The Divas Don't Live Here Anymore

I can't quite remember how I got to know about it, but it was about 8 years back when I first made my way to CM trying to locate the happening club for the gay community in KL. It was daytime, and I was walking around the area trying to look see look see la. My heart was racing as I climbed the staircase to the first floor. It wasn't open, of course, but it had a heavily tinted glass door. I was young and very timid then, and hadn't quite come out yet. It had a very sinful look. Too much for me to bear.

Fast forward two years later, in 2001, when I started to blossom in full glory, like all if not most gay sinners, I just had to go and experience gay clubbing. I remembered quite vividly when I was touched by the whole experience. I went there with my two ex-colleagues. I even bumped into the Director of my company then (yes, surprise!).

It was the time when Kylie was the Queen of all Discos, especially the campy ones. The club was packed with all sorts of sinners partying away. Quite a number of sinners were taking a breather outside to get away from the heat, sweat, smoke, booze and loud thumping music. When the familiar addictive thumping base of Can't Get You Out of My Head started with that oh-so-catchy la la la, everyone outside, including moi suddenly jumped up (as if we're in a high jump competition), screamed Kylie!! (as if we've been possessed) and rushed (as if we've been chased by a ferocious dog) campily inside to join the rest of a worked up crowd. Now THAT is the power of Kylie.

The club became a regular haunt for me and my other dancing/clubbing partner, Fable, and we went there like almost every 1 or 2 weeks. There were times when we went there for 3 - 4 consecutive weeks! Other regular campy crowd favoruites at that time was Jenny From the Block (JLo), Stronger (Britney), Get This Party Started (Pink), In Your Eyes (Kylie), Love At First Sight (Kylie).... In no time, Fable and I progressed to become the Liquid Divas. We almost always dance on the podium. We attended quite a few Liquid trademark functions, such as the Beach Party and Back To School. But I didn't get to go to the Foam Party. I was out of country but I think Fable did. I'm so jealous!

Then the club expanded to include The Disco on the upper floor. Which meant more glorious dancing nites, bigger space and larger podium. Yes, more space for divas like us! But in spite of that, the crowd seemed to grow bigger too. For example, on the May Day event, it was so packed, smoky, hot and with so many shirtless sweaty muscle-bodied guys, I had difficulty breathing! Fable and I also had a new non-dancing partner, Alex, who refused to dance because he claimed he's too stiff (kononnya he's straight acting la....straight guys and straight acting guys don't dance, apparently). But in the power of Kylie changed that, and he soon became a dancing queen, to our surprise.

But I blossomed for only a short 2 years, to my disappointment. My energy level dropped, I was sleepy by 10pm and the music became unsuitable for divas like me. It probably died when the Kylie mania withered away too. Our frequency to the club (and the other new club with the same acronym) dropped quite drastically. Too old for this kind of stuff liao! Too old for the smoke, the crowd, the loud music, the pretentiousness.

When we heard it was closing/shifting, we thought that we had to go to reminisce the old times. Ant and Kit came along too, just like before. Alex joined us later. But there was something missing in the atmosphere. The divas don't live here anymore.