Soul Session Closes The Summer daytime party takes place this Sunday September 10th from 2pm till midnight at Ministry of Sound with the deep afro sounds of Antony Ranz (Birthday Set), Kismet, Masterstepz, Petchy, DJ Pioneer and Wigman. Spinning strictly Old Skool are Djs Angie B, Carlos Aries, Gavin Peters, Love Precious, Mark Radford, Rob Wallace and Sy Sez whilst in the Loft it’s the soulful sounds of Chrissy Millard & James Essex, David Bailey, Lady T, MissFly, Solly Brown and Ted Lawrence. Rounding off the line up are rising tribal beats stars Angela Rose, Knowledge, Marcus Damon, Melo D and Morgan Black. Topped up with percussion from Pivotal The Wizard and J W Percussion and MC’s Fro, Gemini, Jah D, Onxy Stone, Snoops, Spidey G and Tippa presiding over the festivities.
We catch up with the driving force behind the clubbing brand, Soul Sessions, Marcelle White as she gives her lowdown on the highlights of life in the capital.
What’s the best thing about London?
London is the melting pot for all cultures and I just love its diversity in everything from the music to the food, to the fashion. It’s got so much to offer in terms of people, amenities and things to do, getting around the city on public transport is easy and it just gives you a huge sense of freedom. It’s a really strong vibe that’s impacting people from outside of London with its unique cultural contribution.
What’s the worst thing about London?
It’s the weather and the roads which since the pandemic have all been slowed down to one lane and are fitted with all manner of speed cameras to generate fines when you’re driving normally at 30 mph.
Where do you go to have fun?
With our inspiring cultural diversity there’s a plethora of events always on from club events, day parties, and in the summertime I like to go festivals like City Splash. I like to walk along the Regents Canal path, Highbury Fields, Alexandra Palace and Victoria Park. There’s good fun to be had at comedy shows and the last one I saw at Boxpark Croydon was great. I’m also a skater and Thursday nights have become a thing outside Arsenal FC’s Emirates Stadium where people come together to skate and hang out.
London’s historic and its architecture and different areas are also really appealing and I often discover new areas to walk around.
Where is the most relaxing place in town?
I like to start the day in a relaxing fashion when I can by doing pilates or yoga or having a sauna. From there’s it’s nice to stroll down the canal path, grab a coffee or brunch at one of the restaurants on the canal or divert off to a market like Columbia Road Flower Market or Broadway Market in London Fields.
Where is your favourite place for eats and drinks in London?
One of my favourites is Skewd in Cockfosters. It’s a really nice classy Turkish restaurant with a private room if you want to host a birthday party there’s the sister and private roomed venue The Vault. Another favourite is the mediterranean style Mem & Laz Brasserie in Islington or for cocktails Simmonds on Essex Road. Bar 90 on the canal in Hackney also do great cocktails.
If I could change one thing about London…
The weather…we would have way more sunshine :-)
Also I would like to see London’s clubbing industry more regulated as as a black business brand partner, I think things need to be fairer with more transparency as we have felt up against it with venues and councils etc. in certain situations.
What’s your favourite venue to host parties at and what makes it so special?
We’ve had an excellent run of parties and events with Studio 9294, Bar 90 and the much-missed Oval Space in Hackney. In some ways our Oval Space parties were a catalyst as we realised we could do great one room parties. We’ve also enjoyed a great reception from Night Tales, whose hospitality is lovely and also Ministry of Sound.
The song that reminds me most of London is…
‘It’s A London Thing’ by Scott Garcia. The energy of this song, which I first heard, when I first started going out raving and how it become a huge hit and really shows off the London vibe. What we bring musically..it kicks off doors and changes the game, and this is a great example of that. How we play music and how we rave in London is different and our edgy culture and sounds resonate across the world. It’s a constantly evolving moving thing that’s always bringing new trends in.
One thing everyone should do in London is…
Spend a day sampling the delights of Portobello Road market.It’s one of the most vibrant places in London in terms of people and characters that you don’t see in any other area. There’s some great stalls and you can sit outside a restaurant or bar and see people driving down with incredible classic old cars as you people watch and just start striking up conversations with all kinds of interesting people. It’s got that boho, retro and vintage fashion vibe and it’s always different when you go.
Soul Session Closes The Summer daytime party takes place this Sunday September 10th from 2pm till midnight at Ministry of Sound with the deep afro sounds of Antony Ranz (Birthday Set), Kismet, Masterstepz, Petchy, DJ Pioneer and Wigman. Spinning strictly Old Skool are Djs Angie B, Carlos Aries, Gavin Peters, Love Precious, Mark Radford, Rob Wallace and Sy Sez whilst in the Loft it’s the soulful sounds of Chrissy Millard & James Essex, David Bailey, Lady T, MissFly, Solly Brown and Ted Lawrence. Rounding off the line up are rising tribal beats stars Angela Rose, Knowledge, Marcus Damon, Melo D and Morgan Black. Topped up with percussion from Pivotal The Wizard and J W Percussion and MC’s Fro, Gemini, Jah D, Onxy Stone, Snoops, Spidey G and Tippa presiding over the festivities.
Percussion: Pivotal The Wizard and J W Percussion