Seems like only yesterday we were perched at the bar in Night & Day Cafe watching the rockabillies and psychobillies suspiciously eyeing each other across the dancefloor. We got wrecked of course and wigged out to Wanda Jackson and Sleater-Kinney and The Crystals. I designed cut ‘n’ paste flyers for the night, all bones and leopard print and flick-knives. One time, Gaz Day from Morrissey’s band took a guest spot on the decks. Happy days.
That was ‘Danse Macabre’, the first incarnation of what would become the Trash-O-Rama collective, way back in 2006/7. Then came ‘Are Friends Eclectic?’, a much more anything-goes night where themes ran from Girls to Manchester to Britpop to John Peel, and where yours truly cut his first DJ teeth. (I think the first tune I ever played was ‘Lazy Life’ – a Super Furries b-side – or maybe ‘AM 180’ by Grandaddy?)
There’s always been something on the back burner. It’s like the Club Kids, they were just doing what they liked, and sometimes loads of people came, and sometimes not, it was just a case of waiting for everyone else to catch up and join in.
Now they have. Trash-O-Rama is a formula that’s found its time. The night itself has pinballed round the city’s sticky basement dens, winning residencies at Homoelectric and Bollox (aka the two best nights in Manchester). Not a bad year all in all. City Life agreed when they gave Trash-O-Rama the Best Alternative Night gong at their end of year awards.
Now the Trash kids are getting their house in order all over again with a re-launch of Trash-O-Rama, kicking off in (anti)style at The Tunnel, that subterranean den of iniquity in Whitworth Street’s Legends (ghost of the Twisted Wheel). The theme is a John Waters Costume Party. ‘Low key’ isn’t really in the Trash vocabulary.
That should be a nice warm-up for when they take over the New Oxford pub on May Bank Holiday as part of this year’s Sounds From The Other City Festival. SFTOC is the musical highlight of the year (yeah you heard right, Warehouse Project). This is an exciting step into the big leagues.
Trash-O-Rama are Polly Esther and Jonny Trash, known to their parole officers as Kirsty and Keith. I forced them to answer questions about the Trash aesthetic and generally what the hell they think they’re up to.
Let’s start with a quick fire round ...
Carry On or Hammer Horror? Hammer Horror
Dog Tags or Gold Chains? Gold Chains
The Beach Boys or The Bangles? The Bangles
Kama Sutra or Karma Chameleon? Karma Chameleon
Green Tea or Soda Streams? Green Tea
Kurt Cobain or Eddie Vedder? Eddie Vedder
Penelope Pitstop or Elvira? Elvira
Jonathan Ross or Diana Ross? Diana Ross
Dot Cotton or Johnny Rotten? Dot Cotton
Gimme three indispensable Trash-O-Rama icons:
Johnny:
Mae West
Edith Massey
Kenneth Anger
Polly:
Jayne Mansfield
Nina Hagen
Anton Szander LaVey
Gimme three Trash movies you just can’t live without:
Johnny:
The Living Dead At The Manchester Morgue
Last Exit To Brooklyn
Pulp Fiction
Polly:
Frankenhooker
Female Trouble
Jawbreaker
Gimme three tunes you absolutely love to drop at your night:
Johnny:
‘Que Pasa/Me No Pop I’ - Coati Mundi
‘Genius Of Love’ - Tom Tom Club
‘This Charming Man (Francois Kevorkian New York Vocal Mix)’ - The Smiths
Polly:
‘Jennifer's Body’ - Hole
‘1985 Ekstasy Drive’ - Nina Hagen
‘Cherry Bomb’ - The Runaways
Gimme ONE DAMN GOOD REASON I oughta haul my cookies out of bed for the big Trash-O-Rama re-launch party in March:
Trash-O-Rama were voted Best Alt Club 2010 by Citylife Manchester recently based on our parties at Retro Bar and DJ sets at Homoelectric and Bollox. We are now residents at Homoelectric, taking over the Piano Bar where we have had audio clash battles with the likes of Gay Bingo, 6Musics Jo Good and Lou Hayter of New Young Pony Club and we have continuously had that room packed out while stars such as The 2 Bears, Roisin Murphy and even Erol Alkan have been on in the other rooms with residents Jamie Bull and Will Tramp!
Our reputation as the filthiest club alive is something that many have tried to emulate but don’t be fooled by inferior imitations, Trash-O-Rama will make you bleed, dance, sweat and love! We take on board Homoelectrics motto – “For Homos, Heteros and Don’t Knows” – all are welcome as long as you have a sense of humour and like your tongues planted firmly in cheeks! Mink Stole herself has endorsed the relaunch! She is quoted as saying “This looks like a shitload of fun!” and we aim to live up to this quote at this event and every future event! Manchester clubbing needs a kick up the arse and our DMs and creepers are in full swing!
Trash-O-Rama Rebirth: John Waters Costume Party is happening at Legends on Friday 4th of March. Here’s your Facebook. Dress up to mess up.
News, events and carnage photos can be found on the Trash-O-Rama website HERE.
Also check out Polly Esther’s style-art-fetish-music-image tumblr bonanza HERE.
Get a tasty preview of the music HERE.
