Weekend - 29th to 31st Jan

Hey Folks,

Well, as the first month of the New Year comes to a close and if the rumours about the end of the recession are true, this weekend should certainly be a time to celebrate in more ways than one. So, what’s on offer to get you in the party mood? Actually quite a lot, with a few that have caught our eye, although we concentrate on two, giving the best of the rest a mention.

Now, we love to cover something a bit different & this is definitely that, as the infamous Vauxhall boozer The RVT. (that’s The Royal Vauxhall Tavern to the untrained eye!) has a very special Friday nighter tomorrow (29th Jan) as long standing BBC debate show “Question Time” goes all gay on us for the second time. Yes, following the success of the first event last October, the impeccable Stewart Who? hosts the evening, inviting an interesting panel including former London mayor & known supporter of gay issues, Ken Livingstone, co-founder of the group, Justice for Women & Guardian columnist, Julie Bindall, Lib Dem MP & freelance writer, Jonathan Fryer, and stand up comedienne & listed among the 20 most successful Muslim women in the U.K., Shazia Mirza. This should prove a worthy panel to discuss the topics that mean the most the LGBT community and if, like us, you like being vocal about standing up for your political rights & being seen as part of the wider community, then this is your chance to wage your questions, which you can lodge in person to Miss Twinset (is that Stewart in drag?) between 7 p.m. & 8. 45 p.m. or by e-mail to misstwinset@gmail.com. “Queer Question Time” will then kick off from 9 p.m. until a planned 10 p.m. in what will no doubt be a healthy hard hitting debate, which will be followed by a politically charged musical performance by Manchester's sarcastic, queer-feminist, electro-punk one-man-band Ste McCabe, followed by London’s & Duckie’s very own D.J. Lush, spinning the tunes until 2 a.m. Doors open from 7 p.m. with entrance at £7.50 for the whole night, with tickets available online at http://ticketweb.co.uk/ and don’t worry folks, if you don’t have time to eat before hitting Vauxhall early, then you can always grab a bite from The RVT’s delicious menu, details of which are at http://rvt.org.uk/ along with a whole host of other info & event happenings at this venerable boozer.

Then it seems that there is absolutely no holding back what looks like the club that will grab top spot in the Seenqueen “Your Disco Needs You” 2009 poll (it was our top choice – check our “A Rollercoaster Ride” review) as Beyond returns with another special “Belief party”, this Saturday/Sunday 30th/31st Jan, kicking proceedings off earlier than usual at 1 a.m. for a full 12 hours of hedonistic fun. It’s a while since we have focussed on this club as it generally speaks for itself, but it is an extra special one this weekend as (we hope) the team will have lots to celebrate when the news becomes official & they top the pile, deservedly so. Plus, on the back of the massive NYD party, resident D.J.’s Steve Pitron & Mikey D have just this week released their joint podcasts in celebration of their mammoth b2b set (details will be out via our next “music is the answer” post) and will once again be going back-to-back on Sunday for a full 3 hour set in the main room which is not to be missed. Plus all the other Beyond residents will be playing out, Hi-Fi Sean, Jamie Head, The Sharp Boys, D’Johnny, Alan K & Terry Bryan, although who will be where (Terrace or Main room) as yet we don’t know. However, Orange will be hosting the “Blackbox” with David Jiminez, Gonzalo Rivas & Paul Christian adding an extra dimension to an already huge D.J. line up. Add to that Area’s superb lighting, pyrotechnics, lasers & CO2 cannons & there is no other venue that compares in our book. Then there is the bevy of beauties, muscular go-go’s, courtesy of “Logan Presents”, that will delight throughout the proceedings, adding to the impeccable production that is brilliant Beyond & all this hosted by the ever welcoming Naomi Cuiz & with the terrific Tom Fuller orchestrating everyone’s smooth entrance to the club. So, if you have yet to experience the Beyond magic (where have you been), then “Belief” is a great way to taste the marvel which has become the most popular afterhours clubbing experience of now. Doors open at 1 a.m., antics at Area running through until 1 p.m. Sunday afternoon. Entrance for this extended extravaganza is £15, tickets available at Clone Zone, Prowler, DV8, The Box, LGBT Tourist Office & at both Fire & Area, or online at http://clubtickets.com/, with more available on the door.

So, what else is on offer? Well Friday sees Profile & Lo-Profile tempt you in with Gaydar Radio’s own Phil Marriot in the bar upstairs, while Jamie Head & Paul Heron delight downstairs in the club. Barcode Soho rolls out another “Ursus Cave” with special guest D.J. Terry Vieether joining the band of residents. Black Rabbit makes a welcome return to The Masons Arms for their “Pre Snowboarding Winter Warmer” special, with D.J.’s Cagedbaby, Bones & Nathan Detroit joining club promoter Guy Williams on the decks. Down in Vauxhall, Tonker do it again with guest D.J. Louis Lennon choosing the tracks, while Barcode entertains with D.J.'s Kian, Alessandro, Paul Coles & Hi-Fi Sean spinning the sounds. “Onyx” is back at Area for a regular outing following Pagano’s storming set last week & then over in Fire A.M. keeps it all going deep in Saturday morning with residents D’Johnny, Alan K, & David Jiminez playing hard in the main room, while Jamie Head, Terry Bryan & The Oli serve up funky house in the “vinyl” room. But, if you happen to find yourself down in Brighton, you could do far worse than be at The Honey Club for Hed Kandi’s “Pure Kandi” party, with fave resident D.J.’s on duty. Saturday & Soho kicks yet again with Alessandro keeping Rupert St lively then heads to Lo-Profile to follow on from Guy Williams, although if it is pure pop you are after, then head off to The Edge, for their “Boudoir” night where Dusty O dishes some tip top hits. In Vauxhall The RVT rolls out another alternative night “Duckie”, while Barcode Vauxhall entertain “Hard On!” pre-partiers & then have Saki, Astroboy, D’Johnny, Nick Tcherniak & Gonzalo Rivas mashing it all up. “Hard On!” itself returns to Hidden for its monthly fetish foray with residents Brent Nicholls, Hi-Fi Sean, Halo-Is & Hugosland trade tough beats, while if you fancy something a bit East End, then quarterly cutie “Dick & Fanny” returns to The Star of Bethnal Green with Severino, Holestar & Miss Bailey selecting the sounds. With “Beyond” dominating the early Sunday landscape, the partying will continue at Fire with “Later”, Terry Bryan, The Oli & guests keeping the vibe going, while Sunday afternoon would be the same without “The Dame Edna Experience” at The RVT. Barcode Soho gets a mention as “Ursus Cave” extends to a Sunday with D.J.’s Dkub & K’Klown playing out the bearish beats, although if bingo is your thing, don’t miss the 5th birthday of “Gay Bingo” THE original, the numbers being called at Floridita in Wardour St by Ma Butcher, Jonny Woo adding inimitable spice & John Sizzle spinning the sounds. Details of all these outings can be found in the popular press & club pages listings.

Well, that’s our choice picks up for another week, although don’t forget that super website http://seenqueen.com/ is a great source for everything you need to know about gAylisting in London, with their diary of events running deep into February.

As for us, well it’s a weekend away from the scene, taking stock, picking up some pieces of our life and giving Disco Matt a rest before coming back in style with “A.M’s” 9th birthday & Matinee’s new “constructive” look as well as other monthly happenings that include “Lovechild’s” 1st birthday, DPTM’s “With Love” & SuperMartXe’s “Samurai” parties (watch up-coming posts for previews & details of these). But, we hope you have a blast whatever you do this weekend & as we always say.........Go There! Be There!

xDM

Weekend - 22nd - 24th Jan

Hey Folks,

With January marching on at feverish pace, it looks like being a forthcoming weekend with a major swathe of Italiano running through it , but also with Thursday this week seemingly to be the new Friday, thus stretching three days into four, what can you expect to tempt you out?

Well, with a little bit of egg on our faces following our slight “own goal” on the information in our last report & given the Italian flavour this weekend, it will come as no surprise that two events get a massive thumbs up from us & are our focus. But there is plenty else on offer and we will make room for the best of the rest as well.

Returning to our post this week is “Onyx”, races back to Area in Vauxhall this Friday, 2009’s freshest new club that gave its gAylist peers a real wakeup call & its success being reflected in the Seenqueen “Your Disco Needs You” 2009 poll, with a sizable share of the vote already. Not yet having sampled a Friday night in the hands of this audacious outing, we can only draw on our experience of the afterhours party on 2nd Jan (check our full review), but have been told that Friday’s match up to this in every way. But, this next party is set to be extra special, as, joining resident D.J’s Ariel, Lisa German, Jamie Hammond, Tuomo Fox & Jason Prince, is a main room line up that is simply knockout. Gaydar’s own Phil Marriot, who played an incredible set during our visit and is ruling resident main floor jock, will be give centre stage to none other than international superstar D.J. & producer Pagano, who looks to shoot the first Italiano tainted bullet across the weekend with his tech & progressive house that will take the crowd on a journey like no other D.J. can do. Having been a little bit off our radar towards the end of 2009, he is firmly back where he belongs, at the forefront of all the best gAylisting activity in town & comes to “Onyx” fresh from a massive weekend in New York, where he took the party Alegria Musica by storm, we hear even outshining the amazing Chus & Ceballos, so the man is well & truly on fire at the moment and his appearance this Friday is a must for all his fans & everyone besides! It seems even Area’s amazing lighting, ticker tape explosions & ice cannon cool downs and “Onyx’s” special stage shows, sexy go-go’s & pyrotechnic displays are not going to eclipse Pagano, but one thing is for sure, this is going to be a night to remember. It all kicks off this Fri, 22nd Jan from 10 p.m., with free entry until midnight as long as you have an ad or flyer (£2 without) and then £6 thereafter, with the club running through till 5 a.m. Advance £5 tickets are available at http://clubtickets.com/ & more info on Onyx can be found at http://firelondon.co.uk/.

Then on Saturday 23rd , the Italian invasion will be in full swing as uber sexy & seductive Milan magnificent club “Pervert” comes to London at Fire in Vauxhall for a full on gold tainted experience. We devoted a special “hot dates” report to the club which is well worth a read, the post including a brief history of this 15 year old Italian marvel, as well as profiles of all the D.J’s in a star spangled line up. Now, whilst we said it all in our earlier report, it’s worth reminding you that “Pervert Gold” looks like being the talk of the town and probably the party of the month, as creators Christian & Ivan, bring the brand to the capital, combining forces with Lovechild’s Alex Erfan, to serve up an experience we are told has never been seen before. “Pervert” is renowned for throwing secretly sexy yet completely overt parties, glamour being the name of the game & opulence running through its veins. Fire’s main room is set to be fully transformed and the focus will be the very theatrical & fashion show style performances from the gorgeous model dancers, with stunning costumes to match. And it seems that the D.J. line up with be equally as dazzling as not only does the one half of the creative team take to the decks under his pseudonym Obi Baby, his sets renowned for being tough tech & progressive fuelled, but Italian stallion Pagano will be every bit a match, hitting Vauxhall for the second time this weekend, definitely part of the tore de force of the main room music style, as will be Gonzalo Rivas (changing allegiances to Italy for the night), who has a track record full of tech & hard hitting house. Add to that a new name to London Gepy, playing at Fire for the first time & probably looking to be the surprise of the night with his minimal & tech infused sounds, Alessandro will make sure he gets more than a look in matching his main room peers every step of the way, as he is still riding high on the back of his last magnificent performance suring the "As One" party at Fire on NYD. But it’s all happening in the special VIP lounge next door too, as scene favourite Brent Nichols brings his distinctive electro, funky & Latino twisted style to Fire, with a bit of progressive to boot & is joined by new kid on the block, party boy extraordinaire Jc Christopher, who will delight with a truly uplifting experience. So think sex, seductiveness, glitz, glamour, debauchery, audacity & opulence, all rolled into one & we have been informed to expect some special surprises on the night. Fire’s doors swing open at 11 p.m. the club running through to 8 a.m. brought to you by Alex Erfan & team and hosted by the fabulous Ivan. Advance £14 tickets are available at Soho outlets Prowler, Clone Zone, DV8, & The Box, but also online at http://clubtickets.com/, with tickets also being sold on t he door on the night. Further details can be found at http://alexerfan.com/ & also at http://seenqueen.com/.

So, what else is on offer? Well, as we mentioned earlier, Thursday seems to be the new Friday, with lots happening down Vauxhall way. Industri returns, hosted by the fabulous Minty who is still recovering after her birthday bash last week, but will be fully charged by tomorrow night, although as of going to press we are not sure whether it will be Brent Nicholls or Paul Heron on the decks. Over at The RVT, David Hoyles returns with his infamous “Licking Wounds” which looks like being yet another spectacle of a performance as only he does best, whilst “Gravity” later on treats is to a “Freaky Funhouse” event, turning Fire into a twisted fun fair with games & shows all night & D.J’s Terry Bryan, The Oli & Alan K on the decks the other alternative being Severino (yet more Italian influence) at Barcode Soho for “Homosocial”. Friday sees Profile bar warm up your evening with Phil Marriot, while downstairs in Lo-Profile Mikey D returns, joined this week by D’Johnny. Barcode Soho’s “Ursus Cave” welcomes guest D.J. Paul Coles, while bigger sister Barcode Vauxhall has more Italian influence, with Micky Galliano & Severino starring, joined by Kian-Lee Thompson & Oliver M. Tonker looks like the place to be for some sexy & steamy action, as they roll out a special Manhunt cruise party, those boys in tight t-shirts being on tap & music coming from resident jock Tim Jones & guest Jo Public. Saturday’s pretenders to the “Pervert” crown are Barcode Vauxhall who entertain with gorgeous Mattias (see our latest “music” post) taking centre stage, sandwiched by Oliver M (back for more) & Steven Artis in the club room, while up front Tony Junior & Paul Coals spin the tunes. Over in Soho, Lo-Profile welcomes back the heavenly Hugh Stevenson & Brent Nicholls joins the fray, although looks like he will be sprinting across London to fit in his gigs!, while Rupert Street keeps the style of the weekend very much Italian with D.J. Leonardo on the decks. Sunday dawns with another “Beyond”, we suspect raided by post “Pervert-er’s”, with its usual aftherhours antics, while later on you can come back down to earth with The RVT’s S.L.A.G.S./Chill-out, Simon Le Vans masterfully managing The Dame Edna Experience show. Then, there will be lots of horsing around as HMD returns to The Eagle, the weekend being rounded off again by “Orange”, who welcome back Paul Martin to the decks, joining the rest of the D.J. team that includes the RAW room combo of David Jiminez & Gonzalo Rivas. Details of all these outings can be found in the popular press.

Now, just a couple of quick mentions go to events that tend to miss our “weekend” slot, as Popcorn hits Heaven on Monday 25th, refusing to give into week day work duty with Australian wunder kid Terry Vieethers spinning the tunes & then Gay City Rollers gets together for another monthly frolic at The Renaissance Rooms in Vauxhall with The Very Miss Dusty O, Stewart Who?, Ferrarro & Rocca providing the music & Chris Geary’s roller go-go’s the eye candy. Check press & releases for details.

Well that’s it, but the weekend is surely going to have that mama-mia/Italiano flavour to it, with Pagano, Alessandro, Severino, Leonardo & Micky Galliano turning London into a veritable Italian Job and flying the Bandiera d'Italia, joined by Gepy & Oli Baby. We are definitely going to succumb to the Italian invasion & do a bit of partying, although as we are still in recovery mode, it will probably just be “Pervert Gold” on Saturday unless someone twists our “Onyx” arm or drags our “Beyond” body to Area. So you may not see us out, but if you do, come say hi and we round off by saying our trademark phrase............Go There! Be There!

xDM

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Weekend - 15th to 17th Jan

Hey Folks,

Well, the weekend is almost here and it couldn’t start any better than celebrating Hrh Minty’s birthday tonight at Industri. We devoted a special post to it earlier this week, which you can catch right here by clicking on the adjacent link.

Apart from that, what’s on offer to tempt you out? Well, to be honest, it looks like just a regular weekend in gAylist/land London, but two club nights have grabbed our attention & then we take a brief look at the best of the rest.

First up is “Onyx”, which returns for another fun-filled session at Area in Vauxhall, having totally re-invigorated Friday night clubbing since its launch back in July last year, so much so that it is currently top in the Seenqueen “Your Disco Needs You” 2009 poll & second overall, wow!!, so the team must be doing something right. We were privileged to be there for the afterhour’s party on 2nd Jan & had an amazing time, so if you need more convincing by the end of this, then check out our review. This latest instalment promises to be yet another fabulous party as the team of resident D.J.’s which include Ariel, Lisa German, Jamie Hammond, Tuomo Fox & Jason Prince, aim to delight with some terrific tunes. But it is the main room that is set to truly explode with magnificent music, as not only does Phil Marriot feature, who entertained us so brilliantly on 2nd, but he is joined by international superstar D.J. & producer, none other than the Italian stallion Pagano, who was a shining star at “As One”, played a huge set at Megawoof just last week & for us, is back where he belongs, in the thick of London’s best clubs. Add to this stunning D.J. list, Area’s amazing lighting, ticker tape explosions & ice cannon cool downs (not that we need it in this weather!) together with Onyx’s special stage shows, sexy go-go’s & pyrotechnic displays and this is one event you won’t want to miss. It all kicks off this Fri, 15th Jan from 10 p.m., with free entry until midnight as long as you have an ad or flyer (£2 without) and then £6 thereafter, with the club running through till 5 a.m. Advance £5 tickets are available at http://clubtickets.com/ & more info on Onyx can be found at http://firelondon.co.uk/.

Our other attention grabber is Juicy, one of the longest running Saturday club nights in gAylist/land London, standing the test of time since its birth in 2006, this week holding another “bootcamp” party on (of course) Sat 16th Jan, at Fire in Vauxhall. Now, being a relative virgin to Juicy parties, we are reliably informed that this incarnation is it’s hottest, when promoter Andrew Harris pulls out all the stops to completely transform the venue into a space that would easily fit into any army training camp, but with all the special ingredients that only Fire can bring to this club event. So, think amazing lasers, CO2 cannons, seductive dancers dressed in tight army uniform & top notch production, plus the addition of a camouflage cruising maze. Regimental D.J.’s standing to attention will be Sergeant Rob Sykes, Captain Hi-Fi Sean, Colonel Gonzalo Rivas, Corporal Steven Artis, Lieutenant David Jiminez & Major D’Johnny (no rank between them of course!), pulling all their troops into delirious dancing order across two rooms of strictly heavenly house music. So if hunky men in uniform is your kick, Juicy’s “bootcamp” is definitely the place to fulfil your desires as doors open from 11 p.m., with entrance at just £8 until 1 a.m. if you grab a flyer or ad (£10 without) or £12 on the door. Advance tickets are available at Prowler, Clone Zone, DV8 & The Box or online at http://clubtickets.com/. And if you dare to dress in uniform (go on you know you want to) the entry is a mere £8.

So, what else is on offer to tempt you, well Friday in Soho sees Lo-Profile entertain with Jamie Head & Alessandro on the decks, while over at Barcode, it’s the men only “Cave” night with Daz Saund, Hi-Fi Sean & guests. Kris De Angelis takes charge at Shadow Lounge for “Therapy” & then why not follow him to Concrete in Shoreditch as “Circus” comes back to town, hosted by Jodie Harsh & welcoming Matthew Horne (Gavin in Gavin & Stacy) to the decks, ooh a D.J. too! Down in Vauxhall & Tim Jones’s “Tonker” welcomes back Alan X to the D.J. decks, while Barcode have two rooms of fun, the sexy Steven Artis headlining, Friday being polished off (well Sat morning actually) by “A.M”. at Fire with a host of D.J.’s including The Oli, Terry Bryan, Alan K, D’Johnny & David Jiminez. Saturday sees Soho sport Nick Evans & Brent Nicholls at Lo-Profile, while Rupert St goes on D.J. on us with Oliver M on the decks, who then heads off to Barcode in Vauxhall to do it all again. Down south with him, The RVT roll out another classic “Duckie” party, welcoming back the incomparable Amy Lame, while” Bootylicious” returns to super club Colosseum. “Beyond” starts Sunday off in style & is current topping the Seenqueen poll, so is well worth a visit, then the RVT ask you to wind down & the pump up with another “S.L.A.G.S./Chill-out” session, the weekend being rounded off by another citric squeeze at “Orange” take you into the new week, with The Sharp Boys, Gonzalo Rivas & David Jiminez among the acidic performers as well as another fab appearance by Fat Tony & Tonnic. For all these parties, check the popular press.

So that’s our choices up for this time, but don’t forget you can go to http://seenqueen.com/ which has a comprehensive listing of all the best clubs in town, not to mention plenty of news, features, music choices, reviews, video’s & pics, plus it is that time again as the “Your Disco Needs You” 2009 poll searches for the cream of the crop. So, if you haven’t voted yet, get down to it if you want to see your faves rise to the top.

As for our weekend, well it looks like being a very quiet & maybe bed-ridden one (steady) as we fight off the ravages of a chronic & crippling chest infection and the remnants of the flu (we’re not going oink!), but hope to be fighting fit for Pervert (watch for our “Hot Dates” post) & more next weekend. So, we wish the scene all the best in our absence, but whatever you are doing Friday through Sunday, have a blast and as we say.....Go There! Be There!

xDM

Weekend - Special Post - Minty's Birthday Bash, Thursday 14th January

Hey Folks,

Well, with just under a day to go, we thought we would issue a gentle reminder to those of you that have either, made plans to attend, or haven’t yet been invited, to come down to Barcode Vauxhall tomorrow night from 9 p.m. onwards.

Why? Well it is the birthday of one of London’s gAylist scene’s most prolific & well known faces, a lady that has not only touched much of our history on the clubbing scene, but remains one of the most gracious, beautiful & friendly faces we know. We couldn’t be talking about anyone else but Minty, the goddess, the darling & the hostess extra-ordinaire of the scene, who will be celebrating her ...th birthday (don’t you dare ask a Lady’s age!!) at the social soiree, Industri.

So, first let’s give you full details of the event, which comes direct from Minty herself, who say’s “Well, another year has passed, but it’s time to celebrate again, as I will be holding my very special birthday bash at the social soiree of the capital, Industri (at Barcode Vauxhall), on Thursday 14th January, from 9 p.m. onwards. The D.J. for this celebratory evening will be none other than scene favorite Brent Nicholls, who has been part of the Industri team right from start & will truly rock the place. It looks like being a night of complete debauchery & fun, with shots a plenty and much more besides. So, you are cordially invited to join me in toast to my special day and I really hope you can make it.”. The latest news in is that Brent will be laying down an extra special recording of his set, to mark the occasion, and will be offering this souvenir of the event in a free download to all those members of Industri’s group. If you are not yet a member, then e-mail your details to industri@gunclubuk.com.

Now, onto Industri itself and for those of you not yet indoctrinated into this amazing night of audacious socialising action, this Thursday night soiree has been running since 19th January 2008 and since opening for business has had a major impact on the clubbing scene. It kicked things off a grabbed attention when the announcement was made of its launch, linking the best threesome combination anyone could ask for, as the marriage between Minty as hostess and Brent Nicholls & Paul Heron as resident D.J.’s was a match made in heaven. Since that fabulous day, it has created probably some of the most memorable moments in our time on the gAylist scene, forging some amazing friendships, which we would never have dreamed of, then spurning some incredible times at many a club night & event. Industri was also responsible for launching us, yes Disco Matt made his debut at the club and has not looked back since. It is fair to say that Industri’s popularity has waxed & waned, but its survival through the tough times, both experienced by Barcode as a brand & by the scene in general, is testament to its success & why it is still going today.

Some superb highlights have been the Easter parties, which have seen not just one but two of Barcode’s rooms open for the event, the massive NYD party of 2009, which was a truly amazing Industri, as was a trio of celebrations, first Paul Heron’s birthday last January, when a dozen of the scene’s top D.J’s came, played & celebrated, followed by Minty’s birthday & then Industri’s first anniversary. The club night has produced some memorable music through a series of compilation mixes, the Xmas 2008 Vol 1 still getting week in week out inclusion in our own playlist and to say that Industri has been THE most important club in our life so far, is an understatement. Yes, we have adored Trade which really formed our clubbing life back in the 1990’s, yes Crash was an iconic club & a real purple patch in our lives and yes Beyond continues to have a major impact on our clubbing activity, but Industri remains par excellence with all of these truly incredible clubs and we love it to death!.

As for Minty, well what can we say, apart from the fact that she has been there, done that & got the biscuit! Over the years she wouldn’t mind us saying that she has been a shining star across gAylist/land London, being part of some of the best clubs the scene has seen. For virtually the full length of its history, she was the welcoming face at Crash, has fronted clubs at Fire including A.M. & Gravity, has been a major tore de force at the Shadow Lounge, launching the fabulous club night Salon, has been in the thick of all the action on Matinee’s doors, from its inception at Area, right through to Cable in London Bridge & everywhere in between. And that’s not the half of it; Minty has devoted time to all of the biggest events around the capital, has worked closely with all the scene’s biggest promoters & is considered the cream of all door hostesses by all her peers.

But it is Industri where we see Minty at her best, hosting the event like no-one else could. She has made the club her own, with her boys Brent & Paul of course, making everyone welcome, devoting time to meeting new people to the Industri fold and bringing a whole host of scene faces, socialites, promoters & clubbers together, like no other outing or event. She lavishes exuberance on the weekly soiree, is generous to the extreme with warming shots & the like, with the infamous tequila bottle showing its face on many an occasion. Whether wearing her trade mark blackened sunglasses, dressing down or up, donning cowboy hats or showing off her amazing hair styles, Minty never ceases to attract the glitterati of the scene & many besides with her vivacious style & care-free antics. Affectionately called “Hrh”, she is definately queen of the hostesses, a real master at her game and one of the most considerate, friendly, kind & caring people we know.

Well, it goes without say that Industri at Barcode Vauxhall, this Thursday night from 9 p.m. is a sure date in our diaries & it should be in yours too. It may be snowy & cold outside, but inside the welcome will be warming, the music will be hot & the gathering of faces will be the biggest in town. So, come down, come say hi, raise a glass to Minty on her special day and as we always say......Go There! Be There!

xDM

Weekend - 8th to 10th Jan

Hey Folks,

Well, with all the mayhem of the Christmas & New Year’s season now over, we slide into the first “regular” weekend of 2010 with our recommendations of what to get up to and where to be seen. Usually one of the quietest weekends of the year, a couple of events have caught our eye, but our investigations have dug up plenty of other offerings that deserve a quick mention.

Our first focus is on Megawoof, which after the disruption of pre-booked events prior to its move to Hidden, returns to this Vauxhall haunt on Saturday 9th Jan for its first “full on” party of the year & on the back of its highly successful inclusion in the NYD event As One. January may be a lean month for clubbing, but as far as Megawoof is concerned, lean is not in the vocabulary, as this is without doubt the hunkiest & funkiest gathering of muscle & bulk that has left our hearts racing at every visit. And that goes for the music on offer too, as the line up includes the return of uber star Italian stallion, D.J. Pagano (on the back of a stunning set at As One), who takes charge of the “Black” room, supported by Diddy & DJ Baby-Bearbell. Over in the “Red” room, Daz Saund takes centre stage, with Sugarbear & Tim Mcloone more than bringing up the rear, adding their own magic to proceedings. And if that isn’t enough choice for you then the middle “Blue” room sports Rob & Massimo on the decks, this space being the perfect spot to do a bit of socialising as well as boogying. Add in the fact that top notch gay retailer DV8 will be present, offering a selection of sexy essentials to purchase, this looks like being a chunk, funk & hung fest start to 2010. Hidden's doors swing open for Megawoof from 11 p.m., the club running through till 6 a.m. Entrance is £14 or if you’re a member, £10, but discount entry with a flyer is on offer. Advance tickets are on sale at Prowler, Clone Zone, DV8 (of course), RoB, The Eagle & Paris Gym at just £12. Details of membership & other info can be found at http://megawoof.com/.

Our other mention goes to the club that grabbed our 2009 best slot, Beyond, which returns for another audacious afterhours offering on Sunday morning 10th Jan, sweeping up the lion’s share of not just the Vauxhall crowd looking for their Saturday night to roll deep into a Sunday morning, but entrapping Soho socialites too. Having been down there for most of December, we have seen a marked change in the crowd, with much of the old trashy bunch no more (perhaps a result of the demise of GHB), replaced by hedonistic headcount of party goers in search of great music & a great atmosphere. And that’s exactly what the club offers, in what is probably one of the best equipped venues around, Area in Vauxhall. Then there is the D.J. residency list, which includes Mikey D, Jamie Head, Hi-Fi Sean, D’Johnny, Gonzalo Rivas, David Jiminez, The Sharp Boys, Alan K & the true legend that is Steve Pitron, making for one of the most star studded line up of any club. So there is no doubt about the quality of the music & with amazing laser lighting, pyrotechnics, go-go dancers & production, Beyond scores high in every respect. But to add a further new dimension, this week sees the launch of the brand new VIP lounge, hosted by Naomi, which offers an exclusive space giving a bird’s eye view of the main room, free drinks, separate toilet facilities, a free coatcheck & fast track entry at a mere £25 (sounds good to us). But if you are up for just the regular entry, then advance tickets are on sale at all your favourite Soho outlets, but with a hike to £18 on the door, or in advance at http://clubtickets.com/. Beyond opens at 6 a.m. running through till a planned 1 p.m.

Now, let’s give a brief mention to all those other events that we have spotted. Friday sees much activity despite the weather (boring!), both in Soho & in Vauxhall. Up in the West End, Lo-Profile packs a massive punch with the dynamic duo of Steve Pitron & Mikey D on the decks, all preceded by the fabulous Phil Marriot supplying the sounds in Profile Bar upstairs. Barcode Soho rolls out another Ursus Cave night with Daz Saund Hi-Fi Sean & Leonardo Glovibes in charge of the tunes, whilst Shadow Lounge offer up some Therapy with their new(ish) Friday outing, Paul Heron (b/day boy) & Kris de-Angelis on the decks. Over in Vauxhall, Tonker do it all again at Eagle with guest D.J. Woolf performing, The RVT have their Kimo Krush night with the best sounds of the noughties supplied by the Sugarlow Boys, Duchess of Pork & Al Dente, with Jonny Woo entertaining with his wacky & wild show. Then, Onyx are open for business as usual, the D.J. lengthy line up including Ariel, Lisa German, Steven Gellar & on the back of his amazing set at the NYD afterhours party, Phil Marriot, followed by A.M., sporting a great D.J. line up including Alan K, another major NYD performer, who played a storming set at As One. On Saturday, Lo-Profile does it all again, with D’Johnny & Alessandro spinning the sounds, while Barcode Soho sports scene fave D.J. Brent Nicholls. Over in Vauxhall, indie offerings are a plenty as Carpet Burn hits Eagle & Duckie plays out at The RVT (need we say more), while the club we thought had been put to bed, Horizon, returns to Fire, with Gonzalo Rivas, D’Johnny, Terry Bryan (yum) & Tuomo Fox the D.J draws. Sunday wouldn’t be the same without S.L.A.G.S/Chill-Out at The RVT, while Later keep the Beyond party going at Fire, Eagle drawing you in for another ney ney Horse Meat Disco, with plenty of citric action dragging you into Monday, Orange at Fire rounding off a busy weekend (and you though there wasn’t much on!?!). Details of all these parties can be found in the popular press.

Well that’s our top two choices for this weekend up (as well as the others we mentioned), but don’t forget, you can always visit http://seenqueen.com/, which has a full listing of THE gAylist events on offer across January.

As for us, we Industri tonight (Thurs 7th) is a definite, as is Profile Bar tomorrow night, which may mean we will be tempted down to Lo-Profile. We may be in Brighton on Saturday, but if not will be entertained by Alessandro at Rupert St, Brent Nicholls at Barcode Soho & then will have to try out the new Beyond VIP lounge. So, if you see us out, come say hi and for the first time in 2010 we say............Go There! Be There!

xDM