SUMMER | COVER FEATURE
PRIDE COMES BEFORE
A FALL
David Hoyle and Christeene
have inspired me recently. I
love how they interact in such
a personal way. I love going
to parties like LOVERBOY by
Charles Jeffrey, or Nice Mover,
who do amazing things that
are very inclusive. I also love art
and films with a clear inclusive
message.
As a fashion designer whose
couture has been worn by
Beyonce and Lady Gaga, Lyall
Hakaraia’s stylistic creativity
has livened the world of events
and nightlife. As a proponent of
cultural propulsion, however,
the VFD nightclub founder rails
against stale event formats and
experiences that fail to evolve.
And the Pride movement is by no
means immune from criticism.
How has the LGBT+ scene
evolved?
Charles Jeffery: LOVERBOY
What are your views on Pride?
How did you transfer from
fashion into events?
I studied art, and have spent
much of my life working all
over the world, making bespoke
clothing for performers. In
pursuing this, I slowly got
involved in the wider show –
the stage management, and
eventually managing the events.
At a lot of events the sound is
often not great, and the lighting
not so fabulous. I started to take
into account the whole creative
direction, and set about learning
how it’s all run, taking time
to study about every element,
down to how to programme the
sound system.
It’s become a hideous
commercial beast with sponsors
I don’t quite believe in. I went to
it 20 years ago when it was much
smaller, and based in Clapham,
but then it became different, and
something I couldn’t relate to. It
is too big and commercial now
which isn’t in the original spirit.
There’s still transphobia
and misogyny within the
community itself that needs
to be spoken about, so all this
patting yourself on the back
is not a great thing. Being gay
doesn’t mean you’re not very
right-wing or prejudiced. That’s
not to say lots of people don’t go
to Pride with open hearts and a
loving spirit. But as a venture,
it’s there for people to make
money, and I’ve nothing against
that, but there’s too much
emphasis on the corporate, and
not enough on community. It’s
also outrageous, for example,
that the West End committee
asked queer and gay venues
to pay them to be open during
Pride.
I’m more involved in Black
Pride on the Sunday, which
is more mellow, intimate and
accessible. Pride has become
more about people getting off
their head while council pays to
police it. Being smaller in scale is
more important.
Where do you draw inspiration
from?
With running a venue, there’s
lots passing through here
continually, and there’s lots of
really great inclusive spaces
that are inspirational to me. I
get inspired by the people I see:
performers, art, community
builders, music, art, great
parties. It’s not just from one
source.
I enjoyed party nights like
Smashing in the 90s, then Gay
Bingo in Shoreditch, and The
Eagle, and seeing acts like Horse
Meat Disco. However, some
organisers and acts don’t move
with the times and get stuck
in a loop. The past is great, but
when nostalgia kicks in it can be
dangerous. Five years on, and
some event designers are still
doing the same thing, they can
live in a bubble.
What tips would you give
budding event organisers?
Get in there, get involved
and learn, because all that
knowledge is power. It’s great
to delegate, but if you’re a really
good producer you should
know how the systems work.
Sound engineers need to share
knowledge though! So often an
event could be a lot better if they
let you in on what they are doing.
Also, don’t leave the rehearsals
to someone else, really talk to
people, go in and see what the
possibilities are.
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