London

Inside Harpies, the UK’s first LGBTQ+ strip club
Reportage

Inside Harpies, the UK’s first LGBTQ+ strip club

Body and soul — Ahead of its launch, we speak to the people behind Harpies – a new, inclusive London venue that seeks to capture the joy and excitement of strip clubs and transport it to a brand new audience.

Written by: Jake Hall

Those complicit with oppression have no place at Pride
Opinion

Those complicit with oppression have no place at Pride

Anyone associated with the denigration, torture and deaths of LGBTQ+ people should not be welcome at Pride – regardless of how they identify.

Written by: Ben Smoke

Celebrating 50 Years of black creativity in the UK
Art

Celebrating 50 Years of black creativity in the UK

Get up, stand up now — Visual artist Zak Ové talks us through his new, landmark exhibition, Get Up, Stand Up Now: ‘Art helps us attain equality, honesty, and perspective towards our own history.’

Written by: Miss Rosen

The unsung musical history of Elephant and Castle
Reportage

The unsung musical history of Elephant and Castle

London underground — While E&C has played a pivotal role in London’s dance music and club scene, its contribution is often overlooked. However, in the face of sweeping redevelopment, figures from its past and present are shining a light on the area’s story.

Written by: Eric Thorp

Buzzcocks’ Steve Diggle: life lessons from a punk pioneer
Music

Buzzcocks’ Steve Diggle: life lessons from a punk pioneer

‘I thought I was going to die’ — The Buzzcocks guitarist reflects on life, death, and the group’s indelible legacy: ‘I joined a punk band and was sniffing speed. The world fucking changed’

Written by: Jeremy Allen

The Rhythm Method: music for your quarter-life crisis
Music

The Rhythm Method: music for your quarter-life crisis

Pints, pills & picket fences — With their debut album, the London duo narrate the trials of life in your mid-to-late-twenties, looking for light in suburban estates and crowded local pubs. For the band, it’s about seeking out the magic in the mundane.

Written by: Niall Flynn

How a tattoo flash day is revolutionising the industry
Activism

How a tattoo flash day is revolutionising the industry

Still not asking for it — Still Not Asking For It is a US-based event celebrating women and survivors. Artist Liv Wynter explains why her studio Red Point Tattoo – led by Claudia de Sabe – is bringing it to the UK.

Written by: Liv Wynter

Top or bottom? The play exploring the politics of gay sex
Culture

Top or bottom? The play exploring the politics of gay sex

‘We need to dissolve labels’ — Parties, porn and sexual politics: we talk to writer Willy Hudson about his play Bottom – a raucous journey through contemporary queer life in London.

Written by: Ben Smoke

A portrait of British youth culture in the 1980s
Photography

A portrait of British youth culture in the 1980s

Young skins — Gavin Watson’s photos, of his friends making fun on the estate they grew up on, perfectly capture the defiant freedom of adolescent.

Written by: Huck

Erland Cooper’s guide to finding calm in the city
Music

Erland Cooper’s guide to finding calm in the city

Escaping the noise — As he gears up for the release of his second solo album, the Orkney musician takes us on a tour of London’s Walthamstow Wetlands – a bucolic oasis set within the urban sprawl of North London.

Written by: Jeremy Allen

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Issue 81: The more than a game issue

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