On June 7, 1985 I was invited to the opening night at the new Fridge venue This was a landmark moment in London's queer nightlife, capturing a few glimpses that night. The event attracted a crowd eager to experience the next phase of queer culture in Brixton, which also was a precursor to Londons Rave Scene. And what became known as The Second Summer of Love in 1988. The Fridge, newly relocated to its larger space at Brixton Parade, was more than just a nightclub—it became a vibrant cultural hub for the LGBTQ+ community and a crossroads for London’s multicultural mix of diverse and eclectic alternative youth cultures and reflected a space where freedom of expression, music, and identity intertwined. I also had the opportunity to photograph backstage at the Alternative Miss World pageant, held a week earlier at Brixton Academy, after a last-minute relocation due to local protests and irrational fears surrounding AIDS, this themed event, (Water) was a surreal and exuberant celebration of non-conformity, featuring outlandish costumes and performances that defied conventional beauty standards. My backstage and on stage shots offer a behind-the-scenes fleeting glimpse into the preparations, creativity, and defiance that characterised the event, capturing some of participants as they transformed into their alter-egos, ready to take the stage.
Both events—the Fridge’s opening night and the Alternative Miss World at Brixton Academy—were emblematic of 1985's emerging and evolving queer culture, where art, fashion, and activism collided, creating spaces of joy and defiance in the face of adversity.
