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5SR Five Second Rule – London and South East.
When I first heard Five Second Rule, they to me, had a 90s feel to them. Grungy vocals, Catchy riffs and seemed pretty easy listening. With sounds like Nirvana but with a modern approach at guitar solos, these boys make song writing look easy.
Their song “Sunday Roast”, for me, allows 5SR to prove their talents. With lyrics like “Raise your glass, Give a toast, She’s the queen of the Sunday roast”, you will more than likely be singing along to this song after the first chorus. They also do a pretty tight cover of “Word up” by Cameo. At which point the crowd are ready to enjoy what these lads have to offer.
I think these guys have the potential to make something of themselves. They have all the necessary requirements; I felt something was missing, until I saw a video from a show. Five Second Rule seemed to have a few chicks up their sleeves (I couldn’t resist the pun) Fire breathing, lap dances and jaw dropping outfits from these ladies really gave 5SR that special something, that missing piece I was looking for.
They all look the part as well, stage performances nailed, and a fair few followers on their Myspace (www.myspace.com/fivesecondrule2)
I kind of feel that the music scene has changed so drastically in the past ten years or so and their sound may come across a bit dated, but none the less- Quality.
They are as tight on stage as they are in recordings. Rock and Roll just might be back, you know. This band are sure to please the adult rockers who can’t seem to grasp the music of today, which is fair enough, And will more than likely, entertain anyone who gets the chance to hear them.
So to sum it up, if you like proper music, with catchy vocals, and a band that clearly enjoys every performance, Five second Rule get a definite thumbs up from me.
Safe.
DJ Rex catches up with SHY - Santa Hates You
Santa Hates You is an interesting name, what part of a twisted psyche did it come from?
Peter Spilles:- Both Jinxy and I have pretty twisted psyches. :)
From what part of those did the name come from? Probably from the furry, grizzly-bear-like one. The one that never wants to go to bed 'cause it always wants to hear one more scary fairy tale. The one that doesn't accept senseless rules. The one that is determined to turn real life into a dream. Or a delightful nightmare.
What would you say the ultimate direction for Santa Hates You? Are you seeking massive fame and fortune?
JINXY: Well, no. Fame and fortune are for ordinary people. We want to shake you, awake you, please you, squeeze you, wrap ourselves around you, if you will. :)
We are the soundtrack to your rebellion, your rage, your triumph, your ecstasy.
Is there anyone you'd like to acknowledge for supporting Santa Hates You?
JINXY: Life, The Universe and Everything. Other than that, Peter Spilles and I would like to acknowledge each other. We supported one another like no one else did. We have always pushed each other to give our best, sometimes we were very strict but we always believed in what we're doing. Now we're harvesting the sweet reward, but at the same time we're making new, adventurous plans for the future. We cannot possibly be stopped.
I notice a lot of your music would be great in a club, especially Rocket Heart, it makes me wonder if there is a Dj background in Santa Hates You, or do you just spend a lot of time in night clubs?
Peter Spilles: “Crucifix Powerbomb” is a club album, but not only. It also has the power of turning your living room (or every other environment you choose when listening to our music) into a realm of dreams.
From time to time I deejay in some German clubs and my experience is that Santa Hates You is always received very well. Many DJs from Germany and foreign countries report the same.
Whether we spend a lot of time in night clubs? …
Hamburg has a lot to offer in clubbing terms, so I go out quite regularly and often spot Jinxy engaging in drinking challenges with hairy sailors or playing strip poker completely dressed in a naked round.
A question more for Peter Spilles, S.H.Y. is an interesting diversion from the Project Pitchfork sound, is this something you’ve always wanted to do, or is the whole thing a new inspiration?
Peter Spilles: I think for every single song a new inspiration is needed. The time was right to bring Santa Hates You to life because I wanted to spend time on another playground. The musical ideas and the energy are different and I try to keep it that way although it all comes from the same heart.
It's all happening in the same universe, but on totally separated galaxies.
What would your catchphrase/life's motto be?
Peter Spilles: A life without Santa Hates You is possible, but senseless.
JINXY: Santa Hates You. For many but not for all.
What? You thought I was going to talk purely about rock albums? Or old albums? You clearly don't know me very well.
Now, many of you may have noticed that I don't actually like the majority of music. My tastes are wide and varied, but within these tastes I find just as much to hate as I discover to love. However, the fact remains that I am a huge fan of a vast amount of genres. So, here I present to you my take on what many people have called one of the greatest albums of the past decade. It's no secret that I am a fan of words and their useage as well as enjoying a vast amount of musical styles, so the fact I enjoy rap shouldn't come as a great shock. For anyone that didn't figure it out, I'd insult your intelligence at this point but I don't think that you'd be able to understand what those big words mean - Some of them would probably have upwards of 3 syllables! Now, let us proceed.
I can't really say that this album has actually been that influential on the actual sound of music since its release. What I prefer to discuss is the fact that this album opened doors for people to look into the world of rap & hiphop. Before this album, the closest a lot of people would get towards the hiphop genre was the faux-rapping gibberish spouted from RHCP or the angry shouting of RATM, with the occasional classic of the old school such as the Sugarhill Gang (I'm almost certain you don't know the name, but you'll recognise the tune the instant it kicks off. Unless you're a fan of disco in which case you might mistake it for Good Times.) The major label debut of The Slim Shady LP brought a few people into the fold but it wasn't until the release of this album that Eminem and his impact would truely be felt.
The lead single off this album, The Real Slim Shady, is fairly typical of his knack of releasing a nicely commercial ditty with references to popular culture of the time, whilst still being a fairly impressive in terms of actual ability. A few people will argue that he isn't one of the best rappers out there, but I would merely say to them - Shut the fuck up and do better, then I'll believe you.
It wasn't until the second single, The Way I Am, that he really started to break into the various different markets that were out there. This song tapped into the typical angsty market that was at the time hitting the market, but still being relevent to his own life. It dealt with how being famous was isolating while being completely surrounded, which I'm sure is something everybody, especially amongst the alternative scene, can relate to. It was this song that really exposed a lot of people to the fact that rap wasn't all entirely bitches and bling.
So, let's start paying attention to the elephant in the room, shall we? The supposedly rampant homophobia that occurs on this album. Now, whilst I can't entirely agree with every useage of the word "faggot" or variation thereof, listening to it, I can't help but feel that the fact it is so rife is purely down to the fact that the people he is using it against find it insulting, not because he considers it an insult. While this doesn't entirely excuse it, it does go a long way to explaining it. The introduction to the track Criminal also helps with this idea. He essentially says that if you believe everything he says on a CD, then he's going to kill you. Which is an irony lost on most people and they decide to instead focus on the fact he says "fuck" a lot.
The other tracks on this album are nothing less than awesome as well. Dealing with all the issues you could expect and then some, including the obligatory party song about getting fucked up (oh dear, I seem to have taken a leaf out of his book in this article.) It also deals with censorship, which is a subject close to a lot of peoples hearts. Especially coming from such a popular album as well, it has a much deeper impact and has actually gone a long way in this battle, bearing in mind how popular typical rap songs have become in the charts - Whether or not you like it, the fact that these things have become more acceptable is always a positive move towards tollerance, which is something we can all get behind.
Overall, whilst this is not my favourite album of all time, in fact not even my favourite Eminem album, the impact it has had in opening doors and shining a new light on a genre that most people had overlooked - and still do, to an extent - is definately a great thing.
As always, head to the facebook app - - and come and shout at me on the offchance you disagree. I warn you though, you are wrong
‘Brutai’ at Band Quest: Dirty South Lewisham. 18/2/2010
‘The Band Quest’ is a competition in which bands participate in a hope to play the upcoming ‘Bloodstock festival’. The majority of bands range from various types of metal/hardcore/rock. At tonight’s edition of ‘Band Quest’, there featured thrash metal act ‘Brutai’. I found myself immersed with a loyal following of fans outside the venue that were chanting the bands name in high-pitched volumes. This is what some would describe as a foreboding of what is to come and yet a band with a loyal following is one to not let slip under the radar.
The event began with two support bands: 80’s rockers ‘Silicone Bullet’ and a metalcore act ‘This Addiction’. The Gun’s and Roses induced ‘Silicone Bullet’ opened the night with elements of ‘Steel Panther’ and ‘Aerosmith and reminded me of the former ‘Antiques Rock Show’ on Sky Channel Scuzz. The band displayed a certain amount of charm with slick baselines and cheesy solos reminiscent of Starship’s ‘We can build this dream together’. However it was ‘This addiction’ that really picked up the pace of tonight’s event: with hard-hitting metal riffs and enough punches to compete in a boxing ring with Rocky Balboa. These guys were revitalising and destructive as they sifted between an indecipherable growling narrative; to clean vocal chorus’s that conjure unity between the crowd and the band. It became apparent due to the band’s own admission that they were a member short tonight, however ‘This addiction’ showed fortitude over adversity and did not relent from the brutal assault of metal that ‘Slayer’ would be proud of.
After the second band I noticed a pack of blood hungry metallers gathering and scurrying around the front of the stage. I knew that the earlier foreboding was a sign of things to come: as Brutai launched into a thrash driven set, with enough riffs to sever the heads on any unsuspecting victim. These South London metallers are a band that are able to utilize the best from genres of metalcore, thrash, and death metal in a refined and cohesive manner. After the first song, amidst a drum solo and proggy guitar effect, front man Felix shouted to the crowd “we are Brutai, are you with us?” As the venue roared back with conviction, a mosh pit opened up and swallowed the crowd in like a vacuum: creating a truly anarchic backdrop to the apocalyptic sound of ‘Brutai’. The set was wielded through an impressive array of guitar wizardry located in the outro of ‘Home Sweet Hell’ from guitarists Felix and Henry; while Mike’s hurricane drumming began a brutal assault on ones senses, numbing the bruises of loyal moshers. Mike Crouchman’s dark and pervasive Bass progression attaches weight to the quartet’s metal anthem: ‘Epiphany’ a dark, brooding, titanic in size and epic in scale monster of a song.
These guys have a flare that burns brightly and should by all rights make them eligible to enter the next ‘Band Quest’ competition. The tightness of their stranglehold shows no mercy as they depart from their set leaving the audience breathless and the moshers bruised. ‘Brutai’ won tonight’s event and left a wake of destruction behind them, they will soon be entering new territory.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF ALTERNATED PHOTOGRAPHY
Steven Wright
So, this is a gentleman who I can pretty much guarantee that you've heard one of his jokes. You may not have known the source, but this man is one of the greatest purveyors of surreal, ironic and just plain weird one liners.
I'm not even joking when I say this. Some of the things he comes out with are only funny just for the fact they are so bizarre.
“I poured spot remover on my dog. Now he's gone.”
You'll also recognise his distinct slow, drawling delivery of his jokes too. If you care to imagine the stereotypical stoner as portrayed in a typical Hollywood blockbuster, I imagine you'll come fairly close to his tone. This doesn't hurt his comedic prospects in the slightest, quite the opposite in fact. His bizzare look and distinctive tone only help to cement him in my mind.
“I have an existential map. It has 'You are here' written all over it.”
The problem is, with a vast amount of comics, I always feel the need to point out that it's not going to be for everyone, but with this man, I don't feel the need to do so. In fact, I recommend that everybody goes and at least checks him out, because there's nothing offensive in any of his jokes, but they're just strange enough that people who like that brand of humour will still get a lot out of it, plus there's quite a few clever jokes in there that the more sophisticated humorist amongst you will come away feeling satisfied with.
“I have the world's largest collection of seashells. I keep it on all the beaches of the world... perhaps you've seen it.”
He really is the type of comic who brings something to the table for you all, which can only be a positive thing, although you could always argue that this just weakens his impact in circles of people that aim for a particular brand of comedy. I'd argue against this, though, simply because until recent times, there haven't been many comics that have even attempted to replicate his style.
So, go forth, buy a CD or DVD and laugh at the sheer oddness that gushes forth from his mouth. You'll definitely get some fun out of it, and you just might discover who came out with that joke you've been telling for years.
Here’s a few Quotes and below those a video clip for you to enjoy!!
“Do Lipton employees take coffee breaks?”
“Don't you hate when your hand falls asleep and you know it will be up all night.”
“For my birthday I got a humidifier and a de-humidifier... I put them in the same room and let them fight it out.”
“Hermits have no peer pressure.”
“I drive way too fast to worry about cholesterol.”
“I had a friend who was a clown. When he died, all his friends went to the funeral in one car.”
More crazy times at TS Towers!! :)
Fright Nite is having some great events in the Town Hall, a HUGE pub in Staines, with bargain drinks prices and a MASSIVE dancefloor, it seems we will be having days that will be remembered as fondly as anyone’s fav venue over the years, we even celebrated our 19th birthday in there!!
Many live nites coming up as well - For all gig details check our newly launched website, www.phoenixmusicpromotions.co.uk the site features, a calander, videos, club news, gig info, a forum and SO much entertaining stuff!!
Equilibrium returns to the Sound Circus in Bournemouth on the 19th of Feb, with Al B Damned, Yesterdays Trash Queens and Burnt Earth, plus a whole club nite as well!! For the Facebook event click here
Of course, Turbulent Soundscape might have your picture in our archive section, head to www.turbulentsoundscape.com
We now have 2 Sister companies, Phoenix Music Promotions and Aphrodite Entertainments, News here –
Phoenix Music
A new nite “Heresy”, a Dj free for all, the last Friday each Month in Egham, held at the Working Mens Club next to the Fire Station, CHEAP drinks and a huge space to dance, park, smoke and drink!! £4 entry, opening nite deal 2 for the price of 1 if you’re signed up to our Facebook group or to www.phoenixmusicpromotions.co.uk
Then Brighton with “Hidden Generation”, held in the Hydrant, aka the Hare and Hounds, a Rock n Roll extravaganza, Live bands opening the nite, followed by a full on club nite with performers and all sorts of crazy stuff!!! :) the 1st one of those is the 12th of March, so get down for a great party!!
Tuesdays is now not dull as well, we have Psycho City in the Purple Turtle in reading!! ;) A nite of Rock n Roll, Blues and Soul, also Djing is the ever eclectic Jony Indudus!!! www.purpleturtlebar.com
Aphrodite hits London with some awesome parties -
3 Events in London – 1st, is `”Velvet Highway”, the Interactive Rock n Roll Circus, top tunes from me and Simon B-Movie, we’re gonna mix up everything it’s possible to mix from the history of whenever there has been an underground scene!! Facebook event
The next thing Aphrodite will bring you is “Flame”. On Thursdays in central London, at the infamous Jet Black!! Flame will be a nite of pure and sleazy rock n roll, of fire breathing, of performers, lots and lots of good times!! This all kicks off on the 4th of March, hope to see you there, whether you come for the show, or the venue, or the music, or the drinks, or whatever you come for, a great nite is guaranteed!! :)
Then Aphrodite brings you live nites at The Gaff, always the last Thursday each month!! Watch this space, or check the facebook group,
The Aphrodite web site will arrive soon as well!!
So, a quick recap, tueadsys, the Psycho City in the Purple Turtle Reading, Weds, Fright Nite, the Town Hall Staines, Thursdays, Live bands in the Town Hall Staines as well as the Gaff, also on Thursdays, Flame at the Jet Black, first Friday each month, Velvet Highway in Kings Cross, 2nd Sat from March 12, Hidden generation in Brighton, Last Friday each month, Heresy in Egham!! Enough for now??? :) More coming!!!!
And nowwww, Schism (Tom Wavre)
Schism has teamed up with this years Sonisphere Festival giving you the chance to win a pair of weekend with camping tickets to the festival at EVERY Schism night between now (5th March) and July! If that's not all each night we will have a bundle of Sonisphere swag to give away including flyers, posters, CDs and band T-shirts! The DJs will also we whipping up some festival inspired set-lists to get you in the mood for this Summers event. Sonisphere Promo Nights Fri 5th March Fri 2nd April Fri 7th May Fri 4th June Fri 2nd July Also, look out as we have some killer theme nights in the coming months! Iron Maiden and Rammstein head up 2010's Sonisphere Festival, which takes place at Knebworth on July 30 - August 1.
The melodic prog metal scene has never been my thing, the likes of Dream Theatre just don't do it for me, don't get me wrong I think most are great musicians so taking a chance on a band like Aspera was a mistake but one I'm glad I made. They tick all the right boxes for this style of music, precision note placement, twisting time changes, weird time signatures, huge lead guitar solos, ultra clean production etc. So what do these have over most of the rest well they can write songs with a soul, it's not all look at me I'm such a good musician. This lot are great musicians but they use their skills to produce great tunes us non-musicians can enjoy.
Right this next bit must be read after you have given them a listen.
You have done that haven't you?
This lot are bunch of 18 year olds, this self produced début and recorded in Aspera Living Room Studio.
Compilations are a great cheap way to check out what's going on in a scene or what's new on a label. So here is a few I've had the pleasure listening too, first up is the Projekt label sampler Under The Weight Of Light, a label that has been working away for years in the weirder places of dark music, and this is all here with neo-folk,dark pop, darkwave, shoegazer with the quality anyone who knows this label would expect,it is always great to find that if you go looking there are great bands out there moving in scenes most people don't even know exist. Projekt means to correct this over sight.
The next two can be lumped together, both Darkness Before Dawn and Gothic Compilation 46 both show there a lot more to the Goth scene that just metal and modern industrial theatrics or having to listen to the usual eighties bands, having spent a lot of time a certain London club (which I loved) I did end up wishing the music was a little more modern. I'm not saying much on these albums is hugely ground breaking but they both show bands who really know what it is to produce Goth music ie it's in the atmosphere not the playing ability. Everything here is stripped down back to basics showing it's roots was punk and lovely for it. Both are double CDs so this proves there plenty of people out there playing this style, so maybe the Trads in this country could take a chance and buy something new.
Another sampler this time from Alfa Matrix, Sounds From The Matrix 10 shows why Alfa Matrix is one the main labels in the harsh ebm/ebm/ industrial scene, hand
Picking only the best that's on offer, with 18 tracks to go though you couldn't go wrong if you want to know what Cybergoths listen too or are starting out on the multi coloured dark scene this is a good place to start to hear the modern crop of great music/bands. Oh and for the few out there who still believe it's just techno/house music well this just proves how wrong you are,
All out now, in order on Projekt www.projekt.com / UpScene, www.upscene.de/ / Batbeliever www.batbeliever.de / Alfa Matrix www.alfa-matrix.com
I think a lot of us have been waiting for this album, hoping and praying it wouldn't be a let down, well it's here and guess what there was no need to worry it's all we could hope for and more.
From the opening track this just steamrollers you into submission it's all here the lighting speed guitar, the machine gun double bass drum, the venom spiting vocals and soaring choruses. This is like meeting a long lost friend and realizing how cool they were and you still have lots in common. This a band still sounding fresh and new with lots to offer, wouldn't it be great if all your favourite bands still sounded this good in years to come.
Out Now On - AFM Records(Europe) Candlelight Records(US)
Web Site - http://www.fearfactory.com There is one but no mention of new album so think it's even still been run by ex-members/management or just not very up to date.
Before writing any review I always check out for any background info I can find, one reason I really don't take much notice of scenes as such not the who's doing what. So I really wanted to check out this lot out because they had taken my breath away with the shear brilliance in their off kilter take on extreme metal, so to my surprise I find this is Vegard Sverre Tveitan solo project, one the main driving forces behind Emperor the best black metal bands ever (in my opinion).This album demands your full attention as it twists and turns, each listen reveals something new and exciting. With mix of Jazz/prog/metal all in there, here is a man sure of writing abilities pushing you the listener as well as himself. My god there is even a saxophone in here and it doesn't sound out of place.
There must be something in the air at the moment, because there seems to a whole bunch of bands in the metal underground who seem to want go beyond the normal boundaries. If this is true then watch out this could be another golden age of metal. In Vain are adding themselves to this list with their take on the dark metal roots the likes of Opeth, My Dying Bride, Paradise Lost laid down. This is a band who take this past then wonder what if you add this to the mix, what if we added more clean vocals to to counter the growls but over lighter music. They have taken all the past concepts and stretched them to breaking point to create an album that you have play from start to finish to truly appreciate what it has to offer.
Back after the usual music biz crap, but was it worth the delays well for a self produced album it shows a band that have learnt a lot from all their past efforts and willing to bring that all together in this new outing. Ok they might never be cool again with the hardcore crew but I really don't think they care about about that,this has not stopped them bringing to the table their roots then adding their ability to make catchy hooks and huge choruses. So what does this give you well maybe a new sub gene, anyone for hardcore metal rock pop, how about that for crossover.
Alternative theatre or sometimes also known as “Fringe theatre”. Fringe Theatre is a term used to describe live entertainment that the mainstream/establishment would not consider “normal”.
The term “Fringe” originates from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, named by a man called Robert Kemp, it was his report of such events at the second Edinburgh International Festival in 1948 as a ‘fringe’, Kemp was quoted as saying ‘Round the fringe of official Festival drama, there seems to be more private enterprise than before’.
This term has since been taken on board by the “Edinburgh Fringe Festival” and also by alternative theatres and alternative theatre festivals.
In the U.K. London theatres use the term “Fringe” as a description of small scale theatres, many of them located above pubs, and the same term is applied to New York's off-Broadway or Off-Off-Broadway theatres. Such event as well as many others around the world, provide artists with the opportunity to produce a wide variety of interesting works, another worth checking out if you get the chance is the Adelaide Fringe Festival in Australia.
The biggest of them all, of course, is The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (founded back in 1947) it has grown to become the largest arts festival in the world. Although many shows at the Edinburgh Fringe could be considered fringe theatre, the event also covers much in the way of mainstream theatre, comedy, music and so much more.
The Adelaide Fringe Festival is the second-largest fringe festival in the world evolving in the early 1970s as a reaction against the establishment and the then 'mainstream' Adelaide Festival of Arts.
Today, although two events are now inextricably linked, the Fringe Festival has overtaken the main Festival of Arts in terms of attendance and The Adelaide Fringe has become renowned for its innovation, spontaneity and carnival atmosphere. It has also become widely regarded as one of the best events of its kind in the world.
The Edinburgh Fringe, has bough many acts to the forefront, one notable act being Tim Minchin, who became one of the most successful ever debut acts, selling out the 300-seat Debating Hall and being awarded the Perrier Award for Best Newcomer.
He subsequently went on to fly the flag for Alternative Entertainment at the Dark Side at the Soho Theatre and the Lyric Theatre in London’s West End.
The U.S.A. can boast some stunning fringe festivals as well, held in North America there is the Edmonton International Fringe Festival, launched in 1982 and the Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival, founded in 1988. Edmonton and Winnipeg have become the number one stops on the Canadian fringe tour.
The Canadian fringe tour, arguably one of the biggest of it’s kind, has become a semi-official series of fringe theatre festivals that permit performers to travel all across Canada from June to September, giving Canada the privilege of hosting more Fringe Festivals than any other country in the world, while adhering to the philosophy that a "Fringe Festival" will be unjuried, returning 100% of box office proceeds back to the participating artists. Although, the oldest Fringe Festival in the United States, is the Orlando Fringe.
Other long running fringe festivals are the Windsor Fringe (founded 1969) and Malvern Fringe (founded 1977). One of the oldest and largest, purely, fringe festivals in England is the Brighton Festival Fringe, which has provided Fringe activity alongside the main Brighton Festival since its creation in 1967.
Some of the elements of Fringe -
Shows are often technically sparse; they are commonly presented in shared venues, often with a shared and limited selection of technical people and sets. Other technical theatre elements are kept simple. Venues themselves are often adapted from other uses.
The casts tend to be smaller than a typical mainstream production; since many of the performing groups are traveling, and venues as well as the income tend to be fairly minimal, expenses usually being kept to a tight budget.
Fringe festival are a great way to catch plenty of Alternative Theatre with productions offering showcase’s for new scripts, as well as some more obscure, edgy or unusual material. Often cheaper than more mainstream theatre, as well as much more challenging, thought provoking and generally funnier. Not to mention, this is where you will find the ground breaking styles that will be the mainstream in time to come.
Alternative theatre in Britain
This can be dated to around 1965 when the theatre group CAST was formed.
From it’s outset it was an eclectic term that had its roots in the earlier fringe tradition.
During its nearly forty year history alternative theatre has manifested itself in a multitude of different ways, on one hand establishing a political agenda and, on the other, concentrating on an avant-garde theatrical strategy. For those of you who need a reference point for this, think of shows like Bottom, the Young ones, even the great Monty Python, a number of these great shows grew out of alternative comedy and alternative theatre.
It has continued to define itself in so many ways, as opposition to the mainstream, sometimes even taking it over, this has resulted in much alternative theatre being presented on the Fringe circuits, with a performance style including physical theatre and multi-media performance. The label “Alternative Theatre” can be seen in many ways as one of concealment, disguising the plurality of visions, strategies and discourses that it incorporates.
There is, of course, always a fight for anything that strives to be different, In the early 1990s Time Out removed nearly half the venues from its “Fringe Theatre” listings, moving them to an “Off-West End” section, and in 1993 the British
Alternative Theatre Directory removed “Alternative” from its title.
At the time these seemed appropriate moves, but the following decade was to see a quite remarkable revitalisation of the alternative theatre world, contemporary culture, politics and new developments in theatre form, as well as, institutions and technologies. These developments have redefined political/alternative theatre and its relationship to the mainstream.
Alternative theatre can often be seen dealing with issues such as, multi-culturalism and globalisation , environmentalism, gender, nationalism/ nationhood, disaffection with traditional politics and a rejection of the State of the National Theatre, as well as questions around body modification and interventions, cyborgs and virtual bodies, etc, the list can go on forever and is as long as the imagination of every human in the world.
In recent years, alternative theatre has never seemed a healthier or a more vital part of the artistic world. With the prime aim of engaging us with its variety and bringing some challenge to the world.
Hanzel und Gretyl - Zwanzig Zwolf (2012)
Who said the Germans have no sense of humour! With song names such as 'Fukken Uber Death Party' and 'Bavarian Beerhauz Blood' Hanzel und Gretyul seem to be bucking that trend. Shame they're actually from New York! Never the less they provide more than enough Bavarian based japery to entertain even the sternest fraulein. With Zwanzig Zwolf, Hanzel und Gretyl have created an album that is almost impossible not to enjoy. There is a solid mix between the use of guitars, drums and electronics, which all help to create a catchy and enjoyable album that you could headbang or dance to in equal measure. But if the dancy, windmilling thing isn't for you, then just sit back and enjoy such brilliant songs as 'Heil Hizzle My Nizzle'.
All in all Hanzel und Gretyl have created a fun, light hearted album, packed full of big tunes and crunchy guitars that can be enjoyed in the comfort of your own boudoir or on the dance floor with the clubbing elite. Out now on Metropolis Records
DJ Ian does Easter.
Lady Bunny is one of New York's and the world's most infamous cross dressers. Through the years I've spent working her, I've discovered that the only thing bigger than her signature blonde wig is her talent. For some, doing drag is an end unto itself, but for Bunny it’s a vehicle for her multi-faceted creative expression. She tours constantly, knocking 'em dead with her bawdy, Don Rickles meets Dusty Springfield mix of foul humor, Southern charm, "Laugh-In"-style skits, and X-rated pop song parodies. Bunny has emceed events around the world ranging from Van Cleef Arpels corporate parties to Gay Pride Parades and has shared the stage with the likes of Pamela Anderson, Margaret Cho, Dennis Rodman, Cyndi Lauper, k.d. Lang, and the B-52's, just to name a few.
Picture courtesy of Jimmy Smith
Her most notorious creation, Wigstock, was a celebration of creative cross-dressing, which drew up to 40,000 colorful people. "Wigstock, The Movie" (1995). Her latest play is called "When Joey Married Bobby" and is currently playing at Theatre 80 on St Marks Place, NYC. She's had roles in several films, including Not Another Gay Movie 2, Dragtime, Party Girl, and To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar. She was constantly mentioned on Will & Grace, and appears on such shows as Comedy Central's "Pam Anderson Roast," HBO's "Sex and the City"; Britney Spears' MTV special "In the Zone & Up All Night,"
She writes a weekly column called "Star Style Report" for Star Magazine, and she writes regularly for Visionaire, Paper, Instinct, Genre, V, Interview and Time Out New York. Bunny keeps her website fresh and constantly turns up in interviews both in print and on TV.
Off stage she is outrageous, funny, crass, occasionally offensive, and very, very intelligent. She keeps a sharp eye on current events, talks like a sailor, and is very quick-witted. On stage even more so... I saw someone heckle her once and she pretty much destroyed the poor sap, much to everyone everyone's delight.
Bunny is a personal friend of mine and we've worked together for years. On Sunday nights I do lighting for Disco Tea, the early set where she's the Disco DJ extraordinaire. She draws a great crowd and sets the dance floor on fire with Studio 54 disco and forgotten classics. Her musical knowledge isn't limited to that era as she's always ready to spin the hits from the last seven decades to the present. She's been known to knock back a *few* drinks, but any obnoxious or outrageous behavior only increases her popularity. In short, she's set herself up in a non-stop-win-win situation and she can pretty much do whatever she feels like all the time.
Pictures courtesy of Aaron Cobbett
Tonight was a typically busy one, so I could only ask her a few quick questions. Remember, the answers all come with a thick Southern American drawl.
"So what should I ask you?"
- "Well, who the hell I think I am."
"Who the hell do you think you are?"
- "Well nobody... Look where we are!"
"Where have you been banned?"
- "A few years ago one of my lewd performances almost got Gay Pride shut down in Richmond and Savannah. A young girl was perched on her fathers’ shoulders, and my strap-on dildo kind of ended up a few inches from her mouth. Someone called the police but fortunately the event continued. When the promoters asked me about what I was doing, I asked if they had watched my trailer! This is my show - its dirty, this is what you get. If you don't want it then don't hire me!"
"Tell me a another story."
- "Well I was hired to perform in Arizona. When I got there I couldn't believe it, the cacti shot spines at you and the outdoor restaurants sprayed mist on everyone. Damn! Any place they have to spray water on you to keep you alive isn't really fit for human life. Here I am in a mumu and wig and my makeup's running like Niagra Falls!"
"Go on..."
- "Well when I go to these small towns they always ask me what I think of them. I tell them I'm from New York and that's what I like. They're not always happy with the answer but what can I say...?"
"Where do you see yourself five years from now?"
- "Its hard enough to look at myself NOW...! (She points to the mirror)"
Lady Bunny elevates living in the moment to an art form. She is a world-class non-stop creative machine, and a complicated person who's made a career of being herself. So, if you want to know who she is then just watch or read what she's done. She's produced tons of material and is always up to no good, so check her out at http://www.ladybunny.net, watch her on Youtube or look her up on Google. You won't be disappointed!
An album of Heavy Metal is what you get here not Metal but HEAVY METAL, it swaggers it demands you head bang in denim and leather. My god it's a right blast, it's not intellectual it doesn't demand you to think to much just enjoy fun that is on offer here. Must admit haven't many bands recently who nailed this much metal groove into a whole album. Right I'm of to get my bullet belt, Denim cut off and air guitar out of storage.
Now here is a concept, Israeli Metal, I know I wasn't sure what to expect either, could go either way, another band from country not known for it's metal output trying to sound all European or something a bit different. Well luckily this is the latter but not just a bit different but a whole lot different. They draw so much on their own and surrounding countries musical heritage this prog (death) metal outfit really are progressive with to these western ears such strange notes, drum fills and vocals. It's the middle eastern landscapes they are able to draw with their music that is a wonder but there is enough here that you will recognise so your not pushed to far out of your comfort zone, well maybe a little further than you expect which is not a band thing. Add this to the ever growing list of bands that sound fresh/new.
Back in the heyday of thrash metal you had premium bands such Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, Megadeth etc then you had a pile of other bands that made up the rest scene most faded away, but not Overkill they kept on going releasing albums like clockwork. But this was the problem they were good but not amazing. Well three years away and things have changed out there in the metal world, thrash is back and so are Overkill with must have to be their best album in years if not ever. This is what thrash is/was all about it ticks all the boxes but with this bands trade mark sound in concentrated form. This comes out out of your speakers hits you with hammer like riffs while the vocalist snarls at you. Seems unfair on all the new thrash bands out there when an old band from the first wave release something this good.
As I've said before not really into scenes, too restless to be stuck listening to one type of music all the time also there is only so many bands in any given gene that are any good, to these ears anyway. I have found I've been listening to more sludge /stoner just lately only because there are more out there are that seem to fit the above statement, Raise the Red Lantern are such an outfit they do sort of remind me of a little known band from the eighties called Cirith Ungol, again I wont be lazy and compare them to Sabbath because they just sound to loose for that comparison, this is a wall of fuzz distortion slightly out of tune rock/metal/punk with more in common with the likes of garage bands such as MC5, Stooges etc with huge slabs of metal thrown in. Foot note if this is stoner I'm surprised because I wouldn't put this on if I was high.
The master of B Movie macabre is back making music and it's a hell of a lot better than his last effort, maybe all that time spent producing horror flicks has been worth it because this is up there with his best, it's one hell of a return to form, a full on tongue in cheek industrial metal romp which shows in even the track titles Werewolf Women of the SS,Jesus Frankenstein,Mars Needs Women just to name a few. God don't just love this mans fevered twisted imagination long may it last.
Suicide Commando have been filling the industrial/cyber dance floors with their brand of harsh ebm, way before the term was the in thing. Carrying on with Johan Van Roy obsession with serial killers, even the title of this outing `Implements of Hell` refers to notorious serial killer Albert Fish, so you know what to expect and it delivers in buckets (of blood). Ever honing his craft each release is an improvement on the last which is a surprise considering each is masterpiece, but he keeps digging deep to improve, don't worry this is classic Suicide just better. A scary album one that leaves you wondering if Johan wasn't making music what would he be doing in his cellar.
Out Now On – Out of Line(Europe) Metropolis Records(US)
The first thing you need to know is Sarah Jezebel Deva is the backing vocalist for Cradle of Filth and this her début solo album, it is showcase for one hell of a powerful voice, yes there are hints of CoC in the music, big hints but it's not as over blown. This is a Gothic Metal outing but from an English stand point, even her voice has a touch of Siouxsie in there. This deserves not to lost in multitude other European plying this style out there, but have a horrible feeling it will get ignored for all the wrong reasons, just don't be the ones to dismiss this so easily you might reject it.
This is the Voice of Australia … an introduction to the wealth of music and culture that the Australian scene has to offer. Each month I will be writing about what’s new, what’s up-and-coming and what’s hot right now. Enjoy! Miss Black
FASHION Fremantle fashion store Vicious Delicious has just got in a shipment of sugar skull and Day of Dead clothing and accessories. Check them out on Facebook: viciousdelicious
Faster Pussycat has recently received a new batch of Lucky 13 brand clothing and accessories. The popular Lolita 1950s-inspired swimwear has also arrived after the last shipment sold out. Top quality Trophy Queen handbags are also now in store. www.fasterpussycatonline.com
50ft Queenie is now stocking in Melbourne and Sydney, creating hand-made french knickers, girdles, and negligee-style dresses. www.50ftqueenie.com.
Sydney-based fashion and piercing studio Industrial Strength are having a sale in the month of February with 10% off all body jewelry. www.pierced.com.au
Sydney goth boutique Gallery Serpentine is having a Valentine's Day celebration, with a sale and entertainment for the day. www.galleryserpentine.com
The annual Circa Nocturna 2010 Alternative Fashion Parade will be held at the Fitzroy Town Hall on 6 March, starting at 7pm. It showcases designers including Beserk Clothing, Dolly Q, Purpur, Vanyanis, Liquid, Raven Clothing and Obsidian Lace. www.circanocturna.com
Worn Wild is set to hit Melbourne again on 13 March at the Mercat X Hotel, Melbourne. It is a daytime marketplace for clothing, accessories, gifts and jewelry for the alternative community. www.starseededproductions.com
The first Shallow Nation for 2010 had a full dance floor the whole night even though The Big Day Out was on and outside had 40 degree heat. Shallow Nation will be on the fourth Saturday of every month starting in March. www.shallownation.net
Melbourne club Golgotha was held on the Melbourne Cup Day eve and attracted 350 people.
The first Cabaret Nocturne for 2010 was the biggest ever with over 200 people dancing until dawn. The next Cabaret Nocturne's will be on 19 February and 19 March. www.myspace.com/cabaretnocturne
The Burlesque Ball for 2010 will be kicking off at Luna Park in Sydney, before touring around Australia. The ball will feature Julie Atlas Muz and Peekaboo Pointe from the US, Roxie Dlite from Canada, Chrys Columbine and MC Ophelia Bitz from the UK, Lola the Vamp from Brisbane, plus many more. www.jacbowie.com
The first Black Cherry for 2010 will be at the The Factory Theatre in Sydney on March 20. There will be bands playing from 8pm including The Currency (Melb), Gay Paris, L.U.S.T, Jack Nasty Face, The Rumjacks and Jordan & The Original Six. The stage will also be graced by burlesque performers including Mark Winmill (from Brisbane), Tasia an Holly J'aDoll. www.myspace.com/blackcherryclub
Sydney electroindustrial club Berserk will be held at the Burdekin Hotel on March 20. DJs include Dasein, Virulent and special guests to be announced.
berserk. www.cranialfracture.org
Null is the new monthly club in Canberra which will be playing Electronica, Cyberpunk, Psytrance and Futurepop. The opening night will be 20 February at the Transit Bar, Canberra. You can find them on Facebook: Null
Sydney's Cobweb Club was a massive success with around 250 people decked out in full deathrock attire. The crowd danced to old gothrock classics in a cosy and perfectly decorated venue that took you back to the 80s. There was more hairspray and fishnets than I'd seen in years ... bravo! Polish up your winkle pickers because the next one is coming up in April. www.myspace.com/thecobwebclub
BANDS
The Snowdroppers will be performing at an anti-Valentines Day show at the Vanguard in Sydney on 14 February. www.snowdroppers.com
For those interested in Hot Rods, Big Al's Poker Run will be held at Charles Paterson Park in Burswood, Perth on 13 February. www.bigalspokerrun.com.au
American band Aesthetic Perfection delighted Australian audiences in late January. They toured with support acts including Shiv-r and Sirus. www.aesthetic-perfection.net
A bit of old school this month....
‘Hysteria’ - Def Leppard: Phonogram: 198
I’m afraid your stuck with more A to Z entries for the time being, just till my college course finishes and I have more time on my hands to research alternative covers, etc. just bare with me…
I wanted to use this one next because it is one of my all time favourite albums and album covers.
The ‘Hysteria artwork was created by Andie Airfix, owner of Satori Graphic design company.
I emailed Andie when researching the album for the A to Z and was grateful for the information he was able to send me to help me boost the entry, he also gave me his permission to continue using the info for the ezine, such a nice chappy!
Much of Airfix’s work is not completely computer based, that’s even in today’s computer graphic world of madness. The ‘Hysteria’ artwork dates back to a time when CGI was a new toy! The design itself is hand drawn, but it is the background that happens to be one of the first computer generated images…
The album was initially going to be called ‘Animal Instinct’, and the figures you see were originally an eagle, a lion and a shark which all blended into each other. The design was re-worked when the title was later changed to ‘Hysteria’.
You can actually still see some resemblance from the original design, for example, the top right figurre still more or less appears to look more like a shark than a hysterical human!
The triangle was the starting point of the design as it was one of the bands early logos, the three human forms appear to look around at you, almost giving the sense that you are being watched.
I fell in love with this cover for a number of reasons, the artwork is just simply outstanding, it jumps out at you. The colours make it stand out and really makes you want to listen to the album, as for the albums content, I think it lives up to the artworks reputation. J
Andie Airfix also designed the covers for the Pyromania and Adrenalize albums, and also many other albums for the band.
Apologies in advance to those who detest the next ones, but I wanted to include them for myself J
‘On The Level’ - Status Quo: Vertigo: 1975
Sorry to all those who really don’t like the band, but I wanted to include some Quo on account that I don’t care admitting I love their music! I was brought up listening to the band, and appreciate them and the music ten fold.
For this album, I actually emailed the bands website on a whim when doing the A to Z to find out any information on this album and the one which will follow shortly. I was lucky enough to get the reply and found out a short story about the album’s cover art, from one of Quo’s web guys who spoke to Francis Rossi.
The cover was the result of an idea by Quo’s manager Colin Johnstone, who was inspired by the Ames Room, however this is doubted by Francis that he came up with it, as he may have stolen the idea from someone else!
I like the cover on the fact that I like illusion art, and the fact that they are in a room made of odd proportions is ultimately fascinating. I like the fact that despite the fact that Francis is at the front and Rick Parfitt and John Coglan are at the very back, Alan Lancaster appears to tower over everyone!
The story behind the cover is that Quo finished recording the album at aa studio in London’s West End at around 6am one morning, and it had been arranged that they do a photo shoot in a suspended room which had been set up in Lambeth at around 9am. The guys were not in the best conditions at the time. Francis mentioned that you can tell the angle of the room from the angles of their feet! Also, their postures give some clue too, this is most likely because of how tired they were due to being up all night recording and going straight into the photo shoot from the studio.
The good thing was that the band liked the outcome, so it became the album cover. I find it fitting that the chosen image for the album was taken in a room which was not level and the chosen album title was ‘On The Level’. I find it humorous that they named it on the counter effects in the photograph on the cover.
The inner gatefold sleeve consisted of informal photographs taken by the band members of each other.
Last one now, promise!
‘Quo’ - Status Quo: Vertigo: 1974:
I wanted to include this one because of the illustration, I think that it is a subtle piece of art, it comes across to me as beautiful, the band members are so lifelike, captures perfectly and I love the way their necks all merge into a kind of tree trunk, with the tree roots writhing outward. I also like the title name, the way it also looks like tree roots but not at the same time. The colours are subtle, just right, not letting the background colour swallow the main image of the band.
Whoever was lucky enough to do this are very talented and very lucky to have their art grace this cover.
The story of this cover is that it was done by a young girl who won a competition at a South London School, to design an album cover for the band. I get the feeling that Alan Lancaster was the girls favourite member, as he is most prominent and looks to be the most detailed drawing. This is different to other album covers featuring the bands as it usually the front man who is the most prominent, more to the front of the image…
The band chose from the entries for which the winner’s image would become the album cover. It is likely that it was the designers at Vertigo that turned the winning entry into the album artwork.
‘Quo’ was released the year before ‘On The Level’.
The question that caught my attention this month was all about cunnilingus.
Cunnilingus if performed correctly has the potential to give women exceptional orgasms and many women actually prefer Cunnilingus to full intercourse in terms of satisfaction.
To learn the art of cunnilingus takes a little practice and below we have outlined some tips to improve your technique below.
The art of cunnilingus takes some practice but its practice both you and your partner will enjoy!
Oral Techniques
The Initial Lick
As a start, try licking her from vaginal entrance up her clit and following the outer edges of her vagina covering both sides, going up and down and vice versa can be a great way to start your love making and will relax her and get her in the mood.
Holding The Labia
Hold the two parts together gently with your lips, run your tongue between the inner and outer labia one side at a time
and repeat.
Tongue Intercourse
The majority of a woman's nerve endings in her vagina are around the opening and within the first couple of inches inside.
Hit them with your tongue when perorming Cunnilingus by inserting it into the vaginal opening, then licking gently in circular motions combined with flicks of the tongue.
Flicking
Spread her outer vaginal lips with your fingers. With your tongue pointed, gently lick and flick your tongue across the clitoris and into the vagina.
When doing this make sure go gently and see the response before being harder with your tongue. Most women need to be extremely wet to enjoy this as it is quite an intense feeling for many women.
Sucking
Expose her clitoris by spreading her lips and gently pull back her hood.
Suck the clitoris (be gentle) and then let it go and repeat again.
This can be an incredible turn on and will be very frustrating, warming her up for the other Cunnilingus techniques that are outlined here.
Holding The Clitoris
Take the clitoris in your mouth and suck on it gently, at the same time flick your tongue around it. This can be done very lightly or aggressively or a combination of the two (find out what your women likes first) this is normally intensely arousing when done correctly.
Its as simple as A-B-C
Try using your tongue to spell the alphabet when performing cunnilingus. This is very arousing as your tongue is moving in lots of different directions. You can use any letters you wish, not just ABC! Listen to the ones that give her most pleasure and remember them!
Other points to keep in mind to make cunnilingus pleasureable are
1. Share a shower or bath together before you start to make sure that you are both clean and add gels and lubricants to enhance taste and stimulation if you wish.
2. Ask your partner what she likes. She can give you directions such as harder, slower, faster, more circles etc
3. Fill your own mouth with as much saliva as you can before you begin and never touch or lick the clitoris when performing Cunnilingus with a dry finger or tongue.
4. Don't go for the clitoris make sure she is warmed up and aroused. Try gentle kissing and licking around the upper thighs and vulva area and work your way up to the clitoris.
5. Use a variety of ways to arouse her. If you repeat the same motion, your partner can become insensitive to it, keep in mind variety with Cunnilingus and keep her expectations up.
6. As she becomes more aroused, insert a finger or two into her vagina as well.
7. Continue to touch and hold her as she orgasms and after and make her feel wanted and loved.
8. The clitoris has more nerve endings than the entire head of the penis, so be very careful not to be to hard with it go gently and remember ask her all the time what she likes and doesn't.
Cunnilingus can enhance any relationship and most women love it and getting it right is all about communication.
Following the above tips on cunnilingus will help you satisfy your partner and will enhance your relationship.
The Shining by Stephen King
By Kimberly Warner-Cohen
The Shining doesn’t fool around. Jumped out of my skin reading this at 9am in a doctor’s office; and when I made the mistake of staying up late to find out what happens next, I could only doze off with the all lights in the apartment blazing. Don’t even think about picking it up if you’ve a fear of ghosts, enclosed spaces, or topiary animals.
You probably know the plot from the movie--Jack Torrence, who has a son with the psychic “shine”, is newly sober. He takes his family to the secluded Overlook to caretake during the winter offseason, where he not-so slowly goes insane; possibly with help from the possibly haunted hotel. Always thought King was an idiot for complaining about the movie butchering the story (especially given his shitty TV version), because how could someone as genius as Kubrick ruin anything, but he’s right.
The movie as a stand-alone is one of my favorites; and as many times as I can watch Nicholson say, “You didn't let me finish my sentence. I said, ‘I'm not gonna hurt ya. I'm just going to bash your brains in’,” Kubrick doesn’t come close to capturing the depth of King’s novel. I’m not a fan of most of his books, but there’s no doubt King’s a master at his genre, and he works his magic here. It’s an early work, and he hasn’t figured out what I call “his formula”, so the twists hit me like kidney punches.
I had no excuse for waiting so long to pick up The Shining, and if you’re a horror fan, neither do you.
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R.I.P Alexander McQueen (16/03/69-11/02/10) By Sarah Willoughby
It was saddening to hear about the sudden death of Alexander Mcqueen as the fashion industry has lost one of its controversal yet pure genuises. A loss can certainly be felt upon those in the industry and the ones who aspire to be in it!
After all McQueen’s designs and unusual catwalk antics stood out from the crowd by somewhat rebelling against the rules of fashion. When other mainstream desginers like Gucci and Louis Vitton showcased ‘beautiful’ garments for their stunning models to confidently strut along a standard catwalk, McQueen rebelled against that ‘beauty and normality’ by his fantastical creations. Let the show begin!..
It is agreed that McQueen’s talent for designing had no limits and because of this he was able to shock his audience by extravagent catwalk and shows to complete the overall look. For example for the fall/winter 09-10 collection we witnessed somewhat of a cosmetic car crash on the catwalk with tailored outfits clashing with the strangely alluring appeal of expressionless-faces and botched up collegan lips.
Like watching the surgically enchanced upperclass strutting around the debris of car doors and burst tires in tailored outfits and volumious dresses. This season mainly expressed dark colours and bold patterns with a tweeded texture, that related to the dark nights of autumn!
It was Couture at its best!
However for Spring/Summer 2010, Mcqueen took a different approach in displaying colourfully bold patterns in the form his mini dresses.
Models were also shown walking down the aisle’s in Hoove-like boot with a crocadile skin texture to match his outfits.
The overall theme of that show was futuristic, where the models resembled emotionless aliens with big pigtails and monster-like shoes.
It was like witnessing an alien invasion in the industry but I was happy to welcome the other life forms and their outfits!
I recommend that you watch some of his recent shows on sites such as Yotube to be amazed by the eerie atmosphere that he cooperates into his shows using a technology, like robotic arms and strobe lighting. Who was Mcqueen?! Mcqueen was on of a kind. A fresh, exciting talent who was able to entertain and amuse on lookers with an array of spectacular ideas in the form on a outfit.
A true genius has passed away and he’ll be truyl missed by avid fashion chasers and those who respect his originailty!
SMack! My Bitch Up!
NYC has a thriving fetish scene. Its something of a constant undercurrent that's largely unaffected by nightclub and scene trends. The main reason for this would be that 'Fetish' is a lifestyle more than a passing fad.
There are several established fetish promoters in New York, one being Xris SMack! You'll easily recognize him as he is at almost every event sporting blue hair, tight latex and a smile. He's one of the friendliest people you'd ever care to meet, plus he's a tireless worker who pulls his events together through a love of his art and sheer force of will. He was an avid coffee drinker until I turned him on to yerba mate, but more on that some other time.
Xris is world famous for his bi-annual SMack! event. His newer project, STIMULATE, is a monthly that's just hitting its stride. Xris wants to "Stimulate Your Senses", and in that sense he brings in the best DJ's and Bands but keeps the party a bit less pounding so that it pleases the ears without overpowering them. He has a chef, Chris #2, who makes incredible pastries on the spot, seducing your tastebuds with sheer joy. I can vouch for this personally, I was a guest DJ during my birth month January and I got extra cookies for playing his request. Yes I'm that easy, but back on topic...
Visually there are a number of things going on. The VJ mixes live video all night with an impressive arsenal of gear, footage and screens. For the voyeur in you, there is always a fetish performance going on and dominatrix’s abound. This leaves us with touch and smell... well if the pastries aren't enough for you, then interaction with another person is highly encouraged.
Nobody cares if your young, old, gay, straight, large, small, whatever, just that you're interesting... and if you're at STIMULATE you probably are.
DJ Rex... he's one of the featured guest DJs for March and with his vast array of musical goodness its sure to be a SMACKING good time. Neither STIMULATE nor Rex fail to deliver, so come out and Stimulate your Senses!
Horror express and no I’m not going to be discussing the awful service on South West Trains.
No.
Horror express was a 1973 horror classic starring the kings of Hammer-house horror, Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing (The infamous pair who have starred against one another in many Dracula films, if you do remember).
This story is semi-complex as it follows anthropologist Alexander Saxton (Christopher Lee) returning home to Europe via a train journey from a Siberian Railway with a fossil- which is the frozen remains of a primitive humanoid that resembles somewhat of an ape-man.
It becomes obvious at the start that this frozen fossil is going to rise from the dead and terrorize the passengers on the train.
As soon as the train leaves the station, mysterious deaths occur where the victims lie lifeless with blank white eyes, dripping with blood and surprise-surprise the fossil has somehow risen from the dead and escaped captivity to pursue such killings.
Sounds like a simple plot to begin with but begins to get complex when Saxton (Lee) and Cushing (Cushing) carry out an autopsy on one of the victims. They discover that the brains of the victims were completely drained of both memory and their knowledge.
On top of all that they stumble upon an unusual discovery that the frozen fossil is harbouring images of a prehistoric earth as well as a view of the earth from outer space!
So they finally come to the conclusion that it’s a mere alien inhabiting the body of the fossil.
(Now, I’m going to stop there otherwise I’m going to ruin the ending and all the little twists in between).
It’s a very odd story line for its time and despite being only a mere 90 minutes long, the film is very long drawn and seems dedicated to explaining the possibility of an alien life form possessing a fossil and carrying out senseless murders.
However I can’t stress enough that this is indeed a good horror to watch and catch up on the originals.
It’s creepy atmospheric suspense and cleverly placed camera angles will have you hiding under your bed sheets as you feel like you’re a distant passenger in the film, witnessing the gruesome killings first hand as you avoid staring at the creature who looks you dead in the eye as a way to inform you that you’re next on its list!
This film makes the orient express look like a petty tea party with a knife wielding killer, who really isn’t as terrifying compared to this supernatural beast.
Lets just end this review here and now by saying that a good old horror film will never die out!
PHOTO FEATURE - THE VELVET HIGHWAY!
Review of Velvet Highway by Emma Watts
Walking into Velvet Highway felt like i'd stepped into a secret, members only private club!...a hidden away, glamourous little part of the Egg club filled with decadence, talent and music with a touch of circus style magic and David Lynch to the atmosphere.
A seemingly non-stop parade of performers had the crowd gasping and even kept them from dancing as they watched the shows..... but not for long as both Rex and Simon played dark and dirty favourite tunes like a devilish tag-team and kept the mood and the punters lively and loving it. The club isn't big but it makes up for it in class and the outdoor smoking area is sizeable and great for chats and continued fun. This club is highly recommended and feel free to dress up up up as you'll be in stylish company!
The Use Of Electricity During Sex
Well, whom among us hasn't thought about this and on occasions experimented in that direction, I can advise you against shoving a 9 volt battery up your blokes arse though. No matter how much lube you use those contacts are still just a little sharp and he tends to wake up in a bad mood. There are two basic types of sex toy utilising electrical current and they are :-
1) Violet wands. These are normally antique devices with a variety of glass attachments that make pretty purple sparks when brushed against skin. They tend to have a prickly feel as opposed to a tingly feel and can be used through clothing. The variety of sensations that can be achieved using these is dependant on the variety of attachments you have for them from combs to large globes. They can also be used for branding in certain circumstances although the lines you will get aren't as clean as can be achieved through heat. They are quite expensive (but then everything fun is expensive nowadays, just look at the price of certain recreational medicine!!) and also quite delicate (think about the words "glass attachments" before you ask why)
2) TENS units. These were originally developed as a method of exercising muscles and also as a pain relief method and in their most basic form consist of a small box with two pads attached, again a wide variety of attachments are available if you go looking for them. Personally I love my double headed pinwheel and speculum that have been modified for TENS. TENS needs skin contact but tends to have much deeper tingle as opposed to the prickle of a violet wand and personally I prefer them. Putting one pad on each of you will lead to the circuit being completed where ever you touch which can lead to a lot of fun. If you don't know why it would lead to fun then stop reading this column, if you don't know why it would complete the circuit then stop thinking about using electricity for sex unless you're happy to f*ck a plug socket on the wall. TENS will cause muscle spasms at higher levels as well as the deep tingle but as it also works as a pain relief method you can get very cruel, try wrapping it round your blokes shaft for a while and when you take the pads off he will have no feeling in his cock and be left unable to come for about 30 mins.
3) Improvised electrical sex toys can be made but due to legal requirements I must advise against them. For example do not think about getting a 4' x 4' sheet of copper, attaching the your mates car battery charger to the copper sheet and the hanging your long suffering slave upside down above with chains hanging form his nipples just long enough to brush across the copper and give them a bit of jolt. Also when they get dizzy from the blood rushing to their head you should not turn them the right way up and attach the chain to their genital piercing and watch them wriggle as you slowly turn up the current.
If you really want to know more about any of these things then there is obviously no substitute for actual experience so why not try visiting a proper fetish fair. My own favorite is http://www.londonalternativemarket.com/ not least because; they have such a cute logo.
Unfortunately I am contractually obliged to offer closing thought on this rather than just relying on your own intelligence to inform you that I have finished so here we go. If you are going to try making your own electrical discharge devices do please make sure that you have got written consent before you turn them on, plug them in or pull the start handle on the 2 stroke petrol engine and always remember Lube and Patience. It will get you through most things in life. Play safely now, although not too safely.
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Are you ready to be tortured?!…..
By Sarah Willoughby
(Drawing by Callow Lily)
……Well are you?
Amongst the hundreds of ambitious young designers to hit the internet ‘Torture Couture’ struck me to be painfully fascinating.
Originally from Arizona, USA, Torture Couture is currently two person operations who were inspired by many things, such as old Hollywood glamour, vintage, death and gothic culture- like a cross over between Rob Zombie and Hollywood legend Bette Davis.
Their handmade designs remind me of a perfect bowl of fashionable salad which includes sexy 1940’s pin-ups and the seductive lace of Burlesque with an Alice in Wonderland dressing!
You don’t believe then check them out for yourself, www.torturecouture.com, their wide range of handmade glam will have you on your knees begging for more once you set your eager sites on their mad hats, necklaces, bracelets, rings, hairclips etc.
If you so purchase an item from Torture Couture, I suggest that you live up to its glamorous name and jewellery.
I advice that you wear a low cut, tight eye-catching dress or corset to compliment the necklace or ring purchased, use the Victorian age or Marie Antoinette as an inspiration. Remember those women from the past ages use to be pulled in at the waist and pushed out at the breasts and hips by luxurious whale-boned Basque with a divine eye-popping cleavage for their necklace to rest comfortably upon! These days the same look can be achieved by a good corset and confidence!
Take a look at these pictures below (taken from T.C Myspace,) to see if these gives you an idea.
Yet if you’re going to wear their hair pieces like a hat or clip, I suggest that you take a page or two out of Dita Von Teese’s book!
If you have one of their miniature hats please don’t hesitate to introduce volume to your hair, try some loose yet seductively bouncy curls, keep it tamed but make the look seem effortless. Or attempt to bring a little more glamour to your look by attaching your hair clip to the side of a tightly positioned beehive.
Check out these examples set by Torture Couture.
So if you’re a fan of Gothic glamour and sexy-1940’s Hollywood then check out their official website.
To rap my review up I would just like to thank Torture Couture for allowing me to use these photographs in my review. Credits go out to Torture Couture and their showcase of items present, the photographers who took these amazing photographs and the models featured (Bindi-Baby, Whisper, Billie Darling, Frenchie from kittie-Koffinzombies.com, Starla and Taylor Wane)!
Thank you all!
If you do want a nice corset, can we point you here!
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When other mainstream desginers like Gucci and Louis Vitton showcased ‘beautiful’ garments for their stunning models to confidently strut along a standard catwalk, McQueen rebelled against that ‘beauty and normality’ by his fantastical creations.![Fall 2009 Alexander McQueen [1].jpg](images/index_clip_image004.gif)
For example for the fall/winter 09-10 collection we witnessed somewhat of a cosmetic car crash on the catwalk with tailored outfits clashing with the strangely alluring appeal of expressionless-faces and botched up collegan lips.![alexander-mcqueen-spring-2010-collection-081009-9[1].jpg](images/index_clip_image008_0000.jpg)
with big pigtails and monster-like shoes.![alexander-mcqueen-spring-summer-2010[1].jpg](images/index_clip_image006_0000.jpg)
Mcqueen was on of a kind. A fresh, exciting talent who was able to entertain and amuse on lookers with an array of spectacular ideas in the form on a outfit. 
