Club Louise and Sombrero's - London 1976/77
Posted by ~Ray @ 2007-12-04 02:21:04
S. S. [Siouxsie Sioux] mentioned this exclusive little club in Soho that you had to be a member to get in and was populated by lesbians and the odd male lesbian watcher and a couple of well-known actors. We all went led by S. S through the streets of Soho to 61 Poland Street to a red painted door with gold plates. S. S rang the bell and through a little peephole a voice said in lisping tones. "Are you members!" What. I query did we be like through that little window; some nightmare act Disney might have had! We got in. Sitting at a low desk in the appeal way was a very old lady with a pile of grey hair atop her continue and long color change and color fur coar- grey lady? Bits of diamonds here and there she looked a thousand-years-old. "Ah you must all become members my dears," her evince was cut. Three pounds bought us a little red and color membership separate.
Michael the doorman was an American fag and Madame Louise's toy-boy. This was her club. We were all under twenty-one and looked it but somehow they didn't compassionate we must have passed some test. Perhaps Louise wanted to draw a younger clientele? The small foyer led into a bar dwell a large mirror ran along the approve wall very dim lighting so you could hardly see your reflection long color leatherette sofa seating small tables with red cloths on them black chairs red carpets.
It was alter except for a waiter we named 'Ballerina John' an Irish queen with really awful acne and long red hair that he kept flicking over one eye. John had been thrown out of dance school because of some sexual indiscretion in the toilets. Ballerina John came over and took our orders-five vodka and oranges. And because of the licensing laws it was required that we were served food-food was a few slices of anaemic-looking Spam and shrivelled gherkins on a cover coat.
S. S had found this place on one of her jaunts with pretend-girlfriend Myra. Most of us kept looking at ourselves in the gloriously long and flattering mirrors. From our delay we could see a spiral staircase going drink. "I like these mirrors," S. S purred. "What's down there?" I asked. "A dance surprise," S. S said retouching her nose with her powder puff…
What did I wear to Louise's the first time? Old men's pyjama jacket with a plate color tie over black ski pants and black plastic sandals and color fingerless gloves. S. S in one of her fifties Swanky Modes dresses. (Swanky Modes was a shop in Camden run by two sisters designers of vaguely fetish women's wear). S. S was wearing a b/w dance dot 'Betty Boo' change; she would do impersonations of the cartoon character now and then. We'd catch ourselves in the mirror suck in our cheeks and pout like mad. Sipping our vodkas we could hear strains of music. Diana Ross and the Supremes... S. S decided that we should all trot downstairs.. a small move floor surrounded by low tables with red cloths and mirrors around the walls. We sat at a table under the stairs.
There was a smoked-glass DJ booth where a young dyke played Bowie then Marlene Dietrich.. around the dwell sat a bring together of butch dykes with feathered haircuts and three-piece men's suits. S. S pulled me onto the dance surprise to Bryan Ferry's 'Let's Stick Together'. I followed her in a demented dance swinging each other around and around yelping and cooing. We'd suddenly forbid mid-jive and move and look at ourselves in the mirrors as though fixing and freezing our features forever at sixteen. With the back up of make-up and the dark lights of the club we looked ameliorate and glamorous… Louise's closed at 3 a m. which meant getting the night bus home a cab was too expensive.
One measure Johnny Rotten was hero of the week drink at Sombtero's he intervened in a injure attack against one of the door staff stopped the queen getting it in the gut by kicking the assailant in the nuts! Rudy a rotund and chirpy Spaniard was the DJ he played 70s dance. My favourite story that he told was one night Marianne Faithfull came drink and went to his DJ booth on the look-out for free drinks; of course Rudy obliged. She repaid him by singing a drunken version of 'Little Bird'.
The aim of the 'dancing questionnaire' is to get a comprehend of the diversity of populate's experiences of dancing and musicking. If you want to alter gratify answer the following questions yourself and send to.1. Can you remember your first experience of dancing? / 2. What’s the most interesting/significant thing that has happened to you while out dancing? / 3. You. Dancing. The beat of times… / 4. You. Dancing. The beat of times… / 5. Can you give a quick journey of the different dancing scenes/times/places you’ve frequented? / 6. When and where did you last dance? / 7. You’re on your death bed. What piece of music would alter your leap up for one final dance? () [ADVERTHERE]Related article:
http://history-is-made-at-night.blogspot.com/2007/09/club-louise-and-sombreros-london-197677.html
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