PHILIP SALLON

What would London's club scene be without Philip Sallon? A constant clubland fixture since the '70s, Philip has always managed to look, as his old mate Boy George puts it, "deliciously ridiculous". His life is truly a drag, sartorially speaking, as he whips up the most incongruous, grotesque and utterly entertaining looks. Which is strange considering that he thinks the reason people normally dress up is because they have nothing to say for themselves. The opinionated club and party promoter also considers smiling a sign of weakness. He says the reason he ended up promoting clubs is because he likes 'organising' people and creating off-the-wall events. "Everything is so normal," he laments. "It's nice to be a bit subversive, even though that sounds cliche. Suburban is cool in a piss-take way, you know, like having tea parties. And if that means playing musical chairs and statues on the dancefloor, then be it." The boy from Dollis Hill discovered night life in '71, turning up at The Round House clad in a dapper velvet tail jacket. In those days, he loved nothing better than a good knees-up at Countdown, a glittery Jewish North London haunt. Later in the decade, when shopping at Sex down the King's Road became de rigueur, he developed a life-long infatuation with Vivienne Westwood. "She's not only the best designer that ever lived," he says, "she's my inspiration." She did inspire him when he studied fashion design at St Martin's and, later, while working in the Opera House's costume department. The in-place to be then was Louise's, originally a small lesbian club. It swarmed with freaks and punk talent, such as the Bromley contingent, Siouxsie and her Banshees, Billy Idol, Adam Ant etc. It was around that time that a shy and retiring novice famously went up to Philip, who was frantically spinning 'round on Bangs' dancefloor and asked the immortal line: "Are you gay?". A pertinent answer would've been "Are you blind?," but Philip just quipped "Why, are you interested?". That's how he met George and no, they never got it on, if you're wondering. Sallon first cut his teeth at club promotion at Planets in 1981, making history by giving both Boy George and Jeremy Healey their very first DJ job. However, it was the next project in '83 which earned Sallon his stripes: The Mud Club at Subway, a Leicester Square sex dive. When the owner lost his licence, Philip took his wares to Busby's and got a remarkable run for his money. Another big score for him was The Opera House at the Piccadilly Theatre in '86-'87, where he incidentally employed me as a lounge DJ. Then the post-acid Bagley's Warehouse began life in '93, thriving on a weekend mainstream crowd. It looked good with film sets, Coronation Street backdrops and the like, but when someone got stabbed to death, Philip decided to walk. Nowadays, he's content throwing one-off parties and doing occasional PR work. "I'd like to run a regular club night again, the problem is the people I know are too cool and glitzy to pay," he explains without a hint of irony. "Now, if the club took part of the bar, not charging on the door, who knows ..."