As part of the Pride in London celebrations, Wardour Street in Soho will play host to this year’s cabaret stage, featuring a whole host of talented and bedazzling cabaret artists from across the LGBT community. One of the main hosts on the day is drag/performance artist Michael Twaits, who was also at the helm of this year’s very showbiz Pride’s Got Talent competition. Jason Reid had a pre-Pride chinwag with Michael this week…

For those who’ve never seen you, what can they expect on Saturday? 

I like to call what I do pure cabaret; there’s no script, no plan, just me and the audience in the moment sharing the space and introducing a huge range of acts. I’m sure it will be a riot! I have a CD of tracks to bash out a few songs when the mood takes, but I like the ‘seat of your’ pants approach!

You’ve been quite heavily involved with Pride this year in various roles. 

Yes! I got involved a bit last year with a trial version of Pride’s Got Talent and then this year, Ian (event producer) and I wanted to make it bigger and better! So through my involvement in PGT, I’ve performed to most of the board, producers and events managers for Pride and a result have been asked to help out all over the place which is lovely. It’s great to be apart of it all!

It’s nice to see many of those Pride’s Got Talent acts will perform on the cabaret stage too, alongside more seasoned performers. So after making the competition bigger and better, how did it go this year? I must say, I really enjoyed judging the final… 

The competition has been brilliant! We had such an array of talent, styles and people. It was just so much fun and gained a lot of momentum as the rounds went on. I’ve already agreed to be on board for next year and making it bigger and better. So watch out for that.

From what I saw, it was jam-packed full of variety… 

We really did have it all! The winners and runners-up represent the competition well; Charlie Levy is a gorgeous singer/songwriter, Charlie Monroe is a world-class vocalist, Roxx is a new drag act doing brilliant things on the scene already, and then the hot, young boy-band Tailormade.

Tailormade are SO hot. Anyway, moving on swiftly, how did you go about determining the programme for the stage and what criteria was used this year?

For the section I worked on, our manifesto was about real artists representing the full spectrum of those celebrating Pride. Pride is often criticised for focusing on gay men – we’ve really pushed for diversity, and have all areas of music, stand-up, poetry, theatre, drag, lip-synch and even Margaret Thatcher. Not to mention people who identify under every strand of the LGBT. We had no stipulations from Pride, they trust us completely!

“We’ve really pushed for diversity, and have all areas of music, stand-up, poetry, theatre, drag, lip-synch and even Margaret Thatcher.”

There were a few initial criticisms from fellow performers, who voiced concerns regarding a lack of ethnic diversity in the line-up. How would you respond to that? 

Sadly, you will always offend someone. We ended up with ten acts for our section, and it’s a real shame about the low percentage of black and ethnic performers as it doesn’t represent the full spectrum for Pride. Three acts we wanted to programme, who’d have provided more diversity, actually got taken off our list and programmed on the main stage, which is brilliant for them. I think there would have been more of a hoo-ha if we’d have programmed people purely on their skin colour and to meet a certain quota. Also, Pride as a whole has a higher representation of black and ethnic performers across the stages this year than ever before.

How about what Pride means in 2015? Do you think it’s still as important today as it was when LGBT people had little or no civil liberties? 

Absolutely! There’s a lot of apathy at the younger end of the community. And a lot of segregation between the community. I think people are less worried about equality now as we have so much – and therefore people take it for granted. Pride helps solidify the community and raise awareness of what still needs to be done.

Finally, the theme of this years parade is Pride Heroes, who would be your Pride Cabaret Heroes? 

For me it’s the performers and activists who’ve been putting work out into the mainstream and fucking the system for years: Bette Bourne, Lavinia Coop, Kate Bornstein. And more recently acts like Justin Bond, Our Lady J. People who are so comfortable in who they are and are visible just the way they want to be.

CABARET STAGE LINE UP: 1300-1930 

• Rose Garden & Ross Williams

• Chamonix Aspen (PGT)

• Bambi Boo (PGT)

• Sadie Sinner

• Diane Horan-Hill (PGT) and and Phil Lee-Thomas

• Ollie James-Parr (PGT)

• Marnie Scarlett

• Miss Connie Lingus

• Margaret Thatcher, Queen of Soho

• Pi the Mime

• Ren Stedman

• Virgin Xtravaganzah (above)

• Ruby Wednesday

• Dean Atta

• Crystal Lubrikint

• Adam All & Apple

• Topsie Redfern

• Heels of Glory – A Drag Action Musical

• Divastated

• Tim McArthur, Myra DuBois and Bunny

• Laura Nadia Hunt (PGT)

• Dr Woof & Roxx (PGT)

• Charley Leavy (PGT)

• Murat Sefi

• Vanity Von Glow

• Donna Marie / Lady Gaga

The ultimate glamour toad! Dylan Jones had a word or five with drag race contestant Ginger Minj about her love for London, rhinestones and Geri Halliwell.

*Picks up Phone*

Hello, Ginger Minj calling!

Hi Ginger! Where are you calling from?

Chicago.

The windy city…

Well I did have chilli for lunch.

I was just about to say something like that but you beat me to it. So you were here in London recently right? Judging G-A-Y Porn Idol! How was that?

London changed my life and I want to live there forever.

Oh, so you enjoyed it then?

Within three hours of arriving back in America I’d already shaved off half my hair, dyed the other half black and pierced my nose.

That’s very London. 

I felt like such a better person for being there. I loved it. I’ve never been embraced by fans the way that I was in London. Even just walking through the airport there was a swarm of people coming up to me to say how much they appreciated me and loved me. I couldn’t walk three feet in the streets of London without people stopping me for pictures. It was wonderful. The reception was incredible.

That’s interesting because us lot have a reputation for being quite a reticent bunch…

I know! That’s what I thought too! But it was just wonderful. I can’t gush about it enough.

Was it your first time here?

It was, but I felt like I’d lived there my whole life. I’m gonna move there. I’m totally gonna move there.

I think you’ve got quite a cynical British side to you.

I love American audiences but I really feel like they don’t understand my dry, sarcastic sense of humour. I think that’s why I’ve been so well-embraced by all of the UK fans. They get it, they understand it.

Let’s chat about Drag Race. I remember you saying that if you won you wouldn’t want it to be just because you were a big girl…

Oh absolutely. The question was asked “Do you think it’s time for a big girl to win?” And yeah, I do think if you look at the line-up big girls are underrepresented. Like, no fat girl has ever won. But, while I would have no problem being the fat girl that won, I would want to win because I was a deserving winner. Not because I eat too much.

By the way where did the phrase ‘Glamour Toad’ come from? And what constitutes a Glamour Toad?

I’ve referred to myself as a glamour toad ever since I started doing drag. I’m built like a rugby player. I’ve got wide shoulders, no neck…so when you dress someone up like a woman and they’re built like that, they kinda resemble a toad. So I said if I’m gonna be a toad I’m gonna be a glamorous toad, and wear sequins, rhinestones and feathers from head to toe.

Yeah I always loved your looks! Who are your dragspirations?

I took a lot of my inspiration from the fifties and sixties in general. I love Adele, I think she knows what works for her and she sticks with it. I love that. I also love the girls like Melissa McArthy or Rebel Wilson, who are fuller-figured girls but aren’t afraid to show every curve, they’re not afraid to show leg…they’re not afraid to be sexy.

Who’s your favourite ginger, Ginger Minj?

Ginger Spice!

Oh of course.

I loved her growing up! I loved the Spice Girls! I’ve always been such an Anglophile anyway, that I always gravitate towards the British thing…Prince Harry, oh my god. Another great British ginger.

So what does the future hold for Ginger Minj then?

I’ve got SO much planned. Losing Drag Race was kind of a blessing. Who would want to be Fantasia Barrino when they can be Jennifer Hudson? If I’d won, I’d have been shoved into that box where I’d have to do the same thing over and over again for a year. But having placed second, it’s opened up a lot more doors and given me a lot more opportunities to do the things I wanna do. I’ve got a show (my one-woman show, starring me and three other people). And I just released a single called ‘Ooh La La La La’. AND I just recorded a duet with Margaret Cho.

Awesome. Well, best of luck with everything. 

You too! I’ll look you up when I’m next in England.

Our Drag Race triumvirate is completed by a crowning jewel: Pearl. Our favourite queen named after an oyster-based by-product kindly took some time out of looking dangerously attractive and repeatedly clarifying the spelling of “flazéda” to answer some cheeky questions about Porn Idol, London Pride and pearl necklaces.

Hi Pearl! We like ‘Love Slave’. It’s very 5am-in-a-sling. What was your inspiration?

I couldn’t stand hearing another drag anthem song about wearing nails, clocking a look or being sickening and fierce. I am future-oriented and want to make real money and be a respected music producer. I have a passion for house and nightlife and wanted an album that reflected that.

You whacked that EDM album onto iTunes quickly! Do you have an EDM background?

I always dabbled making beats in my free time. I love music and never realized I could have a career in music until I saw there was nothing stopping me. Having the fan base I have as Pearl made things easier.

Settle a QX debate for us please: top, bottom or “a lady never tells”? 

I think it’s important to not limit yourself in the bedroom.

You were in London recently judging Porn Idol, did you enjoy it? What was your opinion on the quality of the junk on display?

I enjoyed every minute of it. I don’t think Porn Idol is meant to be a sexy show. They seem to have a size maximum allowed! If you’re turned on at Porn Idol, you’re not doing it right.

It’s London Pride this weekend! What makes you proudest?

Opening up the minds of people in my community.

Have you ever given anyone a “pearl necklace”?

Sure.

We loved your dancing on the show. What’s your favourite dance move?

Our horrible ‘Tan With You’ choreography

What’s your plan for world domination?

I don’t want to dominate the world. I just want to live comfortably as a respected artist.

Would you say you’ve perfected the art of resting bitchface?

Resting bitchface (RBF) isn’t an art form. It’s natural and can’t be perfected. It’s a lifestyle.

Cheers Pearl!

Wow. It’s Pride already? Seems like just yesterday I was attempting to do a drunken back flip after too much sangria in Soho Square.

This is my first Pride issue as Scene Editor and I’m very excited to share it with you. Not least our amazing piece of cover artwork by Ego Rodriguez, which ties in nicely to this year’s London Pride Parade.

The theme for 2015 is “Pride Heroes”, quite appropriately as this year has certainly seen no shortage of them. From the long-awaited pardoning of Alan Turing to Caitlyn Jenner’s very public transition, the LGBTQI+ community is filled with brave, courageous individuals who risked their safety, acceptance and place in society to be true to their most authentic selves.

These are admirable people that we should look up to, praise and celebrate. But when thinking about who your role model is, my suggestion is this: be your own hero.

The quickest way to lose oneself is to try and be somebody else. It sounds trite but it rings true. If you focus your energies into emulating somebody else’s path through life, how do you find your own? You won’t know where you’re heading and before you know it, you’re lost in the woods.

Being your own hero means celebrating yourself, your choices, the things you love and hold dear. The things that shape you, that inform the way you live your life. It’s the voice inside that tells you when you don’t want to do something, when you should do something and what you really, truly, deeply need.

“It’s about embracing all the things that you tried to shake off as an embarrassed teenager and owning them now.”

It’s about embracing all the things that you tried to shake off as an embarrassed teenager and owning them now. They are yours, part of your history. Your origin story, if you want to get all X-Men about it, nobody else’s is the same. You are both completely ordinary and utterly extraordinary in a million ways. Most importantly, you are your own. You do not belong to anyone.

We all have heroes, why wouldn’t we? Mine, albeit silly, are Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Britney Spears (I am a child of the 90’s after all). One is a fictional character in a cult teen show about high school vampires and the other is arguably one of the most iconic pop stars in the world. The choices may seem shallow, I concede, but they represent two things to me; in Buffy’s case it’s that being different doesn’t mean being alone, in Britney’s it’s that no matter how dark things get, there’s always hope to turn things around. I admire them, they resonate with me. But I don’t idolise them.

The proclamation that I am my own hero could seem arrogant, but it comes from a sincere appreciation of what I have achieved in my life thus far. Not necessarily jobs or income or material possessions or boyfriends or any of those other silly yardsticks we use to measure personal success. But about being able to walk down the street and feel comfortable with myself. To know that I like myself for what I am and not what I wish I were. To realise that anyone who has a problem with the fact that I exist, is not someone I should be trying to please. I know that the people I surround myself with are there because I enrich their existence in a way they choose not to live without.

For many straight people, this sense of acceptance, of validity, is instilled very early on. They are born into a world that was built to endorse their desires and needs. For the rest of us, things are not always so straightforward. It can take a long time to find that sense of self. To appreciate yourself in a world that does not always appreciate you. You can end up feeling like a salmon swimming upstream for much of your life, but who says upstream is where you’re supposed to go?

Choose your own path and celebrate yourself for it, because it takes guts. You are a hero, so own it. You might even have your own movie someday. Just remember, if Madonna and the Incredibles have taught us anything, it’s to heed this one piece of advice:

NO CAPES!

Have a great London Pride 

- James Egan, Scene Editor

This year’s Pride Survival Guide is brought to you QX’s very own vegetarian, half-American, Libertarian boy Friday, Dylan Jones.  

Lube
Lube is great for getting out of all sorts of tight spots. Or getting into them. Slide into Pride with a trusty sachet! Or a bottle, if you’re posh. Superdrug even does it in a tube, like toothpaste. Careful not to mix them up though. Lube doesn’t taste very nice does it (don’t pretend you’ve never tasted it). And toothpaste as lube is probably quite…tingly. Minty fresh though!

A bandana
We LOVE a bandana. Very rough-and-ready, very boy-interrupted, very Victoria Beckham circa 2001. A boy who wears a bandana knows how to have fun. He’s the sort of person who might have both ketchup AND mayonnaise with his chips. He’d wait until his Oyster card was in minus funds before he topped it up. He doesn’t need a fucking weekly travel card, he’s too cool for that. He’s not dating anyone at the moment, but he is shagging that homeless guy who lives in the Elephant & Castle underpass. He’s just THAT edgy.

A drag queen
A drag queen is VERY useful for surviving Pride’s steaming assault course of side streets strewn with shattered glass and comatose twinks. A drag queen will storm a path through the roiling rubble, heedless of her heels piercing plastic cups, making a beeline for the nearest Port-a-Loo, cabaret stage or luxury flat. We can recommend Vanity von Glow, who we once witnessed starting a fight with a rickshaw (AND WINNING), or John Sizzle, who carries a water pistol and five fireworks in his handbag at all times. We love Lady Lloyd of course, but she’s useless before 7pm, bless her. She probably doesn’t know what 7pm is. She probably thinks it’s a song by Rita Ora (who definitely ISN’T performing at Heaven on Saturday btw).

A copy of The Beach by Alex Garland
Something to sit on the curb and relax with if you start to get a bit trembly (the “Shoreditch Shakes”, is what our friend Ben calls it). The Beach is a subversive, arrestingly dystopic commentary on the beast that lives within all human beings; our greed, our litigiousness and our inherent socio-political idealism. More importantly, the cover looks like a Bel Ami DVD, and Pure Shores by All Saints is on the soundtrack to the movie version. YAY.

A water bottle
Not necessarily with water in it. Well like, you could get a full one and drink the water first, but we all know that water is NOT what water bottles are for. They’re for mixing own-brand supermarket vodka with orange juice. Or for pissing in.

An iPhone 5 Charger
As professional after-party/penis enthusiast Dom Top would say, “Babe, have you got an iPhone 5 charger?” We’ve all heard it. A thousand times. At every after-party from Stoke Newington to Stockwell. Bring a fucking iPhone 5 charger, because your iPhone WILL die, halfway through taking a blurry selfie with Silver Summers, or when you’re about to send your location to ‘VERS FUN’ on Grindr, or (worst of all) when you’re loading YouTube to show someone that ‘Really Rude To Sandra’ clip. Have I got an iPhone 5 charger? I’m SORRY, but no. Come on Sandra, we’re leaving.

A copy of QX Magazine
We’ve heard it’s a really good mag. Really classy and highbrow. JK, it’s a FAG RAG. The tart with a heart of the London newsstands. Like TimeOut run by Baga Chipz. The great thing about all this is though, you’re already one step ahead of the game with the pride survival guide because guess what…you’re reading it RIGHT NOW! You’ve already got it! That’s the great thing about us, we’re ahead of the game. And self-referentialism is, like, so meta. Zeitgeisty innit.

DISCLAIMER: QX accepts NO RESPONSIBILITY for whatever egregious situations you are led into by his numerous nuggets of questionable advice. Thank you.

• Dylan Jones was last seen being dragged into the undergrowth of Soho Square by various Drag Queens of London cast members. If you have any details on his current whereabouts, let his mother know.
He owes her money.

Nieko Strobel is the sparkling smile behind Ku Bar’s Sambuca-spangled success. He puts the Ku in KUrageous and the Bar in wunderBAR! He’s also got a formidable tag-team behind him (so to speak). Among others, there’s fash mag slag Lady Lloyd, sizzling steak slice Rodrigo, and a harem of bar staff that would make Liz Hurley look up from Tatler and go “gosh!” 

Dylan Jones asked him about Ku Bar’s plans for the future, his minty fresh grin, and that nice wallpaper they’ve got.

Nieko! What’s your secret to keeping Ku Bar so fresh, modern and popular?

Our mission has always been to make sure people simply have a fabulous night in Soho; with the latest music and hottest boys around! We constantly work on new campaigns with our boys, as well as continuing re-investment into all venues – our customers are our priority, always, so we make sure Ku remains the place to be.

More importantly what’s your secret to that lovely white smile? It’s whiter than Shakira’s!

You make me blush! I’d say a champagne diet mostly! But I do LOVE going all out for our nights at Ku, with a crown one night and a cape another – Gaga is usually the inspiration, if anyone hadn’t guessed already!

The Ku Bar wallpaper is lovely. Do you have any more interior decorating plans? Another fish tank! 

Oh we do! The summer will see the launch and start of our “Ku 20 Years” campaign – and with it some refreshing new looks across all venues. Expect edgy, artsy, and more slick than ever!

Where do you find your bar men? Because we’d like to go there.

Haha – now that location is a top secret! Well, above anything we look for great spirit, and a great smile! Our boys are the face, front-line and character of Ku, so they love keeping themselves in shape!

How many of them have restraining orders against Lady Lloyd?

They don’t issue them for her any more! I joke… kind of! I absolutely ADORE Lloyd’s style – she’s part of an incredible DJ team we have at Ku. From the glamour of Vicki Vivacious, to Latino hunk Rodrigo, and our hottest new addition DJ Charlie. They play every night on rotation – join them in their outrageousness!

We also enjoy your photo shoots, they’re mouthwatering! 

I’m glad to hear it! We’ve gone for a very Versace edge this year (I’ve always thought myself as Donatella!). Working with celebrity photographer Joe McComick, we’ve created detailed “campaigns” instead of adverts – using the beautiful Ku boys. I love the result – I hope everyone does.

What’s been the best one over the years?

I would say our latest one. Each year has seen a different style – but our current is more edgy and daring than I’ve ever tried at Ku. It’s all about the boys being chic, stylish and vogueing!

What crazy shit do you have planned over Pride?

The Ku Boys are becoming GODS for the day! We’ve got THREE incredible parties! Ku Leicester Square extends its terrace into our Pride Garden Party, Ku Soho explodes with “dancing in the streets” – our gogo’s and dancers in the windows – and at KuKlub, we’re putting on a sizzling after-party with guest DJ Chris Brogan.

We’re asking everyone about their Pride Heroes…who’s yours?

I would say those in the public eye who passionately support LGBT rights – say Jennifer Hudson’s “I Still Love You” video, or James Franco’s passion for his gay roles. People idolize them, and listen to them – their voice make a noise like no other.

We hear a collaboration with CloneZone is in the works?

It’s very exciting! On Pride we’re joining forces with CloneZone in the parade (make sure you keep an eye out – we’ll be walking with Alex Minsky), as well as a clothing and marketing partnership afterwards – as CloneZone go international! Get ready for some very sexy offers, events and eye-candy!

If Ku Bar were a pop star, which pop star would she be and why?

Cher, Madonna and Gaga… spot the trend! We like to think ahead-of-the-game, as well as keeping our venues slightly crazy, fun and unlike any other!

Thanks Nieko. Right, that’s quite enough chat. Let’s have a gin & tonic.

• Ku Bar, 30 Lisle Street, WC2H 7BA. 12pm – 3am Monday to Saturday, 12pm – 12am Sunday. 

What’s in store for the big boys this year at XXL Pride? Bigger? Badder? BEARIER?

XXL is all about one club fits all! We are all for one and one for all – as long as you leave your attitude at the door, you dance like nobody’s watching, love like you’ll never be hurt, you sing like nobody’s listening and party like it’s heaven on earth.

You’ve added a couple of new resident DJs to the lineup, who are they and how did you find them?

Well – three you will already know by reputation – Wayne G, Moto Blanco and the Hoxton Whores – they are international names – and coming into the fold is DJ Funkybear Martin from the West Coast of the USA bringing a deeper tribal rhythm to the dance floor. He’s an internationally renowned circuit DJ who will splice up the dance floor between Christian and Alex.

You recently had Bear Pride in association with Ben Cohen and the StandUp Foundation and it looked like a massive party! How did it go?

Brilliant – Ben is a gent and it’s a great cause – we raised £10,000 for his foundation and we can’t wait till next year.

“We are all for one and one for all – as long as you leave your attitude at the door.”

What can we look forward to this coming year for XXL?

We are launching XXL’s very own fat fighters – FIGHTING FOR YOUR RIGHT TO BE FAT, FUNKY and FURRY – this will start off with monthly pre-clubbing socials with Buffet, Booze and Bearlesque.

This year’s London Pride parade theme is Pride Heroes, who is your hero?

I’ve never just done one at a time – it would have to be the Fantastic Four!

If you could be any superhero and why, who would it be?

Hellboy – I would have been Thor – but she’s too precious! And who can’t resist a horny hero with a cigar in his mouth!

Not us, that’s for sure.

• XXL London Pride is at Pulse (No1 Invicta Plaza, South Bank SE1) on Saturday 27th June, 10pm-7am. £8 members, £15 guests.

The ongoing Arthole series finally saw the work of series curator Morris Monroe reach the Superstore’s hallowed walls.

Monroe conceived and guided the project into being, dedicated to the exposure of a new queer artist each month, and previous centrepieces have included graffiti-esque-paint-and-words Patrick Church and body-preoccupied BJ Broekhuizen. This month, Monroe’s work gives a linear journey of form, technique and thought.

We begin with the male body sketched as charcoal on canvas. ‘Punch’ depicts a man thrusting his left fist towards the ground, the right held aloft to follow. It is an image of anger, but also of futility – for the fists hit nothing but air. A slight roseate bursh of colour is used sparingly but to great effect, lending hue to the right side of the body from the dark and shadow at the core. The body is muscled yet fine line detail also conjures a perception of carved rock from the flesh.

A particularly beautiful image is ‘Essence’. Given that Monroe’s exhibition is entitled ‘The Essence of Self’, the viewer might imagine that here lies a key to the overarching throughline of the collection. We have a male body similar to that of ‘Punch’, but in a position of prostration, legs bent and arms and chest flung backward; wearing nothing but small, provocative pants. The shading is darker on this painting, and much of the body is lost to thick strokes. Yet a red thread begins in the air, and snakes down the body’s torso and crotch – perhaps the ‘essence’ we are meant to perceive?

What’s exciting about Monroe’s work is the journey we are taken on from this beginning. Rather than stay with the corporal visions, the essence of the self becomes invested in radical colour, lines illustrating space and abstract shape. ‘Form in Space’ shows a bar of carmine red, morphing into electric ultramarine, against a background of a white-lined crossroad on black. Whereas ‘Memory Replacement’ is reminiscent of a copper cutthroat razor blade, or half a film, with bronze and a hint of blue laced onto white. In the square below, the colour and shape is transposed to a pink, Martian landscape.

Monroe states that he uses “drawing as a medium to express experiences that are personal as well as universal.” With The Essence of Self he has created a narrative that will excite discussion, invite contemplation and be admired by all lovers of art.

• The Essence of Self – Morris Monroe
• Dalston Superstore, 117 Kingsland Road, Dalston, E8 2PB
• Running until 31st July 2015
• www.dalstonsuperstore.com / www.artholelondon.com

Celibate superstar Virgin Xtravaganzah brought a sparkling, scintillating, stressfully salubrious show to the super-edgy East London venue with her Gods & Monsters show last week.

Sweeping onto the stage in a blasphemously fashionable religious ensemble that would put Lady Gaga’s Judas video to shame, she regaled the increasingly disorientated crowd with an increasingly insane amalgamation of performance, song and comedy. One of her songs was all about living in London, had the word “fuck” in it a lot, and conveyed perfectly the feeling of wanting to positively CRUCIFY people who walk slowly on Oxford Street.

The vibe for the night was religious drag, meets gore freakshow firebreathers, meets unpaid Dazed & Confused interns, meets the N55 bus stop. Smiley Vyrus was at the back wearing a sly grin and a wig that made it look she’d just stuck her finger in a socket (you know I love you really Smiley). Recording artist Jacob Aria was there too, looking shifty with a pint in the smoking area with a mysterious and attractive young dark-haired gentleman.

“The vibe for the night was religious drag, meets gore freakshow firebreathers, meets unpaid Dazed & Confused interns, meets the N55 bus stop”

Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club, as it turned out, made for a perfect setting for the night, which was originally scheduled to be at the Black Cap (remember the Black Cap? One of the city’s most iconic gay venues? Hundreds of years old? Creative hub and performance mecca? No? Me neither). I’d like to take this opportunity to say actually that the bar staff at BGWMC are lovely. They smile and interact with you socially and everything. Weird right?! LET’S TRY NOT TO SHUT THIS VENUE DOWN SHALL WE?

Virgin added richness and texture to her extravaganza, by bringing out kaleidoscopically eclectic harem of disciples who performed to varying degrees of bizarritude (is bizarritude a word? It’s not is it? You know what I mean though).

The highlights were inimitable immigrant Lily Snatchdragon, who, fed up of her role as stage manager, ripped off her smock to reveal a ridiculously camp outfit underneath, and belted out a jazzy number, much to the delight of the baying crowd. She was followed by the FABULOUS Bambi Blue, a firebreathing vixen in a corset who stalked up and down the stage setting fire to things, including herself. I caught her after the show and asked what she usually did during the week and she casually said “have sex with my boyfriend on stage at The Box.” You go girl. We’d all do that if we could. Well I would anyway.

• Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club, 42 Pollard Row, E2 6NB.

28/06/15: This wasn’t just any Pride weekend. It was the Pride weekend when the whole of the US legalised gay marriage (and joined the 21st century).

It was the Pride weekend when millions of people changed their Facebook profile to support LGBT love. Brands even changed their logos. Amongst all this, Beyond made it’s permanent move to the legendary Ministry Of Sound. Orange Nation’s biggest weekly has been a resident in Vauxhall since we first discovered all-night raves and verbal diarrhoea in smoking areas… but times are a-changing. Well, just down the road to Elephant and Castle anyway. We were a little apprehensive about the new venue, but once we arrived in the recently refurbished holy grail of hedonism – it already felt like home. If our home had a sound system that made the walls shake and was packed full of sweaty two-stepping muscle Marys… (sometimes we wish it was). Another huge plus was the extra toilet cubicles – Bye FELICIA to queuing all night. Even pedestrians didn’t have to wait all night for a slash. The scene’s elite had come out to DJ, including Fat Tony, Paul Heron, D’Johnny, and plenty more, with the packed dance floor a sign that they were really giving it their all. Or that the last shot had just kicked in.

It’s safe to say it was the end of a Vauxhall era. But you know what they say; when one club door closes, another one opens.

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103 Gaunt Street, Elephant and Castle, SE1 6DN
Words by Jaime Domingo
Photos by Mark Storey

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Photos by Joel Ryder

Shangela is one of RuPaul’s Drag Race’s most iconic personalities. One of the greatest moments in the show’s history was when she burst out of a box at the beginning of Season Four as a repeat contestant, after effortlessly annoying the shit out of everyone in season three.  

Often dismissed as a ‘loudmouth’ and ‘unpolished’, underneath the sass, the mug, the bag, the moves and the hair is an extremely talented and perceptive queen.

James Egan caught up with her before she hit London to judge G-A-Y Porn Idol to get a better idea of who Miss Laquifah Wadley really is. What followed was both hilarious and insightful. Pull up a chair, have a read and leave your mothers AT HOME. 

First off, congratulations on the Supreme Court decision for marriage equality in the US!
Well thank you, now all I gotta do is find a husband!

Just throw on a dress and walk up and down the boulevard, see if anybody bites.
Oh, I’m ready, I got the dress.

We’ve actually met before the last time you were in London, backstage at a performance. I told you I worked for a magazine and you said, “Good, cuz you know mama likes to READ.”
I remember, I was with Dusty O! Lovely to talk to you again!

So you’re coming over to G-A-Y Porn Idol?
Yup, I’m gonna be there on July 9th and I am so excited! I’ve never worked at G-A-Y before and I always love coming to London. There’s such a great energy and the fans are so die-hard. I’ve been told it’s where the party goes DOWN.

Bring the dress, you can find a husband here.
Honey, I’m ordained. I’ve married two couples this year in California. I’ll do it. You can come be my witness.

No problem. Hand on the Bible.
Exactly. Or at least hand on the QX Magazine!

Are you coming here in a box? That seems to be your usual mode of transportation.
Well I don’t know, honey, it depends on if Jeremy Joseph wants to pay the shipping costs!

Have you been warned about what you’re going to see at G-A-Y Porn Idol? When Alyssa Edwards was here she said that she had seen a lot of shit in her life but that was the best thing ever seen.
I spoke to Lance Bass, I said “I wanna see tits!” Lance said “GURL. Get READY gurl!” So I am READY.

You are the only RuPaul’s Drag Race contestant to have returned approximately one thousand times.
A thousand and one, yes.

How do you feel about being the most prolific Drag Race contestant?
I’m just thankful that the RuPaul gods have smiled on me so many times! I’ve had a great opportunity to basically grow up as a drag queen in front of the viewers. When I first entered during season two, I’d only been doing drag for five months. I was the baby. Over the last four years I feel like I’ve worked really hard and grown a lot. I just hope to inspire people to never give up and honey, always believe you can come back. Even in a box.

You were quite a straight talker on the show, you kind of just let everyone have it.
The thing about me is I’m not mean-spirited. But Shangie has a mouth, number one, and number two: I keep it real. When people meet me in person, they say “Oh my God, you’re exactly the same in person”. I think that’s a compliment because everything about me is genuine. Nothing was scripted for me.

One of my favourite moments is when Carmen Carerra was telling everyone that she was friends with Jennifer Lopez and you were not having any of it.
At the time, I just didn’t feel like everything was adding up. Now, yes, she has taken photos with J.Lo before and she may have hung out with her. But in the moment, the stories she was telling weren’t adding up! You know, I’m Nancy Drew, honey, I was sniffing it out. I was like “Y’all smell that? Smells like LIES to me”.

Something in the milk wasn’t clean.
The milk wasn’t white, honey, the milk wasn’t white!

Now, from what I understand, the first time you ever did drag was in high school for an English project.
Yes. Our teachers gave us the opportunity to do a creative project over the book Huckleberry Finn. I decided to re-write ‘Proud Mary’ by Tina Turner and perform in drag for the class ‘Huck and Jim: Rollin’ Down the River’. The teacher loved it so much she invited me to come back and perform it for three other classes. I don’t know if, now, looking back on it, she was just having a good laugh but either way it was fun.

So that gave you the taste for it.
I have always wanted to and always have entertained. I love seeing people laugh, enjoy a show. I love to be entertained, so that’s why I love watching people like Tina Turner or Beyonce, because they bring such fire to the stage.

It’s magnetic, you can’t take your eyes off that energy.
That’s exactly it honey, you’ll get sucked into my galaxy!

Your song ‘Werqin’ Girl’ is a bit of an office anthem here. How did that materialize?
I wrote the song originally for the show Dance Moms. They used one of my songs ‘Call Me Laquifah’ for the first season. So for the second season they asked if I had another song, they wanted to keep the whole Laquifah thing going. I said “Oh sure, of course I do!” Honey. I didn’t have NOTHING. But I said “Uhh just let me dig through all the music I have and find something appropriate”. Bitch, I got a pen and I started writing. Within two days I had recorded ‘Werqin Girl’.
Originally the song was called ‘Ho-fessional’ but we thought that might not be appropriate for nine year old girls.

Do you know you have your own Wikipedia page? That essentially means you’ve made it.
You know me, I’m humble fish, I come from a small town, Paris. Not France, Texas. So to be in ‘celebrity life’ now, being in Los Angeles, I still get shocked when little things happen like having a Wikipedia page or when I got verified on Twitter. I was like “Oh my god, I’m like Kim Kardashian!”

Do you find the whole idea of celebrity quite surreal?
I look at it as a gift. I’ve been all around the world in the last two months: Dubai, UK, Australia, South Africa, Canada. Because of the popularity of Drag Race you’re immediately able to connect to people. That’s the most amazing part of this whole thing.
I’m able to take drag to somewhere like Dubai where, culturally, it’s not openly accepted but there is a community, there are people who need to feel represented, that’s amazing. We’re part of something special. There’s only what, seventy, eighty Drag Race girls in the world? And out of those there’s only about twenty of us who have…how should I say this… Have such busy schedules.

That’s a kind way of putting it.
That’s what I’m working towards!

What was performing in Dubai like?
Obviously knowing what the region is known for in terms of attitudes to gay people and drag… you want to feel safe. But the minute I got there, stepped off the plane, saw all of those people straight and gay dancing along to ‘Uptown Fish’…it was great. For that moment, we were all loud and proud.
We take it for granted, but so many people around the world don’t have the freedoms that we have. As a gay community we still have other work to do, we’re not all there yet with equality. We’re getting there, we’re moving in the right direction. There are a lot of places that are way behind and don’t have those freedoms.

We just had London Gay Pride last weekend and there’s sometimes a negative reaction to it in the gay community. There are people who don’t think it’s necessary anymore. I think they miss the point that the very fact that we are able to have Pride is something that is extremely important and valuable. It gives people in places where that’s not the case a sense of hope and unity.
There’s a lot of missing the point going on. I think we can do more as leaders in the drag community, the gay community, period. People who say we don’t need gay pride anymore? That’s dishonouring all the people that fought for it.
We’ve had it easy. Fifty years ago you were weren’t even allowed to kiss each other in public. So much fighting has been done to even have Pride. You can’t disregard all the work that people have done and what they lived through just because you were born in a time where things were more ‘normalised’.
People say things like “Oh I don’t wanna be a part of that, that’s too much.” No honey, no. You could turn around and it could be gone.

It’s important for people to know about things like Stonewall and the campaigners who have paved the way, because otherwise they get complacent and progress doesn’t happen.
People get so…assimilated. They think to themselves “okay we’re all equal now”. No. We’re not, trust me, we are not. Even I don’t know all the history, there’s so much more that I could learn and pass along. As leaders in the gay community we need to be thinkers, educators and role models.
I mean, shit, I’m Laquifah, the post-modern pimp-ho, honey. I’m not, as Tammie Brown would say, “walking children through nature” but we all have a responsibility. It’s important that we remember that.

• Shangela is judging G-A-Y Porn Idol @ Heaven (Under the Arches, Villiers Street, Charing Cross, WC2N 6NG) on Thursday 9th July, 10:30pm – 5am. Free entry wristbands available at G-A-Y Bar

Dylan Jones soaked up the vibes at London Pride’s sizzling Sunday party for the BME LGBT community.

On Sunday, pretending as hard as I could that my hangover didn’t exist, I dug out my best bandana, pulled on my most frayed denim shorts, made sure there definitely WASN’T any Iggy Azalea on my iPod and skipped down to Vauxhall for the national celebration of UK Black Pride.

The afternoon was a scorchingly cool celebration of culture, colour and love that brought a frenetic and frankly insane weekend in London to a streamer-strewn close. It took place in Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens. Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens is actually not as seedy it sounds. Far from being the comedowny-cruisefest the name suggests, it’s actually a lovely little park with undulating hillocks, fringed by some of those infamous luxury flats we keep hearing so much about.

The air hummed with the rich aromas of Senegalese curries, the thick smoke of barbecue jerk chicken, and a certain even thicker smoke whose smell was sweet, lovely and instantly recognisable.

The vibe was noticeably different from the rest of the weekend’s frenetic fun. Actually ‘frenetic fun’ is putting it far too politely, London Pride was ridiculous this year. Just fucking ridiculous. Glass-smashingly, jeans-rippingly, RitaOriculous. Which, after all, is what Pride is all about.

But Black Pride was much less insane. There was less pressure to have fun, less pressure to snog every man in sight (although that would have been nice) and less pressure to impress. Most people just lay down in the sun, and sank into the grass as they sank their teeth into huge helpings of street food.

“I think something like this is important because it makes us closer as a community,” said Rania, a 22 year-old Fine Art undergrad who had come with three of her mates and her Staffordshire bull terrier, Michelle. Rania was wearing a crop top made from woven bamboo, and a neon green netted miniskirt, paired with Doc Martens. Michelle wore a patent leather collar paired with an embossed silver dog tag (model’s own).

“We’re not just united in our queerness, we’re united in our blackness, and to have that kind of connection on two levels is really special,” she continues. “I think it’s good for people who are maybe more sheltered too. I’m lucky in that my parents were open and stuff so I always got to get out and do what I wanted to do and meet who I wanted to meet. But some kids might not realise that there are people out there like them, who can love them and value them for who they are. Events like this are a great way of helping people do that.”

Things perked up later in the day as the stage opened and played host to some of the best DJing I’ve heard this year. He mixed Ty Dollar $ign’s ‘Drop That Kitty ‘into Fifth Harmony’s ‘Worth It’, into Eve’s ‘Who’s That Girl’, into ‘Dontcha’ by the Pussycat Dolls. I mean really. WHAT’S NOT TO LOVE ABOUT THAT?

The day marked several dietary milestones for me as a recently lapsed vegetarian. Most notably I tried barbecue jerk chicken for the first time in my life and I shall never be eating anything else ever again. I also had ackee and saltfish, which is RIGHT up my street. I love salt far too much. When I’m famous and sat on Graham Norton’s sofa and he asks what my vice is, I’ll cross my legs, take a sip of water and say “well Graham I have a terrible weakness for salt.” Gogglebox’s Sandy & Sandra were in front of me in the queue and they said it was “DELISH”.

But the event was about more than just amazing food and amazing music. It was a symbolic recognition of the struggles the BME LGBT community encounter both here and abroad. In a particularly emotive show of solidarity, there was a minute’s silence for the persecution of queer people in Africa, in some countries still executed as penalty for their sexuality. Seeing a crowd of hundreds of jubilant revelers suddenly stop in their tracks and fall silent is a hugely powerful sight to see, and was a suitably startling way of raising awareness for the issues that are still very real.

“I think recent history has shown how Black Pride is more important now than ever,” said Sam, a young fashion designer. “The recent conflicts with the police in the US show that it’s not all love out there, and that’s what we need to look at and remedy. It’s about unity. And it’s about making sure we don’t forget we’re all human and we all need to give love and receive love in equal measure.”

Judging from the gorgeous atmosphere and unassailable positivity, that’s exactly what Black Pride was doing.

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• Black Pride UK is putting on a host of events at upcoming Pride events over the summer, including Brighton and Manchester. Go to ukblackpride.org.uk for more info.. 

27/06/15: With everyone still buzzing from news that the Americans have finally seen sense (thank you SCOTUS), the atmosphere at the Trafalgar stage was electric. Thousands roasted in the square as they enjoyed a diverse spectacle of drag, music, speeches and Robin Windsor.

A dildo-covered, mock ISIS Flag may have been this year’s breakout star at the Pride parade, but at the main stage it was the professionals who wowed the audience. The London Gay Big Band got people swinging, Rebecca Ferguson got people singing while Beyoncé Experience just made everyone lose their shit.

There were performances from Drag superstars Mzz Kimberley and La Voix, while popera hunks Collabro cranked up the camp with a rousing performance of Disney’s ultimate earworm, Let It Go. The Supreme Fabulettes were predictably fabulous, the Pink Singers predictably euphonious. ‘Til next year!

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Words by Chris Godfrey
Parade photos by Chris Jepson
Stage photos by Mark Storey

Asifa Lahore, the UK’s most prominent Muslim drag queen, uses her act to challenge stereotypes of faith and sexuality across the Asian and LGBT communities.  Last Friday, at the inaugural Attitude Pride awards, she was awarded for her work empowering LGBT Muslims and helping to unite two distinct communities. Chris Godfrey caught up with her. 

Hi Asifa, congratulations on your award! What was your reaction when you found out you’d won?

I was so, so surprised. When I got the call I literally screamed for a good ten minutes. I just couldn’t believe it. It’s the first time in my life that I’ve actually received an award. It was an acknowledgement of love and acceptance from the mainstream gay community, which I’m really honoured by.

I always go back to those times when I first got on the Drag Idol stage and the gay community didn’t quite know how to take me. Since Drag Idol to now I’ve done a lot of work in terms of media awareness, the cabaret show, club hosting, in empowering the gay and Muslim community. This was the first time actually that I got acknowledged by the mainstream gay community for the work I’ve done as a gay person. It’s about time a gay and out Muslim drag queen is celebrated in the LGBT community!

So the big news last week was the SCOTUS ruling in America; how has your faith impacted your feelings towards same-sex marriage?

I’m a big supporter of gay marriage and people assume that because I’m a gay man that’s why I support it. But actually I support gay marriage because I’m a Muslim. I feel the notion of marriage is very, very new to the gay community. And I think it will probably take about a generation, another twenty years for gay marriage to be normalised in British society and for it to be culturally gay as well. I think marriage for a lot of gay people is still very alien.

But for me I always wanted to be married as long as I can remember. Growing up and watching my mum and dad in a marriage setup, in a long-term and seeing Muslim people in my community getting married, I wanted that as well. I just happened to want it with a person of the same sex.

The notion of marriage actually comes very much with my cultural and religious identity, probably more than my gay identity. I’ve now been in a civil partnership for six years, the two identities are so intertwined. I’m sure a newer generation will be entering into gay marriages more and more as time goes on. So I think the notion of marriage for me is probably more culturally Islamic than it is gay right now.

You’ve spoken a lot about reconciling your sexuality and your faith, is there still conflict there between these two identities?

I think for a lot of gay Muslims, they find it so hard to straddle the two. I think most people would give up one for the other. In some cases people are like ‘no I don’t want to be gay, I’m going to get an arranged marriage, I’ll pretend to be straight’. And marriages of convenience in the gay Muslim community are still very high.

On the other hand some people feel ‘no, I’m going to be gay and totally get rid of my Muslim side, I’m not even going to bother with my Asian heritage’. And you know that has an impact on their life as well. This idea of authenticity and actually being honest to yourself, not only with your sexuality but also with your religious and ethnic background, a lot of people feel they have to give up one or the other.

Where I stand with it is actually I want it all – I want to be in love with the person of the same sex, I want to be married to that person. I want to be able to walk in to my mosque on a Friday afternoon and pray. And on Friday night I want to go out and perform and boogie as well. I’d rather do everything out in the open, not hidden from the eyes of God, not hidden from the eyes of the world.

Has your drag attracted much attention from the non-LGBT Islamic community?

I have a massive following of British, Muslim heterosexual women who adore the fact that I am glamorous, they adore the fact I wear Islamic clothes as well as British clothes.

But the reaction that I do get from the more conservative elements of the Muslim community is very harsh. I am publicly denounced by some of the biggest Mosques in the UK. I receive regular death threats, for me to stop not necessarily doing my drag but to stop calling myself a Muslim drag queen. I get threats not only to myself but to my husband and to my parents as well. That can be very hard when you’re caught up in that.

It’s a mixture of responses. I think if we take onboard the younger generation – the Zayn Malik generation, shall we say – of British Muslims, they absolutely adore me. I get much more positivity than I do negativity from them. However it’s interesting that British Muslim communities which are accepting of me would never come out and say that she is doing some amazing work, or we follow and accept her.

Do you think there’s a lack of understanding, even a fear, in the gay community of Islam?

I think regardless, Islam has been politicised within mainstream media and, to a certain extent, the British Muslim community themselves in the last sort of decade. In Britain the picture of Islam is pretty bad right now. So I don’t think it’s confined strictly to the gay community. But I do feel that education on both parts needs to be there and that open dialogue from both Muslim communities and gay communities needs to be there.

The key is gay Muslims themselves. Now if gay Muslims were empowered to be themselves and were out and proud, not only about being gay but also about being Muslim, then it’s people like us that hold the key to bridging the two communities together. Actually I think our communities have more in common than we think and education is the way forward on both parts. The people that can actually bring about that change is the gay Muslim community in the UK itself.

For every one person that comes to Pride there are 50 at home, probably watching that parade on television, probably still feeling isolated in Britain today. What I want the LGBT community that is out and proud to do is reach out to people and ask those challenging conversations to people that you wouldn’t normally. Chances are LGBT people are in places you wouldn’t even have imagined and are crying out for their hand to be held. My message is to just be out and proud and hold the hands of people you wouldn’t normally hold hands with.

They gave us ‘Wings’, told us to ‘Move’, they made us ‘Salute’ and now they’re unleashing some ‘Black Magic’ on us, taking us all the way back to high school. It’s Little Mix!

To celebrate their brand new single, as well as their performance at G-A-Y this Saturday, Dom Pop take a look at their CHARMING new video. Move over Sabrina, there’s four hot new teenage witches in town!

Of course, if you’ve ever watched American television, all the supernatural shit goes down in high school. This one is a bit like She’s All That meets The Craft. Our fab foursome are looking a little…less glam than we’ve come to expect though. In fact to quote the legendary Dionne from Clueless, “She is TOE-UP.”

In the entertainment industry, nerd means a supermodel wearing a pair of glasses and some chunky knitwear. That’s more or less the vibe here too. None of the boys can see how gorgeous the Mix minxes are behind all those prescription lenses and polyester blends. Though Leigh still looks fairly flawless. Instead they’re giving their attention to what looks like a child prostitute who came to school in a velour bra. I’m horrified. Little Mix are horrified. We’re all horrified.

During some study time in the library with their BEATS BY DRE HEADPHONES, Jade gets clocked on the weave by a dusty old tome. Oh well, probs more useful than the copy of ‘Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus’ you were going cry into, babe. The book starts to sparkle and the birds gather round like the magpies they are. Something MAGICAL is afoot. Side note: where is their librarian? Mr Giles wouldn’t have let this sort of fiasco occur.

Because television, books and common sense have taught them NOTHING, the Little Mix ladies decide to fuck around with the dark arts. Thankfully it doesn’t get too dire, aside from that hideous shade of purple Perrie decides to glamour her hair into. If it didn’t work for Cheryl Cole, it’s sure as shit not gonna work for you!

So with a bit of fairy dust and shockingly inappropriate-for-a-scholastic-environment outfits, the Charmed Ones v2 rock up to school to wreak revenge on the bleach blonde bitch who dicked them over at the start. Their solution? To make her queef loudly and odorously in front of her beau.

Some more magical hijinks ensue as the girls give a geek his best day ever by magically roofie-ing a pretty piss-poor Little Mix tribute band into giving him a kiss (and probably a hand shandy in the locker rooms later).

Our hex symbols round out a busy day of causing minor inconveniences to people they don’t like, by interrupting their lecture with an enchanted dance party. Don’t you know that a girl like a boy who moves? Extensions are tossed, paisley tit slings are shaken and lyrics are mouthed appallingly. It is wonderful. But don’t expect to pass your BTEC this way, Jesy.

And there you go. The sensational new video to the SCREAMINGLY good pop song that is Black Magic by ‘Little Mix’.

Somewhere right now, Willow Rosenberg, Prue Halliwell, Sabrina Spellman and Nancy Downs are probably booking a choreographer and some studio time to hop this bandwagon.

• Little Mix are at G-A-Y @ Heaven (Under the Arches, Villiers Street, Charing Cross, WC2N 6NG) on Saturday 4th July, 11pm-5am. Discount entry wristbands available at G-A-Y Bar.

It’s hard out here for a slut [insert erection jokes here] [insert insertion jokes here]. There’s just a lot of STUFF to remember and keep track of. Lube, condoms, phone numbers, where you left your pants, whose bed you’re in, what city you’re in, the Chariots opening hours…the list goes on! 

It honestly is a full time job. You never get any sleep either, y’know cuz of all the SHAGGIN’. Honestly sometimes you’re going down on a guy and you just think, ‘oh for god’s sake not this again’. Sigh. Well we all have our crosses to bear.

From 12th–19th July Fetish Week hits London! It’s like the Boxing Day Sales for bored housewives, except with harnesses instead of hoovers, dildos instead of dust ruffles, and double penetration instead of double glazing. To help you keep track between ejaculations, we’ve prepared a handy event planner. So here it is, your Fetish Week To-Do List!

13/07/15: Fetish Week Screening

Fetish Week gets off to a suitably seedy start with a Soho screening of Daddy And The Muscle Academy. We haven’t seen it before but we can guess what it’s like from the title. Come your gear if you like, and join the boys for drinks after.

Ham Yard Theatre, 1 Ham Yard, W1D 7DT. 7pm-10pm. £13. 

14/07/15: Bondage Masterclass

Ever wondered where that strap goes? Or exactly WHAT that tapered bit’s for? Or whether that’s ACTUALLY safe to put all the way in? Well now you can learn once and for all at Fetish Week’s official masterclass. Lessons in all things fetish.

The Eagle, 349 Kennington Lane, SE22 5QY. 9pm-3am. £5 entry. 

15/07/15: SM Gays Birthday Party

It’s the SM Gays Birthday Party at the Hoist, that’s an unmissable addition to your to-do list! It’s at that notorious den of debauchery, The Hoist. Saddle up and dive in.

The Hoist, Railway Arch 47C, South Lambeth Road, SW8 1RH. 8pm-1am. £10 entry. 

16/07/15: Fetish On Display

A steamy celebration of fetish art from around the globe, striking, sexy and on sale! Go down and take a long lingering look.

Strand Gallery, 32 Adam Street, WC2N 6BP. 12pm-6pm 

16/07/15: Filthy Fetish Fest

Expect explosive excitement as Expectations throws an extravaganza at their Old Street barracks. Super-hot porn stars will stalk their steaming halls as they celebrate the expansion of their Mister B shop. There’s also a chance to win a stay at Tom’s Hotel in Berlin. Grrr!

Expectations, Great Eastern Street, EC2A 3RY. 5pm-9pm.

17/07/15: Fetish Week Dinner

Lap it up or choke it all down, Fetish Week are having a special dinner at Counter. There’s even an individual menu that’s been created especially. Wonder what’s on it. Something involving cream probably. Open wide. Fetish gear is encouraged, but not essential. Feel free to come in your civvies. No crotches or cracks, but the staff has told us that they’re perfectly fine with chests…

Counter, Arch 50 7-11, South Lambeth Place, London, SW8 1SP, 6.30pm – 9.30pm. Tickets £50.. 

17/07/15: Into The Tank

Jump in, it’s Spain’s most popular fetish and cruise party at Fire in London for Fetish Week! From sweaty sportswear to revealing rubber, it’s anything goes and anyone cums. That’s cums, as in, ejaculates. In case you didn’t get that.

Fire, 39 Perry Street, SW8 1RH. 10pm-4am. £10 entry.. 

18/07/15: Regulation Saturday

Regulation Store are holding a discount free-for-all with beers, discounts and late-night opening. No holds barred, grab a goody bag and wrestle through the leather-clad crowds for chance at bagging their best gear at 25% off.

Regulation Store, 17A St Albans Place, N1 0NX. 10:30am-8pm

18/07/15: Adult Baby Club-ABC

A is for anal, B is blowjobs, C is for cracks! Or for anything you want them to stand for really. Adult Baby Club is a night for baby boys and their daddies. So clean off your nappies and get down to Kings Cross for one of Fetish Week’s most outrageous nights.

Central Station, 37 Wharfdale Road, N1 9SD. 7pm-11:30pm. £1 entry for new member.

18/07/15: Skinhead

Sexy skinheads and their pals will be having a sizzlingly sleazy day at Eagle London with a barbecue and drinks. Strict dress code so make sure you’ve got those boots and braces handy.

The Eagle, 349 Kennington Lane, SE22 5QY. 3pm-9pm. £8 entry.

18/07/15: Black Eagle: Eagle London VS Eagle Amsterdam

The boys from Amsterdam fly over to give you double the fun and double the dirtiness at The Eagle’s late night fetish event after Skinhead wraps up. Cruising, DJs and a live X-rated stage show. Steamy.

The Eagle, 349 Kennington Lane, SE22 5QY. 9pm-4am. £6 entry. 

18/07/15: Full Fetish: The Main Event

This is the big one. Recon are throwing the biggest fetishfest of the season at the notorious Coronet. More DJs, hot guys, and cruising areas than you can shake a dildo at. Finish your fetish week with a bang. Or a gang bang, if you’re lucky.

The Coronet Theatre, 28 New Kent Road, SE21 6TJ. 10pm-6am. £25 general admission, £50 VIP.  

Fetish Week is almost here and we can almost smell the heady scent of Crisco, boot polish and man musk lingering in the air already. We’re sure you’re all pre-lubed and ready to go, but don’t forget that this city also has all manner of sleazy, sexy exploits to keep you elbow deep in naughty fun all year.

To paraphrase one of the only non-pornographic films we own, here’s a few of our favourite filthy things.

Cam 4

Cam 4 is just great. Where else can you see a pair of Brazilian twinks play gay chicken with each other, while you simultaneously earn money for jerking off to it? Where else can you drunkenly strip for horny, hairy bastards in Iran without worrying about being lynched after? Where else can you feel like the sexiest set of pixels on earth? Nowhere. That’s what makes Cam 4 fantastic.

www.cam4.com

Chariots

Boys, lets be real, we’ve all been to Chariots ‘on a dare’. I doubt the second time was a dare though. Or the third. The Shoreditch location is even conveniently located next to a booze shop. Get yourself blasted on a box of wine in the car park then take a dip in the plunge pool, then another in someone’s arsehole. It’ll be lovely.

www.chariots.co.uk

Electrastim

Do you want to electrocute your nads? Try Electrastim, they’re up on all the ‘current’ trends.It’s probably a hell of lot safer to have to a look at their extensive array of electrical implements than keep hovering your scrotum over a spork sticking out a socket. Just a thought.

www.electrastim.co.uk

Expectations

Live around the Shoreditch area? Need a harness? Or an apron? Or a dildo? Or a butt plug? Or a nipple clamp? Or some porn? Or a hood? Or a paddle? Or lube? Or cock rings? Or chaps? Or condoms? Or a douche? Stop by the store. They will have it.

Expectations, 75 Great Eastern St, EC2A 3RY

Extreme Needle

You can more or less get anything pierced at Extreme Needle. Nips, dicks, ears, noses, anything! And if your request is too out there, even for them, they’ll be dead nice about it. Seriously. They’re the sweetest bunch of body-modders in the city. You can also get some sick tattoo art there.

Extreme Needle, 36 St Martins Court, WC2N 4AL

Fitladz

Owner Steve Darragh once said that grey trackies were dangerous. We’re inclined to agree. Something about seeing a fit arse nestled like a pair of boiled eggs having a snog under a layer of grey marl sends us into a violent frenzy. Sportswear enthusiast night Fitladz recently relocated to Farringdon with all-new facilities, from a fit upstairs bar/dancefloor area to a basement level full of cabins for getting your rocks right off. Pukka.

Fitladz East, 117 Charterhouse St, EC1M 3AA

Man Works

Do you need a rub down? Man Works will find you a masseur wherever you are from London to Los Angeles. From therapeutic to erotic, there’s a boatload of buff-bodied boys who want to put their hands on you. Exactly where they touch is up to you.

www.manworks.com

Mastery

Brew Hunter is a very sexy man. Seriously. If you’ve ever stood anywhere near him, you’ll feel a definite erotic charge drawing you towards his crotch. It’s not scientifically proven but it’s REAL. Anyway, he has an even sexier night for men and boys who like a firm hand when it comes to discipline. Head over, but make sure to abide by the strict dresscode or Daddy Hunter won’t be best pleased. Check their site for upcoming events.

www.masteryonline.co.uk

Pleasuredrome

The name is a clue to what’s in store for you if you take a naughty detour down Cornwall Road. Have a shower, grab your towel and then simply see where the morning/midday/evening/twilight takes you. It’s open 24 hours, with a fully licensed bar, a plasma screen TV and more horny hunks than you can shake your swollen stick at. Plus it’s like two minutes from Waterloo, so you can pop by on your way to work.

Pleasuredrome, 124 Cornwall Road, London SE1 8XE

Prowler

Scenario: You’re in Soho, someone just properly cruised you on Old Compton Street. You went for a few drinks, things got a bit flirty, hands down the banana hammock and such. Now you want to take the party elsewhere but you’re out of sexual supplies! Fear not, Prowler and their handy Soho shop are on hand to furnish you with anything from pants, to lube, to dildos to a nice coffee table book of redheaded lads. Crisis averted.

Prowler, 5-7 Brewer Street, London W1F 0RF

Recon Store & App

Recon have got it all really. They’re hosting Fetish week, they’ve got an online store that will sort you out with pretty much any item your wicked heart and hole desire, they’ve even got an app for helping you find like-minded lads! They’re like the Kardashians of the Fetish world, really. Okay nothing like the Kardashians. The Corleones? NO? Fine. Just download the app and stop bothering me.

www.recon.com

Regulation

For over 20 years Regulation have been purveyors of high quality men’s leather & latex clothing, restraints, sex toys and BDSM accessories. They pride themselves on excellent customer service and a keen eye for high quality products that enhance the sex lives and erotic experiences of our customers worldwide. So there you have it.

Regulation, 17a St Albans Place, N1 0NX

Rentboy

Rentboy have been connecting you to quality men since 1996. They’ve got over 10,500 men in 2100+ cities worldwide. So you’ll never be without a hot shag, even if you’re on holiday. There’s even a dedicated customer service team to help with any technical problems. But probably not any genital problems, so don’t ask them.

www.rentboy.com

RentMen

Rentmen bring you gay male escorts and masseurs from around the globe. Whatever type of guy you’re looking for; muscle studs into leather, eager to please college boys, sexy muscular horny jocks, well hung tops, bears or mature daddies you can locate them easily on RentMen.com by using our exclusive search tools. You can search personal profiles with stats, pictures by location or search by fetish preferences. Bit like Wikipedia, but with sex. Lots and lots of sex.

www.rentmen.com

SM Gays

If you’re looking for a little bondage fun but need a lot of guidance in that area, such as how to NOT accidentally cut off your circulation etc. then SM Gays can help you out. Check out their site and head over to one of their meetings where you’ll find newbies and seasoned pros trading tips and making friends. They even know about mummification. Nefertiti, get your shoes on, we’re going out!

smgays.org

Spunk Lube

Want a load of cum up your ass, without having to worry about an emergency trip to A&E immediately after? Spunk Lube sell a range of lubricants designed to look and feel exactly like fresh, hot jizz. Well, it may not be warm. I suppose that depends where you store it. Maybe the airing cupboard?

www.spunklube.com

The Stable

Down on a road in Covent Garden

Past all the tourists and trees

You’ll find a venue called the Stable

Where you’ll be sexually pleased.

Pop by the Stable for a massage after work, a cheeky drink and most likely a good hard shag. Or a nice, gentle one. Whatever you’re into dude.

The Stable, 29 Endell Street, WC2H 9BA

Sweatbox

Get your pump on in more ways than one at Sweatbox. Have you ever been wandering down Oxford Street and thought, I could really do with a workout followed by an erotic foam party with a happy ending? Sweatbox have got you covered! Central’s superb gym-cum-sauna will sort you right out. And if you’re under 25 you can even get a pretty fit discount on entry!

Sweatbox, Ramillies House,1-2 Ramillies St, W1F 7LN

This July YO! SISSY is hitting Berlin. YO! SISSY is sort of a gay music festival slash two-day party fagfest. A bit like Lovebox when Lovebox was relevant. Think of the craziest weekend you’ve had in East London, then throw in some hot Germanic men, an electro arsefuck beat, and loads of kaleidoscopic queerclash nonsense. 

This July YO! SISSY is hitting Berlin. YO! SISSY is sort of a gay music festival slash two-day party fagfest. A bit like Lovebox when Lovebox was relevant. Think of the craziest weekend you’ve had in East London, then throw in some hot Germanic men, an electro arsefuck beat, and loads of kaleidoscopic queerclash nonsense.

The lineup is RIDICULOUS. First off there’s Christeene, who’s a ‘drag act’ but that doesn’t do the whole concept that she is any justice at all. She runs around shopping malls in Dallas covered in shit. That’s one of her acts. It’s not exactly a cover of Let It Go is it? She’s got some singles out, including the ever-seminal ‘Tears From My Pussy’, and let’s not forget modern classic ‘Fix My Dick’. She’s repellent and amazing. Really hard to witness in the best possible way.

There’s also underground queer hip-hop kingpin Cakes Da Killa, fresh from featuring on Mykki Blanco’s iconic LP Gay Dog Food, with a strong career of his own behind him. His vibe is hoop earrings and heavy beats. Then there’s Dai Burger, who’s like Azealia Banks crossed with Hello Kitty. She’s got a song called ‘Soufflé’ that’s all about making soufflés. It goes “SOUFLAAAY, SOUFLAAAY.” It’s good honestly. You have to be there.

There are also some familiar British exports we’ve all met before in East London’s various salubrious establishments (or in ex-council flats at 4 in the morning). The Familyyy Fierce will be there flogging their various wares, as will that Jonny Woo, stalking around and being condescending to everyone no doubt. Larry Tee will also be making an appearance, probably feeling fairly at home after fleeing Faggerston and setting up shop in Berlin in a few months ago (literally, he set up a shop for his fashion brand Tzuji).

So top up your Oyster and hop on a plane to Berlin! They take Oyster cards on planes right? Isn’t Berlin, like, Zone 6?

• YO! SISSY is at Schwuz, Neue Heimat and SO36, Berlin, from 24th-26th July. Tickets and more info available at yosissy.com

Mariann Rosa is a deliciously zany Norwegian recording artist making waves in East London’s already choppy creative waters. Dylan Jones had a chat with her about her experiences on the scene, and, erm, eating whale. Her debut single Banjo For My Bitches is out now.

We see you did a gig at The Glory last month…have you been before?
Yes, many times! I hang there with my friends, Ray Noir and Thierry. I like the vibe and crowd! They also play great music. The stage is coolio! Always tempted me to play there, and now it´s happening!

What do you think of the East London scene in general?
It´s exciting, colourful and creative. I love that it contains so many different approaches and talented people. I tend to hang out in Dalston, Shoreditch and Hackney a lot.

Is there anything comparable in your hometown of Oslo?
No… I´m afraid not. It´s cosier and smaller in Oslo. In London it´s easier to be yourself, a hundred per cent. Norwegians are more similar and it lacks the freakiness of here. But I love Oslo, don´t get me wrong.

Apparently there are elk in Norway. And whales! Have you ever seen an elk or a whale?
We have lots of different animals in Norway. I´ve seen an elk many times in the deep forest, but no whales. They are hard to spot ‘cause they live far out in the ocean.

Have you ever eaten elk or whale?
Yes, both! Still do. I grew up eating the king of the woods and the prince of the sea since I was a kid. It’s a tradition from the West Coast where I grew up.

Is your music inspired by the sweeping Norwegian landscape, like fjords and shit?
The landscape in Stryn where I’m from is very dramatic and violently beautiful. So the answer to that is yes. And when I was a teenager I went through rough times experiencing the divorce of my parents. All these things inspired my lyrics and melodies! Difficult times made me strong, and it made my love for music stronger.

What inspiration do you find in London?

Wow! Soooo much! It can for example be hanging out late at East Bloc with Ray Noir and his crew when he is DJing. Always fun! Meeting my friends there and new ones. Late nights and early mornings…talking to totally random and exciting people inspires me, and all the craziness I get up to with my friends. Jezuz….

Your debut single is called Banjo For My Bitches…that’s amazing. How did you come up with it?
It just came to me when I was in the studio. Weird! That weekend before making the song, I was out partying with Ray, Thierry and Franx De Christal…it went on until the next day. So many strange things happened and I´ve never experienced anything like that night. Ha ha ha! I laugh now when I think about it.  Anyhow, it gave me the right energy to write this song together with Zebra1 (my producers in Ash Vale). Crazy in the coconut!

Who’s your favourite Scandipop icon? (Robyn, Loreen, Ray Noir, etc…)
I don´t have a pop icon, except my iconic MUM! But I can admit I love Ray Noir, Maya Vik, Annie, Robyn and Karin Park. Cool crowd!

Describe Mariann Rosa in three words.
Fun, energy and colors!

What can we expect from you in the future?
More concerts and more music! 4 real 4 shure! XOXO

• Banjo For My Bitches is available to download on iTunes here; https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/banjo-for-my-bitches-single/id963518776