Le freak, c’est TFIF!
In Lyon’s repurposed water treatment plant, TFIF events, a queer, non-binary, and feminist techno collective, threw a back-to-school event at a scale rarely seen in the region.
Founded in 2017 by French DJ & producer Angel Karel, TFIF [The Future Is Female]collective came to bring to the local techno scene what had been cruelly lacking in the past years: a place for women and gender non-conforming individuals to experiment in complete freedom.
Angel Karel first launched a feminist techno residency at the Annexe, the French city of Lyon's historical queer techno bunker. Wanting to offer larger exploratory playground, she quickly invested the Ninkasi KAO, a former warehouse with not less than a 700-people capacity. Desiring to extend the scene to the numerous talented queer performers of the country’s third-largest city, TFIF started its now legendary series of events: the [NO GENDER].
Thought as a place of complete freedom and emancipation from gender and sexuality norms, the NO GENDER events are also a moment of reunion for queer people of the region. After a summer full of sold-out parties thrown across the country, demonstrating the need for such events, the TFIF collective wanted to make a strong comeback for this new season, and it sure did. Baptized NO GENDER XXL, the event took place in a venue yet uninvested by the collective, well-known for its large-scale concerts and cultural events: The Transbordeur. With its two halls and outdoor space and a capacity of almost 3000 people, it was the perfect spot for a night without limits.
In the spotlight of this event, Julia Lanoë, better known as Rebeka Warrior. The iconic multitalented artist behind the bands Sexy Sushi, Mansfield.TYA and kompromat became an emblem for a whole queer generation, for her daring lyrics and beats. In the line to the entrance, her songs were the only ones played on people’s speakers, and long crowd calls followed her appearance behind the decks.
If the venue was VIP, the punk, subversive and hedonistic spirit stayed. In the first room, a large-scale dungeon, run by 3 dominas, Diane Killer, Dominas Isadora, and Œil pour Œil, was to be watched to the bass lines of dark techno. In the biggest venue, the large stage was the theater of 30 performers who ran an incredible show behind the decks, where 5 female DJs followed one another.
Supporting the flourishing local drag scene, drag kings, queens, and in-between finally got the stage they deserved. Names like Mega Petasse, Juliette& Raphael, and Katy Perrache brought the night to whole other levels, with kinky and futuristic costumes and extraordinary performances.
As always, the dress code was up to people’s preferences, yet everyone understood the assignment. Not one silhouette was the same, and the dance floor made for a makeshift runway where freedom and subversion were operative words. Ensuring everyone's safety during the night, a safe space was installed, a safety team was present, and an SOS text platform was operated.
In the line of the extensive common history of the techno, punk, and queer scenes, TFIF events is the cocktail that was missing in Lyon's bars. With the success of the NO GENDER XXL, we can expect nothing but a long list of bigger and more exciting events to come. If your Halloween is still free and Lyon is not far from your city, check out their Halloween party that promises even more filth, more fun, and more freedom.
https://shotgun.live/fr/events/scum-horror-dancing-queer
photographic credit goes to @charleschatard @nogender_club and outfif_events
