"DISCONCERTING DEVELOPMENTS”
BEYOND - “CLUB CHOICE OR POLITICAL PAWN?”
MONDAY 16TH AUGUST
SPECIAL REPORT
Without question there is one club that always seems to dominate our thoughts more than any other and for good reason, as not only did we fall in love with its charms when it was launched back in 2001, but with the possible exception of Trade, it has been the biggest part of our clubbing life, homage’s to first Colosseum & now Area being pretty much weekly. The associations we have developed with the club, the friends we have made & the support we have given it across the years, means that our feelings for this brand now run deeper than many of the most meaningful elements of our life. And looking at the history of this awesome afterhours clubbing event, during its time, it has sported our favourite D.J.’s, our favourite door staff, our favourite music & our favourite promoters, indeed in the inimitable vocals of Julie Andrews “...when I’m feeling sad, I simply remember my favourite things, and then I don’t feel so bad...”, these words represent the eptiomy of this incredible club and the power it has in lifting any mood & enhancing any experience.
Yes, Beyond is, without question, our most revered club of all time, so, as a result, words cannot describe just how passionate we are about this now legendary Sunday morning outfit and whilst some may question the unparalleled level of exposure the club gets in our reviews, previews, etc, the success & popularity of Beyond speaks for itself, thus, in our view, fully justifies our support. Therefore being bullishly approving of the club comes naturally, whereas tackling & dealing with the controversial issues that occasionally arise, makes us feel uncomfortable. Yet, we can never be accused of not speaking our mind, indeed our forthright opinions & straight talking comments have become our trademark, although we would be the first to admit that they have sometimes landed us in hot water. Nevertheless, we are certainly not scared of tackling these controversies or bowing to pressure, and whilst we cannot deny that Beyond’s year has been a brilliant one so far, recent experiences have taken the edge off our whole buoyant opinion of the brand, and some of the decisions being made behind the scenes leave us wondering just what is happening to this, our favourite club.
So what has been happening? And why this shift in our opinion? Well, Beyond, in our view, is possibly becoming a victim of its own success, this ostensively gay afterhours event attracting media coverage in the pages of the most well known mainstream music magazines, the most popular national clubbing directories & virtually every must visit nightlife guide for the club tourist landing in London. This has meant that Beyond’s attraction has stretched to a much wider, metrosexual cum straight audience, all craving for a piece of this amazing action and the use of headlines in its advertising campaigns such as “...the U.K.’s biggest and best afterhours club...& moreover...the world's favourite afterhours party...” has fuelled this desire. However, such has been the popularity of a Beyond event on any given week, let alone on Bank Holiday’s when host venue Area is filled to such a degree it becomes uncomfortable, the team have set themselves a precedent which, on the quieter weeks (and even Beyond has those), its seems to us that they feel obliged to fill out the club with an ever increasing mix of, what we awkwardly describe as, very unlike Beyond people.
This has not only impacted on the previous qualitative feel to the crowd, but pockets of the club have become effectively “straight” hangouts, thus diminishing our experience, recent weeks having seen this straight/metrosexual mix increase and very much of the unsavoury kind, we ourselves becoming a victim of one such individual whose barbarous act of violence against us will remain in our memories for ever and has left somewhat of a bitter taste in our mouth. Now, we have no objection to a club that has a good mix balance, but there comes a point when you are standing in your favourite gay club being abused by someone, especially when all you are trying to do is have a good time, you then ask yourself the question “does the team want this to be this gay or straight club?” Beyond has its foundations firmly in the gAylist market and we have every confidence in the current promoter & his close team in positioning it so, yet while we have no objection to the club embracing a more mixed following, it has to be on the premise that the type is of an acceptable quality, not least given the emergence of new brands & choices.
With that issue now dealt with & kicked firmly into the long grass, what of these new brands that are beginning to appear in gAylist London? Well, the forthcoming bank holiday heralds a new Sunday morning clubbing event, yet what should be seen as a welcome choice of club outings, is rather being viewed in some quarters as an out & out threat to Beyond, thus invoking a reaction that has the desire to crush this choice and to hit those individuals where it hurts, or at least that seems to be the mentality. So, rather than opening up that choice, as one promoter has been credited with stating, “...an opportunity to shed more light on London daytime clubbing...” thereby offering the clubbing consumer not just an alternative option, but moreover something a little different to Beyond, the feeling we get is that certain individuals want this institutional Sunday morning legend of ours be the only playing ground. Considering all of this, you would be forgiven for thinking that, as different concepts in different parts of London, these new events would not pose any sort of threat to SeenQueen’s 2009 club poll winner and that the team behind the most successful afterhours club for years would be content with their lot.
But like the disturbing incident we encountered a few weeks before, an interesting and quite surprising development was played out for all to see on networking site Facebook very recently, when it was discovered that a long lasting & quite venomous hatred between two individuals was not only cast aside, but a close working relationship looked like being the result. The message which’s content included the following, “...after a long but amazing meeting....we both decided it was best for the London gay Scene to work together and to create amazing events instead of fighting each other...” kind of speaks for itself and, on the face of it, is a refreshingly positive reconciliation that would see much of the previous back-stabbing, disco politics & competition crushing relegated to the history books. Good news indeed, although reading between the lines, with one new alliance springs a new conflict and what the title of this special report on Beyond suggests, the club, through this new formed alliance is quite possibly the pawn for yet more of this club politics nonsense that, for us and possibly many more, is being seen as one of a few disconcerting developments.
So, despite the new year springing new hope that tacit working relationships would put these sordid club politics behind us, while the first few months seemed to be reflecting this most welcome change in attitude, recent weeks & the issues played out before our eyes seem to indicate that, not only are the bad old days back with a vengeance, but in truth they probably never went away. Making peace between individuals is one thing, but to then broadcast supposed alliances & marriage of brands through misleading messages is another and as much as working relationships are healthy for the scene, there has to remain a distinction between clubs, promoters & the like. Yes, we should be providing choice to the clubber, the product of this being prolific new parties to keep the scene invigorating & fresh, but as much as the ideal would be that each & every club event on the calendar work in tandem with each other, the reality is that they can’t and a line has to be drawn in the proverbial sand, with certain operating principles followed. After all, it’s like saying that Tesco’s & Sainsbury’s have formed a working relationship, it is a concept flawed for every conceivable reason and, for us, so is this new found alliance in its current form.
That said, in a country which has seen a marriage of minds & political forces, a coalition to move matters forward in a cohesive & measured way in the national interest, club owners & promoters within this scene of ours could learn a lot from our leaders in Whitehall. So if this alliance & others are to continue, it should be in the interests of the clubbing consumer and not those alliance individuals, therefore, rather than employing devious & underhanded tactics for self gain, wouldn’t it be so refreshing to see a greater level of peace & understanding between promoters, not a collation per say, but an even playing field that allows for greater choice. Using Beyond as a pawn to try to crush the competition is, for us, a club politics step too far and rather than trying to run competition out of town, we should be embracing choice that will only serve to make this glorious gAylist clubbing scene of ours the best it can be. So we say, let the dancefloor’s & the D.J.’s talk the talk & walk the walk, consign the promoters to promoting & not competition crushing and let the clubbing consumer have the choice they deserve & what the scene so desperately needs. (DISCO MATT)
BEYOND - “CLUB CHOICE OR POLITICAL PAWN?”
MONDAY 16TH AUGUST
SPECIAL REPORT
Without question there is one club that always seems to dominate our thoughts more than any other and for good reason, as not only did we fall in love with its charms when it was launched back in 2001, but with the possible exception of Trade, it has been the biggest part of our clubbing life, homage’s to first Colosseum & now Area being pretty much weekly. The associations we have developed with the club, the friends we have made & the support we have given it across the years, means that our feelings for this brand now run deeper than many of the most meaningful elements of our life. And looking at the history of this awesome afterhours clubbing event, during its time, it has sported our favourite D.J.’s, our favourite door staff, our favourite music & our favourite promoters, indeed in the inimitable vocals of Julie Andrews “...when I’m feeling sad, I simply remember my favourite things, and then I don’t feel so bad...”, these words represent the eptiomy of this incredible club and the power it has in lifting any mood & enhancing any experience.
Yes, Beyond is, without question, our most revered club of all time, so, as a result, words cannot describe just how passionate we are about this now legendary Sunday morning outfit and whilst some may question the unparalleled level of exposure the club gets in our reviews, previews, etc, the success & popularity of Beyond speaks for itself, thus, in our view, fully justifies our support. Therefore being bullishly approving of the club comes naturally, whereas tackling & dealing with the controversial issues that occasionally arise, makes us feel uncomfortable. Yet, we can never be accused of not speaking our mind, indeed our forthright opinions & straight talking comments have become our trademark, although we would be the first to admit that they have sometimes landed us in hot water. Nevertheless, we are certainly not scared of tackling these controversies or bowing to pressure, and whilst we cannot deny that Beyond’s year has been a brilliant one so far, recent experiences have taken the edge off our whole buoyant opinion of the brand, and some of the decisions being made behind the scenes leave us wondering just what is happening to this, our favourite club.
So what has been happening? And why this shift in our opinion? Well, Beyond, in our view, is possibly becoming a victim of its own success, this ostensively gay afterhours event attracting media coverage in the pages of the most well known mainstream music magazines, the most popular national clubbing directories & virtually every must visit nightlife guide for the club tourist landing in London. This has meant that Beyond’s attraction has stretched to a much wider, metrosexual cum straight audience, all craving for a piece of this amazing action and the use of headlines in its advertising campaigns such as “...the U.K.’s biggest and best afterhours club...& moreover...the world's favourite afterhours party...” has fuelled this desire. However, such has been the popularity of a Beyond event on any given week, let alone on Bank Holiday’s when host venue Area is filled to such a degree it becomes uncomfortable, the team have set themselves a precedent which, on the quieter weeks (and even Beyond has those), its seems to us that they feel obliged to fill out the club with an ever increasing mix of, what we awkwardly describe as, very unlike Beyond people.
This has not only impacted on the previous qualitative feel to the crowd, but pockets of the club have become effectively “straight” hangouts, thus diminishing our experience, recent weeks having seen this straight/metrosexual mix increase and very much of the unsavoury kind, we ourselves becoming a victim of one such individual whose barbarous act of violence against us will remain in our memories for ever and has left somewhat of a bitter taste in our mouth. Now, we have no objection to a club that has a good mix balance, but there comes a point when you are standing in your favourite gay club being abused by someone, especially when all you are trying to do is have a good time, you then ask yourself the question “does the team want this to be this gay or straight club?” Beyond has its foundations firmly in the gAylist market and we have every confidence in the current promoter & his close team in positioning it so, yet while we have no objection to the club embracing a more mixed following, it has to be on the premise that the type is of an acceptable quality, not least given the emergence of new brands & choices.
With that issue now dealt with & kicked firmly into the long grass, what of these new brands that are beginning to appear in gAylist London? Well, the forthcoming bank holiday heralds a new Sunday morning clubbing event, yet what should be seen as a welcome choice of club outings, is rather being viewed in some quarters as an out & out threat to Beyond, thus invoking a reaction that has the desire to crush this choice and to hit those individuals where it hurts, or at least that seems to be the mentality. So, rather than opening up that choice, as one promoter has been credited with stating, “...an opportunity to shed more light on London daytime clubbing...” thereby offering the clubbing consumer not just an alternative option, but moreover something a little different to Beyond, the feeling we get is that certain individuals want this institutional Sunday morning legend of ours be the only playing ground. Considering all of this, you would be forgiven for thinking that, as different concepts in different parts of London, these new events would not pose any sort of threat to SeenQueen’s 2009 club poll winner and that the team behind the most successful afterhours club for years would be content with their lot.
But like the disturbing incident we encountered a few weeks before, an interesting and quite surprising development was played out for all to see on networking site Facebook very recently, when it was discovered that a long lasting & quite venomous hatred between two individuals was not only cast aside, but a close working relationship looked like being the result. The message which’s content included the following, “...after a long but amazing meeting....we both decided it was best for the London gay Scene to work together and to create amazing events instead of fighting each other...” kind of speaks for itself and, on the face of it, is a refreshingly positive reconciliation that would see much of the previous back-stabbing, disco politics & competition crushing relegated to the history books. Good news indeed, although reading between the lines, with one new alliance springs a new conflict and what the title of this special report on Beyond suggests, the club, through this new formed alliance is quite possibly the pawn for yet more of this club politics nonsense that, for us and possibly many more, is being seen as one of a few disconcerting developments.
So, despite the new year springing new hope that tacit working relationships would put these sordid club politics behind us, while the first few months seemed to be reflecting this most welcome change in attitude, recent weeks & the issues played out before our eyes seem to indicate that, not only are the bad old days back with a vengeance, but in truth they probably never went away. Making peace between individuals is one thing, but to then broadcast supposed alliances & marriage of brands through misleading messages is another and as much as working relationships are healthy for the scene, there has to remain a distinction between clubs, promoters & the like. Yes, we should be providing choice to the clubber, the product of this being prolific new parties to keep the scene invigorating & fresh, but as much as the ideal would be that each & every club event on the calendar work in tandem with each other, the reality is that they can’t and a line has to be drawn in the proverbial sand, with certain operating principles followed. After all, it’s like saying that Tesco’s & Sainsbury’s have formed a working relationship, it is a concept flawed for every conceivable reason and, for us, so is this new found alliance in its current form.
That said, in a country which has seen a marriage of minds & political forces, a coalition to move matters forward in a cohesive & measured way in the national interest, club owners & promoters within this scene of ours could learn a lot from our leaders in Whitehall. So if this alliance & others are to continue, it should be in the interests of the clubbing consumer and not those alliance individuals, therefore, rather than employing devious & underhanded tactics for self gain, wouldn’t it be so refreshing to see a greater level of peace & understanding between promoters, not a collation per say, but an even playing field that allows for greater choice. Using Beyond as a pawn to try to crush the competition is, for us, a club politics step too far and rather than trying to run competition out of town, we should be embracing choice that will only serve to make this glorious gAylist clubbing scene of ours the best it can be. So we say, let the dancefloor’s & the D.J.’s talk the talk & walk the walk, consign the promoters to promoting & not competition crushing and let the clubbing consumer have the choice they deserve & what the scene so desperately needs. (DISCO MATT)
Postscript – Tuesday 17th August
Having reflected on the content of our report, we thought it only fair to also bring you an extract from our “original draft” which details that violent incident we referred to. We do this, not least as we feel very strongly about the issue, but, judging by the reactions received already, it seems our readers do too.
“....One such example of this was when we ourselves became a victim, our characteristically energetic dancing moves in our usual & favourite spot, this time to an amazing set by Mikey D, were met with disapproval by one such female, so much so that she considered a swift kick to our back was the remedy to her supposed annoyance. However, as if that abuse was bad enough, the emotional insult to our physical injury was when the straight security took her side, stating that “...it was our word against hers...”, effectively condoning this barbarous act of violence. Now, it has to be said that both the promoter & the club management were extremely supportive of us on this occasion (major thanks to Steven Sharp, Aaron Elder & Tom Fuller) and eventually, the female in question was ejected from the club, although we would be lying if the whole affair has left somewhat of a bitter taste in our mouth....”
We urge the promotions & management team to really wake up to this issue, which people on the ground are talking about with increasing ferocity,
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