POP RITES

Summer Rites returns in 2013 with a huge Pride special, delivering the kind of celebration befitting the world’s greatest city on its national Gay Day! 

There are 7 dance arenas featuring blistering house, edgy East London beats, urban soundz and big bear beats. This week, we take a look at the Pop Circus Big Top that features clubs Songs of Praise, Sink The Pink and Push The Button, plus PAs from Atomic Kitten and Queens of Pop! Phew!

SONGS OF PRAISE

“Songs Of Praise is a no holds barred quality pop night that takes place on the first Saturday of the month at East Bloc. We have a hot mixed up for it crowd and special guests each month provide a sweet alternative to the pop mayhem on the main floor.”

SOUNGS OF PRAISE TOP 3

NEIL PRINCE:
‘I Love It’ – Icona Pop featuring Charli XCX
This is just massive now, everyone literally shouting that riff

DAVID OH:
‘So Good To Me’ (MK Remix) – Chris Malinchak
Beautiful, warm, melodic track that gets everyone singing along. The bassline on this MK remix adds just the right amount of filth.

SUGARLOW BOYS:
‘Die Young’ – Ke$Ha
One of the music industry’s worse kept secrets? Ke$ha is actually 73.

Favourite Pride memory
I don’t suppose a story of a certain Songs DJ – who shall remain nameless – wandering Pride for 7 hours on mushrooms not knowing where or who they are counts?! More gay shame than gay Pride tho’!

DJs HITS&MRS: PUSH THE BUTTON

“Our music policy in three words: ALL THE HITS. We play anything from 1990 to the present day that we can screech our lungs out to: from a smattering of Scandipop and Disney soundtracks to full-on electro-stompers, from Shabba Ranks to Azealia Banks via Geri Halliwell and Danni Minogue. Basically, whatever CDs we bought from Poundland the week before. Our relaxed, no attitude policy towards what we play is reflected in the crowd we attract.”

PUSH THE BUTTON TOP 3

‘I Feed You My Love’ – Margaret Berger
We met Margaret backstage when we DJ’d at Eurovision recently and got to listen to a bit of the new album. She serves it dark, synthy and Scandinavian – just how we like it.

‘I Love It’ – Icona Pop
Icona Pop DJ’d at Push The Button a couple of months ago and managed to blow the speakers, plunging the club into silence!

‘Put The Needle On It’ – Dannii Minogue
We LOVE the secondary Minogue – in many ways her body of work (and we don’t mean the face-lifts) is more important than that of Kylie’s. Neon Nights is still one of the greatest albums of all time. We have a hidden shrine to Dannii and her versatile bob just outside the open-air urinal in Vauxhall bus station. See if you can find it.

Favourite Pride memory
Ha! Hackney Marsh 2002. We managed to sneak 25 bottles of Smirnoff Ice into the VIP tent. Whigfield ended up snaffling the lot before she was due on stage! When she finally got on stage to perform she sat at the front, dangled her legs off the edge and told everybody in an adorable Danish accent that she was “Absolutely pished”.

AMY ZING AND GLYN FAMOUS: SINK THE PINK

“Sink The Pink is a kitsch, camp, trashy celebration of fashion, music, dancing and fun, like the best house party you’ve ever been to where anything goes. Shameless, guilt free pop, trantastic shows all night and a make-under stand called Glitter My Shitter. Sink The Pink is a no rules, no attitude knees up for everyone, all are welcome, all are celebrated!”

SINK THE PINK TOP 3

‘Jump’ – Kriss Kross
It’s a total classic that always makes the dancefloor bounce.

‘The Thong Song’ – Sisqo
You may think we are joking, but we are deadly serious, this song is life changing.

‘Proud Mary’ – Tina Turner
Camp as fuck, we have a super high-energy number to this that whips everyone into a fizzy frenzy! As you can see, we are seriously credible DJs!

Favourite Pride memory
Roller skating the march at Pride a few years ago with Jonny Woo and a crew of Sink The Pinkers stands out! Making a tranny centipede on wheels as we waved and rolled through the sunny streets of central London. Glyn showing off and Amy shedding her classic happy-emo Pride tears! We are passionate that Pride is a part of all of our lives.

• The Pop Circus Big Top will be at Summer Rites: Pride in the Park on Saturday 29th June (Shoreditch Park, New North Road, N1 6TA) on Saturday 29th June, 2pm-11pm.