Posts Tagged ‘SuperMartXe’
December 27, 2011 | 
Author 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 3rd 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 3rd 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 3rd 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)
Posted in Reviews | 
Tags: AB Garcia, Kitty Brucknall, Logan Presents, Logan Schmitz, Nathan 6, Proud2, Rebeka Brown, SuperMartXe, Tony English | 
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We have previewed, we have reported and now it is time to recommend, and in doing so, cut the wheat from the chaff, thereby not just reflecting our continued support for this audacious anniversary, but delving into the detail of what you can expect from this delightfully dynamic dance deliverance on 17th December.
Accentuating Anniversary Presents Positivity
Without exception, there is absolutely no doubt that the one promoter that has made the most massive impact on the capitals clubbing scene over the last three years is one Logan Schmitz, a man whose determination to bring the best parties & production to an audience that, like the man himself, love pushing the boundaries & going that extra mile to impress on all levels, thus creating an event experience that is truly exceptional & enjoyable to the extreme. And through Spanish super brand SuperMartXe, the Logan Presents team have achieved exactly that, a whole string of super sized & successful showings making their magnificent mark, our personal list of favourites extending to “Under The Sea”, “Hot Wheels” & “The Wizard Of Oz”., However, these are just three in a whole catalogue of colossal clubbing compositions that have seen the Logan Presents umbrella of parties play out to packed places of party goers for much of its three year history, whether it be at The Coronet, The Brixton Academy or in previous associations with the likes of As One, while enough has already been said of recent fortunes and something we are determined to pick up in a forthcoming post on London’s clubbing scene.
Prolific Promoter
But Logan’s credentials within the clubbing scene, not just here in the capital but over in Ibiza, on the Spanish mainland & in other areas, such as Miami, extend back much further than the recent Logan Presents family of brands, that family naturally including the popular private party, UP, Logan’s own extension of SuperMartXe, Hype and, of course, his associations with another Spanish super club, Matinee. Indeed, it was Matinee that first drew our attention to the audacious yet engaging American, as it was Logan who was very much behind the spectacular stage shows that Matinee became famous for in the capital, not least when it was stationed at Fabric, “Knockout” an outstanding example of just what lengths Logan is prepared to go to in order to dazzle his dancing devotees and something which he has continued to do throughout his illustrious & headline making clubbing career. And having gained exclusive access to the mind & thoughts of Mr Schmitz just this week, he has been proud to tell us that “…, I give 100% of my energy into all shows that I produce…” he adding that “…I that I spend an enormous amount money and time on production…” these no hollow claims as you only have to see the stunning stage shows he produces to be sure of that fact.
Logan's Logo
So, as a result, Logan’s reputation in Spain, Ibiza, Miami &, of course, here in London has been built on that ethos, his production pedigree clearly undoubted, hence why it came as no surprise that he would once again push the boundaries with the marking of the Logan Presents 3rd Anniversary. And, just before we delve into that detail as we promised, it is worth noting just exactly what has been going in within the tight team that is Logan presents since the event announcement, Mr Schmitz himself telling us that “…I have worked night and day trying to make this event just as spectacular as it should be. I have not spared any expense to show London a new and incredible venue with some really great performances all night long…” he adding that “…I am very excited about this weekend as I am proud to be a part of this scene…” and we are both proud to be supporting Logan as well as proud that he remains a part of this dynamically diverse clubbing circuit we also find ourselves within, as without the choice, plus without Logan’s input, all we face is a monotone schedule of clubs that simply become, as we have said before, same old, same old. Now, stepping back off our soap box, proud is actually a pretty relevant word, as it is Proud2 that will be hosting this Logan Presents 3rd Anniversary event this Saturday (17th Dec), one that we are told is very much a state of the art venue based within the O2 complex in Greenwich, accolades such as this from Time Out magazine “…from the push seating & booths littered around, even the beds circling the new outside bar, to the multisensory atmosphere inside, few venues have been this bold, on this scale…” to London 24’s, which said “…Proud2 is a highly professional event staging venue, the fabulous facilities, air conditioning and bars were all top notch with a huge contained smoking area & merchandising section really distinguishing the club from its competitors…” the team adding that “…Logan Presents will transform this enormous custom built venue into the biggest display of outrageous entertainment that no club in the country has ever been able to provide…” adding that “…the event will feature one massive dance arena framed dramatically by two mezzanine balconies with clear stage views from every angle and a second dance space for those looking for something more intimate…” a all pretty much sealing the deal for us, simply leaving us to say of the venue, it has to be seen to be believed, so like us, Saturday is your rare chance to do just that!!
Pumping Podcast
With the venue credentials pretty much sorted, we now turn to the music and Logan has not spared any expense in bringing a truly terrific team to celebrate this 3rd Anniversary in style, SuperMartXe resident AB Garcia headlining a seven strong team of D.J.’s that includes one of the lynch pins in Logan’s team of London residents, Tony English, this prestigious talent not only having represented the brand here in the capital for the last score or more of parties, but is responsible for putting together the Logan presents monthly podcast. And this latest (Dec) one an absolute corker, not least as it featured our very own Milano man, Danny Verde, but moreover, gives you all the latest information on Saturday’s Anniversary event, so is a definite on the list listen in advance of tripping down to Proud2, which you can do right now via direct link http://loganpresentspodcast.podomatic.com/entry/2011-12-04T23_53_40-08_00). Tony aside, Logan is thrilled to welcome back Nick Tcherniak to the decks, Nick of course also connected with the mother of all clubs, Trade, which played out to a packed out Pulse back at the end of October for its own Anniversary (it’s 21st), Nick very much in the thick of the action then, as he will no doubt be on Saturday too, his pumping tech tones & barnstorming beats sure to go down a treat, a trip to his podcast page at http://nicktcherniak.podomatic.com/ also well worth making, as you will find a catalogue of compilations that will give you a flavour of the musical excellence to expect from Nick come Saturday night. Then add into the mix, the likes of Nathan 6, D.J. Aron, Steven Geller and another terrific talent we are really looking forward to seeing & hearing again, our super Swede, Per Q.X., like Nick, a hugely experienced & accomplished D.J. that has a whole host of brands under his belt, not least the wonderfully whacky Gutterslut, while is studio productions are equally accomplished, the huge hit “Blow Your Trumpet” one among many that Per’s name appear in the upper echelons of music download charts across the globe, a whole raft of his recent releases out via http://soundcloud.com/perqx & like the other two sites, well worth a visit.
Prolific P.A.
So, onto the shows & particularly the performers and while naturally now we know that, due to ill health, George Michael will not be appearing, as this is now very much historical news, we see no point of dwelling on it, rather to instead accentuate the positive as this post aims to do, Logan looking to prolific P.A. Rebeka Brown as one of his ace cards in the production pack, which, to use card gaming terms, should see her playing to a full house. And choosing Rebeka for the line-up reunites her with Logan, she having performed for both SuperMartXe & Matinee here in the capital on a handful of occasions, her return surely to be warmly received, not least as she will be armed with her new smash hit “Big Bad Bitch” (catch a preview at http://youtube.com/watch?v=RhkZczVYuR8), while she has plenty of other tracks in her repertoire including, among a host of others, “Sun Rising Up”, “Don’t Let This Moment End” and our particular favourite “Offshore”, a track that has gripped us with emotion on the capital’s dancefloors for a fair chunk of this year (will she sing it?!?!). Plus, having the stage presence she does, along with now getting a sizable crack at the centre stage whip, we reckon her performance will be something definitely to write home about, or in our case write resoundingly rapturously about. Then there is Kitty Brucknall from X-Factor and while, like with George, we have devoted plenty of attention to her, all that is in effect, water in the proverbial bridge, as having spoken to Logan on the subject, he quite rightly says that “…I was never looking for someone to replace George, that is impossible…” he adding that “…it was Kitty who offered to come on board to help out…” and to be perfectly honest, given everything we have put to print, she one of the highlights we are looking forward to on Saturday.
Exceptional Event
Now to the all important detail of this exceptional event, which takes place this Saturday &17th Dec) at Proud2 (full address, The O2 Arena, Peninsula Square, London, SE10 – website link http://proud2.com/), doors opening at 11 p.m. and the event running through to a planned 6 a.m. finish. Advance tickets, having sold like hot cakes, are still available online via direct link http://clubtickets.com/gb/2011-12/17/logan-presents-the-3rd-anniversary-starring-george-michael priced at £25, while for those looking to splash out, VIP options are available too, tickets also on sale at various Soho outlets including Clone Zone, 50 & Solarstation. As for getting across to Greenwich, there are plenty of options, North Greenwich tube station directly linked to The O2 Arena, while the riverboat service (we have taken this option on a couple of occasions recently) is one of the best ways to arrive. Plus, it is worth noting that Proud2 themselves boast their very own unique shuttle service to & from North Greenwich station, dropping guests less than 100 yards from the clubs front doors, while they also provide guests with a £2 bus to three of London’s all night train & bus stations, Victoria, Liverpool Street & Waterloo, running from 1.30 a.m. each hour until 5 a.m. Travel arrangements aside, Proud2 looks like being on hell of a host venue and like many, we can’t wait to see exactly what a stunning spectacle it is, not least that Logan will be very much pushing the boat out with production unparalleled in any event seen on the capitals clubbing circuit, this among all the other reasons we have mentioned, to make a date with this 3rd Anniversary event on Saturday.
So, while George may not be there, we couldn’t think of a better way to wish him well, than by showing your support for this prolific party, but moreover, taking in a staging that is sure to be stunningly spectacular & far more an exciting prospect than the same old, same old arches options. We will, of course, be there to review it all, so if you see us please come & say hi, leaving us to simply say, make sure you “Go There! Be There! (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: Kitty Brucknall, Logan Presents, Nathan 6, Nick Tcherniak, Per Q.X., Proud2, Rebeka Brown, Steven Geller, SuperMartXe | No Comments »
Headliner In Hospital
Three years down the line and there is little doubt in anyone’s minds that since its launch at The Coronet in November 2009, SuperMartXe London has rarely been out of the spotlight, whether it be for good or for bad & sometimes ugly reasons, issues of coatcheck calamities, premises problems & security scandal’s marring what has undoubtedly been a groundbreaking step change in the style of clubbing gracing the capitals circuit. With a long list of prolific parties in the first two years very much dominating the dancefloors, “Under The Sea”, “Wizard Of Oz”, “Hot Wheels” & “Samurai” being just four examples of a score or more of exceptional events, the success story also extended to the full Logan Presents umbrella of brands, Hype Matinee London & UP huge highlights, while the afterhours attempt of M.O.S.T. perhaps signalled a tide change in fortunes for Mr Schmitz & his team. Then, despite finding a new home for SuperMartXe in Pulse, a move that recovered a little ground lost from the debacle of the 2nd Anniversary at Debut, London has not taken to this new home in Southwark anywhere near to how it did at The Coronet (the Logan Presents original venue home), so with WE stealing more than a few strides on its Spanish superclub compatriot, Logan Presents as a proposition had a lot to promise even to their faithful followers when marking three years pushing the clubbing boundaries.
Dynamic Draw
So, Logan very much decided he needed to hit the headlines in a huge way and did with the announcement that one of the world’s biggest pop stars & a gay pop icon to boot, George Michael, would be the headline act for this landmark 3rd SuperMartXe style Anniversary event. And with the thought of seeing George perform live to a gay clubbing audience & at an accessible event like Logan Presents, the subsequent fevered rush to grab a super advanced ticket unsurprisingly ensued, many thinking it would take place at Pulse, all this making for an offering too much to resist. Yet as further trickled updates came our way, we realised that this grand 3rd Anniversary event would in fact be held at Proud 2, the phonenix venue that has risen from the ashes of Matter, this location being within the O2 complex in Greenwich & one chosen to accommodate the expected surge (3000 plus) of numbers, we, like many, considered that the team were taking the michael to think that hoards of clubbers would make this considerable journey jaunt across London, that on top of the tarnished reputation that Matter had left behind.
That said, the draw of George remains (or is that remained?) quite strong for scores, although this has suddenly been put into considerable doubt, not least that just this morning a whisper (some would say careless) has reached Disco Matt H.Q. that the pop star has been forced to cancel ALL remaining dates for his current “Symphonica” tour, this as a result of having been rushed into hospital in Vienna just days ago suffering from a severe case of pneumonia. However, having been pointed to the source of this information, an article in national newspaper, The Daily Mail (online link http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2066278/George-Michael-axes-tour-fears-grown-health.html?ito=feeds-newsxml) it seems that this was far from a whisper, rather a stark reality that the situation for continuance of the tour and likely associated public commitments is very much in serious
Symphonica Suspension
doubt, Mr Michael’s publicist being quoted as saying “….To ensure his complete well-being, George Michael’s doctors have advised that he cannot perform the rest of his Symphonica tour and that he instead takes a full and complete rest. As a result, all of the British dates of the Symphonica European tour will be postponed…”. And this is no real surprise as doctors taking care of George in Vienna have stated that he “… has severe community acquired pneumonia and is being treated as an inpatient….” but further add that “…his condition has stabilised and he is responding to treatment….” although they do state that “…from the current point of view, the time until recovery cannot be estimated, but he will not be able to perform the rest of the tour. Besides medical treatment, complete rest and peace and quiet are mandatory…”. Therefore, reading between the lines, it is quite possible George could be out of action for a number of weeks rather than days, we ourselves having suffered from pneumonia three years ago, so painfully aware of how long it can take to recover.
Pneumonia Party Plight
So what does this mean for the Logan Presents 3rd Anniversary event next month? Well, first & foremost, 17th December is a good three weeks away so this does represent a significant period of time in which a sustainable recovery in George’s current health condition could mean that he would be able to commit to his headline appearance at Proud 2. However, given the fact that his “Symphonica” tour dates have, at best, been postponed, we are left wondering whether his appearance is a realistic prospect, especially given our own experiences of this chronic condition. However, we can take heart from the fact that, as part of statement issued by George’s publicist which stated that “…discussions and preparations are currently under way to arrange the rescheduled dates and further announcements will be made at the earliest opportunity…” this giving rise to optimism of a timely recovery, meaning we will definitely be keeping tabs on the announcements as they are made, on top of which we have approached the Logan Presents team for their own view on the situation, one which we are sure is of no comfort to them given the series of setbacks they have encountered in recent months, but one they will take in their substantial stride for sure.
Rebeka Returns
While we wait on further news of the George Michael situation, we can however announce that Rebeka Brown is definitely scheduled to make an appearance for this 3rd Anniversary event, returning to perform for Logan Presents after a two year break, the team shouting that “…as a regular on the Ibiza season Rebeka has been acknowledged throughout the world for her music, winning the Best Track of The Year award at the annual DJ Awards in 2005, 2006 and 2009. Taking a turn away from the conventional electronic root, Rebeka has released a new single, “Big Bad Bitch” which has received critical acclaim throughout the industry…” And with other tracks like “Sun Rising Up”, “Don’t Let This Moment End” &, of course “Offshore”, while she may have been absent from our shores for a while, her music has been a big part of our year, the latter track very much one of our anthems of 2011. Then, add Rebeka to the planned “…transformation of this enormous, custom-built venue (Proud 2) into the biggest display of outrageous entertainment that no club in the country has ever been able to provide…”, the team also adding that “…the event will feature 1 massive dance arena framed dramatically by two mezzanine balconies, with clear stage views from every angle and a second dance space for those looking for something more intimate & steamy…” and the prospect is a party to knock the socks off all previous events.
Now clearly our thoughts are with George Michael at this time, his recovery paramount in our minds, although we cannot help but feel that the realistic prospect of him appearing at the Logan presents 3rd Anniversary is beginning to look remote. However, we will keep the faith, we won’t let the sun go down on the idea and will listen without prejudice to the news as it hits our desks, naturally keeping you informed as developments occur. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Reports | Tags: Logan Presents, Pulse, Rebeka Brown, SuperMartXe, The Coronet | 2 Comments »
Having been besieged by a sequence of setbacks during September & October, one of the many casualties included our “That Was The Week That Was” report, the weekly round-up of the movers & shakers on the scene, a report that picked out the highlights and also allowed us to share with you our moment, our tune & our tweet of the week. However, with the dawn of a new month heralding a much more prolific production period, we are pleased to mark this new found fervent with the return of a more focussed report, looking at the weekend just gone & covering Thursday through Sunday. The links to relevant websites will be back too, as will details of dance diary dates coming up, this coupled with our moment tune & tweet picks.
Boys Night Outstanding
So, with further ado, let’s get back into the groove and take a look at the weekend that was, Thursday 27th to Sunday 30th October and one that kicked off in usual style with Room Service stealing much of the spotlight with their “Boys Night Out” event, deck duty masterminded by regular resident Fat Tony & new(ish) kid on the block, Matt Bogarde, while the hoard of hosts, Josias Souza, Flip Jankovic, Kingsley & Kane Luke shared these delectable duties, reporting on yet another packed out Diu venue full of scene faces, party boys & girls and, of course, Jodie Harsh. And clearly still smarting from a truly tremendous 1st birthday just three weeks before, added to the fact that Gigolo has disappeared off the scene radar (our report on this coming soon), Room Service seems to be the continuing success story of the boutique clubbing scene that has taken Soho by storm this year, this coming Thursday (3rd Nov) looking to keep that trend going as the team welcome Shoreditch son Kris Di Angelis to the decks, he being joined by Dmitry Strigun for the second “Sextape Shoot” event, director Thomas Knights back in the club to film the next instalment of the Room Service Sextape, while hosts Kingsley, Johanna, Louis Parson & Maria Fernanda will ensure that is another rip roaring party. Plus, not forgetting the fabulous JJ on the door who, for us, is one of the best reasons to make a date with Diu this & on any Thursday night, more info on Room Service & its events can be found by going to http://clubroomservice.com.
Shadow Soiree
But Room Service aside, Thursday had plenty to offer the scene, particularly in Soho & Vauxhall, two highlights from the former being new(ish) night “XXtra” at The Shadow Lounge, which seemingly wants to grab a piece of this social soiree splendour action and has been making hey while Gigolo is out of action, last Thursday a real ripper as the team held their “Hallow-biza” ball event, resident D.J.’s Sonathaq & Niyi joined by special guest Oliver M, while details on this coming Thursday (3rd Nov) should be out via the XXtra website at http://xxtra.co.uk/ anytime now. As for Lo-Profile, there is no doubt that a huge gap has been left by Gigolo, although the venue has attempted a fill with home-grown brand “Society”, which has been switched from its original Friday night slot, its Thursday appeal still a little difficult to tell as its only been three weeks since it was swapped, details available by going to http://loprofile.com. . Down in Vauxhall and Gravity enjoyed its last Thursday at Fire, well for a few weeks at least, while the venue is closed for refurbishment & to accommodate licensing restrictions (more on that in our report “In The Line Of ….” coming up), so this week you will find Gravity across at Area.
Wonderful Wayne
Moving to Friday and Onyx once again took centre stage down Vauxhall way, very much proving its winning formula of three distinctly different rooms of music, the main very much of the upfront & energetic type, while the second space bears fruit in the form of the legendary Tasty Tim & guests, this week’s special entrant being Norbert M who came close to scooping the Ku-Bar D.J. competition crown this year, but has certainly shown his worth with gigs for Popcorn, A:M, Gigolo &, naturally right here at Onyx, this his second appearance for the brand. But with other stars including Lisa German, Ariel, Jonny M & Lee Harris, the theme of “Primal Fear” was very disco bloodbath in its making, plenty of punters making the effort to dress in Halloween costumes & make-up, reflecting that Onyx has one of the most up for it crowds on the clubbing circuit. So, having continued its success story in the hands of its latest promoter Verity Meyes, this week the whole team are pleased as punch to welcome back another iconic D.J., Wayne G returning to the UK for a short stint from his international globetrotting & marking the occasion by announcing an exclusive residency for this fab Friday nighter, Wayne remarking of his decision to lay his hat with Onyx “…I have loved the club from the first time I played there earlier this year. This will be a great platform for me to bring my new studio sounds directly to the London dancefloor, can’t wait to rock the club again…”. And with a raft of studio remix productions as well as a stable of his own tracks, this is one set & residency you won’t want to miss, more details coming up in an Extra Bites recommends post, although its worth visiting http://gayguestlists.com/onyx to get yourselves discounted entry this Friday (4th Nov) .
Porn-tastic Play
As for the other Friday movers & shakers, there were plenty on offer, A:M’s “Scream” event kind off kicking off the Trade theme, welcoming one of its original residents to the decks, Steve (Janet) Thomas bringing the house down with a superb set, although this week, with Fire closed, it looks like A:M will take a back seat or may roll on at Area straight after Onyx, more info available at http://fireclub.co.uk while we will bring you news as soon as we have it. Over the river in Soho, Shadow Lounge held a Halloween “Therapy” session, Jodie Harsh rolled out a “Gothic” Circus party at Cafe De Paris, although it was Lo-Profile that kept it horny with their “Playtime” outing, scene favourite Brent Nicholls sorting the sounds, the eye candy provided by Hustlaball Berlin award winning porn star, JB Dubois, who short of stole the show & attracted plenty of admirers. With “Playtime” gaining mounting momentum, host Jay Roberts has told us that “…every Friday Lo-Profile will be transformed into a red light district wonderland where only the hottest of the hot strut their stuff, while I get to meet & greet all the pimps, hookers, muscle boys, glitterati, disco freaks, gogo boys and creatures of the night that want to party with us in true Gaydar Style, plus I will also be controlling just who gets to party the night away in our special Playtime Bedroom with our Super Hot Stars…”, this Friday (4th Nov) seeing Randyblue.com’s stars Gabriel Cross & Gio Cruz titillate your taste buds, so well worth a trip down Wardour St way, more info on Lo-Profile out at http://loprofile.com.
Turning Twenty One
To Saturday and for once it proved to be the biggest night of the weekend on the club scene, not least as the mother of all clubs Trade took the scene by storm with their 21st (yes you heard it right) birthday down at Pulse in Southwark. Now, we devoted a special preview to the event which is still worth a read by going to http://discomatt.com/web/2011/10/previews-mothership-of-clubbing-re-docks-trade-21-a-journey-to-the-darkside-saturday-29th-october/, while having missed out on this momentous occasion in the clubs history, it seemed we missed the party of the year, as Pulse was well & truly packed with Trade babies old & new, along with a who’s who of the clubbing scene. Plus, with a towering line-up of D.J.’s, we heard special guest Monika Cruz was a huge highlight among a cast that included the likes of Steve Tomas, Pete Wardman, Nick Tcherniak & Pagano in the main room, our Italian stallion having to extend his set as the crowd simply wouldn’t let him finish. Mind you, just like Trade’s 20th birthday a year ago, Fat Tony was very much in the lite lounge spotlight & once again pulled out all the stops with a scintillating set, lie lounge originals The Sharp Boys also doing their brilliant bit. And it seemed that the organisational might of The Orange group also sealed the success of this spectacular showing, main man Tom Fuller certainly making his mark with yet another smoothest of smooth entrance, very much akin to those halcyon days back at Turnmills, while inside, the production was simply spectacular, plenty of Trade mobiles resurrected from days of old & newer to give Pulse a fabulous feel. Now, we know there are already a couple of video’s knocking around, although with no links to hand, we hope to bring you these in next week’s round-up, but it’s worth keeping an eye on the trade website at http://tradeuk.net for these, as well as news on the Christmas day party.
Brilliant Bite
Our other Saturday showstopper was back in Soho, the combo of Logan Presents, Lovechild & Lo-Profile proving irresistible for those not of the Trade persuasion, Alex Erfan reporting on a much healthier turnout for the second “Superlovers” event, this one having been given a tad of a Halloween twist, the theme of the night being “Love Bites”, although the real star of the show being new club P.A. sensation, Lemon, who gave one of the most prolific performances seen in Profile & Lo-Profile ever. Plus, with a dynamic D.J. team that included Tony English, Alessandro Londra, Tony Bruno, Phil Hewson & Marco Gee, both floors of this Wardour St wonder were packed right through till the 5 a.m. finish, this Saturday slot proving a winner for all concerned. So, it is highly likely that we will be seeing “Superlovers” return for more soon, although all eyes are now on Lovechild proper, which comes back at ya in just two Saturday’s time, next weekend (12th Nov) to be exact, Pulse the place to be and a “Roma” theme to the event, we waiting with anticipation for press release details which we will, of course, share with you in a focus post, while its http://alexerfan.com where you can find out more about both Lovechild & “Superlovers”, a quick mention also going to co-promoters of the latter, Logan Presents, who have announced the date for their 3rd Anniversary party as 17th Dec, special guest George Michael no less a definite draw, more info on this available at http://loganpresents.com.
Afterhours Amalgamation
So to Sunday and with Trade hardly over, the team picked up where they left off, combining forces with awesome afterhours club Beyond, this colossal combo creating a one-off event at Fire in Vauxhall, “Ultimate” perhaps not achieving the roadblock status of certain big Beyond bashes, but by all accounts attracted an up for it crowd that, in the tradition of Trade parties of old, wanted to party deep into Sunday afternoon & way past the 1 p.m. finish. And with the likes of D’Johnny, Hifi Sean, & Alan K flying the Beyond flag, while Nik Denton, Lee Yeomans & Guy Williams traded their Pulse shoes for the Fire variety on behalf of Trade, the jam in the superb sandwich being the star of both clubs, Gonzalo Rivas, treated both Trade & Beyond faithful to a scintillating set that well & truly rocked the place. Plus, with four rooms of fun, this certainly proved a prolific package to accompany the previous birthday bash and to add to the event, Lee Yeomans laid down a podcast which is well worth checking out by going to http://orangenation.podomatic.com/entry/2011-10-26T10_28_44-07_00. Fast forwarding a week and beyond will be back to itself, well in a “Midnight” format over at Area, the impact of Fire’s closure meaning that The Orange Group’s crown jewel of a brand holds an extended event to mark Guy Fawkes Day, no less than 12 D.J.’s across three rooms, treating us to a spectacle in true Beyond style, the team telling us to “…expect massive bangs galore, with rockets, confetti burst, sparks & more…” further hints of what to expect out at http://orangenation.clubtickets.com/gb/2011-11/06/beyond-afterhours and a party we suspect should see us returning to our spinning spot.
Special Sunday's
With lots of other usual suspects filling out Sunday, S.L.A.G.S/Chill-out at The Royal Vauxhall Tavern one, it was actually Lo-Profile up in Soho that once again received a rapturous reception, as the sequence of “Secret Sunday’s” sessions, celebrating Gaydar Radio’s 10years in operation, continued, although with an extra special guest causing a roadblock queue down Wardour street. So, it came as no surprise that last year’s X Factor winner, Joe McElderry caused a real stir & attracted a considerable crowd, the news having leaked out at the appropriate moment over Gaydar Radio’s waves, making this THE place to be & be seen on the scene, further cementing Lo-Profile’s position as the premier & hip happening hotspot in town, well on a Sunday at least. However, if, like us, you were one of the unfortunate ones to have missed out, fear not as there is a YouTube video out, well worth a look by going to http://youtube.com/watch?v=QHmZf7_JUwg, along with a vox pops video out at http://youtube.com/watch?v=yie79qnyP9s that completes the picture on this special Sunday soiree. And this coming weekend the team do it all again, they already getting us guessing with a silhouetted picture of the next “Secret Sunday” star, although have given us a clue by telling us that “…our next surprise performer has written tracks for Kylie Minogue & Diana Vickers…” (heads already scratching), meaning there’s only one way to find out by making a date with Lo-Profile & having ears glued to http://gaydarradio.com.
Majestic Mix
With our highlights of last Thursday through Sunday pretty much sown up, we turn to our moment, our track & our tweet of the week, two of the three pretty tricky as, having been laid low again with our stubborn shoulder strain, we have no nibble size review or other tweets to draw on and moments looking at our four walls wouldn’t prove that interesting. So, that leaves our track of the week, this being a simple & straight forward decision, as Danny Verde’s remix of Lady Gaga’s “You & I” gets the vote, outstripping other contenders hands down and in the process zooming up our 2011 chart. We featured it in our Music special feature, “Protégé Players & Producers” and then also shared a superb YouTube video to accompany the track, very much celebrating the male form & the perfect picturescape to this dubbed Danny dream of a track at http://youtube.com/watch?v=Wokw8JMTedc, while you can catch this tremendous track in full vocal remix form by going to t http://soundcloud.com/holabstudio/lady-gaga-you-and-i-danny.
Right that’s just about it for what was originally planned as a shorted & more succinct version of our former That Was The Week That Was round-up, but for this first “Weekend” edition has proved much more lengthy. However, with our planned return to the clubbing circuit, taking in Onyx on Friday (4th Nov) and Beyond on Sunday, coupled with plans to make future round-up’s more inclusive, we should be back into the usual grove by next week, although leave you by saying that you that that if you want us to shout out for your favourite bar, club or event that rocked & rolled over the coming weekend, then link into us via our main Facebook page at http://facebook.com/discomattlondon and plaster our wall with your details or then drop us a line now at matt@discomatt.com. And if you see us out & about then please do come say hi & join us by making your mark on That Was The Weekend That Was. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Reports | Tags: Area, Beyond, Danny Verde, Fire, Gaydar Radio, Gravity, Lo-Profile, Logan Presents, Lovechild, Onyx, Playtime, Room Service, Secret Sundays, SuperMartXe, The Shadow Lounge, Trade, Wayne G, XXtra | No Comments »
If we thought that June was a pretty rocky ride, having landed ourselves in hospital & so out of action for a handful of weeks, even the personal trauma we went through then, kind of pails into insignificance compared with the sequence of setbacks that has besieged our September & October activity across the capitals clubbing scene, as well as the productivity coming out of our website. So, with not one or two, but three serious accidents laying us low, we can’t wait to turn over a new month’s leaf and shake off the effects of our broken bones, torn ligaments & superficial scars, by stepping back out onto the scene & ramping up our reviewing, recommending, reporting & all other aspects of our website writing.
Indian Summer Setbacks
However, before we do that, we thought we would lay our “Indian Summer Setbacks” to rest, by re-capping on what we managed to fit in during September & October, sharing parties we made & missed, as well as picking on the highlights (or otherwise) of our Reviews, Previews, Recommends, Reports, Music & other posts. Then, more importantly, we will be pointing forward to more positive November & December to come, digging up some delectable dates for your dance diary, as well as our own planned partying which should carry us intact into the coming Christmas season.
Heavenly Highlight
REVIEWS – With a pretty poor picture of productivity during October, it was September that saw the lions share of club reviews, SuperMartXe’s “Blackout” event getting our Bite Size attention, while full-on devotions to Casa Latina’s “Sugar Daddy” & Beyond’s “10th Birthday” marked our most active weekend of the period. But, having missed out on Trade’s 21st birthday, three forthcoming anniversary’s will definitely be dance diary hits in Nov & Dec, Salvation, WE & SuperMartXe the trio of turns among a sea of other activity kicking off from this weekend (5th Nov).
PREVIEWS – Having been pretty lack-lustre throughout much of the year, we stepped up our activity a little, looking at SuperMartXe’s return to the scene, Beyond’s 10th birthday & Trade’s 21st, the theme looking to continue in this vein into November & December with those three anniversaries, as well as one for the forthcoming Christmas season.
Finding A Pulse
RECOMMENDS – Like a spluttering engine, our weekend newsletters were too infrequent, while more attention was paid to our Focus posts, this section of or website still the most productive of any. So, with the determination to return to producing weekly recommends newsletters on top of those focuses, as well as Extra Bites inclusions, both November & December should see posts a-plenty.
REPORTS – With not one report to reflect upon during September & October, we simply have to look forward rather than back, November beginning with a close look at the events surrounding the temporary closure of Fire, as well as a revamp of our weekly round-up report, now called “That Was The Weekend That Was”. Plus, with plenty of other scene news to cover, including Gigolo’s disappearance, there should be plenty to watch out for.
MUSIC – Having posted just one newsletter during September & October, we are hoping to make it two a month from now on, while the special feature, “Protégé Players & Producers” marked a return to the focuses we used to do weekly in our BlogSpot days & these will be back with a bang.
COMING UP – Apart from the increased activity we have already mentioned, the promises of archive D.J. biog’s, along with that special music feature on Javier Medina will herald a re-enthusiasm for all things music, while Disco Matters will be back with a bang too, an interview with Lovechild’s Alex Erfan due in November, with others lined up too. Plus, our “Lists” section will come to fruition, meaning we have our work cut out. Moreover, we aim to post to our website daily at a minimum, meaning no less than 30 inclusions during November alone, while our daily banner updates will continue unabated (more on that in a mo).
Nibble Size Review Tweets
KEEP UP – While our review activity has dipped during October, meaning our “Nibble Size” review tweets have too, these will be one of the best ways to track our activity out on the scene during November & December. Plus, Twitter is a great way to keep up with our other posts too, our notifications hitting our page as soon as the posts go out on our website, all of which you can follow at http://twitter.com/discomatt. Twitter aside, we continue to use Facebook as a major broadcast medium, so why not check our walls via our page at http://facebook.com/pages/Disco-Matt/112730602119746, or our profile at http://facebook.com/discomattlondon, where we post ALL our activity, while we have opened up our group, thus allowing you to post onto our wall by going to http://www.facebook.com/groups/96540615424/. Over & above that, you can head here and watch the home page for the latest postings.
Marketing Medium
SUPPORTING THE SCENE – Having established the “Supporting” section as an integral part of our website back in the summer, we consider this as a vital part of our activity, the advertising banners giving us an opportunity to we visually support e bars, clubs, events & businesses both in London & internationally. Now updated daily, should you wish your favourite bar, club or event to be included, just drop us an e-mail to us (details follow) and we will do our best to include it.
CONTACT US – Very simply, just drop us an e-mail at matt@discomatt.com , or fill in a contact form which you can find at the bottom of our website, a hint of which can now be found in the main body of our website. That aside, you can send us a message via Facebook, or even more simply, just plaster our walls or send us a tweet.
Dynamic Draw
DISCO DIARY DATES – Now just before we go, some promised dates for your diary in November & December, the first big date being Salvation’s 13th Anniversary which is Sunday 13th Nov, while WE Party London’s 1st Anniversary event, “Disco” is on Saturday 3rd December. Then, looking further forward, SuperMartXe celebrate 3 years in London on Saturday 17th December, special guest George Michael an irresistible draw. These aside, watch this space as Fire’s temporary closure raises some interesting developments, while Lovechild is back during November & Meat looks like a must too.
So, while we may have been off the boil in September & October, the coming two months should see a return to the Disco Matt of old, our best foot now firmly forward and pointing us towards an exemplary end to 2011. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Reports | Tags: Alex Erfan, Beyond, Casa Latina, Fire, Javier Medina, Lovechild, Salvation, SuperMartXe, Trade, WE Party London | No Comments »
Matrix Magnificence
We can definitely count ourselves lucky to be in the thick of one of the world most diverse & prolific clubbing scenes, many other cities & their citizens looking at London with a great deal of envy, not least that we sport some of the biggest & best brands in the business. However, you would be forgiven for thinking, well recently at least, that the outstanding offer the capital always used to boost, has gotten a little flat, not least that some of those big players we were intimating towards, have either taken a rest for a while or have simply gone completely to ground. And when we delve a little deeper into the dilemma that seems to be facing our superb scene, it is Saturday’s in particular that have taken a big hit, so many successful parties have fallen by the wayside, while others hardly seem able to brave the beat without the fear of being crushed by the competition. So, when we heard of the return of one superb Saturday smash, we were anxious to see exactly what it would have to offer and what the crushing competition would make of it all.
Spanish Splendour
Now it would be fair to say that Spanish brand SuperMartXe has had it fair share of success, virtually from the moment it launched, capturing the imagination of the capitals clubbing circuit and attracting one of the best looking crowds in town. However, more recent times have seen mixed fortunes for the brand here in London, promoter Logan Schmitz having been plagued by a series of setbacks, not least having lost original home to his beloved brand, The Coronet, in effect to the highest bidder, competitor Spaniard showstopper WE Party having muscled in on the action. And while the Debut affair has clearly left considerable scars on SuperMartXe, in new home Pulse, it seems to be finding its feet once again, a succession of parties putting the brand back on the capitals clubbing map, albeit that for some of the faithful followers, not quite the same as old. However, having given the competition a free reign over the last bank holiday, Logan & his schmitzels were very much back with a bang with their “Blackout” event, a welcome return indeed, but did this prove the bounce back that had been hoped for?, or did SuperMartXe once again suffer from sinister spoiling tactics?
Well, having somehow missed out on the last four servings of this Spanish brand brilliance here in the capital, we were determined to make SuperMartXe’s “Blackout” event, having thrown our weight behind the party in a rapturous recommends report, although just like Logan had endured for many months, we were targeted by a ferocious attack, having spoken out on a certain issue, the threat of an injunction on our website & a law suit saw us bow to this bully like pressure and withdrawing our comments. Yet while this was never going to derail our appearance, it was last minute work commitments that put the spanner in our SuperMartXe works, meaning that we were resigned to sitting it out while our “secret squirrel” filled our boots and reported back on it all, giving us sufficient food for thought to put his words into print as follows.
Salva Di Nobles
“…Arriving at Pulse early to avoid any potential queues, it was clear that this latest SuperMartXe outing was going to take a while to get out of its starting blocks, although with the main space filling quite quickly before our eyes, Nick Tcherniak the D.J. in charge of firing up the fervent in the followers of this “Blackout” bash. And from what our SS reported, he went about the task with gusto, even a comedic moment when a cold air blast from the C)2 canons hit him square in the face, although this far from put him off from his stroke, a masterful performance full of tech fuelled tunes & uplifting beats that had an ever increasingly busy main room lifting the atmosphere with lots of hands in the air dancing. As for headline SuperMartXe star Salva Di Nobles, well, it seemed clear he was used to playing to an audience, as his set was crafted cunningly to do just that, a blend of euro-style beats with upfront house making for a prolific performance that matched that of pop princess Therese, whose “Blackout” billing lived up to all expectations & more, the whole show quite spectacular & true to the SuperMartXe style. Plus it seemed that porn star Damien Crosse also made a substantial splash, a catch of the climax by our SS remarking that the day glow green cum moment was a first. And that pretty much went for the exceptional effects too, a laser beam bounty of Matrix magnificence that cast columns of light across the main room, blacking out the rest, while leaving the cavorting clubbers dazzled by the dynamism of the displays. Then to round of the rapturous SuperMartXe return, Tony English took to the main room decks delighting his adorning audience with a superb sequence of sounds that continued that hands in the air audacity that had been so much a trademark of the “Blackout” bash, his rendition of Danny Verde’s Lady Gaga remix smash a huge highlight among a mass of other musical masterpieces that rounded of this enjoyable event…”
Logan Presents Podcast
Clearly we were hugely disappointed to once again miss out on SuperMartXe’s showing at Pulse, a venue we still have yet to see in full operation, yet one that is proving a stickier wicket for Logan & his team to tout for the kind of numbers they used to enjoy at former home The Coronet. And judging by the comments we gathered from a few sources, while the main room was packed for most of the night, the club as a whole didn’t feel quite busy enough, how did our SS put it, “…the party had a good percentage of hot men but they really needed to have brought their clones too…”. So, it seems that the damage inflicted by Debut continues to exist, while there is no doubt that competitor crushing also had a big part to play in SuperMartXe’s success this time round, as Beyond, despite earlier rumours to the contrary, extended its opening hours, offering free entry & pulling in the services of headline Spanish D.J. Juanjo Martin in a clear attempt to deflect dancers & steal the spotlight, the promotions team behind this amazing afterhours seemingly unwilling to let an long lamented feud die. That said, it seemed that many rejoiced the return of this Spanish brand splendour and we are sure that we speak for many more in saying that we hope the Logan & his lot are here to stay. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Reviews | Tags: Logan Schmitz, Nick Tcherniak, Pulse, Salva Di Nobles, SuperMartXe, Therese, Tony English | No Comments »
Also Back With A Bang
Having toiled over which direction we would be taking our regular weekly “Recommends” newsletter, in conjunction with our summer siesta, we gave this post a bit of a break while we rejuvenated our batteries & cleared the clog in that directional dilemma. So, finding our feet back under the proverbial table and having taken the decision to ditch what was always going to be a mere experiment of a change in the “Bar Bites & Club Cuts” concept, we are back to our former self & newsletter formula, that is picking out our top of the tree choices of where to be & be seen on the scene, as well as giving a mini mention to others that are well worth a look in. So, while our Best Bite & Short Shout format is back & here to stay, as we get back into the groove, we will be trying to make the post a little more inclusive, adding extra short shouts where we can & where they are warranted, although we will naturally be hanging our hat on those events that we either plan to review or would review, given the resource & time. Plus, we have included links to those parties that have got extra special attention via our Weekend Focus features, Orange’s 13th Birthday one, while, like us, SuperMartXe is also back with a bang, but more on those in a min.
Profile Package
So let’s crack on a look to Soho first which gets two top of the tree choices, Profile Bar our first Best Bite of the weekend and for good reason as this has now very much established itself as one of the more stylish & sumptuous places to be, the captivating cocktail of delicious drinks, fabulous food & magnificent music, intermixed with the amazing ambience that the smart socialising set it attracts, create. And of that music, this weekend sees two of its roving resident D.J. team turn out the tunes, Friday (9th Sept) seeing scene stalwart Rob Sykes spin some serious sounds, while on Saturday, the team welcome the cute yet capable Zach Burns to the D.J. decks, his Profile popularity no surprise given what a mature musical head he has on his shoulders, always treating us to a truck load of terrific tunes when he plays, so is sure to do the same this Saturday. But music aside, don’t forget the bars happy hour, which kicks in daily from 4 till 7 p.m., while lunchtime food offers make this a brilliant re-fuelling stop-off, the Sunday roast menu particularly appealing too. Plus, why not sign up for their new weekly newsletter which, along with much more info on the venue & its offer, is available at http://profilesoho.com.
Society The Spot
Moving downstairs and Lo-Profile has certainly stretched its appeal in recent weeks, due in no part to Thursday night frolic Gigolo, this social soiree splendour having recently taking its own short summer siesta of a break, but is back tomorrow night (8th Sept) with its “Stronger” event, Fredi Dimanche making his Gigolo debut and marking a very welcome addition to the resident team, while the clubs launch night sensation, Zach Burns kick starts the event which gets going from 10 p.m. So, with Lo-Profile’s weekend having already got underway, Friday (9th Sept) sees its own weekly social cum club night, “Society” stand in the Soho spotlight, Zach Burns making the second of three appearances across the weekend, although we certainly aren’t complaining, as he never fails to score with his superb stack of sounds. But, he doesn’t get all the say, far from it, as the pumping powerhouse that is Nathan Six takes up the musical mantle too and is sure to mesmerise the masses which his majestic mixes as always. But the weekend if far from over, as Saturday (10th) sees a real latin flavour to proceedings, as Gonzalo Rivas teams up with Alessandro Londra in an anglo Spanish/Italian concoction that should see the place packed & pumping all night. Add to that the Monday night meet “Beartrap” and there are loads of reasons to make Lo-Profile your dance destination, more details up at http://lo-profile.com.
Now to some Short Shouts and Ku-Bar/Club on Lisle St gets a first mini mention, Dusty O reassuming her spot this Friday (9th Sept) having compared the long running D.J. quest for the last three months, while favourite “Fabulous” takes over Saturday & Lady Lloyd’s “Hit Factory” steers your Sunday. Plus, if you missed seeing the winning D.J. scoop the prize last weekend, fear not as he will be playing at Ku’s Frith St pad this Saturday (10th Sept), more info on Ku available at http://ku-bar.co.uk.
Next is Rupert St, still Soho’s busiest bar and a popular hangout to boot, not least that they have D.J.’s on duty right across the weekend, main resident Alessandro London taking his usual Sunday slot, as well as Saturday (10th Sept) this week, while Leonardo Glovibes takes it turn on Friday. But with a fab food offer & extra special prices on champagne & cocktails, Rupert S is a great place t be & be seen, more details out at http://rupertstreet.com.
Our third Short Shout goes to The Shadow Lounge which, after celebrating its 10th birthday a few weeks ago, has settled back into its regular routine, Friday (9th Sept) seeing “Therapy” with D.J. Sonathaq on the decks, while the ever popular Andrew Elmore is back on Saturday with “Inferno”, while they will be in the thick of the Soho Pink Sunday event next weekend (post coming up), more details on this Brewer St. Brilliance out at http://theshadowlounge.co.uk.
Steve Thomas Treat
Right moving onto Vauxhall and there is lots happening this weekend, well if you are affiliated to the Orange Group that is, so they get our Best Bite, top of the tree choice, as a whole host of events are worth much more than a mini mention, so much so that we will be issuing a couple of Extra Bites posts shortly for both Onyx & Furrvert and with Beyond going “Super Size”, a report entitled “Spanish Scramble” will cover all you need to know about that. But it doesn’t stop there of course, as Orange (the club not the group) marks its 13th birthday this Sunday with a “Clockwork Orange” themed event, we having devoted a special Weekend Focus feature to this citric celebration, the direct link for our devotion being http://discomatt.com/web/2011/09/recommends-birthday-candles-on-fire-orange-13th-birthday-clockwork-orange-sunday-11th-september/ . However, with parties like Gravity, Later & Booster also part of the weekend mix, one afterhours that is really finding a new head of steam is A:M, the Saturday morning smash that is now under the steership of Steven Sharp, the man behind Orange, but also a well established & accomplished D.J./Producer and one half of The Sharp Boys. Having stripped A:M back to its basic formula, Steven is introducing some exciting D.J. talent to take the music back to where A:M was in the halcyon days of its launch, this week being no exception as Steve Thomas (of Trade fame) takes to the decks, joining a residency team that includes Paul heron, Jamie Head, & Fat Tony, while Mr Sharp is also impressing the “Majority Gay” policy of the club, while naturally welcoming many regulars of all genders that have been supporting A:M over the years. With further exciting guest D.J’s to come, this Saturday morning is a sure-fire (excuse the pun) sensation & well worth a visit, more details of this & all Orange Group events at Fire available at http://fireclub.co.uk/gayparties.
To some Short Shouts now and first up is the institution that is The Royal Vauxhall Tavern (RVT), a packed weekend kicking off with “Loud” tomorrow night (Fri 9th Sept) with Massimo Paramour mixing up synth pop, new wave & indie dance in an 80’s inspired evening, Pauline Henry from the Chimes the P.A., while on Saturday its regular romp “Duckie”. Then no Sunday would be complete without a “S.L.A.G.S./Chill-out” event, not even the forecast heavy rain keeping the faithful away & the venue rammed, more info on this & the RVT’s weeklong schedule out at http://thervt.org.uk.
Just down the road is The Eagle, home to Sunday smash Horse Meat Disco, which rolls out another session with residents Jim Stanton, James Hillard & Severino, while sandwiching Saturday is “Tonker” tomorrow night, promoter Tim Jones welcoming guest D.J. Micky Galliano to the decks, this Muccassassina resident well worth a look in, as is Eagle, further details on happenings available at http://eaglelondon.co.uk.
Our third mini mention goes to barcode, which seems to have taken on a new direction recently, also filling the boots that used to be occupied by Union, Steven Geller’s brands “Bodyshakers” & “Crunch” taking up residency, both extending the bar’s usual trading hours deep into Saturday & Sunday morning, both these parties of the afterhours antics type. Then there is “Fitladz”, which holds another horny happening at Barcode tomorrow night (Fri 9th Sept), although access for this men only club night is through the Goding St & not the main entrance on Albert Embankment, more info on Barcode out at http://bar-code.co/.uk.
Amazing Alternative
So, we move onto our alternative options, naturally headed up by SuperMartXe, which makes a welcome return to the scene this Saturday (10th Sept) with a lights out inspired “Blackout” event that is set to steal the spotlight for sure. And, having missed out on the last four, we will definitely be heading to Pulse, also having given it a big thumbs up in our Weekend Focus feature which you can check out at http://discomatt.com/web/2011/09/recommends-logan-back-in-the-limelight-supermartxe-blackout-saturday-10th-september/. That said, we are pretty miffed that we will be missing out on another “Meat” party, which also takes place on Saturday, this Shoreditch shindig having gained considerable legs since having been launched back in February, co-promoters Tom Stephan & Kris Di Angelis having created a cult club that has grown in both stature & following, month on month. And it seems that the recipe to is soaring success is in both the music & the crowd, as the sounds served up by Tom Kris & a along with other roving resident D.J.’s including James Pople, Jeffrey Hinton & Munroe Bergdorf, the combo of electro & underground beats in the main room, with rnb, soul & classics in the “mincemeat” room make for a colourful combination, as is the crowd, east end boys mixing with west end girls, arty types, scene faces & even a smattering of big room clubbers making “Meat” their dance destination. So, with a “School Boy Beats” theme their way of marking the start of the new term, for a night full of diverse debauchery, you should look no further, full details out at http://facebook.com/event.php?eid=112923042144285.
So, to a couple of Short Shouts and just up the Shoreditch road is The Dalston Superstore (DSS), which also has packed weekend of events, two highlights being “Back To Back” this Friday (9th Sept), the name implying what to expect, D.J.’s Goodhand, Kezokichi, Sigmund, Kraftwerk & Dietrich mix up the music, while the “Body Talk” crew take over the DSS on Saturday with a special event dedicated to the music of Prince, promoter & resident D.J. Rokk, heading up a team that includes Tristan reed & Charlie Bones. Plus with Squeaky holding court on Sunday, the DSS has lots to offer this weekend, more info out & available at http://thedalstonsuperstore.com.
For our final mini mention we head back closer to town, as “Wig Out”, having moved from weekly to monthly is back, setting its superb stool at Ghetto Factory in Aldwych, this alternative, indie & 80/’s/90’s night welcoming pop princess Toyah Wilcox as their special guest, this goddess of the 80’s performing live, while budget beating door entry 7 drinks prices make this a poptastic night well worth a visit, more details available via the event page at http://facebook.com/event.php?eid=240144349363358.
Time For A Tan
Now, just before we close, a quick couple of mentions go to, first, clubbing bible website SeenQueen (http://seenqueen.com) who have had a bit of a botox makeover while we have been off air, the new look well worth a peek, as are lots of the features that cram its pages, while as we wave goodbye to the summer (what summer we hear you cry), it’s definitely time to feel good by grabbing a tan, Solarstation the place to do it, more info out at http://solarstation.co.uk.
So, that’s just about it for our return newsletter and look at the coming weekend, one which you can definitely catch us at SuperMartXe’s “Blackout” event & Orange’s 13th Birthday, while we may also make a stop-off at Beyond. So, if you see us out come say hi, but whatever you are up to & wherever its finds you, have a great weekend, remembering that to be & be seen on the scene you need to “Go There! Be There!. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: A:M, Alessandro Londra, Beyond, Booster, Fire, Gigolo, Gonzalo Rivas, Gravity, Horse Meat Disco, Ku Bar, Later, Lo-Profile, Meat, Nathan Six, Orange, Profile, Rupert St, Society, SuperMartXe, The Dalston Superstore, The Eagle, The R.V.T., The Shadow Lounge, Tonker, Zach Burns | No Comments »
Logan Back In The Limelight
The last few months have certainly been everything of the rollercoaster ride we have been painting of our circulations around the clubbing scene, the emotional, mental & physical pressures having taken their toll and whilst there have been a huge amount of up’s, there have also been downs. Mind you, our downs pail somewhat into insignificance when compared to the misfortunes besieging the London branch of Spanish clubbing brand SuperMartXe, who, along with its promoter here, one Logan Schmitz, have really gone through the mill recently. For those of you that have been watching developments closely, we don’t have to tell you that both the brand & its promoter have come in for a pretty rough ride, primarily caused by competitor brand WE muscling in on the action, Logan having lost SuperMartXe’s natural home, The Coronet, in effect to the highest bidder, then suffering badly from substantial shortcomings at Debut. However, in its latest home, Pulse, the brand seems to be settling in, although the three parties it has held thus far have been met with mixed responses, the last event losing out to WE London’s strong arm tactics.
So, as we wave farewell to a rocky road of a summer and re-emerge as our former self, so SuperMartXe & Logan reappear after a rest from the scene and a welcome return it is too, as while we saw a new big brand attempt to emerge just a week ago, the revolution that was Brava promising much but delivering little, the clubbing circuit seems to have been starved of the variety that it always used to boost. Recent times seem to have pointed only to all things Orange & not much else, well apart from the alternatives & boutique clubs which continue to forge their fortunes in the niche markets they find themselves in, so yes, Logan’s re-emergence has to be seen as good news by many, this coming Saturday (10th September) seeing SuperMartXe’s “Blackout” take place and an event that we are hope will mark a tide change in fortunes, not just for SuperMartXe & Logan, but for the wider scene too, which, given the lack lustre launches of late is definitely in need of a boost.
Blackout Brilliance
So that’s the backdrop to SuperMartXe’s return, so what about the “Blackout” event itself? Well probably the best way to introduce you to what you can expect from the event is by sharing parts of the official press release, the team unsurprisingly wanting to wipe the recent slate clean & start afresh, especially when they say “…forget everything you know…” they adding that “we invite you to experience SuperMartXé on a whole new level…”. And we can well believe what they say, particularly when it comes to host venue Pulse, a substantial amalgam of arches in Southwark that have now settled into their new life as a nightclub, further plans afoot to develop the massive auditoriums, as well as the club having signed deals with new & existing club ventures over the summer period making it the latest clubbing hotspot in town. As for the “Blackout” theme, it appears Logan is daring to try something different with “…a lights out experience promised to captivate your mind and seduce your darkest senses…”, suggesting that dancing in the dark may be a possibility, although more likely Logan has plenty of surprises up his sleeves in terms of the production, reveals, performances & effects, especially when he says that “…we dare to show you the difference between reality and a dream…” and adds “…we guarantee a party to get London talking…”.
SuperMartXe Salva Style
Now whilst Logan & his schmitzels (we have missed our affectionate term to his team) may be keeping much of their cards close to their chests, what we do know is who will be delivering the dynamic dance music, Logan drawing on some of SuperMartXe London’s big guns to serve up the sounds. And in both Tony English & Nick Tcherniak, they have two front runners in this respect, but more on those two in a mo, as it is SuperMartXe Spain resident Salva Di Nobles that gets our immediate attention, “Blackout” marking his first representation for the brand here in the capital, although the man has been treading the SuperMartXe boards for well over two years, especially from his base in Ibiza. However, like many of his compatriots, he hails from Barcelona, the melting pot that seems to produce one D.J. after the next, Salva braving the competitive circles he found himself within pretty well, seeing opportunities to spread his wings quite early in his career, guest appearances right across Spain & into Europe littering his schedule, while trips to Brazil belie his Latin routes. But it was two major breaks in 2008 that saw him become a force to be reckoned with in Ibiza, as he landed both a residency with SuperMartXe and a slot on the islands “Global” radio channel, since when Salva has played for the brand right across the world. In terms of music, whilst his style is very much eurobeat, tech infused as well as progressive in its making, there is not too much evidence of compilations to point your way, although the September Logan Presents podcast, out at http://loganpresents.podomatic.com, has Mr Di Nobles featuring large and is a serious hint towards what to expect from him this Saturday.
Terrific Tcherniak Turn
But while Salvo will be “Blackout’s” headline D.J., as we mentioned, two of SuperMartXe’s stellar London residents will be making their musical mark too, Tony English taking up the final set reigns on Saturday and is the man behind Logan’s monthly podcasts. That said, he has his own productions too, all giving you a great flavour of his style of sound, worth more than a look at http://djtonyenglish.com. So we are sure to expect powerful & pumping performance that has seen him feature large for brands such as Lovechild & As One, while his regular slots for Gaydar Radio has kept him pretty busy of late, that on top of a regular residency at east end hip hop happening, The Hoxton Pony, meaning he has been out of our earshot for a bit, but in nevertheless a worthy inclusion in the Saturday line up. Then, completing the musical picture is Nick Tcherniak, another terrific talent that has dipped below our radar in recent times, although just like Logan, SuperMartXe & Tony English, makes a welcome return to the limelight on Saturday, scooping up the opening set at “Blackout” with what will surely be a tech house triumph Tcherniak style, intermixed with plenty of uplifting grooves to get the party pumping right from the 10.30 p.m. start. And with a club repertoire that includes greats Trade, DTPM, Heaven, Orange, Matinee & MOS (to name just a handful), there is no wonder Logan rates Nick as one of his strongest residents, his prolific productions with studio partner Steve Thomas adding to his appeal, the latest release “Day & Night” the same title as his podcast which is a must grab at http://nicktcherniak.podomatic.com.
Pop Princess
Now naturally, no SuperMartXe smash would be complete without the stage shows & performances and while, again, we are not sure quite what to expect on Saturday, we are pretty sure it will be to the usual heavenly high standards that the brand have become famous for, prolific pyrotechnics, stunning stage shows, drop dead gorgeous dancers, exceptional effects & masterful music. But we cannot overlook the pumping performance that is sure to come your way, as one element we can guarantee is the inclusion of Swedish superstar vocalist Therese, she another welcome return to the SuperMartXe fold and will no doubt, just like her performance for the brand a year ago, take the capital by storm, once again showing why she remains as dynamic a draw as she is a powerhouse of vocal vitality. And, for the Therese uninitiated, just take a peek at this short sequence of video’s which should acquaint you well enough, point towards what to expect on Saturday & give you a pretty good idea of why Logan calls her “…our very own pop princess..”, http://youtube.com/watch?v=E7ReFdDDtWM, http://youtube.com/watch?v=gQA-rC3zCZU, & http://youtube.com/watch?v=H7aDpK-9_20.
So with no more reasons required to book your place for this “Blackout” bash, let’s quickly run down some of that detail, as advance £16 tickets are on sale both online at http://clubtickets.com and at Soho outlets Prowler, Clone Zone & 50, as well as at Profile Bar, Q & Solarstation, although tickets (subject to availability) will be on sale on the doors which open at 10.30 p.m., the event running through to that planned 6.30 a.m. finish. As for the venue, Pulse is an easy reach from nearest tube Southwark Station (a minute or two away) & just a hop, skip & jump over Blackfriars Bridge, the full address being 1 Invicta Plaza, SE1 9UF (just pop it in your smart phone), while more info on the event is available at http://loganpresents.com. Plus, not party would be a party without a pre-party, Room Service playing host to Logan & his schmitzels this coming Thursday (8th) Sept, more details on this & other Room Service happenings available at http://clubroomservice.com.
So, the final word goes to Logan who quite rightly say’s “…no one can be told what SuperMartXe is, you have to see it for yourself…”, while the S in this Saturday & indeed Sunday looks like standing for SuperMartXe, meaning we will definitely be there to see it for ourselves, reporting on the whole event, marking our own welcome return to the SMX fold and reckon you should also “Go There! Be There! (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: Blackout, Juanjo Martin, Logan Presents, Logan Schmitz, Nick Tcherniak, Pulse, Salva Di Nobles, SuperMartXe, Therese, Tony English | 2 Comments »
That Was The Spring Bank Holiday That Was
Well here it is, our first weekly roundup report, “That Was The Week That Was”, and what a week to choose, the fourth bank holiday of the year proving a real corker for us and surely for you too, especially if you took advantage of the myriad of magical meets that we covered in our special Recommends post, not to mention the host of others on offer.
SMX success
So, where did it all start?, well with a bit of a clash of the titans on Thursday (26th May) as new Soho society social soiree Gigolo was back for more after a lavish launch a week ago, although what a difference a week made, as numbers were nowhere near as buoyant as the launch, perhaps to be expected. Across the other side of Soho, Room Service entertained SuperMartXe for the first of three pre-parties, Jodie Harsh’s established Thursday night foray still packing in the party goers, this week being no different & just the start to the weekend SMX’s Logan Schmitz was praying for.
Both will be back for more this week, Gigolo “getting harder”, while Room Service entertain French porn star import Francois Sagat, both well worth a look in to be honest. Check out http://gigolodisco.com & http://clubroomservice.com for more info.
Society stars
Friday dawned for us with a trip across to Rome for the magnificent Muccassassina which was the first major highlight of our spring bank holiday weekend, while here in the capital Lo-Profile’s “Society” rocked to the Spanish influenced SuperMartXe sounds, Nathan Six & Tony English bringing home the bacon (or should that be chorizo) for Logan & his Schmitzels, while round the corner in Rupert Street, the sweetest of sounds were served by Brent Nicholls on behalf of WE “Candy” who held their own pre-party, with gorge go-go’s & plenty of sugar coated splendour masterminded by promotions duo Tom Fuller & Paul Vlad. Down in Vauxhall, it was win win for the Orange group, with healthy numbers reported through both Onyx & A:M, while slightly further afield, The Brixton Clubhouse kicked off their launch weekend with a tepid response, but with much brighter things to come on both Saturday & Sunday. Aternative’s out east, the Dalston Superstore & East Bloc’s “Disco Fag Bar” reported good turnouts, while back in Rome, Mucca proved magnificent & packed to the rafters from superb start to fantastic finish, both Danny Verde & Micky Galliano nailing spectacular sets.
“Society” is back this week to show Soho how it’s done, more info available at http://loprofile.com, while Onyx starts a weekend trend in Orange Group circles of free parties/plenty of discounted offers, more info out at http://fireclub.co.uk/gayparties.
Sweet Scorcher
To Saturday and it was clear that two players were likely to dominate proceedings & leave others in their wake, although as it turned out, the sweet smell of success went to WE “Candy”, host venue The Coronet in E&C absolutely rammo, in fact never as busy. With the stunning stage shows back to where the brilliantly belonged, superb sets by all the D.J.’s sparkling, especially Paul Heron’s as even WE resident Carlos Gallardo was caught bowing at his feet in adoration, while PA Peyton put up another prolific performance and not one person we spoke to walked away disappointed, quite the opposite. Faced with all this, SuperMartXe was always going to come off second best, but they certainly did their “Moulin Rouge” best, making the most of what they had, although with the world & his wife at WE, numbers did suffer. And that was the case for others too, Lo-Profile reporting a quiet night as did both Barcode’s, but the niche & alternative nights did well, both Gutterslut at East Bloc & Queer Nation at Area heralding highly successful happenings, the usual bearish bravado taking place at The Arches in Southwark as XXL reigned supreme.
Now, it seems the WE party machine is not resting on its laurels, their next incarnation “Barbie & Ken” already sweeping across Europe, while London’s Gay Pride on 2nd July will see WE “Force” take centre stage again, more details already out at http://weparty.clubtickets.com/gb/2011-07/02/we-party-london-we-force.
Huge Holiday Hit
So Sunday dawned & it seemed at all roads led to Beyond, those people that hadn’t yet started their spring bank holiday certainly doing so here. Having recharged our Rome batteries, we arrived to find the unison with Barcode brimming with bodies, the Beyond crew reporting probably THE busiest ever. And the extra outside space as well as additional dancefloors worked really well, although, inevitably, it was the three Area rooms that saw most of the action & chalked up huge holiday highlights for us (more on that in a bit). Later followed & was equally as successful, dampening the start of Downtown at The Brixton Clubhouse, although this Meat & Room Service combo was well & truly rocking by 8 p.m. Salvation swung open its doors & dazzled with some of the most stunning stage displays we have seen, lighting, lasers & the 22nd century theme hitting the mark, even if the numbers through Koko didn’t quite match the spectacular Salvation shows & effects which were a resounding success. Other hot spots included Fusion at the prolific Pulse & a whole host of Soho hip & happening hangouts, Rupert Street reporting on of their best Sunday’s in a long time. But the big surpirse was Booster, who teamed up with Barcode, pre As One, reports coming in that it was “one in, one out” and the most amazing atmosphere, this second unity in as many hours working like a dream.
Now, we have some exciting news on the Salvation front, although have been sworn to secrecy right now, but will spill the beans just as soon as we can, while this weekend Beyond continues to ride the wave crest they are on, with two parties, Paris’ Scream hosting on Saturday night, while back in London they kick off their summer season in style, more info on Beyond available at http://jonny-m.co.uk/beyond.
Brand Combo Back With A Bang
With Monday arriving quickly on the horizon but with so many amazing parties very much weighting the weekend differently to previous bank holiday’s, there was a feel that the scene was flagging a little, although, like Beyond the previous morning, it seemed all roads led to As One, Fire’s three main spaces packed to the rafters until well gone dawn, Orange, Cafe Ole, Lovechild, Megawoof & KuBar combining to put this collaborative colossus back on the clubbing map, although as the sun peaked through, outside rather than in was the order of the day, the main room, neverthless, rocking right up till the midday finish. Other prolific parties included Later’s second spring bank holiday helping, this time at Area, The RVT also getting their own second bite at the cherry with the ever popular “S.LA.G.S/Chill-out”, despite the weather turning damp late afternoon & emptying the grassy knoll, while Popcorn at Heaven made hay too, with an extra busy bash as its student populous were on a short spring break from their studies, all very much letting their hair down.
Now, if you haven’t been to a S.L.A.G.S/Chill-out session yet, then it’s high time you did, this Sunday soiree every bit the smash it was when it launched well over 10 years ago, more details on this & other RVT happenings available at http://thervt.org.uk
Now onto some news & we have to sadly report that new social society soiree “G&T” has seemingly faltered at its first hurdle, this Tuesday night gathering having been pulled from Dui just three weeks in, its future not looking that bright, although we are told the team are looking to Green carnation to try & breathe new life into this brave new brand.
Similarily, Industri, the social soiree splendour that had a successful running at Barcode Vauxhall for close on three years, looks like bowing out gracefully when current home, Barcode Soho changes hands sometime this month. However, with the new owners of this Archer St hangout promising to keep some of the old, but bring in much more new, we suspect Minty, Paul & Brent will be back with a new “SoHO” concept.
Down in Vauxhall & it’s all change at Union, Factory taking advantage as Steven Geller’s clubs “Bodyshakers” & “Desire” switch camps, joining Suzie Kruegar’s “Hard On!” that moved there for Hidden a couple of months ago. Plus, Factory have a new night this coming Friday (3rd June), as Gaydar Radio’s Phil Marriott launches “Club I”, an inspirational independant & iconic invent, so watch this space for more news in an upcoming Weekend Focus.
So, that was the spring bank holiday weekend that was, the two towering triumphs very much being WE “Candy” & Beyond “Supersize”, but what about our moment, our track & our tweet of the week? Well to the moment first and a difficult choice as there
Oustanding "Offshore" Our Track of The Week
were so many, from Mucca in Rome to Salvation in Camden, but weeding out a collection of classic’s, courtesy of one man, our most magical moment has to be being up in the Beyond D.J. booth with superstar Steve Pitron, not once or twice, but three times & very much a “Supersize” treat for us.
As for the track of the week, well it has to be the outstanding “Offshore” by Rebeka Brown which featured large throughout our weekend & many of the previous ones to be honest and while we are still struggling to find a link to this latest version of Ms Brown’s 2010 original, you can find it on Steve Pitron’s new podcast “Summer 2011 Vol 1”, available for download at http://stevepitronsessions.podomatic.com.
Then to our Tweet of the week and like the moments, with so many to choose from it was tough, but one rose to the top of our tree, inspired by fabulous friend Andrea, which read like this “…is in As One hysterics as having misplaced Andrea, her trademark call has affirmed she is in close vicinity. It goes “…f**k off!…”, priceless!! Plus to join the revolution that is our nibble sized review tweeting, why not follow us at http://twitter.com/discomatt and maybe even get a mention of your own.
nibble sized tweets
Right, that’s it for our first “That Was The Week That Was” report, but don’t forget, if you want us to shout out for your favourite bar, club or event that rocked & rolled, then drop us a line at matt@discomatt.com or link into us via our Facebook page at http://facebook.com/discomattlondon. Now, as we look forward to a new week that will include Room Service, Tonker & Beyond for us, we hope this coming week is a good one for you, so make sure you have a brilliant one and that you “Go There! Be There! (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Reports | Tags: As One, Beyond, Downtown, G&T, Gigolo, Gutterslut, Industri, Later, Lo-Porfile, Meat, Muccassassina, Onyx A:M, Popcorn, Queer Nation, Room Service, Rupert Street, S.L.A.G.S./Chill-out, Salvation, Society, SuperMartXe, The Brixton Clubhouse, The RVT, WE Party London | No Comments »
With the fourth Bank Holiday (the third in a month) right on our doorstep, we thought we would depart slightly from our usual Weekend Best Bites & Short Shouts format, by extending it right across what is actually five days of frolicking, as, if like us, your weekend looks like starting tomorrow night (Thurs 26th May). Plus, with so much on & we finding it difficult to single out Best Bites for Soho, Vauxhall & elsewhere, we thought we would run down our choice picks by the day rather than the area, the good news being that, with the recent tensions very much eased, we have re-engaged our promotion of events brought to you by The Orange Group.
SMX Pre-Party
So, with lots to cover lets kick off with Thursday first and two devotions that get equal exposure, the first being Jodie Harsh’s Room Service which hosts the first of three SuperMartXe pre-parties, Room Service of course also hosting the second room at SMX’s “Moulin Rouge” event on Saturday (28th May), but for Room Service proper, naturally being at its heavenly home Diu on Greek Street. Now, whilst this latest superb soiree will have a definite SMX theme, Jodie has pulled on the D.J. resources of a trio that have much more of a meaty feel to them, the monthly meet “Meat”, of East Bloc fame, also part of Jodie’s Room Service off-shoot, Downtown (more on that in a bit). And tomorrow night will see “Meat” main man Tom Stephan on the decks, along with fellow East Bloc boy Jim Warboy (probably still celebrating his birthday), while new boy on the block, Matt Bogarde (no relation to Dirk or Humphrey) will be joining the fray. With Jodie ever present along with Logan & his team of Schmitzel’s, this should be yet another roadblock, so get there early folks, as doors open at 10 p.m… Plus, if you are, like us, a Room Service key holder, make sure you give it a flash as it will get you priority entry, that priced at £5 before 11 p.m. & £10 after. More info is available at http://clubroomservice.com.
Pop Up Gigolo Disco
Getting equal Best Bite attention is the other superb Soho social society soiree, Gigolo, which launched to amazing accolade last week and returns with another corker this. And the deal is in the title as it’s a “Pop Up Disco” week, D.J. Holestar kicking proceedings off with some alternative electro disco, while scene favourite Brent Nicholls then takes over to serve up delightful dollops of nu-funk/disco & favourite floor fillers to rock host venue Lo-Profile right through till the 3 a.m. finish (yikes we have a plane to catch!). And in terms of hosting, L.a. has plenty of help this week, as Jonny Woo will be sweeping in, together with David Masters Do Rape, both taking a turn on the stage, while gorge girls Naomi & Suzana will be shimmying & shaking their booties along with those equally gorge g-go’s Padraig & Sandro (time to drool!) who will be flexing their perfectly toned muscles. Plus, with David clicking his camera in all the right places, it’s certainly another week when you need to dress to impress. So, Gigolo’s doors open at Lo-Profile on Wardour St at 10 p.m., with entrance priced at £8 (or £4 with a Gigolo or QX ad) and for more details, go check their website at http://gigolodisco.com or search on http://shootmeup.co.uk.
So to a selection of Short Shouts and The RVT in Vauxhall have a great alternative night to the smart & stylish Soho set, as the ever entertaining David Hoyle takes an alternative look at life through the wonder of avant garde with guest Piff The Magic Dragon, & Drag Christ (you can just imagine!), while for the more conformist there is the late starting Gravity at Fire (actually into Friday but we’re not counting!), The Eagle getting down & dirty with their “Triga Thursday’s night, where porn flicks & porn stars are the name of the game, the three sites to visit to get more info being http://thervt.org.uk, http://fireclub.co.uk/gayparties & http://eaglelondon.com.
Society Does SMX
To Friday (27th May) & our Best Bite goes to “Society” at Lo-Profile, who entertain Logan Schmitz & SuperMartXe, for the second of SMX’s pre-parties and given how popular “Society” has become, teaming up with SMX is sure to make this Soho sophisticate even busier. Plus, the D.J. duo is delectably dynamic as Profile favourite Nathan Six moves downstairs to take charge of the early session of superb Spanish influenced sounds and given the form he has been on recently, his set should prove a scorcher. Then, to add more of that SMX Euro-beat & Spanish slant is Tony English, SMX’s resident D.J. who also sorts Logan’s monthly podcast, so without doubt the safest hands for the most superb sounds, plus his performance at the last Society we made, was pitch perfect, Mr English seemingly coming into his own at Lo-Profile, so is sure to sock a superb set. Plus, with Logan & his Schmitzel’s dusting “Society” with a healthy dose of SMX “Moulin Rouge” magic, this should prove the most stylish place to be seen on the scene for this first true weekend evening of the Spring Bank Holiday break. With doors opening at 10 p.m. & the club running till 4 a.m., check out http://loprofile.com for further details
To a selection of Short Shouts & the other big Weekend player, WE Party, get their own pre-party in also on Friday, a stone’s throw away at Rupert St, Brent Nicholls on the decks, while down in Vauxhall, Onyx get all hot under the collar with their “Heatwave” party with a beachwear theme, while new scene player, The Brixton Clubhouse kick off their weekend launch with D.J. Ben Jamin & guests spinning the alfresco sound action. Check out http://rupertstreet.com, http://fireclub.co.uk/gayparties & http://thebrixtionclubhouse.com for more info.
The Magic Of "Moulin Rouge"
Onwards to Saturday (28th May) & it’s very much a Spanish Armada night, with both SuperMartXe & WE Party vying for your attention, we having brought you most (if not all) the detail in out special preview “Pitting Their Wits” (well worth a read at http://discomatt.com/web/2011/05/previews-pitting-their-wits-supermartxe-moulin-rouge-we-party-london-candy-saturday-28th-may-special-preview/) while SMX’s “Moulin Rouge” event looks like being their most successful yet, at their new home Pulse that is. With Spanish resident AB Garcia being joined by Tony English, Per Q.X., & Jamie Hammond in the main room, while Room Service take over the second space, Kris Di Angelis & guests sorting the sounds, expect all the usual SMX spectacle, along with a special P.A. performance that is still under wraps (come on Logan, spill the beans!). As for the other detail, Pulse (1 Invicta Plaza off Southwark St., Blackfriars), is definitely one of THE places to be seen on the scene this Saturday (28th Mays), doors opening at 10.30 p.m. and the club running till 6.30 a.m. Advance £16 tickets are still available at http://supermartxe.clubtickets.com/gb/2011-05/28/supermartxe-london-moulin-rouge, while “hard” options can be grabbed at Prowler, Clone Zone & Solarstation in Soho. More detail on this “Moulin Rouge” event can be found by going to http://loganpresents.com.
Sweet Like Candy
So what about the other, WE Party? Well, they are serving up something quite special this Saturday (28th May) at their London home, The Coronet in Elephant & Castle, this welicious “Candy” themed event bursting at the seams with the sweetest of selections musically, as one of Spain’s finest, Carlos Gallardo makes a welcome return to the capital, as does prolific P.A. Peyton, the duo rolling out their latest single release, among a veritable feast of other treacle coated treats. And with a supporting cast that includes Paul Heron, Gonzalo Rivas & D’Johnny, plus that amazing WE lighting, staging & effects, “Candy” should definitely hit your sweet spots (shame we can’t be there!). The WE doors open at 11 p.m. with the event running through until 6 a.m, while advance tickets at £18 (sorry all those special £10 ones have gone) are still available online at http://weparty.clubtickets.com/gb/2011-05/28/we-party-london-we-candy, while “hard” ones can be sourced from Soho outlets Prowler, Clone Zone, Solarstation & 50 (all in Soho). More info on this exceptional event can be found by going to http://wepartylondon.com.
So to a selection of Short Shouts and completing the trio of pre-parties for SuperMartXe is host venue Rupert St, with Alessandro Londra on the decks, while Lo-Profile offer some escape from all things Spanish as Brent Nicholls kicks off their Saturday night, while Mr Londra follows up. But for the way out & whacky, it’s a Gutterslut weekend out east, at East Bloc to be precise, the GS crew sure to pack out the place, while down Vauxhall way, Queer Nation welcome special guest Beverley Knight to stoke up the atmosphere at this hip & happening event at Area. Check out http://rupertstreet.com, http://lorofile.com, http://myspace.com/gutterslutuk & http://patricklilley.com for respective info.
Onwards to Sunday and first & foremost, the morning will clearly be dominated by what looks like THE gathering of the whole weekend, as Beyond goes “Supersize” on us, joining forces with Barcode Vauxhall add that much needed extra capacity to this real highlight happening. So, despite our recent reports on the club (we believe quite constructive & positive), we will be throwing the full DM weight behind this historic meeting of Vauxhall minds with a special Focus post, “Bigger Is Better”, covering everything you need to know & more, so watch this space for that.
Peepshow Playhouse
In the meantime, like Saturday, we pour joint Best Bite recommends to two other parties, first “Downtown” which returns for another audacious outing at the Brixton Clubhouse in, yes, Brixton. Presented by Jodie Harsh’s Room Service, along with the magnificent East end endeavour “Meat”, this Sunday afternoon/evening soiree in the sun (hopefully) will see the likes of “Meat” men Tom Stephan & Kris Di Angelis fly that clubs D.J.’ing flags, while Miss Harsh herself will be spinning some sounds, along with newcomers to “Downtown”, Tom Davey & Russia’s hottest export, Dimitri Strigun, who steps off the go-go podium to bang out some beats. With dancefloor hosts including Munroe Bergdorf & Maria Fernanda in delectable duty, The Brixton Clubhouse team keeping the refreshments flowing in fine style, the “peepshow” theme to this outing will see it spread beyond the two outside decks into the inside too, as the sexual & seductive stage shows will draw the clamouring crowds “Downtown” to peek at the pervy & porn pumped action. So, it’s all gets going at The Brixton Clubhouse from 3 p.m. this Sunday (29th May), with “Downtown” running until midnight, advance £10 tickets available at http://ticketweb.co.uk, while more will be available on the door & info up for grabs at http://clubroomservice.com.
22nd Century Clubbing
Our second Sunday best Bite goes, of course, to Salvation, which makes a welcome return to the capital & to Koko in Camden, which played host to promoter Steve Elliot’s hugely successful NYD bash. And this latest outing promises to “…reboot clubbing & tale you into the 22nd Century…”, we having covered much of the detail in our preview “Saviour On Sunday”, will worth another peek at http://discomatt.com/web/2011/05/preview-saviour-on-sunday-salvation-the-future-sunday-29th-may/, although with a D.J. line up that includes Miswhite, Pier Morrocco, Paul Coals, Oliver M & Phil Marriot, with some surprises yet to be spilled, with promised lighting, stage shows, dancers & other additions expected to completely wow, this is one party out of the rick weekend pickings that you won’t want to miss out on. So much so, that we advise you grab your advance tickets, priced at £20 while you can by going online at http://gaypartix.com or in person at Prowler, Profile Bar & Barcode in Soho, as well as the latter’s sister venue in Vauxhall, along with the Camden, Clapham & Covent Garden branches of Soho Gyms. And if you fancy the royal treatment, why not upgrade by a mere fiver for the VIP option, which includes a separate entrance, free coatcheck & access to the exclusive VIP area (bargain we say!). More info on this outstanding outing can be found at http://salvation-london.com, while a short email to steve@salvation-london.com will answer any VIP questions you may have.
So to some Sunday Short Shouts and As One makes a welcome return to this slot, fitting neatly into the Spring Bank Holiday schedule, so sure to be extremely popular, Fire full to capacity we are sure, while Soho have their say, Shadow Lounge hosting another “Scandal” event. But if it’s more way-out wackiness you’re after, then Trailer Trash should be right up your Street, well Rivington Street in Shoreditch to be precise, although no Sunday would be complete without The RVT’s “S.LA.G.S./Chill-out”, which double doses too, an extra Monday session fitting in very nicely, websites http://fireclub.co.uk/gayparties, http://theshadowlounge.co.uk, http://clubtrailertrash.com & http://thervt.org.uk the places to go for further details.
Then finally to Monday (30th May) and it seems that the clubbing steam has very much run out of the scene, with no Orange and just the usual clubs like “Popcorn” at Heaven & “Citric” at Ku-Bar. So it seems that the day will be very much a wind down from the hectic previous four days, although two worth more than a look are both Later, which holds their Bank Holiday special at Area, following on from As One which finishes at midday Monday, so is sure to be packed, while it BBQ time down at The Brixton Clubhouse, this more sedate way to wave farewell to this Spring Bank Holiday sounding much more up our street, especially after the weekend we will had. But don’t forget that the “grassy knoll” is sure to be filled with Bank Holiday party goers ready for that second session of “S.LA.G.S./Chill-out” at The RVT, all the applicable websites already having been given a mention.
London's Clubbin Bible
However, one website we haven’t mentioned yet is tip top clubbing & London bible, SeenQueen, who have their own take on what’s hot this Spring Bank Holiday, with a special section devoted to just that, http://seenqueen.com/web packed out with further fabulous features that will keep your eyes glued & you entertained for hours, so go take a look. While, if you want to be looking your golden brown best, then why not top up that tan, or indeed get one, by taking the quick & easy way of a sunbed at the best spot in town, Solarstation on Soho’s Archer Street. Run by the most charming & friendly man in the capital, Hassan, have a look at http://solarstation.co.uk before you pay a visit or just pop along & Hassan will do the rest.
Well that’s it for this special Spring Bank Holiday Best Bites & Short Shouts in what looks like a really busy one for London and a busy one for us which starts with Room Service tomorrow night (Thurs 26th May), then a quick jaunt to Gigolo before we head to Heathrow & our flight to Rome for Muccassassina’s season finale. But we will be back in London just in time for SuperMartXe’s “Moulin Rouge” and then, naturally, will be finding our spot at Beyond for “Supersize”, then, after a quick disco nap, will be off to Kings Cross for The Sunday club, before rounding off our weekend at Salvation’s “The Future” event. So, if you see us out come say hi, but don’t forget that you can now also follow our activity as we “nibble size review tweet” our way through the weekend at http://twitter.com/discomatt.
Next week we will be back to our usual format, so if you fancy a mention then get e-mailing us at matt@discomatt.com, or plaster our Facebook walls, the best entry being http://facebook.com/discomattlondon which will then get you access to our other two pages. In the meantime, whatever you are up to & wherever it may find you, have a fantastic Spring Bank Holiday weekend, nut please make sure that you, “Go There! Be There! (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | Tags: AB Garcia, As One, Beyond, Brent Nicholls, Carlos Gallardo, David Hart, Downtown, Gigolo, Gonzalo Rivas, Gutterslut, Holestar, Jamie Hammond, Jim Warboy, Jodie Harsh, Kris Di Angelis, L.a. Hart, Lo-Porfile, Meat, MisWhite, Nathan Six, Oliver M, Onyx, Paul Coals, Paul Heron, Per Q.X., Phil Marriott, Pier Morrocco, Queer Nation, Room Service, Rupert Street, Salvation, Society, Steve Elliot, SuperMartXe, The Brixton Clubhouse, The RVT, Tom Stephan, Tony English, WE Party | No Comments »
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27 Dec 2011 | 0 Comments
Reviews – “Resplendent Rebeka Rejoicing” – Logan Presents 3rd Anniversary – Saturday 17th December – Full Size Review
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 ...
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15 Dec 2011 | 0 Comments
Recommends – “Accentuating Anniversary Presents Positivity” – Logan Presents 3rd Anniversary “Get Well George Michael” – Saturday 17th Dec – Weekend Focus Special
We have previewed, we have reported and now it is time to recommend, and in doing so, cut the wheat from the chaff, thereby not just reflecting our continued support for this audacious anniversary, but delving into the detail of what you can expect from this delightfully dynamic dance deliverance ...
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26 Nov 2011 | 2 Comments
Reports – “Headliner In Hospital” – Logan Presents 3rd Anniversary – Saturday 17th December – Newsflash Update
Three years down the line and there is little doubt in anyone’s minds that since its launch at The Coronet in November 2009, SuperMartXe London has rarely been out of the spotlight, whether it be for good or for bad & sometimes ugly reasons, issues of coatcheck calamities, premises problems ...
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1 Nov 2011 | 0 Comments
Reports – “Turning Twenty One” – That Was The Weekend That Was – Thursday 27th to Sunday 30th October
Having been besieged by a sequence of setbacks during September & October, one of the many casualties included our “That Was The Week That Was” report, the weekly round-up of the movers & shakers on the scene, a report that picked out the highlights and also allowed us to share ...
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31 Oct 2011 | 0 Comments
Reports – “Indian Summer Setbacks” – Disco Matt’s Monthly Message – Monday 31st October
If we thought that June was a pretty rocky ride, having landed ourselves in hospital & so out of action for a handful of weeks, even the personal trauma we went through then, kind of pails into insignificance compared with the sequence of setbacks that has besieged our September & ...
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13 Sep 2011 | 0 Comments
Reviews – “Matrix Magnificence” – SuperMartXe “Blackout” – Saturday 10th September – Bite Size Review
We can definitely count ourselves lucky to be in the thick of one of the world most diverse & prolific clubbing scenes, many other cities & their citizens looking at London with a great deal of envy, not least that we sport some of the biggest & best brands in ...
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8 Sep 2011 | 0 Comments
Recommends – “Former Format Back With A Bang” – Weekend Best Bites & Short Shouts – Friday 9th to Sunday 11th September
Having toiled over which direction we would be taking our regular weekly “Recommends” newsletter, in conjunction with our summer siesta, we gave this post a bit of a break while we rejuvenated our batteries & cleared the clog in that directional dilemma. So, finding our feet back under the proverbial ...
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6 Sep 2011 | 2 Comments
Recommends – “Logan Back In The Limelight” – SuperMartXe “Blackout” – Saturday 10th September – Weekend Focus Special
The last few months have certainly been everything of the rollercoaster ride we have been painting of our circulations around the clubbing scene, the emotional, mental & physical pressures having taken their toll and whilst there have been a huge amount of up’s, there have also been downs. Mind you, ...
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2 Jun 2011 | 0 Comments
Reports – “Supersize Sweets” – That Was The Week That Was – Spring Bank Holiday Special – Wednesday 1st June
Well here it is, our first weekly roundup report, “That Was The Week That Was”, and what a week to choose, the fourth bank holiday of the year proving a real corker for us and surely for you too, especially if you took advantage of the myriad of magical meets ...
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26 May 2011 | 0 Comments
Recommends – “Amazing Action To Absorb” – Spring Bank Holiday Weekend Best Bites & Short Shouts Special – Thursday 26th to Monday 30th May
With the fourth Bank Holiday (the third in a month) right on our doorstep, we thought we would depart slightly from our usual Weekend Best Bites & Short Shouts format, by extending it right across what is actually five days of frolicking, as, if like us, your weekend looks like ...
Event Review – “Bare Ches…: It would be fair to say that, over the years, we have s... posted on December 22, 2010 
Recommends – “The Bel Ami…:
It hardly seems twelve months since we went str... posted on May 5, 2011 
Reviews: Here you will find regular reviews of all the hottest &... posted on October 6, 2010 - D.J.’s: Here you will find specific focuses & biography's for D... posted on November 24, 2010
- Previews: Here we preview rather than review events, which either... posted on October 6, 2010
- Music: Here we focus on, review and recommend the latest music... posted on October 6, 2010
- Recommends: Here you will find recommendations for events during th... posted on November 24, 2010
Reviews – “Eye-Opener Of …: Generally unplanned & unscheduled events in our clubbin... posted on March 2, 2011 
Recommends – “Gay Boys In…: When the seeds were first sown on a specialist evening ... posted on April 11, 2011 
Recommends – “Shoreditch …:
Having given East Bloc plenty of coverage in our We... posted on May 14, 2011
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