CLUB AZULI 'ALBUM LAUNCH PARTY' WITH X-PRESS 2 @ THE CROSS, London

17.02.07

After making very good time on the smooth and spacious underground trains, those adjectives – smooth and spacious- were never again felt during the course of the night.  Upon arriving at Kings Cross train station at 00:05, we had a fairly open mind of the elements awaiting us.  In a rather isolated part of town, we took an unnecessary amount of fresh air whilst travelling by foot to the venue – adding an extra 10 minutes as a result of some wrongs turn in a rather poorly directed semi-developed area.

From an early stage we had high expectations for the night; we had never been to The Cross for any previous events, but the official venue website suggested a very interesting and unique night was to be had on any given occasion.  This would certainly be a night of first impressions……

Upon arrival at the venue, the entry queues were well signposted with visible security on hand.  No problems finding our names on the VIP guest list was followed by passive search checks by the doormen.  We entered for free what we hoped would be the hottest night in London – by that we mean the enthralling qualities to maintain a happy and entertained set of punters, not literally the discomfort of an inescapable sauna!

First impressions of the night’s likely roll-call – hot and rammed.  Not exaggerating, it was difficult to physically enter the main dance area that leads from the entrance due to the capacity filled (and then some) crowds that blocked the passage, swaying in hypnotic unity to the beats.  Once inside, and fuelled by the funky atmosphere, The Cross is hot, really hot!

The visible style of the ‘look’ and layout is that distinctly of underground, with muggy and dirty vibes very prevalent.  The brick-work walls and foreign décor was a nice touch, with large mirrors enforcing the appearance of hugely filled areas of happy clubbers.  Further impressions of the layout, it could be somewhat described as a maze.  The venue is not necessarily massive, but with little space to spare and feel totally comfortable while indulging in the physical structure, it was difficult to confirm in the mind exactly where you were at given times.

The cloakroom was the first point of call.  A much-needed deposit of the coats was required, now made redundant by the extreme indoor departure from the bitter cool air outside.  The location convenience was indifferent – it was not as close to the entrance as it might have been, but allowed for the tribal club beats to be experienced in closely surrounding proximity.  The price of £2 per item, haggling perhaps, but is that £1 more than most London venues?

A drink was in order to fully embrace the actively heaving atmosphere.  Bars were situated in two of the three dance areas, with another built into the chill-out zone at the far end of the venue.  They were aesthetically consistent with the other fixtures and fittings, looking very stylish with pleasantly matching bar staff.  Service was speedy with most queues being dispersed fairly easily.  Prices were average for London, with 25ml shots being £3.50 each. 

Mistressmarrisa was however disappointed that her leisurely vodka and coke tasted too much like “blinking watered soft drink” from the ice, although quickly pointed out that Yiddo Jr has no problem seeing her perform with ice! 
Although considered irrelevant by some, the Mistress used her ‘domineering’ power to influence the remainder of this review, exposing a more metaphorical and ‘trippy’ view on the night.

Being a massive advocate of the topic, next for assessment was the lighting and lasers.  Let’s just say that while Yiddo is easily satisfied by the technology, Mistressmarrisa is obsessed – she does live her life in a state of trance after all - and was disappointed by what was on offer, one standard lazer and a mirrorball! A million would have reached closer satisfaction, however to credit of the night the level of lighting did create the murkier and misted side of the underground scene.

Smoke plumes were ever-prevalent, very effective for the atmosphere but too heavy and consistent for comfort, with the Mistress enduring a few coughs (or was that the green? Yiddo is advised not to reveal the secret – oops, a secret no longer!) There was lots of smoke anyway, but the night was positively dreamlike.

The toilets were average for a venue of that size, but exceptionally average.  Only a couple of sets existed, but with such a packed and popular event they were insufficient.  Counting fingers on her hand Mistress’ says there were only four cubicles, clearly not enough for the disgruntled queues present then.  They were average cleanliness in both male and female, but definitely room for improvements from some sights.

Seating was restrictive in the venue with very few places to sit and enjoy a glass of bubbly, however the leathery look of chocolate brown sofas really enhanced the underground club theme.  The alternative to relax though - yippie – a garden!! Oh my goodness the excitement!!  Located by the side of the entry area it was a welcome refresher for chilling – a “retreat from the heat” - looking groovy armada with the green lighting and interesting decorative corner pieces.  Many a trip was made here when collecting thoughts of the night, watching the frustrated punters attempting to gain mobile phone signal that was non-existent within the club.

The music, definitely Azuli stylee!  Not an aspect to be sniffed at, the promotion did itself proud with an impressive array of progressive electro and funky house beats pounding from a bass system to shock the senses.  Billed with the slogan “future sound of the dance underground”, Azuli is very original and very much ‘out there’ in its diverse music, which will be ever-evolving to remain fresh and current.

The crowd were continually entertained with the electro tunes and hard bass, displaying their praise and approval throughout the night.  What was potentially a draw-back was the lack of interaction that seemed to exist from the DJ to the audience, with him even having face obscured in the main room.  Not a long-term relationship there!  Despite the niggle though the music that was amplified from the spinning, mixing and scratching was excellent!

Claustrophobia is not a welcome feeling, and to reach that point, - reiterating the number of people that were crammed into such a tight space was absolutely ridiculous, “packed like sardines” was it Mistress?  It obviously is a sign of success and popularity for an event to be completely buzzing with a sold-out capacity, but in opposition it is unfair for punters to be misled about the comfort of a venue.

As well as stress and agitation, the allowance of so many clubbers is visibly a problem for free-flowing dancing or mingling in and out of dance rooms with ease, let alone making it to the bar without unnecessary efforts.  The extreme heat exuding from the building clearly questions the air condition involvement.

Looking back at the night, the atmosphere in itself was terrific, the multi-cultural environment creating the sense of unification within the themed event.  The music drove on the adrenaline rush, keeping the punters upbeat.  While there were some isolated cases of uptight and unnecessary characteristics displayed by people, the majority of the clubbers had a great attitude and embraced the night as a true celebration for the album launch.

Overall it was considered that despite the electricity being generated by the crowds, music and DJs, it was necessary to be rather intoxicated to completely overshadow the negative aspects of the night which at times left you feeling dismayed. A bigger location would be preferable for such a prestigious event.  The staff were found to be well-mannered, informative and very friendly on the night, made available in every room and entrance which was reassuring, but the environment could have been cleaner, putting ‘dirty underground’ elements aside.

Azuli, hats off to your amazing sounds.  The Cross, a disappointment that should clean itself up and reassess its style to incorporate a stronger and more comfortable sense of identity.

Note to Yiddo: get out the toilets quicker so Mistressmarrisa doesn’t get chatted up by any more geeks!
Note to Mistressmarrisa: Keep up the good promotion work if it earns more free cds in exchange for a photo and business card!

You can see photos from the event in the UKCD Photo Gallery.

Review by Mistressmarrisa and Yiddo Jr