TG Birthday Ball 2008 – Torture Garden Birthday Week-End 2008
by Sarah on May.03, 2008, under Party Report, Torture Garden
TG Birthday Ball 2008
Saturday 3 may 2008 @ SeOne
To step into SeOne on Saturday 3rd May was to step into a different world … and everybody knew it and eagerly looked forward to it as they queued for Torture Garden’s 2008 Birthday Ball. Already well warmed up by a fantastic party the night before at the International Fetish Ball (co-hosted by Tony Mitchell’s The Fetishistas) the queue was shivering with anticip…ation rather than the cold, helped by unusually forgiving weather in London that weekend – not that the rubberwearers mind a little rain, but that deep under London Bridge, they wouldn’t even have felt it.
The anxious queue grew more anxious still as, when they finally reached the hallowed halls, they were hustled into a nightmarish warzone where they were stripped, bullied and hassled by latex clad army sergents. Noone seemed to mind being pushed into a (de)contamination room to change, nor loath to drop their pants and take a beating from the fiercely lovely officers. Most seemed to quite enjoy it (pervs !) and as ever, the crowd set the carnival mood.
Pared down to their party wear, they were allowed to move on and discover the delights that awaited them this year at the fabulously decorated SeOne. From Pre-war Berlin to extravagant New Orleans, the TG team had put in a fantastic effort and created seven different atmospheres, with something to cater for every taste. The uniforms seemed to congregate in the Salon Kitty Bordello, where they only added to the magical impression of being transported back to a more glamorous age, when women were real rubber-clad sirens and men were real uniform-clad gentlemen (or maybe the opposite). From projections of Bob Fosse’s Cabaret it was only a short step easily taken to the live entertainment of Anke Landeau, Lady Ane Angel and Roxy Velvet, which the crowd enjoyed sipping their drinks on gold cane chairs or lounging on leather sofas. Lady Ane and Roxy Velvet later reappeared on the stage of the Voodoo Ballroom where the hep cats and the swinging ladies had been rocking and rolling along to DJ sets from Torture Garden’s own David, the Broken Hearts (or are the Broken Dolls, as listed on the onsite maps ?) and Pandora’s Jukebox. Photographer Maxime Avet was certainly looking very dapper as he swung his partners round. A new performance by Emily Marilyn and Ruby Luster, the presence of Sefi Snake Dancer in the cage and Urban Voodoo Machine’s concert only served to remind that New Orleans voodoo is not only spicy, but can be downright dangerous … A fact which the bravest could verify by venturing into the Hellfire Club and Dungeon Room where strange sex-magic rituals were led by Temple T. It was hard to get near enough to see through the crowd, but the scents of strange incense hinted at lustful mysteries.
The several bars were well staffed and there were enough sofas and chill-out areas for everyone to recover (which is no mean feat with a crowd of 2600), and the luckiest received candy from a skipping nurse. Less compassionate medical staff repaired to the Hospital Playroom, which featured a water-torture performance by Kumi Monster and Amrita. Nurse Amrita waited until Kumi was firmly bound down in a white rubber straightjacket to shave her head, but the worst torture was probably the tickling she endured at the end ! We are happy to say that she seemed entirely recovered as she prowled playfully around the stage later wearing a leopard catsuit in the HWdesign show.
The main stage in the Propaganda Club Arena hosted all the night’s fashion shows : Torture Garden Clothing’s new Virgin Queen inspired collection, Austria’s HW Designs, and the UK’s http://www.prettypervy.com/ Pretty Pervy, all set off by great lighting. Torture Garden Clothing’s newest offering seemed to step from the pages of some strange alternative history book, with a dominant theme of asymmetrical black, red, white and gold. SadEast received her customary ovation as she stepped out, looking beautiful as ever in a white corset with a puffed sleeve, belted in black. HW Designs formed a complete contrast with 1940s and 50s style designs in unusual leopard-print rubber, and Pretty Pervy’s glamorous Martian gowns and strange creatures showed just how much you can stretch to with rubber.
The shows and the dancers owed a lot to Fidelity Kastrow’s DJing handiwork, which was thoroughly fantastic, and almost as beautiful as the lady herself. Josselin was very sorry to see her leave, and everyone missed her beats, but kept on dancing till the lights came on, all too soon, at 6am. Stumbling out into the streets and realising it was already light wasn’t even enough to bring the crowd down, and neither were the dozens of cabdrivers hustling outside the venue doors. Instead there was a stampede of fantastical creatures as they opened the gates at London Bridge tube station, dispersing the last of the Birthday Ball magic into the city. Wandering rather dazedly towards the trains, we decided that despite a lost lensehood and a broken battery pack (Josselin), sore feet and aching limbs (Sarah) and a lot of sleep to catch up on (both) we’d definitely be back to more the next night. Or should that be later that day, since we left at 7:30am ?
