A new generation of club kids has overtaken the London Nightlife over the past decade.
Meet the most outrageous, creative and unique new talent of the London underground.
With Christmas upon us, it's time to reflect and get cosy on the sofas....and watch anything that our screens throw at us, so I am hoping that the following selection of videos will entertain you as much as they did us. Late 70s and 80s were times of social rebellion that affected popular culture and left a mark on arts, music and fashion, ultimately leading to the birth of a multitude of social subcultures but none more exciting and unique than the New Romantics (UK) and the Club Kids (US). They combined creativity with party lifestyle and with an admirable dedication to individuality they challenged the social acceptance. They set new rules for generations to come and we are now experiencing revivals of the movement all over the world. My book documenting the new wave of club kids in London (published in 2011) is still selling worldwide and I get many emails and messages on social media from people who tell me that it inspired them and opened a whole new world that they were hungry for.
So let's reflect on times past and have a laugh along the way. Enjoy these and Merry Christmas!
We are very excited to finally get a preview of the new album of the London band The XX titled Coexist. It's been a while since Romy Croft, Oliver Sim and Jamie Smith won the Mercury Music Prize in 2009 for their self-titled debut and everyone was wondering when the follow-up will finally arrive, so it comes as a relief to all the fans that in less than a week the new CD hits the stores worldwide. True to their signature style, the songs we previewed have the usual soft, electronic drums and those beautiful, monotonous, low guitar riffs, reminiscent of a bygone New Romantic era. This said, we love every second of it and were over the moon to find that no dramatic change of direction was taken, after all, we waited patiently nearly 3 years to receive more of the XX medicine.
Indeed, Coexist flows very much like a slow dose of a hypnotic potion on a cold, lazy afternoon. Quite in time for Autumn then, one should think.
Discussing the sound of the album in June, Smith said: "We've all come back off tour and been partying a bit more. We left when we were 17 and we missed out on that chunk of our lives when everyone else was partying. Club music has definitely had an influence on this record."
On a first hearing we love Fiction, Tides, Missing (some of our favourite lyrics there) and the more up-tempo Sunset, but the one that really stands out, is the opening track Angels. Fans were offered a free download to the track with the pre-order of the new CD and you can also see it here.
All in all, Coexist is the prefect successor to the splendid debut which catapulted The XX into the British Indie Hotlist.
"COEXIST" is out on 10.Sep.2012 in UK and 11.Sep in the US
This Saturday will see another instalment of one of the best club nights currently on the London party scene "THE FACE"
Started nearly a year ago, it quickly became the favoured party of the London club-kids (new and old) with its strong references and links to the New Romantics and the Blitz days. Many of its regulars are on the pages of my book and of course the party is very popular with the scene photographers as it offers an amalgam of creative styles all in one place. The first hub of the club was a relatively small venue in Soho - Green Carnation - but the party expanded quickly and has now relocated to the hip "East Bloc"[217 City Road, Shoreditch]
In a conversation with its creator Alejandro Gocast, we're exploring what this party is all about.
- Hi Alejandro, tell us what do you do and when did you decide to start The Face?
AG: I work as a model & party entrepreneur, I have done various conceptual works mainly with High Fashion/Couture designers and photographers. My life revolves around music, fashion & people, I am always on the look for new things and this has brought a lot of success and joy during my career. There will be plenty of work coming my way in the next few weeks, it’s all very exciting.
The club night was “born” about a year ago, I have always organised parties with very unique people, so whether it was at my place or just hanging out in a random bar we kind of always felt out of place, hence I decided there needed to be somewhere we could just go dance forlong hours and just be free to be who we are.
- What is 'The Face'? To those who do not live in London and have not been to any of your parties, how would you describe it?
AG: The Face is a club night that attracts very eclectic, colourful personalities, people in the art & fashion industries and people who just wanna have a good time without any prejudices. Having them all in one place just creates a very surreal party atmosphere. It has been great seeing the club night grow and become the place to be. You do not have to be any particular sexual orientation or look a certain way. The most important thing that has made us popular is the fact that is a free-boundary limitless night.
- What is your favourite music and what can people expect from the DJs at The Face?
AG: I enjoy all sorts of music. I go from the cold electro such as “The Normals” with their “Warm Leatherette” classic to modern and 80s electro pop with a few mixed mainstream tracks. Therefore when I DJ I can be very unpredictable. Other DJs on rotation throughout the night are Princess Julia, Jeff Leech, Callum Turner, even Steve Strange himself has been hooked into playing a special set at some point. The Face has seen it all from Gary Kemp (Spandau Ballet) Andy Bell (Erasure) Rusty Egan (Visage) guests and live performances from Adam Ant & Mr Pustra (Villians) For this upcoming date the special guest Dj is Kevin Rowland from Dexy’s Midnight Runners!
- Why is dressing-up such a big part of what you do?
AG: Because is part of who I am, it is what makes me, myself, sometimes I think of it as way of expressing myself, or exploring and challenging people’s perceptions of what “a normal person” should be, act, dress or speak.
- How did the Steve Strange and Rosemary Turner collaboration came about?
AG: It was during a impromptu chat with Rosemary Turner and Steve Strange, that the conversation came about, and we realised that we were all looking for the same thing, a place to gather distinctive personalities and party.
- How would you compare the New Romantic's days that we all know about to the scene today, the heavy make up and weird costumes are still here, what is different?
AG: I personally think people have forgotten or lost the meaning of what it means be unique. The Face is celebration of who we are, in this time of turbulent and confusing cultural messages.
-Thank you and lastly, what should people expect from this week's party?
AG: Music, Glamour, Style and most importantly: creative and expressive fun beings!
I first met Philip in 2001 when I arrived in London and hit the party scene. If you're a club kid and go out more than thrice a week, it's inevitable that you will bump into Philip sooner or later. With his signature Vivienne Westwood attire and a bubbly personality, it would be highly unlikely to miss him. Being one of the forefathers of the London's Blitz Kids scene, Philip has played a vital role in its transition from the late 70s to it's current proliferating state where we see so many new kids following in his footsteps.
From a Punk to a New Romantic, to the modern day socialite establishment that he is, Philip has managed to stay an original, funny, exuberant and often sarcastic bur never rude, nor blunt, and altogether very inspirational and entertaining person.
This is a sad moment as I just learned that he had an incident and has been taken to hospital with a head fracture and other injuries. The incident happened on Saturday at Piccadilly Circus and still there is no news about what happened and how.
Let's all take a moment and wish him well and our hopes for speedy recovery. He is one of a kind.
his most recent birthday party at the "Home" club at the Vivienne Westwood show - Paris 2011
Here are a few videos to give you an insight into his character.
