Matinee "NYD 2010" - STOP PRESS News

Hey Folks,

Well, with 2010 literally just under a day away, it seems that all the big guns are vying for your attention, with New Year’s Day looking like the best time to celebrate the dawn of a new decade. Now, if you haven’t yet made up your mind where to go, then check out our special NYD/NYE “weekend recommendations” post at http://discomatt.com or go to http://seenqueen.com, which also has special coverage of where to be seen between tomorrow night & Saturday.

However, we want to take a moment to focus on what looks like being the best way to kick off your Jan 1st morning, as mega Espaniol brand Matinee goes afterhours for the occasion, presenting their “supersized” event over in London Bridge at the state of the art Cable nightclub. And we must stress, that contrary to certain rumours, Matinee’s doors will be opening at 5 a.m., yes that’s 5 a.m. (not 7 a.m.), meaning this will be the first afterhours event to kick off 2010, the party running through to a planned 2 p.m. finish.

So, with that detail made crystal clear, what can you expect from this special Matinee outing? Well, the Evolved Events all star D.J’s Guy Williams, Paul Heron, Fat Tony, Jonny M, Alessandro, Jon Dennis & Saki will be present, joined by Spanish superstar Matinee resident G-Martin, providing the best quality D.J. line up of the day. Fierce International will be out in force, supplying chunk loads of hot & sexy dancers, but will also be joined by the infamous “Stress” performers, noted for their outrageous & scary club shows across the world, who will be flown in especially for the event from Barcelona & Ibiza.

Plus the latest “hot off the press” news, in an exclusive interview tonight with Oliver M, Matinee London’s promoter, is that Contagious Entertainment will be providing two muscle hunks who will perform a stunning & sexy fire eating & angle grind show. Plus, the first 400 paying guests through Matinee’s doors will receive an exclusive, rare & limited edition A3 wall calendar featuring 12 of Matinee Group’s sexiest dancers (what better way to spice up your office, kitchen or bathroom!).

Oliver has also asked us to express not just his, but the whole of the Evolved Events teams gratitude for your support of Matinee throughout 2009 and promises that you will be blown away, not only by NYD, but by the plans the team have for 2010, as Matinee is definitely in London to stay (more on our exclusive insight to plans in future posts).

Now, if last year is anything to go by, this is going to be an absolute “roadblock”, so we suggest you grab your advance tickets in person, which are still available for £25 at the usual Soho outlets or if you prefer, go online to http://evolvedevents.co.uk and we have assurances that there will be no repeat of last year’s problems, both on the door & with the coatcheck(s).

Finally, we have been provided with one of those rare & limited edition Matinee 2010 wall calendar’s, which we will be giving away to the lucky entrant drawn from the all those that correctly answer our special Matinee competition question, which is, Name the event which marked the launch of Matinee London at Cable back in July this year? E-mail your answers to discomatt@hotmail.com to be received no later than Monday 4th Jan 2010.

We will, of course be at Matinee this NYD to review & report on it all, so make sure you are too & come say hi.

xDM

SuperMartXe - "Alice In Wonderland" -STOP PRESS News

SUPERMARTXE "ALICE IN WONDERLAND"
STOP PRESS NEWS/PREVIEW

Well, we have already given you more than a taster in our recent “Wave Goodbye to 09 & Hello to 10” post on what looks like being the most prolific party of New Year’s Day, as SuperMartXe delves into all things magical & mystical, with its special party “Alice In Wonderland”, which takes place at the O2 Academy in Brixton on 1st Jan 2010, from 5 p.m. until 2 a.m. However, given the massive plans for this extravaganza event, we thought it only appropriate to devote a “special” STOP PRESS post to the party, with the latest & hot news coming direct to us from promoter Logan Schmitz.

So, first let’s get the mundane stuff out of the way. As mentioned above, the party kicks off at 5 p.m. with the event running through to a planned 2 a.m., so very much in the tea-dance timescale, although this will be no regular early evening event. Tickets are on sale at your favourite Soho outlets, including Prowler, Clone Zone, DV8, The Box & Profile, but also online at http://ticketweb.co.uk, priced currently at £20. VIP options are available (more on that in a mo) via http://loganpresents.com. We recommend you grab a ticket in advance although they will be on sale on the door.

With the boring detail over, let’s concentrate first on the party itself, which promises to be much much more than just a peep through the looking glass. If you have marvelled at SuperMartXe parties at The Coronet, “Alice” promises to pail these into insignificance, with the most lavish, flamboyant & extravert stage production you have ever seen, whisking you away into a fairy tale land of magical dreams & enchantment, with a stunning array of performers, dancers & P.A’s all dressed for the occasion, think Mad Hatters Tea party (very apt), Queen of Hearts (possibly tarts!), Cheshire Cats & White Rabbits galore, plus all the wonders that this amazing Lewis Carol story gives out.

In a “stage curtain” reveal at just passed 8 p.m. expect everything that SuperMartXe is renowned for, high-tech lighting, lasers & pyrotechnics, as well as flying acrobats, fire eaters & larger than life inflatable’s, enough to captivate you party goers all night long. The magical musical journey through “wonderland” will be provided by SuperMartXe regulars Steve Pitron & Marlon Jones, joined by Spanish superstar D.J. Juanjo Martin in the main “wonderland” arena, while Tony English, Phil Marriot, Aron, & Nathan 6 will play out in the Gaydar sponsored “garden” room. Live P.A. performances will come from Belle & Aimee, with whom Logan & his team have worked closely, not only to secure the integrity of the music, but to provide some extra special surprises on the night. You may have seen previous publicity promoting the appearance of X-Factor finalist Danyl Johnson, but as a compromise on his inclusion within the planned musical content couldn’t be arrived at, he has been dropped from the line up.

Now, let’s move onto the venue itself and time to address some possible concerns. Firstly, with a capacity of 5000, the O2 Academy is well versed in dealing with large numbers, so the efficient “fast track scanning” system employed on the main door should impress, as will the coatcheck facilities, with no less than four separate areas, including a special one dedicated to just bags. Then there is the dancefloor, which, for those of you that have visited the venue will realise, it tilts considerably, although this will be levelled out especially for “Alice”. And, getting to The Academy couldn’t be easier, as it is served by the nearby Victoria Line tube & a whole host buses & other transportation links, plus being probably the best known venue in South London, no taxi driver worth his salt will get lost!!

Now, we said we would cover the VIP options and for just £40, not only do you get a “super speed” specialised entrance at the rear of the venue, but there is then a free coatcheck and reserved VIP tables, positioned along the side of the main arena, where you will have the best view of the shows & the spectacle that will be “Alice In Wonderland”.

So, Friday 1st January looks like being one very special day in the continuing life of SuperMartXe in London and surely one party you won’t want to miss. Plus, “Logan Presents” supports the mega party As One, which is the official “Alice” after party, with special £3 per person taxi’s laid on from the Academy to whisk you to Fire (see our New years “weekend recommendations” post for details on this)..

All, that remains to say, is, in the inimitable words of the promoter....”follow the white rabbit & head for the O2 Academy on NYD”.

xDM

Festive Season Special Preview - "Wave Goodbye to 09, Say Hello to 10"

WAVE GOODBYE TO 09, SAY HELLO TO 10 – WHERE WILL YOU BE CLUBBING THIS FESTIVE SEASON?
SPECIAL EXTENDED “PREVIEW”


Well, it has undoubtedly been an interesting year in gaylist/clubland London, with the downturn in the economic climate taking the brunt of the blame for the problems many clubs have encountered in 2009, but is fair to say that, despite money being tighter than we have known in a long time, many have still managed to satisfy their clubbing desires, with special weekends & most of big events proving the popular choices. Yes there have been some flops, but equally there have been some amazing parties, so as we the year draws to a close, how will 2009 bow out and what’s in store for the dawn of 2010?

There is definitely not shortage of options to dust off your clubbing shoes, celebrate the coming Christmas festivities, them wear off all the excesses caused by just one day (mad aren’t we?!) & hail the coming of what everybody hopes is a much better year ahead of us. Mind you, for some, Christmas started early, with two of gAylist London’s biggest clubs already throwing their festive parties, Matinee’s “La Nocha Rocha”, which was held on 5th Dec being more of a regular affair, although being covered in red coloured production, Matinee definitely was seasonal in look, even if the party didn’t feel that Christmassy. But then Beyond’s “Ice” party was definitely a winter wonderland and we were still dusting off the snow, hours afterwards, having had a brilliant time in the hands of Mikey D, Steve Pitron, D’Johnny & Alan K.

However, it seems the majority of parties are kicking off from this week, so what’s on offer to tempt you out? Well, hold on, as we give you the best of the bunch in our definitive run down.

First out of the blocks, tomorrow no less (Wed 16th) is “Gay City Rollers”, as Alex Erfan’s crew throw a special Christmas themed party, promising that the Renaissance rooms will be glammed up with OTT decor, outrageous costumes & festive go go’s, with plenty of surprises, free gifts & seasonal cheer spread around by Chris Geary’s hunks. And the exciting news is that two real D.J. icon’s will be spinning the tunes, as Tasty Tim & Fat Tony join regular Stewart Who? on the decks, to provide the scintillating sounds. Entrance is just £7, which includes a free drink & hire of the skates, which is probably the best value night out we can think of. Doors at the Renaissance Rooms open at 7 p.m. with the club running through until midnight. More details can be found at http://alexerfan.com

Thursday 17th sees Industri perform for the last time in 2009, with Minty hosting as only she can do, outrageously, and Paul Heron on the D.J. decks from 10.p.m. until 2 a.m. Industri has proven to be THE social soiree of the scene and with an extra special birthday twist this week, it should be a blast. Barcode Vauxhall is the host venue as always and proceedings usually start from 9 p.m., running through it 2 a.m. entrance being free all night!! Check http://bar-code.co.uk for more info.

Then the next Christmas themed party , also on Thurs night (17th), is Gravity at Fire, which plays host to The Oli & Alan K on the decks, with superstar Steve Pitron guesting for the night. The team promise plenty of festive frivolity, with the club being given that special Christmassy feel in the hands of Jay Sharp Vokins’ magical mastery. Plus the fabulous Naomi hosts “Jiggy’s Christmas Sack” with plenty of presents to give away. It all kicks off at midnight, with the club running through until a heady 8 a.m. (books the day off work!) & entrance at anything for £5 to £10, dependant on what time you get there (grab a flyer!). Check out http://firelondon.co.uk for more details.

Friday 18th is definitely an “Onyx” day, as the club that has transformed Friday nights is back with its Christmas “White Spectacular”, with the club being totally transformed but with all the usual ingredients that make Area super amazing, lasers, pyro’s & sexy stage shows and for sure this is one Onyx outing you won’t want to miss. Music comes courtesy of residents Phil Marriot & Steven Gellar in the main room, Jamie Hammond, Tuomo Fox, James St James & Jason Prince lauding it up in black room, with Lisa German taking hold of the terrace bar accompanied by Donald on vocals. However, the big news is that mega international superstar D.J. Paul Heron will be guesting for the night, taking the main room by storm & that is going to be something really special. The team dare you to dress all in white & offer special cocktails & free entry to the VIP bar if you do. What’s more there will be plenty of drinks offers on all night, on top of the amazing free entry before midnight offer. Onyx opens its doors at 10 p.m. & runs through until 5 p.m., with entry charges at just £6 after midnight (bargain!) & advance tickets selling online at http://clubtickets.com.

Saturday 19th sees the Christmas parties continue, the highlight being “Juicy”, as promoter Andrew Harris & his boys come over all festive, throwing a special “Juicy Yule Ball”, offering a bold bundle of fun with super X rated go-go boys to delight & extra special Christmas production, visuals & lighting. Music is provided by resident D.J’s Rob Sykes,
Hi-Fi Sean, Steve Artis, Gonzalo Rivas & David Jiminez, but joining them will be none other than the Italian Stallion, Pagano, who will be playing an extra special progressive & tech infused set in the main room to eclipse all others and we expect his popularity will ensure there is very little “room in the stable”. Juicy takes place at Fire in Vauxhall, doors opening at 11 p.m. & the club running through until 8 a.m. Entrance is £12, but if you grab an advance ticket from your fave Soho outlets, it’s just £10, or online from http://clubtickets.com, with more details of the event at http://myspace.com.firelondon.

Then the all out “Xmas partying” takes a breather until Christmas Day (yes there is clubbing on the day itself...365 days a year darling!!) so as to let you all get your shopping in..and we do like to shop, don’t we?!?!

So, on Christmas day, the mother of all clubs, “Trade”, teams up with “Orange”, to bring you a blowout incredebleu entitled “Orange/Trade – The Magic Of Christmas”, at Fire in Vauxhall. If you have never been to a Trade Christmas day party, you really don’t know what you are missing, as there is no feeling that can be more decadent than clubbing while the rest of society are sleeping off their excesses. To well & truly help proceedings on, the Trade collective, in conjunction with Orange, have lined up a spectacular D.J. list, across three rooms, with the “Tinsel Trade Rudolf Room” playing host to Lisa German, Pagano.Nick Tcherniak & Lady Bianca, while over in the “Orange Claus Chamber”, Gonzalo Rivas, The Sharp Boys, Terry Bryan & The Oli take charge, with a yet undisclosed special guest joining them (could it be Steve Pitron?!). Then there is the “Lap Land Lightbox”, where the dream team of Fat Tony & Tonnic take you on a funky Xmas night journey, with Dave Cross assisting, but as if that wasn’t enough, there will be a fab chillout area, named simply “The Xmas Lounge”, where Steven Sharp’s super Xmas soundtrack will offer you an escape from the frenetic activity. Fire is set to look like a magical Christmas wonderland with all the ingredients we expect from this amazingly equipped venue, with the promise of complimentary mince pies & mulled wine for early arrivals, plus lots of extra surprises! (woo hoo). Trade/Orange (as we prefer it) kicks off at 10 p.m., finishing off at a premature 8 a.m. (must be the licensing). Tickets are on sale now at http://clubtickets.com for £12, as well as at Clone Zone, Prowler, DV8 & The Box, plus from Fire, Area & even from Steven Sharp in person (can’t be bad). Check out http://tradeuk.net for the full news.

Boxing Day sees no let down in the partying, as some of will be dreaming of being miles away in South Africa, as the Salvation Tour kicks off in Johannesburg, but back in good old London Town, uber sexy fetish club Hard On! throws its party to shake off all that turkey, Christmas pud, mince pies, & allows you to indulge in some stuffing of a different kind. So, putting aside the extra large jumper your granny sent you and slipping into leather, rubber, skinhead gear, uniform & the like, its time to get all pumped & funked up, with sexy sounds from resident D.J.’s Brent Nicholls, Hugos’land & Halo Is, as well as indulging in all the happenings across in the massive playroom (gonna do our best to hold onto our T-shirt this time!). And, to add to the fun & frivolity, there is a special two for one drinks offer on Vodka before midnight to really get you in the mood. Hard On! at Hidden in Vauxhall kicks off at 10 p.m., running through until 5 a.m. & remember folks, it is a members only club, details of which you can find at http://hardonclub.co.uk or, if you prefer, grab your membership at RoB or Expectations.

For the less pervy of you, there is always Fire, which hosts its monthly Tabloid outing, this time for a special Boxing Day bender, featuring none other than Boy George on the decks, who will be spinning a special set to befit the occasion, now if that doesn’t grab the front page headlines, what will?!?! Other broadsheet entertainers will include residents, The Oli, David Jiminez & The Sharp Boys, joined by Daz Saund & Nick Tcherniak with the return of the fabulous “Poporazzi Lounge”, hosted by “Jiggy” with D.J’s Jonny M, The very Miss Dusty O & James Saint James on the decks. Expect all the usual extrovert news grabbing production including the “Tabloid Wall Projection” which needs to be seen to be believed, as well as superb lighting, pyro’s & more. Doors open at 11 p.m. with the club running through until 8 a.m., with tickets available at just £10 in advance at http://clubtickets.com with special entrance charges with flyers in hand, otherwise £15 on the door.

We kind of then take a hop skip & jump across the short gap to New Years, with the world & his wife serving up their own form of partying on New Year’s Eve, but it seems that the mother of all of them will be “Kinky Trade” which will combine the forces of three clubs in one at The Renaissance rooms in Vauxhall. So, with promoters Laurence Malice, Andrew Harris & Alex Erfan laying down the gauntlet, the worlds of Trade, Juicy & Lovechild will join together for one spectacular gathering, with some of the biggest D.J. names in the business, including Trade’s Pete Wardman, Steve Thomas, Malcolm Duffy, Nick Tcherniak & Gonzalo Rivas, Juicy’s Steve Pitron, Hi-Fi Sean, Rob Sykes, D’Johnny & Steven Artis and Lovechild’s Mattias, Phil Hewson & Stewart Who?, will be the focus of the musical entertainment, although as of going to press there are more D.J’s to be confirmed. Topping off this amazing gathering, will be some extra special stage shows across the three spaces, with super hot kinky go-go’s, plenty of pyrotechnics, live V.J’s , laser shows, as well as some of the best club production & decor you have seen anywhere. Early bird tickets have sold out, but advance tickets at £20 are still available at Soho outlets Prowler, Aware, Clone Zone, DV8 & The Box, or online at http://clubtickets.com. There are also VIP packages available, which includes express entrance & coatcheck facilities, an exclusive VIP area & separate toilets, with a glass of bubbly thrown in. Kinky Trade’s doors open at 10 p.m. running superlate till 8 a.m. NYD.

But, if like us, NYE is not your thing, then there is plenty to save yourselves for on New Year’s Day, which kicks off in amazing Espaniol style at the mega Matinee goes all afterhours on us, presenting their “Supersized” event , returning to their state of the art home Cable in London Bridge. The Evolved Events all star D.J’s will be present to provide the scintillating sounds, including Guy Williams, Paul Heron, Pier Morrocco, Fat Tony, Jonny M, Alessandro, Jon Dennis & Saki, all joined by Spanish superstar Matinee resident G-Martin. Mark M Forns & Nik Ripley’s Fierce Intl crew will be out in force, supplying chunk loads of hot & sexy dancers, but will also be joined by the infamous “Stress” performers, noted for their outrageous & scary club shows across the world, who will be flown in especially for the event from Barcelona & Ibiza. Now, if last year is anything to go by, this is going to be an absolute “roadblock” and with early bird tickets already sold out, we suggest you grab your advance tickets in person, which are available for £20 at the usual Soho outlets or if you prefer, go online to http://evolvedevents.co.uk., but be quick as the latest news is that these are the fastest moving tickets in town!! Matinee’s NYD afterhours opens its doors at 5 a.m., with the club running through until 2 p.m. (wow!).

Then, drawing a short breath, it’s over to the O2 Academy in Brixton, as Logan presents SuperMartXe’s “Alice In Wonderland” party, which promises to be the biggest spectacle this super Spanish club’s London arm has produced yet. As always, Mr Schmitz is keeping most of the plans very close to his big chest, but we can guarantee that the D.J. line up will consist of residents Steve Pitron, Marlon K Jones & Tony English, who will be joined for this special event by Gaydar’s own Phil Marriot, D.J. Aron, Nathan 6 & flying in from Spain, will be Juanjo Martin, who is resident for SuperMartXe over there. P.A.’s confirmed for this magical experience are Aimee, Belle & extra special guest, X Factor’s Danyl Johnson (that should be interesting). Now, judging from recent events, we are expecting a truly incredible stage show, with production to match & having grilled Logan for more, all he will tell us that he has plenty of surprises up his sleeve, so we suspect that entering the wonderland will be a superb experience indeed. Advance tickets are on sale now both online at http://ticketweb.co.uk & at outlets, Prowler, Clone Zone, DV8, Solar Station, The Box & Profile Bar. And, a special pre-party has been planned at Lo-Profile on Boxing Day (more details of that to come). Check out the new web link http://loganpresents.com for this & all of Logan’s club events.

Then later on New Year’s Day, two clubs go head to head to entice you out to party well past dawn. First up is the return of DTPM and it seems that the rumour machine worked well, as the confirmed venue for this NYD party is The Roof Gardens in Kensington (not quite the central London venue expected), but having been given a complete refurb should definitely be a stylish affair. The D.J. line up is certainly interesting to say the least, as just two original DT residents survive the changes, Steve Thomas & Fat Tony playing, with the big name of Boy George taking centre stage, as well as The House Husbands joining the, if very “un” DTPM, line up. Mind you, the wonderful & talented Nick Tcherniak joins the team & may (if you’re lucky) do a bit of b2b’ing (in the musical sense..steady!!) with Steve, which should, if it happens, be a delight. Such has been the demand following the hugely successful “The Bitch is Back” party, yet again ALL the advance tickets sold out over three weeks ago, but Lee Freeman tells us a very limited amount will be available on the door. For more details, go to http://dtpmevents.co.uk.

But it looks like the second collaboration of the New Year will be club event “As One”, when clubs Beyond, Lovechild, Megawoof, Trannyshack & Lo-Profile join together to bring you a huge event spread across 6 rooms in the arches of Fire in Vauxhall. The confirmed D.J. line up is Steve Pitron, Mikey D, Gonzalo Rivas & Alan K in the Beyond/Logan Presents main room, Gabriele Cutrano, Mattias, Pagano, & Paul Heron representing Lovechild in the mirror arch, Megawoof residents Daz Saund, Diddy & Tim Mclone, will spin in the Lightbox, while, Craig Daniels, Stewart Who? Terry Vietheers & Phil Hewson will fly the flag for Lo-Profile, with the final space, “The Red Room” will be the home for Trannyshack, where Tasty Tim & Miss Dusty O will play out the sounds. There will be a special VIP space, sponsored by fab gay retail outlet DV8, as well as the infamous “contact room, hosted by Chris Geary’s hunks and you can expect some amazing production, lighting, & spectacular sexy dancers, in the form of Logan’s schmitzels. Doors for this mega event open at Fire at 11 p.m., with the club running through until 8 a.m. All early bird tickets have sold out, but advance ones at £15 are still available at the usual Soho outlets & at http://clubtickets.com. More info on “As One” can be found at http://firelondon.co.uk &/or http://alexerfan.com

Then, as if that wasn’t enough, Onyx returns for a “one off” afterhours event at Area, on Saturday 2nd January, to really kick you into 2010 with a bang. Returning will be fave resident D.J’s Phil Marriot & & Steve Gellar in the main room, with Jamie Hammond, Tuomo Fox, Jason Prince & James Saint James playing out in the black box, while out in the terrace bar, Lisa German will be mashing it up yet again. This is definitely going to have the feel of a Beyond party and we suspect many will spill out from “As One” where special entrance stamps to Onyx will be available. If not, you can get in for just £6, with the addition of credit crunch busting drinks promotions on offer (after all the previous partying, wallets will be crying out for that for sure!). Area opens its doors for Onyx “Afterhours” from 7 a.m., running superlate and details should be online at http://firelondon.co.uk.

Now, what other events are on offer that deserve a brief mention. Well draw more breath and here goes.....Barcode Soho plays host to “The Cave” for their Christmas party this Friday (18th Dec), then Rupert St Bar hosts two birthdays, Vlad’s on 19th & Disco Matt’s (who is that!?!) on 20th, while Horse Meat Disco’s Christmas Ho-down is also on Sun 20th & Orange squeeze the last of their citrus juice before Christmas on the same day. “Naked Zoo” returns to London at Egg for a Christmas special on Sun 27th Dec and “Royal House” also makes a welcome return to Heaven on Mon 28th Dec. With so much happening on New Year’s Eve, we will be issuing an extra post, but quick mentions go to Gutterslut, who hold their “Superslut” NYE party at The Dalston Superstore & Shadow Lounge’s “Showgirls & Showponnies” NYE bash. Check the popular press (excepting Vlad’s & Disco Matt’s b/day parties) for more details of these and watch for our “watered down” weekend recommendations posts, coming up over the festive period.

As for us, well it looks like a non-stop period of activity, with reviews a plenty and we have already chalked the following events in our diary

Industri – Thurs 17th Dec - from 9 p.m.
Gravity – Thurs 17th/Fri 18th – from 1 a.m. (review)
Onyx – Fri 18th – from 11 p.m. (review)
Profile/Lo-Profile – Sat 19th – from 9 p.m. (review)
Discomatt.com weekend birthday soiree @ Rupert St – Sun 20th – from 6 p.m.
Trade/Orange – Xmas Day – from 11 p.m. (review)
Hard On! – Boxing Day – from 11.30 p.m. (review)
Rupert St – NYE – from 8 p.m.
Matinee “Afterhours” – New Year’s Day – from 5 a.m.
SuperMartXe “Alice In Wonderland” – New Year’s Day – from 5 p.m. (review)
As One – New Year’s Day – from 11.30 p.m. (review)

Now, don’t forget to visit http://seenqueen.com, which has a special feature section, covering the best gAylisting events for the Christmas season & more. Plus, why not let people know where you are going, by entering the “fun poll”, as well as voting for your fave club, event, bar, etc, of the year, in the “seenqueen 2009 poll”.

So, if you see us out over the festive period, come say hi and as we always say.....Go There! Be There!

xDM

Slient Candle Lit Vigil Or Hate Crime Vigil, Which Is It? - Special Review

SILENT CANDLE LIT VIGIL – OR
HATE CRIME VIGIL
WHICH IS IT??
SPECIAL PREVIEW


On the eve of what could prove to be a massive gathering of likeminded people, but could also draw in a fair amount of extremists from many camps in this very cosmopolitan city of ours, we reflect on what was supposedly originally intended to be a celebration of a life taken oh too soon, but looks like exploding into so much more. So, we ask the question, is this a celebration & reflection of a life lost? Or is it becoming a mass gathering & protest against an abhorrent act that we cannot allow to be brushed under the carpet? Then, is it an opportunity for extremists to platform their radical views? And will it lead to a polarisation of opinions across the whole community? Or will it focus people’s minds on the despicable things that happen to gay people in London?

To answer these questions & to also allow you to make up our own minds about the event tomorrow night (Friday 30th Oct) in Trafalgar Square, we firstly reflect on our emergence within the gay scene in London and then try to balance the views across the spectrum in an attempt to come to a conclusion as to what this event is going to achieve and how we would like the message to come across to the masses. We then consider, with the bandwagon style coverage over the last few days, how should the night be viewed in our eyes. We must say that these views are personal to us, they may provoke reaction, but we genuinely feel the night is going to do just that, so we feel it is only fair for all the views to be pulled together. The ultimate aim is to allow you to make up your own minds about attending or not, but in the end it will be your choice & yours alone.

Well, as they always say, “let’s start at the beginning, because it’s a very good place to start” Is it relevant? we think so & also think you will too, as finding out you are gay & other finding out can be a harrowing experience & can cause all sorts of reactions. So, in all the years that we have known to be gay and all that comes with that, from the early days of our realisation back in our teens, when that first encounter, which seemed quite innocent at the time, but in reflection many years later turned out to be a much older man taking advantage of an adolescent boy with all his innocence, it would be fair to say that in living the dream of a gay man in one of the world’s most prolific gay cities, comes with a surmountable (but not an insurmountable) level of risk, which we have come to accept as the norm, such risks that have often found us in tricky situations, but you take your chances don’t you?! Ws that the case with Ian?

Back in (can we call them) the dark ages, being gay was construed & treated as a disease, but times have definitely changed and our acceptance into general society, if we were an adolescent now, is much better than it was in our day (we sound so old). Looking back for a moment, we reflect in terror, the thought of our heterosexual working colleagues finding out about our disposition, but as times moved on, such acceptance became more open & free and we can say, that in the vast majority of cases our orientation was widely accepted, so allowing us to live our lives as we wished, whether it be in the privacy of our own home, or lauding it out in the raptures of a vibrant scene in and around the West End & beyond.

So, what relevance to the planned vigil does this have? Well, quite a lot actually. Firstly, we would say that for an act of gross abhorrence that results in a death, as did with Ian Banyham (the man that sparked all of this) cannot possibly be simply a case of someone being in the wrong place at the wrong time, moreover a single minded & nasty exploitation of a minority in our community. But, here comes the controversy, there is never smoke without fire, so why, in such a public place, did such a dreadful incident occur? Then, without the facts to hand, to rally the cry of & provoke the reaction of many that would otherwise say nothing is interesting to say the least, especially that the vigil was created through the infamous networking site which has been surely responsible for creating hype beyond reasonableness (controversy over!)

Of course it is a tragedy to lose a life, but who in the caucus of this gathering actually knows all the facts? We don’t (maybe we should, but who does?) Surely, when reading this, you have pushed the boundaries in search of fun, sexual or not, and maybe that action has gone too far. Some of us live life on the edge, looking for that extra thrill and when doing so, all it needs is an extremist psychopath to take advantage. Maybe that was the case with Ian, but we don’t know. If we do, it hasn’t been made clear. What we can say though, is that whoever committed this heinous crime, taking Ian’s life, is sick & nasty to the extreme.

Now, hate crime & discrimination has no room in our existence, it is unacceptable to anyone that has rational thoughts & treats people as real human beings. But whatever the crime and whoever has committed it, is the answer to protest?, to create excessive attention to the issue? or will, in doing what we do tomorrow night merely focus on a tiny segment of our society who actually couldn’t care less? Those people wishing to pay respects to a life lost should be respected for doing so, but we fear, they may be consumed by the rest who want to shout about how maltreated they feel they are and want to use the night as political & social self gain. But, think for a minute, we are no different to any other cross section of people in this great capital of ours, so why should our plight be treated any differently?

Losing a life is a very sad thing indeed, but it seems a little strange that so many prominent people across the scene, who probably didn’t know Ian, are prepared to be vocal & some put their money where the mouth is are only doing it now, with over three weeks passed since Ian’s death, although such support has to be commended, even if the word “bandwagon” comes to mind.. However, what was originally intended to be a silent & reflective vigil for a life lost, has, in our view, become a crusade by the gay community, speaking out way beyond where they need to make their voices heard. In doing so, surely the ultimate parody of the situation will be that opinions will be polarised and that the so called “hate crime” will continue unabated, with the minority that cause such anguish & upset remaining unmoved by any attempt to convince otherwise.

There is no doubt that in an increasingly dramatic society within which we live, people will fall victim to viscous attacks, but lets not fool ourselves that this is restricted to gay society. In the tough economic times we live in, people are becoming increasingly desperate and through no fault of innocent people, those such innocents are singled out as potential targets for the small band of people that feel they need to go to such unlawful steps as to kill to find a way to support themselves, this exploiting those that look better off than others. We cannot say this was true of Ian, but there is no doubt that gay people are just such victims (we have been there ourselves!)

However, as a gay community we need to stand strong, but what we don’t want to do is provoke bad feeling, rather to have love & respect for everyone around us. It does sound so simple, but hatred breeds hatred and when you talk about “hate” crime, just the use of the word can enrage, upset or insight people into doing things they would otherwise never consider. Surely living tolerantly with those around us is the answer, rather than fighting or arguing over everything. We except that sometimes differences of opinions exist and this is part of the world in which we live, but surely if we agreed to live in harmony, life would be so much better.

So what are we saying? Well, with tomorrow night’s event, we really hope that people will be in Trafalgar Square to pay respect to Ian Banyham’s life, pay respect to his family, who must be going through hell, but moreover pay respect to the 10’s, the 100’s & maybe the 1000’s of gay people that have been victims of brutal & nasty encounters, simply because they are gay. However it is our hope that tomorrow will not become a crusade, will not become a political rally, will not push the boundaries too far & most importantly will not polarise opinion across the diverse society that we live within. Tomorrow should be about stamping out prejudice, but through peaceful means. Ian’s death was probably violent enough, let’s not reprolcate that.

So, should it be a silent candle-lit vigil rather than a hate crime vigil? Yes it should, that is for sure, not least for Ian’s family more than anything else. Should you be in Trafalgar Square tomorrow night? most definitely so, by showing solidarity against a minority of exploiters of life & to highlight disgust in what is becoming a more violent place we live in. However, in saying that, you should be there only if your intentions for love & respect for all good law abiding citizens are genuine.

A special report can be found at http://homovision.tv & for full details of the event tomorrow night in Trafalgar Square, go to either http://bit.ly/HateCrimeVigil or http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/event.php?eid=152586453159&ref=ts

Will we be there,? of course we will, for all the reasons we have said & much more, so make sure you are there too. (DISCO MATT)

Konekted at Cable

KONEKTED AT CABLE - LAUNCH SUNDAY 18TH OCTOBER
SPECIAL PREVIEW


It is rare that we take the opportunity to devote a whole post to just one club, but in these tough competitive times when the scene seems to be dominated by the big hitting brands, consigning many new ventures to an early grave or sidelining others, when we spot a venture that could make a real difference, injecting a whole load of excitement, backed up by some superb D.J. talents, many big hitting names not just in London, but across the globe, all taking place in of the capital’s newest, swishiest & cutting edge venues, we feel it serves some special attention. Add into the mix, one of the scene’s most experienced promoter, responsible for launching a legendary club in an area of London that quickly established itself as the coolest place to be and remains a mecca for gay clubbing, it then becomes apparent that this new venture has all the credentials worthy of success.

So, Who? What? When? & Where? are we talking about? Well, as for the Where, it is of course Cable, the uber new venue making a real name for itself so soon into its infancy and if you have been privileged to experience the wonderful Matinee parties held there since July, not to mention the special coverage we gave this new London Bridge clubbing destination in our first preview slot, you will realise that this is one very special space, designed & set up to specifically cater for the demands of modern clubbing, within surroundings that have cleverly blended the qualities of other venues to create a real wow, combining sumptuous materials to brilliant effect. As testament to this, check out the superb videos of Matinee in its new home at http://evolvedevents.co.uk and for the full low down on the venue, go to http://cable-london.com and we are sure you will be as amazed as we were when we first got to see the place.

Now, as to the next “W”, Who?, it could be nobody else but the genius that is for us, one of the most iconic & dynamic promoters of any across, not just gAylist London, but an individual that has been responsible for a whole host of clubs, events & ventures, being right in the thick of the scene for well over 20 years and in the clubbing business for two decades. Yes, its Wayne Shires, the man behind some of the biggest club names to hit the scene, remember Kinky Gerlinky? we certainly do, you cannot ever forget Crash, for us a club that, without exception, transformed Saturday night/Sunday morning underground clubbing, ctting edge & revolutionary in it style introducing some amazing D.J. talents that still grace our dancefloors to this day. Then there was Beyond, which made a massive impact on the afterhours clubbing phenomenon, the early days being driven by Wayne, who can only be tanked for bringing to us a club brand which is now firmly established as one of the best afterhours clubs, not just in London but in the U.K. Add to that his intrinsic involvement in the massive festival, Summer Rites, with more recent ventures Guru, Guru & Beartronic making real waves and there is no doubting this man’s talents & influence, especially considering that he really was THE face of an emerging gay village that has become the Vauxhall of today and is now part of yet another spurning area of London, Shoreditch.

So how about the What?, Well, it is a new club launch called “Konekted” (more of that in a moment) and with the concept firmly based on the need for a high quality Sunday night experience that fulfils the gap left by the massive brand DTPM. Now, we can probably hear you say that DTPM is on its way back, but bear in mind the format of the new DTPM is very much different to the old, whereas Konekted is planting itself firmly in that old territory with its timing, the aim also being to attract the “Sunday” crowd that has really developed across Hoxton & Shoreditch, with Cable being ideally placed to take advantage of that. And there is no doubt that there is a latent market across London that just needs that little bit of encouragement to bring Sunday clubbing back to the fore, perhaps the time being now to do so. We have, in saying so, answered the When in a way, but the plan with Konekted is to run the club from 10 p.m. on Sundays weekly, running through to the early hours of Monday morning, in some ways returning to those days when we either took Monday’s off or were well & truly decadent if not.

So, with the initial questions answered, now let us look at the detail. First and foremost is the club name, which its creator chose to do exactly what it says on the box, to connect people and music from the variety & spectrum that is out there these days, which is something we can be proud of in London, with probably one of the most diverse scenes of any in the world. And why not bring people together in this way? We certainly think there should be a club that does, with Sunday being the one day that has done just that in the past. So, what about the music? Well, there will be three separate rooms for the launch, each having its own unique feel & vibe, yet with some of the biggest names in the business gracing the decks, along with a host of rising stars that will make appearances as the week’s go by.

The main room has three names that evoke the Matinee style and are (funnily enough) residents there, the threesome of Pagano, Paul Heron & Oliver M set to pack a real punch with tough euro-style tech & electro house. Then looking across to the second space (which is room one at Cable), for Konekted it will be called the “Pop Up Club”, as the plan is to have various clubs take charge of this room for the night. The launch sees maestro’s Tom Stephan & Antoine 909 take to the decks, joined by upcoming star Terry Veitheer, with a real “Guru Guru” theme to proceedings here, but for us the combo of Tom & Antoine evoke those heady days of the early Crash years, so we are hopeful of that unique underground style that these two are renowned for. The middle Lounge Bar will see some great names from the days of Crash appear, as Tasty Tim & Ben Jamin will headline, Jon Sizzle & Feral adding to the vibe of this atmospheric room. So, there is no doubt about the depth of talent on offer and the music should be top class & just the ticket to end the weekend on a real high.

Well, that’s all the detail & in reflection we think an event which should make a real mark for itself. It therefore just remains to say that doors for Konekted open at Cable from 10 p.m. with the club running through to v-late (we suspect 6 or 7 a.m.). Entrance on the door is just £5 before midnight (bargain we say!) with various prices beyond that but no higher than £10. More info on the whole event, including V.I.P. ticket requests, can be found at their fabulous website http://konekted.co.uk.

We certainly think that Sunday clubbing is set to take a real step forward in the hands of Konekted and with such a star studied line up, in one of London’s most pioneering venues, the night masterminded & steered by one of the best promoters in the business, who can’t do more wrong than getting down to Cable in London Bridge for what will hopefully become the weekly Sunday nighter that others will become very envious of. So as we always say....Go There! Be There! (DISCO MATT)

Soho Live 09 - Special Preview

SOHO LIVE 09 - SUNDAY 13TH SEPTEMBER
SPECIAL PREVIEW


With Soho having made a real impact on the countries Pride season with some fantastic events over the years, from an impromptu start back in 2002 to the massive party it became last year, the main stage in Soho Square featuring a star studded D.J. line up, but with plenty of activity right across the area including the ever popular Q.X. stage in Rupert Street, all followed by after parties that kept the action going right into Monday morning, we were eagerly anticipating a repeat this year. So, it was a huge shock when news hit that Soho Pride would not be going ahead, the finger of blame being pointed in many directions, not least at London's Mayor for withdrawing financial support, but also over Crossrail's construction (a weak excuse is you ask us). However, what was more likely was that some key players in previous events not willing to bridge the financial gap and put their money where there mouth was, coupled with the amazement that so many venues across the Soho expanse, who have made huge profits from previous events, were also unprepared to put their hands in their pockets. However, from the minute that the news broke, furied discussions & negotiations began to reprieve Soho Pride and two protagonists stepped into the breach, both who have been "linch pin" supporters right from the early days and Soho Live became a reality.

And who were the two responsible? Well The Edge Group and Gaydar ofcourse, both who thought it would have been a crying shame if the now traditional yearly Soho event wouldn't go ahead, although were immediately facing an uphill battle to get everything organised and in place in time for the regular July/August timing, therefore deciding that a Sunday in September would be more appropriate & realistic. It was then a case of not only building up sponsorship support but forming the plans and implementation of the whole event infrastructure, lining up the artists playing on the various proposed stages and thinking about the addtional elements to make Soho Live an all encompassing day of celebration for the whole community, which had been given the important endorsment by Westminster council. With the news out, a whole host of sponsors came forward to give their support, including big corporates Carslberg Tetleys, Diagio and Mitchells & Butler as well as all your favourite independant gay/gay friendly outlets & business in and around Soho, but also The Wandsworth Palais which has invested alot into creating the perfect afterhours party (more of that later).

So, it has a slightly different name, a different date, but in essence the feel of the set up of Live 09 is very much the same as Soho Pride, or is it? Well, all the elements that made last year the huge sucess it was are there, the Gaydar Radio main stage & dance area is still in Soho Square, the Q.X. dance stage is back and will dominate proceedings in & around Rupert Street, even the Girls dance stage makes a welcome return, this year sponsored by Gaydar Girls & London's newest girl bar G Spot, but in a different setting on Romilly Street and naturally all your favourite Soho bars will be adding their own style to the event. However, there are some new elements that will set Soho Live aside from its predecesor as the organisers have agreement to use St Anne's Garden as a community stage & area, transforming the space into the style of a mini village fete, with market stalls, street artists, a bouncy castle and a small performance stage, very much more of a "Family Fun Area" which will also extend into the lower part of Dean Street with fun rides, magic shows & even some fairground games. There will be a variety of acts featuring on the community stage, including this years Drag Idol winner, Kevin Cruise as well as "A Stage Kindly", a theatre group that will be performing a fabulous homage to musicials. The host of market stalls will be back, spread across Greek, Frith and the northern side of Dean Street as well as the north side of Soho Square, but with a slant towards the designer in you, with specialist selections of arts, crafts, fashion & jewellery on offer, but with the usual influence of charities & support groups intrinsict to the gay society.

But, the real draws will remain the dance stages, so whats on offer? Well Soho Square's Camp Gaydar from last year will be transformed into a glitzy and glamourous Vegas style & theme with the addition of "The Fashion Catwalk" which will showcase the great collections and unique work of designers from Soho's various stores and boutiques. The music will be the main focus however, with a truly great D.J. line up playing live throughout the afternoon, headlined by The Freemasons who take to the stage at 4.30 p.m, the duo that are responsible for so many great dance hits, including "Love on My Mind", "Watchin", Rain Down Love", "Nothing But a Heartache" & "Uninvited" all of which we are sure will be in their playlist, with Gaydar Radio's Phil Marriot warming things up, followed by Matinee's & Evolved Events Oliver M, at 3.30 p.m., who will lead up to the duo. Juicy, Beyond & Lo-Profile resident & legendary D.J. Steve Pitron will then take over from the Freemason at 6 p.m. and international superstar Paul Heron rounds things off from 7p.m. till close at 8 and the whole afternoon of music in Soho Square will be broadcast live on GaydarRadio as the space will simply rock.

Over on the Q.X. stage in Rupert Street there will be plenty of activity with a plethroa of performers & P.A.'s adding glamour to the line up of D.J.'s which include Barcode resident Kris De Angelis, fab D.J/Producer & Gutterslut resident Per Q.X. , Matinee, Hard On!, Industri & Lo Profile resident Brent Nicholls, and the duo that played a superb b2b set at the recent Trade/Orance party and are regulars at Beyond & Juicy, Jamie Head & Mickey D, who will perform separately throughout the afternoon. We mentioned P.A.'s and the Q.X. stage have some biggies, with Work's legendary performance artist Scottee presenting a couple of dance numbers produced by Kris De Angelis, MC Crystal will be around to spruce up proceedings with her freestyle vocals and energy, but the great news is that the London gay clubbing scene's first lady, Therese will take centre stage with an exclusive debut of new material to compliment her classic hits. So with funky & chuky disco dancing turning into dirtier, sexier & huge house hits as day turns to night, we are sure this area will be as popular as ever.

And for you gals, Romilly Street's theme of "here come the girls" will be very much in evidence, with girl bar G Spot's very own D.J. Caz getting things going from 1.30 p.m. followed by Sandra D, resident at Ruby Tuesdays, carrying on from 4 p.m. and Miss Bailey taking over at 6 p.m. to see the music through till the 8 p.m. finish. And with the added spice of vocalist extraordinnaire Tonnic, who we are sure will rock Romily Street to its foundations with her awsome vocal chords, there will be loads to keep the girls very happy indeed. Mind you if you prefer to hang out in the bars, there will be plenty of music on offer, Rupert Street resident D.J. Alessandro playing out right across the afternoon with a pure mix of disco, dance, funky & hard hitting house, while over at Barcode, the team have lined up a host of D.J.'s that we are told will include Paul Coles, Hi-Fi Sean, Saki & Mattias. Heidi Liscious takes over the main bar at Village & The very Miss Dusty O plays out in Ku Bar frith Street, so plenty on offer.

But when Soho Live 09's curtain falls at 8 p.m., the partying will continue at the official after party "Paparazzi" which takes over at super new club venue the Wandsworth Palais, yes you heard it Wandsworth. But fear not at there will be free, yes free transport direct from Soho as you will be swept away from the centre of town on the buses leaving from Shaftesbury Ave and Tottenham Ct Rd from 8pm when "Paparazzi opens, with the free transport running until 12.30 am. As for the event itself, be prepared to be bathed in the warmth of a thousand flashes, shine like a star in a sea of cameras, and dance alongside some of the scene's hottest men as the venue will be transformed in the glamorous T’dance style but with circuit like production, massive inspiring stage shows and some of the world’s most eye-pleasing dancers & performers provided by Mark M Forn's Fierce Intl. D.J's grabbing the camera clicking action will include Paul Heron, Pier Morrocco, Brent Nicholls & Alessandro, with the club running right through till 6 a.m.

Back in Soho, new club "Scandal" launches at the swish Shadow Lounge, brought to you by one of the scene's most experienced promoters, Steve Elliot, the man behind Salvation. In a scandal ridden interview he told us that he promises a night of scandalous proportions right in the heart of the West-end with plenty to talk about. It has also been scandaleously reported that it will be hosted by the unscrupulous Madam Alekssandra Ceciliato and our sources also reveal that DJ’s Miswhite, Paul Coals & Nathan 6, will be creating the musical scandal with live vocalist Tonnic providing the vocal gossip at this shameful event, accompanied by the mistress of disgrace, Juliana de Primo, with "Scandal running from 9 p.m. through till 3 a.m.

So, next Sunday looks not only like being a day and night to remember but we suspect that Soho Live 09 will eclipse all previous events and will be heralded as THE outside party of the year. With the weather forecast looking very promissing, expect Soho's streets to be brimming with a amazing mix of people who want to dance, party, have fun, shop and eventually drop but will take away some lasting memories of a truly fantastic time. A big thanks & thumbs up to the team at the Edge and Gaydar for making Soho Live 09 a reality, yes, we are sure they will come across some teething problems, but with the superb support of so many business across Soho, we are confident that Live's 10, 11 & 12 will follow for sure and eventing in Soho will form a permanent spot in our yearly calendar. As for us, well, we are on duty at Rupert Street throughout the day, but will have team "Disco Matt" out & about, so expect a full review for sure. (DISCO MATT)

August Bank Holiday - To be a Sucess or Not to be a Sucess, That is THE Question? - Special Preview

AUGUST BANK HOLIDAY
TO BE A SUCESS OR NOT TO BE A SUCESS...THAT IS THE QUESTION?


With 2009 proving to be a tough year in gAylist/land London for a number of reasons, the previous Bank Holidays have been tricky to say the least, with plenty of events struggling to attract the sort of numbers that would have been a given in years gone by. Many of the expectated launch of new ventures over Easter & then the May Day breaks, fell victim to the ravages of the economic climate, as the big guns stole the lions share of a a declining captive audience. Yes there were some real sucesses, but with the three holidays being so close together, it was always going to be a difficult climate for club promoters and venues alike.

Then, with a predicted hot British Summer season of weather falling flat on its face, the London scene seemed to come to a bit of a halt with no real big club ventures hitting town, all seemingly taking breath as the masses were torn away to the Circuit Festival in Barcelona & mecca's Ibiza, Mykonos and more, to soak up some proper hot action, or maybe, countig their hard earnt pennies, simply stayed at home. But with the tug of September drawing people back & out, will the last Bank Holiday before Christmas prove to be different to the the previous three? Well, there are plenty of reasons to suspect that it will and here is our take on exactly why we think so, with our choice pick of events across the weekend.

For us and many, it all kicks off on the "new Friday", yes Thursday 27th, with both Barcode's enticing you to start off a party weekend as you mean to go on. Industri opens it's doors as usual in Vauxhall, with the magnificient Minty (are we doing "sassy bitches?") hosting as always and Paul Heron on the decks, this being a social soiree spectacular attracting a whole buch of regulars as well as plenty of off-duty scene faces & the like. Over in Soho the Barcode crew are launching a new night "Ursus Cave", aimed at bears, cubs, musclebears & their friends with a rotation of D.J.'s including Hi-Fi Sean & Paul Coles, while back over the river Gravity opens its doors at Fire on the back of its sucessful "Dirty Cash" night of pure scandal drawing in those that either don't need to or decide against work the following day, The Oli, Terry Bryan & guests providing the musical entertainment.

Friday 28th sees the action step up a pace as two of clubland London's heavyweights roll out pre-parties. Matinee takes hold of The Box in Covent Garden, which has a reputation for attracting a beautiful & sophisticated crowd, which will no doubt add to the host of Matinee visuals, concession ticket offers & ofcourse attendance of Mark M Forns Fierce Intl boys & gals to add glamour & glitz to proceedings. Over at Rupert Street, fellow Spanish club icon SuperMartXe takes over the venue for the night to promote their "Circus" party, with non other than D.J. supremo Nick Tcherniak (fab) on the decks, warming us up for his appearance at The Cornet for the main event. Following the last pre-party, we trust that Logan & his team will be pulling out all the stops to show how it should be done and we expect that the imfamous SuperMartXe beachball will take centre stage again. In Vauxhall, Onyx swings into action having cemented itself into the weekly calendar, a welcome gay/metrosexual club at Area, with a star studded D.J. line up across three rooms of fun, including Phil Marriot, Steven Geller, Ariel, Lisa German & Jason Prince, not to mention the amazing Area production, lighting & pyrotechnics as well as drinks offers a plenty.

Saturday 29th is when things really hot up with plenty of events on offer to tempt out all sorts. XXL roll out their leather party although they will have tough competition in the form of Hard On! which swings into action at Hidden in Vauxhall, headed up as usual by the queen of kink, Suzi Kruger, with discounted entry on offer to those wishing to bear all and a pervy performance by Hellfire who will be joined to two porn stars to beef up the action Resident D.J's in action will include Halo-Is, Hugosland & ofcourse Brent Nicholls. For the the slightly fainter hearted folk, G.A.Y. accomodates the camp & Juicy at Fire tempts in the disco dancefloor disciples, with the likes of Steve Pitron, Hi-Fi Sean, Rob Sykes, Gonzalo & David Jiminez spinning the sounds. However, there is little doubt that Matinee is going to draw a massive crowd on the back of its launch over at London Bridge's Cable in July, rolling out an August bak Holiday spectacular with an incredible line up of Matinee group all-star G-Martin & fresh from his stunning set at the Circuit Festival together with a host of eurpoean appearances, D.J./producer Danny Verde (can't wait). They join resident D.J's Guy Williams, Alessandro, Fat Tony & Brent Nicholls, with the addition of Jonny M & Moussa to the line up. The P.A. performance has yet to be confirmed, but Fierce Intl will be providing stunning shows across the three rooms, with the added temptation of a CD giveaway of Pagano's rare Matinee compilation to the first 300 through the door and based on the last party the most gorgeous crowd you could ever want, what more could you ask for?

Sunday 30th kicks off in earnest with Beyond as usual at Area in Vauxhall, which will no doubt be rammed with a colloision of clubbers, although some may decide to rest and re-charge in time for SuperMartXe, which moves from its usual Saturday slot to Sunday evening at the Coronet in Elephant & Castle. The party themed "Circus" should have all the usual ingredients that make this clubbing event really popular and with Pablo Kopanos headlining the D.J. team for the night, sandwiched by D'Johnny & Nick Tcherniak, a P.A. performance by spanish songstress cum diva, Nalaya, as well as aerial performers & fire breathers to add to the atmosphere. Plus, we are told that the stage show will blow your mind with some spectacular circus surprises, so a good reason not to be late. But if thats not your thang, then there is always XXL's Fusion "sunset to sunrise" party, with (surprise, surprise) The Freemasons among the D.J. line up. For those that fancy a quick cocktail (a drink silly) before hitting what will be Sunday's main event, SuperMartXe, you could do worse than popping into Barcode Vauzhall, which is going from strength to strength on Sunday nights and with Hi-Fi Sean on the decks, you won't be dissapointed.

As if that wasn't enough, then the mother of all clubs, Trade, swings into action once againin the early hours of Monday morning 31st August, teaming up with Orange at Fire to bring the second instalment of one of the years most talked about parties. Once again there will be a Trade room with D.J.'s including Pete Wardman, Pagano, Gonzalo (extactly where he belongs) Lady Bianca & Kamisshake, with the added ingredient of a back-to-back set by Steve Thomas & Nick Tcherniak, as well as Fat Tony playing out, accompanied by the voice on Tonnic (maybe with a touch of Laurence Malice thrown in for good measure). The Orange room will feature Steve Pitron, David Jiminez, The Sharp Boys, Jamie Head, Mikey D (sounds like Beyond classic Colosseum days of old!) as well as Paul Martin, Rob Sykes, D'Johnny & more, not to mention sexy go-go dancers along with stunning production. This is likely to be pure clubbing hedonism seeing out Bank Holiday Monday in superb style, or more likely downright debauchery.

So, why do we think August Bank Holiday will be different to the last three? Well, for a start, there is no real clash of the Titans as the big guns have decided to spread out their parties sensibly for a change (or was that pure chance!?!). It seems that lessons may have been learnt and whilst we doubt that promoters are actually working & co-operating with each other, there appears a sense that they have realised that people may have become wise to their stupid games & tactics. We think they may now realise that its more about having a good time, throwing a good party, rather than fiercly competing, which only serves to detriment their own sucess, by alienating the people that line their pockets, the clubbing public, afterall it is and should be "one big disco". Are we being naive in our views? Well we hope not, although this is one question we will only be able to answer, post September 1st. However, what we can say now, is that there are plenty of good nay great reasons to come out to play this August Bank Holiday and we will definately be out to play as well as review it for sure. (DISCO MATT)

Matinee & Cable "A Match Made In Heaven" - Club Preview

MATINEE & CABLE – “A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN”
CLUB PREVIEW


Well, 2009 has already proven tough for the scene, gAylisting events also feeling the pinch, with numbers dwindling in more than a handful of outings. Easter & the two subsequent Bank Holiday weekends were testament to this fact, where there were some winners, but sadly many more losers, with some new ventures not even getting off the ground, or at least failing to attract the sort of numbers that, in previous years, would have been very much guaranteed. So, as a result, club promoters are now needing to think on their feet, so as to maintain interest in their events, maybe offer something new, but definitely provide value for money & secure sufficient following.

So, it comes as no surprise that one of the capital’s biggest clubbing brands is doing just that. Not only is it looking to inject some much needed adrenaline into its events, but has taken the very bold decision to move from its current home in Vauxhall to a brand new purpose built venue in London Bridge, which the team believe has every ingredient on offer to not only recapture lost interest, but to entice new faithful's to core, in a space where they can develop a unique and amazing clubbing experience not seen yet. So what club are we talking about? Well Matinee of course, and the venue? Well it’s Cable.

Ever since its London launch, Matinee has been renowned for making every effort to keep things fresh, listening to its customers and aiming to put on the best parties in town, with quality being the name of the game. Previous homes at Area, Fabric & most recently Colosseum, have delivered in their own way, but in reality have never given us the full package, the truly gAylist experience we expect from such a massive club brand. With Cable however, we believe the team have all the resources at their hands to achieve this in bucket loads, not least as the whole design of the venue has demands of clubber very much in mind, literally from when you enter right through to all the facilities, the spaces & the mechanisms, which look set to provide the best base for Matinee yet.

So, what sets this new venue apart from any other? Well, in designing and constructing the space, the overriding aim was to consider all the needs of a busy 21st century night club, then applying them to superb effect. First there is the spacious entrance lobby, then the myriad of wide walkways & openings, with the aim of creating easy flow around the various rooms, thereby coping with the kind of numbers Matinee draws, so no bottlenecks, no uncomfortable crowding, but free movement between the dancefloors, bars & beyond. Then there is the high tech coatcheck system, which has the ability to use fingerprint imaging to identify the owner’s belongings, so no nightmares when losing tickets and having to wait until the end to reclaim your bags, coats etc! (we have all been there!). And for those of you concerned, the photographic images cannot be used by the club or any enforcing agents, so there should be no fear in this fingerprinting system, which is in actual fact quite revolutionary.

With three dance spaces, each with their own bar facilities, a superb balcony area above one of the dancefloors, and plenty of areas to kick back & relax between the hectic goings on, not to mention the added advantage of a enclosed and secluded outside space for the smokers in us as well as those seeking a little alfresco break. We are sure, therefore, that Cable’s high tech sound systems, state of the art coatcheck, glamorous bar areas & chillout zones are definitely going to be a hit with Matinee’s demanding & well educated clubbers, but, like us, we expect they will be taken a back by the understated yet stylish combination of brick, metal, leather & wood, that remind us a little of Fabric, but are designed to amazing effect creating a unique combination of space & intimacy that sets Cable it aside from its rival. Then there are the toilets, the most spacious & stylish we have seen, so expect little or no queuing here.

Questions have been raised about the venues policy on identity requirement, which we know has been a concern for many clubbers attending places like Pacha. With current inconsistent legislation on this issue, disparities between councils across the capital exist, however we can reassure that Cable will not be refusing entry through lack of I.D., indeed they are very sensitive to both the imposition and use of an identity system that has the possibility of discouraging & alienating its customers. So what are we saying? Well, you have nothing to worry about and you do not need to have identity with you to gain access, it’s as simple as that.

Then there is the location of Cable itself. Well, London Bridge is not only a major overground railway terminus, but has three tube lines serving it, a whole host of bus routes and is a well known area to all taxi cabs & firms. Being based on Bermondsey Street, there is plenty of activity going on pretty much around the clock, so no real fear of problems or troubles here. The venues owners have confirmed that they have superb relationships with a number of local taxi firms, so there should be no issues about arriving or leaving Cable safely. Indeed we understand that there may be Matinee boys & girls to direct & guide you into the club, but the teams website has a clear directional map for those of you not sure as to the venues exact location.

So, that’s the venue covered, now what can we expect from Matinee? Well, the team have revised every element of the experience to blend in with their new surroundings. The first major change is the monthly position of the event, which will now be on the last Saturday each month, fitting in much better with activities across gAylist London. Then there is the D.J. line up’s which have been tweaked, room one now sporting tore de force Brent Nicholls, joining regulars Guy Williams Paul Heron & Pagano along with monthly changes to the Spanish resident D.J. as well as guests, playing out the classic Spanish style Matinee sound. It’s the second (parlour) room that sees the biggest change as Matinee welcomes two major scene legends to the fold,, Stevie B & Fat Tony, the music style much lighter & more akin to funky house for which these two are probably the best in that field. The third room’s music attention will be much more “London” with tech house being the name of the game, so in the hands of Pier Morrocco, Alessandra & Saki, this should prove just as popular as all the other spaces. However, unlike before, the roster will not be set in stone, rather the D.J. talents used to their strengths in whichever room befits the occasion.

Mind you, it’s not all about the music, as the production is set to gain considerable momentum, so it will be simply unmistakable that this is a Matinee party. The emphasis will be on quality as well as quantity, the smoking area for example getting a special makeover for the event, huge screens imported in for the two main rooms & Matinee branding pretty much everywhere. Another big change will be in the style of dancing entertainment, Mark M Form’s Fierce crew really ringing the changes & concentrating on performances throughout the whole evening rather than one massive stage show. We are told that there will be dancers atop podiums, on specially prepared bar spaces and spread across all the rooms so as not to restrict the entertainment & eye candy in one particular area. You can definitely expect some stunning costumes and equally stunning looking dancers that’s for sure. Add to that the inclusion of P.A.’s to further compliment all the entertainment on offer with a special appearance already up their sleeve for August Bank Holiday and an equally great one lined up for the opening party.

So, with gAylist/land London still feeling the pinch of the recession, there is absolutely no doubt that Matinee looks set to inject a whole heap of freshness, value for money and an altogether exciting new experience that the scene is very much crying out for. We will of course be releasing more details on the launch event in our up-coming posts, so watch out for those. However, we can say now that Saturday 25th July will most definitely signal evolution & revolution the for capitals clubbers, in the hands of Matinee. (DISCO MATT)