Extra Bites - LGDF Latest News

Hey Folks,

Well, we are refreshed following a disco nap & having savoured the first two legs of the massive London Global Dance Festival (LGDF), that kicked off last night with a superb opening party at Area in the hands of “Onyx” and then continued with “A.M. – International” at Fire, seeing us party deep into Saturday morning. Stellar D.J. performances came from the two international stars at both parties, Dikky Vendetta & Juan Luque and we have to thank the teams at both venues for their hospitality, but especially to Craig, Aaron, Tom, Jonny, Naomi, Dorin, but moreover to the man behind LGDF Alex Erfan.

But the festival continues and what can you expect in the next twenty four hours or so? And what’s the latest news?

Well tonight (Sat 29th May) it’s the turn of Patrick Lilley’s cool club, Queer Nation, to take centre stage at Fire, bringing an altogether East Coast America style theme to proceedings, with guest D.J. Robert Owens jetting in from Chicago and superb P.A. & singer diva Barbara Tucker touches down from New York, to inject her powerful vocals & huge stage presence on the event. And joining the usual Queer Nation resident D.J.’s will be Guy Williams who is sure to rock the Mirrorarch room with his tech & euro house, while Alan X goes all disco in the lounge space, Queer Nation kicking off from 11 p.m. running through till 7 a.m.

Then all eyes turn to Beyond which holds its “Universe” party at Area from 6 a.m. tomorrow morning and looks like being another roadblock event, as LGDF enthusiasts, Hard On! hunks & SuperMartXe’s sophisticates collide for one mega mash up. Confirmed D.J.’s as of going to press include Mikey D, Steve Pitron, Alan K, Hifi Sean, D’Johnny, Terry Bryan & Gonzalo Rivas, as well as international D.J. star Chris Bekker (see our specially dedicated “music post) and we are told, the Terrace room doors will be swung right open to make the most of the improving weather & to encourage some alfresco dancing. If you haven’t got your ticket yet go online now to http://clubtickets.com/ or make sure you are at the venue super early to avoid the disappointment of not getting in.

But there will be not rest for the wicked as Later kicks off at Fire from midday tomorrow (Sunday 30th May), welcoming South Africa’s & Crew Club in Cape Town resident D.J. Leroy Taylor to the decks, this smart & swish Crew outfit also hosting the event. Joining Leroy will be Later residents Paul Martin & The Oli and a little birdie tells us that Jamie Head will be making an appearance too. Plus with the sun expected to shine, the infamous Later garden will be a hotbed of activity, while newbie club Booster hosts the Lightbox, in conjunction with hip hop Antipodean underwear brand AussieBum with lots of goody bags & eye candy/ dishy models sporting the latest briefs & jocks in the extensive range, the music mastered by Sharon O Love.

Now, taking of the main event itself, which starts from 10.30 p.m. at Fire tomorrow night, news has hit our desks that fabulous vocalist Anna Buckley will be starring in the Muccassassina Mirrorarch and is expected to hit the stage about 1 a.m., no doubt treating us to renditions of her smash hits that include “Express Yourself” produced by Italian hot property Danny Verde, who himself plays on behalf of Rome’s most overt gAylist clubbing brand at LGDF, although as yet timings for his set have not been confirmed to us. There is also movement with some other D.J.’s and we can confirm that capital scene favourite Brent Nicholls will now be playing the opening set in The Red Room lounge. Followed by Sorry Shoes’ Jean Phillips, while French fancy Leomeo kicks everything off in the main room and we suspect further news will filter through, so keep your eyes peeled for our “up to the minute” extra bites postings tomorrow, which will also cover the closing party as well as the “Best Of Brits” bash which will take you into Tuesday morning!

Don’t forget that full details of these remaining events can be found at http://londonglobaldancefestival.com/, by checking out our special weekend recommendations post, as well as going to http://seenqueen.com/features. And if you are in need of your entry ticket to any of the events, you can still make a purchase online at the special link http://www.clubtickets.com/a/london-global-dance-festival or at Soho outlets Prowler, Clone Zone, & DV8, & bars at The Box, The Edge & Rupert St.

Finally, don’t forget the two pre-parties to the main event that take place tonight at Rupert Street & The Edge, plus the special LGDF parade through Soho (see our devoted extra bites post for details).

xDM

Extra Bites - LGDF Pre-Parties

Hey Folks,

Well the hours are counting down until the launch of The London Global Dance Festival (LGDF) and the team behind this massive celebration of truly international music invite you to wet your appetite at three special pre parties taking place over the next couple of evenings.

First up is The Box just off Seven Dials in Covent Garden, which goes all international on its usual alfresco gAylist audience tonight, as the LGDF promotions team take the bar by storm, dishing up a delightful dollop load of eye catching dancers, performers & go-go’s who will be spreading the word on all eight events, including the massive main party on Sunday. The sounds will be supplied by resident D.J. Minx, renowned for her truly uplifting, funky, electro tainted & latin infused sets that go down an absolute storm. This first pre-party kicks off tonight from 9 p.m. & more info on the venue can be found at http://boxbar.com/

Tomorrow (Sat 30th May), will sport two pre-parties, the first being at uber chic Soho bar Rupert Street, which is well versed in hosting pre-party events, having done so for brands including Hustlaball, Lovechild, Matinee & SuperMartXe. Being right in the thick of the action & with a very alfresco feel to the bar courtesy of ceiling height glass windows & striking lighting within, this is the ideal venue to showcase everything about LGDF and the festival’s promotions team will be pulling out all the stops, with loads of faces that will be at the main event the following day, popping in & plenty of those drop dead gorgeous go-go dancers. And the music will be absolutely tip top as Alessandro Londra, star of Matinee, SuperMartXe & Beyond, takes to the decks and will treat us to an energetic set full of progressive, latin infused & funky house tunes, which always pack out the place. Proceedings roll into action at Rupert Street from 9 p.m., with details of the bar available at http://rupertstreet.com/.

Then, the team move on to The Edge Bar just off Soho Square, to continue the festivities from 11 p.m., joining the throngs of socialities that will be savouring the revamped look and sumptuously scrubbed up surroundings, which the Bar launched with a special party last night. Given the massive screens on the ground floor, not to mention the myriad of rooms over the other three floors, expect this to be a real hum ding of an affair with more details on the exciting new look of The Edge on tap at http://edgesoho.co.uk/.

Now, in true pre-party style there will also be a glamorous parade around the streets of Soho, connecting with The Box Bar on Friday & roving between Rupert Street & The Box on Saturday, a whole line of sexy studs & divine dancers dressed to dare & impress, giving you a feel & flavour of what to expect from the entertainment & shows at the main event on Sunday at Fire, so make sure you are camera armed & ready to grab your giveaways & discounted wristbands which will also be available at all three pre-parties.

Finally a quick reminder that joint tickets for ALL eight events, namely the “LGDF weekend pass”, are available online at http://www.clubtickets.com/a/london-global-dance-festival
with options to buy tickets for individual events. All these tickets are also on sale at the usual Soho outlets Prowler, Clone Zone, & DV8, plus will also be on sale at the pre-party host bars. Details of all the LGDF events can also be found at http://londonglobaldancefestival.com/, through our special post here and at http://seenqueen.com/features.

So, why not get yourselves in the mood for the biggest music & dance festival to hit the gAylist scene in London, by heading to these hip hop & happening hangouts & rub shoulders with some LGDF glitterati. And as we always say......Go There! Be There!

xDM

Weekend - 28th to 31st May

Hey Folks,

Well, you can probably guess that our eyes have been focussed firmly on the massive London Global Dance Festival (LGDF) over the last few weeks and with the event start literally hours away, we first remind you of our special post out here, taking an in-depth look at the main event on Sunday, as well as summarising the other seven parties that make up the biggest international celebration of music to hit gAylist/land London ever. And of those other seven parties, keep your eyes peeled for special “extra bites” posts coming up.

Given all of that, you would be forgiven for thinking we had little else in mind, but far from it as there are plenty of other happenings going on over this second Bank Holiday weekend in May, not to mention an absolute biggie which gets our sole focus here, but with our usual run down of the best of the rest.

So what “biggie” are we talking about? Well it could only be one, as the club that totally captivated the scene when it was launched in London back in November 2008, returns to The Coronet this Saturday (29th May – ooh that’s tomorrow!) for its special “Hot Wheels” outing. Got it yet? of course you have and what else could it be but Logan Presents’ SuperMartXe, (SM) which looks like stealing at least a small chunk of the LGDF thunder this weekend. So what are the team serving up this time round to tempt you down to Elephant & Castle? Well, first & foremost, in returning to The Coronet, the masses should be delighted that the venue which started it all, once again hosts the latest outing, as it is this special space that is the natural home to SM and should see it even busier than the fabulous roof terrace gathering last Sunday (where was our invite?!?!) at Dex in Brixton, when Logan & his schmitzels made the most of the hot weather, which saw scores pack out the space, thus creating a monthly special event “UP” (more news on that in a forthcoming post).

But we digress and this latest “Hot Wheels” party looks like being hot, hot, hot, with tip top SuperMartXe Spain resident A.B. Garcia roars into London town to centre stage the D.J. line up that includes Nick Tcherniak, who will kick off proceedings on the main floor, he hitting SM’s main room on the back of resident storming guest appearances at Beyond & Orange and will most likely be treating us to a tech infused set which we hope will include his the two tracks “My People” & “Deep Water” taken from the chart topping EP he has produced with friend Steve (Janet) Thomas, plus with Auntie Tom present, we are already looking forward to this intro and will have braces on the ready. Adding to the line up is Push FM’s very own Tony English, who follows AB Garcia and given his stellar performances at previous SuperMartXe parties, plus his scintillating sets at recent Lovechild outings, should prove the ideal candidate to keep the party rocking right through till the 7 a.m. finish.

And there will be plenty of stage action too, as the rip roaring P.A. Belle returns to blow your minds with a pumped up performance having impressed immensely at SM’s NYD “Alice” party at The O2 Academy, she being helped along by the usual bevy of beauties that are Logan’s troupe of dancers, as well as the usual eye smouldering pyrotechnics, visuals, lighting & effects, as well as (we are sure) yet again the best stage production seen at any event in the capital. But it doesn’t stop there, as swanky clothes designer Ed Hardy will be working exclusively with Logan presents on this party, bringing the latest colourful fashion to an already sparkling & outrageous SM costumery that will combine to create a show bigger & better than ever. So, this is definitely one SuperMartXe you won’t want to miss and make sure you grab your tickets fast, as these “Hot Wheels” advance entry passes at £15 are selling like hot cakes both online at http://clubtickets.com/, as well as at Soho outlets Prowler, Clone Zone, DV8, & Profile Bar, as well as Covent Garden’s The Box & Santos & Mowen, not to mention both Barcode’s, so plenty of places to get hold of one of the hottest tickets in town, but you better be quick. A limited amount of tickets will also be available on the door, the Coronet opening at 10.30 p.m., with “Hot Wheels running through until 7 a.m. The team also offer VIP packages and details can be obtained via http://supermartxelondon.com/. Plus, don’t forget to keep hold of your ticket stub, as it will entitle you to 20% discount from Ed Hardy’s store at Westfield Shopping Centre.

So, LGDF aside, that’s our best, so what about the best of the rest? Well, Soho will be pulling out plenty of stops, Lo-Profile pulling in their own big guns, as Jamie Head & Paul Heron take control of the decks on Friday, while D’Johnny & Alessandro mix it up on Saturday. Upstairs at Profile, Friday’s are really grooving with Gaydar radio’s Phil Marriot spinning the sounds, but Saturday should be a corker, with the “NuFunk” phenomenon that is Brent Nicholls tempts you in with his terrific tunes. Then on Sunday it’s the turn of “Diner Bingo” to steal your attention, presented by Timberlina & Hey Baylen. Barcode seems to be going all bear on us this weekend (probably in support of XXL & co) with their usual “Cave” outing on Friday with Paul Coals on the decks, while on Saturday “Fleshdance”, with D.J.’s Daz Saud & Steven Artis gets pushed up onto the ground floor, while Timberlina (twice in one weekend) & her lovers hold their “I Love Bears” Eurovision party downstairs (oh yes, its that contest again!).Our other Soho shout goes to Shadow Lounge which has its usual Therapy session on Friday when the “foxy females” (see our music post) D.J’s Mis-White & Minx, while Andrew Elmore does his disc jockey stuff at “Inferno” on Saturday. Then Sunday sees “Scandal” hit London again as promoter Steve Elliot welcomes his Salvation all-stars Oliver M & Pier Morrocco to the D.J. decks, while Raul Gonzalez provides the sexy & scandalous dancers, oh & don’t forget their pre-party at the Yard.

Down in Vauxhall and while LGDF is the main focus, Suzi Krueger’s “Hard On!” will be drawing out those into leather, rubber, uniform & the like on Saturday, with American porn muscle hunk Dru Bruin making an exclusive London appearance and the music supplied by the team that stole the Hustlaball show, Brent Nicholls, Hifi Sean & Hugo’sland, joined y favourite Halo-Is and they have a special £5 discount off the entry fee to the first 50 guys under 30 through the door (but you’re gonna have to prove it, don’t ask!). Barcode have a fun filled weekend, with the return of Hifi Sean & Severino playing b2b on Friday for the free entry “Our House” party and don’t tell us Mr Sean has a touch of camp in him, as he will be dishing out space dust all night!!, while on Saturday the D.J.’s include Pagano, Gonzalo & Micky Galliano (that’s a lot of “O’s”). Then on Sunday, Horse Meat Disco take over for their afterparty, but not before another “Sunday’s” session with both bars open, Danny Macdonald & Paul Coals up front, while Saki & Steven Artis play in the rear (one track mind!). And talking of Horse Meat Disco, it will return to The Eagle this Sunday, while the now weekly “Carpet Burn” holds sway on Saturday & Tonker have their “Furr Pride Night” on Friday. One quick mention goes to the RVT which extends its S.L.A.G.S/Chill-out session onto Monday as well as Sunday, the hours also stretching & The D.E. Experience giving a duo of performances.

Now for the alternatives and over east in Shoreditch, the Dalston Superstore have a bumper weekend in prospect, with “Techno In My Fridge” on Friday, with Mikki Most & JoJo De Freq sorting the sounds, while upstairs Jonny Woo & Jon Sizzle re-open their guerrilla hair salon (expect mayhem!), while on Saturday it’s the very interesting “Posh Boy Dancing Spot”, then on Sunday it’s the turn of “Save The Robots, D.J.’s including Dan Beaumont & Dave Kendrick. Other East End alternatives include The Horse & Groom just round the corner in Shoreditch that has a weekend full roster, “Caligula” gets all hot & steamy again on Friday & its “Strictly Sunday’s at The White Swan on, you guessed it, Sunday! And no Bank Holiday would be complete without mentioning a jaunt to Brighton, where the Wild fruit team have a packed & pulsating Sunday & Monday, with first “Sunday Sundae” at Audio on Marine Parade & then the biggie, Wild Fruit “Rio Sexy” at Tru, featuring P.A.’s Katherine Ellis & Peyton & D.J’s including Paul heron, Jonny M, Tasty Tim & Lady Bex, rounding it all off with a special “Rebel” afterhours at club Life, with Lee Harris & Jon Byrne.

Details of all these best of the rest happenings can be found in the popular press or via the events & group pages on social networking site Facbook. Also, don’t forget that if you’re after the hottest dates in town, you can do no wrong by going to THE clubbing website for the gAylist capital scene, http://seenqueen.com/, their diary of events stretching right to the end of June, just click on the “club icon from the home page.

Right that’s it for another regular weekend post, but keep your eyes peeled for our extra bites releases on the latest LGDF news & events as they happen, with pointers to on-going special music posts. As for our weekend, well its dominated by LGDF kicking off with a trip to the opening party at Onyx tonight, then A.M. Intl, Beyond “Universe”, Later “Global Edition”, & the “Main Event” on Sunday, then Orange “LGDF Afterparty” & “The Best Of Brits” on Monday, squeezing a drop in on Profile Bar & Rupert St on Saturday followed by SuperMartXe and, naturally, hours of sleep on Tuesday. So, if you see us out, come say hi and as we always say.....Go There! Be There!

xDM

Weekend Special - The London Global Dance Festival

WEEKEND RECOMMENDATIONS
SPECIAL POST
LONDON GLOBAL DANCE FESTIVAL
FRIDAY 29TH TO MONDAY 31ST MAY


The build up is nearly over and with the Bank Holiday weekend fast approaching, the event that looks set to eclipse any, not just this weekend, not just this year, but for as long as we can remember, is the London Global Dance Festival (LGDF), which brings together fourteen truly international clubbing brands/outfits, over sixty top class D.J.’s, across eight events & three pre-parties, as well as an very impressive V.I.P. reception, all combining to make this the biggest dance & music gathering ever seen in gAylist/land London.

And such is the scale of the event, we thought it only appropriate to dedicate a special post exclusively to this amazing festival, bringing you the latest news to compliment the series of previews we have already issued & will be continuing to issue right up to the main event itself. In our preview post back on 12th May (yes it was that long ago), we gave you an insight as to what the LGDF festival of events was all about, giving you a flavour of the events profiling, as well as the clubs, outfits & D.J.’s that will be jetting into London for this massive weekend of music & clubbing celebration. Subsequent posts gave you more in-depth detail to these clubs & D.J.’s and there are still more to come, so keep your eyes peeled in our “preview” section for those and, naturally, you can recap on specifics where you need to.

However, all eyes now turn to the LGDF main event, the jewel in the crown, which will take place on Sunday 30th March at Fire in Vauxhall, a party that will stretch across five rooms of action and encompass that very special VIP reception that we deluded to. So, it is there where we will start and this reception will be hosted by Miami’s “White Party”, an annual event which was started back in 1985 as a result of the dreadful impact of HIV/AIDS and has grown to be the biggest contributor to the cause in the world, attracting audiences & artists from around the globe. So it seemed quite fitting for this prestigious outfit to welcome VIP’s to LGDF, who will not only get the chance to meet the international D.J’s, club promoters & artists that will be jetting into London for the festival, but will mix with London’s stars too & rub shoulders with scene gAylisters. The VIP reception kicks off at 9 p.m., through the specially dedicated Lightbox entrance and the outside terrace will be transformed into a glamorous area that will include free champagne on tap, we are told (if you dare) a dip in the specially provided Jacuzzi (how extravagant), not to mention a complimentary coatcheck, access to the exclusive VIP lounge, VIP goodie bags and your own complimentary copy of the specially commissioned LGDF compilation by Sorry Shoes recordings. And talking of that VIP room, tip top London based internationally renowned D.J. Brent Nicholls will be spinning an exclusive set which will be a glorious mix of disco, funk, soulful, progressive & tribal house, along with his trademark “nuFunk” sounds and the man has laid down his own LGDF dedicated compilation to mark the event (details coming up in a special “White Party Miami” preview). Don’t miss out on this extra special reception and grab your VIP tickets direct at http://www.clubtickets.com/a/london-global-dance-festival.

The event proper kicks off at 10.30 p.m. and what a party this is expected to be, featuring four bespoke areas of music, dance & entertainment that will blow you away and give you a truly international perspective without even leaving the capital. Fire’s main room will be set aside to international stars & clubs, with Spain’s SPS Infinita party being represented by D.J.’s Eros & Ismael Rivas, followed by Paris’s crème de la crème, Scream and their own resident jock, Ben Manson, with the focus then swinging back to Spain with inbound Barcelona club Discoteque resident Steven Redant revving up the sounds, with the incredible visuals leaving you under no doubt who is playing when & for whom, while the infamous main room lighting, pyrotechnics & effects will dazzle you beyond belief. Over in the second space, the mirrorarch, it’s all things Italian as the extravagant & glamorous Muccasssassina takes the space for the whole event and will not only pack a considerable punch with its trio of Italian stallion D.J’s Danny Verde, Phil Romano & our very own Pagano, but will showcase plenty of the glamour with the clubs creative director Diego Longobardi masterminding the entertainment that will include drag queens & dancers to delight and is sure to be a very popular space indeed. Over in the Lightbox, new club sensation The Face Of Ibiza will guest, with D.J. liver providing the tunes and the extravert Baby Marcello and his team providing the eye catching entertainment, expect stilt walking and plenty of interaction in true Ibiza style, while The White Party also get their say, with the D.J. that symbolises this superb Miami event, Fabio White, taking centre stage. But it doesn’t end there as the lounge space will have a distinctly Russian feel to it as Moscow’s club Propaganda takes charge and welcomes residents Tin Rotter & Tony Key, both who will bring their own dynamism & perspective to this truly global feel of a party.

In an interview with LGDF promoter & organiser Alex Erfan, he highlighted the fact that
“...For too long London has been left out of a lot of international circuit party events. Continental Europe has a buzzing scene, with DJs and clubbers regularly travelling around between cities such as Paris, Cologne and Brussels to get to the biggest nights. With the London Global Dance Festival, we want to put London back on the clubbing map...” he going on to explain that “...The idea with the Main Event at Fire is to offer different zones and areas for clubbers to explore, each representing a circuit party from around the world..”, also mentioning that “...It’s important that people come to the London Global Dance Festival with an open mind. The music will be international, from Ibiza-flavoured Spanish house to European progressive and tribal, so it won’t be only the London DJs playing at the main event...” and we know exactly how passionate the man is about bringing the world to London & showcasing these international D.J.’s & artists just what a brilliant party we can throw. With his years of experience in organising events, not just here in the capital, but right across the globe, Alex is better placed than anyone we know to pull off such a festival and with the strong backing of The Orange group and lists of sponsors that include massive drinks brand Red Bull, scene mags Boyz & Q.X., online clubbing website Seenqueen, cool clothing retailer Rio Beach, as well as all those international club brands & outfits, we are sure that LGDF will prove to be a festival worth of worldwide status along with the likes of Barcelona’s and many more.

Now, early bird tickets sold out weeks ago, but there are still regularly priced advance £20 ones still available at http://www.clubtickets.com/a/london-global-dance-festival, the special festival dedicated link by clubtickets.com who are also sponsoring the event. If you prefer, you can grab your ticket in person at the usual Soho outlets Prowler, Clone Zone & DV&, bars The Box, Rupert St & The Edge also selling tickets, as will Rio Beach in Earlham St. And don’t forget those all important timings as the main event kicks off at Fire this Sunday (30th May) from 10.30 p.m., running through until 7 a.m. and if you need any more persuading (how could you?!) then check out this fabulous trailer video at http://facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1392751773642 and BE THERE!, we know you want to.

So, that’s the main event, but what about the rest of the festival? Well, the following is a summary of the other events that make up this weekend

• The “official” launch party takes place at Area in Vauxhall this Friday (28th May) from 10 p.m., when Onyx hosts opening proceedings and welcomes the first International D.J. star, Dikky Vendetta, who will play alongside residents that will include Phil Marriot, Jamie Hammond, Lee Harris, & Lisa German, with a special P.A. from Rozella.
• A.M. “International” continues the festival chain of parties, at Fire on Saturday (29th May) from 3 a.m., when D.J. Luque will take centre stage, supported by a cast including D’Johnny, Gonzalo Rivas, Alan K, Jamie Head, The Oli & Paul Martin, with the added dimension of the new harder edged “Tecknik” room with D.J’s Lee Yeomans & Devilish.
• Queer Nation has a “special” party on Saturday (29th May) at Fire from 11 p.m. and will have all the usual ingredients but with the truly international dimension in the form of superb P.A. Barbara Tucker
• Beyond “The Universe” will take you into Sunday (30th May) at Area in typical afterhours style as only it knows best, with International D.J. star Chris Bekker joining residents Steve Pitron, Mikey D, Alan K, Hifi Sean, Terry Bryan, D’Johnny & Gonzalo Rivas
• Later “The Global Edition” continues the weekend of partying at Fire from midday on Sunday (30th May) virtually up to the main event itself, with residents Paul Martin, The Oli & Terry Bryan joined by jet-setting South African D.J. Leroy Tayler & hosted by Cape Town outfit Crew Bar/Club, with Booster joining the fun & sporting an Australian theme as underwear giant AussieBum centre-stage The Lightbox.
• Orange hosts the “official” afterparty at Area on Monday (31st May) from
6 a.m., with record label & agency Sorry Shoes impacting on the event, with its team of D.J.’s that will include Ivan Gomez, Nacho Chapado, & Thomas William, squaring up against the Orange all stars that will include Steve Pitron, Gonzalo Rivas, The Sharp Boys, Hifi Sean, D’Johnny & The Sharp Boys, with the added spice of Spirit Of Star, Nightkomm along with the ingredient that is Fat Tony & Tonnic
• Best Of Brits “official” closing party at Fire on Monday (31st May) from 10 p.m., showcasing the best of British & London based D.J. talent old & new with a stunning line up of stars and FREE entry to everyone that has attended any LGDF party as well as Gravity & Rudeboiz.

plus, there are also three pre-parties at The Box in Covent Garden on Friday (28th May), and both Rupert Street & The Edge on Saturday (29th May) and to ensure you don’t get information overload in one post, we will be issuing special feature length “extra bites” editions for these events, with The Box pre-party then Onyx & A.M. out tonight (Thurs), Rupert St & The Edge’s pre-party details out tomorrow (Fri), then Beyond & Later, the Orange & Best Of Brits out on Saturday, so keep your eyes peeled for those. However you can always go to http://londonglobaldancefestival.com/ for details, check out the special feature at http://seenqueen.com/features as well as checking out the events pages on social networking site Facebook.

And the best news is that you can obtain a joint ticket for ALL eight events, the “LGDF weekend pass” available online at http://www.clubtickets.com/a/london-global-dance-festival
with options to buy tickets for individual events. All these tickets are also on sale at the usual Soho outlets Prowler, Clone Zone, & DV8, plus will also be on sale at The Box, The Edge & Rupert St, as well as at both Fire & Area.

So, what more can we say apart from “...If you want to be part of this groundbreaking weekend of festivity that will put London firmly back on the international gay club circuit, then make The London Global Dance Festival part, if not all of your Bank Holiday partying...” and as we always say...Go There! Be There! (DISCO MATT)

Weekend - 21st to 23rd May

Hey Folks,

Well, at last it seems that we will be able to bask in some proper British summer-like sun this weekend, so all those venues with outside spaces should draw in some packed crowd’s, third of the month or not. So, what will be the hot spot attractions and what else has caught our eye?

First up is the launch of a new night at one of our favourite bar hangouts south of the river, as Barcode Vauxhall in association with Wayne G launches new club night “Bump” (the name sounds familiar) this Friday 21st May, taking over the whole venue for the night. Now for those of you old enough to remember, “Bump” was a hugely successful club night at The Astoria in central London (now demolished to make way for Crossrail), so in re-invigorating the brand, Wayne G is re-living those good old days when camp house music with lashings of disco was the signature tune and whilst the sounds may be much more up to date, in the hands of classic clubbing legends Stewart Who? and Marc Massive, the front bar tempo will definitely be upbeat, the tracks terrific, but the boys will definitely deliver a nod or two towards the 80’s/90’s that will definitely have the space rocking. Then the stars of the launch night show will be back in the club bar, as remixing outfit Moto Blanco (Miki & Bobby) take centre stage and will no doubt treat the audience to a whole string of their works, which have included award winning production of records of Mary J Blige, Jennifer Lopez, Enrique Igelsias, Janet Jackson & a whole host of other stars, as well as having landed fame with their own hits “Satisfied” & “3 A.M.”. Having started out dabbling in music production whilst at school the duo (real names Arthur & Danny) have been releasing music under various guises for over 20 years, although the Moto Blanco outfit was born in 2003 and has since seen well over 80 remix works that make them one very busy production outfits we know, so their set should be one you definitely won’t want to miss. Joining them in the club bar decks will be “Bump’s” promoter Wayne G, who definitely provide plenty of uplifting house sounds as only he knows best, so the whole place should rock to the foundations, right through from kick off at 9.30 p.m. through till 5 a.m. And as a special opening night offer, entry to Barcode Vauxhall will be free all night and is offered as part of the venues 4th birthday celebration giveaway’s (more on the actual day itself in future posts), so no need to carry around your Barcode tags, except for the special drinks offers which will still be running, details of which can be found at http://bar-code.co.uk/.

Our other devotion for this weekend foes to Guy Williams’ “Reverse” which takes place this Saturday 22nd May, making a welcome return to the capital at the lofty Paramount club, 31 floors up at Centrepoint in central London. Now we covered this “Sunrise” event in our last hot dates post, but thought we would re-cap on some of details as well as fill you in on some of the latest news. Well, Reverse was launched back in May last year and with the clouds rolling up, which was not part of the script, the planned spectacular sight of the sunrise (get the theme!?) from the best clubbing view in the capital failed to materialise. However, with our taps firmly on the meteorological forecast, the start to this Sunday morning looks like being bright & clear, so everyone will be looking east as the big yellow globe rises up from the horizon to climax on what looks like being one amazing fun filled event. “Sunrise” is set to be full of the best in fabulous Nu & Old Skool disco, with blends of deep & Italian influenced house, served up by some of the best in the business, including Serge Santiago, Severino, Pete Herbert, Dan Beaumont & Sophie Lloyd, as well as promoter & D.J. extraordinaire Mr Williams hitting the decks too. But centre pieces to the D.J. line up will be the amazing Faze Action, the duo of brothers Robin & Simon Lee, that have been true pioneers in directing the modern disco sound and the soundtrack that is so very much “Reverse” and will definitely be treating a packed out Paramount to a whole load of new age disco tunes, which we know from taking a listen to their latest album release, “Stratus Energy”, which is full of evocative cool Hed Kandi style tunes that will see both Robin & Simon treat “Sunrise” addicts to some cosmotic disco beats to perfectly soundtrack the amazing aerial views before that sun comes up. But the best is yet to come, as the team behind “Reverse” together with Q.X. magazine have sponsored a special competition where entrants can win a VIP entry to the event as well as a special dinner for two at Paramount’s swish restaurant, the prize we are told, being worth £100, so is well worth a punt as all you have to do is send an email, including the words “Reverse Sunrise” in the subject field to comps@qxmagazine.com and the winner will be picked out in random and notified after the closing date & time of 5 p.m. this Friday. But if you are not lucky enough to win and have not already secured your advance ticket, you can still do so by going to http://ticketweb.co.uk/ and grabbing yours for £15, although there will be a limited amount available on the door, but priced at £20. As for paramount’s doors, well they swing open at 10 p.m. with “Reverse” running through until 5 a.m. in time for that fabulous dawn view.

Now, that’s our pick of the best, so what about the best of the rest? Well, looking at Soho first, we mix it up a bit by giving The Box our big thumbs up for Friday, as, with the forecast looking so good, this Covent Garden alfresco hotspot will be the place to be and be seen, with the one of the best looking gAylisting crowds gathering to delight in splendid socialising & equally superb sounds in the hands of resident D.J. the fabulous Miss Minx and some of the best looking barmen in the west. But as the sun goes down & things cool off, a dive into Lo-Profile will be a good move on Friday & Saturday, with favourites Luke Hope then Nick Evans spinning the sounds to kick you into the weekend & Saturday taken care of by Phil Hewson & Hugh Stevenson, while if you prefer to avoid tripping over sunburnt Soho strollers in shorts, why not stick to Wardour Street & kick your night off in Profile Bar, with the fab Phil Marriot entertaining on Friday (we loved it last week) and Sicilian splendour Alessandro treating you to some terrific tunes on Saturday. Other quick Soho mentions go to “The Cave” at Barcode on Friday & The Shadow Lounge, also on Friday for their “Therapy” session with Messrs Heron & Di Angelis doing the business.

Looking at Vauxhall and it seems the gay village south of the river is drawing breath for the massive bank holiday weekend, which will be dominated by the London Global Dance Festival (see our special previews) but there will still be plenty to tempt you off the grassy knoll this weekend, as The Orange Group of clubs bounce back for more action after a truly successful “Love Weekend” with “Onyx” back this Friday at Area and with “Reverse” man Guy Williams leading the band of merry residents, taking you into Saturday morning & “A.M.” at Fire which is smarting on a brilliant party last week and will be doing it again this week, with residents including The Oli, Paul Martin, Alan K, & Jamie Head, although not before the lads club for ladz, “Rudeboiz” struts its stuff with sounds delivered by jocks behind the decks, Alessandro, Paul Coals, Steven Artis, promoter Devilish & new boy Riano. But the big one looks like being “Beyond The Stars”, this mega Sunday morning afterhours at Area now in the hands of the super special James Brewer & is rolling out a galatical extravaganza to shoot you into the heavenly highs with the best D.J. line up which will include stellar stars Steve Pitron, Mikey D, Alan K, Hifi Sean & D’Johnny, with your extra terrestrial desires looked after by hosts Naomi & Elektra. Then it will be “Later” and the garden area will be the place to be on Sunday afternoon, although the music inside will be just as hot, then it’s back to Area for “Booster”, before rounding your weekend off at “Orange” which was THE place to be last week & will be doing it all again under the magnificent steership of the citric master Steven Sharp. Other quick mentions go to weather favourites of the weekend that will be The Eagle on Saturday which kicks open it’s Garden Bar, serving up a BBQ including free burgers & jug loads of margaritas, while the grassy knoll will definitely be the place to be on Sunday before The Dame Edna Experience tempts people in for another “S.L.A.G.S/Chill-out” session at The RVT. With the “Lovechild” boys laying down their audacious activity in Antwerp, painting the town red at club Red & Blue, the remaining Vauxhall plaudits will be handed on a plate to Barcode on Saturday, although mystifyingly they have yet to release their D.J. line up, so we will keep you posted in an “extra bites” post if the news hits our desks.

As for some alternative action, The Dalston Superstore once again heads our list of the best of the rest and has yet another weekend of fun filled frivolity, Friday seeing “Mixtape” take centre stage with the brilliant Terry Vietheer & Leonardo Glovibes serving up some serious underground house in the basement space, while Laurent C & guests disco delight upstairs, then on Saturday it’s all about “Bodytalk” with residents Rokk & Marky Mark joined by Eurotrash’s Alejandro Ascencio to move your bodies to house in the house, with it being all about “Vogue” soul & funk to get you to bunk off the usual run of the mill Sunday’s, with the crew sticking some real fun into proceedings to round off your weekend. But, if you want to head for the sun, then a trip down the A23 will land you in Brighton and the fabulous “Sunday Sundae” at Audio on Marine Parade, that will be making the most of the fabulous forecasted summer style sun, with a free BBQ and plenty of drinks offers, tempting in the Brighton beauties, rubbing shoulders with imports for the evening. A quick mention also goes to beer garden gayspots, The Black Cap in Camden, West Five in Ealing & King William V in Hampstead that should prove very popular for some alfresco weekend schmoozing.

As always, details of these best of the rest offerings can be found in the popular press and/or via social networking site Facebook and don’t forget, if you want your event, club or bar given a shout, then e-mail your details to discomatt@hotmail.com and we will do our best to include you.

Now, we are loving SeenQeen’s club diary, which has extended it dates deep into June and a little birdie tells us that this will not be the only thing that may be extending soon, so keep your eyes peeled for that as well as London’s best & hottest gAylist happenings at http://seenqueen.com/, with their “hot” section covering the crème of the crop of events.

Right, well that’s it for another weekend and for one that should be basking in sunshine glory, our weekend taking advantage of the outdoors, but fitting a trip to “Industri” at Barcode Vauxhall tomorrow night (Thurs 20th) with Minty mastering proceedings & Brent Nicholls banging out the beats, while Saturday sees us shoot up 31 floors for “Reverse Sunrise” and a brief come back down to earth may see us quickly shoot up into the atmosphere at “Beyond The Stars”. So if you see us out, come say hi and as we always say....Go There! Be There!

xDM

Weekend - 14th to 16th May

Hey Folks,

With some of the political uncertainty resolved, even if it feels a little strange for opposites to have become bed fellows, maybe the gAylist London scene can follow the national political lead and create a little more harmony rather than the petty in-fighting which seems to be a feature at the moment, in the inimitable words of a well known club promoter, “lets share and spread a little more love & kindness amongst each other”.

And this weekend looks like definitely having a “love & kindness” feel to it, as five clubs will be making one massive party, stretched over three days and Vauxhall gets all loved up in the hands of some of your favourite brands, the “love weekend” getting our major focus. But as always, we pick out the best of the rest on offer as well.

So, what is the “Love Weekend” all about? Well, it is a celebration of five club events joined as one to create a frenetic yet fun filled weekend for clubbers, with probably one of the biggest bargains seen on the scene so far this year. We covered all five events in our recent hot dates post, but run back through that all important detail plus the latest news to hit our desks.

Kicking off will be award winning club Onyx, which returns to Area, the club seemingly going from strength to strength under the new promotional hands of Jonny Marsh, and welcoming back the Italian Stallion Pagano, who returns to take the main room by storm, supported by young new talent Jamie Hammond, while over in the Terrace Bar, residents Lisa German & Ariel will be joined by Lee Harris, who also stars in the Blackbox room (busy boy) with residents James St James & Jason Prince, while special guest Dusty O will inject her vivacious poptastic style to the event. With all the usual superb production, pyrotechnics, lighting & visuals, as well as plenty of go-go dancers, fire eaters & angle-grind performers, Onyx will definitely be the place to take you into Saturday morning & start the “love weekend” off in style. Doors open at 10 p.m., with the club running through until
6 a.m.

Then it’s on to Fire for fabulous afterhours A.M., which welcomes back to London the terrific talent Eduardo de La Torre, who returns to inject extra dimension to the party through his characteristic tribal & tech infused house sounds, with lashings of progressive beats & hints of euro style vocals that give his sets a distinctively enticing, seductive yet fulfilingly funky feel. The in-bound from Berlin Eduardo will be the centre piece of a strong residency team at A.M. which will include birthday boy D’Johnny, who also flies in from the German capital (will they be on the same flight?!) as well as Alan K who is riding high on the back of a string of stunning sets at Beyond, while over in the “vinyl” lounge The Oli & Paul Martin will be performing back-to-back with classic tunes to compliment the harder edged house on the main floor. With plenty of delectable dancers on show as well as the prolific Fire lighting & effects, love will definitely be in the air, especially with the enchanting Naomi hosting the night, A.M. kicking off at 3 a.m., the club running through until 11 a.m. Saturday morning.

But is no rest for the weekend and time to really get loved up, as the theme party of the whole weekend, Lovechild’s “Loveball” takes over Fire on Saturday night, serving up three rooms of loveable action, with resident D.J.’s Phil Hewson, Mattias, Craig Daniels, Alessandro, & Paul Heron and are joined by guest Spanish D.J. Albert Neve, who is not just an accomplished D.J. but is a prolific producer of music, he having inextricable links to the massive Ibiza anthem smash of 2009 “SuperMartXe” which he composed with Juanjo Martin, also having worked with top names Roger Sanchez Wally Lopez & David Guetta, Albert being a resident of David’s club ““She Discoteca” in his hometown of Barcelona. And the brilliant marriage on the night will be with tip top P.A. Kaysee, who has worked with Mr Neve on his “She Won’t Give Up” track, which followed the smash “She Loves” and no doubt we will be treated to renditions of both, performing in London for the first time and on the back of a solid endorsement from none other than Erick Morillo. We are also excited to report that Stewart Who? will be opening proceedings in the contact-arch room following a superb set at Orange-Hustla two weeks ago, so will be a real draw. Add to all that the return of the infamous contact cruise room, as well as a bevy of beauties in the form of Chris Geary’s muscled go-go dancers, combining to add extra sparkle to the already amazing production, pyrotechnics & lighting, not to mention the incredible visuals supplied by Alan X and this should be yet another Lovechild party to completely fall in love with. This “Loveball” event kicks off at Fire from 11 p.m., the club running through until 7 a.m.

Then its across to Area as Beyond takes the love weekend to new & dizzy heights, looking set to deliver on all levels with one of the strongest resident D.J. line up’s we know, this week seeing the main room madness continue with the dream team that is Mikey D, Steve Pitron & Alan K, while over in the Blackbox Paul Christian & Gonzalo Rivas will pump up the volume, the Terrace bar direction masterminded by the brilliant D’Johnny, Hifi Sean & Jamie Head. All of the amazing Area ingredients that make Beyond such a special party will be present and we are also thrilled to announce that the club has a new promoter in James Brewer, who brings plenty of clubbing logistics experience gained working with the Logan Presents team and will add a fresh look & new dimension to the already solid team that includes fabulous host Naomi and the man that rules the smooth running door operator stakes (and more) Tom Fuller. Plus, we can exclusively confirm that, weather permitting, the Terrace bar doors will once again be swung open to re-capture that amazing alfresco dancing experience that is so very much Beyond, the clubs doors proper opening at 6 a.m. and running through till 1 p.m.

The final offering in the fivesome is Later, which hits Fire running late on Sunday morning, but delving deep into the evening, serving up its usual cocktail of precision perfect music, audacious outdoor activity in the Later garden, as well as the new relaxing space in the Lightbox and the more poptastic & classic house sound offering in Fire’s new Raw room. Later has, in recent months, really found new legs and with a strong residency team of D.J’s and we can confirm that Paul Martin, The Oli & Terry Bryan will be supercharging proceedings in the main space (the Mirrorarch), but we await confirmation of the guest D.J.’s both in the Raw & main room’s. However, Later will definitely be all loved up & invites you to round off your “love weekend” from midday through till 8 p.m. on Sun 16th

Now, here’s that bargain deal and what a stunner it is as the all five events will cost you just £20, as special wristbands are on sale online at http://clubtickets.com/ or at Soho outlets Prowler, Clone Zone, DV8 & The Box, as well as at both Fire & Area. But there will be plenty of tickets on offer at the pre-party which is hosted by Rupert Street this Friday (14th May), kicking off at 8p.m.

Right, with the “Love Weekend” covered and taking up the lion’s hare of our post, we whisk you through the best of the rest to tempt you out. Looking at Soho first, Lo-Profile is the attraction of the weekend with Friday having a truly Beyond feel, Mikey D & Steve Pitron playing an unbeatable collection of the latest hot house hits, while on Saturday it’s the turn of Brent Nicholls & Nathan 6 to stir up a musical storm, the supporting act that is Profile bar upstairs starting the weekend with Phil Marriot selecting the sounds, while Jamie Head slides you into Saturday night & Sunday sees another “Bingo Diner” evening. Other Soho highlights include “The Cave” at Barcode on Friday, a special Kylie celebration over at The Shadow Lounge, with Kris Di Angelis plucking the Minogue inspired pop tunes out of his collection, also on Friday & the brilliant The Box looks set to be popular again as the weather picks up in time for Friday alfresco drinking with D.J. Minx on the decks. Saturday at uber chic gym club Sweatbox is also a great choice as Suzi Krueger’s steaming “Sweat” sports gear fetish night returns for another monthly fling with residents Simon Simple & Brent Nicholls sporting the sounds.

Down in Vauxhall and Barcode tales the plaudits, with Friday’s having a real Italian feel up front with Alessandro & Micky Galliano steering the funky sounds, while Wayne G jets into London, joining D’Johnny in the dance bar, then Saturday sees Gary H & Mario look after the tunes in the front bar, while Sharon O Love, Hugh Stevenson & Nick Tcherniak create music magic in the dance bar. However, as of going to press, we have no news on “Sunday’s At Barcode” but watch our extra bites posts for D.J. details. Other Vauxhall offerings include Fire clubs Rudeboiz on Friday & Orange on Sunday (well Monday morning), sandwiching the “love weekend” events, but not forgetting Romain Lopez’s “Booster Vol 3” party at Area, while The RVT have pop manic “Kimo Krush” on Friday, “Duckie” on Saturday & the usual “S.L.A.G.S./Chill-out” session on Sunday. But the big news goes to Horse Meat Disco which on Sunday welcomes one of Japan’s biggest D.J. stars, Kenji Takimi, joining residents Jim Stanton & James Hillard for another horsing around happening.
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Alternatives offerings further afield from the two gay villages include The Green in Islington, a friendly local run by the team behind The Edge, Kazbar & The Yard, with new D.J. talent D.J. Harvey on Friday, while the dragtastic Alyna Chic adds the sparkle to Saturday’s also spinning the sounds. Over in Shoreditch & The Dalston Superstore has another fun filled weekend as Friday sees Per Q.X’s “Eurotrash” outing return, welcoming D.J. guests We’re Not Cool to turbo boost the basement with the Twat Boutique girls treating you with trash pop upstairs, then Saturday sports Tasty Tim’s night “Phat Bitch”, will old skool house the name of the games, Jeffrey Hinton helping out & Jonny Woo stirring it up on the mic & decks, while Sunday’s signal chilling time in the hands of the “Vogue” crew. But Brighton could be a great draw with the weather hotting up, as the alfresco social splendour that is “Sunday Sundae” at Audio on Marine Parade, with a BBQ & superb drinks offers to tempt out Brightonians & city visitors alike. And just a quick mention goes to Brussels, who seemingly start the “Pride” train of events off this weekend & good luck to the Revolver team who hold the opening party at Steelgate on Fri (14th), flying the London flag.

Further Details of all these alternative offerings can be found in the popular press or via the events pages on networking site Facebook.

Right that’s our choices for another weekend, but watch this space for the latest news on events as they hit our desks, which we will share via our “Extra Bites” posts. And we just have time to give clubbing site SeenQueen a shout, which has its gAylisting diary up to date right through to the end of the month & is worth a look at http://seenqueen.com/.

As for our weekend, well it looks like a hectic one, with Minty’s Industri getting our devotion tomorrow night (Thurs 12th), then an all encapsulating “Love Weekend” starting with the pre-party at Rupert St on Friday and ending at Later on Sunday, squeezing in a quick visit to pal Julian’s 30th birthday bash in Brixton on Saturday night. So, if you see us out, come say hi and as we always say......Go There! Be There!

xDM

Weekend - 7th to 9th May

Hey Folks,

Well, what a bank holiday it was, with some truly amazing parties right across the weekend, Onyx really hitting the high spots, first with Pagano’s birthday on the Friday & a massive b2b set by Gonzalo & Alan K on Sunday, while Matinee rocked The Fridge for the last time on Saturday, Beyond drew one of the biggest crowds & a double dose of Later worked like a dream. Our weekend was all about Hustlaball & Orange and full reviews of both will be out a little later.

In the meantime, we take a look at what’s on to tempt you out this coming weekend and it seems to be all about Area in our eyes, with two events that look like must visits, while we run down the best of the rest in our usual fashion.

First up and in true post bank holiday recovery mode, is Onyx, which returns to Area this Friday with its “Recovery Party”, which looks like being yet another fabulous event, aimed as, as the promoter neatly explains, an outing to “...refresh your body & soul...”. And refreshing music will be very much the name of the game, as residents Phil Marriot and Jamie Hammond return to titillate your musical fancies on the main floor and are joined by cool cat D.J. Lee Harris, who has resided over many a party across gAylist/land London, including recent appearances at Lovechild & Pervert proving him a real draw and is sure to compliment the big room feel of the music offer. Out in the terrace room, it’s all about tech house as Lisa German & Ariel return to rip up the rooms with some serious sounds, while in the Blackbox, its more about pop, as Tuomo Fox, Jason Prince & James St James take care of proceedings. Centre-piecing the event will be a special P.A. performance from Krysten Cummings, who will no doubt blast out her massive anthems “Fusion” & “Sunrise” and we are told she also has a new release, masterminded by the fabulous production duo Soul Avergerz (one of our favourite outfits) which will get an exclusive airing tomorrow night and we are one of many that is truly excited about that. But the news just gets better as Onyx looks like being the bargain of the weekend, as not only have the team given every attendee to last weekend’s parties a free ticket entry, but as usual if you pitch up with an ad or flyer before midnight it free entry. Add to that yet another free entry offer, as every single person who makes it to Onyx’s recovery party before 1 a.m. will get a free entry wristband for Beyond Belief (more details of that shortly), the team remarking that “...We know that Bank Holiday weekends can be a bit expensive, so we’re determined to make sure London’s party people can enjoy a great night out that won’t cost the earth...”, what nice people they are! And, with our ears to the ground, there will be plenty of free passes available at Gravity tonight and in Soho, so keep your eyes peeled. In the event that (how could you) miss out on this mega free entry offer, don’t fret, as it’s a mere £5 to get in and that will include discounted (possibly free) entry to A.M. afterwards, who can say fairer than that?! and if you need to grab a ticket, then advance ones are available at http://clubtickets.com/, with Onyx “The Recovery Party” kicking off at 10 p.m. tomorrow night (Fri 7th May) running through till 5 a.m.

Our other focus goes to Beyond, the massive afterhours event at Area which returns for another extended party in their “Belief” series, no doubt taking Vauxhall by storm yet again with over 12 hours of audacious action. The concept of Beyond was born back in 2001 and has since seen it become one of THE most popular events of the gAylist calendar, the heady days at Colloseeum being matched and more by its more recent history at Area, the club having secured award winning status both with clubbing website SeenQueen in their 2009 poll and also with Boyz magazine, cementing its reputation of THE place to be on Sunday morning. But with the “Belief” parties, Beyond extends its opening hours, starting the revelling from midnight on Saturday’s and running deep into Sunday, making it one of the most hedonistic events around. And this weekend will be no different as the Beyond resident dream team of D.J.’s will be in town for the event, and will include Gonzalo Rivas, Hifi Sean & Paul Christian in the Blackbox room, while the Terrace will be looked after by residents including D’Johnny, Terry Bryan, The Oli & Jamie Head, with the main room madness set to be at fever pitch as the trio of terrific talents that are Mikey D, Steve Pitron & Alan K will be joined by special guest Nick Tcherniak, who took area by storm of Beyond/Trade’s “The Event” just two weeks ago and returns to take centre stage. Now, we can definitely speak from experience in saying that Alan Hifi, Mikey, Nick, Steve & Terry are on amazing form at the moment, all laying down corkers of sets just last weekend (see out reviews coming up) but if you are in any doubt about the music credentials of this party, not only will Terry Bryan be getting special focus in a forthcoming music post of ours, the man on superb form with some amazing sets at Later & Orange, but we will also be posting a special review about Beyond’s music, which will include focuses on Steve Pitron and this week’s guest Nick Tcherniak, also giving a nod to other Beyond mixes out, so watch this space for that. And while music will definitely be the answer at Beyond Belief this weekend, Area’s superb lighting, visuals, pyrotechnics & effects will add to the splendour, as will Logan’s troupe of gorgeous dancers, who will delight & thrill in tantalising costumes right through the event. Add to that Beyond’s fabulous hosts, promoter Steven Sharp, the enchanting Naomi and Tom making sure your entry to the club is as smooth as possible, so what more could you ask for?! Now, if you were at Onyx’s “Recovery Party” your free entry wristband should work a dream, otherwise entry is a mere £10 in advance, with tickets on sale online at http://clubtickets.com/ or at Soho gay retail outlets Prowler, Clone Zone & DV8 & venues The Box, Ku Bar as well as Fire & Area. Otherwise it just £12 on the door and that’s all night, so yet another reasonably priced night, working out at a mere £1 per hour, wow!! So Beyond belief is the place to be from midnight on Sat 7th May through to midday on Sun 8th.

Right, that’s our best, so what about the best of the rest? Well, Soho seems to be taking a bit of a back seat this weekend, but with all the usual bars open for business, highlights will include Profile & Lo-Profile, both who offer a brilliant alternative to Vauxhall, Profile bar one of the swishiest places to warm up your weekend for exploits further afield or simply downstairs in Lo-Profile, Friday seeing Gaydar’s own Phil Marriot return oiling the decks with some pre Onyx sounds, while on Saturday Nick Evans treats you to some upfront house & the latest hits to soothe your Saturday evening. Downstairs in Lo-Profile, Beyond wonder kid Jamie Head takes centre stage on Friday, while the cool latin combo of Alessandro Londra & Gonzalo Rivas return on Saturday to spice up proceedings. Our other big shout in Soho goes to “The Cave”, which returns for another hairy beary macho outing this Friday at Barcode, Manu and his team welcoming back Hifi Sean to the decks & judging by the man’s form at Hustlaball, this is one set you definitely won’t want to miss, bear or not!

Vauxhall is a veritable hotbed of activity this weekend and first off if you’re a lad in ladz, consider Union which hosts their Friday nighter “Fitladz”, but goes head to head with “Rudebois” which has its double trouble weekend at Fire, kicking off on Friday with the first instalment & then coming back for second’s on Saturday, D.J.’s including Alessandro, Devilish, Paul Coals & the sexy Steven Artis, with extra rude & nude shows, every hour on the hour, yum yum! For the slightly more manly man, The Eagle have another “Tonker” outing on Friday, Tim Jones taking charge of the tunes , while on Saturday it’s the turn of the “Carpet Burn” crew to deliver to your demand, with Jim Stanton & co serving up 80’s house, pop dance & soul, fab!, followed by more horsing around at “Horse Meat Disco” on Sunday. Sticking with the wild & whacky, The RVT host another “We Built This Speedwagon On A Prayer” on Friday which also has a nod towards the 80’s but more rock than pop, while Saturday sees “Duckie” back for more and Jonathan aka The Dame Edna Experience will no doubt reflect on the general election in her inimitable way at Sunday’s “S.LA.G.S./Chill-out” session. For the more mainstream, Barcode have some superb musical entertainment on offer, Saturday seeing the front bar formed with Leonardo & Steven Artis steering the sounds, while in the dance bar, Terry Vietheer, Severino & Per Q.X. mix up the musical madness. Now Sunday’s at Barcode are becoming really special and we love the new production Saki, so this is well worth a visit, as the stunningly sexy Mattias takes to the decks, accompanied by Paul Coals, so the music will be absolutely top draw. Other offerings include A.M. taking you deep into Saturday morning, Later doing it like they know best on Sunday afternoon and post Beyond it should be really busy, while Orange finish off your weekend in style, sending you deep into Monday morning. A quick mention also goes to Booster which returns for its second outing at Area on Sunday evening.

Alternatively you can go with the alternatives and Shoreditch seems to be up to no good again this weekend, the Dalston Superstore leading the way with a trio of events worth a look in. On Friday its the return of the infamous “London Back 2 Back” session, with special guest Shir Khan joining a team of resident D.J’s that include Disco Bloodbath’s Damon Martin, & Trailer Trash’s Jamie D Winter, while on Saturday, Manchester meets London with hip hop & outrageous outing “Homoelectric”, where nu-funk, tech & Chicago house will be the name of the game, Sunday giving way to another “Vogue” session. Other options include Jonny Woo’s whacky “Gay Bingo’s Got Issues” which this time comes from Cargo on Rivington Street in the heart of Shoreditch this Sunday, with more than just calling numbers, but camp parody of all the latest issues, including the election, the pope’s visit & even the dreaded volcano!, while further down in Bishopsgate is another steamy yet fun filled session, as Caligula takes over everything at The Bathhouse on Friday. Slightly further afield and The White Swan is a great Sunday hang out, with another superb t-dance affair, serving up disco, latin, salsa, jive, even a bit of ballroom the outing aptly named “Strictly Sunday”, while down on the coast the talk of Brighton is the iconic “Sunday Sundae” rolls out the BBQ again, with fingers crossed for some dry weather, at least over the top of Audio on Marine Parade.

Further details of all these best of the rest choices can be found in the popular press or through networking site Facebook. Also, if you want your club/bar/event/venue to be included, why not mail your details to disocmatt@hotmail.com and we will try to include you.

Now, we just have time to squeeze in a mention for clubbing website SeenQueen which has just updated its diary gAylisting to include events up to the end of May, giving you hints to all the hottest events in town. Go check it out & more at http://seenqueen.com.

Right, that’s it for another weekend and while the weather looks like being cold & damp outside, it looks like being hot & steamy on the dancefloors, so get out there & have a great time. As for us, it’s a trip to schmoose socially with Minty at Industri tonight (Thurs 6th) with Brent Nicholls back with some superb sounds ( the new Beyonce track/mix, can’t wait!), then we take a breather before 12 hours of madness at Beyond Belief. So, if you see us out, come say hi and as we always say.....Go There! Be There!

xDM

Extra Bites - Hola The 12 Inch Party

Hey Folks,

With the weekend virtually on us, our usual recommendations will be out shortly, giving you those all important choices about where to be & be seen.

In the meantime we thought we would give a shout to a new night in our latest “extra bites” post, which on this occasion goes to Shadow Lounge, who re-launch their monthly Thursday night event, “Hola” which kicks off tonight (6th May).

The Shadow Lounge is one of London’s top gay venues in terms of being one of the most stylish fashionable & sumptuous experiences, exuding luxury & comfort, while being a members club doesn’t restrict joe pubic form savouring the atmosphere, but the door policy can be a little strict in dressed in rags rather than glads. A recent nip & tuck make-over has injected some new glitz, glamour & sparkle to the place which is sure to retain its position as the swishiest gay hangout in town, the venue that not only attracts the crème of the gAylist scene, but a whole host of celebrities that regularly grace its doors, so is well worth a look.

And to compliment that new look, the management team are also re-introducing some nights to boost the appeal, tonight being no exception as “Hola – the 12 inch party” re-launches, kicking off from 10 p.m. running superlate, the whole theme of the night being classic disco and having been given a big shout in top guide Timeout, “Hola” is sure to attract a healthy crowd who want to kick start their weekend in style.

The music will be courtesy of resident D.J.’s Laurent C & Terry Veitheer will be joined by guest Chris Brogan who takes to the Shadow Lounge decks for the first time. Chris has been D.J’ing since 2002 and got his big break with a gig at massive club Fabric which opened doors both at home & abroad, Mr Brogan popping up at parties every now & then right across London, but moreover spreading his musical word across Europe. Salvation’s Steve Elliot spotted the talent in Chris and have signed him up to their D.J. team, which has already seen him play at their recent Rio party and he looks set to be a feature of forthcoming events. To get a flavour of Chris’s music style and the type of sounds he will be playing at “Hola” tonight, go check out his latest compilation, dedicated to the night which is out now at http://djchrisbrogan.podomatic.com/.

As for “Hola” itself, a reminder that it all kicks off at The Shadow Lounge tonight (Thurs 6th May) from 10 p.m., entry being free for members all night, free for those on the guestlist before 11 p.m. and £10 for others, the club running through till 3 a.m. For further details of both this club night & the venue, go to http://theshadowlounge.co.uk/ and as we always say....Go There! Be There!

xDM

Extra Bites - Outlet Speed Flat Dating At Profile

Hey Folks,

Well, the bank holiday may be over, but the activity on the gAylist scene continues at a pace and in an “extra bites” post we take a look at one event that will be a definite midweek draw & worth consideration.

Profile bar on Wardour Street in Soho has slowly gained popularity among London’s gAylisters since moving from its old home over on Greek Street, serving up a tempting combination of superb sociability, fabulous food & magnificent music that make this welcoming waterhole a great place to chill out after a hard day’s work, or warm up for that weekend venture of clubbing exploits (check http://profilesoho.com/ for full details). Having really found its legs, the management team have built on the basics of their top quality food & drink offer, not only introducing a weekly team of resident D.J.’s, spinning the latest soothing house sounds to compliment the atmosphere, but have added regular events to their reportoire, which include “Diner Bingo” & “Psychic Sunday” taking turn to end your weekend with a twist, while club brands Matinee & SuperMartXe hold their pre-parties in Profile, other recent additions including Xlsior, which injected a real Greek isle flavour to the place a couple of Saturday’s ago.

But just last month, Profile supported a new Wednesday night early evening gathering run by gay property agency Outlet which has added the speed dating theme to its property activity, joining like minded landlords & tenants that are either looking for somewhere to live or looking for someone to share their property with. “Speed Flat Dating” was conceived as a fun & social way to a new home, the launch party back at the end of March creating quite a buzz and linking up a number of people on an informal basis that definitely took a little of the stress & strain of searching endless lists of properties, meeting in sterile environments & talking to complete strangers over the phone. Instead, it allows attendees to interact face-to-face in a relaxing & inviting space with no pressure or feel for commitment and the huge success of the launch has seen Outlet Speed Dating become a regular monthly event, which takes place on the first Wednesday of each month.

So, how does the night work? Well, Outlet do all the organising, gathering lists of prospective Landlords, properties & tenants together, the only pre-requisite is that you have a suitable profile on their unique online system at http://outlet.co.uk/, then register for the event at http://speedflatdating.com/ and turn up on the night, it’s as simple as that. Upon arrival at Profile, the organisers hand you a list of everyone that’s attending and the rest is up to you, no pressure, no commitment, just chat, social connection & all at a relaxed pace, the only element of speed being that fact that what can be normally takes days, can be achieved in a matter of minutes. What’s more, the whole event is free, Outlet even throwing in your first drink for free and offering those who register, a free months subscription to their matching service, whether you’re a Landlord looking to advertise or a tenant in search of somewhere to live, now you can’t say fairer that that!!

So when is the next event? Well, it’s this Wednesday (5th May) tomorrow night in fact and there will be musical entertainment on offer too, as Craig Daniels takes to the decks, adding chilled out & relaxing tunes to compliment the social splendour that will be this Outlet Speed Dating event, with the gorge door host Lexi making sure each & every whim is catered for, as well as Josh & his experienced Outlet team on hand to answer any questions. The whole event kicks off at 6.30 p.m. at Profile on Wardour Street, with more information, including registration, FAQ’s, event details & even a report on the launch night available at http://speedflatdating.com/.

So, if you’re in London, looking for a room or have a room to let, Outlet Speed Dating at Profile is just what you have been looking for, so make sure it’s a date in your diary and as we always say.....Go There! Be There!

xDM

Extra Bites - Hustlaball

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