On the downlow
Somerset, United Kingdom

But as impressive as these sets are, it is really only the beginning of the story, because stepping inside the NYC Downlow is to enter another dimension. Inside, you find a large darkened club space, a state-of-the-art sound system that pumps out the best in disco and house, faithful – in spirit at least – to the era in which the club is set, and played by some of the most respected DJs in the world. The atmosphere is intoxicating – this is hedonistic partying at its sweaty best. Although undeniably a gay club, celebrating gay culture, it is nonetheless open to anyone. Anyone brave enough to venture in, that is. And many do – so many in fact that the entrance donations have raised an incredible £57,000 for a range of HIV/AIDS charities and other humanitarian causes since its inception in 2007. People have been known to stand in line for hours to gain entry to this famed party space where anything can, and usually does, happen.

A few fields away, huge headliners like Beyoncé and Adele may be helicoptered in and treated like demigods to entertain the masses, but in the Downlow even huge names like Roger Sanchez are very much, well, on the down-low. The DJ booth is tucked away on the edge of the stage, placing the emphasis on the music rather than the person playing it. The occasional A-Lister will from time to time pop up, notable celeb-spots have included Amy Winehouse, Naomi Campbell and Mick Jagger, and there have even been surprise performances from huge acts who slip in unannounced to do an intimate number or two before being whisked back into the darkness of the festival.

But the real stars of the show are the incredibly hard-working troop of alt-queer performers and sizzlingly hot go-go boys, headed up the inimitable Jonny Woo. Jonny seems to be permanently on stage working the crowd, leading a never-ending carousel of floor shows and costume changes that runs until 6am each day of the festival, then carries on the revelry in the crew bar or camping field until lunchtime. Performances range from highly polished group numbers and virtuoso to out-and-out mayhem, punctuated by the occasional, unprintable and supposedly unmentionable act of physical expression. 

It’s one hot and sweaty fest, as all the best clubs are, but if you require some relief, there are a few alternatives. A large, open-air basketball court provides a welcome breath of fresh air, or you can decide to explore the darkroom maze, assuming you can find it. There is also a second, more stripped-back, intimate room, The Meat Rack, which plays harder, Detroit-inspired house music, well, at least when I ventured in there. While the vibe is harder in this space, it is still very much within the NYC Downlow style of inclusion, freedom and happy vibes. 

The current incarnation of the Downlow may have its feet planted firmly in the early 80s, but its heart is in the 90s: a time when all kinds of social barriers came down and people came together to dance. It is as if they bottled the spirit of this summer of love and release it back into the air every year. This is due in no small part to the fact that Block 9 was born out of the free party scene. For almost a decade, Gideon drove a bus carrying a large sound system around Europe from party to party. This was the very same scene, albeit in a much earlier incarnation, that gave birth to Glastonbury itself. What started as a one-off, hippy-filled music event in 1971 has grown beyond all recognition to form one of the key events of the British calendar, streamed live on multiple channels across the BBC and attracting an incredibly diverse range of people. I first went in 1988 and was blown away by its scale and open atmosphere. However, back then it was a pretty mainstream affair with no stated LGBTQ presence (but to be fair, few British events did then). It was Gideon and Steve’s commitment to bringing something of Burning Man’s established gay encampments to the festival that was the catalyst for the NYC Downlow – a can-do attitude and a heartfelt desire to create a spectacular space, raising the bar to new levels of sophistication and quality. They weren’t content with just erecting a big gay marquee in a field – now they have their own cathedral to queerness – a self-declared advertisement for the promotion of homosexuality and all its exciting, uncompromising glory. 

During the day (assuming you are awake) you may of course care to wander out of the Block 9 field and visit some of the weird and wonderful creations that fill the site. Perhaps you’ll catch a play in the theatre field, marvel at the acrobatics in the circus field, realign your chakras in the healing field or catch one of the hundreds of acts from all around the world playing at one of the large stages where the cream of the music world come to play to serious music fans. But when darkness falls, there is really only one place to be in my humble opinion – and that’s in the far south-eastern corner, just off the railway line. Just follow the trail of glitter and scent of poppers and you won’t go far wrong.

Find out more about the field of misfits that is NYC Downlow. Tickets for the legendary Glastonbury Festival come on sale each October.

Photography by Martin Perry and Egle Trezzi

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