In Kate's third blog post in the Shameless Hussies series, we are introduced to Brighton royalty and dive into the hedonism of the 90s.

Back in 1992, Queenie and Michele Allardyce aka Xi-Xi used to play live percussion at the Coco Club at the Zap on a Saturday night and decided doing the same at Shameless Hussies might be a good idea. Michele said to Queenie, "Go on - phone up that Kate woman and ask if we can shake our maracas at the next one." Suffice to say she's been banging my bongos for her ever since. Now I would call it a meeting of “minds” but when Queenie walked up those Roundhill Crescent stairs ahead of me to her first-ever Shameless Hussies meeting it wasn’t her mind I was falling for.

And it was more than just bongos getting the attention –Jo and Michele threw themselves into the Shameless universe – providing free tunes, décor, banner design and flyers, the endless copies supplied by DJ Mag office. After lots of hard work, tall tales and constant convincing, Tiz and (now working as promoters with Michele and Queenie but still in support of Lesbian Strength) hit the holy grail of clubland – a Saturday night. A Saturday night at The Concorde on Madeira Drive opposite the pier– the original Concorde – home of Fatboy Slim and Midfield General’s Big Beat Boutique. And now home to a Harvester – oh how we love to treasure our culturally significant buildings nowadays. By now we were making an Impact. Playing underground and upfront house music. Bringing décor and dancers and design together to create club nights that welcomed those who had been excluded from much of the gay scene.

Design by Michele Allardyce.

We celebrated our first birthday with two parties in one week – God, the hedonism of the 90s – how did we do it? Now it must have been the excitement of having two parties in one week but, just like every good slice of queer history, a little drama, a little something for the gossip queens, a date that changed everything. Me and Queenie, drinks at the Prince George, snog up in the doorway of the lightbulb shop – yep, a lightbulb shop - and walking into a lamppost immediately after. A grin that never left our souls. Despite all the dramas (and my, were there some dramas), we have found a way to connect and stay connected for the past 29 years. And yeah you are all invited to the party next year.

And so Shameless continued. Venue hopping – we enjoyed nights at Fisherman’s Friend aka The Beachcomber on Kings Road Arches –(Honeyclub/Shoosh), The Madeira Hotel, Concorde and eventually in September 1994 The Loft ) and The Loft Club (Formerly The Asylum & Downbeat and now The Rialto) on Dyke Road,  (oh the synergy).

We played with others – working with promoter and Zanzibar manager Pauline Brehun for our first mixed version of Shameless Hussies / first collaboration with another club night – Mix. Michele Allardyce excelled herself and pushed the DJ Magazine office photocopier to the edge with some truly iconic flyer designs. Guest DJs joined us, including DJ Parminda bringing the bhangra beats, Kate the DJ (not this Kate the DJ), Venus Rising’s Funki G, DJ Sema (Zanzibar/Mix) and Gordon Lovetrain (Shaft The Zap / Sanctuary)

And there was lots of coverage in The Face, DJ Magazine, Spare Rib, Pink Paper, Gay Times, and Capital Gay. Lesbian London, Shebang!, Quim, Punter, Evening Argus, Buzz, Impact and Streetlife.

Artwork by Josephine Bourney.

Of course, things didn’t always run that smoothly. Relationships were being made and broken.  Clubbers were being entertained and infuriated. For instance, we took photos of each party each month (like the 90s dial up version of Real Brighton) and then developed them on slide film to display via a projector up in the lighting rig. A projector often demanded to be removed by some soul who had been photographed snogging someone other than their actual girlfriend. Some women were mortally offended by the S&M imagery Tess Boffin and others used in their décor designs, many balked at paying a whole £3.50 for a night out and yes, the DJs were asked for everything. Apparently, if you’re at a women-only night it’s a given the DJ will always play country and western.

Theme nights were embraced, including the International Women’s Day Celebration, Leather & Lace – days and days making paper chains to look like, er, chains, SEX – Lips, love & latex, Beach Babe Special – Complete with sandpit and Michele in her bathing suit asleep on a deckchair in the middle of the dancefloor, Edge of Twilight – Butch, femme & Shameless, Wild West Women – and there I was saying Shameless didn’t play country and western, Love All – I Say What A Peach! – marking out the dancefloor as a tennis court – which worked brilliantly until people actually arrived, Beach Party – Ride The Wild Surf – a huge success – until Kate and I left Michele’s giant pineapples in the taxi on the way home.

Shameless eventually came to an end three parties after moving to The Loft. Tiz and I had parted company after a disagreement so serious at the time it stopped play but now is never mentioned whenever we meet each other walking our dogs on the beach. Like many club nights it just kind of fizzled out. Clubbers wanted something different and the age-old problem of getting people to come dancing at venue outside of the gay village. Oh, the horror!