There was no George Michael, the prospect of  a lengthy journey jaunt, an X Factor finalist lacking a dynamic draw, along with a tardy turnout that looked like laying this Logan Presents Anniversary to waste. But all that was before we made it to Proud2, we then enjoying one of the best P.A. performances ever, along with plenty more besides that left us walking away with a smile wider than a Cheshire cat’s. But did this Anniversary cake of a celebration actually rise to the occasion in our eyes or sink like a soggy soufflé in our minds?

Resplendent Rebeka Rejoice

We can count ourselves really fortunate to have come into contact with a whole host of key players within the capitals clubbing circuit over the years, promoters whom we have held close court with including Wayne Shires, Alex Erfan, Jodie Harsh, Oliver Mohns, Steven Sharp & Suzie Kruegar, all these prolific people commanding our huge respect for all sorts of varying reasons, while there are plenty more we could list that have made this the spectacular scene that it is. Then we turn to a bevy of the best brands these people have produced & promoted, Crash, Lovechild, Room Service, Matinee, Orange & Hard On!, all exceptional examples among stable full of others they have masterminded and have become, at worst, iconic, while  at best, legendary. However, when we pinpoint certain promoters like the ones above (and there are plenty more where they came from) in our excellence category, there is another name that we also include in this illustrious company of clubbing commanders, a chap that has influenced the scene as much, if not more that all of the above, an individual that has, in the last three years or so, rarely been out of the spotlight or headlines and is a man that undoubtedly throws one hundred & ten percent into everything he does when presenting both parties & promotions to the masses and to the exceptional extent he does.

Superman Mr Schmitz

Logan Schmitz has already gone down in the capitals clubbing scene history books for, in a way, re-writing a chunk of the words of that book, perhaps also creating his own chapter of achievements, primarily for bringing  Spanish brand SuperMartXe to the forefront of the mind’s of Londoners, with a string of successfully spectacular showings, a long list of exceptional events that include “Alice In Wonderland”, “The Wizard Of Oz”, “Under The Sea” & “Hot Wheels” (to mention just a few), a two year reign of resplendence, without question, elevating Logan & his team to the top of the capitals clubbing pile, only one brand stealing his thunder and one which he was heavily involved with at the time anyway. Then you extend your eyes onto the likes of “Hype”, “UP” & “Matinee”, all falling under the promotions umbrella that is Logan Presents, and the wave crest Mr Schmitz found his scene surfboard on was metaphorically has high as those heaped on Hawaii. But even he would admit that the wave came into shore quite sharply, not least due to the loss of his historical home, shortly followed by the debacle of Debut, SuperMartXe’s & Logan’s latest clubbing host, Pulse, not inspiring anywhere close to The Coronet, meaning that, as his 3^rd Anniversary loomed, much boat pushing was needed to attract an attentive & adoring audience.

Get Well George

So the game plan was clear and with the fanfare that followed the first trickle of teasers back in early November, it was clear that Mr Schmitz was indeed looking to come back with a bang, the billing of one of the world’s biggest pop stars the centre-piece of his spangled showing, the promise of plenty elements to this exceptional event that would make it the best the scene had ever seen. Indeed, with the picture of this prolific party painted as history making & ground breaking, we were also told to expect an event we would never forget, the inclusion of one George Michael very much in ingredient that would pull the whole celebration cake mixture together, thus making one of the tastiest treats we had ever experienced in clubland. But, with fate dealing Logan a cruel hand, the situation that saw the events headliner land in hospital, the peddles on this event bicycle began to whizz round furiously, the frenzy over this whole unfortunate set of circumstances Mr Schmitz was facing, spiralling out of control, while it was that word, control, which saw a sense of calm return when further announcements revealed a dynamic D.J. line-up, planned pulsating production, a Spanish superstar songstress together with an emerging talent contest finalist, all encased in one of the best venue’s London has to offer. So, having previewed, reported & eventually recommended in extensive detail on this dance diary delectation, effectively talking the talk, it was time to for us to walk the walk, hot footing it down to Greenwich and Proud2 for this Logan Presents 3^rd Anniversary accolade.

Stunning Stage

With our clubbing companion Miss Cougar accompanying us and what was a mere fifteen minute journey from the centre of town to our destination, The O2 Arena, negotiating the dome itself then finding the entrance to Proud2 proved a little less straight forward than our tube trip, but when we had completed our semi circular cycle, we were presented with a pretty efficient entry, save for a coatcheck queue that seemed to take longer than the score length justified. But with that formality over with, we were into Proud2 proper and immediately looking to find our bearings, a developing crowd beginning to spread out into the main room space, while we took ourselves up the first of many stairwells leading to the first floor & walkway that enveloped the sizeable space below. Pausing at the bar to collect refreshments for our companion, it wasn’t long before a ferry full of familiar faces began to present themselves to us, Tom Marchant grabbing much of our immediate attention, the long list extending to many more, including the two Ross’s, Paterson & Resicgno, Jorge Branco, & Ariel Mayer while the likes of DJ Alessandro Londra & Nathan 6 also stopped us in our tracks, we slightly aggrieved that we had missed out on Nathan’s opener of a set as he has always been a talent that has impressed us on a number of levels, he surely having done a sterling job in getting this anniversary event going.

Drop Dead Gorgeous Dancers

With much of the greetings over with, it was time to focus on the party in hand, we deciding to take our position by the catwalk style stage that jutted out from the existing performance area, the D.J. booth to its right being occupied by the first of two international guests, Aaron the man in charge now, while AB Garcia would assume the decks much later into the event. But, while we were soaking up the superb scene, our playful partner in crime was acting out his cougar characteristics capriciously, first coming at us with his clawed fingers, very much hinting towards the first of two P.A. performers and then started burrowing under the curtain wrapped stage to see what was there, we calling him back to our spot in an embarrassed instant. And, as it materialised, we called him back just in time, as within seconds, a rope & ring dropped from the ceiling and a trapeze artist commenced to wow the attentive audience with his wonderful acrobatics, this the first of two simply spectacular showings that added just one of many of those star spangled elements that we had been expecting. And as soon as he was done, the stage proper erupted into life, pyrotechnic rockets & flaming effects framing the dozen or so dancers that filled the stage & catwalk, impressive LED displays lining the back of the performing area, lasers & other lighting exploding what had been a pretty sedate affair into an action packed anniversary adventure of the three years of Logan Presents, visuals chronicling the history of happenings for all to see.

Rebeka Rapture

However, it was clear to us that it was the performing artists that the crowd had really come to see, the stage shows as spectacular as they were, a simple side show to the stars that were due to perform, Kitty Brucknall the first to make an impression, rising up from beneath the stage extension, gripping her microphone tightly and then belting out a series of renditions that, if we are brutally honest, we couldn’t recognise, her struts up & down the catwalk commanding enough attention, the smoke plumes & pyro’s also adding plenty of pomp & circumstance, although for us, her performance lacked sufficient substance and dare we say it, the X factor. But in stark contrast, Rebeka Brown was simply spectacular, stunning, awesome, brilliant & magnificent, plus all the other adjectives in the dictionary available to describe her two stage showings. Treating us to a catalogue of her hits, her latest “Big Bad Bitch” included which was all the more appropriate as she had two female dancers on stage with her, both crouching to each side as she intimated abusive treatment, other songs she sang including “Sun Rising Up” and a fabulous favourite of ours “Offshore”, which brought more than a few emotionally joyful tears to our eyes, while she absolutely nailed both “We Found Love” & “Save The World Tonight”, the powerful elegance of her voice the virtual opposite to Kitty’s shrills, Rebeka’s stage presence delightfully domineering & masterfully executed, while her predecessor’s was whimpish in her wake, the chalk & cheese comparison to the two difficult to avoid, while we would go as far as saying that Ms Brown’s performance was the best we have seen in a club ever & anywhere, even topping Peyton’s New Year showing at WE, the goose bumps running all over our body evidence to just how thrilling & roof lifting it was.

Dynamic Displays

Rebeka aside, the other spectacular star of this anniversary accolade was Tony English, this delightful D.J. nestling his set between the two P.A. performances and really setting the place alight with his scintillating sound selections, the brilliant balance between euro come Spanish style beats with more upfront house, a couple of classics from yesteryear thrown in for good measure, including “Downpipe” & “Situation”. And unlike Aron who, for us looked quite miserable behind the decks (Miss Cougar thought he was going to cry), Tony was clearly enjoying every minute of his moments in the Logan presents spotlight, throwing all his energy into his performance and clearly understanding that, as the musical focal point, he was very much on stage in everybody’s eyes. As for the roll call of other D.J.’s, well AB Garcia put in a solid set which started with a recent favourite of ours, Avicii’s “Levels”, while the planned room two didn’t get off to a start, although this did mean that the equally planned boogie with one of its mainstay’s, Nick Tcherniak, was shunted forward in our agenda a little. And, while calls from afar were trying to tug us away from Proud2 & back to Vauxhall, we saw out virtually the whole of the rest of event, before retiring into very nippy early morning, to make the more drawn out journey home and reflect on a night that had plenty more highs than we were expecting hours before.

Athletic Acrobat

So yes, before you ask, this celebration cake of an event did rise to the occasion, added to which, having fended off a fury of folks after the event, seeking our opinion on this Logan presents 3^rd Anniversary outing, the next thing we would say is that no amount of words can do justice to the resounding role that Rebeka played in making this a more than worthwhile venture out east, she matching her brilliant billing every single step of the way and in doing so elevating this from what could easily have been an also ran to an absorbing & engaging event. On top of that, the stage setting, the production, the effects, the lighting & the venue itself also lived up to our expectations and in some respects, the LED displays especially, exceeded them, while the acrobatic displays by that amazing athlete, trapeze artist, whatever you want to call him, was another huge highlight, the beauty of his balances, the suppleness of his spins & his handling of the ropes & rings truly tremendous, all adding to a delectably dynamic dimension & drama to this dancing delight of a Logan Presents devotion. Yes we could mention the fact that the club wasn’t packed, although the numbers certainly weren’t anything close to tardy and yes, we could go on & on about the fact that this should have, could have & would have been a history making & ground breaking event had George Michael been there, but the plain fact of the matter is that he wasn’t, so with professional dexterity, rather than dwelling on it, Logan put this sorry situation to one side, making the show & spectacle go on in the best possible way and for that alone we have to salute him. But moreover, we have to commend him for being bold enough to offer the scene something daringly different, Mr Schmitz proving to us that he still knows how to throw a prolific party & a spectacular show, so we look forward to him being back in that spotlight he should be standing in, and before very long at that. (DISCO MATT)