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There is no better advice to give to a Matinee virgin than to go with absolutely no expectations. For those uninitiated, Amnesia's Saturday night fiesta is chock-full of surprises with a futuristic theme that is superbly suited to the club's high-tech surroundings. But that is later to come.

Firstly, the evening got underway with less than alluring beginnings. The only noteworthy sight being the countless punters on podiums, busting moves to cheesy anthems, believing they could dance but needless to say, they could not. There was not a professional performer in sight in the main discotheque - a far cry from the theatrical extravaganza that was La Troya just a few nights prior. In fact, the only remotely engaging visual was the odd brightly coloured spotlight hovering over the crowd in the main room, while a few mildly enthusiastic dancers made lukewarm attempts to wave feather boas in the air on the terrace.

Feeling unequivocally bored, I started to think about blowing that twisted scene when the lights dimmed and the crowd turned to face one end of the room with cameras hastily flashing. A large black curtain rose to reveal a gigantic stage flanked by two poles, complete with a staircase that lead to the word 'Matinee' illuminated in giant red letters and framed by twinkling plasma screens. The spectacle began.

The whole dynamic of the party switched within that moment and suddenly Matinee was cooler than a cucumber in a morgue. The music was smoothly and finely tuned to cool electro grooves as drag queens paraded about in outlandish PVC outfits, guys with gimp masks and girls with cages on their heads layered themselves across the enormous platform. Beautiful women teetering on tower-high heels in fluorescent corset dresses slinked next to muscle men in top hats and waist coats. A powerful remix of the Temper Trap's 'Sweet Disposition' built up to a skilfully paced crescendo, followed by Faithless's 'Insomnia'.

The visual feast continued as trapeze artists twisted about on poles high above the audience, fireballs spouted into the air at the front of the stage and the turnover of dancers was higher than the audience members' mind states combined. For an evening that seems to cater to all sexualities, with a camp twist on a colourful scene, Matinee is best enjoyed when you have no idea what to expect. So if you intend to delve into this party's whimsical fantasy world, best not remember anything you have just read.

Photo by Abbey Stirling ©

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