"The Big Two Zero" - Trade 20th Birthday - Special Preview/Reflection

“THE BIG TWO ZERO”
TRADE 20TH BIRTHDAY – SUNDAY 31ST OCTOBER
SPECIAL CLUB PREVIEW/REFLECTION


Having not long returned from Berlin where we sampled a true clubbing legend in the form of Berghain, the byword for techno in this most dazzling of cities, it seems appropriate that we take a preview look at another clubbing legend, which may not have the purist techno base in its music like Berghain, but is definitely on the tougher side of the house music fence. And this coming Sunday marks a special celebration, as one very special clubbing brand turns 20 and looks like partying in true decadent style, like it did all those years ago when it launched itself on an unsuspecting public at Turnmills in Farringdon, going on to become one of the biggest phenomena’s of our time, transfixing everyone & anyone that graced its doors, meaning there is only one club we could be talking about here.

Trade certainly has made a huge impact on the global clubbing scene, yes global, this afterhours audacious event that started as an experiment in 1990 by Laurence Malice & his small team, soon grew into a brand that extended right across the world, regular tours of countries including Australia & South Africa and continents including Europe & Asia, meaning that there is hardly any corner of this wonderful world that this brilliant brand hasn’t touched in some form or other. Plus, Trade when mentioned to any ardent clubber, evokes everything that is exceptional about afterhours clubbing, the foundations of this legend in our lifetime, very much cemented in Sunday mornings, but often extending deep in Sunday afternoon, not quite the 18 hours of Berghain, but plenty long enough to make it one of the longest running afterhours, not just in time but in years.

Those years, 20 of them to be exact, have thrown up a veritable feast of D.J. talents & scene faces that have become inextricably linked with Trade, Laurence Malice without question being top of the pile, this larger than life character always the lynch pin in the success of the brand, both in London & overseas. In the halcyon days of the club at Turnmills, not a week would go by without Miss malice wafting around the club & even quite often diving onto the microphone come midday or 1 a.m., sometimes extending the party deep into Sunday afternoon, meaning that trade is never the same with Laurence in attendance. Other huge character’s in the clubs history include Trade Mark, the man responsible for all that iconic, Andy Warhol inspired art, that was very much the stamp on Trade as a club, the Trade baby probably THE most notable piece of his work, but scores of other creations making the walls of Turnmills at each event, the flyers for the club & the adverts in the press. But if you want to oook to one man (apart from Laurence of course) to tell you everything you want to know about Trade, then Tom Fuller is your man, for many THE face of Trade, or at least the first face you would see on entering the club. To say that he has the most memories & the most memorabilia on the club is an understatement and our reflection pales in comparison to what this man could tell you about Trade.

Laurence, Trade Mark & Tom aside, the list of others is endless, but no look back or preview (as this is) of Trade would be complete without listing some of the legendary D.J. talents that were very much Trade in those amazing years from 1990 through 2000, those incredible first ten years, for us meaning names such as Malcolm Duffy, Alan Thompson, Steve (Janet) Thomas, Rachel Auburn, Ian M, Tall Paul, Pete Wardman, Gonzalo & not forgetting the truly legendary Tony De Vit. Yes, plenty of other names have been linked with Trade, both in the latter part of the first 10 years, some more predominate in the second half of the clubs 20 year history, we including The Sharp Boys, Guy Williams, Fat Tony, Nick Tcherniak, Gabriele Cutrano, Lady Bianca, Lisa German & Pagano, to mention a few, but it will always be that original line up in those simply superlative days at Turnmills that will always be Trade.

Plus, in terms of D.J.’s no one can deny that. Like Laurence being the face of Trade, the D.J. most recognisable with the club will always be the late great Tony de Vit, a talent & individual who, without doubt, had the biggest following of any and commanded the most respect from his peers. Tony’s talents were simply incredible and not a week would go by without his sets being the pinnacle of perfection & peaking the club at its brilliant best. Whilst the whole concept on the music was to be a gradual build in pace, from the relative sedate style of Malcolm Duffy through the more rousing & raucous beats of Alan Thompson & Steve Thomas, to the ultimate end of Pete Wardman or Tall Paul, Tony’s music was right in the middle of the jubilant journey of sound that always had the biggest following & the best reaction. So, his untimely death in 1998 was a huge loss to the brand, although the magic of the divine Mr De Vit survives in the myriad of mixes he recorded for both Trade & for his own individual releases, “Global Underground” our most favourite & among the six separate Trade CD compilations he is featured on, represents the greatest memories of this magnificent man’s music.

So, those are some of the clubs legendary people, but what about Trade itself over the years? Well, it has transcended both the gay & straight markets, has attracted mega stars & celebrities through its doors, notable musical figureheads including Grace Jones, Madonna, U2, Boy George, & George Michael, while it has also be featured in a number of T.V. programmes, even a special documentary have been recorded back in 1996, recording for posterity both Trade back in the U.K. and its tour of South Africa with our own legendary Trade team of D.J.’s Malcolm Duffy, Steve Thomas, Alan Thompson, Tony De Vit & Pete Wardman. Moreover the club has featured in all the top music magazines, has been listed in both the gay & straight media as THE afterhours clubbing choice and was always an intrinsic part of the yearly Pride park parties in London, also featuring large on radio stations including Kiss FM and (of course) Radio One. Beyond that, Trade has been featured on virtually every single piece of merchandising you can think of, we even have our very own “Trade” bomber jacket which we continue to wear with pride.

But of anything which connects with Trade the most is Turnmills, a venue has featured large in the clubs history and remains its ancestral home, although with its demise as a clubbing hotspot in 2002, Trade has since found occasional homes at Ministry of Sound, The Arches, Fire & Colosseum & Laurence’s own club The Egg, and whilst weekly parties have given away to more infrequent gatherings, dates such as Christmas Day, Easter &, naturally, their birthday, continue to keep the Trade phenomenon alive. Now nearly 20 years old, the passion for Trade, particularly with those that were around in the early, dare we again call them, halcyon days, these people aptly called “Trade Babies”, remains as strong as ever and whilst they would all say, Trade is never quite Trade unless it is in Turnmills, nevertheless will be making the homage to this awesome afterhours event come Sunday 31st October.

And, of all the parties in recent years, their 18th anniversary at The Arches is probably the most notable, hence the team deciding upon a return for this landmark big two zero turn, the myriad of rooms as close to Turnmills as you could get, recent updates to this Southwark base (now called Arcadia) heightening the appeal and closing the deal as being the place to celebrate Trade turning 20. With the D.J. line up finalised & all other details confirmed, our preview of this brilliant brand is complete, so keeps your eyes peeled for our weekend post coming up, honing in on that all important info on Trade’s 20th Birthday, but make sure 31/10/10 is a date & Trade is the place as if, like us, your clubbing history is steeped in Trade, you simply cannot miss this euphoric event. (DISCO MATT)

Disco Matt-ers - "Oliver & Orange"

"OLIVER & ORANGE”
DISCO MATT-ERS
WEDNESDAY 28TH SEPTEMBER


This Saturday sees the massive re-launch of amazing afterhours club A.M., the Orange Group brand that has been reigning supreme for close on 10 years in the capital and amidst a whole host of “...careful tweaks...” is the introduction of a new promoter, taking the helm of this Vauxhall institution.

Without question, 2010 has been one amazing rollercoaster of a year for Oliver M, this enigmatic German probably best known for his D.J.’ing across Europe & the wider globe, but here in the capital, more for his club promoting, most notably his links with Spanish giant clubbing brand Matinee. It would be fair to say that some of its most successful parties in its four year history in London being while under Oliver’s steership, but as the New Year dawned, the change of Matinee London’s hands was undoubtedly top of gAylist headlines in the capital. However, despite this set back, Oliver not only threw himself into his D.J.’ing, but took stock on his promotional duties and amidst a fair amount of activity that included new ventures Matador & Impact, news came through that, not only would he be working closely with The Orange Group but would become the new promoter for afterhours club A.M.

So, given this momentous year for Oliver, as well as the exciting news that he would once again be in the thick of club promoting, we took the opportunity to devote our second “Disco Matt-ers” report to delving a little deeper into the twists & turns that have seen Oliver emerge as a key player in the Orange Group, also probing into plans for A.M. and what the future looks like in Oliver M land. In his inimitable fashion, he has responded with candidness & authority to our probing, answering his critics on this move he has made, his responses very much speaking for themselves.

Firstly, many congratulations on the appointment as promoter of A.M., tell us a little of exactly how this came about?

Hey Matt, thank you very much, I’m very excited to take over such an institution like A.M. and to be given the chance to be able to put my own stamp onto it. Well as everyone by now knows, I had a meeting with Craig & the rest of the Orange Group and we decided to work together on great new projects for the London scene. Craig told me that even though we were in competition for around 3 years, he did like what I did with Matinee and he asked me to take over A.M. to realise both his and my vision & ideas for this long running afterhours.

So, you will be working closely with Craig Elder & The Orange Group, how is this panning out and how do you see this new found working relationship developing?

I think we both went with caution into this new found business relationship but I have to say that I’m over the moon working with Craig and his family/team and I can for sure say that this is the current mood from both sides. We enjoy working and spending time together, that in my eyes is the most important aspect when working in a successful team.

We know you were involved with both club ventures Matador & Impact. Do you still have ties with the brands & if so, will we be seeing these emerge as new events within The Orange Group calendar?

Matador was invented by me and was promoted in co-promotion with a guy called Manuel Garcia and Barcode. However, there were some not so nice tactics being played out in front of me which made me leave the brand behind and to concentrate on the much bigger plans I have with A.M. I’m sure my crowd I brought into Matador will appreciate the much bigger scope I have at Fire and Area to offer them a top class D.J. line up & entertainment which I was not able to at Matador due to the budget given to me.

Impact was a club night promoted by me and my friend and fellow promoter Steve Elliott of Salvation fame, and this concept will come back soon bigger and better, so watch this space...

Some have questioned your connections with The Orange Group, given past history. What would you say to those critics that are confounded by this change of attitude & direction?

I’m not sure what all the fuss is about...is I’m sure 98% of the clubbing scene is not interested in politics and things behind the scenes but only in getting offered amazing night’s out for money which doesn’t break the bank. These sorts of questions have mostly been raised by insiders of the scene but, I say to those people that they have to try to move into the future instead of always living in the past. We did what we thought was the best thing and that’s it...

Moving onto your exciting new promotions challenge. A.M. is a strong and long established brand. What new elements will you be bringing to this successful Saturday morning outfit?

A.M. is one of London’s longest running after-hours and it’s been a scene institution for the last 9 years, but like anything which is runs for such a long time, it needs an slight nip and tuck here and there to make it current again. I thought that A.M. even though busy, is too straight these days and therefore I want to & will be introducing a strict majority gay Policy and any trouble makers or any who does not respect our gay clientele will be thrown out. I want to give A.M. back to the gay community with a stricter door. Also the feel of the party will be much lighter with more visual effects and surprises. The main floor music will be also giving a little make over and I will introduce more accessible sounds without being cheesy and still remain cool and forward thinking club.

Tell us what we can expect from the re-launch party in terms of D.J.’s & shows?

I will use most of the A.M. residents as they are a vital part of the success story of the brand, but I will rotate them from week to week and take a bigger more diverse D.J. team on to play, plus I will introduce some new unknown DJs to the scene. For the opening, the newcomer featured at A.M. is Joel Antunes who is playing the “Fresh” room, with a hot new underground sound. Other D.J.’s on rotation for the new look A.M. include Alan K, Andrei Stan, Gonzalo Rivas, Guy Williams, D'Johnny, Alessandro Londra, Fat Tony, Severino, Pier Morocco, Saki, Micky Galliano, Tasty Tim and Jonny M, plus international guest D.J.’s and exciting new D.J. talents...I will invite for the re-launch night D.J. Andrei Stan from Brussels, who plays at the massive La Demence party and the Box club, plus we have a P.A. in the amazing Lisa Millet of “Now You’re Gone”, “Bad Habit” and “Sleep Talk” fame, and the sexy Dylan Naylor, a violinist who plays an electric violin over house tracks and who wowed the crowds at the Salvation event at Space Ibiza where he played live during my D.J. set, the crowds went mad!!!

There have been lots of changes to Fire, how will these benefit the new look A.M.?
It will not just help A.M. but all of the club nights I think. Fire was Vauxhalls first mega club and its still is the biggest but the venue’s mainfloor needed a dramatic overhaul because the need of today's clubbers are much higher than years ago.

Turning to Oliver M as a D.J. What does the future look like for potential gigs in the capital or will you continue to concentrate on international prospects?

I will still play all my international gigs at clubs like, Space Ibiza,La Demence, Sexy, GreenKomm, Gay Village, Into the Tank and of course Salvation, because most of them are on a Saturday. For 2011 there are much more and much bigger gigs in the pipeline than this year & I expect it will be my biggest year as a D.J. yet.

We suspect you were thrilled to be part of the Beyond D.J. line on August Bank Holiday. Will you be playing there again and what about other Orange group events?

Yes, August Bank Holiday was my first ever Beyond ...I loved every minute of it and it was the biggest Beyond party yet. I played alongside my D.J. friends Rony and Andrei Stan and it rocked. For sure they will be more gigs coming up for the Orange Group like the B2B at the Colosseum this Saturday and “Massacre” in Vauxhall at Halloween. Plus you will catch me playing guest sets at A.M.

Finally, following your superb track release “Strings Of Motion”, have you been back into the recording studio and if so, what can we expect in terms of future releases?

Ohh thanks, Btw I just found out that “Strings of Motion” is now one of the biggest tracks in South America, being playing in most radio stations and in both gay &straight clubs...I just finished with my production partner and close friend Jean Philips a new track which is called “Paramount” and which is a progressive but uplifting instrumental tune in the “Downpipe” style. We are just waiting to get a vocal to be added by one of the major European house track singers. Plus there’s a new track is in the planning which I can’t tell you about yet as it’s a big surprise...


So, without question the future for Oliver both as a D.J. and as an Orange promoter is looking very bright indeed and we certainly wish him every success disco spinning career, in his new found working relationship with The Orange Group and for A.M. under his direction. Whilst Oliver has given us a good insight into plans for the changes to A.M., for our own look at the re-launch on Saturday, why not check out our Weekend Focus report at direct link http://discomattweekend.blogspot.com/2010/09/weekend-focus-am-massive-re-launch and for an insight to Oliver M’s latest D.J. sounds & studio works, check out his website http://djoliverm.com/ and/or his podcast page http://djoliverm.podomatic.com/. Plus, make sure that A.M. this Saturday (2nd Oct) is a date in your diary and join in the fantastic festivities at Fire, we will certainly be there to report on it all. And, if that wasn't enough, watch this space our forthcoming "Disco Matt-ers" when we probe The Orange Group's owner Craig Elder on changes to his empire as well as other develpments in his world. (DISCO MATT)

The Week - Event Preview

“SOURCED IN SAO PAULO, LANDING IN LONDON”
THE WEEK – SATURDAY 18TH SEPTEMBER
EVENT PREVIEW


There is little doubt that when it comes to carnival & to samba, the country that immediately springs to mind is Brazil and nowhere on this planet do a race party in ostentatious style more than the Brazilians, we should now, we bump into plenty of them trading extravagant dancing moves with us on Beyond’s dancefloor in any given week and such is the vitality & sense of community within this multicultural country that you get the sense that they very much know how to live life to the full. So, in the same way that all this goes for Brazil & Brazilians, like carnival & samba, when you mention the word week in clubbing circles, it means simply one thing, the massive institution & enterprise that is “The Week”, Brazil’s biggest nightclub by a long stretch. Such is the extent of this amazing brand and so proud of The Week are both the people behind the club and the people in front of its doors, craving for them to open at each & every event, that the strap line “Made In Brazil” is blazoned across all advertisements, billboards & posters connected with the brand that speaks volumes about the clubs origins.

And while those origins are very much in Sao Paulo, not just Brazil’s but the southern hemisphere’s biggest city, it was only natural that the Week would spread its wings across the country to Rio De Janiero in the east and to Florianopolis in the south, although it is back in its original home that the club has its hugest impact, regularly attracting well over 2000 people into its multi levelled host venue, that boasts two huge (and we mean massive) dancefloors, both illuminated with huge wall lighting blocks that stretch around & by banks of lasers that sweeping across the floors & walls of the club that rival anything you have seen anywhere. But as if that wasn’t enough, it also has an incredible outside area that includes a swimming pool & garden as well as extensive bar facilities, for clubbers to chill & grab a refreshing break from the action & heat inside and, naturally the crowd is full of handsome & scantily dressed go-go dancing boys, encroaching on the masses of muscular men & glamorous girls that The Week is renowned for attracting, many of the reviews of the club speaking for themselves in its praise, phrases such as “...a paradise for muscled guys...”, “...the best gay club in Sao Paulo...”, “a buff & gleaming crowd, some with shirts, many without...” common place.

It therefore came as no surprise that the biggest gay dance club in South America would soon be making tracks across the Atlantic ocean, having already gone the other way to Australia and following a hugely successful involvement in The Circuit Festival over in Barcelona in August, makes a return to Europe for a mini tour, the first of two stops being London and a project that is of the making by Lovechild & As One (amongst a host of other brands) promoter Alex Erfan, a man with the reputation for pushing the boundaries and attracting not just international D.J.’s but international brands to the capital, a perfect example being the massive undertaking that was the London Global Dance Festival in May. Mind you, bringing The Week over from Brazil is a much less daunting prospect than the former and with a pretty much readymade market here in London, a considerable population of gay & gay curious Brazilians very much part of the clubbing scene across the capital. Plus, given the fact that the party will be on a Saturday, it certainly stands a far better chance of succeeding than did the last undertaking from this part of the world, Rio, which was held at Heaven on a Sunday, only having limited appeal & draw, pretty much falling at the first hurdle.

So, with the scene pretty much set for the arrival of this Brazilian splendour, what can you expect from The Week in London? Well, all the razzmatazz of the carnival for a start, as everything that is characteristic of the sparkling dancing festivities that is so Brazilian, will be brought to bear on Fire, host venue for The Week on Saturday 18th September, Alex Erfan drawing in all of his contacts of Brazilian disposition, to join forces with the inbound team from Sao Palo to bring what the guys from The Week’s crew describe as “...the arrival of Brazil’s biggest club in the UK for the first time will include all the thrill, energy & passion that only The Week can deliver, will prove to be a night that London will remember and will blow the mind...” (we translated it from “raw” Portuguese!), with the London team chipping in to say “...added to this we will have the most amazing production and costumes to get everyone in that carnival mood and with the most super hot Brazilian dancer & performers to spice up the night, you will think you have been transported to Rio...” (no translation required!). And on speaking with Mr Erfan, boy have the team got loads of surprises up their sleeves in terms of those dancers, those effects & those costumes, much of which we have been told to keep under wraps, although we can tell you that not only are they drafting in the skill & knowledge of the Australian responsible for staging the magnificent Mardi Gras festival in Sydney, but extra special lighting & will be imported for Fire’s main room & installations provide by Obsquare, the organisation responsible for The Gallery & now The Supper Club in London. And with all three rooms, that is the mirrorarch, the main room & the lounge springing into action, expect no holds barred in terms of decor, display & dance.

And in terms of dance, there will be no excuse not to as the music is going to be absolutely top draw with London’s finest joining in-bound The Week resident Leandro Becker who will be jetting across to Europe for the mini tour & naturally will take centre stage at the London event. In choosing Leandro from the team of 11 resident D.J.’s back in Brazil, not only will he bring his amazing Brazilian charm, handsome looks &, we are reliably informed, incredible physique (turn u the heat in the main room boys, we want to see him take his top off), no surprise really as Mr Becker is yet another model turned D.J., joining the ranks of Marco Da Silva, Phil Romano & fellow Brazilian Leandro Kloppel, although, it seems this Leandro is revered back in Sao Paulo for his amazing ability to switch between musical genres to produced some of the most energetic & uplifting performances, drawing in elements of progressive, tribal, tech & electro house, much of it drenched with vocals that makes his performances quite breathtaking. It there is no surprise that he was a sure-fire hit at The Week’s party in Barcelona last month, the feedback received from his set there nothing short of feverish and we know he is tremendously exciting about coming to London & playing here for the first time.

Mind you Mr Leandro will be sandwiched in the main room by two talents that will be the perfect match for his skills behind the decks and in selecting these two mixing maestros, Alex Erfan will certainly be pandering to the London crowd, choosing probably the two most popular D.J.’s in both Steve Pitron & Gonzalo Rivas. Now, what we have said about these two individuals through a number of our music post focuses very much speaks for their brilliance & quality but you can pretty much guarantee Beyond-esque performances from both Steve & Gonzalo, mixing in all the uplifting & octane fuelled that make their sets simply spectacular. Mr Pitron is definitely the perfect fit for The Week style of music, his amazing ability to raise any atmosphere through his sumptuous selections of sounds, ranging from disco tipped dance to full on energetic house will no doubt go down a treat with the Brazilian contingent that we are sure the lovely Celso, Steve’s partner, will draw into Fire for this special party. But then the latin intentions of Gonzalo Rivas will surely also come into play and given recent performances at the big parties across the capital & beyond, Gonzalo will ensure the main room at Fire will be well & truly pumping with uplifting & tech infused beats for which he is more than capable of producing to exceptional effect.

But it won’t stop there as the mirrorarch will be given away to international megastar D.J. Paul Heron who has played in every single continent of the world, but unlike any of the other London stars, has played a number of times at The Week in Sao Paulo, so is very experienced in delivering to Brazilian tastes in more ways than one and he somehow seems to really come into his own in the mirrorarch, As One just a couple of weeks ago proving that, when he built up the room to magnanimous proportions. Joining him will be Sweden’s finest & London based Per Q.X. who has really hit the high notes recently with his single “Blow My Trumpet” and we know that his set will include a live performance of the track which we know you will recognise in an instant (check out http://soundcloud.com/perqx/per-qx-blow-my-trumpet), this record the perfect accompaniment for this Brazilian feast of a gathering, a will Per’s smashing sounds.

But the lounge will also be getting its say & will be go into latin overdrive as the man know best for his latino music intentions, Brent Nicholls, will be performing an exclusive “nu funk” set that will definitely have shades of his recent compilation entitled “No Americano” which has samba styled beats & uplifting tunes written all over it, as we are sure will his set on the night, so will definitely be a highlight of this The Week event. Now, we know his mix is still available to download for free, so go grab a slice of Brent’s Brazilian slanted beats at http://speedyshare.com/files/23798605/1008_NoAmericano_128.mp3) and prepare to be dazzled. As if all that wasn’t enough, to complete the D.J. line up & balance the Brazilian element brought to play by Leandro Becker, Alex Erfan will be introducing two London based D.J’s, one to the main room & one to the lounge and as soon as these details are finalised we will share them with out, but suffice to say, think samba, think energy & think vitality, as will the music be across all three rooms.

Now, we will bring you all the important detail closer to the event in a special extra bites post, but suffice to say, tickets for this amazing The Week event at Fire on Saturday 18th September have just been released for sale, so like the team always suggest back in Sao Paulo, its recommended that you get in early, advance tickets now available at the usual Soho outlets, Prowler, Clone Zone & DV8, as well as online at http://clubtickets.com/, all priced at just £10, so go grab yours now, so as not to miss out on this brilliant Brazilian carnival of a party.

Finally to get you in the uplifting carnival mood, why not check out this amazing record we found, which is being played out on the website for The Week in Brazil, http://theweek.com.br & is also available in a slightly more upbeat form via http://il.youtube.com/watch?v=JyfoKPzLJc0, this truly uplifting tune entitled “Happiness” by Alexis Jordan, having been given the remix treatment by Dave Aude and, we hope (having laid down the gauntlet) may get further mixing by either Mr Heron or Mr Pitron, possibly in time for the party next Saturday’s party, which looks like being a real gem. So it may be sourced in Sao Paulo, but it will definitely be landing in London, meaning The Week will be the place to be and as a result, like us, you should, Go There! Be There! (DISCO MATT)

Disco Matt-ers - "Beefing Up Beyond"

“BEEFING UP BEYOND”

DISCO MATT-ERS
SATURDAY 28TH AUGUST


Firstly welcome to the new addition to the Disco Matt family of posts, Disco Matt-ers, a concept born out of the need & desire to create a vehicle to allow us to delve deep into the issues of the day and answer many of the questions you yourselves are asking. We will tackling topics of the day, exciting changes in the club, bar & events scene and also dealing with the tricky issues that the more mainstream press outlets tend to avoid. As a result we will be pushing the boundaries a little but in doing so will give club & bar owners, promoters, event organisers, D.J.’s & scene figureheads the opportunity to respond, having put them on the spot in full & frank discussions & interviews. Disco Matters will deliver transparency & unbiased reporting with the ultimate aim, like all of our posts, to make the scene a stronger & richer place.

So without further ado, let’s crack on with our first Disco Matt-ers entitled “Beefing Up Beyond” which is as a result of our recent special report on the massive afterhours phenomenon that is Beyond, a club brand that has very much dominated the gAylist clubbing market in recent months and has, as a consequence, been under microscopic attention resulting in a few issues that we highlighted in our recent special report “Disconcerting Developments”. Therefore, in the spirit of fair play we thought it only right to allow those people in a position to respond to the issues, the right to reply, so in two exclusive interviews we pose questions Beyond’s promoter Steven Sharp & the forthcoming “Super Size” party room two host Oliver Mohns.

Steven Sharp is one half of the famous D.J./Producer duo that is The Sharp Boys, who have been at the cutting edge of the music scene for well over 15 years, amassing a myriad of club residencies & music mixes in their time within the Industry. However, Steven has also branched out into the club promoting game and is the man behind the recent successes of Monday morning afterhours club Orange and can now also add the Beyond feather to his promotions cap. In advance of the massive Bank Holiday party “Super Size”, we posed some probing questions on recent & future developments in the life of this amazing afterhours club asking.....

Disco Matt: So, welcome back to promoting Beyond and tell us, why the short break away?

Steven: Thank you very much, it’s great to be back and the reception I have had from the clubbers, D.J.'s and staff alike has been extremely positive and warm hearted. In all honesty Craig was concerned that promoting two major parties (Beyond & Orange) within 24 hours of each other was taking its toll on my health. On some of the Bank Holidays I was inside a club for nearly 30 hours with just 6 hours rest between the shifts. I’m still promoting both clubs but what has changed is I now have a wonderful assistant Philippe Giovanni Chiarella who is spot on and can thankfully take some of the pressure off me, he has made a huge difference and he is fantastic to work with.

We were really impressed with the impact & changes you made first time round, although, certain elements have recently affected the quality & feel of the club. What are your priorities now you are back promoting this fabulous club?

On your first point I thank you for noticing, I have been involved with Beyond since the beginning and have always had a passion for the night, but I do need to add that all clubs go through phases of ups and downs, we are in a recession after all and clubland is currently more unpredictable than ever. It upsets me if some clubbers feel certain nights didn’t live up to memorable others but I always endeavour to make sure everyone who attends Beyond will have the best time possible. I’m very approachable and will deal with any concerns that anybody has with their Beyond experience. Customers have less disposable cash for their entertainment than ever before so I am truly grateful when they decide to visit one of my nights. If you do have a problem ask any member of staff to radio Steven Sharp and I will do my upmost to resolve it.

Tackling the main issue we raised in our special report, what steps are being taken to manage the straight/gay mix in the Beyond?

We have a great team of door pickers (headed by Tom Fuller – who previously ran the legendary door at Turnmills for over 15 years) and security who all are more than aware that Beyond is predominately a gay party. We do not allow groups of straight guys or girls into the event. Obviously many gay customers have numerous straight friends who like to go clubbing together. Occasionally like with all club nights a problem customer sometimes slips through the net, but I can assure you that if a gay person has any concerns about a fellow customer or has received any form or hostility, aggression or homophobia I will eject them from Beyond with immediate effect, and believe me I have on the thankfully rare occasions. If I witness anyone being rude to the door staff when I am assisting getting the queue in quickly I will turn them away at the till without hesitation. It is however never an easy thing to get the exact mix of straight/gay correct to make every single clubber at Beyond completely 100% happy every single week, but I honestly feel overall, we do a great job. All my promotional activities with the night are aimed at the gay market, you won’t ever see our ads in straight magazines, we are proud and welcoming of our fabulous gay customers, you guys made the club what it is today and we will never forget that. The whole team puts on this night for YOU!

There is a question mark over the power that the security have on entry to the club & the preferential treatment they sometimes employ. How will you be managing this?

Our Security team are very experienced and I have never witnessed any preferential treatment to Straight people. If I did I would obviously deal with it immediately. I promote two nights in Vauxhall with the same team and I personally hold the highest respect for them. They are fair and professional and if I ever have a concern about anyone either at the door or inside the venue they assist me swiftly and efficiently.

Clearly, we were impressed with how you personally dealt with the incident involving the violent act against us in the club recently. However, having been informed of an increasing amount of similar incidents, what is your stance on this & how do you see it being managed out of Beyond?

As I have previously stated I am completely approachable and if any such incident is brought to my attention I will establish the facts and make a decision. Anyone can contact me through email privately on my “stevenreactsharp” Facebook page and I invite any clubbers who have experienced any type of aggression to get in touch. I am a total pacifist and condemn violence in any form. From a D.J. perspective as one half of the Sharp Boys I have fortunately travelled the world playing both gay & straight clubs and in over 16 years in this career the most fights or aggressive behaviour I have ever witnessed is always in straight clubs which makes me even more proud to be gay and the gay scene in London so much more friendly and warm. As a promoter the last thing I want to do is to change this unique quality that sets our scene aside, if anything I want to embrace it. With every event I promote I strive to create the most relaxed environment for happy clubbers regardless of their sexuality who want to have “FUN” and respect their fellow dancing companions. If there was no “fun” in clubland then we all might as well stay at home, drink a hot chocolate and watch “Last of the Summer Wine”!

Turning to the club itself, we here that changes have been made to the venue, so can you tell us about the major ones?

Well, well, well...it’s all very exciting....where do I begin?? The Main floor at Area now has a custom built two tier stage which will mean that we can produce bigger shows than ever before! The floor level stage has a multi revolving centre piece which is incredible and a brand new rig of astonishing lights. The staircase which used to host one of our coat checks has been removed and the ceiling above the main floor bar has now been pulled back to create a spectacular new high performance stage with projections and additional lights. Over in the all new extended Black Box the wall between the Chapel bar and the dancefloor has been knocked down, it has made a huge difference and is almost unrecognisable; I’m sure the loyal Beyond devotees will be impressed, the whole production team has been working 18 hour days to get to where we are and it shows!

Beyond is always extremely popular on Bank Holiday weekends, what are your expectations for the forthcoming “Super Size” event and what can we expect in terms of music, performances & entertainment?

As I have always said to people Beyonds’s music really does speak for itself. I’m very fortunate to be working with such a talented and dedicated group of unique mixing maestros who know their craft –let me try to explain why I rate them so much: Beyond every single week from now on will start at 4:30am with the Masterplan Man who always gets the party off to a blinder Paul Christian. Musically, Paul is genius! deep & tough in equal measures, he sets the mood perfectly, his building technique is sublime – I’m a big fan! Then we come to David Jimenez; a man with an astonishing ear for the fiercest beats in the land and a heart for the deepest bleeps in mankind! Gonzalo Rivas is the maverick of the team, totally versatile, always flawless and I have never heard him and not been impressed. Then there is Hifi Sean – a secret weapon of Tough Grooves with Disco influence, forever the perfectionist, sensational delivery every time. From Sweden via Berlin we have D’Johnny – the master of anticipation and sonic corruption, dark & uplifting in equal measures – he always rocks! Lest we forget Jamie Head, his tough funky house is as bright as his smile!, a wicked sorcerer of relentless house with a unlimited talent! So we head to our main floor key operators & first Steve Pitron, the wizard who creates a unique form of Beyond magic every time! Acapellas a plenty on top of the finest cutting edge new music around – Steve sets the blueprint for every aspiring new D.J. to follow! Mikey D tones and directs the Main Floor with multiple peaks like there is no tomorrow!, contemporary house with his extensive palate for hands in the air mayhem! Mr Alan K has recently been flying the international Beyond flag in Mykonos & Amsterdam alongside other UK cities. His always euphoric and uplifting style has propelled him into one of most popular D.J.’s at Beyond – I don’t call them my “Beyond Perfection D.J. Team” for nothing as they never fail to raise the standard of afterhours clubbing. Also for Beyond “Super Size” we have invited the German Club “Sexy” to this event to add yet another unique element to this weekend. The main stage show will have a “Burlesque” feel to it with a five foot martini glass and the biggest dance troupe we have ever booked! Our fantastic artistic directors Shaun Capewell & Elektra have been so busy purchasing the costumes and walking the dancers through the choreography. I have headed into the Sharp Studio and edited with James Hurr the soundtrack to the show and full rehearsals have been ongoing throughout the week at the venue. Another exciting addition to the event is the much anticipated return of the futuristic performance artist, Globot, who has been extremely popular on his previous visits. If you have never experienced a 9ft Robocop shaped walking LED Giant dancing next to you and your friends then Beyond “Super Size” is the place to head to this weekend! As always we like to push the Bank Holiday boat out further than the others so we have not one but two incredible PA’s: Supersexy Cass Fox who is amazing live and recently rocked Brighton Pride with her huge hit “Touch Me” plus the wonderful Peyton is back! He is one of the sweetest guys and very popular with our crowd. He completely rocked Area last year for one of my “Orange Summer Of Love” parties so he is always welcome – his vocal is divine! It really is set to be the biggest Beyond ever!

We also took the opportunity to talk with Oliver Mohns, the man behind Evolved events and previously responsible for promoting Matinee in London. In a rollercoaster year, Oliver has tackled a number of challenges and is now working closely with the Orange Group, not least hosting the second room at beyond “Super Size” this Bank Holiday. So we asked......

Disco Matt: Following recent developments, we see that you will be part of the Beyond “Super Size” event this weekend. How did that come about?

Oliver: Well after Craig and myself decided to cooperate and work together on some of his projects he ask me for a great International brand to host the newly re-designed black box which now will be known as the chapel bar.

So, you will be bringing the German club “Sexy” to London. Tell us a little bit about the brand & your connections with it?

“Sexy” is Cologne’s answer to the Spanish mega brands out there at the moment. It’s a very stylish and exciting monthly party with the biggest International guest D/J’s and performers and in an amazing venue called the Opernterassen. Its run my Andreas Linek and Chicos event, Cologne's biggest club promoter who also run the yearly Colours event for 10.000 gays in a stadium at Cologne pride.

We hear that “Sexy” will be taking over room two (formerly known as the Blackbox). How do you see the re-designed space working & appealing to the Beyond crowd?

Well the black box itself was before a dance space separated from the bar and it was quite boxed in. Now Craig and his team have opened it up to the bar with the massive church stained galls window as visual focal point at the end of the room. It really is now more like a 2nd main floor, which makes it very exciting and I’m sure Beyond and all other clubs at Area will benefit from the redesign.

The line up in this room includes two international artists, Sexy’s resident D.J. Roni & La Demence’s Andre 1, What will they be bringing in terms of music style to this Beyond event?

Rony is Cologne’s Chico’s events resident D.J. and a very famous producer in Germany who had some massive hits with last year’s “I feel Love” remake and this year’s “Colours” theme tune “Colour of Love” His style is quite progressive and tribally but still full of energy with a few vocals and anthems thrown in for good measures. The same counts for Andrei Stan, he is very young and talent D.J. and already resident at the massive La Demence party and Box club in Brussels , he got the amazing ability to just read the crowd and play the right music at the right time and to lift the crowd up even at 11am in the morning.

Will you be D.J.’ing at Beyond Super Size & if so what can we expect from your set?

I will be playing my first ever Beyond set in the “Sexy” room and I’m determent to make my set one of the highlights of the night. I want that people remember Beyond “Super Size” for the rest of the year not only in terms of the amazing production but also the music.....I see you all there hopefully.

Finally, we turned back to Steven to point us into the future of Beyond and what we can expect from him & the brand, posing the question.....

Looking onward from the Bank Holiday, is there anything special we need to keep our eyes out for like new D.J.’s, club combo’s etc?

Steven: Beyond is forever evolving and the new interior alterations at Area give the team & me a whole new chapter to write in its future history. One thing I like to think I am not is complacent, so there will be lots of new themed parties and full performance shows over the forthcoming weeks and months. The new stage set up now enables me to book many more regular PA’s than before and my provisional enquiry list is looking very promising! The final details of a brand new membership card scheme are also being fine tuned ready for an Autumn launch. There are lots of new plans in store, I am very confident I won’t let any of you down, so in short we really are entering a brand new exciting era for the club which personally I can’t wait to explore, envisage and deliver for you all!

Now, having seen the changes made to Area for ourselves at Onyx “Digital” last night, we can certainly vouch for many of the improvements, which, once bedded in, should prove very popular with the Beyond faithful. The opening of the Black Box is a triumph & will boost the appeal of the space and in combination with the increased size of the main room dance space, means this upcoming Bank Holiday “Super Size” experience should be a less cramoed & more comfortable one.

We would like to thank both Steven Sharp & Oliver Mohns in being so candid with their responses and take the opportunity to wish both them & the whole team involved with Beyond, a fantastic “Super Size” Bank Holiday party and be rest assured that, despite commitments this weekend, we will be back to Beyond very soon. (DISCO MATT)

"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)