With Barcelona’s infamous clubbing institution on the move, the “El Row Rowshow” paraded its way onto our shores for a string of dates, bringing colourful carnival vibrations to the East End, whilst aiding in any post Ibiza or festival blues which some may be experiencing.
We hot footed it across to Studio 338 on a relatively sunny September afternoon to be greeted by a queue of people who looked like they hadn’t gone home from last weekend's Notting Hill Carnival. Serious thought had gone into some of the outfits, and once your inside, you come to realise why.
If your relatively new to the whole El Row experience, then this is definitely a bash different from the rest. El Row brings the some of the most creative, vibrant and encapsulating productions to their events, and this London debut was going to be no exception. Teaming up with the Jo Vilder of Secret Productions and Bristol heavyweight promoters Motion, this had the hallmarks of a great celebration.
Inside was transformed into a tropical jungle that visually assault your senses whilst being bombarded with colourful inflatables and flying confetti whilst you roamed around this elaborate Brazilian carnival fanfare. The party was equipped with dancers on stilts, inflatables monsters, fancy dress hedonists and confetti cannons galore. Trust me, this is only part of the madness known as the “El Row experience”.
Kicking off in the day, excellent weather accompanied Tim Rio’s mid afternoon set as he got the crowd into the mood for this humid Latin themed gathering. With a “up for it”, carefree crowd, the afternoon became a whirlwind of colourful decorations and smiling faces happily entwined with some great Balearic beats blasting out on Studio 338’s ample system. With the evening settling in, Jackmaster, the first unannounced guest of the night turned up with his proficient sidekick, Jasper James, who complemented the awesome production with some huge anthems to keep that party sprit well and truly kicking. El Row’s infamous residents Toni Varga and De La Swing, delivered the action until midnight with “Rowshow's” infectious vibes happily infesting in the East London air.
With a scene awash with nights straining to be edgy, minimal with dark and stern music policies, this is one party that doesn’t like to be taken too seriously. You genuinely feel part of the whole experience with the focus on having a good time rather than over analysing and dissecting your favourite deejay’s set. With the Witching hour upon us, Eats Everything, the second unannounced guest, was exactly the antidote for the El Row masses to carry them through to the 3am finish. The Bristol heavyweight (excuse the pun) came with a high energy set filled with numerous party anthems, which for me reached its pinnacle when he dropped Fish Go Deep’s, 'Cure and the Cause' for a zealous and vocally enthusiastic mob.
El Row has to be one of the best parties on the planet, hands down. Doesn’t matter if you’re in Ibiza, Barcelona or Birmingham, these guys have all the ingredients to conjure up great festivity, and it's safe to say that East London definitely got splashed with El Row’s vivacious flavours, something long overdue in the capital’s house scene. The Spanish promoter’s arrival adds much needed diversity to UK’s dance venues, and with them, they bring an abundance of fun and great vibes.
El Row have just announced a new London date. December the 12th, Studio 338. If you missed out on the fiesta this time around, be sure to snap up tickets now.
Future Elrow Dates:
Bristol on Saturday 5th December at Motion
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El Row's "Rowshow" comes to East London
