Frequently Asked Questions...

Updated April 2008


1. What is Fuck The Pain Away?
It's a Homo Electro Punk Disco
2. What does that mean?
It's a club night that plays Electro music for homosexualists.
3. Where is it?
Candy Bar, 129 St James's Street, Brighton BN2. St James's Street is the main shopping street in Kemptown. Candy Bar is right at the bottom, near the Old Steine and opposite Somerfield, a crap supermarket. Still confused? Here's a map
4. When is it?
On the FIRST Saturday of every month, from 10pm until 5am.
5. How much is it?
£5. But if you're really broke and really want to come, email us and we'll see what we can do.
6. Isn't Candy Bar a lesbian club?
Yes. But Candy Bar also run the popular dyke dance night, Wet Pussy, upstairs at Charles Street, which is also on the first Saturday of the month. Which is why the club is all ours.
7. So is it just for gay men? No. FTPA is a gay night - but everyone's welcome. Boys, girls, straight, gay, whatever. Have a look at the photos on this site to see what a lovely mixed bunch come to FTPA.
8. Do I have to dress up?
If you want to, please do. If you don't want to, don't. FTPA is about fun, not fashion.
9. Why is it called "Fuck The Pain Away"?
It's the name of a song we love by Peaches. It's on her first album, The Teaches of Peaches, but a lot of people know it from the 2 Many DJs mix CD As Heard On Radio Soulwax Part 2.
10. What's Electro?
It's just fun electronic alternative dance music - anything but boring House bollocks, you could say. It evolved out of Electroclash, and now embraces things like Diskopunk and Twisted Disco. We play the poppier and punkier stuff - a style of our own that's been dubbed "Electrotrash". Check our playlists for the sort of records we play.
11. Why did you leave Storm? Storm changed ownership at the end of 2004. The new people running it wanted to make a number of changes, including doing all the Sunday nights in-house. Which is fair enough - it's their club. We loved the venue and have very fond memories of FTPA. Mind you, Kim Lucas had offered us a Saturday slot at Candy Bar in less than 48 hours, and Storm went downhill right after we left and is currently closed - so tee hee-hee!
12. Where do you buy your records?
Rounder in Brighton Square has a great Electro section - but have a look in the Leftfield section next to it, as well. Edge World, above Hive in Kensington Gardens, is really good, too. It's easier listening to stuff in Edge World, as you don't have to fight your way through loads of German students looking at the Metal CDs. In London, go to Pure Groove in Archway. Online go to Juno Records - http://www.juno.co.uk/house5.htm - they even have samples of every record they sell, which is loads.
13. Do you take requests?
Yes. We're always interested in finding out what you want to hear. But please bear in mind we can only play things that will fit into the set we're playing. We're an Electro night, so it's not a good idea to ask for Beyonce. A lot of the early Electroclash stuff, like the Miss Kittin and The Hacker album, is too slow to play nowadays. Similarly, please don't ask for a really slow track at two in the morning.
14. Where is the artwork on the flyers and posters from?
Our first one, with the kneeling lady, that we still use as our logo, like on the front page of this website, is from a poster that Jamie Reid made for The Sex Pistols. The original wording was "Fuck Forever". The "Boy Flicking the Vs we used for our move to Candy Bar is from the film, Kes. The other stuff is often shamefully ripped off from somewhere and detourned by DJ Wanker and some arty chums of his.
15. What do those slogans on the flyers and posters mean?
They're usually just favourite lines from songs or films. We like the idea of people trying to find out where they're from, if they don't know already.
16. What are those videos you show?
The FTPA showreel video was done by our talented pal, Lady Pat. You can see his other videos and stuff on his website ladypat.com Other stuff we've shown includes; Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and The Media, Freaks, Planet of the Apes, E-Talking, O Fantasma, Carry On Screaming, Heathers, Team America and documentaries about Industrial Music, Bill Hicks, Peter Cook and Michael Alig (Party Monster). Email us if you see something that you want to know more about. Feel free to bring along your own to show.
17. Can I DJ at FTPA?
Probably not. We barely have time to play all the records we want as it is. Although, maybe if Jake from Scissor Sisters said he wanted to play for half-an-hour naked, we could squeeze him in. But again, no harm in asking, so drop us an email or come to chat to one of us at FTPA.
18. How do I book you to DJ?
Just send us an email. We'll probably do it. If you're organising a benefit for a good cause then, if we're available, we'll probably do it for taxi fare and a few drinks.
19. How can I find out when you're playing at other nights?
If we're doing an Electro set somewhere else, we always put it on the News section.
20. Which one's A-Dam and which one's DJ Wanker?
Fuck knows.
21. I'm coming down to Brighton to go to FTPA. What else is on that weekend?
Have a look at Realbrighton.com
22. What other nights in Brighton do you recommend?
Dynamite Boogaloo at Candy Bar on Thursdays. DJ Wanker and A-Dam both started out DJ-ing here many moons ago, when it was at The Joint. The crowd is mixed/gay/alternative/studenty. The music is pop, R&B, Indie, Rock - anything really, even a bit of Electro. People get very drunk here. It's great.
In Every Home... A Heartache, an anarchist queer go-go disco at The Cowley Club, usualy on thensecond Friday of the month. DJ Wanker plays here, but more punky stuff.
There's been an explosion of gay/mixed alternative nights in Brighton in the last year. We like Nervous Twitch, and Somewhere In The Universe. There's also the indie night Shibby Shabblers, at Candy Bar on Mondays. It's run by Darren, who started out behind the bar at FTPA.
There are various nights at The Ocean Rooms, Audio and Concorde2 that play Electro. For new nights, check Realbrighton.com again. Most of the bars we like in Brighton are mixed; The Sidewinder and The Barley Mow in Kemptown.
Please let us know if there's anything going on that you think other FTPA-types would like.