Will from Matter @ O2 Industry Interview
Matter opened it doors for the first time in September 2008, but has it met the expectations of dedicated clubbers and music lovers? The Head of Promotions at Matter, Will, has given us his personal account on how the club is coming along.
So Will, tell us what you are responsible for at Matter?
Booking bands and DJs, running the venue diary and delivering all aspects of a show from promotion to press and production.
What is the philosophy behind the name Matter?
In a scientific context matter is everything and nothing. We liked the fact it was understated and really irrelevant. It’s a just a name and what’s really important is who is in the DJ booth or on stage. That’s what matters.
What crowds are you aiming to attract? Who do you really want in your club?
As a venue we play host to so many different genres of music that it’s different every night. For RAM & Hospitality drum and bass fans come in their droves, when Trentemoller plays its techno & electronica fans and when The Wombats played it was full of 14+ indie kids. We welcome anyone who is a music fan or just out for a good time.
Since opening in September 2008, how many events has Matter put on?
88 events with just under 200,000 people through our doors.
In your eyes which has been the biggest night so far and why?
There have been a lot of really big ones. NYE with 2MANYDJS, Cocoon with Sven Vath (he did not stop playing until 3pm on Sunday afternoon) but the drum and bass nights down there are really legendary already. Tickets are always well in demand usually selling out a month in advance. I have worked at hundreds of D&B events and I can safely say that at RAM & Hospitality it is simply the best, nicest and most up-for-it crowd I have ever seen.
Hospitality at Matter
How have the RAM and Hospital clubbers taken to the new club? What type of things have people been saying?
Biggest comments always come back to the sound – it can really rattle your soul! Great feedback on the space from the big terraced steps at the back of room 1 dancefloor, to the boring things like the fact you get in swiftly, you don’t have to queue for the smoking area, the toilets are well looked after, security are friendly – we work hard on all these little bits.
Tell us more about Body Kinetic. What exactly is it and how does it improve the clubbing experience?
It’s a series of bass traducers under a suspended, isolated floor. They are effectively like pistons hammering bass frequencies through your skeleton. It turns everyone on the dance floor into part of the sound system.
What forthcoming events should people get really excited about?
I am looking forward to FWD>> Vs Rinse on July 31st – the line-up is immense and really diverse. All of July is really strong with
Hospitality, the return of Sven Vath & Cocoon, The Pet Shop Boys live, Ladytron live, Tiga, Josh Wink and of course FWD>> Vs Rinse on July 31st. Not forgetting the 1st birthday in September!
Are there any plans to develop Matter?
We try and develop every week, it’s a different venue from when we first opened, and we have learned so much in the last few months. We have a lot more work to do – it’s not yet the finished product that we know it can be! We are working hard on the live side of things at the moment, that’s an area we starting to make some good progress in.
