Fridae

The 38-year-old tells more about how he has been misunderstood and offers some tips on how to approach him at a party.

æ: ASOL (Age, Sex, Occupation, Location)
38/ Male/ Party Organiser/ Hongkong

æ: What's your "look"?
Rocky: I would say a Japanese G-men look? i.e. short-hair, bearded, hairy chest, muscular but a bit chubby.

æ: You are widely known as the co-founder of Decadence/ Hxproduction, a premier party-organiser in Hong Kong since 2002. How did that come about?
Rocky: My partner and I celebrated our 10th Anniversary with a dance party for 800+. Everyone including ourselves had so much fun so we thought we should keep it going.

æ: Why did you and your partner choose to host a Sunday Tea-dance? Was that HK's first gay tea-dance party?
Rocky: We've been to many Tea-dances in the world such as MASS, SALVATION and we wonder why it never kicked off in Hong Kong. It really is a great time to party as everyone is more energetic and you won't lose any sleep. By throwing one for our anniversary we proved that it could work and it did.

æ: How did you get into DJ-ing?
Rocky: I've always loved house music and would play my favourite songs one by one using a simple CD player. One day I decided that I needed to learn the techniques properly by going to a DJ training school. It was a good way to start and since then I have also learned a lot from my DJ friends.

æ: Which was the most memorable party you had?
Rocky: One of our Decadence T-dances in Hong Kong about 2 years ago, when I was still new to the turntables. I still remember very vividly how the whole dance floor went wild when I played my new favourite song then "Dreams Come True by Alison David."

æ: What kind of sounds and tunes can partygoers at Slurp expect?
Rocky: My style is tribal house. The music is full of energy and uplifting vocals, which is good for a party at that time of the day.

æ: What do you think is the best way for a partygoer to approach you if they recognise you?
Rocky: I love friends and all they need to do is come say "Hi" to me, preferably when I am not busy spinning. However, please don't ask me this silly question. "Do you remember me?" If I do - I do, if I don't what do you want me to say?

æ: Who are your favourite DJs and pop stars?
Rocky: I have a lot of favourite DJs e.g. Junior Vasquez, Manny Lehman, Peter Rauhofer, David S, etc. My favourite pop stars are Beyonce and George Michael.

æ: What are you are most proud of?
Rocky: My 14-year relationship with my partner.

æ: What do you think is important in a relationship?
Rocky: Respect.

æ: If you could do it all over again, what would you change?
Rocky: I would like to start my party business in some other countries which have more and better venues for different kinds of events.

æ: How are you misunderstood?
Rocky: Many people think I am a playboy.

æ: How do you spend your Sundays?
Rocky: I travel a lot but when I do spend a weekend in Hong Kong, I'd like to relax and do things like seeing a movie, have dinner with friends...

æ: What was the most important thing that happened to you in the last 12 months?
Rocky: I had been hospitalised for a month. That incident gave me a good and valuable opportunity to realise the importance of health and to remind myself that I am not so young any more.

æ: What is your vision for the gay community?
Rocky: Fridae has already fulfilled my vision when the whole Asian gay community came together last August to celebrate Nation. The next thing I would like to see happen is an all-gay cruise - I have attended several American gay cruises and I love it so much! I hope some organisations can make it happen for the Asian gay community.

æ: Tell us about a cause that you support?
Rocky: Chi Heng Foundation in Hong Kong which promotes equal rights for minorities.

æ: Who would your dream date be if you were straight for a day?
Rocky: First of all, I don't want to be straight. But unfortunately if this really happens, I would choose the Taipei model, Lam Chi Ling.

Events calendar:
Songkran Pool Party
Thursday, April 14, 2005 from 5 to 8pm
Venue: Babylon
THB300 [first 950 guests receive a free Tiger Beer.]
Organised by Babylon and prizes are sponsored by Fridae. Tickets are only available at the venue.

Squirt in Bed
Friday, April 15, 2005 from 6pm till late
THB700 / S$35
Venue: Bed Supperclub
Address: 26 Soi Sukhumvit 11, Bangkok
Online ticketing and at outlets, see Squirt page for details.

Slurp Post Party
Saturday, April 16, 2005 from 3pm to midnight
Venue: Chakran
THB400 / $20
Online ticketing and at outlets, see Squirt page for details.