"Amazing Amalgamation" - As One - Sunday 29th August

“AMAZING AMALGAMATION”
AS ONE – “MASSIVE FUNFAIR GARDEN PARTY” –
SUNDAY 29TH AUGUST
SPECIAL PREVIEW



As 2010 dawned there was much hot news hitting the dancefloor with some dramatic developments with a huge Spanish club brand in the capital changing hands, although the biggest news turned out to be the huge success that was the new collaborative club event that was As One, a concept born out of parties such as Famous Five, Universe & even the Pride park gatherings, where like-minded promoters put their heads together to not just combine forces to create a unique blend of club events catering for a wide audience, but moreover putting the clubber first and self gain last. For those of you that may not be familiar with the Famous Five concept, these were massive parties that were held on major weekends of the year, most predominantly Bank Holiday Sunday’s at the infamous Bagley’s warehouses in Kings Cross, London, brands such as Love Muscle, G.A.Y., Fruit Machine, Sherbet & Fist combining forces to create a unique experience that, at the time, was a radical yet welcome progression for all encompassing clubbing. Whilst Famous Five’s glory days were relatively short lived, the concept was to re-emerge with events Giant & Universe which combined clubs, Crash, Salvation, Atelier, Coco Late & Heaven, continuing collaborations seeing Ultimate take its place in the history books of clubbing combo’s in the capital, at the time named “the biggest alliance since Star Wars”, when Crash, DTPM & Trade partied under one roof.

So, looking back over the years paints a very healthy picture of amazing amalgamations and with the date being 01/01/2010, not only was it the start of a new year & the start of a new decade, but it was the start of a new clubbing collaboration that very much had its roots in those parties back in the nineties & early noughties, although As One would literally captivate its audience, packing out its host venue with numbers that had rarely been seen in many months nay years, the collaboration between five clubbing brands & six club promoters ending up as mixing match made in heaven. In the marriage of current cutting edge club brands Trannyshack, Megawoof, Lovechild, Orange & Lo-Profile, each having their own special area to flex their musical muscles, As One very much captured the imagination when it was launched on New Year’s Day, the added spice of a Beyond room really cementing its popularity & success. The follow up event in Easter had a similar effect, very much setting the trend for a refreshing collaboration of clubbing minds and, just like the first party, As One short of stole the headlines, firmly cementing it on the scene as a vibrant multi faceted party appealing to a broad spectrum of clubbers, something the scene clearly was craving for, given the sheer numbers through the doors.

However, plans to bring As One back for London Gay Pride were mysteriously put on hold, the emphasis falling back on trusty brands Beyond, Later & Orange to fly their individual flags for this most popular of weekends and indeed when we were informed that the next party was not scheduled until 1st January 2011, we kind of resigned ourselves to the fact that one of the major success stories of the year was going to be consigned to just two parties. But, hope springs eternal and just days after our return from Brighton’s Gay Dance Weekend, news came through that As One would actually be a feature of the August Bank Holiday schedule, fitting neatly in line with a hectic Vauxhall list of parties, planting itself in the new Sunday afternoon slot normally occupied by Later. In moving the event back from its expected Bank Holiday timing of Monday morning has effectively filled the gap in a strong line up of parities that includes a double dose of Onyx, Beyond’s “Super Size” and the citric & tech collaboration of Orange Trade, thus creating the circuit of events across Vauxhall stretching from the Friday evening right until Monday afternoon when Later rounds off a full-on Orange Group weekend, As One for us being the massive centre stone in a diamond encrusted schedule.

So, what can we expect from this latest, the third instalment of As One? Well, being the August Bank Holiday, when the team mapped out the event they were very much banking on good weather, although as London has proven on so many occasions, you can never guarantee for hot weather on a long weekend. However, with the main theme of the party being “...a massive funfair style garden party...”, but with the emphasis on the indoors as well as the outdoors, on speaking with Alex Erfan just this morning, he was naturally cautious about the weather prospects, particularly given the inclement conditions that have battered the capital during the week. However, should the sun shine, then the outside area will get considerable focus, the space being hosted by Later and in doing so, promoter Jay Sharp Vokins will be replicating the hugely popular & successful funfair theme that was a hit on Gay Pride weekend. However, adding to the atmosphere will be the addition of D.J.’s playing outside and currently in the line up spin the sounds is The Oli, Paul Martin & Terry Bryan, all three regulars to Later’s decks and should prove popular draws.

Inside and the usual As One brands of Megawoof, Lo-Profile & Lovechild will feature, with the addition of Brighton’s Wild Fruit in the line up. Having successfully collaborated with Lovechild both in Brighton at Dance Nation and then just last weekend at Fire, Wild Fruit returns to the capital to storm the main room with a D.J. line up that includes Lee Harris, D’Johnny & duo Prok & Fitch who will make the journey up from Brighton especially for this event. Having met back in 2006, Ben (Prok) & James (Fitch) have formed a production & D.J. partnership that has seen them create their own record label, Floorplay, which has hosted its own night in their home city’s club Coalition and now also hosts events in London & Dubai. Indeed the boys have been spreading their word around the world in the last eighteen months, touching on Australia, Brazil and Ibiza, as well an exhaustive schedule in the studio and promoting their record label, all which has attracted names such as David Pen, Mark Knight, & Chris Lake, with support for their work coming from the likes of Carl Cox, Paul Van Dyk & Steve Angelo, impressive indeed. However, in landing in the Wild Fruit room at As One, it will feel a little like a home coming for the boys, who have played for the Brighton dance brand on a number of occasions, so will definitely prove popular on Sunday for sure.

However for us, the focus inside will be on the Lovechild room which has a truly amazing line up foursome that have every chance of stealing the As One show, as Lovechild resident regulars Alessandro Londra & Paul Heron will be joined by Eduardo De La Torre from Berlin and Javier Medina from Barcelona. Taking up its slot in the Mirrorarch room, Lovechild has proven to be the most popular choice at As One parties, as it sits neatly between the four inside spaces & in the Mirrorarch, is a room that has always been the most successful for us, you just have to look at Orange Trade parties there, not to mention the fabulous Muccassasina room at The London Global Dance Festival. So, Eduardo’s opening set will certainly draw the crowd in from the off, with the experienced hands of both Alessandro & Paul securing the rooms draw right up till the 8 p.m. finish. Mr Heron is particularly adept in this space, a whole collection of Lovechild sets proving more than his worth and his international status & pedigree definitely making him a crowd favourite. Alessandro also loves playing this room, indeed just last weekend had the space absolutely rocking with an inspiring set that, for us, was the performance of the night, delivering a fabulous blend of tech & progressive pumping house that is so characteristic of his style at the moment and very much in the Lovechild modus operandus.

But the real & exciting prospect will be the London debut of Javier Medina, a talent we have been tracking for a few months now and has had a spectacular summer, not least featuring heavily in the emerging brand & talk of Spain WE, which is slowly expanding across Europe and will surely make it to London soon, Javier being very much in the mix there as one of their roving resident D.J.’s. That aside, Mr Medina is resident for Devotion in his hometown of Barcelona and was part of their huge Circuit Festival party when he played alongside Pagano, opening up the eight day string of parties in superb style, although it isn’t all about Barcelona for Javier, as he has also jetted across to Cologne & Paris to play at Beardrop’s “Xtreme” events and has even made it out to Australia for the Mardi Gras season, playing at Sydney’s “Extra Dirty” event back in March. So, it is fair to say that 2010 has been a superb year so far and this is one D.J. that, in our view, is definitely going places & getting his name picked up in the music clubbing press pages across the world, one such article out in the capital’s Boyz magazine (check it out at http://boyz.co.uk/onlineViewer/viewer.php on page 51), his style of tech & tribal house very much a theme of his live performances, as well as works in the studio which will definitely bring added dimension & spice to the sometimes monotone London sound. In advance of his first gig in the capital, Javier has commissioned a special mix dedicated to is As One appearance, entitled “Barcelona To London”, which is well worth a listen at http://soundcloud.com/javier-medina and will give you an insight of what to expect from his performance, as Javier tells us and everyone, “...expect the unexpected & come discover yourself through my music...” and we know you will.

That leaves the other two rooms and Megawoof return to the As One fray for the third time, resident D.J.’s Daz Saud & Leonardo Glovibes spearheading the line up in the Lightbox that will also include Tim Mcloone & Diddy, the team drawing their own crowd for sure, but also tempting in a few that would not normally make it to a regular Megawoof event. Over in the lounge it s all about Lo-Profile with Stewart Whoo kicking off proceedings and then scene favourite and nu-funk exponent Brent Nicholls centre staging the space, although we are hoping his set doesn’t clash with Javier’s as our choice could be incredibly difficult as a result. Again on speaking with As One head poncho Alex Erfan, he has explained to us that “...the timings for all of these rooms may be a little fluid and will be very dependant of the weather and the popularity of the outdoor area as a result...” he further adding that “...we may need to swap D.J.’s around as a result of conditions, although I am expecting the Lovechild room to remain as advertised and Prok & Fitch will be playing in the main room at the advertised time...”, well you can’t say fairer than that.

Right, now to the all important detail and information regarding this As One “amazing amalgamation” which takes place at Fire in Vauxhall this Sunday (29th August) from midday till 8 p.m. Advance tickets priced at £12 are available online now at http://clubtickets.com or in person at Soho outlets Prowler, Clone Zone & DV8, as well as at The Box in Covent Garden and if your are heading to Beyond’s “Super Size” party beforehand, why not grab a joint ticket for £20. Entrance on the door to As One will be available priced at £15 and we are told, special discount passes to Onyx’s second party of the weekend, Neon (which immediately follows over at Area), will be available during As One’s party. More details, could you need them, are available at http://alexerfan.com or by checking the club page diary at favourite clubbing website http://seenqueen.com.

So, The August Bank Holiday weekend is on us and it’s time to party, pray for a little sunshine, but be comfortable in the knowledge that As One looks like being THE place to be & be seen on Sunday and with the likes of Brent Nicholls, Paul Heron, Eduardo De La Torre, Alessandro Londra, Terry Bryan, The Oli, D’Johnny Stewart Whoo, Prok & Fitch, and many more, plus not forgetting Mr Javier Medina, they should all prove that “music is the answer” and this amazing amalgamation” is an absolute MUST. So, as we always say....”Go There!
Be There”. (DISCO MATT)

Postscript

Why not check out the specially commissioned video trailer to this As One event by going to http://facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1476700552309&ref=mf and while you’re at it, check out Lee Harris’ compilation dedication at http://soundcloud.com/mashed/lee-harris-as-one-aug-2010.

"Disconcerting Developments" - Beyond "Club Choice or Political Pawn?" - Special Report

"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)

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,

"Home-Grown Hybrids a-la Schmitz Style - Hype & M.O.S.T. - Special Preview

“HOME-GROWN HYBRIDS A-LA SCHMITZ STYLE”
HYPE & M.O.S.T.
SPECIAL PREVIEW


There is no escaping the fact that the gAylist clubbing scene in the capital today paints a very different picture to the one it depicted ten or so years ago, when there were so many events that had much more of an air of exclusivity to them and an entrance on a guestlist meant that you were part of an elite few that the club or the promoter wished to see in their venue or event. These days, being on a guestlist isn’t so much a privilege bestowed on a few, more a free for all attempt to get into the club without paying and, as a result, the cases where paying customers get into clubs & events before guests is becoming more common place. This shift in attitude towards the exclusivity that used to exist when we first started clubbing has, in our view, decremented the whole experience of a great club night and the quality of crowds has suffered as a result, in some cases clubs that were the bastions of the gAylist byword have since been infiltrated by our straight cousins, only a couple of weeks ago, one of our favourite afterhours events falling foul of this & us of one of its most unsavoury elements.

However, for those of you that have been observing the scene carefully in recent months, this trend is very much being bucked by one individual who has developed both a loyal following and has attracted a like minded crowd that is very much in the gAylist style. As a friend appropriately put it “...he attracts the sort of people to his clubs that look like him and it is his look as well as his manner that makes the crowds so good and the events so popular...”. Now, if you haven’t guessed who we are talking about by now, then here are another couple of clues. He was responsible for the stage shows in the heyday of Matinee’s time at Fabric and he was the man who brought SuperMartXe to the capital, thus transforming the scene pretty much overnight. Got it? of course you have, it’s Logan Schmitz, the go-go dancer turned club promoter that has, without doubt, put the capital A back into gay and the purest form & definition of guest into list, very much pioneering a resurgence in the true gAylisting event, whether it be through the awesome SuperMartXe parties at The Coronet & The O2 Academy, the highly successful one-off Queen Of Clubs or the new style Matinee which took the scene by storm in July with what was, undoubtedly, THE best party of the year so far in the public domain.

As successful as these Spanish brands within the Logan Presents portfolio of clubs are & have been for him, the rumblings of conflict of interests continue and whilst Mr Schmitz has proven to all his critics that he can sustain both of these giant Espaniol events without them treading on each other’s toes, you still get the feeling that the powers that be in both the Matinee & SuperMartXe camps are finding it difficult to comprehend just how one person can manage & promote the franchises for two competitor brands. So, it comes as no surprise to us that this ingenious young man is more than likely thinking on his feet and is looking to, as he describes them himself, his “home-grown” concepts to pave a further way along the gAylist road, most likely standing out & proud next to Matinee & SuperMartXe, but ultimately offering Logan & his team tangible vehicles to continue their quest in re-painting the clubbing landscape and continuing this resurgence of quality clubbing with crowds to match which has been so missing from the scene in recent years.

So what are these so called home-gown brands that we are talking about? Well, for those of you that are glued to social networking site, Facebook, you will have seen snippets of news, notifications & pictures of his private party UP, indeed we were privileged to be invited to the last party and you can catch our full review right here at http://discomatt.com/ &.or via direct link http://discomatt.blogspot.com/2010/07/up-up-and-away-logan-presents-up-at-dex.html, which should give you a good idea of what Mr Schmitz is aiming at with this exclusive event. But it is clear that Logan & his schmitzels also want to play their part in the public domain with their own branded gAylisting events and so enter the fray both Hype & M.O.S.T., two concepts that will spearhead Logan Presents’ Bank Holiday weekend push for the punters and should prove very popular events for sure. Now, Hype will be, or should be familiar to those that were in & around London during May last year, when the team launched the concept onto an unsuspecting yet suspicious public, many reading between the lines of Logan’s intentions and the whole affair causing controversy in our camp, not to mention victrionic disapproval in our review, which you can check out for yourselves at http://discomatt.blogspot.com/2009/05/hype-club-review.html. However, since that time, much proverbial water has flown under the bridge and we suspect that, like ourselves, the prying public will be most likely much more affable towards this re-launch of the Hype brand, particularly as SuperMartXe has now lost much of novelty factor element, which at the time of the launch of Logan’s first own brand, was still quite prevalent.

So what does Hype actually offer that separates it from SuperMartXe? Well, perhaps the single biggest thing is that it allows Logan and his team to literally pick & choose the D.J.’s and performance artists that he wants, whereas with SuperMartXe, he is compelled to book at least one of the Spanish clubs residents, many of whom in our humble opinion are never a patch on their London counterparts and given that the brand also insists that they take the headlining slot, means that, what we would call the fat end of the evening can be dominated by a D.J. that really isn’t doing it. Then there are the PA performers, although here we have always found those at SuperMartXe to be really good, but again, with Hype Mr Schmitz has a free reign. And finally of course, there is the production of the club which is probably one of this team’s biggest strengths, their stage shows being nothing short of iconic, the pomp & circumstance surrounding each & every party impressive, although in Hype it is not so much about the shows, but more about the music collaborations within the shows & between the performers & the D.J.’s

Right, with the Hype hysteria pretty much sorted, what can you expect from this re-launch party? Well, it will take place on Saturday 28th August (that’s in three Saturday’s time) and making his London debut will be D.J. Carlos Gallardo, whom we are told made considerable waves at The Circuit Festival last week, particularly at the huge WE pool party, a club brand which is creating quite a buzz & stir over in Spain itself and is generating lots of media coverage as well as thrusting some new names into the international D.J.’ing limelight, Carlos being one and the very talented Javier Medina being another. Mr Gallardo, whilst still a rising star, will be best known for his track “Don’t Let This Moment End”, but has a couple of others under his belt, not to mention his compilation mix entitled “A New Generation”, so should be an exciting prospect on 29th. He will be joined on the decks by Logan’s London regulars Tony English & Paul Heron and whilst Tony has played at a number of SuperMartXe parties at The Coronet (the host venue for Hype), it will be only the second time Mr Heron has done so, he having performed alongside the capable if but very camp Offer Nissam at Queen Of Clubs earlier this year. To say Mr English is on fire at the moment is an understatement, as not only did he treat us to what was probably THE best set we heard him play at the last UP party at the end of July, but he did it all again last weekend at Dance Nation, so we are very much looking forward to that. As for Paul, well the man seems to be in ever increasing demand overseas, in fact, Logan landing him for Hype is a bit of a coup as we know he will be squeezing this between gigs in Greece for Xlsior & Berlin, the man hardly ever being in the UK at the moment.

Completing the Hype package will be the performance duo known at The Free Radical Formation (not to be confused with the pop group of a similar name), the vocal talents of Brit Rob Harris & Spanish electronic music wizard Sergi Gadi have, just this year, produced dancefloor anthems including “Supernova”, “Reign” & “To The Stars” and will bring to London their brand new smash “Broken Dreams” which will get its first exclusive live airing on the Coronet’s stage. So, they should certainly make an impact on this home-grown brand’s re-launch, which, as Mr Schmitz neatly concludes “...with all of the dazzling, over-the-top production, pyrotechnics and effects that you have come to expect from Logan Presents, this is one Bank Holiday party you will not want to miss!!...BELIEVE THE HYPE...” and it seems that this time round we might well be one of those believers.

But not content with just Hype & UP, Logan has created a third way, which was born out of the success of the last Matinee “Open Air Summer” party, which, as we hinted earlier, was THE best clubbing event for the year so far, even outstripping the brilliance that was As One on NYD (and that’s going some!). So pleased were Ministry Of Sound (MOS) with that event, that Logan has really found favour with them and has been handed a bit of a gem as a result, the use of MOS on Bank Holiday Sunday morning (29th August), when he will roll out his new concept, M.O.S.T., which he has described to us as “...an opportunity to shed more light on London daytime clubbing...” but will also crucially “...offer a unique carry on experience, a non-stop party fusion with Hype which, as The Cornet lets out, MOS will draw in...”. And we can certainly see this happening, not least due to the two venues close proximity to each other, so yes you guessed it, M.O.S.T. is a Sunday morning club, although will be one that differs from main rival Beyond, as the focus will be on alfresco dancing, the formula that made Matinee the success it was in July, meaning much of the action (weather permitting of course) will be out on MOS’s terrace, where the irresistible line up will include two of our favourite Italiano’s the London based Pagano & Milan’s vey own Danny Verde, who will sandwich Carlos Gallardo who, like loads of Hype followers, will have hot footed it across to M.O.S.T.

We cannot tell you just how excited we are that Danny will be back in London, especially having been hugely disappointed when he pulled out of Lovebox last month, so you know exactly where you will find us on Sunday morning, but then Danny will be fresh from a whirlwind sequence of gigs around the globe, which will have included Canada, Brazil, Germany & The USA, the rise & rise of this now shining star seemingly endless. We are hoping he will be giving us a sneak preview of his new remix which is called “Till We See The Sun”, so watch out for news on that closer to the time. As for Mr Pagano, well, like Tony English, we were simply blown away by his set at UP which was, unquestionably, the best we have seen him play and so appropriate for that party. And arriving at M.O.S.T., Francesco will have hopefully recovered from his massive 7 hour set at Rapido (7 hours!!), but will no doubt be pushing the release of his much awaited compilation and yes you heard it right, he has bowed to all that pressure, good on him. Apart from these three, the inside action should be just as hot with rising stars & Logan protégée’s starring, Brazil’s Leandro Koppel (another UP boy) and Israeli Michel Mizrahi, who makes his second appearance for Mr Schmitz at MOS.

Now, as we expect these parties to be the talk of the town, we will be devoting special focuses to both Hype & M.O.S.T. when we will not only recap on details here, but fill you in on that all important information on tickets, opening times, etc, plus we will be bringing you special links to music from the various D.J. and artists performing. However, if you are itching to find out more now, then why not pay a visit to http://loganpresents.com/ or check out the events pages via Facebook, but keep your eyes peeled for those focuses coming up and join the Logan Presents gAylist resurgence revolution with their two “Home-Grown Hybrids a-la Schmitz Style”. (DISCO MATT)

Matinee "Open Air Summer Party"

“GOING BACK TO ITS ROOTS”
MATINEE LONDON “OPEN AIR SUMMER PARTY” -
SUNDAY 11TH JULY
SPECIAL PREVIEW


When you paint a picture of summer, then cast your thoughts towards clubbing, add a little bit of Latino and a dollop of alfresco dancing, then put them all together, what do you get? Well there is one name that shoots straight to the top of the list, a name that has been dominating the club scene across its homeland for well over a decade now, during which time it has extended its massive branding arm to stretch right around the world, touching on every single continent like no other clubbing concept. The moment you utter the word Matinee, you immediately think of a whole myriad of other words that capture the whole essence of this huge partying phenomenon, although the core principles of this Spanish born & bred giant have always centred on summer & sunshine, just look at their logo and its screams this out loud & proud. However, two other elements were intrinsic Matinee ingredients right from the brands birth in 1997 and they were Saturday’s & Sunday’s, but not as you would expect, as the one thing that stood this fledgling clubbing group out form its competitors was its afterhours status.

Yes, Matinee was born out of clubbing deep into both Saturday & Sunday mornings, based primarily on the principle that in Spain at least, they adore going out in the early hours of the morning and then partying, especially at the weekend, deep into the day and, if they can manage it, right up to siesta time, in some cases beyond. And this was a principle that the group carried through to its launch on the white isle, Space in Ibiza playing host to the first Matinee party which took place, not on a Saturday or Sunday, but on a Thursday morning. But such became the strength of the brand, not only did it begin to infiltrate the conformist hours of clubbing both on this most iconic of party islands and in its home city of Barcelona, but with the Matinee word spreading across the globe through their much acclaimed series of world tours, it was inevitable that Saturday night would become the familiar territory for the majority of its parties. But there can be no escaping the fact that there is something quite special about clubbing in the daylight, not least the decadent feel it gives you, the sense of being just that little bit naughtier than your neighbour and pushing the boundaries of normality, then add to that being in the outdoors, possibly soaking up then sun while dancing, and it makes for the best partying recipe we can think of, a recipe that made Matinee so popular in those informative days.

However, Matinee in London has always followed the more conformist route, launching as it did in 2006 on a Saturday night at Area and whilst, at that time, Saturday still dominated the scene here in the capital, there is no doubt that times have changed, meaning that trends have too. With Beyond re-launching in 2008, then going on to dominate the gAylist scene, the impetus for Saturday nights has slowly ebbed away, with Sunday very much in the ascendancy, the big winner in this change of clubbing hearts being not just Beyond, but moreover its natural onward destination Later, the recent surge in this Sunday afternoon club signalling a real shift into daytime & evening events on this end to the weekend slot. So, it comes as no surprise that Matinee in London has decided to dip its toe into the pool of opportunity that seems to presenting itself at the moment, with its next instalment in the hands of the Logan Presents team, who as you know, took over the London franchise back on New Year’s day and promised, at the time, a fresh new & exciting look for this most prestigious clubbing brand, now of the cusp of its fourth year in the capital and in its fortcoming party it very much looks like delivering on that promise of a fresh & exciting new look.

And this change could not have come soon enough for us, as Matinee has desperately been seeking to find firm footing for close on a year now, having jumped through a succession of hoops since taking London by storm back in 2006. The short span of successful events at Area, was followed up by a period of expansion in both size & popularity during its time at Fabric, although the switch to Sunday evenings soon fell out of favour, prompting the switch back to Saturdays & back to Vauxhall, superclub Colosseum becoming the host for what will probably be noted as the most prolific period for the brand in the capital. However, the desire to keep Matinee fresh, saw a further move to 21st century & state of the art venue Cable in London Bridge, although a promising start soon led to a lack lustre end, as the then promotions team seemed to be losing their way & focus in amongst the political issues of the day. This led to the fateful news that Matinee in the capital was to change hands, falling under the control of the man in charge of the brands major competitor, SuperMartXe, an announcement that initially shocked, then seemed a strange choice, but soon made resounding sense, as Matinee bosses were keen to re-capture the kind of success it had enjoyed back in those early days in London, the top brass of the brand looking to Logan to achieve that. Moving to The Fridge in Brixton was a bold move, but as the team cleverly deluded to with their first party, it was always going to be “Matinee Under Construction” and indeed it seems, as far as The Fridge is concerned, that is exactly what looks like happening, as plans for reconstruction of the venue have been muted by its new owners and not before time we say, especially if it is to continue to host this world class clubbing brand.

So, all that said, what is this fresh new & exciting look we have deluded to? Well, not only have the team behind Matinee London decided to go back to their Spanish grass roots, switching the timing of the club from a Saturday night to Sunday daytime, but they have secured a venue with a pedigree to match the Matinee brand, as London’s famous Ministry of Sound (MOS) will host the forthcoming “Open Air Summer Party”, which will be taking place this coming Sunday (11th July), kicking off from 12 midday & running through until 10 p.m., MOS opening its doors & opening out its outside terrace to accommodate this Ibiza style open air event, that will combine both inside & out and give Matinee in London a whole new feel. But hold on, we are talking a London summer here, so surely this move is a gamble with the weather? Well yes, but with all the good weather we have been enjoying lately and with the forecast looking very promising indeed, in the words of the organisers, Sunday afternoon will definitely be a time to “...dig out those summer shades & come see Matinee in a new light...”.

Now as for those new lights, not only will you be able to choose between clubbing indoors & out, but the team will be introducing a new D.J. to the Matinee London team, as well known dancer to the stars Marco Da Silva makes his D.J.’ing debut in the capital, on the back of a successful stint on the US clubbing circuit where he rubbed shoulders with the likes of Peter Rauhofer & David Guetta. Having been thrust into the limelight following his big break into the disc spinning game at Barcelona’s Circuit Festival last year, Marco has been in the minds of Matinee ever since, his dancing career having seen him perform right across the world, building up contacts with artists such as Mariah Carey, Geri Haliwell & Kylie Minogue, although in adding the D.J. string to his bow, is making considerable waves in amongst his peers. So, not only is Marco a real asset to Matinee, but his style of euro house, dipping into tribal with plenty of experimental beats on the underground & progressive side of house should certainly ignite reaction on MOS’s terrace this Sunday. He will be joined by an incredibly strong line up that includes Matinee Spain resident Taito Tikaro, who will be flying into London direct from Matinee’s Ibiza party at Amnesia literally hours after spinning in front of a packed crowd on the white on the Saturday night. Taito is well known to London, having made numerous appearances in the capital for Matinee, although his experience of the Ibiza scene should see him set the terrace alight with dancing action. Then, completing the line-up on the Matinee terrace at MOS, although kicking proceedings off, will be international megastar D.J. Paul Heron, who will be fresh from his smash appearance at Madrid Pride and raring to get this “Open Air Summer Party” off to a cracking start with his characteristic chunky & hard hitting house sounds.

Inside, the line up looks just as sparkling, with Matinee regulars, Pagano & Alessandro Londra are both on fire following prolific performances across our very own Pride London last weekend, Mr Francesco having created plenty of drama on the capital’s dancefloors at both Onyx & SuperMartXe, as well as fitting in a trip to Madrid’s pride closing party, so is sure to once again make a dramatic dent on proceedings at MOS, no doubt treating us to his latest track “Drama On The Dancefloor” amongst a few of his other favourites. As for Alessandro, well he simply blew us away with a stunning pride inspired set at Rupert St last Saturday and then repeated it at Lo-Profile, packing the place out till close on dawn with his scintillating sounds and we know he is truly excited about returning to the Matinee decks once again. These Sicilian stunners will be joined by new boy Michel Mizrahi, who played out at the recent Lookbetternaked party at Fire, but was also part of Logan’s D.J. team for the Easter Party “Queen Of Clubs” at the Coronet, when he played an opening stormer of a set laying down the gauntlet for special guest Offer Nissam, so should be comfortable in the company of Messrs Londra & Pagano.

Now, we will be bringing you the all important detail of this latest Matinee instalment in a specially dedicated extra bites post later this week, together with any latest news that hits our desks between now & then. However what we need to say now is that, in ringing these changes, the reaction has already been incredible & tickets are likely to be like gold dust, given the extent of interest. So, it goes without say that this Matinee “Open Air Summer Party” will prove a very popular event indeed, so much so, you should go grab your advance £15 tickets now while you can, limited availability remaining online at http://clubtickets.com/ and/or at Soho retail outlets Prowler, Clone Zone & DV8, as well as at SolarStation on Archer Street of Covent Garden’s The Box. More information can be obtained via http://loganpresents.com/, but suffice to say if this isn’t in your diaries by now, it should be as this looks like being one of THE best Matinee parties we have seen not just this year. Naturally it gets our thumbs up and we expect that this bold move by Logan & his team will bear considerable fruit, capturing the imagination of the clubbing fraternity in the capital who have been craving for something new for a considerable time now. So don’t miss out, make Sure Matinee’s “Open Air Summer Party” at MOS this Sunday 11th July is a date. (DISCO MATT)

"Proud To be Pride" - London Gay Pride 2010

“PROUD TO BE PRIDE”
LONDON GAY PRIDE 2010
SPECIAL PREVIEW


Ever since we forced open the doors on our closet and started strutting our stuff on a vibrant gay scene across the capital, London pride weekend has held some incredible & interesting memories for us. Not only have we fully thrown ourselves into the marching festivities on a number of occasions with gusto, such mass processions through the streets of the West End of London that have always been a central theme to Pride weekends, but we have also been drawn into post party celebrations more times than we can remember. Those days, when shouting that we were out & proud from the streets was much more of a taboo than it is today, plus the political aims for gay rights seemingly so much forthright then than now, it is true to say that times have certainly changed, with the gay community so much more an acceptable part of our larger society, meaning that, for us at least, the emphasis of the parade has changed into being much more a celebration of rather than a demand for gay liberation.

However, we look back on pride weekends in London during our informative days, proud of what the capital laid on, not least in the massive park based gatherings that gave people one huge spot to celebrate & let their hair down, whether it be dancing in their favourite club tents, indulging in a little sporting activity, having a laugh on funfair rides, or just sitting back & watching performances from a host of artists from a massive main stage. Amazing events at Brockwell Park in Brixton, Clapham Common, even Victoria Park in the east end & more latterly Finsbury Park in North London, hold very dear & fond memories for us, while many may remember the early days of Kennington Park or the acclamation of the organisers landing of Hyde Park, even if the sometime characteristic wet weather marred these events. Having been intrinsically involved in four of these memorable outdoor pride parties, working non-stop in various bar concessions, there was always something extra special about those times and pride weekends.

But despite the massive park style parties falling by the wayside, pride in London has become a gigantic event, as not only is it one day of celebration, but encompasses a whole host of happenings, some of which have already started, as the so-called “Pride Fortnight” actually got under way on Friday (18th June) and the build up to the big day itself, Saturday 3rd July, encompasses events across the mediums of music, theatre, dance, comedy, visual arts, sport, debate, film, fashion, participation and literature. Highlights have & will include Pride London’s involvement in T-Mobile's Big Dance, Paul L Martin's Cabaret at Battersea Barge and the final DVD launch of the L Word. Pride London as an organisation is also proud to support UK premieres, new writing and a 48 hour film festival, they are even hosting their own variety gala at Leicester Square Theatre, as well as participation events in one of London's best kept secret galleries “10 Gales”. And with lots of events emerging, not least what looks like an unmissable theatrical cabaret entitled “Confessions Of Dancefloor Whore” billed as a show “...where politics and pop culture clash, fusing comedy, burlesque, drag and new media performance to explore the contradictions and clichés of queer life...” at the Trafalgar Studio’s in Whitehall, you kind of get the gist about what the festival fortnight is about, with full details available at http://pridelondon.org/ and via their dedicated Facebook group page .

But, of course, everything leads to the big day itself when Pride London will be celebrating 40 years of the Gay Liberation Front (GLF) in London, which was seen by the government of the time as a revolutionary group of radicals, but were actually activists who brought LGBT rights out into the open, gaining its recognition as a political movement in the national press, although not always receiving favourable coverage, overt acts taking place in public places that included releasing mice, sounding horns & unveiling banners, as well as street theatre, radical drag & kiss-ins to get their aims & messages across. Founding members including Peter Tatchell who, along with several others went on demonstrate & fight for gay rights through the organisation “Outrage”, also saw the development of “Stonewall” that sought more passive lobbying, but are two of many organisations that we can be thankful for contributing towards the freedom & acceptance the gay community enjoys today. So, with the theme of “Paint the Town Ruby Red” Pride London wants you to “...put a flower in your hair, dust off those platforms and wear a frock with a fabulous hat...” and aims to bring back a slice of 1970 “...in all its disco glory...”, although while we love a good bit of disco (its in our name after all) whether we will extend to wearing a frock is left to question, but we may manage a flower or a hat!

Now, what is certain is that the parade through the streets of London’s west end will take place as planned, setting off, from Baker Street at 1pm and proceeding down the shopping heaven of Oxford Street & Regent Street, then swinging round through Piccadilly to Trafalgar Square, where the main thrust of celebrations, stage shows, speakers, stalls & other attractions will swing into action from 3 p.m., the festivities also stretching up to Leicester Square, all free of charge. However, if you have seen the recent announcement that the usual dance stage in Soho Square will now not take place (check http://pinknews.co.uk/2010/06/18/london-pride-in-soho-cancelled for the full story), there is much debate as to what sort of a part THE recognised gay area of the capital will play in pride. Naturally, many of the bars will be celebrating the day in style (we are duty bound behind the bar at Rupert St), but the very popular dance stage, which was to be hosted by The Orange group has been thrown into considerable doubt. However, fear not, as we will of course share with you the information on the fate of Soho’s celebrations at the news hit our desks.

However, as day turns to night, plenty of parties will swing into action, not least the “official” Pride London party which will take place at the fabulous Koko venue in Camden, being the first ever event organised by the Pride London charity for pride in London. “Liberation” will encompass a whole host of entertainers from fire eaters, stilt walking drag queens, dancers, acrobats and a surprise PA taking part in a fully choreographed show to entertain the crowd. The music will be delivered by top notch scene D.J.’s that will include The Freemasons, Wayne G, Stewart Who? & Andy Almighty, while the magnificent VIP area will be hosted by drag queen Dave Lynn and ticket holders will enjoy a great view from a glamorous balcony at the centre of the club. As the only official party on the night of 3rd July, 100% of profits will be returned to the charity to help fund next year's free pride event, with more details of this party available at http://pridelondon.org/ and tickets available via the site, as well as at outlets Prowler, Clone Zone & DV8 priced at £20 (£25 for VIP’s). Plus no party would be a party, without a pre-party and The Shadow Lounge is the destination on Thursday 1st July, when club night “Hola” will take centre stage, D.J.’s Laurent C & Terry Vietheer joined by Marron Bitch (aka Fidel – what a fab new name girl!), more details available at http://theshadowlounge.co.uk/.

But it goes without saying that Pride in London sees many of the big guns in the gAylist clubbing scene make their mark on the weekend and this year will be no different as not just Soho but Vauxhall & beyond swings into action, our best picks including the weekend kicking off in style with a special “Onyx” party at Area, then the night itself seeing the return of “The Best Of Brits” to Fire, but with the very un-British Seamus Haji headlining a breathtaking list of over 20 London, U.K. & internationally based D.J.’s, including Steve Pitron, The Sharp Boys, & Guy Williams, spread over across four rooms of fun, the weekend ending as it should with “Orange” who welcome back Boy George to the decks. Mind you, fetish alternative “Hard On!” will definitely pull a crowd, promoter Suzi Krueger going all pride on us, shifting the event from its usual slot of the last Saturday on the month, also swapping the music around between the two rooms & for one night only you can enter without membership, with free membership offers to new “Hard On!” recruits. However, the Pride weekend of clubbing looks set to be dominated by two biggies, “SuperMartXe” and “Beyond”, Logan & his team laying on an extra special pride party event at The Coronet in Elephant & Castle, the “Wizard Of Oz” themed SM event, thrown in conjunction with Jodie Harsh’s “Circus”, definitely being the hottest ticket in town, the gorge Hugo Sanchez flying in from Spain, flanked by Tony English & Mr Italian stallion Pagano & prolific PA Abigail Bailey, while the “Circus” room sports, Jodie, resident Kris Di Angelis & special guest Fat Tony. Then everyone will then converge on “Beyond”, which will surely be a roadblock event as “Liberation”, “Hard On!”, Best of Brits” & “SuperMartXe” party hedonists collide, so this audacious afterhours will be THE place to be & be seen this pride. But we also give a big thumbs up to new club night “Revolucion” which chooses Sunday 4th July to launch at stunning new club Opal (formerly The Rock) on Embankment, legendary D.J.’s Stevie B & Fat Tony going back-to-back on the decks, with plenty more besides. We will bring you full details of all these parties in upcoming Hot Dates posts out in the next few days, so keep your eyes peeled for those, not to mention the latest news on happenings across the pride weekend via our Recommendations & Extra Bites posts.

Right, that’s our preview take on this year’s London pride, which should prove to be not just a weekend of feverish entertainment, celebration & activity, but encompasses over two weeks of partying, unrivalled by any in the whole gay yearly calendar. And to the doubters that say that Madrid is ten times bigger & better and Cologne is one of Europe’s best pride events, (both which fall on the same weekend as ours), with the host of club nights, parties, & festivals taking place in London, pride in the capital looks like very much holding its own this year. Yes there are question marks over the Soho issue on the day, but be rest assured that, come rain or shine, London will be awash with brightly coloured, energetic party goers, entertainers, scene workers, & 10’s of thousands of people from all walks of gay life, converging on the capital to make this a pride to remember. So, make sure you book your place on the ride that will be Pride London and be “proud to be pride”. (DISCO MATT)

Beyond "Back-To-Back" - Special Club/Event Preview

BEYOND “BACK-TO-BACK”
SATURDAY/SUNDAY 5TH/6TH JUNE
SPECIAL PREVIEW


This coming Saturday sees super afterhours club Beyond combine the old with the new, as the “Beyond Back To Back” event takes over both Coliseum & Area in Vauxhall, so to mark this occasion we take an extra special look at both the history of this legendary club, as well as focussing on the event itself.

You will know from our virtual unparalleled coverage of this club that in all the years we have been partying on the scene, and believe us it’s a long time (Trade 1991 is our first major recollection), we can count on less than one hand, the clubs that have made the biggest influence & had the largest impact on our lives. We have already mentioned one just now, the other being the iconic Crash, the absolutely amazing underground club, launched by uber legendary (we will be using that word a lot) Wayne Shires, a day before our birthday back in December 1998, which not only put Vauxhall on the gay clubbing map, but was a real pioneer across a very diverse Saturday scene that, at the time, was very much aboutclubs like Heaven, Love Muscle & Substation (we don’t mention G.A.Y.), Crash going on to head up the market for well over eight years. But there is a third and it is of course, Beyond, the incredible Sunday morning afterhours legendary club that has not only won awards, but now itself dominates the market like no other we have know.

In the good old days, Sunday mornings were always set aside for Trade and we, along with hundreds of others, used to make the weekly homage from Vauxhall to Farringdon, dancing way past dawn & deep into Sunday afternoon, then falling out onto an unsuspected Soho afterwards to wind down our weekend. But with Vauxhall very much in the ascendency, especially with the now established clubs A.M. & Orange in a venue that is now probably THE major tore de force on the scene, Craig Elder's venue Fire, the place to be at the turn of the century was south of the river and the collaboration between the owners of Crash & Fire saw the birth of Beyond on 1st June 2002, following the massive Purple In the Park outdoor event in Brockwell Park. Aimed at being “...the freshest Sunday morning afterhours...”, Beyond was a success from the moment it started, even eclipsing then very powerful & dominant Trade and quickly became “...the stuff of legend...” and for good reason, as not only was Vauxhall becoming the premier clubbing hotspot in the capital, but in Beyond particularly, the music & the D.J.’s that played there were outstanding & the crème de la crème of the scene crop. The original team included Brent Nicholls, Paul Heron, Alan X, Severino, Steve Pitron, D-Lux, & David Jiminez (many that were Crash residents) and such was the success of this afterhours phenomenon in the hands of these D.J. stars, that not only was the main room packed every week, but the much loved VIP room in the hands of Brent & Paul reached near iconic status, this all sparking a third room entitled “Beyond Therapy”, launched in December 2002, where legends Antoine 909 & Malcolm Duffy played but which evolved to become the Long Room as time went on, D.J. Paul Martin making the space his own. Other big hitting names that graced the original Beyond decks have included The Sharp Boys, Hugh Stevenson, Stevie B & Elemental D.J.’s Red & Blue, the club even spurning Sunday afternoon outing Later.

However, in mid 2006 Beyond disappeared off our radar as new club venue Area launched and with Crash still going strong, the balance shifted from one side of Vauxhall to the other, many of the Beyond residents also switching when afterhours club Ultra was launched, the likes of Steve Pitron, Brent Nicholls, Paul Heron & Severino joining forces with current Beyond favourites Jamie Head & Mikey D that saw “...the coolest afterhours clubbing in town...” concept take the place of Beyond, Ultra even joining forces with 1990’s afterhours powerhouse Trade at Area and developing the concept into Bank Holiday special’s “Essential” back in Beyond’s original home Coloseum. With Area the new sensation in town, this modern & bespoke clubbing venue was soon to attract other clubs and Spanish club Matinee was launched in London at this super swish Vauxhall hangout, a club that was to dominate the late noughties, the venue even sporting the collaboration between Crash & Megawoof, called “Union” (get the connection?!) for a short series of special parties. So what happened to Beyond? And why did is suddenly drop off the clubbing calendar? Well, those that are in the know will know and for good reason we will not go into the detail, but as they say, you can never keep a good thing down and on May Day Bank Holiday Sunday 4th May 2008, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Beyond was re-born, not at Coloseum, but at Area, following the venue's re-vitalisation in the hands of The Orange Group and whilst the early months at its new home were a little hit and miss, the traditional clubbing fraternity taking a while to adjust to this legendary afterhours’ new home, as quickly as it disappeared in 2006, a mere two years later, Beyond was virtually back where it belonged, at the top of the afterhours clubbing pile and pulling in massive crowds. Bringing the story right up to date is an easy one, as not only has Beyond continued to grow in strength, bringing old time favourite D.J.’s along with it, Steve Pitron & The Sharp Boys especially (even Brent Nicholls was back behind the decks in March), but the residency team that includes Crash D.J.’s Jamie Head & Mikey D, but sports names such as Hifi Sean, Gonzalo Rivas, D’Johnny, Terry Bryan & (how could we leave out) Alan K, mean that the weekly homage’s that were part & parcel of our life back in 2002 are back with us again in 2010, Beyond dominating the gAylist clubbing market & even scouping numerous awards.

So with that historical backdrop, you can imagine our excitement when news hit our desks a couple of months ago that the team behind Beyond these days, were planning what was described to us as a “Beyond Classic”, a one-off event & journey back in time to re-capture the magic of those days in Coloseum and bringing back (where possible) the original D.J.’s in the original format. And looking at that line up back in 2002, virtually all the names still play a predominant part in the clubbing scene of today, or at least are still very much active, Brent Nicholls, Paul Heron, Alan X, Steve Pitron, David Jiminez, Severino, Hugh Stevenson, Paul Martin & The Sharp Boys, even the lovely Antione is still very much around (we were with him at Beyond just last weekend), so it seemed, on paper at least that this “classic” Beyond would be just the celebration of everything that was great about the original concept & D.J. line up that we had expected. Indeed having been a stalwart regular of Beyond since its launch, there is no other club for which we have so much love & passion, hence our genuine excitement & desire to see the orginal formula re-created as near as damn it to 2002. Of course times have moved on and the music has changed considerably, Brent Nicholls’ original mix (we love it!!), which is well worth a listen at http://djbrentnicholls.com/music/B2B (you can also download the mix from here, just follow the instructions), is testament to that and no-one could expect this “one-off” event to be a carbon copy.

But, nevertheless Beyond is back at the Coloseum, so what can you expect from this party? Well, firstly, Coloseum plays its part in a fourteen hour (yes you heard us right) extravaganza, balanced between Beyond’s old & new homes and in the words of the organisers, the first part of this named “Beyond Back-To-Back” event, will be “...a nostalgic return to the glory days of clubbing for some, and a piece of clubbing history for others who have yet to experience it...” they going on to say “...Expect a truly hedonistic musical journey, reliving those groundbreaking early days of Beyond, rekindling the magic which made Beyond ‘the world’s favourite afterhours party...” also mentioning that “...many of the original Beyond residents will reign supreme, spinning a sensational mix of current pumping underground house with some favourite Beyond classics sprinkled in for good measure...”. So, it definitely sounds that this Beyond return to Coloseum will be the celebration we have been looking forward to and with the added bonus of new lighting, lasers, plenty of pyrotechnic effects and stunning dancers to give the old feel and more up-to-date & eye catching appeal, to meet the modern audience. And of those original resident D.J.’s who can you expect? Well, Brent Nicholls will be there, as will Paul Heron & Alan X, with Paul Martin who was part of the “Long Room” set up back in 2004 also being part of the team. Joining them will be current Beyond Area resident Gonzalo Rivas, Orange regular Fat Tony & Onyx promoter Jonny M, the music spread across three rooms, although as yet, which D.J.’s will be where we are not sure. Now, it has to be said that this line up the not quite the classic line up we expected, but we are sure each & every D.J. will nevertheless pack a pumping & pulsating musical punch, we however being reliably informed that there will be plenty of extra special surprises in store and as soon as the final D.J. line up reaches our desk you will be the first to know.

No Beyond party would be complete without its current incarnation at Area and there is not much we can add to everything we have said in recent reviews & recommendation posts apart from the fact that 2010 has seen this party stand head & shoulders above the competition. Beyond, just last weekend, was rammed with revellers that saw all three rooms full to capacity and superb sets from residents Hifi Sean, D’Johnny, Alan K and a special b2b three hour set from Steve Pitron & Mikey D truly delighted, other special ingredients including Logan’s gorgeous dancers and extra special host Naomi, not to mention the marvel of Tom on the door, making sure everyone’s entry was as smooth as possible, ensuring this was a Beyond not to forget. Last week also saw the welcome return of David Jiminez, who’s inspired energy behind the decks, saw the Blackbox room packed much longer than usual, and whilst the line up for this week’s party has yet to be confirmed, we are sure that the main room will be reigned supreme by Mikey D, Steve Pitron, & Alan K. Resident Hifi Sean will be sadly missed (he has commitments over in Amsterdam) although others joining the main room stars should include D’Johnny, Jamie Head, Paul Christian, David Jiminez & The Sharp Boys, but as with part one, we will let you know as soon as we do. Plus the gorgeous dancers will be back, as will Area’s unbeatable lighting pyrotechnics, lasers & effects to once again hit the mark with every move.

Well, that’s our overview, now to the detail. “Beyond Back To Back” kicks off at 11 p.m. this Saturday (5th June) at The Coloseum, part one taking you through till 7 a.m., while over at Area, part two starts at its usual timing of 6 a.m. (Sunday 6th June) running through until 1 p.m. Sunday afternoon. Joint tickets to both Coloseum & Area are available at £20, either online at http://clubtickets.com/ or at Soho outlets Prowler, Clone Zone, DV8 & The Box, as well as at both Fire & Area. Mind you, if you were out last weekend you may have picked up free entry passes to the Coloseum part & these are still available via e-mail at vip@prototype-music.co.uk with individual tickets to each part on sale for £12.

So, it certainly looks like being one hell of a Beyond bender for devotees to the new and you simply couldn’t ask for more. As for those that were at the original back in 2002, well there are definitely elements that evoke those heady early days, although we are holding our breath on the confirmed D.J. line up at Coloseum to see if it will fulfil our expectations, not least rekindling the magic of that very special VIP room space which still lives in our memories. (DISCO MATT)

London Global Dance Festival - Sorry Shoes Profile

LONDON GLOBAL DANCE FESTIVAL
MAIN EVENT & AFTERPARTY – SUNDAY/ MONDAY 30TH/31ST MAY
INTERNATIONAL MUSIC OUTFIT PREVIEW

Well, you find us just over half way through the massive London Global Dance Festival (LGDF), having savoured a spectacular launch party in the hands of “Onyx” and a brilliant performance by Amsterdam’s Dikky Vendetta, followed by a auspicious “A.M.- International, a brilliant “Beyond – Universe” and a lavish “Later – Global Edition”, although as good as all these were, it seems that the best is yet to come, as we are literally three or so hours way from the main event, which will be followed by the huge “Orange LGDF Closing Party” event and one particular outfit that will be present at both parties gets our final devotion in what has been a truly exhaustive yet most comprehensive look at all the international clubs & outfits that will be representative & part of this massive London music & dance gathering

Sorry Shoes Sorry shoes was created as a record label & agency by international D.J./Producer Mike Kelly back in 2008 and has both German & Australian origins, but serves to bring together D.J. talents from across the globe, sourcing individuals from as far away as Brazil, America, and, naturally, Australia, but as near as France, Italy, Spain, Germany and the U.K. Since its inception Sorry Shoes has attracted an impressive array of well over 30 masters at their game, with a core team that includes Jean Philips, Ben Korbel, Chris Bekker, & Thomas William joining Mike, but extending to members that include Alex Taylor, Ben Manson, Hifi Sean Dickson, Ivan Gomez, Nacho Chapado, Oliver M & Steven Redant, the huge list of artists offering up a whole expanse of genres across house music, giving the label & agency incredible depth. Sorry shoes philiosphy is based on its desire to “aim to make you dance, provide professionals, yet always remember to smile” attracting D.J.’s that push the boundaries with their music yet always remembering that music is still there to dance to and that their production works should be stimulating yet full of fun.

So, from elements of progressive, tech, trance, tribal, minimal & electro, the ever increasing team includes both longstanding contributors to the music industry as well as new & upcoming talents and in the relatively short time the label & agency has been running, not only is the membership impressive, but so is the list of releases which have included Jean Philips’ & Mike Kelly’s “Tisco”, Exit Earth’s “The Sun”, Steven Redant’s “Discotheque”, Rene Raabe’s “Me” & Van Gomez’s “D-Pressed” and has seen support both through radio airplay & live gigs come from the likes of Judge Jules, Axwell, Ismael Rivas, Lisa Lashes & Hector Fonseca to name just a few. So, having established a solid reputation within the Industry, Sorry Shoes continues to move forward, with over 10 commercial label releases already under its belt and with plenty more to come and therefore the management team behind Sorry Shoes are thrilled to be part of LGDF. Both Mike Kelly & Jean Phillips will be representing the organisation at the main event tomorrow night, and fellow Sorry Shoes artists Thomas William, Ivan Gomez & Nacho Chapado, will be part of the “Orange event, Thomas flying the flag for Cologne club Nightkomm & the “peas in pod” duo of Ivan & Nacho influencing the main room & The Blackbox at Area, respectively.

Plus don’t forget that Sorry Shoes have sponsored the “official CD compilation for LGDF, a 12 track mix that was put together by Mike Kelly and includes some real corkers. Complimentary copies will be handed out to VIP guests at the main event tonight, with the CD’s also available for sale at both Fire & Area, as well as in super Soho retail outfit Clone Zone &, we are told, countrywide at HMV stores, but why not get your slice of some Sorry Shoes action, live at the LGDF main event & the closing party and a better brand to be involved, we couldn’t think of. (DISCO MATT)