An eros event with Brandon Anthony
Reporting from the frontline of men getting naked and sweaty.
In the world of naked events, Brandon Anthony is a fairly recognisable name.
Based in Los Angeles, he regularly hosts events, retreats, and private sessions. His programme isn't just limited to LA - he's frequently travelling around the world, hosting events in every destination. He also creates explicit content for his fan-subscription platforms.
Which is how I ended up signing up to attend a Tuesday night Tantra Dance and Tantra Bate session that he was leading in London.
I haven't been following Brandon particularly closely over the years, but I knew of his work. Several people alerted me to his upcoming visit to London - suggesting that I should interview him for Naked Men Talking.
That was definitely my plan but I thought I should attend the event first - as it would give me a chance to meet him and also give us plenty to talk about.
These events aren't cheap. It was USD$100 for the full 2-hour session, or you could opt for just the Tantra Dance or just the Tantra Bate - priced at USD$60 each.
I haven't done a full audit of his finances, but - doing the maths in my head - I can see how the business model works.
At this London session, there were about 20 guys. A couple only attended for the Tantra Dance and a couple arrived just for the Tantra Bate. Everyone else was there for the full session.
I'd put the age-range at early-30s to early-70s. These were attractive guys - bringing a positive, open energy.
I'd met one of the guys previously through the events that I host, everyone else was new to me.
Brandon facilitated everything and he was accompanied by his partner, Ivan.
The short-story is that Brandon delivered exactly the kind of experience that was outlined in the event description. There was dancing, there was masturbating - everyone seemed to have a good time.
These photos - from Brandon's website - give a pretty accurate depiction of the vibe.
I thought I was in the right head-space to just go along and immerse myself in the experience, but it's clear that I probably wasn't.
I like dancing and I like masturbating - I had an okay time.
I wasn't being crippled by anxiety but I could feel myself deliberately keeping a distance from everyone else in the room. I was in my head and found myself thinking: "I don't want to do that" - which is completely the wrong energy to bring into an event such as this.
The event was held in an apartment that Brandon and Ivan had rented in the City - I'm guessing it was Airbnb or something like that. There was just enough space. There was no air-conditioning but there was a fan. It was a hot and sweaty event from the very beginning.
I couldn't stop myself from doing a bit of competitor analysis - what is he doing differently to me?
While I don't offer a Tantra Dance event, there's a lot of similarities in the work that we're doing. Probably the main difference is our personalities - Brandon is a self-proclaimed theatre-kid, he brings a very West Coast confidence to everything he does. I am an introvert who prefers to listen rather than talk.
The other key difference that I can see is that my focus is building community whereas Brandon's work seems more designed to build an audience. Both are valid objectives but the underlying intention shapes the engagement, interaction, and communication with attendees.
Even though I'm a bit frustrated with myself for the way that I engaged with the event, I'm really glad that I was able to experience Brandon's work first-hand.
Brandon will be back in London for another event in May of 2027.
Gareth Johnson