Drag King Night @ VelvetStudio 24, 21 July

There's a sense of fun, of flouting the rules

Article by Cameron North | 09 Aug 2007

The first thing that stands out at this special drag king themed edition of Velvet, the monthly women's queer club night, is the atmosphere. It has the welcoming feel of a house party rather than of a venue best known for metal music and noise disputes with local residents. Many of the women sport ties and pencilled-on facial hair and there is a general sense of fun, of flouting the rules. The music is a mix of dance hits and pop floor-fillers, interspersed with karaoke performances of such classics as You Can Leave Your Hat On. It's fairly busy, but this comes as no surprise given that Velvet has down-sized from the spacious Mariners to the upstairs room of Studio 24. The new setting, though, also means cheaper drinks and a shorter journey from the centre of town. Given the number of women who showed up in their waistcoats and hats, this popular club night is still going strong.

£4-6, Studio 24, Calton Road, Edinburgh
Next date: Velvet's birthday party, Friday 24 August, 11.05pm-5am