Posts Tagged ‘Micky Galliano’
February 13, 2013 | 
Author With love and resurrection very much in the air this Valentine’s weekend, we follow on from our preview “Speeding Out Of The Sidings” with a further detailed look at new clubbing collaborative combo, This Is Prohibition, which makes its first sidings showtime splash on the scene this Saturday with its “Love Resurrection” event.
After what can only be described as a lack lustre January on the capitals clubbing circuit, it seems February has really sprung into life and while the weather may not be reminiscent of spring, the new clubbing seeds & shoots are certainly injecting life into a scene that has been crying out for a change to the same old same old. Indeed with new club Baked, now BakeBox, leading the way, Swallow & Butch quickly following and even Deelooded shaking up the scene with a move out east, there has been plenty for party goers to get their teeth into, while it seems that this new blood has awakened experienced hands too, although the very idea of propelling & promoting a new proposition that has the names “Manic & “Panic” in them seems, to us at least, quite preposterous. However, we can be gratified with the much more palatable prospect of a new clubbing combo that brings together a bevy of brilliant brands under one roof, echoing the excellence of previous projects such as Famous Five, Universe and even As One, the new kid on the collaborative clubbing block very much a resurrection of familiars of old making for a compelling new combination that breathes equally new life into a concept that never fails to captivate clubbers.
This Is Prohibition is the brainchild of one Alex Erfan, the man behind brands such as Salvation & Lovechild and who was intrinsically involved in bringing the now massive WE Party to London, Alex’s achievements over the years speak for themselves, a host of other international parties playing out here in the capital due in no part to his involvement, Hustlaball probably the most notable of all. However, in terms of clubbing combo’s Alex can be credited with launching & driving what was a soaring success story that was As One while he was the driving force behind the massive London Global Dance Festival that, in a string of showings over one weekend back in 2010, captivated the capital, boasting international brands & D.J.’s galore, the mere mention of clubs Muccassassina, Propaganda, This Is Ibiza, Delice, Scream, Infinita, & Nightkomm, along with D.J.’s Danny Verde, Phil Romano, Steven Redant, Ana Paula, Ben Manson, Ian Gomez, & Chris Bekker speaking volumes of their own but testament to the contact & networking skills that Mr Erfan has built his reputation on over the years. Indeed, with his connections many international outings, including Delice Dream & The European Gay Ski Week, as well as having toured both Salvation & Lovechild across Europe & beyond, bring brands and being at the centre of collaborations seems to be in his blood, hence is desire to breathe new life into a concept which, with the faltering of As One, seemed to be hitting the buffers.
So let’s recap on The Is Prohibition, both as a concept and as a collaboration, the name itself coming from the period of time in the US during the 1920’s/30’s when there was a national ban on the production, transportation and sale of alcohol, although come Saturday it will be a prohibition of a different kind, the only prohibition being on extortionate drinks prices, as Alex neatly puts it, “…for those seeking alcohol, it will be free flowing on the night, but at what we like to call fair “prohibition” style prices…”. Indeed, while prohibition is the name, it’s very much not the game in terms of restriction on the male or female mix, Mr Erfan keen to stress that “…all the gay tribes are welcome from bear to muscle boys with their best girlfriends to homo thugs and fans of New York house, all with the right love of clubbing attitude…” also saying “…it’s going to be social, sexy, beery and we will dance till dawn…”. And when you take a look at the brands & clubs Alex has brought together, you will see that this will be one pulsating party that has pretty much something for everyone, the fulsome foursome that is Lovechild, Bear Necessity, Queer Nation & Butch sure to each add their own sparkle on the combinative spotlight that will shine bright on this “Love Resurrection” event this Saturday. As for each individual element, well Lovechild makes a welcome return to London on the back of a season of Saturday’s that scored a number of successes over its three year history, while its European excursions have been equally impressive, the combination of seductiveness & showtime simply superb, while Patrick Lilley’s Queer Nation pretty much speaks for itself, reigning an alternative supreme for well over ten years, serving up a heady music mixture of house, rnb, pop & hip hop to a fervent fan base of followers & more. Then, with Bear Necessity, the international brand that once again makes its mark on London, together with new clubbing boy Butch, we have the macho male element to balance against the other two, this combo sure to pull in a marvellous mixture of men & women all looking to party at Prohibition with no inhibitions or indeed prohibitions.
To the music now and This Is Prohibition brings together some simply superb talent from across the capitals clubbing circuit, as well as international players landing on London especially for this creative combo, a terrific ten that while be flying their respective flags for the four brands, Alex thrilled to announce the inclusion of Alan K in the line-up, a man whose repertoire has included Beyond, Gravity, A:M and Later, while the mighty monthly Monday meet Trinity is a big part of his playing package too, recent developments down Vauxhall way having seen Alan spearhead a new direction for venue Covert (more to come on that in a spate feature), while who can forget that stunning set for Lovechild a couple of years ago, when he pretty much stole the show. So with Alan spinning for Lovechild, he will join regular residents Alessandro Londra and the two Tony’s, Messrs Bruno & English and special guest Oliver M, making for a Lovechild room of majestic music you won’t want to miss, while Bear Necessity forms the other big space, Micky Galliano & Sharon O Love flying the flag here. As for Queer Nation, well it wouldn’t be the same without Jeffrey Hinton who heads up a team that includes Mista Pierre & special guest Ben Jamin, while a little birdie tells me that promoter Patrick Lilley might even jump on the decks too, hosts Mark-Ashley Dupe & Clington Forbes sure to keep the party pace pumping all night. Then the final combo piece is Butch, who will be hosting the manly Butch Bar for the beer drinking men, promoter Manu Cartagenero sure to have a selection of spinning stars up his sleeve, while the club plays host to the “official” This Is Prohibition pre-party tomorrow night (Thurs 14th Feb), more info on this out at https://facebook.com/events/124661317711579/.
However, the centre piece of this sidings showtime spectacle will be the P.A. performance from Abigail Bailey, a performer that hit the big time back in 2005 with the huge house hit “I Just Can’t Get Enough”, while Chris Lake’s “Changes”, Soul Central’s “Time After Time” and another huge house hit “Something On Your Mind” all have Abigail’s strong vocal influence. And while she is also a respected D.J., having headlined many club events both in the U.K. and internationally, it is her production work that still plays a major part in her life, with no less than thirty single/EP releases to date, “Touch Me” & “Breath Away” from 2009 two of our favourites, while her recent studio work with Nick Tcherniak produced the download chart topping “Sundance”, this on top of releases on labels such as MOS, Defected, Toolroom and Pacha Records, there is no doubting both Abigail’s production pedigree and pulling power. So, having worked in on a new track with Pacha’s own Tony English, This Is Prohibition is thrilled to premiere & showcase the result, the new single, “Love Resurrection”, getting on exclusive live performance airing on Saturday and one we cannot wait to both hear & see, while we are sure she will also treat us to a couple of classics from her hoard of hits. Ms Bailey aside, This Is Prohibition will be rolling out plenty of performance eye candy in the form of a sexy stud troupe from the Alphamale stable, porn star Marco Sessions one of the many macho males on stage both in the Lovechild & Bear Necessity rooms, while we are also promised with a deluge of drop dead gorgeous dancers, special effects & lighting to ignite this warehouse style clubbing combo which takes place at the newly formed venue, The Sidings Warehouse (formerly The Arches), one which has a real clubbing heritage, having been the home to XXL, as well as hosting the legendary 18th & 20th birthday bashes for the mother of clubbing, Trade.
So to the detail and This Is Prohibition “Love Resurrection” event, which brings together brands Lovechild, Bear Necessity, Queer Nation & Butch, takes place this Saturday (16th February) at the Sidings Warehouse in Southwark (51-53 Southwark St., London SE1), doors opening at 11.30 p.m. and this Valentine’s event running through to a planned 6 a.m. finish, advance tickets on sale via Soho outlets Prowler, Clone Zone & Fifty Dean as well as online at http://clubtickets.com/gb/2013-02/16/this-is-prohibition, the early bird tickets now sold out, while the standard £10 options remain extremely good value for money and fit the ethos of This Is Prohibition perfectly and, what’s more, the team will be keeping the door entry price down too, this on top of the extremely reasonable bar prices, coatcheck and other costs that make this exceptional event a true budget busting bash, the team quite rightly boasting that This Is Prohibition is “… going to be social, sexy, beery and we will dance till dawn…” adding “…with Bear Necessity coming out of hibernation and Queer Nation first event in 12 months it really is a club resurrection for love on this night of love…” as well as reaffirming that “…all the gay tribes are welcome from bear to muscle boys with their best girlfriends to homo hip happener’s fans of New York house, all with the right love of clubbing attitude…”. And with a reminder of the official pre-party hosted by Butch at East Bloc starts the This Is Prohibition ball rolling tomorrow night (Thurs 14th Feb), as well as a special guest, pre-party ahead on the event itself on Saturday from 10.30 p.m., more information available via the This Is Prohibition page at https://facebook.com/ThisIsProhibition.
So, as we fight off a nasty viral bug that has derailed our devotions, this marks our own speeding from the sidings and with best foot forward we will be at the centre of this superb sidings showtime spectacle, so if you see us out on Saturday, then come say hi, but regardless of us, we reckon that This Is Prohibition is a must meet meaning you should definitely “Go There! Be There! (DISCO MATT)
It hardly seems twelve months since we stepped out onto the delightful dancefloors of Rome’s finest, but as Muccassassina calls the curtain on its 22nd season with a swansong of a showstopper this coming Friday (25th May), it simply had to make it to DM’s pick of the day, all the event detail a banner selection away opposite or an image click below, while DM looks back a year with extracts from his review & his take on guest D.J. Jamie Hammond beneath
DM looks back 12 Mucca months…
To think that it is literally twelve months ago to the day that we were getting excited about our trip to Rome & a liason with Muccassassina, still fresh from playing witness to their spectacular stage showing & event at Delice Dream, yet as another season in Mucca land draws to a close, we couldn’t resist looking back a year & sharing our experience of the magnificence of Muccassassina.
“…From the very first time we saw Muccassassina’s magnificence in the flesh, we have adored everything about this brilliant Italian brand, having seen it out & about on tour both for the massive London Global Dance Festival & then at Delice Dream in Barcelona, the opportunity, however, to see it in its natural home in Rome a dream in itself. But with the added ingredients of two brilliant Bello’s in Danny Verde & Micky Galliano, along with a reunion with Mucca’s (the affectionate term) creative director Diego Longobardi & his terrific team, the opportunity to head to the Italian capital for this monumental meet up was too much to resist…”
“…So, with an in & out schedule sorted, we took a flight down to Rome on the Friday, hooking up at our nearby hotel with both Danny & Micky for a pre-club bite to eat, we showered & shooshed ourselves up for the short hope down to Mucca’s host venue, Qube, arriving at just before 11.30 p.m., in plenty of time to see the whole of this voluptuous venue in its pre-opening state. In the capable hands of Mr Verde, we were shown each of the three floors in sequence, Danny explaining the different musical concepts associated with the individual & very different spaces, the ground floor reserved for V.J. style classic nineties & noughties pop music, a huge back of video screens the focal point, while the first more mirrored & expansive space housing R&B, although it was the top floor that was the icing on the Mucca cake, a huge square shaped room encased by an upper viewing balcony, a massive stage at one end, with the D.J. booth up even higher behind, a truly spectacular space with the biggest mirrorball as a centre piece we had ever seen…”
Plus, to make the stat of this magnificent Mucca experience more magical, we got to kick back while the drop dead gorgeous dancers dress rehearsed the main stage show, Diego in the thick of the action, masterminding the whole operation with his usual flair & flamboyance. But we were here for the Mucca proper and it wasn’t long before the club was swinging into action, a sortie down to the ground floor finding that a large number of clubbers had already descended on Qube, a marvellous mixture of guys & girls, the expected Italiano trendy set very much out in force, as were the muscle mary’s but not overpoweringly so, regular club kids just as if not more plentiful, the one thing everyone having in common was to have the best time possible…”
“… And that’s exactly what we did, first lapping up every tiny morsel of the impressive & uplifting scorcher of a set from Mr Verde, who wowed us from start to finish of his superb stint, a performance packed with favourite anthems among newer tracks, treating us tremendously. Then, we enjoyed equal pleasure from the tougher yet still amazingly accessible accomplishments from Micky Galliano, very much giving Mucca’s main room the vroom we had expected & now adored. Plus, with stage showing after showing by those magnificent Mucca go-go dancers, resplendent in blond bob wigs in celebration of the “Raffaella” theme of this event, we hardly needed to leave the main room space, such was our complete captivation for this colourful & complete clubbing colossus. So, with a massive thank you to Diego, his top draw team, to our Bello’s Danny & Micky & to everyone involved in this Mucca magnificence that delivered resplendent rapture in Rome…”
DM says of guest D.J. Jamie Hammond…
Terrific talent Jamie Hammond first came to our attention a couple of years ago when a sudden meteoric rise saw his name in the frame for a whole host of clubs & events in the capital, a residency slot at Friday nighter Onyx soon spring boarding him to other openings, including Heaven’s “Popcorn” & even slots for awesome afterhours Beyond, some next to his pal & Popcorn playing partner, Alan K. But while Jamie made a substantial splash on the scene, it seems he has, like many other new names, suffered from the close knit & dare we say, closed shop syndrome that promoters seem to follow & adopt in the capital, established names consuming the lion’s share of gigs in the more mainstream clubs & the alternative scene having their our bunch of beatmasters, all of which has left Jamie tintering on the edge of greatness. However, with his gigs at Popcorn & Mucca, that along with a string of other gigs far & wide, including The Week in Brazil & Pacha around Europe, as well as a selection of gigs at clubs off the usual gay circuit in the capital, Jamie is certainly keeping his hand in on the D.J. game, while balancing a second career as a personal trainer in with his hectic life schedule.
So, while last year saw a plethora of podcast productions, each very much echoing the Jamie style of sound that is progressive & uplifting by nature, he jumping between the two genres with consummate ease, 2012 has seen a slight slowing of compilations, just two in fact, one devoted to his Popcorn residency & to the Royal House party, while the other & the one we are honing in on here, to the magic of Mucca. Indeed this superb sixty three minute mix reflects the slant towards the more Eurobeat come tribal sound that seems to go down so much better on the continent, the Roman’s certainly lapping up Jamie’s sets in this style with gusto, host venue Qube always packed to the rafters whenever he plays in the so-called “Elektro Noise” main room, a space that is second only to our beloved Area of all the clubs we have visited in the world. And with this compilation creation of his, you can certainly sink into the fabulous feel of a dervish on the Mucca dancefloor, Mr Hammond drawing us in with a disco dance classic remixed & then keeping us glued with a brilliant blend of those tribal, progressive, uplifting & euphoric beats that very much transport us right back to the Roman capital, that & soaking up a superb Jamie set as we have done on so many occasions. So, if like us, you can’t make it to Mucca for the season swansong, then the best next thing is to press the play button as you select Jamie’s Mucca devoted dream of a podcast at direct link http://d-jamie.podomatic.com/entry/2012-03-06T13_53_06-08_00, while a run through some of his other mixes is also very much in order. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Music | 
Tags: Beyond, Danny Verde, Jamie Hammond, Micky Galliano, Muccassassina, Onyx, Popcorn, Puscha, The Week | 
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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 »
After a pretty topsy turvy summer season which started & ended with hospitalisation, that on top of writing prospect promises that failed to materialise, we point ourselves towards the autumn with renewed vigour, this new found furver in our footsteps seeing the return of our weekly recommends newsletter which we now plan to extend into Thursday’s as it seems the weekend does actually start here for many. Plus, while we did experiment with an all encompassing version “Bar Bites & Club Cuts”, a move dictated by a certain weekly magazine rag, now that ties have been severed, we are pleased that our best format is back & here to stay.
Fabulous Food
So, let’s crack on and take a look at Soho first, our top of the tree choice here going to Profile & Lo-Profile, that latter having seen a bit of a shuffle while we were off air, but more on that in a minute. As for Profile, well, it’s business as usual down Wardour St way, the ever friendly & gorge bar team making for the most hospitable welcome we know and with plenty of special offers up their sleeves, like the Tuesday “Steak Night”, the Wednesday “Burger Bonanza” & their exemplary Sunday roast, we couldn’t think of a better place to take a snack or even dive into their considerable menu, the lunch offer of two main courses for £10 looking particularly tempting, while it is worth noting that everything is prepared on the premises from fresh local sourced ingredients. Equally appealing is the weekend music entertainment as the bar boasts regular residents that include Jamie Head, Nick Evans, Nathan Six & Zach Burns, while this Friday (7th Oct) the team are banking on new boy James Whalley to pull in the punters, while on Saturday, regular D’Johnny is highly likely to be in WE Party mood as he warms up the WE worshipers before heading down to E&C himself. So, we think there are more than enough reasons there to entice you to pay Profile a visit sometime this weekend, not forgetting their fab happy hour which kicks in from 4 p.m. daily & now includes cocktail pitchers at just £15, further details out at http://profilesoho.com.
Naughty New Night
Now to Lo-Profile and as we touched on earlier, it’s been all change on Friday’s while we have been out of action, the weekly social splendour “Society” having given way to new night “Play Time”, this very much upping the ante on the raunchy side, with the addition of a bevy of gorgeous go-go’s, plus a roving commission of sponsors, this week seeing English Lads play host, while on the decks the exceptional experience of Jamie Head will be complimented by the fresh faced looks & music of new to Lo-Profile, Renato Porto. However, the clubs weekend will have already started thanks to Thursday night thriller Gigolo, the Hart boys David & Lambros bringing another edition of this increasingly popular boutique style brilliance, this week the theme being “Heat” and the musical heat definitely on max with man of the moment, Zach Burns, kick starting the night, Mykonos Xlsior festival superstar George Spiliopoulos jets in add to plenty of Greek heat to proceedings. Then jumping through to Saturday, Lo-Profile assumes relative normality with Nathan Six & Alessandro Londra serving up the sounds, although the weekend is far from over as Sunday (9th Oct) yet another new night hits town, as Gaydar Radio’s Phil Marriott hosts a sequence of “Secret Sunday” sessions to mark the radio station’s 10th birthday, the night kicking off from 5 p.m. with live shows each week from 6.30 p.m. from house bands, this week Just Like Little People & Ryan Keen featuring, while Mr Marriott will be jumping on the decks too. With advance tickets at just £5 on sale at http://gaydar-radio.clubtickets.com, while entry is also available on the door, this should prove a superb way to end your weekend in superb style, info on this & all happenings out at http://loprofile.com.
Meat Men
Now to a couple of Short Shouts and first, with our extension to include Thursday’s, we give a plug to Room Service, who continue to pull in scene starlets & celebs at host venue Diu, tonight (Thurs 6th) seeing D.J. duo Kris Di Angelis & Tom Stephan give the night a meaty feel ahead of “Meat” which has its monthly meet on Saturday. Also acted as WE’s pre-party, Room Service looks like being another heavenly happening, more details available at http://clubroomservice.com.
Other our Soho Short Shout goes to Rupert St who continue to pull in the punters, despite the current downturn in consumer spending, the pink pound apparently still quite buoyant, either that or a sense of escaping from reality still alive & kicking. And to help the happy mood are its resident D.J’s that play out each Friday, Saturday & Sunday, this week seeing our foxy female D.J. Minx sort the sounds on Friday, while its Alessandro Londra that steers both Saturday & Sunday, more info on the bars food & drinks offers out at http://rupertstreet.com.
Right let’s move down to Vauxhall and with the lion’s share of activity it will come as no surprise that The Orange Group get our Best Bite devotion this week, the launch of new club night Le Boy one of the more exciting prospects and one which we covered in a Weekend Focus post, all the detail out at http://discomatt.com/web/2011/10/recommends-false-start-fixed-le-boy-the-launch-friday-7th-october-weekend-focus/. But while Le Boy steals some of the Friday spotlight, Onyx have their own bite at the
Friday Fresh
cherry with their “Freshman – Class Of 2011 Freshers Party” very much aiming at drawing in those student types that are about to knuckle down to a term of study but need a Friday fling to get them in the mood, D.J.’s Jonny M & Lee Harris pumping the main room, while Onyx’s own Verity Mayes joins Lisa German & Ariel in The Terrace, The Chapel space all about pop with Lady Lloyd & James St James. Jumping to Sunday and, as usual, all roads will lead to beyond, not least tempting those WE Party boys & girls that want to continue their cavorting, this weekend marking the resplendent return of Beyond’s very own Steve Pitron which can only mean one thing for us, yes you guessed it, that emotional rollercoaster ride, so watch this space for a special Extra Bites post due out on Saturday morning devoted to Steve’s return. But the offer across the weekend also includes Gravity tonight (Thurs 6th Oct), Later on Sunday & Orange on Monday morning, although Booster no longer takes place & Saturday will be given away to WE (more on that in a min). Full details of all these parties can of course be found by going to http://fireclub.co.uk/gayparties, as well as adding your preferred club option to http://gayguestlists.com while http://clubtickets.com is also worth a trawl for advance tickets & event details. However, how could we forget Queer Nation who celebrate their 21st birthday on Saturday (8th Oct), pretty much a record on the scene, Fire the venue where it all happens, our second Extra Bites post of the week devoted to this momentous occasion, so watch this space for that.
Sunday Sensation
To a couple of Short Shouts now and the venerable institution that is The Royal Vauxhall Tavern (The RVT) getting our first shout, a weekend packed with entertainment kicking off with “Rooster” on Friday (7th Oct), a night for “…art makers & bedroom porn stars…” and with Jonjo & Timberlina in the driving seat, anything could happen, while regulars “Duckie” on Saturday & “S.LA.G.S./Chill-out” on Sunday will surely find their fabulous followers, more info on the full seven days of activity available by going to http://thervt.org.uk.
For our second Short Shout we venture just down Kennington Lane where we find The Eagle who also have a weekend full of engrossing events, the manly “Tonker” on Friday & the madcap “Horse Meat Disco” on Sunday (9th Oct) sandwiching new(is) night “Goodfellas” on Saturday, a our foursome of fella’s on the D.J. decks sure to hit the mark, Leonardo Glovibes, Micky Galliano & Severino being joined by Nico de Ceglia, plenty of Italian & Latin influence sure to pump up some passionate action in this raunchy resting place, further details of all three nights out at http://eaglelondon.com.
Now, moving onto our alternative choices and whilst not alternative in nature, given its location in Elephant & Castle, WE Party certainly sits here in our rundown of happenings, their “I Love WE” event taking place on Saturday (8th Oct), our Weekend Focus post “Banking On Brand Buoyancy” telling all at http://discomatt.com/web/2011/10/recommends-banking-on-brand-buoyancy-we-party-london-i-love-we-saturday-8th-october-weekend-focus/, leaving a clear path to Shoreditch splendour, East Bloc, to grab our Best Bite slot. And for good reason too, as not only did the venue celebrate its first full year in
Hankies At the Ready
operation last Friday, no mean feat in the tricky trading tide its finds itself within, but with big brand Gutterslut now firmly established at this Old Street operation, the venue’s owner & promoter, Wayne Shires, couldn’t be happier, a chance meet on the street just yesterday confirming that. But this weekend, it’s all about another brilliant brand which East Bloc boasts and one home-grown at that, as the magnificence of “Meat” returns for another of its monthly sessions, the theme this time round being “Hanky Panky”, not that they really needed to as plenty of that goes on usually anyway. However, as co-promoter Kris Di Angelis explained to us, “…the deal is that we hand you a hanky and then you have to do whatever the hanky say’s that you are into…”, which in our case could include a multitude of sins, but will certainly throw plenty of extra spice into this already meaty meet. And that “hanky” theme will also extend to those that are familiar with its calling sign, for instance “…if you’re a top, wear it in your left back pocket, if you’re a bottom then it’s the right….” while Kris also adds, “…into oral? light blue is your colour, cross dressing? light lavender, size queen? mustard yellow, military man? Khaki, food play? lime green, no limits? orange, spanking? fuchsia, cigar play? tan…..and so on…”, so it seems the usual hanky panky will be even more so, although the music is also pretty much guaranteed to be top draw, Messrs Di Angelis & Stephan (that’s Tom) will be joined in the main room by James Pople, while over in the “mincemeat” space (we love that!), Jonny Woo & Lee Dalloway entertain. Kicking off at 10.30 p.m., check out all the detail via http://facebook.com/event.php?eid=271734846182429, while take a look that the latest monthly video at http://youtube.com/watch?v=nGjCdTy6s44 which spells out the hanky panky!!
Blonde Bombshell Bash
Right to a couple of Short Shouts and firstly to the Dalston Superstore up in, yes you guessed it, Dalston, the team turning out a weekend full of events, Friday seeing “Blonde” take charge, the likes of Jim Warboy & A Man To Pet on the decks, while on Saturday (8th Oct) the Sink The Pink crew are back with the ever popular “Happy Shopper” with one of east end’s best, Prince Nelly, on the decks among a host of others. Then to finish off the weekend, Squeaky pulls in loads of friends for “Tutti Frutti”, details of all three events available by going to http://thedalstonsuperstore.com.
Our final Short Shout for this newsletter goes to Exilio, the Latin niche night that has been going now for an impressive 15 years, such is its fervent following, so the team mark this momentous occasion with a special celebration down at Guy’s Bar on St Thomas St, London Bridge, salsa, meringue, cumbia & plenty more on offer. Plus being relatively early doors, starting at 9.30 p.m. this Saturday (8th Oct), WE enthusiasts can kill two birds with one stone, but be prepared to fork out £10 for this birthday bash.
So that’s just about it for our newsletter return, while as for our weekend, well it looks like Le Boy on Friday, Meat on Saturday and then, without question, Beyond on Sunday morning, we already having been put under starting orders by Mr Pitron so will be on our spot ready for his set. So, if you see us out, come up & say hi, but whatever you do & wherever it finds you, have a great weekend & remember to “Go There! Be There! (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: Alessandro Londra, Ariel, Beyond, East Bloc, Gigolo, Jamie Head, Jonny M, Later, Le Boy, Lee Harris, Leonardo Glovibes, Lisa German, Lo-Profile, Meat, Micky Galliano, Nathan Six, Onyx, Orange, Orange Group, Phil Marriott, Profile, Queer Nation, Room Service, Rupert St, Steve Pitron, The Dalston Superstore, The Eagle, The RVT, Verity Mayes, Zach Burns | No Comments »
Lay All Your Love On Me
In the many years that we have been clubbing on a Saturday (and there have been a lot of them!) we have seen so many brands come & go, some last a little longer than others, some make a huge splash then fade without trace. However, at its height, the Saturday clubbing scene sported some of the best clubs around, think Heaven, Love Muscle, Crash, Action, Juicy, Saturdays were certainly something to behold, But when the Spanish armada in the form of Matinee & then SuperMartXe arrived, it seemed clubbing was being taken to a new level both brands pretty much transforming the capitals clubbing landscape, the flamboyance of their parties leaving many slower burners floundering in their wake, the only one to emerge & take their place being WE Party which is very much the darling of the scene at the moment. That said, there is still very much a need for variety, clubbers all too often craving for something a little different
Lovechild is one such club, a brand that started out as a Sunday evening soiree to emulate those halcyon days when the likes of Salvation & DTPM ruled the waves & very much sent Saturday’s into the shade. However, as we have so often seen, times change like the wind & clubbers attitudes also change and v very soon into its existence, it was clear to promoter Alex Erfan, that Saturday’s was the way to go, the switch seeing a whole succession of prolific parties at host venue Fire, establish Lovechild as one of the leading Saturday brands. However, as good as the monthly events had become, the tide of economic misfortune hitting the world last year has had a knock on effect on the capitals clubbing circuit in 2011, many carefully picking & choosing when to be out on the scene, Lovechild’s timing of the second Saturday of the month not really fitting well with that trend choice, the brand inevitably struggling to match the numbers it had enjoyed during a resplendent run the previous twelve months. So, with our loveable brand disappearing from our radar, the last love-in we let loose being back in March, it was high time another event erupted our euphoria, “Superlovers” on such shindig that was sure to sparkle, the question however being, did it blow in winds into our out of our sails last Saturday?
Illuminating Image
Arriving at Fire just after midnight, we were expecting to meet up with inbound Spanish D.J. guest Javier Medina, although being greeted first by Tom Fuller who had been called up for an unscheduled management shift, much of the rest of the team up in Leeds letting their hair down, Mr Fuller nevertheless in fine fettle & eager to catch up on the last few days doings, comings & goings, although it was promoter Alex Erfan who was catching our eyes & ears as he had news on Javier who had decided on a hotel rest before his set a little later. So, safe in the knowledge that we were free to go & investigate, we headed into Fire in an instant, although with no queue at the coatcheck or indeed at the bar, it was clear this was going to be a slow burner of a Superlovers start, the main room dancefloor barely bearing a soul, indulgent Italiano Micky Galliano behind the D.J. decks, serving up stacks of supercharged sounds that were very much in the Lovechild style, but clearly not suiting the disco bunnies boys & girls that had headed into love lounge next door. So, having said our hello’s to Micky & paused for a monetary boogie, it was into the lounge we headed too, the space pretty packed in the hands of DJ Savin, this terrific talent more used to opening the main room, but still loving his Lovechild inclusion, playing a perfectly pitched set to a pack of party people that were definitely craving is uplifting, vocally infused dance delectations.
Moving back into the main room and bumping into more & more familiar faces as Fire slowly began to fill, Marco Gee & boyfriend Tim the first two, followed in quick succession by the delectable Dorin, the Polish boys, Mariusz & Norbert, a beaming & boisterous Alessandro Londra, arriving for his D.J.’ing duties much earlier than expected, soon followed by a Barca beatmaster Javier, who had decided against laying in at his hotel, rather choosing some pre-set clubbing & socialising which very much found with our favour. So, with a party posse around us and Micky having handed over the deck duty reigns to headlining international D.J. guest Saeed Ali, who had flown in from Moscow especially for this “Superlovers” party, this bearded beaut more used to SuperMartXe, having played for the brand across Europe as well as in his home city. And, within an instant, we could see why he carries so much clout with his countrymen, a set of superb uplifting & vocal infused beats, lifting the rather lacklustre Lovechild atmosphere a few notches, the crowded love lounge thinning somewhat as the echoes of his superb sounds reverberated through the tight corridor between the two spaces, seemingly sucking the “Superlovers” supporters into the main arena. Then when the delectable dancers trouped out onto the scant stage & the more proportional podiums, the place was suddenly set alight, the lighting illuminating the saucy & seductive shows superbly, even the LED displays behind the D.J. booth going into Lovechild overdrive.
Strike A Pose
With the earlier flat as a pancake feel of this latest Lovechild event now firmly behind us, Javier taking position behind the main room D.J. booth to start his set, we ventured back into the lounge where Brent Nicholls was now in charge of the tunes, choosing one terrific track after the next that soon had us in a spin on what is without doubt our favourite Fire spot, just left of the dinky D.J. booth. And it was a rapturous remix of the Abba classic tune “Lay All Your Love On Me” that proved one of many appropriate picks of his, the towering track & one of our favourites of now “You’ve Got The Love” really hitting its mark, invoking a “Doing The Disco matt” stint that lasted deep into his three hour set. However, with a decision to leave the contact room space closed and its D.J.’s Marco Gee & Alessandro Londra out of commission, an inspired three way set soon transpired, Brent bowing out first to Alessandro & Marco, who mixed in their own take on this purple patch part of proceedings, giving us a chance for a Brent boogie that kept us from the main room for much of the remainder of this now enjoyable event.
That said, we did our best to dive into the main room for small slices of Javier’s set, he having not only held but swelled the crowd with a captivating collection of tougher edged tech & tribal sounds, more akin to those that go down a storm across Europe & elsewhere, the London crowd usual difficult to please with these genre choices, actually lapping up his superb sounds with gusto. And it was clear Javier was enjoying the main room action, picking on a brilliant blend of beats that was to see the main room magnificence continue unabated right through till the 6 a.m. finish, the atmosphere now electric & the party people in majestic mood. Even the love lounge was having its say, Marco having played his part and now Brent & Alessandro going back-to-back with every record, this partnership whist impromptu in its invocation, actually looking as natural as it has been perfectly planned, we continuing to lap up Brent’s beats with exuberant energy which invoked a couple of tricky moments with our iron lung, Mr Nicholls diving for the oxygen but realising it was CO2 (oops!), while when he played the latest remix version of the Pitron/DM anthem “Stronger”, which had got an original mix airing by Micky earlier, we had to once again check our erupting emotions, only the curtain call closure stopping us in our tearful tracks.
Hanging In the Balance
So, what was our verdict on this Lovechild “Superlovers” event? And were our sail winds blowing in the breeze or collapsed in the calm? Well, there was little doubt that the numbers through the door were lack-lustre in comparison to previous parties and the slow burning effect seemed to last a lot longer than expected. However, that said, Saeed Ali’s performance was particularly stand-out and it seemed he did his bit to change the fortunes of this faltering foray, although the major hats have to go off to Savin for a scorching start, then Javier Medina who very much proved to us & many that his time with Matinee has grown both his stature & his music, his performance here very much chalk & cheese when compared with his last London outing, the Spanish clubbing brand having fallen on their feet picking him as their main resident man, Mr Medina having made plenty more friends & fans with his superb “Superlovers” set. However, the star/stars of the show for us were Brent & Ali, their inspired & impromptu stint stealing much of the spotlight and sending us satisfyingly skyward with each sound selection, leaving our sails definitely inflated rather than deflated.
Yet as good as it ended up, there remain some serious question marks over Lovechild’s standing in the Saturday market, not least that having marketed the event as a post pride party & offering reduced priced entry not reflecting in the response by the revellers. Plus, looking at the crowd, it was certainly missing many of the usual Lovechild lot, perhaps many having partied hard the previous weekend, whether in London, Cologne or Madrid, deciding to sit out this, but with no contact room, the stage shows a shadow of their former self and the whole feel of this latest Lovechild much flatter than former forays, hinting towards the need for a change, a re-vamp a new direction or a new offering. It is true to say that the Saturday circuit is not what it used to be and maybe clubbers have got tired of what’s on offer, rather choosing special events to devote their dancing to, yet if Lovechild is to set its stool in this style, it has some way to go to match the might of WE party. But like its alter ego, maybe less often will mean more and with the next Lovechild event not planned until September at the earliest, Alex concentrating on his European exploits, only time while tell whether it has the legs to last in London. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Reviews | Tags: Alessandro Londra, Alex Erfan, Brent Nicholls, DJ Savin, Javier Medina, Lovechild, Marco Gee, Micky Galliano, Saeed Ali, Tom Fuller | 1 Comment »
Lovechild Is Back
Having been out of action ourselves for a few weeks, it seems the scene has also been missing one of its favourite brands & promoters, both Lovechild & Alex Erfan having very much dipped under the radar. In fact, searching through our archives it was back in May that this lovable brand showed its hand at Fire on a Saturday, yet despite it also having shown its hand at As One at the last bank Holiday, it has now been well over a month since the scene has savoured this colourful club in the capital. However, while London may have been missing out, Alex & his team have been bevering away across in the continent, parties in Antwerp & Lyon, added to a host of others that have combined record it’s most successful year yet. Then, when we thought all things Alex had gone quiet on the western front, not only will this coming Saturday (9th July) see one of our favourite clubbing brands consume the capital, but the following weekend it heads north of the border to Edinburgh to help celebrate the start of the cities fringe festival.
Super Lovers & Super Heroes
So, let’s take a look at London first and to the “Super Lovers” event that should surely see Lovechild reclaim its stake on the Saturday scene, its promoter very much playing on the brands strength, the word “Love” no less, he explaining to us that, “…, Lovechild has always been, first and foremost, about the love, love of life, love of self, love of the music, love of mankind…” , quite a substantive claim, but if you have been to any Lovechild event, you will know exactly what Alex means, as no club can claim to have a more friendly crowd, while the club itself gives gives & gives, love oozing out of its pours. Indeed, looking back across the score of events across the last twelve months, the Lovechild team have always pushed the envelope, entertaining us with some of the most prolific P.A.’s, an incredible list of international D.J. guests and a resident list that puts virtually every club in the capital to shame. But come this Saturday, whilst much of the fabulous formula remains the same, Lovechild is certainly taking the club to a higher level, Mr Erfan adding that “…Lovechild returns to Fire, with an incredible international line-up of DJs and performers in celebration of those who take love to the next level, so called the SUPERLOVERS…”
And he isn’t wrong as not one, not two, but three international D.J. stars will be centre staging this “Supper Lovers” come super heroes event as we have been reliably informed that new Lovechild dance director Nik Ripley has drawn on his previous experience working closely with Matinee in London to gather together some of the best looking go-go’s in town, while Alex’s right hand man Nhamo has drawn on the services of Invincible Rubber to create a whole host of super hero costumes that look like putting those sported by Spanish counterpart WE Party this last weekend, very much into the shade. And whilst you may think that this is a case of copy cat (possibly Cat Woman!), Alex informs us that this super heroes theme to his “Super Lovers” party has been in the making for quite a while, probably accounting for Lovechild’s absence from the capitals scene. But, while Nik has some gorgeous go-go’s to pop out our eyes, Mr Erfan will be pulling his drag queen contact strings, a very special star flying in from Tel Aviv that will simply take your breath away, especially when she does her Wonder Woman twirl.
Main Man Medina
So, with the eye candy entertainment deal sealed, what can we expect from the music? Well, as we hinted, three international D.J.’s for a start, Matinee’s newest resident & a feature among our short(ish) list of firm favourites (are we allowed?…yes), Javier medina making a welcome return to London, having featured both for Lovechild & As One last year, but having really grown into his international status following that matinee appointment in December. Having made a name for himself stateside, with gigs in Miami, New York, Javier’s year has slowly been accelerating, especially in recent weeks as the build up to Barcelona’s Circuit Festival takes him right across Europe & even as far as Canada & South America. And naturally he will feature large in the twelve day festival in his home city in August, so landing him in London in the middle of his heavy schedule is a coup for the Lovechild team & one we cannot wait for. Plus, his current style of deep tech & tribal house will definitely be taking Lovechild to a new level, we reckoning you will dig his superb sounds which we suspect will be very much akin to those of his “Happy Tech House” mix which is well worth a listen at http://soundcloud.com/javier-medina/happytechhouse2011.
Masterful Mikey
As for the other two stars?, well one is really well known to us, having looked after us amazingly during our recent visit to Muccassassina in Rome, Micky Galliano being a resident of the truly awesome club, while his D.J.’ing C.V. reads impeccably, clubs he has played including Ministry Of Sound, Vertigo and Azuli, not to mention Gay Village & SuperMartXe, while bulky brand Bear Necessity is part of his repertoire as it club & record label Deviate, along with London’s Barcode, Queer Nation, Tonker & now Lovechild. And whilst we were hoping he would lay down a compilation marking his inclusion in this “Super Lovers” event, it was Bear Necessity’s Pride event last weekend that benefitted from a Micky mix, one like Javier’s, giving you a good idea of what to expect from Mr Galliano come Saturday, so a listen must by going to http://soundcloud.com/micky-galliano/bear-necessity-london-pride. As for the other international star, what we can tell you is that he comes from Russia, Moscow in fact, although has played as far afield as Greece, Holland & Spain, although it is his home city where he has made his mark, having been at the top of the scene game there since 2006. Representing SuperMartXe in the Russian capital, he has also played for SMX in Amsterdam, while he has recently also swapped ship to play for WE Party internationally. And his name? Well it’s Saeed Ali, not quite the Russian influence you would expect, he having a distinct Mediterranean come Middle Eastern look & charm, his latest claim to fame being the driving force behind new club brand “Alimania”, he having dedicated two compilations to the club, both which are out at http://soundcloud.com/dj-saeed-ali.
With the international trio taking up the main room mantle, Lovechild “Super Lovers” will be extending across two other rooms, Fire’s mirrorarch space, known in Lovechild terms at The Contact Room, will sport resident original Alessandro Londra, with recent entrant Marco Gee, while in the Love Lounge, its Brent Nicholls following on from D.J. Savin, while in terms of the all important detail, this Lovechild “Supper Lovers” party takes place this coming Saturday (9th July) at Fire in Vauxhall, Mr Erfan mentioning that, “…After all the Pride Parties, we know you need to give your wallet a little rest so we are giving you the opportunity to enjoy this incredible party for as little as £5. Yes, you read that right – just £5!…”, the team having released 250 £5 tickets online at http://alexerfan.com as a thank you to faithful Lovechild supporters and fans, meaning its online you go to grab this special offer, tickets also available on the door, which opens at 11 p.m., the club running through until 6 a.m., while free wrist band entries to beyond will be up for grabs for the first 100 through Lovechild’s doors.
From Fire To Fever
Fast forwarding a week & Lovechild makes that move north, teaming up with Edinburgh’s finest Fever at The Liquid Rooms in the Scottish capital, the marriage of minds looking like one made in heaven, plus promising to form an on-going partnership that should spurn regular residencies for Alex & his team over the border (or is that Hadrian’s wall?!). And for this first foray next Saturday (16th July), Mr Efra will be taking the cream of his team with him, Lovechild resident D.J Tony English travelling north, as will by superb P.A. & vocalist Lizzie France, not to mention nee Lovechild dance director Nick Ripley & his troupe of go-go’s. They will be joined by Fever D.J. residents Brian Fisher & Mark Price, across Liquid Rooms hi-tech main space, that sports the latest sound equipment, lighting & visual effects that will dazzle & delight, while there will be a distinct festival feel with lots of magic & miracles from a host of entertainers to top off the dancing & music. With further details available at http://alexerfan.com, advance tickets priced at just £10 are already on sale online at http://clubtickets.com/gb/2011-07/16/fever-meets-lovechild-edinburgh-liquid-room.
Liquid Lovechild
Now here’s a bit of details on Fever’s past to give you a feel of just how much of an iconic club it has become in Edinburgh. Fever was launched at Club Ego in March 2004, the night having been created by the people behind the legendary Sunday night clubbing institution, Taste, which ran in Edinburgh for just over 16 years. Fever was very much developed to satisfy the demands of Taste members who could no longer make it to their former favourite on Sunday nighter, this new monthly Saturday night club quickly becoming an immediate success and from day one filling to capacity. The Fever philosophy of open minded and attitude free clubbing coupled with a very tight door policy ensured that only the best of Edinburgh’s party people would be allowed to enter the event which made for one of the friendliest atmospheres of any club in the city .Fever’s D.J. resident team know how to keep their crowd happy and the clubs success was undoubtedly due terrific talents & Edinburgh favourites Brian Fisher & Mark Prince, both famed for playing uplifting & accessible house in the main arena, while Jon Pleased Wimmin and Kaupuss sported an anything goes music policy in the basement. Fever remained an integral part of the Edinburgh club scene until January 2010 when host club Ego was forced to close its doors due to severe fire damage, although such has been the demand for its return, Fever was, in the nature of its name, feverishly organising a return, The Liquid Rooms refurbishment the opening it need & now the joining of forces with Lovechild, the icing on the club nights cake. More info on The Liquid Rooms can be found at http://liquidroom.com.
So, two Lovechild love in’s “From Fire To Fever” to fulfil your clubbing desires and whilst we won’t be heading north, as commitments here in the capital will stop us travelling with the Lovechild team, we will be down at Fire this Saturday, so if you see us out, come say hi, but regardless, make Lovechild “Super Lovers” a date & ensure you “Go There! Be There! (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: Alessandro Londra, Alex Erfan, Brent Nicholls, DJ Savin, Fever, Fire, Javier Medina, Lizzie France, Lovechild, Marco Gee, Micky Galliano, Nik Ripley, Saeed Ali, The Liquid Rooms, Tony English | 1 Comment »
Pride 2011 The Orange Way
When we were making our gingerly steps out onto the clubbing scene some twenty years ago, Gay Pride celebrations in the capital were somewhat different to what they are today, our first ever foray being down in Kennington Park, a reasonably sedate affair which was followed by successive years at Brockwell Park, Clapham Common, Victoria Park & Finsbury Park, the big baby being Hyde Park when Pride in London was at its peak. However, sustaining such large park style events & keeping everything free proved a battle the organisers were never going to win. Add to that the surge in popularity & size of competitor pride events in Cologne & Madrid and in the last three/four years Gay Pride in London has become a shadow of its former self, although with the staging of post parade celebrations in Trafalgar, Leicester & Soho Square(s), have seen it regain some of its status in the yes of the public, the central London locale of the celebrations, taking in the gay village of Soho, seems to work well, although it has to be said that the previous park cohesion has been replaced with a more fragmented offering.
Now whilst there is no doubt that we do miss the fabulous dance tents that used to feature large in the park celebrations, we have also enjoyed the replacement dance stages at Soho Pride on a few occasions and there is no doubt that when it comes to London’s current Gay Pride set up, of the three designated square set up’s ,the dance stage is our favourite by far. However, with the this arena being consigned to Leicester Square last year, a whole load of excuses being waged by Westminster Council & the police as to why Soho Sqaure couldn’t be used, while sponsors The Orange Group made the most of a bad job, it wasn’t a patch on the dance stage’s natural home, many complaining about the overzealous security & lack of facilities, plus the feel that everything having seemingly been implemeted & orchestrated by Gay Pride’s organisers at the last minute. That said, we had a terrific time, not least being treated to a back stage pass & in so doing, hooking up with many of the D.J.’s & Orange Group top brass, this outstanding organisation digging deep into its own pockets to support Pride both morally & financially.
Outstanding Orange Offer
So, with London Gay Pride 2011 literally days away, but with there being somewhat of a hush surrounding this year’s festival, we can celebrate in the fact that not only do we have Soho Square back, but the dance stage will once again be hosted & sponsored by Fire. And furthermore, with a whole succession of peripheral parties across the weekend, it seems that London Gay Pride 2011 looks like being dominated by the “Outstanding Orange Offer”, as no less than twelve separate parties will be hosted by the group, making them the biggest single contributor to the Pride festival, Craig Elder & his terrific team very proud to play a prolific part in Pride this year. So, with so much activity, on the clubbing front at least, we thought it only fair to devote a special Weekend Focus post to all things Orange, showcasing their outstanding offer, focussing on club nights Onyx, A:M, WE Party, Beyond, Later, Orange & Open, as well as looking at The Fire Dance Stage, which centre pieces the weekend.
Head To Head Happening
So, while the Orange offer actually starts this coming Wednesday (29th June) with Patrick Lilley’s Work, then continues on Thursday (30th June) with both Deuces at Area & & Gravity at Fire, it is the “I A:M Onyx” party that gets our first full focus, the clever play on words indicating that Onyx will be going head to head with afterhours A:M, spreading across the three rooms of Area on Friday 1st July, very much the group’s main pre-pride affair and combining the tip top talents from both clubs for one night only. And looking at the line-up, it seems we will be in for a magnificent musical treat, as the main room will very much be an Onyx/A:M head to head, with Onyx residents Lee Harris, Jc Christopher, Jonny M & new promoter Verity Mayes squaring up to the might of Gonzalo Rivas & D’Johnny from A:M, making for a lavish line up, especially given given the club is open for just eight hours (we make that 70 mins each!), while it seems to be Onyx business as usual in the other two rooms, regulars Lisa German & Ariel tearing up the terrace with their tech & electro house, while Tasty Tim commands the chapel room ably assisted by Jason Price & James St James, all serving up pop-tastic tunes that make this room the popular place it is. Add to that the Onyx influence of fire eating displays & drop dead gorgeous go-go’s, while the dynamic David H adds the A:M percussionist touch to proceedings, while hosts Chrissy Darling & Glendora share the spotlight both on the door & inside the club, steering you through this spectacular showcase from start to finish. And what of that start?, well this Onyx/A:M head-to-head kicks off from 10 p.m. this Friday (1st July), with the club running through to an advertised “superlate” timing. Advance £5 tickets are on sale online at http://clubtickets.com, while if you get yourselves on the guest list by going to http://gayguestlists.com/onyx, it’s a mere £1 before midnight, while for others its £2 before & £8 after.
Soho Sqaure Smash
Onto Saturday and daytime gives way to the Fire Dance Stage in Soho Square, probably looking to prove itself as the most popular of the three, it coming as no surprise that The Orange Group will be digging deep into their reserves to serve up a colossal combination of D.J. stars & P.A. artists, this Soho arena famed for offering the best in open air clubbing, the intimate yet absorbing atmosphere of the square perfect for this post pride parade celebration & the whole proceedings in the superb & safe hands of tip tip promoter Steven Sharp. Now, having been given exclusive access to the line-up for The Dance stage, we can confirm here & now that, in terms of the D.J performances, Steve Pitron & Mikey D will be playing a special back-to-back set, with other names in the frame include Fat Tony, The Oli, D’Johnny, Jamie Head, & Jonny M, with the likelihood of further names & back-to-back sets, while The Sharp Boys will be closing proceedings around 8 p.m. As for the P.A.’s, Sonique has be confirmed and there will be an extra special guest appearing, although this is very much being kept under wraps, but we are hedging our bets on it being something to do with the word “Stronger”. Plus, we have been reliably informed that prolific percussionist David H will be on hand, along with a host of other artists to compliment the D.J.’s sets. So, with a line up like that & much more surprises in store, the Dance Stage arena will be packed with post pride party goers, although as the capacity within Soho Square will need to be limited for safety reasons, we recommend you get there early, as experience from previous years means that post 4 p.m. you will expect to find a one in one out situation, especially as entry is free, although the organisers do urge you to dig deep & make contributions however big or small, to ensure that London’s Gay pride remains a free festival. More information on this Fire hosted dance stage event can be found by going to http://freclub.co.uk &/or http://pridelondon.org.
Post Pride Party
Then, when dusk turns to dark, the choice widens to three, between “official” post pride party, Liberation, the chunky & hunky Bear Necessity & the Spanish Sensation WE Party, all things Orange very much catering for all clubbing tastes. So, let’s look Liberation first, this post pride party taking place at Fire this Saturday (2nd July), kicking off extra early at 8 p.m. with a special “Smirnoff Garden Party”, this brand one of the main pride 2011/2012 sponsors & hosting this alfresco offering across the extensive Fire outside space, with expertly made drinks served by the specially selected Smirnoff team, while relaxing ambient music will both serve as a welcome interlude from the frenetic action of the Fire Dance stage, but will also allow you to draw breath before the heated up post pride action inside, which kicks off from 11 p.m. And the Liberation line-up is very impressive, probably the strongest yet, showcasing some of the capitals best talents across four very different & diverse rooms. So what’s on offer?, well the main room will be spearheaded by Fire residents Mikey D, The Sharp Boys, Fat Tony & Lee Harris, while the second space will have a definite Onyx “Pop”, feel to it, residents Tasty Tim, Jason Prince & James St James joined by Gaydar Radio’s Alex Taylor. Then across in room three it’s all about RnB, as Queer Nation’s Big John Freeman Jeffrey Hinton & promoter Patrick Lilley take charge, the fourth space given away to the very cute Ku Bar boys & resident jock DouGuim. Plus, Fire have secured two terrific P.A.’s, Elloitte Williams, famed for the massive hit “Pride (A Deeper Love)”, while Sharlene Hector will also perform her hit “Sunshine Into My Life” and we are also told to expect a very special guest. So, with diversity very much the name of the game & Liberation attracting the glitterati of the Pride Festival, Fire looks set to host Pride’s best “official” party yet, advance tickets available online only at http://fire.clubtickets.com/gb/2011-07/02/liberation-pride-party priced at £12, with door entry at £15, those doors opening to the main event from 11 p.m. & the night running through till 6 a.m.
Hairier Area
Across at Area & it’s about chunky, hunky & funky action as big brand Bear Necessity rolls into town for a Pride special party , welcoming special gust Nick Tcherniak to the main room decks, he being joined by Bear Necessity London resident Micky Galliano, while over in the chapel room it will be all about Tonker, head honcho Tim Jones taking turns spinning the sounds with fellow bear brute Paul Coals, while Bruno Knight’s 21st Century men will be spilling the brawn, a line up of the hottest bear god go-go’s gyrating in the many podiums across both rooms, while a special stage show should set the whole event alight with action & compliment the touch tech & dance music. Add to that special host for the night, the attractive Andy Garcia , aka Dr Woof, along with a special pre-party at Tonker on Friday (1st July), Megawoof’s Tim Mcloone taking to The Eagle decks, and the all-in package advance tickets priced at just £14 are already selling like hot cakes and are available at http://clubtickets.com/gb/2011-07/02/bear-necessity-london-pride, while if you choose just the main party at Area, which kicks off at an early 9 p.m., then the £10 options are also available, while entry will be available on the door, but for more. Now, as the venue will need to prepare for the massive Beyond “Super Pride” party, Bear Necessity will run until 5 a.m. & not into Beyond as before.
Shawnee Stronger Show Stealer
However, despite these two amazing attractions, both which should draw their own crowds, there is no escaping the fact that the big party of the weekend (we reckon the second biggest) will be WE party, which, following the massive roadblock sell-out of “WE Candy”, is expected to be a repeat, this “WE Heroes” event having created a real buzz literally days after the last party. And for good reason, as it is clear this brilliant brand has taken over from where SuperMartXe left off, The Coronet proving both a popular & perfect home for the huge lighting, laser & stage installations that WE has become renowned for. So, whilst we are expecting amazing things from this latest party in terms of the stage shows & all the effects that will surely make it one of THE most prolific parties of the Gay Pride weekend, it is the music which should make this “Heroes” happening a real winner. So who can you expect to marvel you with their scintilating sounds?, well it goes without saying that Spain’s best import, Carlos Gallardo, will be making a rapturous return, WE party never quite the same without his inclusion, while he will be joined by our very own Italian Stallion, Pagano, who plays for WE in the capital for the first time & should go down a storm, especially as he seems to excel on the big stage, London WE residents Gonzalo Rivas & D’Johnny completing the current line-up. But the really exciting news for us, is the inclusion of PA Shawnee Taylor, who will no doubt be performing her massive new release “Stronger”, a track that has quickly established itself as the Pitron/DM anthem and is spreading across the dancefloors of the clubbing world like wildfire. Now, given the positioning & size of this event, we expect it to be a complete sell-out, which means you need to grab your tickets fast, advance £18 ones available online at http://wepartylondon.com, similarly priced tickets on sales at Soho outlets Prowler, Clone Zone, 50 & Solarstation, as well as The Yard, Rupert St & Profile Bar(s). However, if you leave it to get in on the doors, which open at 11 p.m., then expect to pay more & be prepared to get there early as if the last event was anything to go by, the queue will be massive, this latest WE party running through to a planned 7 a.m.
Now, as we head onto the next & what looks like the biggest party of the weekend, we suspect that many of you WE party goers will want to head to Beyond too, the terrific team headed up by Tom Fuller having laid on transport you from The Coronet to Area, the convoy of coaches leaving from 6 a.m. & setting you down at Area, all for the very reasonable price of £5. But here is the real deal clincher on this, as that £5 & coach trip will not only get you free coatcheck for up to two items, but it will also gain you fast track entry into the club, the Barcode side of this Beyond “Super Pride” party set aside for coach arrivals only. However, you will need to be in receipt of a ticket for Beyond, advance online ones at £15 available at http://area.clubtickets.com/gb/2011-07/03/beyond, while the usual outlets in Soho (see above) have tickets on sale too. However, for those of you that don’t manage either, then never fear as £20 ones will be on sale at WE, so keep your eyes peeled for Tom & his team.
All Pride Roads Lead Here
So to Beyond, all roads surely leading to Area come Sunday morning (3rd June), the road slightly widened as the club once again joins forces with Barcode to make this a super sized “Super Pride” event. Now for those of you that missed out on Beyond “Super Size” on the last Bank Holiday weekend, then prepare to be amazed & impressed with all that extra space both inside & out, Area’s & Barcode’s frontages combined to make one huge alfresco hangout from the hectic happenings inside, while the usual Beyond three dancefloors will be increased to five with the addition of Barcode’s front & back spaces. In terms of the D.J. line up, we can confirm that the following Beyond all stars will be present, the main room spearheaded by Steve Pitron, he joined by Mikey D, The Sharp Boys & Gonzalo Rivas, while The Chapel Room will sport Paul Christian & D’Johnny, The Terrace space most likely the domain of Jamie Head, The Oli & Fat Tony. However, with the additional two spaces next door to consider, names in the frame include Alessandro Londra, Ariel, Onyx’s promoter Verity Meyes & Beyond promoter Jonny Marsh, although as yet no news on any Barcode D.J.’s. Now, it has to be said that we are far from keen with the idea of a club promoter also D.J.’ing, especially as in this case, Beyond’s super size will need its promoter in the spotlight, but we suspect Mr Marsh will be drawing on additional talent to compliment the line-up, so watch this space for news on that. However, what you can expect of this “Super Pride” event is “…more space, more music, more dancers, more effects, more everything!..,” and Beyond itself will be digging into its own pockets to donate £1 per person to Pride, to keep this festival free. As for the detail, Beyond opens its doors at 6 a.m. the club running through till 1 p.m., online tickets available at http://area.clubtickets.com/gb/2011-07/03/beyond, priced at £15, along with sales at Prowler, Clone Zone 50, Rupert St & The Yard in Soho & Barcode in Vauxhall, a reminder of this & last minute detail on both Beyond & WE “Heroes” coming your way via an Extra Bites post later this week.
Helter Skelter Heaven
Next up in the all things Orange Pride weekend line-up is Later on Sunday afternoon (3rd July), who roll out one of their infamous “Funfair” parties, this Pride devoted one sure to be popular, especially if the sun is shining. With the team turning out all those fabulous funfair rides, some in miniature scale, the helter skelter is sure to prove a winner again, while the extensive outside space will be packed with revellers who will want to take respite from a sequence of parties already counting seven. But there will be no rest for the wicked inside, as promoter Jay Sharp leans on his towering residents team to turn out truck loads of tech toned tunes, with dollops of dance to delight, D.J.’s The Oli, Paul Martin, Jamie Head, & D’Johnny, sure to pack out the place, advance £8 tickets on sale online only at http://fire.clubtickets.com/gb/2011-07/03/the-later-funfair-pride-party, while entry on the door is priced at £10, although discount stamps will be on offer at Beyond, so make sure you check with Area’s door staff before you head across to Fire. Plus, all Later entrants will be able to get their hands on a free (yes free!) ticket to the “The Only Way Is Orange” Gay Pride closing party.
Orange Is The Only Way To End Pride
So that neatly moves onto Orange who, after hosting some of the biggest & most successful Bank Holiday parties this year, have been invited to officially close Gay Pride proceedings this coming weekend, opening their doors on Sunday (3rd July) at 11 p.m., the club running for a massive eight hours until 9 a.m. on Monday morning, promoter Steven Sharp & his team pulling out all the stops to make sure this is a party for Pride to be proud of. And looking at the D.J. line-up, there is lots to savour, the main room masterminded by the famed Orange “Citrus All-Star” residents Paul Martin, The Oli & The Sharp Boys, although the duo of Fat Tony & Tonnic should prove a crowd draw & pleaser too. Add to that shows from Elektra Paris & her dance troupe, while the gregarious Glendora will no doubt attract a flock of followers as she hosts like no other. But it doesn’t stop there as the Orange RAW room will be on duty too, original residents David Jimenez & Gonzalo Rivas welcoming extra special guest Nick Tcherniak to the fold, Nick making his second appearance in this special space. As for entry, it seems that if you make it to any of the Orange Group parties across the weekend & keeps your eyes closely peeled for special free entry passes, then this closing party will prove as a massive thank you for supporting the group & Pride itself. However, if not then £10 advance ticket are available online at http://fire.clubtickets.com/, while a limited number of £5 tickets will be handed out at the Fire Dance Stage post parade celebrations, standard Orange entry prices of £12 before midnight & £15 thereafter applying.
Final Pride Fling
However, whilst Orange officially closes the Pride weekend, it isn’t quite over as Tuesday morning madness Open makes a rare return to London afterhours clubbing for, in the words of the promotions team, “…the party to end all parties!…” and we highly expect that it will, especially for those that don’t have any work commitments on Tuesday (5th July), the club opening at 5 a.m. & running through to an advertised “superlate” timing, which in translation probably means 11 a.m., while this party is also aimed at those scene workers how have toiled away across the weekend, Open giving them an opportunity to let their hair down, now the hard work is behind them. As for the D.J. line up, well none other than Gonzalo Rivas will headline the neat & tidy team of talents, Mr Rivas treating us to a “classic” set that will no doubt include a mixture of the vast genre of sounds within his amazing armoury, while The Sharp Boys, George & Steven, who incidentally are co-promoting this event, will also feature, with guests yet to be announced, but possibly to include DouGuim & Fat Tony. Entry to the club is just £3 before 7 a.m. with a flyer, while for scene staff with suitable I.D., it’s just £2, the Open team out on the streets of Soho on Monday night, handing out special discount flyers, more info available at http://freclub.co.uk/gayparties.
So, that’s The Orange Group’s biggest Gay Pride weekend yet in a nutshell, well not quite a nutshell, more the most comprehensive guide you will find anywhere and testament to the fact that this clubbing company is making a massive contribution to London’s Pride Festival, both in terms of offering clubbers a complete experience from Friday through Tuesday & very much underpinning this “Outstanding Orange Offer” which includes some of the capitals best clubbing brands & artists. Therefore, it goes without saying that we will be joining Craig Elder & his team across this prolific Pride weekend of clubbing & hope that you will also “Go There! Be There! (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: A:M, Alessandro Londra, Area, Ariel, Bear Neccesity, Beyond, Carlos Gallardo, Chrissy Darling, Craig Elder, D'Johnny, DouGuim, Elektra Paris, Fat Tony, Fire, Fire Dance Stage, Glendora, Gonzalo Rivas, James St James, Jamie Head, Jason Prince, Jc Christopher, Jonny M, Jonny Marsh, Later, Leandro Kloppel, Lee Harris, Liberation, Lisa German, Micky Galliano, Mikey D, Nick Tcherniak, Onyx, Open, Orange, Orange RAW, Pagano, Paul Coals, Paul Martin, Pride, Pride London 2011, Queer Nation, Shawnee Taylor, Soho Sqaure, Sonique, Steve Pitron, Steven Sharp, Tast Tim, The Oli, The Sharp Boys, Tim Jones, Tom Fuller, Tonker, Verity Meyes, WE Heroes, WE Party, WE Party London | 1 Comment »
Welcome to the second chapter in this colossal composition catch-up and with the bit between our teeth, it’s all steam ahead as we delve into some of the European D.J.’s that are doing it for us and making magnificent music. But we will also be taking a trip across to the Middle East, giving some deserved attention to an impressive Israeli who recently rocked London with his brilliant beats, while we will also be sharing more of those terrific tracks that are knocking on the door of our top choices of 2011. With no less than eight D.J’s/Producers to cover, we have our work cut out, but having picked on some pretty heavy hitting stars of the international scene to share, the quality as well as the quantity should shine through, so let’s get to it.
Barca Boy
First up is a talent who we first spotted in the early part of last year, having stumbled on his name & works while focussing on Parisian pal Leomeo, the associations with Barcelona’s Javier Medina quite strong, not least as they have collaborated on a number of studio projects including the amazing “Nirvana Dream”. Being born & based in the Catalonian capital, Javier, like many of his compatriots, finds himself in a real melting pot of D.J.’s & producers and within a scene that is recognised as one of the most vibrant in both the Spanish & European circuits. With residencies in his career including the cities Dboy & Devotion clubs, Javier’s big break came late last year when he was signed to super club brand Matinee, a move which has seen him play to audiences in The US, right across Europe & even down in Australia, while with the massive Circuit Festival just over a month away, Mr Medina will be playing an intrinsic part in proceedings and one that should thrust him into the spotlight with some of the world’s biggest promoters & music industry figurehead’s.
So, whilst the future is looking bright, this change in stature has not changed Javier in the slightest, he continuing to devote many hours of his spare time into studio projects & recordings, two recent track releases very much in the Medina tribal/tech style, one which we will come onto in a moment, but the other a re-work of Pagano’s track “Perfect World”, Javier’s touch taking the track on those pseudo tribal & trance directions that are so evocative of his style. But it is his two compilation releases that get our major attention, the latest “Neo Tribal” a full-on Medina onslaught that pure & unadulterated tribal, so one very much for the purists, while we are more inclined to his “Happy Tech House” mix that treats us to more uplifting tones & vocal injections within the tribal undertones that are trademark Javier, plus is a mix very reflective of the sets he is playing right now. So, to see what sort of sounds are rocking the Matinee dancefloors & to grab superb successive slices of the Medina magic, go now to http://soundcloud.com/javier-medina/ & take your choice. Plus watch this space for the next in our special music focus features, when Javier will be our name in the frame.
This Is The Sound Of C
Now to that Leomeo track we promised to cover from chapter one, plus a tune that has been given the remix treatment by a number of stars including, of course, Javier Medina. “The Sound Of C”, first released in January last year, was inspired by the genre of music from Belgium called “New Beats” and one which influenced Leomeo’s style in his informative years. With remix versions released just over a month ago breeding new life into this terrific track, we predict “The Sound Of C” getting the kind of attention it deserved at the outset, Kult Records having given both Tom Stephan’s, Bruno Kaufmann’s & Javier’s versions exposure on their label, samples of which you can grab for yourselves by going to http://soundcloud.com/djleomeo/leomeo-the-sound-of-c-1, for Tom’s version, while Bruno’s is out at http://soundcloud.com/djleomeo/leomeo-the-sound-of-c-bruno & Javier’s “Congo Mix” version is up at http://soundcloud.com/javier-medina/leomeosoundofcremix. Plus, Leomeo has been at it himself, serving up a “French Riviera” remix which we love & is available at http://soundcloud.com/djleomeo/leomeo-the-sound-of-c-french, leaving you with four versions to choose from, fabulous.
Redant On The Radio
Now, onto another D.J. based in Barcelona plus one we have featured a few times in focuses & newsletters and for good reason as Steven Redant is not only an accomplished talent behind the decks, but his recent studio works have been attracting a lot of attention too. Now when we say based in Barcelona, this Belgium born beatmaster is hardly ever there these days, as it seems Steven’s demand is such that he continues to live the jet set life, gigs seeing him tour the globe, recent trips including Australia, Florida & a handful down to Brazil & Mexico. Add to that his European commitments which included a showing at the Beyond vs La Demence party here in London last month and there is absolutely no stopping the radiant Mr Redant as he continues to wow his audiences & impresses us with the versatility & vitality of his sets that make him such a dynamic draw. Plus, he is surely to prove a hot ticket on the forthcoming La Demence cruise, which, as one of the clubs main residents, Mr Redant will feature large.
But despite his hectic schedule, Steven does get time to dive into the recording studio every now & then, more to lay down podcasts from the live sets he plays right across the globe, although his latest offering being a slight departure as it marks his appearance on Gaydar Radio, the mix entitled “Los Angeles To Hawaii”, packed with towering tech & tribal tunes ala Steve style so well worth a listen/download at http://stevenredant.podomatic.com/. But he also gets his hands dirty with track remixes too, generally with recording partner Lenz Garcia, although his latest one, Rachel’s “You Don’t Know Me” also includes a collaboration with friend & fellow D.J./producer Phil Romano, this tribal triumph by the trio very evocative of the Steven sound, one we absolutely love and is available in sample form at http://soundcloud.com/stevenredant/rachel-you-dont-know-me-romano. Plus, we know Steven has been back in the studio recently, working on a new track with Lenz Garcia, so keep your eyes peeled right here for news on that.
Guareber Guy
Now before we leave Barcelona behind, we couldn’t move on without mentioning the incredible Ivan Gomez, who, of all the D.J’s/Producers we know (and we know a lot), seems to be the busiest in the recording studio, turning out track after track & mix after mix that leaves us breathless in admiration of his feverishly hard work & dedication to his art. And being one half of the mighty Guareber Recordings label, we often come across collaborations with Nacho Chapado, although Ivan also works closely with the likes of Fran Ramirez, as well as on solo projects a-plenty. Add to this a long list of gig dates both at home in Spain & across Europe and we can’t quite fathom out just how he finds the time to fit everything in, although he seems to with consummate ease & skill. Mind you, come July, Ivan will be spending lots of time over in Rome for the summer smash, Gay Village, while he will also be an intrinsic part of the bearfest gathering in August, along with continual residency appearances for club, Gorgeous I Am.
However, we simply have to share some of those masses of studio recording releases with you, stand-out tracks for us the simply spectacular “You Drive Me Crazy”, a creative combo of progressive, tech & tribal beats with vocal undertones & uplifting beats that make it hard to beat, while the so called “Guareber Anthem”, the Gomez & Chapado re-work of the Free Radicals Formation track “World”, is another exceptional example of the talents of the immense Ivan. But the list goes on, with no less than eight tracks released since we last featured Mr Gomez on one of our newsletters, along with three compilations too, his latest, a “June Promo Mix”, packed full of pumping progressive tech & tribal tunes that glued from minute one. Add to that tracks “Yejaaa” & Funkagain”, both due for release in the next few days and life in the Ivan Gomez recording world remains non-stop. So, with so many sounds to choose from, the best way to get your complete fill, is to simply go to http://soundcloud.com/ivangomezmusic & take your choice from the rich picking of prolific Gomez productions.
Right, time for a track interlude and like we did in Chapter One, we pick on a track which is very much knocking on the door of top slot in our year-end chart, this one reminding us of the sounds of the underground, at Crash no less, but having been given an up-to-date twist that, for us, makes it superbly stand-out. From the second we heard “You Will Remember”, we were hooked and then when we realised it was a Michael Gray track, we loved it even more, this “original” version at http://youtube.com/watch?v=DCIuQY28b34 giving you a flavour as to how fabulous & fulsome the track is, so making it a sure-fire contender for that top spot in our chart.
Deviate Dude
Now we trade Spain for Italy and first take a look at a terrific talent that was with us and played out to a packed main room at Muccassassina when we tripped across to Rome at the end of last month, Micky Galliano’s performance there really impressing us and clearly showing that he richly deserves his slot on the residency team. Muccassasina aside, Micky keeps his D.J. hand in back here in London, regular sessions for bear brand Tonker as well as Bear Necessity seeing him suitably exposed to the scene, while he is also part of the team of D.J.’s for Pagano’s club brand & record label, Deviate, a collaboration with awesome afterhours Beyond just last weekend scheduling Micky to play out to a packed Terrace room at Area in Vauxhall. With appearances in Barcode next door also a feature of his D.J. roster, Micky does transcend the scenes, playing on the straight circuit quite often, gigs including those at Ministry Of Sound, while, with Gay Village about to commence its summer season, Micky will be jetting back & forth to Rome, he also being involved in the big bearfest gathering in August.
Micky is also an accomplished producer, having worked with Italian Luca Ricci on various projects under the recording name of “Vibe Junction”, while he is also producing tracks for Pagano’s Deviate record label, stand-out studio works including “My Body & My Soul”, “Flipped” & “Every Gender”. These aside, Micky does also lay down the odd compilation mix here & there, his last composition created for the “Lovelife” event which took place at Cafe De Paris in April, Mr Galliano flying the flag for Muccassassina. And in this mix we have very much the sound & style that sees Micky rock the Mucca dancefloor every time he appears there, an octane fuelled progressive & tech triumph with plenty of funky & banging beats intentions that make it an absolute addition to any collection and available for download at http://mickygalliano.podomatic.com/, while we are expecting another podcast in the making to mark his appearance for club brand Lovechild next month, along with news on a new Pagano track, so keep your eyes peeled for news on those.
Italian Stallion
Sticking with the Roman, or in this case the Sicilian theme, no newsletter of ours would really be complete without more than a mention for our own Italian Stallion, one Francesco Pagano, the prolific D.J./Producer who has really gone places in recent months & years, very much stepping up to the plate & pursuing a pretty exhaustive schedule that takes him right around the globe & up there with the best in the business. Having made a considerable impact stateside last year, it seems that Francesco’s feet have touched the ground since, regular trips to the US a big feature of his life right now, although not one corner of the world untouched by his live performance musical magic. Indeed just this week he has left London for South America to take in two gigs in Sao Paulo, before jetting back to the UK for a date with Trade in Brighton this coming Friday, then hopping across the channel for an extra special Greenkomm party in Paris. And this is not unlike any week in Pagano land at the moment, the gigs following into July seeing him centre stage the massive WE Heroes on Gay Pride Saturday, before catching up with the Le Demence cruise in the med, after which he heads stateside for D.J.’ing commitments in San Diego & elsewhere.
So given all of that, he would be forgiven for being a bit of a studio slouch, but none of it, as he remains as busy recording as he is D.J.’ing, a latest remix release having the prolific & pumping Pagano stamp all over it. Eva’s “Not My Daddy”, which was released last year, has been brought bang up to date by Pagano, he injecting bucket loads of electronic & progressive beats to this rock/pop pick, the result being a remix, available at http://soundcloud.com/eva-15/not-my-daddy-pagano-remix, that looks set to hit the dancefloors of the world in the coming weeks as its exposure increases and a track that surely featured in his superb set at beyond vs Deviate last Sunday. And this release was on the back of another, the dynamic DT8 Project track, “Destination”, which like the former, is trademark Pagano, although this one with much more vocals that has seen it included in a ten track compilation “Summer Vibes Vol 1”, which is out on download music chart site Beatport (direct link https://beatport.com/en-US/html/content/release/detail/377366/Summer%20Vibes%20Vol.%201), Pagano’s track available to download as a single or part of the album. Indeed, with artists a-plenty getting in on the Pagano act & remixing classics including “Trapped”, “Kissing The Wookie” & “Perfect World”, it seems the spotlight on this superb Sicilian shows no signs of dimming, which means it won’t be long before you see him in another of our newsletters, as well as in a planned special feature coming soon.
Milan Main Man
Neatly moving on and to another Italian who has been rocking the world recently, as like Pagano, Danny Verde’s globetrotting is of epic proportions, this year alone having seen him touch virtually every corner of Europe, tour gig dates taking him as far as Mexico, Brazil and even Hawaii, while more work in The U.S. is on the cards following his successful tour there last year. However, while tracking down Mr Verde & keeping up with his schedule can prove a little tricky, we have managed to do it three times this year already, two major highlights being Delice Dream in Barcelona in April and then, of course, on his home(ish) turf of Rome for Muccassassina, the delightful 24 hours spent with Danny a real highlight of that terrific trip. Indeed it seems he was centre of attention again the following week for the massive Euro Pride event, while just last weekend he was over in Toronto for the cities infamous club, Fly, when he debuted his new studio release.
And, whilst Danny is now an accomplished international D.J., it is still his studio recordings that stand him in high regard across the industry and with many of his peers, no real surprise when you realise he was responsible for such greats as “Pushin To The Top”, “Express Yourself”, “Open Your Heart”, Let Me See Your Underwear” and the recent Blake Lewis smash, “Till We See The Sun”, a track that a whole host of D.J.’s continue to include in their playlists receiving rapturous reactions. But what of that latest piece of production?, well, still in the final stages of completion, we have been privy to a sneak preview of Danny’s remix of Kelly Rowland’s “Motivation” and have to say, it is yet another corker from the Verde stable of sounds that looks set to steal plenty of limelight this summer, the preview up at http://soundcloud.com/holabstudio/kelly-rowland-motivation-danny and the full version due out sometime early next month. With other studio projects piling up, including the completion of his own 2011 version of “Pushin To the Top”, a preview of which is available at http://soundcloud.com/holabstudio/halmadaxx-danny-verde-pushin-to-the-top-danny-verde-miami-011-remix-preview, Danny has plenty to keep him busy, not least a remix of Eva’s “Ashes”, Pagano’s “The Reflex” & Hector Fonsceca’s “I’m So Addicted”, all meaning its knuckle down time for our man from Milan, the fruits of his labour sure to sparkle like all his others..
However, one project that is complete and a track that quickly ascended to top slot in our 2011 chart was Danny’s resplendent remix of Ellie Goulding’s “Starry Eyed” and another example of Mr Verde at his creative best, this vivacious version not a patch on the original, rather ten times better in our books. And having been a regular feature of a certain D.J.’s sets at Beyond, we have spent more than one or two Sunday morning’s in floods of emotional yet joyful tears to this terrific tune, which continues to move us in every way, plus is, without question, our favourite track of Danny’s so far, even given the considerable collection of his prolific productions at our fingertips. So it is to “Starry Eyed”, which you can take a listen at http://soundcloud.com/holabstudio/ellie-goulding-starry-eyed-1 in full 8 minute glory, that we hail as a track that will go down as a true dancefloor classic & one that looks like continuing to storm D.J. sets for the summer & beyond.
Impressive Israeli
So, leaving Italy behind and heading out to the Middle East, we finish in as prolific a way as possible as we focus the final spotlight on impressive Israeli Guy Scheiman, who was to subject of a full-on focus of our back in February and has been bubbling just under our musical radar ever since, not least as we spent some time with him out in Barcelona for Delice Dream in April and were hoping to be with him for Hustlaball just a couple of weekends ago when he featured large in the main room proceedings of thus porn star themed fetish frolic at Fire in Vauxhall. Indeed, while we were laid up in hospital, it seemed that Guy was very much making magical musical waves and wowing a packed out place with a whole host of heavenly house tunes, many from his own considerable collection, Mr Scheiman being a pretty accomplished producer, having remixed for the likes of Rihanna, Kylie Minogue, Alicia Keyes, Jennifer Lopez, & even Madonna, while works with compatriot, the colourful character that is Offer Nissam, a feature of Guy’s studio creations. But with so much studio credibility, Guy still finds himself within a scene a little remote from the action in Europe, although that is not to say he doesn’t get his chances here & there, building on the solid foundations of weekly residencies back home in Tel Aviv.
However we cannot escape his accomplishments in the studio which have seen him, in the last two months alone, lay down no less than twelve tracks, all showcasing his terrific talent for uplifting yet progressive & tech style productions that made him so popular at Hustlaball and indeed when he last visited London in January. Picking through the twelve, we particularly like his rework of Offer Nissam’s “Heaven In Your Eyes”, a crafty combo of two tracks on one, while the “Summer 2011 mix” of his own track “Feel The Vibe” is also a gem. Then there is Mr Scheiman’s remix of UK vocalist David Jonson’s “Get Down” which definitely has the Guy stamp on it, as does his “Tel Aviv” remix of Kristine W’s “Fade”, both terrific tracks which very much hit our mark. Then we come to the compilation that he laid down for Hustlaball itself and a collection of uplifting, euphoric yet sexy tech & progressive beats that we are sure are very much reflective of the resplendent rhapsodies we were told came out of his prolific performance two Saturday’s ago. So, it goes without saying that his compilation along with all the tracks we mentioned are musts for your collections, all of which are a mere click away at http://soundcloud.com/guyscheiman/, while we know there is more to come from this impressionable Israeli, not least as he will be part of the massive upcoming “Oman 17” FFF Group festival, the biggest gay party in Israel. Plus, being someone who we can call a true friend & a terrific talent to boot, he will be popping up in a newsletter of ours before you know it.
Right that’s it for our second chapter catch-up, this finding us half way to bringing you right up to speed with the magnificent mound of music that has been building up over the last two/three months. However, with much more to come, for our next newsletter, we hit a really exciting phase, as it we will be devoting the whole of chapter three to awesome afterhours club Beyond & its dream team residents, many of whom have been hard at work producing prolific podcasts which we are itching to share. So with lots more to come, for now we hope you like our music choices here, a coverage of no less than 31 tracks & compilations for you choose from, leaving us to say “…sit back, select those sounds, turn up the volume & let them play, as music is the answer…” (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Music | Tags: Danny Verde, Francesco Pagano, Guy Scheiman, Ivan Gomez, Javier Medina, Leomeo, Leomeo Caran, Micky Galliano, Pagano, Starry Eyed, Steve Redant, You Will Remember | No Comments »
Extended Euphoria
Having been literally knocked for six just over a week ago, we find ourselves still very much in the recovery position this weekend, but more importantly, getting back up to speed with the seemingly never-ending offers coming out of our most favourite of clubbing brands, which seems to be forging new clubbing relationships right left & centre. Indeed, having just recently joined forces with Belgium brilliance La Demence, as well as cementing a solid working relationship with its closest neighbour in Vauxhall, Barcode, Beyond is certainly pushing the envelope both at home & abroad. With their world tour already well under way, having just three weeks ago, reported on a prolific party in Paris, there is much more to come, not least the La Demence cruise & the Xlsoir Festival, both framing a summer season bursting with brand alliances & pulsating parties.
Back home in London and it seems that life in the Beyond bottle is is full of bountiful bubbles and shows no sign of going flat at all, as not only do the team have some exciting events up their sleeves in the coming weeks, but just last weekend, Beyond went live on the airwaves, it being a pleasure to behold, we tuning in from our hospital bedside to hear the whole “Beyond On The Radio” show last Sunday morning, this allegiance with Gaydar Radio another example of this brands desire to reach out to an ever increasing audience. But, we were to be even more amazed by this awesome afterhours, when news hit our desks of another allegiance, this time with clubbing brand & record label Deviate, the force behind one Francesco Pagano, our very own Italian Stallion, who, having used the Deviate name on his recordings for some time, also launched a Saturday night clubbing affair of the same name at Beyond’s neighbour Barcode, just a few months ago, following which it has steadily grown into an outing with a cult following, engendering a sense of fun & frivolity that is sometimes a little lacking in the ferociously competitive scene that we find ourselves within.
Italian Stallion
Now whilst Deviate as a brand continues to stand on its own two feet, the marriage of minds for this “one –off” spectacular will see a heavenly head-to-head extended event play out at Area tomorrow (Sunday 18th June), with Beyond rolling out one of their infamous “Midnight” format’s, so running the club for a full twelve hours and serving up the best of what Beyond has to offer, while Pagano and his merry Italiano mafia of men, fly the Deviate flag and inject their own flavour of music into the mix. And having been privy to the full D.J. line up, you are all certainly in for a treat, as the blending of the two brands brings some of best talents in town to tickle your musical taste buds from start to finish. With a list that includes, naturally, Pagano, who brings his Deviate boys Micky Galliano & Marco Gee with him, you can also expect to see the cream of the Beyond crop of residents, headed up by superstar Steve Pitron, along with Jamie Head, Gonzalo Rivas, The Sharp Boys, Paul Christian, Hifi Sean, D’Johnny, The Oli, & Fat Tony, making this one of the strongest line-ups you will see anywhere.
So, delving a little into the musical detail, after all that’s what this prolific party is all about, proceedings will be kicking off in the newly named Beyond “Classic Terrace” with a pseudo Deviate feel as both Marco Gee & Micky Galliano will be rubbing shoulders with their Beyond counterparts The Oli, Jamie Head & Fat Tony, we expecting the whole spectrum of sounds, from uplifting vocal, through energising euro to more chunky tech & back again, each D.J. bringing their own blend of beats to create a rich& diverse offer that is sure to see the room buzzing right throughout the whole twelve hours of this exceptional event. Then there is the “Future House Chapel”, which will be a bit of a Beyond enclave and one for the die-hard devotees to the edgier more tech infused deep house that this room have become renowned for. And who better to deliver all this than the threesome of Hifi Sean, Paul Christian & D’Johnny, all exceptional exponents of this art and sure to pull in the faithful from afar. Then we come to the main room and where much of the audacious action will take place, Pagano bending the Beyond rules with his Deviate influence, we sure to be treated with a truck load of Francesco classics, intermixed with plenty of new material to keep the place pumping, as will other cast members flying the Beyond flag, Gonzalo Rivas & The Sharp Boys. And all that after the might of Steve Pitron, with whom we held court just last night, when he sneaked a preview of some of the towering tracks he plans to play & that look set to storm the show, not least (if we make it) destroying us on the dancefloor in a pool of emotional tears (you know the score by now!).
Dynamic Duo
With the music deal on this Deviate delight signed & sealed, what about the all important detail of this latest instalment in the Beyond “Midnight” sequence of events? Well it is very much a Beyond vs Deviate show , which runs for a full-on twelve hours, kicking off at Area in Vauxhall from (you guessed it ) midnight, running through to a planned 12 midday on Sunday. Advance tickets are still on sale, which you can grab online by going to direct link
http://area.clubtickets.com/gb/2011-06/18/beyond, or by popping into Soho outlets, Prowler, Clone Zone & 50, or to bars Profile & The Yard, all priced at a very reasonable £10, although you can pay on the door but expect to pay a fair wodge more (like £20). Naturally Tom Fuller & his merry men will be on hand to ensure to smoothest & safest entry to any club in London, the lovely Juliana will be looking after the guestlist and new hosts Naomi & Altina Ha will be doing what they do best inside to make sure your stay is superb. Add to that, lighting queen of the scene Smalls, masterminding the exceptional effects along with promoter Jonny Marsh, who will be on duty throughout the whole affair and this is a Beyond package that is as complete as any.
So, it now time to break out from the norm and make a date with Deviate as it teams up with our favourite club Beyond to create a party extra-ordinaire. Given our recent accident, we will certainly not be spinning on our spot, but may be making a nibble size appearance in the safe hands of Steve Pitron, so if we do actually make it & you see us out, come say hi, but this is one Beyond you won’t want to miss, meaning it’s time to “Go There! Be There!” (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: Beyond, D'Johnny, Deviate, Fat Tony, Gonzalo Rivas, Hifi Sean, Jamie Head, Jonny Marsh, Marco Gee, Micky Galliano, Naomi Ruiz, Pagano, Paul Christian, Steve Pitron, The Oli, The Sharp Boys, Tom Fuller | No Comments »
Rapture In Rome
From the very first time we saw Muccassassina’s magnificence in the flesh, we have adored everything about this brilliant Italian brand, having seen it out & about on tour both for the massive London Global Dance Festival & then at Delice Dream in Barcelona, the opportunity, however, to see it in its natural home in Rome a dream in itself. But with the added ingredients of two brilliant Bello’s in Danny Verde & Micky Galliano, along with a reunion with Mucca’s (the affectionate term) creative director Diego Longobardi & his terrific team, the opportunity to head to the Italian capital for this monumental meet up was too much to resist. So, with an in & out schedule sorted, we took a flight down to Rome on the Friday, hooking up at our nearby hotel with both Danny & Micky for a pre-club bite to eat, we showered & shooshed ourselves up for the short hope down to Mucca’s host venue, Qube, arriving at just before 11.30 p.m., in plenty of time to see the whole of this voluptuous venue in its pre-opening state. In the capable hands of Mr Verde, we were shown each of the three floors in sequence, Danny explaining the different musical concepts associated with the individual & very different spaces, the ground floor reserved for V.J. style classic nineties & noughties pop music, a huge back of video screens the focal point, while the first more mirrored & expansive space housing R&B, although it was the top floor that was the icing on the Mucca cake, a huge square shaped room encased by an upper viewing balcony, a massive stage at one end, with the D.J. booth up even higher behind, a truly spectacular space with the biggest mirrorball as a centre piece we had ever seen. Plus, to make the stat of this magnificent Mucca experience more magical, we got to kick back while the drop dead gorgeous dancers dress rehearsed the main stage show, Diego in the thick of the action, masterminding the whole operation with his usual flair & flamboyance.
But we were here for the Mucca proper and it wasn’t long before the club was swinging into action, a sortie down to the ground floor finding that a large number of clubbers had already descended on Qube, a marvellous mixture of guys & girls, the expected Italiano trendy set very much out in force, as were the muscle mary’s but not overpoweringly so, regular club kids just as if not more plentiful, the one thing everyone having in common was to have the best time possible. And that’s exactly what we did, first lapping up every tiny morsel of the impressive & uplifting scorcher of a set from Mr Verde, who wowed us from start to finish of his superb stint, a performance packed with favourite anthems among newer tracks, treating us tremendously. Then, we enjoyed equal pleasure from the tougher yet still amazingly accessible accomplishments from Micky Galliano, very much giving Mucca’s main room the vroom we had expected & now adored. Plus, with stage showing after showing by those magnificent Mucca go-go dancers, resplendent in blond bob wigs in celebration of the “Raffaella” theme of this event, we hardly needed to leave the main room space, such was our complete captivation for this colourful & complete clubbing colossus. So, with a massive thank you to Diego, his top draw team, to our Bello’s Danny & Micky & to everyone involved in this Mucca magnificence that delivered resplendent rapture in Rome, with yet more to say, its “ready steady, go for the terrabite review”. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Previews, Reports, Reviews | Tags: Danny Vere, Diego Longobardi, Micky Galliano, Muccassassina, Qube Club | No Comments »
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13 Feb 2013 | 3 Comments
Recommends – “Sidings Showtime” – This Is Prohibition “Love Resurrection” – Saturday 16th February – Weekend Focus Special
With love and resurrection very much in the air this Valentine’s weekend, we follow on from our preview “Speeding Out Of The Sidings” with a further detailed look at new clubbing collaborative combo, This Is Prohibition, which makes its first sidings showtime splash on the scene this Saturday with its ...
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22 May 2012 | 0 Comments
Picks/Music – “Season Swansong” – Muccassassina ” Gran Finale Di Stagione” – Friday 25th May – Pick of The Day/Special Feature
It hardly seems twelve months since we stepped out onto the delightful dancefloors of Rome’s finest, but as Muccassassina calls the curtain on its 22nd season with a swansong of a showstopper this coming Friday (25th May), it simply had to make it to DM’s pick of the day, all ...
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29 Dec 2011 | 0 Comments
Recommends – “Gigantic Gilded Gambit” – NYD Golden Ticket – Beyond, WE “Safari” & As One – Sunday 1st January 2012
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 ...
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6 Oct 2011 | 0 Comments
Recommends – “Back In Business” – Weekend Best Bites & Short Shouts Newsletter – Thursday 6th to Sunday 9th October –
After a pretty topsy turvy summer season which started & ended with hospitalisation, that on top of writing prospect promises that failed to materialise, we point ourselves towards the autumn with renewed vigour, this new found furver in our footsteps seeing the return of our weekly recommends newsletter which we ...
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16 Jul 2011 | 1 Comment
Reviews – “Lay All Your Love On Me” – Lovechild “Superlovers” – Saturday 8th July – Full Size Review
In the many years that we have been clubbing on a Saturday (and there have been a lot of them!) we have seen so many brands come & go, some last a little longer than others, some make a huge splash then fade without trace. However, at its height, the ...
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6 Jul 2011 | 1 Comment
Recommends – “From Fire To Fever” – Lovechild “Super Heroes” & “Meets Fever” – Saturday(s) 9th & 16th July – Weekend Focus Special
Having been out of action ourselves for a few weeks, it seems the scene has also been missing one of its favourite brands & promoters, both Lovechild & Alex Erfan having very much dipped under the radar. In fact, searching through our archives it was back in May that this ...
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28 Jun 2011 | 1 Comment
Recommends – “Proud To Play A Prolific Part In Pride – London Gay Pride 2011 – “Outstanding Orange Offer” – Friday 1st to Tuesday 5th July – Weekend Focus Special
When we were making our gingerly steps out onto the clubbing scene some twenty years ago, Gay Pride celebrations in the capital were somewhat different to what they are today, our first ever foray being down in Kennington Park, a reasonably sedate affair which was followed by successive years at ...
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23 Jun 2011 | 0 Comments
Does… – “Colossal Composition Catch Up – Chapter Two” – DM Does The Music News – Thursday 23rd June – Music Newsletter
Welcome to the second chapter in this colossal composition catch-up and with the bit between our teeth, it’s all steam ahead as we delve into some of the European D.J.’s that are doing it for us and making magnificent music. But we will also be taking a trip across to ...
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18 Jun 2011 | 0 Comments
Recommends – “Dancing Divergence” – Beyond vs Deviate – Sunday 19th June – Extra Bites Special
Having been literally knocked for six just over a week ago, we find ourselves still very much in the recovery position this weekend, but more importantly, getting back up to speed with the seemingly never-ending offers coming out of our most favourite of clubbing brands, which seems to be forging ...
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28 May 2011 | 0 Comments
Reports – “Rapture In Rome” – Muccassassina “Raffaella” – Friday 27th May – International Preview The Review
From the very first time we saw Muccassassina’s magnificence in the flesh, we have adored everything about this brilliant Italian brand, having seen it out & about on tour both for the massive London Global Dance Festival & then at Delice Dream in Barcelona, the opportunity, however, to see it ...
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