"A New Look, A New Direction" - DiscoMatt.com "Go For Launch"

“A NEW LOOK, A NEW DIRECTION”
DISCOMATT.COM “GO FOR LAUNCH”
REPORT – MONDAY 6TH DECEMBER


Well, it has been a long time coming, but the day has arrived when we can, excitingly, announce the launch of our new one-stop website, a momentous day in Disco Matt land and one which we are coining “go for launch”, perhaps not quite as spectacular as the first rocket in space, the first man on the moon or even that first space shuttle mission, but a significant launch & step in our relatively short yet eventful history.

And yes, it has been just under three years since we started putting pen to paper, Disco Matt having been born & developed following publication of his review of Matinee in February 2008, on tip top clubbing website SeenQueen, we having gone on to rack up exactly 200 reviews since then, although as we have broadened our services ,other posts & reports have pushed up that incredible figure to well over 400, adding previews, weekend recommendations, hot dates & music pages to our family of blogs.

But in an ever changing & fast moving world and with our reputation & name established, the time came for us to step out of our “blogging” label, by creating a full-on website to encompass the full range of our work, offering a “one-stop shop” for our regular readers & wider audiences. So, given this momentous change, we have decided to slowly phase out our posts via BlogSpot, with the plan to fully integrate into DiscoMatt.com from the beginning of 2011. However, till then, you will be able to find out posts both here & at the new site.

So, why not take a look at our new look now & our post “A New Look & New Direction” which gives you a complete rundown on the new features, pages & site navigation tools, by simply clicking on http://discomatt.com/. We hope you like our new look and welcome your feedback, good, bad or indifferent. (DISCO MATT)

Beyond "Super Size" - 29th August

Hey Folks,

With the choice of clubbing options for the coming bank holiday increasing before our very eyes, it is becoming quite a task for us to decide which clubs will end up getting our full review devotion, with already over 8 events craving for our attention. However whilst, for us, choices will need to be made in this respect, it doesn’t mean that we can’t bring you the best possible preview coverage of the hottest places to be seen, so sit back & keep your eyes peeled for your virtual daily posts, giving you the lowdown on the best events coming up over the last weekend of August.

And kicking it all off is Beyond, which, for those of you that have experienced a bank holiday Sunday morning at Area, is likely to be packed, indeed at the end of May our review highlighted that “...such was the sheer volume of bodies that our usual spot just left of the D.J. booth was full, leaving us to find enough room to move & groove in the corridor behind...” and, despite the increase in choice this coming long weekend, we see no reason to suggest that this amazing afterhours will be any different. Plus, with Vauxhall once again looking like the major melting pot for activity in gAylist clubland, Beyond sits firmly in the middle of the full-on schedule of events and if previous bank holiday’s are to go by, Sunday is the new Saturday with Monday being the new Sunday, another reason why Area will be pulsating with party heads right from the off in the hands of our favourite club.

So, what can you expect this Bank Holiday at Beyond? Well, all the usual ingredients that makes these gatherings simply spectacular, although on a “Super Size” scale. The dream team of residents will be there for a start, so expect the likes of Mikey D, Steve Pitron & Alan K in the main room, D’Johnny, Jamie Head & Hifi Sean in Terrace and quite possibly David Jimenez & Paul Christian in the mix too. However, we are not too sure how the latter two will fit at the moment, although there is the likelihood that the Chapel Room concept will come into play, as it seems, well according to the poster at least, that a “new” room is being created which we believe will be hosted by German club “Sexy”. Mind you, we also understand that The Blackbox, which has recently been given the RAW treatment by tip top promoter Steven Sharp, will have had a mini makeover, so there will be plenty in the mix, not least as the official blurb says that “...some of Germany’s best D.J.’s will be flying in for the party...” and we already know that the ex-promoter of Matinee, Oliver M is currently scheduled to play alongside D.J. Rony. Naturally, as more news on the full line up hits our desks, we will share it with you

However, we can hold our hand on our heart in confirming much of the main room madness which looks simply stunning, as not only have they lined up a brand new LED stage to further enhance the already impressive & incomparably brilliant lighting system, but Steven has secured the services of, not one, but two P.A.’s for this prolific party. Superstar singer Cass Fox, best known for her hits “Touch Me” and “Music Matters” will no doubt bring the house down with her breathtaking vocals, but also pumping the place will be Peyton, whose previous performance at Beyond was amazing. Add to all that the best pyrotechnic displays in the business (those shooting rockets simply have to be seen to be believed) and some on the most provocative dancers we have seen anywhere, masterminded & choreographed by new addition to the team, Shaun Capewell, who alongside the fantastic Elektra Paris, will surely have those burly blokes & gorgeous girls on the podiums, showing everyone around just how it’s done.

Given what we have said about bank holiday’s at Beyond, we cannot stress enough that, if this is a must visit event for you, that not only do you grab an advance ticket as quickly as you can, but that you also plan to get there nice & early, as the queues are likely to be longer than an autobahn tea party, although in recognition of the probable demand, Area’s doors will be opening at 4 a.m., with the club running through to its usual 1 p.m. finish on Sunday afternoon. Tickets are already on sale at http://clubtickets.com/ and looks like the team are holding the prices down to the usual weekly rate of £10, so you can also grab a ticket direct from oho outlets, Prowler, Clone Zone & DV8, or at Covent Garden bar The Box.

Now such is the demand on our schedule this coming Bank Holiday that we are not sure whether Beyond will be featuring in the exhaustive list of events we hope to cover, parties both on the Sunday morning and then the afternoon already demanding of our attention, but one thing is for sure, while the choice for clubbers will be more diverse than the last long weekend back in May, you can bet your bottom dollar that Beyond will be at its brilliant best and hence why you should make this Super Size event at Area a hot date in your diaries.

xDM

Lovechild meets Wild Fruit "Wild Child Beach Party" - Saturday 21st August

Hey Folks,

It certainly seems that our hot dates devotions have been slipping of late, the last exposure being as far back as the end of June (as much a shock to us as to you) so we thought it was high time we pulled our finger to help you let your diary fingers do the walking & your pen in do the talking, in making sure you don’t miss out on what the scene has to offer.

Being back in the hot dates driving seat and still smarting from our walk on the wild side in the hands of, who else, but Wild Fruit down in Brighton, it seems that the tables are being turned on us in two Saturday’s (21st August) time as, after savouring three of their splendid soiree’s come club nights, Paul Kemp & his fruity crew will be at it again. But this time it will be in the capital, when they will combine forces with the London libidinal that is Lovechild to bring you the barmiest beach party the capital has seen for a long time, adding elements of sand, seduction & style (& maybe a bit of sea) under one roof, that roof being Fire in Vauxhall. Being the home of Lovechild, promoter Alex Erfan will be beaching the proverbial whale of a party, or should we call it supersized, as the third player in this sandy shindig will be Paris’s very own mega sized paddling pool of an event’s sponsoring club promotions machine, Spirit Of Star, forging their way across the English channel to land in London and add the A to the B, the aqua to the beach and complete the team that will steer the good-ship that will be the Lovechild meets Wild Fruit “Wild Child Beach Party”.

So, with the scene set, what can you expect from this latest Lovechild inspired party? Well, one thing is for sure, the production team will be at full tilt, Alex & Paul’s team’s transforming Fire’s three rooms into a shoreside splendour, the pebbles of Brighton’s beaches combining with the golden sand from London’s.......oh hang on there are no beaches in London, yikes! Well, how about Bondi beach?, yes that works, not least as there will be a threesome of Aussie jocks behind the decks on the night, but more in that in a minute. But we digress, so back to the production and all the elements that make up a dreamland beach backdrop will be there on the night, think palm trees, sea shells and plenty of that sand, Lovechild’s Edna waving her magical wand over the whole venue, the sun element being provided by Fire’s amazing lighting and the sea part down to the boys from Paris. However Paul’s team will also get their say, incorporating elements of tropical fruit on the wild side to add their own spice of old to the proceedings, while the amazing talents of Alan X will mastermind the visuals, transforming you into a beachside paradise courtesy of the myriad of screens across Fire’s three rooms.

Adding the bronzed beach hunk look to this latest Lovechild outing will be Thiagio’s drop dead gorgeous go-go dancers, this band of beefy blokes certainly having caught our eye over the last few events, a couple of guys in particular very much hitting the spot in more ways than one. So expect them dressed down to their tight fitting speedo’s and thrusting their surfboards & plenty more in your direction, plus we are reliably informed that the shows will be much more raunchy & focused back in on the contact room, the space which allows you men to satisfy your hearts & other desires in the specially set up space that includes a maze to explore & discover, as well as comfortable seating for that intimate liaison or chat. And as the man behind it all say’s “...why wait until you get home to have it all?...”, why indeed.

But raunch aside, the music will be doing it own kind of talking across all three spaces and Lovechild will be bringing back some of its favourite residents who have been missing from recent parties. Alessandro Londra makes a welcome return, having completed a successful tour of Rome since his last Lovechild appearance and he continues to pack a punch at Lo-Profile, Barcode Vauxhall, Rudeboiz (he will know plenty about the contact room!) and, of course, his longstanding residency for Rupert Street. Over & above all of that, Alessandro can count recent gigs for both Beyond & Matinee as highlights, he performing brilliantly at the latter’s “Open Air Summer Party”, which was the Sunday success of the year so far. Young talent and recent Lovechild resident inclusion, Jc Christopher, also makes his return and this will be his third gig for Alex Erfan’s Saturday night outfit, Jc having really got the party going with a brilliant opening set at his last showing in June and will surely be doing the same again. Then we come to the trio of Aussie’s that we hinted on earlier and first is Terry Vietheer, who like Jc is a recent addition to the Lovechild team, yet deservedly so as the man has been making waves over at Heaven’s Monday nighter, Popcorn, while he also resides for the monthly Shadow Lounge Thursday party, Hola, not to mention popping up at Barcode Vauxhall every now & then, Terry treating us to a terrific tank load of tunes at their 4th birthday bash. But one return we are really looking forward to is Brent Nicholls, who has be a noticeable absentee from the last two Lovechild’s thus making his return all the more enticing. And what can we say about this hugely popular & capable master of his game that we haven’t said before except of his unique genre of house, which he calls “nu-funk” & which is definitely doing it for us at the moment, should feature large in his se, so with the prospect of his performance soaked with these sensational sounds, we cannot wait.

However, the cast goes on and flying the flag from Wild Fruit will be Brighton’s own Jonny M, although it would be fair to say that he seems to spend more time in London these days, especially with his commitments to the massive Friday night club smash, Onyx, which just a couple of weeks ago celebrated its first birthday and, under Jonny’s steership, is going from strength to strength, meaning it should be celebrating many more. Mr Marsh has managed to fit time in the studio into his hectic schedule and we will bring you the results of his work in our forthcoming special Music Is The Answer post, “Loving These Lovechild Beach Babies”, which is due for release on or around this forthcoming party. But the two guest names joining the fray this time round come from both near & far, Aurel Devil landing in London having hot footed it across the channel with his Spirit of Star chums and will be flying their flag, both in a promotions & a D.J. role, while from much further a-field will come our third Aussie for the night, Johan Khoury, this charming & cute Sydney based star making his second showing for Lovechild in the capital, adding his own element of beach style brawn to proceedings in front & behind the decks. Both Aurel & Johan will be getting our full focus in that Lovechild inspired music post, so keep your eyes peeled for that. Rounding off the team is South African & now London based Leroy Tayler, who just last weekend entertained us at Dance Nation, so will feel right at home with this, his second Lovechild/Wild Fruit combo event.

Now to some of the nitty gritty details and first off is information on tickets, which are already on sale online, the direct link being http://clubtickets.com/gb/2010-08/21/wild-child-beach-party-lovechild-meets-wild-fruit, with these advance one priced at just £10, while tickets have also been released to the usual outlets for you to purchase face to face, Prowler, Clone Zone & DV8 in Soho and The Box in Covent Garden, all having the same priced £10 tickets available, although all these tickets will be subject to a small booking fee. Of the other details, well expect the usual Lovechild parade around Soho in the two days leading up to this event, with the hostess with the mostest (and having met her in the flesh on Saturday, we can certainly vouch for that!), Chrissy Darling leading the line of lovelies around as well as landing in on the usual pre-party celebrations in Rupert St on Friday 20th, not to mention hosting the whole Beach party event on the Saturday itself. Plus, don’t forget that the first 100 ticket holders through the door get free entry to Beyond afterwards, so the £10 ticket is a better bargain than you think.

We will bring you further details & reminders of this party in forthcoming weekend/extra bites posts, but all there is left to say for now is, get those summer swimsuits out, slap on the tan or hit the sun-bed & make Lovechild meets Wild Fruit “Wild Child Beach Party” on 21st August a definite date.

xDM

Liberation - Pride London's "Official" Party

Hey Folks,

Well, never wanting to be accused of not giving you a decent choice & offering when enabling you to decide what gets your devotion on any given weekend, we always strive to mix up the popular parties with some alternative antics & this coming Pride London weekend will be no different, so watch this space for our special recommendations post, due out within the next 24 hours. In the meantime we continue our series of Hot Dates posts, focussing on those events that look like being the big attractions on this forthcoming special weekend of gay celebration.

Saturday 3rd July is without doubt the biggest day the Pride London calendar, although as we reported in our special preview, there is so much more to pride in the capital these days, with events spanning over two weeks and encompassing a whole host of mediums in celebration of the diversity that is gay culture & life. But, as much as the majority of the focus goes to the parade through the streets of London’s west end & then to the celebrations in both Trafalgar & Leicester Squares (no Soho Square this year), eyes also then turn to what parties are held afterwards to carry on the festivities deep into Sunday morning.

Having already given you three tip top choices, we would be doing you an injustice if we didn’t cover the “official” Pride London party, although past experience shows that that word official can be used & abused by club promoters & event organisers for their own gain or, more sinisterly, to deceive those into thinking that their event is something it actually isn’t (certain tactics in Vauxhall spring to mind!). However, with “Liberation”, Pride London’s very own “official” party, you can be safe in the knowledge that it is indeed the official clubbing event for the organisers of the capitals pride parade & square shindigs and indeed the first ever party to be run by Pride’s own people. So, whilst you may see the word official used across the weekend by various club events, this is the only “official” Pride London post parade party.

Right, with that point cleared up, what can you expect from this official event? Well, it looks like being quite a corker, not least that the team have secured Camden’s fabulous Koko music & clubbing venue, a place that has recently sported great gAylist events “Matinee” & Rapido”, although has quite a sparkling history of musical & other entertainment right across its 110 year life. But before you think this is an old decaying venue (Fridge Brixton?!?!), not at all, as the owners delightfully retained/restored & managed the incredible baroque features & feel of the place in 2004, adding delightful modern touches to make it one stunning venue that, for us, ranks as probably THE best theatrical style hangout in the capital, not least for the brilliant atmosphere & incredible views from the various tiers & vantage points. Moreover Koko’s (formerly known as the Camden Palace) impeccable pedigree includes hosting artists such as Madonna, Prince & Coldplay who have held concerts there, was a mecca for the punk age in the late 70’s, The Clash being a regular feature, it has been used as a film location, a radio theatre (The Goons recorded their shows there) and has even been modelled on New York’s famous “Studio 54”, sported such greats as Visage’s Steve Strange. But we digress, although there is no denying the venue is top class, plus closer to central London than you think, so will prove really easy to get to.

As for “Liberation” itself, naturally as a clubbing event, music will be central to the theme and the D.J. line up very much reflects the uplifting, dance and “hands-in-the-air” house end of the musical spectrum, iconic scene names Andy Almighty and Stewart Who? being joined by the jet setting & internationally based mega D.J. star Wayne G, who lands back in the U.K. for a whistle-stop visit, “Liberation” being one of just a handful of gigs/appearances he will make before shooting off on his exhaustive international engagement commitments, so will be a set well worth catching. However, headlining this dance spectacular will be The Freemasons, who will surely treat us to a plethora of their remix hits, classics that include “Rain Down Love”, Uninvited” & “Watchin”, their set definitely fitting in their new single “Believer”, not to mention those Beyonce, Kelly Rowland & Sophie Ellis-Bextor smashes that will make “Liberation” a truly uplifting dance delirium of a post pride party of pop inspired music to pander to the wide & eclectic audience it will no doubt attract. Add to that a surprise live P.A. performance (our money goes on Kelly Rowland) with a host of drop dead gorgeous dancers to provide plenty of eye candy on the main performance stage, not to mention a special VIP area hosted by the incomparable scene favourite drag queen Dave Lynn, the exclusive balcony giving these “ very important persons” a great view of proceedings below, as well as serving up their own slice of musical entertainment from a special guest D.J. (possibly Richard Newman, but probably Fat Tony) and there is little doubt that the gAylist glitterati will be out in force for this “Liberation” event.

Now to those all important details and “Liberation” takes place on Saturday 3rd July at Koko in Camden (nearest tube Mornington Crescent) with doors opening at 10 p.m. & this special & “official” Pride London event running through until 5 a.m. Tickets priced at £20 (£25 for VIP’s) are available at Soho outlets Prowler & Clone Zone as well as at Ku Bar in Frith Street, or online at http://pridelondon.org/, where you can get more details on this event (as if you need to!!). So, having been “proud to be pride” at the parade, you can now also be “proud to be pride” at the party, there being nothing more for us to say apart from what we always do....”Go There! Be There!

xDM

Best Of British - "London's Biggest Pride Party"

Hey Folks,

Well, the march towards Pride London continues, although the talk these days is not much of that austere feeling of marching for rights that was so much an element of events in years gone by, but more of a parade of celebration as gay acceptability within the larger community, here in the capital at least, seems much more of a norm. And talking of celebrations, there will be plenty going on this coming Saturday in terms of clubbing, so we continue our build up, picking out some hot dates to add to your consideration pot.

So what gets our latest shout? Well, it is the return of the event that rounded off the recent London Global Dance Festival, although unlike 31st May, this one should prove hugely popular as it positions itself bang slap in the middle of pride clubbing proceedings on Saturday 3rd July and in the thick of the action in London’s second gay village, Vauxhall, this south of the river hot spot usually proving to be the most popular retreat from the swollen streets of Soho on pride weekend. And host venue for "The Best of British" event, Fire, is best placed to absorb the lion’s shares of the clubbing affections between dusk & dawn, as five rooms of fun swing into action, serving up a dazzling delight of D.J.’s delivering dancing delirium from start to finish, in what the organisers are calling “London’s biggest pride party”.

Now with news that The Orange group have secured Leicester Square for their dance stage, following the decision to close Soho Square to pride revellers on grounds of safety (see our special Pride London preview), you can pretty much guarantee that "The Best Of British" boys will be out in force to tempt you down to Fire following what looks like being THE place to be during the pride daytime celebrations. And, given past experience, there will be good reason to hot foot it down to Fire for the 9 p.m. start, thus avoiding the crush that will be a mass exodus from Central London once proceedings in Leicester Square come to a close. Indeed the team down in Vauxhall will be ready & waiting to warm you up with a special “very British & right royal” garden party outside in the recently improved & extended Fire garden, this alfresco warm up to the dancing dervishness inside hosted by the larger than life Chrissy Darling who has hinted that “...the queen will be popping in for tea!...”, although whilst HRH will definitely not be there, plenty of queens definitely will be, hankering to get their piece of this best of brits action.

And talking of that action, there will be plenty going on across the five dedicated areas of dance & music, the main room might of Steve Pitron & The Sharp Boys, being joined by special guest for the night, Seamus Haji, who is probably best known for his “Last Night a DJ Saved My Life” track fame, although has a veritable feast of remix works that have secured a position for prestigious D.J./Producer in amongst the crème de la crème of the musical pile. Now, you may say, why Mr Haji at a party celebrating the best of British talent?, but the reality is Seamus is not only based in the U.K. but was born here, although while he is from Irish/Indian & Iranian decent, many of his notable successes have been here in the U.K..However, that impressive catalogue of remix work, including his collaborations with Paul Emmanuel, has seen Mr Haji feature large & wide on countless Hed Kandi albums, not to mention his music being played across the dancefloors of the U.K., Europe & beyond, so he is a major coup for the organisers and will surely make him a massive draw at this pride special party. Add to that the prolific special live P.A. of Elliotte Williams & Dure, performing the huge club smash, “Pride, A Deeper Love” amongst others, with the backdrop of prime British beef muscled go-go dancers and the action will be simply amazing. But it doesn’t stop there as four other spaces will showcase some of the best in British D.J. gAylist talent, the “London Underground” room sporting Guy Williams, Steve Thomas, Lisa German, Alan K & Nik Denton, while the “Brit Pop” space will herald The Very Miss Dusty O, Tuomo Fox, Jason Prince & James St James. Then there is the “Gaydar Fire Lounge” steered by ClubNation presenter & D.J. Phil Marriot, joined by GaydarNation’s Jonny M, as well as Lee Harris & Verity Mayes, while the Megawoof boys get in on the act with their own take of this very British affair, with their space “The Best Of Bears”, with resident D.J.’s Daz Saund, Tim McCloone & Leonardo Glovibes.

With all this on offer and being pride to boot, you would think that the usual price explosion would take place, but you couldn’t be further from the truth, as advance tickets for this "The Best Of British" event are a mere £10, available online at http://clubtickets.com/, as well as at outlets, Prowler, Clone,& DV8, plus bars The Edge & The Box, as well as at all upcoming events at Fire & Area, doors to this very British party opening at 9 p.m. & the event running through until 7 a.m. So, it should prove a tasty alternative to those who don’t fancy a hop skip & jump down the yellow brick road, rather being safe in the knowledge that THE party of the weekend will be just a hop skip & jump away after savouring buckets loads of best brits brilliance and therefore carries our full recommendation as a hot date for your diaries.

xDM

Hard On! - Pride London Special

Hey Folks,

With the summer very much here and the long(ish) forecast looking good, Pride London weekend seems a promising prospect for drawing 10’s of thousands of out & proud gay people will be basking in the sunshine, parading through London’s streets & then celebrating across Trafalgar & Leicester Squares and, of course, spilling into Soho. As a result there will be plenty of alfresco action during the day and we will bring you our best bits in forthcoming posts, although there is no doubt, as day turns to night, there are some choice clubs that will be vying for your attention & are as such definite Hot Dates in our books.

So, talking of which, it comes as no surprise that the mistress of fetish will want to get her fair share of the action, so her headlining club Hard On! will be holding a special pride party, shifting from the usual last Saturday of the month slot, rolling open Hidden’s doors to a leather, rubber & altogether horny crowd on Saturday 3rd July, Suzi’s strap line for this special event being “shake off your marching boots from Pride and get your fuck boots on!, and there is no denying the intentions of this full-on fetish frolic with a slogan like that.

Now, we have been followers & fans Ms Krueger’s fetish fineries for as long as we can remember, right from the early days of former club, Fist, at both Substation South & then Imperial Gardens (we were still innocent in the days of Denmark Place), making virtually monthly homage’s to satisfy our penchant for leather & lust, even when this iconic club was included in massive parties like Famous Five, Summer Rites and even the annual pride park celebrations Indeed our first frolic into all things Fist was at Kennington Park back in 1992, but, times they changed and with the sad demise of Fist, came the re-birth in the form of Hard On!, which brought its erotic extravagancies to Vauxhall, honing in on host venue Crash, but then finding firmer foundations at Hidden and as they say, the rest is history.

Whilst our clubbing exploits across the scene now preclude us from making Hard On! a monthly inclusion in our cavorting calendar, the odd trip here & there hold very fond memories for us, the last Saturday of the month signally the time to, at least consider dusting off the leathers & heading down to Hidden, although with Pride on our doorsteps, Suzi’s decision to shift this club to coincide with the capital’s biggest gay celebration will surely prove a popular one as well as a very tempting prospect for us. And we are sure that devotees to this fetish fling will be chalking the date up in their diaries (if not having done so already) and you can expect a gorgeous gathering of leather, rubber, uniform & even naked affiliates, all engrossing in the sexual glory hole that is Hard On!

So, Saturday 3rd of July is the date & Hidden is the place, but what have the team got in store to entice you in? Well, first off is the relaxing of the membership rules exclusively for this pride party, as entrance will not be restricted to members only, the doors being swung open to everyone for this one time only, the added bonus of free 1 year’s membership offered to new Hard On! entrants, which will be one of many stimulants to get you down & dirty, not just on this special night but right across the year. Then, once in the club, things will be switched around to mix up proceedings, the music mixing in the so called “bouncing your bollocks” blue room (known affectionately as the cruise room), being in the hands of resident beefcake Brent Nicholls, joined for this outing by fellow “Sweat” D.J. Simon Simple and Hard On! regular Dmak, all three serving up plenty of funky, chunky, horny & sexy sounds to scintillate, while over in the “whipping your arse” Red room (who thinks up these names!?!), it will be down to Hugo’sland & Halo-is to manufacture the masterful music, adding to the legendary pervy performances which will definitely be a feature of both rooms. But in true Hidden tradition, the infamous playroom will be open in all its usual glory, with x-rated porn raising the atmosphere & plenty more besides, with plenty of goings on fuelled by the plethora of free cum shots (that’s spirits shorts before you ask!) and we are sure lots of reasonably priced refreshments to lubricate the larynx’s for the lustful action ahead, while for that more intimate close encounter of the sexual kind, the plentiful corridor spaces, comfy sofa’s, seating & chill-out areas will once again prove popular, as will be the much improved outdoor terrace area come smoking deck, which has been given a smart revamp and now includes additional seating and even a snack bar.

Now, despite the relaxing of the door policy, don’t expect any relaxation in the dresscode, as it is strictly leather, rubber, uniform & skin gear, boots being in, trainers very much out, chaps & the like allowed & jeans definitely not, but plenty of people opt for minimal dress & even naked, excepting that essential footwear of course. Entry for this Hard On! pride special will be £15 for members & £20 for others, doors opening at Hidden from 10 p.m. & the event running through until 5 a.m., with further information on everything else you need to know about this monthly fetish outing available at http://hardonclub.co.uk/.

So, 3rd July is definitely time to be out, proud & stamp a fetish statement on the weekend, by joining Suzi Krueger & the team of horny hedonists for Hard On! at Hidden and is defiantly a Hot Date.

xDM

SuperMartXe - "The Wizard Of Oz" Gay Pride Special

Hey Folks,

If you took a look at our latest preview “Proud To Be Pride” you will realise that the countdown to Pride London has very much begun, but further more that a whole load of the gAylist clubbing scene’s current big guns will be swinging into action over the weekend of 3rd July.

So, in a short series of Hot Dates posts, we will be focussing on these parties, the first getting our attention looking like it will be the hottest ticket in town for Pride Saturday, as the SuperMartXe steamrolling machine takes the capital by storm with its special “Wizard Of Oz” Gay Pride Special party, which will be held at its usual home, The Coronet in Elephant & Castle. But this is not just a specially themed party, as the Logan Presents team will be joining forces with Jodie Harsh’s “Circus” in what looks like being a sell-out event, despite some of the lovely latino’s being tempted away from the capital for Madrid’s own Pride festival. So what can you expect from this latest SuperMartXe London instalment?

Well, ever since it was launch to a then unsuspecting public back in November 2008, SuperMartXe has stole the headlines & captured the imagination of clubland London like no other event we can think of, and right from that first party, the trademark stupendous stage shows, prolific pyrotechnic effects & massive euro style & espaniol tainted music have been the bywords of this smashing Spanish brands escapades in the capital. Such has been the success that promoter Logan Schmitz has successfully tempted the faithful down to huge parties at Brixton’s O2 Academy, both NYD and Easter proving real hits and on top of that, has added the Matinee London crown to his list of achievements since breaking away from the brand back in the summer of 2008. His reputation for organising & drawing on one of the hottest looking crowds in town is short of miraculous and the parties he lays on in celebration have become THE places to be & be seen.

And “Wizard Of Oz” looks set to continue that tradition, as Logan together with his team of schmitzels, have already begun laying down the blocks that will form the yellow brick road leading you to their own glittering version of The Emerald City at The Coronet in London’s Elephant & Castle on Saturday 3rd July. With such a strong theme to the party, you can expect that they will be pulling out all the stops to make the stage one stunning spectacle, not to mention dressing up the gorgeous & glamorous array of dancers in appropriately themed costumes, the lion, the tin man & the scarecrow definitely getting more than a look in and a little birdie tells me that Logan’s own pooch “Bronx”, while not very Toto looking, may be playing a brief role in proceedings. However, as yet we are not quite sure who will be playing the leading role, Dorothy, (possibly Naomi in an in a pair of bright red heels!), but expect a dynamic & dazzling display to match & maybe exceed any show of Logan’s yet. Mind you Dorothy could also be powerful P.A. Abigail Bailey, who hit the big time back in 2005 with her massive club hit “I just Can’t Get Enough” and will most likely treat us to that as well as her brand new hit “Touch Me” which stormed & topped the charts across Europe within days of its release.

In terms of the music, all the usual SuperMartXe boxes have been ticked and taking centre stage will be the drop dead gorgeous Hugo Sanchez, swooping in on London direct from Spain for the party and, despite being billed as the “Wizard” for the event, we put more in the league of the handsome prince (wrong film we know!) but not only will his looks smoulder, but his music will too and judging by his last performance, this should be one superb set to savour. Another D.J. that has been making considerable SuperMartXe waves recently is London’s own Spanish inspired disc spinning star, Tony English, who treated us to a tank load of terrific tunes at the last “Hot Wheels” party, packing out the dancefloor right up to the 7 a.m. finish, but this time raises the curtain on musical proceedings with what should be a rousing rhapsody of rhythms to get your trip down that yellow brick road more than hopping, skipping & jumping. But completing the tremendous trio in the SuperMartXe main room, is none other than Italian stallion Pagano, whose unquestionable talent behind the decks has seen him play in some of the most prestigious parties & events on the gAylist London scene, his style of hard hitting progressive & tech sure to be a hit in this specially themed “Wizard Of Oz” and may even tumble the glacial walls of The Emerald City with the power & enthusiasm he develops behind the decks. And as a little treat & prelude to the music you can expect at this enchanting event, check out the second in the series of “Logan Presents” podcasts, like the first presented by resident Tony English & featuring Hugo Sanchez, which runs down some of the biggest hits making waves on the European dancefloors at the moment, not to mention news & info on forthcoming events, as well as that all important mix from Hugo, all which is available now at http://loganpresentspodcast.podomatic.com/.

But the action isn’t just restricted to the main room, as the Jodie Harsh “Circus” outfit rolls into town and we are sure she & her fun filled crew will definitely add their own element of magic to the whole event, not in the wicked witch sense of course, but with all the glitz, glam & razzmatazz that is very much the byword of this fabulously full-on clubbing alternative. And with Jodie possibly attracting a smattering of glitterati too, she will be taking her turn behind the decks, along with “Circus” favourite, the super talented & vivacious Kris Di Angelis, a guy with whom we have been rubbing social shoulders with for as long as we can remember and always delivers a delectable doze of dance & harder hitting house. But, as if these two divine D.J.’s were enough, adding to the “Circus” clowning around is the legendary Fat Tony, who makes his first appearance at a SuperMartXe inspired event & will surely draw more than a handful of punters away from the main room, this prolific performer having been there & done that, quite memorable sets coming at Trade, DTPM, Matinee & Orange just to mention a few, so we definitely know where we will be when a certain Mr T starts spinning the sounds.

Right so that’s the action covered, so now to that all important detail and SuperMartXe’s “Wizard Of Oz” gay pride special party featuring “Circus” takes place on 3rd July from 10.30 p.m., running through until 7 a.m. Tickets priced at £15 are on sale, but already selling fast, so make sure you either jump online now & grab yours at http://clubtickets.com/ or at Soho outlets, Prowler, Clone Zone & DV8, as well as at SolarStation, Santos & Mowen, and bars The Box, Profile, & both Barcode’s. Plus if you fancy going VIP then why not indulge, with special table packages & tickets available through http://supermartxelondon.com/. And, talking of Profile, make sure you keep tomorrow night clear & head down to Wardour Street, as the team will be bringing you another smash pre-party at both Profile & Lo-Profile, Tony English tantalising you downstairs with some pre main event pulsating tunes, Logan & his band of schmitzels on duty, decking out both places in SuperMartXe production & plenty more, including dancers in the Profile window & downstairs in the club, more details of this coming up in our weekend recommendations post.

So, come Saturday 3rd of July, make sure your are not cowardly like the lion, that your outfit doesn’t make you look quite like the scarecrow and if you insist on wearing tin, make sure it is nice & polished to match your shiny red shoes, click those heels, grab your Toto and head off down the yellow brick road to The Coronet in Elephant & Castle for Logan Presents “Wizard Of Oz” event as this is very much one hot, hot date!

xDM

Lovechild June

Hey Folks,

Well, the team have hardly caught breath from the massive London Global Dance Festival (LGDF) which consumed their lives for weeks up to the weekend of parties just gone, but as the saying goes, “time waits for no man” and its business as usual in the Alex Erfan camp, as Lovechild returns on Saturday 12th June, marking the first of its summer parties in the capital and at Fire in Vauxhall, this event being very much a hot date for your diaries.

But before we go on, what’s been happening in Lovechild land recently? Well, with the last event in London having been consumed by the “love weekend” of parties, it nevertheless showcased a superb set of D.J. performances, not least from special Spanish guest Albert Neve, who impressed far more than many of his country compatriots do when they hit London, the night also hailing the brilliance of P.A. Kaysee. With the team already riding high as a result, they built on that success with their “Red” event over in Antwerp, which made a massive splash. London Lovechild resident wunder kid Phil Hewson was given the opportunity to really stretch his legs & by golly did he deliver, the crowd simply lapping up his scintillating set from start to finish laying down the gauntlet yet paving the way for international mega star D.J. Paul Heron to wow the crowd with his wonderful musical magic. With this special Lovechild being fronted by the amazing Chrissy Darling, whose incredible presence & costume made a massive impact, the dancers dressed shoulder to toe in fetching tight fitting red one pieces, cut an impressive stride, surrounding fabulous PR guru Jerry Boston standing proud on the stage. Jerry helped mastermind the whole event, exporting the brand with pride and, talking with him afterwards, he remarked “...given it was our first trip to Antwerp, I was thrilled with the reaction from the crowds who were clearly impressed with the whole event...” he adding that “...the feedback from the venue was extremely positive and they cannot wait to welcome us back...” so we are certainly looking forward to making the journey to report & review on the next Lovechild international expedition.

However, back in the capital and with the summer looking promising, the passion for clubbing will hopefully heat up with it and Lovechild is well placed to serve up another superb party in its now well established home at Fire in Vauxhall. And, with a distinct summery theme, the team will be ramping up the already quality club production, creating an oasis of love and sporting all those delightful dancers that were so eye catching & drop dead gorgeous at the last London event (that alone has us pleased as punch!). And the team will also be concentrating the music on the talent of its broad & experienced resident team of D.J.’s, welcoming back to the party Lovechild original’s Brent Nicholls, Mattias & Tony English, who will be joined by both stars from the Antwerp outing, Paul Heron & Phil Hewson, with superb Sicilian’s Alessandro & Gabriele Cutrano also gracing the decks, while Lee Harris heads up a band of youngsters that will include Terry Vietheer, JC Christopher and new Lovechild entrant, Terry Bryan.

Looking at these D.J.’s on offer, the range of house music genres on offer is simply dynamic and the combination will definitely deliver to suit all tastes. Brent Nicholls is in a really pioneering sector of sound at the moment, playing out fresh track, one after the next in the style that he coins “Nu-funk”, the type of music that gets the feet moving, the hips swaying & the bodies gyrating to the funky & disco/electro drenched beats, endless examples available through his LGDF dedicated compilations as well as those pressed for both Hustlaball & Pervert, which you can check out at http://djbrentnicholls.com/music. Both Terry’s are accomplished deliverers of uplifting yet funky filled house with tech tinges, the antipodean Mr Vietheer making an impact at Heaven’s Popcorn as well as appearing at hip hangouts Barcode, Rupert St, and has literally just released his latest compilation entitled “funky for love” (very appropriate) which is out now at http://soundcloud.com/terryvietheer/funky4love-june-2010-promo, while Mr Bryan continues to make musical waves at clubs that include A.M., Booster, Beyond & Later as well as featuring in Bank Holiday Orange specials, just last week treating us to some storming sets at Beyond & Orange in Area’s fabulous Terrace Bar space, but really tickling our disco & funky fancies in the Vinyl room at A.M., showing the depth in his musical talent, his latest compilation out at http://terrybryan.podomatic.com/ giving a real flavour of his style. Then there is the magnificent Mattias, who never fails to impress with his octane fuelled tech & progressive house, making him a favourite attraction wherever he goes, holding down a exhaustive international roster, but popping up in the capital every now & then, Barcode & A.M. included in recent appearances, his irresistible musical flair reflected beautifully in his latest “tech house in your face” mix out at http://djmattias.podomatic.com/, while Tony English comes to Lovechild on the back of his brilliant performance at SuperMartXe’s “Hot Wheels” party last Saturday, where he packed out The Coronet right till the finish at 7 a.m. with an impressive display of electro, funky & tech fuelled house which he laid down for posterity in a live mix which is available through http://tonyenglish.podomatic.com/ and, as with previous Lovechild appearances, he will prove a real draw. Rupert St favourite Alessandro Londra will be back to Lovechild too, stirring the emotions with his fiery Sicilian passion which shows through in the explosive & exciting music he plays, that has seen him star at Matinee’s both old & new, hangouts including Lo-Profile & Barcode, sexy lads outfits Rudeboiz & Fitladz, not to mention massive clubs As One & Beyond and his latest release “Get Wet”, out at http://soundcloud.com/djalessandrolondra/get-wet will certainly whet your appetite for his music. And if that isn’t enough to entice you, watch out for our special “Music is The Answer” post covering the whole Lovechild resident team & their latest works, out next week.

So, what else can we look forward to in this summery Lovechild edition? Well, we have mentioned those delightful dancers and there will be plenty of them, both in the main room where they will make plenty of those striking & imposing movements, with the eroticism extending much further in the contact room (Mirrorarch) space, where a few more assets will be on show to pop the eyes. And talking of that contact room, the special infamous play area will be back and masterminded by the fabulous Tony Bruno, the space described as “...somewhere that clubbers can feel relaxed and have extra raunchy fun – a room fitted with comfortable armchairs within a maze complete with antiseptic gel for cleaning hands after the naughtiness...” and having been dragged in there a couple of events ago by a famous scene photographer, we can vouch for just exactly what it offers. But back out in amongst the music & dance action, not only will Fire’s superb lighting, pyrotechnics & effects, in the hands of Dorin & co, add to the sparkle of this summer themed party, but the amazing visuals supplied by Alan X will add their own touch of magic to proceedings.

With all that, Lovechild’s upcoming party at Fire in Vauxhall next Saturday 12th June, has got to be a must visit and advanced tickets priced at just £10 are available now at http://clubtickets.com/ as well as at Soho outlets Prowler, Clone Zone, & DV8, and at both The Box & Barcode. We will bring you more details of timings & latest info in upcoming weekend posts, but rest assured hosts Jerry & Naomi promise a party to remember, so etch this date into your diaries now & make Lovechild a hot date.

xDM

Reverse "Sunrise"

Hey Folks,

In a gAylist clubbing scene that sometimes tends to concentrate on Vauxhall, it’s always great to report on events further afield that not just offer and great alternative, but also introduce a little metrosexuality into the mix. And one such party will be doing just that, so is very much a “hot date” for your diaries.

Reverse as a clubbing concept was conceived by Guy Williams last year and was aimed very much at a mixed crowd, what we aptly term as “metrosexual”, he wishing to create an environment where people for all circles of our clubbing society could comfortably rub shoulders and enjoy some of the latest, cutting edge sounds in the hands of some of London best pioneers of the new age in musical direction. But the Reverse ethos was also to introduce some amazing new venues, giving a truly lofty appeal to the club brand, but also to discover deep cavernous spots to set it aside from other offerings and the launch party, which took place at the awesome Paramount, 31 floors up in central London, certainly delivered on that lofty brief, giving un-rivalled panoramic views across the capitals night scene & skyline and promising a view of the London sunrise to completely wow. Sadly, the rain clouds dominated on that occasion, but following parties saw more remarkable results with the weather being kinder to promoters, but what was also a resounding success was the unique combination of Nu & Old Skool disco, with blends of deep & Italian influenced house, served up by a band of resident D.J’s & guest, that included Serge Santiago, Dan Beaumont, Greg Wilson, Pete Herbert, Severino &, of course, Guy Williams, each providing the superb soundtrack to the prolific backdrops that also included the Century club in Shaftsbury Avenue.

So, with summer returning to the capital (we hope!), The Reverse revolution is back to delight once again and like the launch, will be kicking off its 2010 season at the prolific Paramount at Centrepoint in Soho and welcoming back the team that made last year’s parties so successful. Heading the D.J. line up will be Faze Action, the duo of brothers Robin & Simon Lee, that have been true pioneers in directing the modern disco sound that all started when they re-released their version of 90’s dance classic “In The Trees” last year, then signalling their amazing album release “Stratus Energy” which is drenched in new age disco tunes, very evocative of the cool Hed Kandi style beats that are characteristic of their “Disco Heaven” series, so both Robin & Simon will certainly be treating Reverse addicts to some cosmotic disco beats to perfectly soundtrack the amazing aerial views. And the dynamic duo will be joined by Serge Santiago, Pete Herbert, Severino, Guy & Sophie Lloyd on the decks, serving up yet more tantalising tunes, but with a more underground disco feel, although still drawing on that nu/old skool funk & Italio influenced electro funk.

Now, tickets have been on sales for a few weeks and we are told that all the early bird £12 tickets have sold out, with a decreasing amount of advance tickets at £15 available at http://ticketweb,co.uk/, although there will be a limited amount available on the door, but priced at £20. In terms of timings, Reverse “Sunrise” takes place on Sat 22nd May, with Paramount’s doors opening at 10 p.m. and the club running through until 5 a.m. and the organisers stress that there will be no guest list as the team want to ensure everyone a speedy entry into the club.

So, with the place to be on Saturday week, 31 floors up, Reverse “Sunrise” should definitely prove to be the “warehouse in the sky” and therefore well worth noting as a “hot date” in your diaries.

xDM

London "Love" Weekend

Hey Folks,

With plenty of offerings coming up across the scene in the month of May, we take a look at the next major event (well a sequence of parties in fact) which is we definitely consider as a MUST visit.

So, what are we talking about? Well the “love” weekend of course, which will encapsulate a sequence of club events right from the night of Friday 14th through to the evening of Sunday 16th May, five glorious gatherings which will leave you totally in love with clubbing excellence and as the organisers say, it should prove to be “five massive parties, one insane weekend”.

Kicking off this marathon weekend will be a special party at Onyx, the award winning Friday night club that took the scene by storm when it was launched back in the summer of 2009. Now under the steership of Jonny Marsh, the last bank holiday weekend saw two massive parties draw in huge numbers both “The Clash of The Titans” and “The Godfather Edition” proving real hits & highlights in a frenetic weekend of activity. And the team are proud to welcome back the man that was at the centre of the latter party last weekend, the one & only Pagano, who will play a feature set in the main room, flanked by residents Phil Marriot, Jamie Hammond & Lee Harris, with all the usual ingredients in the other rooms, courtesy of Lisa German, Ariel, Tuomo Fox, Jason Prince & James St James, so the music will definitely be doing much of the talking. However, we are also promised new & special decor very much in the “love” theme, as well all the brilliant go-go dancers, fire-eaters & angle-grinding performers that make Onyx so special, as well as Area’s famed pyrotechnics, laser lighting & visuals that will really lay down the love gauntlet for the weekend. For more details contact info@prototype-music.co.uk

Then it’s straight onto round tow, as A.M. continues the love theme and welcomes Eduardo de La Torre, who makes a return trip to London, having been firmly involved with the Hustlaball event over the last bank holiday. Eduardo’s style of funky, tribal & tech genres of house, but with plenty of progressive beats & the odd sprinkle of vocals with euro style undertones will definitely add an enticing yet very seductive feel to this special A.M. party. He will be joined by residents David Jiminez, D’Johnny & Alan K in the main room, while over in the vinyl lounge The Oli & Paul Martin will take it a little lighter with some classic 7 & 12 inch house sounds intermixed with new tracks to tempt. Plus with the usual Fire visuals, lighting & some extra special dancers to delight, Friday cum Saturday will be all about luurve in the hands of A.M.

Next will be the centre-piece of the weekend as Lovechild returns to Fire to really inject some passion into this special weekend, welcoming back a host of resident D.J.’s that will include Phil Hewson, Mattias, Craig Daniels, Paul Heron, Brent Nicholls, Stewart Whoo & Alessandro London, all who will support the in-bound guest Albert Neve, who jets in from Barcelona especially for the event. This prolific D.J. & producer has an incredible pedigree, having rubbed shoulders with some of the biggest names in the industry, including Roger Sanchez, Wally Lopez, & David Guetta, Albert resident at the fabulous “She Discoteca”, a club owned by Mr Guetta, he sharing the residency decks with fellow artist David Oleart, with who he has developed a strong bond both on the decks & in the studio, a string of hits including the massive “She Loves”. He also has associations with Juanjo Martin, producing the Ibiza anthem smash of 2009, “SuperMartXe” with him, Albert having accomplished remix hits of his own, not least “Today Is My Day”, so is sure to treat us with a bagful of those. He will be joined by a special P.A. in the form of Kaysee, who is a massive name across the Spanish mainland as well as Ibiza & Gran Canaria, performing in front of massive crowds & even receiving the accolade “she sounds even better live, than she does on her recordings” from none other than Eric Morrilio, so should make a real splash on this special “Loveball events. Add to that all the usual Lovechild touches, the contact room, the sexy go-go dancers, the prolific production & visuals & the very erotic shows and this should be yet another superb event, accentuating everything lovely about the love weekend. More details can be found at http://alexerfan.com/.

And no weekend would be complete without two of the best & most talked about club events of now, as Beyond & Later rightfully take their place in the “Love” line-up, Beyond sending revellers deep into Sunday with some of the scene’s best D.J.’s in residence, including, Mikey D, Steve Pitron, Alan K, Jamie Head, Hifi Sean & Gonzalo, with three rooms of fun & with the addition of the infamous “embankment terrace” which always proves a social hotspot in itself. Beyond is really in a league of its own and will be revelling on the back of a whole string of successful parties, not least its special “Belief” session and always proves to be far too tempting to resist by many, some party goers heading there from previous exploits, but others arriving fresh & ready to party, the main room having a particularly electric feel at the moment & the offer of Pitron then Alan, seemingly unstoppable at the moment. But it can also be said that Later is finding new legs and with a strong residency that includes Paul Martin, The Oli, & Terry Bryan, with a list of guests in recent weeks that have included Paul Heron, Jonny Marsh, Jamie Head & D’Johnny, making the Mirrorach a hot-bed of magical music, while the Later garden, especially when the sun shines, a super chill-out spot, all the ingredients a perfect was to really set of your Sunday afternoon.

Now, as of going to press we still have certain details on D.J. line-ups to confirm and specific information on each event to gather, but what we can say is that tickets are already on sale and special £20 wristbands for the whole “love” weekend are available at the usual Soho outlets as well as online at http://clubtickets.com/ so make sure you grab yours quickly as this will be one combo of an event over three days that you won’t want to miss.

So, with some dates to note in your diaries, we will cover more details as they hit our desk, both in our forthcoming “weekend recommendations” as well as “extra bites” posts, so watch this space.

xDM

Beyond Pervert

Hey Folks,

Well, we are still in recovery mode from a hectic weekend which started on Thursday & ended up in the early hours of Monday morning, but included an another brilliant Sunday morning in the hands of our favourite weekly afterhours. It was great to see so many familiar & friendly faces as well as sample some top notch music, testament to the clubs award winning status.

And next week (Sunday 28th March) the dream story continues, as Beyond combines forces with ultra sexy & alternative Italian club Pervert, which graces London’s gAylist shores for the second time this year and is a tip top hot date to note in your diaries (if you haven’t already). We cannot describe how excited we are about this up-coming party, which will definitely give Beyond a new dimension and see Area packed to the rafters with a glorious combination of post “Lovechild Spring Affair” party goers & die hard Beyond devotees, not to mention those that are no doubt attracted to the overt style that Pervert has built a reputation for. Having laid on a brilliant launch party “Pervert Gold” at Fire in January, it will be interesting, yet we are sure incredible, to see these two clubbing brands link, although it seems that Pervert will be playing a big part in the night, taking over two of the three rooms and their dancers having a real presence in the main room. And, if the “Gold” party launch is anything to go by, not only will the dancers be dazzling, but the costumes will live up to the seductive yet sumptuous style that has become Pervert’s trademark, especially given the fact that the clubs stage director Ivan Sala is planning some amazingly sexy & theatrical performances, while Chris Geary is working closely with the Area team on some of the best production, lighting & visuals yet seen in the club and there is no better a venue for the reputation of putting on spectacular displays. We are promised a delightful mixture of muscular men & glamorous girls to adorn the various podiums across the whole club, as well as a special stage show, so there will be plenty to feast your eyes on, apart from the sexy crowd, which in Beyond, always grabs us, this last weekend being no exception (that lovely latino man dancing close to us & looking over, was gorge!).

Now onto the music and what a treat you are in for, as the list of D.J’s is truly outstanding. Beyond will be taking care of the musical direction in the main room, with three of their residents that never fail to excite and judging by Sunday just gone, Mikey D will be setting the pace like no other. This talent’s superb choice of music to really inject passion & hedonism to Beyond’s main room is breathtaking and he had the audience well & truly captivated virtually right from his 7 a.m. start, so no doubt will tempt us in with another magnificent set. Following Mikey will be the legendary & award winning Steve Pitron, who showed us yesterday just why he is brilliant at Beyond. He picked up where Mickey left off and treated us to some scintillating sounds and only Hi-Fi Sean playing in the Terrace bar, also celebrating his birthday, tore us away from the main space for a short while. Steve hits our sweet spot virtually every time he plays, his style befitting the occasion like no other and will surely do the same at Beyond Pervert. Rounding things off in the main room will be Alan K, a true mix meister, who through his incredible talent to blend tunes, has a unique sound that we have come to love. We were simply blown away by his take on ultra fave “Release Me” on Sunday, not to mention many others and cannot wait to re-live his set through his live podcast recording. Over in the “Black” room, it’s all about Pervert, as resident D.J. Obi Baby returns to London’s decks, headlining the space and delivering a gorgeous blend of progressive, electro & deep euro-beats which will have the space pumping, very much like he did at the “Gold” party in January and he will be joined, first by newish boy Gepy, who made real waves at the last Pervert event at Fire, as well as Gonzalo Rivas, who is playing out of his skin at the moment, proved by an amazing set at Orange on Valentine’s day and also another great performance at Beyond yesterday, keeping the middle room pumping way past 10 a.m. The second Pervert space will be The Terrace Bar, where two scene favourite D.J.’s will be selecting the sounds, one making his “Beyond” debut, the other returning, having been part of the residency team in the days of Colloseum, but who has also played out a number of times at Area, not least for their Ultra parties & for Matinee. So who are we talking about? Well first Alessandro Londra, resident for Rupert Street & Lo-Profile, but much, much more. In the three years he has been devoting his career to the D.J. game, Mr Londra has made a real impression, not least playing for Matinee and chalking up a list of superb sets at Fabric, Colloseum & Cable. He has also played on the main arena for Salvation, was an integral part of the huge success that was “AS One” on NYD and has made a similar impression at Lovechild. Add to that, regular appearances at Barcode & Fitladz and it no surprising this talented individual is in demand, his addition to the Beyond Pervert line up being well deserved. Alessandro’s mix of electro & tribal house should suit the space well & compliment the other D.J. performing. And as for the other? Well, his return to Beyond, in our view, is long overdue, having held sway in the VIP room alongside Paul Heron for most of the golden years at Colloseum. Brent Nicholls is one of the most talented D.J’s we know, as his ability to switch between genres, catering for the audience he plays to, is outstanding. His ability to spot fortcoming hits long before many others is amazing, making his music offer cutting edge & fresh. Plus at the moment, part of his repertoire is what he describes as “Nu Funk House” and it’s incredible, so we are expecting lots of that, although we are sure he will deliver a crowd pleasing set that will have the Terrace Bar atmosphere up in the stratosphere. There is no doubt he will be a big attraction this coming Sunday morning and a huge hit with the Beyond faitfull as well as the Lovechild & Pervert crowd.

So, with magnificent music, prolific production, laser-tastic lighting, vivacious visuals & gorgeous go-go’s, Beyond Pervert looks like being a real success and will serve as the “official” afterhours party for Lovechild, where specially discounted tickets will be on sale, plus the first 100 customers from their “Spring Affair” party arriving at Beyond Pervert will receive free entry. Advance £12 tickets are on sale at http://clubtickets.co.uk/ or via Soho outlets Prowler, Clone Zone, DV8 & Rio Beach and/or The Box, Ku-Bar, & Barcode. The whole evening (or should we say morning!) will be hosted by Jerry Boston & Chrissy Darling, with the dream team that is Tom Fuller & Naomi Ruiz looking after a smooth running door entry, the club running from 6 a.m. until 1 p.m. this coming Sunday 28th March, a date to be made, not to be missed. More details can be found at http://alexerfan.com/ and will be covered in forthcoming “weekend” posts.

xDM

Lovechild "A Spring Affair"

Hey Folks,

Well spring has definitely sprung in good old London town and with just over a week to go until we banish the dark nights for 7 months (yippee), what better way to celebrate both of these fabulous occurrences than by making this “Hot Date” a must in your diary, as one of our favourite clubs of the moment returns with a real spring in its step.

Yes, Lovechild is back after a slightly extended rest following the massive 1st birthday party back in February with an even bigger & better look as it rolls our it’s “A Spring Affair” event at Fire in Vauxhall on Saturday 27th March. Now, before we go any further, Alex Erfan & his team wish to apologise for the change in the date, which was due to the venue “double booking” the space, but that said, given that the party they have on offer, you will not be disappointed!!

So, what will Lovechild’s “A Spring Affair” be serving up to spruce up your Saturday? Well plenty as it goes, hot men, hot music, hot production, hot visuals (courtesy of the amazing Alan “X” Cross), well everything hot and while it may only be spring outside, it’s going to feel as hot as summer inside as it goes all “super-sexy” on us with some brilliant new additions to what can be described as the gAylist scene’s most masculine, raunchy, yet glamorous events on the calendar. Spread over three rooms of steamy action, “A Spring Affair” welcomes back a very special host for its infamous contact room, to very much spruce up this special play area, which will be fitted with comfortable armchairs to compliment the maze of fun & give that extra seductive yet sumptuous feel to allow you to play in comfort (you don’t get that at Hard On!). And host Tony Bruno is really excited to be part of the team & looking after this special space, remarking after the 1st Birthday bash last month “ The fantastic thing was to see all the guys dancing to the sets by Pagano and Paul Heron, having lots of fun – with or without clothes.”, you can’t say fairer than that.

But the dancefloor is where the real action will be happening and what another spectacular D.J. line up “Alex Erfan presents” brings out this time round, with a merry band of residents joined by two newbie’s (to Lovechild that is) to tantalise your musical taste buds to melting point. Whilst we haven’t yet been given the exact running order, what we can say is that Lovechild all-stars Alessandro, Brent Nicholls, Craig Daniels, Mattias, Paul Heron, Phil Hewson, Saki & Tony English will return, all who absolutely dazzled at the last party & made our choice of hopping between the three rooms a difficult one, as the music was sensational right across the club. From an amazingly uplifting yet horny opening set from Mr Hewson, to Tony English’s smasher of a showing, to Alessandro who had his audience eating out of his musical hand, the main room was a hotbed of activity. Over in the “love lounge” Craig Daniels really set the pace and Brent Nicholls laid then set the standard, pulling out one of the best two hours of music we have enjoyed& heard from this scene favourite pro in a long time, while over in the second room, Paul Heron played a stormer and raised the temperature to boiling point with a massive octane fuelled hard & horny set that had everyone wanting more. So, they will be back and we are very much looking forward to Mattias’ set, which we sadly missed last time round, this man a pure genius when it comes to injecting some true grit & passion into the music offering, hitting our sweet spot on a whole host of occasions in the past. Add to that the inclusion of the newbie’s we talked about and you are definitely going to be in for a terrific treat.

So, who are these two newbie’s? Well, they may be new to Lovechild, but are recognised talents in their own right, both having played out at plenty of gAylist events across the capital. First up is the one & only Nick Tcherniak, who has been delighting us with his musical mastery for quite a few years, most recently making huge splashes at the sequence of Trade parties both at MOS & the collaborations with Orange, a massive b2b set with Steve Thomas literally taking our breath away and was the real star at DTPM’s “With Love” party on Valentine’s day. Whether he s playing the big stage like at SuperMartXe & Matinee (he is at The Fridge on Sat by the way) or keeping us entertained at Barcode, Nick never fails to impress us with his wonderful selection of sounds, progressive, electro, tech infused yet with funky undertones all mixed in with some hard hitting anthems that we are sure will have you mesemerised when he takes to Lovechild’s decks. We are just hoping and praying that the two protagonists that always lead us atray will not be playing at the same time, to have them both under the same roof is bad enough!! (hehehe), so if you want to search us out, there is one place you will be guaranteed to find us and that is when Mr Tcherniak is playing. Our other Lovechild newbie is the gorge Terry Vietheer, another antipodean product (two in one night!) who made a real name for himself across the Sydney scene playing with the likes of Peter Rauhofer, Offer Nissam, & Alan Thompson in some of the city’s biggest nightclubs, also touring Oz with Hed Kandi no less. Having hit the U.K. running, Terry has played at Pacha, has even performed at The Brit Awards (wow!) and was voted best newcomer by London’s dedicated clubbers, landing him a residency at iconic club Popcorn at Heaven. So, the man is sure to make as big an impact at “A Spring Affair” and we will definitely be searching him out to move & shake to his electro & funky house tunes.

Well, as if that wasn’t enough, not only will Chris Geary and his sexy troupe of dancers be returning to dazzle you with their raunchy and revealing displays, adding real spice to proceedings and swinging their assets in time to the musical beats, bearing their butts like no-where else (how rude – we love it!), Fernando Lopez and his group of sexy entertainers are back to thrill with their spectacular stage shows. But it doesn’t stop there as the naughty Mr Erfan has also lined up a prolific P.A. for the event, Brazilian singer/songwriter/dancer Rodrigo Moratto, who will make a special public appearance with the song “Whatever, Whatever” from his upcoming album due to be released in the UK this summer. This single has been remixed by Messrs Per QX and Alan X exclusively for this Lovechild party , so has plenty of credibility behind it as these two are renowned for their superb studio work, not to mention being fabulous D.J’s in their own rights. As for Rodrigo Maratto, well he has been making waves in his native Brazil & also in Portugal for well over two years, featuring on local & national TV and Radio stations in both countries regularly, his talent also having been reported in both Rolling Stone & MTV music magazines, so brings an extra dimension to this already fun filled & fever pitch paced party.

So, Lovechild’s “A Spring Affair” looks like being another party to remember and hosts Jerry & Naomi will be making sure you have a tremendous time. It all kicks off from 11 p.m. on Saturday 27th March at Fire in Vauxhall, the event running through until 7 a.m. But the party doesn’t stop there as the team then transports you to Area for the Lovechild “official” afterhours, but an event in its own right, Beyond Pervert, details of which are coming right up. Now, all that’s left to say is, get that spring in your step and head down to Fire next Saturday for a luscious time in the hands of Lovechild. Further details of this & all events from the “Alex Erfan presents” team can be found at http://alexerfan.com/.

xDM

Matinee "Circuit"

Hey Folks,

Well, after an uber colossal “Under Construction” party at the Fridge on 6th February, signalling a new direction for this massive Spanish club brand in the capital, Matinee returns for another huge party next weekend, Saturday 20th March to be precise, with a special Circuit Festival pre-party event, entitled “Circuit”.

Following the Matinee London franchise changing hands over the New Year, the Logan Presents team pulled off a spectacular showing last month, in some ways taking the club back to its grass roots, with the music doing the talking, although P.A. Vanessa Klein really made an impact, as did Logan’s team of terrific dancers, keeping the crowd entertained right through the whole 8 hours. As we have come to expect from this production team, the lighting & effects were top notch and the party attracted a similarly sensationally looking crowd that packed the Fridge out to capacity. It was also pleasing to see old favourite Matinee residents Pagano & Paul Heron in amongst the action, both treating us to prolific performances behind the decks. If you weren’t there, you missed a great party, so it’s best you make sure you don’t miss this one.

Now, some of you may be wondering, what is the Circuit Festival? And why have a pre-party? Well, first and foremost, The Circuit Festival has quickly established itself as one of Europe’s biggest dance celebrations, with a weeklong calendar of events, returning this year on July 31st, running through until August the 8th, to once again take over Barcelona. The festival attracted a crowd well over 50,000 hot & hunky guys from across the world last year, events including a massive waterpark party, huge opening & closing events and plenty more in-between, some of the biggest club brands joining in the festivities, including Rapido & Salvation. But Matinee is the headline sponsor of the festival and is responsible for managing & organising most of the events across the week, also being the biggest club brand in Spain, so is intrinsic to the whole operation. Apart from their worldwide tours, The Circuit Festival is Matinee Group’s biggest single undertaking and looks set to be even bigger than last year, so truly deserves a special pre-party to showcase what will be on offer. And London will be the first to do just that, Logan & his team leading the way & giving you a taste of what will be on offer in Barcelona.

So, what can you expect from Matinee London’s “Circuit” event? Well, the music looks like being the centre of attention again, although interestingly team Logan Presents have chosen the two London D.J’s from their own stable, rather than going for names that have regularly graced the decks at Matinee parties since it came to the capital back in 2006. However, that said, both are extremely accomplished talents & will provide the excellent proverbial “bread to the sandwich filling” that will be Enrico Arghentini, star of Barcelona clubs D-Boy & La Madame, who will be flown in especially to inject some hot latino & euro-style sounds as well as Spanish beats to set the party well & truly alight. This talented D.J. is no stranger to London’s dancefloors having held sway at over more than a handful of Matinee parties in the capital and will bring not just his smouldering good looks, but a powerful package of monstrous music to add to the Matinee magic, so should provide a scintillating set not to be missed.

Flanking Enrico and getting proceedings started will be jetsetter D’Johnny, fresh from a vacation in the USA, so will be itching to get behind the decks & showcase his immense talents. We have been following this most enigmatic chap’s career since his early days at Barcode Soho way back when, Johnny having established a solid reputation for delivering hard edged yet funky house sounds to fit the environment he plays, whether it be in Fire’s main space for A.M., in the Terrace room at Beyond or on the big stage at SuperMartXe, he proving at the latter that he can hold sway to the massive theatre size crowd. It will be D’Johnny’s debut at Matinee (no pressure!) and we are sure he will be just the ticket to get the night pumping & pulsating. The final part of the three-way will be Nick Tcherniak, another London based D.J. that has made considerable waves across the clubbing scene and is no stranger to big style events, having played out on more than one occasion at SuperMartXe, was a staple inclusion in DTPM parties at Fabric and served up some stonking sets at Trade’s five parties during 2009. Nick, with the possible exception of one other, is usually responsible for leading us well & truly astray on the dancefloor, his tough tech style sounds delivering for us in every department and we cannot wait for his on the 20th, especially given some of the tracks he has been treating us to in recent live appearances & on his latest two podcasts. Unlike Johnny, this will not be Nick’s first Matinee D.J’ing experience, although whilst not a regular at previous outings, it is great to see him back.

With the music pretty much sorted & looking superb, what else can you expect? Well, there is no doubt that the Logan Presents production machine will be rolling out some vivacious visuals, drop dead gorgeous dancers & go-go’s, and prolific pyrotechnics to make sure this will be a second Matinee outing in their hands not to be forgotten. As of going to press, we have no news of any sort of P.A. or special stage show, but then Logan seems to be keeping these details firmly up his sleeve these days, but when we hear you will be the first to know. Now, for those of you that were at the “Under Construction” party, the issues of both the coatcheck & the bar service will still be very much in mind, however, both the promoter & the venue are acutely aware of just how bad the situation was during the last party and how many of you walked away disappointed, particularly with the lengthy wait to get your belongings out of the coatcheck. To this end, Logan has been working closely with the Fridge to ensure there is no replication of these problems and we can confirm that a brand new coatcheck facility has been added to the existing arrangements to speed up proceedings, while a new downstairs bar while aid more efficient service, we also being told the tired old toilets have been spruced up. Plus, as a goodwill gesture & an apology, Logan Presents have negotiated a free coatcheck at this Matinee event for everyone, hopefully reversing the decision of those of you that vowed to us you would never return.

Well, we just have time to run through some of the general details, re-capping that Matinee “Circuit” takes place on Saturday 20th March, doors opening at 10.30 p.m. & the club running through until 6.30 a.m. Tickets are on sale now at Soho outlets Prowler, Clone Zone, DV8, & Solarstation, as well as at The Box & Barcode. If you prefer to grab yours online, go to http://clubtickets.com/ or through http://loganpresents.com/ and don’t forget that Beyond will be the “official” afterparty, with a free shuttle bus service laid on to whisk you from Brixton to Vauxhall in comfort.

We will bring you any more details or updates in the appropriate “weekend recommendations” post, but suffice to say, the 20th March is a date you need to put in your diaries and should be on amazing & audacious outing.

xDM

Gay City Rollers

Hey Folks,

Well, there definitely seems to be birthday’s in the air at the moment (as well as spring!) and with Juicy having celebrated theirs just over a week ago & Gutterslut turning two this last weekend, it is now the turn of a third to have a right old knees up.

Yes, this Wednesday (3rd March) see’s Alex Erfan’s Gay City Rollers celebrate one whole year spinning around The Renaissance Rooms in Vauxhall, probably the campest & kitsch of any club night we know and despite being in middle of the week, we couldn’t think of a better way to spice up the journey to the weekend, than having a gay old time on roller skates to speed & spin you to Friday!! It’s also a wonderful way to, quite literally, bump into someone new and whether you are a novice or an expert, you will be sure to leave with one of the biggest smiles on your face of any club outing!

Now, for the uninitiated, this monthly event is a fun filled frolic, as a whole host of scene faces, club kids, more mature fun worshipers (that’s us!), party boys & girls mingle and swirl around the specially prepared skating ring to some of the best sounds & in the company of some gorgeous hunks of men to either chase or be chased by (we prefer the latter!). And this special birthday bash will be no exception, as music comes courtesy of three legendary D.J’s, The Very Miss Dusty O (that’s D for Disco & O for Opulence!), Stewart Who? (will he be in drag?) & guest D.J. Alan X (his house music holiness!), with the brilliant addition of Tonnic providing some vocal injection to the evening. As for the hunks, well, not only will Chris Geary’s men be out in force (yum yum), aptly dressed down in outrageous & seductive costumes, but they will be joined by the Gaydar Go-Go’s, sending you spinning with their skating sexiness, with the fabulous addition of the Ku-Bar cuties, who will be turning up the charm in the “Chandelier” bar, so a veritable feast of eye candy to keep everyone happy. Adding to all that will be plenty of extra special decor for this roller disco extravaganza, as well as lots of birthday surprises up the sleeves of that naughty Mr Alex & his team to ensure that this will be a celebration to remember and one party you won’t want to miss.

Right, here’s the detail. It all kicks off this Wednesday from 7 p.m. at The Renaissance Rooms in Vauxhall, running till midnight, with entry, which includes FREE skates hire & a FREE drink ,a mere £10, but if you get there before 8 p.m. its £7 (bargain city!), you know what to do! Tickets are available in advance at Ku Bar, or if you prefer online at http://alexerfan.com/, although if like us you are not that organised, don’t worry, you can pay on the door. And for those that want it make it a really special night & fancy going the whole hog, there are brilliant birthday bookings on offer that include special reserved tables with balloons, party packs, champagne & birthday cake, all that will guarantee to get you in the party mood (fun, fun, fun!). For booking details & reservations, contact alex@alexerfan.com & if you don’t want the party to stop, there will be special entry passes to Trannyshack at Freedom Bar afterwards. Full details of Gay City Rollers can be found at http://gaycityrollers.com/.

So, make sure you put 7 p.m. this Wed night in your diary and get yourselves down to The Renaissance Rooms in Vauxhall for this raunchy roller skate spectacle supreme, raising a glass in celebration to Alex & his team! We will be there to report on it all, and the sight of us on roller skates (and probably on our backside a few times!) should raise more than a titter or two, so come say hi and as we always say......Go There! Be There!

xDM

SuperMartXe "Samurai"

Hey Folks,

Well, there is little doubt that that SuperMartXe had a fantastic year, with some spectacular parties that seemed to draw the world & his wife down to Elephant & Castle, packing out The Coronet time after time. And whilst the team had a few challenges along the way, there was no question that you simply adored what they did, voting it second only to the phenomenon that is Beyond, in The Seenqueen 2009 club poll.

2010 also started well for Logan & his team, not only hailing the resounding success that was “Alice In Wonderland” at the O2 academy in Brixton, but also took grip of the helm at Matinee, successfully drawing another massive turnout out of the proverbial bag and showing that the “stripped down look”, with the music doing most of the talking, was the winning ticket, although there were plenty of other really positive things to draw from the event.

So, now the focus of the Logan Presents team switches back to SuperMartXe, with the next instalment entitled “Samurai” no doubt taking gAylist London by storm on Saturday 27th February, which sets out to lead you on a journey to the Far East (in the south east!) with some oriental overtness & Asian audacity along the way. Now, if previous events are anything to go by, you can expect the production to be absolutely top notch and with the theme of the land of the rising sun running through it, SuperMartXe “Samurai” promises to deliver a scintillating stage show, offering up a whole host of sexy oriental lions, dragons & geisha girls (maybe boys too!) in the form of Logan’s schmitzels, no doubt dressed in a sexy selection of kimino’s & probably a lot less. But, with the Chinese having just celebrated their New Year and it being the year of the Tiger, we are sure this will (or should) be a dominant feature of the party. Now, the team seem to be falling into the habit of keeping the P.A.’s very much under wraps and as yet details have not been passed across our desk, but be sure that we will be keeping our ears to the ground and listening out for any slip of the tongue that might occur, even adopting the odd Chinese burn to force the necessary information out.

What we can confirm is the D.J. line up and we were in hysterics when we saw the adopted names of these stars of musical mastery, so just had to share them with you. SuperMartXe “Samurai” sees the return of, wait for it, Hugo “Soy Sauce” Sanchez, who for us was the shining light at the “Under The Sea” party back in October with some scorching sounds, injecting real enthusiasm into his set then, not to mention attracting more than an eyeful with his smouldering good looks. We suspect that he will once again prove to be a big hit with the Coronet crowd, taking the middle of three sets in the main room. Then there is Tony “Crouching Tiger” English who played a stormer at “Alice” and whilst we weren’t there to sample his set, the download he released after the event was testament to superb showing, the man treating us to a SuperMartXe style selection of sounds just this last weekend at Lovechild’s 1st Birthday, so should prove a real hit, taking up the final D.J performance at “Samurai”. But starting the party off like no-one else can, will be (and we just love this name – not ours you understand!) Steve “Ping Pong” Pitron, who is renowned for playing it a little more Spanish style at SuperMartXe, but had us in absolute awe of his performance at the “1st Anniversary” and has since racked up a stupendous string of sets at Beyond, this last Sunday proving no exception when he probably played the best collection of tunes of anyone across the six parties we attended (well neck a neck with one other!) and is a major draw wherever he goes, so make sure you don’t miss out on him on 27th, as we will definitely not.. The second room will be in the hands of SuperMartXe resident Marlon K “Karate Kid” Jones, providing a little bit of Dutch delight to the Spanish come “Samurai” proceedings.

Turning to some of the detail, which we will no doubt cover closer to the time, we need to mention the essentials, being firstly about the tickets, with advance ones now available at Soho shop/retail outlets, Prowler, Clone Zone, DV8 & Solarstation, with bars Profile, The Box & BCV also doing their ticketing bit. If you prefer buying online, then go to http://clubtickets.com/ and if you fancy treating you & your pals to a VIP package, then direct your enquiries to vip@loganpresents.com. Now, if all the previous parties are to go by, we cannot stress enough that getting there early is the best way to enjoy the party to the max and avoid any lengthy queues at the coatcheck, so with the doors opening at 10.30 p.m., heed our words and make the most of it, partying right through until the 7 a.m. finish.

But, this Far East fantasy kicks off with the SuperMartXe “Samurai” pre-party this Friday (19th Feb) at the central London location that seems to be the talk of the town at the moment, Profile & Lo-Profile on Soho’s Wardour Street. And no doubt the team will have lots of surprises up their sleeves and (we hope) an elusive SuperMartXe t-shirt or three to giveaway. Now, we know lovable schmitzels Mauricio & Lunarde will be on tap, although we hope that the man himself will be making an appearance (he usually does) and if the last two pre-parties are anything to go by, the whole night should be a hoot. Upstairs in Profile the musical entertainment will be courtesy of Gaydar’s own Phil Marriot, the Friday resident D.J. at the bar, while downstairs in Lo-Profile, Paul Heron (we should think of a name – what about “Ha So”?) and Tony “Crouching Tiger” English will be spinning the SuperMartXe sounds, pumping some real pace into the pre-party which looks like running well into the early hours.

So, with everything seemingly pointing towards the land of the rising sun in SuperMartXe world, make sure you scroll both this Friday (19th Feb) and the following Saturday (27th Feb) in your diaries, as these are two darling dates you won’t want to miss. We will definitely be down at The Coronet and no doubt will drop in on the team at Profile/Lo-Profile, so if you see us, come say hi and as we always say..........Go There! Be There!

xDM