SEEN QUEEN IS CHANGING.

Started in 2000, Seen Queen was a unique website that used digital technology to bring pictures of clubbers and share them on the internet. In 2000, we believe we were one of the first in London to do so, and at that time we had a very strict clubbing policy...A-LIST CLUBS only. Seen Queen was born in a time when clubbing was very different to what it is today. It started when club promoters weren't just mere number crunchers who had to account to the club owner. They were fabulous people who wanted to throw fabulous events that were full of fabulous people. It wasn't about your economic status or job...it was about how fabulous you were! It may seem strange to the young modern clubber who had grown up with the digital age where having the cash is enough to get you into any club: but in those days clubbing was a social event and people were picked out of the queue and given priority entrance depending on who you were, who you knew and most importantly how fabulous you were. Clubbing wasn't something that you did, it was a lifestyle. There were professional clubbers that were an essential guest at any successful club night.

Then, some where along the line club owners started to interfere with the creative person that was a club promoter. Club promoters did what they did not only to make a living but because they had a passion for creating great nights and wanted to share it with others. Club owners only saw the bottom line: and soon guest lists were cut, promoters became accountants and putting on the most fabulous night was replaced was putting on the most economic efficient night possible that clubbers would be willing pay for. There is a big difference between investing in a night out of passion and making a living out of what you love doing and investing in a night because you just want to make a good return. We are not denying the business side of clubbing, it just that we are not ignroing the social/creative/artistic and fun side of clubbing.

This change in consciousness gave creativity a kick in the balls and we can now see the result of the gradual build up (or should we say decline) that is reflected in the current gay London clubbing scene.

What we call the GOLDEN AGE of clubbing had come to an end. SALVATION (@ Cafe De Paris), KINKY GERLINKY, TRADE, DTPM, BANG, ACTION, CRASH, the early years of HEAVEN, LIMELIGHT, FACTOR 25, ARVO, FACTORY, PSP and BEYOND (the first half before CRASH & ORANGE fell out the first time) has drawn to a close. Younger clubbers may think that there is nothing wrong with the current clubbing scene...but they have little to compare it with. We feel it will all come around again as clubbers start to crave something more original. Signs of smaller club nights doing well aimed at creating a good time over profit are popping up here and now including invite only clubs. However, that is the future and the time is now.

The Seen Queen clubbing philosophy was based on the Golden Age and now we are changing to reflect the current clubbing climate. So how are we changing?

NOW, FIRST THINGS FIRST. Seen Queen has never been just a 'club listing site'. We have always been a website that listed clubs that we could recommend. This is what makes us different from other club web sites. These clubs we loosely called the A-LIST. This was a generic term we decided to use to describe a type of club very much in the way one would use the word FETISH for a leather club. FETISH relates to many things and include rubber, water sports, bareback etc. In the past our term A-LIST was accused of being elitist. We paid no attention to those people.

For us the term A-LIST referred to clubs and events that the Seen Queen collective could recommend to our friends, peers and international visitors that were looking for the same type of clubbing we would have looked for when visiting their city. You either got the concept, or you didn't.

There were certain criteria for these clubs that separated the 'men from the boys' so to speak. That criteria still exists now: the club has to be gay, or at last a majority gay with a fabulous mix of drags, metrosexuals, polysexuals, homosexuals, groovy clubbers and the like. A club that claims to be gay but has a lax door policy and is full of undesirable straights (you know the kind) is no longer acceptable. We also do not list clubs that are aimed at chavs/scallys (by nature not just by name...unless you are talking about a hot chico in pair of trackies or football shorts), chickens, 'fat' clubs, suburban/provisional and 'freaky alternatives'. We mainly focus on house clubs and not RnB, pop or indie nights; though some house clubs have been described musically as being 'G.A.Y FOR THE HOUSE GENERATION'. Sure they may be gay, but they are not the market we are aimed at. Essentially, if we think that we would have a good time there, then we will recommend it. Simple!

We like adjectives like down to earth, glamorous, stylish, hunky, muscular, hot , horny, creative, interesting, papi, metrosexual, gay, divas, credible, underground and so on. Think MATINEE, JUICY, MEGAWOOF, DTPM and you will get a clearer picture.

A packed club to us has never meant a quality club. Sure, that club might be popular but with whom? We have always subscribed that we would rather dance in a club with 400 hot men & clubbers then a club of 1200 pedestrians and undesirables. For us clubbing is still about the people. Remember fabulous clubs are full of fabulous people, and pedestrian clubs are full of, well, pedestrians. We know which one we would choose and this is reflected in our CLUB DIARY.

The areas that are going to be changed include the listing of new events (and their support) plus the addition of more creative, underground and interesting clubs that we think would appeal to the Seen Queen visitor. iN REGARD TO THE NEW CLUBS, if we feel they are aimed at 'our type of people' and that we would have a good time there then we will list it, at least for the opening night. To remain on the CLUB DIARY after that will be up to the club itself. This clubs listing will be marked by the the word 'NEW'. Previously we would wait for a club to prove itself, but the clubbing world can be a political minefield and we feel some of these fledgling promoters trying to bring something different to the scene may need a bit of extra support. Please note, simply changing a name in a known venue is not enough; the 'new club' will need to be very clear in respect to what they are about, who they are aimed at and what they are offering the gay scene. For the more underground and creative clubs our eyes are on Hoxton and we think the younger Seen Queen visitor or the those who are looking for something above the pedestrian may want to know about.

We will also be looking into the fetish side of things which can attract some very hot men, the curious and the very strange indeed. We already list HARD ON which has been transformed from more then just a fetish club by having a unique music policy over two floors, a strict dress code and found the perfect combination between clubbing and a sexy/sexual environment. Sure, it may not be to everyone's taste, but then again Seen Queen has never been aimed at everyone either. By FETISH, we do not mean sex clubs that offer little more then a place to get sucked off. They have to make an effort like HARD ON by offering a unique clubbing experience.

The Seen Queen CLUB DIARY is made up of 'permanent members' that are voted on by the Seen Queen club collective. Currently these include BARCODE FRI/SAT, TRADE (when on), DTPM (when on), JUICY, HORIZON, HARD ON, MATINEE, INDSUTRI, MEGAWOOF and LO PROFILE (FRI/SAT), We are also looking at adding 'temporary members' too.

These are clubs that may be currently weekly, but have seemed to lost their edge and only flourish during special events and or bank holidays. We have created the temporary membership because we feel we can no longer recommend a club because there 'is no where else to go'. We would rather stay home and wait for a club worth going to then go to a 'catch all'; and this seems reflected in the attitude of our peers. This will also appeal to one-off events and parties we feel that are worth listing. Another addition to our CLUB DIARY will be the 'crown logo' which will mean this is a "must do clubbing event'' indicating if you are going to do one club this week this is the one to do! Seen Queen is also aimed at CLUBS (not venues) and generally does not list BARS, with the exception of BARCODE SOHO which ties in with it's more clubbier sister in VAUXHALL ( have you seen the new renovated SOHO bar yet, once again BARCODE showing us how it should be done!)

We hope these up and coming changes to the CLUB DIARY will meet with your liking and approval as we change to remain the most credible and cutting edge CLUBBING WEBSITE not only in London but in the world. The CLUB PROFILES will also be overhauled. This will, of course, will all take time and we look forward to hearing about what you think of these changes. Just click on the email link below to contact us.

Seen Queen's policy is about being seen and we want you to BE SEEN in the best clubs London has to offer. After all, if you've got it. Flaunt it.