by Joanna Orland
Smirnoff’s global series of original nightlife made its way to London’s O2 nightclub Matter and featured dj sets from Tom Middleton and Hot Chip as well as live performances from hot acts Little Boots and legendary Pet Shop Boys.
This was truly a punter’s party as guests got to shape the night through submitting their suggestions via the event’s Facebook page. Makeovers, fortune tellers, interactive entertainment, digital spray paint and other oddities were on site to make the party unique and oh-so-much-fun. But highlight for us was definitely the Pet Shop Boys brief, but fab 30 minute set in this intimate venue that fit no more than 2000 people.
PSBs took the stage with Chris Lowe wearing a jacket resembling large chunks of a disco ball and Neil Tennant in his usual black suit and shades outfit. We got West End Girls, Always on My Mind, but seriously lacking in Go West and It’s A Sin. Guess you can only ask for a couple of hits with a tiny half hour slot.
Visuals were stunning, backup dancers in primary colours were somehow mesmerizing, but the show stealing moment was the only non-choreographed part of the set. Fans went mental and started throwing stuff on the stage. One fan, who should seriously consider a career in basketball, managed to throw his jacket directly over the head of straight-faced Neil Tennant. It was one of those classic moments that lasted only a split second but somehow it’s the most memorable bit of the evening. Neil struggled to remove the jacket covering his head, we were too busy laughing to take a photo and then once he escaped, Neil resumed the set in his usual straight-faced manner. The fact that it happened to someone as seriously straight-faced as the Pet Shop Boys made it all the funnier. We laughed about it all the way home. The 2-hour journey from south London to north at about 3am.
To sum up, Smirnoff put on a great night. Free flowing vodka, ace music and bizarre entertainment. Inspiring way to convince 2000 people to drink more vodka!!!