The COCK is back for its 10-year Anniversary peeps! Sat 21 July

So, it is 10 years since the legendary club night The Cock started in a little Soho backstreet club, aptly called The Ghetto... 

It is not surprising that the event page contains no details other than the date and place, after all, this was one of the hot spots of London underground culture and the place that heavily enhanced the return of the club-kid as we know it today. 

For the London club-goers, it might need no introduction, but since this blog is being read worldwide, we feel that it deserves a little recoup of what it was all about.

The Cock happened every Friday night at Ghetto in Soho - a long established underground pleasure palace for denizens of Londons hip underground gay / mixed club scene. Unfortunately by the end of 2008 the club had to be closed as the area was under development for a new CrossRail line (being built to this moment). In an instant London had lost two of its West End establishments [the other one being Astoria - a live gig venue where Madonna, Kylie and pretty much every music act that we care about had performed throughout the years]. 


On the 5th December 2008, The Cock had their LAST EVER party in its birthplace.

Many big names have frequented the party over the six years it lasted. Most notably, the Scissor Sisters performed their debut UK gig here as well as countless other bands who have cut their teeth here such as Hot Chip, Clor and Pink Grease. Even London's underground disco royalty have graced the stage at Ghetto - Boy George, Marc Almond, Pete Burns, Siobhan Fahey and Princess Julia, while Yr Mum Ya Dad and other alternative live acts virtually started from here.


To begin to list DJs who have played at The Cock would be futile as they've all played - from all scenes and music disciplines! 

DJ Tasty Tim

DJ Princess Julia

  The club has charted a journey through the wild excesses of electronica and what a fantastic ride it was! The whole musical experience was held together by scene verteran DJs and premier divas Princess Julia and Tasty Tim. 




The Cock has always been about bringing together all areas of gay nightlife but with the main emphasis being the alternative Friday night bender, indeed their original strapline read "For hookers, punks, dykes & queers". Of course the club has far exceeded that aim and it arrived at a time when nightlife was dominated by muscle clubs and over priced Soho bars playing wet music. So, now that 'do it yourself' club culture and 'difference' has been fully embraced, we mustn't forget that  they contributed to this and each and every week until the inevitable demise of the Ghetto. It is featured in the book "New Club Kids: London Party Fashion In the Noughties" by Oggy Yordanov [who also started this blog] and has achieved a cult status. You can see why we must feel excited about the forthcoming anniversary party. See you there!

The 10th year Anniversary Party is happening on Saturday 21July 2012 at XOYO - 37 Cowper Street, London EC2A 4
8:00pm - 3:00am

Philip Sallon's attack - "Evening Standard"

'Gay-bashing' fear over Boy George friend after fractured skull in West End street attack

6 Apr 201

The family of a gay socialite who suffered a fractured skull during a vicious beating in the West Endfear he may have been the victim of a homophobic attack.

Philip Sallon, described by singer Boy George as "my oldest and closest friend", was kicked repeatedly in the head in the early hours of Saturday.

The 59-year-old is still recovering in hospital and has no memory of the attack. His niece Miriam Elia, 28, who visited him in hospital, said: "It is not the first time he's been beaten up.

"He has had this in the Eighties because of what he was, but if this was a homophobic attack I would be absolutely disgusted. He is well-known as a gay icon. Sometimes my uncle gets into grief with people but he never gets violent and he doesn't really drink. The person who did this could have killed him and we want to find out who it was, whether it was gay-bashing or something else."

Mr Sallon, of St John's Wood, is a flamboyant figure on the West End club scene and founded the Mud Club in Tottenham Court Road in the Eighties.

Police said he was outside Gap near Piccadilly Circus at about 3.30am when two people kicked him in the head repeatedly and ran off. Miss Elia said: "He is conscious but only briefly and then he is out again. He could have been killed, he had been kicked so many times."

Yesterday, Boy George, who wrote the 2002 West End hit Taboo which featured Mr Sallon, appealed for witnesses to come forward. The 49-year-old singer urged the person who called an ambulance to contact the police. Anyone with information should call 020 7321 9315 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111

Shabba Dabba Da IX - the video

video by Basement Film productions.2011

What Is A Club Kid?

Since I started taking photographs of Club Kids, many people were asking me : "Club Kids? What is that?"


So, what is a club kid? This blog aims at throwing some light on the subject and possibly provide an angle to what and who are the club kids.

First, before we start talking about the London club kids today, we ought to start with the original club kids of 80s New York. Wild and proud, outrageous and astonishingly courageous, these were the club kids - 80s style.

Here is a collection of archive footage from American talk shows that hopefully that will give enough insight into the Club-Kid phenomenon.

" There has never been a culture in this world, that has not worn a body adornment." - a really profound way to explain to the common people what this is all about. Watch further...