This Bank Holiday weekend there are two massive parties happening at Pulse, on Saturday (24 Aug) it’s XXL Fetish and on Sunday (25 Aug) XXL Hard On as they team up with the legendary club night. Dave Cross spoke to DJs Pagano from XXL and Brent Nicholls from Hard On about playing at the club.
Pagano: XXL Fetish
Saturday 24 August, 10pm to 7am
Hi Pagano, can you sum up what it is that makes playing at XXL so special?
Playing a recurrent gig for such an up for it crowd gives me the opportunity to develop my sound and push my music even further. It’s also great to come back every month to so many friendly and familiar faces!
How would you describe the set you play there, is it especially for XXL?
It is unique indeed. XXL has always had a music policy leaning towards the more mainstream side of dance music. The challenge was always going to be to stay true to myself and my more underground tech house and techno infused sound, but at the same time keeping in mind what the club had been about until my arrival. I’d say this probably helped me to become a better DJ and pushed me to create lots of special edits and bootleg of classics just to drop during my sets at XXL.
Why do you think spaces such as XXL are important?
XXL has gone from a bear only event to become London’s Saturday night dance club for gay men. We need safe spaces like this for men to be able to socialise and explore their sexuality. This is especially true considering the rampant increase in homophobic attacks all over the UK.
This Bank Holiday weekend the theme is Fetish, is there a fetish you have you can share with us?
When I was young I used to fantasise about having wild sex with a Hells Angel style Viking with a goatee and a blonde pony tail. These days I prefer
Netflix and chill with my lovely boyfriend.
What track are you most looking forward to playing at XXL on Saturday?
My new collaborations with Filterheadz and Agent Orange are my biggest tracks of the summer. I also just finished a remix for
Mauro Picotto’s new single and I can’t wait to test it with the XXL crowd.
Brent Nichols: XXL Hard On
Sunday 25 August, 10pm to 7am
Hi Brent are you looking forward to playing at Pulse for XXL Hard On on Bank Holiday Sunday?
In the past I have DJ’d for quite a few major promoters and clubs, however I will be breaking my XXL cherry as I have never played for them before.
I missed the first XXL/Hard On collaboration last May Bank Holiday due to commitments in Canada/USA, so I am very excited about dropping some tunes for this event.
How would you describe the sound you will play?
My sound will very much reflect what I usually play at Hard On with a bit of an XXL twist. You can expect dirty, sexy, uplifting tech beats with some techno, all with a funky edge. If you visit my website and search Hard On or follow this link djbrentnicholls.com/tag/hard-on/ you will get a list of my Hard On mixes you can stream to get a good taste of what I will be serving at Pulse.
How did the team up between Hard On and XXL happen?
The idea came up over a year ago between the Hard On promoter Suzie Krueger and XXL promoter Mark Ames. On the last May Bank Holiday it finally came to fruition and was such a huge success they thought they would do it again for the August Bank Holiday…and there was no way I was going to miss this one! Fetish meets bears, how could it not be a success.
Hard On is famous, or infamous for its dress code, will this apply on Sunday at Pulse?
It’s true, Hard On has a very strict dress code, however, for collaborations like this the dress code is more relaxed…the only condition is “dress sexy”…and we all like sexy!
Will there be guest performers?
There won’t be any porn performers if that is what you are hinting at… you will have to come to Hard On for that! Perhaps go-gos, but the horny crowd will be enough for me.
Information and tickets at xxl-london.com
XXL at Pulse, 1 Invicta Plaza, Blackfriars Bridge Road, SE1.
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