Miami Moments – Day 5
And now it’s getting really fuzzy. I had forgotten what a week in Miami at the Conference felt like as the week goes on. Parties blend into one, DJs all begin to sound the same and you find yourself going through the Yellow Pages looking for doctors who may know someone who can perform Liver Transplants. I think I have come over here with the craziest person I have met. Day 5 by the pool. Steve and Defected’s Toni Tambourine descend poolside wearing pink children’s knickers and bright blue (too small) Speedo’s, perform a circus display walking on their hands, posing for a US magazine photo shoot in front of 300 people and generally leaving a lot of Americans with their mouth open – whilst I hide under a towel. The security in clubs over here is weird this year. Smoking in bars, restaurants and clubs is still allowed and the amount of times I have walked by someone smoking Crack is unbelievable. So being driven around clubland by a Government official who is the Head of Entertainment for Miami was slightly odd, having dinner with the Billionaire daughter of the owner of America’s biggest Construction company in the States slightly weird and dancing with Jade Jagger on a balcony at silly o’clock, verging on strange. This week beats a week in Ibiza by a country mile. Sitting in an Art Gallery in one of the roughest part’s of the city at 4am with a group of people including a gangster with a gun pushed down his pants and listening to tales of celebrity gossip via one of the biggest journalist’s in the UK – bonkers. My favourite story? The one about a certain TV car programme presenter who has a massive Cocaine problem, last time this journalist saw this guy was in the toilet’s of a Private Member’s club in London where telly man was moaning that he’d bought ten grammes of coke earlier that day and it was now all gone. Some American’s really don’t know how not to chat up a girl – at the Dave Seaman/Nick Warren party last night and overhearing a guy go up to a beautiful girl and saying to her “do you like chicken? Well suck my cock, it’s fowl.” So I suppose he went home alone. So, when I want to change the look of a room in my house decor wise, I put a budget of around a few grand into it. Thus when you learn that The Fontainbleau Resort Hotel (where the Conference in Miami began all those years ago) has just had $800 million Dollars spent on it, well that beats my new wallpaper and scatter cushions. The Liv venue inside the hotel is just, simply, one of the best clubs I have ever seen. Morillo took the roof off, Puff Daddy, Diddy or whatever he’s called these days rocked the stage, The Sultan of Brunei had more security than Barack Obama and the atmosphere was electric. The Ultra Festival day one was the best festy I have ever been to (see seperate feature) and just blew my socks off. Which finally brings me back to travelling buddy Steve who rolled into the hotel room at 8am and whilst drifting off into Sleeping Tablet drowsiness, admitted to me he once shit himself in his sleep – in a sleeping bag.
Miami Moments – Day 4
Day 4 and it’s getting a wee bit blurry. You arrive in Miami with a spring in your step and after a few days start to feel you have gone ten rounds with Mike Tyson. Which by the way I did today and kicked the living shit out of him. MN2S at Nikki Beach, weird one this; great array of DJs including Armand Van Helden, ATFC, Joe T Vanelli, Ted Patterson, Robert Owens and Nick Holder, but the event started at 1pm and ran until 5am. Far far too long, busy in the day, dead as a dodo at night. Nervous Records at Nocturnal with Steve Mac, Tom Stephan and Oscar G – there were more people queuing for a cab down the road than on the dancefloor. Then again, Danny Tenaglia was again, just on the top of his game at Score, Paul Van Dyk at Space was just brilliant and rammed out with a really cool crowd, The Delano yet again put on a really special party in their underground club with a top atmosphere that saw me bouncing around like a kangaroo and Luciano & Loco Dice were great at their Sherborn poolside party. Not sure how I feel about doing the full 24 hours straight through caning it, not sure how I feel about the bedroom antics with one of the biggest fashion journalists in the world (female just in case you’re wondering) and not sure how I feel about my mate who is still prancing around the swimming pool in a pair of pink girl’s knickers.
Miami Moments – Day 3
Day 3 in the Big Mother of Parties House. Counting 630 pairs of false knockers around the pool at The National Hotel pool, well I’d finished my book and was at a loose end. Getting an invite to Erick Morillo’s birthday at his mansion, a very beautiful palace combining Ibiza, Thailand and Miami decor – opulence does not come anywhere near the extravagance of the whole shebang, and as for the ladies…wowzer. Miss Brazil was flouncing around and it was nice of Defected’s Toni Tambourine to buy him a lighter as a birthday gift. Great Bacardi B-Live event at The Fontainbleau Resort Hotel with A-Trak, Jazzy Jeff, Steve Porter and Chromeo – loads of free booze and loads of casualties. Dining out with the guy who co-wrote the two James Blunt albums which netted him over £8m – and guess who stumped up the dollars for the bill? That’s what Tequila for pudding does for you. The Sherborn yet again pulled out a stonker, their Shine event rocked with Hernan Cattaneo, Darren Emerson, Paola Poletta from Italy’s Angels of Love and Dennis Ferrer – an incredible display of music that saw yours truly on the dancefloor for five hours. Hernan, the star of the show by miles. Then off to Sasha and Diggers at Mansion on Washington Avenue – brilliant venue, queues down the road, a very special back to back set from these two gods and simply a display of music that just summed up why we love dance music. Brilliant. And a big shout out to the Creme De La Creme soiree downtown at The Soho Studios with Craze, Beni J and Klever. The outdoor area was wicked and I would expect some very sore heads today. Just like mine…
Miami Moments – Day 2
Morning glory, what’s the story? A fuzzy brain after the ace Defected. Breakfast at the fabulous News Cafe stumbling past Versace’s old mansion which is now a hotel and exclusive members club. Nipped in the back gate for a look around, what a spectacular place. Most people site the Tenaglia parties, the beach, eating at The Forge or cocktails at The Delano Hotel as their highlights of WMC. Me? The Adidas store – I am in trainer heaven. Had a swim with David Guetta at The Loews, telling me all about his new label plans. Splintered on Wild Things cocktails in a the outdoor hot tub with some girl from Persia who then proceeded to get her knockers out and rub them in the face of my pal – at which time I decided it was time for a swift exit. Walking back up to the room the same friend of mine sprinted past me wearing a pink pair of knickers – Miami is a strange place. Straight off to the DMC/WMC DJ Spin-Offs at The Miami Beach Resort Hotel which was won by Etronik, the Dub & Bass party at Jazid was rammed, full of messy, off their heads’ clubbers jumping around to DJ Lord from Public Enemy. Tenaglia’s party at Park West downtown was rammed and was just superb – incredible venue with visuals to die for and a great crowd – no Brits, just a really cosmopolitan crowd. Fierce sound system and loads of new tunes belting out. Weird moment though when the crowd parted to let a breakdancing face off take place between four dudes. John Wink over at the DJ Mag party at The Sherborn was off the hook, again rammed and just going loop the loop – what a great DJ. Ended up in the Editor’s hotel room emptying her mini bar and talking nonsense until dawn. Bumped into James Morrison on the way out – strange moment. But the best of the night? Walking into the new Mandarin Hotel – oh my god. Full of models, the decor is just the best, the view on one of the terraces over downtown Miami classic and it’s no wonder all the DJs are staying there. Roll on Jade Jagger’s party there Saturday…
Miami Moments – Day 1
The party begins, as always on the plane. Old faces, new faces who’ve spoken to on the phone but never seen in person, free drinks flowing thanks to Virgin’s generosity and then touching down onto Florida’s famous floor for Miami WMC 2009. Rude not to enjoy the hot tub on the beach before heading off to The Delano Hotel for pre-club drinks and some Sushi methinks. Timmy Regisford and Quentin Harris absolutely superb spinning soulful house grooves, perfect for South Beach, and then we headed to Set on Lincoln Avenue where the Defected gang were throwing the first BIG one of the week…Label boss Simon Dunmore looking proud as punch as his boys did him proud. An absolute sea of chaos outside with hundreds trying to get in but failing as yet again, the club management threw the guest list in the bin to make sure people with hard cash were the one’s getting in. If I thought it was madness outside, inside was just insane. Stars of the show without a doubt Yass and DJ Spen – both pulling out old classics and new jems. Yass’s own monster ‘I’m Free’ from 1997 featuring LT Brown saw me with a very big smile on my face. ATFC came up with another solid set as did DJ Tekin. A young crowd who knew their music and the dancefloor was yet again, Miami hands in the air and whoop the loop. Two girls phone numbers safely in my pocket, showing the place how to really dance, spitting out a disgusting pizza on the floor, getting told by some disckhead dude to move along one of the settee’s because “you are two inches too close to me” paying ten dollars for a botttle of beer, being told by your mate you haven’t see in a while that the last woman he slept with was 65 and then he shagged her daughter… Defected though – you know how to party – and the afters at your apartment was just debauchery.