James Ledward, Graham Robson, Sarah Green, Gary Hart, Alice Blezard
SPORTS EDITOR Paul Gustafson
ARTS EDITOR Michael Hootman
SUB EDITOR Graham Robson
DESIGN Michèle Allardyce
FRONT COVER
MODEL Eduardo Daniele
eduadodaniele77@hotmail com
PHOTOGRAPHER Dean Stockings www.idomarryoke.com www.deanstockings.co.uk
CONTRIBUTORS
Simon Adams, Jaq Bayles, Jo Bourne, Nick Boston, Suchi Chatterjee, Craig Hanlon-Smith, Samuel Hall, Enzo Marra, Carl Oprey, Eric Page, Del Sharp, Gay Socrates, Brian Stacey, Michael Steinhage, Sugar Swan, Glen Stevens, Duncan Stewart, Craig Storrie, Mike Wall, Netty Wendt, Roger Wheeler
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Alice Blezard, Jack Lynn, Hugo Michiels, Stella Pix, Graham Hobson @captaincockroachphotographer, Phil Rotherban
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Sophie Cook reports on recent National Union of Students Transgender Conference voting to block police from Pride events
Spencer Charles Smith chats to Tommy The Queer Historian about his latest solo show, Sex Addiction: The Lecture
PET SHOP BOYS TO HEADLINE BRIGHTON PRIDE
The legendary Pet Shop Boys will headline the Pride Summer Of Love Festival in Preston Park on Saturday, August 5, 2017 with their first Pride performance in 20 years
) Few bands have influenced, enter tained and achieved iconic status while reaching into the hear ts of so many as Pet Shop Boys - a band truly deserving of the prefix ‘legendary', selling over 50 million records worldwide Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe are electronic pop masters and, after a sell out arena tour, Pride organisers can't wait to welcome them to headline Pride 2017 with their breathtaking Super Tour show Grammy nominated, Brit Award winners (including a Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music in 2009) and this year awarded the NME award for Godlike Genius, Pet Shop Boys' impressive history and their amazing contribution to popular culture is undeniable
They've worked with some of the world's most impor tant performers and ar tists including David Bowie, Dusty Springfield, Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Elton John, Lady Gaga, Robbie Williams, Tina Turner, The Killers, Girls Aloud, Shirley Bassey, Take That, Yoko Ono, Moby, Scissor Sisters, Liza Minnelli, Boy George and many, many more
Pet Shop Boys are pop royalty having released 26 albums and secured 10 top 20 singles including four UK No 1s with West End Girls, It's A Sin, Always On My Mind and Heart, and they've circumnavigated the globe many times Their latest critically acclaimed album, Super, released in 2016, was again a huge success across the globe reaching the top 3 of the UK album char t
Throughout their career Pet Shop Boys have delivered principle alongside pop, as they continue to campaign and fundraise for the LGBT+ communities
Paul Kemp, Director of Brighton Pride, said: “ We are really proud to welcome Pet Shop Boys to headline our most fantastic Pride Festival ever Having worked with some of the world's most important artists, their impressive history and amazing contribution to popular culture is undeniable Add to that their community conscience and campaigning, and they are the perfect act for the finale of our Summer Of Love Festival ”
YEARS & YEARS ADDED TO BRIGHTON PRIDE MAIN STAGE LINE UP
) Years & Years will per for m a UK Pride exclusive show at Brighton Pride's Summer Of Love Festival at Preston Park on Saturday, August 5 The band, declared by NME as “the most impor tant pop band of our time” are winners of the coveted BPI Critics’ Choice Award, BBC's Sound of 2015, MTV Best UK and Ireland Act and are five-time Brit Award nominees Olly Alexander's openness about his sexuality, his willingness to campaign for equality and his frank inter views about living with depression have made him an impor tant spokesperson in our online age
Olly said: “I w ant to make v ideos and songs and ar t that celebrate all different kinds of sexuality and queer identities ” His approach has enriched and emboldened the lives of a generation of LGBT+ people
Dulcie Weaver of Brighton Pride, added: “T hrough their enchanting electronica and timeless song w riting, Years & Years deliv er life-affirming pop that stands as a beacon in a w orld w here the darkness of inequality can of ten ov er w helm so many Brighton Pride put community and campaigning at the hear t of ev er y thing w e do, and w e cannot think of an ar tist that better embodies our Summer Of L ov e than Years & Years ”
PRIDE WITH A PURPOSE
) Brighton & Hove Pride is operated by Brighton Pride CIC, a not for profit community interest company All ticket revenue raised goes directly to the operational and r unning costs of producing the Pride Festival, LGBT Community Parade, Pride Village Par ty and community fundraising for the R ainbow Fund and Pride Social Impact Fund
Over the last four years, Brighton Pride has raised over £310,000 for the Rainbow Fund and Pride Social Impact Fund The Rainbow Fund has a remit to receive donations and use them to make grants to LGBT+/HIV groups and organisations in Brighton & Hove who deliver effective frontline ser vices to the LGBT+ people in the city
The Pride Social Impact Fund benefits local good causes impacted by the Pride footprint and gives grants to a range of local community groups. To purchase tickets for Brighton Pride, Summer Of Love on Preston Park, view: www brightonpride org/tickets/pride-festival-tickets/
LEGENDS
CABARET BIG TOP RETURNS TO BRIGHTON PRIDE
The Legends Cabaret Big Top will return to the Brighton Pride, Summer Of Love festival at Preston Park on Saturday, August 5.
) Year after year the Legends Cabaret Big Top delivers world-class enter tainment to a capacity crowd as drag ar tistes, performers and cabaret stars bring glamour and fun to the stage of the glittering camp jewel in Brighton Pride’s crown
Paul Kemp, Director of Brighton Pride, said: “The Legends Cabaret Big Top, the biggest cabaret tent at any Pride in the UK, wouldn’t happen without the generous financial support of Tony Chapman at Legends Hotel, Club and Bar and I am delighted that he has agreed to continue his support for the LGBT+ community once again this year by sponsoring this much loved attraction at the Pride Festival
“Tony’s personal generosity and commitment every year to Pride ensures the cabaret tent is able to attract the finest cabaret artists in the country to appear
“For many, Legends is the hub of the LGBT+ community in Brighton & Hove and their contribution to Pride and the whole Brighton LGBT+ scene is hard to match and their invaluable support for the Rainbow Fund enables Brighton’s LGBT+ groups and organisations to continue their work delivering effective front line services to LGBT+ people in the city throughout the year ”
Legends has received multiple awards in recognition of their suppor t for local LGBT+/HIV community groups and organisations and has been the recipient of Pride’s Biggest Business Fundraising Suppor ter award for the last three years in a row
For
WED 17TH MAY 2017 6-7pm, NEW
Join us as we celebrate LGBT lives around the globe Hosted by the Volunteers of the Brighton & Hove LGBT Community Safety Forum. An alfresco evening of LGBT excellence which will include:
GUEST SPEAKERS
MUSIC
May 17th commemorates the day in 1990 the World Health Organisation removed homosexuality from its list of mental diseases More info: www.lgbt-help.com/events/idahobit Follow us on t @LGBTSafety
SUPERSTAR DJ STARTS THE VITALITY BRIGHTON HALF MARATHON
BRIGHTON & HOVE LGBT SWITCHBOARD APPOINT NEW CEO
) Brighton & Hove LGBT Switchboard have recr uited a new CEO who star ted work at the organisation on March 20, 2017 Daniel Cheesman was previously the Director of Brighton, Hove & District Samaritans and has extensive experience of working in the voluntar y sector
responds to the needs that the community and indiv iduals w ithin it hav e A s a gay man liv ing in Brighton & Hov e, and someone w ho used the Sw itchboard w hen coming out, I’m passionate about ensuring that w e continue to keep on listening, suppor ting and connecting L GBT + people ”
) Norman Cook, Brighton resident and international superstar DJ, was on hand to star t the Vitality Brighton Half Marathon 2017 at the end of February Norman (aka Fatboy Slim) sounded the star ting klaxon to get more than 8,000 runners on their way before joining the 13 1 mile race himself, which took in city landmarks, including the Royal Pavilion and the Brighton Palace Pier Norman was running to raise money for the charity Young Epilepsy Despite damp conditions early on, hundreds of spectators lined the route to cheer on runners, and crowds were enter tained with a host of bands, choirs and stilt walkers along the course, plus a community stage provided by The Grand Brighton
The race is organised by the Sussex Beacon, a Brighton-based charity which provides a range of services for men, women and families living with or affected by HIV across Sussex As well as local club runners, this year’s field included par ticipants from Taiwan, the United States and Australia The runners from Team Beacon raised over £30,000 in sponsorship for the charity
The men’s elite race was won by Jonathan Tipper from Kent AC in 1:08:37, Stuar t Hawkes was close behind in 1:08:43, with Neil Boniface from Horsham Joggers claiming third place Eleanor Davis from Newquay Road Runners won the women’s elite race in a course record time of 1:14:26, Emily Proto from Arena 80 followed in a time of 1:21:27 and Sarah Hill took third place with 1:21:32
This year’s event included, for the first time, a Wheelchair Race with eight entrants from around the UK R ob Smith took first place in the inaugural men’s race, in a time of 1:14:23, while Yasmin Somers came first in the women’s race in a time of 1:49:05
Alongside the elite field, thousands of charity runners took to the streets of the city, raising funds for over 50 charities, including local charities Chestnut Tree House, RISE and the Sussex Beacon and national charities, including Macmillan and WaterAid
Mar tin Harrigan, Race Director, said: “Thankfully the stormy weather we had been seeing stayed away for the morning and it was great to see all the smiles on the finish line as runners collected their medals We’d like to say a massive thanks to everyone who took part today – the runners and also all the volunteers who work so hard behind the scenes to make Brighton Half such a great event ”
The race forms par t of the Vitality R un Series, a series of seven leading half marathons and one 10K in the UK
Daniel says: “I’m excited to be joining Brighton & Hov e L GBT Sw itchboard and look for w ard to leading the organisation through the next phase of its life Hav ing w orked and v olunteered in both the charity and statutor y sector I know that this is a challenging time for organisations such as Sw itchboard, w ith decreasing public funding but an increasing need for ser v ices
“It’s not all doom and gloom though as I believ e that it’s also a time of great oppor tunity and a chance for the organisation to focus its offer and connect w ith the L GBT + community to deliv er a ser v ice that
Dermot Scully, LGBT Switchboard's Chair, said: “We’re delighted that Daniel is joining us as CEO of Brighton & Hov e L GBT Sw itchboard He brings us a w ealth of experience, from w orking in both the public and v oluntar y sectors, including extensiv e experience of managing helplines from his time at Samaritans He already has links to the community and is w ell liked and respected throughout the netw orks We hav e a proud histor y of ser v ing our community for more than 40 y ears and w e aim to continue to suppor t the L GBT + community in Brighton & Hov e through our v arious ser v ices and projects; the Board is excited about the future direction of Sw itchboard Follow ing the depar ture of our long-standing CEO Natalie Woods last y ear w e’re thrilled to see Daniel joining us and leading us to our next phase ”
WHO’S TOP OF THE CLASS IN LGBT+ BRIGHTON?
) Get your handbags at the ready for the annual Golden Quiz Challenge at Charles Street on Tuesday, April 25 at 8pm The Golden Handbags Quiz kick star ts the voting for this year ’s Golden Handbag Awards which are celebrating their 21st anniversar y and will take place at the Brighton Metropole Hilton Hotel on Sunday, June 11 star ting at 7.30pm.
Grab some friends and book your team a place to find out which bar, club, shop or organisation has the best brains in LGBT+ Brighton. The quiz will be complied once again by James Brooks and the lovely Lola Lasagne will be your Quiz Mistress for the evening for what she says is her “Fav ourite gig of the y ear”
To ensure ever yone has a seat at Charles Street, this year the number of teams playing will be restricted to 17 with a maximum six players each. To secure your team a place, email: info@gscene.com
The winners receive the first Golden Handbag of the season, the award for Best Quiz Team of 2017
Golden Handbags Quiz is at Charles Street, 8 Marine Parade, Brighton BN2 1TA on Tuesday, April 25: 7.30pm for an 8pm star t; £20 for a team of six players.
GAY SERIAL KILLER INVESTIGATION MOVES INTO INTERVIEW PHASE
) Seventeen police officers are to be questioned as the Stephen Por t investigation moves into interview phase The Independent Police Complaints Commission’s (IPCC) independent investigation is progressing into the response of the Metropolitan Police Ser vice (MPS) to the deaths of Anthony Walgate, Gabriel Kovari, Daniel Whitwor th and Jack Taylor, who were murdered following blunders in the early par t of their investigations by officers who failed to link the deaths together
Stephen Por t was convicted of four counts of murder plus a number of other offences in November 2016, and was sentenced to life in prison He had administered fatal doses of the date rape drug GBH to his victims who he met on gay dating websites and then dumped their bodies very close to his home in East London
Cindy Butts, IPCC Commissioner, said: “Over the coming weeks our investigators will be undertaking interviews with the 17 officers who have been served with notices as part of the investigation These interviews are an important milestone in the investigation as we continue to build the picture of the police response to the deaths Misconduct notices are not judgemental in any way
“ We are grateful for the information provided to us by the family and friends of Anthony, Daniel, Gabriel, and Jack, as well as members the LGBT+ communities and the wider public, and MPS officers In an investigation of this magnitude, centred upon the tragic murders of four dearly missed young men, every piece of information counts and we continue to wish to hear from anyone who can assist this important work My thoughts remain with everyone affected by Port’s horrific crimes, and they can be assured that we are committed to providing them with thorough conclusions as soon as we are able ”
As par t of the investigation IPCC investigators have so far collected and carefully analysed over 700 individual documents and around 200 statements Following the interview process, which will take a number of weeks, investigators will be in a position to complete the analysis of the evidence at hand and begin preparing the IPCC’s final repor t
Anyone with information should contact the IPCC on 0800 151 0021 or email: barking&dagenham@ipcc.gsi.gov.uk
NOTICE OF THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
28 APRIL 2017
7PM-9PM (meet from 6.30PM)
DORSET GARDENS CHURCH HALL
Dorset Gardens, Brighton, BN2 1RL
If you wish to stand for any one of the Committee positions please complete and return a self Nomination Form For information on the nomination process or a Nomination Form please contact GEMS at: gems steering group@mail.com
EDITOR OF THE FREETHINKER RECEIVES LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
) As par t of this year’s Secularist of the Year, Barr y Duke, editor of the Freethinker magazine for the last twenty years, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Secular Society (NSS) As well as The Freethinker, Barry, a former Brighton resident and employee at Prowler in St James Street, also edits the Pink Humanist, the online magazine published by the Pink Triangle Trust
Barry said: "News of this award came completely out of the blue For over 50 years all of my energies were directed at fighting racism, sexism, religious fundamentalism and homophobia, and this award strengthens my resolve to continue that mission "
Terr y Sanderson, President of NSS, said: "I’m very pleased that the NSS has honoured Barry in this way He’s been a consistent voice for many years in the fight for justice and secular humanist principles From resisting apartheid in his native South Africa to fighting for gay rights in Britain and Spain Barry, who celebrated his 70th birthday in February, has always provided a strong rationalist voice ” Barry received his award from writer and commentator Yasmin Alibhai-Brown at The Secularist of the Year lunch held in central London in March Yasmin is an author, columnist and broadcaster who has written for The Guardian, Daily Mail, Independent, Telegraph, New Statesman and is a regular newspaper reviewer on Sky News In recent years she’s been a powerful advocate for women's rights and a critic of sharia law and faith schools During the lunch Yasmin R ehman was announced as Secularist of the Year and winner of the £5,000 Ir win Prize, for her advocacy of a secularist approach to tackling hate crime and promoting the human rights of women
CHARITY FUN CASINO NIGHT AT THE CAMELFORD ARMS
THANK YOU BAR BROADWAY
) The Whitehawk LGBT group would like to thank Alasdair, Michael and the lovely staff at Bar Broadway who let them use the bar for one of their socials Natalie from the group, said: "We loved the atmosphere, the music and the company We had a really good time and look forward to another evening social soon We’re a small friendly and welcoming group and meet daytime and monthly at the Whitehawk Inn "
For more info call 01273 682 222, or email: whitehawkinn@whinn.org.uk
) Play roulette and blackjack at Camelford Fun Casino while raising money for charity The Camelford Casino will be in full swing on Friday, April 21, raising much needed funds for the Sussex Cancer Fund, in association with Danny Dwyer and Bear Patrol Proceeds from the night will buy specialist equipment for the Sussex Cancer Centre at The R oyal Sussex County Hospital – a truly local cause
A ‘first’ for The Camelford, full size roulette and blackjack tables will be installed for the night by professional croupiers (one being Camelford regular Gar y Smith, who is donating his services for the charity) Gary, who suggested the idea of a Camelford Casino, and his colleagues will be on hand to help first-timers play the tables – betting with their ‘Fun Money’ stakes There will be prizes for the overall winners and a charity raffle to raise extra funds
Advance tickets costing £20 are available from The Camelford, via Bear Patrol or the Sussex Cancer Fund and include a free glass of bubbly on arrival, a free all-night Camelford buffet, $200 ‘Fun Money’ to play the tables and a £10 donation to the charity Suave fancier dress and tuxedos are optional
The Camelford Fun Casino Night is on Friday, April 21, star ting at 8pm: Tickets £20 available from The Camelford, via Bear Patrol or the Sussex Cancer Fund
BOYS SIX TIMES LESS LIKELY THAN GIRLS TO SEEK SUPPORT FROM CHILDLINE FOR SUICIDAL FEELINGS
) Wayne R ooney, NSPCC Ambassador for Childhood, is backing a new Childline campaign, Tough to Talk, to encourage boys to speak out about any suicidal thoughts and feelings Childline is urging boys to speak out about suicidal feelings as figures reveal they are six times less likely than girls to talk to counsellors about thoughts of ending their lives In 2015/16 the NSPCC-run service delivered 1,934 counselling sessions with boys compared to 11,463 with girls National statistics show that the suicide rate for boys aged 10-19 was more than double that for girls in 2015
In March, Childline launched Tough to Talk, backed by Manchester United and England footballer, Wayne R ooney The campaign, which includes a video entitled Things Guys Don’t Talk About, aims to empower boys to seek suppor t for suicidal feelings Wayne said: “Growing up in the world of football I know there can be a stigma attached to young men showing emotion and talking about their feelings It can be seen as a weakness but the opposite is true and it takes great strength to open up and reach out for help Hopefully Childline’s ‘Tough to Talk’ campaign will help young people, and boys in particular, see that they are not alone and it’s ok to speak out They don’t need to suffer in silence I would encourage any young person struggling with suicidal thoughts to talk to someone they trust or contact Childline "
The boys who did get in touch with Childline talked about a wide range of issues, including relationship worries, abuse, bullying, sexuality, gender identity and mental health issues alongside feeling suicidal 12-15 year olds were most likely to be counselled about suicide In 20% of counselling sessions where boys mentioned if they had confided in anyone else, they said it was the first time they had spoken to anybody about their suicidal thoughts or feelings
One young person told Childline: “I keep having suicidal thoughts and I feel like I need to speak to someone I have thought about telling my Mum, but I think she will say that I just need to get over it I have exams coming up but I haven’t been able to concentrate because of these thoughts I keep having What should I do?” A 14year-old boy told them: “Sometimes I think killing myself is the only option lef t I’ve tried everything; I’ve been to my GP and have had counselling too but nothing seems to work I feel as if nobody understands me I’ve been depressed for a few years now and things seem to have become worse Please help me; I don’t know what to do anymore ”
SUSSEX UNIVERSITY OFFER FREE HOUSING LAW ADVICE TO LOCAL COMMUNITIES
) University of Sussex has launched a free legal clinic to give exper t housing advice to local people City residents can contact the Sussex Law School and receive legal suppor t at no cost on a wide range of housing issues, including evictions/ possession, disrepair, anti-social behaviour/ neighbourhood nuisance, landlord harassment, tenancy deposit and leasehold disputes The housing legal clinic, which star ted at the beginning of March, is par t of the Uni’s Sussex Clinical Legal Education (SCLE), which has been helping people with family law and employment law advice over the last 12 months
Dr Amir Paz-Fuchs, Director of SCLE, says: “For the past year, University of Sussex law students have been helping some of the most vulnerable people in their local community tackle what are of ten traumatic life circumstances Pro bono legal clinics play a vital role in communities And from the response we’ve had so far, it’s clear there’s a need for the type of help and guidance we can offer ”
The clinics are in addition to two projects, announced in October 2016, which saw the law school team up with the Brighton Housing Trust and Justlife Brighton to establish two advice projects The first gives students the oppor tunity to assist the public with legal, administrative and research tasks, including County Cour t visits and clerking
The second project raises awareness of legal rights among people living in temporary accommodation It involves students attending a drop-in service run by Justlife and talking to service-users about legal problems they may be experiencing in areas such as housing, welfare benefits and community care
So far the law school has helped dozens of people with family and employment legal issues since it star ted almost a year ago, including 50 in the last four months, with the weekly sessions fully booked
To make an appointment online for the housing law clinic, view: www sussex ac uk/law/clinicallegal-education/free-legal-advice or email: housinglawclinic@sussex ac uk
You can also call 01273 876797 and leave a brief message outlining your situation, plus a name and contact number A student will then call back to arrange an appointment
Peter Wanless, NSPCC CEO, said: “Children struggling with suicidal feelings may feel alone with nobody to talk to and nowhere to turn for help For boys in particular it can be harder to ask for help due to a reluctance to talk about their feelings, but this could be stopping boys from accessing support when they most need it We hope that by putting the spotlight on male suicide we can help boys see that they are not alone If they can’t talk to friends or parents then Childline is here to listen to them, whenever they need us ”
Dame Esther R antzen, President of Childline, added: “Many girls also tell Childline they don’t want to live any more, and to hear this from any child is heart-breaking But we know that boys particularly struggle to talk about their despair because they regard it as weakness to share their feelings, so we want to encourage them to speak to us on the phone, or online, because we also know that if they try to combat these suicidal thoughts alone, they can become overwhelmed by them, and that’s when we can lose precious young lives
“Suicide is one of the leading causes of death for boys and young men We need to draw attention to this growing problem, and make sure all our desperate children know that Childline is there for them, day and night ”
Children and young people can contact Childline for free, confidential suppor t and advice, 24 hours a day on 0800 1111 or www childline org uk
The housing clinics, held on the University’s campus, are intended to benefit the clients, who have no other means of paying for legal advice, and the students, who are learning about the real and practical applications of their studies The legal advice is provided by Sussex Law School students in par tnership with solicitors with exper tise in housing law issues
Local people can also make an appointment with the Family Law & Employment Law clinics by calling the hotline on 01273 876797 or by emailing: lawclinic@sussex ac uk
HELP NEEDED WITH RESEARCH ON HOUSING BENEFIT CUTS
) A University of Southampton researcher is looking at the impact of cuts to housing benefit in the private rental sector on LGBT+ people Dr Iliana Or tegaAlcázar, Research Fellow in Geography and Environment at the University of Southampton, is focussing on the Shared Accommodation Rate, a policy that affects single people between 18 to 35
Since 2012 single people under 35 can only claim housing benefit at the
rate of a room in a shared house as opposed to the rate of a self-contained proper ty
The project is seeking to understand the effects this policy change has had on ‘protected groups’ as defined under the 2010 Equalities Act (women, ethnic minorities, LGBT+ people and people with disabilities) The researchers are presently conducting in-depth interviews to assess the impact this policy has had on their daily lives and their ability to access safe and secure accommodation
For fur ther information about the research, view: www lhacuts uk
GOGGLEBOX STARS OPEN THE FIRST CATS PROTECTION SHOP IN BRIGHTON
) Gogglebox stars Chris Steed and Stephen Webb officially opened Cats Protection’s first shop in Brighton last month The cat-loving duo, who appear on the hit Channel 4 TV show, cut the ribbon and met shoppers, volunteers and staff when they dropped in to the shop’s opening day on Wednesday, March 8 The store, in Beaconsfield R oad, will stock good quality second-hand clothes, toys, books and household items All proceeds will go to help care for unwanted and abandoned cats
Chris, whose much-loved pet cat Ginge died in 2015, said: “I have a friend who volunteers for Cats Protection so I know how valuable it is that people donate items, money or even their time to help out Cats Protection shops like Brighton It’ll make a big difference to unwanted cats ”
Stephen added: “I’m helping out today in memory of Ginge He was a lovely cat and I’m doing this for him and all the other cats out there that still need Cats Protection’s help ”
Cats Protection is the UK’s largest cat charity helping around 500 cats a day, or around 200,000 a year, through a national network of 32 centres and over 250 voluntary-run branches
Lana Beumer, Manager of the new Brighton shop, said: “ We’d like to say a huge thank you to Chris and Stephen and all our new friends and supporters in Brighton who made our opening day such a success We're really looking forward to meeting local people and anyone who would like to become a volunteer at the shop is more than welcome to pop in to find out more "
The new shop, at 70a Beaconsfield R oad, is open Monday–Saturday from 9am–5pm and on Sunday from 10am–4pm Donations should be delivered during shop opening hours For more information or to check the items which can be accepted, call 01273 565675
WAR HORSE AT THE BRIGHTON CENTRE
) A multi-award-winning West End superstar was spotted on Brighton Beach and at the Royal Pavilion last month as Joey, the life-sized equine puppet and star of War Horse came to town to promote the arrival of the acclaimed National Theatre production, at the Brighton Centre, Januar y 25 –Februar y 10, 2018
The play has been seen by over seven million people worldwide and completed a record-breaking eight-year run at the New London Theatre on March 12, 2016 It’s won 25 awards, including a Tony for Best Play on Broadway, and has been seen in 97 cities and 10 countries, with productions on Broadway, in Toronto, Berlin, the Netherlands, Belgium and China Although War Horse has toured in the UK and Ireland before,
this will be its first appearance in Brighton and is a major coup for the city and the Brighton Centre
War Horse is a deeply moving story of a boy and his horse, a remarkable tale of loyalty, friendship and supreme courage set against the backdrop and horrors of WW1 Its ground-breaking puppetry work and innovative, multimedia staging has thrilled audiences around the world, and the play has become the most successful production in the National Theatre’s history
During the run, the Brighton Centre promises special “atmospheric changes” to the venue which will help bring the passion and emotion of the production to life in the auditorium To buy tickets online: http://brightoncentre co uk
RADIOREVERB PARTNERS WITH BRIGHTON FESTIVAL
) R adioR everb, Brighton’s not for profit radio station, is this year’s Broadcast Media Par tner for Brighton Festival 2017 RadioReverb star ted broadcasting in 2004 for two weeks during the Brighton Festival and was then awarded a full community broadcasting licence from OFCOM in 2007, making it a 10-year celebration for the team of home-grown broadcasters who produce a vibrant mix of locally relevant, adver t free, speech and music programmes With Kate Tempest as this year’s Guest Director, everyone at RadioReverb is very keen to work on a daily digest of Festival performances during May Emma R ober tson, Head of Press & PR at Brighton Festival, said: “ We’re delighted to be partnering with RadioReverb Our Guest Director, Kate Tempest, is passionate about the power of the arts to bring communities together so it’s fitting that we’re working with a radio station that provides a platform for such a diverse spectrum of
voices W ith RadioReverb’s support, we hope Brighton Festival 2017 will encourage the whole city to celebrate the creativity in their communities and try something new ”
Tracey Allen, Director, said: "As we celebrate our tenth year of having a broadcast licence, it’s very apt that we work again with Brighton Festival, which was the catalyst for RadioReverb becoming an official station in the city Having Kate Tempest curate the Festival fits in perfectly with our values of community, diversity and using communication for social good and entertainment We can't wait for Brighton Festival to start ”
Listen to the Brighton Festival hour-long shows on weekdays from 5pm on RadioReverb at 97 2FM, on DAB and online www radioreverb com from May 6 The show will be repeated at 10pm each evening and 8am the following morning Podcasts of all the show can be found on the Listen Again button on RadioReverb’s website
L-R MARK VERITY, STEPHEN WEBB, CHRIS STEED & LARA BEUMER PIC BY SKYE BRACKPOOL
MONDAY MAYHEM
hosted by AMARTA-ANNA HORE • 8PM
TUE: PINK POUND NIGHT
with DJ CLAIRE FULLER • £1 entry & £1 drinks • 8PM
WED: PRISCILLA FACTOR
hosted by CANDI RELL • £1000 prize package • 8PM
AFTERNOON SESSION with BETTY SWOLLOCKS • 2-7PM SUNDAY FUNDAY with PRINCESS C*NTY from 7PM 129 St James Street Brighton •
THU: PETE BENNETT’S BIG BENDER
hosted by PETE BENNETT • 8PM
FRI: ALL DAY KARAOKE
AFTERNOON SESSION with BETTY SWOLLOCKS • 2-7PM
TFI FRIDAY with GLORIA HOLE from 7PM
SAT: ALL DAY KARAOKE
AFTERNOON SESSION with RITA LIN • 2-7PM
BIG NIGHT OUT with LINDA BACARDI from 7PM
SUN: ALL DAY KARAOKE
WHY CAN’T FOX AND OWL GET MARRIED?
) Fox A nd Owl Can’t Get Married is a documentary that explores the inequalities for transgender people within the UK law, specifically on the subject of marriage Fox and Owl are a non-binary couple who want to get married in the UK, however they are unable to tie the knot until their gender becomes legally recognised within UK law The documentary will find them delving into the legal processes surrounding marriage and discovering what obstacles are preventing them from getting hitched
What’s non-binar y I hear you ask? Nonbinary people identif y outside the rigid categories of being a man or a woman These identities can include feeling like both, feeling that your gender is more fluid and not stuck in one place, or completely outside of this binary of gender Imagine gender a bit like sexual orientation - a spectrum or a continuum of many possibilities Non-binary people face many challenges when it comes down to love and language In an ever-expanding society of gender and sexuality, it becomes increasingly difficult for people who are somehow different to explain their identities and find terms that encompass them Man or woman, gay or straight simply doesn’t cut it anymore Dating and love is already complicated enough as it is, but trans people in general face even more bigger challenges when it comes down to their identities, bodies and people’s prejudice towards trans people
For the documentary, Fox and Owl staged a protest wedding by the fountain on Old Steine on Monday, March 20 in front of friends and suppor ters The vicar for the wedding was Oli Spleen and after the ceremony the group went to protest outside Brighton Town Hall before retiring to the Marlborough for some wedding cake
The documentary is being made by Illuminate Films, a motivated group of final year university film makers who make projects that inspire change They still need to raise money for travel and other expenses so that the documentary is the best it can be With the help of your donations, they will be able to create an amazing film that does justice to the community/subject matter To make a donation, view: www gofundme com/foxandowldoc
BOXING FOR ALLFREE CLASSES IN EASTBOURNE
) The University of Brighton and Eastbourne Boxing Club are joining forces to promote boxing to members of LGBT+ communities and to research best practice for the entire country Free boxing classes are being offered in Eastbourne over four weeks in May with the aim of encouraging members of LGBT+ communities and their friends to join regular club nights
The event is being funded by the university’s Community University Par tnership Programme and is suppor ted by organisations, including England Boxing, the university’s Springboard Grants Programme which provides awards to university Students’ Union-recognised societies and university spor ts clubs and teams, and Love Fighting Hate Violence, an anti-violence campaign launched by Dr Christopher R Matthews and Dr Alex Channon, both senior lecturers at the university
Dr Matthews, who researches gender theory, men's health, drug use, violence, combat spor ts and inequality
in the workplace, has organised the sessions and will be involved in coaching par ticipants He said: “My research in boxing has used gender theory to highlight the way in which boxing spaces can be resistant to some of the social shif ts that have happened in recent years in terms of issues connected to gender and sexuality
“As a development of this work, I’ve wanted to do some action research which engages in tackling these issues This project represents the first stage in a long-term process where I’ll produce research, guidelines and policy recommendations England Boxing have been supportive of the work and I hope that once the research is concluded I’ll be able to work with them and other governing bodies to help spread best practice ”
The classes, an introduction to noncontact amateur boxing, will be held at Eastbourne Boxing Club in Commercial Road, Eastbourne For more information and to reserve a place email Dr Matthews at C Matthews2@brighton ac uk
PROWLER STORES RESCUED FROM ADMINISTRATION
) Prowler, the well-established gay brand and one of the largest gay retailers in the UK, has been rescued from administration by UK-based erotic wholesaler ABS Holdings - the biggest distributor of erotic toys in the UK ABS Holdings are owners of Fifty and Dean in Soho, as well as 29 stores nationwide carrying the Simply Pleasure branding
ABS have purchased from the administrator the Prowler online business and shops in London and Brighton ABS say they intend to breathe new life into the Prowler stores adding new products and making sure that classic favourites are once again in stock and readily available
Symon R eeves, ABS Commercial Director, said: “I am really excited to be the new owner of Prowler Brighton and I am particularly looking forward to working closely with Peter Booth and the rest of the store team Please forgive us for being a little understocked over the past couple of months, but we have just placed orders for some of your favourite lines We have also ordered a whole lot of new great products that we know you’ll love to bring excitement back to the store ”
For the last 20 years, Prowler stores have been suppor ting gay communities across the UK, offering the best gay brands at the best prices The Prowler shop in St James’s Street in Brighton is a focus for the LGBT+ communities in Brighton & Hove and the managers there have always actively suppor ted local community organisations This takeover ensures that Prowler in Brighton will keep doing this - as well as adding fresh, up to date products and making sure that you have even more choice when it comes to essentials, lubes, toys, herbals and aromas
Prowler in Brighton will also be able to continue their suppor t of local fundraising organisations like Brighton Bear Weekend whose merchandise they sell in the shop and take no commission
CRACKING EASTER WITH BRIGHTON BEARS
) The men at Brighton Bear Weekend (BBW) are hosting two events to help you celebrate Easter in true bear style Thursday, April 13 sees the annual Easter Quiz at the Camelford Arms with £300 cash on offer followed by an Underbears Easter Special at Subline on Sunday, April 16
The Easter quiz will star t at 9pm As always it’s recommended you ar rive early to guarantee getting a table Better still, book a table in advance by calling 01273 622386 and enjoy dinner before the quiz Questions will be set by Matt Brooks from BBW and Dale Drur y from the Camelford, will be on mic duty There will also be a raffle so you can win more than one prize on the night
The Underbears Easter Special on Sunday, April 16 star ts at 9pm until late Entr y is £3 for members and £5 for non-members with 50% of the door take going to the R ainbow Fund who make grants to local LGBT/HIV organisations who provide effective frontline ser vices to LGBT+ people in the city Break out your Easter finest and join in the parade of men in jocks, boxers, briefs, tr unks, thongs and probably much, much less. Free vodka jellies will help you get you in the mood
Brighton Bear Weekend polo shir ts (£15), T-Shir ts (£12) and wristbands (£5) are now available at their online store and from Prowler in St James’s Street To purchase online: www.brightonbear weekend.com ) Bear-Patrol collected £249.31 for the Sussex Beacon during the twelf th annual BLAGSS Bowling Extravaganza at the Marina Bowlplex at the end of Febr uar y Two-hundred bowlers from different Brighton & Hove LGBT community groups took over the whole venue BLAGSS Bowling group won the competition
As the company struggled to remain trading over the last few months, many popular lines in Prowler Brighton ran out of stock as suppliers refused to carry on supplying the former owners To apologise to regular customers who might have been inconvenienced by this, ABS have moved quickly to restock their Extra Strong Supplements If you mention that Gscene sent you, they'll give you a Two-Pack for FREE with every SixPack you buy!
Peter Booth, the manager of Prowler Brighton, said: "We look forward to continue providing the gay communities in Brighton & Hove with excellent products at excellent prices and we can’t wait to add the ABS touch to the popular Prowler brand and to take the stores and website to the next level "
“IT FEELS REALLY GOOD TO MAKE YOUNG PEOPLE AWARE OF HIV ”
Mark Hamilton, 44, was diagnosed with HIV 15/16 years ago After giving up alcohol three years ago, he now shares his story of living with HIV with young people locally, busting stigma and myths and promoting good sexual health
) Mark, from West Horsham, just outside of Brighton, said: “I gave up drinking three years ago, and as I became more sober I wanted to do something positive, related to my HIV So at the end of 2015, I approached Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) about going into schools to give talks about HIV as part of their Positive Voices programme
“Kids are sponges, they soak up the information you’re telling them and the questions they ask can be jaw dropping They’re very aware of what is going on around them, probably from the internet, and curious to find out more That’s why it’s really powerful for us to share our stories and educate them on sexual health ”
The Positive Voices programme, run by THT, empowers local people living with HIV to share their story in schools and colleges to increase awareness and knowledge among young people Mark added: “It feels really good to make young people aware of HIV Many people don’t know about HIV until it becomes part of their life I never make my talks all about the doom and gloom – I make them about empowering people to make the right decisions ”
Mark, who was born in the UK and grew up in South Africa, explains how his HIV diagnosis was a shock “I was diagnosed about 15 or 16 years ago while living in Cape Town A t the time I was binge drinking and probably taking risks because of this, but when I went for the test I’d no idea I had HIV Back then the treatment was unaffordable in South Africa – it was the same price as my rent Just af ter my diagnosis I contracted TB I really thought I was dying I couldn’t take my HIV meds at the same time as my TB meds, so I had to stop taking medication for my HIV which was really risky
He continued: “In 2005 I moved back to England but my drinking continued It got worse and worse I couldn’t walk down the street without feeling self-conscious On January 10, 2014 I was arrested for drink driving It was the wake up call I needed, and I stopped drinking there and then When I talk at schools, I include the alcohol element, because young people need to know that alcohol can lead to taking sexual risks that you might not take otherwise For me, getting HIV was a result of my drinking ”
Stigma and myths still prevail around HIV, but with Mark’s talks, he is breaking down the stigma and separating fact from fiction “It’s shocking that young people don’t know the difference between HIV and AIDS I ask myself ‘how is that possible in today’s society?’ There are still people who run a mile when you tell them you’re positive, and there are still people that say if you have HIV you shouldn’t work here The ignorance is shocking People don’t understand what having an ‘undetectable’ viral load is or how important it is Even gay men don’t know what it is ”
Mark has an undetectable viral load, which means the amount of HIV in his blood is reduced so much that he cannot pass on the virus “This is a game changer It changes everything There are opportunities that HIV+ men haven’t taken out of fear of infecting someone ”
Reflecting on his life today, Mark says: “People ask would I do things differently and I always say no My HIV has put life in a better perspective, I’ve met wonderful people and I’ve had the chance to make a difference to young people ”
For more information about Positive Voices, contact Sue Riley in Brighton on 01273 764200 or email: sue.riley@tht.org.uk
'TIME TO TALK' ABOUT SEX AND DRUGS
) The Brighton Time to Talk project is an idea inspired by the Let's Talk About Gay Sex & Drugs project in London which began as a response to a rise in heavy dr ug use, HIV and hep-c transmission in the capital It’s clear that the LGBT+ communities in Brighton & Hove are ver y divided about dr ug use, sexual behaviours and organisers, think: “maybe it’s Time to Talk about it"
Dexter says the aims of holding such an event are too many to list, but he and his 15-strong steering committee want to create an enter taining, poignant, funny, honest evening with a mixture of speakers broken up with DJs playing music. Their focus is to open up an honest dialogue about dr ug use, sexual habits, behaviours and expressions To create a suppor tive environment where open, real discussion is promoted and allowed without
judgement. A space where guest speakers can share their thoughts and community members can share their experiences should they choose to do so A kind of 'Open Mic' night to tr y to unravel what is becoming a wor r ying epidemic of self -har m in the city's LGBT+ communities
Although the buzzword 'chemsex' is prolific in the gay male communities across the city and organisers aim to encourage this demographic to attend, it’s impor tant that any member of Brighton’s communities feel welcome to be par t of it Gay, straight, lesbian, queer, men, women and trans people have encountered sex and dr ugs at some time
A spokesperson for the steering group, said: “Together, if w e can make it seem normal to openly discuss the highs and low s of personal experience, our insecurities, our good and our bad choices, w e could be doing something to help encourage our communities to make better choices about how they explore sex and drugs ”
Time To Talk, Subline, 129 St James’ Street, Brighton, BN2 1TF, Thursday, May 25, 8-10.30pm, Free entr y.
ART AUCTION TO BENEFIT SUSSEX BEACON
) From May 1-14, established Brighton ar tist Ben Fearnside will be previewing his vibrant new work in a solo exhibition at Galler y 40, using real metals on canvas The exhibition is also raising money for local HIV charity, the Sussex Beacon, through a sealed bid auction for one of Ben’s paintings
Ben works with bronze, copper, iron, silver and gold, combined with shellacs, inks and washes in a rich light-responsive finish Dark as thunder, light as a stained-glass window Contained abstract geometr y suggests planets, cityscapes, field patter ns, rockstrata, the view through a microscope or telescope Slow change over time and tipping-points
Ben’s mind is as mercurial as his materials: go and see a creative jour ney wrapped around the walls Ben said: “Someone close to me liv es w ith HIV and the Sussex Beacon helped her at a v er y dark time. T he Beacon’s unique ser v ices are under threat and w e hope our
charity auction w ill help raise aw areness and funds My paintings are about light, w hich seems fitting for T he Beacon ”
To place a bid in the ar t auction, go to Galler y 40 any time during exhibition opening hours and write your bid in a sealed envelope The envelopes will be opened and the winner announced on Saturday, May 13 at 6pm
Ben Fearnside: A bstract A lchemy: Metal On Canvas, Galler y 40, 40 Gloucester Rd (cor ner of Foundr y Street), Nor th Laine, Brighton; May 114; daily 11am- 7pm; free entr y
Will Writing Fortnight
Nicola Jones Barwells 238 South Coast Road, Peacehaven 01273 582271
Julie Latham Burnand Brazier Malcolm Wilson 39 Church Road, Hove 01273 734022
David Crosby Crosby & Woods 75 Church Road, Hove 01273 734600
A professionally written Will is the best way to protect those you love and to remember your local hospice. Our scheme is an ideal opportunity to make or update your Will. Contact any of the Will writers listed from 10 April to book your appointment. Appointments take place from 8 to 19 May.
Hilary Calvert Dean Wilson 165 Dyke Road, Brighton 01273 249200
Tracey McSharry Deibel & Allen 10 Franklin Road, Portslade 01273 430999
About Martlets
Christopher Thomas Fitzhugh Gates 3 Pavilion Parade, Brighton 01273 666323
Carl Ingram Goodlaw 6 The Drive, Hove 01273 956270
We care for people living through a terminal illness in and around Brighton & Hove. We rely on gifts in Wills so we can help our patients and their families in their time of need. Our Will Writing Fortnight gives you the chance to change lives with a gift in your Will.
Suggested minimum donations are: £135 for a single Will £175 for a joint Will
8-19 May 2017
Book from 10 April A great opportunity to make or update your Will and to support your local hospice
Saoirse O’Halloran Green Wright Chalton Annis 29 Boundary Road, Hove 01273 253500
Nadia Cowdrey Gri th Smith Farrington Webb 47 Old Steyne, Brighton 01273 324041
Carla Campbell Howlett Clarke
Southwick Square, Southwick 01273 718508
Ellie Taylor Howlett Clarke 96 Church Street, Brighton 01273 718530
Maria Turner McMillan Williams 11 Princes Street, Brighton 01273 447884
Robert Simon
Robert Simon St Mary’s Road, Shoreham by Sea 01273 452333
Jonathan Horner Sussex Law 45 Ladies Mile Road, Brighton 01273 561312
Peter Tu n UHY Hacker Young 12 Ship Street, Brighton 01273 202071
Choose from 16 local Will writers o ering their services in return for a donation to Martlets
‘BRING ON THE MEN’ WITH ACTUALLY GAY MEN'S CHORUS
) Join Actually Gay Men’s Chorus on Saturday, April 8 for Bring on the Men and flex a little muscle in a celebration of music and masculinity Enjoy an eclectic evening of song which recognises some of music’s leading men, the dashing and devilish characters, awardwinning songwriters and lyricists, who inspire audiences with more than a dash of testosterone Debonair, heroic and mischievous, this reper toire from stage and screen triumphs from Sondheim to Miss Saigon, Bond, Bizet and Broadway The performance will be conducted by Musical Director Samuel Cousins and making a welcome return to Actually will be cabaret ar tiste Miss Jason and guest soprano Sophie Causbrook The evening will be raising money for the R ainbow Fund and Inclusion For All
Bring on the Men with Actually Gay Men’s Chorus; St Andrew’s Church, Waterloo Street, Hove; Saturday, April 8, 7 30pm; Tickets £12 /£10 concs (no booking fee) To book online, view: www.actuallygmc.org
RESOUND MALE VOICES ‘SOUNDTREK’
) R esound Male Voices make their Brighton Fringe debut in May with Soundtrek, a devised show of choral music set in a pub! The group will explore vocal music from all over the world, including African, Irish and Swedish folk music, Indian raga, bossa nova from Brazil and bluegrass from Tennessee
Stefan Holmström, Musical Director, said: "This is a fabulous opportunity for us to work on performance skills Musically it's also a challenge with so many different styles, and singing in eight different languages!"
This is the first time Resound will perform in their own show during the Brighton Fringe and the first time they’ll be working closely with a theatre director, Julia R ober ts, to create a show built on the guys and the music they love to sing
Julia R ober ts said: "It is such a joy to be working with Resound! They are a fantastic group of singers who are constantly challenging themselves to develop their sound Now we are working to develop a new performance which aims to move away from the traditional 'stand and sing' format and we hope that the Brighton Fringe audience will love the concept and style of this new show as much as we have enjoyed creating it together "
Founded in 2011, Resound Male Voices are based in Brighton & Hove and perform a diverse reper toire from baroque to bee bop and actively welcome new members See Facebook page and website: www.resoundmalevoices.org
R esound Soundtrek @ Brighton Fringe; The Old Cour troom, 118 Church Street, BTN, Friday, May 5 and Saturday, May 6 at 7pm Tickets £8/£7 To book online, view: www brightonfringe org
BRIGHTON GAY MEN’S CHORUS ELECT NEW CHAIRMAN
) Vaughan Leyshon was elected Chair man of the Brighton Gay Men's Chorus at their AGM in March Vaughan was unanimously selected by members to head the body of tr ustees and officers who manage the Chor us Vaughan, who’s been a member of the chor us for four years, says: "It's an honour and a priv ilege to be elected Chairman of Brighton Gay Men's Chorus T he Chorus is a v ibrant and exciting organisation w ith a reputation for producing enter taining show s, w hich delight our large band of dedicated fans
“Obv iously, w e are know n for our singing and our show s, but w e also offer oppor tunities for our members to socialise and w e exist, in par t, to suppor t our members and the w ider community I’m looking for w ard to collaborating w ith the rest of trustees and, w ith our Musical Director, Marc Yarrow, building on Paul Charlton's great w ork in grow ing the Chorus and expanding our reper toire, fans can expect regular high quality show s w ith some surprises and new material ”
Paul Charlton, who ser ved the last four years as Chair man and three more as tr ustee, says: “I had an amazing time, but af ter sev en y ears, I decided to take a break from the management team and I can’t think of a better suited new Chairman for the Chorus I w ant to w ish Vaughan the best of luck w ith his new position and, of course, I w ill be activ ely helping behind the scenes w hen required ”
The new Management Team is already hard at work producing the Chor us’ for thcoming new show, which will premier at the Brighton Fringe Festival at St George's Church in Kemptown on May 5 & 6 Entitled The Superhero Show, it will explore and celebrate those people that the Chor us’s members regard as their heroes, musical and not, who helped them become who they are now The Chor us will be raising funds to help save the 'outstanding' flagship HIV charity the Sussex Beacon under the slogan #SaveTheSussexBeacon Erik Jacobsen continues in his role as Secretar y to the Chor us and Silvio Grasso continues to handle PR
‘ CAN’T TAKE MY EYES OFF YOU’ WITH THE RAINBOW CHORUS
) If you thought a night with the R ainbow Chorus couldn’t get any better, then stand by for a depar ture from their usual concer t for mat For one night only on Saturday, May 13 they will roll out an evening of songs from the familiar, the not so familiar, to the downright quirky as the mar vellous, beautiful sounding and of ten hilarious Yorkshire-based, lesbian a cappella singing group, The Deep C Divas, join in the fun Joining forces with the Deep C Divas will make for an enter taining evening of friendly rivalr y and mutual admiration intended to move you, make you smile and lif t your hear ts You won't be able to take your eyes off them! This event is par t of Brighton Fringe 2017 Gscene recently wrote: “If y ou w onder w here the L GBT + community in Brighton is, just go and see a R ainbow Chorus concer t”!
Tickets are on sale now so get in early to avoid disappointment! Can’t Take My Eyes Off You with R ainbow Chorus and Deep C Divas is at St George’s Church, St George’s Road, Brighton BN2 1ED on Saturday, May 13, 2017 at 7 30pm; Tickets £14 adults, £10 concs, £7 children from: brownpapertickets com/event/2724775
WHO ’S THE BOSS BEHIND THE BAR?
Now celebrating 26 years since it opened, Morgan Fabulous talks with Andrew R ober ts about what makes R evenge one of the best places to par ty in the South East of England
) Andrew has managed Bar R evenge and R evenge for 13 years and has been responsible for hosting some of the biggest pop acts and club nights in the UK, including The Saturdays, The Wanted and Kelis Revenge is also home to The Powder R oom which hosts the stars from RuPaul’s Drag Race and has hosted the X-Factor finalists with their exclusive first performance after the show, including Cher Lloyd, Alexandra Burke and Fleur East to name but a few! He says: "When I took over as manager my first change was to bring in the best DJs, staff and acts I could find to really put Revenge on the map "
He also put plans in place for the stunning rooftop terrace, which is as popular as ever offering panoramic views of our beautiful Brighton seafront! There are lots of exciting plans for the future to ensure they stay ahead of the game, including a big refit of Bar Revenge The club received an extensive refurbishment at the star t of 2016 but they’re already exploring ways to freshen the venue up, including new state-of-the-ar t lighting and décor to keep both Revenge venues among the finest in the South of England
Whatever your sexuality, gender or race, Revenge prides itself on being a welcoming, fun and safe venue for everyone – as long as you’ve got the right attitude (and photo ID!) Club Revenge is on three floors and includes two rooms of diverse music, playing everything from pop and house to R&B and rock They employ a 50-strong staff team across both venues, which Andrew holds in high regard
Revenge works closely with LGBT charities all year round to help raise awareness and funds for them Previously they’ve teamed up and hosted fundraising events for the Sussex Beacon, THT, the Rainbow Fund and the University LGBT societies
Andrew is very proud of all the local and national awards that Revenge has won over the years The Golden Handbags are always a highlight and Andrew was delighted around five years ago to (finally) pick up the award for Favourite Landlord
Andrew was born in South London but grew up around Soho From the age of 19, he lived in France and Southern Spain until his mid-20s when he returned to the UK to take over Vibes nightclub in Bristol for six years He also managed the Branksome Arms in Bournemouth and worked as a Holiday Rep around Europe
His job takes over a lot of his life as he’s very hands on at the club; however, he enjoys eating out and taking luxurious holidays, his favourite destination being Dubai His favourite drink is Sol beer, which he enjoys after a long night at work, and his favourite Brighton restaurant is the Salt Rooms at the Hilton Brighton Metropole Hotel
BRIGHTON BEAR WEEKEND MERCHANDISE AVAILABLE AT PROWLER
) Brighton Bear Weekend 2017 merchandise featuring this year ’s new logo designed by Eion Nor ton are now on sale at Prowler in St James’s Street Navy T-shir ts and black polos are available from small to 3XL sizes T-shir ts cost £12 and polos £15 As always Brighton Bear Weekend will be raising money for the R ainbow Fund who make grants to local LGBT/HIV organisations providing effective frontline ser vices to LGBT+ people in the city
Graham Munday, Chair of Brighton Bear Weekend, said: “We’re grateful
and delighted to hav e Prow ler stock our clothing again this y ear It really helps us to raise more money for the R ainbow Fund and giv es people a chance to buy straight aw ay for themselv es or as a great gif t for a friend We w ish to thank the handsome Bruce McCrann for modelling for us ”
You can also purchase merchandise online at www.brightonbear weekend.com
SHOWTUNE BEAR-A-OKE WITH BRIGHTON BEAR WEEKEND
) Do you fancy belting out a show tune or song from a movie?
Well now's your chance! Brighton Bear Weekend (BBW) present Showtune Bear-a-oke upstairs at Bar Broadway on Steine Street from 5-8pm on Sunday, April 2
With the help of two talented karaoke hosts, Chris Hibber t and Jon Bee, you'll be able to sing your favourite show tunes and impress your friends Chris and Jon will help with your selectionsso if you need a Maria for your Tony, a Seymour for your Audrey or even a Roxie for your Velma, then they are your men!
Admission is FREE but voluntar y donations to sing (or not!) to the R ainbow Fund will be gratefully accepted by team of BBW volunteers who will be selling wristbands (£5) for the main BBW event from June 15-18 BBW T-shir ts (£12) and BBW polo shir ts (£15) will be on sale also Once Showtune Bear-a-oke is finished upstairs in the Broadway Lounge, head downstairs for the Fireplace Session with Wain Douglas at 8.30pm
Chris Hibber t says:
"My passion for singing comes from my lov e of musicals, songs that leav e y our hear t aching and ey es cr y ing I do like to sing faster and uplif ting songs too My fav ourite musical is K inky Boots and I lov e the song, ‘Not My Father's Son’, but I also lov e to giv e audiences songs they may nev er hav e heard of from obscure musicals "
Showtune Bear-a-oke with Brighton Bear Weekend is at Bar Broadway, 10 Steine St, Brighton BN2 1TY on Sunday, April 2 from 5-8pm
BAR BOY PROFILE: SAM STEPHENS @ CHARLES STREET
The first person new LGBT+ arrivals to Brighton & Hove meet when they arrive in the city are often the bar staff in their local LGBT+ bar These ‘gatekeepers’ to the community provide an impor tant role both befriending and signposting new arrivals Over the coming months we will be finding out a little more about them and what makes them tick
) Where are you from?
I’m originally from a small fishing village in Cornwall (the Lizard Peninsula for your Cornish readers), but I moved to Brighton from Somerset where I did my GCSEs and A-Levels
What brought you to Brighton? I moved here to study geography and geology at Brighton Uni in 2004 and fell in love with the city
Oddest thing asked for?
Well, you’d be surprised how many times I’ve been asked for wax, gel, hairspray and a comb and then people look at me and smile
What’s the worst kind of punter?
People who order Guinness last when ordering a round
What do you do when it’s quiet in the bar?
When it's quiet? I do have a little bit of OCD so I’d be organising something somewhere behind the bar
Do you know the difference between ale and beer? Yes, ale tastes better than beer
STEPHANIE HIKE CIVIL AND HUMANIST CELEBRANT
) Stephanie Hike has been involved in various capacities with the gay and trans communities in Brighton & Hove for many years She trained as a Civil and Humanist Celebrant almost 15 years ago and has written many scripts for those who want their wishes recorded whilst they are still alive Stephanie is happy to meet with you at your home, nursing home, hospital or even in a corner of your favourite café Everything you discuss is confidential and it gives you a chance to discover how your funeral can be planned in advance, alleviating your nearest and dearest from having to cope with grief as well as organising a funeral
You choose your own under taker, but Stephanie can write the ceremony for you, assist with music choices and the running order of the funeral With a Civil Ceremony you can still have references to or a reading where religion is quoted in some way A Humanist funeral has no reference to religion whatsoever, but both are a celebration of the life of the deceased Friends and relatives can be involved with readings, music choices and the eulogy itself, which is central to the ceremony and all about your life and what everything has meant to you
More people are doing this, rather than leaving it to the last-minute or after their death Your script is passed to your chosen funeral director You can state whether you want a burial or cremation and where you want this to take place At either of the Brighton Crematoriums, Woodland burial, Wor thing or Surrey and Sussex Crematorium in Crawley, Stephanie covers all of Sussex and Surrey and works closely with all Under takers and the Crematoriums You can even have a par ticular theme: a motorcycle funeral, a par ticular type of coffin, everyone to be dressed in pink or bring a single flower are just a few examples
Are those really your photos on Grindr? Yes
Can you pull a pint?
After 12 years of working in bars I'd like to think so, but I’m always happy to learn a new trick or two
Do you prefer to be shaken or stirred?
Shaken as I like to do the stirring
What’s your favourite tipple?
Cider, gin, tequila, normally in that order
What makes you roll your eyes? Eye roll emoji
What makes a per fect bar person? A team player, who has a sense of humour for when it gets busy behind the bar
Where do you like to go out when you’re not working? The gym
So why is it not working? Next!
Tell us a secret about yourself It's not all true what you've been told
What’s your nickname?
Samidge (Sam Midget, you get the idea)
Recently, Stephanie has been called upon to organise pet funerals - for dogs, cats, rabbits and even a child's white mouse This is done in a dignified manner at a place of your choice - at home or in the garden Your vet can arrange for the ashes of your pet to be handed to you and be scattered in their favourite place with a simple ceremony and a reading depicting your pet's life
OFFER FOR GSCENE READERS
Stephanie is offering Gscene readers a special discount on her fees She’s a member of the Institute of Civil Funerals and can be contacted on: 01273 308677 For more information about the services Stephanie offers in Sussex, view: civilfuneralcelebrantsussex co uk or Surrey: civilfuneralcelebrantsurrey co uk
SLEEPING BEAUTY RAISES £396.54 FOR THE SUSSEX BEACON ) Buckets were shaken at every performance of the Adult Panto Sleeping Beauty & The L ittle Prick at the Old Ship Hotel in February £396 54 was raised for the Sussex Beacon at two performances on Saturday, Februar y 4 All other performances generated £3,448 equally shared between Brighton & Hove Guide Dogs for the Blind and Help the Veterans, bringing the total raised during the run of the panto for good causes to £3,844.54 Pictured: the cast of the Panto with the Mayor of Brighton, Cllr Pete West
PRISCILL AS THE
CAMPEST BAR ON ST JAMES STREET!
) Following a private bubbles and canapes reception on March 16 for local licensees, scene staff and media to meet the team behind Brighton’s newest gay venue, later in the evening the doors opened to the general public with enter tainment provided by the fabulous Mrs Moore, suppor ted by Linda Bacardi, Candi R ell, and Amar ta-Anna Hore Pricilla’s will feature karaoke most nights of the week with lip synch cabaret at weekends, and will be open from 6pm-midnight on Monday-Thursday and from 2pm-midnight on Friday-Sunday You’ll find Pricilla's at 129 St James's Street, Brighton
BRIGHTON BEAR WEEKEND
L AUNCH THEIR 2017 FUNDRAISING PROGRAMME AT CAMELFORD ARMS
) Brighton Bear Weekend (BBW), who organise the biggest annual bear event on the South Coast announced this years’ fundraising plans and launched their official merchandise for 2017 at the Camelford Arms on March 25 BBW volunteers were on hand selling wristbands (£5), BBW T-shir ts (£12) and BBW polo shir ts (£15) both carrying this years’ new logo designed by Tony Elias BBW raise money for the R ainbow Fund who make grants to local LGBT/HIV organisations who provide effective front line services to LGBT+ people in the city
by Matt Brooks
Photos
TAKE PRIDE IN THE POLICE
Sophie Cook was deeply disappointed to see the recent National Union of Students ’ transgender conference vote to tr y to block police from attending Pride events.
) I was deeply disappointed to see the recent National Union of Students’ transgender conference (March 7) vote to try to block police from attending Pride events The motion ‘No Pride in the Police’ expressed the view that the police were racist, classist and transphobic and said that “ many trans people have faced mistreatment and violence at the hands of the police”
I’m disappointed on a number of levels Firstly, I’m disappointed that the delegates felt the need for this divisive motion rather than working towards a solution.
Secondly, I’m disappointed that people still feel marginalised by the police and that the support I see in the forces I work with isn’t filtering down to the public - there’s obviously more work to be done to win back hearts and minds.
As someone who is old enough to remember the bad old days when I was terrified of leaving the house as my true self, not because of attacks by the public but because of the fear that any interaction with the police would lead to me being outed, I know
how bad the relationship between the police and the trans community has been
But that was 20 years ago, times change, society has changed, and so, I believe, have the police
I’ve worked with a number of police forces including Sussex, Surrey and Bedfordshire to raise awareness of trans identities and issues and I have met nothing but honesty and support from the officers and staff that I’ve had the honour to work with
Of course there are still a small minority of officers with bigoted views, the police are part of society and reflect the diversity that exists on our streets, both good and bad But the overriding impression that I get from the police I meet is of the need to support minority groups and to work together to make society a safer place for everyone
The world improves when people work together to combat injustices, not when we fight those whose roles are to protect us The way forward is conversation and inclusivity, not censure and exclusion
The motion submitted by University of Manchester Students’ Union said:
Trans Conference Believes
) The police disproportionately target trans people, along with sex workers, working class communities and communities of colour for policing, leading to an increase in those groups in the prison population
) Many trans people have faced mistreatment and violence at the hands of the police.
Trans Conference Resolves
) To not work or collaborate with the police
) To encourage Prides to not have a police presence as part of parades, especially Pride events organised by student unions
) To support and organise actions against police presence at Prides
SOPHIE COOK
Sophie is a former RAF engineer, motorbike racer, newspaper editor, football and rock photographer. She is a self-harm and suicide survivor and the first transgender newscaster on European terrestrial TV for Brighton's Latest TV, and is the head of Latest LGBT+ TV, the UK's first terrestrial LGBT+ TV channel, where she hosts Beyond the Rainbow, a weekly LGBT+ news and chat show
and the TUC.
Sophie is also a Hate Crime ambassador for Sussex Police and speaks regularly at conferences about LGBT+ issues and consults with a number of major companies about inclusion and diversity
She is the first trans woman to work in the Premier League as club photographer for AFC Bournemouth, she is an ambassador for Kick It Out, patron of Just A Ball Game? and has spoken at Wembley Stadium
) FOOD Mon–Fri 11am–8pm; Sat & Sun 10.30am–8pm; Sunday roasts 12pm–sold out ) SPECIALS: Mon–Wed: main course from specials menu and a pint or glass of house wine £10
) DRINK PROMOS Grolsch, £3 50 a pint in April; house wine, £10 90 a bottle
) EASTER Good Friday (14) MR & MRS VATE, Sally
Vate & Jason Thorpe’s Easter Show, from 9pm ) Enjoy chilled out soul with DJ Mick Fuller on Sat (15) from 9pm
) Easter Sunday (16) is AN EVENING WITH Jason Thorpe at 9pm ) Easter Monday (17) tuck into the HANGOVER BRUNCH with a full English breakfast and a Bloody Mary for £10, served 10 30am–1pm
) REGUL ARS Wed is QUIZ NIGHT with Mark Flood at 8pm ) Fri is LIVE ENTERTAINMENT alternating between Jason Thorpe’s Karaoke and Sally Vate’s Fun Friday Frolics, both at 9pm ) Sat is SANFRANDISCO with DJ Mick Fuller (Radio Reverb) playing chilled out soul from 8pm ) Check the Amsterdam website for May Day Bank Holiday Weekend events!
Information is correct at the time of going to press Gscene cannot be held responsible for any changes or alterations to the listings
SATURDAY 1
l AMSTERDAM SanFranDisco: DJ Mick Fuller 8pm
l BAR 7@CRAWLEY 7 Sins 9pm
l BAR BROADWAY Jukebox: My Gift Is My Song – And This One’s For You 4pm
l BAR REVENGE WTF warm-up 9pm
l BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Fusion: DJ Peter Castle 11pm
BAR 7 CRAWLEY
l BOUTIQUE Open Cocktail Masterclasses 8pm; April Fools Par ty: DJ Klipz & special guest 10pm
l CHARLES ST Fierce: DJs on rotation 9pm
l DR BRIGHTONS Saturday Session: DJ Tony B 9 30pm
l GROSVENOR BAR cabaret: Trudi Styles & the Piano Man 9.30pm
l LEGENDS BAR Pre-club DJs 7pm
l MARINE TAVERN Saturday Club 8pm
l PARIS HOUSE Live jazz 4pm; TC’s Joyful Noise: DJ Kenny 9pm
) 7 Pegler Way, Crawley, RH11 7AG, Tel: 01293 511177, www 7crawley co uk ) OPEN 6pm daily ) DRINK PROMOS Tue, Fri & Sat drink deals all night
) EASTER Good Friday (14) CABARET is tar tan wrapped Scottish drag ar tiste Mar y Mac from 11pm with a show of of hit songs and cheeky banter that really packs a punch! ) Sat (15) is the ANNUAL BEACH PARTY with drink specials and OTT décor; entry £7 50 before 11pm, then £10 till last entry
) REGUL ARS Tue is CREWSDAY with DJ Lewis Osborne ) Fri is 7UPSTAIRS with all-star DJs playing pop/dance/guilty pleasures from 8pm, free b4 11pm ) Sat is 7-SINS with all-star DJs from 8pm, free b4 11pm
) OPEN Mon-Thur 6pm-1am, Fri 5pm–3am, Sat 4pm-3am, Sun 4pm–1am
) DRINK PROMOS 4-8pm daily, All Day Mon & Tues; Fri (7, 21 & 28) & is Da Luca Decadence with Prosecco for £15 a bottle till 9pm
) EASTER Easter Sunday (16) special edition of SHOWTUNE KARAOKE with Sally Vate & R oss Cameron from 8 30pm Come early, pick your song, and wait for the callback of your life! ) Easter Monday (17) the FIREPLACE SESSIONS present a Mystery Guest at 8 30pm
) ONE FOR THE DIARY Sunday (2) is Brighton Bear Weekend’s SHOWTUNE BEAR -A- OKE hosted by Chris Hibbett and Jon Bee from 5pm, free entry but voluntary donations to sing (or not!) gratefully accepted for the Rainbow Fund Brighton Bear Weekend say: “Ever fancied belting out a show tune or a song from a movie? Well now's your chance! W ith the help of our two talented hosts you'll be able to sing your favourite show tunes and impress your friends Chris and Jon will help with your selections and if you need a Maria to your Tony, Seymour to your A udrey or even Roxie to your Velma then they’re your men! We'll also have Brighton Bear Weekend wristbands (£5), T-shirts (£12) and polo shirts (£15) available too ”
) ONE FOR THE DIARY Sing your hear t out every Tuesday at The R egency Singers’ BROADWAY LOUNGE featuring a piano, an open mic and you from 9pm
) REGUL ARS Wed is OPEN MIC MADNESS singing competition with host Jason Thorpe from 9pm; (26) is the Final with a £100 cash prize Bar Broadway say: “Open Mic Madness looks for the best talent in Brighton and beyond Come along and show what you’ve got, and who knows, you may walk away with £100 cash ” ) Fri & Sat is BROADWAY JUKEBOX: My Gift Is My Song And This One’s For You Download the Bar Broadway app and the playlist is yours all night! ) Sunday FIREPLACE SESSIONS present established and up-and-coming acts at 8.30pm: Wain Douglas (2), Farrah Joy (9), Sophie Causbrook (23) and Jason Thorpe & special guest (30)
l PRISCILL A’S All-Day Karaoke: Rita Lin
2pm; Linda Bacardi’s Big Night Out 7pm
l QUEEN’S ARMS cabaret: Lola Lasagne 9 30pm
l REVENGE WTF!: DJs over 2 floors 11.30pm
l SUBLINE Men’s Room: DJ Screwpulous 9pm
l ZONE cabaret: Davina Sparkle 10pm
SUNDAY 2
l AMSTERDAM Sunday roasts 12pmtill gone
l BAR 7@CRAWLEY DJ Bullard’s karaoke 8pm
l BAR BROADWAY Brighton Bear
Weekend’s Showtune Bear-a-oke: hosts Chris & Jon, fundraiser for Rainbow Fund 5pm; Fireplace Sessions presents Wain Douglas 8 30pm
l BAR REVENGE Sunday Club: DJs 9pm
l BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS
Pop!Candy: DJ Claire Fuller 11pm
l BRIGHTON SAUNA Naked Day 12pm
l CAMELFORD ARMS Bear Bash, free food & raffle 5pm; roasts & select menu 12pm–till gone
l CHARLES ST cabaret: Mar tha D’Ar thur
7 30pm; Sally’s Rock & Roll Bingo
8 30pm
l LEGENDS BAR cabaret: Lady Imelda
3 30pm; roasts 12–3pm
BOUTIQUE
) 2 Boyces St @ West St, BN11AN, 01273 327607 www.boutiqueclubbrighton.com
) OPEN daily from 4pm–ver y late
) FOOD All day, every day till midnight
) DRINK PROMOS Mon–Fri: bottles of Moet £50 & Veuve £60 Five J -Bombs for £5 and 2-4-1 selected cocktails Take advantage of free bir thday mini cocktail master classes every weekend in April Message Boutique on Facebook or contact Becky the Marketing Manager on 07572867585
) EASTER Good Friday (14) with DJ Franco & Easter shots on arrival at 10pm ) Sat (15) with DJ Oli, Easter cocktails & bunny girl cage dancers at 10pm ) Easter Sunday (16) with top DJs on rotation, live band on the roof terrace, cage dancers & Easter egg hunt at 10pm ) Easter Monday (17) Day Time BABY BOUTIQUE Easter Disco with soft play from 2pm; adult Boutique from 4pm
) ONE FOR THE DIARY Wed (19) is SINGLE MINGLE, an evening for singletons who want to meet somebody special from 8pm, entry £5 incl a free glass of bubbly on arrival Becky, Marketing Manager, says: “It will be a calm, relaxed singles night where everyone is in the same boat but with no pressure! All singletons welcome!”
) REGUL ARS Star t the weekend with a bang every Fri with DJ Franco from 10pm and Shop Drop giveaways at 1am, 2am & 3am (7 & 28) ) Learn how to make your favourite cocktail every Saturday at the OPEN COCKTAIL MASTER CLASS in Bar 2 from 8pm In the evening join DJ Klipz & a special guest (1) and Oli for tunes/themes/specials/giveaways from 10pm
l MARINE TAVERN Sunday roasts 125pm; Drag Open Mic with Stephanie Von Clitz 9pm
l PARIS HOUSE live jazz: Simon Studd 6pm
l PRISCILL A’S All Day Karaoke: Betty Swollocks 2pm; Princess C*nty’s Sunday Funday 7pm
l QUEEN’S ARMS cabaret: Elesha as Whitney & Tina Turner 6pm & 9 30pm
l SUBLINE Guilty Pleasures: DJ Screwpulous 9pm
l THREE JOLLY BUTCHERS Jazz Roast 3pm; Sunday roasts 12-5pm
MONDAY 3
l BRIGHTON SAUNA You Takin’ The Piss monthly event 6pm
l CHARLES STREET Studio 150 10 30pm
l LEGENDS BAR Miss Jason’s Madhouse 9.30pm
l PARIS HOUSE live jazz: Mick
Hammer Trio 2pm; Sam Carlese Trio 7pm
l PRISCILL A’S Monday Mayhem: Amar ta-Anna Hore 8pm
TUESDAY 4
l BAR 7@CRAWLEY Crewsday: DJ Lewis Osborne 9pm
l BAR BROADWAY The Regency Singers: open mic 9pm
l MARINE TAVERN Nat’s Quiz 9pm
l PRISCILL A’S Pink Pound: DJ Claire Fuller 8pm
l REVENGE Bangers & Trash: DJs Toby Lawrence & Trick 11pm
WEDNESDAY 5
l AMSTERDAM Quiz: Mark Flood 8pm
l BAR 7@CRAWLEY Fresh!: DJ Jazzy Jane 9pm
l BAR BROADWAY Open Mic
Madness: Jason Thorpe 9pm
l BAR REVENGE Lip Sync For Your Life: Crystal Lubrikunt & prizes 9pm
BRIGHTON SAUNA
) 75 Grand Parade, BN2 9JA, Tel: 01273 689966 www.thebrightonsauna.com
) OPEN Mon–Thur 10–1am, Fri 10am through till 1am on Mon If it’s your first visit and you’re nervous, then not only are the Brighton Sauna boys on hand to show you around, but there’s the Brighton Sauna Chat Room where you can chat to guys before visiting! See: www.thebrightonsauna.com/sauna-chat-room/Brighton The sauna is modern, clean, and well presented, with steam room, 12-man Jacuzzi, cinema, free hot drinks, smoking area, private cabins, filtered water, towels, lockers, computers, super-fast Wi-Fi, large lounge, 70” TV, masseurs and a cafe & licensed bar You’ll be safe at all times, and not pushed into anything you don't want to do Some people just come for the facilities and nothing more
) ONE FOR THE DIARY Themed nights every Monday from 6pm: YOU TAKING THE P*SS waterspor ts night (3), BEARS night (10), FETISH night for guys into spor tswear, underwear, rubber and leather (17) and TRANSGENDER night (24)
) REGUL ARS NAKED DAYS are Wed from 11–1am and Sun 12pm–close You'll get a small towel for drips and a regular towel to shower with before you leave, but NO towels can be worn on these days The Brighton Sauna boys say: “It's about letting it all hang out and feeling free! What better way to chill out at the end of the weekend than having everything on show Give it a try - it's a fantastic day ”
l BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Ice: DJ Claire Fuller 11pm
l BRIGHTON SAUNA Naked Day 11am
l CAMELFORD ARMS Seniors’ lunch 23.30pm
l CHARLES ST Silly Willy Wednesdays: Drag With No Name 9pm
l PARIS HOUSE live jazz: Fleur de Paris 7pm
l PRISCILL A’S Priscilla Factor hosted by Candi Rell 8pm
l QUEEN’S ARMS Sally Vate’s Easter Special 9.30pm
l SUBLINE Happy Hump Day 9pm
l VELVET JACKS Quiz: cash prize 8pm
THURSDAY 6
l BAR 7@CRAWLEY Total Request Thursdays: DJ FRESH Princess 9pm
l BAR BROADWAY Quiz: host Ross Cameron & jackpot 8pm
l BAR REVENGE FOMO pre-par ty 9pm
l CAMELFORD ARMS £300 Big Cash Quiz 9pm
l CHARLES ST Throwback Thursday: DJ
Ruby Roo & hostess Ms Joan Bond 9pm
l GROSVENOR BAR Abel Mabel’s Bingo 8 30pm
l MARINE TAVERN Throwback Thursday: 80s Jukebox 8pm
l PARIS HOUSE Brighton Jazz School Talent Sessions 5pm; Musical Quiz: Miss Danny J’Adore 7.30pm
) OPEN daily from 12pm The most dog-friendly pub in town
) FOOD Mon–Sat 12–9pm; Sunday roasts and select menu served 12pm–till gone; seniors’ lunch served Wed 2–3 30pm, two courses £9 50
) EASTER Thur (13), BRIGHTON BEAR £300 CASH QUIZ: host Dale Drur y at 8pm for 9pm star t, £2 entry to R ainbow Fund Hot Cross buns served on Good Friday (14) Easter Sun (16), free Easter Eggs with every roast
) ONE FOR THE DIARY Fri (21) CHARITY CASINO Night with professional croupiers managing the Roulette and Blackjack tables from 8pm
) REGUL ARS ) Thur is the BIG CASH QUIZ: £300 cash prize at 9pm
FRIDAY 7
l AMSTERDAM Jason Thorpe’s Karaoke or Sally Vate’s Fun Friday Frolics 9pm
l BAR 7@CRAWLEY 7 Upstairs 9pm
l BAR BROADWAY Jukebox: My Gift Is My Song – And This One’s For You 5pm
l BAR REVENGE Pop-Tartz warm-up 9pm
l BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Glitter: DJ David Noakes 11pm
l BOUTIQUE DJ Franco 10pm
l CAMELFORD ARMS Friday Club 6pm
l CHARLES ST Fabulous Fridays: DJ Morgan Fabulous 9pm
) OPEN daily from 12pm ) FOOD served Mon–Sat 12–8pm
) AF TER WORK HAPPY HOUR All drinks half price 5–9pm Mon–Sat and all night on Sun from 8 30pm, right after the cabaret Excludes sparkling wine and cocktails
) EASTER Thur (13) THROWBACK THURSDAY EASTER
SPECIAL: tunes, drink deals from £1 and the Queen of Hear ts, Ms Joan Bond at 9pm, entry £1 Charles Street say: “Joan’s been a very busy bunny getting ready for her Easter Egg Hunt! Can you find her Golden Egg?! It’s gonna be a cracking night!” ) Fri (14) is FABULOUS GOOD FRIDAY: topless bunny boys, cheeky bunny girls, Easter Eggs, giveaways and pumping tunes with DJ Morgan Fabulous from 9pm, free entry and drink deals all night
) Easter Sunday (16) CABARET with Drag With No Name at 7 30pm, full menu till 7pm ) Bank Holiday Mon (17) CABARET with Mar y Mac at 7.30pm; Sally Vate’s ROCK & ROLL BINGO straight after, then STUDIO 150 at 10 30pm!
) ONE FOR THE DIARY Tue (25) is the inter venue GOLDEN HANDBAGS QUIZ with hostess Lola Lasagne from 7.30pm for 8pm star t A table of 5 costs £20
) REGUL ARS Sunday CABARET at 7 30pm: Mar tha D’Ar thur (2), Kara Van Park (9) and Miss Jason (23), Bank Holiday Sun (30) The Vixens Followed by Sally Vate’s ROCK & ROLL BINGO with big cash prizes ) It’s back! Drag With No Name and SILLY WILLY WEDNESDAYS – a night of crazy enter tainment from 9pm Is it a game show? Is it a quiz? Is it cabaret? We don’t know! But we do know it’s a night of hilarious antics and cash prizes galore! DWNN says: “Expect campness and frivolities! Plus it gets you out of the house for a couple of hours so you’re not stuck indoors watching The One Show It’s a no brainer really ”
ENVY @ CHARLES STREET ) 8 Marine Parade, BN2 1TA, Tel: 01273 624091
) ONE FOR THE DIARY Bid the Brighton & Hove Sea Serpents adiós Sat (8) at SPANISH ENVY from 7pm, advance tickets £12.50, rising to £15 from April 1 and on the door The city’s gay inclusive rugby team boys are heading to Madrid for the biennial Union Cup so bring your castanets and maracas, flamenco moves and fake tans, for a night to remember! Host Kara Van Park with songs, dancing, fun and laughter, including performances from the Sea Serpents, helped by some of Brighton's favourite stars: Miss Jason, Spice and Jason Thorpe and DJ Claire Fuller spinning the tunes! The Sea Serpents say: “Buenos Noches! We're off to Madrid in May to represent Brighton & Hove at the biennial Union CupEurope's premier rugby competition for gay and inclusive rugby clubs So we're bringing you a flavour of the Mediterranean right here in Brighton!
till gone
l BAR 7@CRAWLEY DJ Bullard’s karaoke 8pm
l BAR BROADWAY Fireplace Sessions pres Farrah Joy 8.30pm
) OPEN Mon–Thur 3pm–midnight; Fri & Sat 1pm–2am; Sun 1pm–midnight
) HAPPY HOURS all day Sun–Thur; 1pm–close on Fri; 1–7pm on Sat BOGOF Cocktails all day Sun–Fri, till 7pm on Sat ) Free pool with every round every day
) EASTER Good Friday (14) DOCTOR’S PARTY with top DJ spinning 70s/80s/90s /00s tunes from 9.30pm, free entry ) Easter Sunday (16) REFLEX with DJ Adam Rice camp 70s/80s tunes from 9 30pm, free entry
) ONE FOR THE DIARY Sunday (9) SMILEY SUNDAY with stand-up comedy at 7 30pm, £3 entry to Rainbow Fund Bank Holiday Sunday (30) REFLEX Par ty with DJ Adam Rice camp 1970s/80s tunes at 9 30pm, free Adam Rice says: “The night is a total 'guilty pleasure'; it's not cool, it's fun, it's tongue in cheek, it's what the 1980s were! The night is all about having fun with plenty of laughter And I only play songs from the 1970s & 80s, despite being told I need to get with the times!”
) REGUL ARS Fri (7) HOUSE RULES with DJ Nick Hirst decadent house 9 30pm VINYL FRIDAY (28) DJs spin vinyl only from 9 30pm ) SATURDAY SESSIONS with DJ Tony B at 9 30pm
l CAMELFORD ARMS Bear Bash, free food & raffle 5pm; roasts & select menu
12pm–till gone
l CHARLES ST cabaret: Kara Van Park
7.30pm; Sally’s Rock & Roll Bingo
8 30pm
l DR BRIGHTONS Smiley Sunday: standup comedy fundraiser 7 30pm
l LEGENDS BAR cabaret: Miss Jason
3 30pm; roasts 12–3pm
l MARINE TAVERN Sunday roasts 12-
5pm; Drag Open Mic with Stephanie Von Clitz 9pm
l PARIS HOUSE live music: Area Code
6pm
l PRISCILL A’S All Day Karaoke: Betty
Swollocks 2pm; Princess C*nty’s Sunday Funday 7pm
l QUEEN’S ARMS cabaret: Mrs Moore
6pm & 9.30pm
l SUBLINE Guilty Pleasures: DJ Screwpulous 9pm
G R O S V E N O R
) 16 Western Street, Hove, BN1 2PG, www.thegrosvenorbar.com
) OPEN daily from noon–late
) EASTER Easter Sunday (16) is the annual EASTER BONNET PARADE and charity DRAG RACES, organised by the Bedford Tavern and the Grosvenor to raise money for the Sussex Beacon from 12pm Prizes will be awarded for the best bonnets so everyone, young and old is encouraged to get crafty and make an Easter Bonnet for the parade at 1.30pm After the parade, place your bets on which Drag Queen or Drag King you think will be triumphant at the afternoon of Drag Racing
) ONE FOR THE DIARY Sat is top-flight CABARET from 9 30pm: Trudi Styles & the Piano Man (1), Miss Jason (8), Double Trouble (Maisie Trollette & Pooh La May) (15), Jason Lee (22) and Davina Sparkle (29)
) REGUL ARS Thur is MABEL’S BINGO from 8 30pm Fri is KARAOKE with Mysterr y at 9.30pm
l THREE JOLLY BUTCHERS Jazz Roast 3pm; Sunday roasts 12-5pm
MONDAY 10
l BRIGHTON SAUNA Bears night 6pm
l CHARLES STREET Studio 150 10 30pm
l LEGENDS BAR Miss Jason’s Madhouse 9 30pm
l PARIS HOUSE live jazz: Mick Hammer Trio 2pm; Oli Howe Trio 7pm
l PRISCILL A’S Monday Mayhem: Amar ta-Anna Hore 8pm
TUESDAY 11
l BAR 7@CRAWLEY Crewsday 9pm
l BAR BROADWAY The Regency Singers: open mic 9pm
l MARINE TAVERN Nat’s Quiz 9pm
l PRISCILL A’S Pink Pound: DJ Claire Fuller 8pm
l REVENGE Bangers & Trash: DJs Toby Lawrence & Trick 11pm
WEDNESDAY 12
l AMSTERDAM Quiz: Mark Flood 8pm
l BAR 7@CRAWLEY Fresh!: DJ Jazzy Jane 9pm
l BAR BROADWAY Open Mic Madness: Jason Thorpe 9pm
l BAR REVENGE Lip Sync For Your Life: Crystal Lubrikunt & prizes 9pm
l BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Ice: DJ Claire Fuller 11pm
l BRIGHTON SAUNA Naked Day 11am
l CAMELFORD ARMS Seniors’ lunch 23 30pm
l CHARLES ST Silly Willy Wednesdays: Drag With No Name 9pm
l PARIS HOUSE live jazz: Dan Car twright Trio 7pm
l PRISCILL A’S Priscilla Factor hosted by Candi Rell 8pm
l QUEEN’S ARMS Sally Vate’s Easter Special 9 30pm
l SUBLINE Happy Hump Day 9pm
l VELVET JACKS Quiz: cash prize 8pm
THURSDAY 13
l BAR 7@CRAWLEY Total Request Thursdays: DJ FRESH Princess 9pm
l BAR BROADWAY Quiz: host Ross Cameron & jackpot 8pm
l BAR REVENGE FOMO pre-par ty 9pm
l CAMELFORD ARMS Brighton Bear
£300 Easter Quiz: host Dale Drury, raising money for Rainbow Fund 8pm
l CHARLES ST Throwback Thursday
Easter Special: DJ, hostess Ms Joan Bond & Easter Egg hunt 9pm
l GROSVENOR BAR Abel Mabel’s Bingo 8.30pm
l MARINE TAVERN Throwback Thursday: 80s Jukebox 8pm
) FOOD Mon–Sat 12–5pm; Sunday lunch 12–3pm, choose from beef, pork, chicken or wholesome nut roast, served with seasonal veg, crisp roast potatoes, homemade Yorkshire pudding and real stock gravy
) DRINK PROMOS Buy one bottle of wine, get 2nd half price, Mon–Fri 12–11pm No promos over Bank Holidays
) EASTER Easter Sunday (16) CABARET with Mar tha
D’Ar thur, peddler of positivity, hard working lady and ‘original jukebox’ (120 songs now), from 3 30pm )
Easter Monday (17) is CABARET with JLo, not one but two cabaret stars of the stage, Miss Jason & Lola
Lasagne, from 3 30pm Miss Jason says: “The name JLo was Lola's idea - she's the clever one you know It's means Jason and Lola I can't stand Jennifer Lopez, she gets on my tits, dear But as I said it was Lola's idea and over the years I’ve found it is best not to argue with my sister Working with Lola is great fun; I enjoy her wit, she has the same wicked streak that I do, though she’s slightly more politically correct! So, I try to make her say naughty things Sometimes it works and she gets really cross with herself - that makes me giggle The show is really fun, I do whatever comes into my mind, which all depends on how much I've had to drink! I also love raucous crowds! Lola is the disciplinarian, so I leave the crowd control to her - she’s had the experience, you see, as she used to be a cattle herder when she was a girl Anyway, come along and see what happens We’re both strong girls and like to get our own way It's a battle of wills all the time with us Tell me, dear, which one of us would you put your money on?”If that’s not enough Miss Jason, then stay on for MISS JASON’S MAD HOUSE from 9 30pm
) REGUL ARS Sunday CABARET with top acts at 3.30pm: Lady Imelda (2), Miss Jason (9), Lucinda Lashes (23) and Drag With No Name (30) ) Mon is MISS JASON’S MAD HOUSE at 9.30pm
l PARIS HOUSE Brighton Jazz School
Talent Sessions 5pm; Musical Quiz: Miss Danny J’Adore 7 30pm
l PRISCILL A’S Pete Bennett’s Big Bender 8pm
l QUEEN’S ARMS Spice’s Disney Special 9 30pm
l REVENGE FOMO Easter Special: DJs 11pm
l SUBLINE Brace Yourself 9pm
l THREE JOLLY BUTCHERS Easter Quiz: cash jackpot 7.30pm
FRIDAY 14
l AMSTERDAM Sally Vate & Jason
Thorpe’s Easter Show 9pm
l BAR 7@CRAWLEY cabaret: Mary
Mac 11pm
l BAR BROADWAY Jukebox: My Gift Is My Song – And This One’s For You 5pm
l BAR REVENGE Pop-Tar tz warm-up 9pm
l BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Glitter: DJ David Noakes 11pm
l BOUTIQUE Good Friday: DJ Franco, Easter shots on arrival 10pm
l CAMELFORD ARMS Good Friday: hot cross buns & regular food 12pm; Friday Club 6pm
l CHARLES ST Fabulously Good Friday: DJ Morgan Fabulous, giveaways, topless bunny boys, bunny girls & Easter Eggs 9pm
l DR BRIGHTONS The Doctor’s Par ty: DJ 9 30pm
L E G E N D S B A S E M E N T C L U B
) 31-34 Marine Parade, BN2 1TR, Tel: 01273 624462, www legendsbrighton com ) OPEN Wed, Fri–Sun from 11pm; free entry
) ONE FOR THE DIARY Wed is Ice with DJ Claire Fuller melting the dancefloor with a hot mix of char t, house & R&B tunes
) REGUL ARS Fri is GLIT TER with DJ David Noakes sparkling up the star t of your weekend with char t & dance tracks ) Sat is FUSION with DJ Peter Castle spinning char t & club remixes to blow your mind from 11pm ) Sun is POP!CANDY with DJ Claire Fuller sweetening you up with a sugary mix of new and retro pop
l SUBLINE Big Easter Scrum + Subline Easter Egg Hunt with prizes 10pm
l ZONE cabaret: Spice 10pm
SATURDAY 15
l AMSTERDAM Easter SanFranDisco: DJ Mick Fuller 9pm
l BAR 7@CRAWLEY Annual Easter Beach Par ty 11pm
l BAR BROADWAY Jukebox: My Gift Is My Song – And This One’s For You 4pm
l BAR REVENGE WTF! warm-up 9pm
l BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS
Fusion: DJ Peter Castle 11pm
l BOUTIQUE Open Cocktail Masterclasses 8pm; DJ Klipz & Easter cocktails 10pm
l CHARLES ST Fierce: DJs on rotation 9pm
l DR BRIGHTONS Saturday Session: DJ Tony B 9 30pm
l GROSVENOR BAR cabaret: Double
Trouble (Maisie Trollette & Pooh La May 9.30pm
l LEGENDS BAR Pre-club DJs 7pm
l MARINE TAVERN Saturday Club 8pm
l PARIS HOUSE Live jazz 4pm; TC’s
Joyful Noise: DJ Kenny 9pm
l PRISCILL A’S All-Day Karaoke: Rita Lin 2pm; Linda Bacardi’s Big Night Out 7pm
l QUEEN’S ARMS cabaret: Miss Jason 9.30pm
l REVENGE WTF!: DJs over 2 floors 11 30pm
l SUBLINE In The Cave & Subline Easter Egg Hunt 9pm
l ZONE cabaret: Sophie Causbrook 9pm
SUNDAY 16
l AMSTERDAM Easter Sunday: An Evening with Jason Thorpe 9pm; roasts 12pm-till gone
l BAR 7@CRAWLEY DJ Bullard’s karaoke 8pm
l BAR BROADWAY Bank Holiday Showtune Karaoke: Sally Vate & Ross Cameron 8 30pm
l BAR REVENGE Sunday Club: DJs 9pm
l BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Easter Sunday Pop!Candy: DJ Claire Fuller 11pm
l BOUTIQUE Easter Sunday Special: DJs, live bands, cage dancers 10pm
l BRIGHTON SAUNA Naked Day 12pm
l CAMELFORD ARMS Easter Sunday Bear Bash, free food & raffle 5pm; roasts, select menu & Easter Eggs 12pm–till gone
l CHARLES ST Easter Sunday cabaret: Drag With No Name 7 30pm
l DR BRIGHTONS Bank Holiday Reflex 80s Night: DJ Adam Rice 9 30pm
l GROSVENOR BAR Annual Easter Bonnet Parade & Drag Racing 12pm
M A R I N E T A V E R N
) 13 Broad St, BN2 1TJ, Tel: 01273 905578, www marinetavern co uk
) OPEN daily from 12pm
) FOOD daily from 12–9pm; Tue is Curr y Night with curry for £1
7 30–8 30pm, Sunday roasts served 12–5pm
) ONE FOR THE DIARY Tue is the CURRY & QUIZ night with £1 curry served 7 30–8 30pm, then it’s a Brighton institution, NAT’S QUIZ, at 9pm, with beer and money to be won Nat says: “The quiz started in June 2003 and it’s still going strong It’s a good old- fashioned pub quiz that suits its surroundings - I like to call it a retro quiz There’s usually a warm a friendly crowd and no one takes it too seriously It’s a night to meet new people and quiz against them Plus, you get to hear my bad jokes so what more could you ask for?”
) REGUL ARS Sun is DRAG OPEN MIC with the ever-fabulous Stephanie Von Clitz at 9pm ) THROWBACK THURSDAY is with 1980s music from 8pm
l LEGENDS BAR Easter Sunday cabaret: Mar tha D’Ar thur 3 30pm; roasts 12–3pm
l MARINE TAVERN Sunday roasts 125pm; Drag Open Mic with Stephanie Von Clitz 9pm
l PARIS HOUSE live jazz: Miss Dionne 6pm
l PRISCILL A’S All Day Karaoke: Betty Swollocks 2pm; Princess C*nty’s Sunday Funday 7pm
l QUEEN’S ARMS cabaret: Dave Lynn 6pm & 9 30pm
l REVENGE Easter Sunday Special DJs 11pm
l SUBLINE Underbears Brighton Bears underwear par ty + Subline Easter Egg Hunt 9pm
l THREE JOLLY BUTCHERS Easter: Jazz Roast & Easter Eggs 3pm; Sunday roasts 12-5pm
l VELVET JACKS live music: Mike Newsham 4pm
l ZONE cabaret: JP Christian 6.30pm
MONDAY 17
l AMSTERDAM Hangover Brunch: full English breakfasts & Bloody Marys 10 30am
l BAR BROADWAY Fireplace Sessions pres a Mystery Guest 8 30pm
l BOUTIQUE Baby Boutique Easter Disco: soft play 2pm; Adult Boutique 4pm
l BRIGHTON SAUNA Fetish night 6pm
l CHARLES STREET Bank Holiday
Cabaret: Mary Mac 7 30pm; Sally’s Rock & Roll Bingo 8 30pm; Studio 150 10 30pm
l LEGENDS BAR Easter Monday
Cabaret: JLO (Miss Jason & Lola Lasagne) 3.30pm; Miss Jason’s Madhouse 9.30pm
l PARIS HOUSE live jazz: Mick Hammer Trio 2pm; Sara Oschlag Trio 7pm
l PRISCILL A’S Monday Mayhem: Amar ta-Anna Hore 8pm
l QUEEN’S ARMS Kara Van Park’s Bank Holiday Special 6pm
TUESDAY 18
l BOUTIQUE SWAG Under-18s Easter Special 4pm
l BAR 7@CRAWLEY Crewsday 9pm
l BAR BROADWAY The Regency Singers: open mic 9pm
l MARINE TAVERN Nat’s Quiz 9pm
l PRISCILL A’S Pink Pound: DJ Claire Fuller 8pm
l REVENGE Bangers & Trash: DJs Toby Lawrence & Trick 11pm
WEDNESDAY 19
l AMSTERDAM Quiz: Mark Flood 8pm
l BAR 7@CRAWLEY Fresh! 9pm
l BAR BROADWAY Open Mic Madness: Jason Thorpe 9pm
P A R I S H O U S E
) 21 Western Rd, BN3 1AF, Tel: 01273 724195, www parishousebrighton com ) OPEN daily from 12pm ) FOOD daily from 12pm–close
) ONE FOR THE DIARY Thursday is the Brighton Jazz School TALENT SESSIONS at 5pm; Miss Danny J’Adore’s MUSICAL QUIZ is at 7 30pm
) REGUL ARS Mon free LIVE JAZZ: Mick Hammer Trio at 2pm; more jazz 7pm: Sam Carlese Trio (3), Oli Howe Trio (10), Sara Oschlag Trio (17) and Sara’s Jazz Trio (24) ) Wed free LIVE JAZZ at 7pm: Fleur de Paris (5), Dan Car twright Trio (12), Sam Carlese Trio (19) and Jason Henson Trio (26) ) Fri PARTY TIME with guest DJ at 9pm ) Sat AND ALL THAT JAZZ live jazz at 4pm; TC'S JOYFUL NOISE with DJ Kenny at 9pm, free ) Sun LIVE JAZZ at 6pm: Simon Studd (2), Area Code (9 & 23) and Miss Dionne (16 & 30)
GOOD FRIDAY: Spend an evening with Sally & Jason! Expect songs, jokes and a whole lot of Easter silliness.
silliness Easter a songs, Expect Jason! & with an AY:FRIDAY brunc hangover and out Chill AY:MONDAY EASTER Thorpe Jason with evening An AY:SUNDAY EASTER Fuller Mick DJ
P R I S C I L L A S
) 129 St James’ Street, Brighton, BN2 1TH
Q U E E N S A R M S
) 7 George St, BN2 1RH, T: 01273 696873, thequeensarms.wix.com/thequeensarms
) OPEN Mon–Thur 6pm–midnight, Fri, Sat & Sun 2pm–midnight Come and see what all the fuss is about at Priscilla’s, Brighton's newest karaoke and cabaret fun bar It is open seven days a week for camp fun, frolics, karaoke and cabaret
) ONE FOR THE DIARY Sun (23) is a live performance from the sensational R uby Murr y who took Britain's Got Talent 2016 by storm with spectacular live vocals from 5pm Ruby is anything but a drag, having performed her act in front of audiences in the UK and abroad (of course, she’s known as the Queen of Ibiza) for the past few years The classic vocalist, hostess and all-round performer, had praise heaped on her at BGT after a stellar performance of Nessun Dorma with David Walliams saying: “"If only Pavarotti had dressed liked that! You are a fantastic singer ”
) OPEN 4pm Wed–Fri; 2pm Sat & Sun
) REGUL ARS Sat is all day KARAOKE with Rita Lin afternoon session 2-7pm and Linda Bacardi’s BIG NIGHT OUT from 7pm, camp tunes, karaoke, drinks promos and fun guaranteed! ) Sun is KARAOKE with Betty Swollocks afternoon sessions 2-7pm and Princess C*nty’s SUNDAY FUNDAY from 7pm ) Mon is MONDAY MAYHEM hosted by the fabulous Amar ta-Anna Hore from 8pm ) Tue is PINK POUND night with DJ Claire Fuller from 8pm entry £1 and £1 drinks ) Wed is PRISCILLA FACTOR with Candi R ell, £1,000 prize package from 8pm ) Thur is Pete Bennett’s BIG BENDER from 8pm ) Fri is all day KARAOKE with Betty Swollocks afternoon session 2-7pm and TFI FRIDAY with Gloria Hole from 7pm
l BAR REVENGE Lip Sync For Your Life Grand Final: Crystal Lubrikunt & prizes 9pm
l BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Ice: DJ Claire Fuller 11pm
l BOUTIQUE Single Mingle: singles night 8pm
l BRIGHTON SAUNA Naked Day 11am
l CAMELFORD ARMS Seniors’ lunch
2-3 30pm
l CHARLES ST Silly Willy Wednesdays: Drag With No Name 9pm
l LEGENDS BAR Pre-club DJs 7pm
l PARIS HOUSE live jazz: Sam Carlese Trio 7pm
l PRISCILL A’S Priscilla Factor hosted by Candi Rell 8pm
l QUEEN’S ARMS Sally Vate 9 30pm
l SUBLINE Happy Hump Day 9pm
l VELVET JACKS Quiz: cash prize 8pm
THURSDAY 20
l BAR 7@CRAWLEY Total Request Thursdays: DJ FRESH Princess 9pm
l BAR BROADWAY Quiz: host Ross
Cameron & jackpot 8pm
l BAR REVENGE FOMO pre-par ty 9pm
l CAMELFORD ARMS £300 Big Cash Quiz 9pm
l CHARLES ST Throwback Thursday: DJ
Ruby Roo & hostess Ms Joan Bond 9pm
l GROSVENOR BAR Abel Mabel’s Bingo 8.30pm
l MARINE TAVERN Throwback Thursday: 80s Jukebox 8pm
l PARIS HOUSE Brighton Jazz School
Talent Sessions 5pm; Musical Quiz: Miss
Danny J’Adore 7 30pm
l PRISCILL A’S Pete Bennett’s Big Bender 8pm
l QUEEN’S ARMS cabaret: Stephanie
Von Clitz 9.30pm
) EASTER Make the most of your Easter Bank Holiday Monday (17) with a spot of CABARET from disco diva and glamour puss Kara Van Park performing showtunes and a bit of camp from 6pm The songstress, whose hear t is in all things theatrical and glamorous, says: “I started doing cabaret completely by accident! I had been working with a good friend of Baga Chipz, who asked me if I’d ever done drag, which I hadn’t He and some other mates, suggested I give it a go and here I am I‘ve been very lucky and my act has grown and developed along with my fan base and audience I can’t quite believe how far I’ve come and the popularity I’ve gained I’m having a blast seeing everyone having a good time and I love belting out tunes Anyone who comes to see my show can expect a camp night of showtunes, big ballads and standards as well as high camp and glamour! I’m now a local girl so come and spend your Bank Holiday with me! It’ll be a great night for all ”
) ONE FOR THE DIARY Every Wed in April is Sally Vate’s EASTER SPECIAL from 9 30pm
) REGUL ARS Thur CABARET with top acts at 9.30pm: Miss Jason (6), Spice’s Disney Special (13), Stephanie Von Clitz (20) and Lola Lasagne (27) ) Edge yourself into the weekend with Fri CABARET at 9 30pm: R ose Garden (7), Sandra (14), Myra Dubois (21) and Drag With No Name’s Par ty (28) ) Sat with CABARET at 9 30pm: Lola Lasagne (1), Lucinda Lashes (8), Miss Jason (15), Gabriella Parrish (22) and Son of a Tutu (29) ) Sun is a double-helping of top CABARET at 6pm and 9.30pm: Elesha as Whitney & Tina Turner (2), Mrs Moore (9), Dave Lynn (16), Miss Penny (23) and Kara Van Park (30)
l REVENGE FOMO DJs 11pm
l SUBLINE Brace Yourself 9pm
l THREE JOLLY BUTCHERS Quiz: cash jackpot 7.30pm
FRIDAY 21
l AMSTERDAM Jason Thorpe’s Karaoke or Sally Vate’s Fun Friday Frolics 9pm
l BAR 7@CRAWLEY 7 Upstairs 9pm
l BAR BROADWAY Jukebox: My Gift Is
My Song – And This One’s For You 5pm
l BAR REVENGE Pop-Tar tz warm-up 9pm
l BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS
Glitter: DJ David Noakes 11pm
l BOUTIQUE DJ Franco 10pm
l CAMELFORD ARMS Friday Club 6pm
l CHARLES ST Fabulous Fridays: DJ Morgan Fabulous 9pm
l DR BRIGHTONS Funky Friday: DJ Nick Hirst 9.30pm
l GROSVENOR BAR Mysterry’s karaoke 9pm
l MARINE TAVERN Friday Night Live with Ruby Murry 9pm
) OPEN Sun-Wed 12pm-1am, Thur 12pm-2am, Fri & Sat 12pm-6am
) DRINK PROMOS 50% off all drinks Sun–Fri 5–9pm; from £2 50 every Fri & Sat Buy a drink on Thur, Fri & Sat to pick up discounted entry passes for Club Revenge
) ONE FOR THE DIARY Wed is LIP SYNC FOR YOUR LIFE with Cr ystal Lubrikunt, which is like karaoke but without the singing from 9pm Move those lips to your favourite song for a chance of winning £50 cash prize at the GRAND FINAL on Wed (19) plus a paid gig suppor ting Latrice R oyale on Bank Hol Monday on May 29 at Club Revenge! Crystal says: "The time has come to lip-sync of your life! Come on down and move those lips and shake them hips with me, Crystal Lubrikunt!"
) REGUL ARS Heat up the end of your weekend at SUNDAY CLUB with drink promos, free pool and all-star DJs spinning tunes from 9pm
SATURDAY 22
l AMSTERDAM SanFranDisco: DJ Mick Fuller 8pm
l BAR 7@CRAWLEY 7 Sins 9pm
l BAR BROADWAY Jukebox: My Gift Is My Song – And This One’s For You 4pm
l BAR REVENGE WTF! warm-up 9pm
l BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Fusion: DJ Peter Castle 8pm
l BOUTIQUE open cocktail masterclass 8pm; Spring Par ty: DJ Klipz 10pm
l CHARLES ST Fierce: DJs on rotation 9pm
l DR BRIGHTONS Saturday Session: DJ Tony B 9 30pm
l GROSVENOR BAR cabaret: Jason Lee 9 30pm
l LEGENDS BAR Pre-club DJs 7pm
l MARINE TAVERN Saturday Club 8pm
l PARIS HOUSE Live jazz 4pm; TC’s Joyful Noise: DJ Kenny 9pm
l PRISCILL A’S All-Day Karaoke: Rita Lin 2pm; Linda Bacardi’s Big Night Out 7pm
l QUEEN’S ARMS cabaret: Gabriella Parrish 9 30pm
l REVENGE WTF!: DJs over 2 floors 11 30pm
R E V E N G E
) 32-34 Old Steine, BN1 1EL, Tel: 01273 606064, www.revenge.co.uk
) OPEN Tue from 11pm, Thur, Fri & Sat from 10 30pm, Sun (16) from 11pm
) EASTER Thur (13) FOMO Easter Special with £1 drinks till midnight, entry £1 b4 12am with Facebook guest list ) Easter Sunday (16) with all-star DJs mashing up pop/r&b/cheese/dance tunes from 11pm
) REGUL ARS Fri is POP TARTZ with resident DJs on level 1 and big pop anthems from 10 30pm Level 2 theme nights: Fri (21) is LOVE SHACK with DJ Claire Fuller playing disco/power ballads/pop from 70s & 80s; (28) is FAT LIP with DJ Fifi rock/indie/metal/pop-punk DJ Fifi says: “Fat Lip is a really fun night for everyone, whether you’re a hardcore rock fan or just like a sing-along to Blur or The Killers There’s always such a party atmosphere and happy vibe so let your hair down and give Fat Lip a go! We love requests too Apologies in advance if you're ears are ringing in the morning!” ) Sat WTF with DJs and special guests over 2 floors ) Tue (till 18) BANGERS & TRASH with DJs Toby Lawrence & Trick big char t bangers/trashiest pop 11pm, £3 with pass from Bar Revenge, £2 NUS/student cardholders ) Tue (25) CHEESY TUESDAY guilty pleasures from 90s/00s, free
l SUBLINE Men’s Room: DJ Screwpulous 9pm
l ZONE cabaret: Tabitha Wild 10pm
SUNDAY 23
l AMSTERDAM Sunday roasts 12pmtill gone
l BAR 7@CRAWLEY DJ Bullard’s karaoke 8pm
l BAR BROADWAY Fireplace Sessions pres Sophie Causbrook 8.30pm
l BAR REVENGE Sunday Club: DJs 9pm
l BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS
Pop!Candy: DJ Claire Fuller 11pm
l BRIGHTON SAUNA Naked Day 12pm
l CAMELFORD ARMS Bear Bash, free food & raffle 5pm; roasts & select menu 12pm–till gone
l CHARLES ST cabaret: Miss Jason
7.30pm; Sally’s Rock & Roll Bingo 8.30pm
l LEGENDS BAR cabaret: Lucinda Lashes 3 30pm; roasts 12–3pm
l MARINE TAVERN Sunday roasts 125pm; Drag Open Mic with Stephanie Von Clitz 9pm
l PARIS HOUSE live music: Area Code 6pm
l PRISCILL A’S All Day Karaoke: Betty Swollocks 2pm with guest Ruby Murry 5pm; Princess C*nty’s Sunday Funday 7pm
l QUEEN’S ARMS cabaret: Miss Penny 6pm & 9 30pm
l SUBLINE Guilty Pleasures: DJ Screwpulous 9pm
l THREE JOLLY BUTCHERS Jazz Roast 3pm; Sunday roasts 12-5pm
MONDAY 24
l BRIGHTON SAUNA Transgender night 6pm
l CHARLES STREET Studio 150 10 30pm
l LEGENDS BAR Miss Jason’s Madhouse 9 30pm
l PARIS HOUSE live jazz: Mick Hammer Trio 2pm; Sara’s Jazz Trio 7pm
l PRISCILL A’S Monday Mayhem: Amar ta-Anna Hore 8pm
) DRINK PROMOS Wed draught pints £3 all night; Sat drink promos all night
) EASTER The GREAT SUBLINE EGG HUNT is all Easter Weekend with Easter eggs deviously concealed around the venue, some with great prizes to be redeemed at the bar ) Good Friday (14) THE BIG EASTER SCRUM from 10pm, £5 in spor ts wear or £7 ) Saturday (15) inter yourself under St James Street IN THE CAVE from 9pm, members £3 or £5 ) Easter Sunday (16) UNDERBEARS Brighton Bears Underwear Par ty at 9pm, £3 members or £5, 50% going to Rainbow Fund
) ONE FOR THE DIARY Thursday (27) is Club Silencio's MISSION TO URANUS evening of bizarre cabaret from 8 30pm, £6 Club Silencio say: “ We’re going Out of this World! Join Krispy the Klown and the gang for a voyage deep into Uranus! See how that sounds a bit like 'your anus'? Prizes for the finest space-age attire, think: The Jetsons, Cybermen, Barbarella, Forbidden Planet, Star Whores realness! When the Queen of Uranus kidnaps Princess Melania Trump, only freedom fighters Gingerella, Cr33p P Pedo and Han Job Solo can save her! All- new cabaret spectacular plus all the usual nonsense - peep show, life-drawing, drinks and dancing!”
) REGUL ARS Saturday MEN’S ROOM with DJ Screwpulous and heaving with men from 9pm, free b4 11pm, £3 after, guests £5 ) Sat (29) LEATHERMEN SOUTH free in leather or £5 ) Sunday (30) CUM IN YOUR PANTS underwear par ty, members free or £5
l MARINE TAVERN Nat’s Quiz 9pm
l PRISCILL A’S Pink Pound: DJ Claire Fuller 8pm
l REVENGE Cheesy Tuesday 11pm
WEDNESDAY 26
l AMSTERDAM Quiz: Mark Flood 8pm
l BAR 7@CRAWLEY Fresh! 9pm
l BAR BROADWAY Open Mic Madness: Jason Thorpe 9pm
l BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Ice:
DJ Claire Fuller 11pm
l BRIGHTON SAUNA Naked Day 11am
l CAMELFORD ARMS Seniors’ lunch 23.30pm
l CHARLES ST Silly Willy Wednesdays: Drag With No Name 9pm
l PARIS HOUSE live jazz: Jason Henson Trio 7pm
l PRISCILL A’S Priscilla Factor hosted by Candi Rell 8pm
l QUEEN’S ARMS Sally Vate 9.30pm
l SUBLINE Happy Hump Day 9pm
l VELVET JACKS Quiz: cash prize 8pm
THURSDAY 27
l BAR 7@CRAWLEY Total Request Thursdays: DJ FRESH Princess 9pm
l BAR BROADWAY Quiz: host Ross Cameron & jackpot 8pm
l BAR REVENGE FOMO pre-par ty 9pm
l CAMELFORD ARMS £300 Big Cash Quiz 9pm
l CHARLES ST Throwback Thursday: DJ
Ruby Roo & hostess Ms Joan Bond 9pm
l GROSVENOR BAR Abel Mabel’s Bingo 8 30pm
l MARINE TAVERN Throwback Thursday: 80s Jukebox 8pm
l PARIS HOUSE Brighton Jazz School
Talent Sessions 5pm; Musical Quiz: Miss
Danny J’Adore 7 30pm
l PRISCILL A’S Pete Bennett’s Big Bender 8pm
l QUEEN’S ARMS cabaret: Lola Lasagne
9 30pm
l REVENGE FOMO DJs 11pm
l SUBLINE Club Silencio’s Mission To Uranus: cabaret of the bizarre 8 30pm
) OPEN Tue–Thur 4–11 30pm, Fri & Sat 12–11 30pm, Sun 1–11pm
) FOOD Meat & cheese boards and wood-fired pizzas served all day, every day; roast potatoes on the bar on Sunday
) DRINK PROMOS all day every Tue
) EASTER Easter Sunday (16) is an intimate afternoon of LIVE CHILLED OUT TUNES with Mike Newsham and his guests from 4pm If you’re interested in performing then message Mike on Facebook
) REGUL ARS Wed is QUIZ NIGHT with a cash prize at 7 45pm for an 8pm star t
l THREE JOLLY BUTCHERS Quiz: cash jackpot 7 30pm
FRIDAY 28
l AMSTERDAM Jason Thorpe’s Karaoke or Sally Vate’s Fun Friday Frolics 9pm
l BAR 7@CRAWLEY 7 Upstairs 9pm
l BAR BROADWAY Jukebox: My Gift Is My Song – And This One’s For You 5pm
l BAR REVENGE Pop-Tar tz warm-up 9pm
l BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS
Glitter: DJ David Noakes 11pm
l BOUTIQUE DJ Franco 10pm
l CAMELFORD ARMS Friday Club
6pm
l CHARLES ST Fabulous Fridays: DJ
Morgan Fabulous 9pm
l DR BRIGHTONS Vinyl Friday: DJs playing vinyl only 9 30pm
Deal: two specials for £15 Mon–Wed, 12–7.30pm Private function room available
) EASTER Easter Sunday (16) is the JAZZ ROAST with chilled jazz & free Easter Eggs at 3pm
) REGUL ARS Thur is QUIZ NIGHT with £50 cash prizefrom 7 30pm Fri (7 & 21) is with DJ Havoxx playing tunes to get you moving from 7pm Sun is the JAZZ ROAST with chilled jazz at 3pm, free entry
) DRINK PROMOS all day Sun–Thur, till 7pm Fri & Sat; 2-4-£10 selected cocktails 5–8pm everyday
) EASTER Easter Sunday (16) is LIVE MUSIC with the sensational vocalist JP Christian from 6 30pm
) ONE FOR THE DIARY Don’t miss Sunday Bank Holiday (30) with live music from sensational vocalist JP Christian at 6 30pm JP is incredibly versatile and has a broad vocal range, enabling him to perform a number of styles - musicals to pop, rock, soul and swing from the last 60 years His cabaret sets are like a potted history of popular music, so he’s sure to perform songs that you know and love!
) REGUL ARS Fri is LIVE ENTERTAINMENT at 10pm: Stone & Street (7), Spice (14), Miss Jason (21) and Topsie R edfern (28) ) Sat is CABARET at 10pm: Davina Sparkle (1), Sally Vate’s Bir thday Show (8), Sophie Causbrook (15), Tabitha Wild (22) and Sally Vate (29)
l BAR REVENGE WTF! warm-up 9pm
l BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Fusion: DJ Peter Castle 8pm
l BOUTIQUE Open Cocktail
Masterclasses 8pm; DJ Oli 10pm
l CHARLES ST Fierce: DJs on rotation 9pm
l DR BRIGHTONS Saturday Session: DJ Tony B 9.30pm
l GROSVENOR BAR cabaret: Davina Sparkle 9 30pm
l LEGENDS BAR Pre-club DJs 7pm
l MARINE TAVERN Saturday Club 8pm
l PARIS HOUSE Live jazz 4pm; TC’s
Joyful Noise: DJ Kenny 9pm
l PRISCILL A’S All-Day Karaoke: Rita Lin
2pm; Linda Bacardi’s Big Night Out 7pm
l QUEEN’S ARMS cabaret: Son of a Tutu 9 30pm
l REVENGE WTF!: DJs over 2 floors 11 30pm
l SUBLINE Leathermen South 10pm
l ZONE cabaret: Sally Vate 10pm
SUNDAY 30
l AMSTERDAM Sunday roasts 12pmtill gone
l BAR 7@CRAWLEY DJ Bullard’s karaoke 8pm
l BAR BROADWAY Fireplace Sessions
pres Jason Thorpe & guest 8 30pm
l BAR REVENGE Sunday Club: DJs 9pm
l BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Pop!Candy: DJ Claire Fuller 11pm
l BRIGHTON SAUNA Naked Day 12pm
l CAMELFORD ARMS Bear Bash, free food & raffle 5pm; roasts & select menu 12pm–till gone
l CHARLES ST Bank Holiday cabaret: The Vixens 7 30pm
l DR BRIGHTONS Bank Holiday Reflex 80s Night: DJ Adam Rice 9.30pm
l LEGENDS BAR cabaret: Drag With No Name 3 30pm; roasts 12–3pm
l MARINE TAVERN Sunday roasts 125pm; Drag Open Mic with Stephanie Von Clitz 9pm
l PARIS HOUSE live music: Miss Dionne 6pm
l PRISCILL A’S All Day Karaoke: Betty Swollocks 2pm; Princess C*nty’s Sunday Funday 7pm
l QUEEN’S ARMS cabaret: Kara Van
Park 6pm & 9 30pm
l SUBLINE Cum in Your Pants: underwear night 9pm
l THREE JOLLY BUTCHERS Jazz Roast 3pm; Sunday roasts 12-5pm
l ZONE cabaret: JP Christian 6.30pm
PORTSMOUTH
l HAMPSHIRE BOULEVARD
1 Hampshire Terrace, Southsea TEL: 02392 297509
OPEN: Sun & Mon 9pm-2 30am, Wed & Thurs 7pm-2 30am, Fri & Sat 7pm-3am HAPPY HOURS: Sun all night, Wed & Thur 7pm-12am, Fri & Sat 7-10pm
l OLD VIC 104 St Paul’s Rd, Southsea www oldvicportsmouth co uk
SOUTHAMPTON
l EDGE Compton Walk, SO14 0BH www theedgesouthampton com
l ISOBAR 100c St Mary’s St, TEL: 02380 222028
l LONDON HOTEL 2 Terminus Terrace, SO14 3DT, www the-london co uk TEL: 02380 710652 Friendly bar with cabaret, DJs & food
) OPEN Sun & Mon 9pm–2.30am, Wed & Thurs 7pm–2.30am, Fri & Sat 7pm–3am
) HAPPY HOURS Sun drink deals all night, Mon select drinks £1 50 7pm–12am, Wed & Thur drink deals 7pm–12am, Fri & Sat 7–10pm
) EASTER Thur (13)–Sat (15) is the HB’s EASTER HALLOWEEN Fancy Dress Weekend with DJs Missy B, Luke Ennor, R uper t Ellick, Louie R obinson & Toby Lawrence every night from 9pm–6am with drag hosts: Aura- J on Thur, Cherr y Liquor on Fri and Danii Dior on Sat £5 b4 midnight, £6 after ) Sun (16) is DIVINE DISCO with DJs Lee Harris & Luke Ennor vocal house/commercial floor fillers, confetti & Co2 cannons, drag hosts & fire breathers, £5 b4 midnight, £6 after
) ONE FOR THE DIARY Sat (29) SATURDAY SESSION Bank Holiday Special with host Danii Dior & DJs R uper t Ellick & R ob Davis char t/commercial floor fillers 9pm–6am, free b4 11pm/£3 b4 midnight/£5 after Sun (30) is the BIG BANK HOLIDAY PARTY with DJ Luke Ennor 9pm–6am, £5 b4 midnight/£6 after
) REGUL ARS SATURDAY SESSIONS with host Danii Dior & DJ R uper t Ellick char t/par ty anthems, free b4 11pm/£3 b4 midnight/£5 after ) SUNDAY FUNDAY with DJ Luke Ennor, free entry ) Mon is 20SOMETHING with DJ Lee Harris & Luke Ennor, free b4 10pm/£3 b4 midnight/£5 after ) Wed is Alfie Ordinar y’s KARAOKE & Midweek Par ty at 7pm ) Thur is Aura- J’s KARAOKE games & show at 7pm ) THAT FRIDAY FEELING with host Cherr y Liquor, DJs on rotation, Co2, confetti & pyrotechnics, free b4 11pm/£3 b4 midnight/£5 after
SUNDAY 16
PORTSMOUTH
l HAMPSHIRE BLVD Easter Sunday Divine Disco: DJs Lee Harris & Luke Ennor + confetti/Co2 cannons, drag hosts & fire breathers till 2 30am
SOUTHAMPTON
l EDGE Pounded: DJ 11pm
l LONDON HOTEL Easter Sunday London Podium: DJ Fanny Love & Tiara Thunderpussy 8pm; roasts 12-3 30pm
MONDAY 17
PORTSMOUTH
l HAMPSHIRE BLVD 20something: DJs Lee Harris & Luke Ennor till 2.30am
SOUTHAMPTON
l EDGE DJs 11pm
TUESDAY 18
PORTSMOUTH
l OLD VIC Quiz 8pm SOUTHAMPTON
l EDGE video jukebox 11pm
WEDNESDAY 19
PORTSMOUTH
l HAMPSHIRE BLVD Alfie Ordinary’s karaoke
& mid-week par ty 7pm SOUTHAMPTON
l EDGE Bar 150: DJs & karaoke 10pm
THURSDAY 20
PORTSMOUTH
l HAMPSHIRE BLVD Aura-J’s karaoke, games & show 7pm
l OLD VIC karaoke 8pm
SOUTHAMPTON
l EDGE Pop!: DJ 11pm
l LONDON HOTEL Mellow Mar tha’s Music Box: karaoke 9pm
FRIDAY 21
PORTSMOUTH
l HAMPSHIRE BLVD That Friday Feeling: host Cherry Liquor & DJs on rotation till 3am
SOUTHAMPTON
l EDGE Get Some: DJs 10pm
l LONDON HOTEL Fairylea Friday: DJ Ruby Roo 8 30pm; cabaret: Miss Penny 10pm
SATURDAY 22
PORTSMOUTH
l HAMPSHIRE BLVD Saturday Sessions: host Danii Dior & DJ Ruper t Ellick till 3am
l OLD VIC DJs all night
LONDON HOTEL SOUTHAMPTON
) 2 Terminus Terr, SO14 3DT, Tel: 02380 710652, www the-london co uk
) OPEN daily from 12pm
) FOOD Mon–Sat 12–3pm; Sunday lunch 12–3 30pm
) EASTER Good Friday FAIRYLEA (14) with DJ R uby R oo and Drag With No Name at 10pm ) EASTER SUNDAY NIGHT ON THE LONDON PODIUM (16) DJ Fanny Love & Tiara Thunderpussy at 8pm
) ONE FOR THE DIARY SUNDAY NIGHT ON THE LONDON PODIUM features some of the UK’s top live performers tearing up the London stage from 8pm: Drag With No Name’s Silly Willy (2), Tanya Hyde & Dr Beverly Ballcrusher (9), DJ Fanny Love & Tiara Thunderpussy (16), Mrs Moore & Kara Van Park (23) and Lucinda Lashes & Miss Jason (30)
) REGUL ARS Thursday is MELLOW MARTHA’S MUSIC BOX with karaoke from 9pm ) Friday is FAIRYLEA with DJ R uby R oo and cabaret at 10pm: Son of a Tutu (7) Miss Penny (21) and R achel Hawnt (28) ) Saturday is GUILTY PLEASURES with DJs from 8 30pm: Dazza (1), Neil Sackley (8), Claire (15 & 29) and Lucinda (22)
SOUTHAMPTON
l EDGE The Big One: DJs 10pm
l LONDON HOTEL Guilty Pleasures: DJ Lucinda 8 30pm
SUNDAY 23
PORTSMOUTH
l HAMPSHIRE BLVD Sunday Funday: DJ Luke Ennor till 2 30am
SOUTHAMPTON
l EDGE Pounded: DJ 11pm
l LONDON HOTEL London Podium: Mrs Moore & Kara Van Park 8pm; roasts 123 30pm
MONDAY 24
PORTSMOUTH
l HAMPSHIRE BLVD 20something: DJs Lee Harris & Luke Ennor till 2 30am
SOUTHAMPTON
l EDGE DJs 11pm
TUESDAY 25
PORTSMOUTH
l OLD VIC Quiz 8pm
SOUTHAMPTON
l EDGE video jukebox 11pm
WEDNESDAY 26
PORTSMOUTH
l HAMPSHIRE BLVD Alfie Ordinary’s karaoke & mid-week par ty 7pm
SOUTHAMPTON
l EDGE Bar 150: DJs & karaoke 10pm
THURSDAY 27
PORTSMOUTH
l HAMPSHIRE BLVD Aura-J’s karaoke,
games & show 7pm
l OLD VIC karaoke 8pm
SOUTHAMPTON
l EDGE Pop!: DJ 11pm
l LONDON HOTEL Mellow Mar tha’s Music Box: karaoke 9pm
FRIDAY 28
PORTSMOUTH
l HAMPSHIRE BLVD That Friday Feeling: host Cherry Liquor & DJs on rotation till 3am
SOUTHAMPTON
l EDGE Get Some: DJs 10pm
l LONDON HOTEL Fairylea Friday: DJ Ruby Roo 8 30pm; cabaret: Rachel Hawnt 10pm
SATURDAY 29
PORTSMOUTH
l HAMPSHIRE BLVD Saturday Sessions Bank Holiday Special: host Danii Dior & DJs Ruper t Ellick & Rob Davis 9pm-6am
l OLD VIC DJs all night SOUTHAMPTON
l EDGE The Big One: DJs 10pm
l LONDON HOTEL Guilty Pleasures: DJ Claire 8 30pm
SUNDAY 30
PORTSMOUTH
l HAMPSHIRE BLVD Big Bank Holiday Par ty: DJ Luke Ennor 9pm-6am SOUTHAMPTON
l EDGE Pounded: DJ 11pm
l LONDON HOTEL Bank Holiday London
Podium: Lucinda Lashes & Miss Jason 8pm; roasts 12-3 30pm
DANCE MUSIC
BY QUEEN JOSEPHINE & KATE WILDBLOOD
ALBUMS
) However fleeting, that’s sunshine peeking through the clouds promising a summer of love and we reckon it’s time to prepare with some April wonders.
First up is the must hear low-down shady slo-mo beats of Greymatter’ s No Blood Without on Unique Uncut Records Quality
As are the ever mindexpanding adventures of electro, new wave, and EBM Hamburg heroine Helena Hauff’ s A Tape on Dark Entries, the bleeps and beeps of Tenacity 2017 and the funk fuelled session that is Rebirth 10 (Remixed) on Rebirth. Girl those grooves are fine.
Also ticking our April box this month is the Tooting brilliance of
Soulnaturals Love Says Yes! on British Soul Standard, the sublime sonic sensation that is Greg Gow’ s Lost Days on Social Experiment Records and the twisted dancefloor delights of Anthony Parasole’ s Infrared Vision on Dekmantel UFO.
Add our April besties courtesy of Terry Francis’ tech house opus Together on Hallucienda, Chopstick & Johnjon’ s exquisite Reviewed 01 on Suol and the divine Hector Romero’ s Weaving Genres on Nervous Records
And yes, as Bourgie Bourgie sings, we are living the life Enjoy
Catch Wildblood & Queenie’s Home Service on RadioReverb 97.2FM DAB radioreverb com April 1, 15 & 29 at 7pm perfectdistractions.com
WILDBLOOD & QUEENIE’S ADORED APRIL 12”
) BRESS UNDERGROUND The Jam Roots For Bloom
Those Shag Edits just keep getting finer and finer
) ATHLETE WHIPPET Friend Of Mine (Severino Remix) Squareglass
Warm-up for Horse Meat Disco at Patterns anyone?
) PONTY MYTHON Black Magic Burnin’ Music
And the prize for best band name goes to
) SANDY TURNBULL From The Start Galleria Records
Jackin’ soulful back-to-the-old-days house of the grand kind.
) SCOTT DIAZ Mistreated Grand Plans
Raw, soulful and perfect. Just how we like it.
) MOULLINEX Love Love Love Discotexas
Guaranteeing more disco spins than a kitchen appliance.
) TOMSON, Eddie Leader & Chez Damier I Am With You Hudd Trax
A beaut of a track that will haunt you all summer long
) CHEZ MOON Don't Need You Anymore Repopulate Mars
Repopulate Miami EP getting us hot under the collar
) ROBIN BALL Acid Stomp Memory Box
Making tunes as good as their parties, Memory Box deliver
) ASTROCAT Astrocat Honey Glazed Records
Feline fabulous destined to keep your pussy wiggling
DJ PROFILE: DAVID NOAKES
Where do you DJ?
I’m the Friday night resident DJ at Legends (11pm–4am) and also at Charles Street on monthly rotation, Revenge from time to time as well as some London clubs and various other venues – I always post my gigs on my Facebook page (David Noakes) I’m busy working on new material in my studio this week
What do you play?
In my own name I play house and a lot of bootlegs and remixes, some I do myself Production in my name is house but I also write for other artists in various styles from rock to pop and had a no 1 in Japan last year for the girlband Happiness with a song called Born to Be Free, which is on Youtube As Noaksey I released a dance tune Red Sky last year which got on to six compilations - Creamfields, Pacha etc - and got support from Martin Garrix, The Magician and many more
All time fave tune?
This is hard as I love everything from The Beatles to house with a lot in between! Club-wise, Insomnia by Faithless ranks highly
Best thing about DJing in Brighton?
I live here, haha! The mix of people is vast, London has a great clubbing scene but in Brighton it’s cosier and people seem more connected
Ultimate dream gig?
EDC would be great or V or Creamfields Club-wise I’ve not yet played at Ministry though I’ve been itching to for ages So that’s my first choice
Tune you wish you’d never played?
Hmmm I won’t name one but it’s usually giving in to someone drunk nagging me over and over convinced their tune will go down well and that’s not always the case! But now I will only play a request if it fits and will work as it’s not fair on the rest of the dancefloor
Guilty pleasure?
Star Trek! That and Bailey’s, which I don’t often drink but love
Describe yourself in three words? Ambitious, determined, friendly
DJ DAVID NOAKES’ CURRENT TOP FIVE
) JAX JONES feat Raye You Don’t Know Me (my Quickmix) White
) JONAS BLUE feat Raye By Your Side (Extended mix) Virgin EMI
) BECKY HILL Warm (Midnight City remix) Eko
) RIHANNA Umbrella (David Noakes’ remix) White
) RYAN BLYTH Show Me (Club mix) new State Music
GEEK SCENE
COMICS
) One of my favourite TV shows as a kid, maybe even favourite ever, is Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Not the mammoth series that it became that changed Rangers every year, I’m talking about the original three seasons and by extension Power Rangers Zeo and Turbo. If you ’ ve never seen it, why not? Check it out on Netflix ASAP! It’s fun, light-hearted and yet can be emotional and heart-warming with some kick arse fighting scenes thrown into the mix. Oh, and giant robots too because this is based on a Japanese series so you must have giant robots!
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers is about a group of teenagers with attitude chosen by an intergalactic being called Zordon to protect the Earth from alien invaders, specifically the villainous witch Rita Repulsa and the evil Lord Zedd. The teenagers (looking more like they’re in their mid-20s) use morphers to change them into superpowered warriors and gain the power to pilot Zords: huge mechanised robots based on pre-historic animals like the T-Rex and the Sabre-Tooth Tiger.
Last month saw the release of the movie reboot so let’s look at the latest comic book series based on the franchise which is consistently brilliant. Published by Boom! Studios, the series follows the original six Rangers but in an alternate previously unseen timeline which has a more mature tone than the TV series and is more in line with the tone of the reboot movie Most of the same events of the TV series still happened with the five teens being recruited by Zordon and Tommy (the sixth ranger) being an evil Ranger created by Rita and then joining the team once his brainwashing was cured. The series also contains new events, such as the comedy relief, Bulk and Skull, being recruited by Zordon and becoming previously unseen Power Rangers to save the main team, which is all very much like the first story of the All New Uncanny X-Men series My favourite new storyline follows Kimberly, the first Pink Ranger, who after leaving the team must use the power within her to become an all new Pink Ranger to save the world It’s a cool story about female empowerment and I love seeing the original Pink Ranger kicking arse again
The series is fantastically written by three writers with the main writer, Kyle Higgins, a personal favourite of mine who wrote the amazing first New 52 series of Nightwing (my fave DC character!) On top of that, the art is truly beautiful especially the covers which are more than worthy of being framed! If you ’ re a huge fan of the series or just fancy reading a cool comic, this series is one you should definitely look into
GAMES
) As this month is all about Power Rangers, it’s about time we looked at the video games based on this classic series Below I’ve highlighted a few of my favourite Power Rangers games, most of which are of course for the consoles of the 1990s If you don’t have access to the consoles and want to play these games, you can always try downloading an emulator and experience them that way. The new movie is based on the first series of the show, so I’m only looking at the video games based on the Mighty Morphin line of the Power Rangers franchise and not anything from Zeo to Super Megaforce.
By far my favourite of the original series’ games was the first one on the SNES, shockingly called Mighty Morphin Power Rangers! The gameplay consists of a side-scrolling fighting game where you can take control of any of the five original Rangers and beat up a hell of a lot of putty patrollers. Unique to this game is the fact that you play as your chosen character unmorphed until you reach a boss with each of the five having their own fighting style Zack does his hiphop akido (dancing mixed with martial arts) while Billy is unconfident and bumbling with his fighting moves The soundtrack and graphics are fantastic with each Ranger looking just like their on-screen counterparts. As it is my personal favourite Power Rangers game I am a little biased but I promise you that anyone who wants a memorable game based on this amazing series could do much worse.
For Sega fans, Power Rangers The Movie for the Mega Drive is almost as good as the original SNES game. Playing much like Streets of Rage, but with Power Rangers, the gameplay consists of a side-scrolling beat ‘ em up for up to two players with all the Rangers from the movie present. The action is fluid and fun with the graphics and soundtrack once again being brilliant and instantly memorable. Anyone with a Mega Drive should grab this game and add it to their collection!
Fighting game fans should check out Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Fighting Edition for the SNES. It’s based solely on the latter segment of most episodes where the rangers jump into their giant robots which combine to become the Mega Zord This is usually because the bad guy has become gigantic thanks to the powers of Rita Repulsa or Lord Zedd All the Mega Zords on the show at the time are available to control as well as certain villains like Goldar, Lord Zedd and even movie bad guy Ivan Ooze Although the game is fairly simple, any fans of the series will find it a fun and enjoyable game
A R T S
BRIGHTON CENTRE
Kings Road, Brighton, Box office: 0844 847 1515
) NE-YO (Sat 1) The singer/songwriter plays hits Stay, Champagne Life and Let Me Love You (Until You Learn to Love Yourself)
) CARO EMERALD (Fri 14) Since her 2010 multi-platinum debut album Deleted Scenes From The Cutting Room Floor Emerald has fashioned her own niche. Gorgeous and stylish, Caro blends retro jazz with sampling and modern pop to create her signature sound. ) DIVERSITY (Tue 18). After their 31-date Up Close and Personal tour, Diversity’s new tour Genesis is the concluding part of their super hero fantasy epic and follows ‘Limitless: The Reboot’
ACTUALLY GAY MEN'S CHORUS
St Andrew’s Church, Waterloo St, Hove, www.actuallygmc.org
) ACTUALLY GAY MEN'S CHORUS BRING ON THE MEN (7 30pm, Sat 8) An eclectic evening of song which recognises music’s leading men, award-winning songwriters and lyricists, who inspire audiences with more than a dash of testosterone. Conducted by MD Samuel Cousins with cabaret artiste Miss Jason and guest soprano Sophie Causbrook. The evening is raising money for The Rainbow Fund and Inclusion For All Tickets £12/£10 concs from: www.actuallygmc.org
BAD GIRLS
The Old Market, Upper Market St, Hove, Box office: 01273 201801
) BAD GIRLS: THE MUSICAL (Tue 18–Sat 22). Based on the iconic TV series and set in the fictional HMP Larkhall, Bad Girls is the story of
new idealistic Wing Governor Helen Stewart and her battles with the entrenched old guard of Officer Jim Fenner and his sidekick Sylvia “Bodybag” Hollamby Featuring a host of well-known characters, from Shell Dockley, Denny Blood, Noreen Biggs and Yvonne Atkins, the musical with a fabulous jazz, swing, rock, score played by a live band tells the stories of these characters that are ‘all banged up ’ for being fantastically Bad!
) BENT DOUBLE (Sun 2) A gayfriendly, irreverent night of fun and frolics hosted by Zoe Lyons (Mock The Week and Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow) Featuring headliner Alistair Barrie with Desiree Burch, Julie Jepson and guest MC Jen Brister.
BROADWAY LOUNGE
Upstairs @ Bar Broadway, 10 Steine St, Brighton
) LAUGHTER IN THE LOUNGE (8pm, Sat 29) Monthly stand-up comedy night with six comedians from London and the south coast taking to the stage, entry £3
EYES WIDE OPEN eyeswideopencinema.co.uk
Duke’s at the Komedia Brighton’s queer cinema collective presents:
) THE FILMS OF KENNETH ANGER (Tue 18). One of the 20th Century's most important and influential filmmakers, Kenneth Anger changed the landscape of both queer and experimental cinema irrevocably With his visually
arresting, sometimes erotic, sometimes mystical, and always singular films, Anger's visions have a significant legacy of their own This selection of some of his most celebrated films Fireworks; Eaux D’Artifice; Scorpio Rising: Kustom Kar Kommandos; Lucifer Rising are just as impactful today Introduction by Dr Thomas Houlton. Fabrica Gallery, Duke Street, Brighton, fabrica.org.uk
) ALI: FEAR EATS THE SOUL (Fri 21). The rain is unrelenting and the middle-aged woman needs shelter, so she steps in to a bar playing Arabic music A handsome young Moroccan man asks her to dance, and from this unexpected proposition, an electric connection is sparked Fassbinder’s film evokes the work of queer auteur Douglas Sirk in both its aesthetic and its astute social commentary and explores love and desire across the boundaries of age and race. Ali being played by the director’s own romantic partner El Hedi ben Salem imbues this masterpiece film with further queer significance.
A relaxed and informal life drawing experience to kick off Sex With The Lights On and celebrate all things kink Basic materials are provided: Drawing Board, Paper, Pencils, Rubbers, Charcoal, and Tape ) C*NT QUIZ (Thu 6) Text your knowledge about bodies, sexuality, pleasure, and all things vagina- and non-vagina-inclusive-related! Hosted by award-nominated Australian comedian Nicole Henriksen, it’ll be anything but subtle, and a whole lot of fun!
Henriksen is an alternative Australian comedian, known for her unique brand of absurd, pro-femme, queer-posi comedy
) THE TALK (Fri 6–Sat 7). A terribly undomesticated evening from one of Australia’s rising theatre stars. It’s one account of what happens when you start talking about sex with your family: what ‘the talk’ is, and what it shouldn’t be
) F*CK GENDER (Sat 8) Ever wondered what your sexual self would look like without the constraints of gender? What might arousal be like if you could undo some of those pesky gendered associations? This workshop experience aims to create a safe, loving and compassionate container for people of all genders, body types, identities, and with any degree of prior experience to explore. There will be a group discussion, small group and pair work and some practical exercises Facilitated by H, a non-binary, trans identified, queer sex worker, educator and porn performer The workshops are ideal for gender nonconforming, non-binary, trans* and queer folk, and for anyone navigating queer or marginalised bodies – their own or others.
TRAUMFRAU
Attenborough Centre for The Creative Arts, Gardner Centre Rd, Falmer, BN1 9RA, www.brownpapertickets.com/even t/2901471
) TRAUMFRAU THE INFAMOUS ACCA QUEER TAKEOVER (Fri 9). Who let the weirdos touch the nice things?! Traumfrau is taking over ACCA for a night of infamous fun, music, DJs, live art and performance All queer All completely over the top Music from: DJ Naam, Butch Please and DJ Russo; shows: Almost Xav with Tomato Jolly Time, Travis Alabanza with Obstacle Burgurz plus VJS, live art and lots and lots of Dancing! Tickets £10/£7 (concs & University of Sussex students) and £5 early bird.
ALL THAT JAZZ
) MILES DAVIS QUINTET Freedom Jazz Dance: The Bootleg Series Vol 5 (Sony Legacy). Ignore the stupid marketing as there’s nothing in the least bootleg here. To me, a bootleg is an illegal, usually secret, live recording of an artist or band that hasn’t been given permission. This set is about as legal as can be - the studio tapes made by Columbia Records of the great Miles Davis Quintet in 1966–68 during the recording of the Miles Smiles and Nefertiti albums Over four CDs, you can hear how 11 songs were painstakingly assembled, their initially simple ideas worked on and refined over many hours of recording The importance of this music is that Miles Davis had at this point pulled together a second quintet to replace the one he’d previously led with John Coltrane The mercurial Wayne Shorter is on tenor saxophone, Ron Carter is the stellar bassist, Herbie Hancock the light-touch pianist and Tony Williams, in his early 20s, the extraordinary drummer. Their music was a mixture of increasing abstraction with basic blues forms, ethereal and beguiling, that never resolved its tensions or gave way to cliché. For many, this is Miles at his greatest, but I suspect only completists will want to fork out for this lavish set.
) WADADA LEO SMITH America’s National Parks (Cuneiform). Another trumpeter, but one of a very different stripe. Wadada Leo Smith has long been a mainstay of the avant-garde but in recent years has made a series of great and grand thematic albums, often with his Golden Quintet. His latest is a celebration of America’s national parks, although three of the six tracks on this double CD are named after places in the USA like the Mississippi River that aren’t actually national parks All the music is fully scored, with plenty of space for the musicians to improvise The approach is serious, elegiac and in places magisterially grand, an evocation of the natural beauty found at Yosemite and Yellowstone. Smith’s declamatory trumpet cuts through with blears and smears, while cello and bass revolve around each other in resonant contrasts. Piano and drums make their own commentaries. Both serious and spiritual, this is fine music to be slowly savoured.
) CHRIS THILE & BRAD MEHLDAU Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau (Nonesuch). This must be a first in any style of music. Brad Mehldau is a renowned American pianist, Chris Thile an equally renowned American mandolinist, but the combination of their instruments is usually avoided as a potentially catastrophic mismatch. Not here it ain’t. When Mehldau saw Thile play in New York he was hugely impressed When asked to host a residency at London’s Wigmore Hall, he immediately booked Thile to play in a duo This double CD is the result Half the tracks are own compositions, the rest interlopers, including Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan songs, Elliott Smith’s Independence Day, and a powerful version of standard I Cover The Waterfront. The mandolin suggests bluegrass music, and Mehldau responds as if picking out his notes like a finger-pickin’ guitarist. Add in Thile’s airy, almost falsetto voice, and you have an unclassifiable and rather wonderful success.
) THE 2017 LOVE SUPREME FESTIVAL is at Glynde Place (June 30 –July 2). Among the headliners are Herbie Hancock, George Benson and the Robert Glasper Experiment, with many more fine acts on the other stages. For more info: www.lovesupremefestival.com/
ART MATTERS
I’m beginning with two shows that I’m involved in this month, before moving on to more local events.
) My work is also included in STORYBOARD (Apr 14–May 7), a group show with Miranda Boulton, Rosin Fogarty, Suzanne Holtom, Gareth Kemp and Lexi Strauss. The exhibition explores how the artists have responded and manipulated the temporal process of paint.
BRIGHTON MUSEUM & ART GALLERY
Royal Pavilion Gardens, Brighton BN1 1EE, brightonmuseums.org.uk
) CONSTABLE AND BRIGHTON (Apr 8–Oct 8) explores John Constable’ s time in the fashionable seaside resort, where he stayed with his family between 1824 and 1828 Working between Brighton and London, he produced around 150 works in the town The display brings together over 60 of his sketches, drawings and paintings of Brighton for the first time, in the place where they were created Highlights include Chain Pier, Brighton (1826, Tate ), Rainstorm Over The Sea (c 1824-28, Royal Academy of Arts ), A Windmill Near Brighton (1824, Tate), his painting box, his children’s toy stagecoach, and the gold medal he won for The Hay Wain when it was exhibited at the Paris Salon of 1824.
UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON GALLERY
58-67 Grand Parade, Brighton BN2 0JY, arts.brighton.ac.uk
) GEORGE HARDIE FIFTY ODD YEARS (until Apr 7) is a retrospective of work by renowned graphic designer, illustrator and educator George Hardie, artist behind some of the most iconic album covers of 20th Century. Having trained at St Martin’s and the Royal College of Art, Hardie worked as a designer/ illustrator for more than 40 years for clients around the world He was the artist behind Led Zeppelin’s debut album Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon Having taught illustration at the University of Brighton from the early 1980s until his retirement in 2014, he continues with PhD students, having become Professor in 1990
TOM FARTHING - STILL LIFE (Apr 8–29) known for his figurative paintings, here presents a series of still life-inspired works.
JERWOOD GALLERY
Rock-a-Nore Rd, Hastings, TN34 3DW www.jerwoodgallery.org ) IN FOCUS: EILEEN AGAR - BRIDE OF THE SEA (until Jun 4) is an overview of her work including works from the Tate Collection, Tate Archive, the Royal Academy of Arts, Government Art Collection and Arts Council Collection. Agar attended Leon Underwood’s studio school and the Slade School of Fine Art, and was the only female British artist represented in the influential International Surrealist Exhibition in London
CL ASSICAL NOTES
REVIEWS
) Alexander Scriabin (18721915) was born just one year before fellow pianist-composer, Rachmaninov. However, Scriabin’s music went in a much more dissonant and individual direction than the more accessible and tonal music of his contemporary His
music can be hard to make immediate sense of, but then as his ten Piano Sonatas demonstrate, once you join his soundworld, there is much to reward your attention Peter Donohoe remarkably performs all ten sonatas in a single concert (well over two hours of music) – catch him at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama (23 April). The moody and dark first sonata was written when Scriabin was 20, when he had damaged his right hand from overpractising, and thought it was the end of his performing career. A freer second sonata, inspired by his first sight of the sea in Latvia, is followed by the deeper, soulsearching third The fourth’s Wagnerian harmonies are almost jazz-like and improvisatory, and the fifth has an incredibly passionate climax, with hammering chords By the sixth, conventional tonality is almost gone, and the mysterious harmonies are deeply unsettling –even Scriabin found it ‘frightening’ and wouldn’t play it in public. The White Mass seventh combines weighty textures with extensive use of rippling trills. The eighth is more anxious than overtly turbulent, which Donohoe brings out well, with some almost skittish, impetuous passages, before disappearing away to nothing The ninth, Black Mass, is full of ‘satanic’ tri-tones and chromatic scales, whereas the final sonata, which he described as his ‘sonata of insects’, is full of light and radiance. The
recording is rounded off by one of Scriabin’s final works, Vers la Flamme, his representation of rising heat, growing from nothing to brilliance, with the heat of the sun eventually destroying the world So, a mammoth range here, and Donohoe takes us on a wild journey through these highly individual works The weight of his playing, particularly in the rapturous seventh, as well as his anxious filigree in the eighth, and the full-on romantic flourishes of the fourth and fifth amply demonstrate his phenomenal range. The virtuosic command on show here is almost forgotten as the depth of his performances of these dark and complex works engulfs you. Somm SOMMCD262-2
) German mezzo-soprano Gerhild Romberger, with pianist Alfredo Perl, has recorded three of Gustav Mahler’ s (1860-1911) song cycles. Most are better known in their orchestrated versions, so it is good to hear them in this form Here we
have the Rückert-Lieder, the Kindertotenlieder (also with texts by Friedrich Rückert), and the Lieder Eines Fahrenden Gesellen (Songs of a Wayfarer) Romberger has a rich mezzo voice, well suited for Mahler, and can regularly be heard in the symphonies, appearing several times at the Proms. Her full tones are demonstrated in Blicke Mir Nicht In Die Lieder from the Rückert-Lieder, yet in the first of this set, Liebst Du Um Schönheit, his private piece for Alma and the only one he didn’t orchestrate, the tender lifts to high notes have great poise Romberger gives a heartfelt performance of Ich Bin
Der Welt Abhanden Gekommen, although perhaps a little over controlled for this desperate plea The Lieder Eines Fahrenden Gesellen have strong links with the first symphony, the rustic Ging Heut
Morgen’ and the melancholic Die Zwei Blauen Augen both appearing there However, it is in the third song, Ich Hab’ Ein Glühend Messer, that Romberger gives full vent, with wild anguish and high drama. In the heartfelt Kindertotenlieder, which draw on some of the 428 poems Rückert wrote following the death of his children, Romberger again shows great control in the rising lines of Nun Seh’ Ich Wohl, and pianist Perl has the opportunity to shine in the first song of the cycle A commanding set, and Romberger and Perl present a strong argument for these pared down versions of Mahler’s finest songs MDG 9031972-6
) The Doric String Quartet has released their second CD of String Quartets by Franz Schubert (17971828). Here they pair the wonderful Quartettsatz, a single movement of his projected but unfinished twelfth quartet, with his final String Quartet in G major. The Dorics open the Quartettsatz with glassy determination, giving this miniature masterpiece great clarity and energy The final String Quartet in contrast comes it at over 50 minutes, and is a mighty challenge Again, the Dorics attack this with high energy, intensity and precision throughout There is high
CINEMA
drama here, and despite the G major key, Schubert shifts between major and minor right at the start, highlighting the conflicting moods that run throughout. The Dorics give the frequent tremolandi an edge of anxiety, and the slow movement is dark and mournful. It
is only in the Trio of the Scherzo that follows that there is any sense of calm, and the players relish the successive duet writing here. But the finale dashes all this to one side, and in its relentless race to the finish, the players never lose attention to detail, whilst maintaining impressive intensity and energy to the last Catch them in the Brighton Festival (26 May) Chandos CHAN10931
Reviews, comments and events: v nicks-classical-notes.blogspot.co.uk t @nickb86uk ) nbclassical@hotmail.co.uk
) George Balanchine’ s ballet, Jewels (Tues 11), with music by Fauré, Stravinsky and Tchaikovsky, performed live by the Royal Ballet from the Royal Opera House
) Robin Ticciati conducts Tchaikovsky’ s Eugene Onegin (Sat 22) from the MET Opera, with Anna Netrebko and Peter Mattei. In local cinemas, including: Duke’s @ Komedia Brighton, Cineworld Eastbourne and Connaught Cinema, Worthing.
BRIGHTON DOME
CONCERTS
ST MARTIN’S CHURCH
Lewes Rd, Brighton, www.bremf.org.uk
) The BREMF Consort of Voices (6pm, Sat 8), perform Meditation, early renaissance English music by Fayrfax and Ludford.
www.brightondome.org, 01273 709709
) The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Pete Harrison (7.30pm, Sat 22), perform Heroes & Legends – music from the movies, including scores by John Williams, Maurice Jarre and Miklos Rozsa
) The London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Joshua Weilerstein (7.30pm, Sat 29), perform Sibelius, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov’ s Piano Concerto No. 2, with Mark Bebbington (piano).
) PRIDE AND JOY: A GUIDE FOR LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANS PARENTS by Sarah and Rachel Hagger-Holt (Pinter & Martin, £11.99). There’s always been LGBT parents, but now there’s a 'gayby boom'. Changes in social attitudes, the law and medical technology mean that more LGBT people are becoming parents, and living proud and open family lives. Yet there are still few role models. Pride And Joy is full of stories, advice and real-life experience from LGBT parents and their children. Sometimes funny, moving and surprising, every story sheds new light on what it’s like for LGBT people raising children in the UK and Ireland today All of them constructive, healthy and loving families filled with honest appraisal and love Pride And Joy is positive and practical It’s inclusive and sees things from a LGBT perspective, covering everything from starting a family, dealing with schools, talking with children about different families and maintaining an LGBT identity as a parent. This is essential reading for anyone who wants to better understand issues facing LGBT families, including parents or prospective parents, extended families, friends, social workers, teachers and other professionals. Superb.
) MARGOT & ME by Juno Dawson (Hot Key Books, £7.99). How can you hate someone in the present and love them in the past? Fliss's mum needs to recuperate from a long illness so they move to the country to live with Margot, Fliss's stern and enigmatic grandmother Life on the farm is tough and life at school even tougher, so when Fliss unearths Margot's wartime diary, she sees an opportunity. But Fliss discovers Margot's life during the war was full of adventure, mystery and surprising passion. She learns a secret and as she struggles with huge changes in her life and circumstances, it’s Margot who seems to be the rock to cling to. As much a funny retro romance as a tear jerker, Dawson has produced an inclusive and fun book about the things our heart leads us to do,
how people deal with difficult times and constricting circumstances and the impact they have on who we become and the families we create
) WHEN WE RISE: MY LIFE IN THE MOVEMENT by Cleve Jones (Constable, £13 99) Born in 1954, Cleve was among the last generation of gay Americans who grew up wondering if they were the only gays. He found community in the ramshackle apartments shared by other young adventurers, in the city's bath houses, gay bars and burgeoning gay district, the Castro. With Harvey Milk's encouragement he dove into politics and found his calling in ‘the movement’ When Milk was assassinated in 1978, he took up his mentor's progressive mantle only to see the arrival of
AIDS transform his life once again By turns tender and uproarious, he chronicles the heartbreak of losing friends to AIDS; his co-founding of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation; his conception of the AIDS Memorial Quilt; the story of 1970s San Francisco and the magnetic spell it cast for many young gay people and other misfits; and the harrowing, sexy, and hilarious stories of Cleve's relationships with friends and lovers during an era defined by unprecedented freedom and violence alike This is not only the story of a hero to the LGBTQ community, but the vibrant memoir of a full and transformative life I needed to read this right now to remind myself of the strong beating heart of the US and how passionate committed people like Jones can inspire us further. Inspiring. (Now a US mini TV series based on this book).
) CRITICAL & EXPERIENTIAL: DIMENSIONS IN GENDER AND SEXUAL DIVERSITY edited by Previn Karian (Resonance, £42.99). A multidisciplinary collection of chapters on gender and sexual diversity (GSD) that moves beyond the LGBTQ acronym to include non-binary and heterosexual variation by academics, practitioners and activists from the UK, US, Canada, Russia and India Although aimed at the practitioner and professional, there’s much here for the informed layperson, not least the voices of people living lives of delicate complexity and discussing openly and with clarity the ways and means of developing one ’ s identity, life choices and experiences based on what’s true to you There are profoundly interesting chapters that challenge as much as inform Anyone with an interest in non-pathologising discussions of gendered identities
and sexual practices will find this invaluable in a process of personal understanding or development
This is Karian’s personal rebut to the shock of latent homophobia at a conference in London a few years back and its clear tone and clarity of vision pushes against ignorance and harmful assumptions on the professional level and many others. Complex and insightful this is certainly food for thought
) GAY IN THE 80s: FROM FIGHTING OUR RIGHTS TO FIGHTING FOR OUR LIVES by Colin Clews (Troubador, £14 99) The 1980s heralded many challenges for LGBT people around the world The rise of the New Right in the USA; Section 28; the trial of Gay’s The Word book shop in the UK; and the continuing criminalisation of homosexuality in the majority of Australian states. Underpinning all this was the unfolding of the AIDS crisis, a time when LGBT people realised they were not just fighting for their rights but fighting for their lives But it wasn’t all doom By the end of the 1980s there had been real progress Major political parties had LGBT rights in their manifestos, trades unions took up the cause and regional legislators introduced anti-discrimination laws and policies. LGBT people became more prolific in film, TV, music and literature and the LGBT community grew significantly. Clews examines the dynamics behind the changes: some the result of prolonged campaigns; others stemmed from the influence of the pink £/$; others a consequence of the growing anger at government intransigence to the AIDS crisis Gay In The 80s covers the broad political context of the 1980s and takes a comparative approach to events in these countries from Clews’ personal experience
WHAT MAKES AN ADDICT?
SEX ADDICTION: THE LECTURE
Spencer Charles Smith chats to Tommy (aka The Queer Historian) about his new project, Sex Addiction: The Lecture - his attempts to recover from his sex addictions.
) It was a sunny Thursday afternoon when I sat down with Tommy in Alcampo Lounge to discuss his latest solo-show in this year ’ s Fringe. Tommy isn’t a stranger to Gscene, having contributed articles in the past on queer mental health, queer history and Russell Tovey. With shandies in hand, because it felt like summer, we dove right in.
Tommy is a recovering sex addict. In three years, Tommy slept with 3,597 men; he has spent the last five years in recovery.
“Sex Addiction: The Lecture is about my recovery as an addict and how people struggle to class sex as an addiction.”
For years Tommy has faced criticism from both friends and acquaintances who refuse to consider sex as addictive and destructive as more commonly known addictions like drugs, alcohol and gambling.
Since this show explores the concept of addiction, I think it’s useful to begin with a dictionary.com definition: addiction – the state of being enslaved to a habit, or practice (or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming) to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma With this in mind, the concept of addiction can be broadened to any excessive activity that becomes oppressive and/or destructive to
anyone compelled to perform it. And yet, Tommy continues to face scrutiny.
“People tell me that I have nothing to recover from, so one aspect of this show is how people’s opinions strip away my own experiences.”
But why?
“I think people struggle with the concept of sex addiction because it’s something we all do But sex addiction is just like any other; it lies, it destroys and makes you the centre of its lavish story.”
Originally from Chingford, Essex, Tommy trained in technical theatre at Mountview Academy in London, then relocated to Brighton five years ago.
“Brighton saved my life when I was an addict I moved down from London to Brighton because I knew I needed to do something drastic to get me out of my routine.”
Since then Tommy has been performing in cabarets and live art spaces across the UK His critically acclaimed production of Homophobe premiered in the Brighton Fringe last year; the show revisited a homophobic attack Tommy experienced at the age of 15.
“Brighton Fringe is the place that reignited that spark in me to be a performer again, so it will always be close to my heart.”
Some of Tommy’s past favourites include Nando Messia’s The Sissy’s Progress and Patrick Sandford’s Groomed After a smashing success in last year ’ s Fringe, Homophobe was taken up to London where it hosted a week-long run at the King’s Head Pub Theatre.
“My work is about bringing taboo subjects to the forefront, so they can no longer be ignored.” And with that, Tommy is hoping Sex Addiction: The Lecture spawns a much needed conversation about sex and addiction.
“The piece isn’t so much about my opinions, but about the opinions of society, and how society portrays certain set expectations for what makes an addict.”
And, in preparation for this show, Tommy has collected a wide range of opinions: from reading stories about cottaging, cruising and saunas [“my addiction spiralled into me finding sex in anonymous places, rather than me using hook-up apps”], to online surveys, to speaking with leading academics in sex and gender anthropology.
Rather than providing answers, Tommy hopes the show produces questions – questions that will lead to a much larger debate.
“I want the audience to walk away questioning their own belief system on addiction and questioning everything they think makes an addict.”
What about after the Fringe? What’s next for Sex Addiction: The Lecture?
“I hope the conversation lives beyond the Fringe because I think more people need to get involved, so we hope to get a tour in place and travel the country.”
Tommy also revealed that all of his shows are linked in some way –“ a natural progression” –so after Homophobe and Sex Addiction: The Lecture, there will be a dance show that journeys through the 3,597 men he encountered during his addiction, and then a final show that explores domestic violence within the LGBT+ community. Needless to say, Tommy has a bold future ahead of him and I can’t wait to see it
With our shandies dry, Tommy and I sauntered out of Alcampo Lounge, but not before one final question: What excites you the most about Sex Addiction: The Lecture?
“We’re choreographing an epic dance routine to the sweet sounds of Will Young. And there are sequins Obvs ”
SEX ADDICTION: THE LECTURE
) Sex Addiction: The Lecture: One Church Brighton, Gloucester Place, Brighton BN1 4AA, May 11, 12 & 13 at 8pm. Tickets £8.
) Exclusive Gscene discount! Get 10% off your Sex Addiction: The Lecture ticket price when you use the code “Gscene”.
) Handmade children's Easter Egg bag, £6.50; Smoking jackets (can be customised to order), £7.50; Swimmers’ Earrings by Lynne@BL, £14.50; Men at Work Earrings by Lynne@BL £16 50 (Barbary Lane 95 St Georg
Mr B wallet with sale products from St James's Street, 680)
our house vases, nhouse Space, 28 Road, Brighton, 01273 682845)
) ENDLESS POETRY (Artificial Eye bluray) Cult director Alejandro Jodorowsky takes a self-consciously Felliniesque look at his life as a poet in 1950s’ Chile It’s visually arresting and certainly has momentum on its side Though its characterisations are pretty thin – and despite his genetic credentials the director’s son, Adan Jodorowsky, doesn’t really have the charisma needed to carry the movie – its procession of eccentrics, muses and at least one ultrapianist certainly make up for any lack of cohesive story. For the most part it’s great fun though the last half hour drags a bit. I’m guessing this is the kind of film which will more fully reveal itself – for better or worse – on a second viewing
) A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS (Eureka blu-ray) Paul Schofield gives a dignified performance as Thomas More, the man who stood up to Henry VIII (Robert Shaw) during the latter’s spats with the Catholic Church It’s a compelling portrait of an honourable man sticking to his principles in the face of a tyrannical monarch, a scheming Thomas Cromwell (Leo McKern) and a poisonous opportunist played by John Hurt. Adapted by Robert Bolt from his play, the film is pretty much a hagiography of More – it neglects to mention he thought burning was the best way to deal with heretics. It’s a fine example of English thesping coupled with a serious, even high-minded, script
If you can’t be kind be civil. Or straight people can love too.
By Craig Hanlon-Smith @craigscontinuum
) Whilst conducting a series of research interviews with members of the older lesbian and gay community, Dr Jane Traies rather took me by surprise as she said to me that Civil Partnership is singlehandedly the most important and significant piece of equality legislation from the past 50 years That’s more important than the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality in England and Wales, more significant than the equalisation of the age of consent Upon closer reflection, it is of course not much of a stretch to see why
Another gentleman I spoke to, aged 70 and accompanied by his Civil Partner of three years, spoke of the essential need to have his relationship legally recognised especially in the later years of life Some seven years earlier, his former partner of 30 years sadly died. At that time legal partnership recognition was not an option but he had thought little of it as he was left both the house they’d called home for more than 20 years and his partner’s cash and pension assets in a will. The will was successfully challenged by four nieces and nephews of the deceased and the surviving partner turfed out of his home with no more than a suitcase of clothes and penniless, aged 60
My own experience of Civil Partnership was much less of a business move and much more emotionally driven No change there then From the morning after our ceremony my overwhelming feeling was one of a new family, just the two of us but our own clan none the less This sense of a tight unit has in no way diminished more than 10 years later and on the ninth anniversary of our Civil Partnership we were, just the two of us, and the registrar, legally married.
And therein lies the problem The introduction of same-sex marriage and so what now for Civil Partnership? The recent high-profile court of appeal case would suggest there is life in the not so old dog yet Although Rebecca Steinfeld and Charles Keidan lost their case to extend Civil Partnerships to heterosexual couples, this was merely on a technicality and the presiding judges were quite critical of the government’s failure to address the inequality the current system and stated that it is only a
matter of time before the UK Government is in breach of the Human Rights Act.
Now that the LGBT community can get married, preventing heterosexual couples from entering into a Civil Partnership is surely and act of inequality not seen since, well the introduction of Civil Partnerships in the place of same-sex marriage Was Civil Partnership a political stopgap? A temporary measure until the real thing arrived? And if so, just what is the point anymore?
The introduction of legally recognised partnerships was seen by some as an unacceptable compromise by the government led by a Prime Minister who was at the time (although we didn’t know it) taking private instruction from the Catholic Church Tony Blair converted to Catholicism a matter of weeks after stepping down as Prime Minister and much of the organised Catholic community had been formal opponents to same-sex marriage. I personally know some gay couples who point blank refused to enter into such an arrangement until marriage itself became law. To them it created a further layer of inequality and emphasised rather than included difference I happen to think it was a political masterstroke
Although by the time Civil Partnerships began to take place in the UK, in late December 2005, the Netherlands and Spain, itself a Catholic country, had taken the full plunge into marriage equality - it wouldn’t have happened here if when the bill was first passed in 2004 its content had been marriage and not partnership recognition
Our collective social memory is short and it’s easy to forget that the UK was a country that in 1988 introduced Section/Clause 28, an amendment to local authority legislation that prohibited local authorities from intentionally promoting homosexuality, or, and here comes the part that smarts, the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship. This highly controversial and deeply offensive legal footnote wasn’t repealed in England until November 2003, a mere two years before the first Civil Partnerships took place. Do you think for a
second that the political godfathers of the establishment would have acquiesced to the idea of boys marrying boys and girls other girls? If you do, I admire your positive utopian fantastical ideal but I fear it would have been the stuff of Narnia.
Surely it was a better idea that we get the wider conservative (small C) community to accept the idea of same-sex partnerships without fearing that the gays were getting above themselves too soon. Then we could roll into town to the ding-dong merrily on high of wedding bells once the world realised that the tsunami wouldn’t come, the fires wouldn’t rage nor plagues descend, and that society as we know it wouldn’t crumble under the weight of our LGBT communities pretending that they were families
Same-sex marriage was practically a shoe-in by the time it arrived in 2014 and this is largely thanks to thawing properties of Civil Partnerships And to my LGBT brothers and sisters still table thumping about the unacceptable wait for marriage and the inequality of the Civil Partnership overture I have two things to say
First, if we ’ re going to split hairs, the same-sex marriage bill was a separate piece of legislation to allow LGBT people to believe we were now formally entering a pretended family relationship If the government had truly wanted to really flex its biceps and be the progressive game changer David Cameron claimed to be in his resignation speech, he and they could have extended and amended the existing marriage legislation to include us, just as they amended the local government act in 1988 to include Section 28 in order to exclude us. This shit isn’t difficult but it doesn’t appeal to the whining conservative (small C) majority and one might argue that separate legislation actually emphasises rather than includes difference Sigh
Second, I appreciate how emotionally significant Civil Partnership legislation was, I signed up and cried on my wedding day, on both of them, I get it Therefore the idea of clinging on to Civil Partnership as ours and only ours seems churlish, unequal and unfair If Civil Partnerships are to remain, and I firmly believe that they should, then they should be extended to all, homo, bi, and heterosexuals alike.
It’s time to forgive the sins of governments past and just as we ’ ve now been allowed to develop pretended family relationships, the heterosexual community should be allowed to believe that they too can aspire to life long and Civil Partnerships.
“Same-sex marriage was practically a shoe-in by the time it arrived in 2014 and this is largely thanks to the thawing properties of Civil Partnerships”
WALL’S WORDS
BY M I K E WA L L
REACH OUT
) Recently I had an experience which knocked me for six. In general, most people float through life and just get on with things. My routine was pretty standard for a 41-year-old. Get up, go to work, have lunch, go back to work, come home, have dinner, watch TV, go to bed, REPEAT. At weekends I had a similar sort of routine, housework, allotment, Sunday lunch etc. Occasionally my partner and I would go crazy and perhaps go out for a drink or a meal, or even have people over for dinner We know how to live! Sometimes I’d think, is this it? Is this my life and I would feel a little bit sad that we didn’t do more
It isn’t until something out of the blue hits you that you realise that routine is not such a bad thing either A few months ago my doctor identified a couple of health issues which I was not expecting As I said I am only 41 but suddenly I was on three different types of medication to manage these conditions
At first I was shocked but also accepted that one of the conditions in particular is probably something that I will have to live with for the rest of my days I also recognised that I would always have to take medication to manage it It relates to my heart and as my dad died at the young age of 62 I am not going to take any chances
I continued to plod through life for another few months until, about two months ago, something snapped All of the stress of dealing with these conditions started to really get me down However I struggled to keep a brave face forward, but in the end it eventually broke and I fell into a deep depression I gave in and went to my doctor and within a few minutes was diagnosed with depression More pills were prescribed and off I went.
This time I felt relieved, I didn’t have to suppress it anymore In hindsight I was probably not as good of an actor as I believed I was I think that most people around me recognised that over a period of time, even before the diagnosis, I had started to change The physical conditions just brought everything to a head
“I accept that medication isn’t the only cure and that I have to face the mental health issues that have been raised”
So these days, when I move you can almost hear the rattle of pills I have got over this to some extent as I accept that I must trust modern science to assist me with my conditions I also accept that medication is not the only cure and that I have to also face the mental health issues that have been raised But I am very lucky to have an incredibly supportive husband and friends have also rallied round So even though it has been difficult, I feel very lucky to have this support network around me. If anyone reading this feels in anyway like I did, please take my advice and reach out to someone, I promise it will help.
GAY WISDOM
BY G AY S O C R AT E S
THE FAERIE HEART CIRCLE RITUAL
) 1. Find at least one other person you feel able to confide in and who would be able to confide in you. If you don’t know anyone you need to find a new set of friends - or start up a Meet-up Group!
2. Find a special object (call it a talisman) to hold and pass around the circle.
3 Designate a date and time and set aside at least two hours free of disturbance.
4 Turn all your devices off and prepare to communicate the truth of what is going on for you right now In the Flesh. No edits. The raw, honest, authentic truth!
5 Pick up the Talisman and say ‘In this Heart Circle I will have the opportunity to share but only when I hold the Talisman. Do you agree to do this too?’
6 Wait for all present to say, Yes I agree! (If they don’t, then send them home and find another group!)
7 Light a candle and pass the Talisman and this text to the left The next person says ‘At the beginning of my sharing I will say my name and it will be repeated back by the circle as an affirmation of mutual support. Do you agree to do this too?’
8 This person lights a candle then passes the Talisman and this text to the left and so on
“I promise to listen with empathy and to have a compassionate awareness of any judgement as it arises within me”
9. These statements are said, asking for agreement, by other participants or if there are just two or three of you they are shared between you:
• I will speak from the heart about what is alive and true for me right now.
• I will own my statements by using ‘I’ and ‘ my ’ rather than ‘ you ’ or ‘ we ’
• I promise to listen with empathy and to have a compassionate awareness of any judgement as it arises within me
• During the circle, I may hear something that resonates with me I will not directly comment on, or offer any advice to others However it may affect my subsequent sharing
• I may say nothing when the Talisman comes to me, but I will allow myself time to be present with my feelings before passing it on.
• I will allow others personal space to be fully with their own experience - in tears or laughter. Comfort or hugs may be non-verbally offered and accepted when the sharing has finished.
• I will look after my emotional and physical needs and if I have to leave the room I will do so at the end of a share.
• If I would like to talk about something said in the circle with that person afterwards, I may ask but I accept that the answer could be no
• I promise to keep everything in this Heart Circle CONFIDENTIAL
10. Now take the Talisman and share from the heart for as long as it takes, then pass it on When all has been said, hold hands Take three deep breaths then blow the candles out Enjoy!
CHARLIE SAYS
What’s the price of the free press?
by Charlie Bauer Phd http://charliebauerphd blogspot co
) I just want to make one thing clear: Having a ‘free press ’ doesn’t just mean that you don’t have to pay for it. Remember when WHSmiths gave us the ‘ pay what you want’ buckets at the rail stations? Most people paid what they wanted – nothing. And even when they emptied the buckets they found them full of pennies Or, people were paying the price of an Evening Standard for a few high-end glossies Needless to say they put an end to that soon enough
The Free Press (in title case) is what you are reading right now whether you paid for it on the black market or not It allows me and everyone else to talk to you about whatever we think fit Or unfit, as is usually the case with my copy We then leave it up to the frantic newsroom downtown to edit as they need to But they don’t usually need to Because this is the Free Press. You can decide not to read this magazine and that’s fine too. Because it is the Free Press. Perhaps someone may be offended by our lifestyles. Or perhaps all those garish colours that the graphics department mix up to draw us all in are a bit too much on the morning after for some people. Again, it’s your choice to read on
People use the Queer press for lots of reasons. One of the best and most original has always been for the use of coming out. It used to be down to walking around with a few Bowie albums shoved under your arm until someone eventually came out as straight (Everyone was Queer with Bowie, even if some were straight And we loved the inversion of it all) I remember I had some friends when I was 17 or so, who went to that London and shoplifted poppers, white chocolate, and the magazines Zipper and Him International – flaccid porn with images that you can
uk
actually see in the mainstream these daysback then they were the only one-handed reads you could find. One of our heartthrobs in the provinces was Joe Hill - a perfect Camdenbased young skinhead, famous for wearing white socks and nowt else Boy, oh boy - we dreamed of heading to that London and finding him somewhere – in Heaven, or the Joiners Arms or in the Black Cap And my cousin actually did find him, several times
One Saturday I went away for some concert in another town and came back on the Sunday where I discovered my bed being freshly made by mumsie And yes - carefully placed hanging out from underneath the mattress were my two magazines, plus another American leather mag which was stolen for me by some lesbian friends shoplifting harnesses and the like from Soho sex shops. But this hanging over the edge was really mumsie’s way to tell me that she now ‘knew’ and we never had to speak about it again. Some people would do this with Queer listings mags in order to let the family know that they were part of some community or other and that they were somehow OK
Now we ’ re lead to believe that social media is real news (which means, I suppose, that these magazines are ‘fake news’), that is, if you think
tweeting or snap-chatting someone across the club in abbreviated text and emoticons is somehow real Let’s face it, we all now know that Grindr is nearly always fake news, especially when the photographs and dimensions don’t add up to what we end up seeing before us when we open the front door. The culture has always loved fake but not something pretending to be fake. So, for the last time, drag queens are not fake women. If they were they’d present themselves as something else, perhaps something more conforming. We all know they’re not women so shut up for lord’s sakes. How about the drag queen ’ s audience? Wowsie, look at them with their ‘fake tans’… Nothing wrong with that Jeeze, with our climate we’d look like Fritzel captives and never get laid So, if we don’t get sunlight, we buy it in a can Nothing fake about that Unlike our friends over the pond, we ’ re not yet there with having surgery so that it looks like surgery, just so that people know we have enough money to do it But nothing wrong with fake lifting of a jowl or jabbing some filler into your brow if you feel like it.
We have done the fake to death - including the fake news AIDS is a cesspool of our own making, the gays are so rich and consumery or that Sondheim-loving gay man is really your average kiddie-fiddler on the roof.. .and the beat goes on.
Last month, The Guardian was not allowed into the Whitehouse press room, together with the BBC, CNN, The New York Times and The Washington Post. All right-wing press outlets were allowed in - remember this is also the Free Press. The others mentioned have been sanctioned as ‘false news ’ mongers and so are banned. You do the maths. Because all Free Press has to be supported and contributed to Myself and my colleagues here do just that and all for reasons bigger than ourselves Sometimes for reasons bigger than this community All of us have a duty to stand on a box and shout until we are heard To represent everyone To remember the LGBTI ever-changing acronymwe have to put a ‘W’ in there which we never in a million years thought we’d have to. To create the Queer mass again, which has always included women and everyone else who isn’t the straight white men who run international news media and the most powerful seats on the planet. To lead the world in a Sissy/Pussy Riot of resistance. And to never, ever, ever, settle.
Love to you all x
“Last month, The Guardian was not allowed into the Whitehouse press room, together with the BBC, CNN, The New York Times and The
Washington
Post. All right-wing press outlets were allowed in... the others have been sanctioned as ‘false news’ mongers
and so are banned”
MIRROR MIRROR
) Ah, spring! A deep breath, a new rant and the chance to cover you in my ranty spittle as I go off on one in a rabid jaw gnashing seethe about something or other which has rattled my cage or caused me unutterably crushing moments of frustration; but Dear Reader, what is this? I find no flecks of foamy spit clinging to the your wipe-clean tabard (nice pinny by the way) nor a worried frown as you desperately cling to reason and try to decode or simply understand what I’ve written about. You seem content, and that means that I must be too, for you are the mirror of my mind Dear Reader, and it’s a clean mirror, not the type you see in mucky selfies on Grindr – all soiled, splattered and grubby, nor a discoloured, distorted fairground mirror that makes you look like a Gnome and me look ever so slightly overweight and certainly not one of them baroque gilded magic mirrors that are secretly sneeringly evil while seemingly granting you your every wish Oh no, we won’t get caught like that again will we Dear Reader, not after the last time
feel the
and down you fall. Why Snow White didn’t just smash the damn thing and end the narrative tension - but then the drama would have fizzled out. Talking of which, back to the non-tirade. My heart-stopping Grandmother Ivy used to have a small mirror set in an enamelled compact that had pressed orangey pink face powder in it, at least I’m pretty sure when she was powdering her nose it was her complexion she was adjusting It had a small foam circular pad in it that smelled of grannies and was softer than a puppy ’ s ear Her cheeks were that same colour, as was most of the skin on her face, and it was a smooth and unblemished as a desert at night She informed me that mirrors only reflect what’s been revealed to them and she only every looked behind her with hers, just to check She told me she’d used the mirror to save the life of Ernesto Guevara Lynch while riding pinion on his motorbike escaping from Miramar, Argentina where his jealous girlfriend, Chichina, tried to shoot him for leaving her. I suspect Ivy may have had something to do with her anger, and her relationship with Che (as she named him) never quite recovered and they parted company sometime after in Peru. She’d used the mirror to flash the hot Argentine sun into Chichina’s scorned furious eyes, dazzling her just enough to deflect the bullet. She kept the compact to remind her of learning to drive a motorbike, not for shortlived romance with her proto revolutionary She was sentimental like that was Ivy I found it the other day, opened it to a small puff of burnt umber smoke and I swear it whispered to me when I looked in it, a voice from the mercurial back-to-front world itself It said: ‘Young man, be exquisite and never explain’
HOT GOSSIP
BY M I C H
TRUTH HURTS
) I love a bastard! Whatsapp me 10 minutes after we've gone our seperate ways at the end of the first date, and I'll have lost interest by the time I turn my bedside lamp off. Leave it for two days, and I'm yours forever!
And yet, how I hate to wait! Many an hour I've spent picking up that phone, putting it down, picking it up, staring at that screen, willing something to happen until my eyes water, cursing those wretched little blue arrows! That reply that never comes.
Men and messages Those you never hear from again, and those you do, because when that reply makes your mobile beep at long last, oh greatest joy, all is not always what it seems.
Get a reply or get ignored All been in that boat, haven't we? And getting ignored is a tricky one Oh the courage it takes to hold back a self-rightous, or rather self-defeating text tirade to let him know just what he's missing out on!
Reply or ignore? For how often is the shoe on the other foot, or the mobile in the other hand? When you are the one whose turn it is to type and you have to ask yourself the age old question - how do I let him down gently? My mother used to say, “If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.”, but so far the jury's still out on that one.
“Why is communication amongst the unfairer sex such a struggle? What is wrong with plain and simple honesty? Ever ything”
Why is communication amongst the unfairer sex such a struggle? What is wrong with plain and simple honesty? Everything It goes against human nature, because you see, deep down, even the biggest bastard is a people-pleaser No man sets out with the ambition to convince the world of what an A-grade ratbag he is. We hate to say “No” so we lie. We say what we think they want to hear, and don't quite mean it, to buy us some time. Something truth-adjacent like, “Sure, I'd love to see you, but I'm really busy this week!” We mean “busy”, and they hear “love to see you ” .
Remember that Ricky Gervais film where no one can lie? If only!
“Yes, you are good company, but I'm sorry, I just can't bring myself to have sex with those love handles!”.
“I like quite a few things about you, but it's not enough for a third date, sorry ”
“I'm keeping you sweet, though I'm actually after someone else If that falls through, hey, we're on baby!”
Yes, how often they string us along, and we let them And so hopes and dreams are created and crushed, because we hear what we want to hear, and don't say what we mean We get disappointed text by text, and still make excuses And still forgive
Because the men we really like, they can do whatever they want, and they'll always be able to make it up to us The problem is, they hardly ever do
Mirror mirror on the wall,
hammer’s wrath
TRANSITIONING WITH SUGAR
Sugar's Big Hair Trip - Part 1 by Ms Sugar Swan
) Latvia, a country neighbouring Russia, regained independence from the Soviet Union in 1992 and decriminalised homosexuality soon after However, general social opinion has not moved on much since then In 2005, Riga, the capital city, held its first Pride but unfortunately counter protesters greatly outnumbered Pride attendees and in 2006 Riga Pride was banned by the authorities Regardless, Pride took place again in 2007 and the 500 Pride-goers outnumbered the 100 counter protesters. However, simultaneous anti-Pride events elsewhere in the city attracted thousands of protesters.
Same-sex marriage is banned as is samesex adoption with only 12% and 8% of Latvians supporting these equalities. As an LGBT+ person in Latvia you are at a much greater risk of attack than you are here in the UK and local meeting points for the small LGBT+ community are often targeted. As an LGBT+ person you ’ re not able to make criminal charges against your attacker other than that of 'hooliganism'
So what was I, a trans woman who doesn’t pass through the world looked upon as cisgender by the majority of people, going to Latvia for in the first place?
A hair transplant. I had searched the world for a surgeon willing to take me on as a patient and I just could not find one I’m so bald from going through male menopause at 19 years old
that most surgeons wouldn’t touch me stating that I was simply not a candidate for this surgery and my only option was wigs, or they would try to take my money upfront knowing that they would only be able to give me a partial head of hair and not tell me this until I had made the journey to their country and was half way through surgery
I’d just about given up hope after receiving so many knockbacks when my now standard email explaining who I am accompanied with photos of myself didn't get a refusal email, but a request to Skype.
I wasn't too hopeful as I’d been through this process many times and been refused, but this time was different I had my first Skype consultation with a female surgeon who explained what I’d heard many times about the limited amount of donor hair, but I appealed to her, reminding her why she went into this line of business in the first place and made it very clear I was prepared to take a risk if she would.
This would be new to her as even the most advanced clients are done in one day of surgery lasting 8-10 hours, and perhaps the next morning. She warned me that this wouldn’t be easy, it would be pioneering There would be no guarantees and that I’d have to sit through up to 16 hours of surgery a day over multiple days She recruited extra nurses to work alongside her and we were all set to try
something new - so, I was off to Riga Scary on all accounts
I’d never used my female passport before and going through the London airport I found it all very exciting Having breasts and testicles show up on the 3D scanner, which then assumes that one of them is concealing drugs, resulted in me being referred for extra security
My gender and pronouns were respected and I felt I was treated with dignity This continued as I passed through the airport which, by their very nature, are a crossroads for all types of people of all diversity. It was only when I approached the gate of a Latvia-borne flight by a Hungarian carrier that the attitudes towards me changed. I’m a strong woman who’s not easily flustered anymore and although I could tell the man sitting shoulder to shoulder with me on the flight wanted to punch me in the face, he knew he couldn't and I felt safe knowing that
Passport control was much easier than anticipated and before I knew it I was in a car on the way to a five-star hotel. The hotel and the staff were amazing and couldn’t do enough for me, even running out for cigarettes for me because I didn't feel safe
The next morning I was picked up in a car at 8am and taken to surgery I met my team of five who were to be working on me and we wasted no time The actual procedure was worse than I’d ever imagined but I always knew it wasn’t going to be a walk in the park We worked solidly, stopping twice for meals and I was driven back as the nurses cleaned up the theatre at 11 30pm I was picked up at 8am the next day and we finished at 11pm, agreeing that the potential risks of working a third day far outweighed any benefits, so we stopped and booked another two full days of surgery in 10 weeks time when I have, fingers crossed, healed without infection.
The physical and emotional pain I was in over those two days was matched by the physical and emotional exhaustion from the team working on me. I consider myself very lucky to have found them and to have convinced them into taking on this level of work.
As I prepared to fly home my face was swollen beyond recognition. I tried my best to apply some make-up to at least try to look a little like my passport. I had a letter in Latvian and English from my surgeon explaining what I’d been through and that I wouldn’t look like my passport photo Nor could I wear a wig, and so bandaged up, with my best foot forward I headed home, grateful of those letters, as I really did need them
I’m now seven days post-op and the nerveendings are starting to come back which is increasing my pain levels despite the cocktail of painkillers There’s no sign of infection, which is great, and I’m looking forward to nine weeks time, five by the time this is published, when I fly back to be reunited with my surgical team for another few days of work.
What a lucky, lucky woman I am
SAM TRANS MAN
Dr Samuel Hall on the importance of the feminist fight and looking beyond the ‘gender divide’.
) Today is International Women’s Day (IWD) and a friend posted on Facebook that a female colleague was wondering “how much equality do women need?”, closely followed by a suggestion that perhaps there should be an International Men’s Day to match Well there is It’s in November, because men face issues that need highlighting too BUT the comparisons stop there There is no issue faced by men that overshadows the truth of the continued oppression of women in our society today
Whatever the troubles faced by men, they simply can’t be lined up in competition with those encountered by women, and they are certainly not caused by them Not here in our Western society, not elsewhere in different cultural milieu, not in our past, nor in our foreseeable future, have we seen a true shift in global action on this single most divisive and persistent inequality. The stark reality is that while many demographic groups and minorities face huge issues of inaccessibility, unequal treatment and closed doors, there is no single bigger inequality than that stimulated by the gender divide No single bigger disadvantaged group, across the globe, than women And no group more in need of hearing this, than men
The conversations and events around IWD seem to get better and better each year Or maybe I’m being more and more exposed to it through the circumstances of my life Either way I’m being made increasingly aware of sexism and misogyny in all its forms, from the downright subtle to the blatantly discriminatory. I’ve been captivated by the voices of strong women this week; in particular women of colour.
I’m also increasingly convinced that misogyny is universal and heavily ingrained in all of us, women included, and that the fight, the
feminist fight, is the single most important battle of our times. It strikes me that if this chasm can be bridged, then humanity will be healing itself of all the other schisms and separations that we have created for ourselves
Partitions and divides that make us feel safe, allow us to ‘other’ those who are not like us This capacity to discriminate, and the need to differentiate, starts even before we leave the womb Parents today can determine the sex of their unborn child long before they are born, and the weight of cultural and societal expectation about how this child will behave, conform and adhere to our rigid gender rulebook, comes to bear even before we draw our first breath.
Misogyny is perpetuated by both men and women, and is sometimes incredibly hard to spot. We’ve all grown up in a world that carries the millennia-old legacy of oppression of women, and although huge strides have been made in the last century especially, there is still a very long way to go. I struggle to see it in myself, but it’s very much at work despite my intentions. I’m a persistent offender when it comes to exposing my internalised beliefs about women I horrify myself, and my wife, on a regular basis
I understand the fight, and I hold the values dear, but I’m as guilty as the next man of slipping into habits that have been ingrained since my conservative and restricted childhood These habits are hard to spot, deeply embedded, and even harder to break I hope I’m making some progress under the tutelage of my amazing wife, who picks me up on a daily basis
The fight here is fundamentally a human rights issue That all people deserve to be treated with equal respect This is the kind of feminism that I am signing up to, that all human life is of equal value That all of humanity has
inherent dignity, which makes us equal in stature to one another, regardless of our background, wealth, success, good health, or our ability to be heard Indeed, a true feminist is one who looks beyond the gender divide to every other instance of prejudice and discrimination, and adds their own voice to the battle-cry: ”We are all one!”
Feminism seeks to unpick the inherent injustices that are systemic in our culture. From the way we dress our children to the way we address our children, we are creating a structure that is built on sand, a colossal tower of falsities which will not survive the tidal wave of change that is coming. It’s not going to happen at an executive level though; it wont be our leadership that changes this It will be the people, the revolution
This is happening at a grassroots level, with Twitter feeds and conversations amongst likem’inded people, strings of comments on Facebook threads, protest marches and public debates There’s a groundswell of action, and increasing numbers of people starting to ‘get it’
The gender divide is a construct Our human biological diversity is vital and selfperpetuating, but doesn’t necessitate or indeed dictate that we apportion roles, jobs, positions, attributes or indeed wealth to individuals based on their biological sex at birth.
As a transperson, I’m fortunate enough to have bridged that seemingly uncrossable divide. I never saw the process of transition as a blessing, or indeed anything to be proud of. I’ve done it out of sheer necessity, in order to save my life. But in the process I’ve shifted from living as a woman to living as a man, and as a consequence have seen with my own eyes, how the world treats men and women differently I’ve felt it in my personal and professional relationships Male privilege is something I’ve acquired through no initiative or just deserts
It’s the same for all men We did not deserve this advantage, this pedestal that the world places us on And as far as I can see, it is beholden upon me to climb down, and lead others to do the same This position that men hold universally must be deliberately and gracefully ceded, rather than expecting women to push us off.
is based in central Brighton in a safe and confidential space to explore issues around gender identity Facilitated peer support is an important element, as well as providing access to low-cost psychotherapy and speech therapy
CLARE PROJECT meets every TUES 2.30– 5.30PM at DORSET GARDENS
METHODIST CHURCH
Dorset Gardens (off St James Street) Brighton BN2 1RL
Except 1st Tues when there’s an optional meal out preceded by the drop-in 5–7 30PM
www.clareproject.org.uk f Clare Project clareprojectinfo@gmail.com
BRIGHTON & HOVE MAYOR S CHARITY
MINDOUT
We will survive? What to do to ensure LGBTQ mental health
) There’s much excitement at MindOut with the publication of an excellent report from the London Assembly. They take LGBTQ mental health seriously up in the big city, and so should we! They investigated, met with various groups, did some consultation and found the following:
• Around 40% of LGBTQ people experience a mental health issue, compared to 25% of the wider population
• LGBTQ people are often overlooked when health commissioning decisions are made because of a lack of data and poor consultation.
• Generic, general mental health services are not meeting the current needs of LGBTQ people.
• Without specialist support, LGBTQ people will continue to experience mental health inequality, stigma and discrimination.
The London Assembly Health Committee published its findings and recommendations to the Mayor of London on how he can provide better mental health support for LGBTQ people.
The report recommends:
• Hospital staff and GP surgeries, including frontline staff, should be more LGBTQ -friendly with improved equality and diversity training Mainstream services – not just mental health services – must be better equipped to support LGBTQ people to maintain good mental health LGBTQ people need to be more directly involved in shaping services that meet their needs
• Prevention and resilience needs to be at the heart of all initiatives All too often too little action is taken, too late, to prevent avoidable mental ill health. We need a joined up policy approach to tackle the root causes of mental ill health, including housing, employment and community cohesion.
• We need a public campaign to tackle discrimination against LGBTQ people, which explicitly recognises the different groups within the LGBTQ umbrella
• In developing mental health plans and commissions we must ensure that the specific mental health needs of LGBTQ people are explicitly set out
• The scale of the issue within LGBTQ communities should be properly assessed
For LGBTQ people, as with the wider population, the route to accessing mental health services starts at their local doctor’s surgery But a worrying number of LGBTQ people report that they’re uncomfortable disclosing their sexual orientation or gender identity to their GP, or that they’ve had a negative experience when they do so They found similar issues across the health and care sector:
• Many older LGBTQ people express concerns about having to go back ‘into the closet’ when they engage with social care providers, palliative and end of life care services. This can add significantly to feelings of social isolation which are damaging to mental health.
• Lesbian women have highlighted concern that assumptions are made in antenatal or maternity services, or for cervical cancer screening
• Trans men and women report that GPs and psychologists often ‘treat the trans, rather than the person ’ , even for health conditions unrelated to their gender identity
• Bisexual people report that their identity is frequently misunderstood or simply erased by health professionals.
There are a number of straightforward practical steps that can be taken to demonstrate commitment to more inclusive service provision right across the public sector. For example, it’s important that staff are trained to avoid making assumptions about people in relation to their sexuality or gender identity, for example asking somebody if they have a partner, rather than assuming a boyfriend or girlfriend, or asking somebody what pronouns they use to describe themselves This includes any service that comes into contact with the public, including transport, policing and housing services Reviewing campaigns, strategies and public consultation documents to ensure that language, monitoring questionnaires and imagery do not exclude LGBTQ people is a good first step And LGBT+ people must be encouraged to speak up when services fail to meet their needs and expectations.
Too little is done too late to prevent mental ill health in the first place. Mental ill health is preventable. Waiting until people reach mental
“If an LGBT+ person is facing prejudice elsewhere in their lives, they need to feel absolutely sure that they are safe in the mental health ser vice they are tr ying to access”
health crisis is unacceptable, ineffective and expensive There needs to be a far greater emphasis on promoting mental wellbeing for LGBTQ people Stigma and discrimination towards LGBTQ people is a double burden – it contributes to poor mental health and prevents people from accessing support early.
Improving self-esteem and reducing incidences of discrimination are key to improving the mental health of LGBTQ people. LGBTQ people, like everyone else, experience better mental health when they are able to be open about their identity and are accepted and understood by wider society. So improving the visibility and inclusion of LGBTQ people should be a key priority
CELEBRATE THE POSITIVE
Focusing exclusively on the negative experiences faced by LGBTQ people risks reinforcing damaging messages about what it means to be LGBTQ. Celebrating the positive contribution of LGBTQ communities is therefore an important way of helping LGBTQ people to combat selfstigmatisation and improve mental wellbeing, as well as tackling discrimination by wider society We need to change the narrative around mental health in general and about LGBTQ people in particular Visible, ongoing and inclusive health and community campaigns which explicitly recognise and celebrate LGBTQ people and our diversity are essential
These are some highlights from the report, read more at: www.london.gov.uk/pressreleases/assembly/i-will-survive-lgbt-mentalhealth
Much of the above is happening, somewhat, in Brighton & Hove right now MindOut has been working to these aims and more for 17 years and huge strides in acknowledging and addressing LGBTQ mental health have been made in that time.
MINDOUT INFO
MindOut provides advice, information and advocacy services, online instant chat, peer support group work, peer mentoring, wellbeing courses and workshops. We have specific trans advocacy, housing advocacy and urgent need advocacy. For our latest groups, workshops and events see our website: www.mindout.org.uk
All our services are run by and for LGBTQ people with lived experience of mental health issues All our services are free, independent, person-centred, confidential and non-judgemental
If you would like to know more about what we do, if you need support for yourself or someone else then please do get in touch
You can contact us:
) email info@mindout.org.uk
) call 01273 234839
) see our website www.mindout.org.uk
Our online service is open most evenings and at weekends.
SERVICES DIRECTORY
LGBT SERVICES
) ACCESS 4 ALL
LGBT disabled people’s forum Safe, welcoming, suppor t, activities, awareness 07981 170071 or email stevenwithn@talktalk net
) ALLSORTS YOUTH PROJECT
Drop-in for LGBT or unsure young people under 26, Tues 5 30-8 30pm 01273 721211 or email info@allsor tsyouth org uk, www allsor tsyouth org uk
) BRIGHTON & HOVE POLICE
Repor t all homophobic, biphobic or transphobic incidents to: 24/7 assistance call Police on 101 (for emergencies 999) Repor t online at: www.sussex.police.uk
LGBT team (not 24/7) email: LGBT@sussex pnn police uk
• LGBT Officer PC Sarah Laker on 07912 893557 f Brighton LGBT Police t @policeLGBT t @PCLaker
) BRIGHTON & HOVE LGBT SAFETY FORUM
Independent LGBT forum working with the community to address and improve safety issues in Brighton & Hove info@lgbt-safety-forum-brighton.com www lgbt-safety-forum-brighton com
) BRIGHTON & HOVE LGBT SWITCHBOARD
Help-line with email & webchat facility from 5pm daily on 01273 204 050
• LGBT specialist face to face low cost counselling service,
Info, counselling, drop-in space, suppor t groups 01273 698036 or visit www.womenscentre.org.uk
) BRIGHTON GEMS
Social group for gay men over 50 with several events every month inc meeting at Dorset Gardens last Fri of month 7-9pm For info email info@brightongems.com www.brightongems.com
) LESBIAN LINK BRIGHTON
Local social group offers friendship, social events, meet 1st Thur at Regency Tavern, 7 30pm 07594 578 035 www lesbianlinkbrighton co uk
) LESBIAN & GAY A A
12-step self-help programme for alcohol addictions Sun 7 30pm, Chapel Royal, Nor th St, Btn (side entrance) 01273 203 343 (general AA line)
) LGBT NA GROUP
Brighton-based LGBT (welcomes others) Narcotics Anonymous group every Tue 6 30–8pm, Millwood Centre, Nelson Row, Kingswood St 0300 999 1212
) LGBT MEDITATION GROUP
Meditation & discussion, every 2nd & 4th Thur, 5 30–7pm, Anahata Clinic, 119 Edward St, Brighton 07789 861 367 or www.bodhitreebrighton.org.uk
) LUNCH POSITIVE
Lunch club for people with HIV Meet/make friends, find peer suppor t in safe space Every Fri, noon–2 30pm, Community Room, Dorset Gdns Methodist Church, Dorset Gdns, Brighton Lunch £1 50 07846 464 384 or www.lunchpositive.org
) MCC BRIGHTON
Inclusive, affirming space where all are invited to come as they are to explore their spirituality without judgement 01273 515572 or info@mccbrighton org uk www mccbrighton org uk
) MINDOUT
Independent, impar tial info, guidance for LGBT people with mental health problems 24 hr confidential answerphone: 01273 234839 or info@mindout.org.uk www mindout org uk
) NAVIGATE
Social/peer suppor t group for FTM, transmasculine & gender queer people Every 1st Wed 7-9pm & 3rd Sat of month 1-3pm at Space for Change, Windlesham Venue, BN1 3AH For info see https://navigatebrighton wordpress com/
) PEER ACTION
Regular low cost yoga, therapies, swimming, meditation & social groups for people with HIV peeractionemail@gmail.com or www.peeraction.co.uk
) RAINBOW FAMILIES
Suppor t group for lesbian and/or gay parents 07951 082013 or info@rainbowfamilies org uk www rainbowfamilies org uk
) SOME PEOPLE
Social/suppor t group for LGB or questioning aged 14-19, Tue, 6-8pm, Hastings Call/text Nicola 07974 579865 or email Neil or Nicola: somepeople@eastsussex gov uk
) VICTIM SUPPORT
Practical, emotional suppor t for victims of crime 08453 899 528
) THE VILLAGE MCC
Christian church serving the LGBTQ community Sundays 6pm, Somerset Day Centre, Kemptown 07476 667353, www thevillagemcc org
HIV PREVENTION, CARE & TREATMENT SERVICES
) AVERT
Sussex HIV & AIDS info service 01403 210202 or email confidential@aver t org
Brighton & Hove Citizens Advice Bureau, Brighton Town Hall 01273 733390 ext 520 or www brightonhovecab org uk
) CLINIC M
Free confidential testing & treatment for STIs including HIV, plus Hep A & B vaccinations Claude Nicol Centre, Sussex County Hospital, on Weds from 5-8pm 01273 664 721 or www brightonsexualhealth com
) LAWSON UNIT
Medical advice, treatment for HIV+, specialist clinics, diet & welfare advice, drug trials 01273 664 722
Drop-in: Richmond House, Richmond Rd, Brighton, MonWed & Fri 10am-4pm, Thur 10am-7pm, Sat 10am-1pm; 9 The Drive, Hove 01273 680714 Mon & Wed 10am-12pm & 1pm-3pm, Tue & Thu 10am-4pm, info & advice only (no assessments), Fri 10am-12pm & 1pm-3pm
• Gary Smith (LGBT* Suppor t) 07884 476634 or email gsmith@pavilions org uk For more info visit weblink: pavilions org uk/services/treatment-recovery-options/
) SUSSEX BEACON
24 hour nursing & medical care, day care 01273 694222 or www sussexbeacon org uk
) TERRENCE HIGGINS TRUST SERVICES
For more info about these free services go to the THT office, 61 Ship St, Brighton, Mon–Fri, 10am–5pm 01273 764200 or info.brighton@tht.org.uk
• Venue Outreach: info on HIV, sexual health, personal safety, safer drug/alcohol use, free condoms/lubricant for men who have sex with men
• The Bushes Outreach Ser vice @ Dukes Mound: advice, suppor t, info on HIV and sexual health, and free condoms and lube
• Netreach (online/Mobile App Outreach in Brighton & Hove): info/advice on HIV/sexual health/local services THT Brighton Outreach workers online on Grindr, Scruff, & Squir t
• Condom Male: discreet, confidential service posts free condoms/lube/sexual health info to men who have sex with men without access to East Sussex commercial gay scene
• Positive Voices: volunteers who go to organisations to talk about personal experiences of living with HIV
• Fastest (HIV Testing): walk-in, (no appointment) rapid HIV testing service for men who have sex with men Results in 20 minutes
• Sauna Fastest at The Brighton Sauna (HIV Testing): walk-in, (no appointment) rapid HIV testing service for men who have sex with men Results in 20 minutes Wed: 6–8pm (STI Testing available)
• Face2Face: confidential info & advice on sexual health & HIV for men who have sex with men Up to 6 one hour appointments
• Specialist Training: wide range of courses for groups/ individuals Specific courses to suit needs
• Counselling: from qualified counsellors for up to 12 sessions for people living with/affected by HIV
• Informed Passions: Exper t Volunteers project to identif y & suppor t sexual health needs of local men who have sex with men and carry out field research in B&H on issues affecting men’s sexual health Extensive training provided
• What Next? Thurs eve, 6 week peer suppor t group work programme for newly diagnosed HIV+ gay men
• HIV Suppor t Ser vices: info, suppor t & practical advice for people living with/affected by HIV
• Volunteer Suppor t Ser vices: 1-2-1 community suppor t for people living with or affected by HIV
• HIV Welfare Rights Advice: Find out about benefits or benefit changes Advice line: Mon–Thur 1:30-2:30pm 1-2-1 appts for advice & workshops on key benefits
) TERRENCE HIGGINS EA STBOURNE
Dyke House, 110 South St, Eastbourne, BN21 4LZ, 01323 649927 or info eastbourne@tht org uk
• HIV Ser vices suppor t for HIV diagnosis, managing side effects, sex and relationships, understanding medication, talking to your doctor, finding healthier lifestyle Assessment of suppor t needs and signposting on to relevant services Suppor t in person, by phone or email
• Suppor t for people at risk of HIV confidential info and advice on sexual health and HIV for men who have sex with men Up to 3 one hour appointments depending on need Sessions in person or on phone
• Web suppor t & info on HIV, sexual health & local services via netreach and myhiv.org.uk
• Positive Voices: volunteers who go to organisations to talk about personal experiences of living with HIV
) SEXUAL HEALTH WORTHING
Free confidential tests & treatment for STIs inc HIV Hep A & B vaccinations Wor thing based 0845 111345645
NATIONAL HELPLINES
) NATIONAL LGBT DOMESTIC ABUSE HELPLINE AT GALOP ORG UK 0800 999 5428
) LONDON LESBIAN & GAY SWITCHBOARD 02078 377324
) POSITIVELINE (EDDIE SURMAN TRUST) Mon-Fri 11am-10pm, Sat & Sun 4-10pm 0800 1696806
33 St James’ St, 01273 682249 www zonebrighton co uk ) CLUBS
11 BASEMENT CLUB (below Legends) 31-34 Marine Parade, 01273 624462
www legendsbrighton com
5 BOUTIQUE CLUB
2 Boyces St @ West St, 01273 327607 www boutiqueclubbrighton com
8 ENVY (above Charles St Bar)
8-9 Marine Parade 01273 624091 www charles-street com
20 REVENGE 32-34 Old Steine, 01273 606064 www revenge co uk
) HOTELS
21 AVALON HOTEL
7 Upper Rock Gdns, 01273 692344
22 GULLIVERS HOTEL
12a New Steine, 01273 695415
www gullivershotel com
23 HOTEL PELIROCCO
10 Regency Sq, 01273 327055
24 HUDSONS
22 Devonshire Place, 01273 683642
11 LEGENDS HOTEL
31-34 Marine Parade, 01273 624462
www legendsbrighton com
25 NEW STEINE HOTEL
10/11 New Steine, 01273 681546
www newsteinehotel com
26 QUEENS HOTEL
1/3 Kings Rd, 01273 321222 www queenshotelbrighton com
) HEALTH
27 BRIGHTON STATION HEALTH CENTRE Aspect House 84-87 Queens Rd, 0333 3210946 www brightonstationhealthcentre nhs uk 28 CLINIC M Claude Nicol Abbey Rd, 01273 664721 www brightonsexualhealth com/node/11
682992
SUSSEX BEACON Home Store 72-73 London Rd, 01273 680264 www sussexbeacon org uk
(Kemptown)
38 JUSTIN LLOYD (Brunswick) 111 Western Rd, 01273 692424 www justinlloyd co uk ) FOOD
