- Secretsundaze are a clubbing institution in London and some of my favourite parties have been at their summer day events. They always have excellent guests and the residents, Giles Smith and James Priestley, are exceptional DJs who've been central to the resurgence of deep house in London. On this occasion they teamed up with new website, Awdio.com, as part of their UK launch and managed to bag Cobblestone Jazz and Mountain People for their line-up
The one drawback? They chose Scala as the venue. I unequivocally hate Scala: It's hideous inside, completely cavernous—even when it's rammed it feels like it's empty—and feels like a venue suitable only for angst-ridden teenage indie bands. Combine this with Awdio's luxury brand sponsorship with Hennessy, and you have some serious flaws to the night. I'm uncomfortable with brand sponsorship at the best of times, but in the context of underground clubbing it feels downright ridiculous. As soon as we arrived, paparazzi-esque photographers accosted us at the door, promo-girls thrust flyers into our hands, and then there was the VIP room with complementary booze flowing. Everyone loves a bit of free booze, but I'm not sure how many fans there are of segregation these days. Personally, I like my nights to be more egalitarian than that.
Giles and James played the first set of the night to a largely empty room where any kind of atmosphere was distinctly lacking. Nonetheless, the music was good, starting off proceedings with their distinct deep house sounds. At 1 AM, the much anticipated Cobblestone Jazz came on but only for an hour. The main room began to fill up rather quickly and although the crowd was obviously excited, it somehow remained disappointing. The music was good—a characteristic set of live improvisation with a techno aesthetic—but it never quite seemed to hit the mark.
I think, again, more than anything it came down to the venue. Scala is a converted cinema and with a stage in the main room (a low stage, but a stage nonetheless) and Cobblestone Jazz were placed in an elevated position inevitably becoming something of a spectacle, especially with so many people intently watching their every move to see the masters at work. As a result, it felt much more like a gig than anything else (and a gig where people don't dance, no less). Mountain People were next—from 2 until 5—and with a much more lively crowd and really excellent deep house tunes, it was the most enjoyable part of the night with a warmer atmosphere and that customary secretsundaze feeling about the place. Having enjoyed the final few hours I decided to leave while the going was good.
Although secretsundaze are generally excellent—and even though on this night the music was good—this event was a bit of a disappointment. It's proof that a party's success is down to more things than just the music. And while I don't agree with the grumblings in clubland that they're becoming a victim of their own success, I can't help but breathe a sigh of relief that this is the last party at Scala secretsundaze will be hosting for a while. Bring on the summer.