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When I went to BondCon 2004 in Las Vegas earlier this year, I attended the play-party on Friday, January 9. It was hosted by several folks, but it was the Severe Society who captured my imagination attention. The combination of crafted showmanship and energy galore created the sweetest blend of pleasure and pain.
Eros Guide: You are touted as an LA-based performance art troupe who specializes in BDSM shows - would you say that's an accurate classification? Or would you prefer to go into further depth? Sir Nik: I'd say that's a pretty accurate statement. We pride ourselves in creating a high-energy show that demands some level of audience participation, even if it's just their energy. We bring BDSM out of badly-lit rooms and make something fun and astonishing with this part of sexuality that is so often misunderstood. EG: How did the Society initially get pulled together? SN: I was involved in a group called Cinematic - a guy who had a performance oriented club dungeon in Hawaii. He wanted to do something similar here (in LA). I created the Severe Society and started pulling together some really phenomenal people and the rest - as they say - is history. EG: You have a crew of about 10 members. How constant are they? SN: We're truly fortunate with the caliber of people who've decided to associate with us. Some stay, some move on to try other things - we wish them well, but the core of the group is essentially the same.
SN: Well, actually, I met some of them during shows at the Dungeon, and saw what they were capable of. I saw something special there, and it all kind of came together. Each person brings their own different energy to the mix, and it only serves to heighten what we can do and how we can make you feel at a show. This is a dedicated crew, all of whom are highly skilled and proficient - caning, whipping, suspension, and more. Some started off as submissives and now work as switches; some started off as submissives and are now Dommes. That's probably the hardest part - I teach these women how to be great pro-Dommes, and then it's no more submissives for me! EG: Are they only involved with the crew, or does each do shows/sessions on their own? SN: I think that's up to them. There are some who session on the side, but performance wise, I think we're all in it together. EG: Tell me about some of your past performances that really stand out in your mind. SN: Oh, I was working a show Midori was at, and there were so many people. Midori has such high standards, so I kept thinking to myself, "Careful, do it right, she's watching." In the end she loved it. There were times I've been in shows for 1500 that really blow me away, mainly because of the energy of the crowd. EG: You don't look old enough for 20 years experience. Is that true, or is that for promotion purposes?
EG: You said on your website that BondCon was trial by fire. How come? SN: Well, regardless of how much experience my troupe and I have individually, our group is only 6 months old. It was a fantastic experience - it opened a lot of doors for the team and for members singly. It brought a lot of great people to us. And the experience was good socially, both to see so many people I haven't seen in so long, and to meet so many new ones. EG: So where was the "fire" part? SN: Well, my specialty is single-tails (a kind of whip), and they pretty much said, you're Dungeon Monitors for this party, and we can't have single-tails. And I was like [makes agonized face], okay, how about bullwhipping? Again, no…so, it was interesting, we had to improvise, but it seemed to turn out well. We got a lot of compliments about that party. EG: What do you feel your position is in the world of art, performance and BDSM? SN: This troupe is the first of its kind. I feel like we're Louis and Clark in a way, clearing the road for the kinks and the pervs to move into the world and bring it to the people; people who may not understand but hopefully after a performance session they can ask many questions of any member to see what their experience was, and enlightenment comes one welt at a time. EG: God, that's a good line. SN: It is, isn't it? EG: You're quite - forgive me - androgynous in your shows. SN: Oh yeah! My idols are Prince, Bowie, and Manson. I love the way they play with the ideas of androgyny. I love wearing platform boots and just tweaking people's minds. Androgyny doesn't mean weak - there's no part of the definition of that word where it means "weak". And I don't portray that at all. Some drunk wants to come up to me when I'm in platform boots and leather pants and take a swipe at me, I'm sure the boots would come out on top. It's another way to tweak the ignorant, and yet soothe the side of me that just LIKES to look like that.
SN: Oh, we're always interested in shows. It's all about the energy, and sometimes more intimate moments are at smaller venues. As far as how far? Not sure - you'd have to ask the business fellow about that. I guess you'd contact him for [chokes on the word] reservations. EG: The business fellow? SN: handles all those kinds of things. EG: I was honored to see some of his suspension work - quite inspiring, and yet lovely - almost delicate in a way. SN: Yeah, he's talented. EG: We know that you're involved with BDSM publicly and professionally - is it something you're also involved in privately? SN: Oh, definitely. I have been for a very long time and continue to practice it in my personal life. There's a person in my life who gives me the opportunity to explore all kinds of worlds of fantasy and fulfillment. EG:: How enigmatic. At any rate, what's your personal favorite kink? SN: Oh definitely it would be bullwhipping and single-tailing. And spanking. I just love that energy. EG: What's the oddest thing you've ever done?
EG: What is it about performing that does it for you? SN: Definitely it's the crowd's energy, and depending on the submissive I'm working with, it's that connection and the connection to a hundred or a thousand sets of eyes. There's nothing else like it. EG: One of the venues where you work is a bar/club - do you ever deal with drunks? SN: Oh yeah. Some drunken jerk yelling "HIT HER HARDER" usually ends up with Mistress Erzsebet's boot in his throat. You're going to deal with people who just don't understand the dynamics and the deeper meaning, and only see the actions. It's one of the things we're trying to do - educate people about the deeper meaning. EG: What's next for you? SN: Well, we have our weekend shows at Dungeon here in LA and coming up, well, the sky's the limit. We'll see what the gods of performing and BDSM have in store for us. I am sure it'll be a wild ride. Check our online calendar for more definite dates - it's updated regularly. EG: Excellent! I hope to catch a show again soon. To my readers, I cannot recommend visiting or participating in a performance by this troupe highly enough. If you find yourself in a position to see them do what they do best, get your subbie/switchie/dommie self down to see this group perform. And yes - sometimes they will use members of the audience. You lucky wretches. Tell them Alexia sent you with a wink and a kiss… Photos by Judy Cortes and courtesy of severesociety.com. Title photo: Sir Nik
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