This Wednesday (15 Aug) the team from Recon are expanding the boundaries of both cabaret and fetish nights with Fetish Cabaret at the legendary Royal Vauxhall Tavern. Dave Cross spoke to Recon Brand Events Manager Matt Skully about this exciting night.
Fetish Cabaret at The RVT looks like
something different from ‘normal’ Recon parties – what’s the idea for this?
A huge part of the fetish community is the social element. Lots of guys like to gear up and meet up with other kinksters and socialise. It’s great to have a diverse range of events that cater for everyone, and we thought his would be a really fun thing to do.
Would you describe it as a cabaret night for fetish fans or a fetish night for cabaret fans?
Well both really! London has such a good underground cabaret scene that’s really exploded in recent years. It has some great performers whose acts have a fetish twist and crossover well into the fetish scene. If you’re a fan of cabaret, fetish or both then I would recommend this night.
People may think of Recon as men only, but this event isn’t…
Our larger play parties are men only, but the best things about cabaret and fetish is that diversity is welcomed. Being able to put on events like a cabaret at The RVT, a venue that really does celebrate and showcase diversity in all its forms, means anyone is welcome to attend.
Is there a dress code for the night?
People are very welcome to gear up; latex, leather, sports, uniforms, skinhead and all fetishes are welcome. Civilian clothing is fine too.
Can you talk us through the acts you have performing?
We have a really fun line up. Hosted by the rancid starlet Baby Lame, who will be thrilling and terrorising everyone with her twisted brand of punk horror drag, expect dark comedy and bad taste from start to finish. There will be performances from the scarlet diva of fetish cabaret Marnie Scarlet. Marnie is an underground sensation and one of the top names in fetish performance. She has travelled the world performing in her extraordinary latex costumes. She held her first solo exhibition ‘Kingdom of the Blind’ in London featuring a vast collection of ‘wearable costumes’ and ‘unwearable art pieces’, as well as special performances of her three favourite show pieces. She already mixes body piercing, burlesque and an element of cabaret in extravagant performances that will certainly shock or
amaze you.
We also have his Royal Hairiness and award-winning burlesque performer Dave The Bear. Known in the industry as the body of burlesque, Dave The Bear has been performing all over the world since 2009 and has won Best Male Burlesque Performer at the 2016 Burlesque Awards, and The Vienna Boylesque Championships 2015. His gladiator act will have your nether regions twitching for more as he takes your genitals on a sensory journey from the Roman Empire to modern-day LA strip joints.
You’ll be able to pup out with international cabaret creature Roman Ackley. Sometimes aflame – often shirtless – and always surprising, Roman has been performing for the past two years combining vaudevillian side show, fetish and comedy.
And we will also go on a short history tour and learn the coded visual signifiers of homosexual desire from performers Maxim and Mercury.
Will all their performances have a fetish edge to them?
It wouldn’t be a fetish cabaret without the fetish, so all the acts will have their own unique take on fetish adding elements of comedy, macabre, sideshow and vaudeville.
You’ve held other Recon events at The RVT, what is it about the venue that works for you?
We’ve previously used The RVT for our bondage night and Unleashed, our Fetish Week pup and handler event. The RVT really is a great venue that caters to the LGBTQ+ community and we are so happy we get to continue to go back there. London is constantly losing venues, so it’s important places like The RVT are supported by the community it’s here to serve. We like to mix things up, and having more fetish based social events at places like the RVT means people get to meet each other in a more casual environment. Anyone who is perhaps getting into fetish and looking to explore and meet other fetishists can do so in a less overwhelming environment.
What else do we need to know about the night?
Doors open at 7pm with everything kicking off at 8pm. There’s no advance tickets, just £10 on the door, and everyone is welcome.
Entry is £10.
The Royal Vauxhall Tavern, 372 Kennington Lane, Vauxhall, SE11.
recon.com/events
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