Queer Clubbing in London Is Looking Fierce Right Now

As part of The 2 Bears' 12 week residency at London's XOYO, the DJ duo have invited polysexual dance troupe Sink The Pink (a "camp and colossal kaleidoscope of colour") to take over Room 2 every Saturday. The duo have always maintained a strong attachment to house and disco's rich history of queer culture—two straight guys can't call themselves The 2 Bears without a degree of self-awareness, after all—but rarely has it been brought so overtly into one of London's most popular, non-queer specific clubs.

Coming up to their sixth birthday, Sink The Pink have strived to deconstruct preconceived notions of modern day club etiquette, what it means to be queer in London in 2014, and, in the process, bring ball culture back into the heart of the capital's clubbing consciousness. The sight of XOYO regulars joyfully jumping on performers' shoulders, high fiving one another and swapping clothes is not uncommon, but seeing Sink The Pink regulars invade and parade amongst XOYO's more conservative punters in fluorescent tones, sparkles and wigs forges an atmosphere of ostentatious vitality and warmth.

Never wanting to be tied down either, the crew are unafraid to poke fun at the misconception of vogueing being a dated concept, and reject similarities between themselves and Paris Is Burning, Jennie Livingston's celebrated documentary on New York's nascent voguing scene. "Whenever we went out [to queer and drag events], it felt rule-heavy. You'd go out, and there'd be that serious vibe to it—and that's not what it should be about," explain Sink The Pink's founders Glyn Fussell and Amy Redmond.

"I like finding loads of shit from the pound shop and just making an outfit out of it," insists Amy, speaking of setting Sink The Pink apart from the grandiosity of what she terms "bitchy" drag culture. "I think the American way of doing drag is so serious and threatening. You have to have your eyeliner a certain way, otherwise someone's going to tell you off. We're the opposite. Frivolity and ridiculousness. It's very British." Duly, their manifesto is less of a political statement, and focused on a playful, liberal freedom: the theme at their next party at Bethnal Green Working Men's Club is 'The Wedding.'

Despite this separation, certain features from ballroom's past have carried over into Sink The Pink, particularly in the vibe of the crowd. "There's people who wouldn't look out of place mincing in Paris Is Burning, and they've probably been inspired by those things, which is why there's an element of that in our group. Subconsciously, it's a part of culture, but I wouldn't say that it's at the forefront of our minds as promoters." Indeed, Sink The Pink run an annual competition titled Miss Sink The Pink—in which competitors perform a show and dress up, with the winner awarded membership to the crew - and this year they will begin to host bi-annual balls at The Troxy in Shadwell, the first regular balls to take place in the capital.

These balls will "pay homage to the great drag balls of the past, but with a new, totally unique spin on these institutions," which serves as a nice summation of Sink The Pink's achievements to date. An instrumental force in bringing a twenty-year-old concept that originated on the other side of the world to present day London, it seems the crew's contemporary influence has been gratefully vindicated. Clubbers have been hugely receptive to their vibrant offerings, which in turns shows that attitudes are changing. As Glyn puts it, "All men know that you look manliest in a dress!"

Another torchbearer of the scene—albeit running in a more historical lineage of ball culture—is House of Trax, the monthly night run by Matt Thomas and Benedict Bull. Dedicated to all things ghettotech and booty, they have in the past welcomed such esteemed guests as MikeQ, Tyree and, more recently, the Dance Mania-affiliated Paul Johnson.

With its split home of Dance Tunnel and Birthdays in Dalston, House of Trax's backdrop in such a notoriously trendy part of London can be misleading, but what makes it so grabbing is their stripped back vibe. No intricate lighting, no superfluous frills—just a functional dark space with plenty of room to sweat, and precious little room to pose. It's this serious club action, hard, 160bpm footwork and love for the history of house music within ball culture which has led to some of House of Trax's most memorable moments, according to Matt.

"I think the best was when Vjuan Allure and CVNT TRAXXX played, and there was a real mix of dancing styles going on, not just vogue. They were all vibing. That was a great feeling; to think we can bring people together, and they can express themselves in their own way." As a knowing nod to US ball culture, the night includes vogueing competitions hosted by drag queen Ciara Leone, whose view on the subject is unequivocal.

"It's all about positive expression—looking fierce, feeling fabulous, having everything on point" - which Matt wholly agrees with. "There's a strong sense of community, support and pride in the vogue scene. This plays into a bigger part of confidence, creativity and expression in queer culture, which has and will continue to influence a lot of cultures worldwide."

As the influence of Sink The Pink and House of Trax is spreading around London (with the House of Fierce popping up in Camden, and Jonny Woo founding the House of Egypt) it seems their non-adherence to established ball values and maintaining of an open-door house policy ("We're not cliquey in any way; that house idea feels very American") hasn't stopped a surrogate family from being fostered. Amy prides herself on her position as the Mother figure of the group. "No one is going to mess with my girls. There is no way anyone is touching my girls," she emphasises. "There is a strength in numbers thing, an assurance that what we're doing is so important."

As a measure of their success, Sink The Pink has been invited to the US to perform at the brilliantly named performance party Pussy Faggot! in New York - which promotes a similarly care-free celebration of queer culture, and with the "alternative frivolity" that has characterised Sink The Pink. Having brought Pussy Faggot! over to London and Manchester for one-off nights in the past, the invite to vogue's homeland is a knowing nod in the UK's direction.

All images by Luke Dyson