As One at Fire

AS ONE - NYD (01.01. 2012) @ Fire – LondonOhh "Happy New Year", yeh yeh we got locked out of Facebuck so a bit of a delay in sending you our b.itchin greetings. And thanks for voting for us in the New Years Honours List – The Queen was 'not amused'.Our New Year clubbing decision was based on the need to find something we never tried before, after our last WE party we needed a change. AS ONE has never appealed before - as both we had seen long queues in snow one year after we came from SuperMartXe at the Brixton Academy and then the mix of clubs – can all those Bears, Trannies, Club Kids, Beefcakes, Buff Boys, Hunks and everyone in-between really get on in one club. Well there was only one way to tell!Our arrival time was perfectly not co-ordinated with just too many separate friends groups, some coming on from WE Party where they were on a mega ticket of clubbing – so hardcore. We were having a nice simple 'one party' new year celebration - so an early 23.30 rendezvous at Vauxhall Station meant we walked with nervous "queue thoughts" down to Fire's main entrance, only to be told we had past the entrance which was at the Lightbox entrance – oops we had thought that was the VIP entrance to Protocol. Oh shows what chavs we really are then. But through the gate, still expecting a massive queue hiding behind, but no, straight into an efficient but polite security check in the courtyard. Then a lil walk along behind the arches to the Fire Garden area where picnic benches were being laid out. To the coat check. Oh – no, no – no queue but IT'S OUTSIDE – yes neatly barriered and seemingly would work very efficiently - but did anyone think how cold it was – thinking more for the morning. But we can freeze the thought there, and return to it in the morning I guess. So handing over our layers to the friendly and already cold joking girls on the coat check team – we smiled wryly at the prospect.So running through and guessing which set of doors gets you into the club we were safely inside the much warmer club and grabbed our New Year Drinks with friends in the Mirror Arch bar - and were there a whole load of us assembled. So through to the main room which was already nicely pumping and we took up residence near the steps in the 'bar quarter' of the main room which was hosting Orange this evening. The music was certainly very upfront and vocal and totally suiting our mood. With Smokin'Jo on the decks later that evening you really sensed a superior internationally famous talented DJ in her tracks. The crowd was nicely mixed but your general 'Fire' clubbers – cute, toned and tops off – and buff bodies – oh all except the one girl with us – who pulled a guy in five minutes and was off home again!The excitement was marred at one point by one of our party believing he had just had his phone pick pocketed on the dance floor – jeez – he spent an hour trapsing about looking and reporting back to security and then found it in his back pocket later that evening – the total muppet – well in his defence he said "but I never keep it in that pocket" – ok Sherlock duh.So with the night progressing we checked out the eclectic mix of clubs – finding that the MegaWoof in the Lightbox was pumping some great tracks (making us think we might visit that club one day even) – perhaps when you lose your baby face babes). But Daz Saund and Micky Galiano were doing the stuff and we love the room – still in love with the light array and that rather cute tall toned Dr lad who kept following Tall-B.itch from room to room. Although interesting we didn't see many MegaWoof stereotypes in that room.We kept walking through the Trade 'mirror arch' but not long enough to dance, as our draw was the main room – as it so often is at our clubbing extravaganza. And we didn't manage to visit The Fire Lounge and of course we chavs were not invited to the VIP area – don't they know who we are?The main room remained full with plenty of space at the bar end – but not in that 'ooh the club is emptying' fashion – this was comfortable New Year clubbing.Our party friends who had been WE parting as well, certainly didn't last until the early morning but we made a conscious decision to leave before the usual Beyond timed exit – and yes it was a bit chilly waiting for the coats – although not too long a wait thank goodness. We then proceed to Charriots to find it 'closed until Midday' so with no Tubes running yet – yes we joined the last of our mad friends for Beyond and Tall-B.itch was flavour of the month with the Dr boy sniffing around plus two other couples – but we were happy together – bringing in the New Year our way without external carnal interference or intervention and some lovely Beyond beats.So our first ever AS ONE and we had a great time, perhaps the more upfront pumping vocal house music was the key (yes we loved Orange @ Pride) so maybe its SceneB.itch that is changing – we are on a journey through life and we know what we like music wise. Even though there were five clubs in one – we only go to two of them – but then again – we only had to queue to get in once. And a key thing we noticed is that there was not any great segregation of types in the rooms we saw – just generally clubbers of all shapes and sizes from the United Nations of Clubland – but seeing so many friendly faces in terms of friends and acquaintances was the contributing factor to the nights success. Thank you and Happy New Year at AS ONE and that might mean SceneB.itch will be back. p.s. find SceneBitch on Face-buck