Posts Tagged ‘Matinee’
November 6, 2012 | 
Author Despite a complete lack of PR and serious question marks over the D.J. line up, we throw our Weekend Focus attention on Matinee, which returns to London this Saturday, once again going head to head with Beyond in a towering ten hour happening that, however, leaves us asking lots of blending or buckling brand questions, this along with other issues that also leave us luke warm rather than piping hot in recommendation
When we look back across the recent times we have been stepping out on the capitals clubbing circuit, we have been blessed with witnessing some of the globe’s biggest brands doing the same, La Demence, Muccassassina, SuperMartXe, Space, The Week, La Troya, Cafe Ole, Scream, & Delice being just a handful of happenings, while we have also been fortunate to have played out in home grown brands that have, like their international counterparts, made a splash abroad, Trade, Orange, Salvation & Lovechild four fabulous examples. Yet there are two names missing from each clubbing category here, the former collection being a Spanish superclub & the latter an awesome afterhours achiever, the global giant that is Matinee belonging to those international imported, while it could only be Beyond that is the home grown clubbing colossus that has made it big on the international stage, the recent relationship between the two here in London being not quite so rosy, as the team behind Beyond always used to see Matinee as not just direct competition but a forceful threat, often extending the usual afterhours into either eight or twelve hours affairs in an attempt to de-rail the position & popularity of Matinee.
However, 2012 has seen an about turn on this rocky relationship, as, having taken a short break from the scene, Matinee not only returned to the capital, but its bounce back was very much orchestrated by those same organisers of Beyond, Orange Nation, while were considerable question marks over Matinee re-emerging in London within the same clubbing corporation that promotes Spanish brand WE Party in London, not to mention the once considered advisory of Matinee, Beyond. But times they do change the saying “…if the cloak fits…” very appropriate in the case of these two brands as this coming Saturday marks the second occasion in just three months that Matinee & Beyond have joined forces, the last outing, by all accounts being a roadblock affair (not sure how we missed it). Yet with the feeling running around regular clubbers on the Vauxhall scene that it is fast becoming same old same old, there is a nagging thought in our minds that this latest collaboration between two of the biggest named brands on the capital’s scene is just that, not least when you take a glance at the D.J. line-up which virtually mirrors the last, save for J. Louis who makes his third appearance for Matinee London this year alone, while looking at some of the names in the frames, the promotions team have seemingly heavily weighed the event in favour of Matinee rather than Beyond, despite it being in the latter’s own backyard, Area.
So what of the D.J. line up and other event detail? Well, with a noticeable absence of the usual press releases we have needed to resort to social networking research to find the necessary information and, according to the “official” event page which, despite given the size & magnitude of the party, was only released three days ago, we find that joining J Louis are London based D.J.’s that have played for every single Matinee party this year, Massimo Paramour, Guy Williams & Rob Sykes, not that awe inspiring to be honest, while we are assuming that D’Johnny, Alan K, Paulo Moreno, Verity Mayes, Bryony Masters & David Jimenez are flying the Beyond flag. However, given that this is a twelve hour event spread across three rooms, we cannot help but think that the D.J. team is spread pretty thinly, while despite assurances to the contrary, we find a bunch of spinning stars that were not only playing Beyond last weekend, but do pretty much every week, while others that would normally expect to be rotational, have been left out completely. Moreover, we are left a little confused by the promotional teams choices of D.J.’s as, if we are not mistaken, Guy Williams & Rob Sykes are part of the Beyond rotational residency team, so which flag are they flying on Saturday/Sunday, we hardly having to mention the names that are missing, the absence of one duo not just this weekend it seems, we having been reliably informed that they were told that their music style “…does not fit with Beyond…” despite them having be residents for the brand since 2005, all this leaving us deeply concerned that, particularly Beyond, is being badly buckled rather than brilliantly blended in this latest collaboration.
So what of the event theme “Ghetto Fabulous”? Well with no PR to go we, we are scratching our heads to be honest, the event info stating “…who’s got the most bling?, who’s rocking the latest high tops?, who’s new era snapback is freshest and who’s six pack is the hardest?…” they going on to say that “…all the hottest boys will be out to see at two global super-brands go head to head…” we still not sure about the Ghetto part of the event theme, unless they mean it’s going to have the feel of the Ghetto (let’s hope not!!). But it goes on when they say “…we’re pulling out all the stops at the follow up to our ‘Summer Blowout’, an 80’s throwback where the circuit boys get their inspiration. Expect the biggest possible production, the hottest possible gogo’s, the most talented DJs and of course the most up for it crowd in London…”. So maybe the 80’s throwback part refers to Ghetto, while the “the most talented D.J.’s” claim quite frankly doesn’t hold much water, although perhaps we are going a little far there as, collectively, there is well over 70 years of experience behind the decks, albeit that this Matinee vs. Beyond event is missing some of its most high profile & experienced hands, enough said. But one thing is for sure, the production & the dancers should be top notch, not least that the organisers confirm that “…the dancers & dance shows are choreographed by our sensational in-house superstars Shaun Capewell & Elektra Paris…” their pedigree for putting on spectacular shows extending to prolific WE, CasaLatina, & A:M events, as well as both Beyond & Matinee, Area’s stages & podiums sure to be propelled to their fullest potential.
Having said our piece (or is that pieces) with regard to this latest Beyond Matinee affair, lets, for a minute, concentrate on the all important detail, this “Ghetto Fabulous” event taking place this coming Saturday (10th November) at Area in Vauxhall, doors opening at midnight & the event running till 10.am. in a slightly reduced running time to the previous party , advance tickets very much the way to go as, despite what we have said, this is sure to be a roadblock affair, very much like the last outing that we missed, these tickets out online at direct link http://orangenation.co.uk/events/beyond-vs-matinee-ghetto-fabulous/ priced at £15, while you can always venture into Soho to stores Prowler, Clone Zone & 50 Dean St, or by asking over the bar(s) at Comptons & Ku. However, should you prefer to risk simply paying on the door then expect to pay more, while if you get hold of one the special Matinee vs. Beyond flyers or ads, then this will entitle you to entry for £10 before 3 a.m., the team of flyer boys out & about in Soho & Vauxhall both on Friday & Saturday handing out these & other discounted passes/wristbands. Plus with door host JJ Clark & the marvellous Maurico Ortiz inside the club, you are in heavenly hands, while we are sure that the terrific Tom Fuller will be making sure only the best & friendliest bar & coatcheck staff are on duty to make your first impression experience all the more pleasurable, allowing to soak up this Matinee & Beyond bash to the fullest extent.
So what about us?, well, as of going to press, it looks like we have too many other events on our plate to give “Ghetto Fabulous” sufficient justice, but this doesn’t mean you should miss out and while our recommendation may be a warm one, we are pretty sure the action will be hot, hot hot down at Area this Saturday, meaning you should make a date with Matinee vs. Beyond & in doing so “Go There! Be There! (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | 
Tags: Alan K, Area, Beyond, Bryony Masters, David Jimenez, Guy Williams, J Louis, JJ Clark, Massimo Paramour, Matinee, Mauricio Ortiz, Paulo Moreno, Rob Sykes, Tom Fuller, Verity Mayes | 
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With 2012 ravaged with disturbing distractions, the steady activity decline from a height of over fifty posts a month to just five in October has signaled a pretty serious writing wake-up call, our determination to be back where we belong now matched with renewed enthusiasm for supporting & promoting one of the world’s most prolific clubbing scenes. And with the only way is up our new & latest motto, we reflect on what was & look forward to what will be for these last two months of a so far disastrous DM year.
It would be fair to say that we have been disproportionately distracted during 2012, virtually every single part of our reporting suffering a significant slump while we have been consumed with matters away from the scene we have supported, with weekly regularity. Indeed, with our scene step outs sliding sharply & the subsequent reviews remarkably reticent, we have clearly not been ourselves, those distractions continuing to throw plans to re-propel our postings right off the rails. However, with a comment (perhaps a throw away one) regarding our reviews, along with a number of people remarking on the absence of our reporting’s, we thought it high time to dispel those distractions, find the focus & be decisive with our delivery, all in an effort to restore our reputation & standing for supporting the scene that we love & adore. with all those clubs, events, promoters, D.J.’s, music producers & other scene faces come figureheads, not least to justify the support many of these individuals have given us in our many moments of need & escape from some of the horrible realities of other aspects of our lives.
Therefore, with just two months left of what has been our worst year since setting out on the Disco Matt road, we are pretty determined to get back into the groove, continuing to accentuate the positives, those like our “Picks” section on the website as well as our now infamous nibble size tweets on Twitter, while getting our much missed, reviews, previews, recommends & features flowing freely & fully. And that controversial yet constructive approach that established our reputation in those early days four years ago, will also be back, we never afraid to tackling the sometime slippery situations across the scene, the hot water it has landed us in before, no doubt dousing us again, although falling on much broader & more seasoned shoulders. Plus, we have a real sense that you, our reading public, have missed our reviews, recommendations & reports, so as part of our re-building process, we are setting ourselves a goal of one post a day, whether it be a review, a pick of the day, a recommends, a music feature, a newsletter or even a preview.
So what’s on the cards for November?, Well first & foremost we have three reviews from October to post, Room Service’s “Brilliant Boy Girl Grooves” from Thursday 11th, a special review, Fabulously Phenomenal Fortieth”, devoted to Steve Pitron & his birthday on 20th, and “Yesterday Meets Today & Tomorrow”, recapping on Beyond/Trade which took place on Sunday 25th. But that’s it for October & before, much of what we missed reporting & reviewing to be gathered up at the end of the year, rather we now need to look forward and in doing so herald the return of our weekly recommendations, through “Weekend Focus” features, our “Best Bites” & “Short Shouts” newsletters, the “Extra Bites” posts that pick up on eleventh hour/last minute news, all coming fully back on stream by next week, while if time permits we will slip in our two newsletters and/or “Extra Bites” posts in time for this weekend, . Moreover, we will be devoting renewed energy to our music writing too, those “D.J. Focuses” & “Music Newsletters” back and once we have our full stride back, the special music features will surely return too. However, we will continue to throw our full support behind clubs, events, business, music producers & publications through the promotional banners on our website, while we will be re-invigorating our “Pick Of The Day” & “Podcast Of The Week” choices, starting fresh from this Saturday (3rd Nov), promoting these via our social network pages, Facebook, Tumblr & Twitter, while the goal for propelling both our “Previews” & “Disco Matters” posts will hopefully be back on stream by the beginning of December.
As far as activity out on the scene, definite dates include the new look A:M “Ultra tomorrow night (Fri 2nd) Deelooded’s “Fake Realness” on Saturday, then PLAY>TIME & Beyond vs. Matinee next Friday & Saturday, while WE’s 2nd Anniversary party “Formula 2” is on the cards at the beginning of December, with events sure to fill the gap between, brands attracting our attention including “WAR”, “Gigolo” & “Later”, while we will be taking a look at the new Manbar & profiling other watering holes including Circa, The Edge & Profile. All this means there is much to do, although we have been here before, a couple of false starts during the year seeing us slump scarily, so our actions will surely need to speak louder than our words, but as we said right at the top of this post, “…the only way is up…” and we hope that these final two months of our own annus horribilis will see us back on the up & up, re-building the blocks of our reviews, reports, recommends, music & other posts on the solid foundations that, despite all these distractions, remain intact. So here’s to a no nonsense November, a decisive December and then a new year full of lucky for some 2013 activity promise (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Reports | Tags: A:M, Beyond, Circa, Deeloooded, Gigolo, Later, Manbar, Matinee, Playtime, Profile, Room Service, Steve Pitron, The Edge, War | No Comments »
To have one is no less ordinary, but to have two is a terrific treat, but when we get three, well its nothing short of phenomenal, Steve Pitron’s “Summer 2012” two part podcast neatly followed by a third release, devoted to WE Party “Hi Japan”, this peak time Pitron production making it to our “Podcast of The Week”, download/stream links a banner slection away opposite or an image click below, while we prelude the podcast then delve into its detail beneath
Having waited what seemed to be an age following the release of his first podcast of 2012 and with an ever mounting list of new tracks featuring in his live performances, we were relieved when Steve Pitron made it into the recording studio to lay down his two part “Summer 2012” podcasts, this relief quickly turning into unbounded pleasure & excitement when they pressed, published & pushed into the public domain. And as with his “January Sessions” compilation, we were once again swept us off our feet with their splendour. Both Part 1 & 2 having included many of the towering tunes that had been floating our musical boat throughout his live performance sets at places such as Beyond, Matinee, WE, Play>Time & Room Service. So, it seemed that this double part devotion to all things summer was now surely enough to keep the podcast panging wolf from our door, well at least for another couple of months, although amidst suggestions that a third part was on the cards, very much out of the blue came a call to say that he had he had just emerged from his studio with a new podcast devoted to the then upcoming WE “Hi Japan” event, we immediately thrown into ecstatic excitement & anticipation mode of this third release, all in little over two months.
So here it is, Steve Pitron’s new & latest podcast, “WE Party Hi Japan” packing an immediate no punch, getting right down to beats business from the very first bar, Steve himself remarking that “…this is peak time Pitron right from the off…”, upfront, uplifting & vocal house the indelible ingredients here, that peak time reference playing out to prolific effect, artists on this majestic mix including pop mistresses Kylie Minogue & Madonna, while Florence & The Machine are in there too, along with the likes of Peter Rauhofer & the Shapeshifters. But with an eye on the WE music branding ethos, Steve has blended in some tougher tech beats, although neatly sandwiching them in-between a flock of floor fillers that include the 2012 version “Lola’s Theme” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okZf-NqS_bg) another mix version of “Spectrum”, Phil Romano & Steven Redant’s mix of “Timebomb” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhg7xsR1Lhg) & the ever popular “Somebody I Used To Know”, while there are others lifted from his “Summer 2012” podcast(s) to keep the Pitron faithful happy but also those more progressive beats to pander to the WE crowd. And with the compilation a supercharged yet sleet sixty seven minutes long, it scores as his shortest studio podcast production to date, yet fulfils just as much as those twice its length and has quickly found a place in whizzing us into work each day of the week and one we are sure you will want to add to your collection pretty quickly by going to direct link http://stevepitronsessions.podomatic.com/entry/2012-08-23T03_59_43-07_00.
So, what more can we say, apart from once again being in splendid seventh heaven with yet another stunning Steve Pitron smash of a podcast production, this compelling compilation from the master at work proving that, in his heavenly hands, “Music Is The Answer!” (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Music | Tags: Beyond, Matinee, Playtime, Room Service, Steve Pitron, WE Party, WE Party London | No Comments »
Having missed reporting on the scene & so with the August bank holiday on our doorstep, we thought it was high time to wave a fond farewell to our summer sabbatical & rev up the resumption of our services, reviews, recommends & reports all back, while our music seventh gear gets selected along with our picks & previews, all the planned scene & other coverage set out below
Well what a summer it has been here in the capital, the weather speaking volumes for the rest of it, our planned full-on sabbatical battered by heavy winds literally a week in, stepping out on the scene over gay pride weekend nevertheless reasonably limited and only a smattering of showings since, predominantly at Play>Time & Beyond. So, there has been much we have missed, WE, Matinee, Salvation & SuperMartXe, the biggies while the launch of Toybox, the continuing success story of WAR, and not one but two Deelooded parties all passing us by. But with plenty more parties we could have made, Gigolo, Room Service, Hustlers, Stripper, all in Soho, along with Shoreditch shindigs, Gutterslut, The Men Who Fell To Earth, SOS & Dish, we have very much been out of the clubbing circuit circulation, this on top of the first few months of 2012 when we were ravaged by personal problems & setbacks. All this means that there is much catching up to do, not just in restoring our website & reporting services, but putting ourselves out & about, in front of club promoters, owners & you, the clubbing crowd, thus showing you that we are back in & meaning business.
So what does all this mean? Well, having taken the necessary break to ponder our position, we have very much missed reviewing, reporting & recommending the scene, yes we have been continuing our support through the promotional banners on our site and, yes, we have also been sharing our “Pick Of The Day” choices through Facebook, Tumblr & right here, although, with the exception of the odd music focus & one (yes just one) review, that is been about it. Therefore, we have set ourselves a stringent target to not only produce at least one post per day, but to devote days of the week to certain reporting duties, the setting of these stringent timescales, timetables & goals hopefully producing the kind of prolific productivity that we used to enjoy this time two years ago. Indeed, as part of the re-expansion plans, some of our much missed reports/posts will be back, for instance our weekly recommendations newsletters “Best Bites” & “Short Shouts”, the first two rolled out for this August bank holiday, while we have a trio of Weekend Focus features too, Toybox, WE & As One all in the recommends spotlight, while from the beginning of September our slightly shortened weekly round-up report, now called “That Was The Weekend That Was” will be back as well.
But it is our core activity that we will be pushing to the fore, our music newsletters also becoming a weekly feature, covering the podcasts & tracks that have either just been released or are floating our boat as well as making big on the dancefloors of the capital. However, it is our reviews that are paramount in our productivity plans, these being what Disco Matt is most famed for and have been in existence from the very start. Yet, 2012 has seen a lack lustre amount of reflections; we determined to put this straight from now on, at least one review a week to come, while for the August bank holiday, it looks like at least three will be on their way, definitely WE Japan & As One, while if all goes to plan, we will be reviewing Toybox too & incorporating our first reflection on new(ish) club venue Covert. And to show that we mean business, August being hailed as our review comeback month, not one or two, but three reviews are due out today & tomorrow, following visits to Play>Time on Friday 3rd, to Beyond on Sunday 12th & to ClubNation just this last Saturday (18th), while we also have planned a short series of reviews entitled “The 2012 Story So Far”, covering brands WE, Matinee, Beyond & Play>Time, also mopping up on our other steps out on the scene from January through July, the plan also to include the likes Lovebox, CasaLatina & more in an “Others” review round-up. As for activity into September, well, watch this space for our “Monthly Message”, while we have already committed to Brighton Pride & to Summer Rites on 1st & 2nd Sept respectively.
So, with our summer sabbatical now behind us and we ready & raring to go, we hope that you have missed us as much as we have missed you but look forward to being back in the scene review, recommends & reports driving seat. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Reports | Tags: As One, Beyond, Deelooded, Dish, Gigolo, Matinee, Playtime, Room Service, Salvation, SuperMartXe, Toybox, War, WE | No Comments »
We may have been dazzled by the 2012 Olympics opening ceremony, but what is making us truly excited is the much prized Beyond membership key fob that will be handed out during the massive 12 hour “Summer Blowout” event which takes place tonight/tomorrow morning, DM delving into the detail of this & some last minute news of THE happening of the weekend.
The 2012 Olympics may have Danny Boyle creating all the spectacle & drama, but as our favourite club brand & awesome afterhours enters a new era on this Olympic weekend, it is new promoter Ben Kaye that is pressing all our excitement buttons, as not only is he taking the helm at a pivotal moment, joining two blockbusters brands together for a one-off outing, but he is launching (or should we say re-launching) the much prized & sought after Beyond membership, this time coming our way by a very smart little key fob. But while this is much cause for excitement (more info on that shortly), there is much more to tempt you into Area’s doors tonight/tomorrow morning, not least an all-star cast of D.J.’s from both the Beyond & the Matinee camps, the latter flying in their latest star turn, Javier Medina, while there are some real back-to-back set treats in store.
So, we propelled all the P.R. in our post “Brand Match Magnificence” (check it out at http://discomatt.com/web/?p=5636) but as we missed out on devoting a full focus to the vent, we will take you through some of the highlights of this masterful meet & then run back through that all important detail. But naturally we have to start with the wonderful news that Beyond has a new promoter in the form of one Ben Kaye and a better choice the Orange Nation top brass couldn’t have made, as Ben brings with him a wealth of talent, experience & contacts from his clubbing exploits both here in the capital & across the globe. Indeed, Ben is kind of a global guy in terms of some of the brands he has been connected with, not least the massive Spanish sensation that is WE Party, Ben having been heavily involved with events both here in London & in Madrid, while he has also been hopping around the world with WE head cheese Victor Pallas & his team on what seems a never-ending & enthralling “On Tour” series of meets.
However, back here in London, Ben has also been connected & involved in the biggest charity clubbing event on the calendar, The Wig Party, an annual party that has grown in stature & status each year in the last five, now attracting scores of A list celebrities as well as expanding the offer into a second outing, Match seeing “The Masked Ball” launch to amazing accolade, Ben at the centre of it all & contributing considerably. So, he brings to Beyond all this experience as well as a catalogue full of contacts, his face one of the more familiar on the capitals clubbing circuit and, as a result should prove an accomplished asset to this awesome afterhours which is very much on the up & up. And, as a first feather in his cap, Ben finds himself promoting & re-launching that membership we mentioned earlier, a pass that has plenty of benefits, not least fast track entry, preferential coatcheck facilities & access to the two VIP balconies, the new one at the front of Area’s main room very impressive indeed, so, this much sought after membership key fob being a major reason why an early arrival at tonight’s event is advisable.
However, there are plenty of other reasons to make a date with this “Summer Blowout” event, not least the enormous D.J. line-up, the promotions team patching together players from both brands, although, unsurprisingly, there is a considerable weighting towards Beyond, perhaps reflective of the fact that is it’s this brilliant brands backyard that is hosting the joint event. That said, Matinee get more than a look in as inbound to London especially for this party is our Barca boy, Javier Medina, a terrific talent who’s musical genre origins lean towards tribal & tech, although, having represented Matinee across Europe & in the US over the last twelve months, has evolved his sound to include more vocal infusions in his performances, while staying true to his roots. And having commissioned a special podcast to celebrate his inaugural for Matinee (& Beyond of course) here in London, it is clear that those tribal roots come through from the off, while the in & out injections of vocals keeps the Matinee style of sound honest enough to indicate that Javier will find favour with the “Summer Blowout” main room of revellers, his compilation well worth a listen &/or download by going to http://orangenation.podomatic.com/entry/2012-07-19T03_57_39-07_00.
But in true Beyond style, there will be three rooms of sound and that all-star cast of residents deployed in familiar format, so The Chapel space sporting the likes of David Jimenez, Paul Christian, & D’Johnny, while The Terrace room boasts Jonny M, Rob Sykes & two of the special back-to-back set performers, lovely lady’s Verity Mayes & Bryony Masters mixing up plenty of tech & tribal, while the more upfront & euphoric house sounds that The Sharp Boys have in their armoury will surely be one of the highlight performances not to be missed here. However, all eyes will be on the main room for the meaty part of this meet, Javier set to star between 5 & 7 a.m., following on from the first back-to-back D.J. performance from Alan K & Paulo Moreno, while for us it is the headline set from 7 till 10 a.m. that is exciting us the most, as the recently formed duo team of Steve Pitron & Jamie Head come together again to surely lift the roof off this “Summer Blowout” bash, Mr Pitron ready & waiting to storm the show with a score or more of sounds, many lifted from his recently released double podcast production “Summer 2012”, both essential additions to your compilation collection by going to http://stevepitronsessions.podomatic.com. And while the exact line-up & timings have not been confirmed, we reckon that Fat Tony will round of the main room action from 10 till midday tomorrow morning, meaning a music fest to match the might of Matinee & Beyond combined.
So let’s recap on some of the detail we propelled in our picks post earlier this week, this Beyond vs. Matinee “Summer Blowout” event now less than eight hours away, host venue Area’s doors opening at midnight tonight (Sat 28th July) and the event running the full twelve hours to midday tomorrow (Sun 29th July), advance tickets still surely the way to go and available online via http://orangenation.co.uk or at the usual Soho outlets, Prowler, Clone Zone & 50, as well as bars Comptons & Ku, priced at £10 (booking fees apply), while discounted entry is also still available by application to http://tinyurl.com/beyondmatinee. However, if you want to risk entry on the door, then do so at your peril & expect to pay much more, this surely becoming another roadblock event, particularly as other events spill out at that rubicon time of between 4 & 7 a.m. and dare we again remind you to keep your eyes out for those much prized beyond membership’s it sure to be a key fob frenzy for new promoter Ben Kaye to manage as word spreads round the club as to who has managed to land this much prized possession. Naturally we will be in the thick of the action, nibble size tweeting from our usual spot, all the action available by going to http://twitter.com/discomatt, so if you see us, do come say hi, but make sure you make a date with Beyond vs. Matinee & in so doing, “Go There! Be There! (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: Alan K, Area, Beyond, Bryony Masters, D'Johnny, David Jimenez, Jamie Head, Javier Medina, Jonny M, Matinee, Paul Christian, Paulo Moreno, Rob Sykes, Steve Pitron, The Sharp Boys, Verity Mayes | No Comments »
We may have missed out this morning, but we couldn’t resist landing on Beyond for our “Pick of The Day” today (Sun 22nd July), as we look forward to the huge Beyond vs. Matinee party next Sunday, all the detail a banner selection away opposite or an image click below, while we propel the promoters PR beneath, all this in advance of DM’s full-on Weekend Focus due out shortly.
In a revision to our usual format, we have decided to devote our “Pick of The Day” choices from Sunday’s through Tuesday’s each week to events upcoming, landing our first pick on what looks like being a massive summer smash as brilliant brands Beyond & Matinee join formidable forces this coming Saturday/Sunday for a twelve hour spectacular. And while we will be devoting a full-on Weekend Focus in the next couple of day, we couldn’t resist sharing the organisers PR along with some exciting news about a new promoter for our favourite afterhours.
Current Beyond promoter & director of events at Orange Nation, Jonny Marsh, say’s of this event….
We’re very excited to announce a brand new collaboration featuring two of the biggest gay brands in the world – Beyond & Matinee.
Taking place on Saturday 28th July, this event will showcase the best of London and international DJs, with incredible production and dance shows.
Plus we are pleased to announce a new promoter for Beyond, as Ben Kaye takes the helm from this week onwards, bringing fresh ideas and concepts into the fold
And this is the P.R. release from the event’s organisers, Orange Nation….
BEYOND VS MATINEE LONDON: THE SUMMER BLOWOUT
Saturday night / Sunday morning 28th July 12 Midnight – super late @ Area
When two heavyweights collide, things are changed for ever. And so when the world’s number 1 afterhours and UK’s undisputed king of the gay scene goes head to head with probably the biggest gay super-brand in the world, the result will be nothing short of spectacular
Taking place at London’s cutting edge Area nightclub in Vauxhall, the original home of Matinee London, ‘Beyond vs Matinee: The Summer Blowout’ is a supersized, super-production, super party, with an incredible line up of international and London DJs rocking out across three pumping arenas of mind blowing lighting and lasers.
Special guest DJ from the Matinee Group is JAVIER MEDINA – the newest addition the roster, Javier is the busiest of all the Matinee all-star DJs, travelling the world and spinning at the world’ best clubs.
Joining him on the decks are DJs including Steve Pitron, Jamie Head, The Sharp Boys, Alan K , Fat Tony, Rob Sykes, D’Johnny, Paul Christian, David Jimenez, Paulo Moreno, Verity Mayes, Bryony Masters, plus more to be announced!
Plus, with two brand new VIP spaces at Area, the Beyond Crew will be offering out free Beyond membership key fobs giving exclusive access to the private spaces, including VIP toilets and bar, to the first 500 clubbers through the doors. So hurry on down as this is a one off special deal.
Orange Nation and all the Beyond Team are pleased to announce that they are now working with Ben Kaye as their new promoter. With a wealth of experience from his involvement WE Party in Madrid & London, as well as with the massive WIG Party, Ben is coming on board to help freshen up the brand, combining his own concepts & ideas with the existing Beyond magic and hopes to re-enforce the Beyond brand not only here in the UK but all over the world.
The 29th July sees the start of a new era at the club – so there are exciting times ahead. So be part of the start of something new.
Admission – Exclusive FREE ENTRY offer 12 midnight-1am with flyer, ad or online guestlist, otherwise £10 advance tickets from http://orangenation.co.uk &/or the usual outlets, while it’s more on the door, but for more!
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: Alan K, Area, Ben Kaye, Beyond, David Jimenez, Fat Tony, Jamie Head, Javier Medina, Jonny Marsh, Matinee, Paul Christian, Paulo Moreno, Rob Sykes, Steve Pitron, The Sharp Boys, Verity Mayes | 1 Comment »
Departing a little from his usual monthly mixes, Zach Burns’ residency at Popcorn’s Departure Lounge being this inspiration of this latest compilation in his “House Sessions” series, our premier protégé player proves his position with his most prolific production yet, DM delivering a dinky devotion on the dance-tastic delight that has made his “Podcast Of The Week” choice.
It is no secret that, despite showing our support for scores of D.J.’s & music producers, both here in London & across the globe, there are, nevertheless, a handful that get extra attention, Zach Burns being one such individual, and having closely followed & supported his progression behind the decks for over 12 months now, we have seen this talented young man’s D.J.’ing career grow in both strength & stature, very much manifested in the roll-call of residencies he has buckled under his belt. And with that list extending to brands such as CasaLatina, Gigolo & Matinee (the later a lifelong dream already achieved), 2012 has proven a yardstick year for Zach already, with international appearances in both Berlin & Paris to add to his rising repertoire, while bread & butter gigs for Profile, Lo-Profile & The Edge back here in London have cemented his standing on the scene as a new force to be reckoned with, Zach standing tall amongst the other poppy players that scatter the scene.
So, supporting Mr Burns comes quite easily to us and with his equally prolific podcast production matching his activity out on the scene, not a month has gone by this year without one compilation or another of his making it into our collection, whether it be the specialist mixes from residencies or guest slots, such as Scream, GMF or that momentous Matinee meet, or from his now considerable “House Sessions” series. Yet while his productions certainly hit the heavenly mark, certain track selections fervently floating our boat, it has been rare for any one mix to make it into our daily playlist, one which fills our ears while exercising our other occupation, zooming around London’s roads, an elite selection only extending to the likes of Brent Nicholls, The Oli & Jamie Head, while the domination of a Steve Pitron podcast pretty much speaks for itself, the peddle power his productions produce in us, unrivalled by any other, not least his “Jan 2012 Session”.
However, in Zach’s latest, Vol. 24 in his monthly “House Sessions” series, we have one such podcast that not only pitches perfectly against Mr Pitron’s, but did, for a couple of days, topple that superb Steve set of sounds, hence why it has made it to our “Podcast of The Week” choice. But the reasons extend further than that, as in this latest Burns beats bonanza, we have a collection of tunes that both inspire & energise us, his decision to depart from the norm this month & devote this delightful dance-tastic delectation to his weekly residency within Popcorn’s Departure Lounge, bearing brilliant fruit with lashings of vocals intermixed with his trademark funky beats, while within this magnificent 75 minute mix, we have crowned both our new Burns/DM anthem of the year in Upjeet’s remix of Etienne Ozborne’s “Been A Long Time” but have also found the new 2012 replacement for the truly towering Rony Seilkaly track “Take Me Higher” in the emotionally enthralling “Another Day” from the captivating composition camp that is James Talk & Ridney.
But with Zach having chosen plenty more vocal crowd pleasures within this production, familiar names that he continues to bank on including our Italian stallion Pagano, the resplendence of Ralphi Rosario & the superb Stefano Noferini, as well as notable names & artists such as Ian Carey, Lisa Millett, Abigail Bailey & David Penn, this composition is crammed with pedigree from spectacular start to fabulous finish. Indeed, we have found it immensely difficult to dislike any track on what is undoubtedly Zach most outstandingly brilliant & best to date, pretty much sealing the deal on our recommendation that it is an essential must to your collection, downloading mere minutes away at direct link http://djburns.podomatic.com/entry/2012-07-04T11_32_41-07_00, while Mr Burns has shared a selection of the total tack listing via his Beatport chart at http://www.beatport.com/chart/house-sessions-24-july-2012/92806, where, should you so wish, you can grab the track that floats your own boat & at the same time support the artists & music producers that have helped propel this podcast into our number two slot of 2012.
So, with the awesome accomplishment, not only has Zach provided further proof that his a every measure for the material that is our premier protégé player position, but he proves that, through the captivating compilation creation, music most definitely is the answer. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Music | Tags: Casalatina, Gigolo, Lo-Profile, Matinee, Popcorn, Profile, The Edge, Zach Burns | No Comments »
With our reviews in arrears, our previews hardly present, our music devotions derelict and our recommendations rusty, we have decided it is time to take time off, take time to re-charge, take time to re-focus & take time to re-energise, the announcement of our “Scene Summer Sabbatical & Service Scale Down”, deluding to the details of our decision, along with our desires & intentions for a full service resumption/return.
With 2012 already proving to be our own “annus horribilus” on a number of fronts, there can be little or no doubt that the activity that was always the core part of our existence, our reviews, has taken a direct hit, how did we out it?, “…woefully in arrears…”, while it is also true that the year so far has seen a distinct lack of the previews, both in full form & in focus/feature style, along with an absence of our much loved much now maligned recommendations newsletters, ones we used to, devotingly so, issue each |& every week, although this first half of 2012 has seen just half a dozen devotions, hardly the devoting our admiring audiences deserve or indeed expect. But the sorrowful story continues, as one of a major life loves, our music, has also been badly hit, planned special features, D.J. focuses &, yes, our music newsletters, all having pretty much ground to a halt, while there has been a ray of light in the form our newly launched “Picks” section which (well up until the middle of this month that is) has dominated our activity and has proved to be the one inspiration in a year that has been devoid of almost every intrinsic ingredient. So, whether it be recommends, focuses, features or reports, all that have formed part of our success recipe, our package, they have been alarmingly absent, while it is the one element that started it all that remains THE most alarming absentee, that element being our reviews.
So what’s been happening?, Well to put not too fine a point on it, the “Matt” in Disco Matt has been the cause, a whole host of issues that has afflicted Matt, having a knock on effect on Disco Matt (yes we are one & the same), close family illness issues back home in South Africa dominating both January & February, while it is now Matt’s health that is consuming our lives, to the extent that we, all too often, find ourselves so fatigued that there remains little or no energy or dive to pursue our postings with anywhere near the vigour & va va voom of previous times. Then, to compound the problems besieging us, a series of computer failures have influenced our interest & intent to deliver our devotions, we having lurched from one device to the next with little or no resolve or resolution and, in reality, without this essential element/tool, we have been akin to carrying a war wound, a lost limb, or a corroded cog in our writing wheel, a wheel that had become square rather than round and, as the saying goes, has fallen off!! So, those have been the causes and the effects have been plain to see, the figures speaking volumes, a lacklustre six reviews reaped when there should have been four times that, while with just two music newsletters, a handful of recommendations & no previews whatsoever, it certainly is a sad state of affairs we have found ourselves in, while on the positive, our scene step outs have been captured not just in pictures & video’s posted onto social networking sites, but our now infamous “nibble size tweets” have amassed an ever increasing following.
However, the fact remains that, with much of our core activity at a complete standstill and with the heavy weight of expectation of output laying heavily on our, what were, broad shoulders, we have had to look inwardly at the issues that are causing this collapse in our once wondrous writing and in so doing decide to relieve some of that pressure by sending ourselves on a scene summer sabbatical and also scale down our services, the summer sabbatical part of the equation allowing us to “re-charge”, the scaling down of services allowing us to “re-focus” and the two combined allowing us to re-energise & then “re-engage”, hence the title of our report. So what form will all of this take?, Well, as we have hinted, we will be stepping out of the scene spotlight for a few weeks, curtailing our commitments to expectant engagements while possibly continuing to make the odd cameo appearance here & there, these visits seeing a scaling down of our nibble size tweets, which for this summer sabbatical period, will however continue while we re-charge. And the scaling down of services will also impact (it has already) on our website which will hopefully see itself going through some re-charging, with further nip & tuck tweaks and improvements both to the layout & the look, meaning it is possible that the site may go down for this maintenance while we scale down our activity, shifting the focus in the direction of our social networking sites, Tumblr, Twitter & Facebook.
With the re-charging process in place, we will be then re-focussing, predominantly on those core aspects of our activity, so our reviews, our music posts & our regular recommendations, we having already decided to draw a line under the first six months of this “annus horribilus” part of our year and look forward to a remaining six months when we will be re-energised & re-engaged with our writing. So, with the sabbatical period relieving the pressure, the aim will be to roll all these posts back into prominent position, while not forgetting the elements of our activity that have proven quite fruitful in 2012, so our Picks posts & the D.J. focuses & podcast propulsions that have borne fruit through our Pick of The Day” & “Podcast of The Week” choices. But, as the next six months dawn arrives (its 1st July tomorrow) we are determined to re-start all the supporting structure we have been so fervently following in the year so far, so while our website goes through its changes, we will be continuing to update all the banners in our various “Supports” sections, so clubs & events, businesses, publications & music producers, the specialist “Orange Nation” “WE Party” devotions continuing. Moreover, we have set ourselves a weekly schedule which will kick in following the end of our sabbatical which will mark the start of our re-energising & re-engagement period, elements of this beginning to bed in from as early as tomorrow, while we remain determined to under promise on our postings and so over deliver as a result.
So the question remains, when will this summer sabbatical & service scale down end?, Well, as we go to press on our decision, its remains pretty open ended, although we expect to be fully back on stream by the beginning of September, so a sabbatical period of eight or so weeks, we taking this opportunity to apologise to those clubs & club promoters for our absence from a elongated list of events, clubs included (some benefitting from a smattering of showings) being A:M, Beyond, CasaLatina, Dish, Gigolo, Hard On!, Later, Matinee, Orange, PlayTime, Room Service, Salvation, Trade & War, while to club promoters, particularly Craig Elder, Jonny Marsh, Jodie Harsh, Suzi Kruegar, David & L.a. Hart, Tom Stephan and Kris Di Angelis, we will be back supporting but more importantly, reviewing your events as it is our reviews that is the real core of our activity and what we have become famed for & are all about. In addition, to the venues, such as The Shadow Lounge, Profile & East Bloc, we will be continuing (and in places) ramping up our support & our showings from September, while some will benefit from short steps into the scene spotlight during our summer sabbatical, Beyond one such benefactor as soon as tomorrow, while we are sure others will follow.
Well, that’s where we are, while what we have also done, not least following the inspiration drawn from a recent cinema trip, is to mastermind a Disco Matt maxim, one which will underpin the re-charging, re-focusing, re-energising & re-engagement period we now find ourselves in, it seemingly appropriate to end our report by sharing it with you, it chronicling, where we have been, where we are, and where we want to be, and it goes like this
“…The person, who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, but nothing happens unless we first dream. So we came, we dreamed & we tried in our different ways, but now tired, we simply get up in the morning & we try, as nothing else matters. Can we be blamed for feeling too tired to change, too scared of failure to start it all again? Well the only real failure is the failure to try and the measure of our success is how we cope with our failings, as we always must. All we know about the future is that it will be different, but perhaps what we fear is that it will be the same. So we must celebrate the changes, because everything will be alright in the end, and if it’s not alright, then trust us, it’s not yet the end…”
So here’s to our summer sabbatical serenading a new & renewed enthusiasm for what we do & how we do it, here’s to the decided mobilisation of our music devotions, the resumption of our recommendations and, most importantly, the return of our reviews. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Reports | Tags: A:M, Beyond, Casalatina, Craig Elder, David Hart, Dish, East Bloc, Gigolo, Hard On!, Jodie Harsh, Jonny Marsh, Kris Di Angelis, La. Hart, Matinee, Orange, Playtime, Profile, Room Service, Salvation, Steven Sharp, Suzie Krueger, The Shadow Lounge, Trade, War, Wayne Shires | No Comments »
Schools are out, Easter looms, a new era dawns and spring is definitely in the air in Disco Matt land as he draws a line under the stormy seas that marred his stepping out on the scene during January, February & March, taking a brief look back but a more significant stare forward of what’s to come for an April awash with activity.
If we had thought that 2011 was a rocky road & rollercoaster ride of a year, while 2012 got off to the best possible start we could have imagined, the year soon went seriously downhill, paling the previous year’s down’s in comparison, a whole host of superb soiree’s, prolific parties & magnificent meets passing us by while we continued to come to terms with intense personal & family issues affecting our enthusiasm & ability to step out significantly on the scene. But with a steadfast step in our stride along our determination to draw a line under the last three months, what better way to start than to highlight & then put to bed our relative anonymity in January, February & March and then look forward to an April awash with activity, so, not so much a monthly message, more a quarterly catch-up, a midterm report if you like, driving home the “Must Try Harder” theme.
REVIEWS – Given that this is an acclimation of our activity, it has come as quite a shock that, as we look back over what had always been our core writing & publications, our reviews, we can only muster a total of five in the last three months, perhaps Beyond & WE from NYD being two highlights, although it is the former’s February foray that we lay our highlight hat on here, this exceptional event without doubt the most emotionally enthralling yet. But with no less than six reviews in the catch-up tank, while we may have missed out on the likes of Matinee “The Return”, we were there for the follow up, added to which we have reflections on Beyond at Fire, & a bunch of Profile & Lo-Profile outings to accentuate, that on top of seeing our beloved Area re-open just two days ago for Onyx “The New Era”, not to mention seven sorties over Easter that should see our review count quadruple just two weeks into April.
PREVIEWS – With absolutely diddly squat to look back on, it’s best we simply look forward, the first feature planned is a preview look at new club “Covert” which is just weeks away from making a significant splash on the scene. Over & above that, we will be casting our forward thinking minds towards the return of Delooded, as well as a special preview look at international festival Delice Dream.
RECOMMENDS – While we made every effort to get our weekly newsletters back on stream, the plan to split our “Best Bites” & “Short Shouts” bearing a little fruit, the result was an all too erratic service which we intend to put right from April onwards, while our Weekend Focus features fared a little better, coverage extending to Matinee, Beyond, Trade, Casa Latina, WE Party, Room Service & Gigolo, perhaps our highlight pick being the feature we commissioned on “The Masked Ball”, although this one of many events we recommended but failed to review. So, having taken over in the quantity stakes as our most extensive activity area, it seems this part of our publications can only go from strength to strength in April, starting with a flood of Best & Extra Bites, Focuses & Short Shouts for Easter alone, while we are committed to those weekly newsletters in their split format.
REPORTS – Like the majority of our activity, our reporting suffered a significant slide during January, February & March, although we did manage to ruffle a few scene promoter & club feathers when we looked at the suspension of “SuperSocial”, as well as what we saw as the uncomfortable bedfellow bringing together of Trade & Beyond for Ultimate, although we headed for calmer & less controversial waters when we looked at Room Service & the Boyz Awards. However, it is that “SuperSocial” post that is our highlight pick here, while as April opens out, we already have two special reports planned, the first, “I Would Like To Thank” looking at those Boyz awards results, along with analysing other scene awards such as Attitude & SeenQueen and giving our take on the winners & the losers in it all, while with the sad & shocking news of the untimely & premature passing away of the true gentle giant of the club promoting scene, we will be paying special tribute to the late great Steve Elliot.
MUSIC – Much of our, it has to be said, limited activity was concentrated early on to looking back into 2011, as we picked out our top tracks, podcasts & sets in our most comprehensive Y.E. music review to date, a three part epic entitled “The Best Year Yet”, while there is no doubt that our new year has very much been dominated by one particular D.J./Producer, we devoting a special feature to the release of Steve Pitron’s prolific podcast “Jan 2012 Session”, this feature being our highlight pick here. However, with steadfast plans to get our music newsletters back on track stumbling a little, we can only boast one in the period, although our “Premier & Protégé Player Productions” first volume has paved the way for a series that will continue for the rest of 2012, side by side with our other series “Allsorts In the Mix”, the first of which will be out this week.
D.J.’s – Falling woefully short of expectations here, the “Must Try Harder” theme of this message rings ever so true for our D.J. devotions and so we aim to put the metal to the peddle in a big way during April with the return of our weekly focuses, planned inclusions being Guy Scheiman, Zach Burns, Elof De Neve & Paulo Moreno, while special features on Javier Medina, Brent Nicholls, The Oli & Gonzalo Rivas are also chalked for April. However, one chap that did get our focussed attention was Marco Gee & it is his that is our highlight pick here.
DOES… & DISCO MATTERS – Two other sections of our website, like Previews, that saw no activity during the first three months, although we will be starting our spring season as we mean to go on, planning one “Does…” & one “Disco Matters” feature a month, the former likely to be on Paris, as we are right now planning a weekend trip for the end of April so will be digging into our archives to post our feature from last February, while with the launch of new club Covert, just weeks away, we will be commissioning a special feature on this new & smart addition to the scene, which will include an exclusive interview with the clubs manager, Tom Fuller.
COMING UP – Naturally we have set the benchmark quite high for April, but with that spring back in our step, plus with plans to devote a whole day a month on top of our weekend work to our writing, we are determined to keep track of our timetable. And with the focus now clearly on the upcoming Easter weekend, watch this space for our special feature on “The Big Easter Ticket Trio”, as well as Extra Bites Special combining alternative antics Discotec, Fiction & Dish, that on top of the return of our two part recommends newsletter, “Best Bites” & “Short Shouts”. Plus with a weekend full of activity, there will be reviews a-plenty, with much of that music activity we promised, slotting in as well.
KEEP UP – One part of our activity that has literally soared both in substance & popularity are our infamous “Nibble Size Tweets” which now not only just extend to those events we are reviewing, but to ALL our steps out on the scene. And with our following gaining momentum with every turning week, our tweets are one of the best ways to keep up with our activity, which you can follow at http://twitter.com/discomatt. Twitter aside, we continue to use Facebook as a major broadcast medium, the changes to FB causing a few hiccups during February & March, although with timeline now bedded in on both our profile & our page, plus Disco Matt’s group restored, there are three additional gateways to keep up with our activity, so please check out our group at http://facebook.com/groups/discomatt/, press the “like” button at http://facebook.com/pages/Disco-Matt/112730602119746, or simply follow our profile at http://facebook.com/discomattlondon, while please feel free to post/plaster our walls with your podcast links, event details or even comments on our tweets, reviews, reports & recommendations. Plus, don’t forget that you can keep track of us via your smartphone, by simply bookmarking http://discomatt.com & benefit from both an iPhone & android friendly layout.
CONTACT US – Very simply, just drop us an e-mail at matt@discomatt.com , or fill in a contact form which you can find at the bottom of our website, a hint of which can be found in the main body of our website. That aside, you can send us a message via Facebook, or even more simply, just plaster our walls or send us a tweet.
SUPPORTING THE SCENE – Having established the “Supporting” section as an integral part of our website last summer, we have slowly increased capacity to include well over twenty promotional banners covering clubs, events, businesses & music producers in London & internationally. In addition we recently introduced a “Best Bite Choices” interactive section, along with “Pick Of The Day” & “Podcast of The Week” banner sections, these also being promoted via our Facebook Page & our Tumblr site (http://tumblr.com/blog/discomatt), this part of our activity having proven most effective in keeping you updated with the best places to be & be seen on the scene, links to websites, event & ticket pages complimenting the visual images. And with these continuing to be updated daily with broadcasts going up on Facebook once or twice a week, we now consider these promotional banners as a cornerstone of our activity and are grateful to support a wide range of clubs, events & businesses, so if you are a club promoter or event organiser & fancy having your club or event promoted, then just drop us a line at matt@discomatt.com including the relevant artwork and we will do our best to include you.
DISCO DIARY DATES – With Easter very much dominating our immediate diary, we have already committed to a number of events this coming weekend, including “High Society” on Thurs (5th Apr), A:M “Easter Headliners” on Saturday morning (7th Apr), and then a fifteen hour marathon on Sunday/Monday, which begins with Beyond and then encompasses Later, WE “Fluro”, Dish, As One & Orange, while we will be making every effort to pop into Discotec & Fiction too, so it certainly looks like we will be spreading ourselves pretty thin which will no doubt produce a plethora of “Bite Size” rather than “Full Size” reviews. As for the rest of April, well we will be making successive trips to Gigolo & Room Service, as well as aiming to fit in a visit to East Bloc so as to fly the Shoreditch scene flag as well as the Soho & Vauxhall ones.
Well that’s about it for this midterm report and with the line now very much firmly drawn under the first three months of 2012, we can look forward to the new era in Disco Matt land awash with activity throughout April, meaning spring has definitely sprung in our world, even if there is snow on the way for the UK. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Reports | Tags: A:M, As One, Beyond, Casa Latina, Covert, Discotec, Dish, East Bloc, Gigolo, Gonzalo Rivas, Guy Scheiman, Javier Medina, Later, Marco Gee, Matinee, Onyx, Orange, Room Service, Steve Elliot, Steve Pitron, The Oli, Tom Fuller, Trade, Ultimate | No Comments »
It literally took the scene by storm when it launched in London sixteen months ago, a summer season in Ibiza propelling its profile even further, while its presence at WE events as well as playing pre-party hosts for the likes of Beyond, Casa Latina & Matinee have seemingly secured its future. But with the seventeenth month itch approaching along with the need to cope with the capital’s clubbing crowd complacency, what does Jodie & her tight knit team have in store for this superb Soho scene soiree?
Boutique Brilliance
There can be no doubt in our minds that when we cast our eyes across the clubbing scene schedule in any given week these days, there are a handful of clubs & events that not only crop up with resounding regularity, but also stand out from others as exemplary examples of popular parties that hardly ever fail to attract & maintain a healthy following, the likes of Beyond, Later & Orange three shining examples of weekly brands that have stood the test of time. However, maintaining an enthusiasm & interest in events takes a fair amount of hard work, the days when you could simply open the doors & see crowds flock in, very much long gone, whether it be at the weekend or otherwise. However, when a club catches the imagination to the extent that it very much bucks that trend, the people involved could be forgiven for taking things a little too much for granted, although even the less experienced promoters have to realise that by simply sitting on their laurels is tantamount to disaster, particularly when operating in a scene that is renowned for turning against the trend tide with lightning speed.
Creative Genius Jodie
Room Service is one such clubbing brand that literally took the scene by storm and since its launch in October 2010 has seemingly continued to ride a wave crest that shows no signs of coming into shore, an extension of its eventing here in the capital seeing promoter Jodie Harsh & her terrific team expand into a summer season in Ibiza, undoubtedly propelling the profile of the club in the eyes of Europeans if not just Spaniards. But back home, while we have only made the occasional visits since the launch, every time we have pitched up after 11 p.m., the queue has extended down Greek St, a reflection of just how popular the club is, and this is on a Thursday (i.e. school) night if you please. However, Jodie’s jamboree has not been without its competition, Gigolo seemingly locking horns when it launched in May last year, although what it rather seemed to do was to bring more people into Soho on a Thursday night, although while David & L.a. may have since switched both venue & night, Lo-Profile has “Society”, meaning Room Service still needs to keep on its toes and remain “Ship Shape & Bristol Fashion” in its quest to remain at the top of its game, a game that has seen it voted as the best UK club night in 2011 by Attitude magazine & is sure to feature in the upcoming Boyz award results too.
Room Residents
So what does this boutique clubbing brilliance have in store in the forthcoming weeks & months? Well, first & foremost, Jodie has consolidated her towering team of resident D.J.’s these being scene stars & favourites Steve Pitron, Severino, Kris Di Angelis, Fat Tony & Ariel, while special guests in recent weeks have included the mighty music maestro, Smokin Jo, east end boy Matt Bogard & Brighton belle Verity Mayes. And hosting pre-parties remains a staple ingredient in the Room Service schedule, the club welcoming Matinee with open arms three weeks ago, Trade last Thursday and tonight (Thurs 16th), it’s all about “A Space Odyssey” as the Casa Latina crew roll into Soho town. But while all these represent amazing attractions, we have to dig a little deeper into the Room Service treasure chest of treats to discover some hidden gems that often get overlooked when considering whether to mosey on down to Maibella, this compact & bijou yet enticingly beautifully formed little venue on Greek St. And those treats pretty much start at the door, the charming J.J. Clark making every single welcome something special, while for those that arrive before 11 p.m. (the club opens at 10) there is a complimentary glass of champers to greet you, this as well as the special “serviced” cocktails priced at an extremely reasonable £4 each available all night, or for those at the other end of the scale, a bottle of Grey Goose, marketed as “…the world’s best tasting vodka…”, with all the accompaniments & special treatments the Maibella team offer you for £150.
Pre-Party Pampering
Then we look outside of Room Service’s Soho doors and the untrained eye & ear will hardly realise that Jodie has teamed up with Circa Bar on Frith St, just a block away, this equally compact & bijou beauty matching the sumptuousness of Maibella, also attracting an equally qualitative crowd and sporting a bunch of resident D.J.’s that have past & present links with Room Service, Munroe Bergdorf & James Pople two that appear relatively regularly on Thursday’s. And as part of the tie between the two, that is Room Service & Circa, for those of you that can’t make it down to Greek St until after the witching hour, it is well worth swinging by Circa first, as there are “late night check-in passes” for your favourite boutique brilliance priced at a competition busting £5, valid for entry between 1 & 2 a.m. However, it doesn’t stop at Soho, as Room Service continue their partnership with WE, once again taking over the second space at the forthcoming “Pharaoh” event on Saturday 3rd March at The Cornet in E&C, while the summer season ahead looks like seeing Room Service go on tour, as well as rekindle the “Downtown” brand and, with little birdie tweeting that Room Service could be hosting a room at the next As One event, sitting on laurels does not form part of the Jodie’s & her teams equation.
So, if you haven’t yet checked in at Maibella on a Thursday and in so doing, indulging in the full Room Service sensation, that being “…your weekly fix of the best of London’s gay scene wrapped up in a boutique package, with the hottest go-go boys steaming things up, a crazy army of hosts leading you into a haze of neon lit mischief and the best underground house music in the city…” then its high time you did. And in the words of Room Service’s sponsors, this is one fabulous feast for the eyes & ears, meaning it’s time to stimulate your senses and “Go There! Be There! (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends, Reports | Tags: Ariel, Casa Latina, Circa, Fat Tony, James Pople, JJ Clark, Jodie Harsh, Kris Di Angelis, Maibella, Matinee, Matt Bogard, Munroe Bergdorf, Room Service, Severino, Smokin Jo, Steve Pitron, Trade, Verity Mayes, WE Party | No Comments »
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6 Nov 2012 | 0 Comments
Recommends – “Brilliantly Blended Or Badly Buckling Brands – Matinee vs. Beyond “Ghetto Fabulous” – Saturday 10th November – Weekend Focus
Despite a complete lack of PR and serious question marks over the D.J. line up, we throw our Weekend Focus attention on Matinee, which returns to London this Saturday, once again going head to head with Beyond in a towering ten hour happening that, however, leaves us asking lots of ...
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1 Nov 2012 | 0 Comments
Reports – “The Only Way Is Up” – DM Back On Track – Thursday 1st November
With 2012 ravaged with disturbing distractions, the steady activity decline from a height of over fifty posts a month to just five in October has signaled a pretty serious writing wake-up call, our determination to be back where we belong now matched with renewed enthusiasm for supporting & promoting one ...
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27 Aug 2012 | 0 Comments
Muisc/Picks – “Peak Time Pitron Pampering” – Steve Pitron Podcast – WE Hi Japan – Monday 27th August – Podcast Of The Week
To have one is no less ordinary, but to have two is a terrific treat, but when we get three, well its nothing short of phenomenal, Steve Pitron’s “Summer 2012” two part podcast neatly followed by a third release, devoted to WE Party “Hi Japan”, this peak time Pitron production ...
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21 Aug 2012 | 0 Comments
Reports – “Ready, Steady, Go” – Summer Sabbatical “Services Resumption” – Tuesday 21st August
Having missed reporting on the scene & so with the August bank holiday on our doorstep, we thought it was high time to wave a fond farewell to our summer sabbatical & rev up the resumption of our services, reviews, recommends & reports all back, while our music seventh gear ...
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28 Jul 2012 | 0 Comments
Recommends – “Key Fob Frenzy” – Beyond vs. Matinee “Summer Blowout” – Sat/Sun 28th/29th July – Weekend Extra Bites
We may have been dazzled by the 2012 Olympics opening ceremony, but what is making us truly excited is the much prized Beyond membership key fob that will be handed out during the massive 12 hour “Summer Blowout” event which takes place tonight/tomorrow morning, DM delving into the detail of ...
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22 Jul 2012 | 1 Comment
Picks – “Brand Match Magnificence” – Beyond vs. Matinee “Summer Blowout” – Sat/Sun 28th/29th July – Pick Of The Day
We may have missed out this morning, but we couldn’t resist landing on Beyond for our “Pick of The Day” today (Sun 22nd July), as we look forward to the huge Beyond vs. Matinee party next Sunday, all the detail a banner selection away opposite or an image click below, ...
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10 Jul 2012 | 0 Comments
Music/Picks – “Burns Beats Best” – Zach Burns’ “House Sessions Vol. 24″ – Tuesday 10th July – Podcast Of The Week
Departing a little from his usual monthly mixes, Zach Burns’ residency at Popcorn’s Departure Lounge being this inspiration of this latest compilation in his “House Sessions” series, our premier protégé player proves his position with his most prolific production yet, DM delivering a dinky devotion on the dance-tastic delight that ...
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30 Jun 2012 | 0 Comments
Reports – “Re-Charge, Re-Focus, Re-Energise, Re-Engage” – Summer Sabbatical Service Scale Down – Saturday 30th June
With our reviews in arrears, our previews hardly present, our music devotions derelict and our recommendations rusty, we have decided it is time to take time off, take time to re-charge, take time to re-focus & take time to re-energise, the announcement of our “Scene Summer Sabbatical & Service Scale ...
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1 Apr 2012 | 0 Comments
Reports – “Must Try Harder” – Matt’s Monthly Message – Sunday 1st April
Schools are out, Easter looms, a new era dawns and spring is definitely in the air in Disco Matt land as he draws a line under the stormy seas that marred his stepping out on the scene during January, February & March, taking a brief look back but a more ...
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16 Feb 2012 | 0 Comments
Reports & Recommends – “Boutique Brilliance” – Room Service – Thursday 16th February – Special Feature
It literally took the scene by storm when it launched in London sixteen months ago, a summer season in Ibiza propelling its profile even further, while its presence at WE events as well as playing pre-party hosts for the likes of Beyond, Casa Latina & Matinee have seemingly secured its ...
Event Review – “Bare Ches… : It would be fair to say that, over the years, we have s...posted on December 22, 2010
Recommends – “The Bel Ami… :
It hardly seems twelve months since we went str...posted on May 5, 2011
Reviews : Here you will find regular reviews of clubs, special ev...posted on October 7, 2010- Previews : Here we preview rather than review clubs & events that ...posted on October 7, 2010
- Music : Here we focus on, review and recommend the latest podca...posted on October 7, 2010
- Recommends : Here you will find recommendations for upcoming events ...posted on November 24, 2010
Reviews – “Eye-Opener Of … : Generally unplanned & unscheduled events in our clubbin...posted on March 2, 2011
Recommends – “Gay Boys In… : When the seeds were first sown on a specialist evening ...posted on April 11, 2011
Recommends – “Shoreditch … :
Having given East Bloc plenty of coverage in our We...posted on May 14, 2011- Reports : Here you will find reports & features on the latest new...posted on November 24, 2010
