On May 2nd 2025, SUNKiSS held the Last Night of the Vampire in Corporation, Sheffield. It’s been over a week since the curtain fell, but I’m still absolutely buzzing! As someone who has never stepped foot in a club, to come into a space which I have for years found incredibly daunting and be met by such incredibly kind, fun and welcoming individuals made an already fantastic night even more special.
At 9pm, after the rose and rope decorations were put up, our lovely guests began to arrive. I was on scanning duty, shared with Tyler, and it meant I was the first to see all the lovely coords, cosplays and outfits that our attendees wore! Perhaps the most important thing I got to see as our guests entered was their choice of plushie. Prior to the event, a groupchat for our vampires and creatures of the night was created and an agreement to bring a plushie to enjoy the night with was formed. As an avid plushie fan, I was not disappointed by the selection – particularly the Identity V and Persona plushies! My hide plush and Edgar Valden café tsum tagged along with me, and eventually made an appearance to join what could only be described as a plushie headbanging circle!
Our talented DJ Kaoru from Visual-kei Night started off her set with artists VAMPIRE ROSE and Merry Go Round, which paired with the red lights got the vampiric vibe started. DJ Hollie from Nanashi Disco joined us later and started her set with RODEO from Dué le quartz and BREEDING by hide with Spread Beaver, a band which I hold close to my heart. 2025 marks the 60th anniversary of hide’s birth and May 2nd marks the anniversary of his passing. Celebrating his memorial with others who admire his legacy was a personal highlight. I made sure to give it my all when dancing to Pink Spider and Beauty & Stupid later on in the night, just for him.
However, the real showstoppers when it comes to dancing was the wonderful Hell Bunnies, who emerged from their burrows to join in on the party! When they weren’t mesmerising the crowd with their glowing whip, they were playing games with our guests and giving out prizes! The night was made all the more fun thanks to them!
Blood red pints, margaritas, as well as Blood and Orgasm bombs were served by Corp’s bar staff throughout the night, which complimented the theme well. Unfortunately, the menu was not what was previously envisioned, however we all made the best of it as much as we could.
That aside, I was a fan of the Orgasm bombs, though I can’t say my blouse’s princess sleeves were. Less than a minute after my co-worker Cole generously bought me one, I was knocking it on the floor like a gothic toddler. I’m pretty certain that was the first spillage of the night, so I can only apologise for that, Corp staff!
The night had many highlights, but my personal favourites were shooting off white confetti to Vanilla by Gackt, referencing one of his live performances (which I didn’t know about until the night – it was definitely an interesting watch…) and going around with Tyler’s Sebastian bunny plush and spanking the other plushies with the infamous yaoi paddle. Truly a sentence I never thought I would type, but one I am happy to both type and to have experienced in person.
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and at 3am, the final few tracks were played. Our lovely vampires retreated into the morning to hide away once more. By the time I got home, the hours of dancing in platform Mary Janes finally hit me. It took a few days for the feeling to fade, but I wouldn’t have traded it for the world. The Last Night of the Vampire was a special event for me, a night of many firsts. It was my first night in a club, my first time meeting all my SUNKiSS co-workers and my first time meeting so many people who share the same kind of interests as me. It could have been a very scary situation for an absolute bag of nerves like me, but it was the opposite. The collaboration of brilliant people made this event possible and created an environment that allowed everyone to be their authentic selves.
I want to thank everyone who came for dancing, laughing and joining SUNKiSS to mark this special occasion and for making such a welcoming space. I especially want to thank my boss Tyler, my co-workers Cole, Helen and Dulce, as well as Kaoru and Hollie, the Hell Bunnies and Corporation. Everyone worked so hard to make this night a reality, and I am so thankful I got to be a part of it.
The vampires may have gone in to hiding, but my mischievous doll Melodie outright refused to retreat back into the shadows or be scorched by the sun. This was just the beginning. There’s still so many cards left to play…
[To see the full set played at the night, click here!]
