Posts Tagged ‘Mauricio Ortiz’
February 1, 2013 | 
Author While we make no secret that Beyond has become our favourite club of all-time, having wowed our world for over ten years now, recent developments have left us in dismay over some of the mixed messages that are marring its magnificence, while come Sunday (3rd Feb) all that will be brushed under the carpet as Beyond’s first big bash since NYD looks set to be a sell-out success, we reporting on then recommending this brand & it’s “Pervert” party.
Having devoted reports, features, recommendations & reviews to this brilliant brand, pretty much speaks for itself, while we have propelled related podcasts, music and the clubs resident D.J.’s on scores of occasions in our time, all an indication of the love and passion we have for this awesome afterhours (we use that word for good reason), as since day one back in 2001, we have been probably one of the biggest & longest lasting supporters, fans, fervent followers of this Sunday morning (also used for purpose) meet. Indeed, having formed friendships with flocks of D.J.’s, scene faces, scene workers and pure party people, this captivating club, for much of its history, stood for everything that was great about clubbing. From the Colloseum period, through to its current reign over Area (and no other brand or event feels the same here for us), a purple patch period between 2009 & 2011 chalking up tons of terrific turns, during 2012 and particularly in the last two to three months of the year, it seems to have lost some of its spark, So, our once weekly visits have become far less often and when we do make it down,, they are short & sweet (for some far too short), no one’s fault but ours, we just seem to be finding our favour faltering. But more than that, what was recognised from the off as a pure afterhours party, has shifted its timings as often as the wind changes direction, leaving us scratching our head as to what the promotions team are attempting to achieve.
Beyond, without doubt remains at the top of the capitals gay clubbing circuit pile, it having built on the solid foundation of its early years competing against Trade, quickly becoming THE place to go after the previous parties pale, this “all roads lead to” reputation played out virtually weekly, Area having proved the perfect venue for this awesome afterhours. And our clubbing memory banks are brimmed with magical moments, not least from the band of superstar resident D.J.’s that have graced the club’s decks over the years, The Oli, Jamie Head, Hifi Sean, Fat Tony & The Sharp Boys right up there as considerable contributors, while that purple patch period we talked about was pretty much dominated by Alan K, Mikey D & Steve Pitron, Alan always playing the final main room set, while Mikey & Steve would swap around, we & masses of other never getting tired of seeing the same trio week in, week out, it was monotonous, it was simply magically stunning to soak up their scintillating sets. And when you look at Trade for example, their main room line up hardly changed each week, Malcolm Duffy starting, Steve Thomas next then Alan Thompson, Ian M, Tony De Vit & Pete Wardman, while as a couple of the characters fell out their places were filled, but the D.J. format hardly ever fiddled with.
Yet in the last couple of years and in 2012 particularly, the Beyond powers that be have insisted on messing with the magic, introducing an effective rolling D.J. roster, while the year also saw Alan K finally throw in the towel, for reasons we won’t yet go into detail on, while poor Hifi Sean, who for us, was the epitome of everything the was charismatic & compelling about the chapel space, was ditched due to inter promoter politics. But the upheaval didn’t stop there, oh no, The Sharp Boys removed from the roster by the current promoter, they being told “…their music didn’t fit with Beyond…”, shocking in the extreme, especially when you take into consideration that they were playing the club in the Colloseum days and, with the exception of Steve Pitron, are (or is that were) the longest surviving residents. Indeed, talking of promoters, very much like the club timings, they have changed like the wind over the last three years, we’ve had Steven Sharp twice (the best in our opinion), Jonny Marsh, Mauricio Ortiz & most recently Ben Kaye, while as we go to press with this post, our ear to the ground information (not confirmed we must stress) is that Ben is due to be replaced by JJ Clark. And as for these “Midnight” parties, which in late 2012 & for nearly the whole of January became the norm, well they are the single most confounding contributor’s to the mixed messages that are marring the magnificence of Beyond, The Orange Group seemingly falling back on the brand to fill a gaping gap in their Saturday schedule, rather than launch a new night, a move that may perhaps re-emulate those heady & hypnotic days of Juicy & Horizon.
Yet, all that said, we feel that Beyond has been the savour of the nation of clubbing brands that make up Orange (Orange Nation – The Orange Group), as 2012 has seen virtually all of them falter, some more significantly than others. Onyx has all but disappeared & As One has gone into hibernation, CasaLatina seems to have ceased to be, while A:M has been subject to what we see as a muddled make-over affecting numbers, Orange a place on its prolific past. Even Gravity has seen a switch of venues, in effect downsizing form his former home Fire, Later’s “Nu Direction” promising, well until the promoter that made all the marvellous changes was, once again, sidelined, Beyond however remaining buoyant, often brimming, its popularity seemingly unblemished despite a distinct movement away from Vauxhall. So, as much as we have our own issues, one thing is for sure, this awesome (and it truly is) afterhours beats every other club we know in London & on the continent hands down, meaning that while we remain uneasy with recent developments, Beyond simply cannot escape our positive spin, our resounding recommendation and, more than anything else, our acknowledgement that, clubbing in the capital, when this brilliant brand is on fantastic form, doesn’t get any better. And we highlight suspect it will be at its best this weekend, when it entertains Matinee goers & many many more for sure, with its “Pervert” party.
So what can you expect from this spectacle? Well, we concur with the promoter, Ben Kaye, when he say’s “…this is biggest weekend on the gay scene calendar since NYD…” and given the explosion of events, Beyond looks like it will have rich pickings as there are at least three other big events apart from Matinee, that will no doubt converge on Area on Sunday morning, although with it being the official afterhours for the Spanish superclub’s latest London outing, Beyond sharing the “Pervert” pin for its party, so will probably also replicate some of the production & dancers from the Fire foray. However, the D.J. line-up is pure Beyond, the main room looking good (well great actually) as it seems the team may have sensed some of our discord, Steve Pitron & Mikey D appearing consecutively from 6 through till 10 a.m., while The Oli is back in the terrace too, the full line-up picture completed by Rob Sykes, David Jimenez, Maze & Masters and (sharp intake of breath) Anina. Plus, the promoter tells us that the team are “…welcoming back JJ Clark to Beyond, who you will be seeing a lot more of in the coming months…” perhaps deluding to what we said earlier, while a whole host of others, including James Marsh on the door & the amazing Altina Ha on VIP duty and new addition John Brooks who, following the sudden closure of Profile/Lo-Profile, switched swiftly and now seems to be involved in Gravity, Beyond, Later & A:M, while he has brought brand Society with him, one that launches in Area this very Sunday evening from 6 p.m. As for Beyond’s doors, well they open at 4 a.m. this Sunday (3rd Feb), advance tickets available online at https://orangenation.ticketabc.com/events/beyond-official-mati/ as well as at the usual Soho outlets, all at an inflation busting £10, while entry will be available on the door, but expect to pay more, further info available via https://facebook.com/beyondclub and on the events page at https://facebook.com/events/203328906476042/.
Now, given our pre-Christmas planned commitments, we won’t be back at Beyond, our stay of absence extending and almost unheard of six weeks, while we leave it to Ben Kaye to round off our recommendation when he says, “…don’t miss the best after hours in London on the weekend that the whole of London seems to be going to…”. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends, Reports | 
Tags: Alan K, Area, Ben Kaye, Beyond, Hifi Sean, JJ Clark, Jonny Marsh, Mauricio Ortiz, Mikey D, Steve Pitron, Steven Sharp, The Oli, The Sharp Boys | 
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After a break of just over five months, Matinee makes its mark on the capitals clubbing circuit once again with its “Pervert – The Beauty Of Darkness” themed event, a host of stars from the international scene landing on London as the brand prepares to storm into 2013, bigger & better than before, we delving into the detail, propelling the P.R. & giving our preview position on this potentially prolific party.
Like shopping in the supermarket which is brimming with brands covering every kind of foodstuff, the capitals clubbing circuit has its own bounty to boast, the list of clubs both past & present engulfing and extensive, whether north, south, east, west or central, while we could name enough to cram full a catalogue. Yet, like the cream in a traditional bottle of milk, there are certain clubs & brands that float to the top, past parties in this bracket including Crash, Action, Factor 25 & DTPM, while ones that are still surviving or relatively new to the circuit, extending to cream of the crop clubs Beyond, Orange, Room Service & WAR. However, what all these examples have in common, is that they are what we would call, home-grown brands, ones born in London and very much about London, while in the case of Beyond and (to a lesser degree) Room Service, they have made an impact internationally, although when we look to the so called cream of the clubbing block, there are a handful of international clubs that have made their mark on the capital, SuperMartXe was one, while its stunning successor, WE Party, is a prolific other, the Spanish more than any other of our continental cousins, having viewed London as a rich playing field for their forays. But wait a moment we hear you cry, there is one name missing from that list, a Spanish super club that has been cutting a stride right across the world for the combined amount of years of its compatriots and was part of the first wave of what was affectionately called the Spanish Armada invasion of London.
Naturally we are talking about Matinee, the brilliant brand that has been spreading its rays of sunshine on the global clubbing scene for well over ten years from its base in Barcelona, touching virtually every continent with its captivating club events, while it is the driving force behind the now colossal Circuit Festival which takes place each August. And, during its time, Matinee has attracted the crème of the Spanish D.J./Producer crop, names such as Taito Tikaro, G Martin, J Louis, Jordi Lights & Hugo Sanchez, some of which have since switched ship, while Mr Tikaro remains, without doubt, the brands biggest star, headlining scores of events both home & abroad, his name inextricably linked with the now famous La-Leche parties, not least in Paris, where he will star in the first 2013 outing on Easter Sunday. But the names connected with Matinee also extend to vocal divas, Rebeka Brown & Vanessa Klein two of the biggest and who have recording scores of tracks, many with the aforementioned D.J.’s/Producers, while also starring in Matinee shows across the length & breadth of the brands significant schedule. Indeed, Matinee continues to move with the times & the trends, having recently propelled a D.J./Producer whose music genre would not normally be associated with the style of this super club, yet he is firmly in the Matinee World Tour spotlight and will be next Saturday when this brilliant brand lands on London for its “Pervert” party.
But before we focus on this latest frolic, let’s take a whistle-stop tour of our own, through Matinee’s history of compelling clubbers on the capitals circuit, 2006 the first time it landed on London’s scene shores, dazzling us & a roadblock turnout with an absolutely pulsating party at Area in Vauxhall, a short sequence from this brilliant base following. However, the then promoter, Oliver Mohns along with his artistic director, Logan Schmitz, saw an opportunity to massively increase the staging & spectacle of this Spanish super club in London, a switch from Saturday to Sunday and across to Fabric in Farringdon producing some of the most eye catching & iconic parties in its time, “Knockout” particularly memorable, not least for the massive boxing ring imported & taking centre stage (literally) on the main dancefloor. That said, the Sunday winds soon stalled in Matinee’s sails, meaning it was all change again, a move back to what would prove at the lion’s den for this dance delectation, Vauxhall, plus a second switch of days back to Saturday’s, pitting it against The Orange Group, which would ultimately prove its demise. The Colloseum nevertheless scored a string of successes for Oliver, while a split from his co-promoter Logan Schmitz saw SuperMartXe enter the fray, which, coupled with extended Beyond parties & other Orange Group offerings, would knock Matinee right off its popularity perch, even a move to the hi-tech venue, Cable in London Bridge only serving to sink a further nail into its coffin.
Then the final straw that broke the Oliver Mohns back, was the announcement on NYD 2010 that Matinee had decided to award the London franchise to Logan, although the euphoria the man of the moment Mr Schmitz was soaked in would be short lived, as six months on the scene is a long time & the winds of change saw The Orange Group deal further fateful blows to Matinee meaning that by 2011, it had retreated its armada away from London’s shores. So, isn’t it interesting and ironic that the very same group that seemingly masterminded its demise, announced early in 2012 that Matinee would return to London under their steership, one that received a mixed reaction at best, while some like us, looked on the Spanish brands decisions as nothing short of suspicious, although we were hearted by the possible prospect that Matinee would return to its original host home, the amazing Area. But that pie in the sky dream of ours was short lived , as the first foray would be at Fire, one we opted out of, reports coming in the venue was just not right for Matinee, the shows for which it is renowned, a shadow of their former self. So, given this, we decided to brave the second 2012 showing, the saving grace of this gathering being a scintillating set from Steve Pitron, the impropriator that was Fire playing out before our very eyes. Yet while Matinee went on to score more successes both at Brixton Electric & at Fire, it would be the Matinee vs. Beyond 12 hour extravaganza at Area in the summer that would re-engage us, our Barca buddy Javier Medina showing a superb set hand, but Mr Pitron yet again stealing the show, Matinee finishing its 2012 tour on London on a real high with the gigantic “Ghetto” gathering, also linking in with Beyond at Area.
So, given our remarks about the marriage of Matinee with the venue that is Fire, it will come as no surprise that we are depressingly disappointed with the decision to house the first foray of 2013 in this arched arena, the ceiling height just one of many restrictions that, in our view, make Fire a small size glove that simply doesn’t fit the massive Matinee hand. That said, with the brand having decided to go “…dark & dirty…” (the London promotions teams words not ours), maybe Fire does fit Matinee like a glove, this meant in a positive way given the theme of the party, the dark & secluded spaces of the venue perfect for the portrayal of this “Pervert – The Beauty Of Darkness” event. Indeed, delving deep into the promotional team PR, these snippets suggest that the Matinee magic may well manifest itself magnificently, not least that their plans ask us to “…get dark & dirty with the planet’s biggest gay clubbing brand, as it gets bigger and better for 2013 with spectacular new themes and world class production direct from Spain…”, adding “…we are set to transform the main room with never-before-seen effects on a specially installed stage, Matinee Spain & Elektra Paris create ‘The Beauty of Darkness’ with a stage performance of your wildest dreams, packed full of the hottest perverted dancers…”. And all this is possibly plausible given the fact that the marvellous Mauricio Ortiz is back at the helm of the Matinee London team, this capable chap having been the right hand man to Logan Schmitz during those spectacular SuperMartXe seasons, who has steered a successful string of CasaLatina parties and was a breath of fresh air to Beyond recently too. So, we have every confidence that he will deliver on those PR proposals for “Pervert”, the P.A. addition of Vanesa Klein to proceedings adding foundation to our faith in this foray, despite that niggling doubt in our minds over Fire, Matinee Spain nevertheless weighing in wonderfully with this dynamic diva, whose vocals helped Taito Tikaro’s towering track, “My World” storm into our top ten chart of 2012
That neatly moves onto our delving deep into the dark that is the D.J. line-up, we once again dejected that Taito Tikaro will not be making a trip to London to represent the brand, this despite appearances at virtually every other destination in the Matinee World Tour, while being a major feature of parties in the clubs home country. However, we are graciously gratified that Javier Medina will be the one flying the Matinee Spain flag at “Pervert”, although this is one of a number of indications that the music policy of the London incarnation is very much more tribal & tech than uplifting, vocal & euphoric. Indeed, with our Italian stallion Pagano a late entry into the line-up, along with London stars that include Lee Yeomans, Massimo Paramour & D’Johnny, for those of you familiar with their musical genre styles, the words uplifting & vocal hardly come into their playlist equation, the saving grace on this occasion not Steve Pitron, but Pier Morrocco, who we hope will feature in the main room rather than mirrorarch proceedings. Yet, we are ever hopeful that selections come close to the wonderful “Perfect World”, Pagano’s track neatly remixed here by Ralphi Rosario, although we suspect Javier Medina’s remix, featured in the video a little later, will be closer to the mark.
So why are we casting doubt over the shift in music policy?, well while we have to acknowledge that Europe has turned more tribal, our love for Matinee has always been manifested in the uplifting, vocal & euphoric sounds it was always well known for, while a trip to http://orangenation.podomatic.com/entry/index/2013-01-10T04_42_31-08_00 will give you a flavour of what we are talking about and what to expect at “Pervert” next Saturday, perhaps a soundtrack that suits the dark & dirty direction the brand is digging itself into. However, more light relief will surely come in the form of Doug Silva & Fabio Luigi, who will be masterminding the music in Fire’s little lounge space, a room that, hands down does it the most for us and by a country mile, even over our spot next to the D.J. booth in the mirorarch.
Now, with just over a week to go, it seems appropriate to move to the event detail, Matinee “Pervert” taking place next Saturday (2nd February) at Fire in Vauxhall, advance tickets very much the way to go, as we expect this to be a roadblock rendition, that on top of being the first full-on foray at Fire since Orange on NYD. But if you are thinking early birds, then think again, as this £10 offer expired last Friday, although fear not, as £15 advance ones are still very much up for grabs by heading to Soho outlets Prowler, Clone Zone (both shops), Fifty Dean, Ku-Bar (Frith & Lisle St’s) and Rupert St, as well as at all Orange Nation events between now & then (just ask at the bar). But if you prefer the convenience of going online, then head to http://orangenation.co.uk/events/matinee-pervert/ and click on the “buy tickets” option, while should you wish to pay on the door, then be warned to expect to pay more. Then, for those of you that really want to indulge, why not go the whole hog and book a VIP table, the deals as follows; from £250 for 5-7 people (including entry – one bottle of spirit, one bottle of bubbly, cake, balloons, VIP area overseeing the main floor & queue jump), or from £375 for 8-10 people (including entry- 2 bottles of spirit, one bottle of bubbly, cake, balloons, VIP area overseeing the main floor & queue jump), enquires to be directed to 02078206752 or 07789996378 where further details including the minimum 25% deposit will be advised. Plus, with hosts JJ Clark & Alfonso Cinique looking after your every whim, there is much to marvel at with this Matinee meet, not least that we know the team a truly excited to have a massive Saturday party in Fire’s main room, mirrorarch and lounge, more detail up on the events page at http://facebook.com/events/122467604587638/, while this is a flavour of what to expect from “Pervert” next Saturday, of course overlooking the shots used from the vs. Beyond bash at Area!!!!
So, does Matinee get our thumbs up, well in some ways yes, others no, so perhaps a horizontal thumb rather than a vertical one, although we are certain sure it will be a stunning success, we sadly unable to attend as prior commitments will find us partying with Propaganda at Red & Blue in Antwerp. However, as this Matinee “Pervert” is sure to be one of THE places to be & be seen on the scene next Saturday, we reckon that you should more than consider to “Go There! Be There! (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Previews | Tags: Area, D'Johnny, Doug Silva, Fabio Luigi, Fire, Javier Medina, JJ Clark, Lee Yeomans, Massimo Paramour, Matine, Mauricio Ortiz, Pagano, Pier Morrocco, Vanesa Klein | 1 Comment »
Having dived into our last dance of 2012 within its wonderful walls, the New Year could only commence with a rapturous return to the brilliant Beyond, it’s “NYD Super Party” very much proving the spectacular new season start that we hoped it would. But what made this first 2013 capital clubbing circuit colossus so captivating & which stars of the show shined the brightest?
For as many years as we can remember, we have spent New Year’s Day on the dancefloor, when we were younger, partying right through from New Year’s Eve, while in the period when we worked in the industry & in hospitality, we would always ensure that 1st January would be our day to party, often working the previous evening when many would have preferred it off. Indeed there would be nothing that would get in the way of what has become as much of a tradition as the rituals we follow over Christmas, even the distance from previous Essex & Kent county bases, not enough to stop us from being London bound and ready to party, sometimes into the following day. But it is New year’s morning that holds the most magical memories for us and while we can remember the days of Trade on this day with fond reflection, since the turn of the century it has been Vauxhall rather than Farringdon that has seen the lion’s share of our New Years Day dancing devotions, Matinee holding sway for one year, while what has become the biggest and, in our books, the best brand not just here in the capital, but across the globe, has dominated proceedings. And while we may have missed out in 2011, for reasons we won’t go into, we were right between 2002 & 6 when it reigned supreme at the Colosseum and then at the truly awesome Area for 2008, 9, 10 & 12, meaning making Beyond for the first morning of 2013 was a foregone conclusion.
Now some would think that returning to the same club & venue within two days would be a little like overkill, although while we would agree in the vast majority of cases, when it comes to the brilliance of Beyond, we could probably succumb to its splendour from Sunday to Saturday, if that were ever possible, while there have been periods when we have turned up at its doors on a weekly basis. And that is a reflection of the regard in which we hold this heavenly happening, as we have said, the brand in our books the best by far and has become an all-time favourite, it having had a massive effect, not just on our clubbing exploits, but in our very way of life, many of the close friendships we have forged having been formed as a result of this outstanding outing, while every time we pull our keys from our pocket, both Beyond fob & chain is a resplendent reminder, not that we need to be, while it extends to other personal parts of our existence that, for good reason, need to remain confidential. But you get the gist of what we are saying, So Beyond as a brand and as a club is right up the top of our tree and one that, during 2012, has seemingly gone from strength to strength, confounding its challenges, continuing to make its mark both in London & internationally, while, given what we have said, it will come as no surprise that it scooped 2nd & 3rd spots in our annual club event review, only beaten to top spot by the phenomenal WE “Formula 2” party.
So, having dived into our last dance of 2012 within its wonderful walls, that “Music Is All You Need” on the Sunday scoring second to WE, the New Year could only commence with a rapturous return to the wonderful walls of Area, although with expectations high following that scintillating Sunday at the magical mercy of a stunning Steve Pitron set, plus with knowledge & experience that NYD parties are not just packed, but roadblock affairs, we were already resigned to not being able to dance on our spot with the usual vigour. And arriving not long before 6 a.m., we found a main room wall to wall with revellers, it taking us an age to get down to our hallowed turf, otherwise know at “the spot”, although the D.J. booth was our destination, The Sharp Boys in full flow, captivating the crowd with a truck load of towering tunes, while Smalls was sorting the exceptional lighting & effects as only she can do best. However, having been out at a fantastic NYE house party & then to a friends to crash, we were not in our usual club clobber, our dancing boots & adjustable jeans already much missed, not least that it was hot, hot hot, meaning that both a drinks dive & a dip into the open air was in order. Soon leaving Steve in the crowd, the terrace was calling where we found Edna waiting, like many, at the bar, just one person serving making our start not the best, the music completely out of synch with what we would expect in Beyond, it better suited to Berlin’s Berghain.
It was therefore the main room that we were heading back towards, after that much needed cool down of course, the place packed, some would say over packed with party people, our eventual return to our spot finding it brimming with Brazilians, relegating us to a secondary spot further into the floor, this, on top of our tired disposition from lack of proper pre-club sleep as well as our uncomfortable attire, we were not feeling the party at all, an awkward rebuff towards our fellow party animal & fab friend Peter, not going down well at all. And with both Steve Pitron & Mikey D having started their back-to-back set, you would have thought we could have shrugged off these inhibitors to our fun & frolicking, but not at all, even beautiful Brazilian Bel unable to lift a sagged spirits, the sardine style of this super party not helping either. But, with a head tap from Mr Pitron stirring something inside us, we forced ourselves back onto our spot, which was nothing short of standing only room, Mikey’s selections of both “Naturally & “Let The Sunshine” making their mark and waking us up to the realisation that this would be a prolific party in the making, yet would never quite reach the delightfully dizzy heights of the “Misc Is All You Need” meet of two days previously. Plus, with the space on our spot spreading before our eyes, it seemed that others had felt our vibes and were making room, meaning it was now time to engross ourselves into this euphoric event.
With Steve & Mikey trading tremendous tunes, we had well & truly shrugged off shady start, rather soaking up their superb sounds with gusto, Steve leading the way with a scintillating string of selections which included “She Loves”, “Pressure”, Fusion” & “Time”, it was clear that he was aiming this sector of his set sections in a classics direction, Mikey following suit with similar sorts of sounds, the crowd lapping up every terrifically tender morsel of their magnificent music, this very much the place to be. But with Mr Pitron sending us off to the bar for refilling refreshments, heading into the chapel found it also packed & pumping, D’Johnny deep into his tech toned turn, clearly finding favour with more than just a fervent fan base & flock, while given the strange sounds that we had encountered in the terrace earlier, we thought better of checking it out for now, rather heading back with our provisions and into the roomy respite of the main room D.J. booth. And it was here where we would finally feel the enormity of this event, the view from the privileged position seeing a sea of splendour before us, while an unexpected yet welcome boost was to come our way, very much giving us a further spring in our heavy booted step and sending us smiling back to our spot, even our impromptu door duty not stopping our ever increasing enjoyment & excitement which was helped along by friends & familiar faces, including the marvellous Mauricio Ortiz, Mark Williams, Peter Graham, Beyond’s promoter Ben Kaye and, of course our brilliant Brazilian’s Bel & Celso, Mr Moura looking after his two visiting friends who had found themselves back in London a little earlier than planned, but who were clearly amazed by Area & the brilliant Beyond bash.
Now nothing was going to stop us from partying deep into New Years Day, Steve sending us skyward with more mesmeric music mixes, “Beautiful Lie” and “To The Moon & Back” hitting their heavenly mark, Bel’s boisterous with their beats, her cocktail dress the loser in this bravado, the arm lining hanging precariously from its former position, while we kept getting draw into door duty as the security switches left the out of bounds corridor unattended to the virtual constant advance of party people in the habit of using this exit to gain access to the toilets. However, in amongst all of this extracurricular activity on behalf of Beyond’s operations team (Craig Elder & Tom Fuller please note), Mikey’s marvellous music & Steve’s spectacular sounds were delighting us enough to easily compensate, Mr Pitron’s picks possibly pointed in our direction on purpose, his knowledge that both “Symphony” & “Strange Fruit” were sounds that were well & truly rocking our world, the former fabulous enough, while it would be the latter that sent it delightfully delirious, its breathtaking beats leaving us in a head in hands pose on our sacred spot, this phenomenal piece of progressive come tech tune tower, once again leaving us magnificently mind blown, just as we had been two days before when Steve had sampled in “Sunday’s At Heaven”, the singular “Strange Fruit” stunning enough on its own. Yet, as gigantic it was, this selection would mark the final few of a back to back performance to savour for scores of seasons, the dream team of Mikey & Mr Pitron giving way to special guest Pagano, but not before Steve serenaded this enormous event with the heavenly “I Heart You”, proving the perfect curtain call to his scintillating showing.
With our Italian stallion now in control of the tunes, the post Steve set bravado was about to begin, playful photographer Nico arriving to add to the about to ensue tickling frenzy, we sent squealing down the corridor by both him & Steve, not once, twice or even three times, but for a full ten minutes of constant chasing, only to be saved by Steve’s bailing out of this Beyond bash. So we were now free to take a wander, the terrace our target at The Oli was stirring up a set storm, crammed with classics that proved a welcome break from the main room madness, he on fabulous form and holding a considerable crowd, who like us, were enjoying every musical minute. But with a sense of devotional duty towards our Italian stallion, it was back to Pagano’s pumping progressive parade we headed, Bel in a boisterous
mood, ducking & diving to Francesco’s barnstorming beats, even though they were far removed from her preferred genre of uplifting & upfront house, indeed with the lack of vocals right through his two hour showing, the music policy of Beyond was being tested to the limits. That said, with the room still packed & pumping at the close of his set, as it was at the beginning, it was clear this New Year crowd were up for anything, the atmosphere amazing, Smalls sorting the effects & lighting exceptionally as always, even our usual “throw in the towel” time of 10 a.m. passed with hardly a blink, such was the terrific time we were having, not least those magical minutes up in the booth with the Sicilian superstar who was showcasing some of his most recent & prolific productions and even played a request, “That Disco Fever”, sealing the delightful deal on our magnificent morning.
So what was our final verdict on this first foray of 2013 and did it deliver as expected or fall short in style & substance? Well, while it didn’t get off to the best of starts, not down to the door we have to say, Mark Williams a star player here, while the security check was pitched perfectly, and not really that we (literally) couldn’t swing a cat or bust a move, as we were expecting it to be a roadblock situation, even though in reality, at times it was too busy. No, the shaky start was down to the fact that found ourselves in a funny frame of mind & mood for the first hour or so, our awkward & uncomfortable attire not helping, while the monstrous music in the terrace room definitely put us off our stride. To say it was awful was the biggest understatement of the century, the D.J. looking like she was the only one enjoying it, certainly not the style we would expect from this let alone any Beyond room, while fortunately her replacement, The Oli, restored the superb status quo in this space, evoking magnificent memories of old and what, for us at least, the terrace is all about. However, what the early awfulness the terrace turned out, was totally outweighed by the wonder of Beyond’s main room, the D.J.’s, from The Sharp Boys through to Fat Tony & all between, proving just what the superstars they are, the music very much doing the talking, well along with the exceptional lighting & effects, down to the sterling work of Smalls, the stage showings, as good as they were, always going to play second fiddle to all these other prolific players.
As for our stars of the shows?, Well Pagano was right up there, even if his set, with a complete & utter lack of vocals, wasn’t really our Beyond bag, The Oli’s superb classics serving a huge highlight, while the simply stunning back-to-back Mikey D & Steve Pitron performance not only won the day, but proved just what a prolific dovetailing playing partnership they make and how much part of the Beyond furniture they have both become, both as a joint playing partnership and as individuals. Indeed, in terms of New Years Day, we cannot remember not one in the last five or six, when they haven’t been part of the playing picture, so when you consider that, until virtually the eleventh hour, that Steve had been left off the list, was simply shocking, although sadly symptomatic of the lack of proper promotional planning & organising that has become apparent of late, while we remain mystified by the now weekly “Midnight” meets that seem to have turned Beyond more Saturday than Sunday, surely & hopefully not the direction the club is heading. That said and having shrugged off that shaky start, Beyond sparkled with both style & substance this New Years Day, the scintillating sounds from the string of superstars speaking the loudest volumes of all, while the captivating company & the myriads of magical moments certainly made it a spectacular new season start, even though it had a hard act in the final Beyond of 2012 to beat. So did it better that bash?, a definite no, will it live in the memory banks?, a possible maybe, will we be back next NYD?, a very most likely, is Beyond still the best club ever?, a resounding yes, yes & YES (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Reviews | Tags: Area, Ben Kaye, Beyond, Fat Tony, Mark Williams, Mauricio Ortiz, Mikey D, Nico Montenegro, Pagano, Smalls Lites, Steve Pitron, The Oli, The Sharp Boys | No Comments »
Big weekends or not, there is one club that never fails to pull in the punters & deliver an enthralling experience unrivalled by anywhere else, the now legendary afterhours that is Beyond beckoning us away from our sick bed for what turned out to be a two hour fun filled full on frenzy of a foray, but what made this the most incredibly intensive wonder of a club cavorting we have had in a long while?
When we consider the rich tapestry of clubs we have experienced both on our travels, at home in South Africa and here in the capital, we have pretty much covered all the bases in terms of size, style, setting, sound & sophistication, a few among the many having a lasting effect upon us, Belgium’s La Demence, Italy’s Muccassassina & Johannesburg’s Decadence three foreign affairs that will live with us forever, while cutting the capital wheat from the chaff, we had our tremendous times at Trade, indulged in the incredible institution that was Industri and most recently, have been wooed & wowed by the wonder of WE. But while we hold all these clubs in the highest regard, there is one that outstrips them all, lock, stock & smokin barrel, Beyond standing head & shoulders above the rest in pretty much every department, from the mesmeric music, to the exceptional lighting & effects, to the palatable pack of party people and a terrific organisational team that send the clubbing competition running for the shade in comparison. And having quickly ascended to iconic status in the Colosseum days, its six seasons at Area have, without doubt, seen Beyond become legendary, the “all roads lead to” reputation playing out every single week, while with an all-star residency team of D.J.’s that read like an industry who’s who, it is no surprise that it has become both ours and many others favourite club of all time.
Indeed, never has there been any other club to which we have adorned so much attentions s we have, through filed feature focuses & resplendent reviews, the club touching our lives every day of the year, let alone every weekend of the month and while 2012 has seen our appearances at Area abseil appreciably, there remains a magic about the place that simply cannot be compared to anywhere else. Indeed, having seen Beyond play out a couple of times this year across at sister venue Fire, it pales in comparison, this awesome afterhours having amassed an amazingly indelible affinity to Area, the terrace room terrific, the chapel space captivating, but the main room monumentally magnificent and one which, without doubt, is the best in the world, visiting D.J.’s, promoters & clubbers alike remarking on the fact. But what really makes Beyond legendary for us, is the majestic music masterminded by an all-star resident team that is the strongest on the capital’s circuit by far, many an envious event or jealous jaunt left wondering how they can match up to its might. And under the influence of one of its all-stars, a resident for which the word Beyond is synonymous, regardless of our state of mind, body, soul, health or well-being, we find it oh so difficult to resist his persuasive call to attentive arms, as he has always said, “unless you are on your death bed or called away to a family crisis, you will be there”, our attendance is nothing short of mandatory, this Sunday being no exception.
So, with that call to arms having been made plain & clear in conversation and despite us still suffering from a serious chest infection, we couldn’t cry either the death bed or family crisis wolf, especially as our pot was being sweetened by his door to door car carriage, Steve Pitron had done it again, beckoning us to Beyond in what would prove to be the most incredibly intensive yet fun filled & frenzied 2 ½ foray we had experienced in a long while, no real sign of the morning madness ahead showing itself as we arrived at Beyond’s doors at not long turned 5.30 a.m. the usually charming greeting & treatment by JJ Clark seeing us whisked past a considerable queue and into the club in a jiffy. With Steve on first in the main room, we entered to find it in its raw un-glamorised state, something only a few ever get to see, although what we found outside the D.J. booth door was certainly not what we wanted to see, this object of fetish fantasy quite a shocking sight in Area, although with lighting magician Smalls on hand to explain, we quickly sped to the bar for refreshments ahead of the room opening at six. But back in the D.J. booth after a comprehensive catch up with Smalls, with our delicate chesty disposition, we were determined to take it easy, although someone had other thoughts about that, a succession of Steve ticking swoops also taken up by a a flock of firendly faces that graced the D.J. booth, fab photographer Nico, the marvellous Mauricio Ortiz, standing in for Beyond’s promoter Ben Kaye, even an arriving Paul Heron, who, like Nico, finding our squealing reactions hilarious.
But bravado aside for a moment, it was the music & another prolific Pitron performance we were here for, our man starting as he meant to go on with the impressive “I Do”, while in his determination to delightfully destroy us with his deliveries, we could see the direction this was taking, other huge hits in his awesome armoury hitting us hard, “Finally I”, “Can’t Stop Me” , “She Loves”, “Lola’s Theme 2012” & “Bitch Lady” among them, all testing our Doing The Disco Matt moves to the max, we bouncing between the D,J, booth & our spot with repeated regularity. And the flow of familiar faces kept coming throughout, Nick Evans, Verity Mayes, Aaron Elder & Jamie Head four of many more, we pleased as punch to see Mr. Head even though he wasn’t on D.J. duty, while it would be the arrival of Fabio & Peter that would further mount the morning mayhem, mount being the operative word, Peter’s amorous moves up & down our legs leaving is excitably squirming in the corner of our spot. Indeed, this very activity promoted further Steve ticking swoops, sending us fleeing into a packed main room of party heads, that along with a rain of cups & cans he kept lobbing over the booth, many hitting their mark with pin point accuracy, leaving many around us looking in shock, not least the security guard that kept clearing the debris.
However, despite all the morning’s madness, the music was doing much of the talking, this once again proving a purple patch Pitron performance and yet another brilliant Beyond, the podiums packed with party heads and Smalls’ superb work with the lighting paying incredible dividends, it accelerating what was already an amazing atmosphere, no place quite like this magnificent main room and one we feel completely & comfortably at home with, perhaps so much so that we take it a little too much for granted, as do many of Beyond’s team do of Smalls. Add to that a beats bonanza like the one Steve was serving up and the two are an indelible & unbreakable combination in our books, each pushing that extra mile and feeling that little more comforted when the other is around, the working relationship they command a pleasure to see, especially from our privileged position in the D.J. booth. But that privileged position was to also have its pitfalls this morning, Steve having employed the ticking services of his lighting lady, as well as Paul Heron who was assuming his position to take over from Steve, although not before both “Timebomb” & “Beautiful Lie” achieved that delightful destruction goal Mr Pitron had planned, we left enthralling & emotionally exhausted by the majestic music & the morning’s madcap melay’s, meaning it was an early bath for us while Beyond chalked up another successful session to add to the scores the scene has savoured this season alone.
Well it seems we have already answered our own question, the incredible intensity of this fun filled & full on frenzy of a frolic still bamboozling us with its brilliance, perhaps the most perfect part of this phenomenal party picture being short & sweet planning that gave the whole morning an air of incredible improvisation. And that could also be said for the madcap melays, Peter’s amorous approaches, Steve’s tickling swoops & everything else that made this one of the most excitable yet enthralling Beyond events this year, while despite having soaked up our own fair share of super sized & specialist events, it always seems the regular Beyond bashes are the ones that hit our mark the most and magnificently so. There can be no doubt that the people play a prominent part in proceedings, as they did today, but it is also the music that makes this club the legendary London afterhours it has become, Steve Pitron once again proving his worth through every second of his stunning set, while we could never complete our resplendent review picture portrayal without serenading Smalls, the lighting skills & expertise she brings to the party, like Steve & a handful of others, part & parcel of the brilliant Beyond package, without whom the club & the brand would be a much poorer place. As for the immediate future of our favourite club of all time, well, it looks pretty bright, the “Ice” incarnation sure to be a hit next weekend, a festive season of shindigs that should score yet more successes & no doubt more awards to cram in its trophy cabinet in 2013, meaning we will definitely be back for more very soon indeed. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Reviews | Tags: Aaron Elder, Area, Ben Kaye, Beyond, Jamie Head, JJ Clark, Mauricio Ortiz, Paul Heron, Steve Pitron, Verity Mayes | No Comments »
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 | No Comments »
Disco Matt plays catch-up as he delves deep into the detail on CasaLatina’s “L.O.V.E. Banana” event, which takes place tonight (Sat 28th April), this marvellous meet having also made it as DM’s pick of the day, all the detail a banner selection away opposite or an image click below, while DM, along with Casa’s crew, share plenty more on this party beneath.
Disco Matt focuses on CasaLatina & the “L.O.V.E. Banana” D.J.’s when he says…
Since launching last March, very much in the shadow of its Brazilian based nemesis, The Week, as the months & events have unfolded, CasaLatina has not just found its feet but has very much captured the imagination of the capital’s clubbers, its “Super Carwash” party last summer very much propelling it into the scene spotlight, further successes with “Sugar Daddy” & “A Space Odyssey” confirming Casa as a circuit favourite, the joint promotions team of Brazilian’s Thiago Drewry & Mauricio Ortiz not only exerting loads of latino influences but also attracting loads of Latino’s themselves, these among the usual crowd of club kids, scene stars & socialites, very much giving the party’s a cosmopolitan feel. Plus, pitching the parties irregularly seems to have secured Casa’s success & popularity, this latest event looking like being no different to the last here, Fire no doubt packing out to the rafters with revellers soaking up the superb sounds of a D.J. line up that has a fresh feel to it, while the sexy gogo’s will be injecting plenty of banana-tastic fun with a set of saucy shows, no doubt featuring plenty of, yes you guessed it, BANANA’S!!!, this short video just a hint of what is to come.
So what of that fresh feeling D.J. line-up? Well, the team have certainly kept hold of the Brazilian element, quite rightly so, although in welcoming Leo Blanco to headline Fire’s main room, they are pointing their Latino finger towards Spain, this terrific talent having been billed by Beatport as “…one of the hottest producers on the Spanish music scene…” his C.V. which includes links to brands, Matinee, Pacha & Space, speaks plenty of volumes, while his studio track productions which extend to “Over You” Caminando” & “Soy Cubano” shout Latino influences, very much making him a Casa choice pick. And in celebration of his appearance at “L.O.V.E. Banana”, Leo has laid down a specially commissioned podcast, well worth a listen at http://orangenation.podomatic.com/entry/index/2012-04-21T10_32_58-07_00, while a trip to his Beatport page will lead you to many of his other track & compilation releases, all giving you a flavour of what to expect tonight. Joining Leo in Fire’s main room will be Casalatina regulars D’Johnny & Doug Silva, while the second lounge space has a Room Service feel to it, as Jodie Harsh & Munroe Bergdorf star, this superb Soho soiree having played host to the “L.O.VE./Banana” pre-party on Thursday.
The Orange Group drill down on the “L.O.V.E. Banana” detail when they say…
CASALATINA: LOVE BANANA
Saturday 28th April
11pm-6am
@ Fire
Get ready for the wildest CasaLatina party to date as we get on board the Love Banana.
London’s award-winning best new brand comes steaming into 2012 with a typically over the top, tongue in cheek and sexually charged fashion.
DJs include LEO BLANCO, D’JOHNNY, DOUG SILVA, ARIEL, JODIE HARSH, MUNROE BERGDORF – plus special guests.
Expect massive stage productions and super sexy gogo shows throughout the night.
Admission:
£10 advance tickets from http://orangenation.clubtickets.com/gb/2012-04/28/casalatina-l-o-v-e-banana, & head for the first 200 include FREE ENTRY to Beyond option!
More info up at http://facebook.com/casalatinaclub
Posted in Recommends | Tags: Casa Latina, D'Johnny, Doug Silva, Fire, Jodie Harsh, Leo Blanco, Mauricio Ortiz, Munroe Bergdorf, Room Service, Thiago Drewry | No Comments »
While carnival season was well under way back home, it seemed that Brazilian brand Casalatina, which was born in London, decided an inter galactic theme was better suited to celebrating their fourth showing on the scene. But did this “A Space Odyssey” spectacle sparkle like a shooting star or sink scorching into the stratosphere?
Brazilian Beats Bender
There is absolutely no doubt that the international influences that have swept the capitals clubbing circuit in recent times have made for a much more colourful playing field here in London, the green, green grass of home getting a massive splash of red & yellow in the form of the inbound so called Spanish armada back in the noughties (gosh makes us sound old!!!). And while the proverbial torch has been passed from brand to brand to hold high & burn bright, Space, Matinee & SuperMartXe all part of the rapturous relay, run, the current leg in the hands of the wonderful WE, the Spaniards haven’t had it all their own way in our captivating clubbing backyard, as the red in that colour splashed playing field has got a grain of green running right through it, as The Brazilians have definitely landed on London & in a big way. So, with The Week very much the pioneer of the South American dream, a succession of parties both at Fire & at the Coronet in part fulfilling its readymade following, although right on the tail of The Week’s second showing, a new London born brand was to show its Brazilian credentials & cards, very much taking the initiative away from its Sao Paulo prominent player.
Latin Lovable
Casalatina was the inspiration & idea of dancer come choreographer turned promoter Thiago Drewry who considered that a there was room on the capitals clubbing circuit for a brave new Brazilian brand & being native of this South American country himself, was well positioned to propose the venture to the Orange Group powers that be. And while The Week had established a foothold in the capital, it would be Casa (we often drop the “Latina” bit, oops) that would take up the set the 2011 season alight with its home grown Brazilian charm, the second instalment “Super Carwash” propelling the party into the eyes of the clubbing elite, the involvement of fellow Brazilian Mauricio Ortiz, he of SuperMartXe fame, giving the brand the boost it needed and setting it on course for a season of spectacles that have confirmed it as one of the capitals more prolific parties. With “Sugar Daddy” reaffirming a fervent following, even in the difficult times both the clubbing world & Vauxhall in particular were going through, it was just a question of when as opposed to if that Casa would storm the scene again, the latest & fourth instalments, “A Space Odyssey” flying in the face of calls for the theme to reflect & celebrate the carnival season sweeping across Brazil, meaning we were more than keen to see how it would fair & compare to the “Super Carwash” benchmark.
Odyssey Outing
With initial plans to arrive literally as the doors opened at 11 p.m. somewhat scuppered by an over indulgent disco nap, we were in playful mood before we even left the house, our liason with our near & dear D.J. pal forced into feigned false starts a few times, we probably pushing our luck a little too far when we tried the same on opening Casa spinner Junior Mora, our arrival at not long turned 11.30 p.m., met with a distained look from our Brazilian protégé player. However, all that was after the warm welcome at the entrance by the larger than life Chrissy Darling, looking just the galactic part in her colourful & star spangled costume, while the charming JJ Clark made the smoothest of starts even better than we could have wished for and with the coatcheck staff recognising us in an instant we already knew this evening was going to be one to savour, host venue Fire certainly ticking all of our expectant boxes from the off. But it was an expectant Steve Pitron that was to grab our attention as we sped towards the main room D.J. booth, the space only scantily scattered with selection of scenesters, although our eyes were diverted onto the stage production which was striking to say the least, a phallic like rocket on one side & a full size astronaut moon walking man (not a real man you understand) on the other, a whole stream of stars framing the whole affair and certainly living up to the Casa style of staging. Mind you Mr Marsh was a little if but amusingly disparaging of the efforts, he remarking as he spotted us, “…it’s amazing what a few stars & stage props can do…”, although it was first Mr Pitron and then our protégé player that received our discerning devotions, Junior warming up this “A Space Odyssey” event wonderfully with a captivating collection of chunky upfront house hits, all blended in brilliantly with bits of Brazilian beats to befit the occasion, while Steve was determined to divert Disco Matt from the task in hand, darts in & out of the lounge space interrupting our devotions to Junior’s superb set and a rapidly filling out main room.
Rocket Fuel Rapture
So, with earlier doubts that this “A Space Odyssey” take-off would nose dive like an exploding Space Shuttle in the stratosphere, Casa was having none of it, the afterburners on its towering trip into wonderful weightlessness propelling this party proudly, a whole host of familiar faces having flocked to Fire to succumb to their own spot of space dusting & dancing, the list pretty endless, although notable inclusions being Suzana Quentin looking gorgeous as ever, the adorable Andrea, full of beans, our premier protégé player Zach Burns, ready for duty, as was Brazilian beatmaster Doug Silva, accompanied by partner Weverton De Castro, while we managed a brief audience with Jodie Harsh as she swing by, the lovable Lunarde Martins lauding more of his attention on us as we refreshed ourselves with Steve in the lounge, Steven Galo also in the thick of the action, as was Chrissy & Aaaron Elder, while the marvellous Mhardenn Teixeira was very much in playful mood, chasing us round the club although pushed from a few Pitron prompts. But all eyes were on the stage, as the first of a few showings would dazzle the audience, the “A Space Odyssey” theme a little absent from their costumes it has to be said, but their performances & stage presence as sparkling as the sun, pyrotechnic ticker tape explosions & our much loved roof rockets illuminating Fire like never before.
Latina Lunar Landing
With Junior’s jamboree of a spectacular “A Space Odyssey” set over, for us all too soon, it was time for Doug Silva to assume the decks, an immediate brace of Brazilian beats belting out to a audience that were seemingly lapping up every tiny morsel of his music and while the tribal tones were not particularly doing it for us, Mr Silva was mixing up the music marvellously, a whole host of uplifting house hits making their mark. But when he selected the towering tune “Gravy”, we felt a little more Beyond than Brazilian, a further successive string of sounds affirming our feelings, although we were far from complaining, spinning on our select spot with the marvellous Mhardenn not far away and Junior (oh we can call him Celso now) right by our side, Steve having retired to rest before what would turn out to be a breathtakingly brilliant Beyond to beat all others. But saving that for another review, it was Casa we were concentrating on, not least as the arrival of a camera & microphone, Chrissy Darling the interviewer & we the interviewee, caught us a little off guard & tongue tied, a short series of quizzical questions leaving us a tad tongue tied, yet eloquent enough to pour praise all over this prolific party, while her final on the spot shocker left us hoping that the “husband” humdinger wouldn’t make it further than the film editing & cutting room floor.
Explosive Effects
With this Odyssey outing going from strength to strength, our premier protégé player Zach Burns mixing up the magnificent music in the second space, that along with the arrival & deck assumption in the Casa main room of Alan K, we were very much spoilt for choice as to where to lay our final music hat of moments. Would it be Mr Burns & his barnstorming beats or Mr K & his euphoric & energetic house heaven?, we deciding to share our dancing devotions between the two although doing so with alarming speed, perhaps due to over indulgence in energy boosting refreshments akin to rocket fuel that kept us firing on all cylinders, while the cavorting crowd were also showing no signs of slowing down, the main room podiums packed, even the stage appearances continuing unabated, from trio’s of females to males, all impressing immensely, making our decision to curtain call this Casa carnival decidedly difficult. However, with Beyond now on the brain & an expectant Pitron performance in mind, it was time to wave a fond farewell to Fire, the need to recharge our own batteries as well as those of our nibble size tweeting toys also paramount in our plans, we gracing our exit after goodbye wishes to our flock of fabulous friends & familiar faces that were seeing this glorious galactic gathering right through till the end, wending our way home to reflect on another Casa club night that made a magnificent mark.
Superb Space Spectacle
So, in concluding our refection of this brilliant Brazilian brand’s latest impressive instalment, we can say with conviction and answering our original question, that “A Space Odyssey” certainly did sparkle like a shooting star and, once the party got going, showed no signs of sinking into the sub space stratosphere, the music, the effects, the lighting & the production all living up to the high bar benchmark of “Super Car Wash” wonderfully. If we had to pick on one part that fell a little short of expectations, then it would be the dancers costumes, which as we said lacked the space themed spice we would have thought should have been their centre-piece. However, in truth we are nit picking a little, as Casa Latina is much more about the spectacle, the music & the staging, Thiago, Mauricio & Lunarde masterminding all these ingredients impressively to produce a party to be proud of, that music doing much of the talking for us, not least performances from outstanding opener Junior Moura and the blending of beats from Doug Silva two heavenly highlights. But like so many of our meets of late, it was also the people that made this memorable, a big thanks going to each & everyone that came to say hi, along with all those mentioned by name, you made this a space adventure to savour and we cannot wait to walk on the Casalatina wild side again soon. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Reviews | Tags: Aaron Elder, Alan K, Casalatina, Chrissy Darling, Doug Silva, Jodie Harsh, Jonny Marsh, Junior Moura, Mauricio Ortiz, Steve Pitron, Thiago Drewry, Zach Burns | 1 Comment »
Virtually a year to the date, the brilliant Brazilian brand Casa Latina, with amazing adventures “Super Car Wash” & “Sugar Daddy” under its belt, returns with an event of epic proportions, as it shots beyond the stratosphere with its “Space Odyssey” outing, magnificent men Mauricio, Thiago & Lunarde masterminding a magical meet that sees Disco Matt jumping on a space shuttle ride of recommending rapture.
Brazilians Boldly Go Galactic
Casting our minds back twelve months, we found ourselves questioning the appeal & authenticity of a new home grown Brazilian brand that was set to make a showing on the capitals clubbing circuit, but not just that, literally follow in the footsteps of Sao Paulo splendour The Week, which had scored a gigantic goal with Latino’s & their lovers here in London, two exceptional events at Fire & a third at The Coronet substantial successes in their own right(s). So, with the focus on this globally renowned clubbing concept, choosing to stage a similar style of showcase seemed a risky to say the least, although with the clubbing community awash with Brazilian bel’s, beau’s & beaut’s, there is no denying that this new Latino kid on the capital’s circuit block had a pretty extensive & adoring audience. Yet with a succession of Spanish brands washing London’s scene shores, plus with enough of our own events on offer, there was a nagging doubt that a second Brazilian brand would survive in an ever increasingly claustrophobic clubbing climate where brands like Lovechild, SuperMartXe & Salvation were being squeezed out or kicked into the proverbial long grass.
Superb Super Car Wash
So Casa Latina, that’s who were are talking about if you hadn’t already got the gist, arrived at a pretty turbulent time and amidst a number of international brands infiltrating the capitals scene, WE having launched to amazing accolade, also pitching its next party in the same month as Casa, the Brazilian branding itself leaving decided doubts in our minds as well as those around us, not least that a new podcast from the Brent Nicholls stable of sounds, released prior to Casa’s creation, sounded too close for comfort, “Casa Latino” the compilation, while an a instead of an o represented the club. However, having been in the sunny climbs of home for the launch party last March, it was only at the “Super Carwash” event that we saw the extent of this epic encounter, host venue Fire packed to the rafters, the prolific production akin to a SuperMartXe showcase and the music a brilliant blend of Brazilian beats, tough tech & uplifting euphoria. And then there was “Sugar Daddy”, an outing that had much to live up to, expectations high as a consequence, but one that failed to deliver as fantastically as the former, the numbers struggling somewhat, despite all the impressive ingredients included.
Main Man Mauricio
All that said, Casa’s continuance always seemed a certainty, not least that the Saturday circuit was & still is a little devoid of sufficient showings to spark enough enthusiasm, we mean, if they hold another Beyond “Midnight” soon (there have been four this year already) then we will scream! And so in this Saturday (18th Feb) we find ourselves at the next instalment of this Brazilian brand books of bashes, the joint promoters Thiago Drewry & Mauricio Ortiz, both Brazilian’s too (which kind of helps) deciding on “A Space Odyssey” as the title and given the extent of the production at the last two parties, we can only imagine what Fire will be transformed into. That said, the team have not given much away with their PR material, the most we could get out of them being, “… “A Space Odyssey” promises more outrageous dance shows, oversized production, cutting edge special effects, and incredible stage installations…” and so while we have been left a little short on substance, what we know of Mr Ortiz’s experience in bringing exceptional entertainment to the fore, his significant influences during the height of the SuperMartXe days speaking volumes, we are kind of comfortable that this latest Casa creation will prove suitably sensational. Plus, judging solely on the stage shows & performances from both “Super Carwash” & “Sugar Daddy”, we are expecting another drenching of drop dead gorgeous go-go dancers, while a little birdie in the know has told us to expect a special P.A. performance, some more special treats and “…one of the most amazing opening shows ever put together on the stage…”.
Moura Magnifique
But while all that does fill us with excitable anticipation, what we are really interested in is the music, Thiago & Mauricio once again shaking up the guest slots a little to include a couple of heavy hitters along with the usual smattering of Brazilian boy beatmasters, we actually more excited about this line-up than at any of the previous events. And for good reason, as it includes two each of our protégé & premier players, while it also has a pseudo Beyond feel as well as a Room Service roll call, an enticing combination of influences, leaving us in a quandary as to where to start. Well, let’s take a look at the Brazilian boys first (a good start we think) regulars Doug Silva (you may know him as DouGium) and Junior (Celso) Moura, Mr Silva fresh from a trip back home & brimming with Brazilian beats, many of which he has combined into a compilation simply entitled “Destination Brazil” and one worth checking out at http://soundcloud.com/djdougsilva/dougsilva-destinationbrazil. As for our Junior, well we cannot contain our excitement & pride at how our protégé player has grown into his D.J. vocation, stints for Profile & Lo-Profile cropping up with ever increasing regularity, while a recent guest slot at Gigolo, as well as a forthcoming appearance at Monday nighter Popcorn are both sure to propel him in the eyes of promoters and we can see the big stage beckoning sometime soon. However, what we cannot do here is share a new podcast of his, we needing to look back to Casa’s “Sugar Daddy” event for his last edition, one still available at http://djjuniorspodcast.podomatic.com/, while we know he has plans for a new release very soon.
Premier Protege Player
So that’s our Brazilian boys, but what about the rest? Well, first & foremost is the inclusion of another of our protégé players and one who made a massive impression on the scene during 2011, Mr Zach Burns the star turn of Gigolo, while regular slots for Profile & Lo-Profile fill his schedule, that along with a residency at The Edge every Saturday. And in Mr Burns, the team couldn’t have chosen a better boy to create the official “A Space Odyssey” Casa compilation, a seventy minute marvel packed with barnstorming beats, Latino flavours, vivacious vocals & the trademark Zach disco twist, so one well worth adding to your collection by going to http://soundcloud.com/djzachburns/dj-zach-burns-casalatina-a. Then we move to our premier players, all three Beyond all-stars who are sure to stand significantly in the space odyssey spotlight, the mere mention of their names, Mikey D, Alan K & Jamie Head, filling us with feverish excitement, Alan also having laid down a mix marking his first Casa appearance, one which we have already added to our 2012 podcast chart list and so well worth sinking into at http://orangenation.podomatic.com/entry/2012-02-14T02_36_09-08_00. As for Mikey, while we may be devoid of a fresh new compilation from him, what we will not be short of on Saturday is scores of superb sounds, he ranking right behind our master as the second highest premier player on our list, an amazing accolade which we reckon speaks for itself. Then in Jamie Head we have a towering talent that has been tipping our musical scales for longer than we care to mention, Crash, Beyond, Later & Lo-Profile fabulous features and having recently played back-to-back with Mikey at later, we are crossing fingers that the duo will do the same at Casa. But it doesn’t stop there as Room Service supremo, Jodie Harsh, is also taking to the Casa decks and is sure to add a tantalising twist to the “Space Odyssey” soundtrack, her inclusion competing a line-up that look as though their mission to mars with mounds of magical music to come for sure.
Right, with the sounds sealed & delivered, what about the detail? Well, this Casa Latina “A Space Odyssey” event takes place this coming Saturday (18th Feb) at Fire in Vauxhall, doors opening at 11 p.m. & the club running through to a planned 7 a.m. finish, while the Casa showcase actually begins tonight (Thurs 16th Feb) at Room Service, who are hosting the “official” pre-party where discounted entry passes will be up for grabs. However, advance tickets proper are on sale both online at http://orangenation.clubtickets.com/gb/2012-02/18/casalatina-a-space-odysseyand at the usual Soho
Odyssey Ointment
outlets, prowler, Clone Zone & 50, all priced at just £10 (subject to booking fees), while there will be more available on the door, including concessions & guest list entries, but for full entry fee paying customers, expect to pay £12 plus. And that door will see the delightful Chrissy Darling, dressed to dare & dazzle, while her hosting helpers including the charming J.J. Clark, adding that Room Service touch that we absolutely love, while the one fly in this “A Space Odyssey” ointment is a she beginning with “S”, we really mystified why this rebel without a plausible cause is involved (Thiago & Mauricio, what are you thinking?!?!?!). But with the promise of drop dead gorgeous dancers, that immensely impressive D.J. line up of premier & protégé players, as well as our close pal Mr Pitron in attendance, we will have plenty to distract us from Miss Rebel (she will surely be doing lots of her usual child like attention seeking elsewhere!) meaning that this is certainly shaping up as a Casa to covet & celebrate, resulting in the fact that you simply have to, “Go There! Be There! (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: Alan K, Casa Latina, Chrissy Darling, Doug Silva, Fire, Jamie Head, Jodie Harsh, Junior Moura, Mauricio Ortiz, Mikey D, Thiago Drewry, Zach Burns | No Comments »
It may be a good two weeks down the line, but this exceptional event at Electric is as fresh in our minds today as it was when we waved it goodbye in the early hours of that Sunday morning. Were you there? Did you get a mention? Or what did you miss out on? Well there’s only one way to find out….
Emotionally Engrossing Euphoria
When we think of afterhours clubbing these days, the one word that tends to spring to mind first is Beyond, the brand that has pretty much dominated Sunday mornings for the last decade, while the real pioneer of afterhours was Trade, although if we were to dig deeper into the afterhours market, there are a whole host that fall into this bracket, whether it be a Friday, a Saturday, a Sunday or even a Monday morning, names that spring to mind including FF & Warriors of old, while Gravity & A:M still push those out of hours boundaries today. That said, it is rare for any of these clubs to successfully switch their format to a regular timing slot, save perhaps for special occasions like bank holidays, Easter & Christmas, although there is one that has bridged that gap & made that successful step on many occasions. Indeed, since its inception a good thirteen years ago now, this brilliant brand has not just played out to party heads on Saturdays, Sundays & Mondays, but has also successfully switched venues, finding its feet wherever it goes, a feat that many a competitor club looks upon with a great deal of envy.
Monday Morning Meet
Orange, when it was launched back in 1998 was a pretty small scale club, its first home in Rotherhithe a converted pub, although with advent of the clubbing venue we now know as Fire, this citric splendour really found its feet and became the ruin of many a Monday morning of ours, the decadent feel that we used to get from the halcyon Sunday sessions of Trade, very much being taken over by Orange. However, as times have gone by, our trips to this Monday madcap meet have been pretty much restricted to special occasions, not least when it has switched from its now natural home to sister venue Area for the famed bank holiday specials. But the wonderful clubbing word of Orange has extended further than just Vauxhall, a succession of showings at The Fridge in Brixton in recent years marking brilliant bank holiday bashes that carry magical memories for many. So, when we heard that this mega Monday morning meet would be making a one-off return to the revamped iconic venue in SW2, now known as Electric, we were keen to see what this party prospect would plunder, not least how the venue would shape up after the building site that was Brava.
Preview Peek
So, with this in mind, along with headline D.J. Steve Pitron wanting to make sure everything was in place for his performance, we headed down to Brixton, late afternoon on the day of the event, this flying visit allowing us to take a look at Electric in its now finished state, the difference immediately noticeable from the foyer right through the whole space, a quick inspection of the toilets, along with the bar spaces, seeing a tenfold improvement in the place. With Steve also relatively happy with the positioning of the D.J. booth centre stage in the main auditorium, a brief conversation with the promotions management confirming that all the necessary equipment would be in place in time. With our brief pre event visit over, it was now a case of planning our arrival time to soak up the starting segment of this citric Saturday splendour, our arrival back at Electric at just before midnight seeing us greeted by the ever present Tom Fuller who was orchestrating the developing queue magnificently, the larger than life figure of hostess Chrissy Darling, resplendent in an orange coloured outfit, she spotting us & immediately breaking out into her usual song greeting “…I wanna take a ride on the Disco Matt…”, while a flurry of text messages from Mr Pitron were urging us to “…come…”, “…come inside…”, “MAAAAATTT come inside….” although it was his previous message, “…Alyson is here, she could be anywhere…” that was stopping us in our tracks, the thought of “the porridge woman” at large, consuming us with frightful fear, Tom even remarking that Steve had arrived with two females.
Brimming Brixton Bash
However, putting best foot forward we made it inside, immediately heading for the main room bar area, which was already awash with a developing crowd, our steps of trepidation vindicating themselves when we were caught by both Steve & Bel, sending us running & screaming around the club, the looks on the faces of those around us saying it all. However, with no sign of Alyson, we soon calmed down & concentrated on the task in hand, soaking it this citric Saturday splendour, a glance over to the stage seeing The Oli in charge of the tunes, warming up the party brilliantly with his barnstorming beats, proving, yet again what a hot ticket talent he is (and pretty hot in the looks dept too!). Mind you we weren’t the only ones remarking on the impression he was making, Bel seemingly spellbound by his superb set, no surprise as Oli was certainly packing powerful punch with his prolific performance, the dancefloor soon filling with party goers & the atmosphere lifting with every terrific track selection after the next. This distraction pause from the mischievous intentions of a playful Mr Pitron gave us the opportunity to give the venue another once over, the improvement since the building site of Brava noticeable, not least that all the renovations had been finished, the ceiling looking magnificent with a multi-tiered mirrorball as the centre-piece, all the Victorian arcitrading returned to its former glory and, more importantly, all the infrastructure, like toilets, bars, seating areas & corridors completed & decorated.
Privileged Position
With Steve having grabbed us a back stage pass, the time was nearing for his set showing, our privileged viewpoint from behind the D.J. booth allowing us to see the full extent of the club in front of us and the view Mr Pitron was getting during his performance. And by golly what another dynamic delivery of dance delectations he delighted us and a now near capacity Electric crowd to, a magnificent mixture of classics, classics rehashed & up to date hits, cleverly interwoven into a scintillating string of sounds, one track after next sending us into a spin behind the stage along with a boisterous Bel and now a handful of photographers, one with a video camera in his hand catching our “Doing The Disco Matt” moves on film. And this was no surprise given the track choices Steve was making, first “Last Night A D.J. Saved My Life” (Mr Pitron was definitely doing this tonight!) followed by “Shine On Me”, these just two examples of the classic tunes both the vent & its headline player had promised. But, these were balanced by more up to date tracks too, crowd pleasers for sure, “Live Your Dreams” one of them and “Pressure” another, both which, as they always do, sent us headlong into that tearful & emotional rollercoaster ride, while our vantage point right behind Steve was the best we could have asked for.
Electric On Fire
But while we were enjoying & lapping up our select stage spot, we were also keen to mingle with the masses, our trip down onto the dancefloor immediately sending us into the path of the adorable Andrea, her welcome as affectionately hysterical as always, her catchphrase “…you can f*** right off…” hitting that hysterical high. However, what moving down here also did was to put us in pole position for the stage show which was erupting before our eyes, Elektra & her dreamy dancers hitting the Orange Electric stage to plumes of pyro’s & loads of lasers, Steve timing the musical fanfare we had been privy to earlier that evening to perfection. Then, as if we were called to take a further retreated view of proceedings, a timely text from Tom Fuller saw us clamber through the crowd & head to the bar, our liege immediately remarking on our lack of an orange coloured t-shirt (oops) while with all the emotion of the Pitron performance along with the presence of Onyx promoter Verity Mayes, we were pleased with the distraction, at least for this short while.
Electric Blue Brilliance
Mind you, the night was far from over and we had the remaining beats of Steve’s scintillating set to soak up, a return to our privileged position seeing out the remaining moments of his prolific performance, more terrifically classical tunes & more modern mixes, finishing with the incredible “Sunset To Sunrise” our possible replacement for “Offshore”, all this emotion leaving us to cough & splutter like a rusty engine, our iron lung having gotten its first dance workout in weeks. But that workout was far from over, as with Fat Tony now in charge of the Orange Electric decks, the playful chases by both Bel & Steve ensued, chases across the back of the stage and round the bar area which we found ourselves retiring to once again, the looks on peoples & security guards faces as we ran & screamed, an absolute picture, while hiding behind Steve’s beau Celso wasn’t the protection we needed, the playful pranks going on for much of the remainder of our stay. But, the time to leave was now knocking, the host of familiar faces including the delectable Dorin & Kyri, the fabulous Franck, the magnificent Mauricio, the marvelous Minty along with Michael Peacock & plenty more besides, were not enough to hold us, the call to work playing on our minds, meaning a curtain call on the outstanding Orange outing to sink home & reflect on our resplendent return to the clubbing circuit in the hands of this heavenly happening.
Backstage Bunch
Well, we tweeted, we danced & we socialised, there was emotion, there was fun & there were tears and in a strange sort of way that kind of sums up this Orange Electric event, as it pretty much had it all, not least the captivating crowd of friendly & familiar faces that made this, our return to clubbing after a six week absence, the best we could have wished for. But more than that, we have to hand it to the venue management for transforming Electric from the building site it was for Brava to the fantastically finished product we found it this time round, while the promotions team did a sterling job in showcasing Orange in super scale & on a Saturday to boot. That aside, our evening was very much made by a handful of incredible individuals mentioned, top of the prolific pile going to Steve Pitron who played out a scintillating set packed with magical memory making moments that, in combination with that privileged position we were so honoured to have, will remain in our minds eye for a long time to come. So here’s to Orange as a clubbing brand, here’s to everyone involved in this exceptional event and here’s to what was most definitely an evening of “emotionally engrossing euphoria”. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Reviews | Tags: Chrissy Darling, Electric Brixton, Elektra Paris, Fat Tony, Hrh Minty, Mauricio Ortiz, Orange Electric, Steve Pitron, The Oli, Tom Fuller, Verity Mayes | 1 Comment »
Back To Brixton
We often associate certain brands with certain times, for example Trade is historically & memorably always a Sunday morning meet, Salvation a t-dance style soiree & Room Service will forever be the start of anyone’s weekend on a Thursday, others we can pick on including Onyx that is a firm Friday favourite & Crash which was a Saturday smash hit, this club more than any other paving the way for the vast array of club nights that now grace Vauxhall as the major gay clubbing mecca in the capital. However, the picture of clubbing in this south London suburb could never be complete without the inclusion of a citric splendour that has very much been part of the Sunday night come Monday morning clubbing furniture for over a decade, well thirteen years to be precise, the club’s name also representing the group that continues to push the envelope with exceptional events from their bag full of brilliant brands. Yet, as much as this captivating club, headed up by the superb Steven Sharp is very much an afterhours offering week in week out, for one night only, it is stepping into the Saturday night slot and at a place that holds dear memories for the clubs enthusiastic followers.
Outstanding Orange
Well we couldn’t be talking about any other club than Orange, the Monday morning madcap meet that has been solely responsible for completely sabotaging (in a good way of course) the start to the working week, the thought of partying when others are trudging into the office always a tempting prospect and one we have taken up on many an occasion during the clubs thirteen year history. Yet as much as Orange sits firmly in the afterhours bracket, it also tends to play a prolific part in special occasions, whether it be Easter, Halloween or Christmas, often playing out at times averse to its usual slot, but nevertheless reflecting just how popular a party it is and how it continues to play an important role in the maintenance of the vibrant capital clubbing scene that we found ourselves within. So, it comes as no surprise that, as part of its ongoing program of irregular & one-off events, Orange is moving from Sunday to Saturday this weekend (26th Nov), but more than that, is returning to the venue that has played host to the brands special parties on a number of occasions in the past, formerly The fridge, now called Electric, this iconic Brixton venue having been the home of Love Muscle during the nineties & also sported the launch night for new brand Brava.
Superstar Steve
So what’s on offer for this “Orange Electric” event? Well, it seems that promoter Steven Sharp has pulled in two heavyweight stars to accompany his resident crew of D.J.’s, firstly Steve Pitron once again swapping his Beyond shoes for Orange ones & headlining the event with a set from 1 till 3 a.m. And while we have been missing in action for a while, indeed missing out a string of Pitron performances, we have already booked our place for this one, Steve always seeming to come up with the goods, so is sure to so o here, not least that we have been privy to parts of his playlist, a mixture of latest hits along with some true classics from Orange’s history, representing the many times & years he has played for the brand. Then there is Paul Heron, another superb star that has graced Orange’s decks in the past & is sure to play a prolific part in this present day party. But with a supporting D.J. cast that includes Orange regulars The Sharp Boys & Fat Tony, the music is sure to be totally top draw from start to finish, both having marked this special one-off party with two podcasts, Fat Tony’s a rare & exclusive mix which is an absolute must for your collection, not least due to its rarity, while The Sharp Boys compilation is packed with classics, so a visit to http://orangenation.podomatic.com/ is definitely in order.
Birthday Boy Beats
However, the visit you really need to make is to Electric in Brixton tonight and having literally hot footed it back from the venue, we are pleased to report that it is looking a hundred times better than our last visit for Brava at the end of August, the difference quite remarkable, so far removed from the building site it was, to the smart splendour that it is now. Plus with the stage being dressed in preparation for the sparkling stage shows to come from Elektra Paris’ & Shaun Capewell’s teams of delectable dancers, we know that a huge amount of time & effort has gone into the citric style costumes & choreography which we are anticipating with gusto, as we are for the live vocal performance from Orange lady Tonnic, who will be making her citric splash & presence felt throughout this event. And having spoken with the promotions team, they have told us to “get ready to Re-live the past and experience the future…” further adding that “…with special live performances and shows throughout the night, it’ll be nostalgic, anthemic, uplifting, intoxicating house music all night long…” , while we have also been tipped off to expect “…incredible top-end production and watch the sparks fly at this historic venue, with LED screens, lasers, fire shows, and loads more citrus surprises…”.
Citric Saturday Showing
So to the all important detail and Orange Electric takes place tonight (Saturday 26th Nov) at Electric (formerly The Fridge) on Brixton Hill, doors opening at 11 p.m. and the club running through to a planned 7 a.m. finish. Advance tickets can still be grabbed online priced at just £10 via direct link http://orangenation.clubtickets.com/gb/2011-11/26/orange-nation-the-club-spectacular, although we are told there may still be free entry offers up for grabs by either going to http://tinyurl.com/electricorangenovember, picking out the ad from Q.X. magazine or grabbing an Orange Electric flyer and hot footing it down to the venue before 1 a.m. And with a hosting team that includes three stars of the clubbing scene, Megan Jones making a welcome return to join forces with the magnificent Mauricio Ortiz & the larger than life (she is very tall you know) Chrissy Darling, you are sure to receive a warm welcome & a swift entry into the club, Tom Fuller sure to be on hand too. Plus, don’t forget that Beyond takes over from Orange, starting at 6 a.m., down at Area in Vauxhall and is the “official” Electric afterparty, advance tickets advisable by going to http://orangenation.clubtickets.com/gb/2011-11/27/beyond-afterhours, while entry will be available on the door, but as with Orange, expect to pay more.
All this means that is goes without saying that we cannot recommend this Orange “Electric” enogh and will be making our return to the dancefloor after a six week break, hopefully nibble size reviewing tweeting our way through the whole party. So, if you see us do come up & say hi, but as always simply make sure you “Go There! Be There! (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: Chrissy Darling, Electric, Elektra Paris, Fat Tony, Mauricio Ortiz, Megan Jones, Orange, Paul Heron, Steve Pitron, The Oli, The Sharp Boys | No Comments »
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1 Feb 2013 | 0 Comments
Reports/Recommends – “Mixed Messages Marring Magnificence” – Beyond “Pervert” – Sunday 3rd February – Extra Bites Special
While we make no secret that Beyond has become our favourite club of all-time, having wowed our world for over ten years now, recent developments have left us in dismay over some of the mixed messages that are marring its magnificence, while come Sunday (3rd Feb) all that will be ...
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23 Jan 2013 | 1 Comment
Previews – “Delving Deep Into The Dark” – Matinee “Pervert” – Saturday 2nd February – Special Preview
After a break of just over five months, Matinee makes its mark on the capitals clubbing circuit once again with its “Pervert – The Beauty Of Darkness” themed event, a host of stars from the international scene landing on London as the brand prepares to storm into 2013, bigger & ...
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6 Jan 2013 | 0 Comments
Reviews – “Spectacular New Season Start” – Beyond “NYD Super Party” – Tuesday 1st January – Super Size Review
Having dived into our last dance of 2012 within its wonderful walls, the New Year could only commence with a rapturous return to the brilliant Beyond, it’s “NYD Super Party” very much proving the spectacular new season start that we hoped it would. But what made this first 2013 capital ...
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9 Dec 2012 | 0 Comments
Reviews – “Fun Filled & Full-On Frenzy” – Beyond – Sunday 9th December – Bite Size Review
Big weekends or not, there is one club that never fails to pull in the punters & deliver an enthralling experience unrivalled by anywhere else, the now legendary afterhours that is Beyond beckoning us away from our sick bed for what turned out to be a two hour fun filled ...
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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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28 Apr 2012 | 0 Comments
Picks/Recommends – “Peeling Open A Pumping Party” – CasaLatina “L.O.V.E. Banana” – Saturday 28th April – Pick Of The Day/Focus Extra
Disco Matt plays catch-up as he delves deep into the detail on CasaLatina’s “L.O.V.E. Banana” event, which takes place tonight (Sat 28th April), this marvellous meet having also made it as DM’s pick of the day, all the detail a banner selection away opposite or an image click below, while ...
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25 Feb 2012 | 1 Comment
Reviews – “Brazilian Beats Bender” – Casalatina “A Space Odyssey” – Saturday 18th February – Full Size Review
While carnival season was well under way back home, it seemed that Brazilian brand Casalatina, which was born in London, decided an inter galactic theme was better suited to celebrating their fourth showing on the scene. But did this “A Space Odyssey” spectacle sparkle like a shooting star or sink ...
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16 Feb 2012 | 0 Comments
Recommends – “Brazilians Boldly Go Galactic” – Casa Latina “A Space Odyssey” – Saturday 18th February – Weekend Focus
Virtually a year to the date, the brilliant Brazilian brand Casa Latina, with amazing adventures “Super Car Wash” & “Sugar Daddy” under its belt, returns with an event of epic proportions, as it shots beyond the stratosphere with its “Space Odyssey” outing, magnificent men Mauricio, Thiago & Lunarde masterminding a ...
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11 Dec 2011 | 1 Comment
Reviews – “Emotionally Engrossing Euphoria” – Orange “Electric” – Saturday 26th November – Full Size Review
It may be a good two weeks down the line, but this exceptional event at Electric is as fresh in our minds today as it was when we waved it goodbye in the early hours of that Sunday morning. Were you there? Did you get a mention? Or what did ...
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26 Nov 2011 | 0 Comments
Recommends – “Back To Brixton” – Orange “Electric” – Saturday 26th November – Weekend Extra Bites
We often associate certain brands with certain times, for example Trade is historically & memorably always a Sunday morning meet, Salvation a t-dance style soiree & Room Service will forever be the start of anyone’s weekend on a Thursday, others we can pick on including Onyx that is a firm ...
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
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