Tommy Moss (full name Thomas Patrick Moss) is the director of Popbarz Ltd, the company that owns , the bar/club Trash palace, and Popstarz club. His professional name is Tommy Turntables. Popbarz Ltd also runs other music and club events and hosts the yearly charity fundraiser event Ray of Light in memory of Tommy’s former business partner and best friend Simon Hobart. The company also has it’s own magazine, called F*@K! Magazine.
Early Years
Tommy was born in Brighton in 1972. He grew up in nearby Portslade where he attended Portslade Community College. After leaving school he worked in an Italian Pizza restaurant, run almost exclusively by Iranians, for 5 years. After a brief year spent living in nearby Hove he eventually moved to Brighton when he was 20. Tommy developed a keen interest in the media and studied media and communications at Brighton Technical College where he developed and hosted his own college radio show with his friend Samantha Penfold. The show was called S.O.S (the Sound Of Students) and gave Tommy his first taste of music events organisation. Tommy dropped out of the course after 1 year but returned to complete an A level in communications the following year. His confidence boosted by achieving an A grade he left the pizza restaurant to work in Megazone, a laser game centre where he was made manager after just 3 months. Tommy remembers his days there fondly and says he owes a lot to the owners of the game centre, Karen, David and in particular Martin Colinson who had many innovative and socially conscious ideas for running a business. With it’s flashing lights, music and special effects Megazone was an early predecessor to the clubs that Tommy would later own and manage and it was here that his imaginative ideas for special parties and events first saw the light of day. Outside of work Tommy grew disillusioned with the Brighton gay scene and is quoted as saying “Brighton is an amazing city but it’s gay clubs lacked innovation when I lived there. It was either euro-pop or house music and I was an indie kid at heart- I wanted to hear Pulp, Nirvana and The Smiths, so I had to go to straight clubs to get my fix or stay at home”.
Popstarz In 1995 Tommy met Simon Hobart founder of the gay indie nightclub Popstarz. A personal and professional relationship ensued leading to Tommy moving to London to DJ, promote and help run Popstarz. Popstarz was held in various nightclubs, always on a Friday & is still going some 13 years later and currently resides at Sin in London’s West End. Popstarz had live performances from acts such as Skin(Skunk Anansie), Goldfrapp, , Ladytron and .
DJ career Tommys DJ career began under the name of DJ Tommy for several years, then switching to Tommy Turntables after a number of DJ Tommys sprang up on the London gay scene and he didn’t want people to think he was djing at some of the more stereotypical venues that the others worked at. He was predominantly known as a Popstarz DJ and was the only DJ who played both the indie floor and the pop floor. He went on to DJ at Wigout, Puscha, Miss-shapes and various aftershow parties and gigs including events for , Suede, San Francisco Pride and various music festivals. In 2003 he even DJ'd at the Popstarz inspired club ‘Grind’ in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Together Tommy and Simon wrote and hosted their own indie radio show on Purple Radio, the gay radio station. They interviewed various celebrities on the show including Phil Oakey from The Human League and Brian Molko from .
Life in the Ghetto In 2002 the popstarz team opened their first 7 night a week venue. Due to it’s location in the heart of Gay london it was named The Ghetto a tongue in cheek reference (coined by a friend of Tommy’s, Simon Lyons) to the fact that although it was in London’s gay village it wouldn’t be behaving like a stereotypical gay club. The club’s mix of interesting and unusual gay nights (from nu-metal to electro) made it an overnight success. It was home to Nag Nag Nag one of the most influential clubs of the last 20 years. The Scissor Sisters played their first ever UK gig at The Ghetto’s Friday nighter The Cock and performers like Yoko Ono, Pete Burns, Boy George and Har Mar Superstar have all performed at the venue. Over the years the Ghetto has attracted many celebrities including Kate Moss, Chris Cunningham, Bjork, Bobby Gillespie (Primal Scream), Tim Wheeler (Ash), Bono, Natalie Imbruglia, Sophie Ellis Bextor, , Dan Gillespie Sells (the Feeling), Shane MacGowan (The Pogues), Gavin Friday, Stuart Price (Les Rythmes Digitales), The Pet Shop Boys, Matt Lucas, Rupert Everett, Natalie Portman, Keira Knightly, Siouxsie Sioux, Brian Molko, Billy Zane, and Gwen Stefani. It is rumoured that attended disguised as someone else. espite the glittering array of stars the Ghetto has kept a friendly welcoming atmosphere and prides it’s self on good quality customer service and a ‘local pub’ feel. Christina Aguilera and Justin Timberlake were politely refused entry as they wanted a private area roped off with security in place to protect them, to which they were told they were welcome to come in but they couldn’t have a private area and would be treated like everyone else.
Trash Palace In October 2004, Popbarz Ltd opened it’s first Bar. Trash Palace was a two floored West End late Bar and club. Inspired by Supperclub in Amsterdam, it’s white colour changing walls downstairs were not a big hit and despite it’s popular red lounge upstairs the venue had mixed reviews and mixed success. In October 2007 the venue was redecorated giving downstairs a cosier kitsch 70’s feel. A new events calendar was added and the venue has become immensely popular with students and gay people who do not relate to the music and people in nearby soho gay bars. Celebrities spotted in Trash Palace include Kelly Osbourne, Patrick Wolf, Patricia Quinn (The Rocky Horror Picture Show), The Pet Shop Boys, Lady Sovereign and members of Girls Aloud.
Publishing In December 2006 popbarz ltd launched it’s own magazine called F*@K!(FK magazine). It was the first gay magazine aimed at an alternative market focusing solely on alternative and indie bands and clubs. It was the first gay magazine to be aimed at gay men and gay woman and one of the only gay publications not to take money or sponsorship from escorts and the sex film industry. It contains no sexual references and instead concentrates on music and underground culture. It’s cover stars have included Kate Nash, Cansei de Ser Sexy (CSS) and The Hoosiers.
Who’s Who In February 2008 Tommy was added to the Who’s Who list of Britain’s Business Elite. Tommy dedicated the entry (on page 320) ‘to Simon Hobart, beloved friend’.
