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Marcello by Marcello

Who knew self portraits could come with a public health warning...for being TOO hot!!!

We've already posted the shots taken by Marcello de Giuli (one half of the creators of online blog, YVY Mag) of his boyfriend Enrico. Now he comes in front of the camera to take a sizzling set of shots of himself...

Keep up the good work Marcello!

Good morning Enrico...

Those talented boys at online blog YVY Mag are flying high on the world wide web. It's little surprise given the slick design and layout they have adopted for their site. We pinpointed them in our apr/may issue earlier this year as 'ones to watch' and they are doing us proud. Not content with producing a quality blogsite, they are now diversifying into photography and judging by these shots taken by Marcello de Guili (one half of YVY) of Enrico (the other half) they've got just as much potential in this field too.

Visiting London on your own? Then check out SociaGuys...

Launching a new business is always a bold move, particularly with the current economic climate, but friends Rob Lucas, Robert Frost and Ali Bell were not put off the challenge when they launched two social companies at the end of 2008.

The companies, SociaGuys and SociaGals target discerning gay men and women, both Londoners and visitors, who want to get more of their social time in London. Their members are successful individuals who are short of time but would love to get more out of their social life.

With this view in mind, SociaGuys offers a whole variety of services such as: Eat and Meet (a club that offers members the chance to meet new guys whilst experiencing London's diverse cuisine); Mingle (social events that enable people to meet new guys in bars across London) and Requests (that give people the opportunity to request events they'd like to see in London such as masquerade balls and murder mystery evenings).

A great idea with great potential - so give them some support and check out their sites and see if SociaGuys or SociaGals can connect you in London!

 

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Pole to Pole with Kayak

Well, I didn't know that there was an International Pole Dancing Day - or why there is an International Pole Dancing Day - but it's this October, apparently, and the good folk at travel specialists Kayak.co.uk have stuffed a bunch of tenners into their gussets while spinning upside down from lamp posts to bring you ideas for a top pole-dancing trip.  They reckon pole-dancing has lost its sleazy image and transformed itself into a globally sensational form of acrobatic entertainment.  I don't know anything about that.  They've picked out a range of top destinations to best see these gyrations in action:

Krakow, Poland: puns aside, no-one does it better than the Poles.  You'll be guaranteed a kracking time as you take on the pulsating Polish night life, with flights from London starting at £48. 

Prague, Czech Republic: this city really knows how to party, and flights in the New Year from London start from £48.   

Dublin, Ireland: craic, Guinness and a pole dance?  Flights from London start at £28 with Aer Lingus.   

Las Vegas, USA: the original sin city where the pole dancing is in a class of its own!  Flights from London start at £287 with Multiple Airlines.

ElectroQueer Take Two....

The cult pop and electro music blog Electroqueer returns to Barcode in London’s Soho on 4th September.  The club night, dubbed Electroqueer @ Barcode, will take over the downstairs club especially for Electroqueer readers and their guests as well as Soho’s Thursday night crowd. 

Electroqueer (aka EQ) was created two years ago with just one thing in mind - showcasing quality pop and electronic music from emerging and established artists.  Created by American-born / London-based media professional Raj Rudolph as a casual way of ranting about his quirky music tastes, EQ has quickly captivated the interests of music fans and musicians worldwide with its objective music reviews, download recommendations and interview features from cutting edge artists like Lady Gaga, The Whip, Róisín Muphy, Temposhark, Robyn and Darren Hayes - everyone from American Idol’s Blake Lewis to Russian pop superstar Sergey Lazarev. 

The club night had a massively successful launch in June - and now, thanks to the overwhelming interest from readers and clubbers, Electroqueer @ Barcode is back to set the night ablaze once more.  Expect hot pop, electro and house in the downstairs club from DJ Adamis who is currently on rotation at The Village, The Enclave, Celebrityville and regularly runs the new music showcase Popshow at Soho Revue Bar. 

Raj and DJ Adamis co-founded the club night in the hope of bringing the blog readers out from behind their computers and onto the dance floor to celebrate EQ music and artists - while also creating a unique environment in Soho for clubbers to discover quality new pop and electro music that isn’t overcooked by radio or the charts.  Even better, the the club night will feature an hour-long showcase of EQ favourites...... 

Now signed to Island Records, Electrovamp, pictured top, will headline the showcase, singing their smash I Don’t Like The Vibe In The V.I.P.  Emerging electro punksters State City Disco, pictured below, play their future hits Excitement and Take It All Easy, while the young electro sensation Charli XCX will perform her new single !Franchesckaar!, prior to the official release on 18th August.  The Good Natured, above, bring minimalist, electroacoustic pop to the night, and electronica ones-to-watch Cassette Electrik will perform their new single 28 Days.

Barcode can be found in 3-4 Archer Street, Soho, London, W1D 7AT.  Doors open at 7pm on 4th September, and the night plays until 1am.  It's a snip at a fiver, too.  Email your guest list enquiries to eq@electroqueer.com

Lonely Planet want your photos...

For the first time, Lonely Planet is offering travellers the opportunity to have their holiday snaps featured on the cover of four new editions of Encounter guides.  Lonely Planet has teamed up with Pikeo.com, a photo sharing site, to run a competition which gives readers the chance to submit travel photos for the latest guides to London, Paris, Barcelona and Istanbul, published next year.  The competition launched this week and will run until 8th September 2008 on Lonelyplanet.pikeo.com with judging taking place from the 10th September. 

The four lucky winners will be chosen by a panel of judges consisting of experts in travel photography including representatives from the Association of British Photographers and Lonely Planet Images.  The search for travellers' photos will span the globe with the competition open to those in the UK, France, Spain, USA and Canada. 

The winners of each cover will receive a free trip to India, Russia, Morocco or Kenya courtesy of Intrepid Travel while twelve runners-up will also receive prizes, as will a small selection of Highly Commended entries. 

"Travellers have been sharing their holiday photos with us since Lonely Planet began but we've never really been able to show our appreciation until now," says Lonely Planet’s Travel Editor Tom Hall.  "This is the competition of a lifetime for anyone who has dreamed of being a professional travel photographer.  The campaign gives them the opportunity to team up with Lonely Planet and get them showcased on the front of our guidebooks."

The winning images, including highly commended shots will be launched and showcased at a gallery exhibition in London as the guides go on sale next year. These special edition titles will also be highlighted in book stores through a stickering campaign and various other press activities.  Lonely Planet have a few tips for a winning image - it should be taken from a street perspective, using a reportage or documentary style to make the viewer feel they are actually there.  It should have a central focal point with bold composition and rich colours.  Find unusual ways to show iconic sights and always include people within your shots.

Go wild with Outdoorlads

Time to try something new?  OutdoorLads is a great opportunity to experience a world of new activities and fun events. The group is a non-profit making organisation for gay and bi lads, which runs and promotes a wide range of outdoor pursuits for likeminded fellas.  Up and down the country every week, OutdoorLads hosts a range of activities including climbing, hiking, mountain biking, camping, kayaking, walking and even white water rafting! 

It’s very easy to get involved: just log onto OutdoorLads.com, create a profile for free and browse more than fifty events every month.  Events such as day walks are free to attend, while others carry a nominal fee.  Although the core membership is aged between 18 and 35, the group involves a wide mix of ages and backgrounds.  This summer the group has a wide range of weekends away and a huge selection of day events to choose from.  If you want to find out more about the group and your local events then go to OutdoorLads.com to discover the big bright outdoors. 

This is a great time to join the group, as this August the group will host its largest event in the UK.  An idyllic campsite has been booked for the sole use of OutdoorLads: set in a forest on the edge of a reservoir in Staffordshire, there will be activities at all levels - from a leisurely walk to good hard climbing, on-site activities, watersports on the reservoir, mountain biking and much more!  The event kicks off on Friday 15th August and winds down on the Sunday afternoon.  The evenings will feature entertainment, including a disco on the Saturday evening, BBQ, hog roast, snacks, hot and cold drinks - and, of course, a bar.

Gareth Williams, the chairman of OutdoorLads, is very excited about the range of activities available throughout the weekend: “There will be a variety of walks from short ambles, longer flatter walks, and hillier walks for those brave enough - these are a great introduction for a new member or anyone wanting a bit more of a challenge.  This is our largest ever camp so we have added a lot of variety.  There are several mountain bike routes nearby with easier and harder options, just remember to bring your own bike!  We were lucky to find a site neat the Roaches, which is a fantastic location for climbing.  There are suitable routes for beginners and those up for a personal challenge.  We'll be arranging kayaking and some other watersports on the reservoir, and depending on the numbers we will have a number of different on-site activities like team building activities and sporting competitions." 

Go to OutdoorLads for more details. 

Milestone - 10,000 Crew Members

Mothership, the exciting gay dating and social networking site for men in the UK and Ireland, has just passed an important milestone and now has over 10,000 registered members.  Mothership was launched in August 2007 by partners David Abrehart and Tim Isaac and offers a website that combines both gay dating and social networking, wrapped up in a fun sci-fi theme.  Although the gay dating industry is highly competitive and dominated by big players in the market, Mothership has managed to develop a loyal following and steadily grow both its membership and the number of people using the site.  Mothership has several USPs which have contributed to its success - it allows its members a great deal of freedom in how they customise their profiles including slideshows, wallpaper, audio and YouTube plug-ins, and its fun sci-fi theming adds a fantasy element which in the words of one of its members, "really takes the sting out of gay dating."

"In order to have a chance of success in this industry you have to stand out from the crowd, and our spaceship theme certainly does that," says David, "and allowing our users a lot of freedom in how they customise their profiles means that they can express themselves better, and can enjoy browsing other members' profiles more."

Since launching on 18 August 2007 Mothership has continually upgraded its service, adding 'Motherboard' - its lively messageboards - and 'MIM', Mothership's sleek instant messenger.  There are chat rooms coming soon too.

Mothership can be found at www.mother-ship.com.

For further information please contact David on 01243 674482 or email thebridge at mother-ship.com.

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