Fox&Badge FLASHBACK 2015: FREAKS
We’re turning ten this New Year’s Eve, moving into a whole new decade as well as New Year at midnight, so we’re looking back at everything we’ve done to better understand our path ahead. During each of the upcoming 10 weeks til that midnight moment, we’ll look back at each of our 10 years in turn, returning to some of our favourite moments.
New Year’s Eve 2015: FREAKS
Today we celebrate that moment when it all began - with “FREAKS!” (“celebrating the beauty in difference and non-conformist deformity”)
We held it in a large pub on the Cally Road called Canal 125, and at some point took everyone out onto the towpath for a fire show. Before all this, I ran a weekly pop-up dinner club (Latitudinal Cuisine) for almost a decade, and so we began the evening with a 3-course candle-lit dinner, like we had the New Year’s Eve before.
So much has changed since that early defining moment, yet some things have also remained so constant, and the final words on the invite text ring as true today:
“We are all 'other'; all freaks and mutants; all weirdly unique. Different is powerful, seductive, debauch & beautiful. This is your night; your chance to unleash and glory in your inner mysteries. Be who you are - your inner unicorn - the freak you are & want to be.”
I had been running parties for years - ever since I grew out of being a shy teenager (it’s true; I was the very last person you’d ever find on a dancefloor). Things expanded when I moved into a big warehouse on Brick Lane, and needed to hire bouncers. I’d host up to 300 people across my roof and shared living room. My ex-partner Sinead (the Fox) also loved hosting, and we started throwing them together. She was critical, amazing and life-changing. Fox&Badge was born the moment we realised it’d be preferable to try & bring some kind of continuity between events, and keep a community in touch. It was never any big plan; just a gorgeous thing to look forward to; a different form of outlet and creation than my art & architecture work.
This was our 1st (and last for a while) foray into hosting 2 dancefloors. We knew tons of brilliant DJs, a few of whom still play for us. Some people will love this - we only had 4 performers ;). Our entire lineup easily filled the corner of a single A4:
DJs: Matt Williams, Sassan Darvish, Zaki, Nick Oxley, Kai Schiefelbein, Ebru Al, Tom Real
Performers: Red Sarah, Claudia Contortionist, Missy Fatale, Maya Petrovna Hilcisin
It’s also touching to stumble across this old video where I compiled all the shots I took on the night (I used to be our only photographer*, lighting operator, and stage manager). The music is relentless, until the Pink Floyd sample rings out, so poignantly:
“I have always been here.”
We’re very excited to update, upgrade, and evolve - and to craft a beautiful New Year’s Eve ceremony for this stunning community.
It is such a moving moment for us, so we very much hope you can join us at Omeara on the 31st.
1st Release tickets are running out at https://www.foxandbadge.com/nye2025
AUTHOR: Alex Haw
