Posts Tagged ‘Megawoof’
April 2, 2012 | 
Author For scrumptious starters there is an ample appetiser of awesome afterhours autonomy, followed by a majestic mains mountain of scintillating Spanish supremacy, this three course clubbing colossus picture completed by a dream of a dessert, cream of the crop filled captivating clubbing collaboration. Yes, it’s Easter, which can only mean one thing “The Big Ticket” is back, Disco Matt delving into the detail of this most prolific & popular of packages.
There are a small handful of dates in our disco dance diary across any given year that are just that, a given certainty that we will be stepping significantly out onto the capitals clubbing circuit, Christmas & then New Year naturally close to the top of the tree, while the trio of bank holiday weekends, the two in May & the one in August, generally tugging hard on our house music & scene strutting strings. Then of course, there is Pride weekend, and while it does not boast an extra day off work, we tend to throw ourselves into a packed weekend of parties regardless, while as we cast our eyes into 2012, we see a brace of other examples where stepping out on the scene will be a given, The Queen’s Jubilee one, and, The Olympics another, both sure to prove hedonistic highlights for many, or at least a great excuse to capture a collection of clubs. But when it comes to those special stepping out onto the scene weekends, Easter is difficult to beat & better, not least that the weekend here genuinely starts on a Thursday night and, if you are so inclined, it can carry you through to the flowing Tuesday without your feet touching the homeward bound ground.
So yes, Easter is right up there with the best weekends of the year, probably topping our tree of choices, but with so much going on and four, sometimes five days to soak up the splendours of the scene often means a substantial & sometimes severe hole can be burnt in the pocket, after all its not just the drinks that cause a dent in your dollar, but racking up six, seven or even eight clubs can be a very expensive experience indeed. However, we are pleased to say that one section of the clubbing community has recognised that fact, a corporation that pretty much holds sway on the capitals circuit this Easter, with no less than eight events stretching from Thursday to Tuesday, although acknowledge that Sunday & Monday are the precious prizes in the clubbing calendar on this holy weekend of the year. So, having launched their hugely successful “Big Ticket” package back in 2010, have brought it back with a bang for this coming weekend, combining a trio of clubbing treats into just one entry pass, a ticket that gains you access to three of the biggest bashes in London, not only offering a delightful discount, but negating the need to carry a collection of tickets in your pocket, your purse or your wallet.
Now that’s the concept, but what the “The Big Ticket” offer you this Easter? Well, when we make mere mention of Beyond, WE & As One, you will probably recognise these as the premier picks in any weekend, let alone Easter, ach one having proved, time after time, roadblock events and very much THE places to be & be seen stepping out on the scene. So, with just one ticket, this towering three course clubbing collective is right at your fingertips and all for the singular price of just £40, yes pretty much the deal of the century when you consider just how colossal these clubs brands are, WE riding a worldwide wave crest that has left the likes of its Spanish compatriots SuperMartXe & Matinee very much in the shade, while what we have said about Beyond in the past still holds true, this breathtakingly brilliant brand having ridden its own wave crest for as long as we can remember, proving that, even on regular weeks, all roads lead to its doors. But then we turn to As One, a concept born a little over two years ago, but stormed the scene from the outsight, the bringing together of clubbing minds, spirits & souls the epicentre of its success and, having forged a new path this NYD, sees some of the biggest names in capital clubbing come together in a capitavting combination that, just like this Easter weekend, is hard to beat or better. So with the sales pitch definitely driven home, we know you know that “The Big Easter Ticket” option makes complete sense, meaning its just now a case of clicking on this online link and securing your pass to this towering trio of treats, http://orangenation.clubtickets.com/gb/2012-04/07/the-big-ticket-easter-weekend the place to go and for just £40, it is really a bargain you cannot beat, but this unbeatable bargain it doesn’t stop there, as “The Big Ticket” gets you free entry to both Onyx & A:M (more on that in a mo), meaning that, in reality, it’s a quintet rather than a trio of treats. However, if you prefer to grab one in person, fear not, as the same £40 package is available at Soho outlets Prowler, Clone Zone & 50.
Now that’s “The Big Ticket” itself, what about the trio of treats? Well, in the tradition of a fabulous three course meal, let’s kick off with the starters first, but this is no small portion, rather a most ample appetiser, as Beyond is the brand to kick start this towering three course clubbing collective, the team not only pleased as punch that the brands backyard is back in business, Area already benefitting from some nip & tuck changes, but will be extending the clubs offer this Sunday to their now famed “Midnight” format, that means our (yours too we are sure) favourite & most awesome of afterhours gets going this Saturday (7th April) or as we prefer to call it, zero o’clock on Sunday (8th April), running a full twelve hours till midday on Sunday, showcasing the best that the brand has to offer in is terrific team of London D.J. residents, promoter Steven Sharp having confirmed the line-up exclusively to us, which includes Hafiz Sean & Paul Christian in the “Beyond RAW” room (formerly the Chapel space) with the welcome return of our Seville showstopper, Gonzalo Rivas, But it goes one, as in the “Beyond Da Disco” room (formerly the terrace), we cannot contain our excitement, as Jamie Head makes a welcome return (please not at the same time as Steve Pitron), while The Oli & Fat Tony will rock the space to its foundations, oh and Jonny M will be there too. All that said, the main room will be the main attraction and you better get there early, well before 5 a.m. at least as Steve Pitron makes a resplendent return after a break of over a month with a special classics set to mark his award winning “Ultimate DJ” status and has already warned us to expect complete emotional destruction (you know how it goes…tears, floods & tweets). Then, sandwiching special guest D.J.GSP, who will be flying the XLsior flag with a bunch of euro style & uplifting tunes (check out his podcast at http://orangenation.podomatic.com/entry/2012-03-26T13_16_13-07_00), will be two dynamic duo’s, The Sharp Boys & then Alan K & Paulo Moreno going b2b, this starter segment looking simply spectacular, those without “The Big Ticket” able to grab singular entry either in advance online at http://orangenation.clubtickets.com/gb/2012-04/08/beyond-midnight-easter-saturday-xlsior-pre-party or via Soho outlets Prowler, Clone Zone & 50, more details a click away at http://facebook.com/beyondclub.
To the second instalment or should we call it the magnificent mains meal of this trio of treats and it is the magnificent & massive WE party that takes centre stage with a t-dance style turnout that proved ever so popular on New Year’s Day, hence the team repeating the winning formula that is sure to prove just as popular as last time. And with a D.J. line up that includes the might of Gonzalo Rivas, Jamie Head & Steve Pitron, it should fulfil all expectations, not least that London is once again showcasing the newest concept in the WE Party pack, “Fluro” the theme & one for the senses, as we have been told to expect the best in visuals, effects & lasers that host venue The Coronet has ever seen, this being no mean feat as previous parties “Pharaoh”, Safari” & “Disco” were prolific enough, while “Candy” still remains a high benchmark that keeps both the Spanish & London promotions teams on their toes. And talking of that London tea, with the likes of Tom Fuller, JJ Clark & Ben Kaye on hand, it is strong enough, although with Aaron Elder having very much grasped the nettle in recent events, WE London under his steership is going from strength to strength, the inclusion of Room Service in the prolific package adding to the appeal. But WE Madrid still have their say, promoter Victor Pallas employing his newest resident D.J. Raul Ortiz, a pretty much unknown talent but one that is sure to sparkle under the spotlight. Add to the music magnificence, we have been told to expect “…incredible visuals and stage production, mind blowing special effects, and more gogos and dancers on stage than ever before…” and given just how amazed we were with “Safari” on NY, as well as the fabulous feedback we received about “Pharoah” we can believe it. But it doesn’t stop there as room two is all about Room Service, yes Jodie Harsh & her terrific team are back, the dynamic duo that is Kris Di Angelis & Fat Tony on the decks and Jodie even spinning a few sounds herself, while Johanna will be hosting as only she knows best, leaving the main “Fluro” arena in the very capable hands of Ben Kaye & JJ Clark, these two gems also seeing you guestlist lot in as smoothly as possible on the door. And talking of doors, WE “Fluro’s” open at that t-dance time of 6 p.m. this Sunday (8th April), running through till 2 a.m., single ticket entry available of course, priced at £18 both online at http://orangenation.clubtickets.com/gb/2012-04/08/we-party-london-easter-t-dance & at the usual Soho outlets, Prowler, Clone Zone & 50, as well as Ku Bar (Lisle & Frith St), while entry will be available on the door, naturally magnificently managed by Tom Fuller, but expect to pay more. And don’t forget that every great WE party has a pre-party and its Room Service this Thursday (5th April) that plays host, more info on this out at http://facebook.com/events/305906092809366/, while for further details on “Fluro” itself, go direct to http://wepartylondon.com/.
So to dessert, but what a plump pudding it is although while we may be billing it as the dessert in this three course clubbing collective, it actually has all the credentials for a massive mains meal of majesty, as the captivating collaboration that is As one, pulls together a band of brilliant brands that includes, Orange, Trade, Casalatina, Megawoof, Onyx, & TheMenWhoFellToEarth, all across the expanse is the duo of club spaces that now form the massive complex on South Lambeth Road that many call Fire, but actually includes the separate club Protocol, this new(ish) addition to the Orange Nation empire proving really popular with our straight cousins, not least that the swanky separate bar space & bespoke services fit the bill perfectly. So with The MenToFellTo Earth boys taking up Protocol’s intimate second space, Megawoof will be doing their best to steal the show in the Lightbox with Daz Saud & special guest Max Sanna, who played brilliantly b2b with studio recording partner Steve Pitron last weekend, so is very much in the groove and while Protocol is considered separate to Fire, it will be very much part of the action come Monday morning. But naturally it will be the three rooms of Fire that will be the main attractions, not least that the might of Trade, Orange Onyx & Casa Latina will be playing their part in this colossal collaboration and when you consider that the D.J. talent extends to the likes of Nick Tckerniak, Guy Williams, & Rosco flying the Trade flag, while rising star of the scene Junior Moura will head up the Casa team, supported by Doug Silva, Orange being represented by Fat Tony The Sharp Boys & Gonzalo Rivas and Onyx has gender bender’s Tasty Tim & Lady Lloyd on the decks. Plus, promoter Steve Sharp keen to point out that across this six room splendour (that includes the Protocol VIP space!) we can expect “…music ranges from pumping house, to deep and techy, commercial anthems, and so much more, with gogos, live performances, fire shows and special As One production…” and given what a simply superb job he did with the last party, giving the As One brand a fresh new feel with these added big & alternative brands, we are very much looking forward to this colossal collaboration to round off our Easter weekend in scintillating style. So, with hosts Chrissy Darling, Elektra Paris, Danny Boyce & Mauricio Ortiz looking after your every whim from doors opening to closing, these timings being from 11 p.m. through till 7 a.m., as with the other two in this trio of “The Big Ticket” treats, singular entry to As One is available, tickets priced at £18 on sale both online via http://orangenation.clubtickets.com/gb/2012-04/08/as-one-easter-sunday or in person by popping into Prowler, Clone, 50 & both Ku-Bar’s and while there will be tickets available on the door, due to the popularity of this event, expect to pay much more. However, we have spotted that online early birds for As One are still available, so get in quick & you can grab one for just £15, more info (should you need it available at http://facebook.com/events/323974380990951/.
So, that’s “The Big Ticket” offer and with brands Beyond, WE & As One in the package for just £40, you know it makes sense, especially when you consider that with free entry to Onyx “Holy Trinity” & A:M “Headliners” too, it’s definitely best to go BIG this Easter, our post “The Pricing Picture” coming up, re-enforcing this truly outstanding Orange Group offer. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | 
Tags: A:M, Aaron Elder, Alan K, As One, Casalatina, Chrissy Darling, Doug Silva, Fat Tony, GSP, Guy Williams, Hifi Sean, Jamie Head, Jodie Harsh, Junior Moura, Kris Di Angelis, Megawoof, Nick Tcherniak, Onyx, Orange, Paulo Moreno, Raul Ortiz, Room Service, Steve Pitron, Steven Sharp, The Big Ticket, The Oli, The Sharp Boys, TheMenWhoFellToEarth, Tom Fuller, Trade, WE "Fluro", WE Party, WE Party London | 
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It captivated the capitals clubbers when it launched two years ago, since when the colossal collaboration that brought both promotional & branding minds together has continued to attract considerable crowds. But with the former promoter bowing out, who would the amazing As One fair in the hands of its new director, one Steven Sharp?
Colossal Collaboration Steven Style
If there is one day in the year that we never fail to find ourselves delighting in dancefloor devotions, it is the first, New Years Day holding higher regard than any other in our season of festive frolicking, Beyond a brand that has entertained us enthrallingly for the last decade, while Trade also played its part, the odd collaboration with Crash & afterhours Ultra resulting in “Essential” which rocked our world back in 2006. But when it comes to club combinations, we have seen plenty of others, the likes of “Famous Five”, & “Universal” immediately springing to mind, although there can be no doubt that, following its launch on New Year’s Day 2009, the amalgamation that is As One has seen a succession of successes, building on that first foray that saw host venue Fire packed to the rafters and brought together brands that included Orange, Lovechild, Megawoof & Lo-Profile, to mention just four. And with the bank holiday weekends of Easter, Spring & Summer sporting As One outings, this colossal combo has found a popular perch in the cavorting of the capitals clubbers, although with the original promoter & driving force behind the concept having gracefully bowed out, As One dipped off the radar for a while, leaving us to wonder whether, like it’s former fellows, it would return. But with the news coming through loud & clear that it would do just that, plus be in the hands of one of the capital clubbing circuit’s most prominent promoters, we looked forward to As One “NYD 2012” with eager anticipation.
Oli Oration
So, have succumbed to the stunning scintillation of a spectacular “Safari” session with WE Party, we were definitely raring to go for more, a quick homeward bound refresher setting us fair for this latest As One outing, making haste for Fire at not long after midnight, the whole place already buzzing with activity and that was just the outside. However, with three different entrances to negotiate, while we were clear which queue to stand in, some were finding it a little confusion as to which one was which, although with the terrific Tom Fuller never far away, order was quickly restored and our smooth entry assured, the marvellous Minty paving our way with another of her trademark warming welcomes. That said, the next hurdle proved as high as beeches brook, the negation of the considerable coatcheck queue leaving us thing “…oh no not again…”, As One, particularly on New Year’s Day seemingly plagued by this problem, no amount of pre event organising (which had clearly be orchestrated) able to cope with the colossal numbers that had descended on Fire. And with WE, Salvation & other parties all emptying out at once, As One was a natural next move, meaning patience was required before we could see ourselves released into the already amazing action inside.
Absorbing As One
But were we in for a treat or what, new prolific promoter Steven Sharp having given this As One amalgam a fresh new feel, not least with the teaming up with the mothership of clubbing, Trade, along with the alternative brilliance of “The MenWhoFell2Earth”, this added to regular includee Megawoof, along with the Orange RAW influence, all making for a combo that was to serve Steven well. Mind you, with Trade in the Fire’s mirrorarch space & Orange in the main room, we did have a slight sense of déjà vu as it was this dynamic duo that had delighted us on Christmas day in the same place & pretty much at the same time. However, we were far from complaining, neither were the party goers packing out both rooms, Lee Yeomans trading tons of tunes in the mirrorarch, while one Orange resident was handing over to another in the main room, The Oli having really got this colossal combo going in scintillating style, George Sharp grasping with both of his brilliant hands the musical torch which was burning as bright as the lighting & effects that saw the space jam packed. So, negotiating the various spaces was a tricky affair, although in doing so, we bumped into scores of familiar faces, Simon Patrick & the delectable Dorin among them, while such was the crammed state of the various rooms, we couldn’t get close to Hifi Sean in the RAW lounge, or TheMenWhoFell2Earth boys across the other side of Fire, we eventually settling on our favoured spot in the mirrorarch and lovely liaisons with incumbent D.J. Nick Tcherniak & finished duty disc spinner The Oli.
Terrific Tcherniak Treats
So it was the Trade room where we decided to lay our hat for a while, the adorable Andrea bouncing up and quizzing us over our absence at Salvation, although even her advances weren’t going to dampen our spirits as Nick Tcherniak, having assumed the decks, was serving up a simply scintillating set, the room filling out even further as he showered scores of superb sounds on an adoring audience. And with the podiums packed with party goers, Trade’s Mark Mace looking on in amazement and our favoured spot by the D.J. booth brimming with bodies, we couldn’t have been happier with our As One lot. Mind you, if there was ever going to be one person that would drag us away from Mr Tcherniak’s terrific tech treats, it would be Tom Fuller, another (and our own) face of Trade who, by now, had masterminded the smooth entry of a capacity crowd and was ready to let his hair down. So, having missed out on our usual catch up at Beyond earlier in the day, it was to the bar for a we headed to toast with Tom, this magnificent meet and, of course, the beginning of 2012, catching up on happenings from the last few hours, including his notable absence from WE, “Safari”, a phenomenal party that had highlighted one of the best starts to a new year we could remember.
Outstanding In Orange
With this brief respite over, it was back to the action and the remainder of Nick’s prolific performance, we hardly able to believe that he could have improved on the perfection that was his Christmas Day set for Orange/Trade, although that was exactly what he was doing, so much so that he left an uphill task for incumbent D.J., an apparent techno legend who, for us would not come close to the magnificent music from the maestro before him. This meant we were off on our As One travels again, first dipping into the Megawoof room to spin to the sounds from our Italian friend, Micky Galliano, this a brief stay as we got wind of a set we really wanted to savour, Smokin Jo firing on all cylinders in the Orange main room. And arriving to catch her in full flow, we soon sank into her splendours, the space fuller than we had ever seen it before, the tunes she was turning out akin to a Trade lite lounge rather than an Orange session. Plus, with, Fat Tony and Steven Sharp up behind the decks in support, it very much felt like a lite lounge reunion, this Trade from Turnmills days trio very much the focus of attention, Smokin Jo’s superb sounds leaving us breathless with admiration, spinning on our tightly squeezed spot with gusto.
Packed & Pumping Place
And with the amazing As One atmosphere getting better by the minute, it would be no surprise that Fat Tony would feed off this lite lounge style frenzy, taking up where Jo had left off, the whole place continuing to erupt in ecstatic excitement, while we were now very much torn between his dynamic deliveries and the equally enthralling exhibition that was unfolding in the Trade room, Gonzalo in charge of the tunes and lifting the vibe & feel of this sagging space in an instant. Seeing these Trade men of old in fabulous form, the appreciative audiences lapping up every tender musical morsel from both, our dilemma as to where to deliver our devotions ended up in a split decision & division, bouncing between the two like a boomerang on a never ending circular cycle, Gonzalo gripping us with heaps of heavy yet hedonistic house, while the fluffier feel of Fat Tony’s tunes were also hitting our high notes, the heady concoction of this majestic musical mixture sending us stratospheric with satisfaction. But all this incredible indulgence was running our battery levels low, the hectic schedule of the last 36 hours beginning to take its toll, so rather than running ourselves into the ground, we decided an exit on a high was the order of the day, both beatmasters delivering on cue, Fat Tony’s selection of “Enjoy The Ride” seeing us dive into a Doing The Disco Matt frenzy with our Brazilian beat Jeovanne. And so with our rapturous ride coming close to an end, we waved our farewells, to Nick, Tom, to Andrea & Stephen, our cougar loving clubbing companion having braved the extraordinary heat of this event dressed from head to toe in an officer & a gentleman style suit, but like us was also running out of steam.
Sharpest Of Trade Tools
So, having savoured a significant slice of this latest As One outing, what did we think of the whole event?, and did it live up to the fabulousness of the first? Well, without doubt the injection of Trade into the As One combination of clubs gave this latest incarnation a fantastic feel, the marriage of minds with Orange from a week previously, repeated with rapturous results, Steven Sharp’s influence and inclination to point this colossal collaboration in a dynamically different direction a gamble that paid off & with decisive dividends. With each room bringing their own fan base of followers, that on top of a clubbing crowd who simply didn’t want their New Year’s Day celebrations to end, this was, without doubt the busiest as well as the best As One yet and, the coatcheck hiccup aside, one we thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish. And while each & every D.J., performer & As One team member played their part in this pulsating party, in the hands of Nick Tcherniak & Gonzalo Rivas in the Trade room and Smokin Jo & Fat Tony in the Orange room, we had a quartet of quintessentially prolific performances that, like the closest of photo finishes, resulted in a terrific top of the tree tie between all four. So, while it may be over a month since we savoured their scintillating sets, they remain as fresh in our minds now as they were fabulous then, the final word, however, having to go to Steven Sharp who, through his passion, his vision, his hard work & his devotion, dealt us an As One party that delivered in virtually every department and more wonderfully than our wildest dreams could have imagined. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Reviews | Tags: As One, Fat Tony, Fire, George Sharp, Gonzalo Rivas, Hifi Sean, Hrh Minty, Mark Mace, Megawoof, Micky Galiiano, Nick Tcherniak, Orange, Orange RAW, Smokin Jo, Steven Sharp, The Oli, TheMenWhoFell2Earth, Tom Fuller, Trade | No Comments »
There was the Big Ticket and now there is the Golden Ticket, a pass to not one or two, but three prolific parties on New Year’s Day, Beyond, WE “Safari” & As One all pulled into one perfect package for clubbers to concede to, Disco Matt devoting a special focus to each element of this outstanding Orange Group offer.
Gigantic Gilded Gambit
If there is one element of the scene that has been a superb success during 2011, it has been the outstanding offers The Orange Group have complimented the capitals clubbers with, plenty of discounted entries to a whole wealth of wonders throughout the year that have maintained its position as the premier gay clubbing promotions machine across the London landscape. Yet a further element that has proven a runaway winner is the ticket combination that has manifested itself across all the extra length weekends of 2011, Easter, Gay Pride & the August Bank Holiday three examples where the so called “Big Ticket” has rolled two/three club offerings into one and at an exceptional reasonable price at that. But what this concessionary combo has also achieved, is a fast-track entry to all the clubs involved, along with the dispensing of that need to hold individual tickets for each event, an idea in its conception that has proven a fantastic formula for a ferry load of folks flocking to the feast of forays on these extended party weekend’s of the year. So, with New Year’s Day on our doorstep and with the “Big Ticket” now becoming the “Golden Ticket”, it was a fore drawn conclusion that this delightful deal would get our devotion & recommendation, delving into the detail of the package & its offering, then giving you that all important online link.
Hottest NYD Ticket In Town
So, what does this “Golden Ticket” actually offer? Well, in the words of its sponsor, The Orange Group’s primary promotions director, Jonny Marsh, has told us that “…it represents the hottest ticket for the New Year 2012, not least as it combines three of our most prolific parties of the period…” that of course being Beyond NYD, WE “Safari – Daytime” & As One, the latter returning after a s slight re-shuffle (more on that in a minute), Mr Marsh adding that this “Golden Ticket” “…gets you guaranteed queue jump access to all these events this NYD and offers exceptional value for money at close on “early bird” prices that you cannot beat…”. And we certainly aren’t arguing with any of that as in Beyond, WE & As One, you have three premier parties that are sure to draw roadblock crowds, especially given their prolific performances throughout 2011, that fast track pass becoming your essential entry, or as the team prefer to say it, “…your golden ticket…” to these gigantic gatherings. But how exactly does the “Golden Ticket” work?, Well, it’s pretty simple really, you make your online purchase at http://orangenation.clubtickets.com/gb/2012-01/01/the-nyd-goldent-ticket-2012, and when you arrive at your first event, swap your online ticket printout for your “Golden Ticket”, which we are reliably informed will be in the form of a credit card sized golden plastic ticket for you to fit neatly in your wallet, purse, ciggie box, etc, leaving you to party away to your heart’s content from Beyond start to As One finish, safe in the knowledge that that important queue jump at each event will secure your speedy entry and all for just £40.
Scintillating NYD Start
Now, while £40 may sound quite a lot, when you compare it to regular New Year prices which can be £15, £20 or even £25 for just one event and with this “Golden Ticket” you get three parties for one, the first being the brilliant Beyond, the “all roads lead to afterhours” that has continued to ride its wonderful wave crest during 2011 and looks set to start 2012 in superb style, meaning it will definitely be THE place to be & be seen as New Year’s Day begins to unfold. And, the team will be drawing on one of the most powerful team of resident D.J.’s for this first event of NYD, the usual three rooms of fun swinging open to recapture the thrill & excitement that Beyond has delivered, week in week out for the last twelve months (and more!!) Mr Marsh remarking that “…this party last year was one of the biggest ever, boasting a capacity crowd, and three rooms of incredible music…” adding “…miss this year’s and you will definitely miss out…”. So, having done just that on last NYD, even the flu attack we are suffering with won’t keep us away, not least that the main room will be sporting the likes of The Sharp Boys & Alan K, along with superstar Steve Pitron who will surely be sending us on that rollercoaster ride of tearful emotions with his terrific tunes. But with Gonzalo Rivas, Hifi Sean, Paul Christian, Fat Tony The Oli & Jonny M involved too, as well as a the dream team of dancers headed by the enigmatic Elektra Paris, this is one Beyond we cannot wait to savour & succumb to from start to finish, that start keeping to the regular time slot winning formula, as Area’s doors will be opening at 6 a.m., the event running through to a planned 1 p.m.finish, while should you opt out of the “Golden Ticket” then fear not, as separate advance tickets at £12 are on sale at the usual Soho outlets, Prowler, Clone Zone & 50, as well as online at http://clubtickets.com.
Safari Sure To Sparkle
Then there is the second slice of the “Golden Ticket” threesome and what a second slice it is, as is the award winning WE is back, the party that launched in London just over 12 months ago, but literally took the scene by storm, fighting off the snow clasping the capital at the time to show the way for a succession of superb shindigs. With the NYD “Attacks” event still planted firmly in our memories, not least due to pulsatingly prolific performances from Spanish resident D.J. Carlos Gallardo & P.A. Peyton, whose showing’s were simply superb, we are pleased as punch to see Mr Gallardo in the line-up for this year’s NYD event, “Daytime Safari” the theme and a t-dance timing the shifted slot, while with The Coronet as the host venue and that winning formula of dynamic & incomparable LED displays, exceptional effects, lasers & pyro’s package are all pretty much unchanged, meaning this should be yet another WE party to remember & add to the captivating catalogue that includes “Candy”, “Heroes” &, of course “Disco”. And it seems that with a main room D.J. team that includes a returning & resplendent Gonzalo Rivas who has devoted a podcast pressing to the event (check it out at http://soundcloud.com/gonzalo-rivas/we-safari-nyd-2012), along with Beyond boys Jamie Head & Steve Pitron, we will be hard pressed to avoid this event, especially as social soiree splendour Room Service also returns to take over the upstairs space, Jodie Harsh & co bringing back residents Kris Di Angelis & Fat Tony to the fore. Add to all that a special guest PA (we are wondering already!) and this is definitely looking like another magnificent meet, although please note that WE will be opening, not at its usual time, but earlier at 6 p.m. this Sunday (1st Jan), the club running through to a planned 2 a.m. finish, advance tickets priced at £18 available via http://wepartylondon.com while those usual Soho outlets will also being selling too. Plus, no party would be a party without a pre-party, the “official” one taking place tonight (Thurs 29th Dec) at Room Service, more info on that available by going to http://clubroomservice.com.
Amazing Amalgam
And so to the final element of this gigantic gold gilded gambit, the awesome As One, a colossus of a collaboration that has its roots in New Year’s Day, having stolen the NYD show when it was launched two years ago. The brainchild of prolific promoter Alex Erfan, we deluded earlier to a slight re-shuffle and while we are saddened that Alex is no longer part of the As One promotions picture, we couldn’t think of a better man to fill his substantial shoes than Steven Sharp, the man behind Orange & A:M and an individual that, for us, held the reigns of Beyond brilliantly, bringing us the legendary (we don’t use that word lightly) “Tokyo” event, very much paving the way for successive promoters of our favourite club of all-time to follow in his fantastic footsteps. So with As One is a safe & capable hands, what does this latest collaborative combo command in terms of clubbing brands? Well, if you happened to miss out on the magical “Citric Chrimo Combo” (review on its way!) then you can get a second bite at the cherry, as Trade returns to join Orange (which includes a special “RAW” room), together with the beef-tastic Megawoof & East Ender, The Men Who Fell 2 Earth, this As One amalgamation spreading itself right across host venue Fire and into the new(ish) smart & swish Protocol. Orange will be assuming control of Fire’s main room, sporting a D.J. cast that includes residents Fat Tony, The Oli & The Sharp Boys, although the exciting news is the inclusion of special guest Smokin Jo, Steven commenting on her inclusion “… we are proud to be inviting her back to Fire following an incredible DJ debut at A:M back in October…” he adding “…Jo really needs no introduction having been a tour de force in the Global dance world for the past 20 years delivering her take on all things House in every corner of the planet; from Ibiza to Hong Kong, Australia to South Africa & China to Clerkenwell (Trade!), while the “RAW” Orange element at As One will be masterminded by three magnificent music men, David Jimenez, Hifi Sean & Severino, this fab threesome merging into one with a “..three way play-off of disco tech delights like never heard of before…”.
And Again
Then we look at the mothership of clubbing, Trade, returning to once again delight us dynamic drops of dramatic dance delectations, Nick Tcherniak, who absolutely nailed a pulsating performance last Sunday, returning to do it all again, he joined by Lee Yeomans and special Trade guest Anderson Noise, playing an exclusive set for the brand. However, while all these D.J.’s will be craving for our attention, it will be Gonzalo Rivas’s own Trade reunion that will command our appearance on our spot, all those magical memories of the Turmills days surely coming back in leaps & bounds, this especially given we missed out on the clubs birthday in October when, as Steven painfully reminds us, “…London’s clubbers were out in force when this legendary afterhours celebrated the incredible achievement of 21 years in the business…” he also adding that “…Trade has joined forces with the Orange Nation team on many occasions in recent years including the award winning “Orange Trade” parties and most recently with “Ultimate…” , meaning the second match up in a week should prove a dancing delight. But the As One pitch of players continues, with Megawoof & The Men Who Fell 2 Earth, the former sporting Daz Saund & Micky Galliano, while special guest Mark Moore (of S-Express fame) spearheads the latter, while there will be a special As One hosted VIP space within the Protocol section of this event, although easy passage between all six spaces will be available. So, quickly running down the detail, As One opens its doors at 11 p.m. this NYD (Sunday 1st Jan), running through to a planned 8 a.m. finish, with separate tickets to this event on sale both online at http://orangenation.clubtickets.com as well as across those Soho outlets, priced at £15, although we suggest you get one quick, as last year was a sell-out before the day & this year the early bird tickets sold out in record time.
So, that’s the “Golden Ticket” package pinned down (with more info if you need it at http://nydgoldenticket.com) and a final reminder that this £40 option represents great value for money, especially when you consider that even if buying advanced tickets for the three events separately, you would need to fork out much more. But moreover this golden pass gets you that all important fast track entry that we all want on New Year’s Day and for that & that alone it makes perfect sense. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: Area, As One, Beyond, Carlos Gallardo, David Jimenez, Daz Saund, Fat Tony, Fire, Gonzalo Rivas, Hifi Sean, Jamie Head, Jodie Harsh, Jonny M, Jonny Marsh, Kris Di Angelis, Lee Yeomans, Megawoof, Micky Galliano, Nick Tcherniak, Orange, Orange RAW, Room Service, Severino, Smokin Jo, Steve Pitron, Steven Sharp, The Coronet, The Men Who Fell 2 Earth, The Oli, The Sharp Boys, WE Party London, WE Safari | No Comments »
Collaborative Colossus
In a clubbing capital that sometimes seems to be ravaged by competition & politics, it is so refreshing to see club, club promoters & scene faces come together for the healthy cause of creating a collaborative event designed for the clubbing public to enjoy and that is exactly what the branded brilliance that is As One has always set out to do. Yet with just such politics looking to consign our latest foray to this latest combo colossus at Fire to our clubbing rubbish heap, some furied eleventh hour negotiations saw a sudden switch in fortunes marking our arrival at this spring bank holiday gathering at just turned 1 a.m. on Monday morning, not long after the doors had swung open on As One for the sixth time on its spectacular if relatively short history. And it was evident that a colossal chunk of clubbers in the capital has decided on this creative collaboration as their choice, the massive queue conclusive evidence, although being picked out by stand-in promoter Steven Sharp who was doing a sterling job as always, saw us into Fire within minutes of arriving, a good job as our presence was being pursued by Mr Pitron, who was keen that we join him on this both our final legs of this Spring Bank Holiday weekend.
So, despite the absence of As One head poncho Alex Erfan, we quickly found our stride with our Pitron posse which included the natty Naomi & the adorable Andrea, refreshments in the Lovechild room where D’Johnny was pumping the place with some terrific tech infused tunes, soon followed by the main room machinations masterminded by myriads of magical musical moments as Steve served up yet another scorcher of a set. Representing Orange for this opener two hours, Mr Pitron’s pitch perfect performance had us dancing deliriously, even though we were finding it difficult to settle in a spot, occasionally stepping up onto the podium with Andrea & co, but more often settling by the small stage just out of Steve’s sight, but very much in his mind’s eye as he delivered drenches of dance delectations that saw those now characterful emotions engulf us. Mind you with our cougar loving clubbing companion in call & Steve sounds hitting our sweets spots, this was turning out to be one very special As One, especially when, having misplaced Andrea, her trademark call affirmed her close vicinity, as “f…k off!!” rang in ours & many others ears, much to everyone’s hilarity, the night getting even better when a mini Beyond re-union seemed to be unfolding in this Orange inspired main space, first lighting queen Smalls arriving and then Alan K making his prolific presence felt.
With Steve’s set over & the Cafe Ole boys taking charge, we were off to investigate the rest of this As One offering, the lounge space pretty undefined in signage or sounds, while it was definitely Lovechild in the Mirrorarch, Megawoof in the Lightbox & Orange RAW in the red room, a varied choice but one a little lacking in the usual As One pazaz. So, we eventually settled on our favoured Fire spot, just by the Mirrorarch D.J. booth, where Gonzalo was proving his worthy weight in gold with one of his trademark tech fuelled triumphs, the room in rapturous response to every track choice me made, the Lovechild dancers adding the extra spice & eye candy that had been missing elsewhere. Then, when Paul Heron followed on in superb style with a scintillating set, it was us, rather than Carlos Gallardo, that was this time bowing at his feet from the sheer brilliance of his barnstorming beats, pals Andrea & Miss Cougar lapping up every tasty musical morsel too, all this leaving us with much more to say about the banking branded brilliance that was As One, meaning its “…ready steady, go for the review…” (DISCO MATT).
Posted in Previews, Reports, Reviews | Tags: Alex Erfan, As One, Cafe Ole, D'Johnny, Gonzalo Rivas, Lovechild, Megawoof, Naomi Ruiz, Orange, Orange RAW, Steve Pitron, Steven Sharp | No Comments »
Colossal Combo
If there is one event that we look forward to more than any other (well with the exception of our favourite afterhours of course!), it is As One, the colossal combo created by Lovechild’s Alex Erfan in association with iLondon events that took the capital by storm two NYD’s ago and has since attained critical acclaim on the five occasions it has since swung open its doors. Bringing together eight brands for this latest venture, the anticipation for an awesome outing carried considerable clout, the likes of Lovechild, Lo-Profile, Megawoof, A:M, Orange RAW, Casa Latina, Queer Nation & Trannyshack joining forces within Fire and dishing up a dream team of D.J.’s including Pier Morrocco, Paul Heron, Gonzalo Rivas, Fat Tony, Phil Hewson, Eduardo De La Torre, Mattias, Alessandro Londra, Leandro Kloppel, Brent Nicholls, Daz Saund & more. And our night with a dozen or so D.J.’s started well as Patrick Lilley who was representing Queer Nation in the As One lounge asked us to choose a track to play (how camp), although over in the Lovechild room, proceedings were far from proper as a blown fuse put paid to their partying, this absence of sound somewhat spoiling the spectacle. However, ground was being made up in the main room & Lightbox, Pier Morrocco in the former flying the A:M flag fabulously with a flawless set, while Daz Saund was doing Megawoof proud in the latter. But with the Mirrorarch continuing to falter, apart from a brief spurt of energy from Edu, the PA particularly completed off the Lovechild mark, this latest As One instalment lacked the flow of former frolics, although we were happy with our lot once Brent Nicholls fired up in the lounge, track after track seeing us spin on our spot superbly, “dong the Disco Matt” magnificently, Brent’s brilliance coming blissfully to bear for the last two hours of our hedonistic horseplay. So, with much still to lament on as well as praise, it’s “…ready, steady, go for the review…” (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Previews, Reports | Tags: A:M, Alessandro, Alex Erfan, As One, Brent Nicholls, Casa Latina, Eduardo de La Torre, Fat Tony, Gonzalo Rivas, Leandro Kloppel, Lo-Profile, Lovechild, Mattias, Megawoof, Orange RAW, Patrick Lilley, Paul Heron, Phil Hewson, Pier Morrocco, Queer Nation | No Comments »
Its definitely feeling like a short month compared to January, as we already find ourselves at the penultimate weekend of February and one that will see us running around in final preparations for our three week trip to South Africa, with more of that international reporting that is figuring in our lifestyle right now. Now, while we will be indulging in a just little bit of bar hopping & clubbing activity before heading to Heathrow, there is plenty on offer to tempt you all out this weekend, so let’s crack on with our choices of where to be & been seen in Soho, Vauxhall & elsewhere.
Soho get’s our attention to start and Profile/Lo-Profile our first Best Bite, as it is without doubt becoming a firm favourite on the scene, Profile particularly finding very busy legs of late, tonight (Fri 18th) looking like a packed out affair as Nathan Six returns to the bar’s decks to rev up your weekend with some rip roaring beats, while on Saturday the cheeky Craig Daniels sorts the sounds. With a full-on American diner style food offering & that new Sunday roast option that launched last week & proved a sell-out, Profile is definitely the place to eat, drink & socialise, more details out at http://profilesoho.com, especially as its clubbing sister is just below, Lo-Profile turning up the dancefloor heat this weekend with a terrific line up. On Friday, it’s the friendly duo of Nick Evans & Paul Heron, both sure to pack out the place, while on Saturday D’Johnny & Alessandro have their musical say and with the revised & improved laser & LED lighting, along with the cream of the Soho scene choosing this hip & happening hangout as their destination, Lo-Profile is a winner, with more info available by going to http://loprofile.com.
Our other Best Bite goes to The Shadow Lounge and its Friday that seems to be getting much focus at the mo, last week’s Delice Dream’s pre-party, followed this week by a special shindig for the Miami Winter Party Festival, welcoming rising star D.J. Sonathaq to the decks who joins regular Miswhite, playing plenty of vocal house & pop remixes. With a special comp draw to win gold passes to Miami’s biggest gay party, plus exclusive Winter Party t-shirt giveaways, as well as free Attitude Magazine’s to every entrant, this looks like being a brilliant bash and well worth a visit, while Saturday is just as hot, as Inferno returns with the equally hot Andrew Elmore on the decks. Now, just a quick mention for Thursday’s as Glitz & Glamour now has The Very Miss Dusty O in charge and with Mark Bambach also on the decks, this looks like yet another night to hail the return of Soho as THE place to be & be seen on the scene, more details of this and all of Shadow Lounge’s events available by going to http://theshadowlounge.co.uk.
Now for some Short Shouts and Rupert Street is a worthwhile call-in with D.J.’s on from Friday to Sunday, Minx on duty tonight (Fri 18th), while Alessandro double heads on Saturday & Sunday, more info on this brilliant bar available at http://rupertstrett.com., while Ku-Bar tips the other end of the Soho scale, a good choice for the young set, Saturday’s the busiest with D.J’s P & Sharif dishing up dance disco to delight, but with a full week of activity & details a mere click away at http://ku-bar.co.uk
Barcode is also a great place to pop in & pop out, Friday’s as good early as late, especially with the dynamic duo of Joe Publik & Dilmar Brito on rotational residency, while Industri on Wednesday’s is finding its Soho feet, Minty always attracting a crowd & boys Brent Nicholls & Paul Heron switching sound selection duties each week, further details on this captivating club/bar out at http://bar-code.co.uk.
Onward to Vauxhall and The Orange Group gets our sole Best Bite pick, not least as it sports all the major clubbing events in town this weekend, from Gravity on Thursday to Orange on Monday morning & much in between. Of the nine offerings, two get our attention, Megawoof finding a new slot in the calendar, tomorrow (Sat 19th) to be exact, promoters Daz & Diddy now using Fire as the host home for the muscle-bear bravado of a bash, this latest affair looking like being a packed out one, with the new “Hardware” theme getting a second showing & the legendary Tom Stephan (aka Superchumbo) ruling the roost in the main room, with a supporting cast of Tim Mcloone, Daz Saund, Rob & Massimo across two spaces of sound. Then, Beyond continues the party action deep into Sunday, with a special “Erotica” themed event which should serve up plenty of sexual spice, with scintillating sounds to match, Steve Pitron confirmed in the main room line-up along with special guest D.J. Paul Heron, while Alan K completes the magnificence here, another special guest, D.J. Hawthorne figuring in proceedings, we suspect in The Chapel Room. Add to that Queer Nation in Area on Saturday night running straight into Beyond and “Erotica” will definitely be the place to be, while Onyx, A:M, Later, Booster & Orange will also get their say , further details out at http://fireclub.co.uk/fire-nightclub-london-gay-parties.php.
So to some Short Shouts and first The Eagle, Tonker tonight (Fri 18th) and Horse Meat Disco on Sunday the bread & butter in the sandwich, Luke Howard providing the filling on Saturday as he is welcomed as guest D.J., more info on this horny hangout’s happenings available at http://eaglelondon.com.
The RVT have plenty to tempt you in this weekend, S.L.A.G.S/Chill-out on Sunday spearheading a line-up that also includes Duckie on Saturday, as well as something quite special tonight (Fri 18th) as “Anthem” returns with the Love Muscle-esque might of Marc Andrews, Sean Sirrs & Rich B rolling back time with musical memories from those Halcyon days at the Fridge, details this exceptional event & much more to be found by going to http://thervt.org.uk
Two final Short Shouts go to Barcode which always proves a hotbed of activity, particularly on Saturday’s, info on the action available at http://bar-code.co.uk, while Union is a great alternative to the Orange Group outings, with plenty of action right through the weekend, Epic on Saturday’s headlining their extensive offerings, details out at http://clubunion/co/uk.
So to our alternative antics and The Dalston Superstore (DSS) tops of Best Bite pile this weekend, with a scorcher of a schedule, as tonight (Fri 18th) sees one on the biggest D.J. line-ups anywhere with a massive eight on duty across two floors of frenetic fun, “Back To Back” the event and electro/techno the name of the musical game, special guest John Roman flying in from Toronto to start his UK tour in the heart of the DSS action, while another notable inclusion in the eight is Caligula’s Sigmund Kraftwerk, the back-to-back nature of the D.J. sets serving up stacks of surprises for sure. Then tomorrow (Sat 19th) sees the ever popular “Body Talk” return, keeping it, as the boys say, “…oh so real…”, special guest Dave Kendrick of Macho City delving into plenty of Nu Disco, & 80’s/80’s groove & soul remixed, along with DSS’s own Rokk D.J., while “Oh So Real” residents Marky Mark & Tristan Reed do the business upstairs. Add to all that a new Sunday nighter called “Paris’ Acid Ball”, with Hannah Holland, Dan Beaumont & D.J. Squeaky serving up loads of NYC house, DSS is definitely the place to be out East this weekend, full details of all these events & more a click away at http://dalstonsuperstore.com.
Now to some alternative Short Shouts and to East Bloc first who have both “Disco Fag Bar” on tonight, then new night, “The House Of Fun” tomorrow (Sat 19th) on offer, the latter sporting the fabulous Smokin Jo in the D.J. line up, ore info on East Bloc & its events available at http://eastbloc.co.uk.
While in Shoreditch, you may want to check out Friday night frolic “Haute Vs Shabba Dabba” at Concrete on the High St. there, D.J.’s on duty including Erol Sabadosh, Jim Warboy & Larry tee, plus Shoreditch’s original son, Kris Di Angelis, so the music should be top draw, more details on the venue out via their website at http://concretespace.co.uk/.
Right, well that pretty much about it in this slim-line Best Bites & Short Shouts for another weekend and with our trip to the southern hemisphere kicking off on Sunday, we may well be off-line for the next week or so, re-surfacing in Cape Town at the beginning of March. So, while we are out of reach, the best place to see what’s hot & happening is by going to London’s clubbing bible SeenQueen, who have plenty of events listed & lots of options up to take you to the end of the month & beyond, a whole load of more features, music, pics, video & other links well worth checking out at http://seenqueen.com.
That said and just before we go, here are a selection of our what would be our Best Bite picks for next weekend, WE Party returning to London with their “Paparazzi” offering at the Coronet in E&C on Sat (26th Feb), this being the first of a trio of Orange Group outings , Beyond hosting the “official” afterparty, then Later celebrating its 8th birthday on Sunday afternoon (27th Feb), all three well worth a visit. Then, for the fetish in you, Hard On! at Hidden is a must, this monthly event taking place next Saturday, while another real alternative & another birthday to boot, comes your way courtesy of Gutterslut at The Rhythm Factory in Whitechapel, again next Saturday (26th Feb) and will be a packed out affair for sure.
So, that’s it from us, whatever apart from saying if you are out & about in the scene, you may well catch us hopping around Soho for a while tonight, over in Angel for SuperMartXe’s pre-party “Saturday Night Love’s London t Lola’s”, and then at Beyond “Erotica” on Sunday morning, all which will definitely leave us shouting “get us to the plane on time”. So, if you see us out come say hi, but whatever you are up to and wherever you may be, have a fantastic weekend and as we always say “Go There! Be There! (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: A:M, Barcode Soho, Barcode Vauxhall, Beyond, Booster, Dalston Superstore, East Bloc, Ku Bar, Later, Lo-Profile, Megawoof, Onyx, Orange, Profile Bar, Queer Nation, Rupert St, The Eagle, The RVT, The Shadow Lounge, Union | No Comments »
No-one can deny just how successful As One was when it launched to an unsuspecting public exactly a year ago, although no-one quite expected that a simple amalgamation of minds would prove to be the out & out hit that it was. Yet, the marriage of minds, clubbing brands, promoters & concepts under one roof proved an irresistible draw for scores of hundreds of New Year revellers, Fire in Vauxhall being the melting pot for what, we at least, concluded was the resounding success story of 2010. Indeed in summing up the year not two weeks ago, we gave the brand the accolade as our best newcomer, not least that during the year, it built on that initial success with not one, but two exceptional events, the Easter gathering, if anything, even busier than the inaugural meet, while that August Bank Holiday bash, considered as a little bit of an afterthought, actually proved nearly as successful as the others, even if the format had changed to a Sunday afternoon.
But three trips were all we were going to see of As One in year one, but such had been the buzz surrounding the first affair, a repeat was surely on the cards, especially given just how the weekend would fail, 1st January 2011 happening to be a Saturday and as such, in prime position to accommodate the success of 2010 and herald one of the best starts to a New year we had seen in many. And casting our eyes across the nuts & bolts of this brands latest offering, much of the original elements were present that had made it such a success, Lovechild was included, Lo-Profile part of the package, Meagwoof had muscled in again, even Orange took centre-stage with its own citric brand, while Queer Nation was a welcome addition to a band of happy As One players that would surely signal a superb success. But whilst the numbers were to exceed even the most optimistic expectations, did As One deliver as it had twelve months ago? and if so, to what degree?
Arriving at Fire’s rear entrance at just before 1 am, we were greeting by a beaming Steven React Sharp who was masterminding peoples smooth entrance into the club and he needed to, as the queue was pretty extensive & stretching round the corner, we not realising at the time that the team were making use of all three entries to ferry folk in. But before we realised we should have been with Dave Cross round the front, he catching us as we were being taken through, a quick happy New Year is all we managed with Dave before been red carpeted right into the thick of the As One action inside. Mind you, we had to drop off our belongings first and caught the gaze of Simon Patrick who was as pleased to see us as we were him, this slight yet sweet distraction only momentarily halting our strides towards being released to soak up the As One party atmosphere to come.
So we were in and it was immediately evident that many had chosen to arrive early, the Mirrorarch room already packed solid with New year revellers wrapping themselves up in the music Lovechild style, been served up in scintillating style by a beaming Jc Christopher, who was clearly in the zone as we approached the D.J. booth. However, this was not before we had taken a quick tour of duty across a pumping & pulsating Fire, first checking out Orange main room which was a mass of gyrating girls & bear chested boys, even the Lo-Profile room was brimming with party heads ready for a full onslaught of hedonistic house music to come. But leaving our pal Stephen behind, we skirted the scenery of the lounge & the intentions of D.J. , squeezed through the main Orange room and the temptations of Brazilian special guest Anna Paula, rather aiming back for the Mirrorarch & the lure of Lovechild. And were weren’t to be disappointed, as Mr Christpher was chalking up probably one of the best sets we have witnessed from him ever, the whole room exploded with excitement at his rousing & uplifting tunes, the podiums swamped with scantily clad men, lapping up every minute of his magical music.
So we found ourselves in pole position to see the first of a few stage shows by Bruno Knight & his muscular raunchy crew, all five of these gorgeous hunks, ascending the stage & showing more than just their assets to an adoring crowd, we getting in position to snap a few of our own shots while the rest of the gay paparazzi, including Chris Jepson & SeenQueen’s Brent Nicholls, jockeyed to get that all important photo. With the first of the shows over, we took a few moments to catch up with Mr Nicholls, while Alessandro assumed the Lovechild decks, taking the crowd on a slightly tougher yet enthralling journey of hedonistic house, this second of six As One rooms proving as popular as it had been at the last three outings, the atmosphere enthralling and the people equally so. And the room was to sport two prolific performances on top of Jc & Ale, as Gonzalo Rivas first wooed & wowed with a wonderful set full of hard hitting tech & progressive bets, then special guest D.J. Guy Scheiman took it to another level with a scintillating set which included heaps of new & terrific tunes, including his very own remix of Pagano’s “Loca”, & his mix of Kylie Minogue’s “Get Outta My Way”, both short of blowing the roof of the Mirrorarch room & belying this young man’s immense studio skills to match his D.J’ing talent.
But we were Lo-Profile room bound, although not before dropping in on both the Megawoof & the Queer Nation rooms, each one brimming with beautiful bodies & party goers that were finding retreat from the main two Orange & Lovechild spaces which, by now, were roadblock affairs, hardly a square inch unoccupied, all very much soaking up the splendour of this As One event. Finding solace in the lounge, we landed a spot by the D.J. booth (surprise, surprise) where Brent Nicholls had not long assumed control and was treating us to an impromptu 2010 best bits string of sounds, from Pirupa’s “Sweet Devil”, to Dennis Christopher’s “No More Lies”, JC’s “Souk” rousing the whole room and then the virtually mandatory “Release Me” exploding the lounge into a hotbed of house music heaven, the classic “Miracle” receiving yet another rapturous reaction like it had done in Lo-Profile proper back on their 3rd birthday, Brent somehow managing to hit our musical mark with each & every track. So, as tempting it was to go and check out the other rooms, we were going absolutely nowhere, even an arriving Alan X agreeing that this was the place to be compared with the seething masses in both the Orange & Lovechild rooms, we leaving it to our pal Stephen to brave the crowds in search of friend Andrea & the Czech crew.
With Brent’s three hour superb set over, we having over heated with enthusiasm for his tremendous tunes choices, decided it was time to brave the main room for the last leg of our As One stay, but such was the appeal of incumbent D.J. Fat Tony and the extent of the crowd, that we were forced to find one of only a few spots right at the top of the room by the bar, although this gave us a brilliant vantage point of the action in front, the massive LED screens at full tilt & the As One signage & visuals complimenting the massive effects wonderfully. But as we had done in the lounge, our extravert activity in this packed out space soon sent our body temperatures soaring, requiring a sequence of trips to the outside terrace to cool down, many also escaping the heat inside, although not for long as a freezing dawn was rapidly chilling our hot heads and drawing us back inside to the incredible As One action, trading dips into the main room with stints in our favoured spot by the mirrorarch D.J. booth, Alessandro having assumed the decks for a second time to polish off one of the best As One parties so far and what would prove to be the most popular event of the New Year weekend. However, it was inevitable that the 7 a.m. finish would arrive, we choosing to beat the rush & collect our bits and bobs just short of the end, the next instalment in our schedule looming, Beyond across at Area already soaking up some spillage from this spectacular event, we waving goodbye to Fire to continue with our New Year merriment over the other side of Vauxhall.
When As One stormed onto the scene a year ago, you could have been forgiven for thinking that this was a “flash in the pan” affair, riding the crest of a celebratory wave when the world & his wife wanted to celebration by clubbing & cavorting. Yet, the follow parties proved there was a penchant for this magnificent marriage of minds and drawing different sections of the gay clubbing community together under one roof showed it still had plenty of steam even following the heady days of “Famous Five”. Yet, as secure this new clubbing experience could have seemed, no-one could quite believe the resounding response this latetst outing would result in. Without exception, no event in Fire’s history has attracted quite so many people through its doors across an event, each room full to the rafters virtually from start to finish and the atmosphere the best we have experienced in a long time. Each room played their part perfectly, although we cannot deny that it was incredibly hot at times, no surprise given the 1000’s of bodies packing out the place. So, as with a year ago, As One on NYD proved it salt, delivering in every respect and very much stealing the New Year show, making it an out & out success once again, all this meaning that we cannot wait for the next instalment of this colossal conglomeration. (DISCO MATT)
Postscript
Wading through the myriad of video’s & music devotions we have picked out just a handful to share with you, in recognition of just what an exceptional event it was.
Nhamo of Mirrorballs TV has been producing top quality video’s of parties across the scene for a good 18 months now and is building a solid reputation for great quality & post event editing, his latest picking out some of the best bits of this awesome outing, which you can catch via http://facebook.com/video.php?v=1630423374629&oid=58956656526.
Next up is Alessandro Londra, who starred in the packed out & pulsating Lovechild room at this AS NYD spectacular, performing not once but twice to a capacity crowd, celebrating this exceptional event with a special two part compilation, part one already out an available at http://djalessandrolondra.podomatic.com/entry/2011-01-06T19_21_12-08_00
Special guest D.J. Guy Scheiman was one of the outstanding performers in a host of others that made an incredible impact at As One NYD 2011 and recorded a number of video’s highlighting some of the terrific tracks he played during his set, so we simply could resist sharing three of them with you, plus the link to this amazing remix of Kylie Minogue’s smash hit “Get Outta My Way”. Check them out at http://facebook.com//video/video.php?v=489971268285, http://facebook.com/video/video.php?v=489969153285, http://facebook.com/video/video.php?v=492715669766&oid=77745572210, and http://soundcloud.com/guysc/kylie-minogue-get-outta-my-way-guy-scheiman-no-way-radio-mix-2011
Posted in Reviews | Tags: Alessandro Londra, Alex Erfan, Anna Paula, As One, Brent Nicholls, Fat Tony, Fire, Gonzalo Rivas, Guy Scheiman, Jc Christopher, Lo-Profile, Lovechild, Megawoof, Orange, Queer Nation, Steven React Sharp | 1 Comment »
It certainly feels a little bit strange (but good strange you understand) to be sitting here & transmitting our Weekend Recommendations again, plus, just ahead of our new website launch on Monday as well as lots of other exciting developments to come. And it is good to be back, not just filling our evenings with something slightly more productive than watching Grand Designs (we do love that prog though) & the like, but moreover re-connecting with the scene that we love so much and promoting events & venues that we feel deserve a big shout in our re-focussed Best & Rest Bites. So, whilst we may still feel a little rusty around the gills, with a good dollop of cod liver oil & an injection of energy, we are now chomping at the bit and ready to get to it, selecting where to be & be seen this weekend in Soho, Vauxhall & elsewhere.
So, let’s crack on and to Soho first, top of the pile going to Profile & Lo-Profile, who have so entertained us while we have been away, so much so, we broke our review silence a couple of weeks ago, to join the team in celebrating their third birthday bash. And, in some ways, tomorrow (Fri 3rd) will feel like a bit of a homecoming, as not only will Phil Marriot be in situ once again upstairs in Profile, entertaining an ever increasing Friday following to a storming selection of sounds, made up of killer new tunes & uplifting anthems that never fail to hit the Marriot magical mark, his amazing four & a half hour frolic (yes he starts at 7 p.m.) of a superb set going out live to Gaydar Radio’s clubnation listeners. But, if Phil wasn’t enough for us, downstairs in Lo-Profile, not only does Brent Nicholls make a welcome return to the decks, but the night will have a distinct WE feel to it, as the team entertain a pre-party extra-ordinarre, with D’Johnny taking centre music stage and serving up a truck load of terrific tunes to pump the place, the WE Party team deploying their drop dead gorgeous go-go dancers to delight, plus, with plenty of advance discounted ticket offers flying around, as well as the prospect of plenty of hot Latino’s flying around too, while it may be cold outside, it will be hot, hot hot, in Lo-Profile. Mind you, Saturday looks just as entertaining, with Jamie Head & Tony English on the deck downstairs, while Craig Daniels looks after the soothing sounds upstairs in Profile, the team even serving up mulled wine to warm you up from the freezing temperatures outside, plus their amazing food offering adding to make the combo of Profile & Lo-Profile the place to be in Soho this weekend. Further details of both venues on Wardour Street can be found at http://profilesoho.com & http://loprofile.com.
The Shadow Lounge gest out our Best Bite look in this weekend, with the main focus being on Sunday (5th), when they do their bit for World AIDS day, as well as kicking off the Christmas season in style with an old school disco hosted by Les Johnson & his Distinctive Events crew. D.J.’s in detention will be scruffy little school boys Brent Nicholls, Lee Harris & Phil Hewson, blending plenty of brilliant beats to make sure your are not taking a sneaky smoke behind the bicycle sheds, this chrimbo charity event kicking off a 5 p.m., with a whacking big chunk of door proceedings going to the worthy cause that is The Terrence Higgins Trust. Besides that, the team are excited to announce that they have extended their opening hours on Saturdays until 5 a.m. and with their “Therapy” & “Inferno” sessions still pulling the punters on Friday & Saturday respectively, Shadow Lounge weekend is well worth a look in, not least as they have frozen door prices throughout December at a mere £5 after 11 p.m. (you need to be a member of their Facebook group). Plus, with Paul Heron back on rotation with our foxy ladies Minx & Mis-White at “Therapy”, but with a full seven day calendar of events going on, Shadow Lounge is really coming back into its own, more details of all their happenings available by going to http://theshadowlounge.co.uk/ while for free guest list & membership details, drop a line to info@theshadowlounge.co.uk.
As for ourRest Bites, well Barcode are celebrating their 15th birthday on Saturday (4th Dec) with their fave D.J.’s Pagano & Steven Artis (we love em both) selecting the sounds downstairs, while new boy Dilmar Brito (yes he D.J’s too) mastering the music upstairs, although we are somewhat scratching our heads as to the absence of an actual Barcode Soho Saturday resident from the venues 15 year history, but who are we to question?!?! Then there is always Rupert Street, who will be doing their WE bit on both Friday & Saturday with D.J’s Alessandro & Fat Tony respectively, will have tickets on sale for both WE’s main event & Beyond WE and continues to prove a popular hangout.
Onto Vauxhall and The Orange Group once again hits the high notes with a veritable feast of parties, thank heavens some of them actually marking World AIDS day (WAD) with some special events (certain Soho venues, hang your heads in shame!), with Gravity tonight (Thurs 2nd) starting it all, then Friday being highlighted by Onyx, who hold their “Red” event in aid of National AIDS trust, with sizeable slice of takings going in support of this worthy cause, plus the team will have collection buckets out to encourage clubbers to show their generosity (and we know you will), along with a sparkling line up of resident D.J.’s that include Phil Marriot, Lee Harris, Lisa German, Arial, Jason Prince, Tasty Tim & more, all joining special guest jock Lee Dagger of Bimbo Jones fame who will be performing a special 2 hour set featuring many of the bands biggest productions. Then keeping WAD in focus, the back of the group’s weekend gives way to Orange, promoter Steven Sharp & his crew selecting The Elton John AIDS Foundation as their benefactor, with £1 from every guest & £2 from each full paying customer going to direct to this amazing charity and laying on a sparkling line-up of nine performers across two rooms, including The Oli & Paul Martin, who go back back-to-back in the main room, Fat Tony & Tonnic (no Orange would be the same without them), and RAW room residents David Jimenez, Hifi Sean & Gonzalo Rivas all on duty. But, the inexhaustible Orange group weekend is jam packed with other events, highlights including promoter Patrick Lilley’s Queer nation on Saturday night, Later on Sunday afternoon, Booster Sunday night and, how could we leave it out (no not THAT afterhours, this!) Beyond, which has a distinct WE flavour to it. Now, rather than run down the details of ours & your favourite afterhours here, we will be issuing an Extra Bites post (due out on Sat), although in the meantime, any enquiries regarding Beyond, or any of the Orange Group events this weekend can be directed to michelle@allthingsorange.com. And, don’t forget that the team are heavily involved in WE Party London, so check out all our special reports on that.
Our other Best Bite in Vauxhall goes to Megawoof, promoters Daz, Diddy & co still dizzy from their packed to the rafters “Bearcity” special at host venue Hidden, they sure to pack in the most macho of crowds for what looks like being a marriage of magnificent muscle-bound & hairy minds, with Amsterdam’s Furball landing in London for one weekend only to go head to head with the capital’s favourite muscle & leather hirsute happening. And squaring up for this battle of the grizzly giants in Megawoof’s main room & in the Furball corner are D.J.’ Bramsterdam & Big General, two colossal talents in more ways than one, while in the Megawoof corner it’s just Tim McLoone, although to avoid it being a squash job, Daz Saund will be weighing in briefly for the home side meaning that, as the team have predicted “…sparks will fly as the dance divas duel it out…”. As for the dutch duo, both Braamserdam & Big General have gained quite a following back in Holland, their usual back-to-back format being repeated for this Megawoof bash, and riding high on successful tours of their club brand Furball across the globe, not least in Sydney, where they featured in parties Bear Essentials, Indulgence & SonarWave, they also being big players at this year’s gay games in Cologne, so will no doubt go down a treat at Megawoof. This main room meeting of minds aside, residents Rob & Massimo take grip of the blue (middle) room, while the new cruisy “Sensory” third space is now really finding it feet & gaining in popularity, especially for those that like a bit of extracurricular action (if you know what we mean!). Kicking off at Hidden this Sat (4th Dec) from 11 p.m., further details of this “full on, no holds barred” beefed up event can be found by going to http://megawoof.com.
As for our Rest Bites, well, it looks as busy as ever in Vauxhall, both The Eagle & The RVT having a full weekend of action, the former playing host to Tonker on Friday, who are doing their WAD bit & raising funds for The Food Chain, Saturday seeing Carpet Burn return, while the gymkhana that is Horse Meat Disco is back on Sunday. Meanwhile The RVT have the way out & whacky Speedwagon on Friday, while no weekend would ever be the same with a S.LA.G.S/Chill-out session on Sunday’s (need we say more), this institution still packing them in.
Moving on and indeed across the capital and top of our alternative heap is The Dalston Superstore (DSS), Matt Tucker & co packing them in with a non-stop party weekend of pure diverse delight. And, having done their bit of WAD on Wednesday, raising a tidy sum for their nominated charity, Positive East, the team press on tomorrow (Fri 3rd Dec), as they host Guy Williams’ profilc Paradise 45 which goes all chrimbo on us with their “Christmas Cracker” gathering, Guy sharing the decks with Serge Santiago & Sophie Lloyd. Then on Saturday, it’s the turn of Hot Mess to titillate, with special guest Tasty Tim & Princess Julia on the decks, joined by resident D.J. & Hot Mess host, Holestar. Plus, as it is their Christmas party too, we have been asked to announce a mistletoe alert, as well as inform you that the “traffic light shag tags” are back by popular demand (the mind boggles), while on Sunday its D.J. Squeaky’s sounds shout as Tutti Fruitti seals the fate on the end of your weekend in wonderful style. Now, we thought we would give an early mention to a very special Christmas party, as next Friday (10th Dec) Trailer Trash & Gutterslut combine forces for what looks to be the smash hit of DSS’s year, meaning that you simply have to get there early, early, early to avoid the disappointment of not getting in, as it will be (in the inimitable words of the team) RAMMO. Now, we do keep pressing the DSS boys for news on their website, but they are constantly tweeting, so you can follow the latest action & news via http://twitter.com/dsuperstore, or failing that mail the men at hello@dalstonsuperstore.com.
As for our alternative Rest Bites, well The Supper Club definitely seems to be getting in on the act, this chic & sophisticated Notting Hill hangout having played host to Lovechild’s WAD event. And this Sunday (4th Dec), they are back with the special party, Toy, with a veritable feast of entertainment from artists & D.J’s that include Johanna, Mister J, Mzz Kimberly, Kris Di Angelis, Terry Vietheer, Le Gateau Chocolat, Jeyjon & Jonny Woo (who’s who?, we are sure you know), while if you are brave enough to hit the snowy roads or rails, then a trip to Brighton is worth consideration, as Paul Kemp & his crew also do their bit for WAD, with their own “Red” party at the massive Oceania, with all (and we mean ALL) profits going to The Rainbow Fund & Sussex Community Foundation (good on you Mr Kemp) with mega headliner Norman Cook, yes Fat Boy Slim, joining the likes of Paul Heron & Tasty Tim, while entertainment includes PA performances from Katherine Ellis & Krysten Cummings (sounds like our Mr Marsh is involved we think).
Right, with links to websites &/or e-mail options for our Best Bites, as for our Rest Bites, you can either pick up a copy of the weekly rags (no offence) or hit the relevant event page buttons on Facebook for further & full details of our picks. But, having said that, the hottest events in town are always listed on tip top clubbing website SeenQueen, who filled our shoes superbly while we were away and their new look site is absolutely crammed with content that will keep you happy for hours. So don’t dilly dally and go check out London’s clubbing bible at http://seenqueen.com.
Well, we have gone on enough, but just time to say that our weekend, or should we say WEekend stars with WE’s pre-party at Lo-Profile tomorrow night (Fri 3rd), with the main WE party grabbing our full attention on Sat. Plus with our arm completely twisted by Messrs Pitron & Fuller (in a lovely way of course) it’s the Beyond WE on Sunday morning, following which we will more than likely collapse in a heap (well we are out of practice). So, if you see us out, come say hi and as we always say….”Go There! Be There!”. (DISCO MATT)
Postscript
With plans to separate our Best & Rest Bites into two posts from next week, now is your chance to get your event, venue or gig mentioned by e-mailing us your details at matt@discomatt.com and we will do our best to include you.
Posted in Recommends | Tags: Andrew Elmore, Beyond, Booster, Brent Nicholls, Carpet Burn, D'Johnny, Gravity, Guy Williams, Horse Meat Disco, Hott Mess, Inferon, Jason Prince, Later, Lee Harris, Lisa German, Lo-Profile, Megawoof, Minx, Mis-White, Onyx, Orange, Paradise 45, Paul Heron, Phil Hewson, Phil Marriot, Princess Julia, Profile Bar, S.L.A.G.S./Chill-out, Tasty Tim, The Dalston Superstore, The Eagle, The RVT, The Shadow Lounge, Therapy, Tonker, Tutti Fruitti | No Comments »
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2 Apr 2012 | 1 Comment
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3 Dec 2010 | 0 Comments
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