The delights of Es Paradis...
- Thread starter Super P
- Start date
I
icebaer69
Guest
Turn back the Clockwork
08 August 2007
Clockwork Orange duo Andy Manston and Danny Gould are joining forces
once more for a special reunion party at Turnmills on August 24.
The Romford pair haven't put on a party together for four years, and fittingly a whole host of the leading jocks who became regulars at Clockwork parties all over the UK and at their spiritual home in Ibiza, Es Paradis, will line up on the night.
In particular, it wouldn't be a Clockwork party without Alex P and Brandon Block, who were residents throughout the now infamous seven-year Es Paradis residency.
Joining them will be Lisa Loud, Jon Pleased Wimmin, Allister Whitehead, Pete Gooding, Jason Bye, plus fellow Romfordites, the two Tonys - Grimley and Nicholls.
Boy George, the Culture Club frontman who became a leading club jock in the '90s and another regular at Clockwork events, headlines the main room.
Also look out for two sets from Andy Manston, one in the main room and another in the Clockwork Ibiza second room.
Clockwork began life in 1993 when early 20-somethings Gould and Manston, the latter a leading house producer these days, hatched up the plan to put on a club night when they were out in the West End one night. As they staggered home, they stumbled across a cinema memorabilia shop with a poster of the cult film A Clockwork Orange in the window.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Danny explains: "It was a match made in Heaven. Me, the boy about town, fingers in pies, and Andy, the bank clerk, steady relationship, career guy.''
I remember going to one of the first Clockwork parties at Paddocks in Holborn, later called The Leisure Lounge, in '93.
Built on a firm foundation of a loyal and faithful friends and punters travelling up from the east London and Essex area, the duo quickly built it into a respected night, going on to alternating between a monthly Saturday at The Cross and two or three big parties at Camden Palace, as well as huge one-offs at various warehouses and film studios. Other homes included Turnmills and Hollywood in Romford.
But it was the residency at Es Paradis from 1994 which really took them to a national (and international) level.
Danny remembers: "As a promotion, Clockwork Orange was a mere snotty-nosed child when Andy summoned up the courage and audacity to call Es Paradis in Ibiza to see if they fancied having two cheeky young chappies come out and arrange some proper old cockney knees-ups. I was just 22!''
Their Wednesday-night residency, with Jeremy Healy as resident, saw them host 12 weekly parties every summer, lasted seven years and included a record attendance at the 25-year-old venue of more than 4,500 people, which still hasn't been beaten.
It was also immortalised in the Sky One documentary Ibiza Uncovered, with the charismatic Danny playing a lead role throughout.
The Clockwork Orange van, which Danny would drive to Ibiza full of props and on a couple of occasions stopping of at the Recorder HQ in Ilford on the way, became synonymous with this era and the parties at the villas the pair hired out each summer are the stuff of hedonistic legends.
Danny concludes: "As the years have faded and grey is slowly catching me up, the memories, various photos and videos are all there is left of those beautiful times. I am so proud and privileged when someone says that there most favourite night out ever was at Clockwork Orange.''
Doors for this event are 10.30pm - 7.30am. Tickets are £10 in advance, £12 for guests before 11.30pm or £15 after. www.turnmills.co.uk/thegalleryturnmills
(www.newhamrecorder.co.uk)
