EDITORIAL info@gscene.com ADS+ARTWORK design@gscene com
EDITORIAL TEAM
Graham Robson, Sarah Green, Gary Hart, Alice Blezard
SPORTS EDITOR Paul Gustafson
ARTS EDITOR Michael Hootman
SUB EDITOR Graham Robson
DESIGN Michèle Allardyce
FRONT COVER
MODEL Morgan Fabulous
PHOTOGRAPHY Morgan Fabulous https://www.facebook.com/MorganFab ulous/?fref=ts
CONTRIBUTORS
Simon Adams, Jaq Bayles, Jo Bourne, Nick Boston, Suchi Chatterjee, Rory Finn, Craig Hanlon-Smith, Samuel Hall, Enzo Marra, Carl Oprey, Eric Page, Del Sharp, Gay Socrates, Syd Spencer, Brian Stacey, Michael Steinhage, Glen Stevens, Duncan Stewart, Craig Storrie, Mike Wall, Netty Wendt, Roger Wheeler, Kate Wildblood
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Alice Blezard, Graham Hobson: CaptainCockroach@hotmail.com, James Ledward, Jack Lynn
The
QUEENS
SAFETY FORUM CHAIR RECEIVES
PRESTIGIOUS COMMUNITY
AWARD
Billie Lewis, Chair of the Brighton & Hove LGBT Community Safety Forum, received a Sector Star Award for Best Member of a Committee or Trustee Board last month
) The Sector Star Awards celebrate local community and voluntary sector activity, while recognising the contributions of volunteers and staff who change the lives of people in the city Winners in 12 categories were honoured in a starstudded ceremony organised by Community Works at the Komedia theatre, on Tuesday, November 8 The awards, now in their four th year, were judged by a panel of exper ts drawn from local public agencies, businesses and the local community
Billie Lewis received the award for Best Member of a Committee or Trustee Board for his outstanding commitment going above and beyond the call of duty over many years to consistently suppor t the developmental work of the Brighton & Hove LGBT Community Safety Forum Billie received the most nominations in the category along with Dave Ely from Safety Net - a charity who work to keep children and families safe through suppor t and training
A client, who received help and suppor t from the LGBT Community Safety Forum, wrote in their nomination letter how getting help and suppor t from Billie Lewis stopped them from committing suicide
The ceremony was attended by over 200 people from local communities and included guests from the local council, Clinical Commissioning Group, businesses, and was hosted by comedian, Drew Cameron
Sally Polanski, CEO of Community Works, said:
“The awards were a huge success and it was a fantastic opportunity to highlight the dedication, creativity and talent of those who work tirelessly every day to improve lives in our local communities Thank you to the judges and to Drew Cameron for their involvement, and to our awards supporters, American Express, and individual award supporters: Brightminded, Brighton & Hove Buses, and City College Brighton & Hove And thank you to everyone who made a nomination, and who attended and made the evening such a success It was wonderful to celebrate the amazing community and voluntary activity happening locally ”
Community Works ensures that voluntary and community action has the greatest possible impact on people in the local area, providing suppor t to over 500 charities, community groups and social enterprises, all of which are working to improve the lives of tens of thousands of people every day Community Works also helps people looking to volunteer to find the right option for them and connects local businesses and public agencies with voluntary and community activity taking place locally
BRIGHTON BEAR WEEKEND RAISE OVER £500 FOR RAINBOW FUND
) Brighton Bear Weekend (BBW) raised a whopping £503 55 for the R ainbow Fund at their Halloween par ty on Saturday, October 29 at Subline The Bear W itch Project was a feast for the eyes with the majority of those attending having dressed up and ready to put the willies up each other The winner of the fancy dress competition was Richie, Ben from Bath was second and James Brooks third Prizes were donated by the Brighton Metropole Hilton Hotel, the Old Ship Hotel and the Camelford Arms
Graham Munday, Chair of BBW, said: “It w as a busy night Great to see so many people in Hallow een costumes and the club looked fantastic T hank y ou to ev er y one w ho came and helped us raise £503 55, the companies w ho donated prizes for the fancy dress competition and thanks to Stev e and the Subline staff for allow ing us to use the club ”
The R ainbow Fund make grants to local LGBT/HIV organisations who provide effective front-line ser vices to LGBT people in the city www rainbow-fund org
NIGHT OF TODDOGRAPHY RAISES £311 FOR GUIDE DOGS FOR THE BLIND
) Carole Todd, West End director and choreographer, drew a full capacity audience of friends, colleagues and fellow enter tainers to her show, Tales of Toddography (Showbiz Facts & Fiction) at the Queens Arms
Carole waltzed her way through a series of enter taining anecdotes about the famous stars she’d worked with over her years directing and choreographing musical theatre productions in the West End The audience were really up for it, listening intently to her stories in
respectful silence, a rare feat when playing to a gay audience in a gay venue these days Carole commanded the attention of the audience and there was a lot of love in the room
The evening, attended by the Mayor of Brighton & Hove Cllr Pete West and his par tner, Geraldine, was organised by Danny Dwyer from Bear-Patrol, hosted by Miss Jason and raised £311 44 for Brighton & Hove Guide Dogs for the Blind
The raffle prize was a hamper donated by Co-op Funeralcare
HALLOWEEN BALL RAISES ALMOST £35,000 FOR SUSSEX BEACON
) The Halloween Horror Show fundraising ball, held at the Grand Hotel on Friday, October 28, raised almost £35,000 for the Sussex Beacon Circus of Thrills was hosted by local cabaret favourite Dolly R ocket with Duncan James from boyband Blue her strapping assistant for the evening of circus freaks, ghosts and ghouls from the Brighton Academy who enter tained guests with music and dancing
Local divas, The Sundaes and Jenna Hall, performed live sets bringing many of the guests dressed up in Spooktacular Halloween costumes to the dancefloor to dance until the early hours
Top prize in the raffle, a week’s luxury holiday in Palma de Majorca including flights, was donated by Michael Deol and R ober t Webb, owners of R evenge nightclub, and David Hill from E3 enter tainment group Besi Dema Ledward, sitting on the Gscene Old Bitches & Witches table, was the lucky winner
Simon Dowe, CEO of the Sussex Beacon, said: “Some of our guests looked truly terrif ying, but they were also incredibly generous! We’re delighted with the total raised on the night, boosted by our skillful auctioneer David Hill, which will go towards supporting people living with HIV We want to thank everyone who attended and the people who worked so hard to make the event spectacular We’re incredibly grateful for the support of our headline sponsor ‘City Cabs’ together with all our ball partners and guests who made the night such a huge success ”
Leading enter tainment design agency the E3 Group worked with the Sussex Beacon to produce the ball, which many present acclaimed as the best Halloween Horror Show to date
The Sussex Beacon provides specialist suppor t and care for people living with HIV It provides both inpatient and outpatient services to promote independence and improve health
Photographs by Graham Franks, Nick Ford Photography and James Ledward To purchase photographs taken by Nick Ford at the Grand Hotel online, view: www.nickfordphotography.co.uk/v/photos/tsbhb2016
TIME TO WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE!
) 2016 has been a troublesome year for some local LGBT+/HIV organisations Against the backdrop of savage Government cuts, charities such as the Sussex Beacon are fighting to keep going, the services they offer The Beacon’s financial position is serious and if it does not improve they might have to close their nine bed in patient unit before the end of the financial year Local authorities all over the country are making cuts to grant budgets which affect the LGBT+/HIV voluntary sector in par ticular
While the City Council here are in a similar position to other local authorities, in Brighton, we have the benefit of the R ainbow Fund who, because of the success of Brighton Pride, have a substantial and on going pot of money with which to make grants each year to LGBT+/HIV organisations who provide ‘effective’ front line services to LGBT+ people in the city
I personally do scrutiny for the Rainbow Fund to make sure that the money is well spent and the community gets ‘best value’ from all grants the Rainbow Fund make Final decisions are made by an independent grants panel who between them have a wealth of experience of the LGBT+ communities in Brighton & Hove and the come from all sides of the political spectrum I personally do not have a vote when the final decisions are made, I only advise
This years grant round was somewhat troubling An “entitlement culture” emerged in some groups with organisers thinking they were “entitled” to grants That is clearly not the case This “community money” is a bonus and can not be wasted on speculative schemes
The reasons for this shift are complex, but what is clear is that the governance of some local LGBT+ organisations is not fit for purpose and needs reviewing Some organisations who are receiving grants from funders do not even have AGMs Members of organisations constantly complain to me that their voices are not listened to and a few organisations have been in real turmoil recently
It took 15 years to completely sor t out the finances of Brighton Pride The people who now run the organisation know what they are doing Brighton Pride in 2016 is transparent and each year will continue to donate £1 to the Rainbow Fund for every ticket sold for Preston Park and the Street Par ty
It is the job of the Rainbow Fund to distribute that money fairly and efficiently There are gaps in services our groups presently provide and this needs addressing quickly For example after all the money that has been invested in our sector over the last 15 years we do not have a single organisation that offers a buddying service to older, vulnerable people It is scandalous! As the demographic of LGBT Brighton gets older, the needs of older isolated LGBT+ people will become more pressing especially as their health fades There is also a growing problem with homelessness for many LGBT+ people especially young people who arrive in Brighton thinking the streets are paved with gay gold
Some organisations lack leadership which also needs addressing That can only be done against a backdrop of groups being transparent in the way they operate, focussed on providing an effective service and democratic in the way they are run Recently, at times I have been left wondering who exactly some groups are being run for, the people who need the service or for the benefit of the people running the group
Finally, difficult decisions have to be made over the next six months about the very future of some loved LGBT organisations It is not right that we continue to fund groups that have no role to play anymore and we need to establish a community mechanism so that when organisations have run their course we can say thank you for all the hard work done and work with funders to make sure that their finances and budgets are effectively distributed to other groups that are still needed and providing effective services
It is not acceptable for LGBT organisations to continue just because they have always been there They need to demonstrate they are still fulfilling a useful function and the services they provide are still needed It’s time to wake up and smell the coffee!
Have a happy Christmas and prosperous New Year James Ledward
LGBT+ COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVES
HONOUR THE FALLEN FROM TWO WORLD WARS
) Representatives from Brighton Pride and Brighton & Hove LGBT Community Safety Forum (B&H LGBT CSF) laid poppy wreaths at the annual Act of R emembrance on Old Steine on Sunday, November 13 to mark the lives of LGBT+ people lost during conflict wars
The ceremony was observed by the Mayor of Brighton & Hove, Cllr Pete West, and dignitaries, religious representatives and citizens of Brighton & Hove, including: Caroline Lucas MP for Brighton Pavilion; Simon Kirby, MP for Brighton Kemptown & Peacehaven; Geoff R aw, Chief Executive of Brighton & Hove City Council; Cllr Gill Mitchell, Deputy Leader of the Labour group on Brighton & Hove City Council; and the Queen’s representative, Mr Peter Field, The East Sussex Lord Lieutenant among others
Prayers were read by the chaplain to the Mayor, Rev Anthea Ballam, Rabbi Dr Andreas Zanardo and the Venerable Mar tin Lloyd Williams, the Archdeacon of Brighton and Lewes W reaths were laid at the War Memorial by representatives from a wide range of city organisations followed by a march past of representatives from the Armed Forces
Paul Kemp, Director of Brighton & Hove Pride, said: “It is a honour for Brighton Pride to mark the sacrifices made by so many during the great wars ”
Billie Lewis, Chair of the B&H LGBT CSF, added: “It is important that we never forget the contribution LGBT+ people make to our armed forces and every year continue to remember those that lost their lives to eventually give us our equality "
Simon Kirby, MP for Brighton Kemptown & Peacehaven, said: “It is always an incredibly humbling experience to pay my respects to those who have died in the service of their country and it is a huge honour and privilege to do so on behalf of the residents of Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven We must never forget the sacrifices made by the men and women who gave their lives defending our freedom ”
The B&H LGBT CSF also laid wreaths at the Cenotaph in Hove
OLDEST GAY IN THE VILLAGE FIGHTS ON TO GET AN APOLOGY FROM THE GOVERNMENT
) George Montague, affectionately know as The Oldest Gay in the Village, delivered his petition calling for an apology from the Government for his historic sexual offence conviction to Downing Street last month
Despite reassurances from Simon Kirby MP for Brighton Kemptown & Peacehaven that the Government will very shor tly be issuing posthumous pardons for thousands of gay and bisexual men, convicted of now abolished sexual offences, Brighton Kemptown resident George still insists he wants an apology from the Government about his historic malicious conviction
George, aged 93, was forced to resign in 1974 from his position as a Senior Commissioner in the Boy Scout Association where he ran camps for severely physically disabled boys from six southern counties in the UK He says: “As a consequence of the Gross Indecency Laws at the time, I was arrested and charged enthusiastically by homophobic police officers, assisted by agent provocateurs and informers Then, if one was born to be “in love” with another man, one was automatically presumed guilty of these offences
“Myself, and 49,000 others, still have criminal convictions I am therefore petitioning for an apology from this Government on the part of their predecessors Some of those past legislators are still alive, of ten asleep in
the House of Lords on £300 per day, many of them refusing to accept the fact that being homosexual is NOT a choice
“I agree that any indecency of a sexual nature in public should still be an offence but our 'offences' were of ten 'committed' in private I don't seek a pardon, for that admits guilt (eg Alan Turing), I believe that these convictions should be quashed and I want that apology from my Government before I die ”
George, the author of The Oldest Gay in the V illage, delivered 7,000 signatures from his online petition along with 8,000 signatures he had collected by hand to the Prime Minister, Theresa May MP , in Downing Street on November 2
DUKES MOUND TO CLOSE FOR CHRISTMAS
) Dukes Mound on Brighton seafront is to be closed for around three months for essential structural repairs to the high retaining wall which suppor ts the A259 seafront road above Dukes Mound is the sloping road near Brighton Marina linking the A259 with Madeira Drive at beach level and borders the popular cruising area for gay men
It closed on Monday, November 21 and is scheduled to reopen on
Februar y 3, 2017 In consultation with traders, the downhill side of Dukes Mound will reopen at weekends (Friday evening until Monday morning) The road will also be opened over the Christmas period between Tuesday December 20 and Januar y 4
Works form par t of a council programme of improvements to the seafront which is estimated to require £100m of repairs
COURT OF APPEAL RULES IN FAVOUR OF PREP APPEAL
) Cour t of Appeal has ruled in favour of the National AIDS Trust (NAT) in a judgment that confirms an earlier high cour t ruling that NHS England can legally fund, and is obliged to give due consideration to commissioning, the HIV prevention drug PrEP Suppor ting the initial High Cour t judgment, this outcome means that NHS England will need to reveal its decision on whether PrEP will be recommended for funding
Deborah Gold, Chief Executive of NAT, said: “ We’re delighted to have been vindicated by the Court a second time HIV is a critical issue in the UK where over 4,000 people acquire HIV every year PrEP works, it saves money, and most importantly it has the power to prevent HIV acquisition for thousands of people, at the same time as beginning to end the HIV epidemic This judgment brings that possibility one step closer
“ We look forward to what we hope will be a balanced and evidence-based decision on PrEP by NHS England, as well the opportunity to work alongside NHS England collaboratively for the benefit of people living with and at risk of HIV ”
NAT has been defending their position, suppor ted by the Local Government Association and confirmed by the initial Cour t decision, that there is no legal impediment to NHS England funding the drug PrEP , and that it should never have been dropped from the new treatments being considered for NHS commissioning Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) involves HIV-negative people taking an antiretroviral drug to avoid getting HIV It is a cost-effective drug and cheaper than treating people for life with expensive HIV drugs after becoming infected with HIV NHS England argued that it cannot legally fund it as it is a public health intervention
Peter Kyle, Labour MP for Hove & Portslade, said: “This Court judgment is welcome news as the Government needs to stop ducking responsibility for commissioning this proven measure of preventing HIV at a time when infection rates are rising There is still some way to go as it now needs to be prioritised for funding so I will be working with the Terrence Higgins Trust, NAT and other health charities to lobby NHS England to do so without delay ”
Peter has also signed a letter to NHS England asking them to commission PrEP , now it has been ruled it is their responsibility
Ivor Caplin, former Labour MP for Hove & Por tslade and former Minister for Veterans at the Ministry of Defence, said: “This is an important step forward for PrEP and the LGBT community I am also pleased that the Court criticised the NHS on wasting funds on a court appeal process which I pointed out af ter the first case
Now is time for the NHS to fully fund and make PrEP available so that this game-changing moment in the fight against HIV can become a reality We know how important this additional protection will be across the city alongside regular testing and condoms This really is an important moment ”
CITY ’S SUPERINTENDENT REGISTRAR RETIRES
) Friends and colleagues joined the Mayor of Brighton & Hove, Cllr Pete West, at Brighton Town Hall to wish Brighton & Hove Council's Superintendent R egistrar, Trevor Love, a successful retirement The reception took place in the Mayor ’s Parlour at Brighton Town Hall at the end of October
Trevor worked in the Council's Weddings and Ceremonies depar tment for the last 14 years, rising to the position of Superintendent Registrar
During those years he saw the historic introduction of Civil Par tnerships in December 2005 followed by officiating at the first Same-Sex Marriage in March 2014 when he married Andrew Wale and Neil Allard at the R oyal Pavilion, an event which brought international TV networks to the city
During his years in post he married an Olympic figure skating champion, the author Peter James and Richard
Fairbrass
Registration manager Debra R eynolds gave a lovely speech highlighting the huge contribution Trevor had made to the team during the last 14 years and wished him well in his retirement
Trevor's husband, Josh, joined him at the reception Karl Jones from Moshimo kindly donated sushi for the invited guests
from Right Said Fred among others
AWARD-WINNING BRIGHTON-BASED SPEAKER AND SPEECH COACH REVEALS HIS SECRETS IN NEW BOOK
) Steve Bustin, the Brighton-based professional speaker and speech coach, launched his new book at an event at Café Plenty in Brighton last month The A uthority Guide to Presenting and Public Speaking is Bustin’s first book and promises to reveal everything you need to know to give an engaging and compelling presentation or speech The book is par t of a new series of business titles under the A uthority Guide brand published by SRA Books Bustin sets out his approach to writing, honing and delivering presentations, whether you’re addressing an internal meeting, pitching to clients or speaking at an event He is also working on a second title for the series, The A uthority Guide to PR for Small Business, due to be published in May 2017
Steve Bustin was named UK Speaker of the Year 2015 by the Professional Speaking Association He is an exper t in media and communications, has spoken at business conferences and events across Europe, and is also well known on the Brighton business scene as a compere and speaker at the Chamber of Commerce, ProfitNet and other business events He also works with businesses to help develop and maximise presentation skills, social media skills and media interview skills He also works as a one-on-one speech coach
Steve says: “I’ve been presenting, training and speaking in public for many years and even tried my hand at stand-up for a few years, so I know how to connect with an audience and how to make sure they not only have a good time but also take away things they can use in their lives and businesses immediately This book is my chance to pass on everything I’ve learned to the huge number of people who either don’t like presenting or just avoid it altogether These days presenting and pitching are essential business skills, whether you’re employed (especially as many job interviews now include a presentation) or running your own business, where speaking in public is a great way to promote your product or services ”
The A uthority Guide to Presenting and Public Speaking is available on Amazon, iTunes, and from City Books on Western Road, Brighton To order it from Steve’s website, view: www.stevebustin.com
WHY ARE WE PUNISHING THE HOMELESS?
) Cllr Phélim Mac Caffer ty, Green Par ty Councillor for Brunswick & Adelaide and Convenor of the Green Group of Councillors, Brighton & Hove City Council, says: “I am extremely concerned about the impact of the Conservative Government’s new punitive benefits cap on some of the poorest households in the city
“There is no doubt that this new cap will greatly increase the risk of evictions for rent arrears The Chartered Institute of Housing has calculated that some of the poorest families in Brighton & Hove will lose more than £100 a week This is coming on top of the Labour Council leadership’s proposals to once again increase council tax for the poorest households Labour recently also massively cut almost 100 beds for homeless people while claiming with a
straight face that it would mean ‘more people will be able to access accommodation’ ”
“ Whilst it is welcome that the council will be offering support to residents around explaining the impact of the benefit changes, explaining what will happen doesn’t address the reality that together these national and local policies will ensure that this Christmas will be incredibly tough for some of the poorest people in our city The proposals are in fact incredibly shortsighted - as they will mean we end up with more homeless, which in turn will cause further costs to the council, police and NHS
“This further attack on people already living on low incomes is criminal I have come to expect stinginess from the Conservative Government but for it to be joined by this mean-spirit from Labour is nothing short of an outrage
“This will surely leave one of the very few commitments Labour made in their manifesto in 2015; ‘to end rough sleeping by 2019’ in tatters ”
HELP THE HOMELESS IN BRIGHTON & HOVE THIS CHRISTMAS
) The Grosvenor Bar on the borders of Brighton and Hove are organising Gift Boxes to be handed out to the homeless in Brighton & Hove this Christmas
R ober t Beveridge and Collin Day need donations of deodorants, mouthwash, socks, gloves, underwear, hairbrushes, combs, dog biscuits, cigarette papers and filters, chocolate, biscuits, quiz books and pens, in fact anything you think will bring a smile to the face of a homeless person on
Christmas Day All goods donated will be packed in attractive Christmas boxes and distributed by Brighton Housing Trust Take your donations to the Grosvenor Bar, 16 Western Street, Brighton by December 12 Tel 01273 438587
SHARON BARR MOVES ON
) After 10 years at the helm, Sharon Barr, owner of the Zone Bar is moving on to pastures new Sharon’s last weekend will be on December 3-4 when she is throwing a farewell par ty to make sure she goes with a bang
An integral par t of Brighton’s gay scene for over a decade, this cocktail and cabaret venue attracts a mixed crowd of par ty-goers at weekends and has been especially popular at major celebrations, such as St Patrick's Day and Halloween
Of her depar ture, Sharon said: "It’s been a pleasure and an honour to have owned The Zone for the past 10 years However, it’s now time for me to relinquish control and move on to new challenges I’ve loved meeting such wonderful people - the customers, the staff and the brilliant acts that have passed through the doors It’s a great testament to the hard work of the team over the years that the new owner, Steven, doesn't wish to change a thing - and I'm very proud about that ”
Sally Vate will host a special farewell par ty on Saturday, December 3 from 7pm Sharon said: "I would love to see friends old and new and raise a glass or two to The Zone - and if anyone has any special memories of The Zone, I would love to hear from them ”
Sharon will be taking some time out to see family in Australia and tour par ts of the South Pacific that she has always wanted to visit
The venue's new proprietor Steven is expected to take ownership of The Zone in early December and has no plans for any changes, expecting a very smooth transition
Steven said: “The Zone will continue to remain a fun, friendly and fabulous place with a great atmosphere A place where a broad spectrum of people of all ages can have a drink and enjoy live music and entertainment at the weekend The current team of experienced and friendly bar staff will continue to provide a warm welcome to all ”
) Join fifty Gscene readers on a magical trip to Disneyland Paris from May 19-21 2017, to sample the dazzling new Disney shows and glittering new parade You will be whisked away from Brighton early on the morning of Friday, May 19, arriving just a few hours later by Eurostar direct into Marne-la-Vallée train station in Disneyland and stay for 2 nights at the luxury Vienna Dream Castle Hotel, a Disneyland Resor t Paris associated hotel
Your price includes return journey from Brighton to Disneyland by Eurostar, two nights stay at the hotel, a three course meal on the first night (May 19), unlimited access to both parks and a £10 per person donation to the R ainbow Fund who given grants to
LGBT/HIV organisation providing effective front line services to LGBT People in the city The cost is just £399 per person based on two people sharing
To reserve your place call 01273 749 947 (25% deposit required Full payment by April 1, 2017)
) An alternative and fun take on Aladdin by the company that brought you the critically acclaimed production of Sinderfella in 2015
LGBTQ HISTORY CLUB
) The next Brighton LGBTQ Histor y Club meeting, is at 3–6pm on Sunday December 11, in the Museum Lab at Brighton Museum & Ar t Galler y These are regular club meetings, with a series of guests presenting on a specific topic One of the outcomes of the club will be an exhibition in February 2017 during LGBT History month The club is free, but it is impor tant to book a place to give organisers an idea of numbers: www brownpapertickets com/event/2705264
The club have also just launched an LGBTQ+ blog (www queerin brighton co uk/categor y/histor y-club) and are looking for submissions of writing, photos and materials which illuminate
Directed and staged by Quintin Young, written by Andrew Stark, the cast includes Miss Jason as Widow Twankey, Davina Sparkle as the Fairy of the Ring, Dave Lynn as the Princess, Lola Lasagne as the Empress, Sally Vate as the Genie of the Lamp, Christopher Howard as Abanazer, Allan Jay as Aladdin and Jason Lee as Wishey Washey
The company return to the Sallis Benney Theatre, on Januar y 19, for 17 performances Tickets are now on sale costing £20 for weekday and £22 for weekend performances
Makes the ideal gift for someone this Christmas Banish the January blues and book your tickets at: www.brightonticketbooth.com
the city’s queer heritage Email submissions to: info@queerinbrighton co uk
W riter, performer and historian R ose Collis will host an introductory Librar y Workshop on Saturday December 3, 1 15pm, at the Jubilee Librar y about free newspaper and other historical resources available via membership of Brighton & Hove Libraries, and how to search for material that could be included in the LGBTQ History Club exhibition Book your place at: www.brownpaper tickets.com/event/ 2710312
Histor y Club is run by Queer in Brighton For more info view: www.queerinbrighton.co.uk
MAYOR ATTENDS TRANSGENDER DAY OF REMEMBRANCE MEMORIAL SERVICE
) The Mayor of Brighton & Hove, Cllr Pete West, headed the dignitaries at this year’s Transgender Day of R emembrance (TDOR) service at Dorset Gardens Methodist Church on Sunday, November 20 He was joined by, among others, Chief Superintendent Nev Kemp from Sussex Police, Cllr Phelim Mac Caffer ty, Convener of the Greens, Cllr Emma Daniel, Chair of the Council's Neighbourhoods, Communities & Equalities Committee, and Cllr Andrew Wealls, Deputy Leader of the Conser vative Group
In his speech the Mayor acknowledged current national and global themes were not helpful for trans people, and said that while here in Brighton much progress has been made on trans issues it is not the same elsewhere and he called for more pioneering trans work to happen globally
TDOR has been marked internationally every year on November 20 since 1999 when transgender advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith created the vigil to honour the memory of Rita Hester, a transgender woman who was killed in 1998
Although we do not see the levels of violence in the UK that are experienced in other countries, TDOR is a time of solidarity for those who are gender variant in some way
The majority of murders worldwide are perpetrated against trans women of colour and the highest incidence is seen amongst sex workers in South America Stephanie Jayne Scott, who hosted the memorial service, called for prostitution to be legalised globally to help protect trans sex workers
Other speakers included representatives from Allsor ts Youth Project, Clare Project, NOTA and MindOut Chief Superintendent Nev Kemp, who also spoke, said: "Every trans person has to be brave each day in their daily life We’ve nine trans people working for Sussex Police who will support you "
All present were invited to place the name of a
trans life lost in the last year on to a special Wall of Remembrance
TDOR is also held in remembrance of those who have lost their lives through suicide, of which there is a par ticularly high incidence within the trans community and the event gives trans people the oppor tunity to come together with friends and allies from across all communities
Rev R obin Selmes, Minster of Dorset Gardens Methodist Church, closed the service asking everyone to remind themselves everyday that “they are beautiful” He said that while in Brighton & Hove we have a pioneering and diverse LGBT+ community, which sometimes pulls in different directions, he asked everyone present to: “Be at one with yourself and today leave arm in arm with each other as you go forward as a community "
The R ainbow Chorus, conducted by their musical director, Aneesa Chaudhr y, sang Deep River, Africa, You're the Voice and a moving arrangement of Wonderful World when everyone was invited to hold hands in solidarity
Volunteers from Lunch Positive, the HIV lunch club, provided tea, coffee and refreshments
PROFESSOR KATH BROWNE DELIVERS INAUGURAL UNIVERSITY LECTURE
) Kath Browne, Professor of Human Geography within the School of Environment and Technology at the University of Brighton, delivered her inaugural lecture, What's Geography Got To Do W ith It? Sexualities, Gender And Place, at the Sallis Benney Theatre last month
While geography is often associated with maps and mountains, Kath teaches across the human geography curriculum, covering issues of social justice, examining how ‘place’ matters to people’s lives and demonstrating how geography is crucial to understanding the lives of LGBTQ people globally
Kath was the lead researcher on the award-winning Count Me In Too research project which repor ted in 2009 and looked at marginalisation, exclusion, disenfranchisement and needs among LGBTQ people in Brighton & Hove She works with marginalised because of their sexual and gender identities, exploring how lives can be ameliorated in ways that take 'place' seriously She works closely with activists and community groups to explore LGB&T lives and needs, as well as examining queer and feminist spaces
She urged caution that in the rush for equality in a heteronormative society we don't accept inclusion that rests on ‘sameness’ and fitting LGBTQ people into the 'normal' She explained the possibilities and limits of our present equalities laws, how they affect LGBTQ people living in Brighton, often referred to as the gay capital of the UK, and then looked transnationally at what makes lives liveable for LGBTQ people in the UK and India
Resistance to LGBTQ rights, she said, “were of ten overlooked”, but will become key when engaging with the inevitable fallout from Brexit, and global same-sex marriage debates This becomes especially relevant following the recent election of Donald Trump in the USA
She urged against complacency from LGBTQ people who might think that legislation is enough to achieve change and made the case for winning over 'hear ts and minds'
Kath was one of the founders of the Space, Sexualities and Queer Research Group of the Royal Geographical Society She currently co-leads the Spatial, Environmental and Cultural Politics Research Centre at the University of Brighton
After the event came to a close, Chief Super Nev Kemp and Sgt Peter Allan, presented Elizabeth Baldwin and Dr Kate Nambiar from Trans Alliance with a cheque for £500 from the Police Proper ty Act Fund to assist their campaigning work
WHO ’S THE BOSS BEHIND THE BAR?
This month Morgan Fabulous talks wigs, heels and hair with former Golden Handbag Landlord of the Year, Collin Day
) The Grosvenor on Western Street on the border of Brighton and Hove, just up from Hove Lawns, is a lively gay bar which Collin Day, also know as Pooh La May, has managed for the last two years Since his arrival, the bar has been redecorated twice, originally with super camp glitter walls, feathers and masks and now with a more theatrical look including a drag queen tribute wall, displaying famous drag queens past and present There is a waiting list of local drag queens wanting to have their photo mounted on the wall, myself included!
The bar has a late licence, is open seven days a week, and with Drag Bingo on Thursdays, Karaoke on Fridays and top Cabaret every Saturday at 10pm it’s a perfect destination to spend the whole evening Since his arrival, Collin has turned the Grosvenor into a friendly, local pub for anyone to enjoy and he has attracted a regular, loyal clientele who like to take advantage of low-priced drink’s at £3 30 for any pint
Over the years many customers have followed Collin as he moved around the city from bar to bar Before managing the Grosvenor, he worked in and went on to manage R evenge nightclub for a total of 14 years throughout the 1990s, eventually moving on in 2004 He says: “I loved the scene back then as there were so many real characters in Brighton Staff turn around was much lower and everyone knew everyone It was like being part of one big family ”
After leaving Revenge he took a five-year break away from the scene and from drag, but missed his heels and the social aspect of running a bar so much that he just had to return He managed Legends Bar for a year, then Church Street (Black Horse) for six years and now the Grosvenor, which he has firmly stamped his personality on
For tunately, he kept all of his drag wear, including over 40 pairs of heels, 100 dresses and boxes of wigs to recreate Pooh La May, his drag identity name which was given to him by a friend, and is apparently Norwegian slang for female masturbation Collin has been doing drag for over 25 years He star ted in Revenge in the 1990s as a door host, working behind the bar and was one of the original members of the legendary Lollipop Girls He remained there till 2004 when Revenge changed hands and he decided to move on and concentrate on a solo career Pooh La May appeared regularly in the Adult Pantomime and performs at venues around Brighton singing songs from the 1960s and 70s
Collin gives his time to wor thy causes and is par ticularly proud of the fundraising Pooh La May has done for the Sussex Beacon and the Thai Children's Orphanage in Pattaya, which is suppor ted by many Brighton enter tainers He lists his hobbies as theatre, reading, music and men (so 1980s, dear!) and you can catch him and Pooh La May on stage at the Grosvenor on New Year ’s Eve par tnering Maisie Trollette Entry all night will be free!
https://www facebook com/www thegrosvenorbar co uk/
PEER ACTION FOR EVERYONE AFFECTED BY HIV
Peer Action is a volunteer led support and social network that offers weekly activities for those living with or affected by HIV in Brighton and the surrounding area Our events are aimed at reducing isolation and improving the overall health and wellbeing of our members For details please go to our website www peeraction co uk
MON Movie Monday Film Club @ Cineworld in the Marina
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Dec 19TH
TUE Swim @ Brighton Swim Centre (12 30) Dec 6TH & 13TH, Jan 10TH-31ST
Yoga @ Hampshire Lodge (17 45) Dec 6TH & 13TH, Jan 10TH-31ST
WED Games Night @ Barley Mow (19 00) Jan 25TH
Planning Social @ Camelford Arms (18 45) Dec 14TH
THU World AIDS Day Event Dec 1ST
Pub Quiz @ Camelford Arms (18 45) Dec 1ST, Jan 5TH & 19TH
FRI Bingo @ Gala Kemptown - Dates TBA
SAT Christmas Quiz Night @ Bedford Tavern (19.00) Dec 10TH
Christmas Market Excursion (10 00-16 00) Dec 10TH
Wellbeing Therapy Day (from 13 50) Jan 28TH
SUN Bent Double @ Komedia (19 00) Dec 4TH, Feb 5TH
Bowling @ Bowlplex Marina (19 00) Dec 18TH, Jan 15TH
Wellbeing Therapy Days - Dates TBA
Look out for news about our upcoming 5th Anniversary Party in February!
Peer Action is always looking for new members and volunteers to help keep our activities running If you have an idea for an event or want to get involved, please get in touch You might even make a new friend or two
MINDOUT HONOUR SPICE’S FUNDRAISING ACHIEVEMENTS
) MindOut, the Mental Health service run by LGBT people for LGBT people, presented their annual repor t to friends and suppor ters last month at Dorset Gardens Methodist Church The ceremony took place on Wednesday, November 16 and was attended by the Mayor of Brighton & Hove, Cllr Pete West, who gave special MindOut Awards to key suppor ters
Helen Jones, Director of MindOut, presented the organisation’s annual repor t and plans for the future; followed by speeches from suppor ting par tners, including: Jodie from Mind in Brighton & Hove, Ben Drew from Allsor ts Youth Project, and R or y Finn from Trans Alliance The first par t of the event finished with testimonials from MindOut service users, which were both uplifting and very humbling to listen to The message from each speaker was similar, MindOut is vital to their very existence, a service they could not live without
The Mayor of Brighton & Hove, Cllr Pete West, said how “thrilled" he was to suppor t MindOut, acknowledged how impor tant their work is to the city and went on to present the MindOut Awards First to be presented with a special award was Aaron Lawrence, aka Spice, for his magnificent fundraising project, My Costume Drama, which raised £14,500 for MindOut during the last 12 months
Everyday for much of the last year Aaron dressed in different fancy dress to raise the money for the charity The Bedford Tavern, where Aaron cooks lunch every Sunday, also received an award for their fundraising suppor t of MindOut
Other awards were presented to trans comic, Debra- Jane Applely who appears at MindOut fundraisers, Alison Gaywood the receptionist at Community Base, were MindOut’s offices are located; the Marlborough Pub; the R ainbow Chorus; and R or y Finn for his suppor t work at Sussex Police
The R ainbow Chorus, conducted by their musical director, Aneesa Chaudhr y, were in especially fine voice singing a selection of numbers, including: Deep River, In This Heart, Africa, Gloria, and a lovely arrangement of Wonderful World
Lunch Positive, the HIV lunch club, provided a wonderful buffet giving people the chance to stay and chat with friends and colleagues
For more information about MindOut, visit: www.mindout.org.uk
AARON LAWRENCE AKA SPICE
JASON SAW
RAINBOW CHORUS
DEBRA - JANE APPLELY
ALISON GAYWOOD
BEN DREW AND MAEVE DEVINE FROM ALLSORTS
RORY FINN
DAVID SHEPPEARD FROM MARLBOROUGH
RAINBOW CHORUS
MAT T AND ADAM FROM BEDFORD TAVERN
ANEESA CHAUDHRY
WORLD AIDS DAY
What does World AIDS Day mean to you in 2016?
) World AIDS Day often means so many differing things to different people, and most likely reflects our own personal experiences and those we have shared with people close to us.
Inevitably, and rightly so, this year will probably be one where we continue to appreciate improvements in treatments and prognosis here in the UK, though shamefully not worldwide. Importantly we’ll promote and reassure people to be tested for HIV, and if diagnosed HIV positive to start treatment at the right time
We’ll be hoping that the commissioning of PrEP comes closer, having the power to prevent HIV acquisition for thousands of people, at the same time as beginning to end the HIV epidemic But whilst we think about and are thankful for all these developments, how much will we seek to understand the challenges that are still experienced by many of us with HIV? Will we understand and appreciate the continuing need for support and care? Most years I write to reflect the
AL’S STORY
Gay life thrived in the early 1980s For a young man from a conservative and staunchly religious upbringing, I’d arrived The painful years of growing up gay were behind me It was liberation, excess and living life to the full From London to New York it seemed like a constant party for the new kid in town It was at one of these parties in Key West that a Scotch guzzling older man leant over and said, “You know something’s happening kid –gay men are dropping.” Then it was called ‘GRID’.
Back in England for my 21st, the feeling of disquiet turned to terror. My father informed me I must phone the hospital. So much for confidentiality, they had told him that I had a dangerous virus. The doctor was unsympathetic. “Well, I’m very sorry to tell you, but you have
experiences of people I meet and hope to show to those who might not be aware, how living with HIV can still be so very complex and challenging.
This year, one of our service users offered to share their own story of being an HIV survivor, a person diagnosed with HIV for many years. This is not just an insight into history, the impact of HIV continues to be very real for many people Whilst many will be living more healthily and with more fulfilled loves, many still struggle both through the effects of the past, and how this can diminish resilience for the present and the future
So, whilst remembering those we ’ ve lost, and thinking of the advances and greater hope for many of us at this year ’ s World AIDS Day, please let’s also acknowledge that within our community people are still often disadvantaged and marginalised in very many ways, and often those which we ourselves haven’t experienced. If we truly are a cohesive community, then we should continue to care about and change this.
AIDS.” “Oh God!” I said. He then snorted, “Of course you may well mention God.” I never saw that man My father spoke in code, “Whatever it is you have brought it on yourself and it cannot happen here ”
I fled to London. Then the horror years. To condemnation and treachery was added the fear that you would be hunted down Like on Death Row you were in the waiting line but also judged as deserving
Quarantine was mentioned in the press as they published horrific images of appalling deaths Stigma was huge as was the fear of a long, protracted, agonising and solitary death You were constantly on the lookout for that first symptom There was the guilt for those you may have infected pre-diagnosis, the changing safe-sex message, Clause 28 People were dying in droves.
“We don’t need further stigma. We know a lot about life, society and people and have a lot to offer the gay community today.”
My way of dealing with it was to go to university and focus on study I didn’t expect to get through. On my return to London in 1992 most people I knew had gone. There were so many sad tales. The final dancer with Kaposi’s sarcoma who refused to stop dancing the nights away. People lived for the day as there was little hope. You were actively encouraged to cash in pensions, property and live the best you could
I’m so thankful to the likes of ACT UP and artists such as Jimmy Somerville who represented and fought for us and the solidarity in the gay community at that time But there were those who treated you as a pariah, the spurned lovers who used it against you even though you had been completely safe Irrational guilt piled on A close friend of mine killed himself partly because he was exposed at work for being HIV positive
I was one of the very few who survived to take treatment, but with significant psychological wounds, guilt and anger I’ve been so lucky to get support and friendship at Lunch Positive, Terrence Higgins Trust and the Sussex Beacon I’m now finally beginning to unravel what happened Some of us are the walking wounded, facing financial hardship in later life I hope cuts will not affect our services I would never advocate unprotected sex, but our antiretrovirals take the likelihood of transmission to near zero. Some gay men have told me the doctors shouldn’t tell me that. Well, we don’t need further stigma. We know a lot about life, society and people and have a lot to offer the gay community today.
WE WERE HERE
Lunch Positive is holding a community screening of We Were Here on Wednesday, November 30 at Dorset Gardens Methodist Church, Dorset Gardens, Brighton. The film is a true story from those in San Francisco who lived through the early days of the AIDS epidemic and for some this will be a reminder and for others an insight
Everyone is welcome and the event is free Doors open at 6 45pm with a buffet served before the film starts Donations to cover food and venue hire are welcome Seating is limited so arrive in good time to secure a place
This community event is part of the 2016 World AIDS Day commemorations and was organised by the Lunch Positive volunteer team as part of their contributions to World AIDS Day
Written by Lunch Positive
NICK FORD : PHOTOGRAPHER
Eric Page catches up with one of the cities real energetic creatives; Nick Ford, photographer He’s exhibited across the city, in galleries, festivals and has worked for many years at his chosen art
) What was your first photo?
It would have been something colourful. I love taking pictures of big architecture, massive engineering fascinates me, I’ve been to Dubai a few times and that place is amazing I’ve always loved capturing that sense of astonishing human creativity on film I think the first thing might have been a building
Who gave you your first camera?
My Dad He lent me his Rollei 35, I remember using it
Dorothea Lange or David LaChapelle?
Lange I’m more a realistic type I appreciate the work that goes into sophisticated post production work from a technical point of view but if it’s on my wall I want it honest
How does success feel?
Not having to worry about work, that’s how success feels Knowing I have enough work, from enough people who are happy with my work
What got you into Photography?
My Dad used to take photos of peoples’ weddings, it was his paid hobby I’d go along
with him and assist Carrying his bag and changing his lenses I was tiny, I could hardly carry the bag, but I managed! It’s a much loved Billingham camera bag, it’s worn and needs some attention but I still use it "
What brought you to Brighton?
Ha ha! I was born here, in the Royal Sussex, lived here all my life I’m Brighton born and bred and proud of it I love this city, it’s mix and acceptance of all different types of people
Tell us something about your grandmother... She used to take my twin sister and I off to her place and make us these most amazing Cypriot traditional treats Her roast dinners were amazing too Our Grandparents’ places were always busy, always welcoming. My family is mixed, English, Turkish & Greek Cypriots.
What’s your signature style?
I’m more about the physical medium my pictures end up on. I like to print on Kodak Endura (metallic photographic paper) it gives me the look I like. My Studio is open to the public, people can come along and check my work out.
What else do you do in the city?
I sing, for the Brighton’s Gay Men’s Chorus which has given me so much. I’ve learnt and grown as a person since singing with them and I recently gave my first paid gig on my own, as a Kate Bush impersonator. Some girls in the front thought I was miming but it was my own voice
What’s your fave song to sing?
I love to sing Laura Palmer by Bastille - it suits my tenor voice I come back to it time and time again
What’s your biggest headache?
Juggling different parts of my life can be a headache but also heartache My parents have a strong faith, which like many faiths, condemns homosexuality. We all live in the same house so out of respect for them I sometimes feel that, unfairly, my life is compromised.
What makes you cringe?
People saying that they’ll get their friend to do their wedding photos. You’ll take three things home with you after a wedding; your ring, your partner and your photos. They are your memories and to let someone who says they’ve got a decent camera capture the most important day in your relationship makes me cringe. People think anyone can take a beautiful picture, but like anything else it takes skill, experience and training to do really good work
When did you last cry?
There was a man in the street near my studio He was distressed, ill, and harming himself with a knife People were scared I called the police to assist him, and I took control until they arrived Afterwards a journalist asked if I had any photos of him with the knife for their article This lack of care, of social consideration for people, of basic human decency made me cry
Monochrome film or DSLr?
Film every time Digital is great and very easy to work with, but if I could afford to I’d use film all the time
How has being LGBTQ influenced you?
It’s given me contacts and allowed me to offer my work and skills to support charities I believe in I’ve supported The Sussex Beacon, The Dogs Trust, Sussex Wild Life Trust. It’s great to give to the local community.
Advice for budding business folk?
I worked on cruise liners for years, toured the world, then thought that’s it! I want a studio, I want it here, so did it. That’s my advice: do it, if you want to.
) See Nick’s work during the Christmas Artists Open Houses until the 2nd weekend in December (10 & 11th) 10am-5pm, at Oxford Street Studio, 19 Oxford Street, Brighton, BN1 4LA. Tel: 07834 912247 www.nickfordphotography.co.uk
) May Festival Artists Open House, & Fringe shows (TBC in the new year)
) Hear Nick sing with the Brighton Gay Men's Chorus Christmas show Pull a Cracker, December 10, at the Dome, Brighton,
SKYFALL L AUNCH NEW
CLUB CARD
Skyfall in Hove, launch The 42 Club, an exclusive, invitation only card for VIP ’s, raising in the process £350 for Rocking Horse Children’s Charity with a raffle.
Owner Jordan Tsar invited 40 VIP guests and treated them to an extravagant taster menu highlighting courses from Skyfall’ s new autumn menu, the first prepared by their new young chef Nathan Pfefferle
For starters we were treated to: Tomatoes & Arancini: textures of tomatoes and basil with confit tomato arancini and smoked ricotta Beautifully presented, simple and very tasty The ricotta did not overpower the flavour of the sweet fresh tomatoes (£6)
Scallops: aubergine caviar, squid ink granola, basil and cauliflower carpaccio, a spectacular creation and my favourite dish on the menu at Skyfall Scallops were cooked perfectly and complemented by the caviar The cauliflower carpaccio was a touch of genius (£9)
On an earlier visit to the restaurant I tried the Mussel & Clam Chowder for my starter It was top notch A perfectly balanced and slightly spicy chowder complete with juicy mussels and crunchy baby sweet corns (£7)
For main course we had a choice of: Braised Oxtail: slow-braised oxtail ragout, with a 4 oz ribeye steak, sweet potato gnocci, roasted vegetables, shallots and crusty bread The oxtail flavour was pronounced and sweet I had not tried oxtail for a while and forgot just how full on and flavoursome it is I will be having it again very soon. Gnocci was a perfect foil for the strong flavour of the oxtail as was the 4oz tender rib eye steak. (£18)
Fillet of Sea Trout: saffron risotto, mussels, green seasonal vegetables, seaweed and beurre blanc Lovely flavoured, moist trout cooked just right, and accompanied by green vegetables served perfectly al dente (£15)
For desert we had the choice of White Chocolate & Salted Caramel Cheesecake (£5.50) or Chocolate & Hazlenut Brownie (£5.50) I was tempted by both They were mighty fine providing the crowning glory to an evening of fine dining with friends.
Skyfall serves Modern British/European cuisine in very attractive and stylish surroundings
Young head chef Nathan is a master of presentation, his dishes look fantastic and his food is flavour led The restaurant is beautifully styled, comfortable to sit in and my only tiny criticism is that when live performers sing, the sound levels are a tad high for an old person like me For a celebrity VIP evening such as this not much of a problem, but I would feel differently if I was out for a romantic dinner. The staff are superb, attentive and well trained.
Entertainment was provide by vocalists Scott Howland and Keris Lea from the Sundaes, Europes biggest girl group.
All prices listed above are those quoted for the dish on the main menu
) Breakfast served daily from 9–11.30am
) Set menu served 12 noon–6pm Mon–Sat: (last orders 10pm) 1 course £9.50: 2 courses £11.50: 3 courses £14.50
) Dinner menu served daily from 6pm–close (last order 10pm) Mon–Sat
) Sunday roasts served 12noon–close (last orders 10pm)
Top Tip: Try one of the expertly mixed cocktails (prices £7.50-£8.50). We had the Long Island Ice Tea and Popcorn Martini. Both cost £8.50 and were as good as any cocktail you will get in town and, for a restaurant of this quality, very reasonably priced.
SKYFALL
) 42 Church Road, Hove BN3 2FN
) For reservations and information about The 42 Club which gives holders great discounts call: 01273 041007
BAR BROADWAY
) 10 Steine Street, BN2 1TE, Tel: 01273 609777, www barbroadway co uk
) OPEN Mon–Thur 6pm–1am, Fri 5pm–3am, Sat 4pm–3am, Sun 4pm–1am; Xmas Day 6pm–1am; NYE 6pm till ver y late!
) DRINK PROMOS 4–8pm each day, All Day Mon & Tues
) WORLD AIDS DAY Thur (1) THE INMATES ARE TAKING OVER THE ASYLUM WAD Fundraiser in aid of Lunch Positive from 8pm, gives you the chance to work at Bar Broadway for the night (or an hour or two) either behind the bar or DJing! Bar Broadway say: “All we ask you to do is to donate something on the night and to let us know what hour time slot you'd like to 'work' We'll also be adding an optional 50p to our drinks for the night and charging 50p for a request and 50p for a carton of popcorn All the donations and extras will go to Lunch Positive ” To get involved, email: info@barbroadway.co.uk
) XMAS Sun (11) FIREPLACE SESSIONS present Lascel Wood’s Christmas Par ty with festive favourites performed with soul at 8 30pm ) Sat (24) XMAS EVE JUKEBOX from 8pm ) Sun (25) Xmas Day with music videos, friendly faces, live music from Jason Thorpe, crackers and Alasdair & Michael behind the bar from 6pm ) Mon (26) Boxing Day with FIREPLACE SESSIONS from 8.30pm
) NYE Sat (31) Bar Broadway’s Annual HOGMANAY, a night of all things Scottish with bar staff in Kilts and tar tan-clad walls downstairs and upstairs in The Lounge, from 6pm till ver y late! Sun (1) Jan FIREPLACE SESSIONS present Voice of Broadway 2016 winner Matt Young from 8.30pm
) ONE FOR THE DIARY Sun (4) FIREPLACE SESSIONS present Dollar, featuring David Van Day & Sue Moxley, singing all your favourite Dollar songs and Christmas hits at 8 30pm Dollar were successful in the late 1970s and 1980s, achieving ten UK top 40 singles, including the Top Ten hits Love's Gotta Hold on Me, I Wanna Hold Your Hand, Mirror Mirror, Give Me Back My Heart and O L'amour
) REGUL ARS Mon is ROSS’ BIG MONDAY QUIZ with cash jackpot at 8pm ) Thur (29) is Sally Vate and special guest Stephanie Von Clitz’ SHOWTUNE KARAOKE from 8 30pm
Information is correct at the time of going to press Gscene cannot be held responsible for any changes or alterations to the listings
THURSDAY 1
l BAR 7@CRAWLEY Total Request
Thursdays: DJ FRESH Princess 9pm
l BAR BROADWAY WAD: The Inmates Are Taking Over The Asylum: fundraiser for Lunch Positive 7 30pm
l BAR REVENGE Dutty Wine: Jamaican Carnival-themed FOMO warm-up par ty 9pm
l BOUTIQUE WAD Fundraiser for AIDS
Alliance: Rainbow shots, DJ Franco 10pm
l CAMELFORD ARMS WAD: free hot
drinks for those attending the Memorial Service 12pm; £300 Big Cash Charity Quiz 9pm
l CHARLES STREET WAD Cabaret
Fundraiser for THT South: host Drag With No Name + Mrs Moore, Rose Garden, Sally Vate, Kara Van Park, Lucinda Lashes & more
) 2 Boyces St @ West St, BN11AN, 01273 327607 www boutiqueclubbrighton com
) OPEN daily from 1pm–ver y late Closed Xmas Day and New Year’s Day
Shake your baubles and put Boutique at the top of your list of go-to venues this festive season! Becky, Marketing Manager, says: “This year we’ve launched a variety of diverse events for the family as well as over 18s We really want to extend out and show we are not just a bar/club but also a venue with extreme capabilities Something for everyone!”
) FOOD all day, every day till midnight
) DRINK PROMOS Mon–Fri: bottles of Moet £50 & Veuve £60 Fri & Sat: five JBombs for £5 and 2-4-1 selected cocktails
) WORLD AIDS DAY Thu (1) is the WAD FUNDRAISER for AIDS Alliance with DJ Franco and Rainbow Shots for £5
) XMAS & NYE Every Sat in December is with DJ Klipz and Xmas themes & giveaways from 10pm ) Sat (10) is the BABY BOUTIQUE XMAS PARTY from 2–4pm, suitable for ages bir th–10 Boutique say: “Come see Santa and his elves at this Xmas party!” Bar Boutique is open for adults from 4pm; DJ Klipz’ FESTIVE MERRY CHRIMBO night with elf dancers and Santa shot drop every hour from 10pm ) Tue (20) SWAG under-18s Xmas Par ty from 7pm for ages 11–17 The bar opens for adults from 11pm! ) Snuggle down for Xmas on Sat (24) with live soul bands, DJ Klipz, pressie giveaway for most festive group, free shot drops, winter warmer cocktails and chilled environment with waitress service on bed booths from 10pm
) NYE Fri (30) SWAG under-18s NYE Par ty 7–11pm for ages 11–17 Bar Boutique opens for adults with DJ Franco at 11pm ) Sat (31) is BOUTIQUE’S BIG NYE PARTY with regular Saturday night drink & entry prices from 8pm Quote Gscene on the door to receive a free shot with your first drink! Boutique say: “ We keep it simple - our night is massive but the prices are the same! NYE doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg so everyone can celebrate! Arrive early to avoid disappointment and dress GL AM!”
) REGUL ARS Boutique is launching an interactive photo booth with filters and emojis in the club! Thur is CASA BOUTIQUE with Lady Lola DJing at 9pm
l SUBLINE Brace Yourself 9pm
l THREE JOLLY BUTCHERS Quiz: £150 jackpot 7 30pm
FRIDAY 2
l BAR 7@CRAWLEY 7 Upstairs 9pm
l BAR BROADWAY Jukebox 8pm
l BAR REVENGE Pop-Tar tz Warm-Up 9pm
l BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Glitter: DJ David Noakes 11pm
l BOUTIQUE DJ Franco 10pm
l CAMELFORD ARMS Friday Club 6pm
l CHARLES ST Fruity Friday Fix: DJ Leeroy 9pm
l DR BRIGHTONS House Rules: DJ Tony B 9.30pm
l GROSVENOR BAR Mysterry’s karaoke 9pm
l MARINE TAVERN cabaret: Gabriella Parrish 10pm
l POISON IVY Fierce Fridays: Britney Fierce 8pm
l QUEEN’S ARMS cabaret: Saucy Sophie 9 30pm
l REVENGE Pop Tar tz DJs on level 1; Anthem with DJ Tony Lawrence on level 2
10 30pm
l SUBLINE Steam 9pm
l ZONE cabaret: Lola Lasagne 10pm
SATURDAY 3
l BAR 7@CRAWLEY 7 Sins 9pm
l BAR BROADWAY Jukebox 8pm; Apollo Cabaret Series: singers/musicans 8pm
l BAR REVENGE WTF warm-up 9pm
BRIGHTON SAUNA
) 75 Grand Parade, BN2 9JA, Tel: 01273 689966 www thebrightonsauna com
) OPEN Mon–Thur 10–1am, Fri 10am, then no close through till 1am on Mon; till 9pm on Xmas Eve; closed Xmas Day; from 10am on Boxing Day till 1am on Tue (27); 24-hours with no close through New Year
) REGUL ARS Escape those winter blues at the Brighton Sauna, it’s the perfect place to socialise and meet new people Greeted at the door by a team of warm and friendly staff, the Brighton Sauna is an exper t at making newcomers of the Gay Scene feel right at home If it’s your first visit to a sauna, you’re nervous, or you've lots of questions then not only are the Brighton Sauna boys on hand to show you around, but there’s also the brand new BRIGHTON SAUNA CHAT ROOM where you can chat to guys before even arriving! Visit: www.thebrightonsauna.com/sauna-chat-room/
Brighton Sauna venue is modern, clean, with a brand new steam room, 12-man jacuzzi, cinema, free hot drinks, smoking area, private cabins, filtered water, towels, lockers, computers, super-fast WiFi, large lounge with 70” TV, masseurs and a cafe & licensed bar You’ll be safe at all times, and won't be pushed into anything you don't want to do Some people come for the facilities and nothing more
) REGUL ARS TBS NAKED DAYS every Wed from 11–1am and every Sun 12pm–close You get a small towel for drips and a regular towel to shower, but NO towels can be worn at all on Naked days The Brighton Sauna boys say: “Some guys try to hide their bits behind the small towel but seriously - nobody cares! It's about letting it all hang out, and feeling free! What better way to chill out at the end of the weekend - give it a try, it's a fantastic day ”
l BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Fusion: DJ Peter Castle 11pm
l BOUTIQUE DJ Klipz & giveaways 10pm
l CHARLES ST Fierce: DJs Lil Alex, Grant Knowles, Leeroy 9pm
l DR BRIGHTONS Saturday Session: DJ Tony B 9 30pm
l GROSVENOR BAR cabaret: Stephanie Von Clitz 9.30pm
l LEGENDS BAR Pre-club DJs 7pm
l MARINE TAVERN Saturday Club 8pm
l PARIS HOUSE Live jazz 4pm; TC’s Joyful Noise: DJ Kenny 9pm
BAR 7 CRAWLEY
l POISON IVY All-Day Karaoke: Gloria Hole & Mr B 12pm
l QUEEN’S ARMS cabaret: Elsie Crumpett 9 30pm
l REVENGE WTF!: DJs 11 30pm
l SUBLINE Rubber Reuinion 10pm
l ZONE cabaret: Sally Vate 10pm
SUNDAY 4
l BAR 7@CRAWLEY Jane’s karaoke 8pm
l BAR BROADWAY Fireplace Sessions: Dollar (David Van Day & Sue Moxley) 8 30pm
) 7 Pegler Way, Crawley, RH11 7AG, Tel: 01293 511177, www 7crawley co uk ) OPEN 6pm daily Closed Xmas Day
) XMAS Sat (24) Xmas Eve with DJ Jazzy Jane getting you in the festive spirit with par ty anthems/Xmas tunes at 8pm ) NYE Sat (31) NEW YEAR NARNIA theme
Par ty with DJ Lucinda Lashes from 7pm; £7 50 from 9pm, last entry 1 30am, open till 3am “See in the New Year with me; mouth of a sewer, voice of an angel!”
) ONE FOR THE DIARY Sat is 7-SINS with all-star DJs playing pop/dance/r&b from 8pm; free entry till 11pm, drink deals all night! Bar 7 say: “This is your weekly essential dose of gay clubbing with a euphoric, hands-in-the-air atmosphere!”
) OPEN daily from 12pm, from 5pm on Boxing Day Closed Xmas Day
) FOOD new menu served Mon–Sat 12–8pm
) AF TERWORK HAPPY HOUR All drinks half price 5–9pm Mon–Sat and all night Sun from 8.30pm, right after the cabaret Offer excl sparkling wine & cocktails New cocktail & wine menu with new 'gay' wine, Orgullo (Spanish word for Pride), served with 50p from every bottle sold going to Galop, the LGBT+ anti-violence charity
) WORLD AIDS DAY Thur (1) is the ANNUAL WORLD AIDS DAY CABARET FUNDRAISER for THT South with host Drag With No Name joined by R ose Garden, Mrs Moore, Sally Vate, Kara Van Park, Lucinda Lashes & many more at 7 30pm Entry is a minimum donation of £2
) XMAS Sat (24) Mar tha
D'Ar thur's XMAS EVE CABARET SPECIAL at 10pm with DJ R uby R oo Xmas tunes, loads of surprises, Santa hats, crackers, the odd mince pie and free entry Mar tha says: “I’ll be spreading Xmas joy, discussing alternatives for Xmas lunch, bringing my list and checking it twice and playing with my sack to make sure your Christmas Eve is a lovely one before a fat old man forces himself down your chimney!”
) Mon (26) Boxing Day, open at 5pm for happy hour; STUDIO150 at 10 30pm
) NYE Sat (31) GLIT TER & GOLD NYE PARTY with char t/house/dance anthems taking you in to 2017 from 8pm, free entry although £3 queue jump tickets are available & include a free glass of bubbly at midnight Charles Street say: “Celebrate the end of 2016 and the start of a brand new year! It's going to be a fabulous night of glitter & gold with out incredible glitter cannons for everyone Dress to impress and strut your stuff!” ) Sun (1) Jan is Kara Van Park's NYE HANGOVER SHOW from 7 30pm; SALLY'S ROCK & ROLL BINGO with half price drinks follows
) REGUL ARS Wed is Mrs Moore's BALLISTIC BINGO, a night of chaos raising money for THT South from 9pm ) Take in the best CABARET every Sun from 7 30pm: Lady Imelda (4), Titti La Camp (11) and Drag With No Name (18)
l THREE JOLLY BUTCHERS Poker Night 8.30pm
l VELVET JACKS Quiz Night 7 45pm
THURSDAY 8
l BAR 7@CRAWLEY Total Request Thursdays: DJ FRESH Princess 9pm
l BAR REVENGE Dutty Wine: Jamaican Carnival-themed FOMO warm-up par ty 9pm
l BOUTIQUE CASA Boutique: DJ Lady Lola 10pm
l CAMELFORD ARMS £300 Big Cash Quiz 9pm
l CHARLES ST Throwback Thursday: DJ
Ruby Roo & hostess Ms Joan Bond 9pm
l MARINE TAVERN Back to the 80s 8pm
l POISON IVY karaoke 6pm
l QUEEN’S ARMS cabaret: Davina Sparkle 9 30pm
l REVENGE FOMO: DJs 11pm
l SUBLINE Brace Yourself 9pm
l THREE JOLLY BUTCHERS Quiz: £150 jackpot 7 30pm
FRIDAY 9
l BAR 7@CRAWLEY 7 Upstairs 9pm
l BAR BROADWAY Jukebox 8pm
l BAR REVENGE Pop-Tar tz Warm-Up 9pm
D E C E M B E R
L I S T I N G S
DOCTOR BRIGHTONS
) 16-17 Kings Rd, BN1 1NE, Tel: 01273 208113 www doctorbrightons co uk
) OPEN Mon–Thur 3pm–midnight; Mon (26) & Tue (27) 1pm–midnight; NYE, Sat (31), 1pm–3am; Fri & Sat 1pm–2am; Sun 1pm–midnight Closed Xmas Eve & Xmas Day
) HAPPY HOURS all day Sun–Thur; 1pm–close on Fri; 1–7pm on Sat BOGOF Cocktails all day Sun–Fri and till 7pm on Sat Free pool with every round daily
) XMAS Friday (16) & Saturday (17) is the DOCTOR BRIGHTON’S XMAS PARTY Weekend ) Fri is DJ Adam Rice's REFLEX 1980s NIGHT at 9pm ) Sat is the DECADANCE XMAS WHITE PARTY with DJs Tony B, King
K, Ant Nichols & Danny Wolf at 9pm, free entry Doctor Brighton's says: “The Decadance team are back by popular demand for a special Christmas Party! W ith another top quality resident DJ line-up , this is a party to officially kick start the festive season! Make sure you come wearing white for a chance to win on the night!” ) Mon (26) is the DOCTOR BRIGHTON’S XMAS RECOVERY PARTY with DJ Tony B at 9 30pm
) NYE Sat (31) NYE with DJ Tony B seeing in 2017 from 9pm, get there early!
) ONE FOR THE DIARY Fri (23) is the launch of new night VINYL FRIDAY with DJs spinning vinyl from 9 30pm
l BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Glitter: DJ David Noakes 11pm
l BOUTIQUE DJ Franco 10pm
l CAMELFORD ARMS Friday Club 6pm
l CHARLES ST Fruity Friday Fix: DJ Leeroy 9pm
l DR BRIGHTONS Funky Friday: DJ Nick Hirst 9 30pm
l GROSVENOR BAR Mysterry’s karaoke 9pm
l MARINE TAVERN Customer & Staff Xmas Par ty - all welcome 8pm
l POISON IVY Fierce Fridays: Britney Fierce 8pm
l QUEEN’S ARMS cabaret: Sally Vate 9 30pm
l REVENGE Pop Tar tz DJs on level 1; Love Sack with DJ Claire Fuller on level 2 10 30pm
l SUBLINE The Big Scrum spor tswear night 10pm
l ZONE cabaret: Gabriella Parrish 10pm
SATURDAY 10
l BAR 7@CRAWLEY 7 Sins 9pm
l BAR BROADWAY Jukebox 8pm
l BAR REVENGE WTF warm-up 9pm
l BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Fusion: DJ Peter Castle 11pm
l BOUTIQUE Baby Boutique Xmas: Santa & his elves 2pm; Xmas Par ty: DJ Klipz & giveaways 10pm
l CHARLES ST Fierce: DJs Lil Alex, Grant Knowles, Leeroy 9pm
l DR BRIGHTONS Saturday Session: DJ Tony B 9.30pm
l GROSVENOR BAR cabaret: Pooh La May 9 30pm
l LEGENDS BAR Pre-club DJs 7pm
l MARINE TAVERN Saturday Club 8pm
l PARIS HOUSE Live jazz 4pm; TC’s Joyful Noise: DJ Kenny 9pm
l POISON IVY All-Day Karaoke: Gloria Hole & Mr B 12pm
l QUEEN’S ARMS cabaret: Lady Diamond 9.30pm
l REVENGE WTF!: DJs over 2 floors 11 30pm
l SUBLINE Men’s Room: DJ Screwpulous 9pm
l ZONE cabaret: Sally Vate 10pm
G R O S V E N O R
) 16 Western Street, Hove, BN1 2PG, www thegrosvenorbar com
) OPEN daily from noon–late
) DRINK PROMOS All pints £3 30 all day every day
) XMAS Sat (24) XMAS EVE CABARET with Davina Sparkle shaking her Christmas baubles at 9.30pm Davina says: “Have a sparkly Christmas Eve at the Grosvenor with me, who's camper than Christmas! Expect a W inter Wonderland, naughty things and filthy fun, not to be missed ”
) NYE Sat (31) NYE CABARET SPECIAL with Pooh La May and the legendary Maisie Trollette seeing in the New Year, free entry and regular prices Par ty star ts at 8pm and the cabaret shows are at 10pm & 11 30pm
) REGUL ARS Fri is KARAOKE with Mysterr y from 9pm ) Sat is CABARET time at 9 30pm: Stephanie Von Clitz (3), Pooh La May (10) and Sally Vate (17)
SUNDAY 11
l BAR 7@CRAWLEY Jane’s karaoke 8pm
l BAR BROADWAY Fireplace Sessions: Lascel Wood’s Xmas Par ty 8 30pm
l BAR REVENGE Sunday Funday: Micklos & karaoke 9pm
l BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS
Pop!Candy: DJ Claire Fuller 11pm
l BRIGHTON SAUNA Naked Day 12pm
l CAMELFORD ARMS Bear Bash, free food & raffle 5pm; roasts & select menu 12pm–till gone
l CHARLES ST cabaret: Titti La Camp
7 30pm; Sally’s Rock & Roll Bingo 8 30pm
l LEGENDS BAR cabaret: A Charlie Hides Xmas 3.30pm; roasts 12–3pm
l MARINE TAVERN Xmas Sunday roasts
12-4pm; Drag Open Mic with Stephanie Von Clitz 9pm
l PARIS HOUSE live music: Areacode 6pm
l POISON IVY Sunday Spotlight: Trudi
Styles & Piano Man 5 30pm
l QUEEN’S ARMS cabaret: Rose Garden 6pm & 9 30pm
l SUBLINE Guilty Pleasures: DJ Screwpulous 9pm
l THREE JOLLY BUTCHERS Jazz Roast 3pm; Sunday roasts 1-6pm
MONDAY 12
l BAR BROADWAY Ross’s Monday Quiz: cash & boozy prizes 8pm
l CHARLES STREET Studio 150 10 30pm
l LEGENDS BAR Mondays with Drag With No Name 9.30pm
l MARINE TAVERN Monday Madness 8pm
l PARIS HOUSE live music: Ollie Howe Jazz Trio 7pm
l POISON IVY karaoke 6pm
TUESDAY 13
l BAR 7@CRAWLEY Crewsday: DJ Lewis Osborne 9pm
l BAR REVENGE Karaoke with Liz 9pm
l MARINE TAVERN Quiz & Curry 7 30pm
l POISON IVY Student Takeover with Maria 8pm
l REVENGE DJs Toby & Trick 11pm
l THREE JOLLY BUTCHERS Film Night 8pm
WEDNESDAY 14
l BAR 7@CRAWLEY Fresh!: DJ Jazzy Jane 9pm
l BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Ice: DJ Claire Fuller 11pm
) DRINK PROMOS Buy one bottle of wine, get the second half price, Mon–Fri 12–11pm No drink promos Dec (24)–-Jan (2)
) XMAS Enjoy a relaxing and intimate Christmas 4 course lunch by the sea on Christmas Day Sunday (25) with the lovely Legends team on hand to make sure you have a fantastically festive day with friends, family or on your own for only £59pp And why not stay over? A 2 night stay plus dinner is only £140pp There's limited space, so call 01273624462 to book now for a cracking Christmas Day!
) Even the pickiest of eaters will find something to munch on as you can choose from three delicious star ters, three hear ty mains, three indulgent desser ts, all topped off with freshly filtered coffee and a selection of fine dining Christmas truffles Star t off your feast with either roasted pumpkin & sage soup with rock salt ciabatta & parsnip crisps, creamy garlic wild mushrooms on toasted brioche loaf with fresh watercress, or Chef ’s gravlax of salmon with fresh horseradish & chard salad After finishing up, dive straight into a traditional roast turkey dinner with apricot & cranberr y stuffing, crisp roast potatoes, pigs in blankets, seasonal veg, real gravy & Yorkshire pudding; fish option is sea-bass fillet on chorizo mash, asparagus samphire medley & cream watercress sauce For veggies the hear ty mushroom & Brie wellington with roasted root veg, Yorkshire pudding & rich wild mushroom jus For desser t indulge in a rich traditional Christmas pudding served with orange & brandy cream and fresh festive berries, or salted caramel & chocolate tor te with cr ystallised mint cream For a savoury option go for Legends legendary cheese board with grapes, celer y, apple quince jelly, homemade red onion chutney & selection of biscuits ) Mon (26) is BOXING DAY CABARET with the legendary Maisie Trollette at 3 30pm and Drag With No Name at 9 30pm
) OPEN Wed & Fri–Sun from 11pm Wed, Tue (27), Thur (29), Fri–Sun 11pm
) DRINK PROMOS No drink promos from Dec (24)– Jan (2)
) XMAS Sat (24) is the BIG GAY XMAS EVE PARTY with DJ Peter Castle warming you up for the big day with dance/char t tracks ) Mon (26) is a special BOXING DAY POP!CANDY with DJ Claire spinning classic & recent pop tunes
) NYE Sat (31) is the NYE COUNTDOWN to 2017 with DJs Peter Castle, Ben Castle & Claire Fuller playing the best tunes of 2016 from 9pm–5am, entry £5 Basement Club say: “Brighton's award-winning gay venue serves up a New Year celebration like no other with a bit of Hollywood glamour & comp bubbles for those who arrive early This is set to be the celebration of the year!” ) Sun (1) Jan is the POP!CANDY RECOVERY PARTY with DJ Claire Fuller
) ONE FOR THE DIARY Tue (27) is BANK HOLIDAY with DJ Peter Castle
) REGUL ARS Fri is GLIT TER with new DJ David Noakes sparkling up your weekend with char t/dance tracks
) NYE Sat (31) NYE COUNTDOWN to 2017 with two floors of clubbing featuring DJs Peter Castle, Ben Castle & Claire Fuller playing the best tunes of 2016 from 9pm–5am, entry £5 from 8pm ) Sun (1) Jan is NEW YEAR’S DAY CABARET with Lola Lasagne at 3.15pm
l PARIS HOUSE live music: Geoff Simkins
Jazz Trio 8pm
l POISON IVY Betty Swallocks’ karaoke
6pm
l QUEEN’S ARMS cabaret: Sally Vate
9 30pm
l SUBLINE Happy Hump Day 9pm
l THREE JOLLY BUTCHERS Poker Night
8 30pm
l VELVET JACKS Quiz Night 7 45pm
THURSDAY 15
l BAR 7@CRAWLEY Total Request
Thursdays: DJ FRESH Princess 9pm
l BAR REVENGE Dutty Wine: Jamaican Carnival-themed FOMO warm-up par ty 9pm
l BOUTIQUE CASA Boutique: DJ Lady Lola 10pm
l CAMELFORD ARMS £300 Big Cash Quiz 9pm
l CHARLES ST Throwback Thursday: DJ
Ruby Roo & hostess Ms Joan Bond 9pm
l MARINE TAVERN Back to the 80s 8pm
l POISON IVY cabaret: Scott Austin Shaw (Winner of Poison Ivy’s Got Talent) 8pm
l QUEEN’S ARMS cabaret: Lola Lasagne
9 30pm
l REVENGE FOMO: DJs 11pm
l SUBLINE Club Silencio’s Xmas Massacre 8.45pm
l THREE JOLLY BUTCHERS Quiz: £150 jackpot 7 30pm
FRIDAY 16
l BAR 7@CRAWLEY 7 Upstairs 9pm
l BAR BROADWAY Jukebox 8pm
l BAR REVENGE Pop-Tar tz Warm-Up 9pm
l BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Glitter:
DJ David Noakes 11pm
l BOUTIQUE DJ Franco 10pm
l CAMELFORD ARMS Friday Club 6pm
l CHARLES ST Fruity Friday Fix: DJ Leeroy 9pm
l DR BRIGHTONS Xmas Par ty Weekend:
Reflex 80s Night: DJ Adam Rice 9pm
l GROSVENOR BAR Mysterry’s karaoke 9pm
l MARINE TAVERN Marine Late: Linda Bacardi & Jim 11pm
l POISON IVY Fierce Fridays: Britney Fierce 8pm
l QUEEN’S ARMS cabaret: Fanny Burns 9.30pm
l REVENGE Pop Tar tz DJs 10 30pm
l SUBLINE Filth - mixed fetish night 9pm
l ZONE cabaret: Tabitha Wild 10pm
SATURDAY 17
l BAR 7@CRAWLEY 7 Sins 9pm
l BAR BROADWAY Jukebox 8pm
l BAR REVENGE WTF warm-up 9pm
l BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Fusion: DJ Peter Castle 11pm
l BOUTIQUE Xmas Shake Up: DJ Klipz & giveaways 10pm
l CHARLES ST Fierce: DJs Lil Alex, Grant Knowles, Leeroy 9pm
l DR BRIGHTONS Xmas Par ty Weekend: Decadance White Par ty: DJs Tony B, King K, Ant Nichols & Danny Wolf 9pm
l GROSVENOR BAR cabaret: Sally Vate 9.30pm
l LEGENDS BAR Pre-club DJs 7pm
I S T I N G S
M A R I N E T A V E R N
) 13 Broad St, BN2 1TJ, Tel: 01273 905578, www marinetavern co uk
) OPEN daily from 12pm; from 6pm on Xmas Day & 12pm on New Year’s Day
) FOOD Daily from 12-9pm; Xmas Sunday roasts 12–5pm in December, £8 50 each or two for £16; Tue is Curr y Night curry for £1 from 7 30–8 30pm; free supper every Wed from 7pm
) XMAS Tue (20) NAT’S XMAS QUIZ at 9pm Mon (26) MAT T’S BOXING DAY
BASH with a free buffet from 8pm
) NYE Sat (31) BIG NYE PARTY from 7pm; no ticket required, all welcome
) ONE FOR THE DIARY Fri (2) singing sensation Gabriella Parrish at 10pm
) REGUL ARS Sun is DRAG OPEN MIC with ‘Dorset tar t with a hear t’ Stephanie Von Clitz at 9pm Stephanie says:
“Drag Open Mic is a chance for artistes, professional or amateur, to try out new material and also a platform for newe artistes to perform It's on a Sunday, which is always a good day for cabaret, so if you want a fun enjoyable night out and would like to see a variety of talent then come on down!”
l MARINE TAVERN Saturday Club 9pm
l PARIS HOUSE Live jazz 4pm; TC’s Joyful Noise: DJ Kenny 9pm
l POISON IVY All-Day Karaoke: Gloria Hole & Mr B 12pm
l QUEEN’S ARMS cabaret: Mar tha D’Ar thur 9 30pm
l REVENGE WTF!: DJs over 2 floors 11.30pm
l SUBLINE Men’s Room: DJ Screwpulous 9pm
l ZONE cabaret: Kara Van Park 10pm
P O I S O N I V Y
) 129 St James’s Street, Brighton, BN2 1TH
) OPEN Mon–Thur 5pm–12am; Fri–Sun 12pm–12am; Xmas Day from 8pm; Boxing Day from 6pm; New Year ’s Day from 12pm
) DRINK PROMOS Mon–Thur 5–7pm, Fri & Sat 12–7pm, Sun 12–5pm
) WORLD AIDS DAY Thur (1) WAD CABARET FUNDRAISER with 15 acts hosted by Chelita Buffet from 6pm
SUNDAY 18
l BAR 7@CRAWLEY Jane’s karaoke 8pm
l BAR BROADWAY Fireplace Sessions: Timothy Quinn 8 30pm
l BAR REVENGE Sunday Funday with Micklos + karaoke 9pm
l BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS
Pop!Candy: DJ Claire Fuller 11pm
l BRIGHTON SAUNA Naked Day 12pm
l CAMELFORD ARMS Bear Bash, free food & raffle 5pm; roasts & select menu 12pm–till gone
) NYE See in 2017 on Sat (31) at the All-Day MASSIVE NYE PARTY with
E FOR THE DIARY On Sunday (18) the SUNDAY LIGHT falls on the legendary ‘Maid to Make Your Water’ Sally Vate on stage at 5 30pm Sally says: Vate is a good all rounder (fat) Northern girl with the a house brick Every show is a unique experience, ise I'd get bored before the audience would So, witty and a wide range of songs to enjoy, I’m a drag for all ns! Clap, laugh, listen & just enjoy!”
eekend at FIERCE FRIDAYS with Britney Fierce from 8pm ) Sat is ALL DAY KARAOKE with Gloria Hole & Mr B from 12pm
) SUNDAY SPOTLIGHT features top drag acts on stage from 5 30pm with:
l CHARLES ST cabaret: Drag With No Name 7 30pm; Sally’s Rock & Roll Bingo 8 30pm
l LEGENDS BAR cabaret: Lizzy Drip
3 30pm; roasts 12–3pm
l MARINE TAVERN Xmas Sunday roasts 12-5pm; Drag Open Mic with Stephanie Von Clitz 9pm
l POISON IVY Sunday Spotlight: Sally Vate 5 30pm
l QUEEN’S ARMS cabaret: Lucinda Lashes 6pm & 9 30pm
l SUBLINE Guilty Pleasures: DJ Screwpulous 9pm
l THREE JOLLY BUTCHERS Jazz Roast 3pm; Sunday roasts 1-6pm
l VELVET JACKS Live music: Mike Newsham & guests 3.30pm
MONDAY 19
l BAR BROADWAY Ross’s Monday Quiz: cash & boozy prizes 8pm
l CHARLES STREET Studio 150 10 30pm
l LEGENDS BAR Mondays with Drag With No Name 9 30pm
l MARINE TAVERN Mon Madness 8pm
l POISON IVY karaoke 6pm
TUESDAY 20
l BAR 7@CRAWLEY Crewsday: DJ Lewis Osborne 9pm
l BAR REVENGE Karaoke with Liz 9pm
l BOUTIQUE SWAG Under-18s Par ty 7pm
l MARINE TAVERN Nat’s Xmas Quiz 9pm
l POISON IVY Student Takeover with Maria 8pm
l REVENGE DJs Toby & Trick 11pm
l THREE JOLLY BUTCHERS Film Night 8pm
WEDNESDAY 21
l BAR 7@CRAWLEY Fresh!: DJ Jazzy Jane 9pm
l BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Ice: DJ Claire Fuller 11pm
l BRIGHTON SAUNA Naked Day 11am
l CAMELFORD ARMS Seniors’ lunch 23 30pm
l CHARLES ST Mrs Moore’s Ballistic Bingo 9pm
l MARINE TAVERN Winter Warmer: free supper 7pm
l PARIS HOUSE live music: Miss Dionne 8pm
l POISON IVY Betty Swallocks’ karaoke 6pm
Stephanie Von Clitz (4) and Trudi & the Piano Man (11) and Sally Vate (18)
D E C E M B E R
L I S T I N G S
P A R I S H O U S E
) 21 Western Rd, BN3 1AF, Tel: 01273 724195, www.parishousebrighton.com
) OPEN daily from 12pm
) FOOD daily from 12pm–close, from 3pm on New Year ’s Day Closed Xmas Day & Boxing Day
) NYE Sat (31) TC’S JOYFUL NOISE with DJ Kenny from 9pm, free entry!
) ONE FOR THE DIARY Wed is free LIVE JAZZ with the Ollie Howe Jazz Trio at 7pm (7), the Geoff Simkins Jazz Trio at 8pm (14), Miss Dionne at 8pm (21) and the Sam Carlese Trio at 8pm (28)
) REGUL ARS Thur (1) live 1930s–50s Chanson with Fleur de Paris at 8pm ) Sat is LIVE JAZZ at 4pm; TC'S JOYFUL NOISE with DJ Kenny at 9pm, free entry ) Sun is LIVE MUSIC with Miss Dionne at 8pm (4) and Areacode at 6pm (11)
l QUEEN’S ARMS cabaret: Sally Vate 9.30pm
l SUBLINE Happy Hump Day 9pm
l VELVET JACKS Quiz Night 7 45pm
THURSDAY 22
l BAR 7@CRAWLEY Total Request Thursdays: DJ FRESH Princess 9pm
l BAR REVENGE Dutty Wine: Jamaican Carnival-themed FOMO warm-up par ty 9pm
l BOUTIQUE CASA Boutique: DJ Lady Lola 10pm
l CAMELFORD ARMS £300 Big Cash Quiz 9pm
l CHARLES ST Throwback Thursday: DJ Ruby Roo & hostess Ms Joan Bond 9pm
l MARINE TAVERN Back to the 80s 8pm
l POISON IVY karaoke 6pm
l QUEEN’S ARMS cabaret: Davina Sparkle 9.30pm
l REVENGE FOMO DJs 11pm
l SUBLINE Brace Yourself 9pm
l THREE JOLLY BUTCHERS Quiz: £150 jackpot 7.30pm
FRIDAY 23
l BAR 7@CRAWLEY 7 Upstairs 9pm
l BAR BROADWAY Jukebox 8pm
l BAR REVENGE Pop-Tar tz Warm-Up 9pm
l BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Glitter:
DJ David Noakes 11pm
l BOUTIQUE DJ Franco 10pm
l BULLDOG Marine Tavern host Chav & Scally Night with DJ Screwpulous 10pm
l CAMELFORD ARMS Friday Club 6pm
l CHARLES ST Fruity Friday Fix: DJ Leeroy 9pm
l DR BRIGHTONS Vinyl Friday: vinyl-only night with DJs 9.30pm
l GROSVENOR BAR Mysterry’s karaoke 9pm
l MARINE TAVERN Black Friday Par ty 9pm
l POISON IVY Fierce Fridays: Britney Fierce 8pm
l QUEEN’S ARMS cabaret: Sandra 9 30pm
l REVENGE Pop Tar tz DJs 10 30pm
l SUBLINE Steam 9pm
l ZONE cabaret: Stone & Street 10pm
SATURDAY 24
l BAR 7@CRAWLEY Xmas Eve with DJ Jazzy Jane 9pm
l BAR BROADWAY Xmas Eve Jukebox 8pm
l BAR REVENGE Xmas warm-up 9pm
l BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Big Xmas Eve Par ty: DJ Peter Castle 11pm
l BOUTIQUE Xmas Eve: DJ Klipz, soul bands & Xmas giveaways 10pm
l CAMELFORD ARMS Xmas Eve 12pm
l CHARLES ST Mar tha D’Ar thur’s Xmas Eve Par ty with DJ Ruby Roo 10pm
l DR BRIGHTONS closed
l GROSVENOR BAR Xmas Eve cabaret: Davina Sparkle 9 30pm
l LEGENDS BAR Pre-club DJs 7pm
l MARINE TAVERN Saturday Club Special 9pm
l PARIS HOUSE Xmas Eve 12pm
l POISON IVY All-Day Karaoke: Gloria Hole & Mr B 12pm
l QUEEN’S ARMS Xmas Eve cabaret: Lola Lasagne 9.30pm
Q U E E N S A R M S
) 7 George St, BN2 1RH, Tel: 01273 696873, www.thequeensarms.wix.com/thequeensarms ) OPEN 4pm Wed–Fri; 2pm Sat & Sun
) DRINK PROMOS 2 for £8 Cocktails between 5pm & 9pm Tue–Sat
) XMAS & NYE Sat (24) XMAS EVE CABARET with the legendary Lola Lasagne edging you into the Big Day from 9 30pm ) Crank up the heat on Sun (25) at the XMAS DAY CABARET with Spice performing festive favourites and pop tunes from 9 30pm Spice is a multi-talented performer with over 15 years’ experience on the stage He combines a very polished drag image with amazing live vocals and an informal, friendly style Spice says: “ What better way to spend Christmas than with some festive Spice? This year the Queen's Arms invites you to come along and feel the joy as I unwrap my amazing Christmas show featuring seasonal songs, Crimbo classics and those cringeworthy pop hits that should've stayed under the tree! Get your Christmas jumper on and let's celebrate with sing-a-long and a mince pie or five You might even pull a cracker!” ) Mon (26) is BOXING DAY CABARET with Davina Sparkle putting on the glitz from 9 30pm
) NYE See in 2017 on Sat (31) at the QA’S NYE PARTY with glamour-puss songstress Kara Van Park pitching up from 9 30pm Kara says: “Anyone who comes to see my show can expect a camp night of showtunes, big ballads and standards as well as high camp and glamour! A great night for all and a fantastic way to see in 2017!”
) REGUL ARS Wed CABARET with Sally Vate at 9 30pm ) Thur CABARET with top acts at 9 30pm: TBA (1), Davina Sparkle (8), Lola Lasagne (15), Davina Sparkle (22) and Spice (29) ) Edge yourself into the weekend with Fri CABARET at 9 30pm: Saucy Sophie (2), Sally Vate (9), Fanny Burns (16), Sandra (23) and Jennie Castell at 9.30pm only (30) ) The par ty continues on Sat with CABARET from 9 30pm: Elsie Crumpet (3), Lady Diamond (10) and Mar tha D’Ar thur (17) ) Sun is a double helping of top CABARET at 6pm and 9.30pm: Kara Van Park (4), R ose Garden (11) and Lucinda Lashes (18)
l REVENGE closed
l SUBLINE Midnight Mass 9pm
l ZONE Xmas Eve cabaret: Sally Vate 9pm
SUNDAY 25
l BAR 7@CRAWLEY closed for Xmas Day
l BAR BROADWAY Xmas Day: musical vids, live music from Jason Thorpe, crackers & Alasdair & Michael behind the bar 6pm
l BAR REVENGE closed for Xmas Day
l BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Closed for Xmas
l BRIGHTON SAUNA closed for Xmas Day
l CHARLES ST closed for Xmas Day
l DR BRIGHTONS closed for Xmas Day
l LEGENDS BAR A Legendary Xmas Day: Xmas lunch, book now 11am
l MARINE TAVERN Xmas Day 6pm
l PARIS HOUSE closed for Xmas Day
l POISON IVY karaoke 8pm
l QUEEN’S ARMS Xmas Day cabaret: Spice 9 30pm
l SUBLINE closed for Xmas Day
l THREE JOLLY BUTCHERS closed for Xmas Day
l VELVET JACKS Xmas Day 11am
l ZONE Xmas Day 11am
D E C E M B E R L I S T I N G S
B A R R E V E N G E
) 5-7 Marine Parade, BN2 1TA, Tel: 01273 606064, www revenge co uk
) OPEN Sun–Wed 12pm–1am, Thur 12pm–2am, Fri & Sat 12pm–6am; NYE, Sat (31), 12pm–7am Closed Xmas Day & Boxing Day
) FOOD Burgers, breakfasts, pizzas & more served Fri & Sat 12–6am
) DRINK PROMOS 50% off all drinks Sun–Fri 5–9pm; from £2 50 every Sat. Buy a drink on Thur, Fri & Sat to pick up discounted entry passes for Club Revenge
) XMAS Sat (24) Xmas Eve with resident DJs from 9pm
) NYE Sat (31) NYE with all-star DJs spinning char t/pop/r&b/dance classics/ 2016 anthems till 7am, free entry! Bar Revenge say: “Join us from 9pm and you can have your New Year's Eve Party without paying a penny to come in!”
) ONE FOR THE DIARY Wed (7) LIP SYNC FOR YOUR LIFE GRAND FINAL with lip-sync assassin Cr ystal Lubrikunt announcing the winner from 9pm Who’ll win that headline slot on the Powder Room stage at Club Revenge?
R E V E N G E
) 32-34 Old Steine, BN1 1EL, Tel: 01273 606064, www revenge co uk
) OPEN Tue from 11pm, Thur, Fri & Sat from 10 30pm; Sat (31) from 9 30pm Closed Xmas Eve & Xmas Day; Tue (27)–Fri (30)
) XMAS & NYE Mon (26) BOXING DAY BLOWOUT with DJs from 11pm ) NYE Sat (31) NYE MASQUERADE BALL from 9 30pm–6am, free b4 10pm Expect drag hosts, best dressed giveaways, sexy shot boys, bonkers Masquerade décor, walkabout performers, Brighton & London’s top DJs and some of the cheapest drinks in Brighton Advance tickets from www revenge co uk - or go VIP and book a booth to avoid queuing in the cold! For more info email: andrew@revenge.co.uk Revenge say: “This NYE at Club Revenge we’re celebrating in serious style with a huge Masquerade Ball! Not your typical ball mind - you'll be slut-dropping on level 1 to pop, r&b/cheese, and raving with your hands in the air to vocal house anthems on level 2 Come in your finest attire and Masquerade mask - we're giving away a bottle of Moet & Chandon Champagne for the best dressed! Fear not - if you can't find the perfect mask (or forget) we'll have hundreds around the club that you can wear for free!”
) REGUL ARS Every Tue DJs Toby & Trick spin pop/ house/r&b/requests all night from 11pm, £3 entry and £2 50 drinks ) Thur is FOMO with Revenge’s all-star DJs eclectic mix of pop/char t/house/pop-punk/bass/hip-hop from 11pm, £1 drinks till midnight ) Fri is POP TARTZ with resident DJs sweetening up the dancefloor with the biggest pop anthems from 10 30PM
MONDAY 26
l BAR BROADWAY Boxing Day Fireplace
Sessions 8.30pm
l BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Special Boxing Day Pop!Candy: DJ Claire Fuller 11pm
l BRIGHTON SAUNA Boxing Day 10am
l CAMELFORD ARMS Xmas After Par ty 12pm
l CHARLES STREET Boxing Day 6pm; Studio 150 10 30pm
l DR BRIGHTONS Xmas Recovery: DJ
Tony B 9 30pm
l LEGENDS BAR Boxing Day Cabaret: Maisie Trollette 3 30pm; Mondays with Drag
S U B L I N E
) 129 St James' St, BN2 1TH, Tel: 01273 624100, www sublinebrighton co uk
) OPEN Wed–Sun from 9pm Closed Xmas Day & Wed (28)
) XMAS Thur (15) CLUB SILENCIO returns for the XMAS MASSACRE, a fiendish festive treat with performance ar tist Harr y Claton-Wright performing a very special Nativity and DJs Juno & Moose Knuckle at 8.45pm; show 9pm sharp, entry £5 Club Silencio is one of Brighton's most mysterious, seductive and immersive club nights Open to all it features live music, cabaret, vaudeville, peep shows and (of course!) dancing Club Silencio say: “ We're going to be transforming the dungeon into a winter wonderland with Santa’s Darkroom Grotto! This VERY special cabaret version of the Nativity will be like you’ve NEVER seen it before” ) Sat (24) is MIDNIGHT MASS from 9pm, entry £3/£5 ) Keep the festive spirits flowing Mon (26) at BOXING DAY BLOW- OUT from 9pm, entry £3/£5
) NYE Swing into 2017 at SUBLINE’S NYE PARTY on Sat (31) from 9pm, entry £6 members/ £10 non-members, tickets available from Subline now!
) ONE FOR THE DIARY Like men in kit? Like free shots? If you answer yes then you’ll love THE BIG SCRUM on Fri (9) from 10pm, entry £5 in kit, £7 otherwise
) REGUL ARS Ease into the weekend on Fri at STEAM from 9pm, entry free for mems b4 11pm/£3 after, £5 for guests, drink promos till 11pm, bargain prices all night ) Sat is MEN’S ROOM with DJ Screwpulous spinning tunes for those who like a night heaving with men from 9pm, free b4 11pm, £3 after, guests £5, drink promos all night!
With No Name 9.30pm
l MARINE TAVERN Matt’s Boxing Day Bash: buffet 8pm
l POISON IVY karaoke 6pm
l QUEEN’S ARMS Davina Sparkle’s Boxing Day Special 6 30pm
l REVENGE Boxing Day Blowout 11pm
l SUBLINE Boxing Day Blowout 9pm
l VELVET JACKS Boxing Day 2pm
l ZONE Boxing Day 10am
TUESDAY 27
l BAR 7@CRAWLEY Crewsday 9pm
l BAR REVENGE Karaoke with Liz 9pm
l BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Bank
Holiday Dance Par ty: DJ Peter Castle 11pm
l MARINE TAVERN Quiz & Curry 7 30pm
l POISON IVY Student Takeover with Maria 8pm
l REVENGE closed
l THREE JOLLY BUTCHERS Film Night 8pm
WEDNESDAY 28
l BAR 7@CRAWLEY Fresh! 9pm
l BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Ice: DJ Claire Fuller 11pm
l BRIGHTON SAUNA Naked Day 11am
l CAMELFORD ARMS Seniors’ lunch 23 30pm
l CHARLES ST Mrs Moore’s Ballistic Bingo 9pm
l LEGENDS BAR Pre-club DJs 7pm
l MARINE TAVERN Winter Warmer: free supper 7pm
l PARIS HOUSE live music: Sam Carlese Trio 8pm
l POISON IVY Betty Swollocks’ karaoke 6pm
l SUBLINE closed
l VELVET JACKS Quiz Night 8pm
THURSDAY 29
l BAR 7@CRAWLEY Total Request Thursdays: DJ FRESH Princess 9pm
l BAR BROADWAY Showtune Karaoke: Sally Vate & Stephanie Von Clitz 8 30pm
l BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Get Down: DJ Ben Castle 11pm
l BOUTIQUE CASA Boutique: DJ Lady Lola 10pm
129 S t James S treet w
OPEN DAILY MON-THUR 5PM-12, FRI/SAT/SUN 12-12
KARAOKE WITH DRAG HOST MON-THU FROM 6PM
WED FROM 6PM WITH BETTY SWOLLOCKS • FRI FROM 8PM WITH BRITNEY FIERCE • SAT ALL DAY WITH GLORIA HOLE & MR B –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––WORLD AIDS DAY CABARET 6PM
WITH OVER 15 ACTS HOSTED BY CHELITA BUFFET –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––TUES STUDENT TAKEOVER 8PM WITH MARIA • HALF PRICE BAR/PINTS £2/ HOUSE DOUBLE £2.50 ALL BOTTLES £2
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
THUR 15 SCOTT AUSTIN SHAW
LIVE CABARET 8PM WITH WINNER OF IVY’S GOT TALENT –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
SUNDAY SPOTLIGHT CABARET 5.30PM
4TH STEPHANIE VON CLITZ
11TH TRUDI & THE PIANOMAN 18TH SALLY VATE
HAPPY HOURS MON-THUR 5-7PM, FRI & SAT 12-7PM & SUN 12-5PM
) OPEN Tue–Thur 4–11 30pm, Fri & Sat 12–11 30pm, Sun 1–11pm; Xmas Day 11am–3pm, Boxing Day from 2pm
) FOOD Meat & cheese boards and wood-fired pizzas served all day daily
) DRINK PROMOS 4–7pm, includes: 2 cocktails for £10, Orangeboom £3 20 pint, large glass of wine for price of medium glass
) XMAS Mulled wine, regular food and free shot of Brandy on Xmas Day & Boxing Day ) NYE Unrestricted licence and free entr y on NYE till capacity is reached!
) ONE FOR THE DIARY Sun (18) is an intimate afternoon of live chilled out tunes with Mike Newsham and guests at 4pm If you’d like to perform message Mike on Facebook
) REGUL ARS Wed is QUIZ NIGHT with a cash prize at 7.45pm for 8pm star t
l CAMELFORD ARMS £300 Big Cash Quiz 9pm
l CHARLES ST Throwback Thursday: DJ Ruby Roo & hostess Ms Joan Bond 9pm
l MARINE TAVERN Back to the 80s 8pm
l POISON IVY karaoke 6pm
l QUEEN’S ARMS cabaret: Spice 9 30pm
l REVENGE closed
l SUBLINE Brace Yourself 9pm
l THREE JOLLY BUTCHERS Quiz: £150 jackpot 7.30pm
FRIDAY 30
l BAR 7@CRAWLEY 7 Upstairs 9pm
l BAR BROADWAY Jukebox 8pm; Laughter in the Lounge: six comedians 8pm
l BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Glitter: DJ David Noakes 11pm
l BOUTIQUE SWAG Under-18s NYE Par ty 7pm; DJ Franco 10pm
l CAMELFORD ARMS Friday Club 6pm
l CHARLES ST Fruity Friday Fix: DJ Leeroy 9pm
l DR BRIGHTONS Funky Friday: DJ Nick
Hirst 9 30pm
l GROSVENOR BAR Mysterry’s karaoke 9pm
l POISON IVY Fierce Fridays: Britney Fierce 8pm
l QUEEN’S ARMS cabaret: Jennie Castell 9 30pm
l REVENGE closed
l SUBLINE Steam 9pm
l ZONE cabaret: Davina Sparkle 10pm
SATURDAY 31
l BAR 7@CRAWLEY NYE Par ty: Narnia theme & DJ Lucinda Lashes 7pm
l BAR BROADWAY Annual Hogmanay: Scottish-themed NYE par ty 8pm
l BAR REVENGE NYE: all-star DJs 9pm
l BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS NYE
Countdown: DJs Peter Castle, Ben Castle & Claire Fuller 8pm
l BOUTIQUE NYE Par ty: DJs, glam dresscode 8pm
l CAMELFORD ARMS NYE Par ty 8pm
l CHARLES ST Glitter & Gold NYE Par ty:
T H R E E J O L L Y B U T C H E R S
) 59 Nor th Rd, Brighton, BN1 1YD, Tel: 01273 608571, www 3jollybutchers com
) OPEN 12pm on Mon–Sat, 1pm on Sun Closes 7 30pm on Xmas Eve & NYE
Closed Xmas Day, Boxing Day & NY Day Private function room available
) FOOD Mon–Sat 12–9pm; Sunday roasts 1–6pm
) ONE FOR THE DIARY Wed is FREE POKER night at 8 30pm, win a bar tab
) REGUL ARS Tue is TOM’S FILM NIGHT at 8pm, free to view ) Thur is QUIZ with £150 cash prize at 7 30pm, all welcome! ) Sun JAZZ ROAST at 3pm, free
) OPEN 11am Sun–Fri; 10am Sat; from 12pm on New Year ’s Day
) DRINK PROMOS all day Sun-Thur, till 7pm Fri & Sat; 2-4-£10 select cocktails 5–8pm ever yday
) XMAS Sat (24) Xmas Eve with Sally Vate from 9pm till 1 30am! Sally says: “Tis the season to be jolly and what better place to be jolly than joining me with my usual uplif ting humour and songs to get you into the party mood! I feel lucky to be the one to be entertaining and celebrating Christmas & the New Year here at The Zone, my Brighton home for almost 10 years A massive thank you to Sharon Barr! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!” ) On Xmas Day, Sun (25) pop in for a Xmas drink 11am–2pm
) The Xmas cheer continues Boxing Day, Mon (26), from 10–1 30am
) NYE Sat (31) NYE with Sally Vate bringing in the New Year in style from 9pm till 3am! The Zone say: “ We'll have the bubbles on ice and the party poppers at the ready as we say goodbye to 2016 and hello to 2017 ”
) REGUL ARS Fri is LIVE ENTERTAINMENT at 10pm: Lola Lasagne (2), Gabriella Parrish (9), Tabitha Wild (16), Stone & Street (23) and Davina Sparkle (30) ) Sat is CABARET from 10pm: Sally Vate (3 & 10) and Kara Van
DJs & glitter cannons 9pm
l DR BRIGHTONS NYE Par ty: DJ Tony B 9 30pm
l GROSVENOR BAR NYE Par ty 8pm; cabaret: Pooh La May & Maisie Trollette 10pm & 11 30pm
l LEGENDS BAR NYE Countdown: DJs Peter Castle, Ben Castle & Claire Fuller 8pm
l BAR BROADWAY NY ’s Day Fireplace Sessions: Matt Young 8 30pm
l BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Pop!Candy Recovery Par ty: DJ Claire Fuller 11pm
l CAMELFORD ARMS NYE Hangover Par ty 12pm
l CHARLES ST Kara Van Park’s NYE Hangover Show 7 30pm; Sally’s Rock & Roll Bingo 8.30pm
l LEGENDS BAR NY ’s Day Cabaret: Lola Lasagne 3 15pm
l MARINE TAVERN open 12pm
l PARIS HOUSE NY ’s Day 3pm
l POISON IVY karaoke 12pm
l THREE JOLLY BUTCHERS closed
l ZONE NY ’s Day 12pm
Park (17)
PORTSMOUTH
l HAMPSHIRE BOULEVARD
1 Hampshire Terr, Southsea T: 2392 297509
l OLD VIC 104 St Paul’s Rd, Southsea
T: 02392 297013, www oldvicportsmouth co uk
SOUTHAMPTON
l EDGE Compton Walk, SO14 0BH
T: 02380 366163, www theedgesouthampton com
l ISOBAR 100c St Mary’s St T: 02380 222028
l LONDON HOTEL 2 Terminus Terr, SO14 3DT
T: 02380 710652, www the-london co uk
Friendly bar with cabaret, DJs & food
OPEN: Mon-Wed 12-11pm, Thu 12-12 30am, Fri & Sat 12-1 30am, Sun 12-11 30pm Closed
Xmas Day & New Year’s Day
FOOD: Mon-Sat 12-3pm; Sun roasts 12-3 30pm
l TITANIC Simnel St, SO14 2BE T: 023 8021 1879, www thetitanicpub co uk
THURSDAY 1
PORTSMOUTH
l HAMPSHIRE BLVD karaoke till 2am
l OLD VIC karaoke 8pm
SOUTHAMPTON
l EDGE Pop!: DJ 11pm
l LONDON HOTEL WAD Charity Karaoke Cruising: Claire Fuller, fundraising for Positive Action 8 30pm
FRIDAY 2
PORTSMOUTH
l HAMPSHIRE BLVD DJ till 3am SOUTHAMPTON
l EDGE Get Some: DJs 10pm
l LONDON HOTEL Fairylea Friday: DJ Ruby Roo 8 30pm; cabaret: Mar tha D’Ar thur 10pm
SATURDAY 3
PORTSMOUTH
l HAMPSHIRE BLVD DJ till 3am
l OLD VIC DJs all night
SOUTHAMPTON
l EDGE The Big One: DJs 10pm
l LONDON HOTEL Guilty Pleasures: DJ Neil Sackley + guest Sam Solace 8.30pm
SUNDAY 4
PORTSMOUTH
l HAMPSHIRE BLVD karaoke till 2am
SOUTHAMPTON
l EDGE Pounded: DJ 11pm
l LONDON HOTEL London Podium: Kara Van Park & Rose Garden 8pm; roasts 12-3 30pm
MONDAY 5
PORTSMOUTH
l HAMPSHIRE BLVD DJ till 2am
SOUTHAMPTON
l EDGE DJs 11pm
TUESDAY 6
PORTSMOUTH
l OLD VIC Quiz 8pm
SOUTHAMPTON
l EDGE video jukebox 11pm
WEDNESDAY 7
SOUTHAMPTON
l EDGE Bar 150: DJs & karaoke 10pm
THURSDAY 8
PORTSMOUTH
l HAMPSHIRE BLVD karaoke till 2am
l OLD VIC karaoke 8pm
SOUTHAMPTON
l EDGE Pop!: DJ 11pm
l LONDON HOTEL Xmas Karaoke Cruising: Lucinda Lashes 8 30pm
FRIDAY 9
PORTSMOUTH
l HAMPSHIRE BLVD DJ till 3am
SOUTHAMPTON
l EDGE Get Some: DJs 10pm
l LONDON HOTEL Fairylea Friday: DJ Ruby Roo 8 30pm; cabaret: Beverly Ballcrusher 10pm
SATURDAY 10
PORTSMOUTH
l HAMPSHIRE BLVD DJ till 3am
l OLD VIC DJs all night
SOUTHAMPTON
l EDGE The Big One: DJs 10pm
l LONDON HOTEL Guilty Pleasures: DJ Claire Fuller & guest Jo Frances 8 30pm
SUNDAY 11
PORTSMOUTH
l HAMPSHIRE BLVD karaoke till 2am
SOUTHAMPTON
l EDGE Pounded: DJ 11pm
l LONDON HOTEL London Podium: Tanya
Hyde & Nan 8pm; roasts 12-3 30pm
MONDAY 12
PORTSMOUTH
l HAMPSHIRE BLVD DJ till 2am
SOUTHAMPTON
l EDGE DJs 11pm
TUESDAY 13
PORTSMOUTH
l OLD VIC Quiz 8pm
SOUTHAMPTON
l EDGE video jukebox 11pm
l LONDON HOTEL annual private fundraiser with LAGLO 8pm
WEDNESDAY 14
SOUTHAMPTON
l EDGE Bar 150: DJs & karaoke 10pm
l LONDON HOTEL DJ Fanny Love 8pm
THURSDAY 15
PORTSMOUTH
l HAMPSHIRE BLVD karaoke till 2am
l OLD VIC karaoke 8pm
SOUTHAMPTON
l EDGE Pop!: DJ 11pm
l LONDON HOTEL Xmas Karaoke Cruising: Lucinda Lashes 8 30pm
FRIDAY 16
PORTSMOUTH
l HAMPSHIRE BLVD DJ till 3am
SOUTHAMPTON
l EDGE Get Some: DJs 10pm
l LONDON HOTEL Fairylea Friday: DJ Ruby Roo 8 30pm
SATURDAY 17
PORTSMOUTH
l HAMPSHIRE BLVD DJ till 3am
l OLD VIC DJs all night
SOUTHAMPTON
l EDGE The Big One: DJs 10pm
l LONDON HOTEL Guilty Pleasures: DJ Lucinda Lashes 8 30pm
SUNDAY 18
PORTSMOUTH
l HAMPSHIRE BLVD karaoke till 2am
SOUTHAMPTON
l EDGE Pounded: DJ 11pm
l LONDON HOTEL London Podium: Miss Penny & Davina Sparkle 8pm; roasts 12-3 30pm
MONDAY 19
PORTSMOUTH
l HAMPSHIRE BLVD DJ till 2am
SOUTHAMPTON
l EDGE DJs 11pm
LONDON HOTEL SOUTHAMPTON
) 2 Terminus Terr, SO14 3DT, Tel: 02380 710652, www the-london co uk
) OPEN daily from 12pm Closed Xmas Day & New Year's Day
) FOOD Mon–Sat 12–3pm; Sunday lunch 12–3 30pm
) WORLD AIDS DAY Thur (1) is the WAD CHARITY KARAOKE CRUISING raising funds for Positive Action with Claire Fuller from 8 30pm
) XMAS & NEW YEAR Wed (14 & 21) & Tue (20) DJ Fanny Love Xmas Par ty 8pm ) XMAS KARAOKE CRUISING Thur (8, 15 & 22) with Lucinda Lashes at 8 30pm ) Sat (24) XMAS EVE CABARET with Spotlight at 8pm ) Mon (26) BOXING DAY CABARET with Lucinda Lashes & Miss Jason 7pm ) Sat (31) NYE GLIT TER BALL DISCO with DJ R uby R oo & Drag With No Name at 7 30pm; tickets £12 50 on sale from Dec 2
) REGUL ARS Fri is FAIRYLEA with DJ R uby R oo & cabaret at 10pm: Mar tha D’Ar thur (2), Dr Beverly Ballcrusher (9) & Eva Iglesias (23) ) Sat is GUILTY
PLEASURES with DJs at 8 30pm: DJ Neil Sackley & guest Sam Solace at 10pm (3), DJ Claire Fuller & guest Jo Frances at 10pm (10) and DJ Lucida Lashes (17) )
SUNDAY NIGHT ON THE LONDON PODIUM with top live acts at 8pm: Kara Van Park & R ose Garden (4), Kara Van Park & Nan (11), Miss Penny & Davina Sparkle (18)
TUESDAY 20
PORTSMOUTH
l OLD VIC Quiz 8pm
SOUTHAMPTON
l EDGE video jukebox 11pm
l LONDON HOTEL DJ Fanny Love 8pm
WEDNESDAY 21
SOUTHAMPTON
l EDGE Bar 150: DJs & karaoke 10pm
l LONDON HOTEL DJ Fanny Love 8pm
THURSDAY 22
PORTSMOUTH
l HAMPSHIRE BLVD karaoke till 2am
l OLD VIC karaoke 8pm
SOUTHAMPTON
l EDGE Pop!: DJ 11pm
l LONDON HOTEL DJ Lucinda Lashes 8pm
FRIDAY 23
PORTSMOUTH
l HAMPSHIRE BLVD DJ till 3am
SOUTHAMPTON
l EDGE Get Some: DJs 10pm
l LONDON HOTEL Fairylea Friday: DJ Ruby Roo 8 30pm; cabaret: Eva Iglesias 10pm
SATURDAY 24
PORTSMOUTH
l HAMPSHIRE BLVD DJ till 3am
l OLD VIC DJs all night
SOUTHAMPTON
l EDGE The Big One: DJs 10pm
l LONDON HOTEL Xmas Eve cabaret from Spotlight 8pm
SUNDAY 25
PORTSMOUTH
l HAMPSHIRE BLVD Closed for Xmas
SOUTHAMPTON
l EDGE Closed for Xmas
l LONDON HOTEL Closed for Xmas
MONDAY 26
PORTSMOUTH
l HAMPSHIRE BLVD DJ till 2am
SOUTHAMPTON
l EDGE DJs 11pm
l LONDON HOTEL Boxing Day: Lucinda Lashes’ & Miss Jason’s Xmas Leftovers 7pm
TUESDAY 27
PORTSMOUTH
l OLD VIC Quiz 8pm
SOUTHAMPTON
l EDGE video jukebox 11pm
WEDNESDAY 28
SOUTHAMPTON
l EDGE Bar 150: DJs & karaoke 10pm
THURSDAY 29
PORTSMOUTH
l HAMPSHIRE BLVD karaoke till 2am
l OLD VIC karaoke 8pm
SOUTHAMPTON
l EDGE Pop!: DJ 11pm
l LONDON HOTEL Karaoke Cruising: Lucinda Lashes 8 30pm
FRIDAY 30
PORTSMOUTH
l HAMPSHIRE BLVD DJ till 3am
SOUTHAMPTON
l EDGE Get Some: DJs 10pm
l LONDON HOTEL Fairylea Friday: DJ Ruby Roo 8.30pm
SATURDAY 31
PORTSMOUTH
l HAMPSHIRE BLVD DJ till 3am
l OLD VIC DJs all night
SOUTHAMPTON
l EDGE The Big One: DJs 10pm
l LONDON HOTEL NYE Glitterball Disco: DJ
Ruby Roo & Drag With No Name 7.30pm; ticketed event, sold from Dec 2
SUNDAY 1 JAN
PORTSMOUTH
l HAMPSHIRE BLVD Closed for NY Day
SOUTHAMPTON
l EDGE Closed for New Year’s Day
l LONDON HOTEL Closed for NY Day
DANCE MUSIC
BY QUEEN JOSEPHINE & KATE WILDBLOOD
ALBUMS
) 2016. It’s been one of those years. We’ve loved, we ’ ve lost and we ’ ve wondered. But although the music was occasionally muted, the disco will (eventually) save us. So turn it up and have a wiggle as we say farewell to 2016 with a blast of the good stuff. It may have left us bewildered and bemused at times but boy did it see some right amazing tunes come our way. Here’s to 2017 being just as sound. Please.
Catch Wildblood & Queenie’s Home Service on RadioReverb 97.2FM, DAB & radioreverb.com. perfectdistractions.com
WILDBLOOD & QUEENIE’S 2016 WONDERS
) DAVID BOWIE Blackstar ISO / RSA
A masterpiece to remember our loved starman by
) HIFI SEAN ft Paris Grey Lost Without You Plastique
A slice of house genius from one of the best albums of the year
) MIDLAND Final Credits Regraded
The sound of summer that will keep us warm for years to come
) DORSIA Chateau D'if Southern Fried
Haunting Hackney house brilliance set to keep you dancing till dawn
) JOHN DAVIS & The Monster Orchestra Bourgie', Bourgie' Nervous Strings never sounded so sweet as on Louie Vega mix of this disco epic.
) LAPSLEY Operator (DJ Koze's 12 inch Extended Disco Version) XL
Like a warm hug from a loved one, it reassured us everything will be ok.
) DEMUIR Buttery Curves Guesthouse Music
Song title of the year with a tasty groove to match.
) CHERYL LYNN You Saved My Day (Joey Negro Tell the World mix) ZR
Negro delivers a stunner, Remixed With Love Just as it should be
) COEO Back In The Days Toy Tonics
A favourite label delivers the perfect back in the day lesson
) MARQUIS HAWKES Discopuss AUS
An Ouch House favourite that keeps our pussies jumping
) SANTE Sansone Rising (Original Mix) Materialism
No year can pass without this sensational Loleatta Holloway sample
) CASSY Feel (Yoruba Soul Mix) Aus Music
It’s the simple things that make life special. Exquisite.
) ELI ESCOBAR Chaka Khan Classic Music Company
One to keep you up all night. Just as Ms Khan would want.
) EUGENE GLASGOW Someday MustHaveSoul
Nothing wiggles Queenie’s crown like this old skool slab of cool.
) DETROIT Swindle In Reverse Heist Recordings
Another slice of pure brilliance from our house heroes.
) ZHUT & KAPOTE Make It Cold (Nachtbraker Remix) Toy Tonics
A bassline to fix the world Honest
) VIOLET X ELLES So Let It Be House Bandcamp
Fundraising wonder from the first ladies of techno
) FOLD Tracksuits & Tennis Shoes AUS
More bounce than a pair of, erm, tennis shoes
) EL NINO ANDRES She Understood Duke Ellington Jackie Brown
Feel the jazz hustle and fall in love with Mr Andres
) SAMMA LONE Before House, Was Disco Uptown Boogie Word.
DJ PROFILE: JOSH THE BARBER
With that darned festive season around again forcing you to have the occasional night away from the dancefloor in order to stylishly erect your decorations, sometimes it’s good to do a spot of dancing at home. So in between wrapping up the odd gift, swigging a yuletide snifter and munching on a mincie there’s some arse-shaking to be done. But what to rock around your Christmas tree to? This month Queenie catches up with the lovely Josh The Barber to find the answer…
Hi there Josh – it’s been a while! Where can we hear your marvellous melodies these days? Well I’m not DJing out much at the moment – I’m having a bit of time away from that side of things. So currently I am concentrating on music production and more DJ mixes for Mixcloud. Check out joshthebarber on Mixcloud.
All time fave tune? Oh I’ve got lots of favourites, though Make My Love by Shawn Christopher always gives me goose-bumps.
What music floats your boat just now? I love nu-disco and deep house at the moment.
What’s so good about DJing in Brighton? Despite my current DJing break, I still love playing in Brighton as people are up for a great night out! Though it has to be said, the scene has changed a lot over the last few years...
Recent stand out gig or mix for you? I really enjoyed playing the Brighton Bear Weekender at the Latest Bar back in June. It was a very busy and fun night!
Tune you wish you’d never played? I’m afraid to say I played a tune called Some Girls by Racey at my friend’s wedding I hung my head in shame... and so did everybody else, lol!
Ultimate dream gig? I absolutely love DJing in the men's tent at Brighton Pride I feel very honoured to be asked to do it So I think my ultimate gig would be to play a later set, when the party really gets going.
JOSH THE BARBER CURRENT TOP FIVE
) DAVID KENO I Like That (original mix) Toolroom Records ) ALEX GOPHER Smile (Vocal mix) Ultra ) 10 DIGITS & S Denney Calling Your Name (Basoski mix) 418 Music ) SOLEDRIFTER God Gave Us Rhythm (original mix) King Of Groove ) AUDIOLEPITAKE Hold Me Down (original mix) PP Music
) Paul Smith Monkey Scarf, £110; Butterfly Beanies from £12.99; Handmade Merino Felted Gloves, £42; Wood Bow Tie, £19.50 (Barbary Lane, 95 St George’s Rd, Brighton, www barbarylane co uk and also on Facebook)
) Staff and customers of Subline, resembling a slightly-hairier Women’s Institute, have produced a ‘flirtatious’ calendar for 2017 photographed by Manel Ortega All profits from the sales will be shared between Terrence Higgins Trust and the Sussex Beacon. The calendar, which was launched at Subline’s sixth Birthday Party last month, can be bought for just £10 from the Sussex Beacon Shop, 129 St James’s St; Nice ’n’ Naughty, 32 St James’s St; and Subline, 129 St James’s St.
) Sushi Socks, £10.50 per pair (England at Home, 22b Ship St, ghton, 01273 205544)
Abel Gance’ s silent masterpiece is an astounding work both of cinema and, after 50 years of intensive work, restoration Its five and a half hours, spread over three discs, is a truly immersive historical epic From its poetic opening showing a young Napoleon (an amazing portrayal by Vladimir Roudenko) to the triptych of its final reels (Gance simultaneously using three cameras to create an ultra-widescreen effect) the film is full of amazing sequences and performances: from Albert Dieudonné’ s commanding, saturnine Napoleon to playwright Antonin Artaud’ s magnetic turn as Marat. Given its running time there are parts that don’t succeed – I found the siege of Toulon simply confusing – but overall it's an endlessly fascinating achievement.
) Concrete Paperweight, £20 (Workshop 13a Prince Albert St, Brighton 01273 731340, workshopliving.co.uk)
Blue Lady Wall Decoration, £8.95 ssy, 3a Kensington Gdns, Brighton, 73 604861)
) Calendars from £17.99; Brighton-based novels from £9.99; support charities from £1 (Prowler, 112-113 St James St, Brighton, 01273 683680)
LITTLE BEAR - HOME DECOR & MORE...
) Sidney R Spencer, who writes the Gscene Dad & Daddy column, found that with the kids packed off to school he had some time on his hands To keep himself busy he’s opened Little Bear - Home Decor & More, a lovely little emporium on Sillwood Street opposite the Grosvenor Bar in Hove It’s a treasure trove of locally-sourced art, gifts, homeware, upcycled recycled and loved again furniture, niknaks for the home (many with a bear theme), personalised greeting cards, cushions, cups in fact all those last minute gifts and stocking fillers you might need at Christmas.
Little Bear - Home Decor & More, 56 Sillwood St, Brighton, BN1 2PS Open: Wed–Sat 10am–5pm, Sun 10am–2pm and late on Fri & Sat evenings during December for Christmas shopping Any queries just call Sid on 07940 220009.
RAINBOW TALK WRISTBAND EARPHONES
) Now you can wear AND hear the rainbow! Following the success of the Classic and Talk Wraps wristband earphones range, a special Rainbow edition has been launched for the festive season. Not only do they look and sound great, but they also solve the daily frustration of those that are easily broken, tangled or lost Wrap solve three inherent earphone problems: storage, antitangle and style, simply by enabling you to wear them on your wrist whilst you ’ re not using them The Rainbow edition is compatible with all smartphones and tablets, and features a universal one button microphone It’s stylish and functional and you can answer a call, play or pause your music and skip tracks all day without having to dig into your bag or pockets for your device. When worn on the wrist, the unique patented slider system keeps the lightweight alloy heads, slider and jack plug all connected together for a secure compact fit. Cables are kept in perfect alignment and remain tangle-free and always close to hand!
The Special Rainbow Wraps Talk edition is available from www.mywraps.com for £19.99. Available for a limited time only this Christmas, so get yours while you still can!
HOLIDAY ON ICE : BELIEVE
Holiday on Ice returns to the Brighton Centre once again in Januar y with their new show, Believe, directed and choreographed by ice dance legend, Christopher Dean.
By James Ledward.
) In the 1980s, Christopher Dean choreographed iconic ice dance routines, including Mack & Mabel and Barnum, which catapulted him and his ice dance partner, Jayne Torvill, to international fame, winning them an Olympic gold medal and four consecutive World Championship Ice Dance medals between 1981 and 1984
Their final performance of Bolero at the Sarajevo Winter Olympics Ice Dance
Competition in 1984 received a perfect set of sixes from the judges and drew one of the largest UK television audiences to the BBC for a sports event ever Bolero elevated the partnership to iconic status as athletes and artists while reinforcing the UK’s ice skating
pedigree created by John Curry and Robin Cousins before them
Over seven decades, Holiday On Ice has become the most famous brand of entertainment on ice, attracting a record number of 328 million visitors to ice rinks and stadiums all over the world, to experience fabulous skating entertainment provided by some of the best ice skaters in the world
Believe will open at the Brighton Centre on Wednesday, January 4, and runs until Sunday, January 8, 2017
The show is an incredibly exciting and fastpaced production, telling the modern-day story of the traditional Shakespeare classic Romeo & Juliet about desire, jealously and true love With Olympic level choreography combined with the best live music, beautiful décor, glamorous costumes and hi-tech special effects, Believe is destined to become a show that will truly conquer your heart
Believe is the first show that Christopher Dean and Holiday On Ice’ s producers, Stage Entertainment, have worked on together creating a new milestone in the great tradition of collaborations between Holiday On Ice and Olympic skating champions.
As director and choreographer, Christopher, using his expertise of the icy stage, will be responsible for translating the show’s
substantive themes into the most beautiful choreography
A creative team of highly acclaimed awardwinning professionals, including Stephen Emmer (Music Director), Nicolas Vaudelet (Costume Designer) and Bart Doerfler (Artistic Director), have been assembled to help him deliver this unique production
Commenting on the new partnership, Christopher said: “I’ve been on the ice for 47 years, performing in shows, training and choreographing others, but now I look forward to creating a new Holiday on Ice show with the best skaters in the world ”
BELIEVE TICKETS
Tickets for Holiday On Ice: Believe at the Brighton Centre, Kings’s Road, Brighton, are on sale now and available:
) online from www.brightoncentre.co.uk
) or the box office on 0844 847 1538
Ticket prices start at £22 (£15 for children), rising to £50 for rink-side seats
BELIEVE SHOWS
) Wednesday, January 4 at 2pm & 8pm
) Thursday, January 5 at 2pm
) Friday, January 6 at 2pm & 7.30pm
) Saturday, January 7 at 1pm, 4pm & 7pm
) Sunday, January 8 at 1pm & 4pm
BELIEVE COMPETITION
) Gscene have three pairs of tickets to give away for Believe. Email info@gscene.com with the answer to the following question by Friday, December 16, 2016.
QUESTION: Who mentored Torvill and Dean during the development of the dance routine ‘Barnum’ for the Ice Dance World Championships in 1983?
BRIGHTON CENTRE
Kings Road, Brighton, Box office: 0844 847 1515
) MICHAEL BALL & ALFIE BOE (Tue 6). The nation's leading musical theatre star, Michael Ball and the nation's favourite tenor, Alfie Boe, join forces on their UK headline tour for an extra show in Brighton due to popular demand Features a repertoire from the greatest Broadway shows as well as classic songs both Alfie and Michael have always wanted to record
) THE HUMAN LEAGUE (Fri 9) Phil Oakey and the group sing hits Love Action, Don’t You Want Me Baby and Mirror Man
) NE-YO (Sat 10) who has worked with Rihanna, Beyoncé, Celine Dion will sing tracks from his latest album, Non Fiction.
) PLACEBO (Wed 14) head out on a world tour in October to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the release of their platinum selling debut album Placebo.
) DAVID BRENT & FOREGONE CONCLUSION: LIFE ON THE ROAD (Fri 16) Ricky Gervais sings songs from the album released in conjunction with his latest film
) JOOLS HOLLAND (Sat 17) is joined by special guest vocalists Pauline Black and Arthur 'Gaps' Hendrickson from The Selecter, Ruby Turner, Louise Marshall & Beth Rowley
ACTUALLY GMC
St Andrew's Church, Waterloo Street, Hove
) ACTUALLY GAY MEN'S CHORUS LET IT SNOW, (8pm, Fri 23rd) Raising money for Inclusion For All & Rainbow fund. Tickets £12, £10 concs available from www.agmc.org
BROADWAY LOUNGE
Upstairs at Bar Broadway, 10 Steine St, Brighton ) APOLLO CABARET SERIES (8pm, Sat 3) an intimate evening of cabaret, musical theatre anthems, originals and Christmas with a twist Tickets £12 (£10 conc) from TicketSource co uk ) LAUGHTER IN THE LOUNGE (8pm, Fri 30) Monthly stand-up comedy night with six comedians from London and the south coast taking to the stage, entry £3.
illness This is accompanied by Isaac Julien's powerful short film responding to the HIV/AIDS epidemic by railing against the new puritanism of the 1980s. Showing at Duke’s at the Komedia. Fabrica Gallery, Ship St, Brighton ) OUR MARRIAGES: LESBIANS MARRY GAY MEN (Wed 9). This documentary takes a look at the phenomenon of strategic contract marriages in China between gay men and lesbians The film follows four lesbians as they negotiate their marriages to gay men while carving out spaces of communal living that enable queer forms of love, desire and family to exist under the auspices of heterosexual marriage. Followed by Q&A with one of the film’s directors.
KOMEDIA
Gardner St, Brighton Box office: 08452 938480
) BENT DOUBLE (Sun 4). An irreverent night of fun and frolics hosted by Zoe Lyons with Aisling Bea, Suzie Ruffell and Russ Peers
THE L ATEST MUSICBAR
Manchester Street, Brighton, http://thelatest.co.uk
and special guests: comedy star Ali Macfarlan, The Cheer Up Mollys (folk/Americana) and compere Ali Hendry-Ballard (Short & Girlie Show) Plus a starring role for The Audience! Tickets: £7 from www.wegottickets.com/event/38 1503
LE CLUCK FACTOR
The Railway Inn, 2 Station Road, Portslade, BN41 1GA
88 LONDON ROAD
88 London Road, Brighton Box office: 88londonroad.com
) BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (Nov 30–Jan 1). A cursed Beast lives alone with only a mirror to the outside world, with seemingly no hope of happiness. In a small village not far away our beautiful and headstrong maiden goes on a journey to overcome her fears and fall in love 88 London Road brings it its own unique style and telling of the famous fable, full of fun, laughs, dance, magic, music and comedy
EYES WIDE OPEN
The queer film collective’s movies for December: Duke of York’s Cinema, Preston Circus, Brighton ) BLUE + THIS IS NOT AN AIDS ADVERTISEMENT (Thu 1) doublebill commemorates World AIDS Day and raises money for THT. Derek Jarman's Blue is a profoundly moving reflection on the mental, physical and emotional strain caused by the director's terminal
) ANEESA CHAUDHRY’S CHRISTMAS CRACKER GIG (7.30pm, Sun 4). Aneesa Chaudhry, Rainbow Chorus MD, performs with special guests Jennie Castell and Nick Ford. This talented trio of Golden Handbag Award winners will sing a range of songs from Christmas favourites, Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of The Opera, Barbara Streisand, Celine Dion, Kate Bush and Ella Fitzgerald Tickets £15 from aneesachristmascrackers16.event brite.co.uk
) QUKULELE CHRISTMAS SPECIAL (7 30pm, Sun 18) presents a festive feast of mashups and mayhem, Hawaiian hilarity, seasonal silliness
) LE CLUCK FACTOR (8pm, Sat 3). Think a quirkier version of Britain’s Got Talent combined with the X factor and you have the show of all shows Hosted by Tori Bond, expect an eclectic line-up of local artistes, music, magic, dancing and comedy Tickets: adv £8/£7 from https://billetto co uk/en/events/le -cluck-factor or £10 on door 10% of ticket sales to Sussex Beacon
RAINBOW CHORUS
St George's Church, Kemp Town ) RAINBOW CHORUS SLEDGE OF GLORY (7 30pm, Sat 10) Sit back and hold tight for a magical musical ride with Christmas classics and contemporary favourites Taking the reins is musical director Aneesa Chaudhry, with accompanist Mojca Monte and
BRIGHTON GAY MEN’S CHORUS
The Dome, Church Street, Brighton, Box office: 01273 709709 ) PULL A CRACKER WITH BRIGHTON GAY MEN’S CHORUS (Sat 10). Back by popular demand, the country’s biggest gay men ’ s chorus outside London returns to the Dome to celebrate the festive season. Join Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus and peek behind the scenes in Santa’s grotto, where the elves will be taking centre stage, and working their magic to see that everybody gets what they want What will they be putting in your musical stocking? It might be an old favourite, this year ’ s must-have novelty, or a big surprise Go and find out - it will be good for your elf The evening will be raising funds for the British Red Cross, which helps over 1 million people throughout the UK, providing care and support to people of all ages and backgrounds. Tickets from £12. www.brightongmc.org
Marco Nardi as BSL interpreter
There will be a bar with mince pies and mulled wine, plus a raffle and collection with all proceeds being donated to Older LGBT Project. Tickets £14 concs. £10 children £7 www.rainbowchorus.org.uk
RESOUND & REBELLES
St Andrews Church, Waterloo Street, Hove, BN3 1AQ ) RESOUND & REBELLES HOVE FOR THE HOLIDAY 2016 (7 30pm, Sat 10) Resound and Rebelles, led by opera singer and vocal coach, Stefan Holmström, will perform music from classical to
folk and swing including Biebl’s Ave Maria, the wonderful Huron Carol, 12 Days To Christmas from She Loves Me and Bei Mir Bist Du Schein by the Andrew Sisters. Tickets £12, available online www.resoundmalevoices.org or directly from members.
ALL THAT JAZZ
JAZZ CD REVIEWS BY SIMON ADAMS ) ROBERT GLASPER EXPERIMENT
Artscience (Blue Note) American pianist Robert Glasper is very definitely jazz man of the moment The producer of the soundtrack of Miles Ahead, Don Cheadle’s new biopic of the trumpeter Miles Davis, he also sampled chunks of the extensive Miles back catalogue on Everything’s Beautiful, featuring such luminaries as Laura Myula, Erykah Badu and Stevie Wonder. Both sets are available on Columbia. Oh, and he also plays piano on Kendrick Lamar’s last year ’ s earth-shattering To Pimp A Butterfly. His third album of the year finds him back on home turf with Blue Note Records and his usual backing band The set begins with some saxophone-driven modern jazz but then quickly turns into languid r&b and hip-hop Pop-friendly vocal tracks transformed by a vocoder are set against lush accompaniments and off-beat rhythms, with saxophone solos soaring over the top to remind you that this is indeed a jazz album Much of the heavy lifting is done by Casey Benjamin, who manages to play saxophones and keyboards, sing the vocals and co-write all but two of the tracks. Robert Glasper might term his group an experiment, but his music is state-of-the-art jazz, played to perfection.
) CHARLIE HADEN
LIBERATION
MUSIC ORCHESTRA Time/Life (Impulse!). In the tumultuous year of 1969, American bassist Charlie Haden set up the Liberation Music Orchestra, a politically charged jazz big band performing a wide range of liberation and protest songs from Weimar Germany, civil war Spain, civil rights movement USA and revolutionary Latin America Haden later paid for his principles, getting chucked out of Portugal in 1971 by its then fascist government for performing his beautiful but controversial Song For Che The FBI also took an interest in him when he returned home Over the years the orchestra has released six increasingly less politicised albums, of which this will be the last, as Haden died before it could be completed The emphasis here is on the world’s environment, hence the inclusion of Miles Davis’s haunting Blue In Green and a concluding Song For The Whales, in which Haden’s bowed bass echoes whale song. Given the circumstances of its recording, there is an elegiac feel to proceedings, not just for the planet but also for the departed Haden. But the big band arrangements by pianist Carla Bley are sumptuous, while some of the bass and other solos will lift the soul.
ART MATTERS
For December I’ve sourced a quartet of exhibitions for you to enjoy around all the festive preparations, which are all an easy distance away. I also have some news of my own - exhibiting in the UK and beyond!
HOP GALLERY
Lewes, www.hopgallery.com
) In Barcelona at the Galeria Esther Montoriol (www.montoriol.com) I have been included in DelicARTessen 15 group show (until Jan 31)
) Closer to home in Sheffield at the Cupola Gallery (www cupolagallery com)
I’ve been included in a group show To Please A Few (until Jan 7) Including work made by artists that won’t please everyone but which has the power to delight a chosen few, this will be their 25th anniversary exhibition.
) CELEBRATE! CHRISTMAS 2016 SHOW (until Sun 18), is an opportunity to find that illusive gift or indulgence for the festive season. Over thirty selected creators and makers from across the county representing all areas of art and craft will showcase work in glass, wood, ceramics, paint, print, photography, textiles and silver.
ZIMMER STEWART GALLERY
Arundel, www.zimmerstewart.co.uk
) CHRISTMAS MIXED EXHIBITION (Sat 3–Fri 24), featuring the work of Piers Ottey and Felix Anaut as well as a selection of ceramics, sculpture & prints
JERWOOD GALLERY
Hastings www.jerwoodgallery.org
) CENTURY: 100 MODERN BRITISH
ARTISTS (until Jan 8) curated by writer and lecturer James Russell, brings together 100 modern British artists showcasing a vibrant mix of paintings, sculpture and works on paper selected from the Ingram and Jerwood Collections It’s a rare opportunity to view watercolours by artists involved in the medium’s revival between the wars, and to enjoy work by each member of the group of artists who represented Britain in the New Aspects of British Sculpture’ exhibition at the 1952 Venice Biennale ) IN FOCUS: STANLEY SPENCER – A PANORAMA OF LIFE (throughout 2016) is a one room display which forms part of the international celebrations of the life and work of Sir Stanley Spencer RA (1891-1959) A Panorama of Life brings together paintings, drawings and archive material from the Stanley Spencer Gallery in Cookham, alongside work by Stanley Spencer and Daphne Charlton from the Jerwood Collection. It focuses on Spencer’s affection for the ordinary everyday domestic life, and the spiritual significance and profound satisfaction that he saw in daily work. The exhibition also marks the 125th Anniversary of his birth.
CHRISTMA S ARTISTS OPEN HOUSES
Brighton & Hove, http://aoh.org.uk ) ARTISTS OPEN HOUSES (Nov 26–Dec11), across Brighton and Hove for three weekends. Twice a year artists and makers open their houses and studios, providing art lovers the chance to browse and buy original artwork direct from the artist. Visitors can expect to see a wide range of creativity including jewellery, ceramics and textiles, paintings, sculpture, printmaking, photography and many other media whilst also having the opportunity to chat directly with the artists
CL ASSICAL NOTES
REVIEWS
) The Australian Chamber Orchestra are renowned for their lively and exciting live performances, and under their director and lead violinist, Richard Tognetti, they have released a live recording of performances of Mozart’ s final three Symphonies, Nos. 39-41, given in Sydney in 2015 Tognetti takes the fast movements at a great lick, particularly the finale of No. 39, which has such spark, yet without compromising precision and detail. Quick tempi in Mozart can sometimes feel too frenetic and breathless, but there is always just enough sense of control here. The darker moods are also given great presence, particularly in the slow movement of No 40 And the still shocking harmonic gear changes in the finale are given enough drama without being overly aggressive No 41’s slow movement is treated with sensitive care and attention, and the finale’s dazzling combination of no fewer than five themes is suitably jubilant. These are impressive Mozart recordings by any account, but with the added spice of their live energy, this makes them worthy of high praise indeed. ABC Classics 4812880
) In Time is a showcase album for the Irish percussionist Alex Petcu This is a real callingcard selection, with a great variety of styles, as well as a range of percussion instruments Pianist Michael McHale joins him for Piazonore by Alexej Gerassimez, for vibraphone and piano, loosely based on Piazzolla’s Libertango theme. This has great drive, and Gerassimez (another percussionist) writes well for the instruments. Debussy’ s Arabesque No. 1 also receives a sensitive vibraphone treatment, and then the instrument becomes ethereal and haunting when bowed in Elliot Cole’ s Postlude No. 8 There’s plenty for the marimba too, including ‘A Little Prayer’ by the great Evelyn Glennie, here exploiting the
instrument’s resonance to create a remarkably sustained sound. Petcu also performs Steve Reich’ s challenging marimba duet, Nagoya Marimbas (with himself!), at a mesmerizing speed. He is joined by violinist Ioana Petcu-Colan in two pieces: Yerkinkn Ampel A, an arrangement of an Armenian folk song, and a Fugue by Sam Perkin with Andean influences A range of drums and other pitched and nonpitched instruments also feature on the disc, which makes for a highly engaging and interesting programme. RTÉlyricfm CD151
) Next, Michael McHale performing two Irish Piano Concertos, with the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Courtney Lewis. Firstly, he performs the Piano Concerto No. 3 by John Field (1782-1837), the Dublin-born pianist composer who is credited with the ‘invention’ of the Nocturne as a genre piece The concerto has just two movements, but McHale himself has arranged the Nocturne No. 2 for piano and orchestra, and it does act as a convincing central movement for the Concerto. McHale gives a strong performance, showing particular sensitivity in the fantasia-like section of the opening movement, and relishes the virtuosic display of the final movement. Philip Hammond’ s (b 1951) Piano Concerto was written for McHale, and premiered by him just last year Hammond describes his style here as ‘retroromanticism’, clearly drawing on the Romantic tradition of the virtuoso concerto It is a striking yet accessible work, with a particularly haunting slow middle movement, with relentless rising scales creating intensity and tension, which then explodes into the rapid driving finale. McHale’s energetic virtuosity is ably supported by great precision from the orchestra and Lewis RTÉlyricfm CD150
) Jacques Ibert (1890-1962) was a highly imaginative and entertaining French composer, and the great variety of his output can be seen in this disc of his orchestral works from the
Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, conducted by Neeme Järvi The rich impressionism of the opening movement of Escales… (RomePalerme) stands in great contrast to his eastern influenced use of a solo oboe in Tunis-Nefta, and again to the Spanish heat of Valence. Ibert’s Divertissement is perhaps his best-known work, with its wit, circus-like brass vulgarity and crazy police whistles Järvi and the orchestra have fun here, but take a slightly ironic approach, rather than fully letting go to its excesses Other gems here include another atmospheric oboe
solo in Féerique, alongside the full-on Hollywood-esque celebration of Ouverture de fête The Suite symphonique Paris is another compilation of incidental music, with Ibert deftly shifting action from the original South American location of a play by Romain, to the busy metropolis of Paris, and Järvi and the OSR bring out all the detail in Ibert’s lush and imaginative orchestration If you don’t know his music, then Ibert is definitely worth exploring – and this is the perfect place to start Chandos CHSA5168
Reviews, comments and events: v nicks-classical-notes.blogspot.co.uk t @nickb86uk ) nbclassical@hotmail.co.uk
CINEMA
) The Royal Ballet present Tchaikovsky’ s The Nutcracker, in Peter Wright’ s acclaimed production, live from the Royal Opera House (Thur 8). Alternatively, you can see the Bolshoi Ballet’ s production in a live recording (Sun 18).
CONCERTS
) The MET Opera are showing Kalja Saariaho’ s medieval romance L’Amour de Loin, which premiered this year (Sat 10) In local cinemas, including: Duke’s@Komedia Brighton, Cineworld Eastbourne and Connaught Cinema, Worthing
BRIGHTON DOME www.brightondome.org 01273 709709
) John Wilson, with the John Wilson Orchestra, performs musical masterpieces from the movies (7pm, Thur 1) And there’s more film music, this time classic British scores by Ron Goodman, Walton and Eric Coates, from the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Richard Balcombe (2.45pm, Sun 4, ). The BPO return for their New Year’s Eve Viennese Gala, conducted by Stephen Bell, with Rebecca Bottone (soprano) (2.45pm, Sat 31).
ST PAUL’S West St, Brighton, www.bremf.org.uk/bcv
) The Brighton Festival Chorus, conducted by James Morgan, are joined by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, with soloists Juliette Pochin (mezzo) and Nicky Spence (tenor), and the Brighton Festival Youth Choir, for their annual celebration of Christmas music (4pm, Sun 11)
) BREMF Consort of Voices (6pm, Sat 3) perform music for Advent and Christmas from Renaissance Spain, with music by Morales, Guerrero and Victoria
ST ANNE’S CHURCH Lewes, 07759 878562, www.eastsussexbachchoir.org
) The East Sussex Bach Choir, with the Baroque Collective, conducted by John Hancorn (7.30pm, Sat 10), performs Handel’ s Messiah.
) date of birth, time of death by pp hartnett Hartnett’s utterly uncompromising, urgent, honest words have sent shudders up the squeaky clean puritan corridors of iTunes content corridors. Interesting that queer poems could cause such anguish. Of course it’s not the sense, ironic considering the opening poem ’ s title ‘content warning‘ of the work, but the focus. Hartnett’s work has a deep interest in the shadows of the other’s gaze, sexual, violent, savage, passionate, particularly ones that the endless flickering light of the internet throws contrast and unflinching illumination into - it’s never easy, but then it’s not meant to be It’s punchy, practical and well-honed heft will slap you with its audacity, and then comfort you with the cold comfort of truth. It’s never clear if this is fantasy, confession or observation in the many seriously sexual gay male spaces Hartnett is very familiar with, but its sharp edged voice won’t let you put this book down. Presented with as much understated elegance as its prose, this is a superb and unexpected treat for the winter season Poetry for the now, presented by a man unflinching in his desires
) BREAKING DOWN THE WALLS OF HEARTACHE (Constable) by Martin Aston. ‘All rock & roll music is homosexual’ claimed the Manic Street Preachers and most music performers defy social and political conventions of their time, pushing and progressing many other social groups along with their music Aston argues with delicious wellinformed observations, discussion and documentation over the last 100 years of popular music, how it’s influenced LGBTQ rights and pushed for vitality, but also shows us the regressive steps in Russia and Africa where songs from the LGBTQ experience show in sharp contrast how the fight between bigotry and freedom is far from
) THE BETTER BLOW JOB (Bruno Gmunder) by Alex Neustadter. What do you give to the man who’s had everything? More head, and better head! With this neat little book you can use your head to give the best head, exploring technique and ways to improve it, sharing experience and suggestions to explore your and his pleasure This book is as stuffed full as you ’ re gonna be. It’s pretty forensic in detail so it’s no quickie, but once you ’ ve mastered it, you’ll never be off your knees. I swallowed it in one!
a strong selection of short stories and poems, all with a current take on topics of interest. It’s a superb anthology not just of good stories that will connect with all queers, but also one of style and prose It has range and ambition and also a cosy comfortable edge I enjoyed reading it all Paradise Press, founded in 1999, is run by a collective and has published over 40 titles.
over. A superb stocking filler for the LGBT music fan in your life.
) EDNAPEADIA (Head of Zeus) by Dame Edna. Our all-time favourite, witty and ruthlessly honest Dame has kindly taken time out of her busy schedule to dictate a history of Australia in 101 objects Taking us from the Alexander technique to Zinc cream via Possums, Neighbours and Germain Greer, Dame Edna spares no-one and nothing, especially the truth, in her quest to explain why Australia is the best darn place in the whole world. With her trademark honestly and subtle delicate prose, Dame Edna, world famous housewife, chanteuse and satirist shows us once again why she is Australia’s most famous, and funniest, export.
) SPEAK ITS NAME!: QUOTATIONS BY AND ABOUT GAY MEN & WOMEN (National Portrait Gallery), edited by Christopher Tinker. This is a celebration of the advances in LGBT rights in the UK over the last halfcentury and a demonstration of the battle against oppression and prejudice that led to them From a diverse range of people across the world, funny ones are interspersed with extracts from revealing interviews and diary entries John Gielgud and Alan Turing's disturbing accounts of their arrests at a time when homosexual acts were punishable contrast with touching love letters from Violet Trefusis to her lover Vita SackvilleWest demonstrate the enormous developments in gay rights in Britain in the last 500 years, with a focus on the last century
) A BOXFUL OF IDEAS (Paradise Press), edited by John Dixon and Jeffrey Doorn. This is the latest and most ambitious anthology from the Gay Authors’ Workshop There’s
) HONOR GIRL (Candlewick Press) by Maggie Thrash All-girl camp First love Maggie Thrash has spent basically every summer of her 15 years at the 100-year-old Camp Bellflower for Girls, set deep in the heart of Appalachia. She’s from Atlanta, she’s never kissed a guy, she’s into the Backstreet Boys n a really deep way and her long summer days are full of a pleasant, peaceful nothing until one confounding moment A splitsecond of innocent physical contact pulls Maggie into guttwisting love for an older, wiser and most surprising of all (at least to Maggie), female counsellor named Erin The colourful and engaging illustrations, and remarkable captured honesty, bring this story of a first heartbreak to vivid life in this wonderful graphicnovel. Romantic and devastating, brutally honest and full of humour this is a debut of the rarest sort.
GEEK SCENE
COMICS
) This month sees another brand-new Star Wars film being released and this time the story takes place mere weeks before the start of Episode IV: A New Hope Star Wars: Rogue One follows a group of ragtag Rebels as they embark on a dangerous mission to steal the Empire’s secret Death Star plans.
Since Disney bought out Lucasfilm and all its properties back in 2012 things have been tweaked and changed. Everything that used to be classed as the expanded universe and events before and after the film series has been classed as Legends or what ifs and since 2014 a new canon has started to be created
In memory of the original expanded universe I thought why not share some of my favourite Star Wars comic books beginning with the fantastic Knights of the Old Republic
Set almost 4,000 years before the Star Wars films, Knights of the Old Republic or KOTOR follows the story of Zayne Carrick; a young Padawan (Jedi in training) who is tasked with capturing a notorious smuggler, Gryph, which will allow him to be promoted to Jedi Knight at the next graduation ceremony After numerous hurdles along the way, Zayne manages to capture Gryph, but is late to the graduation ceremony Upon arriving back at the academy, Zayne is horrified to find the Jedi Masters standing over the slain corpses of his fellow Padawans!
This begins a 50-issue cat and mouse series with the Jedi Masters trying to track down Zayne and stop him from discovering the truth about why they murdered his friends The series is fantastically written and beautifully drawn with so many twists and turns that leave you dying to keep reading just to see what direction the story will flow next
If KOTOR is too far away from the main Star Wars story, then Dark Empire might be the comic for you This new trilogy follows the adventures of Luke, Leia and Han after the events of Return of the Jedi as they strive to defeat the remnants of the Empire that was left after the death of the Emperor. Little do they know that Palpatine has returned in a slowly dying clone body and desires to reclaim his Empire as well as converting Luke Skywalker to the Dark Side of the Force Also, Leia must protect her unborn child from Palpatine as he tries to possess her son who will grow up to be extremely powerful in the Force Dark Empire’ s strengths come from the familiarity of the characters as well as being a continuation of the story of the original trilogy. Seeing Luke try to succeed where his father failed is a truly gripping story and the art is moody and enticing with some stunning battle scenes.
Notable mentions; Tales of the Jedi, Star Wars: Empire, Jedi vs Sith, Star Wars Tales.
GAMES
) This year has seen so many awesome games released to us hungry gamers that it is hard to choose which ones we should invest our precious time in Luckily for you I have selected some of the best games of 2016 and if you haven’t experienced any of these titles by now you need to treat yourself to a little something this Christmas Go on, you deserve it!
) Pokemon: Sun and Moon (Nintendo 3DS) I won’t go into too much detail about the latest game in the Pokemon franchise as I covered the game in my last column but all you need to know is that if you have a 3DS then you need this game Fun, immersive and a fantastic addition to the series: Sun and Moon is a game that any handheld gaming fan needs in their collection.
) Dark Souls 3 (Xbox One, PS4, PC) This game has honestly dominated most of my videogame time since it was released back in April Continuing the tradition of the Souls series, it is at most times infuriating but that is where its genius lies That feeling of accomplishment when you defeat a boss that has been killing you for the last five hours is what keeps you coming back for more. Coupled with the immersive, stunning world of Lothric, amazing lore and some fantastic design, you can’t help but push on through the difficult areas if only to see what the game will throw at you next. If you do fancy treating yourself to some punishment, then make sure you also get the first DLC pack titled Ashes of Ariandel which not only adds more magic, armour and weapons but also a PVP arena that fans have been gagging for since the game was released earlier this year
) Overwatch (Xbox One, PS4, PC). Developed by Blizzard, Overwatch is a team-based online multiplayer shooter where two teams of six are dropped into various arenas with the aim to defeat the other team Players can choose from a huge roster of characters who are split into four classes: Support, Tank, Offence and Defence with each character having their own strengths, powers and weaknesses. The best thing about Overwatch is that no character is better or worse than any other - it all depends on your playstyle and what role you want to play within the matches. At first the game can feel overwhelming and confusing but stick with it and you will be hooked in no time!
) Final Fantasy XV (Xbox One and PS4). After the majority of recent Final Fantasy games being lacklustre at best, the latest entry in the franchise is thankfully a return to greatness. FFXV has a darker atmosphere than other games in the series and focuses on more realistic environments than ever before making it a major departure from previous games. Overall it is an amazing game and is exactly what the Final Fantasy franchise needed, something fresh, exciting and worth every penny
CRAIG’S THOUGHTS
The Beast W ithin or we should have seen it coming by Craig Hanlon-Smith @craigscontinuum
) And lo, as the dings donged merrily upon high, our Mary awoke in the quiet of the night to find the Angel Gabriel straddling her bed and as wiping his Christmas pudding on the almost first-century parchment curtains, he belched. “Blessed art though amongst virgins”, or something equally unmemorable, he began, and then proceeded to inform the soon to be internationally renowned superstar that she should “not be afraid, for I have seen to it that you are now with child” Of course in any civilised society such behaviour in the dead of night would have been considered an act of statutory rape, but perhaps the Angel Gabriel had once been a professional footballer so it didn’t matter. Mary was after all a virgin, fast asleep in her pre-first-century Judean bed and a female, so she had possibly been asking for it.
Some nine months later, baby Jesus was treading water in a sack of amniotic fluid, bouncing around on the back of a donkey without so much as a clue as to what may come to pass. If only he had the foresight to imagine a world some 2,000 and 16 years ahead, he might have clung on to his mother’s uterus for dear life whilst yelling “I’m not f***ing coming out!” But come out he did and ickle baby Jesus began the first ever festive season thrown into a feeding trough, surrounded by pigs, cows, and a couple of goats in the back of a leaky shed It wasn’t pretty, but it was a sign of things to come, Glory be to God in the highest.
Although history would inevitably be rewritten to suit the middle classes and fearful, Jesus was, in the beginning, a brown baby projected into the world by a shy Middle-Eastern woman in a headscarf. But had he arrived onto our shores some 2,000 and 16 years later in a dinghy, if not dead on a beach, he would possibly have been returned to his war-torn
origins or sent to a detention centre for immigrants as there was no longer any room at the inn.
This particular festive season was not without its dramas. Millennia before the EastEnders Christmas special or the online hysteria for a John Lewis advert, Joseph and his Mary and the soon to be celebrated Christ child created a Christmas stir all of their own Nearby shepherds tended their flocks in the fields around what was soon to become Christendom when the night sky was filled with a whole host of angels What a group of men might have been doing in a remote meadow with 400 sheep at half-past two in the morning didn’t appear to alarm anyone for thousands of years, but as the angels danced about in the night sky proclaiming glory to the heavens, their message fell upon deaf ears.
The shepherds, and for that matter also their sheep, had become exceedingly disgruntled over time and to be frank had had enough. It would be true to say that some of the shepherds were not very nice and held some questionable views, much like Granny Sheila after a few too many sherries at Christmas, but many of them were good, true, hard working people who just wanted to get on with the business of tending their flock Their disquiet came in the continuation of the Christmas story, for despite a key role in the tale, and a couple of carols in their honour, they knew, just like Christmas after flaming Christmas time
and again, any minute now the blasted Magi would be along masquerading as three wise men, stealing the limelight from under their sheepskin coats Swanning about, showing off with their gold, frankincense and myrrh although what baby Jesus would want with overrated tree sap was anybody’s guess. It would be the gifts of the Magi that would spark the commercialisation of a religious festival and monopolise the months of December and then November, the shepherds became incidental.
For centuries, no one listened to their apparent bleating for they were merely shepherds and the Magi were rich, very important people. Of course money is no substitute for basic intelligence and the three not so wise men had made one critical error In their quest for a key role in the Christmas story, they had been guided by a bright light in the night sky, but as most magpies soon discover, all that glitters is not gold and they soon lost their way In pursuit of their own glory they became blinded by the twinkling sparkles and detoured to the palace of another rich man who wanted the world all for himself.
“We are looking for the Christ child” they told the grumpy looking individual seated upon his self-appointed throne, “He that will become King”. The rich man saw an opportunity for himself and began to make plans. If he could follow the Magi in their quest, or better still harness the disgruntlement of the shepherds in this Christmas story, there would be no need for him to kill all the first born. He did however promise to find the stable, and much like the Angel Gabriel before him, grab the virgin Mary by the pussy, leap into the manger himself and soon become a Jesus for all mankind
But the Magi did not understand for they were rich and had over time grown stupid As they held aloft their celebrated gifts, they stood bewildered as the shepherds arrived in their thousands with no more to offer than gifts of lambs’ wool The Magi called the shepherds names such as bigots and deplorables but the shepherds continued to arrive in their thousands nay millions, and they were welcomed by the grumpy rich man whose ideas and prophecies began to catch light around the world. The Magi sloped off defeated, confused and never to be heard of again.
And what of baby Jesus? The great prophecy of hope that was to be the light of the known world? His story was not a happy one. He would in time die a brutal, violent and humiliating death in the name of all our sins.
And as the light of day broke upon an unfamiliar new world, it appeared that those sins were plenty.
“Some of the shepherds were not ver y nice and held some questionable views, much like Granny Sheila after a few too many sherries at Christmas”
CHARLIE SAYS
The end of queer theor y
By Charlie Bauer Phd
http://charliebauerphd blogspot co uk
) So, with Brexit and Trump triumphant, I hereby announce (because I’m drunk and have every right) the end of queer theory. I would like to thank Judith Butler, Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, David Halperin, José Munoz. I’m sorry I’ve left so many people out but hey, that’s my idea of democracy, not yours.
This goes out especially to everyone who Googled ‘What’s the EU?’ the day after the Brexit vote, particularly the LGBTQI ones who have contacted me directly to tell me why. Here’s a quick lesson for those of you who fell asleep during your ‘all fees paid’ state university education
Queer theory comes down to this; the world is run by heterosexual white men Governments, banks, systems of law and everything else that effect your life They are perceived as a ‘majority’ because we apparently live in a democracy This makes everyone who isn’t a white heterosexual man, therefore an outsider, or let’s say peculiar or, let’s say, for argument’s sake - Queer
Hang on professor Bauer, you say, I’m not a queer! Well, if you ’ re reading this far you probably are - even if you ’ re not gay Or lesbian Or trans Or intersex Or bisexual Or hang on, I’m sure I’ve missed someone out here
So, everybody outside this SWM demographic is queer But hang on Professor Bauer, there must be some within it, who are ‘other’ too?See what’s happening? Think this way and the ‘majority’ begins to shrink.
Let’s take everyone who isn’t identified as a white heterosexual man and see how big the queer ‘other’ majority becomes shall we? Let’s take out the gays, the lesbians, the blacks, the Latinos, the trans, that angry white women, the disabled, the HIV-positive, the socialists, the capitalists, the racist homos, the Angelinos, the communists, the beggars, the Haitians, Somalians, Syrians, Syracusans, the global poor, the tree huggers, the goths, the writers, the home helps, the street fighters, the nursing staff, the delivery boys, the dole office workers, the lame, the quick, the dying, some Brisbanians, the dust bowlers, their Asian counterparts, the Sapphics, the destroyers, the lovers of dogs, the haters of meat, the sly voters, the liars, the crimsonfaced survivors, the so called legions of terrorists living within us, the Sicilians, the East Enders, the lovers of Apartheid (those were the days…), the angelic faces of every Tory, the guilty mothers of a bourgeois drug overdoser, the Kenyans, the Mexicans, the grateful survivors, the wandering lost, the deceived, the Albanians, the well-read Nazis,
the street cleaners, the hoppers down in Kent, the Mexican revolutionaries because a war can never be won, the shameless, the dancers on slutboxes, the wanton religious right, the Buddhist in a bare room, the woman baiters, the gun-runners, the constitutionalists, the flagrant haters, the disenfranchised, the coke dealers, the saddened face of a saddened Europe, the biscuit makers, the lying fags who are in it for their own ego mania, the dead, the dearly departed, the lost, the babies, the Columbians, the post-structuralists, the pettythieves, the sad children of a war, the sadder soldiers hunting them down, the essentialist, the Chinese, the number-tattooed survivors of another war, the joyful, the East Anglians, the women, the dying journalist in new media, the wrongfully convicted, the drowning, the condemners of hate crimes, the amputees, the frowning brexiters, the ruling majority, the old punk-rockers, the druids amongst us, the pained, the ignorers, the macraméists, the murders in Syria, the Swiss, the Casablancans, the unarmed refugees, the Crowleyists, the soothsayers, the war wounded child, the Clinton voters, the limbless veterans, the Manson family, the jarring polemicists, the infrastructuralists, the omnivores, the class activists, the monarchists, the lap dancers of days long gone, the political somnambulists, the rapists, the Viet Cong, the Darwinians amongst us, the Luftwaffe, the shambolic, the ordered, the tidy, the whores, the New Yorkers, the Twitteres, the murderers, the teaching assistants, the journalists, the fly by night air BnBers, the townspeople, the horsemen, the women selling ice cream in Red Square, the North Koreans, the Chicagoans, the fex-ex guys, the rat catchers, the left of centre priests, the criminally insane, the groaners, the loners, the stoners, the recently bequeathed, the drugged, the cross-dressers, the twins, the spinally inept, the cravers of many a lost cause, the Angolans, the Cantonese, the Shaking Quakers, the Jazz magicians, the hippies, the nerds, the hardhitters, the vegan rich, the bootmakers, the potters, the farmers, the Women of Greenham Common, the tortured, the injured, the elderly, the hod carriers, the whistleblowers, the volatile veterans, the unnamed dying, the Guatemalans, the immigrants, the shepherds, the braying Catholics, the misbegotten, the needy, the bricklayers, the newscasters, the chicken packers, the right, the left, the haven’t made my mind ups, the slow, the mean, the cowardly, the fat, the lonely, the overpaid, the underfed, the carpet cleaners, the gas man
“Queer theor y comes down to this; the world is run by heterosexual white men. Governments, banks, systems of law and ever ything else that effect your life”
WALL’S WORDS
BY
MEN GROW BEARDS TO PROVE THEY HAVE BALLS
) It won’t have passed you by that over the last few years beards have become very popular. Now we know that bears have been on the gay scene for eons but suddenly about three years ago straight men started growing facial hair. Initially I just thought that it was a fad made fashionable by George Clooney or Ben Affleck or someone else as equally famous and hirsute. But then it dawned on me that perhaps men were growing beards for other reasons
We now live in a world where women are expressing themselves more forcefully. It isn’t that surprising that three of the four leaders of the UK are women Theresa May, Nicola Sturgeon and Arlene Foster are all very strong women Let us not also forget the Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel - now there is a lady that I would not like to get into a boxing ring with.
So my theory is simple, straight men started growing beards to demonstrate to women that they were indeed men. I have a beard therefore I have balls, so there! Are men so threatened by women that they feel they need to demonstrate their masculinity via the medium of a beard? I think it is a fascinating concept that in order to prove themselves they feel that facial hair will make all the difference. I just think that they should grow a pair and get on with life
I was walking through Brighton just the other day and I saw a guy wearing a t-shirt with the following printed on it: If your boyfriend doesn’t have a beard, you have a girlfriend. It made me chuckle but it also proved my point This guy, donning a beard that ZZ Top would be proud of, obviously has a sense of humour but I felt that he was the butt of his own joke Don’t get me wrong I don’t mind beards, I even grew one several years ago, but I have to say I am getting very bored of almost every man I see wearing a beard
“I am getting ver y bored of almost ever y man I see wearing a beard”
So I’ve decided to take action and develop a repertoire of one-liners so that I can ridicule these men and hopefully embarrass them into shaving the bloody things off Here are a few of them for all of you out there who are as fed up as me:
• Not everyone can be bearded Someone has to stand on the side and clap as men with beards go by
• Anyone who says your beard makes you look homeless is not the kind of person you want in your home or cardboard box anyway
• I totally understand A beard would not complement the feminine look you are going for. Keep shaving.
• A decent beard has long been the number one must-have fashion item for any fugitive from justice.
So there you have it, now I must get back to shining my balls, my Christmas balls that is. Have a very hairy Christmas.
GAY WISDOM
THE HOPE OF A NOT-DOING FAERIE
) A few years ago I began to wonder whether that little urge to ‘make a difference’ I’d always been encouraged to cultivate and demonstrate in my life wasn’t just part of a fast-breeder-mass-effect f**k up for the planet. What if I could just take a step back and let it all just be? And what if everyone else could just do the same? The amazing subversive Taoist principle of Not-Doing (Wu Wei). The counter-intuitive behaviour of responding to the demanding voice which says ‘Don’t just sit there DO SOMETHING’ by quietly replying ‘Don’t just do something - SIT THERE’ And BREATHE
When I first started this practice it felt like I was taking my hands off the steering wheel, blindfolded whilst driving at full pelt down the M1 Now it feels more like gently being driven along in a Google car, but still with that nagging fear of imminently getting mangled beneath an undetected articulated lorry!
If you want to do something radically different in 2017 I strongly recommend giving this practice a try - at least for a few hours here and there, just to see what it feels like
As a very tiny element in a vast and elaborately complex system with little or no definite understanding of the Grand Master Plan I am starting to humbly recognise the dangers of believing that I know and understand more than I do By practicing ‘Not Just Doing Something and Sitting There’ I find that planet Earth not only continues to rotate on its axis but it also continues to revolve in its orbit around the sun!
“I am starting to humbly recognise the dangers of believing that I know and understand more than I do”
A favourite expression of my dear departed mother’s was ‘Leave it in the hands of the Lord’, which was her Christian mantra for dealing with fears, anxieties and uncertainties Maybe I’ve somehow inherited this outlook and, although I said goodbye to the Christian Male God story a long time ago, I am becoming increasingly trusting of some organising principle which is much, much greater than my little flesh and blood self and which just might possibly know what it is actually doing!
How do I harness my personal power then, so it can act in harmony with this organising principle? How do I purpose myself to be a fully effective participant in this amazing dance party we call Life?
Without hurting anyone, I try to simply tune into being who I am without guilt or shame; to dispel ideas of who I should be or what I should do. I also contribute towards attempts to hold safe space where folk can feel free to try out being who they are toowithout guilt or shame
And what seems to happen next is the experience of Joy and Love. I begin to feel joyful. And I sense the joy of others. And I feel Love. (Cue for song: Donna Summer’s I Feel Love)
My hope then, for 2017 and beyond, is for more of all this please!
DAD & DADDY
Hello! Yes, we are back and it feels great to be writing and sharing with you all again says Syd Spencer
) It’s been a while, a good few months, and a lot has changed with our family life.
Our daughter Katy, now 11 years old, (I have no idea how that happened!) now attends BIG school. I had failed with my best King Canute impersonation and was unable to stop the inevitability of her leaving the safety of primary school and then entering the jungle that lay ahead of senior school
Our fears of her being swallowed up by the masses and then reverting to her old habits of fighting everything she didn’t agree with, have, so far, pretty much gone unfounded Although, I did recently receive a call from the school informing me that Katy would be held back after school due to her punching one of her friends in the face
Once home, and looking very ashamed of herself, Katy told me that she had been suffering with a headache in class, one of her friends was being very loud and excitable and Katy had said to her, “If you don’t shut up I’m going to punch you in the face.”
To which her friend replied, “I’d like to see you try”. (Bad idea)
So, yes, you ’ ve got it, WHACK! Katy landed a right hook on her friend’s face. I asked her why she hadn’t just asked the teacher for help. She replied, “I figured it was quicker to just punch her”. She then finished with, “At least I warned her first”.
After a long discussion about violence never being the answer and one week of being grounded put in place I couldn’t help but feel she had a point, she had thought about her actions before doing it and she had warned her friend what would happen, both being things we had battled so hard for so many years to get her to understand - consequences and communication
Bradley is now in Year 5 at primary school and although he is still behind with some things, every term there is progression, which is amazing and thrilling and always welcomed However, as his classmates continue to the learn, the gap does widen, which is a concern
He is still a very happy little lad, always singing and dancing around the house He is very open with his emotions and very loving towards everyone he trusts He is a member of the school choir and carol singing first thing in the morning and throughout the day started back in mid-October, lucky us eh?
One thing that has become apparent since his sister left the school is his reluctance to grow up. There seems to have been a sense of security in having his big sister at school with him, someone to protect him from taunts about his speech issues and his like for things that are more girl-orientated, such as Shopkins and My Little Pony, and thus he will occasionally regress back to the small, terrified six-year-old boy that came to us almost four years ago, his speech will become more mumbled and mixed up again and he will put a lot less effort into things
Growing up must be scary for him, as it is with all kids - not needing the adults in your life a little bit more each time you achieve something
I think the extra support and work needed with Bradley has created an issue that I’m not too sure how we move forward from He needed regressing emotionally when he came to us, we had to put in the early years nurturing that he needed to bond and to belief in himself, we had to literally start from the beginning in one sense, put in the basics that he didn’t get from his birth parents.
Undo the abuse and neglect, teach him about cuddles, and love and safety, try and rewire him if you like.
Now though we are telling him he is nine years old, in Year 5, a big boy and he is aware that primary school ends soon for him too. We have to try to get him to ‘catch up ’ as much as he can and this must be really confusing for him because he was always the little boy that needed extra support
He still gets that but now we are told to remind him of his own responsibility to learn and to push himself at school. I hate it but understand the need for it because our hopes for him are that he will be able to look after himself as a young adult, that he will have the skills to live independently from his two Dads and sister as much as he can or wants
But as I said earlier he is progressing academically, which is fantastic He continues to be popular with his peers and he loves school
Katy is already a school librarian, in the dance group and on the school council She also currently has no interest in boys, which is something I encourage daily just for my own sanity, although I am aware this will not last for much longer as her two BFFs have a couple on the go already!
My hopes for the year ahead? Simple - for us to continue to grow as a family, for Kevin and I to continue to learn new skills, educate ourselves along with the kids Like most parents I want to see our two continue to thrive, they both have such a positive, nonjudgemental look on life, they are hungry to learn, keen to try and able to love.
I’m proud of them both and I couldn’t love them more. Katy seems to finally be comfortable in her own skin, senior school seems to agree with her and she thrives on the extra responsibilities that come with it. Bradley is happy, gorgeous and hilarious and Kevin continues to be a fantastic Daddy.
“He is a member of the school choir and carol singing first thing in the morning and throughout the day started back in mid- October, lucky us eh?”
MY GIFT TO YOU
) It was the night before Christmas, as it so often is in these kinds of stories and although not completely accurate it helps set the scene, which we will presently get back to, after noting, with a sideways glance, the hovering figure at the window - pressing their face against the frosted glass with a hungry urgent look. Now, look away, pull yourself close to my lovely magical fire that’s just appeared in the middle of that sentence and let’s get on. We only have 400 words left to tell the story, find a perfect ironic dénouement, bury a few metaphors within the surreal text and wrap it up with a Christmassy bow
It's my gift, Dear Reader, to you. As traditional as our winter chat and as festive as a dead squirrel, one that has admittedly been stuffed, dressed up as an elf by a slightly depressed Hipster taxidermist from Sheffield and liberally sprinkled in glitter, but dead none the less
Look away from the window, I wished I’d never pointed that out, what is it with you? Tap, tap, tap on the glass, but don’t worry, we are midway into the Christmas story and you ’ ve still not paid attention to see where we are going with this Oh so you do know do you, clever clogs Reader, well perhaps you’d be kind enough to let me know, or better still zip it and enjoy the ride
Earth was hard as iron, water like a stone, snow had fallen snow on snow and that damned carol was going round and round in the my head since hearing it on the radio on the way home to get the house decorated I had already taken the box of heirloom and cherished baubles out of the attic, each one lovingly shoplifted from a different cathedral gift shop All of them outrageously priced and an utter nonsense of uber camp consumerist desire and perfect to slip into the deep winter pockets on my very smart coat. I’d left the attic open after bringing it down, to air and let the things that only come out at night come out. My addition this year was a Swarovski crystal interpretation of Little Nell’s tombstone, with a smattering of glass dust along the top and a shallow ironic laugh built in which triggered when you shook it. I’d seen it in the Liberty shop attached to Winchester and just had to have it; it was 93 pounds and 49 pence, but I only had a fiver in my wallet, and my pockets were empty, so it was mine
Who is that at the window, very persistent with their tapping, will you go and look Dear Reader? I was going to put another log on the fire, top up our warming sherry and get on with the story So, there we were, tightly wrapped up in fur and silken scarfs when the
What is it Dear Reader, who is it at the window? The End? Ah, come on in, It’s You, we were waiting for you! Merry Christmas one and all and extend some tender generosity this festive season to someone less fortunate than yourself and be exquisite and never explain
HOT GOSSIP
BY M I C H
DING DONG IT'S CHRISTMA S
) Ding Dong, it's Christmas again, so let me come right out with it I love Christmas!
I love the food, I love the presents, I love the decorations (provided the colours match obviously) I love the ho-ho-whole entire sparkly, glittery, festive thing!
I even love that we're expected to gather with our nearest and dearest, our families, and I love that everyone has to try that little bit harder to be nicer
But then, I am lucky, I know this
Years ago, like so many, I anticipated coming out to my family as a traumatic and dreadful event I wrestled for months and when the day came, I paced up and down the hallway for a good hour before I sat Mum and Dad down, and at long last pressed forth the words “There's something I have to tell you ”
My father, who is nothing if not moderation, downed two large goblets of Merlot in 10 minutes My mother (several days later when the news had properly sunk in) cried her eyes out, because now I would probably become a drug addict and die of 'that AIDS' Then she did what she does when presented with 'a situation' She ordered books, and educated herself about 'us people' He, a few years back on a cruise, bought me a charity fireman calendar, dedicated to 'my gay son' by the Chief.
“As gays, we may lose our family, but we may choose our family too. We are all each other ’s family”
I haven't been disowned, nor kicked aside, neither do we have to pretend my sexuality doesn't exist to get along They’ll never quite understand me, naturally They'll never really understand what it means, and means to me, to be gay, but how could they? I do not expect them to We love each other and we do our best to respect each other I am lucky
Therefore, my memories of Christmas are good memories, memories of family From the one when my sister vowed to pull Santa's beard off, to the one we spent in my uncle's pool, shades on and feeling fabulous, drinking the home-made Sangria my cousin's wife does so well (If that sounds odd, I hail from the Southern Hemisphere Some may argue that a hot Christmas isn't really Christmas, I argue that a pool is a pool and 25 degrees is 25 degrees And festive is festive)
I am lucky, I know some are not
For you, the season may not be a celebration For you, it may be a time overshadowed by unhappy memories, when the absence of family, support and acceptance becomes all too real again, and you're reminded by every shop window, every TV advert and every conversation. I can't imagine how tough that must be, but perhaps there's consolation in the thought that as gays, we may lose our family, but we may choose our family too. We are all each other's family, and I hope you'll spend this Christmas with some of us who can help you make new memories that sparkle and glitter, because Christmas should be magical for everyone!
SHARP WORDS
On
your bike! Del Sharp on why living life on two wheels can make you go round the bend...
) Sharp Words has decided it’s high time to learn to ride a bike. Obviously a few decades of being fearful of the things and, in fact, of anything with wheels has left me less than enthusiastic but stubbornly determined to become the swift cyclist I could be rather than the plodding pedestrian I am.
Tantalised by pretty pale green bicycles with shopping baskets made me imagine coasting along smiling and carefree in the sunshine, eating an apple perhaps and ringing my bell. Being gifted a friend’s old bike (not pretty, but a big heavy mountain machine) got me quite excited until I had to get on it rather inelegantly, coaxing and cheers elicited a feeble wobbly ride and a painful dismount Clearly I needed help
I registered for a beginners’ session with a bike trainer who met me in the park She mentioned that she normally teaches children which was a relief to me as I felt I needed a little hand-holding and patience She explained how the gears worked, where the brakes were, how hard the tyres should be and how to get on.
My confidence soared, then we actually had to ride - I managed a fairly straight line and was able to turn around. I hadn’t understood a word about the gears but just clicked through them all anyway. I glowed inwardly as my ‘natural balance’ was praised but then I had to do some hard stuff. Apparently, it’s important to be able to look behind you
while on the move. I had to ride away from her and then look over my shoulder to see how many fingers she held up. Maybe it was taking me too long to turn my head or I just need another eye test as I could barely see her hand, but eager to please I guessed wildly at the fingers “I think it was two but might have been four?”
After a few goes we decided it was enough that I could just see the hand
The next bit was a little easier. I had to swerve left or right depending on which she called out as I speeded towards her and was rewarded by beams of approval, although that might have been relief that I’d managed to avoid her
Hand signals next. I wasn’t sure about relinquishing my vice-like grip on the handlebars and my tentative efforts at snatching into thin air only made me lose my (previously perfect) balance so perhaps turning corners is something I could try avoiding in future
Now I’m proficient at riding in one direction and swerving, I thought I should get the appropriate equipment for life on two wheels
I bought lights and a lock, a very cool urban bike helmet and a fluorescent jacket. I’m all ready to go for my intermediate training, however the course outline mentions passing vehicles and turning into major roads...
It seems a huge leap to go on a road with cars and lorries and massive buses and, well, all manner of metal machines driving at speed when I can only just about get to my nearest park to ride in a circle avoiding dogs, children, joggers and many other hazards. I feel a little foolish pushing the bike there and back and usually require a lie down when I get in to rest my nerves
Finally I realise why so many cyclists are on the pavement. Never again (maybe) will I snap at someone hurtling towards me as I shuffle along with my shopping trolleyperhaps they’re scared too
Peering glumly at statistics tells me that 21,287 cyclists were reported injured on the road in 2014, including 3,514 who were killed or seriously injured But then a cycling website breezily informs me that one hour of gardening is more likely to injure me than one hour of cycling I haven’t exactly timed this theory but I did mow the lawn once, most of it anyway, and felt fine – no panic attacks at all and the slight scratch I got from curiosity over how sharp the blades were doesn’t really count.
I think perhaps I need to learn to drive in order to conquer my fear of the road but reading that last year there were 140,000 traffic accidents does nothing to inspire me to get into a car. If I could find a nice and kind instructor then possibly I could be swayed though I’m still scared from the last one I had who told me off and made me cry. I’ll never believe anyone again who advertises themselves as ‘good with nervous drivers’
It just seems that transportation is far too risky and it’s much safer to stay at home on the sofa. Although the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents reports that there are 6,000 deaths a year from accidents in the home, with more occurring in the living room than anywhere else I know I keep banging my leg on the coffee table but who knows where it might all end Is nowhere safe?
I think I’ll go outside and soothe myself with a little gentle weeding, thank goodness I bought the helmet after all
“I wasn’t sure about relinquishing my vice-like grip on the handlebars... perhaps turning corners is something I could tr y avoiding in future”
SAM TRANS MAN
Dr Samuel Hall on his hopes and worries for 2017 and why it’s set to be a year of change
) Christmas is coming around fast. Not my favourite time of year I’m afraid; this is really only an economic issue - it’s so damn expensive! However I can’t help but get excited with the kids around - their anticipation is infectious We seem to lurch from one holiday/festivity to another, with birthdays giving way to Easter, Halloween segueing into Christmas, followed by school holidays etc etc It just goes on and on The children lead a charmed life, it seems, and are a constant reminder that if we don’t just sit back and enjoy the moment, it’s gone for good We took them to Disneyland in Paris for a few days over half-term - a trip that they’ll never forget and for which they really did express gratitude, and actually had me smiling inanely for several days on the trot.
2017 holds great hope and promise for me. There are also some scary times ahead. I’ve started the process of gender reassignment surgery, and this will involve several long and painful operations over the next two years. It’s something I’ve dreamed about for years, and never really thought I’d be brave enough to follow through with Surgery isn’t something trans people talk about an awful lot We (rightly) consider it a deeply private matter, and one which need only be discussed amongst our nearest and dearest
Certainly it’s something I can’t discuss with anyone but my most trusted friends, and of course my incredible wife In fact, without her I often think I might not have the guts to go through with it at all Only I would, I know I would, because here, for me, is a chance to bring my body into congruence with my identity for the first time in my life. I’ve waited 40 plus years for this - to be able to look at myself in the mirror, and recognise myself. It’s unspeakably difficult for cisgender (ie ‘not trans’) people to grasp or understand, I get that. All I can say is; imagine that you’d been
CLARE
PROJECT WEEKLY DROP-IN
is based in central Brighton in a safe and confidential space to explore issues around gender identity. Facilitated peer support is an important element, as well as providing access to low-cost psychotherapy and speech therapy
born without one of your limbs, and somebody offered to restore your body to wholeness by fashioning a whole new limb for you, out of your own flesh Imagine that you had a chance to experience feeling ‘normal’ - whatever that means Or as close to it as is surgically possible
I feel so lucky to have been born in an era where not only is it possible to alleviate the distress of gender dysphoria, but, in this country at least, it’s accessible to all via the NHS Notwithstanding the waiting times and delays experienced due to lack of available surgeons, we ’ re very fortunate in the UK to have this privilege There are so many countries in the world where trans people are marginalised, driven to suicide, murdered for their very existence, and many more where people are oppressed by governments and/or medical and legal establishments who refuse them any sort of recognition. It’s a human rights issue; the erasure of identity is no different to any other deprivation of liberty that humanity perpetrates against itself
“It’s time for all those who don’t fit the white, cisgender, heteronormative mould to stand together, united, and fighting hard for our rights”
By the time this goes to print, we will have held Brighton’s Transgender Day of Remembrance, a service commemorating those who have lost their lives to hate crime around the globe, held on 20th November It’s both a poignant and moving service, and this year, in particular I think, will stir up increased feelings.
CLARE PROJECT meets every TUES 2.30– 5.30PM at DORSET GARDENS METHODIST CHURCH
Recent developments in the US leave us, as a minority group, feeling the sting of fascist ideals There’s no doubt in my mind that as the anti-equalities agenda gathers pace, so does its opposition. It’s time now for all those who don’t fit the white, cisgender, heteronormative mould to stand together, united and fighting hard for our rights, wherever we are in the world. We must overcome our differences within the LGBTQI community, and beyond this start meaningful dialogue with those in other minority/disadvantaged groups; the homeless, immigrants, people of black or minority ethnic background, those who are disabled in any way, feminists All of us stand to lose even more unless we can find our common ground, which is to be accorded the respect and dignity due to all humans, whatever our background or circumstances, and truly honour the diversity we see in our world today.
I’m mindful that because I ‘ pass ’ , I’m often seen as being part of a certain demographic that is despised I’m seen as white, male, straight and Christian. Those who know me well know that this is far from the truth. My whiteness I can’t help, but I can speak up against racism. My perceived maleness is hard-won, I’m a transman, and am very vocal about it. Speaking up against male privilege is a hobby horse of mine. My straightness is an illusion reinforced by my marriage to a wonderful woman, but we ’ re both queer And my Christianity is an integral part of my make-up that I hold dear, even whilst living my life at odds with my church’s teaching It’s not that I believe what some Christians have been hoodwinked into believing, it’s simply that I have a relationship with God, and I feel able to stand my ground in the harsh environment that is the Catholic Church.
So I campaign As best I can If not me, then who? We all stand on the shoulders of giants, and I don’t want to sit on the sidelines and watch others suffer. There are so many people living lives full of fear and self-doubt, who are afraid to be who they are for fear of ostracism by their friends, families and communities. We have to get the message out there as widely as possible. If I can play my part by infiltrating and gaining acceptance before dropping the illusionshattering bombshell of my personal truth, I can win hearts and minds I know because I’ve seen it happen
Dorset Gardens (off St James Street) Brighton BN2 1RL Except 1st Tues when there’s an optional meal out preceded by the drop-in 5–7.30PM www.clareproject.org.uk f Clare Project clareprojectinfo@gmail com CLARE PROJECT CHRISTMAS PARTY JOIN US FOR OUR ANNUAL SHINDIG TUES 13TH DEC 2.30-5.30PM AT DORSET GARDENS METHODIST CHURCH
STAND UP & UNITE
) It can’t have escaped your attention, the headline figure of a 147% rise in hate crime since the EU referendum in June. We’re not talking about xenophobic or racist hate either, this figure was planted firmly on the experience of LGBT people. The figure was provided by Galop, the London-based charity supporting LGBT people who have experienced hate crime and incidents. Their service recorded a massive rise in people seeking support following an experience of anti-LGBT prejudice However, hate crime reported to police nationally only rose 42% compared to the year before for the week following the June plebiscite Locally, we ’ ve seen a rise in reports during the summer, particularly August and September Ordinarily we tend to have more hate crime during the summer months This is often understood to be down to a number of factors including fairer weather (some of the time) and the summer holidays, which bring more people out in public
But even so, compared to last year we ’ ve had a rise in reports What is causing this? My gut feeling pins it on an emboldening of political rhetoric that has made it acceptable to voice anti-immigrant, antiEuropean and, in some quarters, anti-LGBT views Rhetoric which crosses the line from political opinion and debate, which is our right and is to be encouraged, to hostility and an oppressive environment. When some people hear politicians say that a group is to blame for the loss of jobs or a strain on services, it seems only a matter of time until someone takes matters into their own hands. It appears similar issues are happening the in the US too, in the wake of the presidential election.
So what can be done? Well despite the alarming figures put forward, there is a good news story. We know that hate crime is underreported. Study after study has presented evidence that between twothirds and three-quarters of LGBT people have experience a hate incident in the past five years. However, those figures are falling in tandem with a gradual rise in reported hate crime This means more people are seeking out help rather than keeping an experience to themselves These experiences are being recorded so that authorities have evidence of what is actually happening, which helps direct resources to tackle it
Obviously though, we want a world where none of this is happening So we must work together to better support those affected and prevent hate from happening Undoubtedly that will include our national, local and private conversations steering away from vilifying people from a different background, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or anything else that could set us apart
My hope for 2017? That we find a way forward to unite as a country and stand up to hate and prejudice
NOVEMBER STATS
) In November we had 19 anti-LGBT crimes and incidents. The number of reports of transphobic abuse has risen so they now make up half of the reported crimes Crimes were mostly public order offences; verbal abuse and similar There was also a common assault and a theft
CONTACT INFORMATION
) We both have Facebook profiles and a page – our usernames are: PC Sarah Laker and LGBT Caseworker Rory Finn, and Brighton & Hove LGBT Police Team. We tweet @PoliceLGBT. Social media should not be used for reporting incidents – please call us on 101, or if it’s an emergency, 999.
WEBSITE UPDATE
SERVICES DIRECTORY
LGBT SERVICES
) ACCESS 4 ALL
LGBT disabled people’s forum Safe, welcoming, suppor t, activities, awareness 07981 170071 or email stevenwithn@talktalk.net
) ALLSORTS YOUTH PROJECT
Drop-in for LGBT or unsure young people under 26, Tues 5 30-8 30pm 01273 721211 or email info@allsor tsyouth org uk, www allsor tsyouth org uk
) BRIGHTON & HOVE POLICE
Repor t all homophobic, biphobic or transphobic incidents to: 24/7 assistance call Police on 101 (for emergencies 999) Repor t online at: www sussex police uk
LGBT team (not 24/7) email: LGBT@sussex pnn police uk
• LGBT Officer PC Sarah Laker on 07912 893557
• LGBT Liason Rory Finn on 07912 893006 f Brighton LGBT Police t @policeLGBT t @PCLaker
) BRIGHTON & HOVE LGBT SAFETY FORUM
Independent LGBT forum working with the community to address and improve safety issues in Brighton & Hove info@lgbt-safety-forum-brighton com www lgbt-safety-forum-brighton com
) BRIGHTON & HOVE LGBT SWITCHBOARD
Help-line with email & webchat facility from 5pm daily on 01273 204 050
• LGBT specialist face to face low cost counselling service,
Info, counselling, drop-in space, suppor t groups 01273 698036 or visit www womenscentre org uk
) FTM BRIGHTON
Social/peer suppor t group for FTM, transmasculine & gender queer people Every 3rd Fri of month, 7-9pm at Space for Change, Windlesham Venue, BN1 3AH For info email info@ftmbrighton org uk, www ftmbrighton org uk
) BRIGHTON GEMS
Social group for gay men over 50 with several events every month inc meeting at Dorset Gardens last Fri of month 7-9pm 07561 166 407 or email brightongems@aol com www brightongems com
) LESBIAN LINK BRIGHTON
Local social group offers friendship, social events, meet 1st Thur at Regency Tavern, 7 30pm 07594 578 035 www.lesbianlinkbrighton.co.uk
) LESBIAN & GAY A A
12-step self-help programme for alcohol addictions Sun 7 30pm, Chapel Royal, Nor th St, Btn (side entrance) 01273 203 343 (general AA line)
) LGBT NA GROUP
Brighton-based LGBT (welcomes others) Narcotics Anonymous group every Tue 6 30–8pm, Millwood Centre, Nelson Row, Kingswood St 0300 999 1212
) LGBT MEDITATION GROUP
Meditation & discussion, every 2nd & 4th Thur, 5 30–7pm, Anahata Clinic, 119 Edward St, Brighton 07789 861 367 or www bodhitreebrighton org uk
) LUNCH POSITIVE
Lunch club for people with HIV Meet/make friends, find peer suppor t in safe space Every Fri, noon–2 30pm, Community Room, Dorset Gdns Methodist Church, Dorset Gdns, Brighton Lunch £1 50 07846 464 384 or www lunchpositive org
) MINDOUT
Independent, impar tial info, guidance for LGBT people with mental health problems 24 hr confidential answerphone: 01273 234839 or info@mindout.org.uk www mindout org uk
) PEER ACTION
Regular low cost yoga, therapies, swimming, meditation & social groups for people with HIV peeractionemail@gmail.com or www.peeraction.co.uk
) RAINBOW FAMILIES
Suppor t group for lesbian and/or gay parents 07951 082013 or info@rainbowfamilies org uk www rainbowfamilies org uk
) SOME PEOPLE
Social/suppor t group for LGB or questioning aged 14-19, Tue, 6-8pm, Hastings Call/text Nicola 07974 579865 or email Neil or Nicola: somepeople@eastsussex gov uk
) VICTIM SUPPORT
Practical, emotional suppor t for victims of crime 08453 899 528
) THE VILLAGE MCC
Christian church serving the LGBTQ community Sundays 6pm, Somerset Day Centre, Kemptown 07476 667353, www thevillagemcc org
HIV PREVENTION, CARE & TREATMENT SERVICES
) AVERT
Sussex HIV & AIDS info service 01403 210202 or email confidential@aver t org
) BRIGHTON & HOVE CAB HIV PROJECT
Money, benefits, employment, housing, info, advocacy Appointments: Tue-Thur 9am-4pm, Wed 9am-12 30pm Brighton & Hove Citizens Advice Bureau, Brighton Town Hall 01273 733390 ext 520 or www brightonhovecab org uk
) CLINIC M
Free confidential testing & treatment for STIs including HIV, plus Hep A & B vaccinations Claude Nicol Centre, Sussex County Hospital, on Weds from 5-8pm 01273 664 721 or www.brightonsexualhealth.com
) LAWSON UNIT
Medical advice, treatment for HIV+, specialist clinics, diet & welfare advice, drug trials 01273 664 722
Drop-in: Richmond House, Richmond Rd, Brighton, MonWed & Fri 10am-4pm, Thur 10am-7pm, Sat 10am-1pm; 9 The Drive, Hove 01273 680714 Mon & Wed 10am-12pm & 1pm-3pm, Tue & Thu 10am-4pm, info & advice only (no assessments), Fri 10am-12pm & 1pm-3pm
• Gary Smith (LGBT* Suppor t) 07884 476634 or email gsmith@pavilions org uk
For more info visit weblink: pavilions org uk/services/treatment-recovery-options/
) SUSSEX BEACON
24 hour nursing & medical care, day care 01273 694222 or www.sussexbeacon.org.uk
) TERRENCE HIGGINS TRUST SERVICES
For more info about these free services go to the THT office, 61 Ship St, Brighton, Mon–Fri, 10am–5pm 01273 764200 or info brighton@tht org uk
• Venue Outreach: info on HIV, sexual health, personal safety, safer drug/alcohol use, free condoms/lubricant for men who have sex with men
• The Bushes Outreach Ser vice @ Dukes Mound: advice, suppor t, info on HIV and sexual health, and free condoms and lube
• Netreach (online/Mobile App Outreach in Brighton &
Hove): info/advice on HIV/sexual health/local services THT Brighton Outreach workers online on Grindr, Scruff, & Squir t
• Condom Male: discreet, confidential service posts free condoms/lube/sexual health info to men who have sex with men without access to East Sussex commercial gay scene
• Positive Voices: volunteers who go to organisations to talk about personal experiences of living with HIV
• Fastest (HIV Testing): walk-in, (no appointment) rapid HIV testing service for men who have sex with men Results in 20 minutes Mon 10am-8pm, Tues-Fri 10am-5pm (STI Testing available)
• Sauna Fastest at The Brighton Sauna (HIV Testing): walk-in, (no appointment) rapid HIV testing service for men who have sex with men Results in 20 minutes Wed: 6–8pm (STI Testing available)
• Face2Face: confidential info & advice on sexual health & HIV for men who have sex with men Up to 6 one hour appointments
• Specialist Training: wide range of courses for groups/ individuals Specific courses to suit needs
• Counselling: from qualified counsellors for up to 12 sessions for people living with/affected by HIV
• Informed Passions: Exper t Volunteers project to identif y & suppor t sexual health needs of local men who have sex with men and carry out field research in B&H on issues affecting men’s sexual health Extensive training provided
• What Next? Thurs eve, 6 week peer suppor t group work programme for newly diagnosed HIV+ gay men
• HIV Suppor t Ser vices: info, suppor t & practical advice for people living with/affected by HIV
• Volunteer Suppor t Ser vices: 1-2-1 community suppor t for people living with or affected by HIV
• HIV Welfare Rights Advice: Find out about benefits or benefit changes Advice line: Mon–Thur 1:30-2:30pm 1-2-1 appts for advice & workshops on key benefits
) TERRENCE HIGGINS EA STBOURNE
Dyke House, 110 South St, Eastbourne, BN21 4LZ, 01323 649927 or info eastbourne@tht org uk
• HIV Ser vices suppor t for HIV diagnosis, managing side effects, sex and relationships, understanding medication, talking to your doctor, finding healthier lifestyle Assessment of suppor t needs and signposting on to relevant services Suppor t in person, by phone or email
• Suppor t for people at risk of HIV confidential info and advice on sexual health and HIV for men who have sex with men Up to 3 one hour appointments depending on need Sessions in person or on phone
• Web suppor t & info on HIV, sexual health & local services via netreach and myhiv org uk
• Positive Voices: volunteers who go to organisations to talk about personal experiences of living with HIV
) SEXUAL HEALTH WORTHING
Free confidential tests & treatment for STIs inc HIV Hep A & B vaccinations Wor thing based 0845 111345645
NATIONAL HELPLINES
) NATIONAL LGBT DOMESTIC ABUSE
HELPLINE AT GALOP.ORG.UK 0800 999 5428
) LONDON LESBIAN & GAY SWITCHBOARD 02078 377324
) POSITIVELINE (EDDIE SURMAN TRUST) Mon-Fri 11am-10pm, Sat & Sun 4-10pm 0800 1696806
) MAINLINERS 02075 825226
) NATIONAL AIDS HELPLINE 08005 67123
) NATIONAL DRUGS HELPLINE 08007 76600
) THT AIDS Treatment phoneline 08459 470047
) THT direct 0845 1221200
ADVERTISERS’ MAP
) PUBS & BARS
1 BAR BROADWAY
10 Steine Street, 01273 609777
www barbroadway co uk
2 BAR REVENGE
7 Marine Parade, 01273 606064
www revenge co uk
3 BEDFORD TAVERN
30 Western Street, 01273 739495
4 BOUTIQUE BAR
2 Boyces St @ West St, 01273 327607
www boutiqueclubbrighton com
5 BULLDOG TAVERN
31 St James St, 01273 696996
www bulldogbrighton com
6 CAMELFORD ARMS
30-31 Camelford St, 01273 622386
www camelford-arms co uk
7 CHARLES STREET BAR
8-9 Marine Parade, 01273 624091
www charles-street com
8 DOCTOR BRIGHTON’S
16 Kings Rd, 01273 208113
www doctorbrightons co uk
9 GROSVENOR BAR
16 Western Street, 01273 438587
10 LEGENDS BAR
31-34 Marine Parade, 01273 624462
www legendsbrighton com
11 MARINE TAVERN
13 Broad St, 01273 681284
www marinetavern co uk
12 PARIS HOUSE
21 Western Rod, 01273 724195
www parishouse com
13 POISON IVY
129 St James St, 604076
14 QUEEN’S ARMS
7 George St, 01273 696873 thequeensarms wix com/thequeensarms
15 REGENCY TAVERN
32-34 Russell Sq, 01273 325652
16 SUBLINE 129 St James St, 01273 624100 www sublinebrighton co uk
17 THREE JOLLY BUTCHERS 59 Nor th Rd, 01273 608571 www three-jolly-butchers co uk
