CONTENTS
DEC 2011 GSCENE magazine
CHARLES ST BAR RAISED £810 FOR THE RAINBOW FUND AT CHRIS AND RUPERTS BIRTHDAY BASH
www.gscene.com PUBLISHED BY James Ledward TEL 01273 722457 EDITORIAL info@gscene.com ADS+ARTWORK design@gscene.com EDITORIAL TEAM James Ledward, Graham Robson ARTS EDITOR Michael Hootman SUB-EDITOR Graham Robson DESIGN Michèle Allardyce
FRONT COVER
GEMS CANDLELIT DINNER AT THE A BAR
PHOTOGRAPHY Nathan Attenborough www.nattenborough.co.uk MODELS Tess Georgia Dimos Richard Pearson GARMENTS & STYLING Renaissance Couture JEWELLERY Rosie Fox
CONTRIBUTORS AJ, Jaq Bayles, Jo Bourne, Nick Boston, Suchi Chatterjee, Nick Douglas, Craig Hanlon Smith, Andy Goff, Graham Hamilton, Adam Highway, Tessa Jane Lee, Alex Macpherson, Neil Masey, Enzo Marra, Hector Montalbo, Rick Moore, Tim Nail, Netty, Charles Nyereyegona, Carl Oprey, Eric Page, Marcus Patrick, Steph Scott, Del Sharp, Keith Sharpe, Gay Socrates, Glen Stevens, Jordan Thomas, Vron, Roger Wheeler, Mike Wall, Morham White, Rachael Woodgate, Kate Wildblood
PHOTOGRAPHERS
LETTERS & NEWS 6 Letters To The Editor 8 Editorial & News
LISTINGS 26 Listings & What’s On 46 Solent Listings
REGULARS
Eric Page and Zoe Lyons talk cats, dogs and comedy
50 Charlie’s Kitchen 51 Come Dine With Morham 52 Shopping 53 DVDs 55 Book Reviews 56 Arts News 59 Art Matters 59 Geek Scene 60 Classical Notes 61 Film Reviews 64 Dance Music 64 Desert Island Disco 65 Craig’s Thoughts 66 Sharp Words 67 Wall’s Words 67 Gay Socrates 68 Keith Sharp 69 Trans Scribe 69 BSSN 70 Charlie Says 71 Just Jordan 71 Airwaves 72 MindOut 73 Lunch Positive 73 Twisted Gilded Ghetto
63 THATCH CLOSE
INFORMATION
XFACTOR BOY BAND NU VIBE AT REVENGE
Si Denton, Michael Hootman, James Ledward, Ian Mager-Playford, Sam Milford, Hector Montalbo, Willan Sarkis Souza, www.realbrighton.comm
FEATURES
© GSCENE 2011
20 DINE WITH THE STARS
All work appearing in Gscene Ltd is copyright. It is to be assumed that the copyright for material rests with the magazine unless otherwise stated on the page concerned. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in an electronic or other retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior knowledge and consent of the publishers. The appearance of any person or any organisation in Gscene is not to be construed as an implication of the sexual orientation or political persuasion of such persons or organisations.
Brightons cabaret entertainers raise £2010 for the Sussex Beacon
22 HAPPY HOLIDAYS Roger Wheeler goes surfing for the best gay travel websites
23 VERTICAL THINKING Glamour in Battersea? Even Roger Wheeler was surprised...
24 THE BEST KEPT SECRET Dirty Footprints Theatre Company tackle domestic abuse
24 CHIVA The childrens HIV charity needs your help
IAN AND JASON STRATFORD-HOLDEN TIED THE KNOT LAST MONTH AT BRIGHTON TOWN HALL
54 CITIZEN SEBASTIAN BEAUMONT Drew Halliday asks the novelist what turns him on
62 TROPICANA James Ledward is in a spin over Holiday On Ice
63 ZOE LYONS Graham Robson pulls puppeteer Darren Carrington’s strings
74 BUDDHISM All the celebs are doing it, says Adrian J Andrews
75 Service Directory 76 Classifieds 78 Advertisers’ Map
6 GSCENE
LETTERS TO
THE EDITOR INVISIBLE Last Thursday (November) was a very shitty day for me; I’ve never been so upset or angry in my life. Once I’d calmed down enough to do a wee meditation I felt much better. Out of the blue a friend called and asked me out for a drink. Wonderful. He picked me up in his new car and off we drove. We ended up in The Camelford in time to hear the delightful daffy Dave in full flow with his quiz. Around half time he announced that some THT guys would be coming around with a selection of four brand new condoms that they’d like us to test and fill in a form stating which we liked best. That one would be their new condom for 2012. Three of us were standing near the bar where the THT guys were stationed before they moved
around the room. One of them was talking to the two handsome men almost shoulder to shoulder with me and persuading them to take part in the survey. Packets of condoms were handed over. I supposed we three were next in line to be asked but no. I watched in fascination as they glided past us onto the next group of younger more handsome men. I saw (not for the first time) ageism in its smoothest, glibbest manifestation. They effortlessly ignored most men in the bar who didn’t seem young or handsome. All of us oldies were deemed to be invisible and perish the thought, not sexually active, let alone attractive. What’s up guys? Was the condom survey just a flimsy excuse for you to chat up the men you fancied? That’s what it looked like to us. At the age of
FRAGMENTING HIV PRESCRIPTION SERVICES My boyfriend is HIV+ and has had some shit luck with some of the health problems the virus has created. He is of course far luckier than many have been, and the reason he is currently doing reasonably well and managing with certain conditions is thanks to the staff at the Lawson Unit and Sussex County, in particular the way they have been able to quickly respond to all kinds of related health issues and take a central overview, readjust his meds, try new ones, etc. to deal with different conditions. This approach is however changing, the first step being his complicated medicine regime (he takes 15 different tablets each day in varying quantities, occasionally more), being split between antiretrovirals from the Sussex County pharmacy and various ancillary meds; most of them for different ailments and illnesses directly connected with his HIV, now being handled by our local GP and pharmacy. Despite our careful handling of the details of his meds with the GP when this changed last month, speaking directly to surgery staff and the pharmacy, the regular supply of certain meds has already gone wrong. I do of course admire and am thankful to all NHS staff, but cannot help but think that it seems likely to me that in the long run 'fragmenting' treatment in this unnecessary way of what is a very 'individual' life threatening illness, affecting patients in different ways, will ultimately result in slower responses to managing changes in someone's wellbeing as diagnosis and treatment is shared between HIV consultants and GPs, delays with new treatment and the prescribing of drugs, and a worse outcome for all concerned. Name and address withheld
70 I’m used to being ignored in gay clubs but for my two friends who are at least 20 years younger, it was their first experience of being mistreated like that. It opened their eyes to the unconscious ageism prevalent within the gay community. We have built a community out of our oppression only to show that we too are equally oppressive to others within it. We can now add ageism to the growing list which includes racism and misogyny. How much lower do we intend to go? Yours sincerely Michael James, Brighton
THT RESPONSE Justin Harbottle from Terrence Higgins Trust in Brighton said: "I was one of the team doing outreach in The Camelford Arms that night, and I can only apologise to Mr James that we didn't get the chance to talk to him. THT has never cherry-picked when it comes to our HIV
LAWSON UNIT RESPONSE We are pleased that the letter writer’s boyfriend has generally had a good experience of the Lawson Unit but are sorry to hear that the recent change has not gone smoothly. The decision to ask patients to go to their GP for non-HIV related medicines was taken after much consideration (and with the active involvement of the clinic user group) and is in line with practice in London HIV centres and also all other specialities in Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust. The two main underlying reasons for the change were: GPs are used to managing conditions such as asthma, depression, diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. There are clear standards for them to follow when diagnosing and managing these conditions and their ongoing professional development routinely covers such topics. HIV doctors, on the other hand, are experts at managing HIV and most of their ongoing training is devoted to keeping abreast of the latest advances in this speciality. Therefore GPs should be better than HIV specialists at managing these nonHIV conditions (even where they have developed as a result of HIV or its treatment). The number of people attending the Lawson Unit increases by 7% a year. Currently there are over 1900 regular attenders; this is expected to be 2000 within the next year, which will mean the cohort will have doubled in size in less than 8 years. In line with the latest treatment guidelines, more than 80% of patients are now on antiretrovirals
prevention work, and our messages are as relevant to a man of 70 as they are to a man of 17. With the Brighton's Next Top Condom campaign, we want as wide a range of men as possible to feed back on the condoms available; packs can be requested by phone, text, email, or just dropping in to the centre on Ship Street. Our outreach workers and volunteers do try to speak with as many people as they can, but unfortunately due to time constraints this isn't always possible. If Mr James can drop me a line at THT Brighton, I'll be happy to talk to him about the campaign and how he can get involved."
HATE CRIME VIGIL In October I went to the Hate Crime Vigil in Old Steine and was really disappointed as to how few people went along to show their support. What is it with people in Brighton and public expressions of solidarity with LGBT all over the
(compared with about 65% 4 years ago). We continually review how we provide our services to try to give the best HIV care in the most efficient way, bearing in mind the unavoidable constraints of space and staff numbers. Reducing the time our team spends managing conditions that GPs can safely and appropriately deal with means that we have more time and resources to focus on treating the aspects of HIV that others can’t. Good communication with GPs is therefore paramount, and to facilitate this we send regular comprehensive letters to GPs (when patients have given their consent, which the vast majority do) and respond to individual GP queries about prescribing and drug interactions. We also run ‘HIV-Ed’, an annual 2 day course for GPs and practice nurses, and provide additional training and support to the 26 practices that have a Local Enhanced Service (LES) contract for HIV care. That’s the theory; for most patients the change has also worked well in practice. However, we realise that sometimes there are glitches and we appreciate it is worrying and time-consuming if you (or a loved one) are affected. We are committed to working with patients and GPs to resolve any issues and encourage people to raise any individual concerns with their Lawson Unit Doctor. Heather Leake Date (Consultant Pharmacist HIV/Sexual Health), Duncan Churchill, Martin Fisher, Yvonne Gilleece (Consultant HIV Physicians), Daniel Richardson (Principal Lead Consultant HIV/GUM)
GSCENE 7 HATE CRIME VIGIL, OLD STEINE, BRIGHTON, OCT 28, 2011
world. IDAHO day in May this year was much the same with only a small group of people turning up to show support. Finally, I am not sure how many 'gay’ choirs we have in Brighton now, is it 42 or 43, but surely one of them could have sung at the Hate Crime Vigil. Can't the choirs sit down at the start of each year and agree which public events they each will appear at. Community events should be supported by everyone and that includes the 'gay’ choirs. Sorry to be so negative but it makes me very angry when I turn up to these gatherings and as a community we put up such a poor show. If the leaders of the political parties can find the time to come and support us on these 'special' days surely as a community we can make a little more effort to be visible. Sara Green, Hove
CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME! I find it ironic that in the September issue of Gscene you reserved a full two page spread announcing that Switchboard have a cash crisis and promoting a variety of fundraisers for the Sussex Beacon’s £150,000 appeal, yet the only money you can actually announce was raised the previous month was £2,002.89 for a non-LGBT/HIV organisation, The Martlets. While I am sure that the Martlets are very
deserving of our attention, in my book charity starts at home. I have noticed for the last year money has been hemorrhaging from the community. More and more money is being raised for "this mainstream organisation" or "that one over there", but not too many have been putting money into the coffers of our 'own' LGBT and HIV organisations. In the words of the person from Switchboard quoted in your news story, "If LGBT people don't support us, who will?" I agree fully and hope that every time I go to a benefit or fundraiser in a bar, the bar is doing its bit for the charity also and making a contribution to the fundraising total of the evening. If we are not careful we will all become 'charitied' out. There is only so much and so often you can give, especially when times are tough like they are at present. Support our organisations now or we will not have them next year. Peter Brookes, Peacehaven
this route. What concerns me is the way in which homosexuality is once again being normalised in our society without regard for the consequences. What if transfusion of 'gay blood' spreads homosexuality? This could account for the increasing prevalence of same-sex attraction in an age where blood transfusions are a common occurrence. I would hate to see people understandably refusing a life-saving transfusion for fear of contracting sexual perversion. Perhaps more research is called for? John Eoin Douglas, Scottish Nuisance and Bigot, Edinburgh
TRANS DAY OF REMEMBRANCE, DORSET GARDENS METHODIST CHURCH, NOV 20, 2011
BLEEDING OBVIOUS I am alarmed to learn that men who have sex with men are to be allowed to contribute to the UK's national blood supply. As the testing regime of the Blood Transfusion Service is more than adequate, I have never been one of those bigoted individuals who fear transmission of diseases such as HIV or Hepatitis though
BLAGGS TENNIS TEAM: WINNERS OF THE SWITCHBOARD FUNDRAISING QUIZ AT THE CAMELFORD ARMS LAST MONTH. THE QUIZ RAISED £345.00 FOR SWITCHBOARD.
trans woman who was murdered in Brighton in 2009. The local event was especially intended to raise awareness of the disproportionate impact of transphobic hate crime on people of colour. We note that all the main political parties in Brighton and Hove were extended invitations to the event. We are rightly used to seeing local political leaders pay their respects at similar events such Remembrance Sunday and the candle-lit vigils on World AIDS Day. We understand that there may have been have some confusion about the timing of the event but we were dismayed and disappointed that none of
TRANS DAY OF REMEMBRANCE We have written this open letter regarding the invitation extended to representatives of the Conservative, Liberal Democrat, Labour and Green parties to attend the annual Trans Day of Remembrance event on Sunday November 20. This is an international event to commemorate those who have been killed as a result of transphobia or the hatred or fear of transgender and gender nonconforming people. It was made especially poignant by the participation of a member of Andrea Waddell’s family, a local
the political invitees ultimately attended. The organisations that we represent are non-partisan and include members of all political views and none. However, we believe that this lack of participation is an indication of a failure among the political leadership to engage with the trans community, to recognise the importance of this event and to understand the disproportionate impact that hate crime has within our community. We therefore issue this open letter to encourage the leaders of the parties invited to explain why they failed to send representatives to such a significant LGBT community event. We hope that they will respond and engage with us in the constructive dialogue that we seek. Yours Sincerely, Rory Smith, FTM Brighton and Stephanie Scott, The Clare Project This letter arrived on press day. If politicians want to respond I will run the responses in the January issue and online in December.
SEND YOUR LETTERS TO: GSCENE, 111 WESTERN ROAD, HOVE, BN3 1DD OR EMAIL TO: INFO@GSCENE.COM
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DAILY NEWS UPDATES ON
Following the announcement of an appeal in September to raise £20,000 to keep LGBT Switchboard open, the council have stepped in with a stop-gap payment of £7,000 to be used to tie Switchboard over while they consider their options and await hearing about current grant applications. Switchboard provides a range of services, including help and advice on HIV/Aids, drug and alcohol problems and homophobic hate crimes. Brighton & Hove Council awarded Switchboard a three year strategic grant covering 2010-13 at £28,000 per annum. Ben Duncan, Cabinet Councillor for Equalities said: “This organisation plays a crucial role in delivering council priorities. The LGBT community in Brighton & Hove is very large, pays its taxes and requires distinct services which the straight community does not. So it’s right for the local council to be supporting these. Switchboard provides great value by getting a massive amount of work done using volunteers but for some things they must have hard cash.” The organisation is working to overcome its financial challenges by reducing overheads, bidding for grants from other funders and working in partnership with other bodies. It currently operates with 1.5 full-time posts. Natalie Woods, Switchboard's Services & Development Manager, said: “Switchboard is facing lots of challenges right now and myself and the trustees are working hard at doing all we can to avoid closure. We are really pleased that the council is supporting us with this and the funding they have provided us with will be invested well in continuing to do everything we can to make sure that the LGBT community does not lose the help-line and counselling services that we provide. We would like to express our thanks and appreciation for this development funding on behalf of all of our service users, volunteers and staff.” Mike Weatherley, MP for Hove said: “The LGBT Switchboard desperately needs to raise £20,000 by early next year in order to avert closure and to keep providing their valuable counselling via their helpline. I urge anyone who can help to get in touch with the switchboard as soon as possible.” Simon Kirby, MP for Kemp Town & Peacehaven said: “I’m delighted Switchboard has been able to continue its work. The temporary grant will allow some breathing space so that a more sustainable solution can be found. I wish everyone well in their continuing endeavours to maintain this important service.” Switchboard have raised over £1,000 since announcing their appeal to raise £20,000. Last month, Sandra Hounsham from BLAGGS organised a Quiz at the Camelford Arms to benefit Switchboard which raised over £345.
SIMON KIRBY MP
MIKE WEATHERLEY MP
BEN DUNCAN
KEMPTOWN BRIGHTON & HOVE COUNCIL AGREES STOP-GAP PAYMENT FOR SWITCHBOARD NEIGHBOUTHOOD
CHRIS COOKE
NEW LGBT COMMUNITY SAFETY GROUP INVITES YOU TO THEIR FIRST MEETING
Have you been the victim of a hate crime, are unhappy with the service you received or feel the crime has not been taken seriously? Do you want to make the police and council more accountable to the LGBT community? An inaugural meeting of a new LGBT Community Safety Group will take place at 7.30pm, on Wednesday, December 14, in Envy nightclub upstairs from Charles St Bar. The venue is wheelchair accessible and has been donated free of charge for the evening. The meeting is open to everyone, a draft constitution will be circulated for discussion, officers elected to a new committee, dates set for future quarterly public meetings and a work plan agreed. If you want the LGBT community to have a strong effective voice and want to see improved accountability from the police and council then this meeting is one for your diaries. The original LGBT Community Safety Forum was closed down in 2004 after being infiltrated by transphobes. Since the forum was closed the police and council have had no 'accountable' mechanism to liaise and consult with the LGBT community in Brighton & Hove. In December 2009 a public meeting hosted by Spectrum, the LGBT Community Forum empowered with representing the LGBT community on community safety issues, agreed that a steering group would go away and bring proposals back to the community for consideration. This development comes as a result of those discussions and is being led by community activist Chris Cooke. For more information about the meeting email Chris Cooke: chrismartyncooke@yahoo.co.uk
POLICE TEAM NEW ONLINE DROP IN
As part of their work to connect with more people in the community, members of the Kemp Town Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) are going virtual for a new type of drop-in session. With temperatures dropping across Sussex, the LGBT team came up with the idea of trying an online ‘drop-in’ so that people can ask questions, raise issues and join in discussions from the comfort of their own homes. These won’t replace the local ‘in person’ drop-in sessions but will provide another way of getting involved for those who live further away, find it difficult to get out or just prefer to chat online. PC Rachel Piggott and PC Rich Bridger will be available to answer your questions and listen to your suggestions on all LGBT issues around safety, the law and policing as well as responding to other neighbourhood concerns. LGBT Caseworker, Clare Briscoe, will be online too if you’d like to speak to someone who isn’t a police officer and who has specialist knowledge of hate crime, domestic abuse and other issues. Sgt Alex Evans heads up the team and has extensive knowledge of the issues facing both the LGBT community and Kemp Town residents. Although the team is based in Brighton, you’re welcome to join in if you live or work anywhere in Sussex. Simon Kirby, MP for Kemptown & Peacehaven, said: “I welcome the move by Sussex Police to engage with the needs and concerns of the LGBT community.” You can join in the live chat at: www.sussex.police.uk/lgbt On the LGBT Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pag es/Brighton-and-Hove-LGBTTeam/194767553890462 Or tweet @PoliceLGBT or using the hashtag #lgbtdropin Log on, take a look and join in they will look forward to ‘meeting’ you online.
SCOTTISH TORIES ELECT GAY LEADER
The Conservatives have elected a new leader for their party in Scotland. The successful candidate Ruth Davidson, is 32 and openly-gay. She was elected as a Member of the Scottish Parliament last year and is thought to be the first ever openly gay leader of any mainstream UK political party. Reacting to the results, Davidson said: “This is the first time that our members have been asked to elect a leader for the whole party in Scotland and I've met our members from Selkirk to Shetland and all points in between. They've been engaged, they've been enthusiastic, they've been welcoming and they're excited about our bright future too.” On behalf of LGBTory, the Conservative Party’s LGBT group, Deputy Chairman Cllr Emma Warman commented: "I am delighted to hear that Ruth Davidson has been elected as leader of the Scottish Conservatives. In politics, gay women, like women generally, are hugely underrepresented compared to our male counterparts. There are very few gay women in frontline politics - only two (1 Labour, 1 Conservative) in the UK Parliament, for example. “It's easy for those who aren't part of a minority group to dismiss the significance of role models. But those of us who are gay know that seeing role models who are like us can be both reassuring and motivating. First and foremost, though, Ruth is a Scottish Conservative politician and I wish her every success both in the Scottish Parliament and in re-energising the grass roots of the Scottish Conservative Party." Ms Davidson has pledged to overhaul the party machinery and bring new, modern and relevant policies to the people of Scotland. RUTH DAVIDSON
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DAILY NEWS UPDATES ON
EDITORIAL
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Many people have asked for an update on how the Sussex Beacon appeal is progressing. The Sussex Beacon went public in July with its appeal for £150,000 to keep its inpatient unit open. Many in the community were taken aback and thought that the Beacon's services couldn't possibly be in danger, but as most of its funding comes from the NHS we shouldn't be surprised that the Beacon has had to share the pain that the NHS in general is experiencing from government cuts. What is important is that the Beacon was upfront with us and gave us fair warning to come to its help and avoid the kind of situation we have seen recently with the surprise closure of the Martlets Day Centre. All other LGBT/HIV organisations should learn from this. Since the summer the Beacon has had to deal with the unwelcome distraction of the council considering giving permission to a rival commercial event that would have undermined the Beacon's single largest annual fundraiser, the Beacon Half Marathon. Thanks to the community, speaking out loudly in defence of the Beacon, the council and the rival operator dropped their discussions of the proposal for a competing event. The end to that uncertainty has built confidence in the Beacon Half Marathon, to be held in February, and now record numbers have registered to take part - something vital for the Beacon's finances and for the survival of the organisation. You will see from the pages of Gscene in the last few months that many businesses have put on fundraising events for the Beacon and substantial amounts of money has been raised including over £2,000 by the Queens Hotel from their Dine With The Stars dinner last month. More and more individual members of the community are taking a lead and organising fundraisers; Bear Patrol raised more than £5,000 with their parachute jump, and Romany Mark Bruce, the artist who created the Aids Memorial, staged a Sunday Tea Party which raised over £450. Every penny helps so keep coming up with the ideas and digging deep into those pockets. Many of this year’s events surrounding World Aids Day will also be benefitting the Sussex Beacon, so please support as many of those as possible including all the concerts being staged by the various Gay Choirs. Chris Cooke, someone who has a record of raising funds locally in Kemptown and St. James' Street, has just been appointed to increase fundraising at the Beacon and take charge of the finances. 2012 is the twentieth anniversary of the opening of the Beacon and we all have the opportunity to help it on its way to a sound financial footing for that anniversary. We should be proud to have its unique and vital services, that help those living with HIV, right here in Brighton. Have a Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year. James Ledward
POLICE CLARIFY POSITION ON HATE CRIME STATS
It is over ten years since I sat down with the police, the council and representatives from the Black & Ethnic Minorities to help develop the bid to the Home Office for what would eventually become the Anti Victim Initiative (AVI), a project tasked to challenge homophobia, racism and domestic violence. Our main focus was to increase trust and confidence in the police so that vulnerable people would report crime in their particular area. Ten years on the Chief Constable has recognised that the mechanism for recording the level of Homophobic Hate Crimes is not reliable and has tasked senior officers to look into the matter.
THIS IS THE PROBLEM AS I SEE IT...
The AVI was a complex piece of partnership working, but it was fundamentally flawed because at no stage in its development was any work done to establish a base line statistic against which it would be possible to measure trust and confidence in the police from an LGBT perspective. Similarly there was no mechanism created to establish what levels of under reporting existed so it has been impossible to judge how successful the project has been or what the current level of under reporting is.
This needs to be put right immediately and I hope the new LGBT community safety forum that meets for the first time in December will make its number one priority to establish a mechanism where ‘trust and confidence’ in the police can be measured on an annual basis and the issues surrounding under reporting are identified and put on a better footing.
QUESTIONS...
I asked Sussex Police to respond generally to a few questions regarding the Hate Crime Statistics that the Argus reported last month as being unreliable. Gscene: What exactly is missing from the Hate Crime statistics at present as reported by the Argus and covered in the Chief Constable’s report? Sussex Police: Any call for service from a member of the public results in a record of the incident being created. This forms the start of the audit trail of decision making, resourcing and response to each individual call. As such we can be assured that for every person who contacts us about a hate crime we will have recorded the circumstances of the incident. The gap in our process has been a recent difficulty in adequately identifying and then flagging a percentage of
NEW CIVILIAN LGBT CASEWORKER
Clare Briscoe is the new dedicated civilian LGBT caseworker for the Brighton neighbourhood policing team. She has been in post for a couple of months now and has been introducing herself to members of the community and partner organisations. Clare is working within the neighbourhood policing team, working closely with officers on the beat to tackle LGBT hate crime and hate incidents. She joins full-time dedicated LGBT officer PC Rachel Piggott, PC Rich Bridger and Sergeant Alex Evans. Chief Superintendent, Graham Bartlett, said: “We’re delighted to have Clare as the LGBT case worker. This post has been vacant for some time as it was critical that we find the right person who has the skills to provide the best possible service to the LGBT communities in Brighton & Hove. Clare joins a strong team and I look forward to the impact she will have making people's lives safer.” Alex Evans has been a police officer for 12 years, previously working as a Response Sergeant supervising a team of PCs responding to emergency calls. He now works as both the Sergeant for Kemptown and for the LGBT community across Brighton. Alex said: “I’m delighted that Clare has joined the team and she will enhance the work that both Rachel and Rich do in tackling hate crime within the city and looking at ways to enhance the service that we provide to all people that either identify or don't identify themselves as member of the LGBT community. I want my team to be able to reach and be accessible to anyone that needs our support. We welcome anyone to contact us through Facebook, Twitter, email, by phone or in person. All contact will be treated in the strictest confidence.”
Prior to joining the team in Kemptown, Clare answered 999 calls and non-emergency calls. In her spare time she volunteers as a Special Constable in Lewes, having previously volunteered in Brighton for over three years.
Clare said: “I'm thrilled to be joining the team in Brighton. Rachel and Rich have built up great relationships within the community over the last year and I look forward to building on the great work they have done to engender trust and confidence in both the community and with the agencies we work in partnership with. “Our team is determined to encourage all victims of LGBT hate crimes and hate incidents to report it, either to us or in confidence to a third-party organisation. We're looking at ways of raising awareness of the continued specialist support available to victims, and finding new ways of enabling victims to get in touch. It can be daunting to report incidents and people may prefer the anonymity of speaking to me, Rachel or Rich online so we’re introducing online chats as an alternative to face-to-face meetings. We're also considering a variety of venues that reflect the diversity of the LGBT community, so we'll be having our monthly meetings at popular spots, ranging from Jubilee library to Kemptown clubs. It's about making our services as accessible and welcoming as possible.” Clare, Rachel or Rich are always happy to chat, whatever your concerns or questions: tweet: @policeLBGT email: LGBT@sussex.pnn.police.uk call: 01273 665657 •www.clareproject.org.uk for confidential support. •LGBT Community Safety Officer: 01273 294638 •LGBT Switchboard: 01273 204050.
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WWW.GSCENE.COM these calls as hate crimes or incidents. A couple of factors are responsible for this; a recent adaption of a new recording system, and a tendency for hate incidents to be recorded and dealt with as another type of crime e.g harassment, or criminal damage. The upshot is that in many cases we provide the right outcome for victims of a hate crime even though the investigation has not been recorded as such; but our management information is compromised because we have not correctly identified the hate element of an incident or crime. How were the problems identified? The problems were identified through our own audit work - aimed at establishing the gap between reported incidents of hate crime and recorded incidents of hate crime. Publication of ACPO/Home Office hate crime figures for 2009/10 (published in October this year) also highlighted that the information Sussex supplied from our crime management system was not wholly representative of the volume of hate incidents that we had dealt with. What is being done to sort the problems out and when will we have an accurate set of figures? A whole range of measures are being put in to place to sort out the recording issues. They include; the use of bespoke 'flags' in our recording systems; training for call handlers and operational staff; and more timely information sharing with partners. We will audit the affect of these changes in the coming months. Was there any community involvement in the process or was this scrutiny just handled by the police? The recording issues were subject of police scrutiny. We have complemented this by undertaking a wide range of engagement to establish the customer's perspective and identify barriers to reporting matters to us in the first place. This has been extremely valuable and will not only help inform our own training, but the messages that we would seek to give to communities to encourage reporting in an area of crime which we know is under reported. Are Hate Crime incidents still tagged when reports are made? Yes but we are looking to reinforce that process - see answer to Q.3 Do Sussex Police use the same mechanisms for collating Hate Crime figures as say the MET in London? All forces work to the same definition - the MacPherson definition of hate crimes and incidents. While there are a wide variety of incidents that could be considered a Hate Crime, all forces are required to gather data on the same five categories of hate crime: race, faith, sexual orientation, transgender and disability. To be honest I’m not too sure what to make of the responses. It appears that all crimes are recorded but sometimes the Hate Crimes are not identified at Hate Crimes in the analysis. There is a simple solution to this. If you feel as though you have been the victim of a homophobic incident, homophobic attack or hate crime INSIST when you report to the police that YOU want it recorded as a Hate Crime. The definition of a Hate Crime is “a Hate Crime is a Hate Crime if the victim or someone else thinks it is”. It is not the job of the police to tell you whether you are the victim of a Hate Crime, the power is with you to insist it is recorded as one. Until the police put in place a series of questions when you dial 999 to give you the opportunity of considering you might have been the victim of a Hate Crime, problems with recording accurately will continue. Until there is a recording mechanism that people believe in, levels of trust and confidence in the police will fall and issues surrounding under reporting will become more complex. As an organisation it is sometimes very difficult to read the police. My sources point to a battle of ideologies between the reformers and the old guard in the police on LGBT issues. It is not clear to me who is coming out on top. What I do know is that when I first sat down at the table to negotiate the terms that the LGBT community would work in partnership with the police and council on the AVI project in 2001 people in the community felt that they got a second rate service from the police, we were policed differently and we were discriminated against on a daily basis. Time has moved on and perceptions have changed. People seem much happier to report to the police now and it is unfortunate that problems over something as basic as accurately recording statistics could undermine much good work. A friend put it very well to me the other day, he said: “in the late 90s I honestly believed as a gay man I was treated differently by Sussex Police, I was discriminated against. I don't feel that way any longer and understand that if I feel unhappy with the police or have received bad service, I’m getting the same as everyone else. I no longer feel that I’m discriminated against and that’s progress”. James Ledward
RE-STRUCTURING OF THE PARTNERSHIP COMMUNITY SAFETY TEAM by Steve Springett, Senior Community Safety Caseworker.
The Crime & Disorder Act 1998 introduced a requirement that the police, local authorities and other public agencies worked together and in partnership to tackle crime and disorder in their local areas. For Brighton & Hove this means that we have the Partnership Community Safety Team (PCST) which is made up of the council, police and voluntary sector employees. Most of the PCST staff are based in offices at 162 North Street, Brighton. Following the merger in September this year of the Antisocial Behaviour Team and the Hate Incident Team to form the new Community Safety Casework Team within the PCST, there have been developments in the way that hate incidents or crimes are being responded to. Linda Beanlands, Commissioner for Community Safety, is very pleased that the merger has allowed the Community Safety Partnership to continue to prioritise front line services to all victims of hate crime as well as improving the quality of those services and that this has been achieved at a time of increased pressure on budgets. The principle aim of the casework team is to work with individuals and communities to tackle, prevent and reduce the harm caused by hate crimes, hate incidents, antisocial behaviour and community crime across Brighton & Hove. To deliver this aim the team uses a range of tools and powers available to support and protect both victims and witnesses and to encourage and require perpetrators to address and change their behaviours. In responding to individual concerns within the community we work with a range of other organisations for example, council, police, housing, probation, safeguarding agencies, businesses and the voluntary sector to tackle, prevent and reduce harm. What this means in reality is that for the first time as well as working with victims of racist, religiously motivated and disablist hate incidents, the casework team is now able to work with the LGBT communities. This means that in addition to the support offered to the LGBT communities by the Brighton & Hove division of Sussex Police that the Community Safety Casework Team will work with victims who have chosen for whatever reason not to first approach the police, thus ensuring that no victim “falls through the net”. The Casework Team adhere to the Brighton & Hove Victim & Witness Standards which means that we will make initial contact with the victim within one working day of contact by them and offer a victim & witness assessment. This assessment ensures that we have an accurate picture of what has been happening, what the victim’s needs are and that through partnership working we can ensure that an action plan is formulated so that the most appropriate agencies can address the issue. In addition we will offer the victim a single point of contact from the partner agencies so that they have a named person and do not need to re-tell their information to different professionals. We have already introduced the facility for victims to use the council’s contact centre to report to our service for the first time, with the result that a caller is guaranteed a member of staff to speak to about their concerns whilst increasing the capacity of the team to concentrate on casework. However, there are still outstanding tasks for the newly formed team to complete. We are currently looking at whether the Hate Incident Report Form (HIRF) is still the best way to access our service or whether we can use a simpler format form. Currently we are revising our website to make it more accessible and informative for the public to use, including for victims who may have physical or learning impairments. For the other strands of hate crime, there are already reporting centres around the city where a victim can attend if they do not want to approach the police or council directly to make a report. (Reporting centres being partnership agencies from the public, private or voluntary sectors who undertake that they will help the victim in completing a reporting form and offer support in arranging first contact with our service). We are committed to establishing reporting centres for the LGBT communities to ensure that there are multiple options for accessing our service throughout the city. To make contact, to report a hate incident or crime the current options are: • In an emergency call 999. • To report a crime which has already taken place and to which an immediate response is not required, you can either call 0845 6070 999 or 101 (101 will be replacing the 0845 number over the coming months and is already live in Sussex) • Call the council’s contact centre on 01273 292929 and select option 7 • Report online via http://www.sussex.police.uk/contact-us
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BLACK & WHITE
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DOLLY ROCKET
WEZLEY SEBASTIAN
Following on from the huge success of the fantastic Black & White Ball at Stanmer House a couple of years ago, the Aeon Events team are back with another unique party in another iconic venue raising money for local LGBT charities. This year’s Black & White Christmas Extravaganza takes place Sat, 10 and features festive ice skating in front of the beautiful illuminated Royal Pavilion, a sumptuous 3 course dinner & wine, and a dance party with a host of cabaret performances to round off the evening. The cabaret line-up includes live performances from: The Sundaes (courtesy of E3 group); Wezley Sebastian, star of Priscilla in London’s West End; Miss Hope Springs, comedy cabaret chanteuse and Brighton Fringe Best Cabaret winner 2011; London's fabulous Mz Kimberly and Brighton's very own Dolly Rocket. They will be joined by the outrageous Chrissy Darling, plus flamboyant hosts, performance artists and DJs, all in the grounds of the iconic Royal Pavilion Brighton. Doors open at 6pm, dinner at 7pm. Party only guests welcome from 7pm. Entertainment starts at 8pm. No formal dress code is required but wear black and white - the more flamboyant the better!
TICKET OPTIONS DIAL 07988 479 767
DINNER & PARTY: £45, includes 3 course dinner, wine, coffee, cabaret and
party. Tables are available for two people upwards and large party bookings. To book call: 07988 479 767 or in person from the Feast Restaurant & Bar, Royal Pavilion Gardens or email: info@feastbrighton.co.uk PARTY ONLY: £10 in advance. Tickets can be booked online at:
www.aeonevents.clubtickets.com or in person at Prowler, St James’ Street, Brighton and Feast Restaurant & Bar, Royal Pavilion Gardens, Brighton. SKATING: £13 Skating open to public so advanced booking is recommended.
Discount for groups of over 10. Tickets: www.tinyurl.com/BWskating For a 360% view of the Pavilion Ice Rink go to: www.wideeyedvision.com/client/BrightonIceSkating/nightRink/
THE SUNDAES
THE SUNDAES
The Sundaes, the biggest girl group in town present a unique blend of stunning vocals, sensational choreography and superb comedy. Since launching their two new shows Divalicious Decades and Big Girls On The Big Screen last year, demand for these girls has been high right across the country. Summer 2010 saw The Sundaes complete their first international tour, playing to packed venues in The Balearics and earlier this year they were invited to perform at the prestigious Pit Bar in London, to open the run of Richard III with Kevin Spacey at the Old Vic and they also made their Edinburgh Fringe debut.
DINNER & PARTY TICKET: 07988 479 767
A promoters worst nightmare happened last month when the wrong telephone number for booking tickets to the Black & White Ball went out on all publicity including the adverts in Gscene so make sure you dial the correct number. The Dinner & Party ticket option can be booked by calling 07988 479 767. Tickets for the Dinner & Party are almost sold out but there are still Party Only tickets at £10 to see the show and boogie.
MISS HOPE SPRINGS
CHRISTMAS EXTRAVAGANZA
MISS HOPE SPRINGS
Nightclub cabaret chanteuse Miss Hope Springs has left the glittering world of her residency at the Pink Pelican Casino in Las Vegas (now demolished) far behind her and is currently living in a winnebago on Hove seafront. “My husband Irving ran off with his gym buddy Carlos” reveals Hope, “and now I am all alone in the world. Starting out again on your own is tough when you are over sixt...erm, I mean nearly forty.” Miss Hope Springs, winner of the Best Cabaret Award Brighton Fringe 2011, is the creation of Brighton-based Ty Jeffries, son of the late great British stage and screen actor, Lionel Jeffries who, you may remember, played Grandpa Potts in the original Chitty Chitty Bang Bang movie. Ty's real life childhood, spent in Tinseltown rubbing shoulders with the likes of Shirley MacLaine, Shelley Winters and Diana Dors, adds veracity to his "stellar portrayal of a jaded faded star". Ty even danced with Fred Astaire down Sunset Boulevard after a family dinner one night, he recalls; “Just as Frank Sinatra came to the table I fell asleep in my soup. Well, I had awful jet lag and I was only seven years old at the time.” When you think of Miss Hope Springs you can forget the usual tired stereotypes that the words 'female impersonation' may conjure up. There are no crass comments, no lip-synching and no karaoke style backing tracks. Classically trained at The Purcell School of Music, one-time model for Jean Paul Gaultier, Ty, as Hope, plays the piano and sings his acclaimed all original material live, with top double bass player and jazz drummer in tow for an authentic lounge act sound. Be prepared to be taken back to a time when cabaret meant elegantly packaged and beautifully crafted supper club entertainment. Hope's back catalogue is of course entirely crafted by Mr Jeffries who was at one time signed to Elton John's Rocket Music and has worked with amongst others Vangelis, Billy Mackenzie and The Associates, Neneh Cherry and Chaka Khan. Ty's songs for Hope were recently hailed by amongst others, Peter Curran on BBC 4’s Loose Ends as “robust and heartfelt” and by Gscene arts editor, Michael Hootman, as “a repertoire to be reckoned with... the greatest songs that Gershwin, Cole Porter and Burt Bacharach never wrote”. “I'm thrilled to be invited by the handsome and charming Paul Kemp to perform at his fabulous Black & White Extravaganza” gushes Hope. “I’m already planning who I might ask be asking to make my gown. John Galliano perhaps? I hear he could do with the work at the moment.” Team up Ty's instantly catchy showstoppers with some hysterical tales from Hope's Ritz to the pits life story delivered with brilliant comic timing, and you are in for an evening of sparkling all round entertainment. Miss Hope Springs is one class act. “As laced in sadness as Piaf, as womanly as Streisand, as thigh slappingly camp as Doris Day. Highly recommended” Gscene Magazine
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JUNE BROWN
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JUNE BROWN 'PULLS A CRACKER' TO RAISE MONEY FOR THE SUSSEX BEACON
Actress June Brown who plays Dot Cotton in the BBC soap EastEnders will join local comediennes Zoe Lyons, Lorraine Bowen, vocalist Jodie Spencer and the Brighton Gay Men's Chorus in the magnificent surroundings of the Brighton Dome to raise money for the Sussex Beacon. The show Pull A Cracker, the most ambitious production to date by the chorus, starts at 7.30pm on Sunday, December 11 and half the profits from the evening will go to the Sussex Beacon's £150,000 appeal to keep their inpatient service open. The chorus will be presenting their own brand of pop, disco and festive favourites including classics like I Will Survive, O Holy Night and arguably the campest version of The 12 Days Of Christmas ever performed! Leading the chorus in this Christmas extravaganza will be musical director Marc Yarrow, accompanied by Tim Nail and guided by West End director Carole Todd. June Brown said: “I’m really looking forward to joining the Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus for their Christmas show. I can’t think of a better way to kickstart the festive season while raising money for such worthy charities as the chorus and the Sussex Beacon”. Comedienne, Zoe Lyons, said: “I’m totally delighted to be part of the Brighton Gay Men's Chorus show at the Dome, particularly as it is helping to raise funds for the Sussex Beacon who provide such vital services for men and women living with HIV/Aids. As well as continuing to provide excellent out patient facilities there is an urgent need to raise money to keep the inpatient ward open. By coming to ‘Pull a Cracker’, the audience will not only be getting right into the Yuletide swing but also contributing towards a great cause.” Bear Patrol who recently raised over £5,000 for the Sussex Beacon appeal with a freefall parachute jump will be helping with bucketing and the raffle on the night. Pull A Cracker with Brighton Gay Men's Chorus at The Dome Concert Hall, December 11 at 7.30pm. Tickets from £7.50 to £15 and are available from: www.brightongmc.com, the Brighton Dome Box Office on 01273 709 709 or in person at the Sussex Beacon Charity shops.
A-LADD-IN PANTO CELEBRITY LAUNCH
The cast of this year’s alternative panto, A-LADD-IN attended a celebrity launch for the panto at Topolinos Restaurant in Hove, last month attended by The Mayor of Brighton & Hove and her consort. An auction of two tickets to the new American Express Football Stadium to watch Brighton & Hove Albion play raised £200 for the Sussex Beacon appeal. A-LADD-IN is at the Pavilion Theatre, New Road and opens on Friday, February 24 - Sunday, March 4, 2012. To book tickets call the Dome Box Office on 01273 709 709.
TINSEL & TIGHTS VARIETY SHOW The chair of Thanet Pride, Kevin CHAIR OF THANET PRIDE RESIGNS
Grice resigned from his position as chairman of the organisation last month. In his resignation letter Kevin said: “I am writing to let you know that I am resigning my position as Chairman of Thanet Pride forthwith. The bank account is currently showing zero credit and so I will close the account in seven days unless I am contacted by someone who can legally show that they have now taken on the responsibility of Thanet Pride. I will also see the necessary changes to the signatures of the account. I will hold all previous documents and supply copies to anyone who shows legal proof to needing them. I will however keep all master copies for the obligatory seven years." He continued: “May I say that I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with Thanet Pride and that we made it such a successful event for four years. However due to the total lack of interest in the day-today management and organisation of the event I pass it on to those with more flare. He concluded saying: “The gay community generally will take anything that is free, but ask them for help and you’re dead!”
INFINITY FOODS STAFF MAKE A CD TO BENEFIT THE SUSSEX BEACON
Infinity Foods the ethical, organic, vegetarian, wholefoods and products retail co-operative in Brighton are marking their 40th anniversary with a CD made by their staff to benefit the Sussex Beacon. The album will be available for download, and will feature music made by people that work at the Infinity Foods shop, bakery, warehouse and organic cafe. Buyers of the download can choose the amount they donate and all the proceeds will go to Sussex Beacon. It will be available on www.bandcamp.com from December 1 in time for World Aids Day. The download link: http://infinityfoods.bandcamp. com
Join your host, David Raven aka Maisie Trollette for a spectacular evening of entertainment in aid of The Sussex Beacon Appeal. Your stars for the night are: Pooh la May, Krissie Du Cann, Tammy Twinkle, Jennie Castell, Jamie Watson, Jason Lee and back by popular demand...The Sugar Lumps! Plus! There will be an EastEnders Charity Auction where you can bid to win items from the hit BBC show. Under the Hammer are: A pair of earrings worn on the show by actress Pam St Clement who plays Pat Evans (née Harris; previously Beale, Wicks and Butcher).
A striking outfit worn on the show by actress and comedienne Tameka Empson who plays Kim Fox and an Albert Square sign autographed by the cast of EastEnders. Tinsel & Tights Variety Show is on Wednesday, December 7 at 7.45pm at the Sallis Benney Theatre, Grand Parade, Brighton. Tickets £10/£8.50 concessions are available from 112 Church Street, The Sussex Beacon Shops in Brighton and Hove or :www.sussexbeacon.org.uk
RIP, THE FABULOUS ZSARDAY FORD
Three years after the tragic death of the Zsarday Ford in October 2008, friends and family gathered at her graveside in Brighton to celebrate her life and unveil her new memorial headstone. Zsarday’s family and friends from London met together with her friends and family in Brighton to remember and honour one of Brighton's 'fabulous' personalities. Zsarday's mother and sister spoke at the graveside, then everyone moved to Audio Bar for a reception at which Zsarday's father thanked everyone for coming to remember his daughter. Paul Kemp, of Wild Fruit said: “There was a lovely feeling in the room”.
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LOCAL BUSINESSES RALLY TO SUPPORT WORLD AIDS DAY WWW.GSCENE.COM
SWITCHBOARD ANNOUNCE The cost of staging World Aids Day rises each year. This year, in the current Do you experience stress, anxiety, CONSULTATION financial climate it’s been particularly challenging to find money to stage the event depressive thoughts and feelings? safely and effectively. Local LGBT businesses were asked to contribute £20 each Mindfulness based therapy is FINDINGS ON toward the costs of staging this years candlelit vigil at the Aids Memorial in New clinically proven to help relieve all Steine Gardens. By the time of going to print the following businesses responded of the above. MindOut is running THEIR FUTURE magnificently: Amsterdam Hotel, Legends, Wild Fruit, Revenge, Charles an 8 week course for LGBT Street, Poison Ivy, Marine Tavern, Crown & Anchor, Queens Arms, 122 Church Street, Prowler, Cardome, Justin Lloyd Estate Agents, Cavalaire Hotel, New Steine Hotel, Guillivers Hotel, Queens Hotel, Avalon Hotel, Hudsons Hotel, Loop Café, Metro Deco Café, Real Brighton, Gscene Magazine and Adam Betteridge. James Ledward, Gscene editor said: “It is very important to continue marking World Aids Day. However, the event costs money to stage. It never ceases to concern me that while people want these events to happen, they fail to understand how much they cost to stage. The World Aids Day Committee have been working behind the scenes for the last six months and they need a pot of money to work with to stage the event safely not only this year but next year and every year afterwards. Thank you to all the businesses who rallied round to support.” Local painter and decorator, Jimmy Cotcher cleaned the Aids Memorial in New Steine Gardens, last month to get it ready for World Aids Day. Jimmy volunteered his service free of charge and saved the AIds Memorial Trustees a hefty cleaning bill.
ESTATE AGENT DONATES TV TO SWITCHBOARD
Last month, Nick Kelly of Justin Lloyd Estate Agents presented Mark Elsworth, Lead Trustee of Brighton & Hove, LGBT Switchboard with a 22" flat screen TV for the Switchboard Christmas auction. Mark said: “We are delighted to accept this generous gift which will help in our fundraising appeal, and are very grateful to Justin Lloyd for their generosity. We will be announcing further details of our Christmas activities shortly. We have been pleased with the response to our fundraising appeal but still need to raise about £18,000 to keep us going; thanks to everyone who has helped us so far.”
SAY CHEESE!
You may have spotted snap-happy photographer Phil Bailey taking pictures of revellers on the Brighton Scene after one too many alcopops. Though he gets little or no reward for it, holding the camera gives Phil a reason to socialise. He says, “I don't drink, can't dance, so taking pictures means I can still go out and not feel like a lemon.” Phil was brought up in care for 14 years and though he has dealt with many tragedies, he maintains a positive outlook on life saying “when your uncle has been murdered, and friends are taken away too soon, it makes you live your life the best way you can.” As well as being diagnosed with Marfan syndrome and abdominal aortic aneurysm, Phil also fell victim to a homophobic attack, which resulted in him becoming registered disabled. While these events could be deemed as misfortunate, Phil isn't one to wallow: “I'm not one to sit at home and feel sorry for myself, so after some reflection I picked up my camera and here we are today.” He continued: “My fibromyalgia means I suffer from fatigue and muscle pains, which can sometimes make it difficult to muster the energy to go out. Though it can be difficult, I'll keep going for as long as possible.” Phil says his photographic work is the antithesis to the posturing, preening and pouting posse: “I just love seeing people's reactions to the pictures, and catching people enjoying themselves. I'd also like to set the record straight for those who reported me to the Job Centre. They said I can earn up to £90 a week, and I don't earn that.” Check out Phil’s website http://www.picturemate.co.uk
MINDOUT TO RUN MINDFULNESS COURSE IN JAN 2012
people, which will look at how we experience stress, unhappiness and feelings of not being able to cope. Mindfulness can help you bring acceptance and kindness to yourself and others and by developing mindfulness practices you can maintain a calmer, more peaceful way of being. The course will be on Mondays from 6–8pm, starting January 16, 2012, in central Brighton. Cost for the course is on a sliding scale from £20–£80 depending on your income. The tutor, Sheila, has many years’ experience teaching meditation, is a trained Mindfulness teacher and facilitates the LGBT Meditation Group in Brighton. For more info and booking form email info@mindout.org.uk or phone 01273 234 839 or see www.mindout.org.uk
RUN THE BRIGHTON MARATHON FOR LGBT SWITCHBOARD
Do you want to run the 2012 Brighton Marathon but don’t have a place? Or do you have a place and want to run for a local charity? Brighton & Hove LGBT Switchboard has places in next year’s marathon and are looking for people to run on their behalf. This year they raised over £2,000 from running the marathon and they want to raise even more next year to help raise money towards their £20,000 fundraising appeal. Elaine Bryan, veteran of this year’s race and Switchboard Trustee will be coordinating entries and offering support, expertise and encouragement. Switchboard will pay for your place, as long as you raise £500 in sponsorship on their behalf. Anyone who has already signed up and would like to run for a charity is welcome to contact Elaine. Please email brighton.admin@switchboard. org.uk (Administrator). More info: www.switchboard.org.uk/bright on/
Brighton & Hove LGBT Switchboard recently carried out a consultation exercise led by a consultant from the charity Impetus, to find out what service users and partners, as well as their key stakeholders, think about the services they provide. The consultation was wide ranging and involved their funders, people who have used their services, their volunteers and other LGBT organisations in Brighton & Hove. Switchboard say the responses have shown that people value the services they provide and think well of them as an organisation. They also highlighted the things they need to improve on. The key areas for development include: • Ensuring that they stay connected and engaged with the community • Building their capacity and staffing levels to ensure volunteers are well managed and supported • Providing more services to more people that are better value for money • Making some operational changes to the help-line to ensure that it is more effective and that people who need the support are always able to access it in a range of different ways • Providing more counselling and related services such as groups, couple counselling and family therapy Switchboard claim their capacity to implement the above is currently underresourced. With this in mind Switchboard is currently exploring its options for the future and this process is being supported by Impetus – a local charity who provide infrastructure support to vulnerable community and voluntary organisations. Mark Elsworth, Lead Trustee, said: “The results of the consultation are interesting and give us, as an organisation, much to work on. We will be discussing the outcomes of the consultation with our volunteers to see how we can work better with them to make the services we supply appropriate for the community as a whole. This is an exciting and challenging time for Switchboard and we want to make sure that we move in the right direction; we need to consider the outcomes from the consultation carefully and look at how we can apply what we learn from this. We will keep everyone updated on the progress that we make." MARK ELSWORTH
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EASTENDERS STAR BECOMES A PATRON OF THE SUSSEX BEACON
Award winning actor Ann Mitchell, currently playing Cora Cross in EastEnders, has become a patron of The Sussex Beacon, after visiting the charity in September. Ann was so impressed after her initial visit that she returned in October with some more guests, including the actors Angela Lonsdale and Martina Laird well known for their roles in Coronation Street and Casualty. Simon Burgess, Chairman of The Sussex Beacon, said: “We are absolutely delighted to welcome Ann as a patron of The Sussex Beacon and we look forward to her future support enormously.” After spending a considerable time meeting both staff and service users, learning more about the Beacon’s vital work, Ann’s guests were also keen to offer their support; particularly in looking forward to commemorating The Sussex Beacon's 20th anniversary in 2012. Ann said: “Meeting the wonderful staff and some of the people who benefit from the support and care provided by the Beacon was a great privilege. The Sussex Beacon is one of the most special places I have ever visited, it is a unique haven.”
CHRIS COOKE
CHRIS COOKE APPOINTED NEW HEAD OF FINANCE & FUNDRAISING AT. SUSSEX BEACON
Chris Cooke has been appointed as the Sussex Beacon's new Head of Finance & Fundraising. Chris is replacing the present Finance Manager who is leaving for pastures new. Kat Williams, CEO of The Beacon, said: “We are delighted to welcome Chris to the team as someone with a strong financial background and a lot of involvement in the local community. I’m looking forward to working with him in these crucial months ahead.” Chris Cooke said: “I'm delighted to be joining The Sussex Beacon and look forward to leading the finance and fundraising teams through these challenging times. I'm sure my financial acumen and networking skills will be put to good use in the months ahead and I'm particularly pleased to have such a passionate fundraising team already in place to assist me in this role. One of my first tasks will be to build on the success of the recently launched Beacon Appeal and I cannot wait to get started.”
NEW CONDOM SLOGAN RESOURCE
A new flyer with matching beermats was circulated last month to encourage over 18s to talk about, and use, condoms. The promotion runs alongside the city’s condom distribution scheme, which provides free condoms to over 100 outlets. The flyers and beermats distributed to local pubs, clubs and university campuses also give details of local sexual health, alcohol and substance misuse services and encourage more HIV testing and access to screening. There will also be an updated version made available for Christmas. The initiative was devised by Liz Dean, Sexual Health Practitioner at the Community HIV Specialist Team (Sussex Community NHS Trust). Health promotion and education are crucial to stopping the spread of STIs and HIV – improving public awareness and encouraging safer sexual behaviour. Prevention work in Brighton & Hove, such as promoting condom use, is particularly important. The city has the highest rate of diagnosed HIV outside of London, high rates of STIs, and high levels of termination of pregnancy.
LUNCH POSITIVE
Lunch Positive, the voluntary community organisation which provides a weekly lunch service and community space for people with HIV, have two community events planned for December 2011. Following World Aids Day, there is a Community Lunch on Friday 2, the annual Christmas Lunch on Friday 16, and they will be open on Friday 23 and Friday 30 of December. Gary Pargeter, project co-ordinator, said: “This year has been one of growth, dedication from our volunteers and increased collaboration with other organisations. Since registering as a charity our membership has exceeded 100 and between 30 to 50 people come and enjoy a health lunch each week. The support members provide to each other, the 3,600 hours given by our 25 volunteers, and the support of the wider community are invaluable. Despite improved clinical treatments, our annual project evaluation shows the continued need to provide an affordable healthy meal, community space, peer and social support to people with HIV remains evident and highly relevant. This is particularly poignant as this year marks the 30th anniversary of HIV. We'd like to thank every one who has been part of this.” For more info see: www.lunchpositive.org, email: info@lunchpositive.org or call 07846 464384.
CONCERNS ABOUT DRUG & ALCOHOL ABUSE IN KEMPTOWN
Simon Kirby, MP for Kemptown & Peacehaven, has written to the Council and Police on the issue of drug and alcohol abuse in the St James’ Street area of the constituency. Simon said: “Local residents have expressed to me their concerns about street drinking and drug abuse in the area. I have contacted the council and police to see what practical steps they are taking to combat these problems.” St James' Street forms the heart of the Gay Village and is a hot spot for attacks on LGBT people.
JURYS INN SUPPORT LUNCH POSITIVE
The Jurys Inn Hotel in Brighton held a raffle last month to raise funds for local HIV charity, Lunch Positive, a weekly lunch club for people with HIV, providing a safe space for food, friendship and peer support. Local businesses donated an array of prizes including £100 worth of hairdressing vouchers, a food hamper, hotel stays, a relaxing spa treatment and afternoon tea for two at the De Vere Grand. The staff at Jurys Inn Brighton chose to support Lunch Positive for the great work and support it provides for residents of Brighton and surrounding areas. The raffle draw was made after Gscene went to print. Nik Cunningham, Accommodation Manager of Jurys Inn Brighton, said: “We’re always keen to work with the local community and support local charities. The money raised will make a huge difference to Lunch Positive as they rely entirely on charitable funding and are run wholly by volunteers, providing such a great service.”
PEER ACTION UPDATE
Peer Action is a small community group formed during the summer of 2011 from a nucleus of gay men primarily aged 45 and over, living with HIV who feel HIV services in Brighton are becoming less relevant to them. Their ethos is self help driven. If you feel the need to give more to your community or you feel you would like more from your community, Peer Action wants to hear from you. They already have some hard working volunteers but need more 'peers' to come up with new ideas and put them into action with the support of the present members. Regular events include fortnightly evening get togethers in a safe space to chat over a coffee in Kemptown. This is a drop in facility with confidentiality respected at all times. Other events include film evenings on a big screen in one of the members houses and bingo evenings at the Gala Bingo in Kemp Town. Walks are organised in collaboration with Outdoor Positive, which usually end up in the pub afterwards. A quiz evening has also been organised in partnership with Outdoor Positive and Positive Lunch will provide the buffet supper. The cost of £5 includes supper, wine and soft drinks, cash prizes for the winning team and local quiz host. Tickets are available from Peer Action, Lunch Positive and Outdoor Positive. Future activities include Yoga for HIV positive people in Kemptown with a qualified yoga instructor and a weekly pilates group also for positive people. If you run a local business, Peer Action need your support to help them grow. For more details their activities go to: www.peeraction.co.uk or email them at peeractiown@yahoo .co.uk
20 GSCENE
DINE WITH THE STARS! Dine with the Stars at the Queens Hotel last month raised £2010 towards the Sussex Beacon's £150,000 appeal.
QUEENS HOTEL STAFF TEAM
DAVE LYNN
POOH LA MAY
JENNIE CASTELLE
JAMIE WATSON
LADY JAMES
LOLA LASAGNE
MISS JASON
DAVINA SPARKLE
SALLY VATE
Dave Lynn, Lola Lasagne, Miss Jason, Lady James, Sally Vate, Jamie Watson, Jennie Castelle and Pooh La May all sang a few numbers and hosted a dinner table each for the evening, which was compered by Davina Sparkle. £10 of every ticket sold for the dinner went to The Sussex Beacon and further money was raised from a raffle and auction. It was nice to see so many old faces back out on the scene - so well done to everyone involved for a stylish and well thought out evening, which was great value for money. Thanks to Justin, Barry and their team at the Queens Hotel for going the extra mile. Here's to the next one.
GSCENE OUT & ABOUT 21
22 GSCENE
HAPPY HOLIDAYS It’s time to plan next year’s gaycation says Roger Wheeler I am sorry, ‘gaycation’ is an awful word. I came across it on an American site, though it’s a bit better than the hideous ‘staycation‘. Being a gay couple we don’t want to have to explain ourselves or encounter judgment when checking into hotels or having to explain why you want one bed instead of two. To be fair it rarely happens now that there are so many gay travel sites but the problem obviously does exist. According to a recent American survey of some 500 gay travellers, 71% expressed a preference to stay at gay-owned hotels. If the survey had included gay-friendly accommodations, I suspect that the number would be even higher. Earlier this year we had the pleasure of staying at a gay-owned hotel; in short, there’s something to be said for keeping it in the family.
GAY TRAVEL WEBSITES Gaytravel.com is about the most comprehensive worldwide travel site for gay people. It’s based in the US so most reviews are written by Americans but none the worse for that. One of my personal favourites is
gaytravellersnetwork.com, here you can join any number of groups that specialise in various countries or types of traveller; bears, naked beaches etc. US based, again, but they do have a lot of members from Europe and its well worth looking at.
Qguide.com is an Australian site with the slogan ‘Inspiring gay travellers to venture out and explore their big gay world’. It covers and reviews international capital cities, with lots of recommendations of places to stay and see. As it originates in Oz it does have a slight bias towards Australia, South America, the US but their coverage of the rest of the world is pretty comprehensive.
International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA) is about the biggest gay travel site. It’s based in Fort Lauderdale,
which as most of us know, is the gay capital of America. But it is worldwide with ‘ambassadors’ in virtually all European countries who, technically, are there to help and advise gay visitors. IGLTA is a professional organisation that gives accreditation to hotels that can then carry the logo. I’ve tried this and it works, you can trust the logo, any hotel carrying it will be gay or extremely gay friendly.
UK-based furtherafield.com is run by two guys in Herefordshire who launched their site when they couldn’t find a small hotel or B&B they felt comfortable with. Their aim was to create an easy to use guide offering places to stay which have been hand-picked in amazing locations, with quality and personality. The sort of guide they could recommend to friends - straight and gay. Their site now features 130 properties in Spain, Italy, France and throughout the UK. We visited one of their recommended properties, Hotel Masia Sumidors near Sitges and it was a perfect place to relax. Gay owned and run by two great guys; if this is the standard of furtherafield then they are doing the right thing. Exclusivelypride.net is the latest company to get into the gay market, offering a ‘new travel concept’ offering exotic, luxury destinations for discerning gay and lesbian travellers (their words not mine). Launched in October 2011, run by a Dutch-born South African and based in Cambridge, they offer tailor made holidays specialising in Southern and East Africa and India.
Increasing numbers of gay and lesbian tourists are choosing India, which was until fairly recently, thought of as a conservative society that disapproved of same-sex relationships. Consensual homosexual activities were effectively decriminalised in 2009, so it’s not surprising that India has become popular as a gay destination. There are two new Indian companies, indjapink.co.in and outjourneys.com that are offering tours to Jaipur, Udaipur, Agra, Varanasi and Kerala which are apparently romantic destinations.
TRAVEL REVIEW SITES The biggest travel review site is, of course, tripadvisor.co.uk, but did you know that they have a gay forum. As they don’t broadcast this facility you will need to search for www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowForum-g1i12358-Gay_Travel. It’s a very interesting forum and certainly worth taking a look at. On a more general travel theme if you subscribe to travelzoo.com (it’s free, as are all the others) you will get a weekly newsletter of some very good airline and hotel deals. I have just found insidetraveller.co.uk, another travel advice site which is not free but you can sign up for a free monthly newsletter giving some interesting info on money saving deals, car hire and air fares. There are dozens of similar sites all of which offer advice and suggestions, really quite a mind boggling amount of choice. Confused? I am, most of us base our holiday choice on cost and how much time we can spend either on the beach or exploring new places. The Passport Office strongly recommend that you renew your passport nine months before it expires, and will credit the unused period at the end of your new passport. Some budget airlines will refuse boarding if your passport has less than six months before expiring, which is wrong but try disputing that with a check-in clerk at a busy airport. New passports take about ten days to arrive, so renew in plenty of time. Wherever you go have a great time and enjoy Christmas.
GSCENE 23 don’t think there was much glamour back then as it was the peak of the depression and Croydon Aerodrome was the UK’s only airport.
VERTICAL THINKING Roger Wheeler moves up in the world... to Battersea Battersea, south west London (or south Chelsea as it used to be known), famous for a dogs home, an iconic but disused power station, a park with a pagoda and not a lot else. Why then would anyone spend £10 million+ on a five star luxury hotel there? A good question. There are a large number of modern apartment buildings along this part of the South Bank of the River Thames, some of them unoccupied. Von Essen Aviation bought the Battersea Heliport (now renamed London’s Vertical Gateway) in 2007 with part of the deal being that the empty building next door should be turned into a hotel, the stunning Hotel Verta built in 2010.
Externally it’s not much to look at, being identical to all the other new buildings along what the Borough of Wandsworth calls Bridges Wharf. We visited just a few months after opening, and due to the lack of road signs, found the hotel almost impossible to find. Even London taxi drivers don’t know where it is and the sat-nav was useless, so logically we headed to the heliport and there it was. Since opening there have been rave reviews and without a doubt the interior fixtures and fittings are of the highest possible quality. However, not everything went to plan. A mix up over our reservation was sorted out quite quickly, and after several other misunderstandings we were eventually shown to our room. It was quite lovely, somewhat like living inside a Prada handbag (I had never seen so much brown leather and beige silk). There were a few problems with the air
conditioning and the heated towel rails and we were moved to a ‘junior suite’, which was in fact just a slightly smaller room with a larger bathroom.
The Verta is without doubt an ultra-modern exclusive hotel. There is a beautiful spa offering all the usual treatments and a pool; but by far the best feature is the restaurant, called the Patrisey (the Anglo-Saxon for Battersea we were told). It’s a really great place to eat, very assured cooking and immaculate service would make it worth the trip alone. Indeed, one would almost think it was the West End not Battersea. It’s unfortunate then that I’d recommend against leaving the hotel on foot after dark. We took an evening stroll to see what the locality had to offer and within a few minutes were targeted by a couple of young men, who seeing that we had emerged from a luxury hotel made towards us. Thankfully more people appeared in the opposite direction and they vanished. It was a quite unnerving experience, and although I am a Londoner I’ve never been to this part of Battersea. I now know why!
Surprisingly this ‘suite’ was slightly less luxurious than our previous superior ‘room’, being more Gucci than Prada. Still, it was exceptionally lovely but why so many cushions on the bed? In most boutique hotels there seems to be a fashion to cover the bed with dozens of beautiful silk cushions. Attention to detail is amazing, but then you would get that in most of London’s five star hotels, with all the little items, tissue holders etc covered in beautiful calf skin making them very attractive to the light fingered, which means there is a price list if you really fancy a souvenir. There was a very big HD TV, though no free wi-fi - no excuse for that in a five star hotel. The bed was huge and blissfully comfortable and the bathroom vast, there was even a TV at the end of the bath. Great tea and Espresso coffee facilities (no instant coffee here) were available, and a very extensive and expensive mini bar, though surely no one actually uses hotel mini bars? From the, what appeared to be bullet proof, windows there were terrific views of the Thames, but they didn’t open. The aircon worked and the heavy silk curtains meant that we slept in total peace and darkness. Hotel Verda seemingly attempts to recreate a feeling of the glamour days of aviation in the 1930s. Though it’s an interesting theme, I
Nevertheless, Battersea High Street has some good restaurants and pubs and once there we felt quite safe. To travel further there are buses to Victoria, and Clapham Junction Station, mainline not tube, is a ten minute walk. The heliport next door provided some interesting moments and the Thames Path runs along the towpath. This quiet and unused backwater is a very odd place for a luxury hotel but once you’re inside, it’s fine and very good value.
There should be some good deals on offer as the Verta, along with all the other hotels in the failed Von Essen Group, is in administration. This doesn’t affect the running of the hotel, and can be yours for around £20 million. The general manager, Andrew Thomason, formerly at Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, stays in post. He also lives in Brighton so obviously has exceptionally good taste in his choice of home and work.
info www.hotelverta.com
24 GSCENE
THE BEST KEPT SECRET East Sussex-based Dirty Footprints Theatre Company (DFTC) would love to hear from you if you are running a Domestic Abuse Awareness event and would like them to perform their play The Best Kept Secret, which aims to raise awareness of domestic abuse. In 2004 the Sussex Police Authority commissioned DFTC to devise The Best Kept Secret to get local communities to discuss domestic abuse through raising awareness. Furthermore, agencies that encounter victims in the regular course of their working day are also targeted, including church organisations, youth groups, health visitors and many more. To date the play has toured schools as a workshop and in September received great audience feedback following a performance at the Catholic Church’s Domestic Abuse Awareness launch with attendees calling it “harrowing” and due to being based on real-life cases of domestic abuse, “realistic”. According to the 2008/2009 report, Homicides, Firearm Offences & Intimate Violence, one in four women and one in six men have experienced domestic abuse since the age of 16. These figures are equivalent to an estimated 4.5 million female victims, and 2.6 million male victims of domestic abuse. Libby Hannelle and Liliane Braca, directors and founders of DFTC used these figures are inspiration for the work. They said: “The most vulnerable age for domestic abuse is 16 – 25-yearolds. We take the play to 14 – 18-yearolds so they may understand the subject better and perhaps be less likely to fall victim. We are really committed to The Best Kept Secret, as many victims are too frightened or embarrassed to discuss the problem with their closest friend or family member. Nobody should suffer alone.”
CHIVA Paul Harrington looks at their support camps for young people living with HIV The Children’s HIV Association (CHIVA) has for the last two years run support camps for young people living with HIV in the UK and Ireland. There are around 1000 under 18s with HIV in this country and many of these young people are geographically and socially isolated from regular support of any kind. The support camps offer the participants the opportunity to explore what being HIV+ means to them in a safe environment where peer support is paramount. Being HIV+ for many of us has its challenges. Issues of disclosure, prejudice, stigma, starting meds and adherence, fear of rejection all raise their ugly heads from time to time. Now, imagine an 11-yearold going through these and add the extra challenges of puberty, transition to high school and sexual awakening into the mix. It literally is quite mind boggling to think of what these youngsters have to endure. Luckily they’re not alone. CHIVA is run by a hugely dedicated group of five part-time staff and a tiny army of volunteers, many of whom are HIV+ themselves. This small family provides many opportunities for young people affected by HIV throughout the year not least the support camps. The camps provide a variety of workshops which aim to educate and support the young people through the week and equip them with skills to help them cope for the remaining 51 weeks of the year. In addition, outdoor activities such as rock climbing, abseiling and canoeing add an adventurous flavour to the camp. Art, drama, music, dance, cooking and sporting activities are arranged resulting in showcase performances followed by a disco on the final night.
“We take the play to 14–18 year olds so they may understand the subject better and perhaps be less likely to fall victim” If you would like to have The Best Kept Secret performed as part of a Domestic Abuse Awareness event or to discuss an upcoming project/ workshop, please contact Libby Hannelle of Dirty Footprints Theatre Company on 07966 799448, info@dirtyfootprints.com or Twitter #DFPTheatre.
Peer support on many levels is encouraged which includes a Camp Leader Programme where older HIV+ young people are trained as mentors. It was great to see so many teenagers from the 2010 camp return this year with greater confidence and self esteem taking a leading role in supporting those new to camp. This is quite literally a life changing experience for these young people and it was utterly humbling to be a part of the last two camps. “I wish I could bottle this week and take a sip throughout the year when I needed it,’ said a 13-year-old girl from Eastbourne. “We want another one and a bigger one!” said a 16-year-old lad from Manchester.
CYCLING FUNDRAISER FOR 2012 CAMP Unfortunately, funding for camp 2012 is not yet secure and so a group of staff, volunteers and young people are to embark on jointly cycling the distance from Lands End to John O Groats (1407km) on the weekend of December Sat 3 and Sun 4, 2011 albeit from the relative warmth and comfort of a gym. If you have a few pennies to spare or would like to find out more about the work that CHIVA do then please visit www.chiva.org.uk or www.justgiving.com/teams/CHIVAcyclechallenge
GSCENE OUT & ABOUT 25
26 GSCENE OUT & ABOUT
PICS FROM AQUARIUM + A-BAR
DECEMBER
LISTINGS
AQUARIUM
WAD: Thur (1) is WAD Karaoke at 9pm, 50p to sing goes to THT & Sussex Beacon. XMAS: Sat (24) is XMAS KARAOKE from 5pm, open 1pm. Xmas Day PASS THE PARCEL on Sun (25) 1–4pm, reopens 7pm. Open 1pm on Boxing Day (26) with free bar snacks from 3pm. NYE: NYE party on Sat (31) with Pantomime theme from 9pm. Sun (1) Jan, open 3pm. REGULARS: Sun is mulled wine & mince pies with pianist Anthony Jackson-Stubbs & guest singers (11) at 5.30pm, and (18) at 6.30pm. HAPPY HOURS: All day; £3 doubles & splash Smirnoff/Gordons/Bacardi/Bells, select shots £1. Pies daily from 2pm. Open daily from 1pm. www.aquariumtheatrebar.co.uk
THURSDAY 1 A-BAR Xmas Meal: 3-courses £17.50 noon-8pm; opens 11am AQUARIUM World Aids Day Karaoke: sing a song for 50p, donations to THT & Sussex Beacon 9pm; pies 2pm-midnight; open 1pm BAR REVENGE Girls On Top Warm Up: DJ Smithy 9pm; opens noon BEDFORD TAVERN Thur Social; open noon BRIGHTON SAUNA Student & Under 25s Night: DJ & licensed bar 10pm-5am BULLDOG Release: DJ Grant Knowles 10pm; opens 11am CAMELFORD ARMS Big Dave’s Quiz Night 9pm; food noon-3pm & 6-9pm; open noon CHARLES ST Mad Cow XXL - My Cow Is On Fire: host Ms Joan Bond, DJs Lil Alex & LeeRoy 8pm; opens noon CROWN & ANCHOR Food 10am2.30pm & 5.30-9pm; opens 10am DR BRIGHTONS Thirsty Thurs; open 1pm ENVY Get Some: DJs 10pm FUNKYFISH BAR Opens 11am LEGENDS BAR Open 11am MARLBOROUGH Food 12.30-8.30pm; open noon POISON IVY Spice’s Back to the 90s Karaoke 7pm; opens 11am PROJECT 56 Food 11am-6pm; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS World Aids’ Day Sussex Beacon Cabaret Fundraiser: Drag With No Name hosts cabaret artists Dave Lynn, Davina Sparkle, Lady James, Rose Garden, Sophie & Tammy Twinkle 8.30pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN Cabaret: Joe sings, pianist Mark Hodge plays 8.30pm; festive food noon-2.30pm & 6-9pm; opens noon REVENGE Girls On Top World Aids Day Fundraiser for THT: level 1 DJs Smithy, Fifilicious & Alpha; Box Bar DJs Miss Masters & Dulcie Danger 10.30pm SUBLINE Leathered 9pm VAVAVOOM Bar 150; opens 4pm-12 ZONE Carrie O’Kay’s Karaoke 8.30pm; opens 11am
FRIDAY 2 A-BAR Food noon-8pm; Boys of Liverpool: live music 9pm; opens 11am AQUARIUM Micklos Music Madness: karaoke competition, cash prize 9pm; pies 2pm1am; open 1pm BAR REVENGE Disco Bomb: Alpha DJ 9pm; opens noon-6am BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Friday Frenzy: DJ Peter Castle 11pm BEDFORD TAVERN Krazy Kamikaze Karaoke 8.30pm; opens noon BULLDOG Main bar: DJ Lil Alex 10pm; top bar: karaoke 10pm; opens 11am CAMELFORD ARMS FBI 9pm; food noon-3pm & 6-9pm; open noon CHARLES ST Friday Fix: DJ Leeroy 9pm; food noon-7.45pm; opens noon CROWN & ANCHOR Live music & DJ: Motown/Soul-themed night; food 10am2.30pm & 5.30-9pm; opens 10am 112 CHURCH ST Cabaret: Jason Lee 9pm; opens noon DR BRIGHTONS Funky Fri: DJs Nick Hirst or Wayne 9.30pm; opens 1pm FROCKABILLY@LATEST Frockabilly Holiday Special: Kitty-Come-Lately, Katfink, Zolene & Prodigal Becky BadLuck host 50sthemed xmas party with DJ Lonesome M 9pm FUNKYFISH BAR Opens 11am FUNKYFISH CLUB Friday Funk: DJ Soul Finger 10.30pm LEGENDS BAR Friday Frenzy cabaret: Eva La Diva 9.30pm; DJ Peter Castle 11pm; opens 11am MARLBOROUGH The Special People’s Club: DJs Liam & Tom 9pm; food 12.308.30pm; open 11am POISON IVY Betty Swollocks’ Karaoke 7pm; opens 11am PROJECT 56 Food 11am-6pm; Pre-club tunes on demand 8pm; opens 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Naked Karaoke Show: Kamp Kevin & Stars from the Bar 9pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN Jazz Night: Honky Tonk 8pm; Festive food noon-2.30pm & 69pm; opens noon
A-BAR
XMAS: XMAS CAROLS with Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus on Sun (18) at 7pm. Six course XMAS DINNER on Sun (25) for £55 from 1pm. Please book in advance on 01273 688825. Open 7pm–midnight for the general public (kitchen closed). Boxing Day (26), open noon (kitchen closed). NYE: WHITE NYE Party on Sat (31) with DJ Vik Winter playing 60s/70s/soul/ Motown/requests, live entertainment and a free buffet from 9pm, free entry. New Year’s Roast on Sun (1) Jan from noon–5pm, closes midnight. REGULARS: Wed is new PIANO BAR Cabaret from 8.30pm: launch party with Trudi Styles & Mark Russell (7), Maisie Trollette (14), Trudi Styles & Mark Russell’s Xmas Special (21). LIVE MUSIC every Fri from 9pm: Boys of Liverpool (2), Mark Russell & guests (9), Tudo Bem’s Brazilian rhythms (16), pianist Mark Hodge & guest vocalists (23) & British Blues Award-nominees Will Harmonica Duo (30). Sat (3) Boys of Liverpool at 9pm. Have a drink with Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus on Sun (11) from 10pm. FOOD: Daily Xmas 3-course Meal for £17.50 served Thur (1) to Sat (24) from noon–8pm. Regular menu served after from noon–8pm, Sunday lunch served noon–5pm; one course £7.50, two £9.90 and three £12.30. Bookings 01273 688825. Open: 11am from Mon–Sun, unrivalled sea view, large heated smoking terrace, all big sport events. Sauna closed. www.amsterdam.co.uk REVENGE X Factor Fridays: See the XFactor finalists live b4 anyone else, guaranteed meet & greet hosted by Dolly Rocket with DJs Trick, Alex Baker, Ruby Roo & Fifilicious 10.30pm SUBLINE Electro-convulsive 9pm VAVAVOOM Pre-club & Dale’s karaoke 9pm; opens 6pm-very late ZONE Cabaret: Jennie Castell 9.30pm; opens 11am
noon-5pm; open noon BULLDOG Main bar: DJ V John 9.30pm; top bar: karaoke 10pm; opens 11am CAMELFORD ARMS Funky Camel 9pm; food noon-7.30pm; open noon CHARLES ST Fierce: DJs on rotation 9pm; food noon-7.45pm; opens noon CROWN & ANCHOR Live Comedy: Charmaine Davies; live football; food 9am2.30pm & 5.30-9pm; opens 9am DR BRIGHTONS Sexy Sat: DJ Tony B 9.30pm; opens 1pm SATURDAY 3 A-BAR Food noon-8pm; Boys of Liverpool: FUNKYFISH BAR Opens 11am FUNKYFISH CLUB Old Skool Saturday: DJ live music 9pm; opens 11am Delimentary 10pm AQUARIUM Gobby Gordon’s Sat Club LEGENDS BAR Pre-Fusion with Fusion DJs 2pm; Mimbo’s Karaoke Showtime 5pm; pies 7pm; opens 11am 2pm-1am; opens 1pm BAR REVENGE Kinky Classics: DJ King K MARLBOROUGH Cherry Pop: DJ Fondue Inferno 9pm; food 12.30-8.30pm; open noon 9pm; opens noon-6am BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Fusion: DJ POISON IVY Betty Swollocks’ Karaoke 7pm; opens 11am Lee Harris 11pm PROJECT 56 Food 11am-6pm; About BEDFORD TAVERN The Wild West Him with GoGo Boys 8pm; opens 11am Hoedown & Fundraiser: Wild West-themed QUEEN’S ARMS Xmas Cabaret Show: Trudi night for Sussex Beacon, cowboy snacks & Styles & Pianoman 4pm; Camp Attack: DJ surprises 8pm; Meals on Heels: Spice cooks
PICS FROM HALLOWEEN @ THE BRIGHTON TAVERN + BEDFORD TAVERN
GSCENE OUT & ABOUT 27
BEDFORD
WAD: World Aids Day WILD WEST HOEDOWN themed fundraiser for Sussex Beacon on Sat (3) from 8pm, free snacks, entry by donation. XMAS: CHRISTMAS LUNCH on Sun (18) with 3 courses and glass of hot, spiced cider for £15 from noon, bookings advised. JB plays festive tunes 5pm. CHRISTMASOKE on Fri (23) with free festive shots for singers from 8pm. SPICE’S XMAS CABARET on Sat (24) with mince pies and hot spiced cider from 9pm. Open Sun (25) from noon–3pm. BOXING DAY BLOW-OUT on Mon (26) with free buffet from 4pm. Open 3pm–midnight. NYE: BLACK & BLING BASH on Sat (31) from 8pm, free entry so get there early! REGULARS: Sat is SPICE’S MEALS ON HEELS with food noon–5pm and then Shot-tastic with house shots £1 when Whigfield’s Saturday Night plays. Sunday roasts from noon–5pm, piano sing-a-long from 5pm, and Camp Bingo Fundraiser for Sussex Beacon at 7pm. Open daily from noon–late. Andy B 9pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN Festive food noon6pm; opens noon REVENGE Kinky Dangerous: Level 1 DJs Alex Baker & Smithy; Box bar DJs Dulcie Danger & Wayne G 10.30pm SUBLINE Boiler Room 9pm VAVAVOOM Party & Dale’s Karaoke 9pm; opens 6pm-very late ZONE Sally Vate 9.30pm; opens 11am SUNDAY 4 A-BAR Sunday lunch noon-5pm; open 11am AQUARIUM Mulled wine, mince pies & sing by the fire 5pm; open 1pm
BAR REVENGE Sublime Sunday acoustic Music 5pm; Karaoke Queens LouBag & Smithy till 12; Sun roast/pies noon-7pm; opens noon BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Pop!Candy: DJ Jaykey 11pm BEDFORD TAVERN Perfect Sunday: food noon-5pm; Piano sing-a-long 5pm; Camp Bingo Fundraiser 7pm; opens noon BULLDOG Main bar: DJ Grant Knowles 6pm; top bar: karaoke 9pm; opens 11am CAMELFORD ARMS Sun Roasts noon5pm; Seaside Bears Bash 5pm; open noon CHARLES ST Cabaret: Lady Imelda 7pm; X Factor results 8pm; Tranny Rock & Roll Bingo: Tammy Twinkle & Sally Vate 9pm; Sun lunch noon-7pm
SAT 3rd
WILD WEST HOEDOWN
WANTED! COWBOYS/GIRLS, INDIANS & SALOON WHORES for WAD fundraiser.
Dress Western style. Free cowboy snacks Entry donation to Sussex Beacon 8pm-1am
SAT 24th: A LITTLE FESTIVE SPICE! Warm mince pies, hot spiced cider and festive cabaret Spice Xmas Show 9pm
MON 26th: BOXING DAY BLOW-OUT Free bumper buffet, great drink deals and 1 or 2 festive surprises... Party kicks off 4pm
SAT 31st BLACK & BLING BASH
BEYOND BRIGHTON @ AUDIO
London afterhours party BEYOND comes to Brighton on Sun (1) Jan 2012 for the New Year’s Day Spectacular with 2 floors, more production than ever, hosts Elektra Paris, Dirty Sunset Disco & The GoGo Crew, DJs Steve Pitron, Gonzalo, Sharp Boys, Jonny M, Fat Tony, Lee Harris, Verity Mayes and more from 3.30am–very late. Entry £8, advance tickets from www.clubtickets.com, bring Gscene advert for discount entry.
Everyone is invited to celebrate the start of a FABULOUS NEW YEAR! No ticket required so arrive early to guarantee entry 8pm–2am Happy New Year from all at The Bedford Tavern
30 Western St, Brighton 01273 739495
28 GSCENE OUT & ABOUT
PICS FROM HALLOWEEN @ THE BRIGHTON SAUNA + THE BULLDOG
DECEMBER
LISTINGS
BRIGHTON SAUNA
XMAS: The XMAS CHARITY PARTY EXTRAVAGANZA on Thur (15) is in aid of THT with cabaret from Tammy Twinkle, stripper Teddy Bear, licensed bar, buffet, mince pies and raffle from 6pm, entry £15 all day, £5 goes to THT. Xmas opening: Fri (23) 10am–Sat (24) 11pm, Sun (25) 11am–11pm, Mon (26) 10am–Wed (28) 1am. NYE: NEW YEAR’S PARTY on Sat (31) with licensed bar from 7pm–7am. Open Fri (30) 10am–Tue (2) Jan 1am. REGULARS: COCKS ‘N’ JOCKS on Wed (14) from 7pm–late. Let it all hang out or pick up a pair of jocks for £10. Every 2nd Wed of month. STUDENT & UNDER 25S NIGHT on Thur (1) with DJ, licensed bar & drink offers from 10pm, text U25 to 07786201096 to get free entry, under 25s or students only. Free HIV testing by THT every Wed from 6–9pm. www.thebrightonsauna.com 112 CHURCH ST Richard’s Sunday Roast noon-late; opens noon CROWN & ANCHOR Live football; breakfast 9am; Sun lunch noon-till gone; opens 9am DR BRIGHTONS Celebrating with The Red Party: DJ Wayne, Red Party tickets available 8.30pm; open 1pm FUNKYFISH BAR Opens 11am LEGENDS BAR Cabaret: Lucinda Lashes 3.15pm; opens 11am MARLBOROUGH Roasts 12.30pm-till gone; open noon POISON IVY Sonia Marmite’s Karaoke 7pm; opens 11am PROJECT 56 Sunday Roast 12.304.30pm; Karaoke Legend Finale: win £500 8.30pm; opens 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Cabaret: Wesley Sebastian 5.30pm; X Factor resuts; Betty’s karaoke; open noon REGENCY TAVERN Jerome’s Piano Lounge 1pm; Sunday lunch noon-5pm; open noon SUBLINE Xmas Underwear Party with Sterling Underwear 8pm VAVAVOOM Bar 250 WILD FRUIT@HED KANDI & PROJECT Circus of the Absurd theme Red Party Fundraiser: VIP preview party feat Jodie Harsh, Dulcie Danger & Yusuf Sebaiti, entry by invite or first come basis, 50 free Hed kandi CDs to give-away 8pm; Main Party host Dolly Rocket, Fordiy Freaktastic, Stephanie Starlette, Joan Bond, Billy Lewis & more; DJs Thomas Gandy,
Fat Tony, De Put Madre, Lee Harris & Lil Alex play on Funktion One sound system; stage performance artists The Amazing Ari & Marnie Scarlet-Diva, Twisted Cirque & dancers; live PAs Kryten Cummings, Wesley Sebastian, Barbara Bush & the Electrobells feat Chrissy Darling, Twiggy & Daniel Lismore; DJs Munroe Bergdorf & Queen Josephine upstairs in pop/mish-mash room 10pm ZONE Cabaret: Lady James 9pm; open 11am MONDAY 5 A-BAR Xmas Meal: 3-courses £17.50 noon-8pm; opens 11am AQUARIUM Mulled cider, mince pies 6pm; pies 2pm-midnight; open 1pm BAR REVENGE Quiz With Liz 8.30pm; opens noon BEDFORD TAVERN Recovery; opens noon BULLDOG DJ Marcia’s Glitter Ball 10pm; opens 11am CAMELFORD ARMS Monday Club 6pm; food noon-3pm & 6-9pm; open noon CHARLES ST Food noon-8pm; open noon CROWN & ANCHOR Live Football 7.45pm; food 10am-2.30pm; opens 10am DR BRIGHTONS Medication Mon; opens 1pm ENVY Studio 150: NUS party 10.30pm FUNKYFISH BAR Opens 11am
BULLDOG
XMAS: JINGLE BELL ROCK on Sat (24) with DJ Marcia in the main bar and karaoke upstairs from 10pm. Open Xmas Day Sun (25) from noon–3pm & 7pm–late; Boxing Day Mon (26) from 10pm–7am with DJ Jamie. Bar open 11am–7am, times may vary. NYE: Grant’s NYE COUNTDOWN PARTY on Thur (29) from 10pm, bar open 11am–3am. 63 HOUR NON-STOP PARTY from Fri (30)–Tue (2) Jan; Fri is DJ Lil Alex from 10pm, Karaoke from 10pm; NEW YEAR’S EVE on Sat (31) iwith DJ Marcia from 10pm, DJ V John from 2am, karaoke upstairs from 10pm. REGULARS: Wed is RED LIGHT RUSH with DJ Marcia (7 & 14), DJ V John (21 & 28) from 10pm. Thur is RELEASE with DJ Grant Knowles from 10pm. Fri with DJ Lil Alex (2, 9, 16), DJ Jamie (23) from 10pm, karaoke from 10pm. Mon is MARCIA’S GLITTER BALL with 70s/80s tunes at 10pm. HAPPY HOURS: Mon & Tue from 3–7pm & 11pm–midnight; Wed from 3–7pm & £1.50 drinks when music vid is played; Thur from 3–7pm & 9pm–midnight; Fri from 3–7pm & all drinks £1.50 10pm–midnight; Sat from 10pm–midnight; Sun all day; Mon (26) all day; Tue (27) all day till midnight; Wed (28) all day till 10pm; Sat (31) 3–8pm. Drinks include: pints from £1.95, double spirit & mixer from £2.30, bottles from £1.85 (Terms & conditions apply). Open daily from 11am–very late. Bank Holiday weekend Mon (26)–Wed (28), open 11am–7am. www.bulldogbrighton.com LEGENDS BAR Drag With No Name’s Monday Gangbang: songs, sketches & a special guest 9.30pm; open 11am MARLBOROUGH Student night; open noon POISON IVY Spice’s karaoke 7pm; open 11am PROJECT 56 Food 11am-6pm; opens 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Xmas Karaoke Cabaret Party: Kamp Kevin 8.30pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN Festive food noon2.30pm & 6-8.30pm; opens noon VAVAVOOM Bar 150; opens 4pm-midnight ZONE You Say Spotify Plays; open 11am TUESDAY 6 A-BAR Xmas Meal: 3-courses £17.50 noon8pm; opens 11am AQUARIUM Gobby Gordon’s Fun & Games 2pm; pies 2pm-midnight; open 1pm BAR REVENGE Karaoke Unplugged with DJ Alpha & hostess AJ: win paid gig 8pm; opens noon BEDFORD TAVERN Games Galore; open noon
BULLDOG Opens 11am CAMELFORD ARMS Food noon-3pm & 6-9pm; open noon CHARLES ST After work 5pm; food noon8pm; open noon CROWN & ANCHOR Brassic Tues; live football; food 10am-2.30pm & 5.30-9pm; opens 10am DR BRIGHTONS Twisted Tues; opens 1pm FUNKYFISH BAR Opens 11am LEGENDS BAR Open 11am MARINE TAVERN Nat’s Quiz 9pm MARLBOROUGH Student night; open 12 POISON IVY Spice’s Karaoke 7pm; open 11am PROJECT 56 Food 11am-6pm; Broke; opens 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Xmas Karaoke Cabaret Party: Sissy 8.30pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN festive food 12-2.30pm & 6-8.30pm; Mark’s Piano Bar; opens noon REVENGE Supersonic: DJ Lee Harris 11pm VAVAVOOM Free Jukebox; open 4pm-12 ZONE Video U Say We Play 7.30pm; open 11am
30 GSCENE OUT & ABOUT
PICS FROM HALLOWEEN @ CHARLES STREET, ENVY + CHURCH STREET
DECEMBER
LISTINGS
CHARLES STREET BAR
XMAS: FIERCE XMAS EVE on Sat (24) with DJs, open noon–midnight, food till 6pm. BOXING DAY CABARET on Mon (26) with Lizzy Drip from 7pm, open 6pm–2am, no food. Closed Xmas Day. POST-XMAS WIND DOWN on Tue (27) with great value cocktails till midnight. NYE: NEW YEAR’S EVE PARTY on Sat (31) with DJs, 2 dance zones, 2 floors, open noon–5am, food till 6pm, free before 10pm, £6 Q-Jumpers from the bar. NEW YEAR CABARET on Sun (1) Jan with Sandra from 7.30pm, open 6pm–midnight, no food. ONE FOR THE DIARY: CHARLES STREET’S 11TH BIRTHDAY PARTY CABARET on Sun (11) from 7pm with a double-bill from Cassidy Connors & tba. REGULARS: SUN CABARET at 7pm: Lady Imelda (4) & Drag With No Name (18); X Factor results 8pm and then TRANNY ROCK & ROLL BINGO with Tammy Twinkle & Sally Vate at 9pm. MAD COW XXL – MY COW IS ON FIRE every Thur at 8pm with Joan Bond, DJs Lil Alex and LeeRoy, £1 b4 10pm, drinks from £1 (exc champers/bottles wine/cider/Smirnoff Ice). HAPPY HOURS: After work drink deals Mon–Fri from 5–9pm, see posters/screens for details. Drink deals on Sun after the show & Sat from 5–9pm, includes: pints from £2.35, double spirit & mixers from £2.85. FOOD: Mon–Sat from noon–8pm; Sunday Lunch: beef, chicken or veggie served noon–7pm, one for £5.95, two for £7.95. www.charles-street.com DR BRIGHTONS Cocktail Clinic; open 1pm FUNKYFISH BAR Opens 11am LEGENDS BAR OMT’s Brighton’s Got Talent: £250 prize 9.30pm; open 11am MARLBOROUGH Open Mic 8.30pm; food 12.30-8.30pm; open noon POISON IVY Barbara Fella’s Karaoke 7pm; opens 11am PROJECT 56 Food 11am-6pm; Karaoke 8pm; opens 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Xmas Karaoke Cabaret Party: Candi 8.30pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN Festive food noon2.30pm & 6-8.30pm; opens noon SUBLINE Backlash 9pm VAVAVOOM Dale’s Karaoke; opens 4pmmidnight ZONE Reggae Night: DJ Micklos 8.30pm; opens 11am
POOH LA MAY FRI (23)
WEDNESDAY 7 A-BAR Food noon-8pm; Opening of Piano Bar & Cabaret: Trudi Styles & Mark Russell 8.30pm; opens 11am AQUARIUM Soup Night 7pm; open 1pm BAR REVENGE Turning Tricks: DJ Trick 9pm; open noon BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Pulse: Guest DJs 11pm BEDFORD TAVERN Wine & Wisdom: quiz night & fundraiser 9pm; opens noon BULLDOG Red Light Rush: DJ Marcia 10pm; opens 11am CAMELFORD ARMS Food noon-3pm & 6-9pm; open noon CHARLES ST After work 5pm; food noon8pm; open noon CROWN & ANCHOR Food 10am2.30pm & 5.30-9pm; live football; open 10am
ENVY @ CHARLES ST
NYE: NYE Party on Sat (31) with DJs, two floors, entry free before 10pm, £6 QJumpers available from bar, open till 5am. REGULARS: GET SOME! on Thur with DJs playing r&b/chart/ house/dubstep. Drinks from £1, entry £2 from 10pm. Club open Thur except (22), Mon & Sat (31). www.charles-street.com
THURSDAY 8 A-BAR Xmas Meal: 3-courses £17.50 noon-8pm; opens 11am AQUARIUM Hot Shot Night 7pm; pies 2pm-midnight; open 1pm BAR REVENGE Girls On Top Warm Up: DJ Smithy 9pm; opens noon BEDFORD TAVERN Thur Social; open noon BULLDOG Release: DJ Grant Knowles 10pm; opens 11am CAMELFORD ARMS Food noon-3pm & 6-9pm; Big Dave’s Quiz 9pm; open noon CHARLES ST Mad Cow XXL - My Cow Is On Fire: Host Ms Joan Bond, DJs Lil Alex & LeeRoy 8pm; opens noon CROWN & ANCHOR Food 10am2.30pm & 5.30-9pm; opens 10am DR BRIGHTONS Thirsty Thurs; opens 1pm ENVY Get Some: DJs 10pm FUNKYFISH BAR Opens 11am LEGENDS BAR Open 11am MARLBOROUGH Food 12.30-8.30pm; open noon POISON IVY Spice’s Back to the 90s Karaoke 7pm; opens 11am PROJECT 56 Food 11am-6pm; Karaoke 8pm; opens 11am
CROWN & ANCHOR
CHURCH ST
XMAS: Xmas Eve open noon–1am. XMAS DAY LUNCH on Sun (25) from noon. Book now 01273 606864, open noon-6pm. Boxing Day Mon (26) open noon– 6pm. NYE: NEW YEAR’S EVE PARTY on Sat (31) with balloons/poppers/buffet/camp classics from 9pm, open noon-late. New Year’s Day open noon–10.30pm. REGULARS: FRI CABARET @ 9pm: Jason Lee (2), Davina Sparkle (9), Krissie Du Cann (16) and Pooh La May (23). FOOD: Richard’s Golden Handbag Award-winning Sun Lunch served from noon. OPENS: Mon-Thur noon-11pm; Fri & Sat noon–1am; Sun noon-10.30pm
QUEEN’S ARMS Xmas Karaoke Cabaret Party: Sissy 8.30pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN Cabaret: Jazzy J 8pm; festive food noon-2.30pm & 6-9pm; opens noon REVENGE Girls On Top Xmas Party: snow machine, prizes for best dressed; Level 1 GOT DJs Smithy, Fifilicious & Alpha; ER DJs Miss Masters & Dulcie Danger in Box Bar 10.30pm SUBLINE Leathered 9pm VAVAVOOM Bar 150; opens 4pmmidnight ZONE Carrie O’Kay’s Karaoke 8.30pm; opens 11am FRIDAY 9 A-BAR Food noon-8pm; Live music: Mark Russell & guests 9pm; opens 11am AQUARIUM Micklos Music Madness: karaoke competition, cash prize 9pm; pies 2pm1am; open 1pm BAR REVENGE Disco Bomb: Alpha DJ 9pm; opens noon-6am BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Friday Frenzy: DJ Peter Castle 11pm BEDFORD TAVERN Krazy Kamikaze Karaoke 8.30pm; opens noon BULLDOG DJ Lil Alex 10pm; top bar: karaoke 10pm; opens 11am
XMAS: Xmas Eve Sat (24) open from 9am–1am. Sun (25), book your 3 Course Xmas Dinner for £20, bar open noon–10pm. Boxing Day Mon (26) serving comfort food 11am–5pm, open from 11am. NYE: New Year TOTAL REQUEST party on Sat (31) with DJ, free entry & open late. REGULARS: Live COMEDY on Sat (3) with Charmaine Davies. Themed parties on Fri with DJ: Motown/soul (2 & 23), Club Classics (9) and 70s Disco (16). Football shown Live on Wed, Sat & Sun. BRASSIC TUESDAY, enjoy 6 drinks for £15. FOOD: PHIL THE PIEMAN’s homemade pies, spam fritters & chips from £4.99, Tue–Sat from 5.30pm–9pm. Lunch served Mon–Sat from 10am–2.30pm; breakfasts served Sat & Sun from 9am; pensioner specials on Thur for £6 each or 2 for £10. Sunday lunch served noon–till they’re gone. Visit www.thecrownandanchorbrighton.co.uk for hotel room deals.
32 GSCENE OUT & ABOUT
PICS FROM HALLOWEEN @ DR BRIGHTONS
DECEMBER
DAVE LYNN SUN (11)
MAISIE TROLLETTE BOXING DAY
LISTINGS
DR BRIGHTONS
XMAS: Xmas Eve Sat (24) with DJ Wayne, Xmas tracks, free mince pies and entry from 9pm–late. Closed Xmas Day. Boxing Day Mon (26) with DJ Wayne from 8.30pm. Open from 1pm–late, NYE: GREAT NYE PARTY on Sat (31) with DJ Tony B from 9pm, free entry, open 1pm–2.30am. NEW YEAR’S DAY on Sun (1) Jan with DJ Wayne from 8.30pm, free. ONE OFF: RED PARTY Celebrations on Sun (4) with happy hour all day, Red Party tickets, and DJ Tony B from 8.30pm. HAPPY HOURS: Sun–Thur all day; Fri & Sat from 1–7pm, include pints of Fosters £2.75, large glass wine £3.75, large Smirnoff & mixer £3.60, 2 cocktails for £10.50 Sun–Thur. Open Sun–Thur from 1pm–midnight and Fri & Sat from 1pm–2am. www.doctorbrightons.co.uk CAMELFORD ARMS FBI 9pm; food noon-3pm & 6-9pm; open noon CHARLES ST Friday Fix: DJ Leeroy 9pm; food noon-7.45pm; opens noon 112 CHURCH ST Cabaret: Davina Sparkle 9pm; opens noon CROWN & ANCHOR Live music with DJ: Club Classics-themed night; food 10am2.30pm & 5.30-9pm; opens 10am DR BRIGHTONS Funky Fri: DJs Nick Hirst or Wayne 9.30pm; opens 1pm FUNKYFISH BAR Opens 11am FUNKYFISH CLUB Friday Funk: DJ Soul Finger 10.30pm LEGENDS BAR Friday Frenzy Cabaret: Tammy Twinkle 9.30pm; DJ Peter Castle 11pm; opens 11am MARLBOROUGH Pussy Whipped with DJ Terri-Sian 9pm; food 12.30-8.30pm; open noon POISON IVY Betty Swollocks’ Karaoke 7pm; opens 11am PROJECT 56 Food 11am-6pm; Pre-club tunes on demand 8pm; opens 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Xmas Camp Attack: Andy B & Karaoke 9pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN Festive food noon2.30pm & 6-9pm; opens noon REVENGE X Factor Fridays: See the XFactor finalists live b4 anyone else, guaranteed meet & greet hosted by Dolly Rocket with DJs Trick, Alex Baker, Ruby Roo & Fifilicious 10.30pm SUBLINE Electro-convulsive 9pm VAVAVOOM Pre-club & Dale’s karaoke 9pm; opens 6pm-very late ZONE Glam & Glitz’ Charity Fundraiser for the Sussex Beacon 9.30pm; open 11am
FUNKY FISH
SATURDAY 10 A-BAR Xmas Meal: 3-courses £17.50 noon-8pm; opens 11am AQUARIUM Gobby Gordon’s Sat Club 2pm; Mimbo’s Karaoke Showtime 5pm; pies 2pm-1am; opens 1pm BAR REVENGE Kinky Classics: DJ King K 9pm; opens noon-6am BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Fusion: DJ Peter Castle 11pm BEDFORD TAVERN Meals on Heels: Spice cooks noon-5pm; open noon BLACK & WHITE BALL@ROYAL PAVILION GARDENS Wild Fruit presents Black & White Xmas Extravaganza in aid of The Rainbow Fund featuring festive ice skating outside the Pavilion, a 3-course meal with wine, a dance party with cabaret artists The Sundae’s, Wesley Sebastian, Miss Hope Springs, Mz Kimberly, Dolly Rocket, Chrissy Darling, DJs, hosts, performance artists & black & white dress code encouraged; doors 6pm; dinner 7pm; party-only guests 7pm; entertainment 8pm BULLDOG Main bar: DJ V John 9.30pm; top bar: karaoke 10pm; opens 11am CAMELFORD ARMS Funky Camel 9pm; food noon-7.30pm; open noon CHARLES ST Fierce: DJs 9pm; food noon-7.45pm; open noon CROWN & ANCHOR Food 9am-2.30pm & 5.30-9pm; opens 9am DR BRIGHTONS Sexy Sat: DJ Tony B 9.30pm; opens 1pm FUNKYFISH BAR Opens 11am FUNKYFISH CLUB Old Skool Saturday: DJ Delimentary 10pm
XMAS: Xmas Eve OLD SCHOOL DISCO on Sat (24) with DJ Delimentary from 10pm, £5 entry all night. FunkyFish Bar is open as usual over the Xmas weekend. NYE: New Year’s Eve Sat (31) with DJ Delimentary old school/funk/soul/ jazz/ Motown/hip hop from 10pm, entry £15, £11 in advance from website or 01273 698331. REGULARS: FUNKY FRI with DJ Soulfinger, drink promos from 10pm, entry free b4 11pm, £2 after. OLD SKOOL SAT with DJ Delimentary from 10pm, entry £5 b4 11pm, £6 after. FunkyFish Bar open daily at 11am. www.funkyfishclub.co.uk
FISHERMAN’S REST
XMAS: SUNDAY CABARET LUNCH with Dave Lynn’s Winter Wonderland on Sun (11), 5 courses and coffee for £21.50 served 4pm, show at 7pm, bookings essential. Maisie Trollette’s BOXING DAY SPECIAL on Mon (26) with 5 courses and coffee for £21.50 served 3pm, show starts 6pm, bookings essential call 01273 323888. ONE FOR THE DIARY: Book your tickets now for Sunday Cabaret Lunch with Drag With No Name’s on Sun (5) Feb 2012. LEGENDS BAR Pre-Fusion with Fusion DJs 7pm; opens 11am MARLBOROUGH Cherry Pop: DJ Fondue Inferno 9pm; food 12.30-8.30pm; open noon POISON IVY Betty Swollocks’ Karaoke 7pm; opens 11am PROJECT 56 Food 11am-6pm; About Him with GoGo Boys 8pm; opens 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Xmas Cabaret Show: Auntie Robbie 4pm; Kamp Kevin’s karaoke & tunes 8.30pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN Festive food noon6pm; opens noon REVENGE Kinky Dangerous: Level 1 DJs Alex Baker & Smithy; Box bar DJs Dulcie Danger & Wayne G 10.30pm SUBLINE Boiler Room 9pm VAVAVOOM Mr Santa Contest 2011 & Dale’s Karaoke 9pm; opens 6pm-very late ZONE Sally Vate 9.30pm; opens 11am SUNDAY 11 A-BAR Sunday lunch noon-5pm; Drinks with Btn Gay Men’s Chorus 10pm; open 11am AQUARIUM Piano bar with Anthony Jackson-Stubbs & guest singer, mulled wine & mince pies 5.30pm; open 1pm BAR REVENGE Sublime Sunday Live Acoustic Music 5pm; Karaoke Queens LouBag & Smithy till midnight; Sunday roasts/gourmet pies noon-7pm; opens noon BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Pop!Candy: DJ Jaykey 11pm BEDFORD TAVERN Perfect Sunday: food noon-5pm; Piano sing-a-long 5pm; Camp Bingo Fundraiser 7pm; opens noon BULLDOG Main bar: DJ Grant Knowles 6pm; top bar: karaoke 9pm; opens 11am CAMELFORD ARMS Sun Roasts noon5pm; On The Circuit 5pm; open noon CHARLES ST Charles St 11th B’Day Double Bill Cabaret: Cassidy Connors & tba 7pm; X Factor Results 8pm; Tranny Rock & Roll Bingo: Tammy Twinkle & Sally Vate 9pm; Sun lunch noon-7pm
112 CHURCH ST Richard’s Sunday Roast noon-late; opens noon CROWN & ANCHOR Quiz Night: Mr Matt Quiz Master 8pm; live football; breakfast 9am; Sun lunch noon-till gone; opens 9am DR BRIGHTONS Hang Over Therapy; open 1pm FISHERMAN’S REST Dave Lynn’s Winter Wonderland: 5 course dinner & coffee £21.50 4pm; show 7pm; bookings 01273 323888 FUNKYFISH BAR Opens 11am LEGENDS BAR Cabaret: Kandi Kane 3.15pm; opens 11am MARLBOROUGH Roasts 12.30pm-till gone; open noon POISON IVY Sonia Marmite’s Karaoke 7pm; opens 11am PROJECT 56 Sunday Roast 12.304.30pm; opens 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Cabaret: Sandra 5.30pm; X Factor resuts; Betty’s karaoke; open noon REGENCY TAVERN Jerome’s Piano Lounge 1pm; Sun lunch noon-5pm; open 12 SUBLINE Come In Your Pants: DJ N.U.D.E 9pm VAVAVOOM Bar 250 ZONE Carrie O’Kay’s karaoke 8.30pm; open 11am MONDAY 12 A-BAR Xmas Meal: 3-courses £17.50 noon8pm; opens 11am AQUARIUM Mulled cider, mince pies 6pm; pies 2pm-midnight; open 1pm BAR REVENGE Quiz With Liz 8.30pm; opens noon BEDFORD TAVERN Recovery; open noon BULLDOG DJ Marcia’s Glitter Ball 10pm; opens 11am CAMELFORD ARMS Monday Club 6pm; food noon-3pm & 6-9pm; open noon CHARLES ST Food noon-8pm; open 12 CROWN & ANCHOR Pool Premiership League; food 10am-2.30pm; opens 10am DR BRIGHTONS Medication Mon; open 1pm
KINKY REBEL @ THE HAUNT
New Year’s Day Sun (1) Jan (after Kinky Dangerous NYE Party) is Wild Fruit & Revenge’s afterhours charity fundraiser KINKY REBEL with DSD hosting VIP room, DJs Dulcie Danger, Miss Masters, King K, Neil Duffie, Lil Alex, Lee Jeffrey play rebel classics from 4am. Free CD for first 100, joint VIP entry for Revenge & The Haunt £12 from Prowler, ltd single tickets £5 from wildfruit.co.uk, ltd door entry, profits to charity.
GSCENE OUT & ABOUT 33
213 PRESTON RD • 01273 559494 • www.thecrownandanchorbrighton.co.uk
daily specials from £4.99 • Home made pies • Home made spam fritters ...even the chips are home made with love!
christmas
Christmas Day lunch 3 courses for £20 BOOK NOW! Boxing Day comfort menu from 11am including chip shop style turkey curry half rice half chips!
breakfasts
Saturday & Sunday from 9am
6 drinks £15 Live sport on Big Plasmas
function room
Now available for parties Call for details
kitchen open every day for lunch • tues to sun for dinner
34 GSCENE OUT & ABOUT
PICS FROM LEGENDS BAR + LEGENDS BASEMENT CLUB
DECEMBER
LISTINGS
LEGENDS BAR
ENVY Studio 150: NUS party 10.30pm FUNKYFISH BAR Opens 11am LEGENDS BAR Drag With No Name’s Monday Gangbang: songs, sketches & a special guest 9.30pm; open 11am MARLBOROUGH Student night; open noon POISON IVY Spice’s karaoke 7pm; open 11 PROJECT 56 Food 11am-6pm; opens 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Xmas Karaoke Cabaret Party: Kamp Kevin 8.30pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN Festive food noon2.30pm & 6-8.30pm; opens noon VAVAVOOM Bar 150; opens 4pmmidnight ZONE You Say Spotify Plays; open 11am TUESDAY 13 A-BAR Xmas Meal: 3-courses £17.50 noon-8pm; opens 11am AQUARIUM Gobby Gordon’s Fun & Games 2pm; pies 2pm-midnight; open 1pm BAR REVENGE Karaoke Unplugged: DJ Alpha & host AJ 8pm; open 12 BEDFORD TAVERN Games Galore; open 12 BULLDOG Opens 11am CAMELFORD ARMS Food noon-3pm & 6-9pm; open noon CHARLES ST After work 5pm; food noon8pm; open noon
CROWN & ANCHOR Brassic Tues; live football; food 10am-2.30pm & 5.30-9pm; opens 10am DR BRIGHTONS Twisted Tues; opens 1pm FUNKYFISH BAR Opens 11am LEGENDS BAR Open 11am MARINE TAVERN Nat’s Quiz 9pm; open 12 MARLBOROUGH Student night; open noon POISON IVY Spice’s Karaoke 7pm; open 11am PROJECT 56 Food 11am-6pm; Broke; opens 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Xmas Karaoke Cabaret Party: Sissy 8.30pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN Festive food noon2.30pm & 6-8.30pm; Mark’s Piano Bar; opens noon REVENGE Supersonic: DJ Lee Harris 10pm VAVAVOOM Jukebox Free Play; opens 4pm-midnight ZONE Video U Say We Play 7.30pm; open 11am WEDNESDAY 14 A-BAR Food noon-8pm; Piano Cabaret Bar: Maisie Trollette 8.30pm; opens 11am AQUARIUM Soup Night 7pm; open 1pm BAR REVENGE Turning Tricks: DJ Trick
XMAS: Lizzy Drip’s XMAS SHOW on Sun (18) from 3.15pm; Cassidy Connor’s CHRISTMAS CRACKER on Fri (23) at 9.30pm. Open Xmas Eve (24) & Xmas Day (25) from 11am–5am. BOXING DAY CABARET on Mon (26) is with Lola Lasagne from 3pm. NYE: NEW YEAR COUNTDOWN on Sat (31) with DJs Peter Castle & Jaykey playing the best of 2011, entry £5, Open 11am–5am. NEW YEAR’S DAY CABARET on Sun (1) Jan with All Mouth & No Trousers from 3.15pm, open 11am–5am. REGULARS: OMT’S BRIGHTON’S GOT TALENT is new to Wed with £250 prize from 9.30pm. FRI FRENZY Cabaret with flash drink deals from 9.30pm: Eva La Diva (2), Tammy Twinkle (9), Baga Chips (16) and Lady James (30). PRE-FUSION on Sat with Fusion DJs from 7pm. SUN CABARET from 3.15pm: Lucinda Lashes (4), Kandi Kane (11) and Lizzy Drip’s Xmas Show (18). MONDAY GANGBANG with Drag With No Name at 9.30pm, sketches, songs, special guests from UK drag scene (see Legends’ Facebook). WINTER PROMOS: Mon–Thur from 5–9pm drinks from £2. FOOD: Soup served Mon-Sat from noon–5pm. Heated smoking area, free entry and all day sun-terrace. Open daily from 11am–5am. www.legendsbrighton.com 9pm; open noon BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Pulse: Guest DJs 11pm BEDFORD TAVERN Wine & Wisdom: quiz night & fundraiser 9pm; opens noon BRIGHTON SAUNA Cocks & Jocks Night 7pm BULLDOG Red Light Rush: DJ Marcia 10pm; opens 11am CAMELFORD ARMS Food noon-3pm & 6-9pm; open noon CHARLES ST After work 5pm; food noon8pm; open noon CROWN & ANCHOR Food 10am-2.30pm & 5.30-9pm; live football; opens 10am DR BRIGHTONS Cocktail Clinic; open 1pm FUNKYFISH BAR Opens 11am LEGENDS BAR OMT’s Brighton’s Got Talent: £250 prize 9.30pm; open 11am MARLBOROUGH Open Mic 8.30pm; food 12.30-8.30pm; open noon POISON IVY Barbara Fella’s Karaoke 7pm; opens 11am PROJECT 56 Food 11am-6pm; Karaoke 8pm; opens 11am
QUEEN’S ARMS Xmas Karaoke Cabaret Party: Candi 8.30pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN Festive food noon2.30pm & 6-8.30pm; opens noon SUBLINE Backlash 9pm VAVAVOOM Dale’s Karaoke; opens 4pmmidnight ZONE Games Night 7.30pm; opens 11am THURSDAY 15 A-BAR Xmas Meal: 3-courses £17.50 noon8pm; opens 11am AQUARIUM Hot Shot Night 7pm; pies 2pm-midnight; open 1pm BAR REVENGE Girls On Top Warm Up: DJ Smithy 9pm; opens noon BEDFORD TAVERN Thur Social; open noon BRIGHTON SAUNA Xmas Charity Party Extravaganza for THT: Cabaret: Tammy Twinkle & Stripper: Teddy Bear, licensed bar, raffle, buffet, mince pies 6pm BULLDOG Release: DJ Grant Knowles 10pm; opens 11am CAMELFORD ARMS Food noon-3pm & 6-9pm; Big Dave’s Quiz 9pm; open noon
PICS FROM LEGENDS BAR + LEGENDS BASEMENT CLUB
GSCENE OUT & ABOUT 35
DECEMBER
LISTINGS
BASEMENT CLUB @ LEGENDS
FREE ENTRY to the Basement Club! (excluding New Year’s Eve). XMAS: Cassidy Connor’s CHRISTMAS CRACKER CABARET on Fri (23) at 9.30pm and DJ Peter Castle plays pop/classics from 11pm. BOXING DAY PARTY on Mon (26) with DJ Clare Fuller from 11pm–4am. Closed Xmas Day! RETROSEXUAL XMAS on Tue (27) with DJ Grant, open 11pm. XMAS FRISKY DISCO on Thur (29) with DJ Ben Castle, open 11pm. NYE: NEW YEAR’S EVE COUNTDOWN to 2012 on Sat (31) is with two floors of clubbing, DJs Peter Castle & Jaykey play the best of 2011 from 9pm–5am, £5 entry. Sun (1) Jan is POP!CANDY RECOVERY PARTY with DJ Jaykey playing recent/classic pop from 11pm–3am. REGULARS: FUSION is new for Sat with DJ Lee Harris playing house/chart till 5am. POP!CANDY on Sun with DJ Jaykey, pop tracks till 3am. PULSE on Wed with guest DJs playing pop/dance till 3am. FRIDAY FRENZY with DJ Peter Castle playing pop/classics till 4am, free bottle of champers if it’s your birthday (with ID). HAPPY HOURS: Select drinks £2 every Wed, £1.50 every Sun. Doors open at 11pm. Legends will host your party from £150, call Matt on 01273 624462 for more info. www.legendsbrighton.com
CHARLES ST Mad Cow XXL - My Cow Is On Fire: Ms Joan Bond, DJs Lil Alex & LeeRoy 8pm; opens noon CROWN & ANCHOR Food 10am2.30pm & 5.30-9pm; opens 10am DR BRIGHTONS Thirsty Thurs; opens1pm ENVY Get Some: DJs 10pm FUNKYFISH BAR Opens 11am LEGENDS BAR Open 11am MARLBOROUGH Food 12.30-8.30pm; open noon POISON IVY Spice’s Back to the 90s Karaoke 7pm; opens 11am PROJECT 56 Food 11am-6pm; Karaoke 8pm; opens 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Xmas Karaoke Cabaret Party: Betty 8.30pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN Cabaret: Jazzy J 8pm; festive food noon-2.30pm & 6-9pm; open 12 REVENGE Girls On Top v Emergency Room PJ Party: GOT DJs Smithy, Fifilicious & Alpha; ER DJs Miss Masters & Dulcie Danger in Box Bar 10.30pm SUBLINE Leathered 9pm VAVAVOOM Bar 150; opens 4pm-12 ZONE Carrie O’Kay’s Karaoke 8.30pm; opens 11am
FRIDAY 16 A-BAR Food noon-8pm; Live music: Tudo Bem 9pm; opens 11am AQUARIUM Micklos Music Madness: karaoke competition, cash prize 9pm; pies 2pm1am; open 1pm BAR REVENGE Disco Bomb: Alpha DJ 9pm; opens noon-6am BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Friday Frenzy: DJ Peter Castle 11pm BEDFORD TAVERN Krazy Kamikaze Karaoke 8.30pm; opens noon BULLDOG DJ Lil Alex 10pm; top bar: karaoke 10pm; opens 11am CAMELFORD ARMS FBI 9pm; food noon-3pm & 6-9pm; open noon CHARLES ST Friday Fix: DJ Leeroy 9pm; food noon-7.45pm; opens noon 112 CHURCH ST Cabaret: Krissie Du Cann 9pm; opens noon CROWN & ANCHOR Live music & DJ: 70s Disco-themed night; food 10am-2.30pm & 5.30-9pm; opens 10am DR BRIGHTONS Funky Fri: DJs Nick Hirst or Wayne 9.30pm; opens 1pm FUNKYFISH BAR Opens 11am
FUNKYFISH CLUB Friday Funk: DJ Soul Finger 10.30pm LEGENDS BAR Friday Frenzy Cabaret: Baga Chips 9.30pm; DJ Peter Castle 11pm; opens 11am MARLBOROUGH Q&A 9pm; food 12.308.30pm; open noon POISON IVY Betty Swollocks’ Karaoke 7pm; opens 11am PROJECT 56 Food 11am-6pm; Pre-club tunes on demand 9pm; opens 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Xmas Camp Attack: Andy B, stars & karaoke 9pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN Sing-Along-ACarolling: Jerome plays, carol sheets provided 8pm; festive food noon-2.30pm & 6-9pm; opens noon REVENGE X Factor Fridays Xmas Party with liva PA from Frankie Cocozza + DJs Fifilicious, Ruby Roo & DJs Alex Baker & Trick 10.30pm SUBLINE Electro-convulsive 9pm VAVAVOOM Pre-club & Dale’s karaoke 9pm; opens 6pm-very late ZONE cabaret: Gilly Bee 9.30pm; open 11am SATURDAY 17 A-BAR Xmas Meal: 3-courses £17.50 noon8pm; opens 11am AQUARIUM Gobby Gordon’s Sat Club 2pm; Mimbo’s Karaoke Showtime 5pm; pies 2pm-1am; opens 1pm
BAR REVENGE Kinky Classics: DJ King K 9pm; opens noon-6am BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Fusion: DJ Peter Castle 11pm BEDFORD TAVERN Meals on Heels: Spice cooks noon-5pm; Shot-tastic Sat; open noon BULLDOG Main bar: DJ V John 9.30pm; top bar: karaoke 10pm; opens 11am CAMELFORD ARMS Funky Camel 9pm; food noon-7.30pm; open noon CHARLES ST Fierce: DJs on rotation 9pm; food noon-7.45pm; opens noon CROWN & ANCHOR Food 9am-2.30pm & 5.30-9pm; opens 9am DR BRIGHTONS Sexy Sat: DJ Tony B 9.30pm; opens 1pm FUNKYFISH BAR Opens 11am FUNKYFISH CLUB Old Skool Saturday: DJ Delimentary 10pm LEGENDS BAR Pre-Fusion with Fusion DJs 7pm; opens 11am MARLBOROUGH Cherry Pop Xmas Party 9pm; food 12.30-8.30pm; open noon POISON IVY Betty Swollocks’ Karaoke 7pm; opens 11am PROJECT 56 Festive food till 5pm; Xmas Special About Him with GoGo Boys & bar rush 8pm; opens 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Xmas Cabaret Show: Candi & guests 4pm; Kamp Kevin’s karaoke & tunes 8.30pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN Festive food noon6pm; opens noon
36 GSCENE OUT & ABOUT
PICS FROM DRAG KINGS @ MARLBOROUGH, POISON IVY + QUEENS ARMS
DECEMBER
LISTINGS
MARLBOROUGH
XMAS: CHERRY POP XMAS PARTY on Sat (17) from 9pm. XMAS EVE KARAOKE on Sat (24) from 8.30pm, opens noon. Closed Xmas Day. Open Boxing Day (26) from 2pm. NYE: CHERRY POP NYE PARTY on Sat (31) with DJ Fondue Inferno, sexy uniform theme, prizes for best dressed from 8.30pm, entry £3 inc free drink. HAPPY HOURS: Sun–Thur from 5pm–8pm, Fri & Sat from 6–10pm. 3-4-2 on selected shots. NUS deals Mon & Tue from 3pm–10pm. FOOD: Wed–Sat from 12.30–8.30pm, Sun Lunch from 12.30pm–till gone. REVENGE Kinky Dangerous: Level 1 DJs Alex Baker & Smithy; Box bar DJs Dulcie Danger, Miss Masters & King K 10.30pm SUBLINE Boiler Room 9pm VAVAVOOM Voomderland Xmas Fancy Dress Party & Dale’s Karaoke 9pm; opens 6pm-very late ZONE Connie Conway 9.30pm; open 11am SUNDAY 18 A-BAR Sunday lunch noon-5pm; Xmas Carols: Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus 7pm; open 11am AQUARIUM Piano bar with Anthony Jackson-Stubbs & guest singer, mulled wine & mince pies 6.30pm; open 1pm BAR REVENGE Sublime Sunday live acoustic music 5pm; Karaoke Queens LouBag & Smithy till midnight; Sunday roasts/gourmet pies noon-7pm; opens noon BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Pop!Candy: DJ Jaykey 11pm BEDFORD TAVERN Xmas Lunch: 3courses £15, bookings advised noon; JB plays festive tunes 5pm; opens noon BULLDOG Main bar: DJ Grant Knowles 6pm; top bar: karaoke 9pm; opens 11am
CAMELFORD ARMS Sun Roasts noon5pm; Seaside Bears Bash 5pm; open noon CHARLES ST Cabaret: Drag With No Name 7pm; X Factor Results 8pm; Tranny Rock & Roll Bingo: Tammy Twinkle & Sally Vate 9pm; Sun lunch noon-7pm 112 CHURCH ST Richard’s Sunday Roast noon-late; opens noon CROWN & ANCHOR Quiz Night: Mr Matt Quiz Master 8pm; live football; breakfast 9am; Sun lunch noon-till gone; opens 9am DR BRIGHTONS Hang Over Therapy; opens 1pm FUNKYFISH BAR Opens 11am LEGENDS BAR Lizzy Drip’s Xmas Show 3.15pm; opens 11am MARLBOROUGH Roasts 12.30pm-till gone; open noon POISON IVY Sonia Marmite’s Karaoke 7pm; opens 11am PROJECT 56 Xmas Lunch: booking advised 12.30-3.30pm; opens 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Cabaret: Kitty Litter 5.30pm; Betty’s karaoke; open noon REGENCY TAVERN Jerome’s Piano Lounge 1pm; Sun lunch noon-5pm; open 12
POISON IVY
XMAS: CHRISTMAS DAY KARAOKE on Sun (25) with Sonia Marmite from 4pm–1am. NYE: NON-STOP NEW YEAR’S KARAOKE on Sat (31) with Betty Swollocks till 3am, free entry & free food. REGULARS: KARAOKE every night from 7pm with different hosts: Mon & Tue is with Spice and £1 drinks on Tue; Wed is with Barbara Fella; Thur is Back to the 90s with Spice; Fri & Sat is with Betty Swollocks; Sun is with Sonia Marmite. HAPPY HOURS: 11am–7pm from Tue–Sun & all day Mon. Open daily from 11am–1am, except from Xmas and New Year. SUBLINE Come In Your Pants: DJ N.U.D.E 9pm VAVAVOOM Bar 250 ZONE Carrie O’Kay’s karaoke 8.30pm; open 11am MONDAY 19 A-BAR Xmas Meal: 3-courses £17.50 noon8pm; opens 11am AQUARIUM Mulled cider, mince pies 6pm; pies 2pm-midnight; open 1pm BAR REVENGE Quiz With Liz 8.30pm; opens noon BEDFORD TAVERN Recovery; open noon BULLDOG DJ Marcia’s Glitter Ball 10pm; opens 11am CAMELFORD ARMS Monday Club 6pm; food noon-3pm & 6-9pm; open noon CHARLES ST Food noon-8pm; open 12
REGENCY TAVERN
QUEEN’S ARMS
WAD: Thur (1) WAD Fundraiser for Sussex Beacon with Drag With No Name, Dave Lynn, Davina Sparkle, Lady James, Rose Garden, Sophie & Tammy Twinkle from 8.30pm. XMAS: Xmas Eve Sat (24) with Peter Davis from 4.30pm. Xmas Day Sun (25) with Tammy Twinkle and Kamp Kevin’s Xmas party tunes, open 8pm, show 10pm. BOXING DAY CABARET on Mon (26) with Drag With No Name at 10pm then Kamp Kevin. See listings for Xmas opening times. NYE: New Year’s Eve Party on Sat (31) with Tammy Twinkle, Jennie Castell, food and DJs Kamp Kevin & Andy B from 8pm. Tickets £7.50 before Dec (18), £10 after. Sun (1) Jan cabaret with Lola Lasagne from 9.30pm.
CROWN & ANCHOR Food 10am-2.30pm; opens 10am DR BRIGHTONS Medication Mon; open 1pm ENVY Studio 150: NUS party 10.30pm FUNKYFISH BAR Opens 11am LEGENDS BAR Drag With No Name’s Monday Gangbang: songs, sketches, special guest 9.30pm; open 11am MARLBOROUGH Student night; open noon POISON IVY Spice’s karaoke 7pm; open 11am PROJECT 56 Festive menu till 5pm; opens 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Xmas Karaoke Cabaret Party: Kamp Kevin 8.30pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN Festive food noon2.30pm & 6-8.30pm; opens noon VAVAVOOM Bar 150; opens 4pm-midnight ZONE You Say Spotify Plays; open 11am
XMAS: SING-ALONG-A-CAROLLING on Fri (16 & 23) with Jerome at the piano and carol sheets provided. Xmas Eve Sat (24) jazz band Honky Tonk from 8.30pm, open 11am–1am. Xmas Day Sun (25) drinks noon–2pm. Closed on Boxing Day. NYE: PIRATES & BUCCANEERS NYE PARTY on Sat (31) with pianist Mark Hodge taking you up to the midnight chimes, open 11am–4am. REGULARS: MARK’S PIANO BAR on Tue, bring your own sheet music. Jazz J performs every Thur from 8pm, Mark Hodge (1) at 8.30pm. Fri (2) is five-piece jazz with Honky Tonk from 8pm. FOOD: Festive food served Mon–Fri from noon–2.30pm and then 6–8.30pm from Mon–Wed and 6–9pm on Thur & Fri; Sat from noon–6pm. Award-winning Sunday roast served noon–5pm accompanied by pianist Jerome from 1pm. Open: Mon–Wed from noon–11pm; Thur–Sat from noon–midnight & Sun from noon–11pm.
38 GSCENE OUT & ABOUT
PICS FROM HALLOWEEN PARTY @ BAR REVENGE + X FACTOR FRIDAYS @ REVENGE
DECEMBER
X FACTOR FINALIST SAMI BROOKES
X FACTOR FINALIST SOPHIE HABIBIS
LISTINGS
BAR REVENGE
TUESDAY 20 A-BAR Xmas Meal: 3-courses £17.50 noon-8pm; opens 11am AQUARIUM Gobby Gordon’s Fun & Games 2pm; pies 2pm-midnight; open 1pm BAR REVENGE Karaoke Unplugged with DJ Alpha & hostess AJ: win paid gig 8pm; opens noon BEDFORD TAVERN Games Galore; open noon BULLDOG Open 11am CAMELFORD ARMS Food noon-3pm & 6-9pm; open noon CHARLES ST After work 5pm; food noon8pm; open noon CROWN & ANCHOR Brassic Tues; live football; food 10am-2.30pm & 5.30-9pm; opens 10am DR BRIGHTONS Twisted Tues; opens 1pm FUNKYFISH BAR Opens 11am LEGENDS BAR Open 11am MARINE TAVERN Nat’s Quiz 9pm; open noon MARLBOROUGH Student night; open noon POISON IVY Spice’s Karaoke 7pm; open 11am PROJECT 56 Festive menu till 5pm; Broke; opens 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Xmas Karaoke Cabaret Party: Sissy 8.30pm; open noon
REGENCY TAVERN Festive food noon2.30pm & 6-8.30pm; Mark’s Piano Bar; opens noon REVENGE Supersonic: DJ Trick 11pm VAVAVOOM Jukebox Free Play; opens 4pm-midnight ZONE Video U Say We Play 7.30pm; open 11am WEDNESDAY 21 A-BAR Food noon-8pm; Piano Bar Xmas Special: Trudi Styles & Mark Russell 8.30pm; opens 11am AQUARIUM Soup Night 7pm; open 1pm BAR REVENGE Turning Tricks: DJ Trick 9pm; open noon BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Pulse: Guest DJs 11pm BEDFORD TAVERN Wine & Wisdom: quiz night & fundraiser 9pm; opens noon BULLDOG Red Light Rush: DJ V John 10pm; opens 11am CAMELFORD ARMS Food noon-3pm & 6-9pm; open noon CHARLES ST After work 5pm; food noon8pm; open noon CROWN & ANCHOR Food 10am2.30pm & 5.30-9pm; live football; opens 10am DR BRIGHTONS Cocktail Clinic; open 1pm FUNKYFISH BAR Opens 11am
XMAS: GIRLS ON TOP XMAS EVE PARTY on Sat (24) with festive pop/garage/r&b tunes and Xmas decor, open noon–midnight. XMAS DAY KARAOKE on Sun (25) from 7pm, open 7pm–midnight. Boxing Day Mon (26) with DJ, open noon–midnight. NYE: GIRLS ON TOP NEW YEAR’S EVE PARTY on Sat (31) with extra lights, sexy bar & door staff, DJs: Smithy, Fifilicious, Alpha & Kelly playing party anthems, doors 7pm, free before 9pm, £5 after. REGULARS: SUBLIME SUNDAY acoustic music at 5pm (check venue for line up), KARAOKE QUEENS with Smithy & Lou Bag till midnight. GIRLS ON TOP PREPARTY on Thur with DJ Smithy playing pop/ chart at 9pm. KINKY CLASSICS on SAT with DJ King K playing funky house. Revenge discount tickets available Thur b4 11.30pm, Fri & Sat b4 midnight. HAPPY HOURS: All drinks (exc champagne/cocktails/doubles) from £1.99 all day Mon–Wed; £1.50 from 7pm on Thur; from £2.49 Fri–Sun; 2-4-1 cocktails 5–9pm; Fri & Sat Sourz shots £1 with drink purchase, try R-Bar’s new video jukebox. FOOD: Sun roasts, gourmet pies & light bites served from noon–7pm Open daily from noon–2am, Fri & Sat till 6am. www.revenge.co.uk CHARLES ST Mad Cow XXL - My Cow Is On Fire: host Ms Joan Bond, DJs Lil Alex & LeeRoy 8pm; open noon-3am CROWN & ANCHOR Food 10am-2.30pm & 5.30-9pm; opens 10am DR BRIGHTONS Thirsty Thurs; open 1pm ENVY Closed FUNKYFISH BAR Opens 11am LEGENDS BAR Open 11am MARLBOROUGH Food 12.30-8.30pm; open noon POISON IVY Spice’s Back to the 90s Karaoke 7pm; opens 11am PROJECT 56 Festive menu till 5pm; Xmas Karaoke 8pm; opens 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Xmas Karaoke Cabaret Party: Sissy 8.30pm; open noon THURSDAY 22 REGENCY TAVERN Cabaret: Jazzy J 8pm; A-BAR Xmas Meal: 3-courses £17.50 noon- festive food noon-2.30pm & 6-9pm; opens 8pm; opens 11am noon AQUARIUM Hot Shot Night 7pm; pies REVENGE Girls On Top v Emergency 2pm-midnight; open 1pm Room: Level 1 DJs Smithy, Fifilicious & Alpha; BAR REVENGE Girls On Top Warm Up: DJ Box Bar DJs Miss Masters & Dulcie Danger Smithy 9pm; opens noon 10.30pm BEDFORD TAVERN Thur Social; open 12 SUBLINE Leathered 9pm BULLDOG Release: DJ Grant Knowles VAVAVOOM Bar 150; opens 4pm-midnight 10pm; opens 11am ZONE Carrie O’Kay’s Karaoke 8.30pm; CAMELFORD ARMS Food noon-3pm & opens 11am 6-9pm; Big Dave’s Xmas Quiz 9pm; open 12
LEGENDS BAR OMT’s Brighton’s Got Talent: £250 prize 9.30pm; open 11am MARLBOROUGH Open Mic 8.30pm; food 12.30-8.30pm; open noon POISON IVY Barbara Fella’s Karaoke 7pm; opens 11am PROJECT 56 Food 11am-6pm; Private Party 5-9pm; Karaoke 9pm; opens 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Xmas Karaoke Cabaret Party: Candi 8.30pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN Festive food noon2.30pm & 6-8.30pm; opens noon SUBLINE Backlash 9pm VAVAVOOM Dale’s Karaoke; opens 4pmmidnight ZONE Games Night 7.30pm; opens 11am
PICS FROM X FACTOR FRIDAYS, BLOWOUT + HALLOWEEN PARTY @ REVENGE
GSCENE OUT & ABOUT 39
DECEMBER
LISTINGS
REVENGE
WAD: GIRLS ON TOP v EMERGENCY ROOM World Aids Day Fundraiser for THT on Thur (1): Level 1 DJs Smithy, Fifilicious & Alpha: pop/urban/chart/requests, Box Bar DJs Miss Masters & Dulcie Danger: upfront /classic house. XMAS: GIRLS ON TOP XMAS PARTY on Thur (8) with a snow machine, £250 prize for best Xmas outfits, level 1 DJs Smithy, Fifilicious & Alpha playing chart/pop/trash/ Xmas classics, Box Bar DJs Miss Masters & Dulcie Danger playing house anthems/future classics, all from 10.30pm, entry £4/£3 NUS, or free with pass from Bar Revenge. X FACTOR FRIDAYS XMAS PARTY on Fri (16) with live PA from Frankie Cocozza, DJs Fifilicious & Ruby play Xmas party/cheese/anthems, DJs Alex Baker & Trick: credible stuff. Revenge is closed Xmas Eve, Xmas Day & Boxing Day. NYE: KINKY DANGEROUS NEW YEAR’S EVE PARTY on Sat (31) with DJs Smithy, Alex Baker, Fifilicious, Trick, Dulcie Danger, King K & Miss Masters from 9pm–very late, free entry before 10pm, online tickets: www.revenge.co.uk REGULARS: X FACTOR FRIDAYS at Revenge till (16), with X Factor contestants live from 10.30pm; Dolly Rocket hosts top DJs Alex Baker, Fifilicious, Trick & Ruby Roo; Free entry with limited pass/VIP card b4 midnight, £5 b4 12, £6 after, NUS £3 all night. Mousetrap v Lollipop from Fri (23) with DJs Alex Baker & Trick, 70s/80s/90s tunes from 10.30pm; £5 b4 midnight, £6 after, £3 NUS all night, VIP or Bar Revenge pass, free till midnight. GIRLS ON TOP v EMERGENCY ROOM every Thur: Level 1 DJs Smithy, Fifilicious & Alpha: pop/urban/chart/requests, Box Bar DJs Miss Masters & Dulcie Danger: upfront /classic house; THT Fundraiser (1), PJ Party (15); all drinks £2 (ex doubles & champers), entry £4, £3 NUS, free with pass from Bar Revenge. Open 10.30pm on Thur, Fri & Sat & 11pm on Tue. Closed Sun, Mon & Wed. www.revenge.co.uk FRIDAY 23 A-BAR Food noon-8pm; Mark Hodge Piano Bar & guest vocalists 9pm; opens 11am AQUARIUM Micklos Music Madness: karaoke comp, cash prize 9pm; open 1pm BAR REVENGE Disco Bomb: Alpha DJ 9pm; opens noon-6am BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Cassidy Connor’s Christmas Cracker: DJ Peter Castle 11pm-4am BEDFORD TAVERN Christmas-oke 8pm; opens noon BRIGHTON SAUNA Opens 10am BULLDOG DJ Jamie 10pm; top bar: karaoke 10pm; opens 11am CAMELFORD ARMS FBI 9pm; food noon-3pm & 6-9pm; open noon CHARLES ST Friday Fix: DJ Leeroy 9pm; food noon-7.45pm; open noon-3am 112 CHURCH ST Cabaret: Pooh La May
9pm; opens noon CROWN & ANCHOR Live music & DJ: Motown/Soul-themed night; food 10am2.30pm & 5.30-9pm; opens 10am DR BRIGHTONS Xmas Party Weekend Funky Fri: DJs Nick Hirst or Wayne 9.30pm; opens 1pm FUNKYFISH BAR Opens 11am FUNKYFISH CLUB Friday Funk: DJ Soul Finger 10.30pm LEGENDS BAR Cassidy Connor’s Christmas Cracker Cabaret 9.30pm; DJ Peter Castle 11pm-4am; opens 11am MARLBOROUGH I <3 Electro: DJ TerriSian 9pm; food 12.30-8.30pm; open noon POISON IVY Betty Swollocks’ Karaoke 7pm; opens 11am PROJECT 56 Festive snacks till 5pm; Pre-club tunes on demand & bar rush 8pm; opens 11am
QUEEN’S ARMS Xmas Camp Attack: Andy B, stars & karaoke 9pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN Sing-Along-ACarolling: Jerome plays, carol sheets provided 8pm; festive food noon-2.30pm & 6-9pm; opens noon REVENGE Mousetrap v Lollipop: DJs Alex Baker, Trick & more 10.30pm SUBLINE Electro-convulsive 9pm VAVAVOOM Pre-club & Dale’s karaoke 9pm; opens 6pm-very late ZONE Cabaret: Sally Vate 9.30pm; opens 11am SATURDAY 24 A-BAR Xmas Meal: 3-courses £17.50 noon-8pm; opens 11am AQUARIUM Xmas Karaoke 5pm; pies 2pm-1am; opens 1pm BAR REVENGE Girls on Top Xmas Eve Party: tunes & Xmas decor; opens noonmidnight BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Fusion Xmas: DJ Peter Castle 11pm BEDFORD TAVERN Festive Spice Xmas Cabaret: Spice 9pm; Meals on Heels: Spice cooks noon-5pm; open noon BRIGHTON SAUNA Open all day till 11pm BULLDOG Jingle Bell Rock: DJ Marcia 10pm; top bar: karaoke 10pm; opens 11am3am
CAMELFORD ARMS Funky Camel 9pm; food noon-7.30pm; open noon CHARLES ST Fierce Xmas Eve: DJs; food noon-6pm open noon-midnight CROWN & ANCHOR Xmas Eve: food 9am-2.30pm & 5.30-9pm; opens 9am-1am DR BRIGHTONS Xmas Eve Party: DJ Wayne 9pm; opens 1pm-late FUNKYFISH BAR Opens 11am FUNKYFISH CLUB Old Skool Xmas Eve: DJ Delimentary 10pm LEGENDS BAR Pre-Fusion with Fusion DJs 7pm; opens 11am-5am MARLBOROUGH Xmas Eve Karaoke 8.30pm; food 12.30-8.30pm; open noon POISON IVY Betty Swollocks’ Karaoke 7pm; opens 11am PROJECT 56 Festive snacks till 5pm; About Him: DJs XS & XXX + GoGo Boys 8pm; opens 11am-4am QUEEN’S ARMS Xmas Eve cabaret: Peter Davis, mince pies, crackers 4.30pm; Kamp Kevin’s karaoke 8.30pm; open noon-1am REGENCY TAVERN Festive food noon6pm; jazz band Honk Tonk 8.30pm; open 11am-1am REVENGE Closed SUBLINE Mass 9pm VAVAVOOM Xmas Countdown Party & Dale’s Karaoke 9pm; opens 6pm-very late ZONE Xmas Eve with Maisie & Josh Mills 9.30pm; opens 11am
42 GSCENE OUT & ABOUT
PICS FROM HALLOWEEN PARTY + SPUME @ SUBLINE + VAVVAVOOM LAUNCH PARTY
DECEMBER
LISTINGS
SUBLINE
XMAS: XMAS UNDERWEAR PARTY on Sun (4) with Sterling Underwear from 8pm. MASS on Xmas Eve Sat (24) from 9pm. Closed for Xmas Day & Boxing Day. Escape the family and forget about Xmas on Wed (28) at RELIEF from 9pm. NYE: XVWENYE New Year’s Party on Sat (31) from 9pm–late, entry £10, tickets only. New Year’s Day Spume Foam Party 2012 on Sun (1) Jan with DJ N.U.D.E from 9pm, ticket entry only, £5. REGULARS: BOILER ROOM every Sat at 9pm. COME IN YOUR PANTS on Sun with DJ N.U.D.E from 8pm. BACKLASH on Wed with retro tunes and prices. LEATHERED on Thur with member discounts and free lockers. ELECTROCONVULSIVE every Fri at 9pm Open Fri & Sat from 9pm–4am, Sun from 8pm–2am, Wed & Thur from 9pm–1.30am. Closed Mon & Tue. www.subline-brighton.com SUNDAY 25 A-BAR Xmas Lunch: 6 courses £55, booking advised, 01273 688825 1pm; opens to general public with no kitchen 7pmmidnight AQUARIUM Pass The Parcel 1pm-4pm & 7pm-close BAR REVENGE Xmas Day Karaoke 7pmmidnight BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Closed BEDFORD TAVERN Xmas Day Drinks; open noon-3pm BRIGHTON SAUNA Xmas Day 11am11pm BULLDOG Xmas Day; opens noon-3pm & 7pm-late CAMELFORD ARMS Closed CHARLES ST Closed 112 CHURCH ST Xmas Day Lunch, bookings only noon; opens noon-till last booking CROWN & ANCHOR Xmas Day 3 Course Lunch £20, booking advised; bar open noon10pm DR BRIGHTONS Closed FUNKYFISH BAR Opens 11am LEGENDS BAR Xmas Day; opens 11-5am MARLBOROUGH Closed POISON IVY Sonia Marmite’s Xmas Day Karaoke; opens 4pm PROJECT 56 Xmas Day Lunch: bookings only, see Facebook for more info 12-3pm; Evening tba; opens noon QUEEN’S ARMS Xmas Day Cabaret & Party: Tammy Twinkle presents Xmas cabaret & Kamp Kevins tunes 10pm; open 8pm-1am REGENCY TAVERN Xmas Drinks 12-2pm SUBLINE Closed VAVAVOOM Bar 250 ZONE Xmas Day; open 11am-2pm MONDAY 26 A-BAR Opens noon AQUARIUM Bar snacks 3pm; open 1pm BAR REVENGE DJ; opens noon-2am BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Boxing
Day Party: DJ Clare Fuller 11pm-4am BEDFORD TAVERN Boxing Day Blow-Out: free buffet 4pm; open 3pm-midnight BRIGHTON SAUNA Opens 10am BULLDOG DJ Jamie 10pm; opens 117am CAMELFORD ARMS Boxing Day Bears 9pm; open 6pm-midnight CHARLES ST Boxing Day Cabaret: Lizzy Drip 7pm; open 6pm-2am 112 CHURCH ST Boxing Day; opens noon-6pm CROWN & ANCHOR Boxing Day: comfort food 11am-5pm; live football; opens 11am DR BRIGHTONS Boxing Day Party: DJ Wayne 8.30pm; open 1pm-late ENVY Studio 150: Student night 10.30pm FISHERMAN’S REST Maisie Trollette’s Boxing Day Special: 5 course dinner & coffee £21.50 3pm; show 6pm; book 01273 323888 FUNKYFISH BAR Opens 11am LEGENDS BAR Bank Hol Cabaret: Lola Lasagne 3pm; open 11am MARLBOROUGH Open 2pm POISON IVY Spice’s karaoke 7pm; open 11am PROJECT 56 Boxing Day Party: giveaways; opens noon-3am QUEEN’S ARMS Boxing Day Party & Cabaret: DJ Kamp Kevin & Karaoke 8pm; Drag With No Name 10pm; open 5pm-1am REGENCY TAVERN Closed VAVAVOOM Bar 150; opens 4pm-midnight WILD FRUIT & REVENGE@HONEY CLUB Wunderland Xmas Party & Fundraiser: main room Kinky Fruit DJs Lee Harris, Dulcie Danger & Lil Alex; room 2 Girls on Top DJs Smithy, Fifilicious & Trick; room 3 Wild Fruit classics with DJs Wildblood, Queen Josephine & Richard Jones 10pm ZONE Boxing Day with Rachel, Tony & Micklos: music, karaoke, festivities; open 6pm TUESDAY 27 A-BAR Food noon-8pm; opens 11am AQUARIUM Bank Hol Knees Up; open 1pm
BAR REVENGE Karaoke Unplugged with DJ Alpha & hostess AJ: win paid gig 8pm; opens noon BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Retrosexual Xmas: DJ Grant 11pm-3am BEDFORD TAVERN Games Galore; open noon BULLDOG DJ Marcia’s Glitter Ball 10pm; opens 11-7am CAMELFORD ARMS Food noon-3pm & 6-9pm; open noon CHARLES ST Post-Xmas Wind Down; food noon-8pm; open noon-midnight CROWN & ANCHOR Brassic Tues; live football; food 10am-2.30pm & 5.30-9pm; opens 10am DR BRIGHTONS Twisted Tues; opens 1pm FUNKYFISH BAR Opens 11am LEGENDS BAR Bank Hol Cabaret: tba 3pm; open 11am MARINE TAVERN Nat’s Quiz 9pm; open noon MARLBOROUGH Student night; open 12 POISON IVY Spice’s Karaoke 7pm; open 11am PROJECT 56 Food 11am-6pm; Broke; opens 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Xmas Karaoke Cabaret Party: Sissy 8.30pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN Festive food noon2.30pm & 6-8.30pm; Mark’s Piano Bar; opens 12 REVENGE Supersonic: DJ Trick 11pm
VAVAVOOM
VAVAVOOM Jukebox Free Play; opens 4pm-midnight ZONE Video U Say We Play 7.30pm; open 11am WEDNESDAY 28 A-BAR Food noon-8pm; opens 11am AQUARIUM Soup Night 7pm; open 1pm BAR REVENGE Turning Tricks: DJ Trick 9pm; open noon BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Pulse: Guest DJs 11pm-3am BEDFORD TAVERN Wine & Wisdom: quiz night & fundraiser 9pm; opens noon BULLDOG Red Light Rush: DJ V John 10pm; opens 11am-7am CAMELFORD ARMS Food noon-3pm & 6-9pm; open noon CHARLES ST After work 5pm; food noon8pm; open noon-midnight CROWN & ANCHOR Food 10am-2.30pm & 5.30-9pm; live football; opens 10am DR BRIGHTONS Cocktail Clinic; open 1pm FUNKYFISH BAR Opens 11am LEGENDS BAR OMT’s Brighton’s Got Talent 9.30pm; open 11am MARLBOROUGH Open Mic 8.30pm; food 12.30-8.30pm; open noon POISON IVY Barbara Fella’s Karaoke 7pm; opens 11am PROJECT 56 Food 11am-6pm; Karaoke 8.30pm; opens 11am
XMAS: XMAS COUNTDOWN Party on Sat (24) with Dale’s Karaoke from 9pm, open 6pm–very late. NYE: NYE COUNTDOWN Party on Sat (31) with Dale’s Karaoke from 9pm, open 6pm–very late. REGULARS: Sat theme nights: MR SANTA CONTEST with prizes (10), VOOMDERLAND fancy dress (17). Dale’s Karaoke from 9pm, shots from £1.50, cocktails from £3. Sun is BAR250: pints /others for £2.50, shots from £1.50. Mon & Thur is BAR150 drinks from £1.50; inc select spirits & mixer, over 20 different shots, Smirnoff Ice/WKD, pints & bottled beer £2. Tue is Jukebox Free Play drinks & shots from £1.50. Wed is Dale’s Karaoke, shots from £1.50. Fri is Pre-Cub & Dale’s Karaoke from 9pm, shots from £1.50. Open: Mon–Thur from 4pm–midnight and Fri & Sat from 6pm–very late. Hotel rooms from £17.50pppn, call 01273 603010.
GSCENE OUT & ABOUT 43
I QUEEN’S ARMS Xmas Quiz, Bingo & Laughter: Candi & Andy B 8.30pm; open 12 I REGENCY TAVERN Festive food noon2.30pm & 6-8.30pm; opens noon I SUBLINE Relief 9pm I VAVAVOOM Dale’s Karaoke; opens 4pmmidnight I ZONE Games Night 7.30pm; opens 11am THURSDAY 29 I A-BAR Food noon-8pm; opens 11am I AQUARIUM Hot Shot Night 7pm; pies 2pm-midnight; open 1pm I BAR REVENGE Girls On Top Warm Up: DJ Smithy 9pm; opens noon I BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Xmas Frisky Disco: DJ Ben Castle 11pm-3am I BEDFORD TAVERN Thur Social; open 12 I BULLDOG DJ Grant’s NYE Countdown Party 10pm; opens 11am I CAMELFORD ARMS Food noon-3pm & 6-9pm; Big Dave’s New Year’s Quiz 9pm; open noon I CHARLES ST Mad Cow XXL - My Cow Is On Fire: host Ms Joan Bond, DJs Lil Alex & LeeRoy 8pm; opens noon I CROWN & ANCHOR Food 10am2.30pm & 5.30-9pm; opens 10am I DR BRIGHTONS Thirsty Thur; open 1pm I ENVY Get Some: DJs 10pm I FUNKYFISH BAR Opens 11am I LEGENDS BAR Open 11am I MARLBOROUGH Food 12.30-8.30pm; open noon
44 GSCENE OUT & ABOUT
PICS FROM WILD FRUIT
DECEMBER
JODIE HARSH
LISTINGS
WILD FRUIT RED PARTY @ HED KANDI / PROJECT
The WILD FRUIT big WAD fundraiser RED PARTY on Sun (4) this year is themed CIRCUS OF THE ABSURD. Join London’s Jodie Harsh and DJs Dulcie Danger & Yusuf Sebaiti at the VIP preview from 8pm. Free entry to the preview, but numbers are limited so entry is by invite or first-come basis. Free Hed Kandi CDs for the first 50 guests. CIRCUS OF THE ABSURD party starts 10pm at Project (formerly Tru) with top production and staging, eye popping décor and outrageous gogo boys. DJs Thomas Gandy, Fat Tony, De Put Madre, Lee Harris & Lil Alex will light up the decks on the amazing Funktion One sound system, while Dolly Rocket, Yvette, Fordiy Freaktastic, Stephanie Starlett, Joan Bond, Billy Lewis and more host absurd performance artists The Amazing Ari & Marnie Scarlet-Diva, plus Twisted Cirque & dancers. Local diva Kryten Cummings, Wesley Sebastian and Barbara Bush perform live PAs; with alternative surprises from the Electrobelles featuring Chrissy Darling, Twiggy & Daniel Lismore. Upstairs in the Powder Room Boudoir, DJs Munroe Bergdorf & Queen Josephine spin pop/mish-mash mayhem. Brighton venues Revenge, Charles St, Legends and the A-Bar are lending their support with fundraising efforts to be split between the Rainbow Fund and the plight of gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell. Advance tickets available from Prowler, Nice & Naughty, Charles St & Dr Brighton’s. www.aeonevents.co.uk POISON IVY Spice’s Back to the 90s Karaoke 7pm; opens 11am PROJECT 56 Food 11am-6pm; Karaoke 8pm; opens 11am-2am QUEEN’S ARMS Xmas Karaoke Cabaret Party: Betty 8.30pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN Cabaret: Jazzy J 8pm; festive food noon-2.30pm & 6-9pm; opens noon REVENGE Girls On Top v Emergency Room: Level 1 DJs Smithy, Fifilicious & Alpha; Box Bar DJs Miss Masters & Dulcie Danger 10.30pm SUBLINE Leathered 9pm VAVAVOOM Bar 150; opens 4pm-midnight ZONE Carrie O’Kay’s Karaoke 8.30pm; opens 11am
FRIDAY 30 A-BAR Live music: Will Harmonica Duo 9pm; food noon-8pm; open 11am AQUARIUM Micklos Music Madness: karaoke competition, cash prize 9pm; pies 2pm1am; open 1pm BAR REVENGE Disco Bomb: Alpha DJ 9pm; opens noon-6am BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Friday Frenzy: DJ Peter Castle 11pm BEDFORD TAVERN Krazy Kamikaze Karaoke 8.30pm; opens noon BRIGHTON SAUNA 24 Hour Weekend: opens 10am BULLDOG 63 Hour Non-Stop Party: DJ Lil Alex 10pm; top bar: karaoke 10pm; opens 11am
WUNDERLAND @ HONEYCLUB
Wild Fruit & Club Revenge’s WUNDERLAND XMAS PARTY & Fundraiser on Boxing Day Mon (26) is at the Honey Club from 10pm. Wild Fruit & Revenge, two of Brighton’s biggest brands will be hosting this night of winter wonderland décor and DJs. The main room is Kinky Fruit with DJs Lee Harris, Dulcie Danger & Lil Alex playing the best in uplifting house music; room 2 sees Girls On Top residents DJs Smithy, Fifilicious & Trick playing party anthems/r&b/pop/requests/shout outs; room 3 is Wild Fruit Classics with DJs Wildblood, Queen Josephine & Richard Jones, who’ll be playing old skool vocal club anthems and desert island discs from the early 90s to mid 00s.
WILD FRUIT BLACK & WHITE CHRISTMAS EXTRAVAGANZA @ ROYAL PAVILLION GARDENS
WILD FRUIT presents the Black & White Christmas Extravaganza & Fundraiser for the Rainbow Fund on Sat (10). This year enjoy festive ice skating in front of the illuminated Pavilion, 3-course dinner with wine, and dance party with cabaret artists The Sundaes, Wesley Sebastian, Miss Hope Springs, Mz Kimberly, Dolly Rocket and Chrissy Darling (more tbc), plus flamboyant hosts, performance artists and DJs, all in the grounds of the Royal Pavilion Brighton. No formal dress code but black & white encouraged, the more outrageous the better! Doors open at 6pm, dinner at 7pm. Party only guest entry from 7pm, and entertainment kicks off at 8pm. Tickets: Dinner & Party, including a 3-course dinner, wine & coffee, cabaret and party are £45. Tables available for two or more people, also large party bookings. Call 07530524964 to book, or call in at Feast Bar & Venue, Royal Pavilion Gardens. info@feastbrighton.co.uk. Party only tickets are £10 in advance from www.aeonevents.clubtickets.com, or in person at Prowler Brighton and Feast Restaurant & Bar. Skating for £13 is open to the public so advance booking advised. Tickets www.tinyurl.com/BWskating, discounts for groups of 10 or over. Free passes available for after-party Kinky Dangerous at Revenge. More info: on.fb.me/snPCdk All profits for the Rainbow Fund: www.tinyurl.com/RainbowFund CAMELFORD ARMS FBI 9pm; food noon-3pm & 6-9pm; open noon CHARLES ST Friday Fix: DJ Leeroy 9pm; food noon-7.45pm; opens noon 112 CHURCH ST Cabaret: Pooh La May 9pm; opens noon CROWN & ANCHOR Food 10am-2.30pm & 5.30-9pm; opens 10am DR BRIGHTONS Funky Fri: DJs Nick Hirst or Wayne 9.30pm; opens 1pm-midnight FUNKYFISH BAR Opens 11am FUNKYFISH CLUB Friday Funk: DJ Soul Finger 10.30pm LEGENDS BAR Friday Frenzy Cabaret: Lady James 9.30pm; DJ Peter Castle 11pm; opens 11am MARLBOROUGH Ska-D 4 Lyf 9pm; food 12.30-8.30pm; open noon POISON IVY Betty Swollocks’ Karaoke 7pm; opens 11am PROJECT 56 Food till 5pm; Pre-club tunes on demand 8pm; opens 11am-3am QUEEN’S ARMS Camp Attack: Andy B, stars & karaoke 9pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN Festive food noon2.30pm & 6-9pm; opens noon
REVENGE Mousetrap v Lollipop: DJs Alex Baker, Trick & more 10.30pm SUBLINE Electro-convulsive 9pm VAVAVOOM Pre-club & Dale’s karaoke 9pm; opens 6pm-very late ZONE Cabaret: Jamie Watson 9.30pm; opens 11am SATURDAY 31 A-BAR White NYE Party: DJ Vik Winter, live entertainment & buffet, booking 9pm; opens 11am AQUARIUM Pantomime-themed NYE Party 9pm; pies 2pm-1am; opens 1pm BAR REVENGE NYE Party Girls On Top: DJs Smithy, Fifilicious, Alpha & Kelly 7pm; opens noon-6am BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS NYE Countdown to 2012: two-floor party, DJs Peter Castle & Jaykey 9pm-5am BEDFORD TAVERN Black & Bling NYE Bash 8pm; open noon BRIGHTON SAUNA NYE: licensed bar 7pm BULLDOG 63 Hour Non-Stop Party: DJ Marcia 10pm; DJ V John 2am; top bar: karaoke 10pm
PICS FROM ZONE
GSCENE OUT & ABOUT 45
ZONE
XMAS: CHRISTMAS EVE with Maisie & Josh Mills on Sat (24) from 9.30pm. Open CHRISTMAS DAY from 11am–2pm. Open BOXING DAY Mon (26) with Rachel, Tony & DJ Micklos from 6pm with reggae tunes & karaoke. NYE: NEW YEAR’S EVE PARTY on Sat (31) with Sally Vate, open 10am–3am. REGULARS: FRI CABARET at 9.30pm: Jennie Castell (2), Fri (9) Glam & Glitz is a Sussex Beacon fundraiser, Gilly Bee (16), Sally Vate (23) and Jamie Watson (30). SAT CABARET at 9.30pm: Sally Vate (3 & 10) and Connie Conway (17). Sun (4) is Lady James from 8.30pm. Wed (7) is Reggae with DJ Micklos from 8.30pm. CAMELFORD ARMS The Big One Cameltoe NYE Bash; food noon-6pm; open noon-3am CHARLES ST NYE 2010: Two-floor party, DJs; food till 6pm; opens noon-5am 112 CHURCH ST NYE Party: balloons, party poppers, buffet & tunes 9pm; opens noon CROWN & ANCHOR NYE Total Request Party: DJ; food 9am-2.30pm & 5.30-9pm; opens 9am DR BRIGHTONS Great NYE Party: DJ Tony B 9pm; opens 1pm-2.30am ENVY NYE 2011: 2 floor party, DJs till 5am FUNKYFISH BAR Opens 11am FUNKYFISH CLUB Big NYE Party: DJ Delimentary 10pm LEGENDS BAR NYE Countdown to 2012: two-floor party, DJs Peter Castle & Jaykey 7pm; opens 11am MARLBOROUGH NYE Uniform-themed Cherry Pop: DJ Fondue Inferno 8.30pm; food 12.30-8.30pm; open noon POISON IVY Non-Stop New Year Karaoke with Betty Swollocks till 3am; opens 11am PROJECT 56 The Big One NYE Party: Two floors, DJ XS, free bubbly & buffet; opens 11am-4.30am QUEEN’S ARMS NYE Cabaret & Party: Jennie Castell & Tammy Twinkle, food, poppers, streamers, hats, Big Ben & fireworks on the big screen, DJs Kamp Kevin & Andy B 8pm; open noon-5pm & 8pm-2am REGENCY TAVERN Festive food noon6pm; NYE Pirates & Buccaneers Party: Mark Hodge plays; opens 11am-4am REVENGE NYE Kinky Dangerous Party: DJs Smithy, Alex Baker, Fifilicious, Trick, Dulcie Danger, King K & Miss Masters 9pm-very late SUBLINE XVWENYE: NYE Party 9pm VAVAVOOM NYE Countdown Party & Dale’s Karaoke 9pm; opens 6pm-very late ZONE NYE with Sally Vate; opens 10-3am SUNDAY 1 AQUARIUM NYD chill out; opens 3pm BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Pop!Candy Recovery Party: DJ Jaykey 11pm
BEYOND BRIGHTON@AUDIO Beyond Brighton New Year’s Day Afterhours Party: Elektra Paris, Dirty Sunset Disco & The GoGo Crew host DJs Steve Pitron, Gonzalo, Sharp Boys, Jonny M, Fat Tony, Lee Harris, Verity Mayes & more, over 2 floors 3.30am-very late BRIGHTON SAUNA 24 Hour Weekend BULLDOG 63 Hour Non-Stop Party CHARLES ST New Year’s Day cabaret: Sandra 7.30pm; open 6pm-midnight FUNKYFISH BAR Opens 11am KINKY REBEL@THE HAUNT Revenge & Wild Fruit present Brighton Roxx Charity Fundraiser & NYE After Hours Party with DJs Dulcie Danger, Miss Masters, Neil Duffie, King K, Lil Alex, Lee Jeffrey, VIP room hosted by DSD, free Kinky Rebel CD for the 1st 100 4am LEGENDS BAR Cabaret: All Mouth & No Trousers 3.15pm; opens 11am MARLBOROUGH Sunday roasts 12.30pm-till gone; Pop-Up Sunday Presents: Acoustic evening with Mike And The Like & Faye & Ben Streek 5pm; open noon QUEEN’S ARMS New Year’s Day Hang Over cabaret: Lola Lasagne 9.30pm; open 6pm-1am SUBLINE Spume 2012: New Year’s Day foam party, DJ N.U.D.E, £5 ticket only 9pmlate
PICS FROM OLD VIC PORTSMOUTH
46 GSCENE OUT & ABOUT
SOLENT
LISTINGS PORTSMOUTH
HAMPSHIRE BOULEVARD 1 Hampshire Terrace, Southsea, PO1 2QF Tel: 02392 297509 www.thehampshireboulevard.co.uk Open: Mon: 3pm-11pm, Tue: noon-1am, Wed-Thur: noon-2am, Fri-Sat: noon-3am, Sun: noon-2am, cabaret bar and club OLD VIC 104 St Pauls Road, Southsea, PO5 4AQ Tel: 02392 297013 www.oldvicportsmouth.co.uk Open: Mon-Fri: 11am-late, Sat: 5pm-late, Sun: noon-12,30am. Regular cabaret, food. TROPICS SAUNA 2 Market Way, PO1 4BX Tel: 02380 296100 www.tropics-sauna.com Open: Mon-Wed: 12-8pm, Thu-Sat: 11am-9pm
SOUTHAMPTON
ENDEAVOUR 7 Simnel Street, SO14 2BE Tel: 02380 211879 Open: Mon-Thur: noon-11.30pm, Fri-Sat: noon-midnight, Sun: noon-10.30pm. THURSDAY 1 PORTSMOUTH HAMPSHIRE BLVD Westie’s World Aids Fundraising Karaoke 8pm; opens noon OLD VIC Karaoke; food 12-3pm; open 12 SOUTHAMPTON EDGE Cash In 10pm LONDON HOTEL Karaoke Cruising: Pat Cruise 9.30pm; food noon-3pm; opens noon FRIDAY 2 PORTSMOUTH HAMPSHIRE BLVD Take 1 Red Party WAD Fundraiser: Cassidy Connors 8pm; open noon OLD VIC DJs; food noon-3pm; opens noon SOUTHAMPTON EDGE Get Some: DJs Lohands, Bradt Dykes & Pete Kendall 9pm LONDON HOTEL World Aids Day Cabaret Fundraiser: Lucinda Lashes, Miss Penny, Wilma Fingadoo, Dolly Partem, Kerry Redding & Lewis Hillier 9.30pm; food noon-3pm; opens noon SATURDAY 3 PORTSMOUTH HAMPSHIRE BLVD Boom Boom Cow Gigantic Balloon Drop World Aids Day Fundraiser: DJ Divine Diva till 3am; open 12 OLD VIC DJs; opens 5pm SOUTHAMPTON EDGE The Big One: Resident DJs 9pm LONDON HOTEL DJ Tiny 8.30pm; food noon-3pm; opens noon SUNDAY 4 PORTSMOUTH HAMPSHIRE BLVD Sunday lunch 1-5pm; Westie’s Karaoke World Aids Day Fundraiser Final: win £100 9pm; opens noon OLD VIC Cabaret: Drag With No Name 9.30pm; lunch 1-5pm; opens noon SOUTHAMPTON EDGE One Zzzz Sun: PJs & Onesies-themed party, DJ Steve Francis 9pm LONDON HOTEL Sunday Service: Dolly Partem 7.30pm; Cabaret: Dave Lynn 9.30pm; Sun lunch noon-3.30pm; open noon MONDAY 5 PORTSMOUTH HAMPSHIRE BLVD Take Two Red Party Fundraiser Bar 150 for World Aids Day: DJ Ruby Roo 9pm; opens noon OLD VIC Food noon-3pm; opens noon
Traditional boozer hosted by Southampton’s original Diva, Miss Moss. Great food. ISOBAR 100c St Mary’s Street, SO14 1PE Tel: 02380 222028 Open: Sun-Tue: 2pm11pm, Wed-Sat: 2pm-midnight. Modern bar, small but perfectly formed with outside decked garden area. Popular with younger crowd. LONDON HOTEL 2 Terminus Terrace, SO14 3DT Tel: 02380 710652 www.the-london.co.uk Open: Mon-Thur: 1211pm, Fri-Sat: 12pm-12.30am, Sun: 12pm11.30am. Friendly cabaret venue, serves food. EDGE Compton Walk, SO14 0BH Tel: 02380 366163 www.theedgesouthampton.com Open: Tue-Fri & Sun: 9pm-3am, Sat: 9pm5am. Stylish club on 2 floors with 3 bars. Party till 5am on a Saturday night - last entry at 3am. PINK BROADWAY SAUNA 797/80 East Street, SO14 3HQ Tel: 02380 238804 www.pink-broadway.com/sauna.html Open: Sun-Thu: noon-10pm, Fri-Sat: noon-2am SOUTHAMPTON EDGE Joint LGBT Uni Xmas Party 10pm LONDON HOTEL Food noon-3pm; open 12 TUESDAY 6 PORTSMOUTH OLD VIC Karaoke; food 12-3pm; open 12 SOUTHAMPTON EDGE Twinkle, Twinkle Superstar: Tammy Twinkle’s karaoke competition 9pm LONDON HOTEL Lucinda’s Lucky Numbers: games & a sing-song 8pm; food noon-3pm & 6.30-9pm; opens noon WEDNESDAY 7 PORTSMOUTH HAMPSHIRE BLVD The Only Way Is Blackpool: Sally Vate 9pm; opens noon OLD VIC Student Night; food noon-3pm SOUTHAMPTON EDGE Bar 150: DJ Lady Bex & Pete Kendall’s karaoke 9pm LONDON HOTEL Fundraiser for Prostate Cancer 7.30pm; food noon-3pm; opens noon THURSDAY 8 PORTSMOUTH HAMPSHIRE BLVD Westie’s Karaoke & Celeb Juice 9pm; opens noon OLD VIC Karaoke; food 12-3pm; open 12 SOUTHAMPTON EDGE Cash In 10pm LONDON HOTEL Karaoke Cruising: Pat Cruise 9.30pm; food noon-3pm; opens noon FRIDAY 9 PORTSMOUTH HAMPSHIRE BLVD Funked Fri: DJs Tim Sandford, Grant Knowles & host Cassidy Connors till 3am; opens noon OLD VIC DJs; food noon-3pm; opens noon SOUTHAMPTON EDGE Get Some: DJs Lohands, Bradt Dykes & Pete Kendall 9pm LONDON HOTEL Cabaret: Sandra 9.30pm; food noon-3pm; opens noon SATURDAY 10 PORTSMOUTH HAMPSHIRE BLVD Boom Boom Cow: DJ Divine Diva till 3am; opens noon OLD VIC Bears Night: DJs; opens 5pm SOUTHAMPTON EDGE The Big One: Resident DJs 9pm
LONDON HOTEL Eva La Diva & Pat Cruise 8.30pm; food noon-3pm; opens noon SUNDAY 11 PORTSMOUTH HAMPSHIRE BLVD Cabaret 5pm; Sunday lunch 1-5pm; Westie’s Karaoke & Celeb Juice 9pm; opens noon OLD VIC Portsmouth Uni Big Band 4pm; Topping & Butch 9.30pm; lunch 1-5pm SOUTHAMPTON EDGE One Zzzz Sun: PJs & Onesies-themed party, DJ Steve Francis 9pm LONDON HOTEL Sunday Service: Dolly Partem 7.30pm; Cabaret: Lola Lasagne 9.30pm; Sun lunch noon-3.30pm; open noon MONDAY 12 PORTSMOUTH HAMPSHIRE BLVD Bar 150: DJ Ruby Roo 9pm; opens noon OLD VIC Food noon-3pm; opens noon SOUTHAMPTON LONDON HOTEL Food noon-3pm; open 12 TUESDAY 13 PORTSMOUTH OLD VIC Karaoke; food noon-3pm; open 12 SOUTHAMPTON EDGE Twinkle, Twinkle Superstar: Tammy Twinkle’s karaoke competition 9pm LONDON HOTEL Lucinda’s Lucky Numbers: games & a sing-song 8pm; food noon-3pm & 6.30-9pm; opens noon WEDNESDAY 14 PORTSMOUTH HAMPSHIRE BLVD The Only Way Is Blackpool: Sally Vate 9pm; opens noon OLD VIC Student Night; food noon-3pm SOUTHAMPTON EDGE Bar 150: DJ Lady Bex & Pete Kendall’s karaoke 9pm
LONDON HOTEL LGBT Xmas Party: Eva La Diva, Lucinda Lashes & Dolly Partem 7.30pm; food noon-3pm; opens noon THURSDAY 15 PORTSMOUTH HAMPSHIRE BLVD Westie’s Karaoke & Celeb Juice 9pm; opens noon OLD VIC Karaoke; food noon-3pm; open 12 SOUTHAMPTON EDGE Cash In 10pm LONDON HOTEL Karaoke Cruising: Pat Cruise 9.30pm; food noon-3pm; opens noon FRIDAY 16 PORTSMOUTH HAMPSHIRE BLVD Funked Fri: DJs Tim Sandford, Grant Knowles & Cassidy Connors till 3am; opens noon OLD VIC DJs; food noon-3pm; opens noon SOUTHAMPTON EDGE Get Some: DJs Lohands, Bradt Dykes & Pete Kendall 9pm LONDON HOTEL Boy George Experience’s 40th B’Day 9.30pm; food noon-3pm; open 12 SATURDAY 17 PORTSMOUTH HAMPSHIRE BLVD Boom Boom Cow: DJ Divine Diva till 3am; opens noon OLD VIC DJs & Kandi Kane Baxter 9.30pm SOUTHAMPTON EDGE The Big One: DJ Lee Harris 9pm LONDON HOTEL Ruthie T & DJ Neil Sackley 8.30pm; food noon-3pm; opens noon SUNDAY 18 PORTSMOUTH HAMPSHIRE BLVD Cabaret 5pm; Sunday lunch 1-5pm; Westie’s Karaoke & Celeb Juice 9pm; opens noon OLD VIC Cabaret: Dave Lynn 9.30pm; lunch 1-5pm; opens noon
HAMPSHIRE BOULEVARD PORTSMOUTH
WAD: Thur (1)–Mon (5) is WORLD AIDS DAY Fundraising Weekend: on Thur (1) is Westie’s WAD Karaoke from 8pm. Fri (2) is TAKE ONE RED PARTY with Cassidy Connors, wear red from 8pm. Sat (3) is BOOM BOOM COW Gigantic Balloon Drop from 9pm. Sun (4) is Westie’s WAD Karaoke Final, win £100 from 8pm. Mon (5) is TAKE TWO RED PARTY BAR 150 with DJ Ruby Roo from 9pm, £3 entry, £1.50 of which will be donated to Positive Outlook. XMAS: BOOM BOOM COW XMAS SPECIAL on Sat (24) with Joanie Taylor aka Nan’s Xmas Nativity and DJ Divine Diva from 10pm. Closed Xmas Day. BOXING GAY SUPER HEROES theme party on Mon (26) with DJ Ruby Roo from 9pm, drinks from £2, free entry till 10pm, £3 b4 midnight, £5 after. 50 £5 Xmas VIP Qjump tickets available. NYE: THE BIG 2012 COUNTDOWN on Sat (31) Divine Diva plays commercial/ chart/cheese/pop/r&b from 8pm–very late, entry £10 in advance, £15 from Dec (20). REGULARS: THE ONLY WAY IS BLACKPOOL is new to Wed with Sally Vate, £2 selected drinks, shows, tunes & trash from 9pm. FUNKED FRI with DJs Tim Sandford, Grant Knowles & host Cassidy Connors. FOOD: Sun lunch served 1–5pm, £5.95. Open daily from noon.
48 GSCENE OUT & ABOUT
PICS FROM HALLOWEEN FUNDRAISER @ LONDON HOTEL, SOUTHAMPTON
SOLENT
LISTINGS
LONDON HOTEL SOUTHAMPTON
SOUTHAMPTON I EDGE One Zzzz Sun: PJs & Onesies-themed party, DJ Steve Francis 9pm I LONDON HOTEL Sunday Service: double Dolly Xmas Nativity Special 7.30pm; Sun lunch noon-3.30pm; open noon
Celeb Juice 9pm; opens noon I OLD VIC Karaoke; food noon-3pm; open 12 SOUTHAMPTON I EDGE Nick’s 10th Anniversary Party 10pm I LONDON HOTEL Karaoke Cruising: Pat Cruise 9.30pm; food noon-3pm; opens noon
MONDAY 19 PORTSMOUTH I HAMPSHIRE BLVD Bar 150: DJ Ruby Roo 9pm; opens noon I OLD VIC Food noon-3pm; opens noon SOUTHAMPTON I LONDON HOTEL Food noon-3pm; open 12
FRIDAY 23 PORTSMOUTH I HAMPSHIRE BLVD Funked Fri: DJs Tim Sandford, Grant Knowles & host Cassidy Connors till 3am; opens noon I OLD VIC DJs; food noon-3pm; opens noon SOUTHAMPTON I EDGE Get Some For Xmas: DJs Lohands, TUESDAY 20 Bradt Dykes & Pete Kendall 9pm PORTSMOUTH I LONDON HOTEL Cabaret: Jamie Watson & I OLD VIC Karaoke; food noon-3pm; open 12 Lucinda Lashes 9.30pm; food noon-3pm; SOUTHAMPTON opens noon I EDGE Twinkle, Twinkle Superstar: Tammy Twinkle’s karaoke competition 9pm SATURDAY 24 I LONDON HOTEL Lucinda’s Lucky Numbers: PORTSMOUTH games & a sing-song 8pm; food noon-3pm & I HAMPSHIRE BLVD Boom Boom Cow Xmas 6.30-9pm; opens noon Special: Joanie Taylor aka Nan performs Xmas Nativity, DJ Divine Diva 10pm; opens 9pm WEDNESDAY 21 I OLD VIC Xmas Eve party: DJs, food; open PORTSMOUTH 5pm I HAMPSHIRE BLVD The Only Way Is SOUTHAMPTON Blackpool: Sally Vate 9pm; opens noon I EDGE Xmas Eve Party: DJ Pete Kendall 9pm I OLD VIC Student Night; food noon-3pm I LONDON HOTEL Lady James Xmas Eve SOUTHAMPTON party 8.30pm; food noon-3pm; open 12-12 I EDGE Bar 150: DJ Lady Bex & Pete Kendall’s karaoke 9pm SUNDAY 25 I LONDON HOTEL Food noon-3pm; open 12 PORTSMOUTH I HAMPSHIRE BLVD Closed THURSDAY 22 I OLD VIC Winter Warmer: mulled wine, PORTSMOUTH nibbles, tarts; opens noon-3pm I HAMPSHIRE BLVD Westie’s Karaoke &
EDGE SOUTHAMPTON
I XMAS: The JOINT LGBT UNI XMAS PARTY on Mon (5) from 10pm, wristbands only. I XMAS EVE Sat (24) with DJ Pete Kendall from 9pm, entry £3/£5. I Closed Xmas Day (25). I BOXING DAY (26) with resident DJs and drink deals 9pm–5am. I iCANDY XMAS PARTY on Thur (29) from 10pm, free entry. I NYE: New Year’s Eve Party on Sat (31) with DJs Tim Sandford, Pete Kendall & Diamond from 9pm–very late, £10 in advance from www.wegottickets.com, more on the door. I RECOVERY PARTY @ WE ARE 1 on Sun (1) Jan with £1 drinks. I REGULARS: ONE ZZZZ SUN PAJAMAS & ONESIES theme party is new for Sun with DJ Steve Francis from 9pm, £1 drinks, free entry before 10pm, £2/£4 after. I TWINKLE, TWINKLE SUPER STAR on Tue with Tammy Twinkle at 9pm, free pool & £2 Jagerbombs. I Nick’s 10th ANNIVERSARY Party on Thur (22). I GET SOME on Fri with DJs Lohands, Bradt Dykes & Pete Kendall from 9pm, £2/£4 b4 11pm. I THE BIG ONE on Sat with 3 bars and 2 dancefloors, £3/£5. Lee Harris plays (17). I Open 9pm–3am on Tue, Wed & Sun, 10pm–3am on Thur, 9pm–5am on Fri & Sat. Closed Mon, except (5). I www.theedgesouthampton.com
I The LONDON HOTEL HALLOWEEN FUNDRAISER party for BASICS Doctors Hampshire and IOW raised £3500 with a raffle and Auction and donations on the door. I WAD: The WAD FUNDRAISER on Fri (2) with Lucinda Lashes, Miss Penny, Wilma Fingadoo, Dolly Partem, Kerry Redding and Lewis Hillier from 9.30pm. I XMAS: LGBT CHRISTMAS PARTY on Wed (14) with Eva La Diva, Lucinda Lashes & Dolly Partem, both 7.30pm. I Sat (24) is LADY JAMES’ CHRISTMAS EVE PARTY at 9.30pm, open noon–midnight. I Open CHRISTMAS DAY from noon–3pm for drinks. I XMAS SAIL AWAY on Mon (26) with Pat Cruise from 9.30pm, open from noon–11.30pm. I NYE: The MASQUERADE NEW YEAR’S EVE PARTY on Sat (31) with Jacquii Cann & DJ Tiny from 7.30pm–3am. Tickets £7.50, available now! I Dolly Partem’s NEW YEAR SERVICE on Sun (1) Jan is from 8.30pm, open from noon. I REGULARS: Free pool on Mon. I Tue is Lucinda’s LUCKY NUMBERS from 8pm. I Wed (7) is a Fundraiser for Prostate Cancer. I Thur is Pat Cruise’s KARAOKE CRUISING from 9.30pm, except (29). I FRI CABARET from 9.30pm: Sandra (9), Boy George Experience’s 40th B’day (16) and Jamie Watson & Lucinda Lashes (23). I Sat is GUILTY PLEASURES from 8.30pm with: DJ Tiny (3), Eva La Diva & DJ Pat Cruise (10) and Ruthie T & DJ Neil Sackley (17). I Sun is Dolly Partem’s SUNDAY SERVICE from 7.30pm, cabaret at 9.30pm: Dave Lynn (4), Lola Lasagne (11) and Dolly’s Xmas Nativity Special (18). I FOOD: Mon–Sat from noon–3pm, Sun from noon–3.30pm and Tue from noon–3pm & 6.30–9pm. I Open daily from noon. I www.the-london.co.uk SOUTHAMPTON I EDGE Closed I LONDON HOTEL Xmas Day; open 12-3pm MONDAY 26 PORTSMOUTH I HAMPSHIRE BLVD Boxing Gay: Super Hero-themed party, DJ Ruby Roo 9pm; bar opens 9pm I OLD VIC Boxing Day nibbles; open 12-5pm SOUTHAMPTON I EDGE Boxing Day Party: DJs 9pm-5am I LONDON HOTEL Pat Cruise’s Xmas Sail Away 7.30pm; food noon-3pm; opens noon11.30pm TUESDAY 27 PORTSMOUTH I OLD VIC Closed SOUTHAMPTON I EDGE Twinkle, Twinkle Superstar: Tammy Twinkle’s karaoke competition 9pm I LONDON HOTEL Lucinda’s Lucky Numbers: games & a sing-song 8pm; food noon-3pm & 6.30-9pm; opens noon
I OLD VIC Karaoke; food 12-3pm; open 12 SOUTHAMPTON I EDGE iCandy Xmas Party 10pm FRIDAY 30 PORTSMOUTH I HAMPSHIRE BLVD Funked Fri: DJs Tim Sandford, Grant Knowles & host Cassidy Connors till 3am; opens noon I OLD VIC DJs; food noon-3pm; opens noon SOUTHAMPTON I EDGE Get Some End of 2011: DJs Lohands, Bradt Dykes & Pete Kendall 9pm I LONDON HOTEL Lucinda Lashes hosts Catherine’s birthday, cabaret: Wilma Fingerdo 10pm; food noon-3pm; opens noon SATURDAY 31 PORTSMOUTH I HAMPSHIRE BLVD The Big 2012 Countdown: DJ Divine Diva 8pm-very late; opens noon I OLD VIC Topping & Butch’s NYE Resolution, ticket only entry 7pm; general opening noon5pm SOUTHAMPTON I EDGE New Year’s Eve: DJs Tim Sandford, Pete Kendall & Diamond 9pm I LONDON HOTEL Masquerade Party: Jacquii Cann & DJ Tiny 7.30pm-3am; food noon-3pm; opens noon
WEDNESDAY 28 PORTSMOUTH I HAMPSHIRE BLVD The Only Way Is Blackpool: Sally Vate 9pm; opens noon I OLD VIC Food noon-3pm; opens noon SOUTHAMPTON I EDGE Bar 150: DJ Lady Bex & Pete Kendall’s SUNDAY 1 karaoke 9pm PORTSMOUTH I LONDON HOTEL Food noon-3pm; open 12 I OLD VIC cabaret 9pm; lunch 1-5pm; opens noon THURSDAY 29 SOUTHAMPTON PORTSMOUTH I EDGE The Recovery Party @ We Are 1 9pm I HAMPSHIRE BLVD Westie’s Karaoke & I LONDON HOTEL New Year Service: Dolly Celeb Juice 9pm; opens noon Partem 8.30pm; open noon
GSCENE OUT & ABOUT 49
50 GSCENE
CHARLIE’S
the fun is in the presentation of the cooking. There’s an Aladdin’s cave here of fresh veg and fruit, meat, cheeses and fresh fish (sourced from a local fishery) available daily. British with French and Italian influences. So your own taste in food? Home cooking. You can’t beat it! So you design the menus together with Jason? Yes we look at what’s in on the day and decide our dishes. Jason pipes in: “It’s John who brings the fresh vibrant approach to the menu and engineers the final creation of the dishes.” What’s the speciality of the house? We’ve been told that our steaks are the best in town! Our vegetarian option is always something that we know our customers are going to want to eat. What gives you a buzz? Doing things the best that they can be done. Planning a menu. Getting to talk to people. What’s important to you when you are cooking? Everything has to have a purpose on the plate, be perfectly cooked and presented. What’s coming up at Thornes? We’re planning monthly feasting menus when we put all the tables together and just feast! My favourite is a nose and tail night, where every part of that pig will be used.
KITCHEN
BY CHARLIE NYEREYEGONA
Thorne’s is an amazing venture and I wish Jason and his team every luck but why take my word for it. Go down and experience Thornes for yourself - it’s well worth the trip!
CHARLIE’S KITCHEN: CHRISTMAS GAME PIE Christmas is a time to indulge in different kind of foods and this is my twist on an old favourite.
THORNES DELI STORE & CAFÉ RESTAURANT Upper Gardner Street, Brighton BN1 4AN, 01273 573 660 Thornes is causing such a stir as a new all-in-one grocery store/deli/café/restaurant in the Laines, that even Marco Pierre White is sending a runner to buy a certain apricot tasting tomato for his East Sussex restaurant! It took managing director, Jason Hurwitz, two and a half years of very hard work, travelling up and down Sussex, testing, selecting and building partnerships to reach opening stage. Jason is a man driven by a passion for good quality food, believing it should be available to everyone. He’s also an ‘ethical’ businessman (yes there are some about!) who believes in more than just profit. “We pay farmers a fair price directly. There is no middleman and no profit for us in some instances but we are fine with that. I had my great business idea but no money…” He smiles: ”the investors turned up in the end though! Everything is here – people just need to come and try us!”
INGREDIENTS:
About 750g of mixed game (at least 450g of diced venison) 250g diced chicken 150g bacon lardons ½ glass of port ½ glass dry Sussex cider 1½ litres of chicken stock Zest of ¼ of an orange Zest of ¼ of a lemon Tbsp of cranberry jelly Handful of fresh thyme 1 large red onion, finely chopped 1 sheet ready roll puff pastry Plain flour 1 egg yolk beaten with a tbsp of milk (egg wash)
As we walked around the ground floor of the store Jason pointed out the various sections: beautiful fresh fruit and veg, a butchery franchised to award-winning butchers Westdene Butchery, selling everything from amazing sausages to home-made South AfricanBiltong. There’s a deli and cheese counter to die for with many delicious local cheeses on display; a bakery full of fresh local breads and a chilled counter with local smoked salmon, unhomogenised milk, yoghurts and smoothies. If you fancy a drink there are select local ales, ciders and wines and a larder stocked with a carefully chosen selection of dry goods and spices.
THORNES RESTAURANT’S CHEF JOHN COPPENS I’ve eaten here a couple of times and the food is really good. How did you end up here? I’d just finished a year at the Ginger Pig Butchery, (an amazing experience which taught me so much) and had just taken a job at a local Hove gourmet cheese shop, when I got a distress call from a friend who is a waitress here. The chef had sadly had to leave because of health issues… so (laughs) here I am in my dream job. Describe your food? Simple food. All
METHOD: Preheat the oven to 150C. Dust the game portions with flour and place in the bottom of a large lightly greased pie dish. Pour over the port, cider and stock, cover with foil and cook for about one and a half hours. Remove from the oven and add the chicken and bacon lardons. Cover with foil and return to the oven for a further half an hour. Remove from the oven, stir in the cranberry jelly, orange and lime zest and onions and set aside to cool for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile roll out the pastry to slightly bigger than the pie dish. When the dish has cooled, dust with the fresh thyme. Turn the oven up to 200C. Place the pastry over the top and completely cover, crimping the excess around the dish. Brush the pastry all over with the egg wash to give it a nice golden colour. Return to the oven for a further 25 minutes. Serve hot with roast potatoes and red cabbage. Enjoy!
GSCENE 51
COME DINE
WITH MORHAM BY MORHAM WHITE
CROWN & ANCHOR 213 Preston Road, Preston Village, Brighton, 01273 559494 www.thecrownandanchorbrighton.co.uk Phil the Pieman at the Crown & Anchor recently had a ‘taste-in’, so after a meet and greet with our host, 30 or so friends assembled in the party room for the grand tasting and we weren’t disappointed. The choice of pies ranged from steak & ale, chicken & leek, shepherds pie and a fish pie. With a glass of wine we set about delivering a verdict. The steak & ale pies adjacent to me disappeared at an alarming rate and with so many empty plates it was difficult to make a taste comparison! The fish pie that I chose was both full and interesting as regards to contents and a worthy dish. The Crown & Anchor comes recommended for a sustenance break of traditional fayre (from 10am Mon–Fri and 9am Sat & Sun) and there’s parking and outside seating for those in need of fresh air!
LITTLE BAY RESTAURANT 60–64 Kings Road, Brighton 01273 731330 www.brighton@littlebay.co.uk An invite arrived to the launch of Little Bay in Brighton, adjacent to the UMI Hotel on the seafront at the bottom of West Street. On arrival we find my name midway down the second sheet of invitees, signalling a busy night ahead. The interior décor is deep maroon with extraordinary theatre boxes at mezzanine level, where the seating is designed to maximise the space available. Being of immodest proportions we had to decline the first table offered and sat beneath a balcony, where stooping for access was essential to avoid a knockout blow from the box above!
The menu is simple and very keenly priced, with starters at £3.55 and £2.55 before 7pm, light dishes at £6.45, main courses at £7.95 and £6.45 before 7pm and sides at £2.45. The wine list has mainstream names for less than £25 a bottle, though we had a house wine, a very acceptable rouge from J Moreau & Fils, reasonably priced at £11.50. For starters, we chose a classic prawn cocktail and a Parson’s Pastry which was three filo pastry parcels of chicken, mushroom and herbs. Then there was an interlude as late arrivals got themselves settled and the evening’s singers and accompanist prepared for their performance. For mains, Sir chose an an interesting combo of roasted fillet of plaice with chorizo, which disappeared faster than I was able to ask if it works. Clearly it did! I ordered the succulent confit of duck leg with noodles and pak choi. We shared an additional side of vegetables for £2.25, which included new potatoes, carrots and broccoli. For dessert I had warm profiteroles with banana cream filling and chocolate sauce whilst Sir demolished a chocolate log with ice cream. Again I wasn’t quite quick enough to get a taste! The singers were fun and not overly classical, though the acoustics aren’t wonderful. Interludes were filled by a delightful trio of ladies who maintained the evening’s classical theme. Little Bay is fun, different and at those prices I’m sure that Opera by the Sea will become a stalwart for visitors to Brighton. So here we are at the end of yet another year of pounding the streets of Brighton & Hove, I hope you’ve found something useful to sample. I hope you find what you are looking for at Christmas and the New Year!
52 GSCENE
SHOPPING WITH MICHAEL HOOTMAN
Calendars from £11.49; Kitsch 60s Christmas Decorations from £1.95 (Prowler, 112 St James' St, Brighton, 01273 683680)
Heart Berry Wreath, £34.95 (Papillon, 1 Union Street, Brighton, 01273 720333)
Essentials for a happy Christmas at Cardome (47a St James’s Street, Brighton, 01273 692916 or online: www.cardome.co.uk) 2012 Calendars: Superheros & Fairies and Boys World, £11.95 each; secret santa gifts and stocking fillers: Grow A Gift, New Willy, Boyfriend, Girlfriend, Gay Best Friend, £1.99 each; blow up Exotic Dancer Apron with long tassles for extra swing £9.90; Willy Soap On A Rope and hand sanitisers Cleaner Than Shit, Poop Scooper, Maybe You Touched Your Genitals, £5.99; plus original Christmas cards that you won’t find in other high street stores. Spend £10 on Christmas cards and get a free bauble worth £1.99 (offer whilst stocks last).
Moomin Alarm Clock, £17.50 (Pussy, 3a Kensington Gardens, 01273 604861)
Alessi Christmas Figurines from £18, are the perfect way to take part in the festive season without losing your cool (Caz Systems, 17 Church St, Brighton, 01273 326471)
Electro Grooming Gift Set, £65, the perfect Xmas present for your boyfriend, civil partner or love buddy (Molton Brown, 60 East Street, Brighton 01273 730115 or www.moltonbrown.co.uk)
GSCENE 53 TOUCH OF EVIL (Eureka blu ray). Orson Welles' finest film (and no, I've not forgotten Citizen Kane) is a tremendous film noir which looks unflinchingly at its anti-hero, a villain of truly Shakespearean proportions. Welles plays Hank Quinlan, a corrupt sheriff on the US-Mexico border, who plants evidence (amongst many other crimes) in a complex drug case. He's pitted against Charlton Heston playing a Mexican lawyer (casting so strange it speaks either of wayward genius or a contractual obligation) who's on honeymoon with his wife (Janet Leigh). Other pluses include one of cinema's greatest opening scenes - its famously intricate tracking shot - Marlene Dietrich's cameo as a fortune teller and Henry Mancini's brilliant score. Welles' film was cut against his wishes so this edition includes three versions of the film including the original version as well as the 1998 reconstructed version which is the closest to the director's cut we'll ever see. MEDEA (BFI blu ray). Pasolini's fragmented, hallucinatory retelling of the Greek tragedy is one of the director's greatest achievements. Unlike his Oedipus Rex, the film is less about narrative storytelling, concentrating more on ancient landscapes and ritual. In fact it would probably be a good idea to have a quick glance at wiki beforehand to understand exactly what's going on. Maria Callas stars as the "barbarian sorceress" who helps Jason steal her people's golden fleece, bears his children and then is consumed by jealousy as he decides to marry the King's daughter to secure higher social positions for their children. Huge swathes of the movie go by with no dialogue though the performances, the painterly, haunting landscapes, and the African tribal music together produce something as truly magical and hypnotic as has ever been captured on film. It's not an easy watch; in fact I feel that it needs another viewing to do it justice – an experience I’m already positively looking forward to. UNCLE DAVID Having been an avid watcher of The Divine David Presents, and having seen him perform live a number of times, I've always counted myself as one of David Hoyle's fans. His unsettling mixture of compassion, anger at the world's injustice, and a complementary willingness to laugh at cruelty made him a unique performer. But ten years' good work has been undone in an instant (though it felt like a small eternity) with this film; a stultifying 94minutes of non-plot, non-acting, non-scripted tedium which was filmed on video over five days in a caravan park. Hoyle plays the eponymous character who has sex with his hunky young nephew Ashley (Ashley Ryder) and sometimes pimps him out to other men. The film comprises mostly of Uncle David giving boring lectures on consumerism and heteronormativism to Ashley. There is a small break in the tedium when they dance around their caravan for a bit, and a nice 45-second interlude when the two characters charm some cows in a foggy field. But then we're back to Uncle David drivelling on for the third time about how people who go to work are drones and mortgages are bad. The film ends with its "shocking" climax, but it's shocking only in that it's dragged out for so long. Seeing Hoyle live, he has a tremendous energy which somehow seems to evaporate when captured on cheap video. Even when he's smashing up some china figurines (daringly representing the Christian family) there's something quite soporific about his performance. It's a good bit of marketing having Ryder as co-star, though he can barely act. Hoyle should have remembered the 27th Law of Showbiz: Porn stars and actors should never be confused, which explains why Ian McKellen was never asked to do World Soccer Orgy 3. But don't let me put you off seeing this film as I'm sure a lot of people will warm to its critique of Western Society, its "transgressive" nature, and its shots of Ashley Ryder naked.
54 GSCENE
“I can’t believe that homophobia isn’t being more directly challenged in schools... it’s a great crime against humanity”
hatted, ning-nang-nongers" and I suppose that’s fairly accurate in its own way. What’s your next novel about? It’s about a therapist who counsels his clients while unconscious.
One of the two men sucking face on the Kiss Wall by Brighton’s Palace Pier is Sebastian Beaumont, author of Thirteen, The Juggler, The Linguist, The Cruelty of Silence, Heroes Are Hard To Find and On The Edge. Between novels he’s been a model, a Brighton cabbie, a psychotherapeutic counsellor and a dog walker. Drew Halliday asked Sebastian for his coming out story... I got my older sister to tell my parents, which was a bit cowardly. They were fine about it, but it was a bit embarrassing in a reserved English sort of way – like showing my underwear in public. I was at university at the time, and experienced a certain amount of homophobia – this was the 1980s. In retrospect, even though coming out went well, I’m very aware that carrying a ‘dark secret’ and being made to feel different by an unaccepting culture is deeply problematic. I can’t believe that homophobia isn’t being more directly challenged in schools and that even now young people are still being psychologically damaged when they come out – it’s a great crime against humanity. What are you up to these days? I’m working with a producer from the British Film School on a film script of my novel, Thirteen. I support classes in meditation and mindfulness at the Brighton Buddhist Centre and I’m undertaking a training of study and meditation retreats that may lead to ordination into the Triratna Buddhist Order. I love living in Brighton, and plug into its artistic and cultural scene as often as possible.
Thirteen is the surreal story of a Brighton cabbie working nights inspired by your own experiences as a cabbie and a taxi radio controller. Were you a good cabbie? Sadly, I have no sense of direction and very poor spatial awareness and so I kept going in the wrong direction and crashing the cab. Taxi driving can be quite lucrative, but not for me. I had to replace a bumper or two, not to mention various stationary objects, such as a garden wall. And that was all in just six months. Are you an activist? I’m currently involved with a campaign to make CCTV mandatory in abattoirs, to help stop the appalling abuse of animals before they’re slaughtered. I suppose the Tories’ cuts will also get me out on the street at some point to defend my job and those of my colleagues. Where’s your favourite place? Brighton. Really, I love it. I can’t think of any other place I’d rather be – everything I need as a slightly arty, Gay, vegan, Buddhist sea lover is right on my doorstep. The late rock critic, Steven Wells, described Brighton residents as: "Crusty-wusty, hippy-dippy, twat-
Can we have an exclusive sneak preview? “In the summer when Will was seventeen, he got himself a scooter – a hand-me-down from Kitty, really, who was off travelling in her gap year. He was still sharing a room with Jamie, who blurted out, quite suddenly one evening, that he was gay. Jamie had just turned fifteen. Will was shocked into stillness. Not because Jamie was gay, but because he’d shared a room with him all this time and knew so little about his brother.” How would you like to be remembered? As a crusty-wusty, hippy-dippy, twat-hatted, ning-nang-nonger. Do you own a twat hat? I think I would interpret that as a wig. I have been known to wear the occasional bizarre wig in my time. What’s your favourite album? Through Low Light & Trees by the Smoke Fairies. If you could change any part of your mind, what would it be? Stilling my relentless mental chatter. What’s your relentless mental chatter saying right now? Ha, ha, ha. Ha, ha, ha, ha! What turns you on? Spontaneous declarations of truth. What gets your goat? Capitalism.
LGBT CITIZENS To nominate your favourite LGBT Citizen for an interview, send a name and email address to: drewhalliday@hotmail.co.uk
GSCENE OUT & ABOUT 55
BOOKS I TWENTYSIX by Jonathan Kemp Crafted around 26 extraordinary erotic encounters, this highly charged work is a meditation on the pursuit of pleasure. In each chapter, titled after a letter of the alphabet, an anonymous narrator details his experiences, travelling to cruising grounds and sex clubs, exploring the boundaries of sex, desire, and pleasure while reflecting on the limits of language and the act of writing. Kemp’s beautiful, evocative, tender and explosively blunt language is like a coil of silk rope held by the most challenging and desirable lover, as it tightens its sensual hold on your mind you can’t escape the inevitable shuddering revelation. This book smashes through the baseness of desire into the searing brightness of revelation. Kemp’s writing is simply astonishing. EP £9.99, published by Myriad Editions, www.myriadeditions.com I THE OPTICAL EFFECTS OF LIGHTNING by local author, Sarah Kember, is a highconcept psychological thriller combining gothic traditions with modern science. In this unusual case of a missing person, a classic tale of vengeance and obsession unfolds. It has the feel of truth, but the resonance of a mad and desperate endeavour. In thrall to the transformative power of lightning, this quest, which comes to us in the form of a meticulously ordered case file, questions the divide between magic and reason, monstrosity and humanity. When Matt discovers the disappearance of his lover Suhail, he realises Suhail has gone in search of his brother Saeed. Suhail blames himself for an horrific childhood accident in which Saeed's face was disfigured during a lightning storm. He comes to believe that just as lightning
separated them when they were young, so it can join them again, bringing them back together as one being – fused, reprogrammed and restarted. While Matt urges the police to find him, Suhail seeks a reunion with his brother that may redeem – or condemn him. ‘Sarah Kember has written a gothic tale for the 21st century in this intense fusion of vitalism, science, and sibling emotion’ (Sue Thomas, author of Correspondence and Hello World: Travels In Virtuality). £9.99, Wild Wolf Publishing, wildwolfpublishing.com and available in Brighton from: City Books, Waterstones, Kemp Town Bookshop, and amazon.co.uk I THE QUEER BUSINESSMAN by Paul Mann Local author Mann brings us a this story of modern life pondering on the nature of family, male role models and the question of whether gay men make good fathers. The book is set in the Thatcher era and is evocative of the big social differences of that time. It's punchy and written in a blunt sparse style that Mann makes his own. This is a gritty novel but one which finds a warm heart in its difficult subject matter of a confused and badly bullied young boy searching for a family and finding one with a successful gay businessman who never intended to be a father. EP £9.99, published by Paradise North http://paradisepress.org.uk I SLEIGHT OF
HAND by Nick Alexander Funny, smart and sharp; Alexander works with snappy dialogue and the wonderfully subtle interplay of relationships between gay men, their ex’s and their women friends. Two men, one Colombian one British, give each other what they (think) they want and how that impacts on their lives in a slow lunatic descent of madcap plotting and honest
exploring of the limits of honesty, desire and trust. It’s laugh out loud funny and might make you cry too. Set in Colombia, London and Brighton, this book is fun with a capital F. EP. www.nick-alexander.com EP I INFERNO (A POET’S NOVEL) by Eileen Myles Poet, essayist and performer, Eileen Myles’ new book transmits an energy and vividness that will not soon leave its readers. Myles excels in changing tone in a beat; the poet in her cannot resist the urge to let one word weigh so heavily that it will brings the edifice of her perfectly crafted world crashing down and allows another to shine out from behind the crumbling patchwork of her memoir. Myles is queer, lesbian, working class, catholic and a poet. This story of a young female writer discovering both her own creative drive and sexuality in the meditative and raucous environment that was New York in its indie heyday is engrossing, poignant and very funny. Myles is funny, shocking, and candid and at her best burns so brightly it hurts your eyes to read her words. Even at her worst she’s interesting and this is the saving grace of the book; not the story
but the telling, not the meaning but the words themselves and the power they hold. It was a throbbing delight to read, like getting on someone else’s motorbike as a pillion. I had no idea where I was going but she gave me a hell of a ride. EP £11, published by OR Books, www.orbooks.com/ourbooks/inferno-a-poets-novel/ I GAY PORN
HEROES by JC Adams From Andy Warhol to XTube porn, Adams shows that there is a cultural relevance in gay porn beyond the short moment of satisfaction. It’s a tribute to the amazing men, across four decades, who have fired our erotic imagination, becoming erotic icons. From Al Parker to Jeff Stryker, Matthew Rush to Pierre Fitch, these are the skin stars who turn us on! The Top 100 stars are arranged in ten categories, including The Bodybuilders, The Macho Men, The Superhung Studs. Whether you're a fan of the classic stars or the current-day studs, Gay Porn Heroes is a must-have for every fan of all-male adult entertainment and the perfect stocking (ah em) filler. EP £39.99, Bruno Gmunder, www.brunogmuender.com I THE BRIGHTON BOOK compiled by
NK Swallow from North Laine Photography. This is a glorious collection of photographs selected from twelve years of Brighton & Hove Calendars that capture Brighton's unique essence and spirit. Brighton townscapes and landmarks, festivals and events, everyday people and popular faces by photographers including NK Swallow, Anni Agnise, Roger Bamber, Petrusco and Dark Daze. Many of the images will be familiar as they were also exhibited in the North Laine Gallery in Kensington Gardens (Sept 2003 to Jan 2010). The book represents a wide range of perspectives on the endless diversity of people living in Brighton and flicking through the 328 pages of 660 photographs will remind you why it's such a special place to live. Maisie Trollette, Miss Joyride, Drag With No Name, Joan Bond and Betty Swollocks appeared in 2004 competition finalist Casta's solo exhibition Pride and no doubt you'll recognise a few other faces in the various images from past Brighton Prides. A great Christmas present if you can bear to part with it! MA Published by North Laine Photography and available from their Christmas stalls in Churchill Square or Kensington Gardens and at the special launch offer of £30 plus a free Brighton & Hove Calendar at www.northlainephotography.co.uk
BETTY SWOLLOCKS BY CASTA
ARTS
56 GSCENE OUT & ABOUT
BRIGHTON CENTRE SATURDAYS
Kings Rd, Brighton, Box office: 0844 847 1515 www.brightoncentre.co.uk Highlights: THE SATURDAYS (Tue 6); BRYAN ADAMS (Wed 7); JOOLS HOLLAND (Sat 10); STEPHEN MERCHANT (Sun 11).
SATURDAYS COMPETITION
WIN A PAIR OF TICKETS to see The Saturdays (Tue 6). Just answer
the following and send on a postcard to Saturdays Competition, Gscene, 111 Western Road, Hove, BN3 1DD QUESTION: What is the name of the Saturdays new album?
ACTUALLY GMC St Andrew’s Church, Waterloo St, Hove, www.actuallygwc.org TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE XMAS (7.30pm, Thur 22). The Actually Gay Men’s Chorus’ Christmas show will feature the first public performance from the new Actually Gay Women’s Chorus.
performers. If you see someone with a matching bandana, eye contact, a smile, or a wink, it may start a wild journey, a tender moment or intimate conversation. ARE YOU SITTING COMFORTABLY? /BEASTS (Tue 13). With monsters, bogeymen, brutes and ogres, free finger food and mutant treats.
BRIGHTON LITTLE THEATRE
LORRAINE BOWEN
The performance of seasonal songs, and traditional carols, sung in four part harmony will be conducted by Musical Director Jason Pimblett. Many of the Chorus members are also signed to Universal Records and perform as Brighton & Hove Gay Men’s Chorus (their first album will be released Mon Dec 5) and this will be the only chance to hear them sing as part of Actually GMC and St Andrew’s Church will be the only venue in Brighton & Hove to see them perform this Christmas. The concert will be raising money for Broken Rainbow and Sussex Pet Rescue. Tickets £10 (no concs) from www.actuallygmc.org, www.actuallygwc.org or The Iron Duke Hotel on Waterloo St and Prowler on St James’ Street.
Clarence Gardens, Brighton Box office: 01273 777748 www.the-little.co.uk CHARLEY'S AUNT (Mon 12–Sat 17). Brandon Thomas's crossdressing farce has two students, Charley Wyckham and Jack Chesney, wanting to propose marriage to two young women. Stephen Spettigue, uncle to one woman and guardian to the other, won't let them near the boys. He's out of town, but the young ladies won't visit without a chaperone. Charley's aunt from Brazil is expected but when she doesn't arrive, the boys do some quick thinking.
THE BASEMENT
DOME
24 Kensington St, Brighton Box office: 01273 699733 www.thebasement.uk.com AT ONCE TWICE / AT-ANYMOMENT-SOMETHING–ELSE (Thu 8). Christopher House (Toronto) and Joe Moran (London) doublebill of two unique adaptations of Deborah Hay’s At Once. CRUISING FOR ART (Sat 10). A series of one-on-one interactions by some of the country’s leading
Church Street, Brighton Box office: 01273 709709 www.brightondome.org LORRAINE BOWEN'S SINGALONG-A-RODGERS-&HAMMERSTEIN (Sun 4). Extend your singing range, boost your confidence and enjoy popular songs from the musicals in a fun and relaxed singing workshop. BRIGHTON GAY MEN'S CHORUS (SUN 11). Pull a Cracker, their
SPECIAL (Sun 18). Marilyn Monroe is finding heaven a bore, no drinking smoking or sex, and worst of all, no swinging music. She returns to earth for one more night, bringing showbiz fling Frank Sinatra, and legend Elvis Presley. JOHNNY WOO'S GAY BINGO (Wed 14). Tranny superstar Jonny Woo presents the alt-drag-performanceart-game-show-party. With Ma Butcher in her potentially award winning role on the number cruncher and John Sizzle giving unparalleled method DJing, this will blow away your preconceptions of what is possible with numbered balls!
KOMEDIA Gardner Street, Brighton Box office: 0845 293 8480 www.komedia.co.uk BENT DOUBLE (Sun 4). An irreverent night of fun and frolics
FROCKABILLY
BY MICHAEL HOOTMAN
FROCKABILLY ZOE LYONS
ARTS
latest show, has the most Christmassy of choirs setting the spirits soaring with its latest festive extravaganza. UNCAGED MONKEYS (Thu 15). A night of science and wonder starring Brian Cox, Ben Goldacre, Robin Ince, Simon Singh. THE NUTCRACKER – A HAPPY DREAM (Thu 22–Tue 27). Classical ballet with a modern twist from Olivier Award-winning choreographer and director Peter Schaufuss. ROMEO & JULIET (Wed 28–Fri 30). Classic love story gets a modern make over as Danish dance star Peter Schaufuss Ballet revives Frederick Ashton's seminal production.
hosted by Gscene favourite Zoe Lyons. Tonight's special guest is Tom Allen. THE SILENT MOVIE EXPERIENCE (Sat 10). West End musician and performer David Watts returns for more silent movie comedy mayhem. Classic movies, live music, quirky sound effects and audience participation contribute to this lively one-man show. ALIVE & SWINGING WITH MARILYN MONROE CHRISTMAS
Latest Music Bar, Manchester St, Brighton, 01273 687171 www.thelatest.co.uk/musicbar FROCKABILLY HOLIDAY SPECIAL! (Fri 2). Seasonal shenanigans, vintage r&b and rock & roll with DJ Lonesome M, hostesses KittyCome-Lately, Katfink, Zolene, and Becky BadLuck, plus live music from skifflebilly trio Bad Bad Whiskey. Whether you’re an angel, a pudding, a shiny bauble, or a Christmas humbug, celebrate the holiday season the old fashioned way with live music, vintage tunes and mince pies. It’s like all your Christmases have come at once! “A guaranteed good time!” Curve Tickets: £7 on the door, £6 in advance from the venue. www.frockabilly.co.uk
PULL A CRACKER! Dome Concert Hall, Church St, Brighton Box office: 01273 709709 www.brightondome.org BRIGHTON GAY MEN'S CHORUS stage its biggest and most ambitious Christmas show to date, PULL A CRACKER (8pm, Sun 11). Joining the boys on stage will be actress June Brown who plays Dot Cotton in the BBC soap, Eastenders, the award winning comedienne Zoe Lyons, cabaret artiste Lorraine Bowen and talented vocalist Jodie Spencer . The chorus and guests will perform their own brand of pop, disco and festive favourites including I Will Survive, O Holy Night and the campest version of The 12 Days Of Christmas ever! The chorus (also a registered charity) recently pledged a partnership to help the Sussex Beacon Emergency Appeal to raise £150,000. This means that every ticket purchased for the show helps two fantastic causes! Leading the chorus are the combined talents of its musical director Marc Yarrow, accompanied by Tim Nail and guided by West End director Carole Todd. Tickets £7.50/£10/£12.50/£15, Dome Box Office 01273 709 709. For more info or to book online, visit: www.brightongmc.org
HULLABALOO
Sallis Benney Theatre, Grand Parade, Brighton HONEYBEES THE MUSICAL! (7.30pm, Sat 3 & Sun 4 Dec). If you see just one lesbian field hockey musical this year it’s got to be this one! It’s all about life, love, winning, losing, lesbians and drama queens as the Brighton Honeybees take on the Hove Hornets. Who will be queen of the hive? Written by Cat Walker and Rebecca Duffy from the Brighton Honey Bees ladies hockey team with music and lyrics by Dungareen Jean, the show covers
HULLABALOO The Old Market, Upper Market Street, Hove. Dome Box office: 01273 709709 SATURNALIA (7.30pm, Sun 11). Hullabaloo Community Quire with guests The Moulettes present a programme including a spiritual by Sweet Honey & The Rock, Light A Candle, Sussex Drinking Song, and Seasons Of Love from Rent. Tickets £9/£7.
WAD CONCERTS
CHARITY CONCERT FOR SUSSEX BEACON: St Mary’s Church on St James’ Street, (7.30pm, Thur 1). The Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus, The Rainbow Chorus, LGBT ukulele band Qukulele and soprano Red Gray provide an opportunity to reflect on the losses many have suffered, as well as celebrate the survivors fighting HIV/Aids. The concert will start straight after the annual CANDLELIT VIGIL at the Aids Memorial. Tickets £8 from Dome Box Office and Sussex Beacon Charity Shops. All profits will go to Sussex Beacon. IF WE ONLY HAVE LOVE: A Celebration Of Life for World Aids Day, St Andrew’s Church, (7.30pm, Thur 1), brings together the voices of Actually Gay Men’s Chorus directed by Jason Pimblett and the 100 strong, Hullabaloo Community Quire directed by Kirsty Martin. Music will range from Jaques Brel to Andrew Lloyd Webber and an original piece written for the evening based on the music of Rodrigo. Donations on the night to the Sussex Beacon.
NEW VENTURE THEATRE Bedford Place, Brighton Box office: 01273 746118 www.newventure.org.uk TALKING DOG (Sat 10–Sat 17). Sarah Davies' play introduces us to Eddy, a dog, who is soon to meet his maker. Once the audience have learnt to interpret ‘Dog’, they will tune in to Eddy’s voice and be privy to a series of conversations through which they get to know Eddy and some of the characters and memories from the past, as he attempts to come to terms with his
TALKING DOG
HONEYBEES THE MUSICAL!
rock, pop, hip-hop and musical favourites with a twist, from Hockey Horror to Lady Lager. All profits go to Allsorts Youth Project, the Brighton charity supporting young people under 26 who are LGBT/unsure. www.allsortsyouth.org.uk Tickets: £10/£7.50 are available from website: http://tinyurl.com/HoneybeesMu sical
last moments on earth. The piece was developed through interviews, studies of dogs and their owners, and an investigation of the power of memory.
ARTS
NEWS
BY MICHAEL HOOTMAN
SEASONS OF LOVE
RESOUND
St Andrews Church, Waterloo Street, Hove SEASONS OF LOVE - A CHRISTMAS CABARET (7.30pm, Sat 10). Led by Swedish opera singer Stefan Holmström, RESOUND, Brighton & Hove’s new all male singing group are staging a different and
story of an optimistic, fiery orphan who never gives up hope of finding her real parents. Winner of the prestigious Tony Award for Best Musical the show boasts one of the West End and Broadway’s most memorable scores, including It's The Hard-Knock Life, Easy Street and Tomorrow. CINDERELLA (Fri 16–Sat 24). A traditional, musical pantomime bursting with boos, cheers, songs and laughter. Will Cinderella get to the ball, meet the prince of her dreams and live happily ever after? Or will she remain in the evil clutches of her wicked step-mother and the ugliest sisters ever?
THEATRE ROYAL
Hawth Avenue, Crawley Box office: 01293 553636 PETER PAN (Fri 9–Sat 31). Nigel Havers stars as the villainous Captain Hook in the swash buckling adventure pantomime. Jon Clegg co-stars as his right hand man Smee in a show which features crocodiles, lost boys, pirates and fairies!
THE BARN THEATRE Community Centre, 24 Southwick Street, Southwick Box office: 01273 597094 www.southwickplayers.org.uk ANNIE (Tue 6–Sat 10). Set in the 1930s’ American depression, Annie tells the heart-warming
CONGRESS THEATRE Carlisle Road, Eastbourne Box office: 01323 412000 www.eastbournetheatres.co.uk A CHRISTMAS NIGHT AT THE OPERA (Tue 20). London Festival Opera brings together world class artists featuring the works of the great opera and operetta composers, including Mozart, NIGHT AT THE OPERA
New Road, Brighton Box office: 08448 717 650 SPAMALOT (Dec 15–Jan 14). The Monty Python musical tells the legendary tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table and features a bevy (or possibly a brace) of beautiful show girls, witch burnings (cancelled, too expensive) not to mention cows, killer rabbits and French people. Stars Marcus Brigstocke as King Arthur and Todd Carty as Patsy.
NIGEL HAVERS
THE HAWTH
SPAMALOT
innovative twist to Christmas with their first public performance with a wild mix of moods and repertoire of Christmas classics, readings and lesser known music and solos from guest soprano Yvonne Patrick. Resound is a small group of men from all walks of life who have come together to sing and perform a wide variety of songs. Tickets: £8.50/£7.50 concs, Dome Box Office: 01273 709709, or from the Iron Duke pub, Waterloo Street.
Verdi, Rossini and Bizet, plus repertoire associated with the Christmas Season including Puccini’s La Bohème.
DEVONSHIRE PARK THEATRE Winter Gardens, Eastbourne Box office: 01323 412000 www.eastbournetheatres.co.uk THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD (Dec 9–Jan 15). Based on the much-loved English folk tale, Robin Hood will be an action packed pantomime extravaganza with new costumes, live music, brand new script and the usual comedy mayhem. Journey into the enchanted world of Sherwood Forest as Robin and his motley band of Merry Men as they cleanup at the annual archery contest, take on the wicked Sheriff of Nottingham and battle to rescue Maid Marion from his evil clutches… and all without laddering their tights! Starring John Altman (Nick Cotton) as the Sheriff of Nottingham.
CROSS STREET STUDIO CHRISTMAS BOUTIQUE 14b Cross Street, Hove, www.crossstreetworkshop.co.uk CROSS STREET CHRISTMAS BOUTIQUE returns as part of the Artists Open Houses festival (Sat 26 & Sun 27 Nov, Sat 3 & 4, Sat 10 & 11 Dec) with a selection of unique gifts. Enjoy hassle-free Christmas shopping with mulled wine and a mince pie while you browse. Artists include Bunting Boutique (bunting/fineries), Sally Cochrane (textile artworks/ accessories), Patrick Edgleley (screenprints), Mary Fellows (textiles/screenprints), Mary Moox (Crafty Creations), MOTH (leather bags/silver jewellery), Anna Tilson, (vintage crockery mosaic), ANNA TILSON VINTAGE CROCKERY MOSAIC
ROBIN HOOD
58 GSCENE OUT & ABOUT
Anwen Williams (badges/mirrors), Bluebird Jewellery, Vicky Cadby, Hania Mackinnon, Cally Otter and Hanna Ylitalo (silver jewellery). Ask Anna or Laila about their mosaic and jewellery workshops which run at Cross Street Studio throughout the year.
LINDA BOUCHER The New Steine Hotel, 10-11 New Steine, Brighton, 01273 681546, www.newsteinehotel.com The New Steine Hotel’s latest exhibition features Brighton-based artist LINDA BOUCHER (Fri 2 Dec–19th Feb) who uses traditional oil painting techniques to create contemporary paintings of glamorous women, and their gorgeous belongings. Best known for her Red Shoe paintings, you’ll find all kinds of objects of desire within her still-life paintings; from disco balls to lipsticks, powder puffs to Russian dolls. Drawing on her love of vintage movies and stunning colours, Linda also paints portraits of women which have a contemporary feel, blended with fashions from the 1940s & 50s. Self taught, Linda has been working from her seafront studio, in Brighton’s Artist Quarter, since 1991. She has exhibited in Brighton, London and Monte Carlo and worked with publishing companies: American Greetings, The Art Group, and most recently Paperlink. Exhibits are for sale include original oil paintings, prints (framed and unframed), notebooks and 2012 Calendars. Linda will be making a donation of 15% from all sales at the Private View (7pm, Thur 1), to Lunch Positive (www.lunchpositive.org), who offer a healthy and enjoyable meal for people living with, and affected by, HIV. For more information contact Linda: studio@lindaboucher.com or call: 01273 779937. www.lindaboucher.com
GSCENE OUT & ABOUT 59
ART
GEEK
BY ENZO MARRA
BY CRAIG STORRIE
M AT T E R S
SCENE
CREATIVE CHRISTMAS EVENTS & EXHIBITIONS
GAY GAMING & GADGETS
Having already done the shopping and decorating for the Christmas period, there are still a multitude of arts events at venues in and around Brighton. Here is a small selection to give you a creative buzz.
Welcome one and all to the very first Geek Scene, a place of gay gaming and gadgets. Well it’s the time of year again to deck the halls, eat and drink too much and spend it with your nearest and dearest. It is around Christmas that most of us inevitably have to experience awkward silences, lots of washing up and the whole household watching the many boring Xmas specials without talking! Take note that I don’t include the Doctor Who Christmas Special in there as that needs to be watched! This year however why don’t we change all that and mix things up a little. Below are, I think, the best games for whichever type of person you have over during the Christmas period. So, why not read on and spend some time and money on you this year?
ARTISTS’ OPEN HOUSES CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL 2011 Brighton & Hove and beyond, www.aoh.org.uk Visit the Artists’ Open Houses during weekends, (Sat 26 & Sun 27 Nov; Sat 3 & Sun 4, Sat 10 & Sun 11 Dec). Check the brochure for venues, artists will be available around the city from mid-November, and from Artists’ Open Houses venues from the start of the festival.
SINGLE PLAYER
You can’t go far wrong with the
INK-D
excellent BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY. Even if you don’t like comics, this is a deep, rewarding, fantastic experience that holds no punches. Add on extensive challenge maps, extra characters (including gayfavourite Catwoman) and future downloadable content and you have a game that will keep you occupied for ages. Next up we have ASSASSINS CREED: REVELATIONS. Taking in locations seen in the first two games, the main character Ezio travels to Istanbul to uncover the secrets that are hidden within four ancient districts. Amazing graphics and intuitive controls help make this a fantastic game that deserves to be played. For people who love fantasy games/films we have THE ELDER SCROLLS 5: SKYRIM. This is the sequel to 2006 Oblivion which, even though it had its fair share of awards and accolades, was full of bugs, problems and glitches. By comparison, Skyrim blows Oblivion out of the water. The character creation and classes are now much deeper and more varied. The story is just epic and the changes to the gameplay feel refreshing and make it easy to pick up and play. Notable mentions: Modern Warfare 3, Gears of War 3 (Xbox), Uncharted 3 (PS3), Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword (Wii),
96 North Rd, Brighton, BN1 1YE, www.ink-d.co.uk The XMAS KNEES UP group show (Fri 2–Sat 24) has a wide selection of seasonal treats, from small affordable arty items to large tasty originals, served up with a tipple of mulled wine while you browse the festive art selection.
HANS FEIBUSCH
PALLANT HOUSE GALLERY 9 North Pallant, Chichester, West Sussex, www.pallant.org.uk The HANS FEIBUSCH: PRINTMAKER exhibition is in the De'Longhi Print Room (until Sun 8 Jan 2012). The German émigré artist came to Britain in 1933 to escape Nazi persecution, and was included in the notorious Degenerate Art exhibition in Munich in 1937. Celebrated for his religious mural paintings which employed expressionist use of colour, these rarely-seen lithographs form part of the substantial collection the artist left to Pallant House Gallery revealing another aspect of his graphic skills. Free entry.
HOP GALLERY Star Brewery, Castle Ditch Lane, Lewes, www.hopgallery.com YULETIDE is a seasonal group show (Thur 1–Thur 22) by the Collective who present unusual arts and crafts and an opportunity to buy gifts direct from some local artists at highly affordable prices.
MULTIPLAYER
PATRICK EDGELEY
29 Tarrant Street, Arundel, West Sussex, www.zimmerstewart.co.uk The Katherine Le Hardy exhibition of new paintings continues (until Sat 3). Le Hardy, who shows regularly in London and the UK, has been Highly Commended as Young Artist of the Year at the Royal Institute of Oil Painters and NADFAS young artist prize winner at the Guggleton Gallery in Dorset is also showing in the CHRISTMAS MIXED EXHIBITION (Sat 10–Sat 24) which includes paintings by Nick Bodimeade, Phil Tyler and Barbara Macfarlane; ceramics by Karen Bunting, Nigel Lambert, Chris Keenan and John Leach; prints by Kate Boxer, Richard Walker, Patrick Edgeley and Helen Brown; and sculpture by Giles Penny, Christopher Marvell and Lilia Umana Clarke.
JUST DANCE 3
RICHARD WALKER
ZIMMER STEWART GALLERY
The best of the party bunch this year is undoubtedly JUST DANCE 3. It improves on the dancing formula with a fun, more upbeat track listing and new game modes adding a bit more spice to the mix. The graphics are clear and crisp, and this time the motion tracking is almost spot. Although you can get away with just waving your arms about madly in some songs (especially on the Wii), it’s still brilliant fun and is a great way to get your family and friends involved, especially with the well thought out fourplayer routines. Notable mentions: Singstar (PS3), Dance Central 2 (Xbox Kinect), Lips (Xbox), Mario and Sonic 2012 (Wii)
Well that’s the best of what’s available over all the platforms this festive period. Have a Merry Christmas and see you all in the New Year! Feel free to send feedback via my blog: skywalker540.blogspot.com
60 GSCENE OUT & ABOUT
I BÉLA BARTÓK’s (1881-1945) Violin Concerto No. 2 was actually his only published violin concerto during his lifetime. He composed a concerto for violinist Stefi Geyer when he was just 19, but abandoned the work when their relationship ended. The work remained unpublished and unperformed until after his death,
although he recycled the first movement in another work. Here, Canadian James Ehnes has recorded both, together with the Viola Concerto, ably supported by the BBC Philharmonic, conducted by Gianandrea Noseda. The Viola Concerto was incomplete when Bartók died, and was completed by the Hungarian violist, Tibor Serly. These are sparky, lively pieces, yet also containing great lyricism and beauty, which Ehnes expertly communicates. However, he excels in the Viola Concerto, contrasting warmth of tone with athletic virtuosity. The three works neatly span Bartók’s career, and these excellent performances show just how inventive and innovative he was. Chandos CHAN10690 I WITOLD
LUTOSLAWSKI (1913-1994) lived through turbulent times in Poland to say the least. His father and uncle were executed by the Bolsheviks when Lutoslawski was 5, and his brother died in a Siberian labour camp in World War II. He left Warsaw days before the uprising in 1944, but returned after the war. He suffered from Soviet antagonism towards much of his music, and it was only after Stalin’s death, and the success of his Concerto for Orchestra in 1954, that he achieved international recognition. Edward Gardner and
CONCERTS
SARAH CONNOLLY
REVIEWS
composed nearly 70 years later. The festival has the title of Tensions, and the inherent contrast certainly creates an interesting dynamic. Christian Tetzlaff (violin) is the only musician common to both performances – he is joined, amongst others, by his sister Tanja Tetzlaff (cello) in the Shostakovich and Gustav
PETER SCHAUFUSS BALLET CO
BY NICK BOSTON
sudden end, and it was premièred just nine days before Tchaikovsky died of cholera. The title Pathétique was suggested by Tchaikovsky’s brother, Modest, on the day after the première, and is the BBC Symphony Orchestra very apt. At times it’s hard to recently embarked on a survey of listen to Tchaikovsky from a Polish music, and the second modern perspective and not hear it volume is of Lutoslawski’s vocal as rather schmaltzy – but that’s works – a range of works for because many of the emotional soloist and orchestra, with three orchestral techniques he used are excellent singers: Lucy Crowe now so familiar from romantic, (soprano), Toby Spence (tenor) tear-jerker film scores. Yet this is and Christopher Purves genuinely touching and heart-felt (baritone). The earliest work, music, and interestingly, Lacrimosa, was for a neverTchaikovsky avoids finishing the I More completed Requiem, and was TCHAIKOVSKY – work with a triumphal ending – the Lutoslawski’s only sacred work. It work subsides into a desperately his Symphony is the most accessible piece, and sad abyss. Pletnev captures this No. 6, the Lucy Crowe brings great tenderness Pathétique, and desperation in a performance that to its beautiful line. By contrast, is intense and touching. The lively the Capriccio the Paroles Tissées, written for Capriccio Italien which follows, Italien. Mikhail Pletnev continues Peter Pears, is more complex, with whilst expertly performed, seems the composer’s own version of 12- his recordings of the symphonies almost inappropriate after the with the Russian National tone music, and the use of intensity of the symphony. Great Orchestra. This is Tchaikovsky’s aleatoric, where the rhythms of performances here once again. finest, a work shrouded in sadness different musicians are not and mystery. It was composed soon Pentatone PTC5186386 synchronised, and there are after the unusual relationship with elements of choice about when Email feedback, reviews, events to: his longstanding patroness, different lines are played. Toby nbclassical@hotmail.co.uk Nadezhda von Meck, had come to a Spence is outstanding here, and Christopher Purves is equally impressive in Les Espaces Du Sommeil, composed for another great singer, Dietrich FischerBRIGHTON DOME Dieskau. A disc full of challenging Church St, Brighton, Box office: 01273 709709 and fascinating music, performed www.brightondome.org by musicians at the heights of I Sir Mark Elder conducts the BRITTEN SINFONIA their abilities. Chandos CHAN10688 in Berlioz’s L’enfance du Christ (7.30pm, Sat 10), with soloists including Sarah Connolly and Roderick Williams, and the Britten Sinfonia Voices. I BRIGHTON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA, conducted by Barry Wordsworth, perform Humperdinck and Dohnányi (Evelina Puzaite, piano), and the Suite from Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake (2.45pm, Sun 11). Their New Year’s Eve Viennese Gala is on (2.45pm, Sat 31) I The ELIAS QUARTET perform Bach and Beethoven (11am, Sun 18). www.stringsattachedmusic.org.uk I BRIGHTON FESTIVAL CHORUS and YOUTH CHOIR are joined by the LONDON GALA ORCHESTRA for their annual Christmas concert (4pm, Sun I Next, chamber works recorded 18), conducted by James Morgan, to perform the live at a festival, bizarrely, in the perfect mix of traditional and modern music Heimbach Hydroelectric Power celebrating Christmas. Station in Germany. First, I PETER SCHAUFUSS BALLET COMPANY from TCHAIKOVSKY’s (1840-1893) Denmark perform Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker String Quartet No.3, and this is (Thur 22–Tue 27), and Prokofiev’s Romeo & Juliet followed by SHOSTAKOVICH’s (Wed 28–Fri 30). (1906-1975) Piano Trio No.2, ELIAS QUARTET
NOTES
Rivinius (cello) in the Tchaikovsky. It is the Shostakovich that really takes flight, a performance full of taught energy and mystery. The Tchaikovsky is also performed well, with only one or two blemishes, to be expected in a live performance, and the third movement is particularly haunting, but it never quite captures the attention in the same way. Overall, though, this is a thought-provoking combination of works, performed excellently, with wonderful live recorded sound. Avi 8553224
JOHN HANCORN
CLASSICAL
ST JOHN SUB CASTRO CHURCH Lewes, 07759 878562, www.bachchoir.org.uk I The EAST SUSSEX BACH CHOIR perform Handel’s Messiah (7.30pm, Sat 10), with the BAROQUE COLLECTIVE, conducted by John Hancorn.
ST BARTHOLOMEW'S CHURCH Ann Street, Brighton, 01273 415384, www.ssomusic.co.uk I The SUSSEX SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA host their Christmas Spectacular (7.30pm, Sat 10), with festive music, carols and readings.
GSCENE OUT & ABOUT 61
ALSO OUT...
FILM
BY MICHAEL HOOTMAN
THE ARTIST Dir: Michel Hazanavicius Stars: Jean Dujardin, Bérénice Bejo, John Goodman Plot: As silent movie star George Valentin wonders if the arrival of talking pictures will cause him to fade into oblivion, he meets Peppy Miller, a young dancer set for a big break. Word on net: “Sends you home with your head in the clouds, intoxicated by the magic movies pull off better than any other art form.” I “Casts a spell right from the first frame.” I “For anyone that truly loves film.” I “Spellbinding love letter to silent cinema is a masterclass of inscrutable production design, top notch physical comedy, and a postmodern sensibility.”
WE HAVE A POPE Dir: Nanni Moretti Stars: Michel Piccoli, Jerzy Stuhr, Renato Scarpa Plot: A story centered on the relationship between the newly elected Pope and his therapist. Word on net: “Fascinating and frustrating in equal measure, and less funny than one might expect.” I “Film’s anti-feelgood conclusion does have a certain moral authority.” I “Film is tragicomic, yet the comedy is confused and its presence erases any potentially tragic elements.” I “An excellent idea for a film that unfortunately didn't translate into an equally excellent film.” I “Tender, funny and timely Vatican romp entertains, but lacks the director’s customary bite.”
Word on net: “The storytelling is straightforward, with a classical sheen, even as mischief and hallucination puncture the serene surface.” I “A sprawling 19th century novel filtered through the mind of a trickster filmmaker.” I “Gorgeous, painterly visuals are shot from startling angles and work alongside the precise, anarchic, and gleefully absurd narrative.” I “A movie to get completely lost in.”
CAMP HELL Dir: George VanBuskirk Stars: Dana Delany, Andrew McCarthy, Caroline London Plot: Evil invades a children's spiritual retreat. Word on net: “The only scary thing about this film is that there are really religious freaks out there.” I “A tender coming-of-age yarn set in a closed Catholic community, with illicit sex and demons.” I “Turgid drama about sin and temptation... stilted and boring.”
SURVIVING LIFE MYSTERIES OF LISBON Dir: Raoul Ruiz Stars: Adriano Luz, Maria João Bastos, Ricardo Pereira Plot: Costume drama in which a jealous countess, a wealthy businessman, and a young orphaned boy cross Europe and each others' paths.
Dir: Jan Svankmajer Stars: Václav Helsus, Klára Issová, Zuzana Krónerová Plot: A man is so in love with the literal woman of his dreams that he seeks help to sleep more effectively. He's watched over by animated portraits of Freud and Jung who occasionally scrap with each other.
Word on net: “This accessible, entertaining work may be director's most commercial in years.” I “A surreal vision of life at once a Kafkaesque nightmare, and very, very, funny.” I “Witty, imaginative, surreal... a more sophisticated version of a romcom, with a light touch of the Terry Gilliams.” I “Offers some superbly absurd animation with a psychological and political nod towards the human condition.”
THE THING Dir: Matthijs van Heijningen Jr Stars: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Joel Edgerton, Ulrich Thomsen Plot: At an Antarctica research site, the discovery of an alien craft leads to a monster chasing the cast whilst trying to eat them. Prequel to John Carpenter's horror classic. Word on net: “Tries to update the classic with new political text and subtext, but ultimately it's a questionable idea.” I “Enough alien-infested craziness to keep movie entertaining.” I “Brings nothing new to the table besides unnecessary explanation and an abundance of iffy CGI.” I “The kind of uninspired remake that kills franchises stone dead.”
I Robert Downey Jr, Jude Law and Jared Harris star in Guy Ritchie's sequel, SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS in which Holmes and his Dr Watson join forces to outwit and bring down their fiercest adversary,
Professor Moriarty. I Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner and Simon Pegg star in MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE GHOST PROTOCOL. The IMF is shut down when it's implicated in the bombing of the Kremlin, causing Ethan Hunt and his new team to go rogue to clear their organization's name. I David Fincher (Seven) directs the inevitable Hollywood version of Stieg Larsson's THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO. Journalist Mikael Blomkvist is aided in his search for a woman who has been missing for forty years by Lisbeth Salander, a young computer
hacker. Stars Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara and Stellan Skarsgård. I Cameron Crowe's WE BOUGHT A ZOO stars Matt Damon as a father who moves his young family to the countryside to renovate and reopen a struggling zoo. Also stars Scarlett Johansson, Thomas Haden Church and Elle Fanning.
FILM C O M P E T I T I O N I Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Christopher Lee star in Martin Scorsese's first kids' movie, HUGO. Set in 1930s Paris, it's about an orphan who lives in the walls of a train station and is wrapped up in a mystery involving his late father and an automaton. To win two tickets to the Odeon Brighton send the answer to the following question on a postcard to: Gscene Film Competition, 111 Western Road, Hove, BN3 1DD: In which film did Jude Law play an Italian hairdresser with whom Michael Caine becomes infatuated.
NOVEMBER COMPETITION: Jennifer Lopez
64 GSCENE band and singers on the ice, the showbiz Hollywood or the balletic Spirit, Robin's productions are different, though they’re all about the skating, incorporating all the usual skating tricks into the shows. Cousins’ choice of music is also critical to the overall effect, which was evident in This One's For You featuring music from some of the greatest love songs and Seasons of Love, a throwback to the glamorous days of old Hollywood, which were both my favourite numbers; beautiful and serene.
TROPICANA James Ledward previews the new Holiday On Ice show Every year the creative team behind Holiday On Ice attempt to better the previous year’s offering, and with this year’s TROPICANA, THE PASSION TOUR they have excelled themselves. I had previewed the production in Berlin earlier this year and it is quite simply stunning. Tropicana was created and choreographed by Robin Cousins MBE, and has a Las Vegas twist. Edwin Piekny has designed the costumes, which are more imaginative and stylish than ever and deserve special mention.
This year Robin, along with composer Maurice Luttikhuis, has written two original songs for the show; City Streets which appears in the Enchanted Toy Shop number and Think Of Us which appears at the end of the Big Band Swing. Are there no limits to his talent?
INFO
BARRY MANILOW
ROBIN COUSINS
Tropicana celebrates love, music, life and dance, and in the process incorporates some of Barry Manilow's favourite songs into the lavish musical score, including the iconic Mandy, I Can't Smile Without You and the show-stopping Copacabana.
Robin Cousins said: “A few years ago I was working with Barry Manilow on a TV Special and I found his music works just as great skating should. It flows beautifully and soars in all the right places! There’s passion and power in the songs and that’s what I've always tried to convey in the shows I create, so I’m absolutely delighted to have been given the opportunity to showcase this wonderful music in Tropicana and hope this will add a new dimension to the audience's enjoyment of these great songs.”
All the essential ingredients of Holiday on Ice are included; The Wheel, the tight costumes on the male skaters and the camp finale, but where this production stands apart from recent shows is the brilliant marriage of the score and the skating. At times it’s truly breathtaking. Yes Holiday On Ice is camp, yes it’s kitsch, but year after year they come up with new ideas, pushing creative boundaries to new heights to bring us a great night out in an otherwise depressing world.
A massive LED backdrop is the star of the show, helping to set the mood of each number, and featuring additional live footage of the skaters using a state of the art digital light tracking system called Zactrack. The images on the video wall are by Dirk Decloedt who created the content for the world's largest video screen in Celine Dion’s Las Vegas Theatre Show A New Day, as well as working with Britney Spears on her 2009 World Tour Circus. At times the effect is almost three dimensional, creating a visual orgy of movement and colour. Blink and you’ll miss a jump or a spin. Over the last ten years Robin and the Holiday On Ice family have become synonymous with ten productions, each with Cousins’ trademark stamp on them. Whether experiencing the innovative In Concert which featured a live
• TROPICANA runs from Fri 13–Sun 29, Jan 2012. Ticket prices from £22 to £36 with children starting £12. • A new limited edition Meet & Greet package for £10 on top of your ticket price offers a chance to be part of an after-show Q&A session with the skaters and crew, and a goody bag including the Holiday On Ice Tropicana programme (worth £5). • Group discounts for 10+ adults and seniors give you up to £6 discount per ticket, a one-off booking admin fee of £12 per group, priority booking and one free ticket for every ten bought. • Show running time: 2 hours 10 minutes (including the interval).
TICKETS Group sales: 01273 292695 Individual sales: Ticketmaster 0844 847 1538 Tickets also available from Brighton Centre Box Office, Mon–Sat 10am-5.30pm.
COMPETITION Win a pair of tickets to see Tropicana! Just send the answer to the following question on a post card to: HOLIDAY ON ICE TROPICANA COMPETITION, Gscene, 111 Western Rd, Hove, BN3 1DD QUESTION: What year did Robin Cousins win his Olympic Gold Medal?
GSCENE 63
THATCH CLOSE Graham Robson speaks to Brighton-based puppet master Darren Carrington, creator of surreal soap opera Thatch Close.
Eric Page caught up with comedian Zoe Lyons in a quiet moment snatched from her busy current tour with her new show Clown Busting. When was the last time you cried? April this year, I got dropped from a TV show I did when I was in Melbourne. The combination of frustration and jet lag produced a very impressive amount of face rain. Cats or dogs? I have one of each, they’re the same size and I think that helps. They’re real characters. I love the company of my pets. Worst gig ever? I once did an ill-advised “corporate” gig in a builders shop at 8.30 in the morning to a handful of confused plumbers. It went exactly as you would imagine, I still get flash backs. Oddest heckle? “What made you choose those shoes?” Best putdown? I don’t have a favourite putdown. Often they occur to me hours after the gig so I would rather just follow a heckler home, sit outside their house until I come up with a decent putdown, and then knock on their door and deliver the line. Fame or privacy? Fame to get a better table in a restaurant and privacy to enjoy your meal. What’s it like growing up without an umlaut? Ahhhh I do have an umlaut, I just don’t get it out in public often. I’ll show it to you if you like... ¨ What were you doing ten years ago? I was living in London trying to get the courage up to do my first stand-up gig. I made a living by waitressing and working as an actor for corporate training companies. What will you be doing in ten years time? I have absolutely no idea. I hope I am still performing. What’s the cure for lesbian bed death? Get the dead lesbian out of your bed. That’s a real mood killer. Favourite cloud? Cumulonimbus Tell us something about your grandmother... She had a wonderful smile and splendid Dame Edna like glasses. Secret shame? I bite my nails and I hate that I do that. Can comedy change the world? I think it can certainly loosen the screws on the big machine. Best advice you’ve had? You can’t take it with you when you die. Fantasy threesome? Tilda Swinton, Milla Jovovich and Moi. Can you bake? I bake malformed scones Where’s the best queer comedy night in Brighton? Bent Double; first Sunday of the month at Brighton Komedia, brilliant line-ups, lovely atmosphere with me compering and if you’re lucky, flashing my umlaut. More info on Zoe: www.zoelyons.co.uk
BENT DOUBLE COMPETITION We have a pair of tickets to give away for the next BENT DOUBLE (Sun Dec 4) at the Komedia (Box office: 0845 293 8480). Send the answer to the following question on a postcard to: Bent Double Competition, Gscene Magazine, 111 Western Road, Hove, BN3 1DD. QUESTION: what is the name of Zoe Lyons’ new show?
CHERYL HAMILTON
ZOE LYONS
TANYA FISHER
DARREN & THE CAST
What is Thatch Close? Well, I lived most of my childhood on a road where there was loads of gossip and drama going on behind the scenes. In 1994, whilst still at school, I thought I’d write about it. Over time I came face to face with tough, loveable and even mean characters and began writing them into the series. I asked most people if I could make them into a puppet and they were chuffed. So it isn’t entirely fictional? The scenes with the gigantic black spider are completely fictional, but others have elements of real people that I’ve met or know who I’ve then dramatised. When making the puppets from clay, whatever emotions I’m feeling (pain, joy, anger) become part of them. I pop them in the oven and once they’re baked I dress them. Then the fun begins… Who are the characters? There’s Tanya ‘Flower Girl’ Fisher who is addicted to cannabis but is a seemingly harmless hippie. Then there’s her adoptive mother, alcoholic transsexual Deirdre Fisher, who resents her ‘daughter’, locking her in the attic… Janet Bennett is the doctor’s wife; she’s a mother hen character, and a good friend to Maria Welsh who’s a lush. Then, in episode 15 we’re introducted to glamorous puppet Consuela who is born out of wedlock and has a score to settle. She’s eager to know the whereabouts of her daddy’s inheritance. It all sounds fabulously ridiculous… Absolutely, it’s tongue in cheek and because they are puppets you can get away it. It’s not always easy though, as they are so hard to move around on the set and film at the same time. So, they’re prone to misbehave? There are certain problems; picking up eye balls that pop out and roll out across the floor, sets collapsing, the puppets turning up drunk on set. It’s a nightmare but the results are fantastic Are you a macabre person? Me? No, I’m an angel. (laughs) There are central themes of being gay and immigration… The immigration theme resonated with me after my Indian boyfriend was deported after his visa had run out. Similarly, the lesbian characters Preeya and Patricia are traumatised by their relationship being torn apart. Thatch Close has a strong gay following, brought on by showing tough, dramatic and highly stylised divas. Were you as OTT when you were a kid? You could say I was typecast from a young age after starring as a fairy in Midsummer Nights Dream at Glyndebourne Opera, and I loved things like Dynasty and Prisoner Cell Block H. What’s next? Fans will see the last two episodes in time for Christmas, which promises an explosive finale. I also have a new puppet series in the pipeline. Watch this space…
WHERE TO FIND THATCH CLOSE... • www.thatch-close.com • www.youtube.com/user/deliciousdazmo, which has over half a million views, (this has links to Darren’s twitter, facebook, blogger and personal website pages).
64 GSCENE OUT & ABOUT
DANCE
MUSIC
BY WILDBLOOD & QUEENIE dubstep and as blinding as the low sun on an autumn day. One word: Wow. I Fabric61: Visionquest is a mystical journey I Ensuring all into all things that sparkles electronic that this month is will blow your the evermind over and over with its delivering House Of Disco Detroit driven beats. Nice. I For our festive must-hears we’re whose weekly inbox ventures is appreciated by those in the know. heading MK’s way and Defected Check out thehouseofdisco.com for Presents House Masters MK. Anthem after anthem of the true some right gems including their house kind, this collection of all latest EP Night Light. Never have things MK has us impressed, hands so many dance moves been owed in the air style. to so many good grooves. I Fierce Angel I If you fancy a continues with quirky, cool the good stuff Christmas head courtesy of in the direction Deeply Fierce. of Ruede Mark Doyle we Hagelstein & salute you. The Noblettes’ Soft Pack on I Finally grab yourself some of Souvenir and be charmed with pensive atmospherics, freaky deaky the techno and house grooves produced, remixed or edited by downtempo beats and adorable Jesse Rose on Made For The vocals. I Also charming Night on Made To Play Records. the pants off us Diverse, essential and a real eye is Back On Track opener on the possibilities of the genre we call dance music. Made courtesy of For The Night is simply made to be Nicholas: Nu heard. Make sure you do. Groove on Enjoy and don’t get caught kissing Needwant. Never has four to the Santa Claus. floor oozed such sophistication. I Fabric is a byword for quality, confirming their knack of releasing Catch Wildblood and Queenie at the right sounds at the right time. Wild Fruit, Rebel and Sirens this Brodinski FabricLive 60 is house, December. katewildblood.wordpress.com techno, r&b and slow chugging Drowning in a sea of tinsel fuelled Christmas music? Fret not we’re here to bring you proper Christmas cheer with mighty fine house music.
WILDBLOOD & QUEENIES’ XMAS CORKERS I CARL HOWSON Best Before (original) Discotech Chugging house with a breakdown to cherish. Not all tunes are the same. I TIM NICE Bounce Man (Kimeko remix) Tallhouse Underground Early morning + Mr Nice + a certain Bounce = happiness. I MARCO FINOTELLO & MAGGIE SMILE People Get Together Favouritizm Soulful house hot enough to banish any winter blues. I MR ROY ‘Pocket’ (original) Black Vinyl Is that a rocket in your pocket? Hell yeah and this bad boy is going off. I B-AYCE ft STEPHANIE Hold On (Johnny Bravo vocal mix) Duffnote Warning iPod wearers. This insists on hands in the air. Even on the bus. I WILL CLARKE You Make Me Feel (original) Pulsation Music Disco house twisted by Clarke for the most discerning of dancefloors. I MIGUEL MIGS ft MESHELL NDEGEOCELLO Close Your Eyes Salted Quality house with mixes to keep every tech/downtempo/house kid happy. I DEEP SPELLE & KEVIN MARTIN Something About Your Lovin' UM Deep, dark groove that will seduce the coldest of hearts. I SPIRITCHASER So Clear (original extended mix) Guess Sometimes only a girly vocal will do. Sometimes we’re all Spiritchasers. I LOVE UNLIMITED It May Be Winter Outside 20th Century Records If it has to be festive keep the Love Unlimited. Cue Christmas glow.
DESERT ISLAND DISCO You know the drill. The DJ on a desert island. Nothing to do but play the tunes that made them the DJ that they are today (and enjoy the scenery). This month we ask the Wild Fruit Red Party 2011 special guest Thomas Gandey for his favourite tunes. This talented, handsome and genuine guy is in love with playing tunes for a living. Here’s to him landing on our island very soon. I K.I.D Don't Stop Ariola You all know the chorus, “Don't Stop, Don't Stop The Music”. An amazing Georgio Moroder style arpeggio hook that runs and runs. I love playing this record; super production and a great year for disco 1981, proper Paradise Garage tune. I TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB Something Good Can Work (The Twelves remix) Kitsune I drop this when all is good in the house; it’s indie dance and I've always had a penchant for outside of straight up house. One of the best feelgood choruses and guitar riffs ever without being cheesy, I don't know why this tune wasn’t bigger. I SISTER SLEDGE Thinking Of You Arista I like to loop the “Now I’m Living In Ecstasy” line. Sister Sledge, the Pointer Sisters, they are the ultimate disco queens! I speed it up a bit so it works on the dancefloor, possibly one of the greatest songs of all time. I A GUY CALLED GERALD Pacific Samba EMI Here’s a tune that I’d take to any desert island, all the classic Guy Called Gerald tracks are magnificent, everyone knows Voodoo Ray but this is in a different league. A pioneer of techno and one of the most inspirational journey tracks for me. Great salsa beats too. I TIEFSHWARZ Red Dress Souvenir Sounds I've got to know Ali and Basti Shwarz quite well through playing with them in Ibiza for many years. One of their first and best tunes before they went too deep. It’s hooky, solid, has great chords and a sure fire tune for my classics party. I MR OIZO Cut Dick Ed Banger I could’ve picked from a plethora of Oizo tracks including Two Takes It, because he’s inimitable and a genius. I love the cheesy sax. The chopped up groove beats lead a revolution in French vibes. One of the greatest dance tracks ever from a production master. I KANO Its War Emergency Kano, disco legend! It’s been re-edited and remixed more than anything I know but I love the original best of all (as always). It reminds me of a thunderstorm it’s so sonically dynamic. I SOULWAX NY Excuse (Nite Version) Sony Soulwax the band were amazing and along with LCD Soundsystem made up my two favourite bands. This tune pops its head up in many forms, but something about the Nite Version on vinyl was very special, from the geometric psychedelic cover to the tune. The bass line hook is a goosebump raiser. I KAJAGOOGOO Too Shy (Midnight mix) EMI Limahl did a dub mix of this; it’s truly Balearic with just a sprinkle of his vocals so you can singalong. A great after party tune and one of my favourite guilty pleasures. I CAGEDBABY 16 Lovers Southern Fried I had to throw in one of my own tunes, my first release as Cagedbaby. Sleazy, glam electro for electro clash kids, T-Rex meets Fischerspooner. I loved performing this on tour. Catch Thomas playing a very special set at this year’s Wild Fruit Red Party, Circus of the Absurd. thomasgandey.com
GSCENE 65
CRAIG’S THOUGHTS A WINTER’S TALE THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT BY CRAIG HANLON-SMITH And so as the festive season abounded to the sound of a Michael Bublé Christmas album, Joseph and his Mary found themselves in an altogether stickier predicament. Mary was indeed with child but this time the angel Gabriel couldn't get his oar in as our Mary had already been f**ked by the angel Bieber backstage at a music show and was now awaiting trial for the rape of a teenage messiah. Joseph upon instructions from God, for the angel Bieber was of the highest order, tried to protect his Mary from the scandal for he was a simple carpenter who was now wishing he'd worked his own wood in an altogether more pro-active manner. However, Emperor Caesar Augustus of Murdoch had heard the whole thing through a glass pressed up against the stable door and asked his shepherd Brooks and her sheep to spread all manner of rumour across the land. And so it came to pass that once again Joseph and his Mary were strapped to the back of a donkey seeking solace amongst the provinces of the known world. The journey was not without its trauma for despite this Mary being heavy with child they had to navigate around Arabs springing up all over the place demanding to be American. King Herod was even found hiding in a sewage outlet but he was soon dragged on to daytime television and f**ked with a scaff pipe in the name of democracy. No-one seemed to mind about that after all they were just getting in there first before he started killing first born, and he was after all an Arab; they don't even read from left to right what the f**k would they do with a Kindle?
“Joseph and his Mary were slightly disappointed as they nomadically meandered around the hook of Tunis to discover that their package holiday compound was ablaze” Joseph and his Mary were slightly disappointed as they nomadically meandered around the hook of Tunis to discover that their package holiday compound was ablaze. They were offered an alternative in a part of the known world as yet untitled Greece, but fearing this might be shut ploughed on to Palestine or Israel, Israel or Palestine depending on which book you read, although don't look for help in the Old Testament, they changed its name faster than Hitler advancing through Poland et al. And so Joseph and his Mary arrived in O Little Town Of "Bloody-hell did everyone know we were coming?" for having had their phones hacked by a whole host of yet to be identified dark angels their story was no surprise and they arrived to find that shepherds, sheep, wise men and dogs on a string had set up camp outside the stable. Having been tipped off weeks ago they were now quite bored with the whole Christmas story and had moved onto some other issue; not before nipping home for a quick sandwich and hair wash but sure to be back in time for a Westwood platform shoe fitting on the steps of a
local cathedral (I know - poetic license, we’ve not even birthed our Jesus yet let alone set up a faith). Let’s start again; on the steps of a local mosque or synagogue, but not to worry historians, we'll soon set fire to its occupants and shove a cross on the roof, this is after all the birth of Christianity 9/11. Who cares? Bring it on - we've been setting fire to you people for centuries. It’s called equal opportunities everybody should just get on with killing everybody. Joseph and his Mary hadn't even bothered looking for an inn as most were already boarded up and those that weren't had all been set on fire in protest at the death of an innocent young man carrying a loaded weapon hidden in a sock, and so they headed straight for the stable. This Mary climbed into the manger fearing it might be the only benefit baby Jesus would receive under the current regime and it wasn't long before baby Jesus was born. Fearing he would look ridiculous Joseph's Mary decided not to wrap the baby in swaddling clothes. First, no-one knew what the hell swaddling clothes actually were and secondly there were ample cheap options available up the high street hand-stitched by Indian street children who were not aware there had ever been an economic upturn. Three not so wise men Papandreou, Berlusconi and Cameroon had heard the glad tidings and so made their way to the birthplace to offer gifts of sorts. They hadn't actually brought anything of any worth, Papandreou had hoped Joseph might slip him a tenner, Berlusconi had hoped he could slip Mary his tenor and wise man Cameroon stood awkwardly in the background in need of a haircut hoping to eventually say something should anyone listen. In their incompetence the wise men had stopped off at the palatial residence of King Herod of Merkel to spread word of the birth of a whole new faith with which to deride, oppress and murder in the name of an illegitimate child. The King however was not interested and leaving wise man Cameroon outside in the cold let it be known to the other two that the only first born to be killed would be the manhoods of those wise men stupid enough to f**k their housemaids or their country. With that the King opened the window and spat out the testicles of a unknown economist which landed at the feet of Cameroon and he immediately recognised them as the Balls formerly known as Brown. And with that King Herod of Merkel marched off to invade Europe but thus far only in economic terms. Joseph and his Mary meanwhile cradled their newborn and looked out with their hearts filled with hope onto the horizon. Well, they would have done could they have seen the horizon through the fires, encampments, protests, advancing armies and starving millions, all of which seemed to be growing by the day. Deck the halls with boughs of holly, fa la la la la la la la la.
66 GSCENE
SHARP WORDS MIXING IT UP DEL SHARP GOES ALL MISS MARPLE ON US AND WONDERS, WHERE HAVE ALL THE PRETTY YOUNG THINGS GONE?
The recession is biting ever closer to the bone and venues are struggling to survive but we still have our gay scene thankfully. It will always be important to have our own spaces where we can feel relaxed and safe, see people we know, ignore the ones we used to, enjoy a drink and more importantly have a little visual interest to stimulate the senses. On our last night out, my friend and I decided we wanted to admire all the lovely cute young boys (for him) and girls (for me). Nothing wrong with that, we weren’t going to try to touch them or anything weird, just gaze a little wistfully at the eye candy. What we actually got an eyeful of in a handful of venues was a crowd, mostly men, either our own age or even older, who looked back at us equally disappointed. “But where are the lovely young ones?” I demanded at least thirty times (to my companion, not the other punters). We concluded that they were probably at home having hot sex in preference to being leered at by a middle aged couple who were probably older than their parents. Of course we could have just been out too early for sighting the lovely young ones. Or in the wrong bars? Possibly we’re a bit too out of touch about where they go to have their fun. However we did manage to have our own fun in our own special mature way, meaning parts of it were ever so slightly hazy the next day.
“It will always be important to have our own spaces where we can feel relaxed and safe, see people we know and ignore ones we used to” Perhaps being reminded of my (comparatively) elderly status isn’t really something I should be seeking out. Having my bag checked and being questioned rather sternly about ‘whether I was local’ by some uptight door chick (hard face, tight trousers) as a hen party tottered in ahead of me, unchecked and unquestioned, is also something I could do without. But of course they were out for spending a great deal more than me so I really can’t blame the bar. Maybe younger people (let’s say anyone under 22) don’t want to spend the best part of a fiver on a drink in a pub, gay or otherwise, when they can go to the nearest shop (literally any shop - even my local post office sells alcohol) and get an evening’s worth of drink for the same price. I know I’d rather savour a full bodied, cheap yet pleasant Chilean wine in the comfort of my own living room. We do drink more at home now. I don’t remember it being this way years ago. It used to be an event to out to a pub for that special lager with lime top. Pubs generally aren’t anything like as busy as they once were. Initially the smoking ban certainly made them rather more attractive to me. Who still misses taking off a cigarette smoke infused bra (from themselves or someone else if you got lucky)? Queues for the ladies’
toilet always seem worse in gay places because there’s so few of them. It’s almost as if they think lesbians don’t drink much or even that they aren’t welcome. A ridiculously outdated notion surely? But it’s the prices that are putting people off. Buying a couple of drinks rather than a lavish round is much more the norm now. Although I did offer a stranger a drink at a gig a while back and she accepted with the loveliest smile which was very exciting for me... but was never to be seen again after I handed it to her. One of us was possibly very foolish indeed. There are all manner of attractions to draw us into a venue though being gay and wanting to go to a gay place in particular may not be one of them. Certainly most people I know just go to any place that’s close and busy with a good mix of people.
“Most people I know just go to any place that’s close and busy with a good mix of people” So if the lovely young ones are happily at home drinking with their friends of all persuasions or in bars where they just want to socialise, is there still room for the gay pub? Some might say that the gay pub has had its day and we should all be working towards a more integrated social scene? We oldies are used to walking into a gay venue, having done so for the past twenty or thirty years, but for a gay or transgender teenager it might be the only comfortable space there is. And yes we should be offered that alluring array of roast dinners and drag, quizzes, drink promotions and hilarious theme nights. Although I tend to do all those things at home on my own really (though not the quizzes obviously) so I don’t always feel the need to go out. At least we don’t have to rely on gay spaces to identify each other anymore. I only have to wander into the sumptuous Jubilee Library to see an array of hot looking lesbians (I can’t imagine what the heating bill in there must be). Door charges don't apply, definitely no dress code to speak of and plenty of seats. I can also pick up my favourite local magazine and utilise the many toilets. Frequently. All they need to do now is get an alcohol licence.
GSCENE 67
GAY
WALL’S
WORDS
WISDOM
BY MIKE WALL
BY GAY SOCRATES
THE 12 GAYS OF CHRISTMAS Well another year has come and almost gone and I thought that there were a few people who deserved to get a little more stuffing in their stocking this year. I’d like to mention just twelve individuals that have continued to fight for gay rights or in one way or another have kept gay issues in the news. So here are my 12 Gays of Christmas.
12 WAHEED ALLI is a life peer and an openly gay Muslim. He was instrumental in introducing the Civil Partnership Bill. 11 WILL YOUNG It’s ten years since he won the first series of Pop Idol. He’s always been very open about how difficult it was to come out during the show and has probably helped other young artists make the decision to publicly announce their sexuality.
10 RABBI LIONEL BLUE was the first British rabbi to come out. He has been involved in many gay organisations, and published a book called Godly & Gay in 1981.
A DREAM QUEER SCENE I have a dream of a scene… St James’ Street’s tarmac is gone and in its place is luscious green grass, trickling fountains of crystal clear water, trees, shrubs and flowers. People come from afar because this is the friendliest, quirkiest and most original scene in the land. The Redroaster Café spills its tables and chairs out onto the greenery and has expanded into the adjacent buildings on either side and is open until the early hours of the morning. Gentle music pulses into the air interspersed between the sound of recorded birdsong, random chapters of audio books and cult comedy show clips. Opposite is the queer bookshop, Bent Books, a private library club (non-members pay a quid entry fee to peruse) where readers settle down to a good queer book with a cup of hot chocolate by a roaring log fire. This is a book heaven with sections on queer studies, LGBT fiction, poetry, biography and spirituality. It’s a great place to drop by and bump into friends or make random connections with fellow readers. There’s a meeting room for queer book groups and upstairs is a spacious air-conditioned lounging area and luscious roof garden. Clusters of people are drinking mint tea and exhaling green-blue smoke inhaled from communal hookahs, relaxing, giggling, enjoying conversation. It’s early Saturday evening and this is where we come before the club.
9 JAMES LEDWARD It would have been a crime not to mention our editor and friend. As most of you know, James is not only the editor of this magazine but is one of the most influential and well known gay activists in the city of Brighton. Enough said, I don’t want to inflate his ego too much.
8 RUSSEL T DAVIES brought us another series of Torchwood this year and it didn’t disappoint. Davies has continued to bring gay stories into mainstream television and is pushing the boundaries just enough so that homosexual relationships are becoming the norm.
7 JOHN BARROWMAN I couldn’t mention Davies and not Barrowman. I just want to applaud him too for creating some of the hottest gay scenes shown on BBC this year.
6 GARETH THOMAS has recently decided to retire from rugby; but his brave decision in 2009 to come out has to be applauded. I only hope that more sports stars will be as daring as him. 5 & 4 MARTYN HALL and his civil partner STEVEN PREDDY won their case against a Cornish B&B in January after being refused a room where they could share a bed. This is the type of case that helps us all to fight the bigotry that still exists.
3 PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA Ok, so he’s not gay but he did bring the long political struggle over the US military's controversial “don't ask, don't tell” policy to a close late last year.
2 DAVID CAMERON I know, I’m as surprised as you, but just a few weeks ago he stated that he would consider cutting aid to countries that fail to recognise gay rights. I think we should all feel proud to have a prime minister that is willing to make such a strong stance for gay people. 1 SENATOR DAVID NORRIS Well anyone that knows me won’t be surprised. Senator Norris ran for President of Ireland in October. He would have been the first ever openly gay president in the world but unfortunately Ireland was not ready for him. So there it is, thank you gentlemen for helping us to have a gayer, safer, more open world. Happy Christmas and I hope this twelve will continue to inspire us all in the other twelve - 2012.
The club isn’t called Envy or Revenge or Spite or Hatred, but Club D.U.B. (Dressing Up Box) where we can play with cross-dressing and dance and gender binaries are deconstructed. There’s an enormous changing area with clothes rails with hundreds of sequined dresses, fur coats, wigs and high heels for the blokes and false beards, tweed suits and hard hats for the women - all items for sale or hire. Once dragged up the music is pumping and the dancing is grinding. Trans is the order of the night: men and FTMs meet men/FTMs. Women and MTFs meet women/MTFs. And all combinations in between. Men and women are even getting it on! There’s ironic femme frolicking and butch posing. In this fabulous space people are drawn to each other by animal chemistry and not because they exist within a perceived gender/sexuality box. After the club we head to the No Talent Cabaret Bar. A drink buys the obligation to put on a three minute turn. Some sing, some recite poetry, some dance, some sit surreal-ly and stare. All offerings are met with tumultuous applause. Next day we head back to the street to the Tantric Massage Temple with massage rooms where folk can spend time developing a deeper intimacy with each other. There are group Tantric massage classes and meditations. In one of the group rooms queer folk are holding hands and sharing what is in their hearts. These heart circles mean we can bravely grow in emotional strength by declaring our vulnerability. We are loved and accepted by the circle because of the strength of this vulnerability. There is no attitude and no bitchy-queenery. People smile, are interested in each other, are prepared to give each other the time of day. Hmm-well I did say it was a dream... So until the Brighton scene gets closer to this I’ll keep going to Faerie Gatherings. The next Albion Faerie Gathering will celebrate Imbolic at Featherstone Castle in Northumberland, Jan 27-Feb 6, 2012. http://albionfaeries.co.uk/featherstone2012.htm. So skip Christmas this year, book your holidays for late January and turn some dreams into reality!
68 GSCENE
KEITH SHARPE UNCHRISTIAN CHRISTIANS BY KEITH SHARPE FROM CHANGING ATTITUDE SUSSEX I recently got back from a tour of the US promoting my book, The Gay Gospels. I was much impressed with the beauty of the American landscape. Flying from San Francisco to New York with a window seat on a beautiful sunny day was an awe-inspiring experience. The scenery is just stunning, and full of extremes: the haughty majesty of the Rocky Mountains, the rich patchwork of colours in the prairies, the magnificent audacity of the New York skyline during the descent into JFK. These geographic extremes seemed to be mirrored by the cultural extremes of American society. The book of course argues that God loves his gay children and that Jesus may himself have been gay and in a relationship with the Beloved Disciple. So not exactly in line with fundamentalist American Christianity. In what you might call post gay downtown New York it was actually hard to find a gay bar or a gay hotel because ‘all bars are gay bars’ and ‘all hotels are gay hotels’. It’s as if we’ve been so absorbed into the mainstream that ironically we’ve become somewhat invisible again. Here my message was received with the usual polite US enthusiasm but also a sort of ‘so what?’ resignation. Gay is normal. Elsewhere however the response was quite different. America is by far the most religious of all the developed societies as measured by churchgoing, although it is questionable whether what passes for Christianity in many states bears much relationship to the teachings of the Son of Man. In a survey reported in Harpers’ magazine only 40% of US respondents could remember more than four of the ten commandments. A mere 50% were able to name the four gospel authors. 12% believed that Joan of Arc was Noah’s wife! Such findings are amusing and harmless. What is not harmless though is that 75% believed that ‘God helps those who help themselves’ and also believed that this is a saying of Jesus in the Bible. Actually it was said by Benjamin Franklin and is the complete antithesis of the Gospel message preached by Jesus, which was most definitely not about advancing your own self-interest. Rather he called his followers to deny themselves, take up their cross and care for others, to the point even of loving one’s enemies. He also taught that we will each be judged according to how we have helped ‘the least’ of humanity. The conservative evangelicals in America have turned Christ’s teaching on its head to produce an extreme caricature scarcely recognisable as Christianity at all. Jesus told the rich young man he had to sell all his possessions and give the money to the poor in order to inherit the kingdom of heaven. But obscenely wealthy televangelists like Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell and Joel Olsteen have made personal fortunes preaching a wholly unchrist-like version of prosperity theology (basically ‘believe in God and he’ll make you rich’) and mobilised political support for tax cuts for the rich at the expense of social provision for the poor. At the same time these evangelical leaders purport to believe that The Bible is the ‘inerrant’ word of God, i.e. every word is literally ‘true’, and that their morality is based on ‘God’s unchanging word’. Actually their morality seems to be far more based on their own personal interests.
Their hatred of homosexuals seems to know no bounds yet there are no ‘inerrant’ words about same sex love in The Bible, and Jesus was completely silent on the matter. It is, however, very helpful to them to have the LGBT community as an ‘outgroup’ to scapegoat. They can then luxuriate in being a smug self-righteous ‘us’ defined against an evil and anathematised ‘them’. What Jesus did not remain silent about however was divorce. Matthew’s Gospel has him reinforcing the Old Testament teaching that anyone who divorces and remarries commits adultery (for which the scriptural penalty is death). Conservative evangelicals turn a blind eye to this inconvenient teaching because so many of them and their congregations are divorced. And indeed the highest divorce rates in the US are to be found in the states with the highest rates of churchgoing. So much for revering the ‘authority of scripture’. Several studies have shown that conservative evangelicals are the most fervent supporters of government sanctioned torture, the death penalty and foreign military wars, including pre-emptive strikes. They profess profound concern for the unborn foetus and yet seem utterly indifferent to the suffering of innocent babies, children and fully grown adults who have the misfortune to live outside the affluent areas of Christian America. The hypocrisy is breathtaking. Here too they are remote in the extreme from the Jesus who reserved his harshest criticisms for pious self-satisfied religious hypocrites. ‘Woe to you Scribes and Pharisees.’
“The conservative evangelicals in America have turned Christ’s teaching on its head to produce an extreme caricature scarcely recognisable as Christianity at all” One of the more odious and, for decent Americans, shameful features of conservative evangelical teaching is their assertion that God is now withdrawing his protection from the USA because it tolerates homosexuality. Pat Robertson cites AIDS and 9/11 as examples of God’s wrathful actions in response to the decriminalisation and acceptance of openly gay people in American society. These are cruel distortions. The majority of people suffering from AIDS are heterosexual, even in the Americas. The 9/11 plotters were much more focussed on perceived iniquities in American foreign policy. Neither of these disasters has anything at all to do with granting human rights and equality to gay people. Furthermore, if God protected the USA before gay emancipation, does this mean that God approved of the brutality of slavery, racism and segregation? Did he approve of the genocide of Native Americans? And what kind of God is it who would endorse these horrors of American history and then visit appalling suffering on innocents because the human dignity of a group of his children had finally been recognised? Certainly not the Father in whose name Jesus spoke. I met so many wonderful people on my travels in the US. To me it is a tragedy that the country’s most vocal Christian leaders embrace such extremely unchristian views.
OPEN AND WELCOMING CHURCHES Changing Attitude Sussex is committed to telling the truth about Christian teaching on homosexuality, and works for the full inclusion of LGBT people in every province of the Anglican Communion and more widely in all Christian Churches. For more info please visit www.changingattitudesussex.com and www.thegaygospels.com Changing Attitude Sussex and the Brighton & Hove LGCM are jointly staging an LGBT Carol Service at St Georges’ Church, Kemptown on Thursday, December 15 at 7.30pm. Do come along and have a sing!
GSCENE 69
TRANS
BRIGHTON & SUSSEX
SCRIBE
SEXUALITIES NETWORK
BY NICK DOUGLAS
BY JUSTIN HARBOTTLE (THT) & SHARIF MOWLABOCUS (SUSSEX UNI)
IN IT TOGETHER
PORN LAID BARE: THANKS TO ALL OUR RESPONDENTS!
I recently provided some training on Trans Awareness. Afterwards, one participant asked me: “Why do trans people want to be part of an LGBT community, your interests and issues seem so different?”
The Porn Laid Bare project is about to publish its findings and we’d like to begin by thanking all those who attended our focus groups and gave their time and energy to this project.
It's a valid question. Part of the answer I gave is that many trans people simply don’t. Some who don’t also have an LGB sexual identity see no common cause with LGB people. One perspective is that ‘gender dysphoria’ is a physical medical condition, possibly caused by differences in foetal hormonal/brain development. This can be ‘treated’ with hormones and/or surgery so that the individual can simply go on to live their lives as a man or woman. This is the classic ‘medical model’. Sometimes, people who favour this view will say that they have a ‘trans history’ rather than describe themselves as transsexual. From such a perspective, it makes sense to question why a heterosexual person with a trans history would feel part of an LGB community.
Porn Laid Bare was funded by Terrence Higgins Trust Brighton as part of the Informed Passions project, which seeks to research and develop sexual health support services for gay men in the region. Justin Harbottle, project lead for Informed Passions and Charlie Witzel of THT teamed up with Sharif Mowlabocus at Sussex University to develop a pilot study that explored the relationships formed between gay pornography and gay men’s attitudes towards sex, risk and pleasure. The project sought to provide evidence-based research that detailed the many ways in which gay men use and think about pornography in their everyday lives.
Of course, this is just one perspective about transsexuality. Others strongly refute the medical model and argue that gender diversity is simply part of human diversity and resist the association with illness and pathology that this model implies. It’s a bit like the ‘born gay/made gay’ debate that also continues. I think it’s probably a bit of both: a genetic/biological propensity towards transsexuality combined with a host of social and environmental factors. I doubt we will ever really know and on one level I don’t think it matters: we trans folk exist, we’re entitled to our full humanity and human rights and that includes expressing our gender however we see fit.
“We trans folk exist, we’re entitled to our full humanity and human rights and that includes expressing our gender however we see fit” But how you think about it does potentially influence views about the political relations between LGB and T people. I’m very firmly in the LGBT camp for a host of reasons. Firstly, many trans people do have an LGB or queer sexual identity. Also, many of us were part of these communities before we transitioned and have no desire to be wrenched from our lovers, partners and friends. I also think we have a common task in fighting gender based oppression. Let me give an example. Currently, two men cannot legally ‘marry’ (although can of course have a Civil Partnership) because a man can only marry a woman. Currently, if a man transitions to become a woman, she must divorce her wife before being legally allowed to become female because a woman cannot be married to a woman. This leads to the cruel circumstance where a couple may have been married for many years but have to divorce (breaking vows that may have religious or other symbolic significance) and then have a civil partnership just to maintain the status of their relationship in law. Two sets of folks disadvantaged because of outmoded silliness about what a man or woman may do regarding marriage. Trans oppression and LGB oppression may manifest in different ways but are inextricably linked. So I think we’re all in this together (to borrow a phrase much used at the moment) and I prefer it that way. All the best for Christmas and New Year! Nick Douglas writes Trans Scribe in a personal capacity
The project intentionally avoided the inflammatory issue of media cause and effect, but gay male culture’s use and acceptance of pornographic imagery is long-standing and attitudes towards porn amongst the gay community often vary from those found in mainstream society. You need only compare gay and straight sex shops (and the attendant level of chatter and socialising that goes on in them) to identify this variance. Having completed a total of eight focus groups the team are now close to publishing their findings. A community report will be made available and some of the findings are, we think, rather surprising. We don’t want to let the cat out of the bag before the report is published but a few findings to whet your appetite include: • Even though we are seeing increasing rates of HIV infection in the older generations, with new HIV diagnoses almost tripling among the over 50s from 2000-2010, older men were most concerned that younger men were lacking education around safer sex, and felt themselves to be well-versed in sexual health rhetoric. • Bareback pornography isn’t solely a matter of portraying sex without condoms; a range of other factors (both sexual and nonsexual) determine whether a film or video clip is identified as ‘bareback’. • While respondents regularly regarded bareback pornography as relatively harmless to viewers, there were lingering anxieties over what effect the ‘normalising’ of bareback porn within the gay community might have on members of that community in the longterm. If you would like to receive a copy of the free community report, or would like more information about the Porn Laid Bare project, please contact Justin Harbottle by email at: Justin.Harbottle@tht.org.uk. And thanks again to all our participants for all your hard work, time and energy!
BRIGHTON & SUSSEX SEXUALITIES NETWORK (BSSN) The BSSN is an inter-university research network aimed at supporting research and researchers who work on issues of human sexuality within the Universities of Brighton and Sussex and the wider Sussex area. We consist of community members and academics who have an interest in knowing about current sexualities research. We have an organising committee, which is open to all, and which meets about twice a year. A sub-committee organises our annual conference. Anyone can come to these meetings to suggest and organise events
70 GSCENE
CHARLIE SAYS A SELL OUT LITTLE CHANGE THEN? SAYS CHARLIE BAUER PhD Rebuilding a new commercial base for the gay scene (i.e. bars) in this financial environment is going to be tough, if not impossible. It’s not about rebranding anymore or even doing a nifty refit, it’s going to have to be re-imagined from the bottom up. Maybe the answer lies within gay market targeting and the historic role of meeting places. Historically, the queer ghetto was an odd old place where individuality and magic once happened. What occurred then was that it became over dependent on finance and commoditised so all of the creativity went west in the process. This is where we are now. Think of the not too subtle differences between the Brassai photographs of lesbian/trans bars of the 1930s or the Sally Bowles character in the film Cabaret against something like Madge’s Sticky & Sweet tour. Think of the divine Miss Midler begging her costumes from thrift stores and playing to packed gay bathhouses. All of this as well as the accompanying subversive literature, film and art which was banned along the way. Now, in the same context, imagine contemporary mass Queer culture as Britney Spears. I’m not going to give any Marxist readings to anything today, but since capitalism has a tendency to consume and eat itself and anything within its path, we can’t really exclude what we now know as ‘gay culture’, to be exempt. A reason the culture is so vulnerable is that it’s not based on the same creativity or subversion anymore; it’s based on cheap pop and even cheaper alcopops and in the process become the only truly globalised, once deviant sexual preference. Although, maybe turning a sexual minority into a financial commodity has been the price to pay for not being a victimised sexual minority anymore.
“Since capitalism has a tendency to consume and eat itself and anything within its path, we can’t really exclude what we now know as ‘gay culture’, to be exempt” In reality, the bars and pubs were only about one period of gay culture and represented a single need to belong. This was usually invested within the peacock needs of the ‘recently out’ and of which, (and up until recently with students) there was a steady ‘unending’ stream of revenue. Gay bars were often illegal joints to meet people of your own type within an increasingly hostile world. When our world became less hostile as a result of struggle and legislation, a market was then created by gay businesspeople in the name of ‘collective unity’ and it is on this crumbly footprint that the gay industry precariously now rests, together with everyone else. The price paid is that we now have drag shows in straight bars which ironically are probably the places you’re most likely to be Queerbashed. We have the emancipation of queerness lampooned in the hyper(un)realities of the mainstream soap operas by so called ‘gay’
writers. We have plotted gay histories used as campy cultural references instead of yard sticks of a struggle - the r&b community gets Mary J, we get Britney S. Now I’m not suggesting that all the bars trash their million pound refits and install a cabaret stage, maybe we should be looking for more diverse forms of entertainment. Some of the basic tenets of the gay commercial industries were: • You need to go to a gay club to cop off. (No, you can do that online). • You can still afford to go out and get trashed at ridiculously inflated prices? (Probably not) • The venues are the only place to meet people of the ‘same mind’? (Internet/shagsites). Lets face it, when it comes to innovation and subversion the gay community over the past 20 years has kind of sold out. There are now much more interesting sub-cultural innovative explorations going on within ‘straight’ underground and mass culture (not that it would ever label itself as ‘straight culture’, you understand). So what could the answer be? Sell cheaper and cheaper alcohol and turn the ghetto into a blood bath? Just take it on the chin like the rest of the leisure industry of which the gay sector is merely a tiny branch, like the stags and hens and the student entities. The loss will be that the typical cruising places once known as gay bars, will be no more and all of those out of towners who are just trying to find their feet as gay people may have nowhere else to go. But then, apparently our integrated, developed society indicates that it shouldn’t be a problem anymore. (Next issue I’ll tell you the story of a 28-year-old gay man who was tortured, burned and executed in Ayrshire last month after leaving a house party). Maybe we’ll now also lose those hallowed places to conduct all of our gay business – the gay hotel. The place to unwind after hard days of gay business dealings with all the other gay business people that we do gay business with; before heading down to the adjoining gay bar, in our suits, for a gay nightcap. In times like these, gay business is just as vulnerable as any other business and it’s not going to be upheld by the myth that gay people have more disposable income. Do we deal with the decline of the gay industries like countries are supposed to do at the G20 meetings by saying that because we live in a diverse city, we will work ‘together’ and sell that diversity as a ‘new model’. I’m biased, I do actually believe that all cities should be like Brighton with it’s rich intertext of gay and straight cultures. Maybe the city as a whole should offer that commodity up as the new model village. Not in a Prince Charles kind of way, but as a viable option where we can all afford to live collectively.
GSCENE 71
JUST
JORDAN
AIRWAVES
BY JORDAN THOMAS
BY MARCUS PATRICK
LEFT OUTSIDE ALONE
KEEP CALM & CARRY ON
As time goes by, I see less use for ‘gay bars’. With myself included, more and more gay people seem to be happy in themselves that they don’t feel the need to go to gay bars or be part of gay communities. ‘Gay villages’ and ‘gay bars’ were necessary in the past as an area for self-expression and to be free from the then-suppressed society; but today, I feel the tables have turned. Nowadays, gay environments only serve a purpose for a certain type of gay man, lesbian, the token straight guy or the straight females for a sense of novelty.
You don’t have to be the Governor of The Bank of England to work out we’re in a recession. Official figures or not, the squeeze everyone is feeling at the moment is becoming obvious everywhere. I am now convinced that British Gas have built a pipeline direct from my bank account, so they can siphon off as much money as they can every month. I swear I can hear the loud, spontaneous bursts of applause from the various members OPEC, when they realise I’m at the garage again, filling up my car with petrol. Even the student market isn’t immune: students have to pay bills and eat; though admittedly, a Pot Noodle and a packet of Pringles isn’t exactly going to break the bank. But there are less part-time jobs about and maybe Mummy and Daddy’s pockets aren’t quite as deep these days.
The most obvious example of this is the music that is played in gay bars across the country. The X-Factor drone, the poorly remixed chart songs, ‘gay dance’ etc… are just some of the examples that I despise hearing. This one reason alone makes me avoid them.
“I even feel that I get stared at for looking different in a gay place just because I wear baggy jeans, hoodies and have longer hair” As a gay man this sort of environment is where I’m supposed to feel most comfortable, but instead I feel the most left out. I don’t ‘fit in‘ with the trend of Abercrombie and Fitch, blonde highlights and the latest gossip of reality TV shows. I even feel that I get stared at for looking different in a gay place just because I wear baggy jeans, hoodies and have longer hair. I never get stared at elsewhere so no wonder I feel more comfortable in ‘normal’ pubs. In fact, the only time I go to a gay bar is for happy hour. I can overlook being stared at as long I can get a pint for £1.50, then piss off back to the Laines where I prefer being. In Brighton, gay bars don’t serve that much of a purpose as virtually every venue in Brighton is gay friendly, with rainbow stickers in their windows... Maybe my problem is is that I don’t see being gay as my main identity. I’m just Jordan. I don’t feel the need to be surrounded by frilly and velvet furniture, pictures of gay icons, a huge image of two men kissing and sounds of Girls Aloud to remind me of that. I know I’m not going to be discriminated for being gay pretty much anywhere in Brighton centre so why should I have to go to gay clubs and put up with music that I despise and get discriminated against for not fitting the gay stereotype? If gay bars and clubs really are struggling that much, maybe they should take a look at broadening their musical horizons. Having dance nights, pop nights, r&b nights etc is so bloody repetitive and cliquey. It’s no wonder that people are getting bored and feel left out. I want to support the gay scene, but while they’re not supporting gay people like me, how can I? Follow me on Twitter; @Btonunsigned or search Brighton Unsigned Magazine on Facebook for the latest unsigned music of Brighton. Or of course, search for a free copy in pubs and venues with Birdeatsbaby on the cover!
So, what’s the likelihood of a rosy return to financial health for the UK and Brighton in 2012? Bugger all I’d say and it’ll probably get worse. So with less money and jobs about, will there be gay venues closing left, right and centre? Hopefully not; but what a recession does is kill a bad business. Places that just kept afloat and were poorly managed have already shut. Venues who remember these four things will survive: service, value, consistency, and quality. Those who don’t won’t. I’ve had fantastic, favourite eateries and drinking holes over the years, which have been ruined overnight, by a change of ownership or management. I once sat down to a posh lunch with a friend, only to realise that our soundtrack to food was an entire Arctic Monkeys album, on repeat. Alex Turner: I bet you do look good on the dancefloor, but while I’m tucking into my lightly grilled fois gras, on a bed of wild leaves, with truffle oil and lime jus, you can fuck right off!
“Venues who remember these four things will survive: service, value, consistency, and quality. Those who don’t won’t” On one occasion, I visited one of my favourite pubs, The Bedford Tavern. I found the (then) manager sitting with his back to the only two punters in the bar, reading the paper. As I approached, I coughed slightly. Failing to get a response, I added a slight hack to the cough and he turned round. Having finally poured me a pint, he sat back down, reading the paper with his back to his customers. Thankfully, Adam, Matt and the new team who run the pub are the exact opposite: friendly, attentive, efficient and enterprising; well done boys! So from gloom, comes positivity. I remember being invited to meet my friend for a drink at the then White Horse in Camelford Street. As I approached the door, it opened and a man promptly fell, face down, onto the pavement; things didn’t improve once inside. Now, with new owners, good food and drink, lovely staff and several hundred pounds worth of chandeliers later, it’s a busy venue like never before. So Happy Holidays and remember: give the people what they want and they will come!
72 GSCENE
A SAFER SCENE What we badly need is to make the current scene safer. This means raising awareness about stigma within the community and getting businesses and venues to sign up to zero tolerance of prejudice and abuse. This needs to be as wide a campaign as possible, to both increase understanding and knowledge and to change behaviour. One brilliant suggestion was an LGBT Council or Forum, whose purpose could be campaigning, developing inclusive venues and services, supporting community groups etc. It could involve business and community representatives as well as having elected people. We need to make access to supportive LGBT services as easy as possible. MindOut would love to see the development of a community centre, fronted by a café, giving access to LGBT services as well as an alternative, alcohol free, place to be.
THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS
DO YOU WANT MORE FROM THE SCENE? More hate it than love it; the consensus round the MindOut table is that Brighton’s commercial scene gives us vital, public places to be out and about. The trouble is that those places may be great for some of us all of the time, may be great for most of us some of the time but can be awful for some of us at any time. The awful aspects of the scene are well rehearsed but no less true for that. Some would say it’s dated, depressing and samey. Far worse, many find the scene a source of exclusion rather than inclusion and experience sexism, racism, transphobia, biphobia and overt prejudice around mental health and HIV. There are few, if any, safe places for women. A major criticism is the emphasis on alcohol and a lack of concern for just how damaging that can be to both mental and physical health. Rowan Reid sums up the ambivalence of how the scene is important but can be a source of pain and of inspiration: “The gay scene isn’t somewhere I’ve always felt at home for many reasons. One reason is because I didn’t feel body beautiful or because I wasn’t drinking and/or taking drugs and/or looking for a one night stand. Though there have been times when I was drugging and drinking it, and looking for sex and it met the needs for me those times. “I’m not denying that I’ve met great people on the scene, made firm friends and met people with whom I’ve had long term relationships... but what’s always surprised me is a certain lack of diversity and how I’ve always felt that I don’t quite fit in. With hindsight this may have been due to my latent trans identity. I’d love to say that now
I realise that I’m trans and I’m more comfortable with myself that things have changed but unfortunately it’s got worse. I’ve had more transphobic comments from lesbians than from my straight counterparts. The other thing I’ve come up against is stigma around my mental health. “However I believe that with determination and good ideas we can make the gay scene what we want it to be... I’ve now spread out into the arts and I’m in the process of setting up an LGBT performing arts group. A good friend of mine set up Gaydargirls and Dining Dykes because she saw that there was a gap for her in the scene and has created some amazing resources for women. “Over the years, I’ve spoken to a lot of people about the scene and I must say a lot of men and women from all spectrums also find the scene unfulfilling for them and leaves a feeling of disillusionment. Having said that, I believe we are so lucky to have a gay scene and to have somewhere to be out and open.”
Please come and see a great play The Night Before Christmas written by gay playwright, Anthony Neilson, with a surprising gay lead character and with a crazy trans man directing. It’s a grown-up alternative to traditional Christmas entertainment, containing adult comedy with sexual references and strong language wrapped up in a warm message about the true spirit of Christmas. The story takes place on Christmas Eve in a warehouse, on what was going to be just a quiet night for Gary until he catches an elf breaking in. The elf has to convince Gary and his friends to let him go in order to save Christmas. Will they believe the elf's tales of magic powder to give that Christmas feeling, broken sledges and Santa's HQ in Hartlepool, or will being an adult lead them to turn the elf in? A Night Before Christmas, Thur 15–Sun 18 Dec, doors 7.30pm, show 8pm, at The Lectern, 5 Pelham Terrace, Lewes Road (opposite B&Q), BN2 4AF. Tickets £6.50 are available from • www.wegottickets.com • bigtheatreproductions@hotmail.co.uk • www.bigpantstheatre.com
MINDOUT MINDOUT SERVICES MindOut offer independent, free, non judgemental advice information and advocacy. We run a peer support group work service, including new groups for people with HIV, bisexual people, people in employment and a Mindfulness Meditation course starting in early January 2012.
MINDOUT CONTACT DETAILS If you would like to talk to someone about any of the issues raised above or any other aspects of your mental health and wellbeing, please do contact MindOut. Leave a message on our 24 hr confidential answerphone and an out LGBT mental health worker will call you back. • 24hr confidential answerphone: 01273 234839 • Email: info@mindout.org.uk • New website: www.mindout.org.uk
GSCENE 73
LUNCH
TWISTED
POSITIVE www.lunchpositive.org
GILDED GHETTO BY ERIC PAGE
THANK YOU
THE GHETTO’S BURNING
Talking to someone the other day I found myself reflecting on having spent equal parts of my working life in business and then voluntary community work. Each has taught me an immeasurable amount about the other, and only through experience. Both hold a sense of enjoyment, of achievement, when things go well for the work you undertake, and both can draw on your inner-most resilience when times are hard or uncertain. In business I recall customer service, budgeting, stock control, sales and profit reporting, unit costs, average spend, HR, staff expenditure (and it goes on!).
The ghetto’s burning, call the engines, call the engines. Fire! Fire! Pour on water, pour on f***ing vodka more like…
More recently I've dealt with project evaluation, funding applications, service use monitoring data, income and expenditure reports, cost analysis, volunteer co-ordination, funders reports. In running a charity the terminology may be different, but many demands are similar. For both there’s a fundamental; survival depends on a motivation for what you do, a need, meeting it well, remaining solvent and being sustainable. Each field might well attract people with differing backgrounds, drives and experiences, but we do share similar pressures in getting our work done. Just like businesses, charities are diverse and operate in differing ways. There's often no aim nor guarantee that a charity’s service users will spend, want or be able to spend more; but we do benefit the business community. As a result of our work we may relieve suffering; improve health and well being; increase the degree to which we all interact; sense of cohesion and safety. Competencies, equality, inclusion, access and enjoyment of life and a sense of place are more tangible. Just as investment and profitability become more difficult for some businesses, so do funding sources and fundraising for charities. As a smaller grass roots charity our own resources for large appeals and high profile events are non-existent. Fundraising relies on the time and goodwill of volunteers, donations of goods, stock, resources and money. All this from people thinking creatively, extending themselves and recognising the benefit to a cause they care about and the benefit to the wider community.
“For those reading this who’ve helped – thank you. You’ve made a huge difference in many ways” At times it has felt like a hard slog gaining the support of business, and on occasion approaches have been met dismissively. Someone once replied “we only help if you do something for our own customers”, which was particularly hard to hear when talking with our peers – other gay men or those whose community is affected by HIV; or a business which operates within the 'village' which homes, attracts and serves so many people with this condition. At other times it’s been easier, sometimes surprisingly so, and often completely out of the blue. Without exception, those that have supported us have done so without request for recognition, though of course we’re very happy to give it. For those reading this who’ve helped – thank you. You’ve made a huge difference in many ways. Charities will continue to need the greater support of business if we are able to achieve our aims, and continue to contribute to our shared and ever-changing community. We’re part of and benefit the same community, operating to a large extent in the same neighbourhood as your business. We community organisations and our service users are your stakeholders, and you are ours. Lunch Positive is every Friday, noon–3pm, Dorset Gardens Methodist Church, Dorset Gardens, lunch 1–2pm, costs £1.50. For more info: info@lunchpositive.org • 07846 464384 • www.lunchpositive.org
Let the damn thing burn; it’s a bonfire of vanities anyway, a confluence of contempt, an inferno of lust, a furnace of twisted desire, a kiln of despair, an oven of bitter stale bread. Oh, did that match just drop out of my smoky fingers officer? Move along now, nothing to see, it’s just a faggot enjoying a glass of sherry next to his own fireside. What could be more traditional than that, the faggot watches it burn, and with no apologies to Joan (of D’arc) there are no saints to throw on this fire, we’re all sinners here. So pull up a chair and grab a schooner and we’ll have a fireside chat. Long ago, in a place that makes me shudder to think how close it really is, there was a little Welsh boy Gwrw Gydiwr, he was different than other Welsh boys and he knew out there in the world there was magical city; an Eldorado of love, the Shangri-La of romance, an Atlantis of Life, a place where you could be what ever you wanted to be, to find love of every type. So off he set to find it. With a knap sack full of corned beef and a flask of nice hot tea from his loving Welsh mum, who sighed and waved him off, knowing his journey would only bring him wisdom and grief in equal measure, as mums do. Oh! Was his journey arduous as they tend to be, and oh! How he wished for the gentle arms of love, but then one day, when his huge muscled thighs ached (for he had grown to be a man on his voyage) he saw a shimmering light in the distance, the moon on the sea and beneath that huddled against the crashing silver sea, wave after wave of more glittering lights. As he got closer these shimmering lights separated out into a city, an orangey sodium lit city, not an Emerald one like some silly girl from Kansas and her irritating dog had sung about. Sighing with disappointment, he hitched his jeans up a little and strode into the Twisted Gilded Ghetto. It was gay, so gay, full of happy people with Stepford grins, jampacked with boys whose faces lit up ginger from the reflected glow of Grindr, chock-a-block with people with glassy eyes and empty hearts replete with G, T, MDMA and other consonants that promised glee but just left bruises on their faded hopes and souls. Stuffed with Hogarthian twittens and Ladylovers with bitter cats, scratching at their disappointments. The boulevards were paved with broken hearts, and he knew that at last, here in the City by the Sea that irony had triumphed and he had found home. He spend long years defending the Ghetto walls, repairing their slights and building dance floors with the bricks hurled over the walls in hate and then one bright morning, the sun came out and showed him the truth, that the Ghetto was what is always was, a Gilded prison and the siren song of pleasure just a squalid cacophony. He wept. He knew what he had to do, to release the tormented souls, the triumph of self delusions, the lost (and found): the Ghetto must go. Like Rome they would fiddle with each other as it burned. ‘Swan Vestas, Possessed us’ he sniggered and leisurely dropped the match onto a pile of unread Gscene’s and waited, patiently, eagerly for the spell to be broken and love’s recovery to start.
74 GSCENE decided to do the same. I set aside two hours the following Saturday morning and before I was even half way through, it was as if someone was standing at my shoulder and whispering in my ear when my inner wisdom (Buddha Wisdom) told me “Don’t chant for what you could be, accept what you are and enjoy it.” Straight after finishing my two hours of chanting I was on the phone to the local Gay Social Society and had arranged to go to my first ever gay bar. Now for the history. Buddhism was founded by a young prince, Siddhartha Gautama (1029 BC – 949 BC) who was later known as Shakyamuni Buddha. (He’s the one you see many statues of; the skinny guy with curly hair and a pointed head-dress). Throughout his life he wrote and preached many lessons in life (Sutras) all of which were building up to his ultimate teaching, the Lotus Sutra.
What do Tina Turner, Orlando Bloom, Sandi Shaw and Peter Dean (Pete Beale, Ian’s dad in Eastenders) have in common? They all chant “NAM-MYOHO-RENGE-KYO”. Or to put it another way, they are all Nichiren Buddhists says Adrian J Andrews. Chanting this simple mantra gave Ms Turner the courage she needed to walk away with nothing but her stage name from the abuse she received at the hands of her husband, Ike. I personally met the practice in 1985 through my involvement with BBC science-fiction television series The Tripods, where two of the principal cast members were chanting themselves. I had had several bad experiences of Western religions and had become very anti-religion and was rather worried when another member of the cast told me about the show’s heart-throb John Shackley being seemingly obsessed with his faith. Indeed when I first met John he did rattle-on a bit but seemed like a genuinely nice guy, so I chose to overlook the religious side of him. However, the more he told me about his faith, the more I realised that Buddhist philosophy was much like my own. Shortly after this initial meeting, John invited me to go and see a show at the then Hammersmith Odeon (now the Apollo) in which he and another Tripods cast member, Robin Hayter, were appearing. Alice! was a musical modernisation of Alice in Wonderland and was a truly impressive production. Beautiful sets, amazing songs, a massive and very scary Jabberwocky and a stunning 300 cast members! It was only after sitting through the show that I found out that everybody involved with it was a Nichiren Buddhist. Inspired, I then visited my local Nichiren Buddhist Centre in Richmond Upon Thames
and picked up a couple of books on the subject. Shortly thereafter I decided to give ‘this chanting lark’ a try for myself. I was told that you can chant for anything you want and along the way a series of coincidences would happen indicating that you are tuning into the environment around you. It wasn’t long before a good friend and myself received our Gohonzons at a special ceremony in London. A Gohonzon is a beautiful scroll inscribed with ancient Chinese lettering and two sanskrit letters which represents your own life and is used as a tool to focus on whilst chanting.
“The responsibility for your own life is yours and yours alone. It is the perfect faith for the modern age” I then attended a lecture given by the late Richard Causton, the head of the UK division of the Soka Gakkai International (SGI), the lay Nichiren Buddhist organisation. Afterwards, Robin Hayter invited me to go for a drink with him and a few friends. Amongst his friends was an attractive blonde guy who was as camp as a yellow duster and who announced to us all that he had been chanting to become straight and had just moved in with his new girlfriend. This struck a chord with me as I had been fighting off my gay feelings for years and
Unfortunately some of his followers didn’t stay the course and went off to form their own Buddhist schools based on Shakyamuni’s provisional teachings, which is why there are so many strains of Buddhism to choose from. However, in 13th Century Japan a priest called Nichiren Daishonin (1222–1282) proved the validity of the Lotus Sutra and dedicated his life to teaching and spreading it, enduring many persecutions along the way. It was he who inscribed the first Gohonzon with the title of the Lotus Sutra down its middle so that everybody got the chance to better themselves and become Buddhas in their own lifetimes. Unlike other religions I have encountered, Nichiren Buddhism is not based on blind faith. Much of what it teaches is backed up by both science and personal experiences of those who practice it. Again, unlike other faiths it doesn’t lay down laws about how you should conduct your life. You can smoke, drink or even take drugs if you so choose. You don’t have to wear certain types of clothing and you can also sleep with whoever you like. The responsibility for your own life is yours and yours alone. It is the perfect faith for the modern age; it fits in with you. The SGI has spread to all parts of the world and Sussex has an ever growing number of Nichiren Buddhists and a great support network. But don’t take my word for it: try it for yourself. Think of something you would like to achieve in your life and chant “nammyoho-renge-kyo”, pronounced Nam–MeeoHo-Rengay-Keeo over and over to yourself. After all, there’s nothing to lose and like Tina Turner, you have everything to gain.
info For further information visit www.sgi.org or call the SGI headquarters at Taplow Court in Berkshire on 01628 773163 to find your nearest group.
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SERVICE
DIRECTORY
MINDOUT Independent, impartial info, guidance for LGBT people with mental health problems. 24 hr confidential answerphone: 234839, info@mindout.org.uk
RAINBOW FAMILIES
LGBT SERVICES ACCESS 4 ALL LGBT disabled people’s forum. Safe + welcoming, support, activities, awareness. Tel: 07981 170071 or access4all@fsmail.net
ANYTHING BUT… Youth social support group for LGB or unsure under 26, meets every other Wed. Tel: 01424 724150 or 01424 447033
ALLSORTS YOUTH PROJECT Drop-in for LGB or unsure young people under 26, Tues 5.30-8.30pm. Tel: 01273 721211 or info@allsortsyouth.org.uk www.allsortyouth.org.uk
BRIGHTON & HOVE POLICE Report all homophobic + transphobic incidents to the police 0845 6070999; emergency 999; to LGBT Community Police Liaison Officer PCSO Rebecca Ireland on 0845 6070999 ext 50427; or use True Vision self reporting pack.
BRIGHTON & HOVE LGBT SWITCHBOARD Helpline from 5pm daily: Tel: 01273 204050 Counselling service, Proud2connect service (relationship counselling in partnership with Btn Relate). www.switchboard.org.uk/brighton Services info 01273 207050, email brighton.manager@switchboard.org.uk or brighton.admin@switchboard.org.uk
BRIGHTON OURSTORY PROJECT Oral history projects including shows, exhibitions, books, support to researchers Tel: 01273 207757 or 01273 328592
BRIGHTON WOMEN’S CENTRE Info, counselling, drop-in space, support groups. Tel: 01273 698036
FTM BRIGHTON Social/support group for all female-to-male trans people. Meets every 3rd Sat of month, 6–8pm, THT Office, 61 Ship St, Btn, BN1 1AE. Tel: 07504 652129, FTMBrighton@hotmail.co.uk
GEMS (GAY ELDERLY MEN’S SOCIETY) Twice monthly meeting for over 50s. Tel: 01273 884285, www.gems-bh.org.uk peterotto337@btinternet.com
LESBIAN LINK BRIGHTON Local social group offers friendship, social events Tel: 07594 578035 (eve). www.lesbianlinkbrighton.co.uk
LESBIAN & GAY AA 12 step self-help programme for those with alcohol addictions. Sun 7.30pm, Chapel Royal, North St, Btn (side entrance). Tel: 01273 203343 (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, Btn. Tel: NA Helpline 604604
LUNCH POSITIVE Lunch club for people with HIV to meet, make friends, find peer support in safe environment. Every Fri, noon–2.30pm, Community Room, Dorset Gdns Methodist Church, Btn. Lunch £1.50. Tel: 07846 464384 or www.lunchpositive.org
Support group for lesbian and/or gay parents. Tel: 07951 082013 VICTIM SUPPORT Practical, emotional support for victims of crime. Tel: Brighton 01273 234009 Hove 01273 439942
HIV PREVENTION TREATMENT & CARE SERVICES ADDACTION Needle exchange, drop-in, helpline, advice, info on drug & alcohol issues. Tel: 01273 607575
AVERT Sussex HIV & AIDS info service, available by phone Tel: 01403 210202, email confidential@avert.org
BRIGHTON & HOVE CAB HIV PROJECT Money, benefits, employment, housing, info, advocacy. Appointments: Tue-Thur 9am-4pm, Wed 9am-12.30pm.
CLAUDE NICOL CENTRE/ WILDE CLINIC Free confidential testing & treatment for STIs incl HIV. Hep A & B vaccinations. Tel: 01273 664721
LAWSON UNIT Medical advice, treatment for HIV+, specialist clinics, diet & welfare advice, drug trials. Tel: 01273 664722
SUSSEX BEACON 24 hour nursing & medical care, day care. Tel: 01273 694222
TERRENCE HIGGINS TRUST SERVICES
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 Service @ Dukes Mound: advice, support, info on HIV, sexual health, personal safety. Free condoms, lube, tea/coffee from Outreach van parked next to ‘The Patio’ at the Bushes. Netreach (online Outreach in Brighton & Hove): info/advice on HIV/sexual health/local services. THT Brighton Outreach workers online @ Gaydar: Thur 7–10pm, Sat 1–4pm, check chatroom HEALTH INFO THT Condom Male: discreet, confidential service sends free condoms, lube, sexual health info by post to men who have sex with men without access to commercial gay scene in East & West Sussex. 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. Pre & post test discussion with clinical staff. Results in an hour. 10 men max tested per session. Mon: 6.30–8.30pm (waiting room open: 6pm) Face2Face: confidential info & advice on sexual health & HIV for men who have sex with men. Face2-face or phone. Up to 3 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 HIV Health Trainer: Face-2-face/phone/email support to help understand diagnosis, manage side effects, sex + relationships, understand meds, talk to doctor, diet + nutrition. Informed Passions: Expert Volunteers project to identify & support sexual health needs of local men
who have sex with men and carry out wide-ranging field research in B&H on issues affecting men’s sexual health. Extensive training provided. Lounge (Group for Gay Men Living with HIV): fortnightly peer support group for gay men diagnosed with HIV for at least 1 year, on HIV medication or not. What Next? Thurs eve, 6 week peer support group work programme for newly diagnosed HIV+ gay men. Co Infection group: 6 week peer support group work programme for gay men with HIV & HEP C. Telling it Straight: monthly Tues eve support group for straight HIV+ men/women. Guest speakers. HIV Support Services: info, support + practical advice for people living with/affected by HIV. Volunteer Support Services: 1-2-1 community support for people living with or affected by HIV. HIV Welfare Rights Advice: help & advice line Wed: 10am–1pm 01273 764205. 1-2-1/group support to claim DLA. Guidance on return to work & in-work benefits. For more info about these FREE services go to the THT office, 61 Ship St, Btn, Mon–Fri, 9.30am–5.30pm, call: 01273 764200 or email info.brighton@tht.org.uk
TERRENCE HIGGINS EASTBOURNE Covering East Sussex, Dyke House, 110 South St, Eastbourne, BN21 4LZ, Tel: 01323 649927 info.eastbourne@tht.org.uk Services: Health Promotion Outreach, free condoms, lube + sexual health info & advice; HIV Health Coach, Short term support for people living with HIV; Counselling; Positive Grants; Face-2-Face 1-2-1 support & advice on sexual health + HIV; Condom Male: free condoms by post; Fastest: 1 hour HIV tests; Positively Social: group for people living with HIV; Volunteering.
WARREN BROWNE UNIT Free confidential tests & treatment for STIs inc HIV. Hep A & B vaccinations. Shoreham based. Tel: 01273 461453
WILDE CLINIC Gay men’s sexual health clinic. Wed 5-6.30pm Tel: 01273 664721
NATIONAL HELPLINES BROKEN RAINBOW LGBT Domestic Violence Helpline Tel: 08452 604460 Mon 2-8pm, Wed 10-1pm, Thur 2-8pm
LONDON FRIEND LGBT bereavement helpline, Tues 7.30-10pm, Tel: 020 7403 5969
LONDON LESBIAN & GAY SWITCHBOARD Tel: 02078 377324
POSITIVELINE (EDDIE SURMAN TRUST) Tel: 0800 1696806 (Mon-Fri 11am-10pm, Sat & Sun 4-10pm)
MAINLINERS Tel: 02075 825226 NATIONAL AIDS HELPLINE Tel: 08005 67123 NATIONAL DRUGS HELPLINE Tel: 08007 76600 THT AIDS TREATMENT PHONELINE Tel: 08459 470047
THT DIRECT Tel: 0845 1221200
76 GSCENE
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