Our favourite hairy beary clubbing leviathans XXL turn sixteen next Saturday! SIXTEEN. What were YOU doing sixteen years ago? Dancing to Wannabe in front of the mirror with a hairbrush probably.
Anyway, the XXL boys were kicking off their night for bears and their friends, which has proven to be not too hot, not too cold, but JUST RIGHT (that was a Goldilocks & The Three Bears joke, in case you didn’t get it – quite an eccentric reference, but we’re mad here at QX!)
Their birthday celebrations this year feature superstar DJ Moto Blanco, and are a based on cult 70s sci fi TV show, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. Why? WHY NOT. We took XXL Head Bear Mark Ames aside to ask him all about it.
Hi Mark! So it’s your sweet 16th! Have you made a wish?
That everyone comes and has an XXLcellent night out
Why is the theme Buck Rodgers? Like, it’s amazing obviously, but why?
Well, I was going to call it FUCK ROGERS but that would be rude! But Buck was on when I was sixteen and he was very shaggable.
What’s been your favourite XXL moment over the last 16 years?
I have to admit, the early years of XXL for me were the most exciting and dramatic. I’ll never forget the opening night at the old venue. It may have only been attended by five hundred guys, but they were all bears, all was very horned up, and all ready to party. Things happened on that night I could not put in print. But I’ll tell you this: someone came up to me and said “I love the show”. I said “what show?” and he pointed to the main dancefloor, where thirty or forty naked guys were dancing on two platforms! I’ll leave the rest to your imagination. Then again, every other party has made an impression in my grey matter, but I don’t live in the past, I look to the future. And I believe XXL’s best party has yet to come!
So, what’s been the WORST party?
I don’t think there’s been a party in sixteen years that’s been bad, but the period when we were raided nine times in one month was a real downer (but the support from customers was amazing). I’ve nearly been closed down or spent time in a police cell over the club, but it seems that’s part of being in the clubbing industry these days. Despite that, I’d do it all again regardless. I opened XXL just as it was needed and will keep it open until it’s not. XXL is more than just a night out; it’s a way of life. A statement to all that no matter what size, shape, creed, race or religion, as long as you’re bear-friendly, you’ll be welcome!
What’s going on the XXL birthday buffet this year? Are there going to be mini quiches?
Well our theme is the future so, after watching some Buck Rogers, it seems they eat pre-moulded jellies. Well, jelly with a twist maybe…jelly vodka!
What celebrity would be your dream party guest?
Over the years I’ve had loads of celebs and high calibre guests in, but I’d sooner have a happy bear or chaser any day. XXL is not really about VIP status. I’d sooner have a VIB (Very Impressive Bear) in than a VIP!
And what would be your dream gift?
I’m not really the type that dreams of things and then waits for a gift! See I dreamt of XXL and then made it happen! I think that’s a gift enough, as I believe life is the best gift any of us are given, so go out and make your dreams reality by living them!
What are you going to drink? We’re going to have lots of vodka cokes.
I really don’t drink at work, but maybe I’ll pop a bottle or two and party like it’s my birthday!!
Sum up XXL in three words.
FUR, FUN & FUNKY
How was XXL different when it started up 16 years ago?
It was far more like a family or tribe. We all knew each other, and it was seen as a fringe of the fetish scene, and I guess we were. But with XXL, bears and older guys grew a confidence that started to get noticed by the scene in general. I remember coming into the QX offices before opening the club, saying I was opening a club for bigger, older guys, and the looks on the editors and staff’s faces summed up how people felt about gays over thirty years and thirty-two inch waists. Someone even sarcastically said “do fat people dance?!” and I said “no they wobble.” But proof is in the pudding – that person’s gone and XXL’s still here and is still BIGGER, BETTER, BOLDER than ever!
• XXL’s 16th Birthday is on Saturday 24th September at Pulse, 1 Invicta Plaza, South Bank, SE1 9UF. 9pm – 8am. £8 members, £15 guests.
