AU PAIRS – PLAYING WITH A DIFFERENT SEX

13.00-14.00

In 2024 we had a Polyphonic Record Bar where we played a series of records that tied into our artistic philosophies. This year we are having another record bar, but this time we are playing further on our ghost gig idea. For ghost gigs we source the recording of an artists’ performance at one of our venues, then replay this, on the day it took place, and in the space where it originally took place. Whilst we have sourced many superb recordings such as New Order, Shelagh McDonald and Fleetwood Mac and staged these as ghost gigs, for many of the artists that have appeared we do not, as yet, have a recording of their performance.

So in the absence of a live recording, to mark the performance we play instead a key album recorded by the artist,  as far as possible on the day the artist originally performed in one of our venues. However, rather than doing this in the space the performance took place, these playbacks will instead  take place in our Go To space and, of course, at lunchtime to disrupt your day with culture. These events are introduced by one of the Artistic Directors or a special guest. Our first one of these was The Stone Roses on 12 November 2026

Au Pairs played the University (then the Polytechnic of Central London) on 7 December 1979.

No recording of this exists. Their classic post-punk album ‘Playing with a Different Sex’  is played to commemorate the performance, on the anniversary of their appearance.