oh wow. I'm sure that they will work out the tweeks to make it better. I rememeber the sound was pretty bad at arena, but they did work on to get it down. It's not just the Dj's that make a club, but also the crowd!

My review:

It was a fun night. The DJs did what theye were supposed to do. I missed a good part of Kristina's opening, and came in around the time she played Perry O'Neill's 'Waveforce'.

Taylor did exactly what he was supposed to do - namely set up the main act. He played a really interesting set of unpredictable prog, that meandered from breaks to traditional prog, and even to a recent New Order remix, and towards the end to the Jaques Lu Cont remix of Mr. Brightside. (Some bloke came up to me and asked me what the track playing was. I had zero luck conveying that it was the 'Jacque Lu Cont remix of Mr Brightside by The Killers. After a few feeble attempts I just screamed in his ear that it was the Killers, which seemed to satisfy him).

But let there be no doubt that Taylor fulfilled his responsibility, which was to set up the main act. And that means NO ANTHEMS. Good on him for that.

Acosta came on and instantnly converted Taylor's appropriate setup into a decidedly harder set. I expected much more melodic stuff from him, but to his credit, he came on and really delivered something that I didn't expect. That was refreshing and made the rest of the evening palatable (apart from when Krister doused me with a bottle of water)


At one point during Acosta's set (I was all the way upfront the whole night) I looked back to see how the crowd was doing, and the entire place was packed, which was fantastic. It was just a sea of faces having a good time. You really can't ask for anything more.

Congrats to Leon and Co for really creating a fantastic experience. Long may it continue.

I personally hate with a prog DJ opens for a trance DJ and makes no effort to lead his set appropriately into trance. I hate when I go out on nights with this setup and the floor will be dead because the crowd is there for the trance and not for the prog stuff. The floor can even be full but very few people will be dancing because they just don't want that crap.

I get the feeling that Taylor is this type of DJ...not just from most of the accounts i'm hearing about last night, but from other nights at other places as well.

The sad thing is, though, that while lots of crowds tend to hate this setup, major headlining trance DJs are often against the DJ before him playing trance....and thus promoters are scared to book opening trance DJs.

There's very few DJ who know how to start with prog and lead into edgy trance properly that seems to make the crowd happy and the headlining DJ happen...one of them that does it proper is Gianni up here in SF. I still consider him the best local trance opener around here...and better than anyone I've heard down in LA thus far, too. The man is beautiful at pumping up the music just right to get the crowd to be way into it right when the headliner is set to come on. Wish more openers were like him.

___________________
Dave Toole - [email protected]
Spundae Productions (San Francisco, Los Angeles, Orange County, Las Vegas)

There are, one of the best LA openers is KAZELL. The last time I saw him he opened for Tiesto @ Avalon and all the other times I have seen him, he sets up the music and vibe perfectly. I'm sure some of you LA TA's can vouch for me on that.

quote:

Originally posted by TheQuiz There are, one of the best LA openers is KAZELL. The last time I saw him he opened for Tiesto @ Avalon and all the other times I have seen him, he sets up the music and vibe perfectly. I'm sure some of you LA TA's can vouch for me on that.

PLUS ONE!!!

quote:

Originally posted by TheQuiz There are, one of the best LA openers is KAZELL. The last time I saw him he opened for Tiesto @ Avalon and all the other times I have seen him, he sets up the music and vibe perfectly. I'm sure some of you LA TA's can vouch for me on that.

Last time I saw Kazell was the first night Tiesto play @ Avalon last June and I thought he was boring as an opener.

I had heard him numerous times before that and loved him those nights but it wasn't for opening a trance act, so my mindset was different.

I should make it clear that I'm not talking about whether or not the opening DJ plays a good set for the style of music he or she is playing...I'm not, I am simply talking about if the style is appropriate for the night. I've heard technically excellent set by prog DJs opening for a trance act, but that type of set just wasn't the right one for that night.

Dave

___________________
Dave Toole - [email protected]
Spundae Productions (San Francisco, Los Angeles, Orange County, Las Vegas)

Well well. Finally I get around to doing this! I took a bunch of pictures at Heaven last night and I think I would like to share it with the people here. Many thanks to Leon for letting me take pictures. I had a blast at Heaven and will try to make it as many Heaven events as possible.

Be patient if the server I posted these on go too slow. There are a lot of pictures.

All images displayed are 25% of their native size.













Michael Conway!














































I KICKED IT WITH EFREN RAMIREZ (AKA PEDRO SANCHEZ FROM NAPOLEON DYNAMITE!)


KICKED IT A BIT WITH KRISTINA SKY!












I took a ton of pics, but these are the only ones that I thought turned out decent. I'm still trying to get to know my camera a bit better... hard to focus in on stuff when it's dark. In either case, I had tons of fun... hearing the Mr. Brightside remix got me crazy and the whole night just progressively more fun as the night went on.

Last edited by Global-Trance on May-01-2005 at 10:25

quote:

Originally posted by DaveT The sad thing is, though, that while lots of crowds tend to hate this setup, major headlining trance DJs are often against the DJ before him playing trance....and thus promoters are scared to book opening trance DJs.

And rightfully so. They have no business playing anthems before the main DJ goes on. The evening has to have an arc to it, and each DJ is responsible to make it happen. The evening at Heaven would've been flat and uneventful if it didn't have contrasting styles. Thats why it worked imo.

Wo Wo Woooo. What's a nite. Finally after 2 months waiting and tress out. We make it. It's fucking unreal, I never expect we have that much people because it's Coachella weekend.
Anyway thanks all of you guy who had come and support Heaven to make the Opening nite so successful. It's amazing, fucking packed, people every where, a lot of smiling face. I love it....its look like really massive event.
First. I want to thanks to all advice from Michelle. I will serious take your advise and try my best to fix it as much as we could. We will work our ass up to make it the best dance club in town. Like you guy love Heaven before, and will try to do better and better. And we will keep promise to you guy continue to bring the best dj/producer to LA.
Second. Be honor with you guy, I really don't want Heaven to do 18+ event, because I don't want to turn Heaven event become Rave club. But I don't want to miss any of FANS. So to make some TA under 21 happy we have to take really really high risk. Some time its suck to divide the club 2 area, I know 21+ will not feel comfortable. Some thing @ Arena, 21+ could not bring their drink to the Dance floor. But to keep all you guy happy we have no choice. And I really worry we will lost 21+ crowed if we keep doing that. And Sometime it's not fairs for us. And the funny is, when last year we turn Heaven to 18+, and then we packed the house. So very body we success because we turn the club to 18+, but its complete wrong, we never nerver have more than 50 people under 21. Our crowed is 98% 21+. And last week I tell my self if this Friday I don't have more 100p under 21. Then I have to stop and turn Heaven back to 21+ club. Because it's so much headache, and a lot of shit I have to deal with. It's not really worth it. Sorry for those unlucky 21-, but I hope you guy understand for us. Then finally the grand opening nite we had around 300 under 21. So please give us some advice, what the best to deal with, to make every body happy. So we don't lose 21+ crowed.
OKDOKE, please feel free to send us some advise.

Just keep doing everything you're doing Leon.

There might be some sound issues at the front, that's about it. Fantastic job.

My personal opinion is that I will not attend a club that is 18+. If it's a rock concert or a festival, then I am ok with it...but not in a nightclub. No offense to anyone on the board, but I feel that there are too many people in that age group who are not mature enough to make responsible choices, such as with drugs and alcohol. Note, I am not labeling that whole age group. I am sure there are plenty of responsible people in that age group on this board, it just tends that there are more of them that ruin it for all of you. I don't enjoy tripping over messed up kids or getting hit up for drugs or alcohol (as what happened to me consistently at the Chem Bros concert Friday). I was immature at that age, too, but I'm just sayin'...

I have only been to Heaven once, since I live in SF, so maybe my opinion doesn't count as much, but if I am in LA on a weekend, I won't be choosing to spend my Friday night at a 18+ club, that is going to draw more 21-, and less 21+ because of it. Also I don't enjoy not being able to enjoy my beverage wherever I chose in the club, if that is the case.

Sorry just me 2 cents Leon.