- As any true East Londoner knows, crossing the bridge over the Thames into the area known as "Saaf London" isn't something we like to make a habit of. But when I heard the news that the afterparty to Nicky Siano's film premier of Love Is the Message: A Night at The Gallery Party 1977, was to be held in Brixton, I was prepared to don my armbands and swim the river myself if I had to. While other kids were looking up to Bergkamp and Shearer, I was worshipping at the altar of Siano and Levan, making the chance to see unseen footage from The Gallery and an afterparty where Siano himself would deliver a four hour set an opportunity too good to miss.
The venue, a small grimy club under a Brixton railway arch, seemed like an odd choice on paper, but it was immediately obvious upon entering that it was going to work brilliantly. It may have needed some TLC, and the walls probably hadn't felt a paintbrush since 1977, but it had an authenticity that matched the event perfectly. One minor setback was the solitary understaffed bar, which struggled to handle the huge crowds, but disco fans are generally a friendly bunch and spirits remained high throughout the night.
After some exploration, I picked a spot at the front of the main room. It wasn't long before the familiar face of Siano appeared behind the decks. For a man who has achieved legendary status, it was exciting to see that he still plays with all the enthusiasm of an excited teenager at his first gig. Belting out every chorus, air drumming every beat, even coming round the decks to have a dance on occasion—his energy was unbelievable.
The packed dance floor moved together as he expertly tweaked tunes like Teddy Pendergrass' Philly soul classic "You Can't Hide From Yourself," building up the intro and sending the thumping drum kicks bouncing off the mirrored walls. With only a couple of post-'79 tunes (the best of all being the boogie classic Lace's "Can't Play Around"), it was solid disco classics all night. The peak undoubtedly came during Loleatta Holloway's "Love Sensation," which saw a mass of giant balloons bounce around the room on a wave of cheers and screams from the crowd. Sly and the Family Stone's "Family Affair" went down well, showcasing Siano's ability to make seemingly out-of-place records sound like they were tailormade for his set. A short journey into '60s soul followed, but were soon brought back to planet disco with a bang courtesy of First Choice's "Double Crossed."
As the night drew to a close with cheers and an almighty round of applause, Siano treated us to a spectacular encore, repeating the question on everyone's mind with The Trammps "Where Do We Go From Here?" and finishing up with MFSB's "Love Is the Message," a fitting way to wrap up not only a very special night but a performance that was nothing less than inspirational.