R I P David Bowie

Yesterday came the sad news about the passing of possibly the most influential and iconic artist of our time - David Bowie.

There is virtually nothing we can add to the thousands of posthumous praise and career reviews that are pouring from every media outlet, the blogs, the tv channels, every radio station is playing Bowie songs since last night and today every newspaper's front page is an obituary.
His influence on popular culture is so vast that it's hard to describe him as pioneer of just one discipline but one of the most important and groundbreaking achievements that we can bestow upon Bowie is how he challenged the status quo and people's perception of gender and masculinity. In a time when being gender-fluid is a trend, we take our hats off to the original gender-bender, the father of quirk, the incomparable and unsurpassable David Bowie.

We lost a hero yesterday, may he live in our hearts and minds forever more.

The sad news was announced on his official facebook page:

Popular youtube archive from the 80s Club Kids

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! 

Absolut Rainbow "Love Is Love" Launch Party

Another Pride Weekend rolled by and London was in full celebration mode from Friday till....well, some are still going if you ask me.
As usual, Soho was crammed with people, mostly topless or rainbowed, streets were all pedestrianised and many were so busy, you needed hours to cross from one end to the other.
All bars and clubs had themed Pride events and many of the big brands joined the frenzy by sponsoring this or that, from Starbucks to Barclays, it seems everyone wanted to cash-in on the trend. Well, with gay marriage just hot off the yes vote in Ireland and the US supreme court, the trend is stronger than ever. One brand that has been a long-time supporter of the Gay Agenda is Absolut, so naturally, we were most interested in the Launch Party they threw at the exclusive Soho venue - The Groucho Club. Started as a somewhat private affair, the club was filling up fast and by 6pm literally the who's who of the scene were all present.
With the help of DJs Mark-Ashley Dupé, Maze&Masters and Fat Tony, performances by Mz Kimberly and the ever-so refreshing presence of London's exuberant Club Kids (this time represented by the current leaders of the pack - House Bound) the party quickly turned into the hottest event of the weekend. Anyone from D-listers to A-listers and in between were letting their hair down and sipping those sweet Absolut cocktails. I wonder how my head didn't punish me the following day. All in all, the night was a pure indulgence and Absolut proved once again that they know how to throw an awesome event. The fun was supposed to end by 11pm but of course that got extended till 2am... naturally.
Let's see who looked cool....

WUT CLUB - Larry Tee's leaving party

Last Friday was the last WUT Club party with producer and DJ extraordinaire Larry Tee.

Having worked with the likes of Ru Paul back in the hey day of the Club Kids in New York, Larry moved to London in the early noughties. He has been a permanent fixture on our scene ever since and it is sad to see him leave us. He is making his way over to Berlin where he will continue to open doors for many young artists and we wish him all the best in his next step. It was a great leaving do Larry and you will be missed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

  

  

 

 

  

  

  

 

 

 

 

 

all images ©O.Yordanov2015