Fred Bear Rules!

Apparently - according to government statistics – more than three million people in Britain are drinking to 'dangerous levels'. Hmm, I'm surprised that the number is so low, considering the amount of people I see staggering around amidst strewn chip wrappers and vomited kebabs in just my small area of Nottingham's streets. I'm not usually one of these three million reprobates, you understand – although last night you could have been forgiven for thinking so. I went for just one drink at Escucha's 'Frankengrind' event, and this was only so that I could support my lovely friends Matthew and Charlotte who run Danse Macabre (click here for more info) and who were staging a Burlesque evening in aid of a breast cancer charity. The show was just too fabulous to leave after only one drink, and I consequently ended up joining the staggering masses as I made my way home many, many hours later.

The event was expertly compered by the outrageous Fred Bear who I'd last seen in 'Bearlesque' at the Pitti Patt Club and who teased and cajoled the audience with his flamboyantly camp badinage. It was all fantastic fun and a great deal of money was raised for charity as well. There were more G-strings and nipple tassels than you could shake a breasticle at, I can tell you. I love strip shows – especially ones wrapped in horror, like this one.

And of course, this is all a precursor to Friday's Danse Macabre spectacle where even I will be decked out in fancy dress and stepping out in my fishnets and stilettos. It promises to be a great evening to promote an exhibition that brings together artists from a "variety of disciplines whose work explores the darker aspects of the subconscious mind". I'm greatly looking forward to it, especially as it's to be followed by the 'Mayhem' festival at the Broadway. There'll be no need to change out of the fishnets and basque as we head off to a late-night maelström of decadence and fantasy in Broad Street.

I can't wait, and moreover - this kind of activity is the only way to confuse and defeat the Machine. We must all do everything we can in this respect, oh yes.