Turnmills and Trade Wave Goodbye to The Rave
Trade spawned the move to all night clubbing in the 1990s and was the first queer after hours club in Britain. Trade’s home was Turnmills, which closed in March 2008. Turnmills…
Rave
Billie Ray Martin- The Soul Tapes
Billie Ray Martin, the ‘queen of electronic soul’ is back. If you’re unfamiliar with the unique artistry of this thrilling singer, it’s high time to catch a ride on the…
Shopping and Fucking
Mark Ravenhill’s Shopping and Fucking hit British theatre like a punch from an angry junkie. Twenty years later it’s been revived at the Hammersmith Lyric. Can it still pack a…
Hotwired
My first physical encounter with the world of leather and fetish was at the smoky circus of S&M known as The Colherne in Earl’s Court. Located at 261 Old Brompton…
The Astoria
Crossrail may bring slicker public transport to London, but it’s decimated parts of Soho, including the legendary Denmark Street and venues such as The Astoria. That place was full of…
Twisted- screening
In 1997, I wrote and recorded an underground techno record with producer/DJ Wayne G. The track was called ‘Twisted’. It’s a spoken word, kick-drum driven, stream of consciousness. It was…
Feral aka MC Kinky
Though few understood what she was saying, everyone loved how she said it. In the late ‘80s, MC Kinky spoke to thousands; at al fresco raves, warehouse parties and loved…
The Prodigy
The Prodigy were formed by Liam Howlett in 1990 and are arguably the UK’s ruling dance act. In addition to selling over 25 million records worldwide, the group has won…
Danny Rampling
When and where did you last have a really good night out? Last weekend played an acid house set at the Old Grey Acid Test party- rocking night at the…
Cracking Up
A chance encounter with a gangster drug dealer led to sex, violence and a brush with crack cocaine. It proved a harsh and valuable lesson, that could be shared with…