Welcome back!
This is the first TG newsletter for 4 years, and as old regulars will know, newsletters were once a regular part of the TG experience. So keep up to date of the latest information and reviews in TG world.
Registered Members of the TG site
As some of you may know, we have now transferred all your data from the old TG database. We would be very grateful, especially if you buy tickets to TG, if you would update your address in your account details.
To do this, log in and then click on the 'My Account' button in the top right hand corner of the site. This will speed up the ticket ordering process for future events.
Purchasing Tickets
There are now two ways you can buy tickets online, either with your credit/debit card online or via paypal if you do not want to share you card details. We can now also take ticket bookings over the phone, however, we do suggest that if you do have access to the internet to please book online for a more efficient and stress free booking.
Memberships
If you are a member wishing to buy tickets, please select the amount of tickets you require and then proceed to the checkout where you membership discount will be calculated.
We now will email you a reminder when your membership is about to expire and when it has expired.
Torture Garden
Twisted Americana Ball
Friday July 4th @ Area
67 - 68 Albert Embankment (Vauxhall Tube & Br) London SE1 7TP
10pm - 6am
After our initial successful event at the revamped Area, we're back again with a special Twisted Americana themed Ball to celebrate independence day for the yanks on Friday 4th July.
Being TG this means exploring and celebrating in the most twisted and subversive way, so dress up and fuck up American Fetish Icons:
Statue of Liberty, Stars & Stripes, Bin Laden, Twin Towers Terrorism, Bondage Bush, Evel Knievel (yes spelled wrong on the flyer!), Elvis, Wonder Woman, Captain America, Emily Marilyn, Mickey Mouse (yes we spelled Mickey wrong on the flyer!), Warhol, McDonalds (yes spelled wrong on flyer!), Cheer Leaders, Cowboys n Indians, Super Heroes, Hollywood Glamour, Play Boy, Porn Star, GI Joe, Rodeo, Vietnam Vet (yes spelled wrong on flyer!), Civil War, Black Panthers, Serial Killers, Vegas, New Orleans, KK Kunts Etc...
Wear a full themed costume or at least add an accessory to your regular Fetish, Burlesque, Body Art, Drag or Glamour Freak outfit. Remember at TG the crowd are the entertainment, so make a difference and be a star!
Highlight of the evening will be a special performance collaboration between Marisa Carnesky (of the Ghost Train fame) and US performer Rasp Thorne, who is appearing at various festivals in the UK this summer.
Expect extreme magical illusion and twisted body performance along with the yankee dollar and the US flag!
Plus there's also shows by Scottee, Wonder Woman Burlesque and Drag Freak Podium Dancers, as well as Twisted Americana visuals and music in the Ballroom to add to the theme.
Guest DJs include Scottee (For3ign & Issue) and Janette Slack joining residents Allen TG and Jimmy Mofo in the Club Arena, and Gimme-a-Fix joining David TG and Jimmy Mofo in the Ballroom.
It took some of you a while to find all of the 6 rooms at Area last month, so make sure you explore fully and in particular find the couples playroom up the stairs at the back of the venue! If you didn't attend last month don't miss the spectacular lighting and multi-laser rig in the main room, it's a unique experience in London club land.
This is our last event of the year at Area before returning to Mass, so don't miss it!
Torture Garden June @ Area - Review
The event immediately after the massive Birthday Ball is usually a little low key for TG, and there were a few regulars missing in June, but it still pulled a reasonable crowd of 750, and the new summer venue worked well and looked great. Therefore we're expecting bigger and better things for the July Twisted Americana Ball.
The spectacular lighting and multi-laser rig in the main Club Arena was as impressive and intense as we'd expected, and helped create a futuristic vibe. Whilst the venue as a whole worked better than expected, with its 6 stylish themed rooms adding the diversity required for the full TG experience.
Unfortunately the loss of some promotion with the changeover to the new website, meant that not everyone knew about the Futuristic theme and so the dress code was not up to usual TG theme standards.
Thanx to members of Cirque De Boudoir from Montreal for the performances and guest DJ slot - check out their club event if you're visiting Montreal.
Torture Garden Birthday Ball Weekend Review
We felt that this year's TG Weekend was our best yet, with all 3 events complimenting one another to create a balanced whole experience. Most of you only had the energy to make it to one or two events, but top marks to the 150+ who partied the distance with us till Sunday!
Many thanx to everyone that attended, performed, DJed, worked and contributed to a fantastic weekend.
Friday - The International Fetish Ball @ Mass
The new International concept for the Friday event worked really well, creating a social opening party, a platform for the international performance, fashion and DJ talent in London for the Weekend, and also a unique event in its own right that was genuinely different to TG.
We also liked the new smaller capacity 2 room layout at Mass, making full use of the massive Dungeon / Playroom space in the main room, and a more fun and mixed dance floor in room 2.
Undoubted highlights must have been the amazing performance by New York Transgender Porn Star Buck Angel (we hope to get him back again at TG soon) and also Suka Off's excellent art based Peep Show installation, and there were other great shows by Ancilla Tilia, Emily Marilyn & Ruby Luster, Amrita, and House of Bias Fashion by Von Livid.
We were also pleased with more diverse music on the main dance floor, with our international guest DJs from Rome, Athens and Tokyo adding a genuine international sound and vibe to the event.
Therefore, overall a great first event for the new format with an attendance of 550+, and definitely something that we can build on to be a regular feature for future years. We'll be back at Mass next year!
Saturday - Torture Garden Birthday Ball @ SeOne
The main event of the Weekend was probably our best yet at SeOne, and we feel that we achieved our aim of creating a genuine fun party vibe, despite the massive scale. Perhaps because it was our 4th TG event at SeOne, the crowd mostly knew the venue layout, and could get on with the party without getting lost! But we also think we made the most of the 6 themed rooms and achieved a perfect balance, with the right mix of dance, chill out, cabaret, play, dungeon and installation areas creating the right flow. Probably the big increase in seating and chill out space throughout, and the new medical playroom and Berlin cabaret rooms, created most improvement and helped make it a more fun and sociable event right through till 6am.
We were pleased with the decor and vibe of all the rooms, and each added a diverse fantasy experience. Including many of our favourite TG themes, from the War Zone Entrance, Oriental Bondage Garden, Voodoo Ballroom, Berlin Cabaret Boudoir, Medical Playroom, Hellfire Dungeon and Propaganda Club Arena, it had something for Every Body. Our personal favourites were probably the Medical Playroom and the Berlin Cabaret Boudoir, and each created new theatrical and erotic spaces beyond the dungeon. The creation of more chill out ambient spaces also helped make the only 2 dance floors on the night even more focused and intense.
Although the event sold out on the door to 2600 TG Party People, we felt the capacity was just right to create a buzz and energy till 6am, but avoid excessive overcrowding during peak times. But as always, there were long queues for the cloakroom at peak hours (we apologise for the inconvenience of a long wait - but this can't be changed with the massive numbers attending and the venue set up), but unfortunately many had failed to check our warnings and advice to arrive early (we opened at 9pm) or use the new advance ticket / no cloakroom express entry.
The mix of the 25+ shows throughout also flowed better than usual, with each rooms entertainment feeling like a club in itself. As always, with so many shows we couldn't be everywhere and see everything, but our favourite moments were:
Torture Garden Fashion Show
The Torture Garden `Virgin Queen' Fashion Show - inspired by Queen Elizabeth 1st - was fantastic, creating a dramatic and uplifting peak to the night and providing the main focus in the Propaganda Club Arena. Many thanx to the designer of the new collection - Florence, and to Robin and the team at Torture Garden Clothing. Plus also to the Robert Masciave team for the hair, Bea Sweet for the make-up and all the great models.
Katz Maffioletti
Katz interactive art installation was presented in the Medical Playroom as a site specific part of her MA post graduate course. We thought it was excellent, splitting the senses of sight and touch, and succeeding in being both challenging and entertaining to a mixed crowd. It also looked great! But unfortunately ended by 12.30am and most of you missed it, so we're going to get it back again soon.
Urban Voodoo Machine
Urban Voodoo produced another storming set at TG in the Voodoo Ballroom and were mad, bad and even dangerous! A genuine festival moment in a club. Fantastic!
Roxy Velvet
We also loved Roxy Velvet's new (smaller) cage burlesque performance in the Berlin Cabaret Boudoir, adding a touch of magic and idic glamour. One of her best shows yet!
Temple T
Members of Temple T have performed various rituals at TG over the years and it was good to have them back spreading a bit of Chaos Magick around the venue before we opened and throughout the night.
As well as the shows we caught, we've also seen great photos of Suka Off, Psycho Cyborgs, Pretty Pervy, HW Design, Missy Malone, Dusty Limits, Lady Ane, Kumi & Amrita, and we're sure all the others were excellent too!
Finally, as at all TG events the real stars of the show were the crowd, so thanx to everyone that dressed up and looked incredible, and still make Torture Garden the best club in the world!
Sunday - Boudoir @ The Platinum Bar
Sunday's closing party had a relaxed, fun party vibe and mixed crowd of around 350. With new venue - The Platinum Bar - working really well over 4 floors, providing electro dance floor, burlesque mash-up, boudoir and dungeon. Being before a Bank Holiday Monday also helped keep the party going right through to and beyond 3am. We loved the Platinum Bar decor, multi-room layout and friendly management, so we expect to be back for next year's Sunday party.
Fantastic TG Birthday Ball Weekend Photos - up in the new Torture Garden website gallery - Click here, Now!
Dates for the 2009 Torture Garden Birthday Ball Weekend
Fri 15th - Sun 17th May 2009
Put in your diaries and book holidays now!!!
TG Postal & Email Mailing List
In the process of recently changing our website and updating our mailing lists we have lost some old contacts, therefore please tell all your TG friends to reconfirm their details and join the new list for regular TG newsletters and info.