My life in poppers has nothing to do with sex. I always associated its euphoric release with dancing to music or ridiculous situations. I’d perfectly sync peaking on poppers to the disco break in a song. One of my areas of expertise was lifting someone in my arms and spinning them around out under the disco lights, which in the 1970s and 1980s were hydraulic: monster robot machines spitting out halogen fiery mental-ness.
I was briefly banned from The Sombrero and also The Black Cap, whose manager threw me, Lesley Chilkes, Michael Clark and David Holla out. All we did was watch Pet Shop Boys videos while quaffing the poppers.
At Camden Palace, we developed the poppers cigarette: you would dip one in the bottle and just suck on it quite willy-nilly. Often someone would come up and try to light it for you; obviously, this would be a disaster. The flaming face was not desired. I also remember disturbing the poor clones cruising on Hampstead Heath. We’d take the ghetto blaster, build a fire, and continue whooping and dancing the night away. The artist Derek Jarman would come and join us.
All my favourite memories of poppers with Leigh Bowery (who was a child in crime) involved taking them at inappropriate moments. Like when we conned our way into the MTV Europe channel launch – a champagne train journey from Victoria to Gatwick (the glamour), then poppers on the plane to Amsterdam. Leigh had an altercation with Fish from the rock band Marillion. It became our mission to find ways to annoy him. When he would come for us, we’d take a quaff of poppers and run. It was a very entertaining game. Of course, we’d drunk every free drink available.
Anyway, Adam’s chimes take me back to those moments.
Tracklist
Ferrara – Love Attack
Sylvester – Don't Stop
Lisa – Tempt Me
Abba – The Visitors
Nancy Nova – The Force
Lime – Angel Eyes
Donna Summer – Now I Need You
Sharon Redd – Love Insurance
Passengers – Hot Leather
Jennifer Holliday – No Frills Love
Joanne Daniëls – After the Rainbow
Klein & MBO – Keep in Touch
Divine – Native Love (Step by Step)
TR/ST – Gloryhole
M83 – Road Blaster
Bette Midler – To Deserve You
Two traumatised young men... was purchased with funds provided by the 2023 Frieze Tate Fund supported by Endeavor to benefit the Tate collection in 2024. It is on display in the room The State We’re In at Tate Britain.
Jeffrey Hinton is a disco bunny and DJ from London. He talked to Sean Burns, an artist, editor and writer based in London.
This mixtape is no.21 in the MixTate series.