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Posts Tagged ‘Orange’
February 17, 2013 | 
Author After a lack lustre January that saw us fail to show our hand at any of their happenings and with so many new clubs & events launching elsewhere this month, this coupled with an undercurrent of uncertainty as promoters & key players have been pulled from the picture, we start our new series of “Seventh Day Sermon’s” by entering the lion’s den that is Orange Nation and share our thoughts on why we are finding our favour faltering.
Striking an independent balance is part & parcel of our core aims and achievements when we promote the clubs, events, music producers, businesses & publications that we do, while we also apply plumes of passion as well as conviction, both which have built the reputation we have today for not just spreading the love, but balancing our coverage in terms of reviews, previews, recommends & other posts fairly & consistently. And while many are hugely appreciative of our support, remarks such as “…one of the industry’s most loved columnists…” contributing to a continual stream of gracious gratifications that make our work worthwhile, we are all too often accused of being biased by and to certain quarters of the clubbing circuit, this never having been an issue with the internationals we support, but right here in London. Indeed, if we had a penny for every crumb of criticism, every moaning message, every conflictual comment and every enraged e-mail we have received over the years, our piggy bank would be brimming by now. However, we would be the first to admit that, for persistent periods over the last twenty four months, but particularly in the last twelve, our appearances & our posts have leant too far much in the direction of Orange Nation and its collection of clubs, our excuse, while no real defence, is that in both Beyond and certain key players & promoters in the Orange Nation mix, we have had a favourite frolic & a flock of firm friends.
Indeed, our support for Orange Nation has, in the main, been extremely positive in the last few months, the controversial edge that used to be a feature of our early work, all but disappearing, a casual comment from a D.J. pal on the Beyond dance floor recently confirming this, when part of the conversation included, “…I really miss your controversial posts…”, those so called critical & contentious articles, reviews & features never posted simply to poke & provoke, but based on actual beliefs and witnessing of shortcomings. And we have never been one to skirt issues or avoid tricky matters, while as we said earlier, we have always sought to strike a reasonable balance when faced with the difficult dilemma of saying it as we see it, particularly when recommending clubs & events, recent examples of parties falling into that bracket including Matinee “Pervert”, Beyond & Manic Panic! That said, when great things happen and when really good events come up, we are the first to throw our wholehearted support behind them, in the case of Orange Nation, Deelooded benefitted from one of our most positive previews ever, while we boosted their January Free Clubbing offer, the new February pass and, as recently as this weekend, their As One “In The Park” festival which, on paper at least, looks to be one of the best gay gatherings in years.
However, the phrase, “…what a difference a day makes…” or in this case, a handful of 2013 weeks, has come to bear upon our brow, as we have found ourselves taking off those rose tinted glasses that, in the case of Orange Nation, we have been accused of wearing for far too long and in so doing, clouding our judgement and prejudicing our publications, although with those glasses now off, our eyes have re-opened to a host of other clubs & events that we have been overlooking, we find ourselves, once again, sharing our coverage more evenly & fairly, while naturally picking out those clubs & events we consider deserve our full blown attention, shifting the emphasis away from the Orange Group & their events. Yet while we haven’t turned our back on Orange Nation, far from it, following a disturbing set of developments in recent weeks, we find our favour towards them faltering, a whole set of circumstances changing the way we both view the group and feel we can actively propel & promote some events of theirs in a positive way. And this is manifested in the fact that the mainstay brands, such as Beyond, A:M, Later & Orange, have been subject to constant tampering, many damaged as a result, some irreparably so, while D.J.’s, promoters and organisational individuals within & connected with the organisation have been treated dreadfully, reports of abuse and other shocking incidents & irregularities, many inexcusable in our eyes, leaving us asking questions of our own opinion of the Orange Group. Furthermore, of the spartan new ventures & club concepts Orange Nation has brought to us recently, they have either consisted actually of nothing new, or the idea & concept of the so called new is flawed on so many levels, thus rather than adding to the capitals clubbing circuit choice, they are simply replacing what has been lost with the same old same old, that or doomed for disaster drudgery.
Now, while a whole host of the accounts, claims & stories surrounding the mistreatment of individuals at the hands of Orange Nation leave our skin crawling in disgust, it would serve no purpose to either reveal the details of cases, circumstances, issues or indeed individuals, but rather to highlight this as a significant reason why we have found our favour to this clubbing group faltering. But what we can account for, are those club brands which have fallen prey to either Orange Nation’s greed or their desire to fix something that isn’t broken, Beyond right at the top of our list, not least that we have made no secret of the fact that it attained the status of our favourite club of all time. However, that very status is now in serious danger of dissolving, as we are left bemused by the sheer volume of “Midnight” events in 2013 alone, while the timings continue to chop & change as often as the wind direction, the same being said for the resident team of D.J.’s, some of whom are left off the weekly roster completely, while others are snubbed for their audacity to play for other promoters. So, as a result of this, Beyond, for us, has lost its appeal & draw and while the numbers may not be reflective of our view, the club is nowhere near as great this year, as it was last, the year before last, or the year before that, other examples extending to A:M, which was inappropriately used to fill a Friday clubbing schedule, lost its afterhours appeal as a result and now, having now switched back to its Saturday morning status, looks like struggling to survive, Orange, the emblem of the group, a pale of its former self, like many of the brands, having changed promotional hands as often as hot dinners, while the less we say about Manic Panic & District XXX the better, the concept of the former probably the worst we have ever seen, while the latter is a copycat of what proved to be one of our favourite frolics of 2012.
However, it goes much deeper than all of this, as with the benefit of hindsight, we look back over the last two or so years and see how the scene has changed and not for the better but for the worse, much of this lying at the doors of Orange Nation, how the scene schedule on Saturday’s for example, is not a patch on what it used to be, as promoters & clubs have been squeezed out of the partying picture, certain promoters throwing in the towel on Vauxhall and moving elsewhere, while others have been forced out of business completely. Moreover, with Orange Nation’s seemingly insatiable desire to dominate the capitals clubbing circuit, many of those Saturday scene shindigs are now no more, yet have not been replaced by Orange Nation events, the group’s creativity on what should be the biggest clubbing day of the week being to simply extend the opening hours of Beyond. Indeed, as a result of the crushing of competitors to Orange Nation’s own perceived clubbing crown, what it has simply served to achieve is that Vauxhall is left as the only playing ground for what we would call mainstream &/or big style regular gay clubs, the lack of any decent new brand blood to replace the ones lost, leaving the existing ones both monotone & mundane, for us, verging on the downright boring. But there is more that has dented our demeanour towards Orange Nation, that being the instantaneous & irreverent jumping of ship of many of those involved with Profile/Lo-Profile, moving not just themselves but brands associated with the former, all to Orange Nation and seemingly without a blinking of an eye or with any sort of respect for what has been a genuine loss to the scene, not just in Soho but London wide, the legacy that our Wardour Street wonders could have left, rather simply gobbled up by Orange Nation, the spotlight specifically on Society, while more indiscriminately, PLAY>TIME, which when you look at District XXX, is that copycat clubbing we referred to playing out for all to see.
On the positive, we can breathe a sigh of relief that ventures such as East Bloc in Shoreditch and its clutch of club nights is serving up viable & now very popular alternatives to the Vauxhall same old same old, while real success stories like WAR, DISH, SOS & Heroes, are offering both vitality & variation to Vauxhall. Indeed, it has been pleasing to see previously pushed out promoters returning to the scene, bringing with them fresh new ideas & clubbing concepts, This Is Prohibition one such example, we also finding new blood sprouting up in Soho, Bakebox a couple of weeks away from its second showing, Swallow another newbie and Manbar finding its feet & stride with a whole set of soiree’s sprting some of the biggest D.J. stars on the London scene, while existing parties Room Service & Gigolo remain as popular and packed as ever. And scratching beneath the varnish & veneer of Vauxhall itself, there is much happening to rock that so called dominating world of Orange Nation, Union fighting back with the likes of Booster, Wrong & others, Hard On! (now based there) reporting one of its best ever turnouts just last night, while Barcode looks like it may be coming back into its own, The Eagle having just celebrated its ninth year and still pulling in the numbers now as it did then, clubs such as Tonker, Carpet Burn & Horse Meat Disco major contributors. Plus with a big announcement imminent, one which will pave the way for a fairer, more fun-filled & positive playing field in Vauxhall and beyond, the inclusive nature of the players & performers within the scene the main thrust, it seems that competition crushing is a thing of the past and with this exciting news about to erupt, it may be more than just our favour towards Orange Nation that falters, but a cataclysmic change to the capitals clubbing circuit that sees a future bright and not just one that is Orange. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Reports | 
Tags: A:M, Beyond, District XXX, Later, Manic Panic, Orange, Orange Nation, Society | 
4 Comments »
With its dust sheets confined to the cleaning cupboard, As One emerges from its own obscurity with a bang, as it announces and exciting new chapter in its history, this clubbing combo caterpillar bursting out as a butterfly with its own Festival, we reporting in brief on the first announcement and ticket release.
Billed as “…London’s biggest gay gathering…”, just as we were about to write off As One as another amazing accomplishment on the capitals clubbing circuit no more, the news hits our desks that the team behind this colossal clubbing combo, have consigned it’s dust sheets to the cleaning cupboard, As One emerging from its own obscurity with a bang. Indeed, not only is it moving from inside to out, As One will be showcasing some huge artists & performing artists on the scene, as well as pulling in some true clubbing brand giants from both home and away.
So what do we know so far?, well a little bit and a lot really, as the plan to transform this clubbing caterpillar into the butterfly that will become an open air festival has been in the planning for a while, although kept very much under those dust sheet wraps. However, following the first reveal back at the beginning of the month, some of the detail is now dripping through, the first and most important announcement is that As One “In the Park” will take place on Bank Holiday Sunday 26th may at Victoria Park in east London, the location famed for bringing us huge happening Lovebox (among others), As One not quite of the scale of its counterpart, but sure to make a spring splash from 12 noon till 10.30 p.m. on 26th May.
Plus, the team behind this huge outdoor As One outing have also confirmed the first of many performing artists that will take to the main stage, Rita Ora, the 2012 pop sensation of Britain, whose debut album, “Ora”, zoomed straight t the UK number one spot, also spawning three singles, “Hot Right Now”, How Do We Party” and “R.I.P.”. Add to that a current UK tour and no less than three 2013 Brit Award nominations and she is very much a draw & coup for As One “In The Park”, while the team have also released details of the clubbing brands that will host the various dance arena’s around Victoria Park, London based Beyond, Orange, Deelooded & Salvation flying the home flag, while the international influence will come from Matinee “Revolution”, WE Party, The Week & the massive Circuit Festival. Plus, with support already in from Soho venues Comptons, Ku Bar, The Shadow Lounge, Rupert St. and businesses FindHRR, Prowler, Boyz, G3, the festival is already gathering promotional pace.
But the other piece in our news nibble jigsaw is the release of the first batch of tickets, super early bird options priced at £35 available online at http://ticketweb.co.uk/event/as-one-tickets/40035, while the VIP package looks quite impressive as it offers fast track entry, a complimentary glass of bubbly, exclusive entry to the Shadow Lounge VIP village behind the main stage, VIP toilets, VIP bars stocked with only premium spirits & other drinks, while even table service is on offer to make your whole experience enthralling. However, they do come at a price, a hefty £75, but given what they offer, it does actually seem good value for money and, from our experience of Lovebox, and those VIP toilets are worth their weight in gold. And with more acts to be announced next week, we reckon you should grab one of those super early bird tickets now, more information available by e-mailing the As One “In The Park” team at info@asoneinthepark.co.uk or b following their website at http://asoneinthepark.co.uk, while you can also keep track of announcements as they hit by both liking & following their Facebook page at https://facebook.com/AsOneInThePark.
So setting its stool on a bank holiday weekend in May, as well as choosing a location renowned for holding park festivals, the future is definitely looking bright for the butterfly hat has become As One In the Park and we can’t wait to share further news as it reaches us and the date gets ever closer. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends, Reports | Tags: As One, As One In the Park, Beyond, Circuit Festival, Deelooded, Orange, Salvation, The Week, WE Party | No Comments »
First there was a month of free clubbing and now there is a month of seventh day deals, Orange Nation following on from their January offer with a February one that focuses on its Sunday soirees, we delve into this deal as well as reporting on the latest news of Later, Orange and new to the group, Society.
When it comes to clubbing, if there is a day in any given weekend that we have always leant towards, it has been a Sunday, the hedonistic days in the nineties when so much was going on, made this seventh day of the week a rich playing field for us party heads that were, still out from Friday. Yet, with so much on offer, the likes of Trade, Sherbert, DTPM, Nutz, Salvation, Factor 25, The L.A., F.F., Warriors, Medikation and many more, you could literally bounce from one party to the next and go from the early hours of Sunday morning right through till Monday lunchtime. Indeed, as the century turned, the offer was still pretty strong, relative new kid on the block, Orange, first setting its stool out in Rotherhithe, but soon moving across to Vauxhall and what was, at the time, nothing more than an empty dusty archway. Yet those early days of Orange in Vauxhall were the epitome of the decadent and naughtiness sensation that came from clubbing on a Sunday and into a Monday, the dusty floors, the makeshift coatcheck, the self built D.J. booth (well hardly a booth) & the basic laser lighting made it quite magical and a period in our clubbing that ranks with some of the best and we will never forget. But Sunday mornings in Trade which filled our early years, evolved to Beyond which has dominated Sunday’s since, the Colloseum days between 2001 & 5 still the most hedonistic, made even better by the advent of Later in the, by then, fully fledged venue Fire, continuing the tradition that the seventh day was all about going clubbing rather than going to church.
Yet while we consider we have seen the best of Sundays in that purple patch period during the nineties & naughties, today’s clubkids can still enjoy their seventh day on the dancefloor to the full, perhaps with less choice than we had, but nevertheless, a chain of clubs that easily sees them party from the early hours of Sunday morning through to late Monday morning, the mini circuit of meets concentrated in Vauxhall. And it will come as no surprise that both Beyond & Later are still in the picture, as is Orange, while relative new kid on the block, Society, completes a quartet of clubs that, under the Orange Nation (ON) umbrella now also make up their newly launched “Sunday Pass”, an offer that runs for the whole of February, fixing the entry price to just £20 for the four clubs or £15 for three. So what exactly is the deal, well the ON team tell us, “…Continuing on from our free clubbing in January, your Orange Nation gives love back to its clubbers as we bring you in February, “The Sunday Pass”. We have long been a firm believer in the rulin nature of Sunday clubbing, after all, we were born on a Sunday night at Orange many years ago!..” adding of the pass itself, “…this incredible February offer will get you a jaw dropping joint entry into your favourite Sunday parties…”. And quite simply, for £20, you get entry to Beyond, Later, Society & Orange, while by dropping Beyond, your Sunday Pass price also drops to £15, pretty good value when you think that standard door charges for the four add up to £38 (at least) and one you can grab each week of February by either upgrading your entry on the door of Beyond or Later, or by going online to http://orangenation.co.uk, it’s as simple as that.
So with “The Sunday Pass” sorted what of the news on Later, Orange & Society. Well, let’s deal with the first two first and we are so pleased to hear that these superb Sunday soiree’s are going back to their roots, returning to the winning formula’s that have made them so popular over the years. Later gets a re-injection of uplifting, chunky & heavenly house with The Oli back every single week and special guests such as Emma J White & Marco Gee brought in to re-ignite the daytime disco energy into this enthralling event. As for Orange, well we reported a while back on Fat Tony taking over the promotion of the club and his desire to bring back the fun and the accessibility that always made Orange so popular, Plus with Glendora back and the RAW room rolled out too, Tony is definitely making his mark on what he considers as his baby, not least that he was involved right back in the Rotherhithe days and has played for the brand ever since. To Society then and many will recognise this as a party from the Profile paddock, although following the sad demise of this Wardour St wonder, a significant slice of the team have switched on ON and Society has now become “The Sunday Society”, having launched just last weekend (Sun 3rd Feb) and returns this with Lee Harris & Zach Burns on the decks and while many t-dance delectations in Area have quickly fallen on their swords, we reckon Society will be given a good go & run, more detail on this new addition to the ON family out at https://facebook.com/SocietyProfile, wile for more news on Later, head to https://.facebook.com/LATER.INFO.
Well, we may still look fondly back on our Sunday’s clubbing back in the 90’s & 00’s, but the one thing we didn’t have was a deal like “The Sunday Pass”, so giving credit where credit is due, we say horary to Orange Nation for serving up this Sunday special offer, one well worth grabbing if, like us, you love your Sunday clubbing. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends, Reports | Tags: Beyond, Emma J White, Fat Tony, Later, Marco Gee, Orange, Orange Nation, Society, The Oli, The Sunday Society | No Comments »
Having turned tails on our regular format following the shock Soho scene closure stunner, we have reverted to combining our Best Bites & Short Shouts, tripping from Vauxhall to Shoreditch & then to Paris for our top of the tree choices, while mini mentions go to our best of the rest both in London & internationally, along with news of new & noteworthy disco dance diary dates.
With over a week having gone by but the news still shaking the scene that Profile & Lo-Profile are no more, it has also crushed us to the core, our Friday frolics to PLAY>TIME now mere memories and our favourite Soho spot no more, the impact has reached our recommends newsletter, as the Soho, Vauxhall, Shoreditch format has been smashed to smithereens. However from the ashes of that former format comes a new avenue of opportunity to propel parties over the continent, as well as retain the Vauxhall & Shoreditch elements in a revised Best Bites that will, in time, again break away from our pack of picks, while for this week it all gun-ho, as we combine our top of the tree choices with mini mentions & disco dance diary dates.
So let’s get into the recommends mix first heading to Vauxhall and to A:M, which this coming Friday (18th Jan) goes into birthday celebration mode, not its own but of its hostess, the marvellous Minty (HRH to those in the know), a true scene sister who has been superbly steering party people through the doors of some of the capitals biggest & best clubs, a list that has included Crash, Beyond, Matinee, Orange & WE, while she has been holding sway at A:M for many a moon now. However, this will be her first birthday celebration at the club, we having been used to marking the occasion for a handful of years at Industri, the Thursday frolic that will forever be Minty’s (along with Brent & Paul too), although with this superb soiree no more and A:M now her delectable dive into dancing debauchery, it certainly makes a perfect place for her to party, the birthday event PR tagline being “…get the London look with Minty as she celebrates her Birthday A:M style…” while the team go on to say “..join the queen of the disco and her gang of beautiful dirty Vauxhall bunnies on an epic journey of dance, music and glamour through till Saturday morning…”. And with a D.J. line up to die for, The Sharp Boys joined by D’Johnny, Gonzalo Rivas and special guest Fabio Luigi (a Minty request) in the main room, A:M still have splashes of Onyx within it that make it an “Ultra” event, DMS delivering the pop-tastic tunes in the second space, all this taking place at Fire, doors opening at 11 p.m., the club running through till 9 a.m. Saturday morning, entry charges as follows, with a flyer or ad, £3 before midnight, £6 before 3 a.m., £8 before 5 a.m. or £10 thereafter, more info, including that Orange Nation membership free entry offer up at http://orangenation.co.uk or via http://facebook.com/events/181258335331581/.
To a couple of Vauxhall Short Shouts now and how could we avoid mentioning Beyond, even though the seemingly never-ending “Midnight” sequence of sessions seemingly continue unabated which, for us, are becoming yawn worthy. However, with special guest D.J. GSP (of XLsior fame) commanding the main room from 6 a.m., others on duty including Fat Tony, Jamie Head & Rob Sykes and doors opening at midnight this Saturday (19th Jan), more detail in true Ben Kaye promotions style up is out and available at http://www.facebook.com/events/523689437663032/
And making it at Orange Nation threesome inclusion here, Orange is certainly soaking up a splendid citric squeeze, a fresh yet familiar format from a few years ago back with a bang, new promoter Fat Tony having taken the helm just last weekend and is already making subtle changes, including the resplendent return of the gregarious Glendora this Sunday (20th Jan), regular resident The Oli joined on the decks by Jamie head, more detail on the full line-up out at http://facebook.com/events/104636443047790/,
Our other mini mention goes to a club night that just like the three already mentioned, is a capital clubbing circuit colossus come institution, Horse Meat Disco still in birthday celebratory mode, the ad saying it all when it exclaims that the club has been “…proudly serving disco burgers for the last 10 years…”, one of its residents that was there from the start, Severino, doing his own serving with a special six hour set, doors opening a hour earlier than usual at 8 p.m this Sunday (20th Jan)., more detail out via http://facebook.com/Eagle.London/.
So, skirting Soho, we head across to Shoreditch and to our second top of the tree choice, another birthday bash too, as the superb SOS celebrates its second this Saturday (19th Jan) at the exceptional East Bloc, Jim Warboy’s club one of the most popular on the calendar at this heavenly hangout, so sure to be a packed out affair. Indeed, having gained a reputation for being a “…tri-sexual underworld…” event, the crowd is a colourful as you will find anywhere, all up for partying & playing to the full and, in the process, saving their souls from mundane boredom, while the philosophy of the club is very simple, “…tune in, turn on, drop the attitude…” hinting towards a warm & welcoming Warboy wonder. And it seems that, in celebration of the second birthday milestone, Jim has gone to great lengths to bring the best in beats, he joined in the main room by east end & SOS favourites Hannah Holland & Joe Robots, while the second space gets a boost with special guest, the queen of the socialite scene, Room Service’s Jodie Harsh, headlining two back-to-back sets from the duo’s Chris Murdoch & Matthew Josephs and Anton Douglas & David Motta. But it doesn’t stop there as the marvellous Mark-Ashley Dupé masterminds the music in the back bar, accompanied by The Plastic Boy & Iccarus, while the big news for this brilliant birthday bash is the introduction of special host (or is that hostess?!) Jonny Woo, who is sure to spice up proceedings significantly, while can only be intrigued by fellow host Oozing Gloop, one very much boggling our mind. That said, this is one birthday you won’t want to miss, doors at East Bloc opening at 10.30 p.m. and the club running through till 6 a.m., entry £6 before midnight or £10 thereafter, more detail up at http://www.sosnow.co.uk/ and/or via the Facebook events page at http://facebook.com/events/478290032211425/.
To a couple of Shoreditch Shouts and we stick with East Bloc for our first and this Friday (18th Jan) when Larry tee rolls our another Super Electro Party Machine, this week welcoming new hip hop clubbing sensation, Hard Cock Life, who take over the main room madness from 10 p.m., while Mr Tee mixes it in the second space with Attack Attack Attack, more info up at http://facebook.com/groups/255553057341/.
As for the second, weill its goes to The Joiners Arms who have a pretty busy weekend, Friday seeing Rob Sykes on the decks for the weekly outing “Yes”, while the following evening, it’s the second instalment of new club night “Pantastic” with Alessandro Londra on the decks, Sunday’s “SPQR” with resident Julian de Apostate serving up the sounds, the club’s Facebook profile at http://facebook.com/joiners.arms.9 the place to go for further info.
So we move to the new & exciting part of our weekly recommends newsletter as we go international, although not literally as it will be February before we hit the continent again (more on that in a mo), although having trodden the dancefloor boards of this Parisian pleasure just two weeks ago, selecting Scream as our top of the three third Best Bite choice has come very easy indeed. But what has made it even easier, is that our premier protégé player, Zach Burns, stars in this Saturday’s (19th Jan) showing, this his second appearance for this brilliant brand which has been partying in Paris since 1996, no mean feat when you consider how tough the scene in the French capital has been and how much turmoil it has gone through in recent years. However, with a main room that compares with the best in Europe, a second space that serves up pure pop classics and a third play area where dancing is replaced by dark (we get our drift?!), there is no shortage of delightful distractions & diversions to keep even the most demanding of dancers sufficiently satisfied. But in Zach Burns, Scream has a D.J. that will surely have the main room packed and party heads eating oout of his funky, progressive & vocally infused house heaven, our mr Burns having laid down a compilation to mark the occasion and one well worth a listen via https://soundcloud.com/djzachburns/dj-zach-burns-house-sessions in advance of heading down to what is labelled as “…the biggest weekly French gay party…”, one that has welcomed the likes of Peter Rauhofer, Hector Fonseca, Offer Nissam & Pagano, Zach finding himself in amongst great company. Plus, with regular resident Tommy Marcus kicking the party off from 11 p.m. and special host Mika Paoleti caring for your every need, should you find yourselves in paris, this is definitely the place to be & be seen, more info out at http://scream-paris.com and/or http://facebook.com/groups/53427623634/.
To a couple of international Short Shouts now, a mini mention having to go to Muccassassina, which holds its “Play” party this Friday (19th Jan), welcoming special guest D.J. Danny Tor, joining resident Luigi Rosi in the main room, but with no less than three other dance come play spaces to choose from, this Rome club now into its 23rd season and still going as strong as ever, more info out at http://facebook.com/events/425666644169750/.
As for our second?, well we head much further afield, to Mexico in fact, although with a birthday theme running through this newsletter, plus with a Parisian pick under our belt, we couldn’t help but propel Heaven Queretaro, which celebrates its fifth anniversary this Saturday (19th Jan) and welcomes our Parisian pal, Leomeo to the decks, he sure to go down a storm with the Mexican crowd, more detail out at http://facebook.com/pages/Heaven-Club-Queretaro-Official/225745691617.
So, that’s just about it for our Best Bites & best of the rest Short Shouts, while we did promise to give you some disco dance diary dates, we looking ahead into February, Saturday 2nd, seing new club night “Baked” launch in London at Green Carnation in Soho, pitting its wits against big boys Matinee Pervert at Fire in Vauxhall & Pushca at Electric in Brixton, while the menWhoFell2Earth add to your choice, the boys back to East Bloc on the same night. However, if you want to hang your hat internationally that weekend, then why not join us and head out to Belgium, to Antwerp in fact, when prolific party “Propaganda” plays out at Red & Blue, while looking slightly further forward, another weekend in fact, it seems that back in London, its all about east, as DISH returns to East Bloc on Saturday 9th and then the talk of the town, Deelooded, kicks off in its new Shoreditch location, at a new venue, Xono, and on a new night, Sunday 10th February, this more than any other mentioned here, an absolute MUST for your diary, we having covered it all in detail within our preview “Making Majestic Moves” out at http://discomatt.com/web/?p=6708
Well, that really is it for this week, plenty of picks to keep you dancing right through from Friday to Sunday, while for us it’s a quiet one, the prospect of snow here in London sure to send us running for sofa comfort cover, although whatever you may be up to or wherever it finds you, have a terrific weekend time, naturally making sure that you “Go There! Be There!” (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: A:M, Baked, Beyond, Deelooded, Dish, Horse Meat Disco, Matinee, Muccassassina, Orange, Pushca, Scream, SOS, Super Electro Party Machine, The Joiners Arms | No Comments »
With Orange getting a freshly squeezed citric shake-up, new promoter Fat Tony taking the helm from tonight (Sun 13th Jan), we simply had to land our “Pick Of The Day” on this clubbing institution, all the event detail a banner selection away opposite or an image click below, while after our own party précis, we share the Boyz interview with Tony beneath.
Of all the clubbing brands that are fill out the capitals clubbing circuit calendar currently, Orange has to be the most enduring, a full fourteen years & counting seeing it still reign supreme on a Monday morning, although like many, it too has faced some challenging times in recent months. Indeed, when previous promoter Steven Sharp bowed out in favour of steering A:M & Later, Orange took a bit of a nose dive, its numbers dwindling and its direction wavering, a lack of promotional drive & enthusiasm partly to blame, the awful (and they were) advertising artwork pieces a sign that something was not right with this citric splendour of a weekly shindig. So, to the rescue has come Fat Tony, the man who was at the epicentre of its launch back in the heady days of Rotherhithe and in all the times since, he an indelible part of the D.J. residency line-up, so very much the man in the know when it comes to harnessing the historic highlights of this heavenly happening into the winning formula that used to see Fire rock towards Monday lunchtime, packed to the rafters. And with the recent success of his club Deelooded, plus the excellent work he has achieved with Gravity, handing him the Orange reigns is the best news this club has had in months, Tony very much wanting to recapture some of the magic of this Monday meet, his interview with Boyz magazine revealing all.
What’s it like taking over the reins of Orange?
For me, taking over the promotion of Orange is like coming home. I was involved right back at the start with Craig in Rotherhithe and have played at all the various incarnations and venues since
What are your thoughts on where the club is now & where you want to take it?
After 14 very successful years it has been left to its own devices a bit and is very much seen as the final destination, the last party of the weekend. I want to give it some love, rebuild and restructure the night to restore it to a prime destination club in its own right, an event that is fun, something special and unique. However, I am not kidding myself, it’s still a Sunday night/Monday morning party but I want to change it from somewhere you shouldn’t be, to somewhere you should.
What about the music?
The constant of Orange has always been the music. The main floor music is Orange; it is the brand and will be the very best in fresh & funky house, big tunes, glorious disco samples and stuff with real zest. The D.J.’s will include existing resident The Oli who is one brilliant form at the moment and Orange regular Hifi Sean, plus names like Tom Stephan, as well as loads of exciting new guests. In room two we will be doing different things, RAW will still be part of it and sometimes we will hand over the space for people to do their own thing completely, like Verity Mayes & Bryony Masters with their party, “Shame”.
Is anything else new?
I want to add fun back to the night, so the fab Glendora will be back with her own unique brand of special hostessing magic, plus there will be special guest P.A.’s and all sorts of surprises. A great club night should drag you through the front door, whirl you around the dancefloor, throw you up to the roof, bring you back down again, bounce you over the bar and then home with a huge smile on your face. My vision of Orange is a club for everyone, whether you’ve been out all weekend or just getting started.
So we reckon, with a promotional attitude and game plan like that, Orange will soon feel the force of this freshly squeezed fat style recipe, tonight the start of juicer citric splendour to come and we will be watching developments with a keen eye and even laying our hat on this happening sometime soon. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: Craig Elder, Fat Tony, Glendora, Hifi Sean, Orange, The Oli, Tom Stephan | No Comments »
With a surging sense of enthusiasm for 2013 in what we have called our year of positivity, we set out our plans in the first of a returning “Monthly Message”, sharing recent reviews, reports, recommends & music features, while looking forward to other reporting & reviewing returnees as well as some dates for your disco diary.
There is no shadow of a doubt that 2012 proved a rollercoaster of a ride for our reviewing, reporting & recommending, a fall in features compared to the previous year symptomatic of the challenges we faced and the distractions they caused and while there were plenty of highlights, our activity wasn’t one of them. So, with a determination to restore the status quo to where it was in 2011 and with this year very much one of “positivity”, plus with a real sense of resurgence in our fortunes, we are keen to bring back some reviews & reports that were noticeably absent in 2012, this our monthly message one, while there are others which we will be covering below. But true to our monthly message form, we will run through the sections on our website, picking up on activity for the last month, in this case December and then hinting as to what to expect from the coming month.
REVIEWS
December saw a continued return to reviews, WE’s “Formula 2” anniversary event along with two Beyond reflections posted, while towards the end of the month, we reviewed the year in general with our Annual Address, rounding off 2012 with our Clubs review, January starting virtually as we finished, with Beyond NYD getting the super sized review treatment, while our 2012 music reviews, three of them dominated the first week, our trip to Scream just over seven days ago on the cusp of completion while tomorrow’s DISH will be the next in a once a week review delivery, our highlight review from December that final Beyond fling of 2012.
RECOMMENDS/PICKS
During December we combined our Picks choices with our Extra Bites focuses, Orange’s “Christmas Day”, A:M’s “Boxing Day” Beyond “Midnight” & Splash Roma four, while pure Picks went to Room Service, PLAY>TIME, Muccassassina & ClubNation, while we posted just two Weekend Focus features, one on Beyond & the other on Orange Nation’s festive offerings. As for our newsletters, just one went public, the weekend before Christmas getting our Short Shots attention. As for January, well we have short shouted already, extra bited on WE’s “Vogue” party and focussed on both Scream & DISH, a special focus up on Orange Nations “Free January Clubbing” while our picks choices still get published via Facebook & will be up on our website from next week too, while our highlight recommends/picks post goes to Beyond from 22nd December.
MUSIC/D.J.’S
While we had plenty of plans to make our music newsletters weekly, it didn’t happen, although we started publishing our “Track of The Week” choices via Facebook, while a special music feature went up on WE “Formula 2”, we also focussing on D.J.’s Jamie Head & Mikey D. As for January, well it started with our four music reviews of 2012, covering our top 40 track chart, producers, podcasts & sets, while we plan from next weekend to bring back those D.J. focuses, the newsletters, plus our podcast & track of the week postings via our website as well as on Facebook. As for our December highlight, well it could only be that WE special feature.
REPORTS
With no postings to speak of in December, this is one area that we really want to re-propel during January, the returning “That Was The Week That Was” report come review re-commencing from next Friday, while we have already posted three reports this month already, two on Gaydar Radio & the other on Profile/Lo-Profile. But we also want to launch our “Seventh Day Sermon”, while as scene news hits, we aim to report it as we always used to, that first Gaydar report our highlight, even if it was a January rather than December publication.
PREVIEWS/DISCO MATTERS
With nothing to show for in December, we certainly want to get our previews back on stream, the first on Puscha & Matinee Pervert due up in the next week, while Deelooded’s move out east will also get our advance focus. Plus, with a Seamus Hajji interview looking like it could come our way, Disco Matters should be back too.
NIBBLE SIZE TWEETS
A really popular feature of ours which, partly due to technical difficulties, all but halted towards the end of 2012, although following a number of requests to see them back, we will be re-launching these live from the dancefloor transmissions from the beginning of February, beaming our clubbing cavorting all the way from Antwerp, direct to http://twitter.com/discomatt.
COMING UP
With January already having seen us trip across the channel to Paris, while closer to our London home, East Bloc drew us in for DISH, the next couple of weekends will see us forging ahead with our “activity acceleration” plans, before a further trip onto the continent the first weekend of February, Antwerp, Red & Blue & Propaganda calling, while South Africa comes in March & then back to Paris for Easter & Matinee “La-Leche”. But with plenty of parties in-between, we will be attempting some mid-week as well as weekend dancing dervishes, Popcorn, Gigolo, Room Service & new club Swallow on our disco diary radar
KEEP UP
Naturally you can tune into all our activity right here, while for posts like our “Pick Of The Day”, Podcast & Track Of The Week” and our “Does…” photo albums, then our Facebook page at http://facebook.com/pages/Disco-Matt/112730602119746 is the place to go, while our group at http://facebook.com/groups/discomatt/ & our personal profile at http://facebook.com/discomattlondon are worth keeping tabs on, while in “Picks” terms, why not check out & follow our Tumblr page at http://discomatt.tumblr.com.
So, with much to do and a stringent schedule set, it’s all steam ahead in 2013 with our “activity acceleration” programme to put us back where we belong, as London’s original party boy independent journalist who’s reviews, reports, recommends & music posts position us as a prominent source of scene clubs, events, music, D.J.’s, news, interviews and much much more. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Reports, Reviews | Tags: A:M, Beyond, ClubNation, Dish, Gaydar Radio, Jamie Head, Mikey D, Muccassassina, Orange, Playtime, Room Service, Scream, WE | No Comments »
With Soho sustaining a significant shock this week, the sudden closure of Profile & Lo-Profile leaving any simply stunned, the effects have been far reaching, even hitting our recommendations schedule. So, as we pick up the pieces of our “Best Bites” format, we forge ahead with our Short Shouts of where to be & be seen on the scene in Soho, Vauxhall & Shoreditch this weekend.
Well, what a shocking surprise of a week it has been, starting with the stunning & out of the blue announcement of the immediate closure of Profile & Lo-Profile, the blame laid with tenancy agreement issues, while we all know it was down to that word beginning with M and what we all seem to need to survive. So, having played a prominent part in our weekly Best Bites newsletters, where we chose our top of the tree picks, one from Soho, Vauxhall & Shoreditch, these Wardour St wonders, apart from leaving a gaping hole on the scene, has resorted us to a Best Bites re-think. But while we re-configure that part of our weekend newsletters, our Short Shouts continue unabated and with plenty going, despite the sad Soho news, there is much to cheer the cockles of clubbers across the expected chilly weekend weather.
So let’s crack on and yes to Soho first, The Shadow Lounge very much in pole position once more, although sticking to its Friday “Therapy” formula but with a range of new roving residents, Adam Turner making a superb sound splash from midnight, while Saturday’s have become known for nothing else but “Inferno” and Andrew Elmore, details of these & other nights such as “Balearic”, out at http://theshadowlounge.co.uk
Onwards to Circa and that marvellous music man Adam Turner pitches up again, tonight (Thurs 10th Jan) seeing him warm you up for Room Service alongside Munroe Bergdorf, who returns on Friday night with her own style soiree, “Discipline”, very much keeping you in line, while its Adam again on Saturday (we can’t get enough of him), a little birdie telling us the 4 a.m. licence is still in place, more info up at http://circasoho.com & via Facebook at http://facebook.com/pages/Circa/183683868348892
Moving just round the square, that Soho Sq, and The Edge certainly packs a powerful punch on both Friday & Saturday, tomorrow night (11th Jan) welcoming Brazilian boy beatmaster Doug Silva to the decks, while our premier protégé player has a heavenly handle on Saturday’s with his “I Love Saturday House Sessions”, mixing the best current chart house remixes with uplifted funky & vocal house jams, hostess Felicia Van Cartier & her gorge go-go’s added into the mix, more details up at http://edgesoho.co.uk/ & on Facebook at http://facebook.com/groups/edgebarsoho/.
To Ku Bar and tomorrow sees DMS & Alvaro spin the sounds at “Klub”, the Friday frolic that combines popular picks, floor fillers & vocal house, while their new night on Saturday (12th Jan), “La Mix”, an Ibiza themed party takes over both the bar & the club, D.J.’s Doug Silva & Athanas Sak spinning the sounds, the bar & the club showing off some of the best looking serving studs in town who go bare topped each night, including Sunday which sees Lady Lloyd go all pop (that’s the music style), further info out at http://ku-bar.co.uk & http://facebook.com/kubarlondon.
To Rupert Street now and while this long running & popular watering hole has gone through the mill recently, a tumbling in both popularity and business seeing the new manager, Karl Nixon, scratch his head a little, Orange Nation have come to its rescue with a planned programme of pre-parties, Saturday (12th Jan) seeing Beyond take centre stage, Jamie Head on deck duty, so one not to be missed, http://facebook.com/events/393534407404054/ telling you more.
And finally, we couldn’t let the moment pass without a mention for the Profile & Lo-Profile farewell drinks event, which takes place at the Yard from 7 p.m. this Saturday (12th Jan), the upstairs space set aside for this glorious send off gathering and is expected to be a packed out affair, especially as many will have been caught out by the sudden closure. So, if you want to say your au-revoir’s but surely not goodbyes to the team, then this is the place to do it, more info up at http://facebook.com/events/244194319045789/246340292164525/.
To Vauxhall now and Orange Nation are in the driving seat, their “Free January Clubbing” encompassing parties from Gravity to Orange & everything in between, while, if we are brutally honest (and a tad controversial), we cannot quite believe that Beyond goes all “Midnight” on us again this weekend, the club having used this format for three of the last four weeks & looks like doing so for the rest of the month. But apparently it was packed with punters last Saturday night into Sunday morning & will surely be again, details of D.J.’s on duty, etc, etc, up at http://www.facebook.com/events/116714235167756/
But the big news on the Orange Nation front is that Fat Tony has taken over promoting Orange, adding this amazing afterhours institution of a Monday morning meet to Gravity & Deelooded, both shinning under his steership, Orange in need of a fresh citric squeeze, Tony the man to do it, not least as he was at the centre of the clubs launch some fourteen years ago, so is sure to bring the good times & the fun back, while also introducing new guest D.J.’s to the main room, this one to watch, Sunday’s event info up at http://otangenation.co.uk & via the events page at http://facebook.com/events/516510358381533/
Just before we leave Orange Nation, it’s worth re-mentioning that “Free January Clubbing” offer which covers clubs Gravity, A:M, Beyond, Later & Orange, we having attempted to confound the theory that nothing in life is for free in our special focus feature “Some Things In Life Are For Free”, we having dug deep into the promotional PR, digesting the detail & producing our own view on what is, on face value, a fabulous free filler for your jaded post festive January, so well worth a look at http://discomatt.com/web/?p=6614 as well as checking out http://oramgenation.co.uk/membership
To the Eagle now who’s winning weekend is three faceted, “Tonker” doing its beefy & brawny bloke thing on Friday (11th Jan), promoter Tim Jones joined on the decks by another Jones, Ross making music for the men, while on the following night sees “Eagle Saturday’s” take centre stage, a genre blend of 70’s/80’s/90’s hits combined with more modern funky, electro & tech tainted house, Prince Nelly providing the former, while Severino sorts the latter. And with the mere words “Horse Meat Disco” speaking enough Sunday volumes, head to http://eaglelondon.com & http://www.facebook.com/Eagle.London for more.
And we couldn’t let Vauxhall pass go without a mention for venerable institution, The Royal Vauxhall Tavern, which hit the headlines recently when welcoming back Paul O’Grady to what was his hallowed turf as Lilly Savage, while its fringe events continue to reign supreme in the week & this Friday as it goes, as “Wotever World” is what it’s about, Saturday, Amy Lame & The Readers Wives meaning only one thing, “Duckie”, while Sunday is synonymous with “S.L.A.G.S./Chill-out”, more info up at http://thervt.org.uk or via the venue’s Facebook group, http://facebook.com/groups/thervt/.
To Shoreditch now and to East Bloc which has two terrific turns this weekend, the first mention having to go to DISH, which celebrates its first birthday on Saturday (12th Jan) and has been subject to our own Weekend Focus feature, “Tasty Turn Turns One”, which tells all about the club & about Saturday’s shindig at http://discomatt.com/web/?p=6624, while we are sure it will scoop our Saturday “Pick Of The Day” too, so very much the place to be & be seen, more info out at http://facebook.com/DISHLONDON.
As for that second soiree, well its Friday and “Super Electro Party Machine”, Larry Tee’s off the wall wonder that sees a superb selection of stars spin the sounds, this week seeing Mr Tee welcome Guy Williams & his Paradise 45 crew, the “Electro” being substituted for “Paradise” on the event info, while the hot off the press news is that Princess Julia will be making her majestic musical mark too, she another product from the Wayne Shires Crash camp that have moved out east, details up at http://facebook.com/events/520317934655157/.
Up the road we now go to The Dalston Superstore in fact, which has a full weekend of wonders, we running through them in reverse, Sunday being “Tutti Frutti” day, while on Saturday its gender bender time with the return of Shoreditch son Kris Di Angelis’s club, “Tramp”, this time going hot, Munroe Bergdorf joined by Jonny Woo upstairs, while Kris serves up a four hour set downstairs (check http://facebook.com/events/427982320607845/ for more info). And with Friday asking to just “Say Yes”, The DSS has all this & much more to offer, info out at http://facebook.com/groups/dalstonsuperstore/.
For our final Short Shout, we head back into Shoreditch proper and to the Joiners Arms which has certainly seen a resurgence in popularity recently, due in no part to the fact that they sport some of the bigger D.J. names from the capitals clubbing circuit, This Saturday (12th Jan) seeing newish night “Pantastic” welcome Ariel to the decks, while it has been Sunday soiree “SPQR” (standing for Sexy Parties Queer Revels) that has really put The Joiners back on the circuit map, we having to head down soon, while you can head to http://joinersshoreditch.com for more detail on these, Friday’s “Yes” and the other four days delights too.
Well that’s it for our singular recommends newsletter, we hoping to be back with our revised Best Bites part next week, on top of more Short Shout includees such as Clapham’s Bridge Bar & Soho’s Room Service, although with over twenty events & parties covered here there is much to mull over & lay your hat on this weekend. As for us, it’s a DISH weekend after a quick Saturday Soho sortie to Rupert St & the Edge, so with plenty of places to be & be seen on the scene, if you see us out come say hi, naturally in doing so, making sure you “Go There! Be There!” (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: Beyond, Circa, Dish, Duckie, East Bloc, Horse Meat Disco, Inferno, Ku Bar, Orange, Orange Nation, Pantastic, Rupert Street, S.L.A.G.S./Chill-out, SPQR, Super Electro Party Machine, The Dalston Superstore, The Eagle, The Edge, The Joiners Arms, The RVT, The Shadow Lounge, Therapy, Tonker, Tramp, Wotever World | No Comments »
You’ve heard of the phrase, “…nothing in life is for free…”, well, in the world of Orange Nation, it seems that clubbing in January IS, yes, free clubbing in January, sounds amazing doesn’t it?, we delving into the detail of what they are offering and how you can get your hands on it.
Being a bit of a cynic sometimes, we have to agree with age old adage that nothing in life is for free, a free ride often leading to something else, while the myriads of “free” offers you see advertised in the rags & the internet always have some sort of catch, “…get this free flight for two to Florida…” but then pay over the odds for accommodation & the like. Well, you get our drift, meaning we are always pretty cautious when the word free is banded around, the capitals clubbing circuit as guilty a party as any, some clubs actively advertising free entry when certain licensing restrictions forbid such a practice. Yet we can’t help having noticed the promotion that Orange Nation have been pushing since the middle of November last year, their Free Clubbing In January publicity programme initially catching our eye with that odd poster title “House For Sale”, a slogan that probably achieved exactly what its aim was, to attract attention. Indeed, a source close to the clubbing group told us that, having out up a poster outside one of their venues, Orange Nation was approached on more than one occasions by prospective buyers, clearly not the sort of attention they were seeking. That said, subsequent artwork pieces have been more to the point and so as we find ourselves in the first week of the year, we thought we would investigate this free clubbing offer of theirs a little further and see what all the fuss has been about.
Well, wading through the clubbing PR, a handful of releases sending the same message but in different ways, the latest one to hit our desks has been the most straightforward yet, its short & to the point sentence saying “…To say thank you for all your support in 2012, the Orange Nation are giving away our biggest ever party present to London’s clubbers – free clubbing throughout January! The same great brands, no compromising, for free!…” which sounds pretty good, especially when you consider it has some of the biggest & best known brands on the clubbing calendar at the moment, Beyond, Orange, A:M, Later & Gravity all falling under this January sale of a deal. But what is the deal? Well, pretty much as it says on the tin really, free clubbing at all of these weekly parties for the whole on January, although you have to first read through some of the entry criteria small print to see exactly what you are getting for your money, or not as the case may be, as there are entry times criteria attached to each club, A:M for example, opening at 11 p.m. each Friday, this offer extending on the door until 4 a.m., Orange opening at the same time on Sunday’s although its 2 a.m. that you need to be in by, while for Later on a Sunday, they have been pretty generous with a 2 p.m. cut off on the door. And what has surprised us is that the offer extends to Beyond & not just the regular ones, but the “Midnight” events too, the January free entry offer on the door each week until 5 a.m.
But if you thought it was a case of just rocking up to the door & gaining free entry, then think again, as you will need one of the new Orange Nation membership cards in your possession to benefit from the offer, although January clubbing offer or not, it looks like something well worth getting your hands on, the real incentive to do so sooner rather than later is that the membership currently comes free (something else for free!!). So, let’s whizz through some of the benefits; future discount entry to all Orange Nation events, Q jump at all Orange Nation events, access to members only bars at both Area & Fire, entry to members only events/nights including the new annual “Members Ball”, a special birthday offer where you & 3 guests free entry, with concession entry for 5 other friends for your designated birthday party event (i.e. Beyond, A:M, etc), plus a bottle of bubbly, while there are more, meaning we reckon its definitely one to add to your card collection and we suspect, will be one that won’t get buried deep in your wallet. So how to apply?, well simply log onto the Orange Nation website or hot the direct link http://orangenation.co.uk/membership and as they say, “…we’ll be in touch with information about picking up your card or receiving it in the post in time for you to enjoy FREE clubbing in January, on us!…”. And having applied ourselves today, we can say it’s pretty straight forward although it will be interesting to see how long it will take for them to get in touch (no e-mail yet!)
So that’s the deal and a pretty good one it sounds too, January sometimes proving a bit of a tough month on the wallet, although with this generous free clubbing offer, it could take the strain off those stretched pounds, shillings & pence, leaving you to dance the night away slightly less worried about the bank balance or manager. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: A:M, Area, Beyond, Fire, Gravity, Later, Orange, Orange Nation | 1 Comment »
Turkey & all the trimmings devoured and nothing much to watch apart from repeats means that there is only one chrimbo choice tonight (Tues 25th Dec), that being the clubbing institution that has become an Orange outing to break the boundaries of Christmas conformity, this enthralling event our “Pick Of The Day”, all the detail a banner selection away opposite or an image click below, while we extra bite on the bash beneath.
In all the years we have been stepping out on the scene, if there has been one day in the clubbing calendar that has broken the boundaries of conformity more than any other, it has been Christmas Day, the time when the masses spend time with family, cook the traditional turkey, eat indulge and the flop, even falling asleep among the myriad of repeats, like Morecombe & Wise, The Two Ronnies & Victoria Wood, while its Eastenders, Doctor Who & Emmerdale that does it for others, that and tucking into a sumptuous supper before cracking open the tin of Quality Street. But while we cannot miss out on our Christmas fix of Strictly Come Dancing, its other dancing that we have on mind this festive season night topper, that being the institution that has become a trip to Fire, in the case of this year to a outstanding Orange outing that has all the hallmarks of a heavenly happening to round off what has already been a captivating Christmas Eve & Day, probably the best this decade and even millennium.
So what’s on offer should you want to shun the Christmas pudding & stodgy supper in favour of a fabulous frolic at Fire, Well, this is what we had to say in our Orange Nation Festive Focus….
“….Let’s crack (or is that cracker) on and head to Christmas Day (or night actually) as the institution that is Orange swings open its doors, flying in the face of conformity, dragging you away from the comedy repeats on the Beeb and giving you an outstanding opportunity to work off the excesses of the day. And while the promotions team claim “…let’s face it, you’ve been very bad this year so Santa won’t be coming anywhere near your chimney, so screw the turkey, let’s go to Fire!…” perhaps an excessive amount of clubbing during 2012 being their point, although we doubt you have been that naughty but will want to indulge in a little post dinner decadence while others fall asleep over that traditional Christmas supper. But we much prefer the promotions tack when they say “…Join together under the shining star of Orange with your London family this Christmas Day at our annual institution, and live the alternative nativity scene that didn’t make the gospel. Kings (& queens) travel far and wide to the stable of Fire where it all began, for a festive celebration like no other…” and if previous year’s experiences are anything to go by, then it will be a pumping & prolific party to plunder, Orange standing on its own two feet this year rather than previous chrimbo combo’s with that other Christmas institution Trade.
Well, what will this Christmas Day delectation deliver?, well citric sound splendour from start to finish as the D.J. line-up is pure Orange old school, The Sharp Boys, & Fat Tony on deck duty, while another original resident makes a special festive appearance, Gonzalo Rivas jetting in from his home & base of Valencia in what will be the first of a string of showings that include Beyond, A:M & WE Party, although he cannot contain his excitement for being back behind the Orange (potentially RAW) decks on Christmas night, so much so that he has laid down a special compilation to mark the occasion and one you should go grab without delay by clicking on http://orangenation.podomatic.com/entry/index/2012-12-20T08_37_46-08_00 while his set will definitely be one to savour. However, with the party kicking off at Fire this Tuesday (25th Dec) at 11 p.m. and the event running through till 7 a.m., plus with the potential of not just one but two rooms of fun, the D.J. set length maths dictate that the so called “…special guests…” will be required for duty, likely includee’s being Verity Mayes & playing partner Bryony Masters, while if they are in town, both The Oli & Paul Martin may be called up, the prospect of all these spinning stars sorting the Christmas night sounds surely too much to resist. So, having netted your hook, line & sinker, all we now need to say is go grab your advance tickets now, online at https://orangenation.ticketabc.com/events/orange-2-2-2-2-2-2/ still priced at just £10 or you can pay on the door although expect to pay more, further event info, is out at http:/facebook.com/events/424553537610538/…”
So, who’s up for a party tonight?, we are for sure this every much a DM institution as any, plus with no play on Boxing Day due to work commitments, we will be making the most of this festive fanfare, beckoning you to come say hi if you see us out, making sure that you “Go There! Be There!”. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: Danny Boyce, Fat Tony, Fire, Gonzalo Rivas, Hrh Minty, Orange, The Sharp Boys | No Comments »
If there was ever an organisation to come up trumps over Christmas, it is Orange Nation, a superb selection of spectacular showings that sparkle & shine bright throughout the coming Christmas week, we focussing on Orange “The Christmas Day Institution” & A:M Ultra’s “Boxing Day Blowout”, while short shouting for no less than six other glorious gathering’s, a New Year Golden Ticket touting and an Orange Nation Christmas present of free clubbing in January mini mention.
As we find ourselves on the cusp of Christmas week 2012, we look back to the same time last year and a calendar of events that was every bit as plump as the turkeys that will no doubt be making it to dinner tables across the land come Tuesday, although with Christmas falling during the week this year rather than over the weekend like last, the 2012 festive season reality is that the lack of two additional bank holiday’s means that for some (like us) it’s just two days off from work making for leaner clubbing cavorting. Yet there will be plenty of others that will have either been granted or will be taking the whole week off, meaning there will be a penchant for partying, the clubbing circuit in the capital certainly not failing to deliver, especially if you head into the world of Orange Nation, the clubbing conglomerate that is responsible for brands such as A:M, Beyond, Gravity, Later & Orange, a host of events carrying you from Christmas Day to N.Y.E. meaning we thought it only right to propel their parties in a specially devoted festive focus which we have aptly called, “Christmas Cracker Of Continuous Clubbing”, honing in on two of the big Christmas events, but also giving a mini mention to the myriad of others. And with 2013 just over a week away, we will also take the opportunity to hint towards 1st January in what will once again prove one of the biggest clubbing days of the year, while we cannot forget the special Orange Nation Christmas present of free clubbing in January, no scrooge at large here.
So let’s crack (or is that cracker) on and head to Christmas Day (or night actually) as the institution that is Orange swings open its doors, flying in the face of conformity, dragging you away from the comedy repeats on the Beeb and giving you an outstanding opportunity to work off the excesses of the day. And while the promotions team claim “…let’s face it, you’ve been very bad this year so Santa won’t be coming anywhere near your chimney, so screw the turkey, let’s go to Fire!…” perhaps an excessive amount of clubbing during 2012 being their point, although we doubt you have been that naughty but will want to indulge in a little post dinner decadence while others fall asleep over that traditional Christmas supper. But we much prefer the promotions tack when they say “…Join together under the shining star of Orange with your London family this Christmas Day at our annual institution, and live the alternative nativity scene that didn’t make the gospel. Kings (& queens) travel far and wide to the stable of Fire where it all began, for a festive celebration like no other…” and if previous year’s experiences are anything to go by, then it will be a pumping & prolific party to plunder, Orange standing on its own two feet this year rather than previous Chrimbo combo’s with that other Christmas institution Trade.
So what’s on offer? Well citric sound splendour from start to finish as the D.J. line-up is pure Orange old school, The Sharp Boys, & Fat Tony on deck duty, while another original resident makes a special festive appearance, Gonzalo Rivas jetting in from his home & base of Valencia in what will be the first of a string of showings that include Beyond, A:M & WE Party, although he cannot contain his excitement for being back behind the Orange (potentially RAW) decks on Christmas night, so much so that he has laid down a special compilation to mark the occasion and one you should go grab without delay by clicking on http://orangenation.podomatic.com/entry/index/2012-12-20T08_37_46-08_00 while his set will definitely be one to savour. However, with the party kicking off at Fire this Tuesday (25th Dec) at 11 p.m. and the event running through till 7 a.m., plus with the potential of not just one but two rooms of fun, the D.J. set length maths dictate that the so called “…special guests…” will be required for duty, likely includee’s being Verity Mayes & playing partner Bryony Masters, while if they are in town, both The Oli & Paul Martin may be called up, the prospect of all these spinning stars sorting the Christmas night sounds surely too much to resist. So, having netted your hook, line & sinker, all we now need to say is go grab your advance tickets now, online at https://orangenation.ticketabc.com/events/orange-2-2-2-2-2-2/ still priced at just £10 or you can pay on the door although expect to pay more, further event info, should you need it, out at http://www.facebook.com/events/424553537610538/.
Then, the following night, another afterhours institution that has gone through a significant transformation during 2012, holds its “Boxing Day Blowout”, A:M Ultra flying the Orange Nation flag, given that it’s a Wednesday and Onyx, which would normally occupy this slot, has all but disappeared from the capitals clubbing circuit, in a way a victim of its own success, like a tormented city trader having burnt itself out after a hectic three seasons at the top of the Friday tree. However, while to the naked eye, Onyx is no more, with an inside track along with informed information, Onyx has actually been absorbed by A:M, which under the superb steership of none other than prolific promoter Steven Sharp, has gone all “Ultra” on us, shifting & extending is previous afterhours status into the realms of nightime clubbing too, this traditional Saturday morning meet becoming a Friday frolic aswell. And given the souped up size & substantial standing with the Orange Nation weekly clubbing/event schedule, it seems wholly appropriate that A:M “Ultra” has been granted this much prized Boxing Day slot, Mr Sharp pleased as punch that he has landed this cracking Christmas schedule stocking filler for his club, he remarking to us that “…Boxing Day has always been a traditional favourite party night to celebrate with friends and an excellent opportunity to dance and burn off any inches from Christmas Day excess!…” especially for those that didn’t make it to Orange the previous night.
As for the event, the first big “Blowout” piece of news is that A:M “Ultra” once again switches from his native home Fire, moving across to splendid sister (and in our opinion the much better suited) Area, Steven also revealing that the venue “…will be transformed into a snow setting, with all new decor, new visuals & loads of pyrotechnics to make the party GO BANG!…” we concurring that there is no better place than Area with its superior lighting, layout & atmosphere to push these plans to prolific prominence. And Steven is pulling out all the team stops, hostess with the mostest HRH Minty, with her little elf helpers Danny Boyce & Louise Port all on duty & handing out mince pies and Xmas sweets, while the D.J. line up oozes A:M from its main room pores, the star studded line up including Jamie Head, Gonzalo Rivas, D’Johnny and newish resident players Matt Bogard & Ania, all playing “…playing the contemporary supercharged house…”, the sounds extending to a second space where Onyx takes pop music charge in the heavenly hands of Tasty Tim & DMS. So, with a line up like that, this is sure to be the billed “Boxing Day Blowout With A Bag”, Area’s doors opening this coming Wednesday (26th Dec) at 10 p.m. and the vent running through to a planned 8 a.m. finish, advance tickets available online at https://orangenation.ticketabc.com/events/m-3-2-2-2-2-2/ priced at an early bird (still available) £10 or the standard £12, while with an ad/flyer it’s that same standard price on the door till midnight or £15 without & after, this surely an Xmas disco diary must, especially if (unlike us) you have Thursday off.
So those are the two Orange Nation Christmas week headline events, but what about the rest? Well on Thursday (27th Dec), the team point you in the direction of Room Service who hold a pre-party for WE “Vogue which takes place on N.Y.D., this followed by Gravity at Covert from midnight until 8.am. Then moving to Friday (28th Dec) A;M “Ultra is back and back at its home Fire, doors opening at 11 p.m. & the club running superlate (translated as post Saturday morning dawn), while just fifteen or so hours later, awesome afterhours Beyond rolls out yet another of its infamous “Midnight” meets, that is from zero o’clock on Sunday 30th Dec) running through till another superlate billing, we suspect 10 or 11 a.m. Then completing the Christmas week picture is Later, which itself is on the move for a one-off Sunday daytime disco dervish at Covert, making this a perfect hop, skip & jump from Beyond at next door Area, proceedings kicking off at 11.30 a.m. & the club running through till 7/8 p.m. details of all these events due out at http://orangenation.co.uk. Then, after a resting respite on New Year’s Eve, the “Golden Ticket” trio takes charge, Beyond NYD, WE “Vogue” & Orange “WE Afterhours” the £40 combined ticket package which is brilliant value so worth a mini mention now, this terrific ticket combo available online now at https://orangenation.ticketabc.com/events/new-years/ while details of what it offers is up at http://facebook.com/events/128980950589187/, while watch this space for special New Year Focus features on Beyond, WE & Orange, as well as an Extra Bites post on Beyond “Midnight”, all coming up later this week.
So, spending Christmas week on the Orange Nation dancfloors is truly a seven day prospect & affair for some, while work commitments look like restricting us to that institutional tradition that is Fire on Christmas night, although we wholeheartedly support all seven soiree’s as prominent places to be seen on the scene this festive season, meaning you should “Go There! Be There!” (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: A:M "Ultra", Ania, Area, Beyond, Covert, D'Johnny, Fat Tony, Fire, Gonzalo Rivas, Gravity, Jamie Head, Later, Matt Bogard, Orange, Room Service, Steven Sharp, The Golden Ticket, The Sharp Boys, Verity Mayes, WE Party | No Comments »
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17 Feb 2013 | 4 Comments
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Recommends/Reports – “Festival Fever In February” – As One “In The Park” – Sunday 26th May – News Nibbles
With its dust sheets confined to the cleaning cupboard, As One emerges from its own obscurity with a bang, as it announces and exciting new chapter in its history, this clubbing combo caterpillar bursting out as a butterfly with its own Festival, we reporting in brief on the first announcement ...
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13 Jan 2013 | 0 Comments
Picks/Recommends – “Freshly Squeezed Fat Style” – Orange – Sunday 13th January – Pick Of The Day/Extra Bites Special
With Orange getting a freshly squeezed citric shake-up, new promoter Fat Tony taking the helm from tonight (Sun 13th Jan), we simply had to land our “Pick Of The Day” on this clubbing institution, all the event detail a banner selection away opposite or an image click below, while after ...
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11 Jan 2013 | 0 Comments
Reviews/Reports – “Activity Acceleration” – D.M.’s Monthly Message – Friday 11th January
With a surging sense of enthusiasm for 2013 in what we have called our year of positivity, we set out our plans in the first of a returning “Monthly Message”, sharing recent reviews, reports, recommends & music features, while looking forward to other reporting & reviewing returnees as well as ...
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10 Jan 2013 | 0 Comments
Recommends – “Soho Stunner Shifts Shouts” – Weekend Short Shouts Newsletter – Thursday 10th to Sunday 13th January
With Soho sustaining a significant shock this week, the sudden closure of Profile & Lo-Profile leaving any simply stunned, the effects have been far reaching, even hitting our recommendations schedule. So, as we pick up the pieces of our “Best Bites” format, we forge ahead with our Short Shouts of ...
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7 Jan 2013 | 1 Comment
Recommends – “Some Things In Life Are For Free” – Orange Nation “January Clubbing For Free” – Monday 7th January – Special Focus
You’ve heard of the phrase, “…nothing in life is for free…”, well, in the world of Orange Nation, it seems that clubbing in January IS, yes, free clubbing in January, sounds amazing doesn’t it?, we delving into the detail of what they are offering and how you can get your ...
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25 Dec 2012 | 0 Comments
Picks/Recommends – “Classic Chrimbo Cavourting” – Orange “The Christmas Day Institution” – Tuesday 25th December – Pick Of The Day/Festive Focus Extra
Turkey & all the trimmings devoured and nothing much to watch apart from repeats means that there is only one chrimbo choice tonight (Tues 25th Dec), that being the clubbing institution that has become an Orange outing to break the boundaries of Christmas conformity, this enthralling event our “Pick Of ...
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23 Dec 2012 | 0 Comments
Recommends – “Cracking Christmas Clubbing Celebration” – Orange Nation Festive Offer – Tuesday 25th to Sunday 30th December – Special Festive Focus
If there was ever an organisation to come up trumps over Christmas, it is Orange Nation, a superb selection of spectacular showings that sparkle & shine bright throughout the coming Christmas week, we focussing on Orange “The Christmas Day Institution” & A:M Ultra’s “Boxing Day Blowout”, while short shouting for ...
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