The virtual scene
Party promoters, photographers, drag queens and DJs -“ just about everyone connected to our bustling scene has a home on the internet these days.
From the safety of a home computer, punters can check out DJ set-lists, view photos taken at big dance party events and even plan their upcoming clubbing schedules. And by logging on to websites like pinkboard.com.au, they can discuss the clubbing or partying experience in minute detail with other likeminded clubbers and party-ers.
Overseas DJs who have played in Sydney over the past few months, such as Tracy Young and Matt Darey, have websites that are as extensive as they are impressive, complete with photo galleries and samples of their mixing or production work.
The website offerings of Sydney-based DJs are somewhat more modest, but nevertheless offer diligent web-searchers the chance to find out more about their favourite DJ.
Lukeleal.com features a discography, a biography, details of sets played at big parties and events, as well as links to various club and party sites.
I’ve had a really good response to the site, Luke says, before revealing that he actually designed it himself. It’s a point of contact for people who are interstate and overseas about me, and it has info on my upcoming gigs.
One of the main purposes of the site, Luke explains, is to provide party promoters -“ particularly those overseas, where he does a number of gigs -“ with information on him which they can use for their promotional material.
But it’s not just about marketing: the site also includes lists of Luke’s big-party sets -“ perfect for the dancefloor punter who really needs to know the name of the track played at, say, 4am.
I always write down my sets, to see what I played when, he says. Initially it was just something I did for myself, but now I put my set lists from the big events up on the site.
In the future, Luke says he might look at uploading samples of his mixing, but concedes that that’s still some way off.
Jake Kilby is also fairly modest about his site, jakekilby.com.
Like Luke, Jake uses his site as a means of marketing himself to party promoters overseas. With good reason: he’s played overseas four times in the past eight months, and is currently hoping to score more overseas gigs, in places as far afield as Taipei and San Francisco.
It’s a really good way to access information, he says. Currently, his website features details of his regular gigs, some biographical information and a guestbook.
It’s pretty lame at the moment, he warns. But just about every DJ in Sydney seems to be getting a site together now. It’s like an avalanche effect.
Luke Leal plays the Stonewall Hotel on Wednesday night and has two residencies at Arq: funky stuff downstairs on Saturday night and anthems and euphoric trance upstairs on Sunday night. Jake Kilby plays UN (the old DCM) on Saturday nights and downstairs at Arq on Sunday night.
SHOWGIRLS ON THE NET
Vida Las Vegas
As lavish as the shows in which she stars, vidalasvegas.com features a gazillion photos of the reigning DIVA Entertainer of the Year, with up-to-date information about her current shows and appearances. There’s also some bio information on the boy behind the showgirl, and details on how to book Vida for your upcoming party or launch function.
Joyce Maynge
There’s no other showgirl like Joyce Maynge, and there’s no other website like www.abitgirlie.com. Anywhere. In the entire world. It starts with a splash page with the appealingly obscure warning that, by entering the site, you agree to things. Go further and you find yourself dropped into the world of Joyce and her mates, known as The Church of Divinical Intolerance. The in-jokes fly thick and fast, but a lot of it is very funny. There’s gossip, news, information on Joyce’s current and upcoming shows, fashion hints and a whole load of really, really weird shit. In fact, it’s so weird, it’s a bit hard to describe. Check it out for yourself.
Courtney Act
There ain’t much to look at on courtneyact.com yet: just a photo of Courtney half-wearing and half-falling-out-of a glamorous pink gown. A sign states courtneyact.com -“ coming soon. We’re excited!
