It’s been seven years since a gaggle of London’s most outlandish queer creatives gathered under one roof for the debut instalment of INFERNO. Tonight the party-creators are in celebration and hosting their intriguing Red Rave at the Colour Factory.
INFERNO, which was created as an LGBTQ+ safe environment first and foremost, fosters self-expression while soundtracking steamy, hedonistic nights with back-to-back techno bangers.
Tonights ‘Red Rave’ extravaganza is led by core members of the collective’s ever-growing family. Party-goers will be arriving in Hackney Wick’s industrial Colour Factory to dance, sweat and vogue the night away, soaking up the queer joy that has made INFERNO a staple of East London’s LGBTQ+ nightlife scene.
“We’ve never enforced a dress code, but we’ve always fostered a safe space for people to dress up and explore their gender expression,” says founder Lewis G Burton. “INFERNO has always had a colour palette of black, white and red, but over the years, black has become synonymous with raving. We felt we were lacking a little bit of red, so we felt it was important to bring it back to mark such a special occasion!”
Burton will take to the decks for a bumper b2b DJ session with long-term collective member Wax Wings, whereas new collective member Hannah Rose, known as NEUROM4NCER, will also be playing an electrifying set.
The Red Rave will also see the INFERNO debut of Morenxxx, a Brooklyn-based multidisciplinary artist and DJ, as well as the return of dogheadsurigeri, a key player in the queer Polish DJ and artist collective Oramics.
Feminist punk icon and sobriety advocate Louisahhh has played past INFERNO events held at Paris Fashion Week, but she’ll be gracing INFERNO for the first time on its home turf at the Red Rave.
As always, high-octane techno sets will be interspersed with ethereal, mesmerising live art performances. First on the bill is Sweatmother, a trans-masculine, Latinx artist whose work explores dyke sexuality, queer hedonism and trans identity through moving images. Ravers will also be treated to a performance by artist and activist Biogal, whose ‘Prayer for the Pearl Oyster’ draws on similar themes to Burton’s lead single, ‘Hermaphrodite.’
Ultimately, tonight’s Red Rave will be a victory lap to mark the success of INFERNO. Better still, the party has created a platform to pay working-class LGBTQ+ artists, address inequalities within the music industry and stage inspiring celebrations of queer creativity.
Heartfelt essays have been written about INFERNO’s impact, and a handful of glossy, beautiful zines have been released to showcase the glorious creatures that frequent these sweaty, spectacular raves. The Red Rave is a celebration of this legacy, as well as a glimpse at the magic still to come.
Images from the INFERNO archive.