It is with sadness that I announce that I have now left the Royal Vauxhall Tavern. I will not be returning to DJ at the venue again on a Sunday. After a 16 year (unbroken) weekly residency, the time has come for me to move on. Many of you will know that I have been dissatisfied, for quite some time, about the frustrating lack of marketing and vision for Sundays. As I don’t see it improving, any time soon, I took the opportunity to leave while I still had fond memories of the place and while I still had a thrill and excitement to DJ. As I left the club last Sunday, my final night, a lad grabbed me and said ‘you’re wasted here mate!’. I smiled and said ‘thank you, that means a great deal’. He had said, in all too few words, what I needed to hear to make the decision I had for months been afraid to make. It was a good and busy night, and Id played my socks off (with some bloody great tunes) to a fabulously responsive crowd, but I was not happy. Much soul-searching on the train home left me thinking things had to change, for me and for the RVT. I launched CHILL-OUT, all those years ago, as a place for my friends to party on a Sunday afternoon/evening. And 16 years on, many of my friends still dance there. Naturally, I am immensely proud of the 16 years of CHILL-OUT, [15 years at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, with the first year at the Father Red Cap in Camberwell]. Hundreds of names flash through my mind as I think who I should thank. Top of the list is Jonathan Paul Hellyer, aka The D.E. Experience (the figurehead and true star of many a treasured Sunday), Simon Le Vans (a DJ I have always rated highly and admired hugely), plus owners Paul Oxley and James Lindsay. Others in the camp have been more than brilliant, Robert James Ptolomy Taylor, Craig Munday, Mike Kear, Rob C, Charlie Hides, James Alexander Hides, Door Matt Trew and Ray Aloysius Farrelly, plus all the various fabulous security, bar and door staff. We’ve had some incredibly fun years and some truly special times. I think of all these people as very dear friends. My biggest thanks goes to 2 people, without whom Sundays at the RVT would NEVER have happened, my DJ partner for the full 16 years, Sean Sirrs, and my original and always by far best boss, Jason Dickie. 2 wonderfully loyal and supportive friends who I love very much. Finally, my most heartfelt thanks goes to the customers – each and every one of you. From the weekly regulars to the occasional South London Action Girl who popped in for a boogie, YOU were the reason Sundays at the RVT was such a success and why it rocked for 16 magical years. What an amazing family we made eh? Hold on to those memories, all of you. I certainly will. I shall miss it of course, but I do feel ready to call it a day. It is time for new challenges and boy am I ready for them. You can catch me DJing on the main floor at XXL at Pulse on New Year’s Eve. Now THAT really is going to be a special night. And from there, who knows? As I own the Chill-Out name and logo, the RVT will be forced to rebrand shortly. I have yet to discuss with the venue the future of my other club night, ANTHEM - OLD SKOOL REUNION. The likelihood is that I will take the brand elsewhere. I have other perfect venues in mind and exciting ideas as to how I might expand the format. Over the last 4 years, ANTHEM - OLD SKOOL REUNION has set the bar quite high, as far as retro dance parties go. It will continue. I will not be DJing at the RVT tomorrow. It is an unfortunate week to end on, as I always loved World AIDS Day for the team spirit and celebration of life, love and friendship. I would like to donate a £100 to whichever AIDS charity the RVT are collecting for, at the event. I shall be with you in spirit guys (though probably walking my dogs in muddy fields at that time!). I shall also be thinking of the many friends I have lost to AIDS. I remember fondly those I danced with in Earl’s Court, Soho and at Heaven, in the late 80s and early 90s, who battled and finally succumbed to this truly devastating and awful disease. Let us never forget how they suffered. And let’s dance on, in their memory. I tried to think of a tune that sums up how I feel about my departure from the Tavern. My CLUB JUNKIES remix of Giant Killers ‘Time Of Our Lives’, a real RVT Anthem of old, pretty well says it all. Thank you, all of you, for the best days of our lives! :) I wish the venue and the rest of the team continued success. Andy
Posted on: Sat, 30 Nov 2013 14:07:28 +0000
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