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Celebrating 12 years of NYC Downlow, Glastonbury’s legendary queer club

With no Glasto – still not over it – we pay tribute to the festival’s first LGBTQ space

By Thomas Stichbury

Miss Corona really did twist the knife when she forced organisers to shelve Glastonbury this year.

Glasto holds a special, mud-smothered place in our hearts thanks to the simply legendary NYC Downlow.

Nice to, erm, meat you (Image: Martin Perry)

The festival’s first LGBTQ space is the go-to spot for debauchery, drag and just partying your little titties off.

It is the pièce de résistance of Block9 – the creation of Gideon Berg and Stephen Gallagher – a hub of indoor and outdoor dance clubs at the greatest place on earth (fact).

What a mesh… (Image: Manu Valcarce)

Block9 are filling the gaping hole in our lives with a double-whammy music release, Best of the Best Volumes 1 & 2, out now.

A selection of live DJ mixes from their 12-year tenure at Glastonbury, the collection includes recordings from Master at Work, Black Madonna, Roger Sanchez and more.

To celebrate the release, we decided to take a trip down memory lane and revisit NYC Downlow.

Until next year, babes.

Love… we love to see it (Image: Egle Trezzi)

Host with the most Frieda Slaves (Image: Egle Trezzi)

Going hell for leather (Image: Manu Valcarce)

Top of the crops (Image: Egle Trezzi)

Queens of the night (Image: Egle Trezzi)

It rear-ly is a great night out (Image: Manu Valcarce)

 

Block9 Presents: Best of the Best Volumes 1 & 2 is out now