Club Culture

My chosen contemporary character -

Sally Bowels 

I found this video incredibly enlightening, because Lee Bowery, mistakenly, wasn't the first 'club kid'. He arrived in London, and evolved into this club scene phenomenon. This video talks through the originals from the 80s, and speaks quite tragically about the AIDs epidemic and the horrific consequences the care free, drug, sex, rock and roll effect had on the creative world in particular.

I had always ruled the 80s out in my mind as a fashion decade that I was inspired by, or even liked. But thats because the Club Kid Culture in all its glory is so underrated and people don't talk about it enough. It was complete creative genius and I wish I could have been apart of it.

The video below has been recreated in the film Party Monster, and having watched the real one now, I can't believe how spot on the recreation is. They really were that eccentric, if not, more so in real life. I feel the adaptation is more cliché than the real one, they're very rock and roll, and don't really give a shit. Michael Alig has a bad attitude and James St James is fabulous and sassy. 

Here is a clip of RuPaul, with the club kids. He has, and always will be fabulous. I recently came across RuPauls drag race, and felt an instant fascination with him and the drag culture itself. It is always something I have been drawn to, but I have never really taken the time to research into it's origins, and this project has totally opened up my eyes to this mesmerising time. I feel excited for how this is going to influence my future work.










Here are a few images taken from Pinterest, of Michael Alig, James St James + Richie Rich, in their natural, man made environment, in all of their glory.

The murder


Taken from Wikipedia - I find the incident of the murder particularly disturbing, as it's a brutal and gruesome event. I don't really understand why Michael Alig is given some sort of notoriety today as opposed to other savage murderers, who maybe didn't dress as well, or had the same reputation on the club scene.

Its bizarre how society accepts some things, and not others. We are so like magpies, although, all that glitters isn't gold.

Andre "Angel" Melendez worked at the Limelight, and after the bar's closure by federal agents, Melendez was fired. Increasingly affected by substance abuse, Alig and his friend Robert "Freeze" Riggs murdered Melendez after an argument over many things including a long-standing drug debt. Alig has claimed many times that he was so high on drugs that the events are quite cloudy. On December 9, 1996, Riggs confessed to police that on March 17, 1996:

On a Sunday in March of 1996 I was at home ... and Michael Alig and Angel Melendez were loudly arguing ... and getting louder. I opened the room and started towards the other bedroom ... at which point Michael Alig was yelling, "Help me!" "Get him off of me" [Angel] started shaking him violently and banging him against the wall. He was yelling "You better get my money or I'll break your neck" ... I grabbed the hammer ... and hit Angel over the head...

Then, according to Riggs, he hit Melendez a total of three times on the head. Then Alig grabbed a pillow and tried to smother him. While Melendez was unconscious, Riggs went to the other room and, when he returned, he noticed a broken syringe on the floor. However, Alig stated ^{[Confusing, unencyclopedic he-said/she-said)]}that he injected Melendez with Drano, while Riggs claimed that Alig poured it down Melendez's throat and duct-taped his mouth closed. Since Alig and Riggs did not know what to do with the body, they put it in the bath tub that they filled with ice. This prevented the body from rotting, but after a few days, the corpse began to smell. After discussing what to do next (and who should do it), Alig injected himself with heroin. He then cut the legs off the corpse, put them in a garbage bag and stuffed the rest into a box. Afterwards, he threw the corpse into the Hudson River.

The New York Times reported that Riggs gave Alig ten bags of heroin to chop up the body.

Leigh Bowery

'New romanticism wasn't about going out, it was about getting ready. The art of getting ready.'

This is a statement that really rings home for me. I completely get it, and I completely get this era. I feel like the art of getting ready is totally lost today, unless there is a 'fancy dress' party. Watching the english videos, there is a lot more authenticity, and realness for the creative cause than I find when I'm watching the American club kid videos. Leigh Bowery fascinates me, and inspires me. 

Leigh Bowery was non sexual, and infact described as A Sexual. He defied what was typically known as a 'drag queen', he wasn't fluffy and approachable in terms of dress, he was intimidating and always a masterpiece.

The most interesting part of this documentary, was the Art Installation he did in a gallery. He was placed behind a piece of glass, like an animal at a zoo, and he would have constant costume changes, day and night, and people would just come to watch him. A real life piece of art.

Being famous for being fabulous, is a concept i'm really interested in exploring. 

Leigh Bowery, was a dandy. This is a term taken from the late 18th century in Britain and was used to describe a person who took pleasure in their appearance and social activities. 

Dandyism, is an actual term for somebody who is self-absorbed, and I believe this perfectly sums up the Club Kids and in particular, Leigh Bowery. Here are some of my favourite of his looks.

Cabaret Comparison

Sally Bowles and Michael Alig are who I would say are the most compatible characters. They're both incredibly childlike and lost. There is a sinister side to them both, for instance, Michael becoming a killer, and similarly, Sally going ahead with the abortion in secret. They are both desperate to be the centre of attention, and chameleons to their surroundings. Although I know there is a correspondence between Michael and Emcee, because Michael was the Master of Ceremonies, but I believe he is too large a part of the movie to be anybody but Sally.

James St James and Emcee, are who I would say are the most compatible characters. Without them, there is no 'show'. Emcee was there long before Sally, and James was there long before Michael. There is a creepy, eery feel from Emcee, that I don't think is portrayed with James. In the film, I could also see the correspondence between Christina (the blonde messy drag queen) and Emcee, as she introduced acts, and had a creepy, mysterious way about her, reminiscent to Emcee. 

I related the club closing down, to the invasion of the Nazi's. The police pulling down everything these kids had worked so hard to create, but ultimately, the illegal activity was being put to a stop. 

Something I have come to learn is the evolution of Club Kids, was initially created for the outcasts, people who felt like they didn't have a place of belonging. It seemed to evolve into a society of self absorbed, picky people, who would decide who was fit to be apart of their group, or gang so to speak.

Miss Alternative World

So firstly - this is the FIRST I have ever heard of this, and is now going to be on my bucket list of things I need to do before I die. Here is a little back info -