Horse Meat Disco’s Luke Howard on Queer Nightlife, Disco & Finding Your People | Queer the Music with Jake Shears

Luke Howard (0:00)

One night, Prince showed up. He got to the door and he was with his entourage, and one of his entourage was the model, Veronica Webb.

And he sent Veronica Webb down to check out the party. And I remember the DJ booth was kind of on the side of the dance floor, and Veronica Webb, I think she thought that the DJ booth was the coat check. So she gave me a coat. I was just like...

Jake Shears (0:24)

This is Queer the Music. I'm Jake Shears, and today we are heading gaily forward to the dance floor. All right now, if you love Shakin It as much as I do, you've come to the right place, because, let's face it, homos know there's something magical about a room where music, community and freedom collide. And my guest today knows exactly how to turn that magic into a sweaty, glittering, joyous celebration. As a founding member of Horse Meat Disco, Luke Howard helped transform a legendary Sunday club night into a global institution of disco, house and queer culture. He spent decades digging up incredible music, bringing people together on the dance floor, and Horse Meat's a party I've been going to since I first arrived in London back in 2004, and it never ever disappoints, and I know because I still go.

So I'm delighted to welcome Luke Howard to Queer the Music.

Luke Howard, welcome to Queer the Music.

Luke Howard (1:22)

Thank you very much.

Jake Shears (1:23)

I want to talk to you today about Horse Meat Disco.

Luke Howard (1:26)

Yes.

Jake Shears (1:27)

The legendary Horse Meat Disco. Yeah. It's a collective, it's four DJs, it's you, James, Jim, Severino. It's been going on for a quarter century.

It's now all over the world, which you must be so proud of.

Luke Howard (1:44)

I mean, it's very pinch me. I can't believe it actually from a little knees up in a boozer, which we still have every Sunday at The Eagle.

Jake Shears (1:54)

Knees up in a boozer?

Luke Howard (1:55)

Yeah.

Jake Shears (1:56)

I've not heard that phrase. What's knees up in a boozer?

Luke Howard (2:00)

Knees up is a party and a boozer is a pub.

Jake Shears (2:03)

I love that.

Luke Howard (2:04)

Yeah. All right, good. You're learning something, which is good.

Jake Shears (2:08)

How would you describe Horse Meat Disco?

Luke Howard (2:10)

Well, apart from it being a knees up in a boozer, I suppose, I mean, it has changed quite a lot because we started out as a disco party in a pub in South London and then obviously it's grown and musically it's changed a bit as well because we do a lot of big festivals and big rooms. We do a big party in New York at Knockdown Centre. So we play more modern music, I would say, but we still try and keep it disco-y and try and keep some of the roots of disco in it. At The Eagle, I try and play classics, old music, but when we're on tour, it's a little bit different. I mean, I think the original PR for it was the Queer Party for Everyone.

Jake Shears (2:49)

Yeah, and it still goes every Sunday. It's just like, it's one of those things, when a Sunday rolls around, I've got the party spirit in me.

Luke Howard (2:59)

Can I just say, you have a special kind of relationship with Jim Stanton, because please tell the listeners.

Jake Shears (3:04)

Well Jim, we did one of our first scissors, the first Scissors Sisters show.

Luke Howard (3:09)

In the UK.

Jake Shears (3:09)

In the UK.

When he was doing The Cock, which was kind of the sister party to Nag, Nag, Nag. So the first time Scissors played in the UK was with Jim at The Cock, which was underneath the Astoria, kind of around back of the Astoria.

Luke Howard (3:29)

Which has all been demolished now because of the Elizabeth Line.

Jake Shears (3:32)

It's gone.

Luke Howard (3:32)

But I think that's a nice little bit of Disco, gay Disco history.

Jake Shears (3:36)

Well it was also like, when I was coming over to London then, playing music and doing our thing over here, like Horse Meat 2004 wasn't first started.

Luke Howard (3:49)

Yeah.

Jake Shears (3:51)

I loved going to that party. I started going right when it started because I knew Jim.

Luke Howard (3:58)

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Jake Shears (3:59)

What was it like when it first started? What are your memories of the beginning of Horse Meat Disco at the Eagle?

Luke Howard (4:07)

So the first night at the Eagle was on New Year's Day. I think it's 2004 No one's, I think it is. I actually asked AI today and that's what they said. I asked ChatGPT.