There are few settings in which the beginning of a concert is marked not by the lights going down, but by the evening sky slowly changing colour. At Villa Carminati Resta, the home of The Club on the Lake, the garden looked out across the water as the last of the daylight settled behind the mountains.
Guests arrived while there was still warmth in the air, moving between the garden, terraces and rooms of the 18th century villa. The Club on the Lake is a private members’ club created as a place where people can meet, dine and spend time by the water.
The live programme was opened by Naya Yeira, a young singer and songwriter born in Jakarta and now based in London. Her music brings together alternative R&B, pop and hip hop, with a softer soul influence running through it. Performing in front of the villa and an audience still settling into the night, Naya delivered four songs, including two of her own and two covers.
Patrick Nazemi then took over behind the decks, gradually shifting the mood from aperitivo to party. The audience drew closer to the stage and the rhythm of the early evening began to change.
Craig David arrived dressed in white against the last traces of the summer sky. For more than two decades, his voice has been part of British popular culture. Songs including Fill Me In, 7 Days and Walking Away helped take UK garage and R&B to audiences around the world.
At Villa Carminati, those songs found a very different setting. David was only a few metres from the audience, moving easily between live vocals, DJing and the quick transitions that define his TS5 shows.
TS5 brings together live vocals, DJing and MCing, moving between David’s catalogue, R&B, garage and dance records. At the Club, the format allowed him to respond directly to the room.
As darkness arrived, the villa changed with it. Blue, turquoise and magenta light covered the façade. The mountains disappeared into the night and the garden in front of the stage became a dancefloor. Guests who had spent the first part of the evening talking beside the water were now singing along to songs they had known for years.
Among those enjoying the night were Nathalie Emmanuel, known for Game of Thrones and the Fast & Furious films, and Corey Mylchreest, who played King George in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. They were joined by Bohemian Rhapsody and X-Men: Apocalypse actor Ben Hardy, and Richard Gadd, the creator and star of Baby Reindeer.
Also at Villa Carminati were Saffron Hocking, best known for Top Boy, and Tosin Cole, whose credits include Doctor Who and Supacell. Completing the group were Tom Rhys Harries of White Lines and Suspicion, and Sagar Radia, known for playing Rishi Ramdani in Industry. Their presence added to the international character of the evening, although the atmosphere remained intimate and relaxed.
The Club’s own Instagram called the Craig David performance the first of many events. It was a simple line that captured the feeling of the night. This was an early glimpse of what the house can become when artists, members and guests come together in one of Como’s most distinctive villas.
For membership enquiries, please contact The Club on the Lake through theclubonthelake.com.
