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Posts Tagged ‘privilege’

Caligula opens at their new venue on Friday July 30

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London’s fashionista club of the moment Caligula is moving to newly revamped Hoxton venue Basing House this week, taking over the Friday night slots that up until 12 months ago were occupied by erstwhile electro scenesters Trailer Trash.

The newly modernised venue (which was previously known as On The Rocks) has been expanded to include a ‘secluded roof terrace’ and ‘a secret boudoir for all the naughty minds to run wild’, Caligula promise, in a press release which also namechecks an MTV review describing them as ‘the London answer to Studio 54’.

“The smoke filled dancefloor will be glowing with Caligula’s trademark red lights and everybody knows that red lights spell danger – and sex!” the promoters add.

“Think of the poppers fuelled atmosphere of Paradise Garage meeting the sweaty crotches of a Soho brothel with an uncompromising Shoreditch twist of sexy fashion demons, dark minded queers, and open hearted trannies,” say Caligula.

Their Studio 54 reference came just as the News of the World hailed Torture Garden’s Studio 54 style ‘taste of sleaze’ in an interview with celebrity make-up artist Gary Cockerill about when he took reality TV celebrity Katie ‘Jordan’ Price to the London fetish club last October.

“As well as a dance floor and DJs like a normal club, there were also lots of private rooms catering to every fetish you can possibly imagine,” Cockerill recalled.

“We had the most amazing night. It felt so decadent, so outrageous – kind of like a kinky Studio 54,” he added.

Cerrone (now and then) click on the picture for more

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French disco legend Cerrone chatted to Skrufff last year about his own experiences partying at the real Studio 54 in the late 70s though was notably discreet about what he got up to.

“The balcony was the place where people were partying very often with their pants (or more) out. But actually, Studio 54 was really the ‘preparation’ phase’ the most physical and intense part of the night was always afterwards at after-parties in the City. I have really intense memories of Andy Warhol’s after-parties at his apartment,” he confessed.

“Sure I was a regular at Studio 54, but I have to say my memories are really not for telling there is a parental advisory sticker on them. All I will say is that I didn’t write very many songs when I was there, I was too busy learning about other things connected to sex and other things that were illegal,” he laughed.

(Studio 54’s ‘Rubber Room’: “The room had a High-Tec bar and was designed with thick rubber on the walls to be easily washed down with water and soap after all the sex and drugs going on up there. Some people used to refer to the Rubber room as “Upstairs”, but there were actually more secret places above the Rubber room were more private sex took place. Those areas were the real “Upstairs” to the initiated . . .’)

Caligula opens on Friday July 30: James Priestley and Guy Williams headline in future weeks, alongside weekly residents Jim Warboy and Monica Soldan)

Cerrone performs at Privilege Ibiza on Saturday August 1.

Jonty Skrufff

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