Nightlife

Mash-Up

Club World, hold on!

Wednesday, February 13, saw the release of the complete list of nominees for 2008’s Sixth Annual Club World Awards, which will be held on March 26 at Opium Group’s Set nightclub during the Winter Music Conference in Miami. The panel-judged CWAs are to the club industry what DJ Magazine’s annual Top 100 poll is to DJs—everything. As mentioned in the January 24 issue of the Weekly, Tabu—guess they let the cat out of the bag—strode right into its fifth nom for Best Lounge after having won the coveted disco-ball statue the first three times.

Vegas-based Pure Management Group amassed eight nominations, including Pure for Best Superclub, Timbaland and DJ AM’s collaboration at Pure for Best One-Off, LAX’s DJ Vice for Best Resident DJ, Bob Sinclar’s launch of LAX industry Wednesdays for Best DJ Set and more. Ironically, in the category of Best New Venue, PMG goes up against itself for LAX and Aura nightclub in the Bahamas. Also honored in that category is Tao Beach.

Light Group racked up a heap of nominations, including Best Club (Jet), Best Video System (Jet), Best Party (Steven Lockwood’s A/V at—you guessed it—Jet), and Best Resident VJ (Roonie G. for Steven Lockwood’s A/V at—say it with me now—Jet).

But the mainstream megaclubs aren’t the only ones getting some love from the CWAs. Newcomer Blush Boutique Nightclub (strange, given its status as a “Boutique Nightclub”) joins Tabu in the Best Lounge category, Mandalay Bay’s Eyecandy Sound Lounge & Bar joins Jet in being nominated for Best Video System, and Empire Ballroom gets a nod from its loyal fans in the People’s Choice Nightstalker Award.

Most excitingly, the People’s Choice categories have been expanded this year, allowing avid clubbers to vote for a favorite venue via the aforementioned Nightstalker award and on music for the Club Banger of the Year (instrumentals), Club Anthem of the Year (vocals) and Best DJ Set. Online dance music portal Beatport.com will host a Club World Awards page (beatportal.com/clubworldawards). Voting will be hosted on Partystrands.com and will be live February 18-March 3.

This year’s lineup incorporates six new categories in which Vegas is, not surprisingly, up for three nods for Best Bottle Service thanks to Jet, Pure and Tao. C’mon, was there every any doubt?!

Three and a half questions with DJ Lady Miss Kier

The deee-lovely Lady Miss Kier will celebrate her Valentine’s Day in Vegas at Mandalay Bay’s Mix Lounge. Deee-Lite’s former chanteuse will bring lovebirds a blend of obscure disco, punk-funk, acid house and modern dance cuts. She’ll also play slower jams for couples wanting that warm and fuzzy feeling, but promises with all her heart to get the night jumping.

How did you make the transition from singing and writing to DJing?

It all relates. It’s all music. I have learned to balance all three, but it did take a few years. After I left the band, I really missed how Dmitry [the group’s DJ] would be practicing his sets, and I’d get to hear all the new jams. I used to sing love songs about his DJing, so it only made sense to begin myself after we split up. I could never live without music, and I can’t imagine what the world would be like without it. The thought itself is sadder than a dog with two legs, no bone and no tail to wag.

You have a wonderful gay following. Why do you think the gay community associates with your music so well, or vice-versa?

I relate to any group of people who have endured a struggle, probably because I didn’t have a stable upbringing and had to crawl through the broken glass on my knees to get where I think I need to be. The gay women and men I met in New York City when I moved there in the ’80s seemed to enlighten me on so many levels with the music choices, club sound systems, open-door policies, humor, flamboyancy and political community involvement and organization.

Since your days with Deee-Lite, you’ve been active in political and social causes. What are you currently most passionate about?

I call and write my Congress reps about a variety of issues to let them know there are people watching them at work. The big issues for me that replay in my mind are: voter fraud of the last two presidential “erections,” bringing our troops home and providing them the housing and health care they deserve, trying the current administration for war crimes and keeping church and state separate as the writers of our Constitution intended.

Do you have anything special planned for your Valentine’s Day wardrobe?

I searched for the ugliest and puffiest red party dress I could find!

V-Day, what’s it all about?

“Getting lucky! ... If you are lucky to have somebody to get lucky with!”

—DJ Fabian throws out his two cents (as well as a little romantic optimism) on the importance of Valentine’s Day.

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