Happy days are here with MoS

The Ministry of Sound (MoS) will be having its grand opening next week with a mix of resident DJs, loads of VIPs and a sound-and-light show to "blow your mind," said project director Peter Bowden.

Following the opening on Thursday, the UK's Jon Carter will be playing the club on Saturday (March 27) and Danny Howells will be appearing the week after that.

Bowden confirmed that Asia's biggest purpose-built club gained its license to operate last week from the Taipei City Government authorities, after a series of building and administrative delays.

"Yeah, it's 100 percent. We will definitely be opening on the 25th. Happy days, I'm pleased with everything," he said.

Tackling doubts that people will not travel to Neihu (the club is located on Lequn Third Road (樂群三路) when the novelty has worn off, Bowden has had a brainwave: take a cab to the club and get the fare deducted from the price of entry. "It gets rid of all the problems," Bowden said, "There's a limit of NT$250. You just pull up outside the club."

He said the majority of drinks would be priced at a competitive NT$150 (undercutting most city center pubs) and the club would be open four nights a week, with ladies' night on Wednesday, a retro night on Thursday and big weekend parties on Friday and Saturday. Entrance before 11pm will be around NT$200 in the midweek and NT$350 on the weekend; or after 11pm it will be NT$250 midweek and NT$600 on the weekend.

As for the music, superstar DJs will be flying in from around the world and local artists will join international resident DJs.

Already lined up are legendary Studio 54 hedonist Bert Bevans, who will be bringing glam and soulful house toward the end of April. Around the same time "the most powerful voice in the music business," Jocelyn Brown, will be putting on a live show.

DJs Chozie and @llen have been approached to provide some local flava during the opening phase while other turntablists are being interviewed and selected.

Resident DJs include the UK's Damian Saint -- a former MoS DJ competition winner -- who has been tapped to keep the dance floor pumping in the main arena, either warming up for the superstars or taking the spotlight himself.

His first love is trance, which he fell in love with on a visit to Ibiza in 1998, and this should suit local crowds, though he now bends toward funky house. He made his name in Thailand when MoS opened there and was even voted the country's top DJ.

In the second room will be DJ Buff, another Englishman who made his name in Spain, but has more recently become a global player with residencies in Hong Kong (where he records under the name Causeway Masters), the French Alps and the UK. He is expected to bring the Balearic vibe (think mellow and sexy) to the chillout zone .