14/11/15: A short 5 minutes in the queue for XXL on a cold Saturday night leaves you in no doubt that winter is definitely coming and your cockles need warming.
The pop room on its own would have been more than enough to keep any respectable gay man dancing away all night (I was particularly drawn to the platforms with bars round them, mainly to re-enact ‘Buttons’ by the Pussycat Dolls), the real action lies in the room next door.
With Hoxton Whores (Wasn’t that a Girls Aloud B-side?) on the decks, things were bound to get a little steamy. Bears, bears, bears, it’s like Kylie’s Slow video – but with a lot more body hair and a lot more house music.
Those winter nights are long and cold – and what better way to warm yourself up than with a bevy of hot, hairy men? It gets surprisingly warm in that big, old, airy, cavern (the club – minds out of the gutter!) so you’re forgiven for whipping that top off and wondering where it ended up at the end of the night.
Now if you don’t mind me, I’m planning my next trip to XXL so I can save on heating this winter.
Pulse, 1 Invicta Plaza, South Bank, SE1 9UF
Words by Mark Hamil
Photos by Joel Ryder
