Posts Tagged ‘Salvation’
February 24, 2013 | 
Author With new & renewed life about to be injected into a sagging London scene, we reflect on what used to be brilliant, but what then went badly wrong as competition crushing & monstrous monopolies mobbed, while with the winds of change about to blow, we also look at what is to come in restoring & rejuvenating both the diversity and inclusivity that made this capital’s clubbing circuit the most captivating across all the five continents
We have always said that six months in clubland always seems to be a long time, why?, well because so much seems to happen, to change, to shift, that even this relatively short time in our lives, six months can feel like a lifetime in terms of sheer activity. Yet while our continental cousins seem to take it in their stride, the pace seemingly a lot slower and the schedule more measured, here in London, just like the city itself, the clubbing circuit, particularly in recent times, always feels to be on a knife edge. However, it wasn’t always that way, as in our early years circulating the scene, there seemed to be much more harmony, clubs & events, possibly purely by fluke, seemingly dovetailing into each other, never really treading on toes, but playing their part in a richly diverse yet inclusive scene that gained London’s reputation as being one of the most captivating for clubbers anywhere on the planet. Unfortunately, in more recent times, we have found an unwanted evil creeping in, the desire to dominate and in so doing, not only crush the competition, but bully others into submission, on the surface spurning some truly spectacular & prolific parties, but under the veneer, delivering a devious intent to take charge of the circuit centre ground, pushing a whole host of promoters & parties to the edge of existence. But with the winds of change about to blow across the capitals clubbing circuit, the resurrection of what made London’s scene so strong, it diversity yet inclusivity, looks like being the most cataclysmic change we have seen in a long time, creating an more even playing field for all those that want to play their part, the evil of domination & competition crushing banished from the equation.
But before we touch on those changes and the club at the centre of this marvellous movement, let’s take a nostalgic look back at what was so good about the scene a fair few years ago and then what went desperately wrong, our trip down memory lane taking us back to the mid 1990’s when the scene was alive with a whole host of clubs, all playing their part on the most dynamic and diverse scene in the world. And what a world it was, as we had some truly amazing club nights to savour, many that have become legendary, the likes of Fiction on Friday nights, Love Muscle on Saturday’s, Trade on Sunday morning’s, Sherbert then Salvation or Factor 25 on Sunday afternoon/evenings and FF, DTPM & Warriors on Sunday nights. But there was so much more, as it seemed so many more people were out to party, Subsation’s Soho & South, the latter sporting Queer Nation & the very early days of Hard On! (then called FIST), we had the colossal collaborations that was Famous Five, while Heaven was still massive, and London Gay Pride was a festival to be proud of, as was the superb Summer Rites, all evidence of clubs & club promoters coming together to deliver that diversity yet inclusivity that clubbers tuned into by the 1000’s. Plus, while there were rich pickings to be had, it seemed that clubs & events took the place in the scene schedule, never really pitting their wits against each other, rather attracting their followers and taking their small slice of the significant cake that was a truly captivating capital clubbing circuit.
And it was still looking good and feeling great as the century turn arrived, Vauxhall now part of the picture, thanks in the main to a visionary who created the iconic come legendary Crash, this spurning more club nights, including Action and the soon to be brilliant Beyond. That said, Vauxhall was already playing its part with the likes of The Market Tavern, The RVT & others, while it was on the verge of being pivotal in a change that would see that evil competition crushing and domination creep in, the success of Crash in outing the south of the river spot on the clubbing map, itself inadvertently fuelling the greed of a certain group, whose original intent with brands such as A:M & Orange, was simply to play its part in the prolific diverse playing field that was still a fabulous feature. But as the noughites progressed and international players began to look to London, the likes of La Troya & particularly Matinee, there began an undercurrent of deviousness that would end up even putting national party politics to shame, the halcyon days when club nights such as Horizon & Juicy simply played their part, soon pitching their parties in direct competition in incoming new nights. Indeed as the now recognised Orange Group organisation empire began to expand, it became clear that its intentions were not to play a part in the rich diversity yet inclusivity of the scene, but to dominate and to take more than just a slice or two, but the whole clubbing circuit cake.
Now we entered a period where promoter fighting & club confrontations become a norm, very much driven by The Orange Group’s desire to dominate, Crash pushed out of the Vauxhall picture, even its promoter ties with the still brilliant Beyond severed, his attempts to offer alternatives in a brand new venue, Area, also crushed. But he wasn’t the only one, as Matinee’s attempts to play its monthly part were scuppered, again it being a victim of what we call party pitching, so running a popular event up against another, this disturbing direction also rubbing off on other promoters, who themselves began to fight & battle each other, the SuperMartXe story one such example, while we were gratified that experienced promoter players with level heads sought to stay out of these sordid squabbles. But this evil element was to exacerbate itself to an enth degree, as a long list of individuals were drawn into The Orange Group empire, then spat out as soon as their perceived shelf life had expired or, in some cases, where they dared to promote parties that had the tiniest risk of toppling the domination that this greedy group desired. And while, as with our last sermon on this subject, we feel it would serve no good to mention names (there are many), clubs that have fallen prey include Crash, Matinee, SuperMartXe, & Lovechild, all big Saturday players, their fall from grace leaving us with little, well apart from WE, the ins & outs of how it, with the aid of The Orange Group, pushed SuperMartXe out of The Coronet, quite shocking.
We could go on and we could name case after case, promoter after promoter and club after club that has been either pushed out of the clubbing picture or even out of business by this greed and domination, the last twelve months bearing the rotten fruits of this greedy labour, leaving us with a lacklustre London scene that is not a patch on what it was back into those halcyon days. Yes there have been some success stories from within, Onyx, As One & Deelooded three, while now veteran outing Beyond has continued to ride high in the eyes of clubbers. Plus, what this domination has also done, is allow others to re-group, take stock and, in some cases, head off to do their own thing, a perfect example being Shoreditch and the players within it, who have created an environment that harps back to those happy days of the 90’s. But more importantly, what this greed has also created, is a marvellous movement, a powerful & influential one at that, which is seeking to restore the scene to that wonderfully diverse yet inclusive picture & playing field that we have mentioned many times, the individuals behind this wind of clubbing change, passionate about D.J.’s, promoters, players and you the clubber, in engendering the kind of scene where people work and come together, rather than fight or squabble. And it is the new(ish) gem in what was perceived as being part of the Orange Nation crown, that is driving this change, this tight knit team, after bringing the venue back under their control, now beginning to reach out to a number of promoters, to D.J.’s & other scene figureheads right across London, all who seem to want to play their part in the restoration of a London scene that, as a result of this greedy domineering period, is on its knees, the aims & aspirations of these change driving force individuals being to treat people fairly, pay them properly, reward their efforts, create an environment exempt from fear & bullying, but most importantly, restore a scene that makes Londoners proud, where they have choice, they have diversity, yet everyone feels they are included.
So, we have already hinted who is driving this wind of clubbing change, a change we are so pleased to be a part of too, we, ahead of our special feature, “Championing Clubbing Change”, raising our glass to the characters in what could quite possibly be a chain of cataclysmic changes, the like the capital has never seen before. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Reports | 
Tags: Area, Beyond, Covert, Crash, Factor 25, Famous Five, Heaven, Matinee, Onyx, Queer Nation, Salvation, Sherbert, SuperMartXe, Trade | 
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With its dust sheets confined to the cleaning cupboard, As One emerges from its own obscurity with a bang, as it announces and exciting new chapter in its history, this clubbing combo caterpillar bursting out as a butterfly with its own Festival, we reporting in brief on the first announcement and ticket release.
Billed as “…London’s biggest gay gathering…”, just as we were about to write off As One as another amazing accomplishment on the capitals clubbing circuit no more, the news hits our desks that the team behind this colossal clubbing combo, have consigned it’s dust sheets to the cleaning cupboard, As One emerging from its own obscurity with a bang. Indeed, not only is it moving from inside to out, As One will be showcasing some huge artists & performing artists on the scene, as well as pulling in some true clubbing brand giants from both home and away.
So what do we know so far?, well a little bit and a lot really, as the plan to transform this clubbing caterpillar into the butterfly that will become an open air festival has been in the planning for a while, although kept very much under those dust sheet wraps. However, following the first reveal back at the beginning of the month, some of the detail is now dripping through, the first and most important announcement is that As One “In the Park” will take place on Bank Holiday Sunday 26th may at Victoria Park in east London, the location famed for bringing us huge happening Lovebox (among others), As One not quite of the scale of its counterpart, but sure to make a spring splash from 12 noon till 10.30 p.m. on 26th May.
Plus, the team behind this huge outdoor As One outing have also confirmed the first of many performing artists that will take to the main stage, Rita Ora, the 2012 pop sensation of Britain, whose debut album, “Ora”, zoomed straight t the UK number one spot, also spawning three singles, “Hot Right Now”, How Do We Party” and “R.I.P.”. Add to that a current UK tour and no less than three 2013 Brit Award nominations and she is very much a draw & coup for As One “In The Park”, while the team have also released details of the clubbing brands that will host the various dance arena’s around Victoria Park, London based Beyond, Orange, Deelooded & Salvation flying the home flag, while the international influence will come from Matinee “Revolution”, WE Party, The Week & the massive Circuit Festival. Plus, with support already in from Soho venues Comptons, Ku Bar, The Shadow Lounge, Rupert St. and businesses FindHRR, Prowler, Boyz, G3, the festival is already gathering promotional pace.
But the other piece in our news nibble jigsaw is the release of the first batch of tickets, super early bird options priced at £35 available online at http://ticketweb.co.uk/event/as-one-tickets/40035, while the VIP package looks quite impressive as it offers fast track entry, a complimentary glass of bubbly, exclusive entry to the Shadow Lounge VIP village behind the main stage, VIP toilets, VIP bars stocked with only premium spirits & other drinks, while even table service is on offer to make your whole experience enthralling. However, they do come at a price, a hefty £75, but given what they offer, it does actually seem good value for money and, from our experience of Lovebox, and those VIP toilets are worth their weight in gold. And with more acts to be announced next week, we reckon you should grab one of those super early bird tickets now, more information available by e-mailing the As One “In The Park” team at info@asoneinthepark.co.uk or b following their website at http://asoneinthepark.co.uk, while you can also keep track of announcements as they hit by both liking & following their Facebook page at https://facebook.com/AsOneInThePark.
So setting its stool on a bank holiday weekend in May, as well as choosing a location renowned for holding park festivals, the future is definitely looking bright for the butterfly hat has become As One In the Park and we can’t wait to share further news as it reaches us and the date gets ever closer. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends, Reports | Tags: As One, As One In the Park, Beyond, Circuit Festival, Deelooded, Orange, Salvation, The Week, WE Party | No Comments »
With the launch of his new club, Baked, just hours away and with a marvellous music policy that is as scrummy as a Victoria sponge, we have mixed up our own Mary Berry music bonanza, lining our tunes tin, opening the oven and serving up superb slices of the deck duty & studio sets that make up the rapturous recipe of baking beats cake chap, Chris Brogan, while also looking at the aims & achievements he has for this new club concept of his.
Earning a decent crust as a D.J. on the capitals clubbing circuit is so much tougher these days than when it was when we first landed in London in the 90’s, as then there were so many different venues with equally different styles, spaces and sounds, which meant there was so much more choice for the young, enthusiastic & energetic new blood that seemed to appear quite regularly. But oh have times changed, as not only have scores of clubs disappeared, but the clubbing scene has, in a way, shrunk, or at least concentrated itself to the degree that what we can only describe as clubbing cartels have taken hold, the days of D.J.’s being able to hop between brands & promoters without repercussion long gone. Moreover, what was considered an ample crust of pay back then, is now nothing short of pittance for the capitals scene D.J.’s in comparison to their European counterparts, mainly because the rates are virtually the same now as they were back in the 90’s, so no accounting for inflation there then!! So, it comes as no surprise that many D.J.’s in London have other jobs and their time behind the decks is much more of a vocation than a career, the charismatic & bubbly Chris Brogan one such individual who, like many of his compatriots, has seen opportunities here in the capital, at best wax & wane, while at worst simply shrink. Indeed, having dipped under our own radar in the past year or so, despite being on our affectionately termed “protégé list”, Chris has sped right back into the spotlight as a result of his new club concept, Baked, which launches tonight at Green Carnation, meaning that while we would have loved to be been there, we are doing the next best thing, by focussing on him, his D.J.’ing & his podcast productions.
Chris Brogan is a name that will be familiar to many that frequent both the manly & bear-tastic Tonker at The Eagle and the swish & substantial Soho bar The Edge, both resident spots for Chris these days, while we go right back to 2002 to find Mr Brogan first breaking out onto the D.J. decks, he jumping at the opportunity to play at Fabric, a venue that has housed the likes of DTPM & Matinee, while Mr Brogan’s break was for a straight party, Chris entirely comfortable (as many are) in playing it straight as well as gay. Indeed, this has been a winding path that Chris has followed with fervent footsteps over the years, not so much dropping his guard in the pursuit of a gig, but rather grasping great openings, offers and opportunities with both hands, appearances at The Ministry Of Sound & for brilliant international brand Salvation huge highlights, the latter both here in London & across on the continent , his involvement very timely, as while Salvation was riding high across the world, like so many other clubs of its generation, it was finding the capitals circuit a much more difficult proposition, in no part due to the dirty handed dominance that a certain clubbing group was adopting. These two massive names on the music industry & global clubbing playing field apart, Chris has played across the world, particularly in his early years, destinations including Brazil & Mexico, while closer to home, the likes of Belgium, Germany, Greece, Denmark and Sweden feature too, home an interesting point here as while Chris is based in London, his family & his background stems from France, he often paying visits and playing the occasional gig there too.
However, Chris’s real passion for music, as he explains, “…is to work on my own productions that showcase my creativity both in the compositions I produce in the studio and in my live sets…”, this very much exemplified in the variety of podcast he has released as well as the titles he chooses, two of our favourites being “Baby Cakes” & “Off With Their Heads”, while others have been directly devoted to parties he has played, “Hola” at The Shadow Lounge one. Plus, it’s worth mentioning other places he has played that have influenced his podcasts, Rupert St & Barcode (both in the good days of course), Hed Kandi in Clapham and even Soho Gyms. All inspirational to the Brogan beats production machine, while we also should mention recent appearances in Cologne for clubs Recon & Panic Room, while without doubt the biggest influence has been Chris’s own & first track production, “Temper”, which, with a helping hand from our super Swede Per Q.X., he worked on during the summer of last year, its release in October following being assigned to Sorry Shoes Records, seeing it reach number one in the highly respected & renowned download site, Juno. And Chris remains keen to release more tracks, “Green Means Go” his latest project, while you can keep pace with his track by following http://junodownload.com/artists/Chris+Brogan/tracks/. As for his podcasts, please don’t ask us to hang our favourite hat on any one production, as we dig pretty much all them, no surprise when our musical tastes both in terms of genres & sound styles are quite similar to Chris’s, while Mr Brogan’s choice of artists for inclusions on his podcasts also align with ours, the likes of Stefano Noferini, John Dahlback, Michael Gray, Bob Sinclair, The Hoxton Whores, and Syke & Sugarstarr just a small handful among heaps of others that do it for us & Chris. That said, his “Baby Cakes” compilations are right up there, while that “Off With Their Heads” production always makes us dream of summer and is the perfect antidote to this latest cold snap we are being subjected to, but with plenty more to choose from, we are sure your collection will grow considerable when you click on http://djchrisbrogan.podomatic.com/.
However, the world of Chris Brogan doesn’t stop there as this genial gent is also dipping his toe into club promoting, his “Baby Cakes” podcast series the inspiration for the name of Chris’s new night, “Baked” which, as we said, launches at Green Carnation in Soho tonight (Sat 2nd Feb), the plan then to run it as a monthly meet on in the first Saturday each month. And we find the name of the club quite catchy, another example of Chris’s creativity, while the music policy also seems to have the Brogan beats banner of brilliance on it too, how did he put it “…200 gram(s) classic house, 300 gram(s) anthems, 1 pinch of disco & 1 extra large dollop of fun…” that plan to include classic hits & anthems, along with fabulous floor fillers & splashes of chart pop a refreshing breath of air in a clubbing environment which is all too often driven by tech and even tribal, vocals hardly every part of the picture. So, given this, coupled with a shift away from Vauxhall of late, along with that recent venue closure in Soho, we reckon that the timing of Baked couldn’t be better, the element of fun very much something Mr Brogan is keen to emphasise. And while he acknowledges that Baked will not compete with the bigger brands, the fact of the matter is that he doesn’t want it to, that the words variety & room carry weight in this particular equation, as it is about time we benefitted from more variety in our clubbing schedule and there is definitely room for more club nights, Baked, along with a host of other new clubs & events launching this month, we hope, signalling a tide change in the capitals clubbing circuit, the current definitely looking like its pulling away from that south of the river superb. So, with the Baked stall set, we wish Chris & everyone involved all the success they truly deserve and may this delightful dough of a dance devotion rise & rise like the best Mary Berry bake. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Music | Tags: Baked, Barcode, Chris Brogan, Green Carnation, Hed Kandi, Ministry Of Sound, Rupert St, Salvation, The Edge, Tonker | No Comments »
As this mile high music man prepares to switch his jump seat for a dive behind the decks next Saturday (2nd Feb), Pier Morrocco sure to marvel many with his masterful & magnificent music at Matinee, we thought we would pre-empt his performance with a look back across this engaging individual’s illustrious career playing the clubbing circuit both home & abroad, while sharing our pick of his podcasts including his hot off the press “Pervert” production.
There can be no doubt that clubs, clubbers & clubbing has played a prominent part in the proceedings that we call life, fabulous friendships formed, some of which have become our nearest & dearest, while the weekends we have lost as we found ourselves captivated & consumed in a catalogue of clubs, reach to top end of the three figure range. And along the way we having counted ourselves fortunate to have acquainted ourselves with scores of scene faces & club promoters, but moreover a deluge of D.J.’s, the real passion behind our clubbing cavorting, the music that these marvellous music makers mastermind, both behind the decks and in the recording studio. Yet while we are equally passionate about following & propelling new talent, the list of our protégé players evidence enough, in the end analysis, there can be no substitute for experience, many of the music men that still continue to float our beats boat, having been in the game (some at the very top) for many moons, exceptional examples of these being Steve Pitron, Leomeo Carandang, Jamie Head, & Paul Heron, while a handful of others also fall into the brilliant bracket but, with career commitments elsewhere, seldom show themselves behind the decks of the clubbing circuit.
Pier Morrocco is one such star of the scene that we now seldom see, an engaging individual that we find mainly in the mile high club rather than the clubs we are used to associating him with, a career carved out in aviation now his primary occupation, while when on terra firma here in the capital, he is still the party animal that he was when we first met him, his passion for clubs & clubbing part & parcel of the Morrocco make up. And this passion stretches back to 1991 when Pier moved to London from Melbourne, Australia, throwing himself into a scene that, at the time was dominated by the legendary club Heaven, he soon landing a job behind the bar there, this giving him the appetite to emulate some of the players at the time, so what started as a simple interest, quickly turned into a hobby and then a full blown vocation that would see Pier play for some of the biggest clubbing brands on the global circuit. However, it would be in London where his first big break would come, in 1994 to be precise and to none other than the legendary Trade which, at the time, was at the top of the clubbing tree, Mr Morrocco thrilled to be working alongside the likes of the late Tony De Vit, Alan Thompson & Tall Paul, this exposure setting Pier on a course that would propel him to futher playing pinnacles.
While Trade was huge for him, the amazing Action was as much a big break too, Pier part & parcel of the line-up that made him a household name in Vauxhall & beyond, while there can be no doubt that Salvation was spectacularly massive, Pier’s dear & close friend, the now also late & so sadly missed, Steve Elliot, adding Mr Morrocco to Salvation London’s residency list, this at a time when Luke Hope, Gonzalo Rivas & Per Q.X. were team torre de forces that saw this brilliant brand rule the monthly Sunday waves at Cafe de Paris. Yet in Salvation there was much more to come for Pier, as the following years would see him tour with the brand right around the world, Salvation’s international status soaring, with gigs across the globe, far flung destinations including, Cape Town, Rio, & Sydney, while Europe became a huge playing field for both Salvation & Mr Morrocco, Amsterdam, Berlin, Moscow & Paris among the long list, The European Gay Ski Week also a Salvation special that ran for many a moon. But Pier’s clubbing repertoire extended to many more, both here in London and internationally, well known’s including A:M, DTPM & Matinee, the latter a particular Pier playing ground, especially in the capital when the London franchise was managed by Salvation co-resident Oliver Mohns, while virtual weekly appearances in the heady days when Barcode Vauxhall would be rammed solid, he often playing with pal Pagano, also pepper Pier’s playing portfolio. More recently, with the sad loss of Steve leaving Salvation struggling to find its feet, Pier has put his energies into his mile high career along with the new(ish) love in his life, meaning that he is rarely here in London, rather either 30,000 feet up in the air, or over in Moscow, while gigs internationally remain a feature. But the big & latest news is his organisational involvement with Salvation Global, the powers that be looking to Pier to steer the ship out of its struggling stretch, he having been at the centre of hugely sucessfull parties in Antwerp & Paris during December last year and with more to come in 2013 we are sure.
However, his associations with Matinee continue and when commitments allow, he plays for the brand here in London, the return of the brand to the capitals clubbing circuit in January last year seeing Pier as part of the line-up, while he was back in September for the Spanish super club’s “Utopia” event at Fire, his progressive style of sound intermixed with the occasional vocal & uplifting house neatly balancing the beats scales of his tech infused Matinee music makers. And with his hectic schedule securing a space for the latest Matinee meet, Pier a welcome inclusion on the “Pervert” player list, we reckon he is set to steal the show, despite the likes of Javier Medina & Pagano playing, his devoted podcast a good indication come vindication of our prediction, so one well worth listening to by heading to direct link http://piermorrocco.podomatic.com/entry/2013-01-26T04_45_56-08_00. However, as good at the “Pervert” production is, we still look back on Pier’s days with Salvation with fondness, his podcast page propelling three full length compilations, his “South African Mix” from 2009 one of our favourites (partly for obvious reasons) as it is so representative of the more uplifting & vocal side to his sets, the “Icing On the Christmas Cake” offering right up there too. But with devotions to clubs A:M, Revolver, TTD & PSP, along with his own inspired incarnations such as “Last Minute Ibiza” & “Anthems For Summer” you have plenty to choose from in sinking into the splendid progressive come uplifting musical world of Mr Morrocco, a trip to http://piermorrocco.podomatic.com/ allowing you to choose your own favourite from the fourteen on offer.
So, podcasts aside, next Saturday is an outstanding opportunity for you to witness the wonder of this mile high music man at work, while if like us, your commitments mean you will be missing out on “Pervert”, fear not, as you can sink into his superb sounds this very night when he plays alongside D.J. pal Brent Nicholls at new Soho meeting spot, Manbar , while if you are in Milan, watch out for him featuring at The Farm. Failing all those, with his services still very much in demand, you will certainly catch the seasoned pro that is Pier Morrocco somewhere on the global clubbing circuit sometime very soon, while keep peeled right here for more news on his Salvation steership . (DISCO MATT)
Modelled as the modern day derivative of the likes of Famous Five & Universe and finding itself in its third summer on the scene, As One in the hands of promoter Steven Sharp continues to bring together clubbing communities from far & wide, this latest collaboration combining some big brand hitters that certainly signals a new era for this magnificent meet, we delving into the detail of the magnificent marriage of capital clubbing circuit minds.
When we look at the rather mundane, monotone & monopolistic bigger branded clubbing scene that we find ourselves within here in the capital, we all too often see in-fighting between clubs & their promoters, competition crushing & strong arm tactics by the powerful players pushing many once popular parties to the wall. And it isn’t just the minnow meets that get this unsavoury shove from the heavyweight hitters, but some of these so called big shots also take the hit, SuperMartXe one of the most notable recent casualties, while in a quest to run the show, the phrase “…cutting off your nose to spite your face…” regularly springs to mind, although all this said, we can still count on a clubbing circuit that offers vivacious variety even if, in the whole, it does come from just one or two organisations. Therefore, reading between the lines, as we are sure you are already doing, you wouldn’t be blamed for thinking that we are pointing the finger unfairly and in some ways we probably are, especially given the encouraging development that is about to take place before our very eyes this weekend, when the marriage of club & promoter minds brings together brands that would never have been considered as comfortable bedfellows.
So what the heck of we talking about? Well As One of course, the colossal clubbing combo that was created close of three years ago and has since seen successive seasons tweaking the original fabulous formula, mixing up a bevy of brands in its quest to offer the clubber on one-stop shop of the best that the scene has to serve up, both in terms of diversity & depth. And when we look back across this clubbing combo’s short(ish) history, they have certainly done that, brands included in the past extending to Beyond, Lovechild, Megawoof, Trannyshack, The Men Who Fell To Earth, CasaLatina, Lo-Profile, Orange, Trade & Onyx, a marriage of minds that has successively & successfully secured its position as one of the busiest & best clubbing events on any given bank holiday, the “all roads lead to” label which often gets attached to Beyond, very much the byword for As One too. And this is sure to be the case come Sunday (26th Aug), when it slots into the bank holiday schedule just after WE party & before the second Beyond of the weekend, it following a pattern that, this year, has worked like a dream and is sure to do again, host venue Fire giving way the whole complex to As One, we expecting a couple of brand inclusion surprises to add to the ones already confirmed.
So, who is involved in As One this weekend & what can you expect? Well, following the inclusion of Trade for the last two events, it having proven a runaway success story in the marriage of clubbing minds, the mothership as she is known is back, along with its brilliant bedfellow Orange, those now infamous Orange/Trade parties immediately springing to mind, not least on Christmas Day last year as well as their show stealing sorties at As One on NYD. But with the inclusion of a real scene huge hitter for the first time, the internationally famous Salvation, As One’s credentials are getting a big boost, this collaboration coming not just as a very pleasant surprise but one which many quarters of the capitals clubbing circuit will take heart from, perhaps a sign that those roses have been smelt, that the wakeup call has been heard and this marks a new era in co-operation or, at least, comfortable co-existence. Then, to add to Salvation’s inaugural As One appearance, Tonker is welcomed with open arms too, promoter Tim Jones thrilled to be involved and sure to pull in many of his regular punters to play, while Trannyshack is back in the As One fold too, a better spread of clubbing genres the team behind this creative collaboration couldn’t have wished for, virtually all tastes catered for, musically & otherwise, the current team carrying on the lofty legacy born out of casual conversation between Craig Elder & Steven Sharp and is now, without question, the biggest clubbing collaboration on the capitals clubbing circuit calendar.
With the theme of this latest As One outing being “Legends of London”, the team tell us that “…each of the selected brands has been rulin’ the scene for longer than they care to remember – but each brand has developed and changed to fit with the times and remained current and cutting-edge whilst others have fallen by the wayside…”they going into further detail on the contributors to this colossal collaboration as follows:-
SALVATION
For 13 years Salvation has reigned supreme as the most glamorous club party on the London scene. With a discerning house music policy and international pedigree having toured many of the world’s greatest cities and venues, few clubs can match Salvation’s history.
ORANGE
‘The Monday Morning Phenomenon’ has transformed from an after party in Surrey Quays to a behemoth brand and London’s leading Sunday night club party for the gay community. Bringing together a friendly crowd of house music lovers each week Orange is the longest running weekly party still running weekly events after almost 14 years.
TRADE
The original ‘all night bender’ Trade was the first legal afterhours in London, and since ceasing weekly parties at the legendary Turnmills has continued to evolve, always a cutting edge, forward thinking super-brand, taking over unique club spaces in London for unbeatable pop up parties and the infamous annual birthday events. Trade has been running spectacular parties for 22 years.
TONKER
Taking place every Friday at the London gay scene institution The Eagle, Tonker operates under the mantra of ‘Booze, Cruise & Tunes’ serving up the hottest bear crowd in London for coming up to 9 years.
TRANNYSHACK
The UK’s favourite gender-bending, pop-tastic weekly Wednesday get-together for the last eight years, featuring the crème of London’s tranny DJs and scene celebs plus regular special guest performers.
all this vindication as to the depth & diversity that we touched on earlier, the D.J. line-up across just these five brands making rapturous reading, names such as Nick Tcherniak, The Sharp Boys, Gonzalo Rivas, Fat Tony, Pier Morrocco & Tasty Tim that exude both experience & entertainment to exemplary ecstasy, while with a cast that extends to Tim Jones, Paul Coals, MisWhite, Lady Lloyd , Gabriele Cutrano, Dusty O, Rosco, & Lee Yeomans, there will be no shortage of superb sounds to see each & every room packed to the rafters with revellers. As for the club expanse itself, we are told to expect “…unique décor, music, dancers and live performances from each of the brands, coming together to offer five different zones under one roof…”, while Tonker’s Tim Jones informs us that they will be hosting the Lightbox & further states that “…Tonker is excited to bring our unique blokes party to As One – expect a very sexy crowd of ‘guy next door’ meets your favourite dad or uncle and rugby player! We will serve up the best in eclectic music from DJ Tim Jones and Paul Coals taking you on a roller coaster journey from Disco to House to Mashup and Progressive Beats…”. And talking of beats, you can get a flavour of what to expect, well from Fat Tony in the Orange room at least, by checking out his specially devoted podcast, well worth a download/listen at http://orangenation.podomatic.com/entry/index/2012-08-21T09_07_15-07_00.
Now need we say much more apart from running through the detail on this As One “Legends of London” event which takes place this coming Sunday (26th Aug) at Fire in Vauxhall, doors opening at 11 p.m. & the event running through to an advertised “superlate” finish, we suspect around 7 a.m., the extra Beyond opening its doors across at Area at 6 a.m. But back to As One and advance tickets are still available priced at £18, on sale online at direct ticket link http://orangenation.clubtickets.com/gb/2012-08/26/as-one, while you can grab one in your hand by visiting Soho outlets Prowler, Clone Zone & 50, as well as asking across the bar or of the hosts at any of the Orange Nation events this weekend, so Onyx, A:M, Beyond, Later & even WE, but very much at Gravity tonight (Thurs 23rd) as this audacious afterhours is the official As One pre-party. But, suffice to say, entry will be available on the door on the night, but expect to pay more, while if you grab one of the marked flyers, a £3 discounted entry up till 1 a.m. will apply, while in terms of hosts, Hrh Minty will be flying the Orange flag alongside Salvation’s Andromeda, plus an as yet unannounced special VIP host (watch this space), more info, should you need it, out at http://orangenation.co.uk.
So, with this looking like being THE roadblock event of this August Bank holiday, we will be in the thick of the action reporting it all via our nibble size review tweets which you can tune into live at http://twitter.com/discomatt, so if you see us, then come say hi, but make sure you don’t miss out & in so doing “Go There! Be There!” (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: Andromeada, As One, Beyond, Craig Elder, Dusty O, Fat Tony, Fire, Gonzalo Rivas, Hrh Minty, Lady Lloyd, Lee Yeomans, MisWhite, Nick Tckerniak, Orange, Paul Coals, Pier Morrocoo, Rosco, Salvation, Steven Sharp, Tasty Tim, The Sharp Boys, Tim Jones, Tonker, Trade, Trannyshack | 1 Comment »
Having missed reporting on the scene & so with the August bank holiday on our doorstep, we thought it was high time to wave a fond farewell to our summer sabbatical & rev up the resumption of our services, reviews, recommends & reports all back, while our music seventh gear gets selected along with our picks & previews, all the planned scene & other coverage set out below
Well what a summer it has been here in the capital, the weather speaking volumes for the rest of it, our planned full-on sabbatical battered by heavy winds literally a week in, stepping out on the scene over gay pride weekend nevertheless reasonably limited and only a smattering of showings since, predominantly at Play>Time & Beyond. So, there has been much we have missed, WE, Matinee, Salvation & SuperMartXe, the biggies while the launch of Toybox, the continuing success story of WAR, and not one but two Deelooded parties all passing us by. But with plenty more parties we could have made, Gigolo, Room Service, Hustlers, Stripper, all in Soho, along with Shoreditch shindigs, Gutterslut, The Men Who Fell To Earth, SOS & Dish, we have very much been out of the clubbing circuit circulation, this on top of the first few months of 2012 when we were ravaged by personal problems & setbacks. All this means that there is much catching up to do, not just in restoring our website & reporting services, but putting ourselves out & about, in front of club promoters, owners & you, the clubbing crowd, thus showing you that we are back in & meaning business.
So what does all this mean? Well, having taken the necessary break to ponder our position, we have very much missed reviewing, reporting & recommending the scene, yes we have been continuing our support through the promotional banners on our site and, yes, we have also been sharing our “Pick Of The Day” choices through Facebook, Tumblr & right here, although, with the exception of the odd music focus & one (yes just one) review, that is been about it. Therefore, we have set ourselves a stringent target to not only produce at least one post per day, but to devote days of the week to certain reporting duties, the setting of these stringent timescales, timetables & goals hopefully producing the kind of prolific productivity that we used to enjoy this time two years ago. Indeed, as part of the re-expansion plans, some of our much missed reports/posts will be back, for instance our weekly recommendations newsletters “Best Bites” & “Short Shouts”, the first two rolled out for this August bank holiday, while we have a trio of Weekend Focus features too, Toybox, WE & As One all in the recommends spotlight, while from the beginning of September our slightly shortened weekly round-up report, now called “That Was The Weekend That Was” will be back as well.
But it is our core activity that we will be pushing to the fore, our music newsletters also becoming a weekly feature, covering the podcasts & tracks that have either just been released or are floating our boat as well as making big on the dancefloors of the capital. However, it is our reviews that are paramount in our productivity plans, these being what Disco Matt is most famed for and have been in existence from the very start. Yet, 2012 has seen a lack lustre amount of reflections; we determined to put this straight from now on, at least one review a week to come, while for the August bank holiday, it looks like at least three will be on their way, definitely WE Japan & As One, while if all goes to plan, we will be reviewing Toybox too & incorporating our first reflection on new(ish) club venue Covert. And to show that we mean business, August being hailed as our review comeback month, not one or two, but three reviews are due out today & tomorrow, following visits to Play>Time on Friday 3rd, to Beyond on Sunday 12th & to ClubNation just this last Saturday (18th), while we also have planned a short series of reviews entitled “The 2012 Story So Far”, covering brands WE, Matinee, Beyond & Play>Time, also mopping up on our other steps out on the scene from January through July, the plan also to include the likes Lovebox, CasaLatina & more in an “Others” review round-up. As for activity into September, well, watch this space for our “Monthly Message”, while we have already committed to Brighton Pride & to Summer Rites on 1st & 2nd Sept respectively.
So, with our summer sabbatical now behind us and we ready & raring to go, we hope that you have missed us as much as we have missed you but look forward to being back in the scene review, recommends & reports driving seat. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Reports | Tags: As One, Beyond, Deelooded, Dish, Gigolo, Matinee, Playtime, Room Service, Salvation, SuperMartXe, Toybox, War, WE | No Comments »
While the untimely passing of its promoter came as a shock to all, it comes as no real shock that Steve Elliott’s successor was announced as one Oliver Mohns, DM delving into the detail of this announcement, as well as plans this old hands at the promotions game has in store for this brilliant brand, along with details of the first two events Mr Mohns will be masterminding, but not before we pay our own personal yet belated tribute to the much missed Mr Elliott.
Having had our own hands full with ongoing health issues, we have nevertheless have been very remiss in only now getting round to reporting on the untimely & premature passing of one of the true gentle giants of the global clubbing circuit, the shocking & sad news that Salvation’s prolific promoter Steve Elliott was lost, broken to us back on Friday 30th March while we were doing what he always did best, clubbing & socialising with friends & familiar faces. And while tons of tributes poured in at the time from right around the world, we were (and to be honest still are) in such shock over his passing, that we have, until now, been unable to put proverbial pen to paper. Indeed, due to insular issues, we even missed the tribute event to Steve, which took place at Salvation London’s hallowed turf of a home, Cafe De Paris, one which (we are told) was packed the rafters with revellers in remembrance of this much revered man. And it was quite fitting that the party was titled “The Show Must Go On”, as knowing Steve as we did, that would be exactly what he would have wanted to see and we are also certain sure that he would be equally pleased that the reigns of the colossal clubbing legacy he has left behind, be passed onto his very close & dear friend Oliver Mohns, a prolific promoter in his own right, who has been inextricably linked to the brand since its early days, having represented & D.J.’d for Salvation both here in London & on the global stage that this club has played to.
But before we look to the future of Salvation in Oliver’s hands, we want to take the opportunity of sharing our own tribute to Steve through a sequence of sentences reflective of the times we spent by his side & savouring the splendour of , not just Salvation, but other ventures in his hands. Having hit the clubbing trail of a number of years, it was only in 2008 that we got to know Steve, our fledging club reviews having thrusted us into the scene spotlight, Mr Elliott being THE first promoter to not only welcome us with open arms, but treat us effectively as clubland royalty, his generosity knowing no bounds & his hospitality equally exceptional. From Salvation soiree’s here in London at The Hippodrome & Koko, we also adored every moment of the meet when we, along with Salvation tour, hit Berlin in October 2010, Steve once again proving the prolific promoter & heavenly host that we had come to know & be-friend, while we were only too pleased to offer our full support to other ventures of his, which included both “Famous” & “Scandal”. But away from his promoting duties, we were also very privileged to spent stints socialising with the enigmatic & engaging individual, Barcode Vauxhall being a regular haunt whenever he travelled up to London from his west country home and, as fond the memories of seeing this magnificent man in action at Salvation will remain in our minds, it is those handful of times we were drinking, laughing & dancing by his side at Barcode which we will treasure the most. So, it may be severely belated, but this is our brief personaltribute to Steve who is sorely missed by us & many many more people for sure.
So, with the Salvation show going on, Steve’s successor Oliver Mohns will be, this coming Sunday (8th July) be in the promotional driving seat for his first ever event for the brand, although as we have already hinted, he is an old (and we should say a successful one at that) hand at the promotions game, having been responsible for bringing Spanish superclub Matinee to London back in 2006 & steer it through four subsequent seasons of its own success, while he has also held the helm at afterhours club A:M, brought his own brand Matador to the fore and will be the first to admit that he still adores & craves for the promotions game. However, Oliver is also an accomplished D.J./producer who, like Salvation, has played the world stage, Mr Mohns having touched on all corners of the globe from behind the decks, his recent D.J. career having added the likes of Brazil & Mexico to a long list of European, African, Australian & Asian destinations that litter his considerable C.V., the contacts he has collected & connected with during this time, pretty much unrivalled by anyone we know. So, with a set of credentials that speak considerable volumes, that and the fact that he was so close to Steve, we concur with many, that Salvation is certainly in safe hands and with the upcoming “World Pride” event, Oliver will not only be looking to continue the success story that is Salvation left to him by Steve, but to stamp his own mark on the brilliant brand.
Oliver, who cheekily calls his succession as “Salvation 2.0”, has revealed that his plans for the brand, some which will manifest themselves this Sunday, include “…expanding and enhancing the current brand, bringing it straight up to date with modern clubbing goals & expectations while still remaining true to its roots…” that wealth of international & clubbing connections we have deluded to seeing him “…continue with the current Salvation all star D.J.’s, like Pier Morocco, Miswhite , Paul Coals, but will now include big name international DJs to the list. Salvation will also be open to unprecedented international growth…” Oliver very much building on the sound blocks that Steve Elliot built for the brand, but propelling the Salvation party experience to an even broader global audience. In addition, he is keen to follow the direction Steve pointed Salvation here in London, not only continuing to cement the connection with Cafe De Paris, but to also to “… transform the seductive and exclusive Salvation VIP room into the ‘Boys Boudoir’ which will be a small club within in a club and hosted by some of the scenes best known club and web brands…” Gigolo sure to play its part as it did in the last two Salvation soiree’s here in the capital. Oliver is also at pains to stress that with the deployment of “…popular door hosts and the cream of London’s gay scene DJs., Salvation 2.0 is an upgrade to the original Salvation with the aim of making the club an accessible yet game changing club brand once again…” confirming that it will “… return to London as a bimonthly t’dance at its ancestral home…”.
And so this Sunday (8th July) marks the first event on the new era of Salvation (2.0 if you like) as Oliver presents “World Pride” to the capitals clubbing circuit, those plans of Oliver’s not only manifesting themselves in the D.J. line-up, Pier Morrocco, Paul Coals & MisWhite (our lovely Emma) fyling the regular Salvation D.J. flag, but Mr Mohns will welcome to the decks, Belgian based pint sized powerhouse Andrei Stan, who brings a clubbing repertoire that includes residency’s at the famous La Demence in Brussels, Splash in Rome & Nation in Mexico, while London is also a familiar playing ground, Andrei have played here for Matador, Revolver & A:M on many occasions, added to which he has additional residencies back in Brussels to add to all these. And his uplifting energetic & euphoric style of sound will suit Salvation superbly, very much dovetailing in with Pier, Paul & Emma, as well as Oliver who will be taking his turn too, terrifically, while with Salvation’s own creative director Raul Gonzales & his RG couture team panning some spectacular stage showings, added to which, the Cafe de Paris VIP Area will be once again become a guest POP up club this time in the hands both Gaydar & Room Service, along with a pack of porn-stars in the newly named “Boys Boudoir” which we are told will be complete with lush double beds and, plenty more to pander to your every need, the music in the hands of our own Italian bello, Alessandro Londra. But it doesn’t stop there, oh no, as Oliver has also brought back the infamous & fabulous “PSP” (post Salvation party), which will be hosted by Lo-Profile on Soho’s Wardour Street, Pier Morrocco being joined by Milano man Alessandro Maragoni, residencies at the city’s “Hero” & “Barbarella” clubs having propelled him there, while this will be his first foray in London, but judging by what we have seen & heard, it won’t be his last!
So what of the detail of both Salvation & PSP?, Well, to recap, the former’s “World Pride” event takes place this coming Sunday (8th July) at Cafe De Paris, doors opening at 5 p.m. and the club running through to a planned 1 a.m. finish, advance tickets on sale both online at http://gaypartix.com/parties/LONDON/SalvationN/ and via Soho outlet Prowler & venues Rupert St & 
Profile, priced at £15 (booking fees apply) while you will be able to pay on the door but expect to pay more. As for PSP, again to recap, it takes place at Lo-Profile, just a hop skip & jump away from Cafe De Paris, kicking off from midnight on Sunday (or as we prefer to call it, aero o’clock Monday), running through till 3 a.m. entry £10 on the door or £6 with a wristband which can be purchased either at Profile or at Salvation itself, further info on PSP available at http://facebook.com/events/109395312537433/, while a trip to Salvation’s page at http://facebook.com/salvationuk should fill in any gaps we have left. And while we may have announced our supposed summer sabbatical, there could be every chance that we make a flying visit to both events, if only to lend our support to Oliver, as we always did to Steve & in so doing, finally pay tribute to Mr Elliott’s passing by celebrating the capable & safe hands in which this brilliant brand has found itself in. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends, Reports | Tags: Alessandro Londra, Cafe De Paris, Gaydar, Koko, Lo-Profile, MisWhite, Oliver Mohns, Paul Coals, Pier Morrocco, PSP, Room Service, Salvation, Steve Elliot | No Comments »
With our reviews in arrears, our previews hardly present, our music devotions derelict and our recommendations rusty, we have decided it is time to take time off, take time to re-charge, take time to re-focus & take time to re-energise, the announcement of our “Scene Summer Sabbatical & Service Scale Down”, deluding to the details of our decision, along with our desires & intentions for a full service resumption/return.
With 2012 already proving to be our own “annus horribilus” on a number of fronts, there can be little or no doubt that the activity that was always the core part of our existence, our reviews, has taken a direct hit, how did we out it?, “…woefully in arrears…”, while it is also true that the year so far has seen a distinct lack of the previews, both in full form & in focus/feature style, along with an absence of our much loved much now maligned recommendations newsletters, ones we used to, devotingly so, issue each |& every week, although this first half of 2012 has seen just half a dozen devotions, hardly the devoting our admiring audiences deserve or indeed expect. But the sorrowful story continues, as one of a major life loves, our music, has also been badly hit, planned special features, D.J. focuses &, yes, our music newsletters, all having pretty much ground to a halt, while there has been a ray of light in the form our newly launched “Picks” section which (well up until the middle of this month that is) has dominated our activity and has proved to be the one inspiration in a year that has been devoid of almost every intrinsic ingredient. So, whether it be recommends, focuses, features or reports, all that have formed part of our success recipe, our package, they have been alarmingly absent, while it is the one element that started it all that remains THE most alarming absentee, that element being our reviews.
So what’s been happening?, Well to put not too fine a point on it, the “Matt” in Disco Matt has been the cause, a whole host of issues that has afflicted Matt, having a knock on effect on Disco Matt (yes we are one & the same), close family illness issues back home in South Africa dominating both January & February, while it is now Matt’s health that is consuming our lives, to the extent that we, all too often, find ourselves so fatigued that there remains little or no energy or dive to pursue our postings with anywhere near the vigour & va va voom of previous times. Then, to compound the problems besieging us, a series of computer failures have influenced our interest & intent to deliver our devotions, we having lurched from one device to the next with little or no resolve or resolution and, in reality, without this essential element/tool, we have been akin to carrying a war wound, a lost limb, or a corroded cog in our writing wheel, a wheel that had become square rather than round and, as the saying goes, has fallen off!! So, those have been the causes and the effects have been plain to see, the figures speaking volumes, a lacklustre six reviews reaped when there should have been four times that, while with just two music newsletters, a handful of recommendations & no previews whatsoever, it certainly is a sad state of affairs we have found ourselves in, while on the positive, our scene step outs have been captured not just in pictures & video’s posted onto social networking sites, but our now infamous “nibble size tweets” have amassed an ever increasing following.
However, the fact remains that, with much of our core activity at a complete standstill and with the heavy weight of expectation of output laying heavily on our, what were, broad shoulders, we have had to look inwardly at the issues that are causing this collapse in our once wondrous writing and in so doing decide to relieve some of that pressure by sending ourselves on a scene summer sabbatical and also scale down our services, the summer sabbatical part of the equation allowing us to “re-charge”, the scaling down of services allowing us to “re-focus” and the two combined allowing us to re-energise & then “re-engage”, hence the title of our report. So what form will all of this take?, Well, as we have hinted, we will be stepping out of the scene spotlight for a few weeks, curtailing our commitments to expectant engagements while possibly continuing to make the odd cameo appearance here & there, these visits seeing a scaling down of our nibble size tweets, which for this summer sabbatical period, will however continue while we re-charge. And the scaling down of services will also impact (it has already) on our website which will hopefully see itself going through some re-charging, with further nip & tuck tweaks and improvements both to the layout & the look, meaning it is possible that the site may go down for this maintenance while we scale down our activity, shifting the focus in the direction of our social networking sites, Tumblr, Twitter & Facebook.
With the re-charging process in place, we will be then re-focussing, predominantly on those core aspects of our activity, so our reviews, our music posts & our regular recommendations, we having already decided to draw a line under the first six months of this “annus horribilus” part of our year and look forward to a remaining six months when we will be re-energised & re-engaged with our writing. So, with the sabbatical period relieving the pressure, the aim will be to roll all these posts back into prominent position, while not forgetting the elements of our activity that have proven quite fruitful in 2012, so our Picks posts & the D.J. focuses & podcast propulsions that have borne fruit through our Pick of The Day” & “Podcast of The Week” choices. But, as the next six months dawn arrives (its 1st July tomorrow) we are determined to re-start all the supporting structure we have been so fervently following in the year so far, so while our website goes through its changes, we will be continuing to update all the banners in our various “Supports” sections, so clubs & events, businesses, publications & music producers, the specialist “Orange Nation” “WE Party” devotions continuing. Moreover, we have set ourselves a weekly schedule which will kick in following the end of our sabbatical which will mark the start of our re-energising & re-engagement period, elements of this beginning to bed in from as early as tomorrow, while we remain determined to under promise on our postings and so over deliver as a result.
So the question remains, when will this summer sabbatical & service scale down end?, Well, as we go to press on our decision, its remains pretty open ended, although we expect to be fully back on stream by the beginning of September, so a sabbatical period of eight or so weeks, we taking this opportunity to apologise to those clubs & club promoters for our absence from a elongated list of events, clubs included (some benefitting from a smattering of showings) being A:M, Beyond, CasaLatina, Dish, Gigolo, Hard On!, Later, Matinee, Orange, PlayTime, Room Service, Salvation, Trade & War, while to club promoters, particularly Craig Elder, Jonny Marsh, Jodie Harsh, Suzi Kruegar, David & L.a. Hart, Tom Stephan and Kris Di Angelis, we will be back supporting but more importantly, reviewing your events as it is our reviews that is the real core of our activity and what we have become famed for & are all about. In addition, to the venues, such as The Shadow Lounge, Profile & East Bloc, we will be continuing (and in places) ramping up our support & our showings from September, while some will benefit from short steps into the scene spotlight during our summer sabbatical, Beyond one such benefactor as soon as tomorrow, while we are sure others will follow.
Well, that’s where we are, while what we have also done, not least following the inspiration drawn from a recent cinema trip, is to mastermind a Disco Matt maxim, one which will underpin the re-charging, re-focusing, re-energising & re-engagement period we now find ourselves in, it seemingly appropriate to end our report by sharing it with you, it chronicling, where we have been, where we are, and where we want to be, and it goes like this
“…The person, who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, but nothing happens unless we first dream. So we came, we dreamed & we tried in our different ways, but now tired, we simply get up in the morning & we try, as nothing else matters. Can we be blamed for feeling too tired to change, too scared of failure to start it all again? Well the only real failure is the failure to try and the measure of our success is how we cope with our failings, as we always must. All we know about the future is that it will be different, but perhaps what we fear is that it will be the same. So we must celebrate the changes, because everything will be alright in the end, and if it’s not alright, then trust us, it’s not yet the end…”
So here’s to our summer sabbatical serenading a new & renewed enthusiasm for what we do & how we do it, here’s to the decided mobilisation of our music devotions, the resumption of our recommendations and, most importantly, the return of our reviews. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Reports | Tags: A:M, Beyond, Casalatina, Craig Elder, David Hart, Dish, East Bloc, Gigolo, Hard On!, Jodie Harsh, Jonny Marsh, Kris Di Angelis, La. Hart, Matinee, Orange, Playtime, Profile, Room Service, Salvation, Steven Sharp, Suzie Krueger, The Shadow Lounge, Trade, War, Wayne Shires | No Comments »
Having been at sea for a mother hen of days while casting his picks net across a trio of European events, Disco Matt is pleased as punch to be back in the capital clubbing circuit grove, as he lands on Soho, the Shadow Lounge & Gigolo’s “Naked” event as his pick of the day. Taking place tonight (Wed 23rd May), DM delights on the detail of this mid week meet, all just a banner selection opposite or an image click below, while he focuses on guest D.J. Oliver M beneath.
To say that Oliver M is simply a D.J. is doing this genial German a complete injustice, as there are so many strings to this man’s bow, producer & promoter just two, the influences he has & the contacts he has established second to none, all this making him a big name across the global clubbing scene. So, with a propelling prologue like that, what has made Mr Mohns so mighty? Well, let’s look at one of those bow strings for a start, as Oliver was right at the centre of the so-called Spanish Armada invasion of London back in 2006, when Barcelona bred brand Matinee made its first significant splash on the scene here, Oliver at the helm for well close on four years & seeing it through some of its most successful phases, including homes Area, Fabric, Colosseum & Cable. Yet, while his parting with Matinee was a tormented one, he came out the other side, a short season with an own grown brand, matador, spring boarding him to a premiership with Saturday morning afterhours club, A:M, while his promotions credentials have stretched to a whole series of one-off events too, this insatiable appetite for the promotions game still alive & kicking, even if the assumption of the salvation London helm resulted from the untimely & still shocking premature passing of his very close friend Steve Elliot.
But while club promotions is a real passion of his, music remains at the centre of his soul & one that was nurtured from a relatively young age from his born base of Hamburg, his first D.J. gig a favour for a friend, although what a friend, as Oliver stepped into the shoes of one Boris Dlugosh (of Moloko, “Sing It Back” fame) back in 1987 &, as a D.J. has never looked back. With a whole host of parties, residencies & guest slots across Europe, brands he has touched including GreenKomm, NightControl, Muccassassina, &, probably one of his most notable, La Demence, it was his move to Barcelona that developed his associations with The Matinee Group, his connections & his D.J.’ing also extending to La Troya & Space in Ibiza, a transition in his music style from the harder techno trance that were dominating the German clubbing scene of the time, to the more Balearic euro-beat sound that has since brought him world renowned success & status as a D.J./Producer. Indeed, away from the live decks, Oliver’s studio productions have found favour across Europe, his tracks “Paramount” & “Strings of Motion” (one of our favourites & well worth a listen as well as an addition to your collection by going to http://djoliverm.com/news/dj-oliver-m-and-jean-philip-strings-of-motion-original-mix/) were propelled by record label Sorry Shoes, one headed up by close friend Mike Kelly, while his tow latest tracks “Groovebird 2012” & “Restless In Ibiza” are due for release very soon.
So, having very much made a name for himself across Europe, London was always going to play a part in his life & moving here in 2006 brought that switch from full time D.J.’ing to club promotions and one that further enhanced his networking & connections across the global scene, Oliver using his contacts to bring a whole host of internationally renowned D.J.’s to the capitals clubbing circuit, a situation that continued when he held sway with A:M, international names he introduced including Steven Redant, Ben Manson, Danny Verde, & Andrei Stan, while London based stars Brent Nicholls, Paul Heron, Pagano, Pier Morrocco, & Guy Williams were major features of his parties & events. However, while his own D.J. career during the matinee & A:M days was sacrificed, returning to the decks was inevitable & both 2011 & 2012 so far have proven hugely successful for Oliver, dates right across Europe, not least for La Demence & GreenKomm, this complimented by tours dates of Mexico, Brazil & The US, as well as Sydney & a string of upcoming pride events that means he is practically living out of a suitcase, jetting here, there & everywhere. And, his assumption of the Salvation Group promoter position, this brand truly international, is likely to keep that suitcase opening & closing for a long time to come, a glance through his own website at http://djoliverm.com giving you an impressive indication of just how busy Mr Mohns is these days.
But what of London in all this?, Well the capital remains his base and a good one at that, as guest slots for bars Rupert St & Barcode remain a feature, while naturally tonight marks another appearance for Gigolo, Oliver very much part of the roving residency team & an individual that promoters David & L.a. Hart are chuffed to have on board, not least due to his impressive C.V. & credentials above. And with his upcoming involvement with the “Summer Fusion” event in Southwark over the diamond jubilee weekend next, of which Salvation will form a major part, Oliver will be able to, at least temporarily, unpack that suitcase, although not before popping across to his beloved La Demence for their “Tattoo” event this Sunday, all this amounting to a whole host of opportunities to savour a set of his, although for those of you not fortunate enough make it, either down to Gigolo, across to Brussels or over to Shoreditch, then you can do the next best thing & proceed to his podcast page where you will find a whole host of heavenly house mixes that shout the Oliver style of sound, uplifting, euphoric, Euro/Balearic beats that have achieved his status as the most popular D.J. on clubbing website SeenQueen, while also attaining him the prominent position as D.J. of the week this week, for scene magazine Q.X. International. But what mix to choose?, Well, if we were to lay our hat on one, it would be his “Salvation – A Year In Dance”, recorded at the end of 2011 & is jam packed with, as Oliver aptly put it “…anthems & cool happy hands in the air tracks…”, one symptomatic of both his sound style & his delightful demeanour, so one well worth adding to your collection by going to direct link http://djoliverm.podomatic.com/entry/2012-01-05T16_36_23-08_00, while for a flavour of his disco drenched set at Gigolo, sort out their Souncloud site, were you will find his recording from September last at http://soundcloud.com/gigolo-disco/gigolo-disco-sessions-mix-8-dj.
So, with a 2012 that seems to be going from strength to strength for this genial German, the future is certainly looking bright & so O, that in this phrase would normally stand for “Orange, perhaps in fact standing for Oliver, of the Mohns variety. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Music | Tags: Barcode, Gigolo, GreenKomm, La Demence, Matinee A:M, NightControl, Oliver M, Rupert St, Salvation, Scream, Summer Fusion | No Comments »
With a firm farewell to an awful April, Disco Matt looks back on a month that, true to his rollercoaster ride of an existence, had some huge highs & some lousy lows, but scoring a line through it all, looks into his disco morrorball of expectations for the month of May that will mark a new era in DM expeditions & enthusiasm.
To say that April has been a challenging month is a little bit of an understatement, as we have struggled to get even our core activity back on track, while also attempting to expand our offer & cover more events both during the week as well as at the weekend. And when we look back across the last month, it would be fair to say that there have been some winners as well as losers in our activity, but what this reflection has already done, is concentrate our minds on what is most important to us & where May will be taking us. So, in true “Monthly Message” tradition & looking into our mirrorball of reflection & then expectation, we run down on April’s activity & May’s missions in what we have already labelled as a new era in our expeditions & enthusiasm.
REVIEWS
Given that April included Easter, one of the busiest weekend’s of the year, that on top of a handful of other expeditions, to find that there has been not one single review penned for the month is a shocking wakeup call in what is, without question, our core activity and one that simply has to get back to track. So with the most colossal review catch-up on the cards that will include Beyond at Fire, Playtime at Profile & Matinee for March, as well as reviews of Onyx & Beyond back at Area in April, we will draw a line under this lacklustre of lamenting, while we take you back to our one of our last published reviews as our post pick & for a flavour of what is to come
PREVIEWS
We started April with ample anticipation of our first preview of the year, new club venue Covert the subject matter. Although with the month closing on entirely the wrong foot & this full on feature shelved, we will be devoting our attention to other subject matters in May while the differences between Covert’s upper tier management & ourselves are sorted out. So, with an expeditionary look out East, we will be sinking our preview teeth into Summer Rites, while we will also be previewing the month of May for Room Service, The Shadow Lounge & Profile/Lo-Profile, that on top of looking at life for Salvation after losing its shining light, Steve Elliot, in his untimely passing.
RECOMMENDS
With both our Weekend newsletters & focuses having spluttered along during April, we recognise that, like our reviews, this needs much more attention in May. However, we did cover a multitude of events & happenings in the month just gone, including a two recommends features on the Orange Nation offer & as well as alternative antics, while our new Picks section (more on that in a mo) saw us combine a handful of recommendations in, not least CasaLatina’s “Love Banana”. But it is that Easter activity that we look back to for our post pick, before looking forward to a May commitment that will include those weekly newsletters, & focuses that have been awkwardly absent.
REPORTS
April saw us attempt that much prized re-focus that was required, laying out both our music & our monthly plans in two reports, although with none coming to the fruition that we would have liked, our reporting activity ended up being confined to just one on Beyond, although one that was combined with our “Picks” post of the same day. However, with it falling under the attention radar, we have chosen it as our post pick here, while May should see a return (if but a little abridged) or our “That Was The Week That Was” report, along with other features covering the topics of the time.
MUSIC/D.J.’S
With no newsletters & only a handful of focuses, the real passion in our life & activity took a bit of a bruising again in April, our enthusiasm dented by issues of the day that saw Saturday’s & Sunday’s squandered when we normally have devoted this time to delivering delightful doses on D.J.’s & their productions. However, our new(ish) “Podcast Of The Week” pickings did allow us to look at Zach Burns, Eduardo De La Torre, & Adam Turner, the latter our post pick here, while the last few days of April saw us combine music with picks, which will be a continuing feature in May, that along with our determination to re-start those much missed music newsletters, special features & D.J. focuses.
PICKS
Born out of an inspired inkling of an idea while on the dancefloor, this latest addition to our website of sections has quickly gown to becoming the dominant deliverer of our daily devotions, we having amassed no less than 25 in April, since starting them on the 5th, making one for each subsequent day of the month. And combining our picks postings with recommendations, reports & music, it has allowed us to maintain activity amidst the tough times we have had in juggling other issues affecting our enthusiasm. So, with a temporary stall in May already over, these daily picks will continue unabated, specific days devoted to specific picks, while we will also be spreading the scene love, both here in the capital & across the international waters, while our post pick here goes tot WE Madrid’s “Fast Food” event & a feature focus on its star turn resident D.J.’s
COMING UP
With the need to restore the core activity that started it all, our reviews, as we have already mentioned, a colossal catch-up is planned, picking on reflections from both March & April, while the high bar we set for the month just gone will be lowered a little. Over & above that, we have hinted towards restorations of our recommends & reports postings, along with music newsletters & features that should allow us to get back on our feet, while those now prized “Picks” postings will maintain our commitment to at least one publication a day. In addition, having added a video plug-in to our website admin tools, we will be sharing much more YouTube & other video links which will provide added dimension to our devotions.
KEEP UP
There are a number of ways to keep track of our activity across the scene, social networking site Facebook the best way, both via our group at http://facebook.com/groups/discomatt/, or on our page at http://facebook.com/pages/Disco-Matt/112730602119746, while additional references on our profile at http://facebook.com/discomattlondon are worth watching. Then we have our Tumblr page at http://discomatt.tumblr.com/, which includes our “Pick of the Day” posts, while Twitter takes up the stain of our ever popular live “Nibble Size Review Tweets”, which you can follow by going to http://twitter.com/discomatt. Plus, for you iPhone folks out there, remember that our website in app style friendly, a simple bookmark save of http://discomatt.com/web popping up our predesigned icon & allowing easy tracking/viewing.
CONTACT US
It couldn’t be simpler really as there are a number of channels to get in touch, sending an e-mail to matt@discomatt.com one, while a message to our Facebook profile or page two others, even a wall plastering on our group getting our attention, even a tweet, direct or otherwise, pricking up our ears.
SUPPORTING THE SCENE
We have always been really passionate about supporting all sections of the scene, much of which we historically did via our various reports & features. However, the addition of a designated “Supporting” section of promotional banners as an integral part of our website, that along with a nip & tuck re-design to increase imagery content, has allowed the image visuals to do much of the talking, we propelling clubs, events, businesses & music producers, their own websites, ticket, event & podcast pages. In addition, with an interactive “Best Bite Choices” section, along with “Pick Of The Day” & “Podcast of The Week” slots, we continue to consider these promotional banners as our gratuitous way of supporting a scene that has supported us. So, if you are a club promoter or event organiser & fancy having your club or event promoted, then just drop us a line at matt@discomatt.com, attaching the relevant artwork, and we will do our best to include you.
DISCO DIARY DATES
With the issues marking our awful end to April still unresolved, in terms of reviews, we are not looking much further than our nose, although have already committed to “Playtime” at Lo-Profile & “Dish” at East Bloc this weekend, while Gigolo & Room Service will also be benefitting from reflections during May. Plus, with the month’s major weekend coming towards the end, The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee & then Whitsun weekend hailing a number of exceptional events, we will be going scene sporting crazy, while club event “War” will also be reaped with our review reflection.
So, with the scene showers of April now behind us and with that new era in our expeditions & enthusiasm ahead of us, a sturdy schedule of daily & weekly website posting requirements will see much of our May goals being achieved and that all important core & extra circular activity restored to us former resplendence. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Reports | Tags: Beyond, Casalatina, Covert, Dish, East Bloc, Gigolo, Lo-Profile, Onyx, Playtime, Room Service, Salvation, The Shadow Lounge | No Comments »
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24 Feb 2013 | 0 Comments
Reports – “Winds Of Clubbing Change” – DM’s Seventh Day Sermon – Sunday 24th February
With new & renewed life about to be injected into a sagging London scene, we reflect on what used to be brilliant, but what then went badly wrong as competition crushing & monstrous monopolies mobbed, while with the winds of change about to blow, we also look at what is ...
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12 Feb 2013 | 0 Comments
Recommends/Reports – “Festival Fever In February” – As One “In The Park” – Sunday 26th May – News Nibbles
With its dust sheets confined to the cleaning cupboard, As One emerges from its own obscurity with a bang, as it announces and exciting new chapter in its history, this clubbing combo caterpillar bursting out as a butterfly with its own Festival, we reporting in brief on the first announcement ...
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2 Feb 2013 | 0 Comments
D.J.’s/Music – “Baking Beats Cake Chap” – D.J. Focus – Chris Brogan – Saturday 2nd February
With the launch of his new club, Baked, just hours away and with a marvellous music policy that is as scrummy as a Victoria sponge, we have mixed up our own Mary Berry music bonanza, lining our tunes tin, opening the oven and serving up superb slices of the deck ...
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26 Jan 2013 | 0 Comments
D.J.’s/Music – “Mile High Music Man” – D.J. Focus Feature – Pier Morrocco – Saturday 26th January
As this mile high music man prepares to switch his jump seat for a dive behind the decks next Saturday (2nd Feb), Pier Morrocco sure to marvel many with his masterful & magnificent music at Matinee, we thought we would pre-empt his performance with a look back across this engaging ...
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24 Aug 2012 | 1 Comment
Recommends – “Bank Holiday Branding Bonanza” – As One “Legends Of London” – Sunday 26th August – Weekend Focus Special
Modelled as the modern day derivative of the likes of Famous Five & Universe and finding itself in its third summer on the scene, As One in the hands of promoter Steven Sharp continues to bring together clubbing communities from far & wide, this latest collaboration combining some big brand ...
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21 Aug 2012 | 0 Comments
Reports – “Ready, Steady, Go” – Summer Sabbatical “Services Resumption” – Tuesday 21st August
Having missed reporting on the scene & so with the August bank holiday on our doorstep, we thought it was high time to wave a fond farewell to our summer sabbatical & rev up the resumption of our services, reviews, recommends & reports all back, while our music seventh gear ...
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2 Jul 2012 | 0 Comments
Reports/Recommends – “In Safe Hands” – Salvation – Monday 2nd July – Special Feature/Focus
While the untimely passing of its promoter came as a shock to all, it comes as no real shock that Steve Elliott’s successor was announced as one Oliver Mohns, DM delving into the detail of this announcement, as well as plans this old hands at the promotions game has in ...
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30 Jun 2012 | 0 Comments
Reports – “Re-Charge, Re-Focus, Re-Energise, Re-Engage” – Summer Sabbatical Service Scale Down – Saturday 30th June
With our reviews in arrears, our previews hardly present, our music devotions derelict and our recommendations rusty, we have decided it is time to take time off, take time to re-charge, take time to re-focus & take time to re-energise, the announcement of our “Scene Summer Sabbatical & Service Scale ...
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23 May 2012 | 0 Comments
Picks/Music/D.J.’s – “Bare Bratwurst Beats” – Gigolo “Naked” With Guest D.J./Producer Oliver M – Wednesday 23rd May – Pick of The Day/D.J. Special Focus
Having been at sea for a mother hen of days while casting his picks net across a trio of European events, Disco Matt is pleased as punch to be back in the capital clubbing circuit grove, as he lands on Soho, the Shadow Lounge & Gigolo’s “Naked” event as his ...
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7 May 2012 | 0 Comments
Reports – “Picking Through The Pieces” – DM’s Monthly Message – April – Monday 7th May
With a firm farewell to an awful April, Disco Matt looks back on a month that, true to his rollercoaster ride of an existence, had some huge highs & some lousy lows, but scoring a line through it all, looks into his disco morrorball of expectations for the month of ...
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