26/10/13: As we strutted onto the main balcony of Café de Paris, brushing off the various sequinned drag queens and muscled pageboys who threw themselves upon our person, a sweeping sea of fabulousness, glee and glitter greeted our half-hidden eye.
Acrobats were tumbling from satin ropes; vast Mexican skull designs leered greenlit from the art-deco pillars, and everyone – everyone – was dressed to impress, from Egyptian empresses to half-naked Venetian princes.
All in support of the National AIDS Trust, organised by Josh Rafter and friends, we snogged the face off one of the volunteers in order to nab the gold VIP wristband from his backpocket then settled on the gilded balcony, swigging a bottle of vodka, to watch the show: La Voix filled the ornate venue like Dietrich in the 20s with her soaring vocals, a sexy metal welder sent orange sparks fizzing over the underworld masquerade, and beautifully bodied go-go dancers writhed to the beats of DJs Brent Nicholls, Paul Heron and Rob Sykes As a rippling white sheet swept over the heaving dance floor, we slid – no, skied – down the Café de Paris banister to party with the dead as only the living know how… Till next year!
Café de Paris, 3-4 Coventry Street, W1D 6BL
Words by Jackie Jockstrap
Photos by Chris Jepson
