Hey Folks,
With Pride London’s main day virtually upon us, we thought it right & proper to devote a special recommendations post to the parade, the celebrations in the two designated squares and the now expected street partying in Soho. Yes, the latest news is that our ever helpful & friendly Westminster City Council have not only granted approval for the pride festivities to spill into Soho’s streets, but the area will also be entirely closed to traffic, but more on that in a while.
However, there is no doubt that all eyes are now on this coming Saturday 3rd July, when the main thrust of Pride London swings into action and with the weather forecast set fair (predictions are for 27ᴼC of ☼☼☼), the streets of the capital’s west end will be awash with swarms of people, shouting out & proud, or as we prefer to say “proud to be pride”, but having laid the foundations of this special day in our preview, which we issued 10 days ago now, it’s time to drill down to the detail of what you can expect of the superb Saturday in the sunshine.
So, fancy joining in the massive pride parade? (we don’t call it a march anymore), well you can, although don’t expect to enter a float at this stage as all the places were secured a long time ago. However, this will be one huge colourful celebration, drawing in virtually all walks of gay life, organisations, groups & businesses from right across the country and rumour has it that the mayor of London will be at the head of the parade again. However, if like us, you would prefer to see the whole length of the parade in its full glory, then why not pick a vantage point from which to watch the mile long snake pass through the streets. Full details of the route are available at http://pridelondon.org/3rdjuly/paraderoute, but recommended viewing spots are Oxford Circus, the corner of Regent Street & Berwick St, Picaddily Circus &/or The Haymarket, although we recommend getting there early (especially Piccadilly Circus) to get a good spot. The parade kicks off from Baker Street at 1 p.m., so expect it to hit our recommended spots from about 1.30 onwards. Plus if you are on or around the enbankmnet on Saturday, check out the capitals latest icon, The London Eye, which will be "one big round rainbow" of a display all day!!
So, with the parade finishing up just south of Trafalgar Square in Whitehall, all attention will turn to the celebrations both here, further up in Leicester Square &, into Soho. Looking at Trafalgar Square first, which will host the main stage for pride, plenty will be happening right from the kick off at 3 p.m., although we suspect many will gather beforehand to get their own perfect spot close to the stage. In terms of performances, the organisers have split proceedings into three time slots, so whilst there is no strict running order (you know how things can work out!) the following is a breakdown as to the various pop groups, individual performers & acts that will appear and when.
• 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. – Nikk Mager, Scarlettz, Massive Ego, Grey Matter, Kelly Pepper, Wicked The Musical, Waterloo, Tight Fit & Same Difference
• 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. – MC ENV, Christopher James, Big Dance, Q Boy, Kym Mazelle,
The Freemasons feat. Amanda, Livin Joy, Hair The Musical,
The London Gay Mens Chorus, Pink Singers & Paledy
• 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. – Mairead, Tamika, The Fabba Girls, Sonique & headliner
The D.E. Experience
So, there are plenty of great performers on offer, although highlights for us have to be Waterloo & The Fabba Girls (both devotees to all things Abba, which we love!!), The Freemasons and of course The D.E. Experience, without question THE most talented & funny drag/ entertainment figurehead the scene has seen (check out the fab article in this week’s Q.X magazine, which give an insight into the man behind the act, someone we were privileged to meet as far back as 1994 when he was starting in the game) and will prove a fun filled & hilarious final hour to the main stage shows. More info on all the acts can be found at http://pridelondon.org/3rdjuly/mainstage.
Up in Leicester Square, the pace will be considerably pumped up this year, as the dance stage, which usually consumes Soho Square, moves south to this prestigious location and talking with the man behind it all, Craig Elder, just last weekend, he couldn’t be more thrilled to be bringing the some of the best & most popular D.J.’s on the scene to play in front of what will no doubt be thousands of revellers. It is worth noting that, in sponsoring & laying on all the facilities for the dance stage, The Orange group not only makes a vital visual as well as financial contribution to this pride event, but walks away from the day having ploughed any profit it makes back into the worthy charity & voluntarily run cause that is Pride London. So who can you expect to see playing out in front of those hoards of revellers? Well the running order is as follows
2 p.m. to 3 p.m. – Jonny M
3 p.m. to 4 p.m. – Terry Bryan
4 p.m. to 5 p.m. – Mikey D & Jamie Head (back-to-back set)
5 p.m. to 6 p.m. – The Oli & Paul Martin (back-to-back set)
6 p.m. to 7 p.m. – Steve Pitron & Alan K (back-to-back set)
7 p.m. to 8 p.m. – The Sharp Boys
Add to that plenty of delicious dancers to delight as well as some surprise P.A.’s and we can through a massive hint (& maybe an exclusive) your way to expect none other than Kelly Rowland to appear on stage, possibly around 6 p.m., but we will bring you more news on that as it hits our desks. However, with a D.J. line up like that, it looks like being six hours of scintillating sounds and we simply can’t choose between them, although if we are pressed, probably the Pitron & Adams combo will be a treat & a half (think Beyond & better) and expect an exclusive (& this is gospel) airing of Alan’s latest multi mixed version of Zoe Baldwin’s mega hit “Release Me” during the hour, we can’t wait!!
Now, when news hit about Soho being closed off for Pride this year, no activity in the square & no partying in the streets, plenty of people were up in arms about it all. However, Westminster City Council have, in some ways, done a bit of an 11th hour u-turn and we are pleased to report that, following intensive lobbying from Pride London, the council & the police have allowed Soho to be be open for pride business, although as the dance stage has already been re-located, much of the activity will simply centre on the streets around your favourite gay bars, hotspots being Compton & Rupert St’s. Pride London’s organisers have been quoted as saying “...we hope that Soho’s LGBT businesses can pull together & work with Pride London to help create the right atmosphere for the hundreds of thousands of attendees that look to London & Soho for a great day out on July 3rd...” and whilst it will be interesting to see if the bars end up working together (what do you think?!?), we know that, individually, they will be pulling out their own special stops to make pride in Soho superb. The big highlight for us has to be Rupert Street, who will be holding a “wet & wild” themed party, with resident D.J. Alessandro Londra supplying the sounds & those sexy bar boys dressed down to dazzle, plus, you can all breathe a sigh of relief, as we have been excused duties behind the bar, on bad back health grounds, but will be swinging by to support this superb splash of an event. More details of what the other Soho watering holes are up to for Pride can be found in the popular press.
Now, we just wanted to take a moment to congratulate the organisation that is Pride London, on their commitment to keeping pride in the capital free. As they say “...putting on such a large festival & parade day is expensive...”, the day alone estimated to cost £400,000, which they continue to cover from valuable donations & sponsorship, as well as grants from people such as The Mayor Of London, not to mention donations in kind. Over two thirds of the costs of Pride are funded from sponsorship, without which pride in London would simply not happen, however, each & every donation made is vital in keeping pride free. So, if you see buckets out & about during the day, dig into your pockets and make your contribution to keeping this wonderful event free. Plus, remember that Pride London is a charity, is run by volunteers and needs your support to keep running. Further details on how you can make a difference & donate can be found at http://pridelondon.org/getinvolved/donations.
So, all that’s left to say is, we wish each & every one of you out there a very happy pride in London and hope that you will all be “proud to be pride” on Saturday, either during the parade or in the celebrations afterwards. As for us, well we will be hopefully picking our spot at Piccadilly Circus, then heading off to the dance stage in Leicester Sq, as well as dropping in on Rupert St along the way, so if you see us out, come say hi and as we always say......Go There! Be There!
xDM
With Pride London’s main day virtually upon us, we thought it right & proper to devote a special recommendations post to the parade, the celebrations in the two designated squares and the now expected street partying in Soho. Yes, the latest news is that our ever helpful & friendly Westminster City Council have not only granted approval for the pride festivities to spill into Soho’s streets, but the area will also be entirely closed to traffic, but more on that in a while.
However, there is no doubt that all eyes are now on this coming Saturday 3rd July, when the main thrust of Pride London swings into action and with the weather forecast set fair (predictions are for 27ᴼC of ☼☼☼), the streets of the capital’s west end will be awash with swarms of people, shouting out & proud, or as we prefer to say “proud to be pride”, but having laid the foundations of this special day in our preview, which we issued 10 days ago now, it’s time to drill down to the detail of what you can expect of the superb Saturday in the sunshine.
So, fancy joining in the massive pride parade? (we don’t call it a march anymore), well you can, although don’t expect to enter a float at this stage as all the places were secured a long time ago. However, this will be one huge colourful celebration, drawing in virtually all walks of gay life, organisations, groups & businesses from right across the country and rumour has it that the mayor of London will be at the head of the parade again. However, if like us, you would prefer to see the whole length of the parade in its full glory, then why not pick a vantage point from which to watch the mile long snake pass through the streets. Full details of the route are available at http://pridelondon.org/3rdjuly/paraderoute, but recommended viewing spots are Oxford Circus, the corner of Regent Street & Berwick St, Picaddily Circus &/or The Haymarket, although we recommend getting there early (especially Piccadilly Circus) to get a good spot. The parade kicks off from Baker Street at 1 p.m., so expect it to hit our recommended spots from about 1.30 onwards. Plus if you are on or around the enbankmnet on Saturday, check out the capitals latest icon, The London Eye, which will be "one big round rainbow" of a display all day!!
So, with the parade finishing up just south of Trafalgar Square in Whitehall, all attention will turn to the celebrations both here, further up in Leicester Square &, into Soho. Looking at Trafalgar Square first, which will host the main stage for pride, plenty will be happening right from the kick off at 3 p.m., although we suspect many will gather beforehand to get their own perfect spot close to the stage. In terms of performances, the organisers have split proceedings into three time slots, so whilst there is no strict running order (you know how things can work out!) the following is a breakdown as to the various pop groups, individual performers & acts that will appear and when.
• 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. – Nikk Mager, Scarlettz, Massive Ego, Grey Matter, Kelly Pepper, Wicked The Musical, Waterloo, Tight Fit & Same Difference
• 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. – MC ENV, Christopher James, Big Dance, Q Boy, Kym Mazelle,
The Freemasons feat. Amanda, Livin Joy, Hair The Musical,
The London Gay Mens Chorus, Pink Singers & Paledy
• 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. – Mairead, Tamika, The Fabba Girls, Sonique & headliner
The D.E. Experience
So, there are plenty of great performers on offer, although highlights for us have to be Waterloo & The Fabba Girls (both devotees to all things Abba, which we love!!), The Freemasons and of course The D.E. Experience, without question THE most talented & funny drag/ entertainment figurehead the scene has seen (check out the fab article in this week’s Q.X magazine, which give an insight into the man behind the act, someone we were privileged to meet as far back as 1994 when he was starting in the game) and will prove a fun filled & hilarious final hour to the main stage shows. More info on all the acts can be found at http://pridelondon.org/3rdjuly/mainstage.
Up in Leicester Square, the pace will be considerably pumped up this year, as the dance stage, which usually consumes Soho Square, moves south to this prestigious location and talking with the man behind it all, Craig Elder, just last weekend, he couldn’t be more thrilled to be bringing the some of the best & most popular D.J.’s on the scene to play in front of what will no doubt be thousands of revellers. It is worth noting that, in sponsoring & laying on all the facilities for the dance stage, The Orange group not only makes a vital visual as well as financial contribution to this pride event, but walks away from the day having ploughed any profit it makes back into the worthy charity & voluntarily run cause that is Pride London. So who can you expect to see playing out in front of those hoards of revellers? Well the running order is as follows
2 p.m. to 3 p.m. – Jonny M
3 p.m. to 4 p.m. – Terry Bryan
4 p.m. to 5 p.m. – Mikey D & Jamie Head (back-to-back set)
5 p.m. to 6 p.m. – The Oli & Paul Martin (back-to-back set)
6 p.m. to 7 p.m. – Steve Pitron & Alan K (back-to-back set)
7 p.m. to 8 p.m. – The Sharp Boys
Add to that plenty of delicious dancers to delight as well as some surprise P.A.’s and we can through a massive hint (& maybe an exclusive) your way to expect none other than Kelly Rowland to appear on stage, possibly around 6 p.m., but we will bring you more news on that as it hits our desks. However, with a D.J. line up like that, it looks like being six hours of scintillating sounds and we simply can’t choose between them, although if we are pressed, probably the Pitron & Adams combo will be a treat & a half (think Beyond & better) and expect an exclusive (& this is gospel) airing of Alan’s latest multi mixed version of Zoe Baldwin’s mega hit “Release Me” during the hour, we can’t wait!!
Now, when news hit about Soho being closed off for Pride this year, no activity in the square & no partying in the streets, plenty of people were up in arms about it all. However, Westminster City Council have, in some ways, done a bit of an 11th hour u-turn and we are pleased to report that, following intensive lobbying from Pride London, the council & the police have allowed Soho to be be open for pride business, although as the dance stage has already been re-located, much of the activity will simply centre on the streets around your favourite gay bars, hotspots being Compton & Rupert St’s. Pride London’s organisers have been quoted as saying “...we hope that Soho’s LGBT businesses can pull together & work with Pride London to help create the right atmosphere for the hundreds of thousands of attendees that look to London & Soho for a great day out on July 3rd...” and whilst it will be interesting to see if the bars end up working together (what do you think?!?), we know that, individually, they will be pulling out their own special stops to make pride in Soho superb. The big highlight for us has to be Rupert Street, who will be holding a “wet & wild” themed party, with resident D.J. Alessandro Londra supplying the sounds & those sexy bar boys dressed down to dazzle, plus, you can all breathe a sigh of relief, as we have been excused duties behind the bar, on bad back health grounds, but will be swinging by to support this superb splash of an event. More details of what the other Soho watering holes are up to for Pride can be found in the popular press.
Now, we just wanted to take a moment to congratulate the organisation that is Pride London, on their commitment to keeping pride in the capital free. As they say “...putting on such a large festival & parade day is expensive...”, the day alone estimated to cost £400,000, which they continue to cover from valuable donations & sponsorship, as well as grants from people such as The Mayor Of London, not to mention donations in kind. Over two thirds of the costs of Pride are funded from sponsorship, without which pride in London would simply not happen, however, each & every donation made is vital in keeping pride free. So, if you see buckets out & about during the day, dig into your pockets and make your contribution to keeping this wonderful event free. Plus, remember that Pride London is a charity, is run by volunteers and needs your support to keep running. Further details on how you can make a difference & donate can be found at http://pridelondon.org/getinvolved/donations.
So, all that’s left to say is, we wish each & every one of you out there a very happy pride in London and hope that you will all be “proud to be pride” on Saturday, either during the parade or in the celebrations afterwards. As for us, well we will be hopefully picking our spot at Piccadilly Circus, then heading off to the dance stage in Leicester Sq, as well as dropping in on Rupert St along the way, so if you see us out, come say hi and as we always say......Go There! Be There!
xDM
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