WHEN YOU WANT A FAIR CRITIQUE, an appraisal that takes in all the pros and cons in a comprehensive way we can always rely on DISCO MATT. His passion for clubbing, his honest opinion and his real world club experiences put him to the front for a reliable and honest-to-goodness-no advertising influenced-not bullshit reviews. Here we have reprinted his preview into the new club CABLE which is soon to become the home of one of London's favourite clubs MATINEE, bringing it into a new era of clubbing.

Well, 2009 has already proven tough for the scene, gAylisting events also feeling the pinch, with numbers dwindling in more than a handful of outings. Easter & the two subsequent Bank Holiday weekends were testament to this fact, where there were some winners, but sadly many more losers, with some new ventures not even getting off the ground, or at least failing to attract the sort of numbers that, in previous years, would have been very much guaranteed. So, as a result, club promoters are now needing to think on their feet, so as to maintain interest in their events, maybe offer something new, but definitely provide value for money & secure sufficient following.

So, it comes as no surprise that one of the capital’s biggest clubbing brands is doing just that. Not only is it looking to inject some much needed adrenaline into its events, but has taken the very bold decision to move from its current home in Vauxhall to a brand new purpose built venue in London Bridge, which the team believe has every ingredient on offer to not only recapture lost interest, but to entice new faithful's to core, in a space where they can develop a unique and amazing clubbing experience not seen yet. So what club are we talking about? Well Matinee of course, and the venue? Well it’s Cable.

Ever since its London launch, Matinee has been renowned for making every effort to keep things fresh, listening to its customers and aiming to put on the best parties in town, with quality being the name of the game. Previous homes at Area, Fabric & most recently Colosseum, have delivered in their own way, but in reality have never given us the full package, the truly gAylist experience we expect from such a massive club brand. With Cable however, we believe the team have all the resources at their hands to achieve this in bucket loads, not least as the whole design of the venue has demands of clubber very much in mind, literally from when you enter right through to all the facilities, the spaces & the mechanisms, which look set to provide the best base for Matinee yet.

So, what sets this new venue apart from any other? Well, in designing and constructing the space, the overriding aim was to consider all the needs of a busy 21st century night club, then applying them to superb effect. First there is the spacious entrance lobby, then the myriad of wide walkways & openings, with the aim of creating easy flow around the various rooms, thereby coping with the kind of numbers Matinee draws, so no bottlenecks, no uncomfortable crowding, but free movement between the dancefloors, bars & beyond. Then there is the high tech coatcheck system, which has the ability to use fingerprint imaging to identify the owner’s belongings, so no nightmares when losing tickets and having to wait until the end to reclaim your bags, coats etc! (we have all been there!). And for those of you concerned, the photographic images cannot be used by the club or any enforcing agents, so there should be no fear in this fingerprinting system, which is in actual fact quite revolutionary.

With three dance spaces, each with their own bar facilities, a superb balcony area above one of the dancefloors, and plenty of areas to kick back & relax between the hectic goings on, not to mention the added advantage of a enclosed and secluded outside space for the smokers in us as well as those seeking a little alfresco break. We are sure, therefore, that Cable’s high tech sound systems, state of the art coatcheck, glamorous bar areas & chillout zones are definitely going to be a hit with Matinee’s demanding & well educated clubbers, but, like us, we expect they will be taken a back by the understated yet stylish combination of brick, metal, leather & wood, that remind us a little of Fabric, but are designed to amazing effect creating a unique combination of space & intimacy that sets Cable it aside from its rival. Then there are the toilets, the most spacious & stylish we have seen, so expect little or no queuing here.

Questions have been raised about the venues policy on identity requirement, which we know has been a concern for many clubbers attending places like Pacha. With current inconsistent legislation on this issue, disparities between councils across the capital exist, however we can reassure that Cable will not be refusing entry through lack of I.D., indeed they are very sensitive to both the imposition and use of an identity system that has the possibility of discouraging & alienating its customers. So what are we saying? Well, you have nothing to worry about and you do not need to have identity with you to gain access, it’s as simple as that.

Then there is the location of Cable itself. Well, London Bridge is not only a major overground railway terminus, but has three tube lines serving it, a whole host of bus routes and is a well known area to all taxi cabs & firms. Being based on Bermondsey Street, there is plenty of activity going on pretty much around the clock, so no real fear of problems or troubles here. The venues owners have confirmed that they have superb relationships with a number of local taxi firms, so there should be no issues about arriving or leaving Cable safely. Indeed we understand that there may be Matinee boys & girls to direct & guide you into the club, but the teams website has a clear directional map for those of you not sure as to the venues exact location.

So, that’s the venue covered, now what can we expect from Matinee? Well, the team have revised every element of the experience to blend in with their new surroundings. The first major change is the monthly position of the event, which will now be on the last Saturday each month, fitting in much better with activities across gAylist London. Then there is the D.J. line up’s which have been tweaked, room one now sporting tore de force Brent Nicholls, joining regulars Guy Williams Paul Heron & Pagano along with monthly changes to the Spanish resident D.J. as well as guests, playing out the classic Spanish style Matinee sound. It’s the second (parlour) room that sees the biggest change as Matinee welcomes two major scene legends to the fold,, Stevie B & Fat Tony, the music style much lighter & more akin to funky house for which these two are probably the best in that field. The third room’s music attention will be much more “London” with tech house being the name of the game, so in the hands of Pier Morrocco, Alessandra & Saki, this should prove just as popular as all the other spaces. However, unlike before, the roster will not be set in stone, rather the D.J. talents used to their strengths in whichever room befits the occasion.

Mind you, it’s not all about the music, as the production is set to gain considerable momentum, so it will be simply unmistakable that this is a Matinee party. The emphasis will be on quality as well as quantity, the smoking area for example getting a special makeover for the event, huge screens imported in for the two main rooms & Matinee branding pretty much everywhere. Another big change will be in the style of dancing entertainment, Mark M Form’s Fierce crew really ringing the changes & concentrating on performances throughout the whole evening rather than one massive stage show. We are told that there will be dancers atop podiums, on specially prepared bar spaces and spread across all the rooms so as not to restrict the entertainment & eye candy in one particular area. You can definitely expect some stunning costumes and equally stunning looking dancers that’s for sure. Add to that the inclusion of P.A.’s to further compliment all the entertainment on offer with a special appearance already up their sleeve for August Bank Holiday and an equally great one lined up for the opening party.

So, with gAylist/land London still feeling the pinch of the recession, there is absolutely no doubt that Matinee looks set to inject a whole heap of freshness, value for money and an altogether exciting new experience that the scene is very much crying out for. We will of course be releasing more details on the launch event in our up-coming posts, so watch out for those. However, we can say now that Saturday 25th July will most definitely signal evolution & revolution the for capitals clubbers, in the hands of Matinee. (DISCO MATT)

INTERVIEW WITH OLIVER M (MATINEE)

1.WHY ARE YOU MOVING MATINEE TO CABLE?

We are moving away from the Colosseum and Vauxhall because we felt 
that Vauxhall and the clubs there where stagnating and after our La 
Leche party at Koko we realized that being not in Vauxhall anymore 
will benefit MATINEE as a club brand.

Also our favorite MATINEE events where at fabric and cable is very 
much a new and updated version of the clerkenwell venue with much 
better transport links to the west end, vauxhall , east end and the 
north of London.


2. WILL MATINEE BE DIFFERENT AT CABLE AS COMPARED TO HOW IT WAS AT 
FABRIC, AREA & COLISEUM? YES? NO? HOW?

Well, our aim is to bring MATINEE into the future and not standing 
still.
The difference at cable will be that we are able to offer 3 equal 
sized rooms with different music styles ranging from the matinee 
tribal tec sound to the London underground sound to the classic non 
cheesy funky , vocal house.

This is something we couldn't offer at the other venues.

Also the shows and dancers will be more interactive whereas the 
clubber and the music is  the most important part of the night and not 
the show.

There are certain clubs which put on great stage shows to draw 
attention away from a  poor music quality,MATINEE LONDON and EVOLVED 
EVENTS are going back to the roots of clubbing.

3.WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF MATINEE IN LONDON?

Matinee is still going strong since we introduced it into London 3 
years ago thanks our amazing team of djs , entertainers, promo team 
etc. WE ARE  A BIG HAPPY FAMILY !!!!!!
With our move to cable we are very much looking into the future as the 
leading London gay party in a venue which is beeing hailed in the 
straight press as Londons new super club.


4. WHAT DO YOU THINK THE FUTURE OF GAY CLUBBING IN LONDON IS?

London changed massivly in the last year and some promoters and clubs 
who where strong in the past are now struggling.

I think there will be still many changes happening in the gay scene 
and I think that will be good for the scene and the clubbers as they 
will get value for money and promoter who work hard to supply the goods.