Posts Tagged ‘Tony English’
It may be a school day for him, but as Disco Matt will be stepping out to say a fond farewell to Lo-Profile manager Raphael Goes, DM’s pick of the day simply has to go to “Society”, which takes place tonight (Thurs 26th April), all the detail a banner selection away opposite or an image click below, the Lo-Pro team fill us in on all the detail beneath
Guys the time has arrived… Raphael and Viola are leaving. But this will be no silent of goodbyes or no quiet of departures, as we are making certain sure that they are going to leave in style!
So, we are throwing the party of the year! One that no-one can really miss it because it’s gonna be bigger, bolder and hotter than ever. So get out your best outfit, put your dance shoes on and pick up your Chanel handbag ’cause Raphael and Viola expect nothing less than that from you! As they say a fond farewell to Lo-Profile tonight (Thurs 26th April) at SOCIETY
THURSDAY IS THE NEW FRIDAY……JOIN THE SOCIETY
SOCIETY appeals to people that love the energy of Soho and want to party. Funky uplifting house music is guaranteed. It’s a place where everyone comes together from super slick city boys who hit the bars straight from work to the pumped and bronzed fresh from the gym and everyone else who loves great dance music, hot boys and a sexy atmosphere.
The party is hosted by our very own JOHN BROOKS, a man who needs no introduction round these parts. As for the SOCIETY music, expect only happy & uplifting beat that get you ready for the weekend!. We’ll be playing the best remixes of your favourite tunes!
So, come and experience the fresher, sexier side of Soho every Thursday at SOCIETY & wave a fond farewell to Raphael & Viola too.
SOCIETY
Lo-Profile
Wardour St.
Soho
Doors open 10 p.m. till 3 a.m.
Entry £4 before 12, £8 thereafter
More info at http://loprofile.com &/or http://facebook.com/SocietyProfile
Having preceded this party with a full on focus , Disco Matt decides on the same title for his pick of the day choice post, which goes to, This Is Ibiza, which takes place tonight (Sat 21st April) at Fire in Vauxhall, all he detail a banner selection away opposite or an image click below, while Orange nation director of events, Jonny Marsh, gives us his take on this terrific turn beneath
Jonny Marsh say’s of this prolific party…
One of the world’s leading DJs, former SuperMartxe international resident and producer extraordinaire – JUANJO MARTIN – is bringing his incredible new party to London, launching at Fire on 21st April.
THIS IS IBIZA has already kicked up a massive storm all over the world in its very first season, with events in Ibiza, Miami, Buenos Aires, Dubai, Mexico City, and now, London. The Fire crew will pull out all the stops welcoming back Juanjo to London for the second time.
Our other guest DJs are the crème of the London scene, international producer PAGANO, Gaydar Radio’s TONY ENGLISH and Swedish superstar PER QX. Plus DJs Doug Silva & more.
Catch This Is Ibiza Anthem (Global Edition), every Wednesday at midnight on Ibiza Global Radio, http://ibizaglobalradio.com and This Is Ibiza Anthem, every Saturday at midnight on Loca FM., http://locafm.com.
Admission:
£12 before 1am with online list / ad / flyer
Advance tickets from http://orangenation.co.uk.
More on the door
With the Wig Party’s reputation for clubbing glamour sophistication & style in combination with charitable causes, thus attracting the cream of the scene & celebrity crop and proving ever more popular year on year, it was only a matter of time before the team behind this annual event would seek to score a second yearly soiree success, Disco Matt delving deep into the details on “The Masked Ball” which hits the ground running this coming Sunday with a spectacular showcase.
We are fabulously fortunate to find ourselves within a sparkling scene that, like the biggest & brightest of rainbows, superbly shines & shows off the full colourful spectrum of clubbing concepts, whether it be internationally renowned brands such as WE, Matinee & Salvation, or home-grown gatherings such as Beyond, Orange & Trade, London very much proving a fruitful partying playing field that encompasses one of the most diverse clubbing communities & cultures in the world. And that also goes for the venues that house all these happenings, from former theatres to abundant arches and from state of the art super structures to bijou basements, the capitals clubbing circuit pretty much having it all. Then add to this a plethora of promoters propelling their productions on a plentiful partying public and the picture is certainly as prolific as you will find anywhere, an insatiable desire from a catalogue of creators to cater for every type of taste making for one of the richest tapestries of tantalising turns that we know. But when it comes to combining both clubbing & charitable causes, it seems that one particular outfit have got it down to a tee, having built on a firm foundation that has seen its annual events grow in both popularity & stature to the degree that it was simply a matter of when as opposed to if it would extend its offering into a second showcase to score a success with the scene.
The Wig Party has certainly captured the imagination, one that started as a pretty small & select slice on the clubbing & social scene four years ago, has now grown into a massive annual event each October, drawing in the cream of scene along celebrities a-plenty, notable attendees including Leona Lewis & Danni Minogue, while a host of other have made discreet & cameo appearances, often attracting the national newspaper paparazzi, all which has propelled The Wig Party to a position of prominence within the clubbing circuit calendar, as a consequence the October event making headline news in pulications across the land. And it seems that the scene, year on year, has responded resplendently, not just donning wigs for a charitable cause, but going all out with some of the most extravagant & opulent costumes & apparel to match the sumptuous surroundings which, for the first three years were within the wonderful walls of Cafe De Paris, although the 2011, due to that huge demand & popularity, moved across to Mayfair, further enhancing this prolific party’s prominence on the scene schedule. So having become the amazing annual attraction that it has, demand for the October event far outstripping its capable supply, the team being The Wig Party have been under considerable pressure to pander to its adoring public, the product of this process being “The Masked Ball” which, like its bigger sister, looks like storming the scene and making more of those heavenly headlines.
So, with the scene set, what is “The Masked Ball” all about? Well, the format is similar to The Wig party itself, although with one intrinsic difference, the emphasis being on masks rather than wigs, although we highly suspect that veteran “wig-ers” will be wearing their handsome head pieces with pride, of course along with the mandatory mask. But as we have said, wigs are not necessarily part of the makeup of this event, rather, in the words of the Wig Party promotions team, “…the dress code is very relaxed but wearing a mask is compulsory, think simple but chic, think sexy and fun..” they adding “…our famous pageant is taking a back seat on this event making “The Masked Ball” a different yet equally fabulous charity event where dancing and seduction is the main aim, so wear footwear to keep on moving and clothing (or lack of) in which to sweat…”. But the central theme of raising funds for charitable causes that is at the core of The Wig Party is very much part of “The Masked Ball’s” aims & achievements too, the main benefactor being The National Aids Trust, an incredible organisation noted as the UK’s leading HIV/AIDS charity and one which is dedicated to transforming society’s response to HIV, NAT provides fresh thinking expertise and practical resources for those living with the virus, while they also campaign for change in a whole series of ways. As a result, support to allow NAT to continue its wonderful work is vital and both the Wig Party & “The Masked Ball” are proud to be giving a helping hand in this quest, further information on NAT & how you too can contribute, is available to going direct to the NAT website at http://nat.org.uk
But back to “The Masked Ball” itself which takes place this coming Sunday (18th March), the team choosing to return to the captivating Cafe De Paris, a place that has not only played host to The Wig party itself, but is the historical home of one of the best known & loved Sunday t-dance parties, Salvation. Indeed the man behind the original Salvation parities, prolific promoter Alex Erfan, is very much connected & involved with both The Wig party & this event, while Joshua Rafter, the man behind Outlet, one of the best known gay property companies in the UK, heads up a team that reads a bit like a scene who’s who, notable names including Ben Kaye, Alan X, Jon Dennis, Rob Sykes, Chris Jepson, Jerry Boston, Mark Barrett, Kevin Arpino, Mark Mackenzie & Matthew Arnold, while the promotions team have superb scene starlets Naomi Ruiz, Suzana Quentin & Katy Lawrence on board, joining a host of other names that make for one of the most gorgeous & glitterati gatherings of magnificent minds anywhere. And it seems that The Wig party team are pulling out plenty of stops for “The Masked Ball”, as along with a confimed D.J. line up & prolific P.A., they are promising excellent entertainment that includes “…the charming sounds of a string quartet as our guests arrive…” plus an amazing aerialist show to kick off proceedings, other attractions including walk-about magicians, a caricature artist, trot card readers, fortune tellers & the like, very much making this a colourful pageant to satisfy all the senses. Plus, having been reliably informed that everyone involved from the venue through to the D.J.’s, the dancers, the designers, the performers & the organisers have donated their valuable time & input for free for this event, we give thanks to them, along with all the supporters, sponsors and prospective attendees (that’s you!!) for making this possible & for making a difference, all in the name of charity.
That said, having a great time is also what “The Masked Ball” is also about and the team have lined up a superb set of D.J.’s to stimulate your musical senses, The Wig party’s resident Rob Sykes the first to get our mini focus and a star that has been stepping out on the scene for many a moon, clubs such as Factor 25, Action & Juicy part of his considerable C.V, of achievements, while most recently he played for the massive Matinee “The Return” party which stormed back onto the scene in January, Rob’s main room performance showing that he hasn’t lost his touch for turning out a terrific tune and a set showing well worth a listen by checking out his devoted podcast at http://djrobsykes.podomatic.com/entry/2012-01-18T14_44_50-08_00. But joining Rob will be D’Johnny, this Berlin based boy having made significant strides on the scene in recent years, playing regularly for brands that include Beyond, Orange, Later & Gravity, while showings across Soho extend to Barcode, Lo-Profile & Rupert St, big name international brands also craving for his terrific talents, WE Party one of particular note, Johnny having played at a handful of the London events, while he was in the thick of the Madrid action on NYD, his devotion to the brand through his compilation from October of last year, still available at http://djohnny.podomatic.com/entry/2011-10-13T08_05_02-07_00 giving more than a hint of what to expect on Sunday. Then there is a name that is making his mark on the scene here in London, although has a reputation in the industry that has its roots in the recording studio, Marco Gee having been behind productions that include “Sun Rising Up” & “Bodyswerve”, while appearances for brands Lovechild & Deviate have got this impressive Italian noticed here in the capital, his uplifting & euphoric house sure to go down a storm, his “Gold Vol 9” at http://marcogee.podomatic.com/entry/2012-01-02T12_00_00-08_00 probably the best representation & clue of what his performance at “The Masked Ball” will encompass.
But the music and the performances don’t stop there, as the team have extended to offer to a second dancing space, Tony English joining the party and bringing with him a wealth of talent that extends to brands such as SuperMartXe, Puscha & Lovechild, while he has hosted his own radio show and now takes the helm of Gaydar Radio’s Club Nation show every Saturday night, Tony being in touch with some of the biggest names in the business & showcasing some of the newest & freshest sounds coming out of Europe & Spain in particular, a country that he remains incredibly passionate about. And his own series of podcasts at http://tonyenglish.podomatic.com/ represent his style of European sound, that come Sunday will surely also include plenty of huge house hits that he also brings to the fore when pressing podcasts for the Logan Presents brand, these also featuring other D.J.’s producers, the February release including Brazilian clubbing brand The Week’s resident, Pacheco, so well worth a listen at http://loganpresentspodcast.podomatic.com/entry/2012-02-06T16_42_30-08_00. And joining Tony is another Lovechild star although a man with a repertoire that extends to pretty much every major party in the capital, let’s see, Action, Beyond, Crash, Hard On!, Industri, Matinee, PSP & Salvation, while a score of years & more still see antipodean Brent Nicholls cutting a stride on the scene, Lo-Profile’s “Playtime” just one of many parties that draw on his exceptional experience & towering talent. Playing genres that extend to disco to funky house & having inspired a new style of genre which he labelled as nu-funk, Brent always seems to trend set with his sounds selections, his latest podcast devoted to that “Playtime” party, indeed lifted from his live set for the outing in February at http://djbrentnicholls.com/web/2012/03/04/podcastplaytime/, symptomatic of the sound selections that should see him score a success with his set on Sunday.
But no spectacle like this would be complete without a prolific P.A. performance and the team have certainly picked a big hitter to headline the party, Peyton being one of the best in the business and a towering talent that has been in considerable demand right across the globe in recent years. Indeed, he will arrive at The Masked Ball fresh from his tour of Australia, having featured large in Sydney’s Mardi Gras festival, while other destinations recently have included Brazil, Spain, Israel and, naturally, his home country of The USA. Having been born there, in North Carolina to be exact, like all good American boys, he often travels home to catch up with family & friends, although being a son of a travelling evangelist, Peyton (christened Christopher Peyton) was encouraged to develop his vocal skills from an early age within the church environment that he used to frequent with his father, he being noted as saying “…it’s not uncommon to find me singing the old time spirituals and hymns that gave my voice its starting place, and consequently its strength…”. And it is this power & strength in Peyton’s voice that has seen him score significant successes in a singing career that has spanned close on twenty years, a whole list of track releases littering his discography, although the stand-out one surely has to be “A Higher Place” which was featured in a handful of Hed Kandi album releases, one sample at http://youtube.com/watch?v=8USNazREcos a resounding reminder of just what a huge hit it was, Peyton’s connections with Hed Kandi & the then top cheese, Mark Doyle, really putting his name on the vocal and dance/clubbing scene map. But more recently Peyton has been associated with the latest international clubbing brand phenomenon that is WE, having collaborated with the clubs resident D.J./producer Carlos Gallardo on a couple of projects, “Let It Go” their latest production, this video clip at http://youtube.com/watch?v=D1rbIngNOZA, a great insight into the bond the two have formed in the studio, while we will never forget Peyton’s performance of “WE (Eloise)” at the “Attacks” party on NYD 2011, which, for us, propelled him in our books as the best in the business. So, we are expecting something quite special from him on Sunday and also hope to bring you an exclusive interview on the back of the review of “The Masked Ball”.
Having gone into dynamic detail on the D.J.’s the music, the performers & the plans, lets now run down the detail you all will need to know about the event itself, The Wig Party’s “The Masked Ball” taking place this Sunday (18th March) at Cafe De Paris in Piccadilly, doors opening for this t-dance affair at 6.30 p.m., the party running through to a planned 1 a.m. finish. Advance tickets are still on sale online at http://wigparty.org/tickets, currently priced at £12, all the early bird £8 & £10 ones having been gobbled up a while ago, while if you fancy treating yourselves, then the VIP option at £25 will get you priority entrance, access to the upstairs VIP balcony, a welcoming complimentary drink, a dedicated bar, cloakroom & washroom facilities & exclusive access to the roaming magicians. Plus, if you want to grab a ticket in person, then you can head either to Outlet on Old Compton St, Soho or to Q Men on Earlham St, WC2, while you will be able to pay on the door but do expect to pay more, while it is worth remembering that all tickets sale proceeds will be going direct to the charity benefactor, NAT, so by simply buying a ticket, you are already making a difference to those affected by HIV/AIDS. But it doesn’t stop there, as Room Service are hosting a pre-party tomorrow night (Thurs 15th March), details at http://clubroomservice.com, while The Orange Group will be holding the “official” afterparty, details of which we will bring you in our Weekend newsletter, further information on this event available through http://wigparty.org.
So, it definitely looks like “dancing in disguise” is the way to go this Sunday and we will hopefully be donning our mask & heading down to Cafe De Paris, so if you see us no doubt nibble size review tweeting our way through the party, (you can follow the live action at http://twitter.com/discomatt), do come & say hi, while it just leaves us to remind you that to “Be There!” you need to “Go There”. (DISCO MATT)
With Siberian winds & the threat of snow gripping the streets of London this weekend, the thermostat has been turned up to the max across the capitals clubbing circuit, Disco Matt checking out the hottest action across Soho, Vauxhall & Shoreditch with his Best Bites choices of where to be & be seen on the scene.
While we may be coughing & spluttering our way through this current working week, confining ourselves to the keyboard & away from the peddles has meant we are back in the driving seat with our weekend recommendations. So, while the last one was busy enough what with the return of Matinee, the superb Sharp Tidy event, a breathtaking Beyond and that special back-to-back set from Jamie Head & Mikey D at Later (and that was just Vauxhall), this weekend looks like measuring up to be just as good, some new starts & some old favourites vying for our attention. And having given away a special bite to Blitz, here we pick out our choice three, one each from Soho, Vauxhall & Shoreditch, we also peeping through the looking glass to some upcoming events that have made the DM dance diary.
So to Soho first and we were initially pointing in the direction of Charing Cross, but with so much going on across at Wardour St, it had to be Profile & Lo-Profile that got our Best Bite pick again this weekend, not least that our own temperatures (and something else) were risen on Tuesday over a sociable drink, one of the gorge new(ish) barmen very much tickling our fancy. So naturally, Profile gets our full-on attention first, not just because of the delicious treats behind the bar, but plenty in front of them, not least in the D.J. talent that will be taking to the Profile decks this weekend, tonight (Thurs 2nd) seeing the pint sized powerhouse that is Renato Porto sorting the pre Society sounds, while tomorrow (Fri 3rd) sees favourite & our premier protégé player, Zach Burns, turn out the tunes & turn up the heat, very much getting you in playful mood for the saucy going’s on downstairs. But with your Saturday being superbly steered by none other than Jamie Head, we can’t think of a better place to be in Soho between 8 & 11.30 p.m. when the boys bang out the beats. However, with a heavenly happy hour that includes cocktail pitchers at just £15 & 2 4 1 double spirits that along with a food offer that makes us lick our lips with hungry joy, the comprehensive bistro menu extending to lunch specials with two main courses for just £12, the now famous Tuesday steak night, & 2 4 1 burgers on Wednesdays, while watch this space for news on a new “Masala Monday” offer & for Profile’s special “Valentines Day” feel the love meal for two offer and there’s definitely a lot going on at our Best Bar 2011 winner, more info on all these offers & happenings available at http://profilesoho.com.
To Lo-Profile now and like it’s little sister upstairs, there’s a lot going on here too, home-grown brands “Society” and “Playtime” both doing extremely well, the former welcoming Tony English & Fabio Luiggi to the decks tonight (Thurs 2nd Feb) while the real focus lands on “Playtime” at its host Jay Roberts, this Friday night foray currently one of the (in our view “THE”) best in town, attracting capacity crowds week-in week out, the playful element extended beyond the dancefloor & the podiums into Jay’s backroom boudoir, tomorrow night (Fri 3rd Feb) sure to be no different, Nick Evans & Alessandro on deck duty from 10 till 4 a.m., while Mr Roberts welcomes playful boys Martin Kandra & Florent Leturmy to spice up proceedings and in Jay’s are boys “…who are gonna show you what real men like…” (boudoir here we come!). But the “Playtime” playing field has just got a huge extra pitch in the form of Europe no less, Jay & his porn-tastic team of Gabriel Cross & Danny King, along with D.J. & cheeky boy Steven Artis kicking off their tour of the continent with a trip to gay Paris tomorrow night (Sat 4th Feb) when Playtime takes over Spyce Bar in the French capital’s Le Marais quarter, while the favour is returned on 25th Feb when Spyce land in on London at the new Lo-Profile “ClubNation” Saturday (more of that coming up). Indeed talking of Saturday, in advance of “ClubNation’s” launch next week, when they welcome international megastar D.J. Wayne G to the decks, this sees “Global Blitz” boy’s Brent Nicholls & Paul Heron play for the opposition, Paul hotfooting it from Charing Cross in time for his 1 a.m. deck date, while the first half is down to Mr Nicholls and with Lo-Profile’s doors opening at 10 p.m. on each of the three nights & running to 3 a.m., 4 a.m. & 5 a.m. respectively, door entry varying from anything between £3 & £8, check out http://loprofile.com for more details.
So onward to Vauxhall and while a certain weekly rag may be avoiding them, we certainly are not as The Orange Group top our pile of premier picks once again this weekend, although with so much going on, it was a difficult choice to decide which of the six club events to focus on here. Would it be Onyx, Beyond Midnight, Later or Orange?, each worthy of our attention, and while we will be devoting a special post to beyond, when it came down to the final choice, A:M squeezed out the others, not least as this weekend (well the whole of February actually) looks like being a corker for promoter (ours of 2011 in fact) Steven Sharp & the A:M team, as they welcome iconic D.J. Lottie to the decks, very much headlining what has come a weekly “Headliners” happening down at Fire now that Mr Sharp is in charge, his extensive contacts within the scene & D.J. circuit, bringing some exciting names to the fore. As for Lottie, well having played with some of the finest and indeed mightiest names in the business, Steven rates her as “…a headliner who we are just so excited to be welcoming to our gracious “A:M Headliner” decks…”. And for good reason, as she has played alongside the likes of Daft Punk, Felix Da’ Housecat & Josh Wink, as well as Layo & Bushwacka, all recognised as masters in the art of tech & electro house music. But more than that, Lottie has appeared on the covers of magazines (how does the song go???) including Time Out & I D.J., while the London clubbing scene will know her as the co-founder of the fantastic Friday nighter Gallery, that on top of filling the shoes of Radio 1’s Pete Tong for his Friday night slot, an accolade indeed meaning, as Steven rightly say’s “…we have the red carpet out…”. But with an all-star cast of A:M residents that include D’Johnny, Guy Williams, Jamie Head, Fat Tony & David Jimenez, plus with door hostess Hrh Minty & club host Danny Boyce, this is one A:M, you won’t want to miss, doors opening at Fire from 3 a.m. this Saturday (4th Feb), the club running through until a monumental & mad 11 a.m. finish, entry a mere £8 before 5 a.m. (make sure you grab a Boyz ad or an A:M flyer) or £12 for others, we reckon it’s a small price to pay for a headliner like Lottie, more info out at http://fireclub.co.uk/gayparties while pencil the 18th & 25th Feb in your dance diaries as Steve Thomas & Pagano respectively fill the A:M Headliner boots.
So across we go to Shoreditch and reigning supreme in our choice picks is the City Rd splendour East Bloc which has a lot going on this weekend, Sunday seeing it open its doors on a regular basis for the first time, while two giants of the venue’s weekly come monthly schedule return to serve up plenty of alternative action. So, like the best of award ceremonies, let’s talk about the happenings in reverse order, although there is method in our madness as this means we focus on Sunday (5th Feb) first, this the new entrant to the East Bloc clubbing calendar, as the new “Bloc Party” launches on a weekly basis following the highly successful pre New Year event in December, although this first outing will see Joelle Hyland & BOY London take over with models a-plenty sporting their wares & and loads of limited editions items on sale. But the music will also be doing the talking & walking (well dancing actually, as with the best in RnB, Hip Hop Basement & funky house from the likes of Kartel Brown, Jeffrey Hinton & Miguel Dare, this is alternative with a capital A, hosts Mark-Ashley Dupé, Richard Logins , Jake Cook & Kwame Suaavve taking care to make sure to have a brilliant time, East Bloc opening its doors from 10 p.m. till 4.30 a.m., entry free until 12.30 a.m., & £5 thereafter, more info up at http://facebook.com/events/320359361335631/. So we come to Saturday (4th Feb) and the truly terrific “TheMenWhoFell2Earth” which returns for its monthly meet, the team exclaiming “…Right then, are you all done with the de-toxing? Good. Well here’s a night out for those of you who think it’s about time you had one and those of you who never stopped anyway…”, which sums up this alternative antic better than we could in as many words. And as the TheMenWhoFell2Earth beam back from outer space on another earth bound party mission, they bring with them favourite fella Erol Sabadosh, with internationalist Francine Bacon from Berlin, both who will fill your musical boots with barnstorming beats of the punk funk, dirty disco & remixed rock N roll in room one, while over in the second space it’s all about “Sink The Pink” who describe their “Boy Box” band in the form of Hot Fuss & James Phillips as a duo that will “…whip you into a musical melting pot, pulling out the trashiest, dirtiest, most shameless music ever made in one dark, sweaty room full of fun..”. Well, enough said really and if you haven’t got the idea by now, go check out http://themenwhofell2earth.co.uk for more info while East Bloc welcomes this outer space outrageousness from 10.30 p.m. till 6 a.m., entry a mere £8 on the door. So that leaves Friday and another weekly session of Larry Tee’s madcap meet, “Super Electro Party Machine”, electro music the backdrop and played out by Larry & guests who this week include Tania & Calum’s for the debutant party (don’t ask!) in room one, while Nan Atichatpong & friends sort the sounds in the second space, this another 10 p.m. till 4 a.m. event, all for just a fiver and with plenty of drinks offers to boot, further detail on this “…coolest of East End weekly…” out at http//facebook.com/groups/233646343355718/.
Well, that’s it for our Best Bites choices for another weekend, but with part two of our weekend newsletter coming up, namely our “Short Shouts”, fear not if you haven’t yet had your fancy tickled, as we have plenty more offerings up our scene sleeve. However we reckon that there is definitely a “Lottie” going on right here and with our premier picks including “Playtime”, “A:M” & “The MenWhoFell2Earth” you have at least three exceptional excuses to be seen on the scene, naturally making sure that you “Go There! Be There!”. (DISCO MATT)
With the New Year weekend on our doorsteps, Disco Matt gets his Recommends act together and after revealing his plans to split his weekly newsletter into two parts, covers his “Best Bites” choices of where to be & be seen on the scene in this, part one.
Looking back over the last few weeks, nay months, if there has been one part of our writing that we have yearned for the most, it is our weekly recommends newsletter, one which has come & gone more often than a London bus, the sheer size & scale of the post meaning we have to set aside a sizeable chunk of our time, which, simply hasn’t been there of late. Yet, as we begin to draw the curtains on 2011 & welcome in 2012, we are determined to bring this much maligned newsletter back, although for sake of speed & regularity, will be splitting it into two each week, focussing on our “Best Bites” in part one (here) and our “Short Shouts” in part two., while our Weekend Focuses & Extra Bites will continue as before. So, with that revision to our newsletter made public, let’s crack on with this part, looking at our Best Bites for the New Year Weekend across Soho, Vauxhall & Shoreditch.
So to Soho first and we are thrilled to welcome back & be recommending Profile & Lo-Profile the creative combo on Wardour St that has really been motoring while we have been away, not least Lo-Profile, as their home-gown brand “Society” has successfully switched from Friday’s to Thursday’s, while its replacement, “Playtime”, has made hay while the sun shines on them rather than their Friday competition. And while “Society” now falls a little outside the remit of this newsletter, we still had to give tonight’s (Thurs 29th) party a mention as it features two of our favourite talents, Jamie Head & Terry Bryan , although the main focus clearly falls first on “Playtime” tomorrow night (Fri 30th), when Lovechild resident jocks Tony English & Alessandro London head up a Friday frolic that will surely include plenty of that handsome & hunky eye-candy which the club has become notorious for, this week, porn stars Kriss Aston & Will Helm flaunting their wares. Plus with host Jay Roberts also tempting the lucky ones into his backroom boudoir for some extracurricular attention, “Playtime” is very much the place to be & be seen this Friday, doors swinging open at 10 p.m. & the club running to a planned 4 a.m. finish, entry just £5 before midnight or £8 thereafter, while upstairs in Profile, our very own protégé player, Junior Moura, gets you in playful mood from 8 .30 till 11.30 p.m. more info on Lo-Profile up at http://loprofile.com.
However, it is New Years Eve that looks like being the big one for Profile & Lo-Profile, not least that the two will be combining to make one huge venue for the night, free flowing between to two, while entry will be monitored & masterminded via the Lo-Profile door. So what can you expect from this NYE combo? Well, first & foremost, we are reliably informed that the numbers to this event will be strictly limited so as to avoid those dreadful crushes that all so often besiege these sorts of bashes, this also allowing the gorgeous hunks of bar boys (and the beautiful bar girls too) to serve you with relative speed and we have to say that, following our Christmas drinks do with The Pitron posse there last Friday, we are really digging some of the Profile new recruits, yum yum!! But we digress, so back to the party and the music, which looks like being absolutely top draw, not least that newcomer to the Profile/Lo-Profile resident team, the cheeky Steven Artis will be sorting the superb sounds along with Nathan 6, a terrific talent who impresses us on all levels (if you know what we mean!), while Nick Evans is sure to add that uplifting/upfront house feel that any New Year’s party should have, these music makers on top of the team turning out the best of their gorgeous go-go dancers to woo & wow you on the podiums downstairs, while they will be doing plenty of circulating upstairs too, just to make sure you are all entering into the spirit. Add to that special offers on bottles of bubbly to see in 2012 in style and there is no surprise why this is one prolific NYE package, doors opening at 10 p.m. and the party running through to an extended 6 a.m. finish, entry available on the door for just £10, while if you have joined or quickly join the clubs mailing list, then you may be one of the lucky ones who gets free entry, more info on this available at http://loprofile.com, while details of drinks offers & those champagne prices/listings are out at http://profilesoho.com.
Onward to Vauxhall now and while there are quite a few contenders to our Best Bites NYE/NYD weekend crown, it has to be The Orange Group that gets knighted here, as they do have the lions share of shindigs on offer, three which have already been given extensive coverage. So, as Beyond NYD, As One & WE (not Vauxhall of course) have benefitted from their own devotions in our “Gigantic Gilded Gambit” post, we (pardon the pun) won’t go over old ground, rather focus on Later & two other Beyond offerings, the first a little known quantity as not much has been said about it in the wider press, meaning you read it here first. And it relates to Beyond, as the club & team actually ring in 2012 with the NYD event’s pre-party at Factory, bringing with it splashes of Beyond itself in the form of a handful of residents from the superstar team, while the pyro’s & effects should come close to matching the fireworks just up the river outside, added to which there will also be a special countdown to midnight to make sure you don’t miss out. Advance £10 (only) tickets are on sale online at http://orangenation.clubtickets.com/gb/2011-12/31/nye-pre-beyond-party-factory while entry will be available on the door, Factory (entrance on Goding St) opening at 10 p.m. & the club running through till a staggering 7 a.m., free entry all night offered to “Golden Ticket” holders. Then while NYD Beyond takes over, we fast forward another 24 hours as this awesome afterhours does it all again, Beyond “Recharged” kicking in as As One empties out, Area’s door opening at 7 a.m., Monday 2nd Jan and the club running through till a 2 p.m. finish. Now while the D.J. line-up remains unconfirmed as yet, names in the frame include Alan K, Jamie Hammond, The Oli, Fat Tony, Hifi Sean, Paul Christian & The Sharp Boys (well boy actually & probably George), while what we do know this that this will be a carry-on to carry on to, advance tickets at £12 available online at http://orangenation.clubtickets.com/gb/2012-01/02/beyond-recharged-the-second-comin (the early bird £10 ones are sold out), while entry will be available on the door, but expect to pay more.
So that’s Beyond, now what about Later? Well, to be honest, we often overlook Later in our Weekend round-ups & focuses so we thought it high time to give it an extra special mention, not least that, having rubbed shoulders with one of its resident D.J.’s at our Christmas drinks do last week, Jamie Head reminded us of just how amazing a purple patch the club is finding itself in at the moment. And with Later on NYD having formed such an important part of our own clubbing heritage, it will come as no surprise that promoter Jay Sharp Vokins is looking to re-emulate those halcyon days (no doubt drawing us in this coming Sunday), as he draws on the towering talents of one-time regular resident Per Q.X. to headline the club’s NYD party, another D.J. icon of the clubbing scene, Guy Williams, joining him on the decks. Now, while we know Jamie will be away partying hard at Berghain in Berlin & D’Johnny cutting a WE stride in Madrid, we can guarantee that Jay will have other residents on hand, including The Oli, advance tickets (recommended) available for just £8 at http://orangenation.clubtickets.com/gb/2012-01/01/later-nyd-2012. Then, if you have the energy & stamina, like Beyond, Later has a second coming the following afternoon (Mon 2nd Jan), when the team will be doing it all again and with a strap line that shouts “We Can Do It”, Jay is certainly willing us on to do just that, especially as he welcomes special guest Jc Christopher & Leonardo Glovibes to the decks, joining an ever present Oli along with others for sure, doors opening at 1 p.m. and the event running “superlate”, while on NYD, Later’s opening times are midday till 8 p.m., further info available at http://fireclub.co.uk/gayparties.
So to our Shoreditch NY weekend Best Bite and it has to be Gutterslut, which holds sway on New Years Eve at its hip & happening home, East Bloc on City Rd. Now, with NYE being a Saturday, Gutterslut-ers will feel pretty much at home with their clubbing clock, while they will still have fond memories of the recent Gutterball at Rhythmn Factory in their minds & souls, so will sure want to “ave it” on Saturday night (31st Dec). And the Gutterslut crew will be giving it to them, not least as Per & Nic welcome two special guest D.J.’s who will be playing out in the “Rave” room, relative new name to the world of dance music, Birdee, the first, this emerging talent explaining of his sound “…a blend of housey beats, obscure 70s samples and wobbly b-lines…” while his latest release “Shake It” has been aired by a no less than BBC Radio 1, along with the likes of Boris Dlugosch & Tom Staar. Then, Per is thrilled to welcome feloow Swede Peo de Pitte (can’t be his real name?!) who hails from Stockholm, although (like Mr Q.X.) relocated to London a while ago, his trademark combination of big room beats and cutting edge synth’s sure to go down a storm with Gutterslut-ers, especially in the knowledge that his production work has won support from a long list of music tall poppy’s including Afrojack, Groove Armada & Roger Sanchez (wow!). With our super Swede, Per Q.X., along with Nic Fischer completing the “Rave” room line-up, over in the “Discoslut” space, it’s down to resident Ralf to keep DJ disco dudes Miltos & The Golden Fleece and Shay Malt in check, our Gutterslut man having his hands full, especially when we look at their resume’s which include the words, frenzied, hotrod, hijack & sexbag, surely meaning its going to be an absolute riot in there. Plus, with Miss MC Crystal doing her outrageous thing, with visuals supplied by both PrickImage & the Dalston Gay Mafia, need we say anymore apart from, if its alternative & outrageous antics you are after, look no further than right here, making sure you grab one of the remaining advance tickets at http://www.ticketweb.co.uk/user/?region=gb_london&query=detail&event=482048, while you may (and we say may) get entry on the door, but we highly suspect it will be one in-one out within minutes of opening at 11 p.m., the club running to a wayout & whacky 9 a.m., meaning that, in the inimitable words of Mr Fischer, “…its gonna be craaaazy!!!…” and we LOVE IT!!.
So that’s our Best Bites for this N.Y. weekend done & dusted, but hold tight for a delightful dozen of “Short Shouts” coming up, while we take the first of many opportunities to wish you a very happy New Year, our plans on hold due to the dreaded flu, although, fingers crossed, we will be better & seeing it in with some close & dear friends before the NYD onslaught. But whatever you are up to & wherever it may find you ringing in 2012, have a terrific time, naturally making sure you “Go There! Be There! (DISCO MATT)
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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)
Over the years we have grown particularly fond of certain brands that have braved the capitals clubbing scene, the reasons for our attractions as varied as the clubs themselves, although certain common denominators kind of tie them together, the music & the music makers two perfect examples, although with certain clubs, it can also be said that the promoters are just as important. Indeed, looking at those brands that have achieved a special place in our hearts and those individuals at the helm, the prolific part that promoters play pretty much go without saying, Crash & Wayne Shires, FIST & Suzie Krueger, Trade & Laurence Malice, they all go hand in hand. And whist these three examples made have faded from the scene, they still fill us with misty eyed memories and ones that we miss dearly. And there is another brand that we have missed dearly, one that, like our three other examples, has gained a special place in our hearts, a club that has sported magnificent music players & music of the highest quality, its promoter synonymous with its existence, so seeing it disappear off our radar, having played such an important part in our lives, was a bitter pill to swallow.
Lovechild has, without doubt, been a brand we have followed right from day one, when it launched itself as a Sunday t-dance style soiree, something in the order of Salvation, this being no real surprise as the promoter who had always been the big driving force behind this mega club brand, Alex Erfan, was keen to offer fervent followers of all things Salvation, something similar but different. However, it was clear from the first set of Sunday parties at Pacha, that the bottom had fallen out of t-dance style clubbing, on a Sunday at least, a short break seeing Lovechild reappear as a Saturday offering and at new home Fire, a venue which proved a worthy home for Alex & the club for close on 18 months. Plus, the switch from Sunday’s to Saturday’s allowed the Lovechild team to expand & experiment with the brand, a whole succession of successful parties, including alliances with other clubs such as Delice & Wild Fruit, cemented it as one of the capitals clubbing scene’s big hitters. Notable parties included “Wet”, “Makin Hay” & “Tropicana” (among many more), Alex also drawing on international D.J. talent to boost the appeal, while the creation of the infamous “Contact Room”, the introduction of saucy shows & the distinctly different arena’s of music, all added to the clubs appeal.
However, times they do change and it was becoming all the more clearer that the onetime harmonious working relationship between Lovechild & Fire, Alex Erfan & the Orange group, was beginning to sour, the “1st Anniversary” back in November last year being the first catalyst, Lovechild pretty much shunted into the sidelines while Fire’s main room was given away to a breeder bash. And, from then, it was pretty much a slippery slope for our loveable brand, the final full-on Fire fling being when Lovechild joined forces with Israeli splendour FFF in May, relationships between The Orange Group top brass & Alex straining to breaking point, all meaning something had to give and the withdraw of Lovechild from the Saturday clubbing schedule was the saddening consequence. But, as the saying goes, “you can’t keep a good dog down” and, after a summer break which has seen the brand pick itself up & dust itself off, Lovechild is now ready to start all over again, a new venue, a new look & a new direction the inspiration for its return.
So, what’s the big change?, and what can we expect from the new look Lovechild? Well, first & foremost Alex has forged a new association with Pulse, the state of the art venue that plays host to SuperMartXe, the break away from Vauxhall definitely a new & daring direction which, we hope, will pay dividends, the flexibility with Pulse’s space allowing Alex to manage & manipulate his events to match the crowd & the entertainment. And there is definitely lots of promise for this first event “The Big Blue”, Alex kicking off by saying that “…This incredibly exciting space will allow Lovechild to grow and present the biggest shows and parties to date. New features are being added to the Pulse in the run-up to the party and Lovechild will by then feature the biggest dance floor on the London scene as well as some of the most ‘state of the art’ lights and lasers going in especially for the night…”, while the joining of forces with porn star legend Blue Blake is the inspiration behind the title of the event, the accent very much sex & seduction, a whole host of stars beefing up this branded bash, Alex going on to explain that , “…Lovechild goes blue this Saturday when it celebrates the launch of porn legend Blue Blake?s filthy new film “A Policeman Fucked My Son” andhis new website blueblake.com. There?s not just 1 or 2 super hot pornstars (as seems to be the norm these days) but a veritable “pornucopia” of sensational Blue Blake stars from past and present. Leading the pack is the UK?s most popular porn star Paddy O?Brian, along with French superstar Issac Jones, British internationals Ben Brown, Bruno Knight and Jake Reed. There?s also some American beef jetting in from the USA, the buff and beautiful Cody Miller. And that?s not all, Pulse will be packed with porn stars and purveyors of filth. So the hot studs dancing next to you could be the guys you?d been watching fuck the night before…”
Well, that certainly sets the scene for this “Big Blue” event, the porn element plain for all to see, but what about the music?, Well, with a pretty impressive list of resident D.J.’s both from here in the capital & internationally, Alex has a lot to choose from, Tony English the first major inclusion in an all London line-up, this main man having been with Lovechild from its beginnings and very much the lynch pin in Alex’s armoury, having toured with the brand internationally to destinations that have included Amsterdam, Antwerp, Istanbul & Israel, while he was with Lovechild for their two excursions to Edinburgh over the summer. Moreover , he is the man behind the “Lovechild” single, which gets full release early next year, although Tony has posted the radio edit to his Soundcloud page, check it out at http://soundcloud.com/djtonyenglish/tony-english-feat-kaysee-1, the vivacious vocals of Kaysee looking like this should be a 2012 smash and will no doubt be within Tony’s set on Saturday. Then, there is Alessandro Londra, another dynamic D.J. that has been flying the flag for Lovechild both here in London & across Europe, he never failing to ignite the dancefloor with his full blown tech & progressive house, our Italian bello having laid down a podcast to mark Lovechild’s first party at Pulse, a 62 minute marvel which is as good an indication of what to expect from him on Saturday as anything and a compilation well worth adding to your collection by going to http://soundcloud.com/djalessandrolondra/lovechild-pulse-club-london. But Alessandro is not the only one to mark this “Big Blue” event with a podcast release, impressive Israeli Guy Scheiman (one of Alex’s international residents) also jumping on the compilation bandwagon with his own devotion, perhaps off all the mixes, our favourite & one which you can grab at http://djguyscheiman.podomatic.com/entry/2011-10-05T15_47_54-07_00 although unlike the text on his podcast page, sadly we won’t be seeing Guy at Pulse this time round, although we know Alex has him lined up for a gig real soon. Then London based Aussie Brent Nicholls has also released a compilation dedicated to the party and we can confirm he will be there, although scheduled to play a late set, although surely worth hanging around for, especially given the quality of this podcast, which is worthy of at least a listen by going to http://djbrentnicholls.com/web/2011/09/21/podcast-lovepulse/.
But all that is only part of the music picture, as Alex will also be drawing on the talents of two more Italian’s, Tony Bruno & Gabriele Cutrano, while a second Aussie in the form of Terry Vietheer will also feature, as will both Mattias & Phil Hewson, an impressive notch up of eight stars who will all get a bite at the “Big Blue” main room cherry, while Marco Gee is the final entrant onto the list of prolific players, Marco the latest addition to the residency team, having hugely impressed us at Lovechild’s “Muscle” event back in March and is very much a staple part of this latest outing. Why?, well Marco is responsible for the production of what looks like being a char topping smash, the truly tremendous “Get It On” by Shockalady, a brilliant re-take of the rock classic by T-Rex, this new version very much more disco than rock, camp than vamp, this promotional video giving you a good idea of exactly what we mean, http://youtube.com/watch?v=4VJFzzIMH6M. And, the hot off the press news is that Shockalady will be performing the track live on Saturday, this shaping up to be one of the most entertaining shows we have seen at Lovechild yet and one you definitely won’t want to miss. Plus, with Marco taking charge of the opening set, you can certainly expect a rousing start to this “Big Blue” event, a taste of whats to come available from Mr Gee’s latest podcast, which was lifted direct from another opening set, this time for Lovechild’s “Superlovers”, an gathering held for Soho’s Pink Sunday, Marco playing out to a considerable audience at Lo-Profile, so one worth catching at http://marcogee.podomatic.com/.
So to the all important detail and this Lovechild “The Big Blue” spectacular takes place this coming Saturday (15th October) at Pulse (full address, 1 Invicta Plaza, Off Southwark St, Blackfriars, London, SE1) from 11 p.m. and running through until an advertised 6 a.m. finish, although a little birdie tells us that, subject to numbers, it could run a fair bit later (whoopee!!). Advance tickets have been on sale for a while, the £10 early bird ones having been gobbled up quite quickly, while standard £15 tickets are still available by going online to http://clubtickets.com/gb/2011-10/15/lovechild-pulse, while a drop into Prowler, Clone Zone &/or 50 is also an option, tickets also available on the door at the same price. With sponsorship support from Gaydar and live video recor4dings coming from Mirrorballs.tv, the launch of Blueblake.com will also be a feature, more information on the event out at http://alexerfan.com, while new website http://blueblake.com is also worth a sneak preview.
Now, despite a run of SuperMartXe’s at Pulse, due a a range of circumstances, we have yet to see the new venue, so we are just crossing fingers that come Saturday nothing will be in our way, meaning we hope to be there to report on it all, so if you see us, please come say hi, but make sure you don’t miss out on this Lovechild return by ensuring you “Go There! Be There! (DISCO MATT)
We look back to the days of Soho Pride with incredible fondness, the concept which started back in the mid noughties as a result of the de-scaling of London’s main pride event and quickly established itself as the capitals premier gay festival, outstripping the former in terms of both numbers & appeal, although quickly switching from a Saturday to a Sunday which seemed to fit better with all parties concerned. However, with a change in the city’s mayor, came a change in heart & funding, in effect cutting Soho pride off in its prime and leaving the capital without its own fabulous street festival as well as a gaping hole in its outdoor event schedule. However, out of the ashes of Soho Pride came Soho Pink Sunday, a reasonable sedate affair compared to its inspiration and at a glance looking more like a money spinning project for the bars involved rather than an all out celebration of community, charity, music, song & dance, although it certainly pulled out the punters, the streets & the bars packed all afternoon & evening.
So, Soho Pink Sunday is back and whilst plans hitting our desks have been quite sketchy, we expect most of the bars to be involved and the day to look much more like a Soho Pride affair, albeit that the stages will be confined to the Compton St end of this gregarious gay village. However, what we do know is that there is on hell of a party happening at Profile & Lo-Profile, as the might of Gaydar are calling on the services of Lovechild & Logan Presents to bring you a Soho Pink Sunday special entitled “Superlovers”, a party spread across both Profile & Lo-Profile in what looks like a truly fitting end to a dynamic day. And the combination of these big brand players along with a heavenly headline act looks like a sure-fire winner, the terrific team of D.J.’s including an amorous Aussie, flying in from Sydney to star alongside some of Lovechild’s favourite residents, while there will be no shortage of drop dead gorgeous go-go’s across the two floors, many pulled from the awesome armoury that exists within the Logan presents camp.
Well that’s the bones of this exceptional event, so what about the meat?, Well, apart from those delicious dancers courtesy of Logan & his schmitzels (more on that in a mo), there will be plenty of muscle-bound meat to feast yours eyes on in the form of the Lovechild D.J.’s, not least special guest Johan Khoury who makes a more than welcome return to the capital, marking his third outing for promoter Alex Erfan’s loveable brand, Johan having made a considerable impact on the capital’s clubbers on both previous occasions. Hailing from Sydney, he is very much active on the city’s scene, having played out at all the big events including Mardi Gras & The Harbour Party, while he is inextricably linked to the brand Day Wash, as well as the down under version of Love Muscle along with a handful of others residencies under his belt. That said, Johan has also made an impression abroad, having played out in parties across The America’s & Europe, stop off’s including Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Ibiza, San Francisco, Paris & Rome, while he rates his appearances in London high amongst his list of landings, his uplifting, energetic & euphoric house music style of sound making him a popular pull. And if you haven’t managed to catch him in action behind the decks as yet, then you can always grab a slice of this handsome down under dudes dance music mastery by checking out his podcast page at http://djjohankhoury.podomatic.com/, “Pandemia” a brilliant intro to an atypical Johan set, while “Dreaming” is full of that energetic house we were talking about and what he will surely be selecting come Sunday.
But Mr Khoury won’t be the only Aussie influence at “Superlovers” as Alex draws on the talents of one of his longest serving residents, Brent Nicholls having played out at the very first Lovechild in London and has been a feature at virtually every party since. And it is fair to say that this attractive Aussie continues to attract an audience wherever he plays, Mr Nicholls being no stranger to both Profile & Lo-Profile, having played out for the brands regularly, he being the inspiration behind the launch of Friday night sensation “Society”, a compilation dedicated to the club at http://djbrentnicholls.com/web/2011/04/14/minipodcast-society/, a good hint towards his nu-funk & disco groove style that will be likely to feature at “Superlovers”, while he remains as popular a pick for Mr Erfan now as he did back in the days of Salvation & PSP. Add to Brent, the musical magnificence of two of Lovechild’s mainstay residents, Tony English & Alessandro Londra, both who have represented the brand across Europe as well as here in London, while recent recruit Marco Gee will no doubt add even more dimension to this already dynamic D.J. team.
So that’s the music, what about the entertainment?, Well in true Lovechild & Logan Presents fashion, it will be right up there with any club offering around, not least that the services of two prolific P.A.’s have been called on for this “Superlovers” event, Lizzie France the first and a foxy female that has a voice to match her substantial stature together with a list of vocal hits that includes recent smash “The Answer”, while we are sure that at least one of her new track releases, produced in collaboration with Nick Tcherniak & Tom Marchant will get an airing on Sunday. But Alex & Logan have also managed to secure the one & only Alexis Houston and, yes, she is the sister of her more famous sister Whitney and looking at Alexis you can see the resemblance too, we being told her voice is every bit as good, while having been delighting audiences from an the tender age of six, she has been both performing and producing music, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Justin Timberlake & Christina Aquilera, while her phenomenal voice embodies the soul of Aretha Franklin, so is sure to go down a treat at “Superlovers” and will no doubt be a heavenly highlight of the happening.
Add to that the injection of those drop dead gorgeous dancers we deluded to and in the very capable hands of Logan Schmitz, you can pretty much guarantee the crème de la crème, not least as the man’s own dance pedigree & resultant contacts within the field pretty much speaks for itself. Having spent a fair amount of the summer travelling, Ibiza & mainland Spain featuring in his tours, Logan has touted some really gorgeous muscle hunks to add to his already considerable stable of London based boys & girls and if you happened to be at SuperMartXe’s “Blackout” event last Saturday (shame on you if you weren’t) then you would have seen some of them in audacious action. So, come Sunday, you can expect only the best in terms of beauty & brawn, the dancers topping the Lo-Profile podiums from the off and surely mingling with the masses upstairs in Profile too. Plus a quick mention has to go to Gaydar, who are throwing their sponsorship weight behind Logan & his terrific team, we are told supplying plenty of giveaways for the night, so best you get up close & personal with one of Mr Schmitz’s schmitzels to score your surprise.
Now to the detail and “Superlovers” takes place this coming Sunday (18th Sept) at both Profile & Lo-Profile, kicking off from 10 p.m. with tickets available on the door at a price of £10, while if you grab a flyer then it’s just £5. However, if you are around Soho for the Pink Sunday festival, then keep your eyes peeled for the “Superlovers” hunks who will be handing out discount wristbands all day, while we are told advance tickets will be available from behind the bar at Profile too, while more info on this exceptional event can be found by going to either, http://alexerfan.com or http://loganpresents.com.
Sadly however, it seems that an individual from a certain organisation (we won’t mention names) has been seeking to derail this “Superlovers” event with a surreptitious message he is spreading in which he has said “…Be careful about buying any tickets for any party’s run by Alex Erfan from Love Child as he is going bust and may keep the money and not do the party. Tell anyone who might buy one…”, one that is founded on nothing else but pure fiction & malicious intention. Having spoken with Alex personally on the issue and also speaking out in his behalf, we cannot condemn this message enough and with the whole of the “Superlovers” team also doing the same, not least major sponsors & supporters, Gaydar, we want to assure you that ANY tickets bought for this or ANY event run by Alex are sold with the upmost of integrity & honesty and that the ONY care you need to take, is not to get sucked in by this despicable message & its intentions.
So, let’s end on a high by wishing you a very happy & safe Soho Pink Sunday and cannot think of a better way of rounding off your partying by joining Alex Erfan, Logan Schmitz, Gaydar and the whole of the Profile & Lo-Profile team for “Superlovers”. We will be there to live nibble size review tweet & report on it all, so if you see us come say hi, but make sure you “Go There! Be There!” (DISCO MATT)
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.
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.
“…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…”
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)































































