Trade founder Laurence Malice interview – “good clubbing is based on exhibitionism and voyeurism”
“and you can’t have one without the other”
Trade has left an indelible mark on the club culture of the capital, not only forging the way for after parties long before they were ‘a thing’, but also creating rip roaring events that took the best of gay clubbing and invited the rest of the world to come in and join the fun.
It celebrates its 30th birthday this weekend with a massive party at EGG LDN in King’s Cross, London across 12-13 February, featuring many of the DJs who helped to put the night on the map.
So what better time to ensnare its founder Laurence Malice and ask him to reminiscence and elucidate on what makes this clubbing institution so special….
Let’s think back to the first ever Trade at Turnmills, 1990, which saw Malcolm Duffy, Smokin Jo, Daz Sound, Trevor Rockliffe and Martin Confusion all DJ. Between then and now, what has stayed the same? What qualities did you have from the beginning that made the party so enduring and impactful?
First and foremost it’s got be all the quirky customers and the fantastic Trade team that have made it such a success. We were the 1st legal after hours clubs, startingwith the unusual opening time of 3am until 9am on Sunday mornings and this set it apart from other clubs and it soon became the place to be. It’s exclusivity further fuelled the desire to be part of what Trade had to offer. Trade changed club culture through the people that it brought together. While the club night was perceived to cater for the LGBT community, as long as an individual had the right attitude they were welcome at Trade, regardless of their sexuality or social background. We had bankers dancing next to pop stars, muscle boys next to stage actors and this great freedom gave everyone the chance to express themselves. Our unique after-hours experience became a haven for creativity and expression, effecting new music and a new attitude.
‘All night benders’, ‘day & night festivals’ – or whatever you want to call them – are common today. But Trade was the allegedly the first. Thinking back to when the idea occurred, what caused the brainwave to throw a ‘till super-late’ rave?
At that time there wasn’t any social media so you needed to go out and see for yourself what was happening at gigs, clubs, launches etc and meet people and it was great to meet new people all the time and then you would invite them to your parties.
A lot of the stuff I was introducing was very unique like Sunday clubbing and the idea of after hours clubbing. I always featured lots of non-binary hosts and club kids in my parties and there were always a real melting pot of different people. Someone once said what you get at my events is ‘south London funksters mixing with cross dressers’ which wasn’t being catered to at all at that time and I always liked to mix it up. It was all stick to your own tribe and all the clubs shut at 3am but people wanted to carry on and there was a real need for the legal after hours. I was getting fed up of putting on illegal after hours events as you never knew what was going to happen right up to the last minute or in some cases you could be shut down on the night and so it was great to finally launch a legal after hours party, Trade @Turnmills. I always felt if you provide the essentials that I believe fuel a great party – i.e. a good sound system, great music and electrifying visuals and production then it makes for a happier experience.
I’ve always believed good clubbing is also based on exhibitionism and voyeurism and you can’t have one without the other.
How, historically, have your parties catered to the LGBTQ+ community? How do they differ from the rest?
Trade was launched at the heights of the AIDS virus epidemic, and the ethos behind Trade was to create a safe haven where people could relax and be themselves and release everything on the dance floor. At that time we could see there was no cure and no one knew if they would survive the virus meltdown.
Along with the Trade collective of friends and colleagues I wanted to create a contemporary vision of a more inclusive clubbing experience. The incredible music from our resident DJs, our fantastic production from Tim Stabler; the unique artwork from TradeMark & Martin B-ART Brown and our fabulous clientele who became our extended family ensured that Trade became something extremely special to all of us. We all put a lot of time and energy into it to make sure all the elements were there and to the highest standard we could achieve, and today we continue with this ethos.
In recent years you’ve settled on Egg as your London venue of choice. What vibe does Egg bring for you that makes it your go-to? And what memories do you have of your previous home Turnmills?
Egg LDN provides a multi-faceted space where we can create the Trade magic and it has a lot more versatility than a lot of venues in London. They have an amazing sound system and state-of-the-art lighting which is an important part of Trade. The club also has an inclusive attitude from events such as Berlin Berlin (co-promoter Ricardo Castro) and their annual Pride and Gold Diggers events.
First ever Trade at Turnmills one November Sunday morning 1990
One Sunday morning in 1990 with DJs Malcolm Duffy, Smokin Jo, Daz Saund,Trevor Rockliffe & Martin Confusion, who played the first ever record at Trade. About 300 people came to the first party.
Tony De Vit’s 12 hour set May 6th 1995
Pre-Pride 1996. Tony De Vit took over the Main Floor at Trade for a historic marathon set. At the end of the night he thanked all the DJs for giving up their sets and also Trade founder, Laurence Malice for making this happen.
In around 1990/91, de Vit was a regular visitor to ‘Trade’, where he began to bombard the promoters of ‘Trade’ with tapes of his sets. Eventually, after six months of persistent harassment, they relented and allowed de Vit to stand in one night for Smokin’ Jo. Tony graced the decks, placed the needle on the record and in his own words ‘the place went crazy!’. After that outstanding performance, de Vit landed his very own residency at ‘Trade’ and firmly established himself alongside the likes of other ‘Trade’ luminaries such as Malcolm Duffy and Daz Saund
The Trade 30th Birthday takes place on Saturday 12 February 2022 at Egg London, from 6pm till 6pm on Sunday February 13th. The marathon welcomes sets from
DJs: Trade Modern: Boris – Cassie Raptor – Fidelity Kastrow – Frankel & Harper – Kyle E – Pagano – Remco Beekwilder – Tafkanik – VCL – Warboy – Wax Wings
Trade Lite: Fat Tony – Guy Williams – Hilit Kolet – Jeffrey Hinton – Maze & Masters – Sugarbear –Smokin Jo – The Sharp Boys
Trade Classic: Andy Farley – BK – Daz Saund & Trevor Rockcliffe – Knuckleheadz – Lisa German – Paul Heron – Paul King – Tall Paul – The Blonde Spirit – Blu Peter – Carl Nicholson
++ ADONIS will be joining us taking over the Middle Floor from 10am Sunday February 13th
ADONIS DJs Grace Sands, Marie Malarie, Michelle Manetti & Shay Malt. Plus Hosts & Club Kids galore..
Tickets: https://store.ticketing.cm.com/120222
+ 1 Very Special Guest DJ TBA on the day of the event
Admission: Tickets: https://ra.co/events/1482357