This weekend at the now infamous Drumsheds, queer positive space False Idols takes to the rave-catwalk for a night of rebellious new energy and creative consciousness. The party, run by the people behind Broadwick Live, Percolate and Little Gay Brother, challenges beliefs, crafts a new dance floor tribe, and “finds freedom within the music – a new wave of harmonious hedonism.“
The line-up is without a doubt, a sensation of acts who will play across three major rooms. From current music icons to nostalgic artistic hero’s like the notorious Sugababes (my 7-year-old self is screaming on the inside). Other show stoppers on the night include fluffy hat-wearing Eliza Rose and her squad, Ross from Friends, hype-queen Jaguar, Shygirl, a live set from Paranoid London (we gonna be eating glue all night long), old-school legend Josh Caffé and 90s rave pioneer Michelle Manetti.
From midday until 10.30 pm the largest queer party will be in full throttle as many of the community shake their booties all the way to what was the legendary North London IKEA. Following the theme of collective consciousness, False Idols open their arms to all who love freely with passion despite differences – creed, colour, queer, straight, LGBQTi+, the community isn’t restricted by barriers. Guests, dancers, DJs, artists and more will be unified in a mega melting pot, with an epic first outing that will bring together 15,000 queer-loving bodies. In their own words “False Idols is a statement of intent that sticks two fingers up to the fakes, the haters, the false prophets, and time wasters.”
Before the event, Broke Magazine snag the chance to speak to not just one but two DJs on the line up to give us a cheeky inside scoop on what to expect, our eyes and ears are open as we dive deep into the tea…
BROKE MAGAZINE: Hey Michelle and Josh! We are so eager for False Idols, lets get straight into it as we on the edge of our seats with excitment and need to find out whats in store. Josh, your journey through London’s house and techno scene is fascinating. Can you share a bit about how your upbringing and background have influenced your music?
JOSH: Growing up we had lots of different music in my home. Everything for soul, funk to hip hop and jungle. I really absorbed a lot of this while growing up. My Dad used to DJ and run a club in Uganda back in the 70’s, he travelled a lot as he was also a pilot. He’d bring back so much new music found on his travels. These were records that were played at family gatherings which usually took place at our house. In the 90’s my sister started djing too so at family parties her and my sisters/cousins would be dancing away downstairs. Upstairs the aunties and uncles were letting loose too. I had the joy of moving between both as a kid. I guess you could say family hedonism was the catalyst for where I am now.
BROKE MAGAZINE: And Michelle, as a 90s raver icon, can you tell us a bit about your journey into the world of music and how you found your passion for DJing and producing?
MICHELLE: My love of music started at a really young age, from as young as I can remember I was picking up various musical instruments and trying to play, I was even the lead bugler in a Boys Brigade marching band when I was like 6 or 7 and I would be singing at any given opportunity, I was in all the school choirs and chamber choirs and musicals and after accepting my place but not getting my scholarship to go to Musical Theatre school, I started doing some session vocals for this producer in Brighton, but after a short while I realised I wanted to be more than just the singer, I wanted to learn how to make my own songs to sing on, so the producer showed me round the studio a bit and I decided to sack off the musical theatre route, change tack uni wise and went to study a music production degree instead, best decision of my life tbh (I was never really cut out for Jazz Hands). The DJ-ing kind of came as a secondary outlet, I wanted to see what a DJ looks for in a good record, what makes the dancefloor buzz, so I bought some decks and started learning, it was actually the only instrument in all my years of trying to learn, that I had the patience to keep up with and it became my passion and obsession, still to this day over 20+ years later.
BROKE MAGAZINE: False Idols at Drumheads is going to be incredible, especially being the first time the LGBTQ+ community has a space like this. How do you feel about the significance of such a venue for the queer community, and what can attendees expect?
JOSH: From a queer point of view this is well overdue and from an artistic point of view, seeing that queer culture has trail blazed and been the beating heart of many music movements, let’s take Chicago house, voguing for example. Having a strong queer presence in big club venues is really important for our community as it doesn’t always happen. Our presence has been felt far and beyond and it’s nice to see it getting the recognition it deserves in an overground venue. Taking over whole venues really brings our community together and creates such an electric atmosphere on dancefloors. It’s a beautiful thing to be part of and great to see FALSE IDOLS championing this.
MICHELLE: While the queer scene is vast, it’s quite niche and localised and the events tend to be on a fairly small scale, there are a handful of bigger events or festivals, like Body Movements, Whole and Homobloc but nothing of this kind of scale and magnitude, it’s going to be so exciting seeing so many queer bodies together celebrating the community and music and each other, it’s really quite special.
BROKE MAGAZINE: And Josh, your influences range from classic Chicago house to 00s rap and artists like Prince and Grace Jones. How do you blend these diverse inspirations into your music, and what message do you aim to convey through your sound?
JOSH: I’ve always loved what Grace Jones and Prince stood for as black artists. Thinking outside the box, taking risks, owning their sexuality and being bold. They both represented a new definition of the term “Black Power”. Their music was pioneering and way ahead of the game. Blending genres together and creating a unique sound that has stood the test time. Also stage presence, I mean I could watch their live shows forever.
BROKE MAGAZINE: And Michelle, have there been any pivotal moments or experiences that you think shaped your musical taste and direction?
MICHELLE: At around 14, when I was being bullied at school, my big sis took me under her wing, her and her friends would often go out clubbing and she armed me with some fake ID and took me out with her – it was the mid-late 90s and house music, garage and hardhouse was the main sounds in the clubs in London and Brighton where I would go out and it just resonated with me. There were a group of lads at school that had decks and house parties and they played Drum & Bass, I would always ask them if I could have a go on the decks, but they never let me because I was a girl and it was a boys thing, I think that really put me off DnB too and I wanted to find my own sound. It’s funny that a lot of the music I’m playing at the moment, are all the tracks I heard in the clubs when I first started clubbing in the 90s, it’s fun to be re-visiting them again with fresh ears, it’s proper full circle.
BROKE MAGAZINE: LGBTQ+ representation in the music industry has come a long way, but there’s still work to be done. How do you see your role in contributing to a more inclusive and diverse music scene?
MICHELLE: I’ve been DJ-ing for over 20 years now and I can definitely vouch for the fact that there’s been some changes in the industry for the better, there’s so much more diversity than there was when I first started playing, especially with marginalised genders. Since my beginnings I’ve always been tirelessly fighting for more representation of women, POC and LGBTQ folk, it’s been at the core of everything I do, from running blogs to running clubnights to running DJ lessons and trust me, every bit counts, no matter how small and tireless it seems. My clubnight Fèmmme Fraîche has been running for nearly 8 years, it’s a platform & clubnight for FLINTA and we’ve seen so many incredible DJ’s come through the doors, especially ones that have gone on to be massive superstars, like Jaguar and Eliza Rose, both of whom played Fèmmme Fraîche in their early days (and both of whom are playing False Idols). I’ve had the pleasure to take Fèmmme Fraîche to various festivals and run stages at festivals like Wilderness and Secret Garden Party as well as Queer festivals like Body Movements. The FLINTA and Queer visibility at these massive festivals is such big steps to positive visibility, which is so powerful and I hope that these things along with my own visibility, continues to help diversify the industry and beyond.
BROKE MAGAZINE: With FALSE IDOLS at Drumheads, it seems like a defining moment for the queer community. Looking forward, do you see this event as a catalyst for more inclusive spaces and events, and what do you hope the legacy of FALSE IDOLS will be within the LGBTQ+ community?
JOSH: I think we’ll look back at this moment as a huge, special turning point for the queer nightlife community. Alongside all the other amazing queer nights that are happening in London, it’s definitely a catalyst for more inclusive spaces.
BROKE MAGAZINE: How do you approach your set when playing to such a large and diverse audience?
MICHELLE: Well for this gig in doing a back to back with my DJ buddy Demi Riquisimo, no doubt between us we’ll pull out all the pumpers, but I’m def gonna bring some big faves and some cheeky edits and remixes to tease the crowd.
BROKE MAGAZINE: Lastly, for fans who might be attending FALSE IDOLS or just discovering your music, what message or feeling do you hope they take away from the experience?
MICHELLE: I hope that people will come away feeling euphoric and elated, liberated, and excited, I want them to dance like they would in their bedroom when nobody’s watching and express their true authentic selves with no boundaries.