Subverting the Norm
Berlin decadent, old-school clubbing, provocation, pole-dancers and freaky dancing. Who says clubbing belongs to the mainstream?
Back in the early 1990s, clubbing wasn’t just about the music: it was connected, however naively, to a network of counter-cultural protest and experimental performance. While outposts of resistance remain – Death Disco or Optimo’s themed nights spring to mind – the rise of the superstar DJ and the sheer number of club options has left the more radical nights isolated.
Confusion is Sex is the latest night that redresses the balance in favour of the immersive experience. Having created a buzz around its mixture of live music, banging tunes, burlesque and art installations, Confusion is establishing itself as an alternative to the pulling and puking scene. Founder Gamma Ray Dali calls it her "art project”, a fusion of her years acting as a host in underground clubs and a desire to find “ a space where anything can happen”.
Taking up both floors of the Bongo Club, decorated by intoxicating aesthetes The Red Desert, and showcasing ferocious live acts from across Europe, Confusion is Sex grapples with the possibilities of clubbing, straddling visual art, music, theatre and the 60s notion of the 'happening'. As Gamma insists, "I want the abnormal to be normal. The idea is to discourage any normality."
Since the night emerged from Gamma's clear vision, it has a unity, despite the wandering brides in animal masks, the BDSM imagery and burlesque interludes, all of which are jarring interventions into the serious beats. "I am sure about what I want," Gamma says. "I thought about having a sign on my flyers: a jumper with a cross through it. I’d like everyone to dress up. I was thinking about having a face painter, so if people aren’t dressed up, they have to have face paint!"
The wandering brides aren't an accident, though. "The dominant part of Confusion is The Freaky Brides," she admits. "I came up with them - these women married to rock’n’roll. Each girl has a character. They rock out on the dance floor, have fun and are building up to their own act." Even when the burlesque acts aren't on, The Brides maintain that David Lynch vibe, and keep the atmosphere deviant.
Musically, Confusion promotes underground, edgy electro and appropriately alternative bands: past guests include Plazblanche - "a strobe light set to music" and "strong fags for fans of Berlin" Glitter Klinik. "I spend a lot of money bringing over these bands from Berlin and Paris because they perform on stage: a lot of British bands don’t have that thing: they stand really still!" Gamma notes.
On 2 October, Aniaetleprogrammeur's "techno-industrial-punk soundclash" features, while the Hallowe'en Ball will roll heavy on the dancefloor on 30 October. Gamma has lined up a vampire blood act, performances from musical theatre mavericks Craft, Scottish witchcraft rock from the delectable Daiquiri Dusk and a dance-clash between The Freaky Brides and The Auld Reekie Roller Girls.
Burlesque is healthy in the Central Belt, and the clubbing scene is broad: what Confusion is Sex does is to make the link between the cultures, pushing the limits and overwhelming the audience.
"I want girls and everyone to be comfortable. It is really a good atmosphere," Gamma says. "It is good to create a dream world, where people can do whatever they want."
Bongo Club 2 & 30 October
http://www.myspace.com/confusionissexclub