Orange at Fire has been at the forefront of the innovative clubbing for nearly two decades now. We caught up with promoter Steven Artis to see what the future holds at the iconic venue.
Hi Steven, you’ve been with Orange Nation for over 6 months now…what’s in store for the future?
We’re always pushing ourselves to create new and exciting weekly events at Orange. Sunday is the last day of the weekend and you have to give customers something special and different to get them to come out to play! That’s why we’re always changing, and moving forward with themed parties, always changing to fresh decorations, cool visuals and new ways to make Sunday’s Orange a destination to dance and socialise.
We hear good things are happening at Orange and some big events are in the pipeline. Spill the beans…
Always looking for new ways to attract people to come to Vauxhall we now have Orange resident favorite DJs playing b2b on a monthly basis. I’ve seen the reaction of the crowd and our DJs playing on the same level in touching distance makes it feel like a private house party! Gonzalo b2b with D’Johnny, Zach Burns b2b with Alex Georgiou and Mattias b2b with myself will be a fixture in our monthly calendar! Another date to put in your calendar is Dec 4th as we are going to celebrate our 17th Birthday in style! As it falls so close to World Aids Day (Dec 1st) we are teaming up with the GMFA charity to raise money towards the brilliant work they are doing helping people affected by HIV. We’re also in the middle of a brand new season called ORANGE : SPACE that will run until January. Brand new ‘space themed’ decorations have been installed in both rooms including extra cool visuals and the crowd is loving the new look of the venue but we are not stopping here, there more surprises planned at Orange and as the tag-line says ‘The Future Is Bright’.
Nik Denton at Beyond!
We spoke to the scene stalwart and superstar DJ Nik Denton about his twenty years of DJing
Hi Nik, you are celebrating 20 years of DJing with an album and a tour. For those who do not know you, can you tell us how it all began?
It all started on the dance floor at Turnmills listening to the likes of Tony De Vit, Steve Thomas and Alan Thompson every morning at Trade. I started going there when I was just 16 and absolutely loved it. I wanted to do what the DJs at Trade did, and make people feel how I was feeling about dance music. So I soon had decks and ended up playing my first gig just before my 18th birthday 20 years ago. The rest is history, and I feel very lucky to have had the career and experiences I’ve had over the past two decades.
What’s your fondest memory from the last 20 years in clubs?
I hate this question, because there are so many great memories for all sorts of different reasons. However, when I was asked to play the official TDV memorial night alongside Fergie, Ian M, Pete Wardman, Paul King and other DJ icons I felt extremely proud and honoured. I also can’t forget the first time I played at Turnmills. I was so nervous I wanted to walk out.
If you could go on a dinner date with ANYBODY, dead or alive, who would it be?
Without doubt Tony De Vit. I’d have so much to ask him and chat about. My gorgeous boyfriend would have to be in attendance too… of course.
What can we expect from you in the future?
After moving away from Manchester and putting promoting regular events behind me, I’ve managed to have a little bit more time to commit to DJing in recent months. I’m back in the driving seat and loving it! I’ve not been in the studio much this year, and for some time have put a hold on international gigs, so in 2017 I intend to get back in the studio more, and maybe venture outside of the UK a little more. For now though, I’m 100% focused on my residencies for Orange Nation which I love and will be playing some very special events for my 20 year anniversary around the UK and a little further afield. All the events and details of the celebrations will be posted on my Facebook artist page @toolboxdjnikdenton / Nik Denton page and links from www.nikdenton.co.uk
• See the start of Nik’s tour at Beyond this Sunday 20th November. Fire, South Lambeth Road, SW8 1RT. 4am – midday. £13 concession before 7am, £16 OTD.
