Trade's Masked Ball Welcomes the Marquis De Sade

London's gay clubbing institution Trade have unveiled a whole series of special themed parties, starting with the Kinky Trade Masked Ball, happening on Easter Weekend (April 14th) at their London home Turnmills. "This party will be the modern re-invention of the Masked Ball where partygoers can indulge their secret fantasies without fear of exposing anything except curves and tones of their seductive bodies," Trade organisers promised this week. The new series of themed events marks the next stage for the club that was London's first legal afterhours event when it opened in 1991.

"It would have been so much easier for us to shut down Trade and start something else completely new, but I want to develop a new style of clubbing, more based on glamour," Trade boss Lawrence Malice told Mezz recently. "I'm talking about radical glamour - the kind of glamour that was around when punk first started. Back then, it wasn't based on people gobbing (spitting) on each other, it was more about people expressing themselves through what they wear."

"Trade's always been about breaking boundaries and it's just that we haven't done it of late. When I go out and see the 'generics' at Trade I think 'God, is this what we've done to people-' - I want people to express themselves and I don't think it's happening. We want people to dress for whatever their fetish is, or to express themselves through their clothing, to say, 'this is not abnormal, there's nothing wrong'. Anything goes… as long as it's safe."

Lawrence is almost certain to be dressed as the Marquis De Sade (regularly dressing like that, anyway) and he's promising to entice clubbers to "sin in disguise". DJs on the night include Trade favourites Steve Thomas, Malcolm Duffy, Gonzalo, Alan Thompson and the Sharp Boys as well as the excellent EJ Doubell.
http://www.tradeuk.com
http://uk.gay.com
Trade @ Turnmills, 4am-1pm Sundays
April 15th: Kinky Trade Masked Ball
May 5th: Trade Test Lounge
May 26th: Kinky Trade
June 16th: Love Parade Festival
June 30th: Gay Mardi Gras (London)
August 26th: Trade Test Lounge
September 16th: Trade Lite 4th Birthday
October 21st :Trade 11th Birthday
November 25th :Kinky Trade
December 31st :New Year's Eve Party

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