Happy birthday Club Kooky

Happy birthday Club Kooky

Long-running queer night Club Kooky celebrates a milestone this Saturday night, with a 15th birthday bash planned at the University of Sydney’s Manning Bar.

Kooky organiser and DJ Seymour Butz, who’s been involved with the events since the very first party in June 1995, let the Star Observer in on some of the secrets to the event’s impressive longevity.

“It’s about bringing people together to share unique sounds, alternative performance, brotherhood, sisterhood and foster a real sense of family for all. It’s not about ‘no attitude’ – its really about ‘good attitude’,” he said.

With many friendships forged on the dance floor over the past 15 years, Butz said the events were now an opportunity for long-time clubbers to catch up.

“They are a family reunion, plus a pick-up joint, where people come from far and wide to see people they’ve bonded with under the mirror ball.”

Originally borne from a need to provide an alternative to the a ‘musical cul de sac’ happening in Sydney in the mid-90s (“there were three types of music – hi-nrg, higher-nrg and highest-nrg”), Kooky soon flourished as a place where the queer scene’s most uninhibited partygoers could be themselves.

“Kooky’s seen some of the most explicit performance art anywhere in the world: piercings, bloodlettings, brandings, and everything you’ll see only on the internet these days,” Butz said.

“We have seen some truly amazing debut performances of bands, discovering such acts as The Presets, Scott Matthew, Wolfmother, Midnight Juggernauts, Cut Copy…”

It’s also been the hangout du jour for visiting celebs looking to let their hair down.

“Nick Cave slow dancing with Rufus Wainwright is an image I’ll always remember from the dancefloor,” Butz recalled.

This Saturday’s party will include shows from Bleepin J Squawkins and Dallas Dellaforce, plus DJ sets from Butz, DJ Gemma and Stereogamous, but Butz was keen to point out that above all else, it’s Kooky’s revellers that make each night a success.

“The most important element of Kooky is its people. Some original Kooksters may have morphed into bears, some may have changed gender,” he said.

“We may change on the outside but a love of togetherness keeps the family together. For many Kooky was the first place they could truly be themselves – then they took it to the streets.”

info: Club Kooky is on Saturday from 9pm at the Sydney University Manning Bar.

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5 responses to “Happy birthday Club Kooky”

  1. Kooky is a truly special freak-love-fest where anyone willing to put out some positive energy will get it back in spades. That’s why kooky has been around for longer than I’ve been legal. It’s sad that the author of this article and the SSO have failed to recognise the hard work and musical effulgence Kooky co-founder DJ Gemma. Gemma never blows her own trumpet. She doesn’t need to because her passion is palpable through her music. It’s a shame that the SSO is apparently deaf and numb to it because Gemma is a woman.

  2. Kooky is a 15 year institution of freaky love, and I am stunned as to how the writer could produce a piece that fails to mention the fabulous DJ Gemma as the co-founder of Kooky. Had this writer attended Kooky with eyes open he would have seen that without Gemma there is no Kooky. Kooky used to be a weekly event, and the amount of organising that took was phenomenal. Her innovative approach to dj-ing is such a relief for me as I am so often starved for music with substance and profound beauty.

    I would love to see SSO produce a piece that truly celebrates this amazing woman who has given so much to our community.

  3. As a long time kookster, i find it incredibly upsetting this article has blatantly failed to mention DJ Gemma as the founder of Kooky. Yes Seymour, kooky would not be without Gemma. I feel like there should be more done towards thanking Gemma for her hard work, effort, passion, beauty and enormous contribution to the community through both her music and dedication.

    SSO & Nick Bond you’ve failed to recognize this fabulous woman!

  4. Club Kooky is one of the rare times I get to have a truly soul stretching dance. DJ Gemma is one of the few DJs in Sydney who is still willing to take a risk with her art, stepping sideways with her music to give dancers something challenging, inspiring and ultimately euphoric! How sad I was to pick up SSO on Sunday morning to see this article completely omit DJ Gemma from Kooky’s fifteen year story. This article leads readers (who do not know any better) to believe that Club Kooky is all about the man, Seymour Butz, and DJ Gemma is merely another DJ playing on the night. How shameful that yet again, a significant woman artist and her long, hard work is over looked so easily. Meanwhile, DJ Gemma so skillfully continues to feed the souls of us starving punters in an ever-increasing conservative club scene.

  5. Thanks for the love Star Observer! Kooky wouldn’t have happenned without my long term Kooky partner and founder DJ Gemma. She’s my sister and inspiration.