofdeNeve.
Now, it time to digress slightly for a moment, our thoughts having been sidetracked slightly when focussing on Elof, as another name always springs to mind when we think of him (apart from our Belgian boy J.d. Ceronnez of course!), Carlos Gallardo a real inspiration of Elof’s, not to mention a good friend to boot. So, it seems appropriate to include a cut of Carlos’s music right here, his “Podcast Music Mix” a nineteen minute snapshot of the sets that have made him one of the most popular Spanish D.J.’s imports London has seen, not least when he appears for the wonderful club brand WE. So, to sample some of his sounds, check out this mix at http://soundcloud.com/carlosgallardo/carlos-gallardo-podcast-music and make a date this coming Saturday (27th Aug) when he returns to headline the “Prison Of Love” event at The Coronet.
Pint Sized Powerhouse
Right, back to Belgium and to a pint sized powerhouse that has made considerable waves here in London in recent times, having first come to our attention at the ill fated Matador club that has been the cause of so much upset in our lives. However, far from upsetting us, Andrei impressed us so much back in March last year, that we have been tracking his progress since, regular returns to the capital seeing him play for brands including Beyond & A:M, along with a special party on Halloween weekend, while back home in Brussels, he cuts a considerable stride both at his regular weekly slot with popular club/bar, the Box, while the mighty La Demence draws on his considerable talents, Mr Stan playing out for each of their twice monthly parties, while he was part of their inclusion in the Delice Dream festival back in April & the cruise in July. Add to that a recent tour of Mexico and it is no wonder that we consider this young talent as part of our prestigious protégé list (one of just six), meaning we cannot recommend his studio works enough, all symptomatic of his superb showings & sets, his “promo” mixes as good as any, but his “June Pride” podcast right up there, all available at http://djandrei1.podomatic.com/.
Parisian Pal
Moving across borders again and into France, we simply couldn’t avoid a mention for our Parisian pal Leomeo Carandang, a D.J. that has been spinning sounds for as long as we have been clubbing (we are talking double years here!), this Philippine turned French national one of the most globetrotting D.J.’s we know, an exhaustive schedule seeing him jet across to The States, Canada, Australasia & all corners of Europe, as well as his adopted country of France, leaving virtually no weekend when he is not live behind the decks. Truly dedicated to his art and to pushing out his music, we simply cannot keep up with his compilation releases, part of the reason why he gets a mention so often, but moreover that we love the way he continues to evolve his sounds, tribal through trance, progressive & tech house always including an uplifting element that is proof of his popular pudding. Having missed out on meeting up with him a week ago when he played for Room Service in London, we are sure it won’t be long before we catch up with Leo again, well when he lands his feet for a while, just this weekend seeing him play across in Ibiza for one of the islands biggest events of the season. So, it comes as no surprise that he has already pressed a mix to mark the occasion, his “Sunset Terraza” compilation as good as they get and a must for your collection at http://soundcloud.com/djleomeo/sunset-terraza-mix/.
Right, before we head to shores closer, it’s time for another track mention and one which is very much doing it for us at the moment, partly as it is part of a prolific podcast that we simply cannot put down. So, leaving you to guess just which “Summer” selection this comes from, we look like including it in our next autumn podcast release, David Tort’s “One Look” a tech house triumph that is no better when in the hands of Norman Doray who has remixed it to absolute perfection, a mid track snapshot a worthwhile listen at http://youtube.com/watch?v=kAlszjEQXwI, while watch for its inclusion in the next of our “Dance-tastic” podcast series.
Dynamic Dude
So, setting our sights back to blightly, it seems appropriate that we land where most ships used to before those huge iron birds took over as the main mode of intercontinental travel & transport, Portsmouth being the base for one Lee Harris, although it seems he hardly spends anytime there, well at the weekends anyway, his regular Friday residence at Onyx dragging him up to London and often seeing him party right through the rest of Saturday & Sunday with the best of us. However, this is only a small picture of Mr Harris’ performances, as he plays in Brighton every other week and also jets up to Newcastle, as well as across to Southampton, theses two port cities fulfilling monthly residences, meaning that he clearly works as hard as he plays. And that also goes for his studio creations, his compilations popping up at least every four weeks, sometimes more often, August being no exception as Lee has pressed an ep form his live “Housenation” series, as well as a compilation marking his tour of The Circuit Festival in Barcelona, the latter a collection of new & classic tracks, this & another nine of his releases available via http://lharris.libsyn.com/HouseNationUK.
The Dowser
Now, we head to the other end of the country, to Scotland & Edinburgh in fact and to a D.J. that has been skirting our newsletters for a while now but has finally gained his deserved inclusion having laid down a succession of compilations that have caught our attention. Known to his followers as “Dowser”, Michael’s background belies his base in the Scottish capital, as he has connections with The States, Germany & Ibiza, the latter two being destinations where he both played & drawn on influences for a wide range of musical styles, from hard house through electro and now to musical style which he explains as “…London Sound…”, his main inspiration for this current direction being The Sharp Boys. Holding down residencies for Edinburgh’s hotspots GHQ, The Street & Kidology, Mr Dow’s podcast releases are reflective of his appearances & his style of sound, the live recordings from GHQ slanting towards electro, while his latest offering laid down just this last weekend hits resonance with us right from the off, not least as “Enjoy The Ride” sets the scene for a score of funky & disco tainted tracks that make this a compilation to cherish and one you can grab now at http://soundcloud.com/dowzer/.
Brazilian Beats
So, having whizzed from one end of Britain to the other, we head to its capital now, although like many of our inclusions, we look to individuals whose roots are far away, the first being a Brazilian born & bred but one that has made his biggest impression right here in London. Having been spotted in a D.J. competition held in Ku Bar last year, Doug Guimares, better known on the clubbing circuit as DouGuim, has risen meteorically to the dizzy heights of residencies & guest appearances at clubs including Beyond, Casa Latina, Lovechild & Onyx, while his connections with Ku Bar remain as he heads up their weekly Monday nighter “Citric” as well as playing out at “Candy Boys” every Tuesday. Now, we focussed on Doug in our last music post back in July, just ahead of the second Casa Latina event, but simply couldn’t resist including him here too, as literally five days ago to the year marked his first ever D.J. gig, this charming young man remarking on Facebook that “…On this very same day in 2010 my status was: “See you all tonight in Manic Wednesdays @ Arch 635. The bar is open from 7pm, I will be playing from 8 – 12! The address is 15-16 Lendal Terrace / Clapham North Station.” That was my first gig and there were only 20 friends and my love in the whole place and that was it. Look where I am now, what a life change and that’s thanks to each one of you who believed and supported me throughout this journey! A massive thanks to you all, YOU ROCK!…” . And he has been no studio slouch in that short time, a total of eleven podcasts produced, the latest “Sunny Days” right up there as one of his best, as it is packed with a feel good factor that is so Doug’s style of sound, so need we say more than get yourselves onto http://douguim.podomatic.com/ now and click on that download button as we know you won’t be disappointed.
Okay, so we are nearly there, but time for another track interlude and one that caught our eyes & ears just a couple of weeks ago, although has also has seemingly been spotted by a handful of D.J.’s since, some who have included it on their latest podcast releases. And for good reason, as Mark Knight’s “The Future” follows on from his remix smash of the classic track “You’ve Got The Love”, the Florence & The Machine version the best yet, although this new track of his dips back into the Knight style of sound that tips towards tech & progressive beats with minimal vocal interventions that is much more Mark’s trademark and one well worth a listen at http://youtube.com/watch?v=mWbwQL61d-c.
Tantra Tony
Right to our final three and first to an Italian based in London, Tony Bruno having been treading the D.J.’ing boards for many a moon although having somehow missed out on an inclusion in our newsletters so far, while mini mentions in previews & reviews of his appearances for Lovechild in recent months have ensured he has not been entirely overlooked. And it has been at Alex Erfan’s clubbing brand that Tony introduced a style of sound he calls “…Tantra…”, a mix of trance to tech sounds that of very reflective on the genres he continues to play out in exceptional effect, a mix of dance ambient, tech house, techno & progressive beats that are also displayed through is series of podcast pressings, no less than nine recorded in just five months, a hefty handful of them marked as “crossover” compilations, blending beats that give them a unique flavour. However, having featured in the recent La Demence cruise, Tony has drawn influence from the brand, laying down a mix lifted from a chillout set he played during the six day Mediterranean adventure, while his latest creation, “Music For Main Floors” are two that have grabbed our attention the most, although all nine are well worth a listen at http://soundcloud.com/tonybruno/, especially, if like us, you fancy a change to the norm or like expanding your ears to a variety of aural stimulations.
Music Mentor
Now to a dynamic D.J. that has been doing it for us as long as we can remember, from the heady days of Crash, Action & PSP, through to more recent times at Lovechild, Lo-Profile & Hard On!. Brent Nicholls may have made London his home, but remains Australian through & through, his music styles as cosmopolitan as his homeland, although genres of latin & nu-funk very much a two labels he is known for the most. Having said that, virtually no style of sound has escaped the Nicholls treatment over the years, a colossal collection of compilations cramming our collection, many ranking as our all-time favourites, “Disco Electrique”, “Pervert” & “Get On “MyGayFace” right up there among a host of others that continue to fill our ears, while 2011 has already seen his “Groove” double release hit our high notes. But topping the tree this year is his “I Rock, I Sweat, I Dance” podcast, released just over a month ago, but brimming with brilliant Brent beats that include elements of disco, dance, funk, latin & tech, all rolled into 119 minutes of magnificent music that showcases his tremendous talent for stringing these differing styles together in seamless sophistication, this a well deserved addition to your collection by going to http://djbrentnicholls.com/web/2011/07/15/podcast-i-rock-i-sweat-i-dance/. Plus it seems he has been a busy bee while we have been writing about him (literally) as out has come a “mini-cast” that we haven’t listened to yet, although judging by the playlist, it looks like another Nicholls gem, so will let you know what we think in a future newsletter.
Captivating Collaboration
That said, we don’t leave Brent for our last mention, rather celebrate a little self indulgence by pushing our latest creation with him in what is becoming an emerging collaboration that we hope will continue into an annual collection of seasonal mixes. This marriage of musical minds has its roots in our last yearly round-up chart when Brent kindly offered to put together a compilation to reflect our top twenty tunes of 2010. That was back in January, since when a second creation followed, much more in the collaborative mould as, while we selected the tracks, Brent gave them his funked up twist, making what was described at the time as “…the biggest collaboration since when Benny met Bjorn and McCartney teamed up with Lennon…” a ten track triumph that was our “Spring Bloomers” podcast. So, a third was sure to follow and once again we went on the selection trail, picking off ten towering tunes to make into a new compilation for the next season in the year, although as Mr Nicholls described, “Summer Scorchers” “…had been the blender for nearly a month with one track or another sabotaging its completion…” before it finally made the grade at the end of July. However, the reaction has since been superb, messages coming in from all quarters saying, how did one person put it, “…fabulicious” it is. And we couldn’t agree more, not least that Brent has once again taken our choices, given them a little twist and crafted them into a 53 minute marvel which we think (well we would) you should be downloading & enjoying by going to http://djbrentnicholls.com/web/2011/07/30/podcast-disco-matts-summer-scorchers-2011/, while watch this space as an Autumn mix is already in mind, our selections creeping towards that ten track milestone ready for the Brent blender.
Now just quickly before we finish, we are excited to announce another collaboration in the making, as we have also teamed up with impressive Israeli, Guy Scheiman, to produce a podcast that is much more of a joint effort in terms of track choices, as the compilation will be a 50/50 split of selections and one that will give a serious nod to all things Ibiza, so keep your eyes peeled for that. Plus, why not pay clubbing website SeenQueen (http://seenqueen.com/web) a visit, as they have just updated their music page with a host of new releases, some mirroring our choices, but others very much in the music making melting pot.
So, that’s it for this final catch-up newsletter and one that will hopefully be the last of this nature, as we plan to post at least one a month from now on, all things being equal the next one out during the first week of September. In the meantime, we trust you like our choices here, leaving us to simply say “sit back, select those sounds, turn up the volume & let them play as music is the answer”. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Does...., Music | Tags: Alessandro Londra, Alex Taylor, Andrei Stan, Brent Nicholls, Carlos Gallardo, David Tort, Eduardo de La Torre, Elof De Neve, Guy Scheiman, Kris Di Angelis, Lee Harris, Leomeo, Leomeo Carandang, Mark Knight, Michael Dow, Mike Kelly, Per QX, Roy Davis Jnr, Summer Scorchers, Terry Vietheer, The Dowser, Tony Bruno | 1 Comment »
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 »
Boy Billing Brilliance
Such has been the impact of fabulous Friday nighter Onyx, that we can hardly believe it is just two years that it has been cutting s significant stride on the scene, the club now in the hands of its third promoter, this a measure that it continues to keep pace of the times, evolving & changing as the market moves. Indeed since the days of Steven Geller, through the Jonny Marsh reign & now to the Verity Mayes tenure, Onyx has continued to pull in the party people making it one of the most successful clubs of what we would call the new breed, often challenging institutions like A:M, Beyond & Orange in the stakes to be Vauxhall’s most successful outing. However, this is one club that rarely gets our review devotions, only a couple of occasions in its history seeing us grace its doors for such purposes, so given this lack of coverage, we thought we would make amends by joining Verity & her team for this first part of a double bill of birthday celebrations, this giving us an opportunity to see just what sort of impact she had made in the short period of her premiership.
With probably the most diverse choice of music in any club on the capitals circuit right now, played out by a team of D.J.’s that include iconic names Tasty Tim, Ariel & Jason Prince (yes even he is iconic!), joining resident boys Lee Harris & Jc Christopher, Onyx certainly offers the Friday night clubber something much more than your average outing. Then add into the mix the amazing atmosphere of host venue Area, along with its incredible lighting, for us the best of any club we know, the famed effects, pyrotechnics, fire eating displays, drop dead gorgeous dancers and not forgetting the larger than life hostess Chrissy Darling, Onyx has a package that is hard to beat. But it doesn’t stop there, as the club has always been conscious about avoiding burning a hole in people’s pockets so early into the weekend, meaning you can always find fantastic drinks offers that complete the picture of this prolific weekly party.
Name In Lights
So, with us begging the questions, would Onyx actually deliver on this seemingly perfect package with its “Part One” birthday party?, would we walk away elated or deflated?, and who would steal the celebration limelight for us?, these thoughts running through our mind as we arrived at just turned midnight, there already being a brilliant buzz at the entrance. With a healthy & lengthy queue forming, this clearly evidence that this was going to be a very busy birthday bash for Verity & her team, we were quickly spotted by the eagle eyes Tom Fuller, who brought us to the front in an instant, an introduction to Miss Mayes then setting us fair into the club & an outing with Onyx. Finding our Friday feet first in the terrace room, it was Ariel along with his percussionist that started pressing our musical buttons beautifully, this iconic D.J.’s dips into classic tunes like “Sundays At Heaven” & “Miracle”, intermixed with tough tech sounds, very much hitting the mark, even the percussionist doing it for us, his understated blending of drum beats working really well. With a friendly chat & meet with Orange Group family member Ryan Elder setting the scene for a night full of fabulous liaisons, we headed completely satisfied into the second space, Leandro Kloppel playing more Balearic beats & euro style sounds that weren’t quite the pop-tastic tunes we were expecting, although he certainly had the room pumping & packed, very much warming the cavorting crowd for the action ahead.
However, it was clear from the brilliant billing of this Onyx birthday bash, that it was the main room many were more interested in, regular resident Lee Harris kicking off a spectacular session which saw us spinning on our spot in an instant, not quite the feel of Beyond it must be said, but enthralling enough, Lee’s heavenly house hits hitting our sweet spot with every twist & turn. But with the arrival of star turn & headlining act Boy George, this Onyx outing was to take on a whole new dimension, the boy wonder waving his magical musical wand over us in an instant with a string of classic tunes remixed, “Sweet Dreams” & “Situation” going down a storm, tip top tune “Trapped” sending us spinning, while he then cleverly mixed in more progressive & tougher tech beats, some with tribal influences, other with pop intentions, that had us & the audience admiring each & every spectacular selection. And such was his scintillating set, that the whole main room reacted resplendently, the lighting at full tilt, as good as we had seen it, the pyrotechnic explosions adding to the awesome atmosphere and the laser lighting moving in marvellous motion to the magnificent music.
Amazing Area
With Area’s main room in the hands of Onyx & moreover Boy George, we were going absolutely nowhere, only brief trips for energy boosting refreshments our excuse for abandoning the action. Then there was the captivating company, a whole host of familiar faces passing us by to say hello, Brazilian boys Mauricio Ortiz & Lunarde Martins just two of many, while we were also graced with the absorbing presence of Fat Tony, who was off-duty but nevertheless accompanying his longstanding pal & seemingly enjoying every minute, that pal Mr George serving up one of the best sets we had witnessed of his anywhere & anytime. But the friendly banter between Tony & us was also adding to the enjoyment of this exceptional evening, we soon becoming completely engrossed in this truly brilliant birthday bash, thereby seeing out the remainder of Boy George’s pulsating performance, the pinnacle to our ecstatic experience, being a personal introduction after his set, an honour indeed and one we will remember & savour for a long time to come.
So, it was then going to be difficult to top that, Lee Harris doing his best to keep us spinning on our spot following the boy wonder’s departure, while Jason Prince’s disco & pop devotions in the second space, along with Lisa German’s tech tunes in the terrace, meant the club remained packed & pumping right through till the 5 a.m. finish, the drop dead gorgeous dancers doing their bit in the main room, hostess Chrissy Darling making her presence felt too, while meets with the two Jonny’s, Miss Hooley & Hollywood were among heaps of highlights that made this, without doubt, the best Onyx outing we have been to and the most satisfying of the three we have so far reviewed. As for those questions raised, yes Onyx did deliver everything in the package & probably more to be honest, we being incredibly impressed with the influence new promoter Verity Mayes has already had over the club. In terms of the celebration spotlight?, well that simply had to go to Boy George who absolutely amazed us with his stunning set that, for us had it all & we mean all. So, need we say more, apart from a huge thinks to Fat Tony for that intro & for being such great company throughout night, a real enlightening experience that left us truly elated, and looking forward to part two & a second bite size review of this Onyx 2ndbirthday double bill. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Reviews | Tags: Alex Taylor, Area, Ariel, Bo George, Fat Tony, Jason Prince, Leandro Kloppel, Lee Harris, Lisa German, Maurico Ortiz, Onyx, Ryan Elder, Tom Fuller, Verity Mayes | 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 »
Fantastic Fire
In all the years we have been attending Pride festivals in London, there has never been quite the excitement & anticipation of a post parade party like this year and whilst it is true that we miss the park proceedings that dominated Pride in the nineties & early noughties, the gatherings in Soho Square have become quite special. Indeed, it was this very place that, just three years ago, we played witness to one of the best parties in our Pride history, on this occasion a Sunday rather than a Saturday & for Soho rather than London Gay Pride, we spending much of an amazing afternoon & exceptional evening in amongst the action both front & backstage with fabulous friend Brent Nicholls, the day hardly having been matched since, well in a Pride sort of way anyhow. And, while we had a terrific time just a year ago, when the London Pride Dance Stage was soak up the lion’s share of our afternoon again, having been switched from Soho to Leicester Square, the ambience & action didn’t feel anywhere near as good as previous years, the intimate & theatrical feel of the former completely missing.
So, when the superb news came through that The Dance Stage for 2011 would once again be in Soho Square, furthermore hosted by Fire, but even better orchestrated by one of the best promoters & front men we know, Steven Sharp, we were wanting for little more. Yet there was much more to come, as not only would two of our favourites being going back-to-back in a headlining set, but the dream of a P.A. had been lined up, both the set & the performance likely to leave us in our trademark pool of tearful emotions. With the full line-up & that P.A. confirmation hitting our inbox just the night before, as the day dawned, the realisation that we were in for something truly special began to sunk in & as we prepared ourselves for the journey into Soho the emotion of it all overcame us in a-typical style, but with best foot forward we made our way to our destination, arriving via a whole load of diversions at Soho Square just turned 4 p.m. With the music already booming out across the area and the outside of the square buzzing with activity, we found our way round to the back stage entry and in search of fabulous friend Tom Fuller who was on scouting duty in the energetic & exemplary way that only he knows best.
Dance Stage Screen Shots
With Mr Fuller clearly busying himself around the square, we were graced by the presence of none other than Craig Elder, who immediately escorted us into the back-stage area, the atmosphere in & around the Dance Stage already electric and D.J.’s Lee Harris & Jonny M having just assumed the decks for the first back-to-back set of this exceptional event. With Steve, Celso & Mikey having arrived just in advance of us, we had a momentary catch-up before checking out the front of the stage area, the familiar figure of Chrissy Darling standing proud in the crowd & attracting plenty of attention, adding to the amazing atmosphere, hoards of revellers lapping up the heavenly house tunes of the duo behind the decks. But with more hello’s to say, including D’Johnny who had not long finished his superb set, along with perfect pal Paul Vlad, the man who had been a real lynch pin in the set up of this spectacular stage in the square, having worked tirelessly since the early hours & now very much part of the stage management team that was already making this an outstanding outing. But the familiar faces kept coming, first Naomi Ruiz who was preparing to dive into the dancing spotlight stage front with a gaggle of gorgeous WE Party go-go’s, while Trade’s Mark Williams was in close call, as was prolific percussionist David H, Lovechild & SMX resident D.J. Tony English, although it was the sadly missed Alan K that grabbed most of our attention, we thrilled to bits to see the man back in the thick of the action & seemingly enjoying every minute of it.
Heading out into the main dance arena with both Steve & Celso, we quickly found fellow friend Andrea with her usual harem of hunks around her, we also falling on clubbing partner & cougar loving pal Stephen, we quickly deciding that this was the spot to lay our hat for a while, Steve’s work colleague & all round lovely lady Jess bounding up to say hello, Brazilian beauty Bel also in close call & whistling her tweets away as only she can. But, while we found ourselves in such captivating company, it was the music & the stage that was going to be the focus of our attention, the first hour literally flying by as we darted back & forth between the front & back of the arena area, The Oli & Fat Tony following on from first P.A. Sonique, who injected her own enthusiasm on proceedings, Steven Sharp doing a brilliant job of keeping the energy & pace of the afternoon going with rousing announcements over the microphone. However, we were inevitably waiting for what was to prove the set of this Soho Square shindig, the pulsating performance of Beyond boys Steve Pitron & Mikey D, polished off with a perfect P.A. that was made of dreams.
The Dynamic Duo & Brazilian Beauty Bel
So, with six o’clock marking the start of that spectacular set, we assumed position backstage, as first Mikey D ascended to the decks, quickly followed by Mr Pitron, both selecting sounds that were hitting our sweet spots, hits like “Pressure”, “The Music In My Soul”, “Live Your Dreams” & “You’ve Got The Love” finding fabulous favour with the cavorting & considerable crowd that had gathered around the stage, Bel joining us in a mini “Doing The Disco Matt” session as we found our stride for the first time in weeks, although exciting the iron lung quite a bit. With the dynamic duo’s prolific performance going from strength to strength, we felt the further anticipation of the arrival of the star P.A. building relentlessly, plenty of fevered activity around us signalling the appearance on Shawnee Taylor, the back stage area suddenly filling with Orange Group personnel wanting to get their slice of this vivacious vocalist, some a little too overzealous in their approaches, while we stood back in our corner, soaking up the remainder of the scintillating set of both Mikey & Steve. And with a call coming across “…are you ready Matt??…”, it was the classic track “Here Comes The Rain” that truly elevated the audience & the square in advance of Ms Taylor’s towering track, this Pitron anthem rounding off an hour of sheer musical bliss that was going to be difficult to top.
Now the stage was Shawnee’s and with a rousing welcome exciting an already euphoric square full of revellers, she set about sending the crowd skyward with her truly tremendous & heavenly latest hit, “Stronger”, we feeling that surge of emotion that had been building up inside all day, well for the last few weeks to be honest, still pinching ourselves that we were mere metres away from the artist that was behind the latest Pitron/DM anthem that was already rocking dancefloors across the world. With Tom Fuller now by our side, resplendent in his cowboy hat & WE party t-shirt, Craig Elder also in close call & Shawnee right in our line of vision, the next few minutes of magical music literally pulled on our heart strings, those joyful tears welling up in our eyes, fortunately shrouded by our dark sunglasses, this live rendition the pinnacle of our amazing afternoon. But it wasn’t over, as she quickly followed up our tip top track with another of her own anthem’s, the uplifting & absorbing “Live Your Life”, Shawnee now well into her stride & proving what a powerful presence she had on proceedings, indeed with both Craig & us declaring in unison the plain, simple yet aptly expressive word “…amazing….”, we couldn’t have summed up her showing in a more precise & perfect way.
Shawnee's Stronger Sounds
With that spectacular hour or so having impacted on us immensely and with Shawnee back stage & sinking into the spontaneous champagne reception to toast her terrific turn, it was The Sharp Boys that were to round off this delectable Dance Stage day in the London pride 2011 spotlight, we holding back from the flock of followers that were craving to get their shot & slice of Shawnee, rather waiting for friends Steve & Cellos to emerge from swarm around her. And, with post square commitments south of the river to now direct our attention on, but with George & Steven playing a closing set to savour, the choice of whether to stay or to go became tricky, the temptations of partying in Soho with pal Stephen also presenting itself, we eventually choosing the Pitron path that was to herald yet another captivating chapter in our already wonderful weekend that has started two days before & was nowhere near finishing yet.
Having chosen to once again devoted the majority of our time across the main day of London’s Gay Pride festival to The Dance Stage, we definitely walked away contented with our lot & far from feeling we had missed out. Indeed with so many superb sets from a collection of D.J.’s that also included a prolific performance from new Fire girl Verity Meyes, plus with news that The Dame Edna Experience had called in sick, leaving the main arena in Trafalgar Square on somewhat deflated finish, ours couldn’t have finished on a more heavenly high, as not only did the boy wonders Steve Pitron & Mikey D treat us to a magnificent sixty minutes of magical music, but Shawnee Taylor was the perfect P.A. for this outstanding occasion, the plaudits surely having to go to Mr Pitron for sowing the seeds of her showing in Soho Square & pulling on his experience & contacts in making the booking possible, so someone we cannot thank enough for making our dream day come true. But Steve & Shawnee aside, further special thanks have to go to Craig Elder for his incredible hospitality, to Tom Fuller for his tireless work to ensure the smooth running of the square, while the biggest thanks & acknowledgement going to Steven Sharp, who proved the most fantastic front man to this Dance Stage spectacle that will remain in our memories as probably the best yet. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Reviews | Tags: Alan K, Brent Nicholls, Chrissy Darling, Craig Elder, Fat Tony, Jonny M, Lee Harris, London Gay Pride 2011, Mikey D, Paul Vlad, Shawnee Taylor, Sonique, Steve Pitron, Steven Sharp, Stronger, The Fire Dance Stage, The Oli, The Sharp Boys, Tom Fuller, Verity Meyes | 1 Comment »
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13 Apr 2012 | 0 Comments
Recommends – “After Easter Affections” – Weekend Best Bites – Fri 13th to Sun 15th April – Newsletter (Part One)
As the scene shakes off the hangover resulting from the biggest weekend of the year so far, some sporting the spoils of success, others simply reflecting on what could have been, time rests for no man, victorious or defeated, so the scene steps forward into April, Disco Matt picking out ...
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5 Jan 2012 | 0 Comments
Recommends – “Recovery & Resolution Rejoicing” – Weekend Best Bites – Fri 6th to Sun 8th January – Newsletter Part One
We finished the last year on our recommends newsletter right foot, so had to start the New Year on it too, looking at our best choices for where to be & be seen on the scene across Soho, Vauxhall & Shoreditch. But who, what & where top our tree in ...
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3 Nov 2011 | 0 Comments
Recommends – “Globetrotting G Lands In London” – Onyx vs. A:M – Friday 4th November – Weekend Focus
In times of old, Friday night clubbing was always seen as the poor cousin to Saturdays & Sundays, the lion’s share of the bigger brands on the capitals circuit choosing the latter two as their preferred options when pitching their parties, Friday very much being viewed more as the end ...
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6 Oct 2011 | 0 Comments
Recommends – “Back In Business” – Weekend Best Bites & Short Shouts Newsletter – Thursday 6th to Sunday 9th October –
After a pretty topsy turvy summer season which started & ended with hospitalisation, that on top of writing prospect promises that failed to materialise, we point ourselves towards the autumn with renewed vigour, this new found furver in our footsteps seeing the return of our weekly recommends newsletter which we ...
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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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24 Aug 2011 | 1 Comment
Music – “Colossal Composition Catch-Up Chapter Four” – DM Does… The Music News – Tuesday 24th August
Having set about catching up on lost time incurred during April & May with a series of four newsletters, for the eagle eyed in you, this fourth newsletter in that catch up series has been a long time coming, virtually two months to be exact, this in itself meaning we ...
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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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26 Jul 2011 | 0 Comments
Reviews – “Boy Billing Brilliance” – Onyx “2nd Birthday Double Bill – Part One” – Friday 22nd July – First Bite Size Review
Such has been the impact of fabulous Friday nighter Onyx, that we can hardly believe it is just two years that it has been cutting s significant stride on the scene, the club now in the hands of its third promoter, this a measure that it continues to keep pace ...
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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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7 Jul 2011 | 1 Comment
Reviews – “Exciting The Iron Lung” – London Gay Pride 2011 – The Fire Dance Stage – Saturday 2nd July – Full Size Review
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