All photos courtesy of the Skin Two Rubber Ball. Used with permission.
The weekend started early at the Café De Paris on Thursday, with the Flash Monkey presenting Cabaret Casbah -- a night of exotic entertainment with performers from all over the world, and then drinking and dancing until the early hours with music from the resident and guest DJs. The venue looks like scenery left over from the film Moulin Rouge, with its intimate booths, balcony seating, an enormous glittering chandelier and a dance floor and stage bathed in sultry red light. The beautiful Blue and Red Bars were packed full of guests and each one was dressed to impress -- everything from cool cats in slick suits and drag queen divas, to busty burly-Q beauties and kittens in corsets.
The atmosphere was electric as the first act took to the stage and the audience erupted into applause and whistles as the gorgeous Platinum Dolls performed a fire and ice feather fan dance. The night's entertainment continued with a real variety of acts: Chad, the handsome blues singer; curvaceous belly dancer Laila Rose; Canadian comedy duo The Wet Spots; a sword swallower; a snake-charming dancer; the retro sounds of the live band; and a bizarre routine from a man in drag cavorting with a cow, accompanied by the exquisite and bewitching vocals of Miss Imelda May. The highlight of the night was a breathtaking performance from Alex the Barbarian, who successfully stripped away his brave assistant's red dress with a succession of loud and dramatic cracks of his whip. Fuelled by the Café De Paris's infamous King Kong cocktails, the decadent and diverse crowd danced until closing time -- a great start to the weekend!
After Friday night's cocktails in Soho and Torture Garden in Vauxhall, it was Saturday and time for the Expo at the Barbican. The selection of stalls, though seemingly smaller than previous years, was excellent and there was a well-dressed crowd of shoppers busily browsing the inflatable latex designs at Pretty Pervy, the impressive selection of whips from Screaming Master, the pretty bow-tie knickers at Sugar Sugar, and the inimitably classy creations at Velda Lauder. There were corset designers from all over Europe, including the unique designs from AMF and Tom.To from Berlin. The chill out areas were perfect for chatting and enjoying various sweet things dipped in the divine chocolate fountains and the atmosphere was friendly, relaxed and buzzing throughout. Diminutive diva Midori looked slick and sassy in her deep red suit as she taught a small crowd of shoppers how to do quick rope wrist-ties in her practical but entertaining way. There was also a breathtaking demonstration by Ellie the Nomad, which saw her beautiful model suspended between three bamboo poles by an intricate system of ropework.
After an afternoon of shopping and mingling, there was just enough time to change and head off to London Bridge for the Rubber Ball at SEOne. The venue is a huge warehouse-style space, with enough different rooms to cater to nearly every taste and preference. The club filled up quickly when the doors opened and, as ever, there were some breath-taking outfits -- including a regal Elizabeth 1, a selection of inflatable rubber outfits, a latex-clad Marilyn Monroe, and a host of other memorable stage and screen characters. The Sci-Fi room was packed all night with clubbers dancing to the eclectic industrial and goth sounds provided by the excellent DJs and the twisted electric dub blues from the band, Hooligan Night. The music changed from room to room, hopefully satisfying all tastes and preferences, and the only real criticism from the crowd was that there was a lack of quieter spaces to sit and relax in. Some of the performances, which had promised to be truly show-stopping, went relatively unnoticed because they were unannounced and, due to the SEOne's stages being set quite low, sometimes difficult to see. However, what was seen was excellent, and the dancing and people-watching certainly made up for anything that was missed.
Some of the world's best rope artists entertained the crowds by suspending and tying their victims in the big gold cage in the Enter the Dragon room, while ladies in towering heels rested their feet on the sumptuous leather sofas in the smaller Interval Rooms -- complete with beautiful usherettes offering popcorn and ice cream to the grateful guests. The spacious black and white Casablanca Room, complete with film noir projected onto one wall and the retro sounds of the talented pianist and the Naughty Flautist filling the air, was an ideal place to sit with friends whilst taking a break from the crowds. While the main room hosted gladiator battles and a Star Wars light sabre spectacular, the dungeon next door was crowded with players and voyeurs well into the early hours. The fantastic equipment, provided by Playpenz, was sometimes abused by tired clubbers sitting on and around it, but there was plenty of play going on too - albeit rather sedate scenes because of the noise and the heat in this particular room.
Those who had the energy returned to the Expo on Sunday to pick up some last minute bargains and the truly hardcore carried on to the Finale at Abacus. With so many events in four days, the weekend was exhausting, exhilarating and enjoyable from start to finish -- both for seasoned Skin Two weekend visitors and Rubber Ball virgins alike.
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EROTICA
/ ZINE
