If you walk from the Old Steine, up the Grand Parade, the thing you’ll probably notice is the number of tents that have arrived in town; yep, you gotta love festival time. One of those tents is a Spiegeltent, there’s no denying that. We know spiegeltents are close to the heart of Brighton Fringe regulars, though this one, we should add, is different than the spiegeltent that visited the Brighton Festival in years past, although it is offering a similarly quirky, eclectic and pretty damn-fine mix of shows. This spiegeltent is The Parlure, and has spent the last few years touring the music festivals of the land, so both the tent and the people who run it are used to some festival madness. As the tent started to be erected on The Green next to St Peter’s Church we threw some questions in the general direction of the man in charge there, Malcolm Hayes, and here’s what he said.

ThreeWeeks: Tell us the history of The Parlure, and why you’ve decided to bring it to the Brighton Fringe this year.

Malcolm Hayes: The Parlure was born as The Pussy Parlure at Glastonbury Festival in 2005, where the idea was to create a venue that was both glamorous and fun and something a little out of the ordinary for the middle of a field. We received such a great response and enjoyed it so much that we continued to take the venue on to other music festivals and have now built-up a real following. The Brighton Fringe is really a natural progression from this.

TW: There was a bit of controversy about your usual name, Pussy Parlure, when you were first planning your Brighton venture. Were you surprised by that, and do you think it was really all good publicity in the end?

MH: The name is just a bit of fun (like the venue) and clearly tongue-in-cheek, so yes, we were a little surprised at the controversy it caused but all the same, it is only a name so we don’t mind the change. Either way, the aim is for people to come along and enjoy themselves, and the publicity received did help garner public support for our venue which is a very positive outcome.

TW: People seem to love spiegeltents at festivals. Why do you think that is?

MH: They are such decadent venues; it’s like stepping into a vaudeville fantasy. When you walk into a beautiful wooden tent decorated with mirrors, velvet, stained glass and carvings most people find it very hard to leave. You can’t help but be in awe of its splendor, and this combined with top entertainment from the finest UK and international acts, as we have lined-up at the Fringe this year, makes the atmosphere just brilliant.

TW: What is special about your spiegeltent? What kind of atmosphere do you try to create?

MH: We like to go the extra mile to create a warm, family-friendly and welcoming environment. Our lovely hand-picked bar staff visit the wardrobe mistress before their shift and dress in fabulous outfits. We have great entertainment, lovely house cocktails and for Brighton there will also be an abundance of walkabout characters in the garden. Our free-entry garden and bar provide a perfect spot to hang-out and relax. Open from noon daily, our bar has seven beers and two ciders on tap, and we have a café with BBQ for lunches and dinner. We’re all about making people feel relaxed and comfortable, and we love a bit of banter.

TW: How did you go about programming the venue for the Brighton Fringe?

MH: Our aim was to create a venue that provided entertainment for everyone. Jessica Magill [Malcolm’s co-promoter] and I both come from a music background so we always knew live bands and DJs would feature heavily, but we also felt it was important to combine local Brighton-based producers into the mix such as Ragroof Theatre, Le Coeur Rouge and Los Albertos. Added to with some Fringe favourites like Movin’ Melvin, top stand-up comedy and family entertainment from Cabaret Interstellar, who have specially created shows for us, we now have an eclectic line-up which we hope will suit all ages and tastes.

TW: You’ve programmed loads of our favourite bands and artists, has someone there been going through our record collection?

MH: Yes, we know where you live; you should throw out the dodgy Phil Collins collection.

TW: Have you got any tips for someone navigating your programme? What are you especially looking forward to?

MH: It’s really difficult to pick highlights because the programme is just so varied, it’s all down to individual taste. I would personally recommend Kitty, Daisy & Lewis, they played at The Pussy Parlure in Glastonbury last year and were fantastic; Hercules and Love Affair appear to have a huge buzz about them and will be playing live with a full horn section; Le Coeur Rouge will be stunning; and the UK Premiere of The Marilyn Monroe Show is very exciting too. We have some really great stand-up comedy names, Woody Bop Muddy is another personal favourite, Amy G (performing with Woody) is a terrific talent who has starred with La Clique and is coming over from New York especially. Also… well, I could carry on all day.

TW: Describe The Parlure in three words

MH: Glamorous, fun, exciting!