Bump and Grindhouse! Burlesque @ the Toff In Town! May/June 09

Sunday 31 May

MZ JOSEPHINE’S CABARET FANTASTIQUE starring MZ JOSEPHINE, NANA DORIS, WILLOW LA CHATTE, SPARKARELLA, THE EVIL TWINS,  DAVE EVANS, JOHN O’HAGAN & THE KAHUNA DADDIES

Mz Josephine’s Uber  Productions presents, an ebullient evening of burlesque, comedy, music, dance, performance and variety cabaret. Join Mz Jo’s disparate ensemble of artful entertainers, for a funky evening of very low brow and high brow acts of surprise and wonder. Guaranteed to raise your eyebrows if not your shirts, engage your nipples and simultaneously stimulate your immune system. Sassy Songs, Saucy Girls, and one grossly disinhibited Nana let lose on the kindness of strangers.

The startling Nana Doris leads the cast, armed with only a pink satin glove, lubricant and her handbag of engaging funnies – adventure before dementure is this old gal’s motto. The elegant Mz Josephine and her tight two piece Dave Evans and John O’Hagan swing into tangos, jazz, blues and cabaret tunes with panache The winsome Willow La Chatte,  Mistress  of Bottoms Up Burlesque entertains with her fabulous Two Faces Striptease. Sparkarella Circus Pole Diva gets everyone into a fever with her spectacularly sexy acrobatic pole display. The exotic lounge sounds of The Kahuna Daddies recreate the novelty and romance of Tiki club music; for your dancing pleasure. The Evil Twins  tightly monitor the crowd, conducting statistical Stasi spy games that can only result in an uproar of protest and a playful invasion of  personal boundaries. Have your papers ready! Doors 7.30pm.
www.josephinefisher.com
www.myspace.com/MzJosephine

Sunday 7 June – QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY EVE

South Melbourne Market Fashion Night Market – Thursdays In May

Style After Dark is South Melbourne Market’s interpretation of a night market. Located along the street in the heritage magnificence of the Market’s wide verandahs, Style After Dark will provide an outlet for a vibrant local community of clothing designers and makers. Stalls will emphasise locally-designed, locally-made and collectible clothing and associated accessories, jewellery and headwear. The location is superb and well-supported by existing food and drink outlets in Cecil Street or the Market’s Food Hall. Live music and performance art. Style After Dark is a street market with a difference, Australian made, high end designers of all crafts. Quality vintage pieces and collectables.

Every Thursday in May – 5.30pm to 9.30pm.

The South Melbourne Market is located on the corner of York, Cecil & Coventry Streets South Melbourne. The South Melbourne Market is easy to get to by car, motorbike, bike, walking or public transport.

Address: 322-326 Coventry Street, South Melbourne 3205
Melway:   Map 1C Ref E11

Devil Kitty – Brunswick St Fitzroy

 

From the people who have brought you Victorian Gothic for the past few years, there’s a new boutique on Brunswick Street!  Called Devil Kitty,  they’re focussing on the rockabilly/alt.rock fashion side of Vic Gothic’s range, leaving the original store to stock themselves up to the kohl-laden eyelids with more gothic clothing.  Devil Kitty is only a couple of doors away from the original Vic Gothic, meaning that if you prefer not to have to choose one style or the other, it’s easy staggering distance to shop both.

With clothing for boys and girls instore, plus accessories, handbags and shoes, Devil Kitty is an intriguing alternative to the other rockabilly shop around the corner Faster Pussycat on Gertrude Street.  The DK website has a blog which seems to be semi-regularly updated with photos and stock news.

Details:

•  
  137 Brunswick Street
  Fitzroy
  Phone: 03 94174 911
  Opening Hours:

Devil Kitty Shop  

             Monday: 12 to 5

Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday: Closed
Thursday: 12 to 6
Friday: 12 to 7
Saturday: 12 to 6
Sunday: 12 to 5

Email: devilkittyshop@gmail.com

Gothic.org.au – your guide to all things Goth and Melbourne

I had a request from the manager of a Melbourne goth club to advertise their event here – however, since by their very nature gigs/clubs are intermittent and changeable – I couldn’t hope to maintain a consistent resource on gothic nightclubbing or events in Melbourne.

 

However, there’s a forum/website which does this most ably: www.gothic.org.au.  There are forums for Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane. The Melbourne forum  contains a gig guide, music guide, arts and crafts postings and lots of general being gothiness/alternative.   

So if you’d like to know what kind of alternative/goth events and meetups are happening in Melbourne at any given time, or even just discuss alternative fashion, hairstyles, debate religion and politics or find out about a new band or ten, go to gothic.org.au and see what’s on offer.

Peril Underground expands CD emporium

–break (core) ing news! 

Peril Underground, already featured in this blog, has started having a massive facelift… no mean feat when you’re in the basement with nowhere to go but sideways… The clothing line has definitely sharpened up even more (plus a gussy-up of the actual clothing shelves and layout)  but the big news right now is that Australian gothic/industrial/futurepop importers extraordinaire GUP (Ground Under Productions) have now made a new home for themselves downstairs at Peril, bringing the super-dedicated expertise of Jarod Collard and the outstanding backcatalogue available through GUP in to Peril!  It certainly more than adequately covers what was mentioned as Peril Underground’s weak point: the cd catalogue. 

Just in case you can’t bring yourselves to scroll down: here are the details for Peril again:

 

 Address: 17-19 Elizabeth St.City: Melbourne

Contact: 03-9614 2040 

Hours: approx 11am  - 6pm daily

Still no website or email address. Although with GUP in the building it can’t be long…

 

Circa Nocturna – Annual Gothic/Alternative Fashion Parade. March 1 2008

As Melbourne Fashion Festival approaches, in all its’ glitzy glory, it seems timely to point out the one fashion parade you might not hear about in the magazines or mainstream press: unless of course it’s the Age which seems to have taken quite a fancy to alternative fashion recently. 

 

Circa Nocturna showcases alternative designers from the very gothic and florid to more alternative-streetwear stylings featuring designers of  clothing and/or accessories.  It’s up to a third year and has grown increasingly popular each year, leading me to believe that tickets this year may be difficult to come by closer to the night.

 

A full list of designers appears on their website and details of ticket outlets there also.  $20 presale and $25 on the door.

 

Highly recommended to those who wish to sample the pvc-lined underbelly of  Australian alternative fashion or just like some spice in their eye candy… 

 

Photos from last year’s show:

 

 

 

 

 

 

More photos available here courtesy of Richard101  and here on the Circa Nocturna site. 

 

 

Lucrezia and De Sade – Brunswick Street, Fitzroy

  

One of Melbourne’s more hidden boutiques stocking locally artisan made wares is Lucrezia and De Sade.  Now there may be a very good reason why the good L and D people keep it a little more discreet: that is because the wares made, many on premises, are of a particular nature.  That is to say, to put it a little more plainly,  Lucrezia and De Sade is Melbourne’s most artistic and stylish fetish shop.   Named after Lucretia Borgia and the notedly kinky Marquis De Sade, it’s a perfect name for such a stylish yet unashamedly perverse emporium.  

The wonderful things about Lucrezia and De Sade are multiple. Number one is their sense of humour.  Their window displays never fail to amuse or at least intrigue: and their Christmas displays are more essential than the Myer Christmas window any day… they visualise what many of us have wished on Santa when the credit card bills come in! 

Number two is the quality of their merchandise.  Whether you’re there to buy something seriously imposing for your normal fetishy life or whether you just want a dress up for a fancy dress party or some goth-style couture, you could do a lot worse than investing in some of the hand made pieces here.  They do nurse and police outfits (in pvc, mostly), they have cuffs, collars and gauntlets worn as much by goths and death metal bands as fetish types, they have some sexy goth cross over clothes and then there are of course all manner of fetish pieces and props.   The clothing and accessories are well stitched and seems to be made of good quality materials.  I’m not as sure about the serious goods, but from a cursory shelf glance they do seem sturdy and shiny.  I’m sure that’s a plus. They also can modify or make custom items and can work in metal, leather, pvc and more – they’re really quite clever. 

Number three: their website.  I encourage anyone to take a look at their retail store, but if you’d rather shop online and stay shy, they’ve got a full ordering system there for you. How considerate!  

 The best things: beautiful metal gauntlets and leather gloves.  Being loud and proudly a fetish shop with an emphasis on using quality materials and making beautiful objects with care.  Surviving for years with a loyal clientele in a decidedly subcultural market.

  The downside:  I don’t think I’m qualified to comment about some of their goods – but they do look very well made anyway.

 Details:441 Brunswick Street Fitzroy 3065 Victoria Australia
Phone: + 61 3 9416 3826Fax: + 61 3 9416 0947
Email: shop@lucreziadesade.com.au   

Circa Vintage Clothing – Gertrude Street

  

What was once somewhat of a secret for Melbourne vintage lovers is now swiftly riding the information autobahn – the word is out about Circa Vintage not only in Melbourne but amongst illustrious international types.  Nevertheless, I will assume there are still some poor deprived souls who love individual couture and all things retrospective and classic but haven’t heard of this most cool and cultivated of couture emporia. 

  Nestled away in South Fitzroy (yes, there is such a postcode) on Gertrude Street, just up from Brunswick Street, Circa is unashamedly a specialist shop.  Unlike your Retrostar/Revival type shops, it’s not a grab bag of oldish sellables, it’s a cultivated collection of wardrobe highlights  from the turn of the century to (roughly) the sixties.  Nicole Jenkins, the owner, is very well versed in the history of the frock and suit, and has handpicked everything from skirts, ballroom gowns, shoes, gloves, waistcoats, hats… etc etc.  You’ll find deco to victorian, mod to tasteful repro and much more.  Jewellery, cards, accessories oh goodness I can’t keep going it’s just a trip you’ll have to make for yourself.  What you will definitely find is a kick in the behind re: contemporary design – it’s difficult to avoid coming to the conclusion that 50 years ago attention to detail and fabric quality was – excuse the pun – a cut above what we accept these days.  Most items seem to be lined, lots of nice individual or matching buttons, beautifully finished seams etc etc.  Worth a look even if you don’t end up buying anything, just to remind yourself what it was like to have clothes made properly and casts even more doubt on buying new off shore sweat shop made clothing. 

  The best thing about Circa: well, basically it’s just that it’s Circa – as an entity or phenomenon.  Fantastically unique and anachronistic, stepping into Circa is like stepping into some 40s glamour movie. The staff are always amazingly dressed, the music is usually period-related, the lighting, furnishings: pretty much everything is in keeping with the vintage theme.  No wonder Dita Von Teese dropped in here on her way through town a year or 2 ago. 

  The second best thing about Circa:  unlike most vintage places around and on the ‘net, Circa caters for the Vintage Gentleman.  A fair amount of actual old things – including ties and braces –  but also some excellent repro to match the old things: Circa does the classy gent all manner of justice.  

  The downside: well, it’s not a downside but consider it a caveat.  While everything is reasonably priced for what it is, and some lovingly restored to former glory when brought into the hands of Nicole Jenkins: Circa is not a bargain basement.  Don’t go there expecting to find something you know is worth $500 for $5.  Go there to find quality vintage at a price that is reasonable but worthy of what it is.   Certainly you won’t find contemporary gowns with a similar fabric and design quality for less – probably much more – so remember what you’re paying for.

 Circa Website

Fabulous vintage for fabulous people.Shop 1, 102 Gertrude StreetFitzroy, Victoria 3065Australia

Phone : 03 9419 8899 Fax : 03 9415 6765

Opening Hours: Tuesday to Saturday11am to 6pm or by appointment.  

Summer opening hours:

For the month of January, we’ll be open just three days a week, but available by appointment at other times (please call 9419 8899 to arrange).

Monday – Closed

Tuesday – Closed

Wednesday – Closed

Thursday – 11am to 6pm

Friday – 11am to 6pm

Saturday – 11am to 6pm

Sunday – Closed