Shaki Wasasala aka Half Queen - Cofounder of Filth
Shaki Wasasala aka Half Queen and AUCKLAND RAPPER JessB recently brought their much loved club night FILTH to Neck of the Woods. We sat down with Shaki to talk about queer club spaces …… and finding joy in an apocalypse.
Let’s kick it off with the easiest question to answer - why do we need club nights like Filth?
We need Filth because places and spaces like it just don't exist. It's a tangible tool in creating change, and imagining a world that is intended for us.
What are the challenges involved in putting on a night like Filth?
There's challenges in everything we do and in every element of organising. The first and our highest priority is safety, as safe spaces just don't exist, and we can't control people's actions. All we can do is put all necessary steps in place to create a space that is positive and has zero tolerance for fuck shit.
Filth DJs Bbyfacekilla and Native Bush
Photo: Mary-anne Thompson
“I’d argue hedonism, pleasure, rest, fun and JOY are just as galvanising and important to prioritise during these times”
We’ve had other queer club nights like Lick and Homo House at Neck of the Woods. Why is it important to have a diverse range of queer events?
Because everybody is different. Not to mention, Filth began as an outlet and platform for DJs, artists and music we didn't see or hear anywhere else. Different genres call for different crowds.
This is your first post lockdown Filth. Did isolation and that whole pause change or effect how you do things?
It didn't really change how we operate; it more so allowed us a moment to reflect and implement the changes we needed to make for our IRL space.
There’s been a lot of talk in recent years about keeping queer spaces safe for the LGBTQIA+ community, especially in light of more straight and/or cis people frequenting both gay clubs and queer club nights. How do you keep a night like Filth both safe and accessible?
We can't make Filth a 100% safe and danger-proof space. We can only put measures in place to ensure our policy is followed and work on creating a culture around Filth where people know that it isn't a place that allows or perpetuates dangerous behaviour by anybody. For our most recent event, we've introduced tiered ticketing that enforces an accountability and privilege check, we're removed gendered bathrooms and as usual, our policy is posted up throughout the venue.
Filth co-founder Jess B
Photo: Break The Fourth
It can feel like the world is ending right now. There can be a bit of guilt involved in enjoying something as supposedly hedonistic as dancing and partying while so much is going wrong out there. How should we all approach those feelings?
Everybody needs to bring their own skills to the apocalypse, not all of us are politicians, community organisers, leaders etc. Sure, a party can be seen as unnecessary in times like these, but I'd argue hedonism, pleasure, rest, fun and JOY are just as galvanising and important to prioritise during these times. We generate power in these collective spaces.
Lastly, what kind of vibe should people expect at Filth and what kind of vibe should they bring with them?
Just as our guests have expectations of us, and we have expectations of them. Filth has a beautiful and vibrant culture around it, so we expect behaviour that adds to this environment. We expect our allies and non-POC queer fam to be aware of the space they're taking up, we expect QTBIPOC to the front, we expect gassing up of each other, we expect joy.
Scroll down for Half Queen’s latest mix
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