Image courtesy of Louis Bekk & Friends
The inception of Louis Bekk & Friends's shows stemmed from a collective vision to break free from the confines of conventional London traditional nightlife. "Everything in Central London is centered around the weight of people's wallet, bottle and table service culture and it is not very democratic." explains co-founder Jan De Corte. "We wanted to create a sort of anti-member club, where people felt part of an exclusive event while being able to include everyone."
Reflecting on the success of the first installment at 299 London, De Corte remarks, "It's incredibly motivating to organise something yourself and to get feedback from the community. We are constantly learning and working towards offering a better experience for our community." The event saw rising star Johnnie Hartmann and DJ duo Flag Twins opening as well as Bekk's viral remix of Flume's hit Never Be Like You played live for the first time. "The Flag Twins did an incredible job warming up, and the moment where Louis played [Never Be Like You] was very unique as the whole crowd was singing along." Considering the support for the sold-out show and the associated Marylebone Boys social media (a visual diary documenting and parodying life in the neighborhood - think a 21st-century Sloane Ranger set a little further East), it's clear that the London community is at the heart of the collective: "Marylebone has such great potential and is full of creative entrepreneurs. We felt like a big community event would really add something special."
The collective is fueled with enthusiasm to elevate their upcoming event at Maroto Mayfair on Friday 8th March, which will not only see the return of Hartmann but the support of house & techno producer and DJ Berghmann. "The first ticketed event we did has really set the bar." admits De Corte ahead of the impromptu show. "Our effort is all about bringing people together, good people, and have fun." As the collective look towards future performances at concert venues - and in the celebration of their final London club venue - a guestlist is available to sign up to here.
Cover image courtesy of Borja Marting
Emma Lee is a London-based arts news journalist. Her work has been featured in Vogue, The Art Newspaper and the Financial Times specialising in art market analysis.