Sapphic Traffic

Monday 29th November: The Outspoken Showcase

2010-11-28T14:21:00.006Z

Here is the programme for tomorrow's event.

1pm- Doors

1.20pm- Film: ‘Moralists’ Instruction Musical: The Revolutionary Conduct’

(2010, 25 min, dir: Lasse LangstrÖm, Leo Palmestal) Swedish, English subs.

An ‘instruction musical’ following a gang of queers as they deal with heartbreak, oppression and idiot straight boys in bars. With sparkly out-fits, dance routines and moderate violence.

1.55pm- Chella Quint and Sarah Thomasin: Comedy performance and short film: ‘The FU Story’

2.10pm- A word from Josie Long

2.30pm- Interval

(Food, refreshments and craft/zine/art stalls can be found in the Auditorium)

3pm- finish- Panel Discussion on DIY culture, featuring: Josie Long, Scout (Emma) Niblett, Katie Harkin (of Sky Larkin), Chella Quint.

Chaired by Ema Stafford.

RAD GIG: ROBOT UNICORN ATTAX

2010-11-16T14:49:00.010Z

This Thursday: 18th November @The Well

Jesus And His Judgmental Father
Fanny DiWanko
Tiny Tin Lady

This is going to be a lush drunken love-in with lots of Sapphic Traffic favorites/residents performing. DJ's from Riot Grrill, Sapphic Traffic and Queer Mutiny.

N.B. Click the poster to dash over to the facebook page.

Review: Lip Service!

2010-10-20T15:08:00.012+01:00

The BBC are trying really hard to represent our people at the moment. It's kinda cute, I guess. Last Tuesday there were 11 queers crammed into our tiny living room for the most anticipated lesbian TV in the UK since...erm...err...ever?! It seems various sapphic experts have been bragging about this new show being raunchier than the L Word and sexier than fruit of Sting's loin, so really, it had a lot of living up to do.

After the first episode I was totally overcome with joy at how shit it was. It was so shit in fact, most of us did a 360 and ended up loving it. It was like eating too much cheese, it can be dangerous, but if you push through and eat enough cheese you will soon forget your own name and lose the ability to regret the existence of said cheese.

However, here are a few questions we would like to direct towards the BBC...

1. Do you know what a real tattoo looks like?

2. Who told you lesbian sex looks similar to starting a lawn mower?

3. Why does Glasgow have a snazzy Gaydar chat that actually works?

4. Who told you dykes are into fucking next to dead bodies?

5. Has Frankie had those headphones surgically attached to her neck?

6. How much are you paying Ilene Chaiken in royalties?

Overall consensus was that this weeks episode was infinitely better than the pilot because there was more sex and less off that god awful script.

What do you all think?

Birds Yard Launch Party...

2010-10-15T10:49:00.005+01:00

DJ's, Graffiti and Booze...

This looks like its going to be totally interesting. You see, in Leeds, if you haven't heard there is this new building full of independent retail space called Birds Yard.

On the 19th October (This Tuesday) from about 3pm, As part of the launch day Ema and Trent from Sapphic and Bad Fotography are teaming up to DJ all day at Burning Yard. This is a totally unique event where you can watch a Selection of W.Yorkshires finest Graffiti artists, street artists, tattooist's, and illustrators creating live art at Leeds newest independent retail space, Birds Yard.

'Out the back' of Birds Yard is Assembly Square and it houses 4 large viaducts to be graffed, drawn and painted on. As Well as us DJing there will be erected boards, Lanterns, Cold Beer, a drink tent and seating. The event is being set up by the ace Beating arts collective.

This is all part of the full launch day and we will probably end up getting shitfaced here...Something Old, something New.

Come down and have a look, new independent business, loads of booze and cool stuff to look at.

THE RETURN OF THE HEBDEN UNDEAD

2010-10-14T13:16:00.004+01:00

Some friends of ours from Manchester are doing this amazing gig in Hebdon Bridge. It looks like the sex!

Facebook thing here.

Oct 31st, hole in t'wall, hebden bridge

THE RETURN OF THE HEBDEN UNDEAD with Ste McCabe and Stella Zine

the return of the hebden undead ... for one night only.....Town of the Damned, 500 years in the creation..

DRESS CODE (if you fancy!) Goth and Zombie chic
Part of a national tour for Ste McCabe and Stella Zine

Ste McCabe was a huge hit in the Bet Lynch Tent at the recent Limetree Festival. He has played all around the UK. Ste McCabe’s electro-pop-punk is driven by queer revolution, feminist action and sarcastic bigot-baiting. He’s ...been described as everything from “authentic and brilliant” (Boy George) and a “queer-feminist-punk-poet for the people” (Time Out) to “like spew! (Unpeeled) and has released two critically acclaimed albums on fabulous indie label Cherryade Records. Bring a big dose of humour and leave your rosary beads firmly at the entrance.
http://www.myspace.com/stemccabe

Stella Zine is a first generation riot grrrl based in Atlanta,USA. She played with the likes of Sleater-Kinney, Tribe 8, Bikini Kill all over the USA and generally caused havoc and outrage in the US South with her pro-queer and pro-sex workers rights stance. Hear Stella's old Pagan Holiday music and her new folk-punk delights at www.myspace.com/stellapace.

Oxjam Leeds

2010-10-14T13:11:00.003+01:00

You should all check this out. With friends [Hooker] and Los all gracing stages in Leeds again. All the money goes to charity too. What fun!

Facebook event thingy here.

RAD GIG: 6th October: Grass Widow, Trash Kit, Vile Vile Creatures.

2010-10-04T14:49:00.005+01:00

This gig is totally full of hott lady music. And all for 4quid. Bloody Hell.

Facebook thing here.

Riot Grrill- 9th October

2010-10-04T14:32:00.004+01:00

The next installment from our friends at Riot Grrill. These nights are always great and should never be missed unless you have something of great importance to do. Such as open heart surgery.

Facebook event thingy here.

Bad Nights 23rd October- Gropetown/Los/ Executive Legs

2010-10-04T14:17:00.005+01:00

Do not miss this, the next Gig from Bad Fotography. Good old, honest, DIY fun. Buy one get one free cocktails and excellent bands. FUCK YEAH! Plus Sapphic Traffic DJ's.

Facebook event thingy here.

Just A Girl...

2010-10-04T14:04:00.005+01:00

Our very own resident DJ's and all round good eggs Amazon Molly have been short listed as part of the The Girls Are competition to play at Lady Fest Ten.

There is only two days left to cast your votes. You can do so here.

Them:Youth Announces Full Length Release Date + New Single

2010-06-18T11:50:00.011+01:00

Already touted as the ones to watch by the likes of the NME, Sunday Times and Artrocker, Them:Youth finally announced October 2010 as the release date for their highly anticipated, genre-defying debut full length effort. It is a stark contrast to their previous releases.

The new single, entitled Fever Rising comes out in digital format by July 2010 through Big Hand Recordings. The track is all festival-euphoria and songwriting substance neatly crafted into a song. Gone are the references to bands like The Doves and Delphic - this is definitely nothing like they have ever embarked on before.

In its place, we get consumed instead by a new urgent sound. And you will recognize it. It is the yearning that makes you cry out, the anthem you will carry with you. This is the fierce epicness that swallows you whole.

Spreading the joy further, Them:Youth will be giving away their pre-album EP around the same time: seven solid, re-mastered fresh tracks to keep you on your feet. The EP will be available as a free download on their official website and they’re doing this not because they can – but out of sheer love, knowing you will appreciate it just as much as they enjoyed creating it.

Courtesy of Them:Youth and Channel-3

10 Reasons...

2010-04-08T00:44:00.023+01:00

...Why you should go and see Whip It.

1. I mean, it's pretty obvious, but I have to start with THE SHEER HOTTNESS. I know that's not very feminist of me to put that at reason number 1, please don't judge, it's really hott. This has to be the best cast in a film EVER! I could just list the main actresses as the first 8 reasons in this blog but that would be lazy.

2. It's Drew Barrymore's first shot at directing. Out of sheer curiosity alone, it's the least we owe her. She has come along way since her 'little girl lost' days. She has grown up to be a kick-ass role model. I have to say I was blown away by the quality of this film and I hope she continues this new found career as a director.

3. The soundtrack is brilliant, featuring favorites from The Breeders to Dolly Parton and back again. Daniel Johnston's 'Hi how are you' alien frog appears everywhere to remind us just how cool we are.

4. The amazing outfits. Each team has their own theme with fish-nets, safety gear and tattoo's as standard. Not to mention some of the cute t-shirt and ripped jeans look that Ellen Page pulls off so effortlessly.

5. Discover Roller Derby! If you've heard about it but never really got into it then this is the perfect taster. There is even a lovely montage moment where the rules are spelled out for any Roller Derby virgins. It's a brutal female contact sport. Roller Derby has been born out of American DIY culture any the film captures the atmosphere perfectly.

6. Ellen Page is still a breath of fresh air, in a swamp of boring Hollywood barbie dolls. She clearly thinks carefully about the rolls she takes on. She has also grown up a lot since Juno. Page is a excellent actress and if her career suddenly ends she can always fallback on a career in Roller Derby.

7. This is not a chick flick. There is no conventional boy meets girl, girl falls head over heals, bollocks. There is a boy but there is so much more than a boy. It really doesn't dominate the story line, it's about 'being your own hero' and not waiting around for a bloke.

8. It's really funny. I hate comedy films, mainly because they never make me laugh. This had some great moments that really had me laughing out loud. Barrymore's comic timing never fails to impress me. It's natural and sincere like your best mate after a few rum and cokes.

9. Juliette Lewis. She plays a awesome character called 'Iron Maven', she is one hard-ass jammer and is renowned as the one to beat on the Austin, Texas Roller derby scene. Lewis plays this sassy competition with such class. I fell in love with her all over again.

10. It's a dream teen-sleepover film. How awesome that young girls can watch this film and see an amazing and yet simple storyline about a girl rebelling against the conventional norms that's expected of her. It celebrates femininity, it's colorful, exciting and long overdue on our cinema screens.

Happy Easter!

2010-04-02T11:29:00.033+01:00

Christianity and homosexuality really don't mix well, lets have a bedtime story about dykes and Easter Eggs instead...

Easter makes me dwell on things that I don't really want to. It's like a Cheryl Cole song getting stuck in your head to the point where you find yourself singing it out loud on public transport. In case you don't know the story, Easter weekend marks both the crucifixion of Jesus and his subsequent resurrection from the grave. He supposedly died for all our sins so we can be free. Lets face it, it's a good job really because most of us are dirty rotten douche-hounds.

Growing up in a small town in Northumberland you had two options as a teenager in the 90's. Main option that most young people went for for is the life of a 'Chav'. Total nightmare for parents. To be a Chav you had to work hard and learn to endure the taste of neat Vodka and knock-off cigs. Every night you would hang out in bus stops. You'd be occasionally required to give head or even have full blown romantic peno with some horrible boy-chav in a dark ally-way, in return he might walk you home; or else spread rumors about you being rubbish at 'the sex.' (I am not necessarily writing from experience, I am merely trying to paint you a picture.)

I dipped my forever-infected-toe in this filth pond. I carried cheap perfume and chewing gum to mask the smell of cigs and booze from my parents, who now tell me they knew exactly how pissed I was. I got tired of carrying my friends home and cleaning sick off my trainers. There was another way and about this time someone told me about a Christian youth group, and I went along. I fell in love with this little group. I felt accepted and appreciated by everyone, a feeling that didn't come very often round those parts.

I did loads of Christian 'stuff'. I wrote songs, lead bible studies, started a Christian Union in my school and a Youth Church in my town. I had ambitions of working for the church and helping people. This was all very real for me and it's because of the period in my life I totally respect people who do practice a faith. For a lot of people it's a community, a family. It's easy to take the piss out of people who believe in God. It's often seen as a weakness, but I think it takes a lot of commitment to make it work on a individual level. 99% of the Christians I knew were genuinely lovely people just trying to find a place in the world. (The other 1% were obviously mega evil/dangerous.)

To cut a long story short, I moved to Leeds to do a Gap Year after sixth form, I was also becoming more aware of my dyke tendencies by this point. Prior to moving, I told a lady in my church I had sex dreams about girls. She prayed for me, performed a half-arsed exorcism and lead me to believe I was cured of my homosexuality. So I packed my bags and off I went to Leeds with my new found love of penis. I was ready to take on the world, or at least a substantial part of West Yorkshire. If I had of been on track I would of met a boy, dated him for about 3 years, then married in the spring...Thankfully it didn't get that far!

I worked with various charities across the city. Paying money to volunteer with them and learn more about the Bible. It wasn't long before I made some really good friends my age. I was really loving it, everything was brand new; the city, the faces, the music, even the water tasted better. I went to Bosnia to work with Young People on an exchange and bought a new guitar. Life was blissful.

I remember the day I met Sarah. We were at this youth project, she was working with the little kids and I was doing a song writing workshop. I remember thinking she was really funny and being immediately drawn to her, I knew we were going to be friends. Sarah was a prize Christian, daughter of a well respected church leader and all round talented good-egg type. It wasn't long before we exchanged email addresses, chatting all hours on MSN. She had a big established group of mates who were all Christians and she made sure I was invited to all the hang-outs. About six months passed and we became inseparable. I even moved into her family home as a lodger.

I remember this one particular night at a sleep-over when we were watching Dawson's Creek or something. Sarah was playing with my hair and holding my hand under the covers and I remember having to leave the room because I had a sudden realisation of my total girl crush meltdown. I cried in the toilet for ages because I knew this was going to end badly, I knew she was flirting with me and I knew I was a flaming dyke. There was nothing I could do to stop it.

Weeks went on and it was a typical Dyke affair only both of us were married to the church. The more we tried to stop it, the closer we got to ripping each others clothes off. We decided to be accountable and tell the relevant Church leaders about kissing each other at any available opportunity and about the 130 quid phone bill we ran up having phone sex. I was thrown out of the house, moved in with this evil woman who took it upon herself to see me healed. A lot of people prayed for me, there was even a night with a horrible four hour exorcism. Sarah and I were told not to spend any time alone and all email correspondence had to go through a third party.

People told me that God created men and women's bodies to fit together like jigsaw pieces and that it wasn't natural for two women to have sex. I was sent to a camp called 'True Freedom Trust' for people who struggle with 'homosexual tendencies.' None of that stopped us, the more rules they gave us, the more we broke. Having sex with her was pretty much the best thing ever. It was so easy to love her, she was amazing! The most fucked up part was trying to oppress those feelings.

It was about this time that Sarah was scheduled to go and do a DTS (Discipleship Training Scheme-A Christian gap year) in Australia for six months. She told me she wasn't going to go but she was persuaded to change her mind somewhere along the line and I supported her decision. The last time I saw her was 'supervised' with someone coming to watch us and make sure there was no makking off. She left and I was devastated, lost my best friend to the sound of everyone telling me I needed to let her go and trust Jesus. Blah Blah Blah.

I was left behind to pick up the pieces. I was made to sign a written agreement stating that I wouldn't spend any time with a young person under the age of 18 as a condition of being able to keep my job, I even had to quit my babysitting job. I had to agree to go to counselling for three hours a week with a Christian counsellor who would report back on my progress to the church leaders. I lost all respect, my privacy, my rights and a lot of my friends. I lost count of the parents who were informed of my gay status and I was treated like a sex offender.

I basically tried to stick it out for Sar tah but when it became apparent that some sort of miracle had happened down under (no pun intended) and she was healed. I got a email from her asking me not to contact her ever again. I was beyond gutted. I still worry to this day that she is terribly unhappy, she had a lot more to lose than me. I got a place at uni and left the familiar bubble of Christianity behind. I am now free to think for myself and date whoever I like. I have come to understand how Christianity is a institution. Religion is dangerous because the people in charge are only accountable to God, which is problematic if you take him out ofhe equation.

Best part of all this and my true happy ending is that my parents, the same people who put up with the teenage drunkenness and my sudden conversion to Christianity, also supported me when I jumped out of the closet. They also still buy me a lovely Easter egg every year and without fail, I think about this strange zombie Jesus holiday and I hope Sarah is ok.

HAPPY BLOODY EASTER!

Album Review: Envy 9/10

2010-04-01T15:44:00.007+01:00

Set Yourself On Fire
Released: Monday 22 March 2010

Twenty-two-year-old Envy (Nicola Varley) is no stranger to recognition and has been winning awards for years on the Manchester rap-battle scene. If you were lucky enough to see her swoop the acclaimed freestyle competition Battlescars in March 2006, you were truly witnessing a star in the making whilst the rest of us will have to settle for dodgy Youtube clips. Her debut record has been tipped as the one to watch and has been greatly anticipated by UK hip-hop industry types.

This album, from start to finish, is full of relentless rhymes and catchy hooks. Envy is a breath of fresh air from the chart r&b dross churned out week by week. Her hybrid style touches on both hip-hop and grime with some dirty dubstep beats thrown in for good measure and it certainly ticks all the boxes. The majority of the beats you can hear on this record have been crafted by Medasyn who famed for his work on Lady Sovereign's early stuff and you can't talk about this record without crediting him. It's a partnership that compliments Envy's style perfectly.

First listen is like getting slapped in the face with a pair of Nike Blazers. Envy captures a culture and takes us on a journey beyond the singles we've already heard. Themes of love loss magnify from 'You & Me' and 'Cocktails in Selfridges' as Envy spits resentment to an ex. There is something undeniably hott about this mouthy Mancunian as she teases the men around her with 'Chips in My Dip', which brings to mind Kelis and her milkshake only this time you're undoubtedly going to end up face down in the yard! If you don't like women with loud voices this really isn't going to float your boat.

Shake off your preconceptions about a white, 20-something, female MC because it's lazy and unfair to put Envy in the same box as Lady Sovereign. It's safe to expect more of Nicola Varley because she will deliver under Stop Start records. Envy's sheer determination and attitude in a famously sexist and misogynistic industry has seen her successfully carve herself a throne amongst the guys. Listen to 'Put Your Game Face On' and expect a resounding feminist tribute to Varley's influences and all the female rappers who have paved the way for this record - if you can catch the lyrics that is.

Emma Stafford

Review Published Via Soundblab.com

Intro

2010-01-15T09:31:00.000Z

// DANCE PARTIES FOR QUEERS //

// D-I-Y //RAD CHEAP //

//MUSIC-CENTRIC //

//SAFE SPACE //

Sapphic Traffic is a female lead, D-I-Y, queer party-line of events. Established jan 2009. We aim to provide a viable entertainment alternative for the LGBTQ community and their friends. For people who are sick of pink pound exploitation, the ongoing sexism and transphobia on the Scene.

Our aim is to create affordable, safe and enjoyable events in which to dance, not-dance, drink, not-drink, talk, not-talk and enjoy music/arts in the company of like-minded types, spaces in which there are no presumptions, norms, or demands made of participants beyond extending respect to others involved.

For all shapes, sizes, genders and persuasions.

17th October 09

2010-01-13T20:45:00.003Z

Listings...

2009-10-27T00:43:00.025Z

The Out Spoken Showcase
29th November 2010
Hyde Park Picture House 1-4pm
Click Here for the facebook event.

This is a unique event showcasing the beauty of D-I-Y in action. The jam packed programme is designed to motivate and inspire us to 'make stuff happen' in our local communities. With a focus on art, music, clubnights, zines, films, photography, blogging and independent business.

Sapphic Traffic, Riot Grrill and Colouring Outside The Lines have brought this event together to look at how the women and queers we admire and love hav...e conquered phobia's and discrimination in order to have their voices heard.

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The event include:

+ Performances and appearances from our special guests.

+ An opportunity to direct your questions to a panel, made up of our guests and local artists/promoters.

+ Documentary about queer D-I-Y projects in action, including Sapphic Traffic.

+ Vegan buffet from Riot Grrill.

+ Zine distro, local arts stalls and vegan cupcakes.

+ A free Zine.

Door Tax: £4 waged, £3 unwaged.

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Special Guests:

Josie Long
Sky Larkin
Scout Niblett

+more TBC

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Artwork: http://jennyhowe.wordpress.com/
Riot Grrill: http://riotgrrill.tumblr.com/
Colouring Outside The Lines: http://cotlzine.blogspot.com/

New Order + Underworld = WHOAAA! Free CDs giveaway!!

2009-10-14T15:14:00.003+01:00

Relation's label Urban Torque (Tom Middleton, Hernan Cattaneo) and Trent's Bad Fotography blog have teamed up to give away a couple copies of Relation's debut album FEAR OF NIGHT to US & UK readers and fans alike.

Bad Fotography's done a massive coverage of this South London lot recently out of sheer love and have become truly obsessed with this band. Trent's not even getting paid to do this - RELATION needs to explode all over the internet because they are too awesome to be ignored! Mark our words - they will be huge.

Think New Order meets Underworld and the lyrical wit of The Black Ghosts.

You can read more on them later. And you have to - because in order to get that free CD you'll have to answer the simple question at the end of this post. Honestly, even if you dont get that CD, just knowing they EXIST is good for your soul. So get on it, guys.

-trent rampage

Emma Gets Papped...

2009-10-03T12:13:00.012+01:00

Recent interview with Staffy in The Leeds Guide.

Photo by Martin Carter and Nicola Roberson.

Simon O'Hare interviews Emma about the idea's behind Sapphic Traffic.

What’s your own background and what inspired you to set up Sapphic Traffic?

I came to Leeds in 2004 for work, but I had a pretty rubbish time coming out as a lesbian in the church I was part of back then. People continually tried to “heal” me of my homosexuality and I was called a paedophile on more than one occasion, and I ultimately lost my job and my home. I decided to leave, and within a week of applying I was starting university at Leeds Met and I started going out on the gay scene as a bright-eyed, 19 year-old fresher. I left my stint with Christianity firmly back in 2006, where it belongs, but I’ve learned a lot from it. Some people think these phobias don’t exist anymore, but they do. For me, starting Sapphic Traffic was a response to that.

How good is the Leeds gay/gay-friendly nightlife scene in your opinion?

The gay scene doesn’t truly represent the LGBTQ community because it’s made up of predominantly gay men and their straight female best friends. If you’re lesbian/bi/trans/queer by all means go along, but historically the gay scene is quite closed-minded to anything different from the norm. If you go for a night out on lower Briggate you can expect cheesy music, expensive drinks and fit guys in tiny hot pants. If that’s your kind of thing then you’re in for a real treat, but if you’re anything like me, it gets old very quickly.

Tell us about the pre-disco events you have planned for the night on 17th Oct?

We have the legendary comic/performer Lynnee Breedlove rocking up to Leeds. Breedlove is the founder and front person of the first American out dyke punk band Tribe 8. The evening consists of a screening of Rise Above: The Tribe 8 Documentary, then Breedlove’s show: ‘Confessions of a Poser’. The show offers a comic look at men’s bodies, lesbian legacies and how to use them. It looks at the impossibility of manhood, fatherhood, butch heroes and the evil drive to feminise. Breedlove has always stood for queer, transgender, multiracial and working class visibility, and we welcome him all the way from the USA with open arms.

On to the disco itself - what kind of music can we expect at the night?

At the Sapphic Traffic discos there will be a changing line up of DJs which will mainly consist of people who wouldn’t normally get an opportunity to play in big clubs. Expect a mash of riot grrrl, pop, rock, grunge, R&B, electro, trash, power ballads and noisiness. We also welcome requests. Some favourites from me at the moment: Chicks On Speed, Von Iva, Sky Larkin, Awesome Snakes, The Gossip, Missy Elliott, Sonic Boom Six, Beyonce and Architecture in Helsinki.

Tell us about the Common Place - is it the ideal venue for Sapphic Traffic?

There are very few venues that tick all the boxes for a queer DIY club night in Yorkshire but the Common Place really does. It’s an independent, collectively-run social centre in the heart of the city centre. There are no profits, no bigwigs and it’s an awesome place to have a party!

Do you have more Sapphic Traffic nights planned?

We do, yes; we’ve been invited to do a load of exciting things in November. On the 20th November we are taking over the basement at Manchester’s ace alternative gay night, Bollox. It’s going to be a really exciting one for me because it’s my favourite club night and it pulls in a huge crowd! Then on the 28th November we are hosting the Reclaim the Night Leeds after party at The Common Place. Reclaim The Night is a symbolic night time march of individuals wanting to assert their right to walk on the streets of Leeds at night without the fear of violence. It’s going to be a great day.

How do you think Leeds could be improved?

I love Leeds, but at the moment I am really missing the bin collectors. I fully support the strike, but round where I live I think even the rats are getting sick of the smell. I hope they get it resolved soon or I’ll be surfing to work every day on a wave of used nappies and empty bean cans.

Do you have any surprising hobbies?

I have recently started making my own wine. It’s amazing and it only costs about £3 to make six bottles. Some of my lovely friends got me into it, and when my batch of lemon wine is ready we’re going do an evening of ‘Come Wine With Me’ where we score each others’ efforts. Don’t tell them but I plan on slating their efforts in the bedroom and in the taxi on the way home. It’s important to be authentic about these things, after all.

17 October, Common Place, 23-25 Wharf Street, LS2 7EQ, 0113 246 8640, 5.30pm-3am,all day £6 (£5 concs), night only £5 (£4 concs)

Interview here

Past Event Archive...

2009-09-17T09:29:00.041+01:00

13th Feb 2010- MY HEART IS A VITAL ORGAN @ The Common Place 23-25 Wharf Street, LS2 7EQ. £2/£3. 10-3pm

Fuck Valentines day with a Leeds Queers!

Here is a mega collaboration to feast upon....

Squeeird- Leeds based collective made up of that Queer mutiny lot. They know how to throw a fucking epic party. Expect heavy beats and kissing booths.

Sapphic Traffic- Working towards offering a viable alternative to the Leeds gay scene corporate bull shit. Expect SHEnanigans and riots on the dancefloor.

Eat Yr Makeup- Dj's Rich and Russ' most recent adventure. They are famed for their innovative club-nights from Violator to Ice Cream. Expect trashy goodness and lots of fucking lipstick.

Valentines is nothing more than a man made puke fest. Don't waste your money on cute personalised shit. Bring your lovers/family/friends to this one off club night where we strive to love each other everyday of the year not just when Clinton cards tell us to.

@The Commonplace
£3 Guests £2 Members
10pm-3am

**MEMBERSHIP**
The Common Place is a members club. To enter you either need to be a member, or be introduced at the door by a member. Please read the blurb here for more info.

November 2009: DISMEMBER NOVEMBER with Sapphic Traffic

28th November- Sapphic Traffic Reclaim The Dance Floor @ The Common Place 23-25 Wharf Street, LS2 7EQ. £4/£3. 10-3pm

Reclaim The Night Leeds official after party!

Reclaim The Night is a march consisting of individuals wanting to say no to rape and sexual violence on the streets of Leeds. The march will take women on a route around the city center to reclaim places where lone women feel vulnerable from attack; the last mile of the march will be open to all. There will then be a rally, which will be open to all supporters.

The after party will be a safe space where you can dance, not-dance, drink, not-drink, talk, not-talk and experience music in the company of like-minded types, a space in which there are no presumptions, norms, or demands made of participants beyond extending respect to others involved. For all shapes, sizes, genders and persuasions.

9.30pm Doors
10pm First Band

£2 Members/Post-March and Rally
£3 Guests

Fanny DiWanko- This all grrrl Ani DiFranco tribute act are the closest we are gonna get unless we book the Sapphic legend herself. If you haven’t seen them yet, where have you been? Fanny DiWanko are exceptionally fun, hugely talented and not to be missed!

Tiny Tin Lady- Well crafted folk pop genius, beautiful harmonies and a 90’s mega mix thrown in for good measure, perfection.

Reclaiming poetry throughout from Vanessa Fay and Steph Pike.

Then dancing, obviously...The Dresdon Dolls, Northern State. Lady Sov, P!NK, Sleater-Kinney, The Gossip, Girls Aloud, Ace of Base, Save Ferris, Fight Like Apes, David Bowie, Spinnerette, Girl Talk, Alicia's Attic, The Blow, Missy Elliott, Peaches, SOAD, No Doubt, The YYY's, Santogold, Crystal Castles, Tegan & Sara, Garbage, Skunk Anansi, Hole, Le Tigre, Rilo Kiley, PJ Harvey, Uh Huh Her, Gravy Train!!!, Talking Heads, The Knife, Lessies on X, Sonic Boom Six, Bikini Kill, The Distillers, The Slits, MIA, Beyonce, Architecture in Helsinki, Marnie Stern, Uffie, MSTRKRFT, La Roux, Paramore, B52's, Blink 182 and The Clash.

20th November- Basement Bollox
@ Ledgends Club Whitworth Street, Manchester. £3/£4. 11pm-3am

BOLLOX: 'A monthly riot of alternative music and entertainment for homo defectors who demand something different to the usual Canal Street Mafia bollox.'

The best alternative gay night in the north of England have invited the Sapphic Traffic troupe to take over their basement. We are so excited and if you haven't been before its a perfect opportunity to try something new. Its right near Piccadilly Station too.

17th October 09: The Sapphic Traffic Club All Day-er with Lynnee Breedlove

FBOOK? http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=133496193350
Where? The Common Place, Leeds
How Much?
All Day-er (inc. Lynnee Breedloves show): £6/£5 Members/Concs
Disco only: £4/£3 Members/Concs

Description? For all you rad Girls and Boys, Punks, Queers, Fags, Dykes and Tykes. We are happy to be home at the Common Place and welcome our friend Lynnee Breedlove over from the states to perform for y'all. An awesome day packed full of frollics.

Schedule?
5.30pm Bar Opens/Door Opens

Disto's from Manifesta and Lola And The Cartwheels.

6pm RISE ABOVE: The Tribe 8 Documentary
The Tribe 8 Documentary looks at the life and times of legendary San Francisco Dyke-Punk band Tribe 8.

7.45pm Lynnee Breedlove: Confessions Of A Poser
Breedlove, ex-Tribe 8 singer/lyricist, 1990-2005. Confessions of a Poser is a comic look at men’s bodies, the mystery of the purple dick, lesbian legacies and how to use them, family, the impossibility of manhood, fatherhood, butch heroes, and the evil drive to feminize.

9pm till late Sapphic Traffic Disco

W/Ste McCabe 'Murder Music' Album launch.

Ste joins us from Manchester to hypnotize us with his blend punk rock riffs, pop melodies, dated beats, noisy electro and working class lefty queerness. If that doesn't get you in the mood. You're fucked.

Expect the regular DJ's and SHEnanigans.
Zoe McVeigh (Hooker, Bollox)
Sian Williams (Ville Vile Creatures)
STaff
Detrentacon!!
Ferg & Emily (Power Hour)
Amazon Molly DJ set
Lady Mov & Alice Miller

The Dresdon Dolls, Northern State. Lady Sov, P!NK, Sleater-Kinney, The Gossip, Girls Aloud, Ace of Base, Save Ferris, Fight Like Apes, David Bowie, Spinnerette, Girl Talk, Alicia's Attic, The Blow, Missy Elliott, Peaches, SOAD, No Doubt, The YYY's, Santogold, Crystal Castles, Tegan & Sara, Garbage, Skunk Anansi, Hole, Le Tigre, Rilo Kiley, PJ Harvey, Uh Huh Her, Gravy Train!!!, Talking Heads, The Knife, Lessies on X, Sonic Boom Six, Bikini Kill, The Distillers, The Slits, MIA, Beyonce, Architecture in Helsinki, Marnie Stern, Uffie, MSTRKRFT, La Roux, Paramore, B52's, Blink 182 and The Clash.

Sapphic Traffic: 26th June 2010

***ART***

We have a art stall with pieces created especially for Sapphic Traffic by the wonderful CBloxx of The Beating Arts Collective.

http://www.thebeatingarts.com/

***BANDs***

///HOOKER- http://www.myspace.com/hookerstuff

Manchester all-grrrl punk-indie band. Riotous, emotionally-charged songs about love loss, heart-ache and the thrill of the chase.

///BEARDS- http://www.myspace.com/beards2000 (tbc)

Leeds based screamy punk outfit. Brilliantly described as 'a girl-boy-girl synth-guitar sandwich.'

///LOS- http://www.myspace.com/wearelos

Our headline act hail from London. This bluesy trio are going to knock your socks off. The unmissable voice of Helen Sargent has been likened to Karen O and Gwen Stefani.

***DJs***

Playing the best in Indie, Pop, Punk, Grunge, Electronica, Electro, Trash, Riot Grrrl and general noisiness.

Joe Spencer
Mel Madd (Colouring Outside The Lines)
Sof & Liz (Amazon Molly)
Trent Rampage (Bad Fotography)
Danni Gibbons (TTL)

***MEMBERSHIP***
The Common Place is a members club. Don't let that put you off, it's easy. To enter you either need to be a member, or be introduced at the door by a member. Please read the blurb on our website. http://www.sapphictraffic.co.uk/2009/03/common-place.html

Door tax- £3 Members
£4 Guests

Doors open- 8pm, 9pm first band.

News & Updates

2009-09-17T09:29:00.037+01:00

Oct 2009
Big Thanks...

Here at Sapphic Traffic we are overwhelmed by the support from the October event. It was a great day. We had so much help and positive feedback. If you contributed, pat yourself on the back. We love you.

If you want to get involved in the future events, we always need people to help. The Common Place it a social center so we staff the place as well as set up and clean at the end of the night. Check out our listings page for future events you can get involved in. Maybe you can do an hour on the bar or door? In return for hugs, obviously.

xox

Sept 2009
Can you help with any of this?

* Flyer distribution over the next 4 weeks. Can you help? If you fancy handing out some flyer's for us at various events/freshers week in Leeds please get in touch.

* Door volunteers. If you don't mind going on the door at any one of the Leeds events then please get in touch. It will normally be half an hour to an hour stints.

* Bar volunteers. If you wouldn't mind helping out the common place doing a bar shift on the 17th October please get in touch.

* Crafty things. Running up to the events we are going to try and make some stuff to give away and decorate the place. Let me know if this is your sort of thing.

* Grrrly Models. We are doing a photo shoot for our promo stuff and need models. Its only going to be head shots and its going to be rad.

* DJing. We want more people to DJ, priority obviously goes to the people who help out but if you know someone who would like to DJ at this sort of thing then...

Most importantly if you could all invite your mates through the facebook group and plug the events coming up that's always super helpful. http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=133496193350#/group.php?gid=55716698780

Gallery

2009-09-17T09:28:00.006+01:00

For Picture and more please visit our Facebook profile...

The Common Place

2009-03-17T20:52:00.003Z

Sapphic Traffic have been all over the shop over the last six months but home really is where the heart is. And the heart is in Leeds at The Common Place.

There are very few venues that tick all the boxes for a queer DIY club night in Yorkshire but this place certainly does. The Common Place is an independent, collectively-run social center in the heart of the city centre. This means by holding events at The Common Place we are helping to keep it open! There are no profits and no big wig's creaming off your pink pounds. It's also an awesome place to have a party!

An attitude of tolerance and respect is fundamental to The Common Place club rules which is ace because fundamentally that's what Sapphic Traffic is all about.

The Common Place is a members club. To enter you either need to be a member, or be introduced at the door by a member. If you want to join, you need to do so at least a few days before an event. Information about how you can join can be found following the link below. It's really easy and only costs 2 quid!

http://www.thecommonplace.org.uk/membership.html

Address:
The Common Place, 23-25 Wharf Street, Leeds, LS2 7EQ [view map] [download map in pdf]