With a reputation for parties where, literally, anything goes, the Filthy Gorgeous DJ duo of Jamie Gittins and Scott Martin have been looking forward to introducing their inimitable Ibiza vibe to the clubbers of Australia. On their first down under tour proper, the pair have packed the best parts of their fast rising Iberican club night into the suitcase for the long haul flight, although they did have to leave the blow-up dolls at home. “I flew through Dubai on my way here,” Scott revealed. “Their strict pornography laws meant that unfortunately we couldn’t bring the dolls with us…” We don’t want to burst his bubble and tell him Australia has blow-up dolls of their very own… Maybe you can BYO a doll to any of their remaining gigs for discounted entry?
How did you guys come to establish Filthy Gorgeous?
Scott: Jamie and I set up Filthy Gorgeous in the summer of 2005. We had both been involved with other nights and talked of doing a joint promotion of the brands in Ibiza, but both of us wanted to do something a bit different…
Jamie: We’d both changed our music style and wanted to have somewhere to play it. It was electro, and at the time there weren’t many parties in Ibiza for that style, though the style has changed quite a bit, it’s more tech house and techno now.
Can you describe what Filthy Gorgeous is all about?
Scott: It was originally a party for our friends and the workers in Ibiza. Somewhere they could go after their shifts finished to catch up with their buddies and listen to non-commercial music. We started the night in a bar called Hush in the West End, a commercial British hang-out in San An, Ibiza. It was surrounded by cheesy nightclubs, but we were the only place offering a credible music policy. I guess that ethos has lived on; serious music for a not so serious crowd.
Jamie: The best parties are always the ones where you know most people there, like house parties… so our parties in Ibiza and UK have that intimate vibe to them, but the crowd is a very friendly one, so any newcomers are always welcome. Because it was originally a workers party, the guys who come are really clued up on their music as they’re surrounded by it all the time. It’s what we describe as ‘slutty house and techno’!
What is the wildest thing you have seen in the club?
Scott: Our logo is the face of a sex doll, so we used to decorate the club with blow up dolls. At our closing party in Privilege we came out of the DJ booth back stage to find a guy we know getting involved with one of the dolls, whilst one of his mates filmed it. At first I thought he was simulating, but on closer inspection he was actually ‘up for the job’! Mind you, Privilege is no stranger to that kind of behaviour – it was home of Manumission for over 10 years, and their infamous live sex shows… there was another dude, whose name escapes me, and his act involved him performing self-felatio!
Jamie: I think his name was Fernando, it was one of those things that you didn’t want to look at, but you had to cos you can’t believe someone can actually do something like that. The question is, if you could would you spit or swallow?!
What is it like living in Ibiza? Do you ever have to wear shoes or pants?
Jamie: Haha, yeah quite often I don’t put on any shoes at least for a week at a time, and it always feels a bit weird when you need to again. It’s all about the flip flops, sorry thongs! Ibiza is almost the perfect place… The best music and DJs in the world, and now the biggest bands are there too at Ibiza Rocks, the sun shines almost every day for 5 months, there are thousands of girls from all over the world with not many clothes on, the beaches are great, the food is delicious – apart from the Brit pubs anyway – and there’s just such a free spirit to the island. People have been going there to party for over 2000 years. The Romans used to stop off there to unwind and let loose back in the day… enough said!
Scott: It’s an amazing place to live. It’s just a shame it’s so isolated in the winter – all of the clubs shut down and there are no direct flights to most of Europe so you have to fly via the mainland. Otherwise I’d live there all year round.
What is the craziest thing you have worn to a club?
Scott: I wore a full length pink sequin dress to the opening of DC10 last summer! The girl who lent it to me is now regretting it though, as when she wore it out the other week everyone kept saying “oooh, that’s Scott’s dress”.
Jamie: With his beard and all he looked quite a charmer in that dress! Mine would have to be my Borat swimming costume, you know that lime green all-in-one thing. I wore it at a few gigs last summer, the problem was you can’t jump up and down too much while playing cos parts of me had a habit of falling out of it, if you know what I mean…
Scott: Not that there’s much to fall out ‘eh Jamie?!
Have you been to Australia before?
Jamie: I did the backpacker thing a few years ago when I was 21 on a working holiday visa. I bought an old 1973 VW Kombie and drove down the east coast from Cairns to Sydney with a mate. Then I lived in a house with 13 others at Bondi for 10 months and had the craziest time, as you would imagine! I managed to visit friends and family in Melbourne and Perth before I left too. Even after getting a visa extension they were still close to kicking me out by the time I left! Luckily I knew Paul Strange (Sydney Promoter) from when we both worked in Ibiza, so he managed to sort us out guest list to most nights, which when you’re a skint traveller is always welcome.
Scott: I came here briefly last year but spent less than 48 hours in Sydney, so I’m looking forward to see what it has to offer. I’ve just spent the past two weeks in Perth, Brisbane and up the Sunshine Coast, and was in the Middle East for a week before that. Being a Londoner I’m itching for some ‘big city’ action!
What can Australians expect from your Filthy Gorgeous tour?
Jamie: Some damn good parties!
Scott: We are hoping to bring a bit of the Ibiza vibe to Australia, so those that have never been can get an idea of what all the fuss is about. I flew through Dubai on my way here and their strict pornography laws meant that unfortunately we couldn’t bring the dolls with us… but even without them we’re hoping everyone has a fucking good time anyway!
The Filthy Gorgeous DJs wind up their Australian visit this weekend in Sydney, playing Moulin Rouge on Friday April 18th and Chinese Laundry on Saturday April 19th. If you want to get an idea of the Filthy Gorgeous style, check out this mix in ITM-FM.
If you want to know what’s in store at one of the remaining Filthy Gorgeous parties, check out this YouTube clip of the boys hosting the Coco Loco room at Mauro Picotto’s massive Meganite party at Privilege, Ibiza, in July last year:
Demolitian Man says...
Talk about flogging a dead horse...