Balls

The end-of-LGBT-History-Month "Glamour Factory" Ball we went to on Friday was a mixed bag, to say the very least.

On the one hand, it gave us an excuse (if any were needed!) for us to dress up to the nines in our best Warhol/60s/70s/glamorous "frock coats and bibbity-bobbity hats"; we had a marvellous vintage fashion parade (from students at Goldsmiths, taking gay musical icons through the decades as its theme); Earl Grey did a magnificent turn as Judy Garland, and a slightly less magnificent appearance as HM The Queen; Islington councillor James Murray proudly announced that the UK's very first legal gay marriage will be held at the Town Hall on 28th March; and the DJs Jonathan Kemp, Sadie and Joe Pop did us proud with suitably retro music to bop to.



On the other hand, our "host" Bird la Bird was possibly the most annoying, unfunny (and on occasions, downright offensive with her anti-monarchist incoherent ranting) individual I have encountered since Tony Blackburn at Proms in the Park; several "ladies-who-like-playing-pool" decided that "free bubbly" was something to sink by the bucketload, leading to some very blokey behaviour indeed; and the live music - for a celebration of gay history, remember - consisted of a bunch of Heavy Metal rockers. More than two-thirds of what had been a huge and diverse audience left before the excessively loud thrashing guitars had played their second number...



Thank heavens for Al (Lana) Pillay, in all his/her glittering fabulosity! He/she even dedicated his/her smash hit Pistol In My Pocket to the benighted Vladimir Putin.

And here, for your delectation, is that very song:

Lana Pillay - Pistol in my Pocket

Camden and Islington LGBT History Month 2014 was another massive success (the biggest in the world, by all accounts), and I look forward to being involved/supporting next year's events!