I Was There – Nag, Nag, Nag rules London’s electroclash scene, 2002-6
Kinky Roland is our guide to the noughties’ electroclash flagship
Berlin-born electronic producer Kinky Roland is a regular collaborator with clubland icon Boy George. In fact, their latest joint effort ‘You’re Not The One’ is up for a Grammy in the Best Remix category.
Roland (pictured below with Darth Vader, left) remixed E-zee Possee’s hit, ‘Everything Starts With An E’, released techno and house music for labels such as Trade, React, Ultravinyl and Prolecult in the 90s and noughties. As the production half of dance duo Loverush, enjoyed success with a rework of ‘Yeke Yeke’ with Mory Kante that became a massive club and chart hit.
He hooked up with Boy George after they rubbed shoulders at queer and electrolclash nights like Trash and the scene’s flagship night Nag, Nag, Nag, named after a Cabaret Voltaire classic. Here, Roland recalls how the club grew into one of London’s most famous – and notorious…
“Nag Nag Nag was started innocently enough by marvelous Substation South DJ and Atomizer (Gigolo Records) lead singer, Jonny Slut, at the beginning of the electroclash movement in the early Noughties. It brought together three cities Berlin, London and New York and whatever was going on in the commercial charts was irrelevant so if you didn’t check out this underbelly scene you missed out big time. It was a midweek night every Wednesday held in a cult basement venue, Ghetto, situated on a seedy alley around the back of The Astoria, on Falconberg Court, Soho.
“I was already making records in the electroclash style as Replicant and went on to perform at Nag Nag Nag with an alternative keyboard stand on an ironing board with style icon and DJ, Princess Julia singing her heart out on our cover of the Iggy Pop classic, ”The Passenger”. In the beginning it was a small affair with Jonny on the decks alongside all his wonderful creative friends and live guests, very much a mixed queer crowd.
“The particular evening I remember was that quinessential night that defines a legendary club when you look arround you at the people, hear the music and realise that in this moment you are in the most important and groundbreaking event on the planet right now. Not unlike an early Kinky Gerlinky ball or a night at Leigh Bowery’s Taboo club or at Steve Strange & Rusty Egan’s Blitz club…but the last two were before my time lol:-).
“Just to give you an idea of that evening there was Boy George, who I course was hanging out with at the bar, Soft Cell’s legendary Marc Almond, Dead Or Alive’s Pete Burns, style icon and DJ, Princess Julia, Mathew Glamorre from Minty, Horsemeat Disco’s Luke Howard, fashion designer & Sigue Sigue Sputnik frontman, Martin Degville, musician John Tayler (Punxsoundcheck), and then add into the mix, fashion designer & musician, Richard Torry, original Blitz doyen, Pinkietessa, pop and fashion culture icons from the Offset movement, David Cabaret, and Link Leisure. The Offset movement followed on from Leigh Bowery’s gang and group, Minty, and was orchestrated by Mathew Glamorre and had lots of artist members. We were featured in a centrefold in The Face magazine and held a three night event at The ICA too.
“The sweaty low ceiling venue was buzzing with the fresh sound of electroclash, octave basslines, stomping drums, soaring synths and cocky punk-like shouty vocals. A touch of the 80s mixed with techno and Italo Disco…the original synthwave extravaganza. During this period I worked with Boy George on the Twin Project, dedicated to fashion visionary, Lee Bowery and hedonistic punk queer culture. I was also working with Marc Almond on a more delicate sound incorporating theatrical lyrics and synth pop such as the “Face Control” EP on Beauty Case Records. This later led to the Starcluster album with old school friend, Keen K from Berlin and featuring Marc on vocals .
“More clubs followed like the legendary Cock by Wayne Shires with Princess Julia and also Matthew Glamorre’s Kashpoint and Mark Moore’s Electrogogo. It was a very exiting time that would be hard to live up to – but I’m always open to new things. But Nag Nag Nag would take some beating lol :-)”
‘You’re Not The One’ is the new single from Kinky Roland & Boy George with mixes by Eric Kupper and released on Househead London on October 25, 2024.