THE CABARAVE SUBCULTURE

The subculture I have chosen to study is a bit of a mish-mash of styles. As it is a relatively new group still finding its feet, it is yet to have a name, so, for all intents and purposes I am going to call it “Cabarave”. This is a term coined by My Bad Sister (a band who epitomise this subculture) as a name for their festival shows throughout 2012, I will go into more detail about this act later.

Cabarave is a subculture that started amongst the underground youth scene in Bristol and East London, I say both because these social groups are connected through rave collectives and the social circles brought about by this, although I do think that Bristol was possibly the true beginning. As my last sentence suggests, people within this group are avid rave-goers, attending or throwing many a warehouse or squat party, many of them actually living in squats, particularly in Bristol, the UK’S squatting capital. As with most ravers, drugs are often taken particularly Ketamine but uppers such as MDMA and ecstasy pills are also taken most weekends at parties.

The music favoured consists mainly of dance music, such as Drum n Bass, Jungle, Ragga, Dub, Glitch, and Clowncore, underground and old-school Hip-Hop, Reggae, Balkan and Gypsy Punk amongst others, though music tastes within this group are often very broad spanning many genres as long as the music is original and interesting, this means no mainstream David Guetta style dance music or “Simon Cowell” pop, unless it has an amusement value. Music artists in favour at the moment include Die Antwoord, Squire of Gothos, Ed Cox, and Foreign Beggars to name but a few, though I should mention that quite a lot of people within this subculture either mix or produce their own music, particularly the men but not exclusively.

“Cabaravers” are often quite creative people, usually making and selling their own jewellery, clothing and artwork or being some kind of performer, be it singing, dancing or cabaret, or even all of the above. As well as being DJ’s the men are regularly involved in the party organisation business, owning large soundsytems and forming rave collectives which throw both legal and illegal parties, or having stages at festivals, sometimes renting out the sound systems to others for profit, though it is quite often the case that this is not their main job, more of a side-line business.

Moving on to their appearance, I would say that they are the product of an amalgamation of many different styles. There is a definite chav influence with a lot of old school sportswear being worn and the obligatory Nike Airmax trainers, Dr Martens or other big stompy boots are the alternative to this. But there is also a gypsy punk influence with large gold creole earrings and voluminous skirts. En mass a strong circus theme is visible with bold, bright colours and patterns, often worn to clash, polkadot pantaloons, and crazy headgear, quite often large floral headpieces. Oversized boxy jackets are another must have along with large amounts of jewellery, particularly gold chains or anything wacky. Basically the theme here is outrageous, eccentricity and colour are tantamount to the Cabaraver, I feel I should mention here that the Bristol look has more of a scruffy side to it than their East London counterparts.  The hairstyles have a punk influence, often dyed bright colours sometimes with shaved sides and/or the occasional dread here and there. The makeup of a Cabaraver is bold; Barry M eye shadows in an array of colours are worn in theatrical styles, face paint is also frequently used.

 

There are some men within this group who also like to dress outrageously though this tends to be more of a minority, with most men favouring the “Jimmy Saville” look, which involves wearing a lot of 1980’s and 1990’s sportswear such as shell suits in an assortment of colours, large adidas (old logo) sports jackets and only the freshest of trainers. Hairstyles range from the standard short back and sides to the modern mullet.

The ethos of the Cabaraver is to not care what people think, be as crazy as you want, and wear outlandish outfits, their political views are fairly anarchistic but not to the extent of the punks, though a hatred of David Cameron and the Tories is ever present (and wisely so). Though, as I have said, politics is not always at the forefront of their minds, they are wisened up to the propaganda of the mainstream media, but this does not get in the way of having fun, the key ingredient in the Cabarave scene.

CABARAVE PHOTOSHOOT

Modelled and styled by yours truly.

Photographed by Tosin Coker.

Location: Leake St Graffiti Tunnel in Waterloo.

 

DIE ANTWOORD

Popular with Cabaravers due to their originality, humour and overall craziness I give you Die Antword and their single "I Fink U Freeky"

 

ED COX

Ed Cox is a popular musician in the Cabarave scene, famous for being the inventor of clowncore, he performs at raves and club nights up and down the country.

 

MY BAD SISTER

My Bad Sister are an underground music act made up of identical twin sisters Polly and Sophie. As well as making festival atmosphere, beat laden music, the pair are actually professional dancers.Their outrageous style and "couldn't give a fuck" attitude is the epitome of Cabarave.

Here is the video for their first single "Gypsy Boy" take note of the outfits (some provided by Prangsta Costumiers) and the heavy circus theme throughout.

 



 

Here is another video of them performing casually in someone's bedroom, lyrical content showing the cabarave attitude:

PUNK CULTURE PRESENTATION

TUKcic REVIEW

When I initially set out to do this task (in depth fashion retailer review), I was planning to revisit START womenswear boutique on Rivington Street, but when I went back there I came across a rather interesting little shop just over the road called TUKcic. From the outside you’d hardly notice this little hidden gem if it were not for the beaut manning the till by the window. Exposed brickwork sets the tone here, urban and fresh, no need for fancy décor and intimidating staff, it very much is what it is which, I feel, is part of its charm. The staff are very friendly and eager to help but don’t badger you or pressurise you into buying something, this gives the customer a relaxed, laid back shopping experience.

 On the floor there is worn, unpolished woodwork covering quite a small space, roughly 20ft in length and half that in width, this is filled with clothing, jewellery and accessories, artwork and also unusual home ware. The music playing is early 90’s hip-hop through to current underground dance music, which adds to the urban “Shoreditch hipster” vibe of the store.

The demographic of the shop is predominantly a young market, the early twenties to thirties, not necessarily wealthy group who strive for individuality without the hefty price tag, most of the clothing here is around the £50 mark with their most expensive item (a handmade, one of a kind dress) being sold at £240. The artwork being sold consists mainly of prints of contemporary street art and photography which is sold at around £30, making it accessible to all, and they also sell T-shirts with these (and similar) prints, which again suggests that their target market is the urban youth.

The store describes itself on its flyers as: “A retail environment showcasing talented designers, artists and photographers with all profits funding the community interest company TUK.” You won’t find any big names in this store, they are all about the up-and-coming, giving new talent a platform for their work to be seen, the jewellery and accessories were probably my favourite items in the store, contemporary hand painted stag’s head necklaces and vibrant felt bracelets, ranging through to the more outlandish leather collars and bulbous shaped necklaces made from thin strips of recycled rubber (a lot more beautiful and delicate than it sounds).

I would highly recommend this store to those on a budget (or even those with a bit more money) who would like to own an individual, contemporary piece without paying an excessive amount for it, in a relaxed, cool atmosphere. Well worth a visit.

Address: 47 Rivington Street, Shoreditch, EC2A 3QB

Tel: 0203 417 6335

Website: www.tukstore.org , www.facebook.com/tukstore , www.tukstore.tiumblr.com , @tuk.

FASHION STORES OF LONDON

Topshop, Oxford Street W1
High street fashion label, a cutting edge "mecca" for affordable fashion. Very popular among the younger market often doing collaborations with high end/up and coming designers.



Urban Outfitters, 38 Kensington High Street W8
As the name suggests, this is an edgy, modern store selling an eclectic mix of streetwear and independant brands.

Acne, Dover Street W1
High end designer fashion label. The clothing style is very architectural and modern, a clean cut edgy brand with a stylish, cool persona. 

Dover Street Market, 17-18 Dover Street W1
More of a design-led department store than an actual market, the brain child of Rei Kawakubo of Commes de Garcons selling High end, cutting edge designer labels. The store loooks and feels more like an art installation than a shop which is part of its charm.
"I want to create a kind of market where various creators from various fields gather together and encounter each other in an ongoing atmosphere of beautiful chaos: the mixing up and coming together of different kindred souls who all share a strong personal vision." Rei Kawakubo.

Beyond Retro, Brick Lane
A popular vintage clothing store, it is one of the most popular and well known of it's kind, selling clothing from a range of decades, but particularly the 80's and 90's at the moment. An eclectic mix of styles set up pretty haphazardly in a young and vibrant atmosphere.



Matches, Ledbury Road, Notting Hill W11
Luxury clothing and accesories retailer selling clothing from a selection of high end designers based in an affluent area of London. What sets this store apart is the personal service you recieve there, the experience is as important to them as the items themselves.



The Shop at Bluebird, 350 Kings Road SW3
A luxury lifestyle store selling an eclectic mix of clothing for men and women) from designers such as Isabel Marrant and Sonia Rykiel, accessories, interiors, and luxurious spa items. The store often collaborates with different artists and photographers making shopping here a truly visual experience. 



START, Rivingtn Street/Charlotte Road E1
An East London boutique selling a range of high end designer labels established by Brix Smith Start (of Gok's Fashion Fix fame) and her husband Philip Start. They sell womenswear, menswear and tailoring. The layout of ther shop is easily accessible meaning that you dont have to rummage around to find what you want and the window displays are quirky and inventive. Target market is the late 20's early 30's "yummy mummy" demographic.




Oxfam Boutique, 245 Westbourne Grove W11
This is not your typical charity shop as it specialises in selling second hand High Street and designer labels at more affordable prices. Aimed at the fashionista on a budget.

Liberty, Regent Street W1
A high end luxury lifestyle store selling designer goods ranging from designer clothing labels such as Vivian Westwood and Isabel Marrant, to home furnishings. The store itself has become a landmark due to it's traditonal English architecture.

Selfridges, Oxford Street W1
A world famous high end department store selling a plethora of designer labels and range of luxury goods. Aimed at the wealthy market but it also has high street brands such as Miss Selfridge.

Browns and Browns Focus, 39 South Molton Street W1
High end designer clothing store in an affluent area of London. Browns' target market is the more mature fashionable woman whereas Browns Focus is aimed at the younger market selling new and cutting edge labels.