- It takes a gutsy promoter to throw an open-air party in the British summer. People Like Us have used many different venues for their flamboyant, polysexual antics, but one regular favourite has been a terrace above a gentleman's sauna in a no-mans-land part of Bristol. Previous sun-kissed sessions there have lasted from the early afternoon into the night, with revellers dancing freely under the stars. This time, though, the weather turned sour, which meant moving the party inside at the last minute.
This was my first time at a PLU event, and it's hard to picture how things could have gone any better even with blissful sunshine. The venue was a spectacle in itself, with a toilet full of glory holes, a sex swing room and informative notices to members on pressing matters such as "Naked Mondays." It made a suitable haven for the attendees and their get-ups, which ranged from enthusiastic drag and body paint to barely any clothes at all. (There was also a solid contingent that were more conservatively dressed.)
The afternoon started smoothly, with Bristolian crew Rumpf taking the reins in the cosy upstairs room while prosecco loosened the early arrivals. Some people sat about making hats in preparation for the party's Royal Ascot Ladies Day theme. This gaggle of DJs, decorators and partygoers kept a cocktail of discerning disco and house simmering for the duration of the party. Because the event started so early, the main room had taken on the atmosphere of a salubrious afterhours by the time Jess Farley hit the decks just before sundown. PLU resident Ranks Skinna raised the intensity with flashy house and some tribal fare—Henrik Schwarz's remix of Kuniyuki's "Dear Africa Sky" was particularly effective.
Headliner Jayda G took over a party in full swing, diving straight in with a run of funk and disco classics. Her set was fun and familiar, heaving with bangers like Jocelyn Brown's "Somebody Else's Guy" and Fatback Band's "I Found Lovin." It could have been too much, but her obvious love of the music and the unpretentious exuberance of the crowd made for a perfect atmosphere. House crept in later in the shape of Armand Van Helden's "Flowerz." With a mixture of rough cuts and tight blends, Jayda G's DJing style was laid-back and confident. As the revelry rolled on past the official closing time, Skinna returned to the decks to deliver an incisive finish to the night. While he played, people forced themselves out into the damp August air, all smudged makeup and scattered sequins.
Photo credit /
Max Foster