Posts Tagged ‘Profile Bar’
July 15, 2011 | 
Author With our heads having been buried in computers & the compilations for well over twenty four hours, our minds are now focused back on the forthcoming weekend and one that looks set to be another purple patch period of partying with two exceptional events on our schedule. However, looking across the scene, there is so much more on offer meaning that it’s time to run through our Best Bites & Short Shouts across Soho, Vauxhall & elsewhere, as the march towards the middle of the month marks to marvellous meets.
Wardour Street Wonders
To Soho first and our Best Bite pretty much a foregone conclusion as Profile & Lo-Profile get our choice again this week. But rather than run through the whole offer at these Wardour St. wonders, having visited two weeks in a row, we will let our reviews do the talking, , “I Want My Porridge”, which should probably say “We Got Our Porridge”, looking at Profile (direct link) http://discomatt.com/web/2011/07/reviews-i-want-my-porridge-junior-moura-plays-profile-barcode-friday-1st-saturday-2nd-july-bite-size-review/, while with both Gigolo & Society playing a big part in Lo-Profile’s weekly offer, we combined both into one review which gives you as good a flavour as any recommendation (direct link http://discomatt.com/web/2011/07/reviews-soho-social-splendour-times-two-gigolo-society-at-lo-profile-thurs-fri-7th-8th-july-bite-size-review/). However, whilst it’s good to reflect, especially when it’s all about good times, it’s also great to look forward and this weekend, both Profile & Lo-Profile give you a lot to look forward to, the former sporting two of its longest serving resident D.J.’s Jamie Head dishing up the dance hits tomorrow (Fri 15th), while the cheeky Craig Daniels does the business on Saturday, both starting from 8 p.m. & carrying you through to the extended 11.30 p.m. curtain call. With a fab food offer, the friendliest staff & the best cocktails in town, check out more info of his sophisticated spot at http://profilesoho.com. As for downstairs in Lo-Profile, with Society steering you into Saturday, the man behind the concept, nu-funk exponent extraordinaire Brent Nicholls kicks off another session of this social come clubbing splendour, while Nick Evans takes up the music mantle till 4 a.m. Then on Saturday, it seems that Lo-Profile can’t get enough of Hugh Stevenson, as he is back for a second weekend, Alessandro Londra polishing off another wonderful Wardour St weekend, more details on Lo-Profile available at http://loprofile.com.
A New Era
Now to some Short Shouts & Rupert St get first bite, with D.J. Minx in charge on the tunes tomorrow night, while Oliver M, fresh from the La Demence cruise should have tons of terrific tunes up his sleeve on Saturday (16th) both selecting the sounds from 9 p.m. till midnight, details on this popular place out at http://rupertstreet.com.
To Ku-Bar now and having popped in last night, it seems they have had a major makeover (well since we were there last anyway), so definitely a more sophisticated look upstairs, while is business as usual downstairs, the DJ quest comp still in full force tomorrow (Fri 15th), while on Sunday, Lady Lloyd holds another “Hit Factory” happening, also not forgetting “Citric” on Monday (yes not the weekend!!), more info out at http://ku-bar.co.uk.
Finally to The Shadow Lounge, who are right in the middle of a massive makeover in time for their 10th anniversary, this Saturday signalling the last party before they close their doors for the major facelift works. So, with furniture & other Shadow souvenirs up for grabs, Andrew Elmore making sure the sounds are spectacular, this should be a closing party to remember, while the new look is also extending to the website, where you can get all the info you need on what when & where, at http://theshadowlounge.co.uk.
Saturday Spotlight
Onto Vauxhall and one event stands out among a sea of others in The Orange Group stable, as Casa Latina makes its second splash on the scene, with their “Super Car Wash” party this Saturday (16th July), we having covered it all in detail with our Weekend Focus “Brazilian Beats Bonanza”, out at direct link http://discomatt.com/web/2011/07/recommends-brazilian-beats-bonanza-cas-latina-super-car-wash-saturday-16th-july-weekend-focus/, and one prolific party you won’t want to miss. So, whilst Casa is standing in the Saturday spotlight, there is plenty else on offer, starting with Onyx tomorrow night at Area, residents D.J.;s including Lee Harris, Jc Christiopher Ariel & Lisa German, while straight after its another A:M Afterhours at Fire, proving a great excuse to push the euphoric envelope deep into Saturday morning. Then, with all those Latino’s out at Fire on Saturday night, they will definitely be in partying mood, so heading for Beyond on Sunday morning, while the team also party hard in Paris the previous night, The Oli & Paul Heron flying the flag once again. With Later on Sunday afternoon in a purple patch of partying, so should prove a draw, especially for those not heading out to Lovebox, while Booster keeps the clubbing going straight to Orange that carries you deep into Monday morning & a later crawl to the office or workstation. Whilst it is very much business as usual for The Orange Group this weekend, there is a new kid on the block night coming your way very soon, not to mention big plans for August, so here is where to keep your eyes peeled as the news breaks (no phone tapping required for info). But, you could also pay a visit to http://fireclub.co.uk/gayparties for more information on a full-on week of clubbing that also includes Gravity, Deuces, Open & Work, while to get guest list entries to clubs, clock on to http://gayguestlists.com/ & add your club choice after it (i.e. Onyx, Later, Booster).
Barcode Birthday
Onto some Short Shouts now and never say we shy away from something a little off our usual beaten track, but when a club celebrates a birthday, its 10th no less, then it definitely deserves a mention. And in this case, our shout goes to Bootylicious, marking this milestone with birthday bash that celebrates this clubbing of colour collectives’ coolest raves across a decade that has seen it hop from Crash to Area & then jump to Colosseum, where this party takes place on Saturday (16th), more info on this institution available at http://bootylicious-club.co.uk/.
Next & to a venue who’s Sunday nighter, Horse Meat Disco, will be in the thick of the action at Lovebox in Victoria Park (more on that in a mo), while The Eagle hold a pre-Lovebox celebration with HMD’s Jim Stanton on the decks, while the previous night, Tim Jones’s “Tonker” sees another Jones on the decks, Ross bashing out the beats at this bear-tastic gathering. With HMD back for a post Lovebox mash-up on Sunday night (17th July) and a week full of frolics, go check out the venues website http://eaglelondon.com for more info.
Now to another birthday celebration, as Barcode Vauxhall celebrates 5 years on the clubbing scene this Saturday (16th July), with an extra special party, bringing back some of its favourite D.J. residents to mix up the musical birthday cake recipe, Steven Artis joined by Gonzalo Rivas, Hugh Stevenson, Elliot J Brown & Paul Coals. Now, we will be devoting an Extra Bites post to BCV’s birthday, so keep your eyes peeled for that, but for details on this, the now singular Barcode in the capital, go to http://bar-code.co.uk.
Fab Festival Fun
So to our alternatives and Best Bite just had to go to Lovebox, which whilst in the domain of breeder land for most of its three day festival length, has a distinct homo feel to it on Sunday (17th July), when it seems the lion’s share of the gay clubbing scene will be heading out to Victoria Park to give support to the likes of Circus, Horse Meat Disco & Trailer Trash, who will be flying the rainbow flag over the exceptional alfresco event. But when you see the main stage line-up, there is plenty of gay interest too, as headlining are The Scissor Sisters, while big players Robyn, Kelis, Beth Ditto, Blondie & Marc Almond no less, all hit the homo mark, the list of performers stretching deep into double figures (we count 55), both Tensnake & Jonny Woo in the mix, while that Circus stage looks like one not to miss. And having spoken with Kris Di Angelis on the subject a couple of weeks ago, the live performance planned is one you simply won’t want to miss, the Circus top protagonists all involved, including Scottee, Tom Stephan &, of course Jodie Harsh herself. Add to all that a packed park serving up cabaret, circus rides, street theatre, vintage bazaars, art installations & much more and we are just praying the glorious British summer doesn’t let us down. Now, looking at the official website, http://lovebox.net, there are still both standard & VIP tickets on sale via the official suppliers, Ticketmaster & HMV tickets, but be warned, you will need to collect them on the gate as even we, having ordered ours two weeks ago, have to potentially stand in a queue for our VIP ones (not very VIP that is it?!?!). However, tickets aside, this is going to be a fantastic festival and one hell of a day for us, DM being on hand to review it all, while we will also be pushing out an Extra Bites recommends post, giving you the last minute rundown of where to be & be seen.
Right to a couple of Short Shouts to round off this newsletter and we head up to Dalston first, to The Dalston Superstore in fact, who are very much in the Lovebox mood with their “Optimo” party on Saturday (16th) when the Glasgow duo of JD Twitch & JG Wilkes roll up fresh from their Lovebox appearance for the city’s legendary club, that being Optimo of course, while Horse Meat Disco’s Severino rocks upstairs. With “Boydem” on Friday & a very special “Outside The Box” post Lovebox party on Sunday, Trailer Trash, Bodytalk & Hot Boy Dancing Spot combining for one monumental mash-up & The DSS is definitely the place to be, more info available at http://thedalstonsuperstore.com.
Over at East Bloc and the boys are still in recovery mode after a superb Summer Rites festival last weekend, but welcome Fitladz to the fray, this boy on boy bash having uprooted itself from Vauxhall, picks this trendy Shoreditch spot to draw in some of those “aww right” East End ladz tomorrow night (Fri 15th), while it is a case of S.O.S., as this plu populaire night is back, the likes of Jim Warboy, The Lovely Jonjo, Scottee & La Gosse included in the line-up, more details on East Bloc out at http://eastbloc.co.uk.
Tan Top Up
Right folks, we are pretty much there for another weekend, but just time to squeeze in two tiny mentions, first to tip top clubbing site SeenQueen, who have updated their own diary of events right into August, this & much more available at http://seenqueen.com/, while with the weather being what it is, maybe a tan would go a miss, the best place to top up & look beautiful being Solarstation on Archer Street in Soho, full details of offers from Hassan & his team up on their website at http://solarstation.co.uk.
So, with plenty to choose from this weekend and with every hope that the sun will be shining on the righteous this Sunday, all that’s left to do is to wish you a pleasant one, wherever you are & whatever you are doing, but if you find yourselves at Casa Latina on Saturday or Lovebox on Sunday & spot us out, come say hi, but remember what we say, which is simply “Go There! Be There! (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | 
Tags: A:M, Alessandro Londra, Barcode Vauxhall, Beyond, Booster, Brent Nicholls, Casa Latina, Circus, Craig Daniels, Horse Meat Disco, Hugh Stevenson, Jamie Head, Jodie Harsh, Kris Di Angelis, Ku Bar, Later, Lo-Profile, Lovebox, Nick Evans, Onyx, Orange, Profile Bar, Rupert St, The Eagle, The Orange Group, The Shadow Lounge, Tom Stephan, Trailer Trash | 
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Wardour Street Wonder
Having been launched some three years ago as an alternative to the Vauxhall scene, Lo Profile was aimed squarely at a clubbing community that wanted an option on hand to slide straight into after a stint around Soho, positioning itself in the heart of this gay village seeing it quickly establishing itself as a winner. Add to that the support it received by of one of the biggest names in the business, Gaydar, this vibrant venue on Wardour St has since gone from strength to strength, especially in a time when the likes of Astoria, Cafe De Paris & Hippadrome, the mainstay’s of clubbing in central London, either fell out of gay favour or simply were condemned to the bulldozer to make way for bigger & better projects. But never wishing to lay on its laurels, Lo-Profile has continued to evolve, stretching its offer by joining forces with clubbing promoters and laying on special events, two that are standout as well as recent additions to the venues portfolio, one tempting us back for more following spectacular launch, namele Gigolo, the other becoming a feature of our Friday’s, that being Society.
Fabulous Fever
So to Gigolo first, the creation of David & L.a. Hart that was born as a reaction to runaway success Room Service and pitched against this prolific party on a Thursday night, Gigolo grabbing much attention when it launched back in May, when it attracted the crème of the clubbing scene. And since, not only has it earned itself a position in the niche Soho social soiree market, but can boast a resident D.J. team to rival its neighbour, thus making a second visit a must. However, with our broken bones still in recovery mode, our planned trip to their “Fever” foray last Thursday had to be shelved, but with our “Secret Squirrel” undercover reviewer in town, we sent him down to take our place and this was what he had to say….
“…Being in Soho that evening was a perfect excuse to swing by Lo-Profile, Gigolo having become quite a favourite, especially that rival Room Service’s venue, Diu, simply doesn’t appeal. Indeed on the very few occasions we have been there, the cramped feel is not to our liking, probably as we do suffer from a bit of claustrophobia from time to time, although we appreciate that it is horses for courses, as Jodie Harsh does have a winner on her hands. However, we think David Hart & partner L.a. have too and Gigolo suits our style more, the expanse of Lo-Profile much easier for us to enjoy and the crowd it attracts also very easy on the eye, quite inviting on the eye actually.
But back to the night in question and arriving at Gigolo’s fever at a fashionable time, well 11 p.m. to be precise, we found Lo-Profile with quite a buzz, plenty of cute boys & muscle hunks mixing with familiar faces, one cute boy grabbing our eye, even though we had another on our arm. And the cute boy in question?, (not the one on our arm!!), well it was D.J. Zach Burns of course, his loose sleeveless top teasing a look at muscular chest (we couldn’t resist) while his music was pretty hot too, a bunch of classics & modern tunes pleasing our ears while our eyes were diverted. Then, with the champagne flowing & Lo-Profile’s Paul Beardshaw thrusting a glass in our hand (we never say no1), we toasted this birthday boy, also consuming some shots in the process, our Brazilian boy ever attentive & enjoying Gigolo as much as we were.
With all the alcohol we continued to consume making the rest of the evening a bit hazy, we do remember Nathan Six playing some really good music, while the crowd seemed to come & go as much as our boy needed the toilet. But, whilst we can’t quite remember what time it was we staggered home, Gigolo was certainly fun and has become a favourite of ours, especially as it is rare for us to let down our hair in the week, so reckon we will be back for more very soon….”
Star Players
Now to Society and being on the strictest of orders, we forced ourselves to cast aside a false start message, rather heading down to Soho for a liaison with Lo-Profile that was to prove one of our best in a while, we warming up with a pop in to Rupert St, before our marching orders came, making Profile the final fuel stop before a meet with our maker. With friends including Micky Galliano & Sophie Pearson also raring to go, we moved downstairs in good time to catch the lion’s share of Steve Pitron’s set, our arrival at 11 p.m. met with open arms & excitement by our prolific pal, who immediately set about treating us to tons of terrific tracks, while the madcap calls of “MAAAATTTT”, along with whistles from Sophie, soon had us in hysterics & diving for cover in our corner. But as we uncovered our eyes, what had been a relatively empty Lo-Profile, was absolutely packed to the rafters, the Society faithful having come out in force, familiar faces aplenty popping across to say hi, not least adorable Andrea Drudikova, who was also seeking some of that Pitron perfection.
With the atmosphere now truly awesome, Mr Pitron was very much on a roll, mixing up the music magnificently, a bunch of classic anthems, including “Sweet Dreams” & “Here Comes The Rain”, played out against up to date favourites, “Live Your Dreams” & “Pressure” among a string of others, that invoked more of those Disco Matt tourette style shouts from Steve, while we span on our now tiny spot, our corner packed with party heads, even though many had moved forward to ogle over the gorgeous go-go’s that had ascended the podiums. But our eyes & ears were fixated on the music coming from the direction of the D.J. booth, this proving yet another peach of a Pitron performance to add to the list longer than any others, incumbent deck duty dream maker Zach Burns having an uphill battle to match the might of our music maestro. But he did a really good job, opening with a winner, “Stupiddisco 2011”, so hitting our sweet spot straight away, while a string of other scorchers kept us spinning with Sophie’s drop dead gorgeous guy, close to our 3 a.m. departure from a Society soiree that scored superbly in every department.
Gorgeous Go-Go
There is no doubt that Lo-Profile is one of Soho’s best, having stolen much of the spotlight from Shadow Lounge, Friday’s & Saturday’s particularly making their mark on a vibrant scene that clearly loves what this venue has to offer. Yet, Thursday’s at Gaydar’s gaff are having their say too, Gigolo very much responsible for that and a club that can be congratulated for boosting the numbers that, week in week out, now choose to start their weekend early and whilst we weren’t there to witness their latest party, by all accounts it was another example of an emerged brand going great guns. Then there is Society, which has become a firm Friday favourite of ours as well as plenty of others too, this splendid soiree in Soho attracting a sexy & up for it crowd to match the magnificent music from a host of top draw D.J.’s, and those gorgeous go-go’s that certainly pop the eyes baring everything just short of their birthday suits. As for Lo-Profile as a venue, there is an argument that it is a “marmite” of a situation, as you either love or hate the garish decor and adore or loathe the bar/club combination feel , but we have to say that when you combine these brilliant nights, with the most friendly team of staff around, all under a bar that scores a tick in every department, this wonder on Wardour Street has to make it to your clubbing calendar very soon as we know it will ours. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Reviews | Tags: Gigolo, Gigolo David Hart, L.a. Hart, Lo-Profile, Nathan Six, Paul Beardshaw, Profile Bar, Society, Steve Pitron, Zach Burns | 1 Comment »
Empty Spot
It would be fair to say that for us, as well as a whole host of others, that our favourite outing, Beyond, was always the pot of gold at the end of the clubbing rainbow, or at least the pinnacle of any weekend of activity, this Sunday morning outing having become pretty much an institution for us and recent weeks having seen some of the best times we have had ever. Yet with issues still unresolved, we face our second weekend without this awesome afterhours in our schedule, a situation that makes us very sad indeed, the tears of joy we used to shed from our now absent spot, turned to tears of the other kind. These tears have been further spilled as a result of the messages of support we have received, the questions regarding our absence & the fact that this Sunday (22nd May), is a particularly special Beyond, yet is one that we will miss.
However, whilst our weekend may be in tatters, your weekends must go on, so we take a look at life beyond Beyond, picking our Best Bites & Short Shouts across Soho, Vauxhall & elsewhere.
Extended Opening
So to Soho first and top of our tree & Best Bite is Profile & Lo-Profile, the cavorting combo that continues to cut an impressive stride of the Soho socialite scene, not least Profile itself which we took big advantage of just last night (Thurs 19th May), sampling some of the delicious new additions to their food menu and taking a spot of supper with a very dear friend. And with this new menu now in full force, there couldn’t be a better place to eat, drink & be merry, the music at the weekends also an amazing attraction, this one looking every bit as good, with Gaydar Radio’s very own Alex Baker on the decks tonight (Fri 20th May), while, on Saturday its favourite Profile resident & cheeky monkey D.J. Craig Daniels tipping your scales with terrific tunes, the boys with the beats kicking off at 8 pm. Each night, Profile open through till 11.30 p.m. Further details of events, food offers & plenty more are a mere click away at http://profilesoho.com.
Superb Social Scene Setter
That neatly moves on to Lo-Profile, which was the heavenly host for that Gigolo launch last night, which saw an unprecedented response from you all, the venue absolutely rammo from the off at 10 p.m., sporting the who’s who of the social scene. With the bar staff pushed beyond capacity, yet the atmosphere amazing, they will be back for more this weekend, as new smash “Society” stakes its place in your clubbing calendar tonight with Nick Evans & D’Johnny sorting the sounds, the podiums sure to be filled with those gorge go-go’s we eye popped at a couple of weeks ago, while the whole night is hosted by porn star Jay Roberts (gives you a feel for the action!) Then, after a truly stunning set at Gigolo’s launch party last night, Zach Burns takes charge of the tunes tomorrow night (Sat 21st May) and one which is, for us at least a MUST (shame we can’t be there), followed by international playboy D.J. Paul Heron who is on fantastic form at the mo, so a major draw for sure. With Lo-Profile swinging open its doors at 10 p.m. & running through till 4 a.m., reduced entry offers for Profile customers & concessions available too, it’s definitely THE place to be in Soho, more info out at http://loprofile.com.
So to some quick Short Shouts and two that extend out of the weekend really, as it is Tuesday & Thursday we take a look at, three “Soho Society Scene” soiree’s, the first being G&T (Glamour & Trash) that takes place at Diu on Greek St, with hosts Aubrey Dobson of “Salon” fame, THE hostess with the mostest, Minty & D.J. Brent Nicholls, who spins the sounds too. Then on Thursday, it’s the clash of the titans, as new night, Gigolo, goes head-to-head with Room Service, both having been packed out last week, perhaps proving the penchant for these stylish shindigs, Jodie & her lot teaming up with SuperMartXe for their pre-party, while David Hart & co have the dynamic duo of Zach Burns & Brent Nicholls (twice in two days, fab!!!) on their decks. While we can’t yet point you in a website direction for G&T, we can for the other two, more info on both Gigolo & Room Service available at http://gigolodisco.com & http://clubroomservice.com.
Now, before we head down to Vauxhall (as many of you do!), just a mention for the latest on Barcode, the news on the ground being that it will remain a bar (yippee), but is likely to also now offer food, open up the front & maybe even have some outside tables (wow). However, plans have been pushed back into June, so in the meantime, its business as usual.
Ashley Ryder's 30th Birthday Bash
So to Vauxhall and top of our tree here & Best Bite is for The Eagle (oops what happened to The Orange Group?!?!) who have another corker of a weekend with two of their best joined by a third celebration. So, tonight (Fri 20th May) it’s the turn of Tonker to triumph, promoter & dynamic D.J. Tim Jones being joined on the decks by special guest Paul Coals (he of Salvation fame) this testosterone tipped treat kicking off at an early 8 p.m., & running through till 3 a.m., with the Tonker boys having their own website at http://tonker.co.uk where more details of upcoming events can be obtained. Then tomorrow (Sat 21st), porn star & playboy Ashley Ryder celebrates his birthday, his 30th no less, this “Monsters Ball/Club Kids” themed party sure to attract a truly eclectic yet gorge mix of scene faces, clubbers, Eagle regulars & artists of all kinds, the whole event getting underway from 9 p.m. & running through till 4 a.m., with drinks offers for early birds & plenty of saucy stage shows throughout. Then, no Sunday would be the same without Horse Meat Disco, as Jim Stanton, James Hillard & the boys host another of their whacky wonderments, James being joined by Luke Howard who both sort the sounds, HMD’s popularity speaking for itself with queues round the corner every week, meaning you need to get there early guys, doors opening at 9 p.m.. More info on all these three vents & others at The Eagle can be found by going to http://eaglelondon.com.
So to some short shouts and first for the fetish in you as Hard On! returns tomorrow (Sat 21st May), although at their new venue Factory. Now, if like us you missed the launch last month, hopefully the free coatcheck & shots will come as a nice surprise, while plenty of the usual action will also be on offer, D.J.’s on duty including Brent Nicholls (he gets about!), Zack Hadley & Halo-is, the mezzanine balcony, playroom & more fitting the new style Hard On! like a glove. More info on this event, including membership details & dresscode, can be found at http://hardonclub.co.uk.
Then if you fancy a laugh and something really different, then Gay City Rollers is a must on Sunday (22nd May), as promoter Alex Erfan re-unites with Ku-Bar to present this Xanadu style showstopper, when four wheels rather than two feet are the name of the disco dancing game & disco is definitely the word , with D.J.’s The Very Miss Dusty O , DMS Sam & Vicky Vivacious vroom up the room, the fun & frivolity kicking off at host home The Renaissance Rooms from 6 p.m. & running through till 11 p.m.. More info on this and a host of other events promoted by Alex Erfan, can be found at http://alexerfan.com while watch this space for our Extra Bites post on this exceptional event, coming right up.
Before we move on, we feel it appropriate to mention that, should you clubs, bars & events want a mention, then make sure you get e-mailing us at matt@discomatt.com with your listings & press releases, or hit our Facebook group & pages with your details at http://facebook.com/discomattlondon, http://facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=96540615424 &/or http://facebook.com/pages/Disco-Matt/112730602119746) or even send us a tweet at http://twitter.com/discomatt and we will do our best to include you.
We also want to mention Beyond (again!) which for a few & in reality many, will be some special this Sunday morning, as the queen of the lighting scene, Smalls, returns to her rightful position in change of the main room effects. So, whilst we won’t be there on our spot, we reckon you should be, this awesome afterhours kicking off at Area in Vauxhall at 6 a.m. & running through until 1 p.m., more info on this prolific party available at http://fireclub.co.uk/gayparties.
Saturday S.O.S.
So to our alternatives & Shoreditch is doing it again for us this weekend, as it did last, East Bloc very much the talk of this side of the town and no surprise, as having paid the place a first visit for the mesmeric “Meat” last Saturday (check our bite sized devotion at direct link http://discomatt.com/web/2011/05/reports-monumental-mash-up-meat-east-bloc-saturday-14th-may-preview-the-review/) its seems that this Saturday should be every bit as good. Why?, well it’s another birthday celebration, but here for Jim Warboy, the Gemini boy inspiring the “Twins” theme of this month’s “SOS” outing and their press release is an absolute corker and very much sets the scene, as they say “…Have you ever wondered what it would be like to shag someone who looked just like you? Or been at a party when some drunk stranger keeps harping on about you being the spitting image of another friend of theirs? Or even woken up the next morning to your latest pick up thinking how come you always go for guys who look and dress like you?…”. And this pretty much sums up what to expect at “SOS”, although with the birthday boy bashing out the beats along with fellow Gemini & Shoreditch son Kris Di Angelis, as well as Tom Davey in the so called “catwalk” room, serving up plenty of electro disco, while in the “backroom” D.J’s Squeaky (of DSS Tutti Frutti fame) & Liz Bisoux select some more soul inspired sounds, while with a “snap catwalk show” matching looks & synchronising styles will be the centrefold double page of action to match the double ended dancing, the added allure of “brotherly love” porn film flicks will definitely seal the deal on this queer London, meets NYC underground, meets Berlin sleaze shindig. “SOS’s” doors open at 10.30 p.m. & the club runs through till 6 a.m. entry just £5 before midnight and more details out at http://sosnow.co.uk, while for info on other East Bloc events, including tonight’s “Disco Fag Bar”, go to http://eastbloc.co.uk.
To our Short Shouts and The Dalston Superstore (DSS) are still fighting off their birthday hangover from last weekend, but are back this with a full-on threesome, tonight (Fri 20th May) seeing “Boy Dem” do it, while tomorrow (Sat 21st), it’s the turn of “Body Talk” to treat you to tons of tunes, Sunday at The Superstore in safe hands with “Tutti Frutti”, more info on these & all other delights at DSS available at http://thedalstonsuperstore.com.
Then for something delectably different, why not head down to the gastronomic giant of the South East London clubbing scene, as The Cambria in Camberwell hosts another of its Sunday soiree’s “Upstairs”, with the incomparable Mzz Kimberley in charge of proceedings & welcoming show star Ophelia Bitz who takes the spotlight, while the gastro gems come in the form of a smashing Sunday carvery, served from 3 till 5, then meze snacks after the show which kicks off a 5 p.m. More details on the Cambria can be found at http://thecambrialondon.com.
So, that’s our Best Bites & Short Shouts recommendations for outings this weekend, but just time to mention two other visits of a different kind, the first being to tip top clubbing website SeenQueen, which is crammed full of features, listings & reports, nit least their “Spring Bank Holiday” guide, all out at http://seenqueen.com/web, while if the summer like sun we are enjoying at the moment isn’t enough for you, then why not top up that tan or indeed get one, by paying a visit to the most friendly tanning shop around, Solarstation owner Hassan’s un-paralleled service truly unbeatable, as are some of the package deals on offer, a look at http://solarstation.co.uk will give you all the dynamic detail you need to make a trip to Archer Street in Soho a must.
Right that’s it, leaving us to say; whatever you are up to this weekend have a great one. Sadly, we won’t be out & about meaning you can’t come & say hi as you all do in droves (something we really appreciate), but you can check our Bank Holiday plans at http://discomatt.com/web/2011/05/reports-may-movements-disco-matt-dance-diary-saturday-14th-may/ but in the meantime, make sure you “Go There! Be There! (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: Alex Erfan, Barcode, Beyond, Brent Nicholls, Craig Daniels, D'Johnny, East Bloc, G&T, Gay City Rollers, Gigolo, Hard On!, Horse Meat Disco, Jodie Harsh, Lo-Profile, Minty, Mzz Kimberley, Nick Evans, Paul Heron, Profile Bar, Room Service, SeenQueen, Solarstation, The Cambria, The Dalston Superstore, The Eagle, Tonker, Zach Burns | No Comments »
Its definitely feeling like a short month compared to January, as we already find ourselves at the penultimate weekend of February and one that will see us running around in final preparations for our three week trip to South Africa, with more of that international reporting that is figuring in our lifestyle right now. Now, while we will be indulging in a just little bit of bar hopping & clubbing activity before heading to Heathrow, there is plenty on offer to tempt you all out this weekend, so let’s crack on with our choices of where to be & been seen in Soho, Vauxhall & elsewhere.
Soho get’s our attention to start and Profile/Lo-Profile our first Best Bite, as it is without doubt becoming a firm favourite on the scene, Profile particularly finding very busy legs of late, tonight (Fri 18th) looking like a packed out affair as Nathan Six returns to the bar’s decks to rev up your weekend with some rip roaring beats, while on Saturday the cheeky Craig Daniels sorts the sounds. With a full-on American diner style food offering & that new Sunday roast option that launched last week & proved a sell-out, Profile is definitely the place to eat, drink & socialise, more details out at http://profilesoho.com, especially as its clubbing sister is just below, Lo-Profile turning up the dancefloor heat this weekend with a terrific line up. On Friday, it’s the friendly duo of Nick Evans & Paul Heron, both sure to pack out the place, while on Saturday D’Johnny & Alessandro have their musical say and with the revised & improved laser & LED lighting, along with the cream of the Soho scene choosing this hip & happening hangout as their destination, Lo-Profile is a winner, with more info available by going to http://loprofile.com.
Our other Best Bite goes to The Shadow Lounge and its Friday that seems to be getting much focus at the mo, last week’s Delice Dream’s pre-party, followed this week by a special shindig for the Miami Winter Party Festival, welcoming rising star D.J. Sonathaq to the decks who joins regular Miswhite, playing plenty of vocal house & pop remixes. With a special comp draw to win gold passes to Miami’s biggest gay party, plus exclusive Winter Party t-shirt giveaways, as well as free Attitude Magazine’s to every entrant, this looks like being a brilliant bash and well worth a visit, while Saturday is just as hot, as Inferno returns with the equally hot Andrew Elmore on the decks. Now, just a quick mention for Thursday’s as Glitz & Glamour now has The Very Miss Dusty O in charge and with Mark Bambach also on the decks, this looks like yet another night to hail the return of Soho as THE place to be & be seen on the scene, more details of this and all of Shadow Lounge’s events available by going to http://theshadowlounge.co.uk.
Now for some Short Shouts and Rupert Street is a worthwhile call-in with D.J.’s on from Friday to Sunday, Minx on duty tonight (Fri 18th), while Alessandro double heads on Saturday & Sunday, more info on this brilliant bar available at http://rupertstrett.com., while Ku-Bar tips the other end of the Soho scale, a good choice for the young set, Saturday’s the busiest with D.J’s P & Sharif dishing up dance disco to delight, but with a full week of activity & details a mere click away at http://ku-bar.co.uk
Barcode is also a great place to pop in & pop out, Friday’s as good early as late, especially with the dynamic duo of Joe Publik & Dilmar Brito on rotational residency, while Industri on Wednesday’s is finding its Soho feet, Minty always attracting a crowd & boys Brent Nicholls & Paul Heron switching sound selection duties each week, further details on this captivating club/bar out at http://bar-code.co.uk.
Onward to Vauxhall and The Orange Group gets our sole Best Bite pick, not least as it sports all the major clubbing events in town this weekend, from Gravity on Thursday to Orange on Monday morning & much in between. Of the nine offerings, two get our attention, Megawoof finding a new slot in the calendar, tomorrow (Sat 19th) to be exact, promoters Daz & Diddy now using Fire as the host home for the muscle-bear bravado of a bash, this latest affair looking like being a packed out one, with the new “Hardware” theme getting a second showing & the legendary Tom Stephan (aka Superchumbo) ruling the roost in the main room, with a supporting cast of Tim Mcloone, Daz Saund, Rob & Massimo across two spaces of sound. Then, Beyond continues the party action deep into Sunday, with a special “Erotica” themed event which should serve up plenty of sexual spice, with scintillating sounds to match, Steve Pitron confirmed in the main room line-up along with special guest D.J. Paul Heron, while Alan K completes the magnificence here, another special guest, D.J. Hawthorne figuring in proceedings, we suspect in The Chapel Room. Add to that Queer Nation in Area on Saturday night running straight into Beyond and “Erotica” will definitely be the place to be, while Onyx, A:M, Later, Booster & Orange will also get their say , further details out at http://fireclub.co.uk/fire-nightclub-london-gay-parties.php.
So to some Short Shouts and first The Eagle, Tonker tonight (Fri 18th) and Horse Meat Disco on Sunday the bread & butter in the sandwich, Luke Howard providing the filling on Saturday as he is welcomed as guest D.J., more info on this horny hangout’s happenings available at http://eaglelondon.com.
The RVT have plenty to tempt you in this weekend, S.L.A.G.S/Chill-out on Sunday spearheading a line-up that also includes Duckie on Saturday, as well as something quite special tonight (Fri 18th) as “Anthem” returns with the Love Muscle-esque might of Marc Andrews, Sean Sirrs & Rich B rolling back time with musical memories from those Halcyon days at the Fridge, details this exceptional event & much more to be found by going to http://thervt.org.uk
Two final Short Shouts go to Barcode which always proves a hotbed of activity, particularly on Saturday’s, info on the action available at http://bar-code.co.uk, while Union is a great alternative to the Orange Group outings, with plenty of action right through the weekend, Epic on Saturday’s headlining their extensive offerings, details out at http://clubunion/co/uk.
So to our alternative antics and The Dalston Superstore (DSS) tops of Best Bite pile this weekend, with a scorcher of a schedule, as tonight (Fri 18th) sees one on the biggest D.J. line-ups anywhere with a massive eight on duty across two floors of frenetic fun, “Back To Back” the event and electro/techno the name of the musical game, special guest John Roman flying in from Toronto to start his UK tour in the heart of the DSS action, while another notable inclusion in the eight is Caligula’s Sigmund Kraftwerk, the back-to-back nature of the D.J. sets serving up stacks of surprises for sure. Then tomorrow (Sat 19th) sees the ever popular “Body Talk” return, keeping it, as the boys say, “…oh so real…”, special guest Dave Kendrick of Macho City delving into plenty of Nu Disco, & 80’s/80’s groove & soul remixed, along with DSS’s own Rokk D.J., while “Oh So Real” residents Marky Mark & Tristan Reed do the business upstairs. Add to all that a new Sunday nighter called “Paris’ Acid Ball”, with Hannah Holland, Dan Beaumont & D.J. Squeaky serving up loads of NYC house, DSS is definitely the place to be out East this weekend, full details of all these events & more a click away at http://dalstonsuperstore.com.
Now to some alternative Short Shouts and to East Bloc first who have both “Disco Fag Bar” on tonight, then new night, “The House Of Fun” tomorrow (Sat 19th) on offer, the latter sporting the fabulous Smokin Jo in the D.J. line up, ore info on East Bloc & its events available at http://eastbloc.co.uk.
While in Shoreditch, you may want to check out Friday night frolic “Haute Vs Shabba Dabba” at Concrete on the High St. there, D.J.’s on duty including Erol Sabadosh, Jim Warboy & Larry tee, plus Shoreditch’s original son, Kris Di Angelis, so the music should be top draw, more details on the venue out via their website at http://concretespace.co.uk/.
Right, well that pretty much about it in this slim-line Best Bites & Short Shouts for another weekend and with our trip to the southern hemisphere kicking off on Sunday, we may well be off-line for the next week or so, re-surfacing in Cape Town at the beginning of March. So, while we are out of reach, the best place to see what’s hot & happening is by going to London’s clubbing bible SeenQueen, who have plenty of events listed & lots of options up to take you to the end of the month & beyond, a whole load of more features, music, pics, video & other links well worth checking out at http://seenqueen.com.
That said and just before we go, here are a selection of our what would be our Best Bite picks for next weekend, WE Party returning to London with their “Paparazzi” offering at the Coronet in E&C on Sat (26th Feb), this being the first of a trio of Orange Group outings , Beyond hosting the “official” afterparty, then Later celebrating its 8th birthday on Sunday afternoon (27th Feb), all three well worth a visit. Then, for the fetish in you, Hard On! at Hidden is a must, this monthly event taking place next Saturday, while another real alternative & another birthday to boot, comes your way courtesy of Gutterslut at The Rhythm Factory in Whitechapel, again next Saturday (26th Feb) and will be a packed out affair for sure.
So, that’s it from us, whatever apart from saying if you are out & about in the scene, you may well catch us hopping around Soho for a while tonight, over in Angel for SuperMartXe’s pre-party “Saturday Night Love’s London t Lola’s”, and then at Beyond “Erotica” on Sunday morning, all which will definitely leave us shouting “get us to the plane on time”. So, if you see us out come say hi, but whatever you are up to and wherever you may be, have a fantastic weekend and as we always say “Go There! Be There! (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: A:M, Barcode Soho, Barcode Vauxhall, Beyond, Booster, Dalston Superstore, East Bloc, Ku Bar, Later, Lo-Profile, Megawoof, Onyx, Orange, Profile Bar, Queer Nation, Rupert St, The Eagle, The RVT, The Shadow Lounge, Union | No Comments »
Since arriving & settling in London umpteen years ago, we have always been attracted to the charms or otherwise of Soho, the history of this once salubrious district of the West End very much painted with porn, vice & well, sex, even when we landed in the capital, not a street corner without a drug dealer, a pimp or a hooker, with shops a-plenty selling sex in various guises, whether it be pornographic film or the real thing. So, given this, the emergence of Soho as a gay district was not that strange, yet as the streets & shops have been cleaned up, sex being replaced with more style, so the quality of gay bars, clubs & restaurants has improved, sitting nicely as bed fellows with straight run businesses, that have come to make Soho as cosmopolitan as any area we know, very much a magnet for socialites of all persuasions.
So, it comes as no surprise that we often find ourselves drawn into the temptations of this gay hub, particularly on a Friday night and given the start we have had to 2011, we were definitely in the mood to make up for the parties we had missed out on during the month. With a nasty ear infection confining us to our four walls for much of January, our usual fevered activity across clubland was heavily restricted, only the most essential of visits, yet while our hearing had hardly improved in this time and all common sense pointed to staying in for yet another weekend, we threw caution to the wind and decided to roll & romp around Soho, capturing as many hip & happening hangouts as we could, all making for a vibrant village visit, Soho recognised & labelled as THE gay village of the capital.
As is quite typical, plans for a early(ish) start were laid pretty much to waste from the off, meaning it was close on 9 p.m. when we eventually landed in amongst the buzz of central London, wending our way into the western edge of Soho and a first port of call that would see us in Barcode on Archer Street. Indeed this was a bit of a tactical ploigh as we were hoping to catch up with Andrea & her Czech crew, a veritable feast of birthday celebrations having been rolled into one and Barcode the recipient of their partying. However, wending our way into the ground floor bar, it was clear they had upped sticks & moved on, although our disappointment at their disappearance was quickly turned to joy when we spotted the beaming & beautiful Joe Publik behind the D.J. decks, waving us across to his spot, he greeting us with open arms & a smile to savour.
With our belongings neatly stored behind the booth, our attention was grabbed to two familiar faces from our days at The Birdcage & The Pennyfarthing, two venerable gay bars that had formed fantastic periods in our life, it being a thrill to catch up with them, even if it made us feel more like our age than we would have preferred. With the need for refreshments, we made our excuses and headed for the bar, although were stopped in our tracks by a very welcoming Jeremy Precelton who seemed on much better form than when we had seen him last, we congratulating him on Barcode lifting the SeenQueen crown for best bar of 2010. Then, to add to our feel good factor, we got a huge hug from our favourite Barcode boy behind the bar, our smashing Spaniard as pleased to see us as we him, after all it had been quite a while, our regular Saturday trips having been curtailed following a drastic change in our alcohol consumption a few months before.
Back next to the side of Joe and with our Penny pals having headed off, it was time to catch up properly with this delightful D.J. while he selected the most sumptuous of sounds, vocal uplifting house heaven that befitted the occasion perfectly, happy house the order of the day and Joe the perfect person to deliver it in droves. With news of fellow D.J.’s & pals Wayne G & Stewart Who sealed, as well as plenty more gossip on goings on since we had last seen our pint sized pal, matters turned to Barcode and the action downstairs, although it was getting pretty busy where we were standing, such was the deluge of drinkers, that we ended up pinned & confined to the D.J. booth itself, perching next to our music man and surveying all around. But, as comfortable we had become and as good a time we were having with Joe, his music definitely hitting our sweet spots, a glance our clock signalled it was time to make our next port of call, leaving Joe & his brilliant beats in Barcode behind.
So, where next?, well, with time literally racing and a planned Profile & then Lo-Profile plunge an absolute must, or options were limited, time very much against our side, intended visits to Ku Bar for The Week pre-party and a vader in Village completely curtailed in favour a fleeting foray into Rupert St and a meet with Minx, the D.J. that had always done it for us in the delirious days of The Box in Covent Garden, a bar like so many, no more and sadly missed by Soho’s stylish socialisers. So, catching up with Sam was all too brief, her usual sophisticated sounds not quite matched by the eclectic crowd, Rupert St another venue to have dipped in dervishes of ours of late, although there is no doubting its continued popularity, although considering it was effectively pay day weekend, the bar wasn’t quite as packed as expected. However, it certainly wasn’t down to the music, as Minx was playing some storming sounds, not least our top hit of 2010, “Stereo Love”. With our brief catch-up over & Sam engrossed in her duties, we checked the time, Profile very much calling, so we waved farewell to what was a short refreshment stop at Rupert St and headed up towards our next stylish encounter.
Profile has very much become one of our favourite spots in Soho, indeed during the last twelve months, we have really developed strong associations with the bar, particularly on a Friday, when then resident Phil Marriott used really fast track our Friday’s with bags of brilliant beats & captivating company to boot. However, with it being a all change on the Friday front at least, we arrived to a packed bar, rocking to the rapturous resonance of Nathan Six, the man on top form selecting one euphoric & uplifting beat after the next, clearly the crowded house lapping up his superb selections, many dancing delightfully, others with enjoyment written all over their faces. Grabbing some refreshments at the bar and having been spotted by Chris Geary & his partner who came up to say hi, we then turned to head for our usual spot, finding Industri pal Chris Wilcox in attendance, he very much lapping up Nathan’s magical music choices, we indulging in ducking & diving dance moves with him, especially when on old favourite grabbed us, the superb Warren Clarke remix of “Drama” by Soul Theory, a classic from our Hed Kandi days, but yet still sounding so fresh. And so good was Nathan’s performance, that we didn’t want it to end, a congratulatory catch up with the man rounding off a superb sixty or so minutes in his hands.
Now there was nothing stopping us, so in full flow we headed downstairs, monetarily paused in our quest for more of the same action, by a smiling & joking Lee Freeman, who had caught our attention earlier, although with a spring in our step, we were down the stairs, past the usual friendly door greeting and into Lo-Profile. Resplendent behind the decks, Brent Nicholls spotted us as we entered, he immediately starting where he had left off the last time we saw him, by parodying our lack of hearing in hilarious fashion, we faking a couple of “Hopkins” walkouts before settling in our spot to savour his set. And like Nathan upstairs, Mr Nicholls had us satisfied in seconds, with each selection hitting our sweet spots superbly, a whole mixture of Brent beats mixed in magnificently, funky, chunky & tough neatly blended with uplifting vocal infused & heavenly house hits new & old, all seeing us doing the Disco Matt in no time at all. Plus with a captivating crowd of familiar & friendly faces, Lo-Profile was yet again proving to be a fantastic Friday frolic and certainly one of our favourites for sure. With Brent’s barnstorming beats giving way to Gonzalo’s gigantic gems, we continued to dance the night away, spinning on our spot, a now off duty Mr Nicholls also indulging in a little ducking & diving dance delirium with us. However, with an early start for our trip to Brighton before us, an earlier than expected curtain call was inevitable, we waving farewell to all around and heading home to savour the splendour that Soho had to share with us once again.
It is true to say that in terms of full-on clubbing, it takes a lot to beat the offerings in Vauxhall, which always tend to attract our attention more than elsewhere, although that said, Soho certainly knocks on Vauxhall’s doors in lots of respects, both Barcode & Lo-Profile giving more than a club or two a run for their money. Plus in Soho, with a choice of hip & happening hangouts that is unrivalled anywhere, if one doesn’t quite fit the bill, then be sure that there is one round the corner that will, this being reflective in our latest outing around the capitals premier gay village. In Barcode we had the perfect start to our evening, D.J. Jo Publik delivering delightfully and while Rupert Street may have been a little off form, Profile & Lo-Profile made up in an instant, getting the biggest thumbs up, not least due to stunning sets from Nathan Six, Brent Nicholls & Gonzalo Rivas. So, if you find yourselves in need of a boost, searching for some social splendour, or even up for a boogie to brilliant beats, Soho certainly serves up all these in bucket loads and for us definitely proved to be another vibrant village visit. (DISCO MATT)
Postscript
We couldn’t rersist sharing the link to that classic Hed Kandi inspired track which, whilst taking us back to 2005, still remains as frersh as ever, six years on and if ever there was a stand-out tune in our “Vibrant Viillage Visit”, this is it, Warren’s Clarke’s remix of Soul Theroy’s “Drama” , enjoy!! http://youtube.com/watch?v=KZnMhKFZGwo
Posted in Reviews | Tags: Barcode Soho, Brent Nicholls, D.J.Minx, Gonzalo Rivas, Joe Publik, Lo-Profile, Nathan Six, Profile Bar, Rupert St | No Comments »
Well, what a month it has been in Disco Matt land, first the flu & then a nasty ear infection that has left us most out of sorts, although it hasn’t stopped us getting out & about on the scene, and when we haven’t, recommending the places to be & be seen. So as the first month of 2011 draws to a close, it’s time to once again look at what’s on offer in Soho, Vauxhall & elsewhere to tempt you out on what is (for many we suspect) the first payday of the month.
So, spotlighting Soho, Profile & Lo-Profile get our first shout, another wonderful weekend in prospect that takes off upstairs tomorrow (Fri 28th Jan) in Profile from 7 p.m. with Nathan Six on the decks, while down in Lo-Profile, Brent Nicholls serves up the funky & Latin flavoured fun from 10 p.m., followed by Latino Gonzalo Rivas, who takes you deep into Saturday morning, till 4 a.m. Then on Saturday, Profile gets going with the grooves, courtesy of Craig Daniels, while downstairs the duo of Jamie Head & Alessandro Londra should ensure two sets full of stupendous sounds, percussionist David H adding his own spice to this Saturday shindig. Now, in our books, both Profile & Lo-Profile still sit as the best package in Soho for a complete evening of socialising & clubbing, plus môn-congrats to Profile for their runner up slot in the SeenQueen (SQ) Best Bar poll category, more details of both venues available at http://profileshoho.com & http://loprofile.com.
Down at The Shadow Lounge, news is still brewing of a new night, our ears (at least our good one) still close to the ground, while the weekend winning format currently stays the same, Friday seeing another “Therapy” session with the boy girl combo of Miswhite & Paul Heron spinning the dance worthy discs, while on Saturday, the ever popular & adorable Andrew Elmore injects a whole load of “Inferno” into the occasion, pop-tastic tunes being the order of the day. Now, just a quick couple of dates for your diaries, next Thurs (3rd Feb) seeing the return of house hit “Hola” with Terry Vietheer & Bodytalk’s DJ Rokk, while the following Friday (11th Feb) it’s the Delice Dream pre-party (more details right here next week). Further info on these & all other events can be found by going to http://theshadowlounge.co.uk/ or connecting with their group at http://facebook.com/theshadowlounge.
Now a furtherl Soho shout for Barcode, who must surely be in celebratory mood, having scooped the crown for Best Bar in the SQ “Your Disco Needs You” poll, Friday (28th) kick starting the celebrations with another “The Cave” club night downstairs, special guest Hifi Sean selecting the sounds, , while regulars Dilmar Brito & Jo Publik pick the hits upstairs. Plus, don’t forget Industri, which now has its residency here in Soho & takes place at Barcode each & every Wednesday, D.J.’s Brent Nicholls & Paul Heron on weekly rotation, but Minty always there to steer this social splendour in the right direction. More details of happenings at Barcode can be found by going to http://bar-code.co.uk.
Rupert St & Ku Bar are our last best bites, Rupert St seeing D.J. Minx mastermind the music on Friday, while on Saturday, the legend that is Fat Tony makes his indelible impression of this Soho sophisticate, info on the bar available at http://rupertstreet.com. Over at Ku Bar & Club on Lisle St, its Brazilian beats a-plenty, as they host the “official “The Week” pre-party tomorrow (Fri 28th), with the delectable DouGuim on the decks & a carival collective sure to gather, more news on Ku available at http://ku-bar.co.uk.
Right moving over the river and south to Vauxhall, we capture another weekend of jam packed activity at Fire & Area, The Orange Group cast of clubs & highlights including Onyx, who hold a stylish “Burlesque Ball” this tomorrow (Fri 28th) which includes contemporary choreographed dance performances & a special P.A. performance, the team clearly keen to pack out the place as there is an inflation busting entry offer of just £1 before midnight with a flyer, ad or concession g/list entry. Following that is afterhours A:M, another SQ award winner, clinching second spot in Best Weekly Club category, so Oliver & the team will be in party mood, welcoming guest D.J. Paul Heron to the decks. Back over at Area & probably the biggest celebration will be at Beyond this Sunday (30th), as they lifted the big SQ crown as Best Overall, as well as adding another SQ Best Weekly Club award to their trophy cabinet. Add to that their “The Week” afterparty with the likes of D’Johnny, Steve Pitron & Alan K, and this will be THE place to be for sure. With a clubbing cast that also includes Gravity, Later, Booster & Orange , you can literally party from Thursday right through till Monday, bouncing between both venues, although The Coronet will surely be a diversion on Sat (29th) when Brazil’s best is back, The Week landing back in London (more in a min). For more info on All Things Orange, go to http://fireclub.co.uk/fire-nightclub-london-gay-parties.php, while guest list inclusions can be sorted by going to http://gayguestlits.com/.
With a Weekend Focus Extra coming up on fetish club Hard On! which will be the other Vauxhall victor on the club scene this Saturday, we wind up our shouts in the Soho of the south, with two quick mentions, first for The RVT, who have a fabulous threesome, Friday seeing the return fabulous night “Marvellous”, while the ever popular “Duckie” stands proud on Saturday & then no Sunday would be the same without a S.LA.G.S./Chill-out session with the majesty that is The Dame Edna Experience. Details of these & other events at this legendary boozer can be found by going to http://thervt.org.uk.
Our other shout goes to two new clubs from ex Onyx promoter Steve Geller, who is now firmly in bed with the team at Union (formerly Crash) and sets this Saturday (29th Jan) alight with new club night, “Epic”, Mr G being joined in the main room by D.J. Daniel Stone, while Barbara Bush & Robbie Keats pop it up in room 2. Then on Tuesday, Steven is back for more, this time an afterhours style event called “Desire” which kicks off at 4 a.m. with our the multi mixing Steven taking charge & thrilling with four decks at once. More details of both events & more can be found by going to http://clubunion/co/uk.
Moving onto all things elsewhere, our first best bite goes to The Week which, whilst an a-typical big club choice, does fall outside the premise of Vauxhall, as the London team have chosen to move it from Fire to The Coronet in Elephant & Castle, & having spoken with the teams head poncho, he explained of the move “…we are stepping up the pace to & increasing the space to showcase the best Brazilian carnival feel to the London crowd…” further adding that “…The Coronet will allow us to display the extravagant production and the array of dancers &performers to their absolute best…” And with costumes finalised, the stage settings complete & the choreography crafted, The Week is ready to take London by storm again, this 2nd event taking place on Sat (29th Jan), full details avaiable in our Weekend Focus post via direct link http://discomatt.com/web/2011/01/dm-recommends-brazils-best-is-back-the-week-saturday-29th-january-weekend-focus/.
As for our real alternatives, The Dalston Superstore (DSS) takes our top choice slot, their weekend starting with the return of night “Revive Her” this Fri (28th Jann) with a cast of D.J.’s that include Lovefingers, Jonny Nash, Minkioni, Dan Hill & Nicholas Fee, all mixing up classic house sounds with future dosco & much more, surely making for bucket loads thumping fun, although Saturday looks like being even better, as “Phat Bitch” takes DSS by storm, hosted by the iconic Tasty Tim, who welcomes an array of guests to share the decks downstairs, while the sweet sounds of Eka Browdny & Scott Webster steer the satisfying sounds upstairs. And with no weekend complete without a “Tutti Frutti” session on Sunday, Dalston & the DSS is the hip happening place, with more details out via their Facebook page or by following the boys at http://twitter.com/dsuperstore.
Next we hone in on Saturday night (29th Jan) as there is something quite special going on at East Bloc, Wayne Shires & Laurent Chaumet’s Shoreditch hangout that is making many waves in this part of the world, their event “Meat” sure to do that & much more. Billed as “…The sexiest party to hit East London ever…”, this all out underground man fest welcomes the might of internationally renowned D.J./Producer Tom Stephan (aka Superchumbo), the original underground rocker of Wayne’s first clubbing love, Crash, Tom being backed up by Shoreditch son Kris Di Angelis, who has been strutting it in the studio with Tom of late, so we are expecting them to share the fruits of their labour with us. With plenty more besides, this is going to be one major mash-up, the team having extended the opening hours until a brave 6 a.m., more details of this & other events (incl. the fab Disco Fag Bar on Friday’s) out at http://eastbloc.co.uk.
Our other alternative is new venture The Sunday Club takes which place this, yes you guessed it, Sunday (30th Jan) at The Kings Cross Social, a new venue on Britannia St, the Farringdon end of this trendy & rejuvenated area of London. Headed up by the legendary Trade D.J. Steve (Janet) Thomas, The Sunday Club is sure to sport plenty of brilliant beats in the tech & progressive style, the emphasis as much on the chat as the tunes, and as Steve aptly puts it, “pop in, unwind, kick back, chit chat, boogie down, drink up, then…….”. Joining Steve on the decks will be a selection of special guests (rumour has it Nick Tcherniak may take his turn too), the club kicking off at 4 p.m. & running through until 10 p.m., entry free until 6, then £5 thereafter and if you fancy a sneak preview, check out their video at http://youtube.com/watch?v=HBmA3CzQZNY, while venue details are available at http://kingscrosssocialclub.com.
Right thats it, our best bites choices up for another week, just leaving us time to point you in the direction of tip top clubbing website, SeenQueen, who have their own hot & happening tips for the places to be seen on the scene, plus much more besides. Indeed, why not go check out how your favourite bar, club or event faired in their “Your Disco Needs You” poll, this & a whole load more available a mere click away at http://seenqueen.com.
Back to http://discomatt.com and watch this space for that focus on Hard On!, plus a feature on the re-launch of Open as well as Gravity Gold, before we hit the European trail next week, this upcoming weekend seeing us get away from it all in Brighton, as Danny Verde flies in for a gig and then Nick Tcherniak, Steve Thomas & Lizzie France star in a special music Industryparty, all seeing us do a bit of DM networking.
However, here in London it definitely looks like being a carnival collective of a weekend as The Week dominates with that pre-party at Ku, the main event at The Coronet & the afterparty at Beyond, so if you are going Brazilian & shaking those samba moves, have a brilliant time, but, wherever you are & whatever you are up to, have a wonderful weekend and as we always say, “Go There! Be There! (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: A:M, Alessandro Londra, Barcode Soho, Beyond, Brent Nicholls, Dalston Superstore, Danny Verde, East Bloc, Fat Tony DouGuim, Gonzalo Rivas, Gravity, Hifi Sean, Jamoe Head, Kris Di Angelis, Ku Bar, Later, Lo-Profile, Minx, MisWhite, Nathan Six, Nick Tcherniak, Onyx, Open, Orange, Paul Heron, Profile Bar, Rupert St, Shadow Lounge, Steve Thomas, The RVT, The Sunday Club, Tom Stephan | No Comments »
Well, what a hideous week it has been in Disco Matt land, with the ravages of a heavy flu attack having laid our last weekend to waste but also rearing a hideous & horrible ear infection that has left us writhing in agony & reeling with in-balance & hearing. Mind you, we put best foot forward on Wednesday, blowing out some cobwebs at Industri with the marvellous Minty & a very cheeky Brent Nicholls who raised more than a laugh or two with his tongue in cheek chortles over our disposition. But with the nasty infection showing little signs of abating, our weekend may well be in tatters again, although this shouldn’t stop you all from making the most of January, as there are plenty of happenings to haul you out of home & into the action, so we take a quick rundown of our Best Bites and nothing more.
First to Soho and as much as we would love to pick out somewhere else as our Best Bite, you simply can’t beat the combo of Profile & Lo-Profile in wetting your weekend with wonderment, especially given the big club feel that the sparking roving resident D.J.’s provide through their magnificent music, names like Mikey D, Brent Nicholls, Alessandro Londra & Paul Heron. And this weekend is no exception as the team follow on from where they left off last weekend, with yet another rip roaring rousing two days of tune-tastic treats, tonight (Fri 14th) seeing Steve Pitron make a welcome return to the decks, although not with usual partner in crime Mikey D, but rather another Beyond boy, the terrifically talented D’Johnny, who has made a full recovery from a nasty tooth infection and, in his own words, “…is coming to gettacha…”, his first stop being Lo-Profile. Saturday (15th Jan) sees some Beyond old time favourites (no offence lads) as Hugh Stevenson & Gonzalo Rivas rev up your evening and prepare you for a morning of audaciousness at Area, as it is the “official” Beyond pre-party at Lo-Profile which, is usually a packed out affair, meaning an early arrival is always a good move. Meanwhile Profile upstairs has really found itself and both Friday’s & Saturday’s are gaining popularity by the week, tonight (Fri 14th) seeing resident & Gaydar D.J. Phil Marriot massage the music both for the live audience & that of Gaydar Radio show ClubNation which beams live from Profile between 7 p.m. & 11.30 p.m., while on Saturday Nick Evans will rock the place with a whole host of uplifting and heavenly house that has made him so popular with the punters. Plus with an unrivalled & fabulous food offer, plus a special happy hour on both nights that includes 2 for 1 on house double spirits, at £10 a bottle & pints of Stella at £2.50, there can’t be a better reason to get your weekend party going early and choosing Profile & Lo-Profile as your choice cut in the Soho social scene, further info available at both http://loprofile.com & http://profileshoho.com.
Now to Vauxhall and yet again it’s the Orange Group that edge the competition with a truly spectacular weekend of action, encompassing brands Onyx, A:M, Beyond, Later, Booster &, of course Orange, sitting neatly in the middle being Alex Erfan’s own Lovechild, their “Snowball” event getting our Weekend Focus attention and taking place on Sat (15th), full details out at http://discomatt.com/web/2011/01/weekend-focus-surfing-snowboard-lovechild-snowball-saturday-15th-january/. As for the rest?, well Onyx is getting, what the promoter calls, an “upgrade look”, with the main room D.J. stars slightly re-aligned to include Lee Harris & Jc Christopher along with, yes you guessed it, promoter Jonny M (interesting!), while much of the rest of the line up looks the same, save for Paul Christian who joins Lisa German toughing it out in the Terrace bar. We will bring you full details of the changes in a special post coming up, but suffice to say tonight (Fri 15th) should be a corker as Booster main man , Romain Lopez, is celebrating his birthday, the boy continuing the partying at A:M, who welcome special guest Mikey D to the decks in the main room, while the likes of Fat Tony, Gonzalo Rivas, Alan K, Pier Morrocco & D’Johnny make for a brilliant blend and whilst much water has flown under the Oliver M/Disco matt bridge, we salute him for pulling round the clubs fortunes and making it the talk of the town. Leaping to Sunday and it’s a threesome of Beyond, Later & Booster, the whole weekend being polished off with another citric squeeze splendour, Steven React Sharp’s Orange carrying you deep into Monday morning in usual outrage & ostentationess. Middle of the month & a January month to boot and you may think it will be a bit quiet, but if last year is anything to go by, not at all, plus with such a great choice and the cream of the D.J. crop playing, Area & Fire will be pumping from Friday through Monday. Further details of events across the Orange group calendar can be found at http://fireclub.co.uk/fire-nightclub-london-gay-parties.php and you can also participate in their various guestlist offerings by going to http://gayguestlists/ and adding your preferred club after the slash.
Moving on and over east and with “east” being the optimum word, it is East Bloc on City Roads that pips The Dalston Superstore to our alternatives Best Bite slot, not least as its ever more popular Friday nighter “Disco Fag Bar” (DFB) is right up our street and making waves as big as a Tsunami over in Shoreditch. The brainchild on of Wayne Shires, the man behind underground club phenomenon Crash, has extended his underground roots into DFB in big style, as not only does the club combine that NYC style of basement action, but it has all the industrial feel that made Crash so popular, the main difference being that the crowd is much more mixed, some would say polysexual, we prefer metrosexual & mature in their making. And this Friday (15th Jan) looks like being a blast, as DFB goes up against UturnS , who will introduce what they aptly call as a bit of “…pop porn…” (we like it already!) mashing up electro beats, tech house & synth pop to enthralling effect, D.J.’s Non D’Script & Calemma joining birthday boy Fool V.O. on the decks. Then on Saturday DFB moves over to welcome in “Robot Disco”, the interGAYlactic & supersonic sound filled night that sports future (or Futurama to the gang) disco, and hypnotic house with a dollop of hi-NRG thrown in for good measure, this coming as no surprise when you spot the amazing Lee-Lee in a line up that includes Eat Bloc’s Laurent Chaumet & Macho City’s Dave Kendrick, all joined by special guest Rob Sykes who takes to trip to gay Shoreditch and a slot at East Bloc for the second time. Now, whilst it is not compulsory, be aware that this Shoreditch lot love a bit of dressing up, so if you fancy partaking and looking even the teeniest bit robotic, then the gang will allow you free entry, although if you are down to City Road before midnight, its free also, then a very respectable & reasonable £5, the rates being similar for DFB, more details on these & other events at East Bloc available by going to http://eastbloc.co.uk.
So, what’s happened to our other bites & recommendations?, well due to our ear infection misfortunes, we are a little late in getting the proverbial pen to paper, hence the slimline look this week. However, we have definite plans to roll out our “Rest Bites” posts very soon, so if you want a mention then get your details across to Disco Matt headquarters by e-mail at matt@discomatt.com or by popping your events details into our Facebook inbox, or even plastering them on our wall(s), that way you can guarantee a mention.
Now, that’s kind of it for this week, although no recommendation post of ours would be complete without a big up mention for tip top clubbing website SeenQueen, who have been evolving their own recommendations of late, a whole stream of posts going out in advance of ours, as well as a new listings box on their home page. So, it’s all worth checking out by going to http://seenqueen.com.
So, as we conclude our post watch this space for upcoming Focus reports on Minty’s Birthday bash at Industri, this coming on Wednesday (19th Jan), the return of Bear Necessity next Saturday (22nd Jan) and then The Week at The Coronet on Saturday 29th Jan, plus much more besides, all right here at http://discomatt.com.
All that’s left to say is, whatever you are up to and wherever the weekend will find you, have a fantastic one and whilst ours looks pretty quiet, fingers crossed we will have our ear plug at the ready for a trip to Lovechild’s “Snowball” event, followed by a brief foray to Beyond. So, if we make it and you happen to see us out, come say hi, but as we always say, Go There! Be There! (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: A:M, Alan K, Beyond, Booster, D'Johnny, Disco Fag Bar, East Bloc, Gonzalo Rivas, Hugh Stevenson, Jc Christopher, Jonny M, Later, Laurent Chaumet, Lee Harris, Lisa German, Lo-Profile, Lovechild, Mikey D, Nick Evans, Onyx, Orange, Paul Christian, Phil Marriot, Pier Morrocco, Profile Bar, Steve Pitron, Wayne Shires | No Comments »
Well, what a truly amazing New Year weekend we had, kicking off with a house party that we will savour for a long time to come, perhaps for more reasons than we would like, but a more brilliant way to see in 2011 we couldn’t have asked for. Then, with an exhaustive schedule that caught up Salvation, As One, Beyond, WE Attacks & Orange we came away extremely satisfied with our lot if but finding ourselves very much in the recovery position and in need of huge doses Benecol to propel us forward into January. So, feeling the need to ease ourselves in, not least as we fend off a nasty bout of flu, we thought we would do the same with our first weekend nod of the year, simply by picking out our choice cuts & best bites in Soho Vauxhall & elsewhere, then hinting towards some tip top events later in the month.
Right to Soho first and top of our pile is the cracking combo of Profile & Lo-Profile on Wardour Street, which whilst clearly topped our own 2010 poll, Profile hitting number one in our Best bar category, while Lo-Profile was recognised as best bar/club venue, it seems you think so too, as Profile has made incredible strides in the SeenQueen 2010 poll, currently running to an amazing 3rd overall so far. And this comes as Profile, since launching 18 months ago, has made considerable strides and now represents one of the best hotspots to kick-start a weekend of madness & mayhem, generally a mere short journey downstairs in Lo-Profile, plus, with recent improvements to the layout of the bar, including a new bespoke D.J. booth, extra standing & dancing space, building on the fantastic food & drink offer, virtually unrivalled by any other competitor, Profile was definitely the mover & shaker of 2010 and looks set to continue that well into 2011. So, Profile & Lo-Profile should definitely be on your radar this weekend, tonight (Fri 8th Jan) seeing the return of resident & Clubnation king Phil Marriott, spinning all the smart & latest dance house tracks from 7 p.m., paving the way for Mikey D & then Brent Nicholls to see you swinging into Saturday with stacks of superb sounds. As for Saturday, well Profile plays host to the mischievous music meister Craig Daniels who looks set to treat you to tons of terrific tunes, while it’s the turn of Jamie Head & Alessandro Londra to tip the musical scales downstairs in Lo-Profile at the “official” Beyond pre-party, more details of both venues being available at both http://profilesoho.com & http://loprofile.com.
Other quick best bite shouts go to The Shadow Lounge which have their own version of the January sales, with half price’s on guest list door entry, table bookings & membership renewals, plus with favourites “Therapy” & “Inferno” back, is well worth a visit this Friday/Saturday. Rupert Street is another hip hop hangout worth a call, as Friday favourite Brent Nicholls returns tonight and then tomorrow (Sat 8th Jan) A:M promoter & D.J. Oliver M gets the party going. Information on events at Shadow Lounge, which is open seven days a week, can be found at http://theshadowlounge.co.uk while Rupert Street also has its own website at http://rupertstreet.com.
Down to Vauxhall and the biggest news is the Megawoof move to Fire, which we covered in our Weekend Focus post “Musclebear Moves” and their “Hardware” event looks set to dominate Saturday, although it is The Orange Group itself that will have the lion’s share of activity across the weekend. And it comes as no surprises as with brands from Gravity of Thursday, Onyx on Friday, A:M on Saturday, Beyond on Sunday & Orange on Monday, but with much more, there is no shortage of parties at either Fire or Area this weekend. So, wading through their choices our best bites have to go first ton Onyx, which holds one of its now infamous “Recovery” parties tonight (Fri 7th Jan) when Italian stallion Pagano storms back to London after a New year weekend jetting around the globe, landing on Vauxhall to perform a special five hour set in the main room, while the superb supporting cast includes Lisa German, Paul Christian, Lee Harris & Tasty Tim, all hosted by the fabulous Chrissy “Onyx” Darling. Plus, as a thank you to Onyx customers over the festive season, the team are offering free entry which you can claim via http://gayguestlits.com/onyx or by arriving armed with a flyer or ad before midnight, the club open from 10 p.m. through till 5 a.m. Then, not surprisingly, Beyond is sure to prove a winner, it certainly riding high in the SeenQueen poll, currently topping everything else at the moment & indeed scooped three awards in our own 2010 poll, achieving best club brand, best weekly club and best afterhours club, beating off some fierce competition. And, in true recovery style, Beyond will be extending its trading to a massive 12 hours, kicking off at midnight this Saturday (8th Jan) and running through till beyond midday on Sunday morning & sporting no less than 12 Beyond all-stars & newcomers, including Steve Pitron, Mikey D, Alan K, Hifi Sean & Jamie Head, as well as The Oli, Jc Christopher & Oliver M. Now, it’s well worth grabbing a ticket in advance, which you can do at http://clubtickets.com or by popping into Prowler, Clone Zone, or even over the counter at Rupert St, all priced at £12, whereas discounted £8 passes are available at the “official” pre-party at Lo-Profile, although entry will be available on the door but for more. As for other events on the Orange Group calendar this weekend, go check out info via http://fireclub.co.uk/fire-nightclub-london-gay-parties.php.
Other best bite shouts go to The Eagle, who have a trio of treats, starting with “Tonker” tonight (Fri 7th Jan), cashing in on the bear-tastic feel to the weekend, while on Saturday “Carpet Burn” rules the roost, welcoming the might of Kym Mazelle who will definitely add her own hi-NRG twist to a night that has 80’s, 90’s & handbag house as its make-up, special guest D.J. Dave Kendrick delving deep into his musical archives to make this a party night to remember. Then what weekend would be complete without a bit of “horsin around”, as Horse Meat Disco comes at ya again this Sunday (9th Jan), Jim Stanton & his crew whipping up some whacky wonderment to catapult you into the new week as well as the new year. For further details of these events as well as opening times etc, go to http://tonker.co.uk, http://eaglelondon.com & http://myspace.com/horsemeatdiscolondon.
Right, so what about elsewhere?, well it simply had to be our big front runner of alternatives in 2010 that would stride ahead again in 2011, welcoming back two firm favourites that have made The Dalston Superstore the popular place it was throughout last year and a venue that impressed us from the minute we stepped in, from the laid back & relaxing atmosphere, to the traditional fabric & furniture that is so welcoming & warming, yet with groundbreaking music & entertainment that have definitely made the place a hot ticket. Plus, with brands like Paradise 45, Trailer Trash, & Gutterslut, making the most of this East London gem, as well as sporting nights like Hott Mess, Tutti Frutti, & Bodytalk among a host of others, there is no shortage of alternative action to amaze. So, this Friday (7th Jan), sees the welcome return of “Do It”, labelled by the team as “…a nonstop party for party people…” and is sure to be just that, with special guest D.J., Stop Making Me (where do these names come from) joining the band of Do It residents downstairs, while Liz & Cathal spearhead the sounds upstairs, Fridays normally see the DSS rammed and given the mood & the popularity of Do It, tonight should be no exception. Then on Sat (8th Jan), Dan Beaumont’s special house night, “Soundstage” takes centre stage in Dalston, Dan & co welcoming a host of special D.J. guests to play out choice house music filled with tunes of now & then, but definitely no mainstream, but much more groundbreaking beats, while Macho City muscles in on the action upstairs to put to mucho into macho with magnificent music. And Sunday sees Tutti Frutti round off another superb DSS weekend, D.J. Squeaky & friends making sure it’s a smooth landing from the highs of Friday & Saturday & a safe entry into Monday, further details of all the shenanigans available by following the boys at http://twittwer.com/dsuperstore or by checking out their regularly updated Facebook group.
Our other & final best bite mention goes to East Bloc on City Road in Shoreditch, the hip hop NYC style venue that sports the brilliant “Disco Fag Bar” on Friday’s, this week seeing a special treat as Wayne Shires hits the decks, alongside Laurent C & Borja Pena, while on Saturday , the hit of 2010, “The Men Who Fell 2 Earth” returns, with gravity defying sounds from across the galaxy of heavenly house to surely pack out the place. More details of these & other events at East Bloc can be found by going to http://eastbloc.co.uk
Right, now taking a brief look forward and grabbing our diaries, here are a couple of dates that should definitely be filling yours this January, as hit monthly happening Lovechild returns with a very special “Snowball” event next Saturday (15th Jan), neatly followed by the first big birthday bash of the year, as Minty celebrates another social soiree splendour of a year with Industri on Wednesday (19th Jan), while Bear Necessity moves from Fire to Area the following Saturday (22nd Jan), the month rounding off with the return of Brazilian carnival style club The Week, which graces The Coronet on Saturday 29th January. We will be bringing you the all important details on these in special focuses/previews, so keeps your eyes peeled but note down the dates, as these will be party’s not to be missed.
So, that’s our first weekend of 2011 pretty much wrapped up and just time to say, whatever you are up to and wherever you are, have a brilliant one. As for us, well having been plagued with a bad flu bug since Tuesday, we will probably be lying low for this one, rather catching up on our NY reviews, although if a certain D.J. has his way, you may find us in our spot, “Doing The Disco Matt”, yes you guessed it, in the Beyond main room on Sunday morning, so if we make it & you see us out, come say hi, but as we always say….Go There! Be There! (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: Alan K, Alessandro Londra, Beyond, Brent Nicholls, Carpet Burn, Dalston Superstore, Disco Fag Bar, East Bloc, Hifi Sean, Horse Meat Disco, Jamie Head, Lo-Profile, Mikey D, Oliver M, Onyx, Orange, Phil Marriott, Profile Bar, Rupert Street, Steve Pitron, The Shadow Lounge, Tonker | No Comments »
It would be fair to say that, over the years, we have seen our fair share of launches, whether it be new club venues or brands, new bars, new magazines or even the latest innovative product, indeed we have seen a handful of premieres, plenty of new ventures and lots more in between. So, we have, as the saying goes, been there & done that, not least when it comes to porno flicks, we having filled our video cabinet (yes were are talking video age!) with all manner of x rated entertainment from an early age, then in a previous guise, were used to seeing sex on the small screen on a daily basis, so have had more than our fair share of hot, horny humping, in fact we have seen pretty much everything, from good to bad, to indecent and to downright dirty. That said, when the chance comes up to sample something new, we rarely resist, especially if it has musclebound men involved (how shallow of us). So with this very tempting prospect on our doorstep which we were able to combine with a peek at the revised look of one of our favourite Soho sophisticate hangouts, it was pretty much a foregone conclusion that we would be hot footing our way down Wardour Street to the delights of Profile Bar and the treats of some drop dead gorgeous bare chested beauts.
Men At Play, as the name suggests, places its business firmly in the male sex porn market, on online business that has developed a considerable following since a full-on launch just over 18 months ago. Indeed with well over 100 models on their books, the Men At Play crew have certainly made a mark on this very competitive industry, having to date produced two glossy books, “Ready To Play” & “”Business Affairs”, on top of scores of movies available online, whether in their “Solo”, “Hardcore”, or “Backstage” categories, as well as two full length features in their “Executive Pleasures” series of DVD’s, both the books & the films showing them to be very much at the business end of the male market, in more ways than one, the suited & booted brigade market very much catered for by their productions. And of those models, with stunners like Alex Marte, Damien Crosse, Max Shutler, Carlos Rivas, & Marco Blaze on their books, as well as close to home hunks Ben Brown & Bruno Knight, there is little or no surprise that suits soon get stripped, ties unknotted and shiny shoes shorn in favour of man on man all out action that would get even the most strong willed well & truly hot under the collar.
So, when news hit our desks that the boys (well men actually) were launching a new DVD, simply entitled “Gentlemen”, choosing Profile Bar in Soho as the venue for this special event, promising a collection of their models suited & booted (well, from the waist down at least!) on hand to promote the new flick, we thought what better way to fire up our Friday than in the hands of the Men At Play crew. But when we also heard that the team behind Profile, had instigated some nip & tuck improvements, it was an absolute must that we hot footed it down to Wardour Street, arriving at Profiles doors at not long after 8 p.m. (yes late again, don’t!) the Men At Play boys having been doing the rounds since 6 p.m., definitely injecting plenty of pump to proceedings, although Phil Marriott was more than making his mark, with some masterful music that had the place swinging as we found our spot by the newly positioned & designed D.J booth.
Now, as much as we were impressed with the changes the team had made to Profile (more of that in a minute), we couldn’t help but notice the drop dead gorgeous hunks wandering around the bar, clip boards in hand & approaching customers with their alluring looks & even more enticing assets, collars & ties traded for the bare chested look that we had been so much looking forward to, indeed when Phil pointed out a rather fetching tall & toned (well more beefcake brawn & heavenly hunk actually) Italiano looking number, who for some reason, kept wandering past but actually not approaching us with his board (damn!) our gaze was pretty much transfixed on him rather than what we should have been looking at, the changes to Profiles layout. So, with refreshments in hand & the night already looking like slipping into one of debauchery & madness with Mr Marriot (we do love our Friday’s at Profile), we took a moment to survey the new look & territory, squeezing past & around the substantial crowd that had developed, the changes apparent to the eye, as a sizeable amount of the booth seating had been removed to make much more standing room, although the biggest improvement was the addition of a permanent D.J. booth, now properly positioned next to the bar, thus giving the D.J. a full view of his audience rather than being tucked away in the corner as before. And Phil was definitely revelling in this new found spot to select his sounds, very much being able to connect with the crowd more, who were also appreciative of the change, many dancing & prancing to Phil’s heavenly house tunes.
But, as much as the night was a celebration of the changes to Profile, it was more about Men At Play & their new DVD “Gentlemen”, excerpts of the film flick being shown on the widescreen for all to see, although our attention kept being grabbed by the hoard of hunks parading around the place and very much adding sex & seduction to the sophistication of this Soho spot. Yet, as much as we wanted the gorgeous Italiano to make his advances, it was Bruno Knight & Ben Brown that made it to us first, thrusting their clipboards in our direction (no not for our autograph silly!) with the temptation of a free “Gentlemen” DVD on offer in a special competition being run for the night, we handing over our details with gay abandon, while Ben & Bruno framed an impromptu camera shot of us for posterity, Mr Knight then hilariously grooming his broad hairy covered chest with a fetching pink comb, both butch & camp colliding calamitously.
With proceedings at full swing and Profile getting busier by the minute, we turned our attention to our pal Phil, who was laying down some serious sounds both for the bar & for Gaydar Radio’s ClubNation show, which broadcasts live from Soho each Friday night. Indeed, Friday’s in this format have become quite an institution of late for us, many an evening extending into a night, generally downstairs in Lo-Profile, which often spots favourites including Brent Nicholls, D’Johnny & the dynamic duo of Steve Pitron & Mikey D, this occasion being no different as both Beyond boys were down to play, making the decision to extend our evening an easy one. But that was all to come, we having planned a liason with Brent Nicholls round the corner in Rupert Street first, although the planned 9 p.m. meet was fast slipping, as we simply couldn’t tear ourselves away from the magnificent music of Mr Marriott and the muscle-bound Men At Play porn parade, no surprise really, as both elements, the music & the men, were too much to resist elevating an already amazing atmosphere even more, we fully engaged & engrossed in this enthralling environment.
However, with a mercy message in from Mr Nicholls, we made a dash to share our devotions for a while, although the draw of the Men At Play movements was to see us back at Profile in plenty of time to take in more of those drop dead gorgeous guys, still suited & booted but definitely shirtless and raring to show more downstairs in Lo-Profile. And with both Phil & us very much in the mood, the shots of Sambuca flowing & the prospect of another night of naughty but nice audacious action ahead, we hot footed it downstairs, descending into delightful debauchery in the hands of Beyond boys Dower & Pitron, Steve in particular in very playful mood, mimicking our “Doing The Disco Matt” dance moves, much to the delight & hilarity of a whole collection of clubbers & familiar faces who joined us in our jovial jaunt, the Men At Play crew adding their own sexual spice with seductive & saucy stage showings to round off what ended up being another fabulous Friday in captivating company.
In Profile Bar we have very much found a venue that seems to deliver all the elements that we have come to enjoy in an evening of entertainment, Friday especially hitting the mark with increasing regularity, not least as the whole atmosphere of the place seems to be pitched perfectly, all helped along by the terrific team both behind the scenes & our front, but moreover in the music from Mr Marriott, whose tremendous talent for selecting the most superb sounds has impressed us immensely, so much so, that Friday’s are never quite the same without some fun with Phil. Then, you add to the mix, the Men At Play crew and there was no wonder that this event will go down as one of our favourites of the year, Bruno Knight & his team of bared chested beaut’s certainly providing plenty of eye candy entertainment throughout the evening, meaning we will definitely be paying a visit to their online site very soon and can’t wait for their next DVD launch event, especially if that attractive tall & toned Italiano is around again. (DISCO MATT)
Postscript
If like us, you simply can’t wait for the next DVD launch and want to get your hands on some suited & booted seduction, why not go visit the Men At Play website and even become a member, which will gain you access to all 
those online x-rated films of Alex, Ben, Damien, Marco & many more in action, plus galleries and their online shop, all at the tip of your fingers by going to http://menatplay.com/.
Posted in Reviews | Tags: Ben Brown, Brent Nicholls, Bruno Knight, Mikey D, Phi Marriot, Profile Bar, Steve Pitron | 1 Comment »
It certainly feels a little bit strange (but good strange you understand) to be sitting here & transmitting our Weekend Recommendations again, plus, just ahead of our new website launch on Monday as well as lots of other exciting developments to come. And it is good to be back, not just filling our evenings with something slightly more productive than watching Grand Designs (we do love that prog though) & the like, but moreover re-connecting with the scene that we love so much and promoting events & venues that we feel deserve a big shout in our re-focussed Best & Rest Bites. So, whilst we may still feel a little rusty around the gills, with a good dollop of cod liver oil & an injection of energy, we are now chomping at the bit and ready to get to it, selecting where to be & be seen this weekend in Soho, Vauxhall & elsewhere.
So, let’s crack on and to Soho first, top of the pile going to Profile & Lo-Profile, who have so entertained us while we have been away, so much so, we broke our review silence a couple of weeks ago, to join the team in celebrating their third birthday bash. And, in some ways, tomorrow (Fri 3rd) will feel like a bit of a homecoming, as not only will Phil Marriot be in situ once again upstairs in Profile, entertaining an ever increasing Friday following to a storming selection of sounds, made up of killer new tunes & uplifting anthems that never fail to hit the Marriot magical mark, his amazing four & a half hour frolic (yes he starts at 7 p.m.) of a superb set going out live to Gaydar Radio’s clubnation listeners. But, if Phil wasn’t enough for us, downstairs in Lo-Profile, not only does Brent Nicholls make a welcome return to the decks, but the night will have a distinct WE feel to it, as the team entertain a pre-party extra-ordinarre, with D’Johnny taking centre music stage and serving up a truck load of terrific tunes to pump the place, the WE Party team deploying their drop dead gorgeous go-go dancers to delight, plus, with plenty of advance discounted ticket offers flying around, as well as the prospect of plenty of hot Latino’s flying around too, while it may be cold outside, it will be hot, hot hot, in Lo-Profile. Mind you, Saturday looks just as entertaining, with Jamie Head & Tony English on the deck downstairs, while Craig Daniels looks after the soothing sounds upstairs in Profile, the team even serving up mulled wine to warm you up from the freezing temperatures outside, plus their amazing food offering adding to make the combo of Profile & Lo-Profile the place to be in Soho this weekend. Further details of both venues on Wardour Street can be found at http://profilesoho.com & http://loprofile.com.
The Shadow Lounge gest out our Best Bite look in this weekend, with the main focus being on Sunday (5th), when they do their bit for World AIDS day, as well as kicking off the Christmas season in style with an old school disco hosted by Les Johnson & his Distinctive Events crew. D.J.’s in detention will be scruffy little school boys Brent Nicholls, Lee Harris & Phil Hewson, blending plenty of brilliant beats to make sure your are not taking a sneaky smoke behind the bicycle sheds, this chrimbo charity event kicking off a 5 p.m., with a whacking big chunk of door proceedings going to the worthy cause that is The Terrence Higgins Trust. Besides that, the team are excited to announce that they have extended their opening hours on Saturdays until 5 a.m. and with their “Therapy” & “Inferno” sessions still pulling the punters on Friday & Saturday respectively, Shadow Lounge weekend is well worth a look in, not least as they have frozen door prices throughout December at a mere £5 after 11 p.m. (you need to be a member of their Facebook group). Plus, with Paul Heron back on rotation with our foxy ladies Minx & Mis-White at “Therapy”, but with a full seven day calendar of events going on, Shadow Lounge is really coming back into its own, more details of all their happenings available by going to http://theshadowlounge.co.uk/ while for free guest list & membership details, drop a line to info@theshadowlounge.co.uk.
As for ourRest Bites, well Barcode are celebrating their 15th birthday on Saturday (4th Dec) with their fave D.J.’s Pagano & Steven Artis (we love em both) selecting the sounds downstairs, while new boy Dilmar Brito (yes he D.J’s too) mastering the music upstairs, although we are somewhat scratching our heads as to the absence of an actual Barcode Soho Saturday resident from the venues 15 year history, but who are we to question?!?! Then there is always Rupert Street, who will be doing their WE bit on both Friday & Saturday with D.J’s Alessandro & Fat Tony respectively, will have tickets on sale for both WE’s main event & Beyond WE and continues to prove a popular hangout.
Onto Vauxhall and The Orange Group once again hits the high notes with a veritable feast of parties, thank heavens some of them actually marking World AIDS day (WAD) with some special events (certain Soho venues, hang your heads in shame!), with Gravity tonight (Thurs 2nd) starting it all, then Friday being highlighted by Onyx, who hold their “Red” event in aid of National AIDS trust, with sizeable slice of takings going in support of this worthy cause, plus the team will have collection buckets out to encourage clubbers to show their generosity (and we know you will), along with a sparkling line up of resident D.J.’s that include Phil Marriot, Lee Harris, Lisa German, Arial, Jason Prince, Tasty Tim & more, all joining special guest jock Lee Dagger of Bimbo Jones fame who will be performing a special 2 hour set featuring many of the bands biggest productions. Then keeping WAD in focus, the back of the group’s weekend gives way to Orange, promoter Steven Sharp & his crew selecting The Elton John AIDS Foundation as their benefactor, with £1 from every guest & £2 from each full paying customer going to direct to this amazing charity and laying on a sparkling line-up of nine performers across two rooms, including The Oli & Paul Martin, who go back back-to-back in the main room, Fat Tony & Tonnic (no Orange would be the same without them), and RAW room residents David Jimenez, Hifi Sean & Gonzalo Rivas all on duty. But, the inexhaustible Orange group weekend is jam packed with other events, highlights including promoter Patrick Lilley’s Queer nation on Saturday night, Later on Sunday afternoon, Booster Sunday night and, how could we leave it out (no not THAT afterhours, this!) Beyond, which has a distinct WE flavour to it. Now, rather than run down the details of ours & your favourite afterhours here, we will be issuing an Extra Bites post (due out on Sat), although in the meantime, any enquiries regarding Beyond, or any of the Orange Group events this weekend can be directed to michelle@allthingsorange.com. And, don’t forget that the team are heavily involved in WE Party London, so check out all our special reports on that.
Our other Best Bite in Vauxhall goes to Megawoof, promoters Daz, Diddy & co still dizzy from their packed to the rafters “Bearcity” special at host venue Hidden, they sure to pack in the most macho of crowds for what looks like being a marriage of magnificent muscle-bound & hairy minds, with Amsterdam’s Furball landing in London for one weekend only to go head to head with the capital’s favourite muscle & leather hirsute happening. And squaring up for this battle of the grizzly giants in Megawoof’s main room & in the Furball corner are D.J.’ Bramsterdam & Big General, two colossal talents in more ways than one, while in the Megawoof corner it’s just Tim McLoone, although to avoid it being a squash job, Daz Saund will be weighing in briefly for the home side meaning that, as the team have predicted “…sparks will fly as the dance divas duel it out…”. As for the dutch duo, both Braamserdam & Big General have gained quite a following back in Holland, their usual back-to-back format being repeated for this Megawoof bash, and riding high on successful tours of their club brand Furball across the globe, not least in Sydney, where they featured in parties Bear Essentials, Indulgence & SonarWave, they also being big players at this year’s gay games in Cologne, so will no doubt go down a treat at Megawoof. This main room meeting of minds aside, residents Rob & Massimo take grip of the blue (middle) room, while the new cruisy “Sensory” third space is now really finding it feet & gaining in popularity, especially for those that like a bit of extracurricular action (if you know what we mean!). Kicking off at Hidden this Sat (4th Dec) from 11 p.m., further details of this “full on, no holds barred” beefed up event can be found by going to http://megawoof.com.
As for our Rest Bites, well, it looks as busy as ever in Vauxhall, both The Eagle & The RVT having a full weekend of action, the former playing host to Tonker on Friday, who are doing their WAD bit & raising funds for The Food Chain, Saturday seeing Carpet Burn return, while the gymkhana that is Horse Meat Disco is back on Sunday. Meanwhile The RVT have the way out & whacky Speedwagon on Friday, while no weekend would ever be the same with a S.LA.G.S/Chill-out session on Sunday’s (need we say more), this institution still packing them in.
Moving on and indeed across the capital and top of our alternative heap is The Dalston Superstore (DSS), Matt Tucker & co packing them in with a non-stop party weekend of pure diverse delight. And, having done their bit of WAD on Wednesday, raising a tidy sum for their nominated charity, Positive East, the team press on tomorrow (Fri 3rd Dec), as they host Guy Williams’ profilc Paradise 45 which goes all chrimbo on us with their “Christmas Cracker” gathering, Guy sharing the decks with Serge Santiago & Sophie Lloyd. Then on Saturday, it’s the turn of Hot Mess to titillate, with special guest Tasty Tim & Princess Julia on the decks, joined by resident D.J. & Hot Mess host, Holestar. Plus, as it is their Christmas party too, we have been asked to announce a mistletoe alert, as well as inform you that the “traffic light shag tags” are back by popular demand (the mind boggles), while on Sunday its D.J. Squeaky’s sounds shout as Tutti Fruitti seals the fate on the end of your weekend in wonderful style. Now, we thought we would give an early mention to a very special Christmas party, as next Friday (10th Dec) Trailer Trash & Gutterslut combine forces for what looks to be the smash hit of DSS’s year, meaning that you simply have to get there early, early, early to avoid the disappointment of not getting in, as it will be (in the inimitable words of the team) RAMMO. Now, we do keep pressing the DSS boys for news on their website, but they are constantly tweeting, so you can follow the latest action & news via http://twitter.com/dsuperstore, or failing that mail the men at hello@dalstonsuperstore.com.
As for our alternative Rest Bites, well The Supper Club definitely seems to be getting in on the act, this chic & sophisticated Notting Hill hangout having played host to Lovechild’s WAD event. And this Sunday (4th Dec), they are back with the special party, Toy, with a veritable feast of entertainment from artists & D.J’s that include Johanna, Mister J, Mzz Kimberly, Kris Di Angelis, Terry Vietheer, Le Gateau Chocolat, Jeyjon & Jonny Woo (who’s who?, we are sure you know), while if you are brave enough to hit the snowy roads or rails, then a trip to Brighton is worth consideration, as Paul Kemp & his crew also do their bit for WAD, with their own “Red” party at the massive Oceania, with all (and we mean ALL) profits going to The Rainbow Fund & Sussex Community Foundation (good on you Mr Kemp) with mega headliner Norman Cook, yes Fat Boy Slim, joining the likes of Paul Heron & Tasty Tim, while entertainment includes PA performances from Katherine Ellis & Krysten Cummings (sounds like our Mr Marsh is involved we think).
Right, with links to websites &/or e-mail options for our Best Bites, as for our Rest Bites, you can either pick up a copy of the weekly rags (no offence) or hit the relevant event page buttons on Facebook for further & full details of our picks. But, having said that, the hottest events in town are always listed on tip top clubbing website SeenQueen, who filled our shoes superbly while we were away and their new look site is absolutely crammed with content that will keep you happy for hours. So don’t dilly dally and go check out London’s clubbing bible at http://seenqueen.com.
Well, we have gone on enough, but just time to say that our weekend, or should we say WEekend stars with WE’s pre-party at Lo-Profile tomorrow night (Fri 3rd), with the main WE party grabbing our full attention on Sat. Plus with our arm completely twisted by Messrs Pitron & Fuller (in a lovely way of course) it’s the Beyond WE on Sunday morning, following which we will more than likely collapse in a heap (well we are out of practice). So, if you see us out, come say hi and as we always say….”Go There! Be There!”. (DISCO MATT)
Postscript
With plans to separate our Best & Rest Bites into two posts from next week, now is your chance to get your event, venue or gig mentioned by e-mailing us your details at matt@discomatt.com and we will do our best to include you.
Posted in Recommends | Tags: Andrew Elmore, Beyond, Booster, Brent Nicholls, Carpet Burn, D'Johnny, Gravity, Guy Williams, Horse Meat Disco, Hott Mess, Inferon, Jason Prince, Later, Lee Harris, Lisa German, Lo-Profile, Megawoof, Minx, Mis-White, Onyx, Orange, Paradise 45, Paul Heron, Phil Hewson, Phil Marriot, Princess Julia, Profile Bar, S.L.A.G.S./Chill-out, Tasty Tim, The Dalston Superstore, The Eagle, The RVT, The Shadow Lounge, Therapy, Tonker, Tutti Fruitti | No Comments »
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15 Jul 2011 | 0 Comments
Recommends – “From Latino’s To Lovebox’ers” – Weekend Best Bites & Short Shouts – Friday 15th to Sunday 17th July
With our heads having been buried in computers & the compilations for well over twenty four hours, our minds are now focused back on the forthcoming weekend and one that looks set to be another purple patch period of partying with two exceptional events on our schedule. However, looking across ...
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11 Jul 2011 | 1 Comment
Reviews – “Soho Social Splendour Times Two” – Gigolo & Society at Lo-Profile – Thurs & Fri 7th & 8th July – Bite Size Review
Having been launched some three years ago as an alternative to the Vauxhall scene, Lo Profile was aimed squarely at a clubbing community that wanted an option on hand to slide straight into after a stint around Soho, positioning itself in the heart of this gay village seeing it quickly ...
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21 May 2011 | 0 Comments
Recommends – “Life beyond Beyond” – Weekend Best Bites & Short Shouts – Friday 20th to Sunday 22nd May
It would be fair to say that for us, as well as a whole host of others, that our favourite outing, Beyond, was always the pot of gold at the end of the clubbing rainbow, or at least the pinnacle of any weekend of activity, this Sunday morning outing having ...
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18 Feb 2011 | 0 Comments
DM Recomends – “Get Us To The Plane On Time” – Weekend Best Bites & Short Shouts” – Fri 18th to Sun 20th February
Its definitely feeling like a short month compared to January, as we already find ourselves at the penultimate weekend of February and one that will see us running around in final preparations for our three week trip to South Africa, with more of that international reporting that is figuring in ...
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6 Feb 2011 | 0 Comments
Special Review – “Vibrant Village Visit” – Soho’s Hip & Happening Hangouts – Barcode, Rupert St & Profile/Lo-Profile – Friday 28th Janaury
Since arriving & settling in London umpteen years ago, we have always been attracted to the charms or otherwise of Soho, the history of this once salubrious district of the West End very much painted with porn, vice & well, sex, even when we landed in the capital, not a ...
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28 Jan 2011 | 0 Comments
DM Recommends – “Carnival Collective” – Weekend Best Bites – Fri 28th to Sun 30th January
Well, what a month it has been in Disco Matt land, first the flu & then a nasty ear infection that has left us most out of sorts, although it hasn’t stopped us getting out & about on the scene, and when we haven’t, recommending the places to be & ...
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14 Jan 2011 | 0 Comments
DM Recommends – “Ear Plug At The Ready” – Weekend Best Bites – Fri 14th to Sun 16th January
Well, what a hideous week it has been in Disco Matt land, with the ravages of a heavy flu attack having laid our last weekend to waste but also rearing a hideous & horrible ear infection that has left us writhing in agony & reeling with in-balance & hearing. Mind ...
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7 Jan 2011 | 0 Comments
DM Recommends – “In The Recovery Position” – Weekend Best Bites – Fri 7th to Sun 9th January
Well, what a truly amazing New Year weekend we had, kicking off with a house party that we will savour for a long time to come, perhaps for more reasons than we would like, but a more brilliant way to see in 2011 we couldn’t have asked for. Then, with ...
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22 Dec 2010 | 1 Comment
Event Review – “Bare Chested Beaut’s” – Men At Play @ Profile Bar – Friday 10th December
It would be fair to say that, over the years, we have seen our fair share of launches, whether it be new club venues or brands, new bars, new magazines or even the latest innovative product, indeed we have seen a handful of premieres, plenty of new ventures and lots ...
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3 Dec 2010 | 0 Comments
DM Recommends – “Back Best & Rest Bite-ing” – Weekend Best & Rest Bites – 3rd to 5th Dec
It certainly feels a little bit strange (but good strange you understand) to be sitting here & transmitting our Weekend Recommendations again, plus, just ahead of our new website launch on Monday as well as lots of other exciting developments to come. And it is good to be back, not ...
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