julia collings journalist "dark culture wrapped in pink candy"
10 Years at the Cutting Edge SKIN TWO Mag Issue 35		What happens when a young Hastings DJ, in London for the first time, ends up sharing a suave gothic flat with a fresh out of college conceptual artist? Such were the auspicious beginnings of what is now the world's best known fetish club, Torture Garden. One dreary evening, David (the artist) and Allen (the DJ) sat wondering why two cool young blokes such as themselves were sat at home drinking instead of out clubbing. So they got out their pen and paper and started to plan their ideal nightclub. For most people, such late night drunken plans lie buried in drawers while they go on to pursue sensible careers as market consultants or traders. But 1991 boded well for future generations of fetishists as out of the scribbles, sketches and brainstorming, Torture Garden was born. The first event at the Opera on the Green was like nothing ever seen before. It was a night where rubber met bare flesh, leather licked lingerie and cider swilling punks met with upper class hedonism. Newspapers reported "a middle aged guy in a pinstripe suit, whisked away a pink haired girl in his silver Mercedes that was parked outside" (so they spotted Tim Woodward, then). Since these not so humble beginnings, TG has become a fetish institution. Ten years and only one death later, TG is still going strong. There have been books, CDs and t-shirts. There have been events in the USA, shows at Erotica and Rubber Ball events. People have been strung upside down in E-Garbs gear and suspended from the ceiling by piercings. Even Satan has made an appearance, at the Anton Levey Tribute Mass. Think TG, think music, think performances, think fashion. A dresscode strictly enforced since their first event's fetish manifesto has ranged from the beginning rubber, fantasy and "lots of bare flesh" to burlesque, demons and crash victims. As David explains, "you can't judge people by how they look. Often the most outrageously behaved people don't like dressing up. But to us the fetish club is a sacred thing. When you step over that doorway you are crossing the line between one world and another. We are creating a magic ritual and the robes are part of the ceremony. If people want to fully be part of it, they have to don their robes, in this case the dresscode". He goes on to say that the dresscode has always been about personal fantasy. "Of course people can wear the standard black rubber vest and rubber trousers, but in a sense that is just as bad as not dressing up at all". Like the outfits, music has always been an essential part of the TG experience. This isn't an event for the quiet suburban who wants to flog his slave in rhythm to barely audible Mozart. David believes that "music isn't the main thing, but it is an essential part of enhancing the experience. Most of the crowd won't like everything we play, but we have enough themed environments for everyone to find something they like." They started playing electro body music in the early 90s, then moved on to the hard house and techno they have become famous for. Now, away from the main dance floor, you can expect to hear anything from cheesy 80s to cabaret and chansons. Ask them about their music policy and they'll simply say "we play what we like. It has always been a club about what we like." Perhaps TG's secret of success is this very unwillingness to pander to the (commercial) masses. Buy a ticket and you get what you get; in all its eclectic, bombastic, juxtaposed style. It's a cocktail that works, judging by the crowds outside the Ministry of Sound, jostling to get into their 10th birthday party in November. Even the touts were begging for tickets, rather than trying to flog them. The dominant door person's cries could be heard across the rain filled streets as she dealt with queues of people trying to blag their way in through the guest list: "Who do you know? Allen? Oh Alice? You know Alice from the Ministry of Sound? Yes? (smiles). Ministry of Sound don't have a guest list. Goodbye. NEXT!" Like any empire, TG has had its highs (the Crash Party, E-Garbs fashion suspension...) and its lows (the time all their gear got trapped in a dodgy lock up near the Elephant & Castle and they had to spend the whole day sawing the lock off) but it's no way near decline yet. TG is set for worldwide clubbing domination, by bringing pervery to the unlikeliest of places. March 8 2001 will see Torture Garden hitting Moscow. And you can bet your bottom rupel that when commercial moon bases become available, TG will be the first club to throw fetish parties in outer space. Is TG the product of a changing world or one of the driving forces behind it? Who cares. When you go to one of their events you get to live the fantasy rather than analyse it. Asking them what their epitaph would be, Allen says "all I ever wanted was some fucking goddamn respect". Well guys, you've certainly got it. Main Page