We remember one of East London’s hottest queer dance parties as it draws to a close this week
Savage is one of those parties that people will always remember. When it crashed into Metropolis back in 2015, it caused an instant sensation, with the crème of east London’s crop of club kids, celebs and fashion designers clamouring for a spot on the guestlist (DM me by 6pm bbz!)
Overseen by Sink The Pink’s Glynfamous, it’s a joyful queer disco, melding glam with lurid, bougie with batshit and chic urban clubbing with…well, being a fuckin’ fab mess.
It was added an extra shimmering shot of camp by the SETTING – at a time when London’s queer clubbers were in desperate need of a new space, Metropolis gave them exactly that, in glistening, ostentatious bra-loads. A straight strip club during the week, its booths, poles and fabulously naff chain curtains provided the perfect backdrop for drag antics.
Now, after four years and around two hundred parties, it’s time for Savage to say goodbye. Their final party is this Saturday night. This certainly isn’t the end of Savage though – they’re not over, they’re just reincarnating.
“After four glorious years, Savage’s time at Metropolis is reach the end,” they said. “What started off as a one-off afterparty quickly became an East London institution, bigger than we could have imagined and one we’re extremely proud of.”
“We’d like to thank Mel, Steve and all the staff at Metropolis who in 2015 believed in Savage enough to hand over their Saturday nights for us to programme.”
“At a time when a lot of LGBTQ+ venues were closing it would have been easy to say no, but they took that risk. We hope more venues work with LGBTQ+ communities to provide diverse spaces and to accommodate their needs in the future.”
“We want to say a massive thank you to all the incredible artists, DJs, dancers, photographers and those whose creativity and support has been vital in shaping our identity.”
“Finally, an enormous thank you to you, our wonderful Savage family. You’ve made lifelong memories and without you, Saturday nights in East London would have been very different for a lot of people.”
“We’d like to wish the new owners of Metropolis the very best of luck and hope their new direction will open doors to a new crowd at the venue.”
“This isn’t the end for us, but the beginning of an exciting new chapter. Keep your ears pricked and your eyes peeled – we’ll be popping up where you least expect.”
Savage: The Last Dance is this Saturday 1st June at Metropolis, 234 Cambridge Heath Road, E2 9NN. With DJs Hannah Holland, Luke Solomon, Hifi Sean, Jonjo Jury, Tasty Tim and Tete Bang. 10pm – 5am, £5 entry.
