25/07/15: SAY HELLO *high kick* TO THE GIRL *high kick* THAT I AM. That’s how Cockheart model Ola Awosika and I entered XXL on Saturday night. I’m not even fucking kidding.
There were smoke machines blasting. There were strobe lights going. We’d just had basically a bottle of Absolut vodka each. What I love about XXL is its unpretentiousness.
It’s not little twinks skulking in corners, muttering about how Katya was overlooked in season 7 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, it’s a bunch of nice guys! Happy bears fist-pumping to Kylie, Muscle Marys throwing shapes whilst still managing to find the best light to accentuate their cheekbones, and wasted QX Magazine journalists!
It’s proper, quintessential, Queer As Folk, glowsticks-in-the-air FUN. What more could you want from a Saturday night? The venue Pulse really is breathtaking (that sounds a bit melodramatic but it is, it’s awesome!). Bare brick, cavernous dance floors, aforementioned insanely over the top smoke machines that feel like they might knock you on your arse. Floor-to-ceiling mirrors. It’s all smoke and mirrors! Two things that gay men love.
We danced to Britney in the “camp” room (I’m not sure what it’s actually called but that’s what everyone was calling it), then got our sweat on to some Guetta-esque house in the main room. Then stormed into the dark room, then stormed back out again. Not because we were judging but because, you know what, we were JUST. TOO. TIRED. Sex is tiring! Have you ever tried it? It’s EXHAUSTING.
A massive well done to the boys at XXL for another rip-roaring Saturday night! RAWR!
Pulse, 1 Invicta Plaza, SE1 9UF
Words by Dylan Jones
Photos by LUXXXER
