A taste of Tasty
| A taste of Tasty |
 Crusader Hillis talks to Tasty founder and Sircuit resident DJ, Gavin Campbell.Some 14 years ago, Victoria Police raided Tasty, a gay dance club in Flinders Street, for drugs. It was a small action conducted by a seemingly invincible police force; part of an on-going campaign aimed at smashing the connection between drugs and clubbing in Melbourne. As part of the raid, police detained the clubbers – including several society figures – and subjected them to humiliating strip searches; a situation which led to a front-page photo and story in the Sunday Age, a major investigation by the Ombudsman, and a landmark legal decision against the police. Many of the clubbers who were at Tasty that night were awarded compensation of up to $10,000 each. DJ Gavin Campbell, however, received no such compensation. He also lost his club, and today rates the loss of Tasty as a low point in his career. Campbell is keen to emphasise that the upcoming Tasty party at Sircuit is neither a raid anniversary party, nor a Tasty reunion. Instead, it’s a chance for everyone to experience what Tasty was about. “Tasty has become a bit of a legend,” he tells MCV. “The documentary that followed turned it into local gay folklore … Tasty proved that it was possible to put the emphasis on music, to encourage gay abandon and have it as a mixed night for all ages. Tasty was always about doing what you wanted to – the grope maze was the first in a licensed venue in Melbourne.” Sircuit is a venue designed for men, but for Tasty, Sircuit will be opened up to all genders. Its upstairs cruise area brings a rare chance to experience on-site sex within a mixed setting. For Campbell, both the original and the latest incarnation of Tasty is more about the music than its other trappings, the grope maze included. “The music is the main thing. Partly, I’m terrified because I’m looking at doing the whole night myself – but I figure it’s time I grew up and did that as the big gun DJs do in the US. The music will be all styles from the 1970s to last week, with a focus on 80s club and 90s house music, with as many original full length disco workouts from the 70s I can get away with.” There have been other clubs apart from Tasty; as well as his production moniker, Filthy Lucre, co-founded with Paul Main and Robert Goodge; and a label, Razor Records; but for all Campbell’s contributions to Melbourne culture, he is an intriguing combination of self-doubt and ego. He spent some of the past few years in recovery (“I started out self-medicating, but it went bad after Tasty!”). He’s flirted with the mainstream – and it with him – Kylie was given the Razor treatment early in her career, and music figures have often beaten a path to his door. For all this, he enjoys being a part of the underground and quotes Oscar Wilde on his website: “Everything popular is wrong”. His ambition in coming years is to create more parties (“maybe one a year”) and build upon his strength as a music producer, getting some Tasty music into the mainstream. On a final note, he encourages punters to make an effort for the Tasty party.
“Dress up and be a bit outrageous, or even naked if you like.” Photo: Crusader Hillis
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written by Chooch , August 14, 2008 Have to say since Tasty has gone there hasn't been anything like it since. I was there at the Tasty raid and a number of my friends were as well. I'm glad to have been part of something that had such a huge impact on the Melbourne Queer clubbing scene. Look forward too seeing you all at Sircuit. report abuse
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