"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)

Extra Bites - "Beyond WE"

Hey Folks,

Well, with less than 12 hours to go until WE Party’s launch in London, we thought we would give you a quick progress report on proceedings, before taking a brief look at the afterparty.

Now, as good as the music was at the pre-party at Lo-Profile last night, both Brent Nicholls & D’Johnny serving up stacks of scintillating sounds, some of you may have wondered where the Spanish hunks of WE party dancers were. Well, those naughty Spanish air traffic controllers have gone on strike & the crew were stuck in Madrid yesterday & last night, meaning they missed out on what was a packed out & pumped up party (big thanks to dancer “La Menor” for entertaining us on the podium). However, having spoken to WE London promoter Alex Erfan this morning, the good news is that the dancers have diverted to Lisbon & are on their way as we speak.

As for the cold weather here in the capital, well having dipped our toe out of our front door, it’s actually much warmer (well, above freezing now) but the team have deployed extra heating across The Coronet to ensure all inside areas are comfortably warm. Plus, the huge lighting installations are in situ, the guest Spanish D.J.’s have arrived, the three coatchecks & seventeen staff are sorted, plus the outside queue system is ready to swing into action. So it’s all systems go for WE party as we “Welcome Espania” with a “Wonderful Ensemble” meaning we are “Well Excited”.

Now, we promised we would bring you details of the afterparty at Beyond, which looks like being another corker, although seems it may have to go some to beat last week’s enormous event (mind you it was missing us in our spot!). But sure to go down a storm will be the special P.A. performance from Tara McDonald known best for her massive hits My My My, Shake It (Move A Little Closer), & Delirious, but before you say, what?, who?, check out these! (http://slack-time.com/music-video-2277-Armand-Van-Helden-My-My-My, http://youtube.com/watch?v=DFkIV1xe7Ww, http://youtube.com/watch?v=uKD0TDw0cWw) . So, got it now? Well, if you are still not connected with Tara’s world, yet have witnessed either a Mikey D set or his recent podcast, this should strike resonance and will be the headlining hit Tara will be performing tomorrow, Elevated very much in our top 20 records of the year (check out the video link at http://youtube.com/watch?v=ecLC9p8plCM).

P.A. apart, the music looks like being a-typical brilliant Beyond, with your favourite main room stars in action, the trio that is Mickey D, Steve Pitron & Alan K back in charge and right where they belong and we simply cannot help ourselves by yet again shouting for Steve’s latest WE inspired compilation, as with each & every listen more & more tracks hit our favourites list, last night being dominated by Carlos Gallardo’s “Get It Up” (oh the violins!) the radio edit at http://youtube.com/watch?v=7TDfTgpBfu0 giving you a idea why (Mr Marriot please not), although a whole string of records from Mr Pitron’s podcast made both Phil’s & Brent’s playlists last night, well it was a WE night wasn’t it!, so, yes here’s the link to his compilation (again!), http://stevepitronsessions.podomatic.com/, other hits that we couldn’t & can’t get out of our head being Chris Montana’s “Don’t Give Up” & that latest re-work of Kelly Rowland’s “Commander”. So, we will definitely be commanding our spot, especially with our complete view of Shaun Capewell & Elektra Paris’s gorge dancers. But, it’s not just about the main space at Beyond WE, as over in the Chapel, Paul Christian & special guest Daz Saud will be tripping the tech fantastic, with Fat Tony & Jamie Heard in command of the newly named “Sunrise” Terrace bar.

So, need we say more about our favourite afterhours, apart from doors, looked after by the amazing Tom Fuller, open at 6 a.m., with Beyond WE running through until 1 p.m. the party being hosted by the wonderful Chrissy Darling. Advance tickets at £12 are available either online at http://clubtickets.com/gb/2010-12/05/beyond or at Soho outlets Prowler & Clone Zone as well as over the bar at Rupert Street. Plus, if you are out & about, in town, or down at WE party, watch out for the Beyond flyer boys & Tom who will have a fist full of discounted tickets.

Now, very quickly & while we are on the subject of Beyond, it’s a very special one for us on the 19th, as we celebrate our birthday. A bunch of invitations are on their way and we are in discussion with promoter Jonny M as to what the D.J. line up will be etc, so will keep you posted, but make sure you put 19th December in your diary & make Beyond a birthday bash bonanza.

Well, the WEekend is definitely with us and WE Party looks like being THE place to be tonight for sure and with news coming in that the last few advance tickets are going fast both online at http://weparty.clubtickets.com/gb/2010-12/04/we-party-london & across those Soho outlets, best you go grab yours now. Of course, we will be at WE to report on it all, so if you see us, come say hi and that leaves us just to say...”Go There! Be There!”.

xDM

Weekend Best & Rest Bites - 3rd to 5th Dec

"BACK BEST & REST BITE-ING”
DM RECOMMENDS...WEEKEND BEST & REST BITES
FRIDAY 3rd TO SUNDAY 5TH DECEMBER


It certainly feels a little bit strange (but good strange you understand) to be sitting here & transmitting our Weekend Recommendations again, plus, just ahead of our new website launch on Monday as well as lots of other exciting developments to come. And it is good to be back, not just filling our evenings with something slightly more productive than watching Grand Designs (we do love that prog though) & the like, but moreover re-connecting with the scene that we love so much and promoting events & venues that we feel deserve a big shout in our re-focussed Best Bites & Rest Bits. So, whilst we may still feel a little rusty around the gills, with a good dollop of cod liver oil & an injection of energy, we are now chomping at the bit and ready to get to it, selecting where to be & be seen this weekend in Soho, Vauxhall & elsewhere.

So, let’s crack on and to Soho first, top of the pile goes to Profile & Lo-Profile, who have so entertained us while we have been away, so much so, we broke our review silence a couple of weeks ago, to join the team in celebrating their third birthday bash. And, in some ways, tomorrow (Fri 3rd) will feel like a bit of a homecoming, as not only will Phil Marriot be in situ once again upstairs in Profile, entertaining an ever increasing Friday following to a storming selection of sounds, made up of killer new tunes & uplifting anthems that never fail to hit the Marriot magical mark, his amazing four & a half hour frolic (yes he starts at 7 p.m.) of a superb set going out live to Gaydar Radio’s clubnation listeners. But, if Phil wasn’t enough for us, downstairs in Lo-Profile, not only does Brent Nicholls make a welcome return to the decks, but the night will have a distinct WE feel to it, as the team entertain a pre-party extra-ordinarre, with D’Johnny taking centre music stage and serving up a truck load of terrific tunes to pump the place, the WE Party team deploying their drop dead gorgeous go-go dancers to delight, plus, with plenty of advance discounted ticket offers flying around, as well as the prospect of plenty of hot Latino’s flying around too, while it may be cold outside, it will be hot, hot hot, in Lo-Profile. Mind you, Saturday looks just as entertaining, with Jamie Head & Tony English on the decks downstairs, while Craig Daniels looks after the soothing sounds upstairs in Profile, the team even serving up mulled wine to warm you up from the freezing temperatures outside, plus their amazing food offering & the combo of Profile & Lo-Profile is definitely the place to be in Soho this weekend. Further details of both venues of Wardour Street can be found at http://profilesoho.com/ & http://loprofile.com/.

The Shadow Lounge get our other Best Bite look in this weekend, with the main focus being on Sunday (5th), when they do their bit for World AIDS day, as well as kicking off the Christmas season in style with an old school disco hosted by Les Johnson & his Distinctive Events crew. D.J.’s in detention will be scruffy little school boys Brent Nicholls, Lee Harris & Phil Hewson, blending plenty of brilliant beats to make sure your are not taking a sneaky smoke behind the bicycle sheds, this chrimbo charity event kicking off a 5 p.m., with a whacking big chunk of door proceedings going to the worthy cause that is The Terrence Higgins Trust. Besides that, the team are excited to announce that they have extended their opening hours on Saturday's until 5 a.m. & with their “Therapy” & “Inferno” sessions still pulling the punters on Friday & Saturday respectively, Shadow Lounge's weekend is well worth a look in, not least as they have frozen door prices throughout December at a mere £5 after 11 p.m. (you need to be a member of their Facebook group). Plus, with Paul Heron back on rotation with our foxy ladies Minx & Mis-White at “Therapy”, but with a full seven day calendar of events going on, Shadow Lounge is really coming back into its own, more details of all their happenings available by going to http://theshadowlounge.co.uk/ while for free guest list & membership details, drop a line to info@theshadowlounge.co.uk.

As for our rest bites, well Barcode are celebrating their 15th birthday on Saturday (4th Dec) with their fave D.J.’s Pagano & Steven Artis (we love em both) selecting the sounds downstairs, while new boy Dilmar Brito (yes he D.J's too) mastering the music upstairs, although we are somewhat scratching our heads as to the absence of an actual Barcode Soho Saturday resident from the venues 15 year history, but who are we to question?!?! Then there is always Rupert Street, who will be doing their WE bit on both Friday & Saturday with D.J’s Alessandro & Fat Tony respectively and will be tickets on sale for both WE’s main event & Beyond WE and continues to prove a popular hangout.

Onto Vauxhall and The Orange Group once again hits the high notes with a veritable feast of parties, thank heavens some of them actually marking World AIDS day (WAD) with some special events (certain Soho venues, hang your heads in shame!), with Gravity tonight (Thurs 2nd) Friday being highlighted by Onyx, who hold their “Red” event in aid of National AIDS trust, with a sizeable slice of takings going in support of this worthy cause, plus the team will have collection buckets out to encourage clubbers to show their generosity (and we know you will), along with a sparkling line-up of resident D.J.’s that include Phil Marriot, Lee Harris, Lisa German, Arial, Jason Prince, Tasty Tim & more, all joining special guest jock Lee Dagger of Bimbo Jones fame who will be performing a special 2 hour set featuring many of the bands biggest productions. Then keeping WAD in focus, the back of the group’s weekend gives way to Orange, promoter Steven Sharp & his crew selecting The Elton John AIDS Foundation as their benefactor, with £1 from every guest & £2 from each full paying customer going to direct to this amazing charity and laying on a sparkling line-up of nine performers across two rooms, including The Oli & Paul Martin, who back back-to-back in the main room, Fat Tony & Tonnic (no Orange would be the same without them), and RAW room residents David Jimenez, Hifi Sean & Gonzalo Rivas all on duty. But, the inexhaustible Orange group weekend is jam packed with other events, highlights including promoter Patrick Lilley’s Queer Nation on Saturday night, Later on Sunday afternoon, Booster Sunday night and, how could we leave it out (no not THAT afterhours, this!) Beyond, which has a distinct WE flavour to it. Now, rather than run down the details of ours & your favourite afterhours here, we will be issuing an Extra Bites post (due out on Sat), although in the meantime, any enquiries regarding Beyond, or any of the Orange Group events this weekend can be directed to michelle@allthingsorange.com.

Our other Best Bite in Vauxhall goes to Megawoof, promoters Daz, Diddy & co still dizzy from their packed to the rafters “Bearcity” special at host venue Hidden, they sure to pack in the most macho of crowds for what looks like being a marriage of magnificent muscle-bound & hairy minds, with Amsterdam’s Furball lands in London for one weekend only to go head to head with the capital’s favourite muscle & leather hirsute happening. And squaring up for this battle of the grizzly giants in Megawoof’s main room & in the Furball corner are D.J.’ Bramsterdam & Big General, two colossal talents in more ways than one, while in the Megawoof corner it’s just Tim McLoone, although to avoid it being a squash job, Daz Saund will be weighing in briefly for the home side meaning that, as the team have predicted “...sparks will fly as the dance divas duel it out...”. As for the dutch duo, both Bramtserdam & Big General have gained quite a following back in Holland, their usual back-to-back format being repeated for this Megawoof bash, and riding high on successful tours of their club brand Furball across the globe, not least in Sydney, where they featured in parties Bear Essentials, Indulgence & SonarWave, they also featuring large at this year’s gay games in Cologne, so will no doubt go down a treat at Megawoof. This main room meeting of minds aside, residents Rob & Massimo take grip of the blue (middle) room, while the new cruisy “Sensory” third space is now really finding it feet & gaining in popularity, especially for those that like a bit of extracurricular action (if you know what we mean!). Kicking off at Hidden this Sat (4th Dec) from 11 p.m., further details of this “full on, no holds barred” beefed up event can be found by going to http://megawoof.com/.

As for our rest bites, well, it looks as busy as ever in Vauxhall, both The Eagle & The RVT having a full weekend of action, the former playing host to Tonker on Friday, who are doing their WAD bit & raising funds for The Food Chain, Saturday seeing Carpet Burn return, while the gymkhana that is Horse meat Disco is back on Sunday. Meanwhile The RVT have the way out & whacky Speedwagon on Friday, while no weekend would ever be the same with a S.LA.G.S/Chill-out session on Sunday’s (need we say more), this institution still packing them in.

Moving on and indeed across the capital and top of our alternative heap is The Dalston Superstore (DSS), Matt Tucker & co packing them in with a non-stop party weekend of pure diverse delight. And, having done their bit of WAD on Wednesday, raising a tidy sum for their nominated charity, Positive East, the team press on tomorrow (Fri 3rd Dec), as they host Guy Williams’ profilc Paradise 45 goes all chrimbo on us with their “Christmas Cracker” gathering, Guy sharing the decks with Serge Santiago & Sophie Lloyd. Then on Saturday, it’s the turn of Hot Mess to titillate, with special guest Tasty Tim & Princess Julia on the decks, joined by resident D.J. & Hot Mess host, Holestar. Plus, as it is their Christmas party too, we have been asked to announce a mistletoe alert, as well as inform you that the “traffic light shag tags” are back by popular demand (the mind boggles), while on Sunday its D.J. Squeaky’s sounds shout as Tutti Fruitti seals the fate on the end of your weekend in wonderful style. Now, we thought we would give an early mention to a very special Christmas party, as next Friday (10th Dec) Trailer Trash & Gutterslut combine forces for what looks to be the smash hot of DSS’s year, meaning that you simply have to get there early, early, early to avoid the disappointment of not getting in, as it will be (in the inimitable words of the team) RAMMO. Now, we do keep pressing the DSS boys for news on their website, but they are constantly tweeting, so you can follow the latest action & news via http://twitter.com/dsuperstore, or failing that mail the men at hello@dalstonsuperstore.com.

As for our alternative Rest Bites, well The Supper Club definitely seems to be getting in on the act, this chic & sophisticated Notting Hill hangout having played host to Lovechild’s WAD event. And this Sunday (4th Dec), they are back with the special party, Toy, with a veritable feast of entertainment from artists & D.J’s that include Johanna, Mister J, Mzz Kimberly, Kris Di Angelis, Terry Vietheer, Le Gateau Chocolat, Jeyjon & Jonny Woo (who’s who, we are sure you know), while if you are brave enough to hit the snowy roads or rails, then a trip to Brighton is worth consideration, as Paul Kemp & his crew also do their bit for WAD, with their own “Red” party at the massive Oceania, with all (and we mean ALL) profits going to The Rainbow Fund & Sussex Community Foundation (good on you Mr Kemp) with mega headliner Norman Cook, yes Fat Boy Slim, joining the likes of Paul Heron & Tasty Tim, while entertainment includes PA performances from Katherine Ellis & Krysten Cummings (sounds like our Mr Marsh is involved we think).

Right, with links to websites &/or e-mail options for our Best Bites, as for our Rest Bites, you can either pick up a copy of the weekly rags (no offence) or hit the relevant event page buttons on Facebook for further & full details of our picks. But, having said that, the hottest events in town are always listed on tip top clubbing website SeenQueen, who filled our shoes superbly while we were away and their new look site is absolutely crammed with content that will keep you happy for hours. So don’t dilly dally and go check out London’s clubbing bible at http://seenqueen.com/.

Well, we have gone on enough, but just time to say that our weekend, or should we say WEekend starts with WE’s pre-party at Lo-Profile tomorrow night (Fri 3rd), with the main WE party grabbing our full attention on Sat. Plus, with our arm completely twisted by Messrs Pitron & Fuller (in a lovely way of course) it’s the Beyond WE on Sunday morning, following which we will more than likely collapse in a heap (well, we are out of practice). So, if you see us out, come say hi and as we always say....”Go There! Be There!”.

xDM

Weekend Focus - WE Party - Saturday 4th December

“WELL EXCITED”
WE PARTY LONDON – SATURDAY 4TH DECEMBER
WEEKEND FOCUS SEPCIAL


Having given you an insight into the new sensation of a club brand that is WE party in our preview, “Welcoming Espania”, as well as delving into what you can expect from the music when WE lands in London on Saturday, our special post entitled “Wonderful Ensemble” tackling the myths surrounding the style of sounds that many had wrongly anticipated, now it’s the turn of the event itself and given the issues that faced clubbers in the capital last weekend, we thought we would hit the ground running on our return and get the best insight for you, the paying public, on what you can expect from WE Party London this Saturday. So, not only have we taken extra steps with our research, but have questioned both management & key players, probing into the organisation planned for this most important launch party, the overriding response from each & every person we have spoken to this week, very much conscious that a repeat of the issues many of you suffered at Debut needs to be avoided at all costs.

Now, whilst we don’t want to dwell on queues, queues, queues, naturally with The Coronet’s history, we wouldn’t blame you for being somewhat concerned, we can only look back for the inaugural SuperMartXe two years ago to realise just how chaotic the coat check queue was, ruining our experience & those of many around us. Two years on & its seems the nightmare issues of bad venue management continue to plague SuperMartXe and we know that scores of you gave up on Debut last weekend, not least due to the freezing conditions while queuing to get in. Plus, having digested comments on the aftermath, there was no doubt that the necessary scanning of each & every customer at Debut (it is a condition of their licence to do so) was major factor in why the queues were so long & slow, even the team admitting that one of the three machines were broken. Plus, with “...the agency who supplies our cloakroom staff had three employees phone in sick...” the resultant coatcheck delay issues were inevitable, although perhaps avoidable. Yet, whilst the fallout on SuperMartXe continues, the focus is now firmly on WE to perform & step up to the plate.

So if ever there needed to be extra focus on these important impression making issues this weekend, then the team behind WE definitely have their work cut out. However, we have been given complete assurances in exclusive interviews with the London promoter, Alex Erfan and door co-ordinator Tom Fuller, that they are both prepared & ready to efficiently manage your entry into The Coronet this weekend. Following an intensive meeting with The Coronet’s management, WE London’s promoters have agreed to deploy 12 of their own staff across both the queue entry system, seven outside & six inside to smooth out the whole process, this being in addition to Coronet’s team. Plus, the major bonus, is that the venue management & security are also ready & prepared, not just to be inviting & friendly, but to be as efficient as possible in managing you through the essential checking process, may we add, WITHOUT the need for I.D. Then, once into the venue, again, assurances have been given regarding the coatcheck facilities, which will have been beefed up in expectation of the extra volumes of bags, belongings &, of course, coats, that will result from the potentially freezing weather conditions we find ourselves in the grip of here in the capital. We are told that, rather than the usual four, there will be a staggering seventeen people on duty and if that wasn’t enough, extra heating has been sourced to ensure the Coronet’s entrance & other spaces are as comfortably warm as possible.

So, with those issues laid to rest (for now at least), it time to focus on the event itself and this WE Party London launch looks like being pretty spectacular, a huge amount of energy going into this inaugural event to ensure it meets the high standards set by events back in his home city of Madrid. And in the Coronet, which we don’t need to remind you, was the home of SuperMartXe, it feels a little bit like déjà vous for the WE organisation, as like La Riviera back home, they once again step into SuperMartXe’s (no more “SMX” word) shoes, although the look & feel of WE is expected to be far more impressive, with towering amounts of technology employed into the stunning stage lighting installations for which WE has become famous for. So, we are talking vast visuals from massive L.E.D. lighting panels, neon lights & lasers that will transform the huge theatre space that is The Coronet and impressive & jaw droppingly spectacular dance displays from the team for go-go’s, all creatively choreographed by WE brand promoter Victor Pallas. This in addition to one of Europe’s most renowned extrovert exponents of animation, Cristian Drak, who will no doubt amaze with his artistic impressions, and given the showings back in Madrid (check out one of many video clips at http://facebook.com/WEpartygroup?v=wall#!/video/video.php?v=386744584701), we are expecting to be well & truly dazzled by the displays which will be the focal of visual entertainment.

Turning to the music and whist we covered much of what you can expect in our special post “Wonderful Ensemble, it’s worth running down the D.J.’s on duty in what is a very strong line up indeed, balancing both the demands of the London scene with the Spanish roots of WE, the brands headlining resident, Carlos Gallardo, flying in direct to take the main room by storm for sure. Now, Mr Gallardo is no stranger to The Coronet, in fact we were supremely impressed with is set at Hype back on August Bank Holiday, we quoting “...Carlos’s stupendous set, rivalled any Spanish D.J. import guest we have seen...” and with his WE anthem (check http://youtube.com/watch?v=GOnM2-Y0qMU) plus much more armoury with him, expect lots of euro-style beats but with plenty of uplifting notes. Plus, with fellow WE Madrid resident D.J. Manuel De Diego also jetting in, joined in the main room by London’s best loved Spaniard, Gonzalo Rivas, there will be no shortage of espaniol & latin flavoured funk to keep the main room pumping. But, as if they were enough, the team have added not just one, but two of the capital scenes biggest hitters, as D’Johnny & Steve Pitron will also pulsate with their performances and serve up a more Spanish influenced sound especially for this WE party event, as Steve has been quoted as saying “...expect turbocharged bass heavy Spanish productions mixed up with some tougher beats...” reflected brilliantly in his new WE inspired podcast (dare we mention it again) which you can grab at http://stevepitronsessions.podomatic.com/.

Main room aside, the team will have a special VIP room upstairs, exclusively for (yes you guessed it) VIP’s, who will not only get fast track entry into the venue, but will also have their own dedicated coatcheck (complimentary) & bar facilities. And with both Fat Tony & Guy Williams selecting the sounds, the music is sure to be as amazing as the company up there, the WE team even treating each & every guest with flowing champagne (well it better be), tickets being priced at £35. And, taking of tickets, all early bird £15 priced ones sold out last week, although standard £18 advance tickets are still available both online at direct link http://weparty.clubtickets.com/gb/2010-12/04/we-party-london, as are the VIP ones, although it has to be said the £4 booking fee for VIP’s is a little excessive. So, you can also grab advance tickets at outlets Prowler, Clone Zone & DV8 in Soho, as well as bars Profile & Rupert Street, while, naturally, more will be available on the door, which open at 11 p.m., WE Party London running through until 7 a.m.

But if you need to whet your appetite for WE, then there are a trio of pre-parties to do just that, Room Service kicking off the WE weekend tonight (1st Dec) at DIU on Greek Street (see our post at http://discomattweekend.blogspot.com/2010/11/extra-bites-we-pre-party-wednesday-1st.html), while on Friday, Rupert Street warms you into the WE way of thinking, the bars resident D.J. Minx selecting the sounds, with the focus then switching to Wardour (well WEdour) street, as Lo-Profile play host to this Spanish splendour in London, D’Johnny centre staging among a host of WE drop dead gorgeous go-go dancers. Then, to really get you into gear, on Saturday, Rupert Street does it all again with their second leg, this time Fat Tony tickling your WE tastebuds with tons of terrific tunes (watch our Weekend Best Bites post for timings).

So, with all that, there is no surprise that we are “Well Excited” about the landing in London of WE Party, which should not only re-ignite plenty of pomp & circumstance, glory & gorgeousness, but moreover fabulous elements of fun that has been missing from the scene for some time. And if you don’t believe us check out their hilarious & outrageous video at http://youtube.com/watch?v=_viJh8sR6eU, leaving us to say, make sure you get down to The Coronet this Saturday (4th Dec), and see the WE revolution & its new clubbing formula for yourselves. (DISCO MATT)

World AIDS Day Special Charity Fundraisers - Extra Bites

Hey Folks,

With our report “Fight The Good Fight” on World AIDS day due out in the morning to commemorate this very important day in our calendar, we also though we would give mention two special events that take place tomorrow night, both which will be raising funds for this very special of causes that is extremely close to our hearts.

First up is Alex Erfan’s Lovechild club brand, who have joined forces with Athena Contemporary Art to hold an extra special dinner dance evening at the Supperclub in Nottinghill, a nightclub come evening eatery that is contemporary both in design a delivery, the official blurb stating, “...this amazingly innovative & unique experience includes distinctive luxuriant couch dining, exhibition space & a club combined...” this two tiered space actually a sea of white comfort, exuding that word (well words – white & comfort) right across the whole venue. And for that reason alone, the place is well worth a visit, although the main reason will be to support the worthy cause that is N.A.T. (National AIDS Trust), the main beneficiary of this sumptuous social, although part of the proceedings will also be going towards charity event The Wig Party, quoted by Dannii Minogue no less as, “...the most heavenly charity party around...” itself having a corporate who’s who list of fundraisers (Gaydar, L’Oreal, Penguin Publishers, Selfridges & Swarovski to name a few), all underwriting their support & contributions to N.A.T.

With WAD very much in focus at this special fundraiser, what can you expect from this Lovechild/Athena charity dinner & dance? Well, there will be multiple levels of entertainment, from the OBSquare installation artists who will have decorated the club space with their eye catching works or art, through to dance music provided by two of Lovechild’s prolific resident D.J.’s Tony English & Alessandro Londra, then onto the live shows from the outrageously gorgeous Powder Puff Girls, further frolicking & interest coming from performers Ms Vicky Butterfly & Gateaux Au Chocolat (not to be missed), while Chris Chrisalys completes the line-up. As for the dinner, part of the evening, we are told to be pleasantly surprised by both the new Martini Soda aperitif, along with the distinctively different way of dining, all adding to the excitement of this special event. Plus, online scene site Mirror-Balls will be on hand to record the evening for posterity & no doubt trade reviewing duties with us (there’s a challenge).

So, to the all important detail and this Lovechild/Athena Charity Dinner Dance event kicks off at The Supperclub (12 Acklam Rd, Nottinghill – get a cab) with a cocktail drinks reception from 6.30 p.m., with dinner served from 8.30 p.m. & entertainment running throughout, carriages ready to escort you away at the 11 p.m. finish. Entry for drinkers & dancers is by donation, with diner table reservations available either by contacting Viola on 07968 138 531 or bt e-mail to alex@alexerfan.com. Further details of this event can be found via the events pages on Facebook, or by going to http://alexerfan.com/ and 5% of ALL proceeds from the night will go to N.A.T. as will 10% of ANY art sales from OBsquare’s installations which run in The Supperclub throughout December.

But the night is then still young, as back in central London, Profile & Lo-Profile host a special fundraising evening, also in aid of NAT, the event, called “Put It On” run by Gaydar Radio in association with diva songstress, Katherine Ellis, who promise “...a star studded party...”. And, judging by the line up, it is going to be just that as not only will Katherine be performing, but she will be joined by Sam Obernik, Shena & Amanda Wilson, while the music will be masterminded by Gaydar Radio’s Alex Baker & Phil Marriot, Phil no stranger to the venue (Well Profile upstairs) as he resides here each Friday, recording his set live onto the radio stations ClubNation show, plus this dynamic duo will be joined by none other than The Freemasons, who will perform a special set. Add to all that the new lighting installations & effects which have transformed this Soho venue sophisticate, and Lo-Profile should be well & truly pumping from the 9 p.m. start, especially as the whole evening will be hosted by the duo, Sink The Pink, better known as Glitter Sparkles (need we say more?!). Tickets are on sale now priced at £10, which you can get at http://eventelephant.com/putiton, or in person during the day tomorrow at Profile bar, although tickets will be on sale on the door at £12, plus, here’s the best bit, 100% of the door take will go direct to N.A.T.

So, two events well worth attending, not least for the worthy cause they are supporting, The National AIDS Trust, but if you cannot make it across to the Supperclub or down to Lo-Profile, you can still make your own difference in support of N.A.T. by going to their website at http://nat.org.uk/, leaving us to simply say (and more poignant than ever)....”Go There! Be There! "

xDM

Extra Bites "WE Pre-Party - Wednesday 1st December

Hey Folks,

Well, it seems that WE certainly looks set to dominate proceedings on the capitals clubbing scene this weekend, so it will come as no surprise that we have got in on the act, not only issuing a special preview, entitled “Welcoming Espania” which is out at direct link http://discomattpreview.blogspot.com/2010/11/welcoming-espania-we-party-special.html, but also devoting a special music post to the event, our devotion called “Wonderful Ensemble” out at http://discomattmusic.blogspot.com/2010/11/wonderful-ensemble-music-is-answer-we.html. But it doesn’t stop there, as a special Weekend Focus on the event, called “Well Excited” will detail everything you need to know about this enormous outing which takes place this Saturday at The Coronet in Elephant & Castle.

However, in the meantime, the WE place to be will be at Room Service tomorrow night (Wed 1st December), when this weekly talk of the town hosts the pre-party for the talk of the weekend. Now, since starting back in October, Room Service has quickly established itself as the hottest place to be & be seen on a Thursday, very much eclipsing other offerings around town, it being especially popular for those with an eye on work the following day, due to its reasonably sociable start at 10 p.m. And in the DIU club on Greek Street, it has a perfect host venue, not just due to locale (it’s virtually next to Green Carnation) but in the whole feel of the place, as the team behind Room Service say, “...think a sexy downtown New York vibe of a spot combined with a London boutique nightclub feel bang in the middle of the original gay district...” and they have pretty much hit the nail on the head. Having popped in just last Thursday, to raise a glass to Fat Tony on his birthday, we immediately fell in love with the charm of DIU, its atmosphere & modern sophistication mixed in with traditional furnishings, all combining to create the perfect place for the bijou yet beautiful week night following Room Service has attracted.

But for one week only, the team will be swinging open Room Service’s doors tomorrow night (Wednesday 1st Dec) to warm you up for WE this coming weekend, welcoming Steve Pitron to the decks, who will join Kris Di Angelis to serve up sounds to match the sophisticated surroundings, also showcasing a band of delicious dancers who have already flown into London, direct from WE’s base in Madrid, in advance of the weekend, each one performing on the special go-go box, while advance will definitely be one of the by-words, as reduced priced WE Party tickets will also be on sale, to make sure you don’t miss out on the main event at the Coronet on Saturday. And we are sure Steve will be parading some of the more uplifting beats like Tune In Tokyo’s “Dreamer”, Miguel Picasso’s “Show Me Your Love” & Chris Montana’s “Don’t Give Up”, although we hope he plays Peter Rauhofer’s “Rule The World” & John Dahlback’s “Back To The Dancefloor”, all of which you can sample via his latest WE podcast, available at http://stevepitronsessions.podomatic.com/ (oops we fell into music review mode for a minute).

Add to all that, hosts (or is that hostesses) Najib & La Peque N.A. of Disco Fag Bar fame, along with promotress extra-ordinaire Jody Harsh & there will be plenty of glamour to match the sophistication of this soiree in Soho, the very present & gorge David Hart ready to shoot you up with his photographic tool (check out his wonderful work at http://shootmeup.co.uk) under the low ceilings & laser lighting and this is one pre-party you won’t want to miss. So, forecast permitting the snow should have melted into thin air by the time Room Service starts tomorrow night at 10 p.m., the music also melting all thoughts of the inclement weather until the 3 p.m. finish, DUI being situated at 12-13 Greek Street in Soho. Further information can be found by visiting their group on Facebook, by emailing the team at roomserviceroomservice@gmail.com or you can follow their activity on Twitter, at http://twitter.com/clubroomservice. and as we always say, “Go There! Be There! "

xDM

Extra Bites Special - Trade 20th Birthday

“THE BIG TWO ZERO – TAKE TWO”
TRADE 20TH BIRTHDAY – SUNDAY 31ST OCTOBER
EXTRA BITES SPECIAL


Having taken a few moments to reflect on the might of Trade as a clubbing brand, capturing just a few snippets of the now 20 year history of the legendary Sunday morning afterhours institution, also capturing just a few of the catalogue of names that have touched Trade & our time party deep & hard, particularly at Turnmills, which for us was a weekly homage at its height, it’s now time to focus on the party itself & give you that all important detail on their massive 29th birthday bash. But before we do, why not have a look at our special preview, which is out now at direct link http://discomattpreview.blogspot.com/2010/10/big-two-zero-trade-20th-birthday.html and get just a tiny feel of how massive this club brand is & how brilliant it has been.

Right turning to Sunday and this huge happening, which has less of Halloween about it, more of colossal celebration, as Laurence malice’s creation that hit the clubbing scene by storm back in 1990, marks its 20th birthday with a euphoric event at Arcadia in Southwark, formerly known as The Arches, the host venue that held sway to the infamous 18th birthday bash & is, for us, probably the closest venue to Turnmills in terms of feel & appeal. So, the Trade collective (so called) that now includes the might of Logan Presents will not just be taking over Arcadia on Sunday morning, but adding that Trade magic to the place, with classic production that will re-capture some of the memories from across the years, as well as installing extra lighting, extra sound & extra dance spaces to accommodate one of the biggest ever D.J. line up’s at a Trade event. Plus, to cater for the expected crush of customers, there will be extra chill-out areas & two huge outside garden areas to accommodate any expected overspill & allow for that all important breather from the octane fuelled action inside.

As for the D.J.’s, well it’s a who’s who of Trade’s history across the whole 20 year span as the some of the stars from back in 1990 will be joined by a veritable feast of others that have graced Trade’s decks at some point or other. Picking out individuals from this list is going to be pretty difficult, so it’s probably easier for us to simply list them, although let’s look at the guest first, who include Andy Farley, Dave Randall, Elliot J Brown, Per Q.X. Nic Fisher, John Byrne, Kris Di Angelis, La Gosse, Nik Denton & Neverdogs, we expecting specific rooms set aside to see these talents. In terms of original “Fierce Rulin Trade D.J’s, the list is certainly impressive & includes Turnmills talents (some originals) Malcolm Duffy, Pete Wardman & Rosco, Smokin Jo, Guy Williams, Fat Tony, Nick Tcherniak, Steve Thomas, as well as more recent rulers Lady Bianca, Gabriele Cutrano, Pagano, many of whom will assume their rightful positions in the main room.

Indeed on talking about that main room, whilst we cannot confirm what the full line up will be, you can surely expect Malcolm Duffy to kick start proceedings as he always did in the Turnmills days, with both Pagano & Pete Wardman also surely to feature, probably later on in the line up, while we are hoping that both Guy Williams & Fat Tony will feature large in the expected “Lite Lounge” where they always ruled supreme back in those halcyon days at Turnmills. However, what we can definitely confirm, is that both Nick Tcherniak & Steve Thomas will be playing next to, if not back-to-back, in the main room roster, and having been with and spoken to Mr Tcherniak while out in Berlin with him last weekend, not just their latest hits “My People” & “Deep Water” are expected to get an airplay, but there will be a special P.A. from vocal artist Lizzie France, who will perform the latest Tcherniak & Thomas production “The Answer”, which gets a full release on Monday, and whilst we can’t link in with this latest release, we can point to a new instrumental version of “My People, which also has a superb video trailer chronicling some of Trade’s best flyers/images which is well worth a watch & listen at http://youtube.com/watch?v=E9RjOMXuG2o. So, in terms of music expect the crème de la crème of Trade across the years, meaning that picking & choosing between the rooms is going to be a tough cookie indeed.

Right, so what about the detail?, well Trade the 20th Birthday, is this coming Sunday (31st October) at Arcadia (formerly The Arches) at 51-53 Southwark Street, SE1 (nearest tube London Bridge), doors opening at % a.m. and the event running through until a planned 4 p.m. In terms of tickets, naturally all the early bird & advance Q-jump tickets went a while ago, although the standard advance £17 ones are still available to book online (we have just down ours in case!) at http://clubtickets.com/gb/2010-10/31/trade-20th-birthday while just a limited amount remain at Soho outlets Prowler, Clone Zone & DV8. Now, we know that an even more limited amount will be available on the door, although this will be strictly subject to availability & capacity of the club, so we cannot recommend enough that you buy yours in advance, or be there early.

So, if ever there was a birthday bash you had to attend, it’s got to be this one, celebrating with the Trade collective their big “Two Zero” in superb style. We will be there to report on it all, so if you see us, come say hi, leaving us simply to say, as we always do...Go There! Be There! (DISCO MATT)