 "I'M AFRAID OF AMERICANS..." How do you go from a small gay bar in New York’s East Village to Ancient Egypt in 0.5 seconds? Chat to Ian Fford.  Explain Yourself, Ian? Here's my take on things, the short version anyway... I see music as a fundamental binding force of The Universe. Music cuts across boundaries and is limitless in its ability connect you to higher awareness, so I believe that as a DJ, my job is to promote an emotional release for all those on my dance floor. Now... my favorite Icon is Anubis, an Egyptian deity whose mythology attributes him with unlimited compassion for mankind and the keys to all doors and knowledge. He is the king of strange connections, and I vibe with that. It enables me to find the commonality across seemingly disparate musical styles to bring a unique energy to my performances. In the beginning, there was...? Well, my New York experience began at two small venues, The Bar (a small gay bar in The East Village) and The Vault (a fetish club on the West Side). A few months later I was given a guest appearance at Webster Hall, which became a residency for about four years. I played every room at certain points, playing everything from House and Techno to Rock and Disco. I always manage to have an underground flavor, with well-timed surprises thrown in for good measure. In March of 1997 I took over the main floor of The Bank, NYC's legendary haven for Industrial, EBM, Gothic, New Wave, Synthpop and all things from the Dark Underground. In the two plus years at The Bank, the weekly crowds double, swelling to near and sometimes over capacity. The Bank was eventually sold, and the party Albion joined forces with Batcave, then on hiatus, forging an alliance that lasted through late 2006. During this time I also promoted my own party, Electra-City, for three years at The Pyramid. Multiple guest appearances around the country and in Europe have rounded out my performance experience. I’ve been a featured guest at some really cool shows, including: George Clinton & the P-Funk Allstars, Shannon, Apoptygma Berzerk, Boy George, The Henry Rollins Band, DJ X-Dream, The Cruxshadows, VNV Nation, Wolfsheim, Danzig, Marilyn Manson, Nine Inch Nails and more. I played for Amnesty International’s 2000 event featuring Patrick Stewart, Bill Clinton’s 1996 Campaign Kick-Off, the Internet Awards 2001, The Human League Concert at BB Kings in 2007. PC Expo, several high-profile fashion shows and Comedy Central Events. I spin the annual Witches Ball, and was resident at Club 2686 (formerly Luxe) with my dj set live broadcast on WLIR FM from March 2003 to March 2004 And these days...? More recently I have opened and/or closed for Hex Hector, Rob Leslie, and Junior Vasquez. I have a residency at Splash Bar, my DarkNyC project kicks off soon, adding to my Thrive Party in Long Island and regular guest spots around the region. CREDITS... Current Residencies: The Dark NYC Thrive! Splash Bar Evilution The New York City Witches' Ball (annual) Past Residencies: Albion aka the Bat Cave (1997-2006) Nocturne (Philadelphia) 1998 - 2001) Electra-City (1999 to 2005) Core & Club 2686 (2002 - 2005) Live Broadcast on 92.7 WLIR FM Webster Hall, Marlin Room (1995-2001) Guest Appearances: Thrive Party 1/09 Sin-Fest @ Club Hell, 10/2008 Headlining Blacksun Festival in March 2008 BYTE Jan 20th, 2008 Club Evolution, Southend, U.K. (4/2008) Sedition @ Mass, Brixton, U.K. (4/2008) Opening for Hex Hector (3/2008, 5/2008, 6/2008 , 8/2008, 1/2009) SMACK! 12 year anniversary Endless Night Halloween @ Element 10/31/07 with Hex Hector 1/26/08 With Junior Vasquez @ Splash Bar, 8/07 & 9/07 DIABOLIK! 6/07 Dark Star Festival 11/07 SMACK! Sex Mutants 10/06 Rock Party! Starland Ballroom, 4/2006 Closing for Hex Hector, October 2007 Opening for Frankie Knuckes, Martin Luther King Day 2006, NYC Evilution at QXT's, Newark NJ, 2/08, 8/08, 1/09, 8/2007, 3/2008, 8/2008 Axis Lounge, Carlestadt, NJ Cruxshadows Concert NYC (my event), 2/22/2007 Dracula's Ball Philadelphia, 8/2007 and 6/2005 Halloween Revolution, Gypsy Tea Co NYC Hair and Fashion show, Webster Hall NYC 2001 George Clinton & The P-Funk Allstars concert, 2000 Core with Boy George & DJ Dezrock Avalon, New York City (2006) Wolfsheim Concert, NYC (2005) Apoptygma Berzerk Concert, NYC (2003) VNV Nation Concert, NYC, (2002) Temple Bar, Stamford, CT (2006) Bar Sinister, Los Angeles, CA (2003) Club New York, New York City (2003) The Slimelight, London, U.K. (2002, 2003, 2004) The Electric Ballroom, Camden town, London Gossips, London, U.K. The World, Times Square, New York City, 2002 B.B. Kings, New York City, six times and counting Axis, Boston, MA (2003) Club Hell, Providence, Rhode Island (monthly from 2001 to present) Club Laga, Pittsburgh, PA (2001) Diva’s Nightclub, Northampton, MA Multiple Appearances An Tua Nua – Boston, MA (2003) Club Manhattan, Salt Lake City, UT Amnesty International, NYC Bill Clinton’s Campaign Kickoff, NYC (1996) |
  EVOLUTION Westcliffe-on-Sea, Southend. What is Evolution? Evolution is a members only club in London Road, Southend. It’s run by people who love everything about the alternative scene, for people who feel exactly the same. It’s not every day you find a bar you can wander into and feel completely at home in- walking into Evo is like wandering into someone’s very cool bedroom. From the cabinets of collectibles near the bar, to the posters, the pole and the copious amounts of neon paint, everything has been cherry picked to make Evolution members feel at home.  So why is it members only? Well basically it means Evolution can control everything, from who they let in, to what kind of nights they put on. It means they can open later and provide you with more fun per square inch than any high-street club night. What’s more, membership is completely free. All you need to do is visit the website and register 48 hours in advance of your visit, then collect your membership card at the door. It’s that simple. Once you’ve done that you can keep checking back to the website to keep yourself updated on regular events, special events and keep up with everyone on the forums.  To get an idea what’s on, check evolutionsouthend.com or take a sneaky peek at our ‘What’s On’ in brief, below.  WHAT’S ON: Every Thu DARK DAYZ, Goth, punk, cyber, 80’s. DJ Tribal + guests. £2 entry. 7pm ‘til late. Every Fri SEVERENCE, Pure Metal! Dj Pure Hatred, Dj Squit The Beardy, Dj Richter. First Saturday Every Month LOW DOWN AND DIRTY, Retro and Revival Night. DJ Madame Vendetta and Exquisite Corpse, plus guests. £3/£4 entry. 8pm-2am Second Saturday Every Month VENDETTA, DJ Abdicate + Madame Vendetta. Industrial, EBM, trance, dance, goth and more. £3 entry. Third Saturday Every Month REDEMPTION. DJ Richter, DJ Raze + cabaret and guests. 8pm-2am. Cheap drinks! Fourth Saturday Every Month PURGATORY. Metal, Rock and Alternative. £3 Entry. |
 ‘We powered our way to Olympia through the encroaching sleet and snow, armed only with a packet of cashew nuts and the promise of a late night Mocha.’  First of all, I hear you cry, what is the London Edge? Well, The Edge is a trade show which is put on twice a year at the Kensington Olympia. It’s a massive collection of wholesalers from every aspect of alternative fashion, from feather boas to footwear. The Edge is the first, biggest and best show of its kind in the country. It caters to a group of some of the most exciting 'niches' in fashion, accessories and giftware. Collectively this results in an amazing presentation of merchandise unlike anything else you’ll ever see.  Broadly speaking, The Edge is an exhibition for the 'alternative clubwear markets' but within this broad description are many other categories. Each category has a relevance within the show and include movements such as gothic, punk, cyber, techno, glam rock, heavy metal, rockabilly, industrial, underground, festival ethnic and biker. These are not just trends but are lifestyle choices and include almost everything required for everyday life such as fashion, footwear, jewellery, furniture, make-up, hair products, giftware, piercing, tattoos and so on.  Buyers come from all over the world to browse the stalls, build relationships with vendors and purchase thousands of pounds worth of stock for their businesses. Vendors come from as far away as Texas, California and Seattle. It’s a great opportunity to meet people not only to do business with, but to become friends with- it’s a fact that people at The Edge are some of the friendliest alive. The London Edge runs over three days (usually a Sunday, Monday and a Tuesday) and combines business with pleasure with its unique combination of fantastic stalls, freebies, performance artists and great company. Not to mention the awesome ‘free beer’ afterparty!  URBAN INK, SOUTHEND 
Urban Ink Tattoo Studio was formed in Southend in 2005 and has rapidly gained a reputation for first class work, both flash and custom. Bringing tattooing into the 21st century, they have thousands of pages of designs both in the books and on the in house computer as well as a limitless supply of image searches on the internet.... all at your disposal. Urban Ink specialise in custom work, so if you still don't find that ideal design you require, then you can speak to one of their artists about having a totally unique piece designed for you at no extra cost. Give the studio a call and chat to Charlie, Zoe, Andy, Brad or Chessie. Plus, there’s good news if you’re living in Brentwood. In March last year, Urban Ink opened its doors in your home town. They’re now tattooist of choice for Jodie Marsh, who joined them at their opening party almost a year ago to date. The shop is now thriving under the watchful eyes of Tara, Spike, their guest Tattooist, Andy, and their apprentice Jess. You can find out more about Urban Ink by visiting the website: urbaninktattoos.co.uk |
 Click here for Essex club listings LONDON! Click here for London club listings SURREY & BERKS! Click here for Surrey/Berkshire club listings  FEATURING EXODUS, SABBAT, GAMA BOMB, ALESTORM, OVERKILL, TRIGGER THE BLODSHED, FIREWIND and many more! 02 ACADEMY ISLINGTON FRIDAY 20TH FEBRUARY, 6PM KENELIS THE LIVE AND LOUD BAR GUILDFORD SATURDAY 21ST FEBRUARY, 7PM THE FRIDAY NIGHTS THE LEXINGTON ISLINGTON SUNDAY 1ST MARCH 8.30PM EVENT HORIZON THE PUMPHOUS WATFORD TUESDAY 3RD MARCH, 9PM REPLICANT THE ROYAL OAK HAMPTON FRIDAY 6TH MARCH, 9PM M.R.G THE RISING SUN SLOUGH FRIDAY 6TH MARCH, 10PM THE CHEVRONS THE WINTON BASINGSTOKE SATURDAY 7TH MARCH, 9PM QUAKE ROCKS FEATURING BLOODLOSS, SINUISM, ARKHAM, NERVOUS ENDINGS QUAKE NIGHTCLUB, WOKING SATURDAY 14TH MARCH, 7PM |