Power to the People
BY Jonathan Tan, Trevvy.com 26/12/2006
DJ George has moved to the Powerhouse at St. James Power Station. What’s all the hype about? Trevvy’s Jonathan Tan dons his apparel to check out their Christmas party.
 

 
I arrived at St. James Power Station fashionably late. The club is massive – I had to ask for directions to get to the Powerhouse, where Fabulous Sundays is held. After getting off to a rough start – a few of the staff members had no clue what ‘Fabulous Sundays’ was – I made my way around the sprawling compound and entered the dance club.

It was already full inside. I edged through the crowd. The who’s who in the community were out in full force, celebrating Christmas the traditional way – that is, getting soused and dancing the entire night. Lyrics from Jimmy James’s Fashionista, which was later played, came to mind: “Faces, beautiful. No one ugly allowed.”

Things were already in full swing. DJ George Leong worked extra hard to bring us Yuletide cheer. He unleashed his trademark string of ultra-fabulous hits, effortlessly combining Top 40 and dance beats. Mariah, Madonna, Beyonce, Rihanna, Christina – those divas we know on first-name basis – made their required appearances. No surprise there. DJ George, the veteran maestro, knows exactly what us gay boys love, and he knows how to push our buttons.

Nothing prepared me, however, for the spectacle that was to follow. Was it gimmicky? Who cares? All I could do was hold my breath as trapeze artists tumbled and writhed in the air just metres above our heads. The precariousness of the entire situation was entirely charming. Later, the overhead display continued in the form of a Santa suspended from the ceiling. He hovered and swung above us and tossed condoms into the crowd. (My poor friend was struck on the nose by a condom! Talk about learning safe sex the hard way!)

Technicolour laser lights flashed around our heads even as mobile projectors beamed psychedelic (pink! purple! magenta!) onto surfaces. The immense empty wall at the back of the club was converted into a screen for videos, which, according to DJ George, is a medium that he wants to experiment with.

I was a bit skeptical as to the feasibility of integrating video into the clubbing experience. But then Kelly Clarkson came on and changed everything. DJ George’s devoted following will know that he is a fan of the Idol-winner-turned-superstar. This week’s remix of Since U Been Gone, however, was accompanied by a remixed video of Clarkson looking fabulous. This combination of visual and aural stimulation was sensory overload – I had to stop for a while and stare transfixed. Then I really started getting into it, as did the clubbers around me. I looked around and discovered to my relief that I was not the only one imitating Kelly’s onscreen actions.

The most magical moment of the night: DJ George spinning a dance version of Christina Aguilera’s Hurt. Midway through the song he slowed the tempo down, and on the wall a video of Aguilera was seen, mouthing the lyrics “and I’ve hurt myself, by hurting you”, followed by a brief moment of complete silence. Then the dance beat revved itself up again and the crowd thrust its arms up into the air.

The visual element may prove to be St. James Power Station’s main pull. While other young Turks may be attracted to the various other venues on a Sunday night, St. James will appeal to the more sophisticated and sensorial clubber. The huge video clips, and the scale of the entire club, reminded me of Babylon , the club in TV’s Queer and Folk. There was something quite heartening in that comparison – that here in Singapore we are able to thrive as a community despite societal and political prejudice.

And of course DJ George can do no wrong. While the editing of the videos could have been a bit snappier (the Since U Been Gone one was jerky and clumsy in bits), he has proven once again the reason why he is a consistent favorite. Wherever he goes, the crowd will follow. The absolute numbers alone prove this. The Powerhouse was packed to the brim. (Is it possible for a club to be too crowded?) As for me, I was quite content to be pushed up against everyone else, gleaming with sweat, Mariah carrying me on.

 
“While other young Turks may be attracted to the various other venues on a Sunday night, St. James will appeal to the more sophisticated and sensorial clubber.”