Getting Reckless with the lads from Summit and 123
Reported by benz
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Submitted 28-01-06 12:41
What happens when you combine two of London's freshest, exciting and fun parties around? Well in the case of the awesome free party 123 and rising star of the hard dance scene Summit, it seems that you get (w)recked... or Reckless to be precise! Friday 3rd February sees these two promotions going head to head for the first time ever down at Hidden in Vauxhall, South London, for what promises to be one unforgettable night.
Initially both stemming from a love of partying and hedonism rather than a desire to enter the world of club promotion, 123 and Summit are prime examples of authentic grass-roots clubbing, if such a thing exists. Both have loyal followings, including sizable groups of their mates, and their mate’s mates, and so on. A close-knit core of friends with years of clubbing history helps to make the atmosphere at both of these events incredibly friendly, energetic and fun. It’s all about the fun basically.
And the music? Summit specialises in uplifting hard dance in its many different guises, with a formidable funky/electro/breaks room to boot. 123 specialise in... well, pretty much anything, hence the subtitle of their parties at Southside Bar: Anything Goes. Trance, breaks, electro, hard house, techno, psy trance, drum 'n' bass, cheese, dance classics... the list goes on and on. Consistently, they are one of the most diverse parties in London. FACT. There's many an amusing (and often slightly worrying) tale to be told by the promoters of these events, and while we haven't got time for them all — I’m sure we can fit in a few...
Main room at Summit
Presenting the lads from Summit and from 123, Scottish Dave, Dave Mac (possibly a darts player?), and some ginger bloke called Seany Sean. Safe.
So lads, a brief history of your respective partays please…
Summit: We started out in April 2004 as Toxic NRG for a laugh with a few friends. Jumpin’ Jaks at the Leisure World Complex in Hemel Hempstead was our venue (which if you know the chain of Jumpin’ Jaks, this type of event there is absolutely unheard of!!) After the success of that we moved our idea into London to create Summit @ the Soundshaft in June 2005.
Scottish Dave: Well 123 started off as an actual house party, Seany Sean, Greg Brookman and I moved into a house together and decided to have a housewarming party. The party ended up so big that we had people leaving clubs like Peach and coming to the party, we even had a queue to get in at one point. Eventually the house parties got too big for the house.
Seany Sean: The first party actually had two rooms, one hard house, the other breaks and trance. All through the weekend pretty much every other type of music was played too. We even had a third room with Playstations and Xbox set up with people cramming in there to play Halo!
SD: We ended up having parties all year, afterparties, pre parties, the lot.
SS: Eventually though the parties got so big we had to turn people away. We then stumbled across a nice bar in Liverpool Street called Bar Bed. We decided to use that to host the parties.
SD: 123 was born! Since Bar Bed we have hosted rooms in Camden Palace for Peach Goes Hard, Frantic and now at Southside Bar. And 3rd Feb sees us team up with our good friends Summit at Hidden.
Describe your “opposite number” in 10 words or less
Summit:Random, Random, Random, Random, Random, Random, Random, Random, Random, Random.
Dave Mac: A killer queen gunpowder, gelatine, dynamite with a lazer beam.
SD: Eh?
How do you guys know each other? Do you go back a long way?
Summit: We all met when we went raving at Camden Palace (RIP) to nights like Peach and Frantic spreading over the past 5 years. We’he had many a Saturday night out, and more infamous Sundays, after the club. We’d either end up at someone’s house, or Regent’s Park for an after party. It’s fair to say that we go back a long way with many stories to tell.
SD: Seany is my best mate and we been friends since I been in London. Mac got on board March last year, and the fact he’s called Dave makes him a winner straight away!
DM: Yeah the Dave angle worked for me, I was basically told I could have a set at this new Anything Goes night. Things went a bit wonky so to save myself a set I had to run the first party we had at the SSB last year and been seeing the guys far too much since then.
Why is your party the best? No pleasantries or politeness please, we want to hear some proper blagging!
Summit: We have all come from a raving culture and we know what makes a good party atmosphere. We know what is needed to make it a good night out. People have seen us around clubs over the last five years and especially last year in Ibiza during the summer months. They know we like to have a good time. We’re totally focussed on the quality DJs with the best crowd interaction both on, and off the decks. It’s pure and simple… Summit is about the best music, and the best vibe, and thankfully our clubbers are shouting about it even more.
SD: Well we believe 123 is the best cause we actually keep the party atmosphere! You name it, we’ve had it at 123, from DJs playing Dirty Dancing to our residents stripping down to their pants and washing their clothes in a nearby laundrette. We believe keeping everything fun makes our party work well.
Scottish Dave
DM: Firstly I’m resident. It’s run by two people called Dave. Plus we are always about just having a laugh, plus as Dave pointed out it’s all about Dirty Dancing!
SS: Well we like to not take ourselves too seriously. That the key really, it’s a party, have fun, get drunk, dance like a nut case, have a bit more fun! Strictly.
Out of all the guests you’ve had at your events, who has played the most memorable sets?
SD: Tough one there. I think Graham Gold was a great one, my early days clubbing was at Peach and Graham Gold was the Golden Peach, excuse the pun, so was weird having someone I used to look up to actually playing for us!
DM: We’ve seriously had so many personal favourites, but my favourite would have to be Nicki S, it was such an awesome set she played, anyone who plays the psy mix of Insomnia is a champion in my mind!
SS: Wid and Ben were pretty dam good to be honest. Really talented young guys, couldn’t help but dance throughout their entire set. It’s awesome they’ll be at Reckless again to get the dance floor pumping! Winner!
Seany Sean rocking the ‘African Sunset’ look
Summit: Every DJ that has played at Summit has smacked it, they have no restrictions. We let them take you wherever they want to take you. There have been so many sets played at our events that have had people speechless. To recall a few of them:
• Cally Gage just smacks it every time.
• Jack Michaels due to his technical ability (one to watch!).
• Andy Whitby — when he played for the first time at Hidden the room was fucking heaving.
• Denney, when he played for us for the first time he shocked our resident PK with his crazy antics and technical skills.
• Ilogik, with his crazy ‘hot key’ fingers on the CDJs at our first event.
What about yourselves as DJs? What do you feel you bring to your party?
Summit: Not all of us are DJs as it stands. Although, those of us that aren’t are slowly getting there. So look out, because it won’t be long until we’re all rocking the night from dusk ‘til dawn.
Our in house residents are Ben Skinner and Jason Blayde, who put a lot of time and effort into the sets that they have produced for Summit so far. Both of them have got the attitude of making sure that each set is different, and put as much fresh stuff out there as well as classics. As well as playing their best at our own events they also put the effort in for anyone else who books them, so we’re very proud of how we are currently represented outside of the Summit arenas. It’s fair to say that Jason and Ben have their own differences of sound too. Whilst Ben takes the tougher hard trance edge out of choice, Jason is more into all round hard music with a funky twist. It’s definitely a valuable blend to have at the heart of our promotion because it already gives us two completely different styles on our hard dance floors before we even consider anyone else.
DM: God alone knows! I do like to think of myself quite versatile. I do try to embrace the 123 idea of Anything Goes really. I mean since March I’ve played a wide variety of sets, tracks ranging from ‘Agadoo’, to the Ragga Twins, with some of my own productions thrown in along the way. Family party stuff right through to hard trance and everything in between! So I just try to play fun sets and tracks that will make people smile.
SS: Just playing music I guess. 123 has been good, giving me the chance to play lots of different set times. I’ve really enjoyed the chance to showcase the Hardbeat Experience with Steelo which is something really unique. I just hope that when I do play people enjoy what I’m playing and want to dance a bit. Not quite at the stage where I think I can get away with playing Agadoo though!
February 3rd sees Summit take on 123 in a battle to the death at Hidden. Well not quite death, but near enough. What’s the general gist of the party?
Summit: Anything goes! This party sees the largest variety of music styles at a Summit event yet…
SD: Same as all 123s: keeping it fun, with as many giveaways as we can muster. If everyone there is smiling then I am smiling!
SS: Yep yep yep, all about the smiling and fun. That’s the gist of any 123 party, we’re just taking that idea to a different venue really with Summit.
DM: The gist of the party is anything goes innit! As always, it’s a chance for friends to meet up and have a ruddy good time.
Which DJs are you excited about seeing doing their thang on the night?
Summit: Cheesy as it may sounds, all of them to be honest. If they didn’t get us excited, then they wouldn’t be involved.
Jason from Summit
Newbie headliners to Summit this time are JP & Jukesy, and Wid & Ben. Two top class DJ acts who both have reputations to whip up musical storms from out of nowhere, wherever they go. I think it’s gonna be fun to see how they fit into Summit, and we’re sure it’ll be a top combination.
SD: Well we have mostly our residents on, cause we strongly believe that we have an awesome array of residents who are all at the top of their game, so I couldn’t really choose one of ‘em. But if I had to choose it would probably be Cally Gage, I don’t think I have ever heard a bad set from her, and she is ALWAYS smiling!
DM: I’m sure the fact Scotch is also in love with Cally has nothing to do with his choice! Personally I’m looking forward to hearing Jack Michaels in the 123 room, I’ve heard so much, yet not had the pleasure of hearing him play. Of course Greg Brookman’s exclusive tech trance set is shaping up to be interesting as well. Then again I’m sure everyone is looking forward to my set, although I’ve not worked out what on earth I’m playing yet!
SD: Yeah thanks Dave! You are no longer called Dave you are now… a Nigel.
DM: Could be worse I could be a Sean!
SS: Oi! Well for me it has to be Ben Gold, technical whiz. We’re so chuffed to have him down and no doubt he will impress!
Hidden has become like a second home to many of the people on this site… what makes the venue so popular do you think?
Summit: It certainly is becoming a club home for many clubbers. It’s definitely in the best of hands in our opinion. London’s largest hard dance following doesn’t exist because of people that don’t know what they have to do to promote something. The management work tirelessly to make Hidden a great venue to be in, and to make sure that everybody knows it. They support their promoters, and work with them hand in hand. Their security are familiar faces from many moons ago, and certainly contribute to what makes the Hidden package one that people will choose time and time again. We really like the upstairs seating area/tunnel in the blue (centre) room. It’s very different to any other club, and you can either get on it downstairs or chill upstairs. Either choice, it’s a top venue in our minds, and we hope it’s here for a long time.
SD: For me the security have a lot to do with it, it’s the old Camden Palace security so I know them, and they are very friendly. I also like the huge difference in the rooms, room 1 where ‘White Noise’ will be, has a very hard house stomping feel to it. Room 3 ‘Anything Goes’ has a more open feel to it.
SS: The fact its becoming a hard dance Cheers really. You know you’ll go down there, the night will be blooming good night and you’ll see lots of friendly faces that you know. Can’t really go wrong can you.
What’s the biggest state you’ve seen each other in? We all know you are both partial to a few light ales…
Summit:Seeing Jaymo running round naked like an innocent fairy at Tidy Weekender, and Jason’s Gary Glitter glint ha ha ha! We’ll say no more.
SD: Worst I seen Seany Sean was probably at the original 123 parties, we used to get in such bad ways that one day he knew he couldn’t get into work so he made me kidney punch him so he could phone in sick and say he fell out of bed during sex! Seany Sean, the king of calling in sick.
DM: Every time I see Seany Sean he looks a state, it’s his ginger hair innit!
Dave ‘Le Big’ Mac
SS: It’s not ginger, it’s African Sunset!
We all know how great London is for partying, but which other cities do you guys rate for good nightlife and so on?
SD: I like Newcastle, but more for drinking, Glasgow has a decent club scene too, oh and Brighton purely because it’s great coming out a club and seeing the beach!
Summit:Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, Leicester, Bournemouth. Oh, and if you can count Prestatyn as part of it all, then that has to have a mention.
Who in hard dance doesn’t get the recognition they deserve?
Summit: Jack Michaels, we’d really like to see him out more at events other than Summit, ‘cos he’s got such a wicked sound, and his beat matching is awesome. He really puts the effort in, and any promoters looking for someone that is different
DM: I think most actually do, I personally think the cream really does rise to the top. There is a lot of up and coming talent that should be getting booked more, guys like me! I think over the last 12 months or so there has been a big swing towards the technically gifted guys getting the big sets they deserve, people Like Seany Sean, Gordon Darley, Ben Bennett are all regulars at the bigger parties now and totally deserve it. But if I had to point the finger at anyone who doesn’t get the credit he deserves I’d go with this little known producer guy called BK, made a track called ‘Revolution’ back in the day, some of you might have heard it.
SS: Like Dave said, me! I’m brilliant more people should respect me. Failing that just come to Hidden and buy me a drink!
What other music are you guys really into?
Summit: Well there’s five of us, each with quite an open mind to music, so between us we encompass just about every style bar heavy metal, and gabba! Different music for different occasions, but we’re all hard at heart.
SD: I like anything from hip hop to country. I’ve got a very varied taste in music. Oh and S Club 7 all the way!
DM: Ballroom salsa shiznit, or anything by Steps, H is my hero. Although seriously really getting into power ballads at the moments! Lord knows why!
SS: Bit of anything really I guess. I’m opened minded about all types of music. Although I do quite like that song by the bloke who won X-Factor or what it is, its called ‘That’s My Goat’ or something isn’t it?
And finally, what’s the funniest thing you’ve heard recently?
SD: That Seany Sean is proud to be ginger!
DM: My girlfriend singing.
SS: The sound of silence!
Summit: It has to be the traffic warden that ticketed all the lovely people that helped to rescue Wally the Whale! What a c**t!
Photos courtesy of Scottish Dave, Jason, and Benz
**123 & SUMMIT Presents.. RECKLESS!**
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On:
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Friday 3rd February 2006
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At:
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Hidden [map]
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From:
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22:00-06:00
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Cost:
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£12 GUESTLIST £16 ON THE DOOR
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Ticket Info:
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www.Ticketweb.co.uk £10+ £1.50 B/F
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Buy Online:
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Click here to buy tickets
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2005 was an amazing year for music, and a tremendous year for clubbing. Especially, if you were around to experience the uprising of SUMMIT or 123.Two very different concepts, but very much the same aim... FUN! Oh, and we definitely had some of that, we can tell you!
So measuringup,2006 is set to be an even bigger year! Start as you
go on your say...? Well, alright then, why not? Ladies, gentelmen and anything else for that matter... It's time to get RECKLESS!
We kick off 2006 with a collaboration that not only promises fun, but more choice of music style than any other club currently offers you. Where else will u find a combination of hard house, hardtrance,funky house, breaks, tech trance, trance and even a few more?
123 started off last year with free parties at a friendly little london venue (the southside bar) that most have ventured to. Their unmatched reputation of musical flexibility, silly antics, and full on party spirit, has propelled them into making their next steps towards this all-nighter party! If you've ever been to one of the 123 sessions, then you'll know how everybody wanted to carry on the parties on, and on.
123 have brought in some of london's greatest up and comming DJ's, as well as some of the most established producers. With DJ's like Greg Brookman, Wid & Ben, Ben Gold, Benz and Steelo to name just a few to have graced their turntables (and the local laundrette in some cases).
After an outstanding event in December, Summit too, are not settling for anything but the best for this event.
Presenting this time, our residents CALLY GAGE, PK, JASON BLAYDE and BEN SKINNER. We have secured another star struck line up to bring in 2006 with an almighty sound!!!
Wid & Ben are back in london to rock the worldwith their ferocious anthems and get right in their joinin our party. JP & Jukesy also step up to bring up the party in a style of their very own, with their tough and bouncy beats.
It's certinly time to make that trip out, and invite YOU to join SUMMIT and 123 for eight full on hours, progressing from start to finish in unrivalled masterclass style.
Expect nothing less from this doubled up event than hard driving
tunage, lasers, smiles, free give-aways to early arivals, CD's throughout the night and Summit Funky to top it all off.
We're all set for an event that will leave us no choice but to get RECKLESS!!
The main objective of this night is FUN!! All the DJ's have been selected for their ability to have fun both on and off the decks, and make sure that the crowd know it! We invite you to come and join the party and make this one of the most fun events you've expierienced in a long time, and for a long time to com. It's another all-star Presentation to be proud of!!
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The views and opinions expressed in this review are strictly those of the author only for which HarderFaster will not be held responsible or liable.
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Wicked interview boys!
for the summit boyz! Always top notch stuff getting better and better each time