LondonNet Clubs Guide

LondonNet Clubs : Features : Fetish It's Not All Whips And Chains, You Know We get all tied up in London's fetish scene STRICT dress codes are a matter of course with most clubs. 'No Jeans' they say, followed by 'No trainers'. And if it's a Saturday night and the ever-popular Carwash at Sound: 'No Silly Wigs'. But all this is mere piffle compared to the strict rules demanded by the extreme end of London clubland - the fetish scene. Not for the faint hearted, London's fetish scene scorns the casual dresser. For Fetish clubbers the more extreme and perverse, the better. Dress to sex-press, if you will. The dress code varies between clubs. In some cases there will be no admittance if you're not dressed in the right gear, while other clubs prefer members to simply use their imagination. House Of Fetish organise a couple of fetish clubs in London, Indecent Exposure at Imperial Gardens in Camberwell and the new Private Perversions at The Fringe, Vauxhall. Both of these events specify a strict door policy - leather, PVC, uniform, rubber or drag. Turn up in anything else and you'll get turned away.But it isn't just about rubber and leather. Leading promoters of fetish events Torture Garden, who run a number of club events such as the monthly Club Flesh as well as their own popular night at Brixton's Mass, 'encourage individual imagination and diversity'. According to TG, many of the best-dressed clubbers wear outfits made from various second hand articles, theatrical costume or uniform. Ah, uniforms. Popular with fetish goers, uniforms usually play a large part of fetish theme nights. Switchblade Sisters run a regular fetish themed club night every third Saturday of the month. At the other end of the spectrum there is Club Domina, a private club only open to members. Fetish lovers can only become members if they are nominated or invited. The club doesn't advertise anywhere apart from on its website. On the subject of theme nights, a source from the club said: "Our members have enough imagination. They don't need any prompting from us." But let's not get carried away. First-time fetish clubbers intimidated by the exclusivity surrounding certain clubs needn't worry. Rub Me Up The Right Way at East London's Club Rub snubs the po-faced attitude that consumes some fetish clubs. Unleashed every second Friday of the month, RMUTRW adopts a more easy going approach by celebrating the more 'playful side of kinky dress' where everyone from first timers and saucy ravers to drag queens and SM old timers mingle freely. But be warned wearing the fetish colour of black isn't enough. There has to be an element of kinkiness. And there's the, ahem, rub. LondonNet talks fetish with Torture Garden co-founder Allan… It's difficult to get away from preconceptions of whips and chains…what is a fetish club really like? Torture Garden: A fetish club is a very limiting description of TG because it is a fetish club on one level but a whole lot more on all the others. We are basically about the celebration of sexuality and fantasy in a safe environment. On a basic level TG is a nightclub like most others, however we like to give our customers something different from their clubbing experience. We have top DJs, eclectic music policy, fashion shows, performances, casino, dungeon/playroom, visuals and a crowd that is the most dressed up in the world. Our customers expect the unexpected. How long has the club been in existence? TG started in October 1990 in Shepherds Bush. This year we celebrate our 11th year. Who goes there? - What sort of clientele? Age range etc? Is it mainly couples? TG is known for the sheer range of people from students to businessmen, from cyber punks to lawyers & scientists ranging from 18 to 60 year olds, though the average age group is 26-28. The mix is 50/50 men/women, 50/50 single/couples, 20/40/40 gay/bi/straight. What's the usual turnout? 1000-1300 monthly with 2000 for the birthday party. What should the first-timer expect? Most first timers find the first time like entering a scene from a movie, like entering a new world where the usual rules of clubbing are broken. Women will find the atmosphere liberating from the usual crap that they receive at normal clubs/pubs. The main thing about TG is how friendly and tolerant everybody is. No one cares if you're fat, too thin, black or white, rich or poor. The fetish scene could be accused of being elitist- some clubs charge up to UKP20. I've never heard that said that about the fetish scene. We charge anywhere between £12 and £18 for one of our monthly events. Running a fetish event is very different to a normal club as most of our expenses differ to that of a normal club. We can't bring in as many people into our events as our clubs need space for people to wander, play sit and chat. We did a survey and our members said that it is worth the money considering what they can get for it. There isn't another club in the world that can offer you what we do. It may sound boastful but we have travelled to fetish events all over the world and what we experienced is that most events are like the whips and chains that you first talked about. There's an awful lot of secrecy surrounding Fetish clubs. Where do you tend to advertise? Or is it all word of mouth? There used to be a lot of secrecy regarding fetish events due to the fact that the sm/fetish was considered strange ten years ago. Nowadays most people don't mind or have a better attitude to fetish. We have been on TV numerous times including Arena, Jack Dee, MTV, South Bank Show, Girlie Show to name a few. Advertising comes from fetish/gay/sub-culture related magazines and shops, our own mailing list, word of mouth and our website. Do you have a strict dress code? Fantasy Fetish, SM, Body Art, Drag, Rubber, Leather, PVC goes, but no cotton t-shirts, street wear, or regular club wear. Sometimes when we have a special theme we add a lot more to the dress code i.e. Halloween would be vampires etc. What other theme nights do you have? Freakshow, Summer Holiday, James Bond, Casualty, Uniform. What's the music policy? Eclectic. Main room: 10-11.30 Drum & Bass, 11.30-1.30: leftfield, break beat etc. 1.30-6.00am: Hard dance. Cabaret Room: Anything from Punk to Frank Sinatra to disco and swing. Playroom: Erotic & Sensual music. Have there ever been times where proceedings have gotten out of hand? No, we pride ourselves on how we run our events. We use excellent security and have dungeon monitors. However we do have to occasionally throw out the odd male punter who has harassed a customer. Any celebrity names? I will obviously only mention the individuals who do not mind. Jean Paul Gautier, Boy George, Marilyn Manson, Jack Dee, Marc Almond. What would you say to someone who turned up in trainers? Nothing. Where do most people tend to shop for fetish gear in London? Stables Market: Camden. Paradise: Soho. Regulations: AngelFirst time Other useful sites - London Fetish Scene : Torture Garden : SkinTwo

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