How did you Feel Love? A Donna Summer question
Here’s the disco rub. I need to know what Donna Summer’s I Feel Love symbolises to you. Why is it important to you? When did you first hear it and how did you react? What does it represent? Is a gay thing? A coming out thing? Or is it just one of those universal moments in music that means something to everyone? Does it only connect to a certain generation or has its influence grown through the decades? Is it all about the disco or is there something more to be said?
Feel free to share the love, your stories and your experiences. Wax lyrical for as long or a little as you wish. Your responses will form part of my latest university essay about residual media and the social and cultural reasons why we connect to vinyl, music and disco the way we do.
Thanks in advnce for your contributions. As always they are very much appreciated.
All responses will be confidential and will be only quoted in one essay, which will be seen by myself, my tutor and possibly an external adjudicator. For further information please email kw160@brighton.ac.uk.
Brighton Danceteria / Lovebox Warm Up Party: 03.06.12
Danceteria returns this weekend and I couldn’t be more excited. Hot lads, friendly vibe, decent tunes and a sprinkling of Donna Summer wonders. What’s not to like? Add a chance to win tickets to Lovebox with Chaka Khan and Grace Jones and HMD and, well, you have a must-do disco destination this Jubilee Sunday. Expect a soundtrack of good time tunes from DJs Pete Haywood, Affy & Ali GoBang!, Queen Josephine and myself plus the ever fabulous darling that is Fordy Freaktastic hosting and you have a night out unique to this super fabulous city of ours.
Its a weekend for the Queen, so fill it with disco queens. Like you do.
Perfect Distractions: Daveed ‘This & That EP’ Organika Records
Can’t think why me and the missus love this one so much? Could it be the loop, the bass, the “say what?”, or that enticing a.m. feel that has us in a frenzy. Those 5 words ‘house music all night long’ say it all. That and the fact it has a very stylish namesake. Daveed we salute you. Both of ya.
Out now on Beatport
Schtumm! Presents Tensnake: Friday 1st June Audio Brighton
Nothing raises my temperature higher than a gent called Tensnake. And he’s coming Brighton’s way this Friday. Audio is the venue, Brighton heroes Schtumm! the hosts, and a decent dance your destination. Tensnake’s last gig at Audio was one of my fav of 2011 and I can’t wait to get the most cool of Coma Cat’s in my sight. It is, my dear ones, is looking like being one of the finest weekend of gigs and clubnights Brighton’s seen this year. Make sure you start on solid ground with Tensnake.
Friday, June 1st
Schtumm! present:
TENSNAKE
THRILOGY
NEAL SCHTUMM
AUDIO, Brighton
Tickets £8/10 in advance
More on the door
11pm-Late
LAST FEW TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE
Perfect Distractions: The Great Gatsby A film by Baz Luhrmann
I can’t wait till the cold dark nights of December 2012. Because then it will nearly be Boxing Day and I can join the front of the queue for this wonder. The thought of my favourite ever book being touch by the likes of Leo had me in a shiver but then I remembered Moulin Rouge and the beauty that only Baz can bring. He has a lot to live up to, Jack Clayon’s 1973 adaptation remains one of cinema’s greatest visual treats (the beautiful shirt scene is simply unforgettable) and I only Baz can bring to the screen the textual glory F Scott Fitzgerald brought to his prose. I shall be reading The Beautiful and the Damned this summer in preparation for a winter of visual pleasure. I only pray Carey and Co. don’t let me down.
“Mr Gatsby will see you now”.
The Golden Handbag Awards 2012: Vote Queen Josephine
Rumour has it she’s going for the sympathy vote. Rumour has it she’s changing her name to DJ Van Gogh. Rumour has it she’ll do anything to get your attention.
Queen Josephine is a Brighton scene institution. She plays good tunes, is camp at the disco, delivers public service Pride weather forecasts and smiles a lot. A beloved deck queen, our Jo is one of the reasons we love to party in Brighton be it at DSD, Wild Fruit, Danceteria, Rebel, Sirens, The Marly, The Globe, Sunday Sundae, Disco Deviant or Brighton Pride. Long may she reign.
And you’ll get her grinning from ear to (sore) ear if you would take the time to vote for HRH Queen Josephine in the Best DJ category at this years Golden Handbag Awards. Go to realbrighton.com/awards/goldenhandbags/vote today and make a Brighton queen’s day. It’s all for a good cause, its all to celebrate everything that is bright and beautiful in this city of ours and, erm, it would make those visits to ASDA a little less needy.
Other wonders we’ll be voting for include;
Best Club: Wild Fruit or DSD
Favourite Door Hostess: Gary Forde / Freaky Fordestar @ Wild Fruit and Danceteria
Favourite Community Social/Leisure Networking Organisation: The Bear Patrol
Voluntary Sector & HIV Organisations: MindOut or Allsorts Youth Group
Best Small Bar: Audio
The Golden Handbags is annual celebration of the best in Brighton from clubbing to community. Started in 1995, they have now become the biggest annual fundraiser in LGBT Brighton, raising over £100,000 to date. This year’s proceeds will be distributed among a variety of LGBT organisations. The Awards are first and foremost a fundraising event, to raise money for LGBT organisations, and are intended to build pride and confidence in the LGBT community, celebrating the best LGBT Brighton has to offer.
This year’s Golden Handbag Show, hosted once again by the fabulous Lola Lasagne, will take place in the main ballroom at the Hilton Metropole Hotel on Sunday, June 17 starting at 7:30pm. Tickets for the show are £17. There are a limited number of pre-booked tables of 12 available. To secure a pre-booked table call 01273 722457. All other tickets are available from Prowler, 112 St James’s Street, Brighton.
Perfect Distractions: Janet Jackson ‘What Have You Done For Me Lately?’ (Hifi Sean ‘Disco Robot’ Bootleg)
Somedays only Janet will do. Somedays only Hifi Sean can hit your button. Today is a good day.
Just hit ‘Like’ on HiFi Sean’s Facebook Page and go to free downloads button.
Donna Summer: A disco dear too soon departed
Our neighbours are mourning. For the peace they once had. Since the news broke last week me and the missus have been keeping it Summer. Donna Summer. Our queen disco, so sorely missed. It seems like we all have a I Feel Love story. Coming out, going out, the first kiss, the first 12 inch, the first disco. Gay, gay, gay. No matter what may have been she is and that tune is everything I love about being a queer. From the first futurist drone to the synth rhythm to that simpliest of lyrics. Its perfection in vinyl form. Perfection of the Moroder kind that still rocks any dancefloor you dare to spin it onto. Late night Rebelious ones, sundrenched Sundae ones, proud as fuck park ones.
I Feel Love. Like the diva herself, exquiste, inspiring and ours. Donna Summer, a disco dear too soon departed.
Grab a fine, fine Donna Summer tribute courtesy of Horse Meat Disco
Catch DJs Wildblood, Queen Josephine, Affy & Ali Go Bag and Pete Haywood playing a discotastic tribute to Donna at Danceteria Sunday 3rd June, The Font, Brighton
Queenie’s disco damaged ear – a Wildblood thank you x
F*** me. There I was thinking I’d stay at home and have a quite weekend with my books. But then disco damage rears its ugly head and its get nasty for my sweet sweet missus. After an afternoon and early evening caring for one of her young people, doing what so many carers do and not putting herself first, Queen Jo goes Djing at DSD. She hadn’t eaten enough and, bang, her blood pressure drops like a stone and so does she. All she remembers playing her set, the lovely King K taking over and sitting on the terrace talking to someone nice. One of the DSD crew saw her just collapse onto the floor. She falls, cracking her head, banging her shoulder and, I hate this bit, ripping most of her upper ear off.
And then we are within the realm of supportive loved ones and the kindness of strangers. Thank you to each and everyone who looked out for my girl this weekend. AJ who watched over Jo and kept me informed whilst I rushed to A&E to be with her, the lovely boys and girls at DSD and OhSo, the amazing Lucy who accompanied Jo in the ambulance, the numerous NHS staff in A&E whose actions saved Jo’s ear, the ambulance and the Max Fac ward, the cabbie who reassured a frighten me, the nurse who saved Jo’s ear, the camp anesthetists, the angels on the ward, the fellow patients who assured Jo it would be okay and kept us sane and Jo comforted, the surgeon who rebuilt her (she is my Million Dollar Queen), Jo’s extra special nurse Amy, that ever so special first cup-a-soup, the truly amazing Clare and Pete who looked after me and ferried us around in the most stylish car-cum-ambulance I’ve ever been in, the City team that destroyed the boredom of those last few hospital hours with some amazing footie and finally the endless sweethearts who messaged and texted and phoned and kept a grin on Jo’s face and helped me cope with the disco damage drama.
Yes its a cliche but its weekends like these that make you appreciate what you have. The NHS. A precious, under resourced institution filled with the most dedicated people this country has. Our friends and family who stand by us no matter what we drama we add to their lives. And my missus, my most treasured girl. Thankfully home and safe and demanding chicken soup. Just as it should be.
Wildblood + Queenie’s Beatport DSDeeper Rebel Recovery Chart
After a blinding right regal Queenie birthday weekender at DSD, DSDeeper Rebel and Danceteria here’s some BPM’s to make the wait till next weekend a little easier! Hit the pic for some sound adventures with Joris Voorn, UMEK, Maelstrom, Richard Malcoh, Electronic Youth, Joy Negro, Tonyboy, That Kid Chris, Youri Donatz and the ever classic, always wonderful Nitro Deluxe.
DSD returns this Friday at OhSo Social Bar Brighton with DJs Queen Josephine, Mr Barker and special guest King K whilst DSDeeper Rebel will be getting all filthy on us once again come the 1st June with special guest DJ Pier Morrocco. Enjoy!
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