bitenightout with the boutique guys, the gay guys and What do you think the turning point was celebrities. A friend of mine, a French for Florence for not wanting to continue Roger Michael was one of the first ever girl I met called Florence, she was the or being a club promoter? nightlife consultants to simultaneously membership secretary at Tramps, and I I think it’s a harder game for a girl. host four unforgettable weekly nights that really fell for her. So she was like, “I want Whereas with a guy he would put himself he personally masterminded. ‘Embargo’ in to promote a club. I want to do a night through a lot more than what most Chelsea on Wednesdays, ‘The Next Big like Steve Strange and those guys.” women wouldn’t. It was quite demanding. Thing’ on Thursdays at ‘Hanover Grand’ There was an obligation in some sense in Hanover Square, ‘Atomic Model’ on And as a matter of fact she played quite a that came with the territory. There were Fridays at ‘Iceni’ in Mayfair, and Saturdays big part in opening my eyes, as she knew times when I would party for a couple of at the legendary ‘Brown’s Member’s Club’ everyone. We’d go to Cafe de Paris on days straight at a time, I mean some of in Covent Garden, then owned by Jake a Wednesday night and she was friends these guys would party like rock stars, and Angelo Panayiotou, to name but a few. with people like Albia and Nick Truelocke and they knew them to. For a woman, who was a major guy. They were really back then in ‘89, I don’t know, it’s a hard So you were still very boutique at this cutting it in London at the time. call. time? I did decide to take the boutique route, Café de Paris became a favourite setting She did a successful night in Mayfair yes. I was still working very much with for fashion shoots and films, being used as though called Wall Street. I was setting the Chelsea crowd of which I was learn- the prime location for films like Scandal, off my first night, Ministry Of Sound ing a lot more about, and I was living The Krays and Absolute Beginners. In 1983, came up around this time also, as with there at the time too. I was looking after photographer Nick Fry discovered the the boutiques, it began to splinter off and people like the Astor’s and Arne Naess, venue and eventually persuaded the Ministry managed to hold that balance Diana Ross’ former husband. My bag was management to hold a club night on between the two, being both boutique made up of celebrities, those who were Wednesdays. The result was a return to and rave. connected, the jet setters, and the West the splendour of past decades but set End wise guys. Florence managed to point in the consumer driven boom of the Ministry of Sound with its retina scorch- out and show me the who’s who prior eighties. ing visuals and tinsel town big wigs, to her vacating her post as a promoter. providing a setting where DJs were more He’d fly over whole crowds of people, popular than politicians with a festering Serving as a pre-curser to today’s house big calendar night in London, models, scare on indifference. ‘A cosmic candy music scene with a significant measure fashion editors and pop stars all congre- store in finding a so called generation of acclaim in creative circles, Roger gated religiously at Café de Paris. removed’, quoted by the tabloid press of Michael continued developing his brand the day. to another plateau. ‘I Am Rockstar’ was So at this point your mind was made up, founded In September 2003, under which in moving forward with your now partner So what year are we speaking? he built the award-winning club night, in crime Florence? This was 1990, the summer of love was which was famed for its celebrity guests Her mind was made up. I left my job; I in full swing, pill popping and drugs were most notoriously playing host to Royals had about 10 grand saved and went about on board to stay. Ministry came through such as Prince William, Princesses Bea- printing flyers and invitations. In truth she the back door as it were, and under their trice and Eugen and artists such as Kid wasn’t good at her chosen role but she roof were all walks of life. It wasn’t just Rock, Prince and Lenny Kravitz. knew people. It got to a point however Chelsea anymore or Mayfair; it was also where she just failed to come through the ravers who were cool, but Ministry It feels like everything moved quite and decided to stop, but I, on the other took the best of that crop as it was nec- smoothly for you. Were there any major hand accompanied all these connects and essary to keep the engine running. But it challenges or pit falls? wanted to press on, so I did. was the Embassy Club that really opened People did take a shine to me. For me it it for me. came quite natural. I think people noticed