The doom-sayers have less cause to complain about the decline of Gayhood in London recently, what with Heaven (London’s self-proclaimed most famous gay club) hanging on and new nights popping up everywhere. Yes, popular indie discos Popstarz and Rebel Rebel have relocated but Girl’s Action at Ghetto promises great things and we are so in love with ‘polysexual’ club Dalston Supermarket at the moment. Of course every time one door (read: gay club) closes another one opens, and let’s face it, the latter will probably open later and sell you even cheaper Red Bull and vodka.
One of the most exciting developments in the past few years has been the advent of what has been dubbed London’s new ‘Gay Village’—the cluster of clubs, saunas and after-hours hangover incubators that have sprung up in Vauxhall. Now it’s possible, though still just as inadvisable, to party from Thursday through to Tuesday without stopping to reapply deodorant, or think about the consequences of what you’re doing—hooray. The small outcrop of gay and ‘polysexual’ nights in the East End, is still thriving, and offers another refreshing alternative to Soho for those in search of an aggressive fashion consciousness and a less cruisy atmosphere. This said, if you can handle bright lights, pop music, tight t-shirts and a lot of hair gel, you’ll still have massive amounts of fun around Soho and Old Compton Street, the traditional central London gay epicentre. This area is always buzzing, day and night, and is a great place to sit back and do some people watching as well as to go out and, y’know, go crazy.
For girls there is still room for improvement, with options fewer and less centralised, but The Minories’ new Girls’ night is a blast and the continuing women-only nights at Village and Element are cause for celebration. Many mixed and polysexual nights (such as Motherfucker at Barden’s Boudoir) also draw large female crowds, and though dedicated lesbian bars and clubs are few and far between, there is enough going on in the city to make any day of the week a possible night out.
www.dirtydirtydancing.com - Super-airbrushed photos from many of the trendier Soho and east London nights.
http://scene-out.com - Comprehensive mainstream scene guide.
www.gingerbeer.co.uk - Lesbian guide to London.
www.girlguidelondon.co.uk - Does what it says on the tin.
www.gmfa.org.uk - Gay men’s health charity.
www.patroc.com/london/clubs.html-Great source for upcoming gay events.
www.pinkdate.com - Speed dating events for gay men and women in central London.
The following are all free listings/scene magazines that can be found in most gay shops and venues (anywhere on Old Compton Street should have some copies lying around):
Boyz Magazine - Weekly scene news and listings, out Thursdays. www.boyz.co.uk
G3 Magazine - Lesbian scene, monthly. www.g3mag.co.uk
Out in the City Mag - Monthly London lifestyle magazine for gay men. www.outmag.co.uk
Qx Magazine - Gay men’s mag. www.qxmagazine.com
Gay’s the Word, 66 Marchmont Street, WC1N 1AB, 020 7278 7654, http://freespace.virgin.net/gays.theword/, The only dedicated Gay and Lesbian Bookshop in London, recently threatened by rising rent. Visit whilst it’s still there!
Prowler, 5–7 Brewer Street, W1F 0RF, 020 7734 4031, The ultimate gay men’s shop, stocking everything from (skimpy) clothes to sex toys plus mountains of lube, pornography, and the other usual suspects.
Sh! Women’s Erotic Emporium, 57 Hoxton Square N1 6PD, 020 7697 9072, http://www.sh-womenstore.com/, London’s only female-orientated sex shop, run by women, for women.
A comprehensive list of London clinics that offer same day HIV testing and PEP treatments for gay/bisexual men is available at www.gmfa.org.uk/londonservices/clinics. CLASH, below, is particularly recommended.
CLASH (Central London Action on Street Health), 11 Warwick Street, W1B 5NA, 020 7734 1794, Friday night clinic for gay men, with incredibly friendly staff who will offer comfort and advice. Same day (often instant) HIV testing, PEP treatment. Fridays, 5 - 8.30pm, call for an appointment.
Again, a more comprehensive list can be found at the GMFA website: www.gmfa.org.uk/londonservices/support-groups/index
Stonewall, Tower Building, York Road, SE1 7NX, www.stonewall.org.uk, Gay rights charity and lobbying group.
PACE Youthwork Service, 34 Hartham Road, N7 9LJ, 020 7700 1323, www.outzone.org, Support organization for gay and lesbian youths under 25. Organizes regular social events and offers one to one consultations with advisors: phone or visit the website to get involved.
London Friend, 86 Caledonian Road, N1 9DN, 020 7833 1674, www.londonfriend.org.uk, Voluntary organization which runs several helplines, group workshops and social events, as well as offering advice on reporting hate crime.
London Lesbian and Gay Switchboard, 0300 330 0630, www.llgs.org.uk, Counselling and information service.
Kairos in Soho, Unit 10, 10-11 Archer Street, W1D 7AZ, 020 7437 6063, www.kairosinsoho.org.uk, Gay and lesbian charity which organises a variety of recreational events to promote the health, well being and development of the LGBT community.
Naz Project London, Palingswick House, 241 King Street, W6 9LP, 020 8741 1879 www.naz.org.uk, Charity that organizes support and sexual health services for black and ethnic minority communities in London. Various services, including free one-on-one counselling and support groups are available, phone or check website for details.
GALOP, PO Box 32810, N1 3ZD, 020 7704 6767, www.galop.org.uk, Charity specialising in advice about reporting hate crime.
Pride London, www.pridelondon.org, Large pride festival, takes place every July.
GFEST – www.gaywisefestival.org.uk, London’s premier cross-arts festival, GFEST features a variety of established and new LBG&T artists. The festival promotes the queer arts scene while keeping LBGT human rights the underlying focus of proceedings.
London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, www.bfi.org.uk/llgff, Film festival at the BFI on South Bank, March–April.
London LGBT History Month, www.lgbthistorymonth.co.uk, Nationwide awareness month, with various talks and events staged in London, every February.
Soho:
79CXR, 79 Charing Cross Road, WC2H 0NE, 020 7734 0769, Dingy bar with middle aged crowd.
The Admiral Duncan, 54 Old Compton Street, W1D 4UB, 020 7437 5300
Barcode Soho, 3-4 Archer Street W1D 7AT, 020 7734 3342
Box, 32–34 Monmouth Street, WC2H 9HA, 020 7240 5828, Civilised bar and eatery.
Comptons, 53–57 Old Compton Street, W1D 6HN, 020 7479 7961, Crammed gay pub.
Duke of Wellington, 77 Wardour Street, W1D 6QA
The Edge, 11 Soho Square, W1D 3QF, 020 7439 1313
G-A-Y Bar, 30 Old Compton Street, W1D 5JX, 020 7494 2756, Poptastic bunker. Video walls and cheap drinks.
G-A-Y Late, 5 Goslett Yard, WC2H 0ER, 020 7734 9858, Cheap drinks and pop videos wipe out brain functions ‘til 3am.
Ghetto, Falconberg Court, W1D 3AB, 020 7287 3726, Loud electro at this busy gay club. Thursday is ladies night.
Halfway to Heaven, 7 Duncannon Street, WC2N 4JF, 020 7321 2791.
Heaven, Under the Arches, Villiers Street, WC2N 6NG, 020 7930 2020, Legendary gay club. An institution.
Ku Bar, 30 Lisle Street, WC2H 7BA, 020 7437 4303, Newly relocated bar for the young and clueless.
Kudos, 10 Adelaide Street, WC2N 4HZ, 020 7379 4573
Profile, 56–57 Frith Street, W1D 3JG, 020 7734 8300
Shadow Lounge, 5 Brewer Street, W1F, 020 7439 4089, Supposed to be a shi-shi cocktail lounge. Hmmmm.
Soho Revue Bar, 11 Walkers Court, Brewer Street, W1F 0ED, Cabaret acts followed by dancing ‘til late.
The Village, 81 Wardour Street, W1D 6QD, 020 7434 2124, Tacky, flirtatious bar spread across two floors.
Trash Palace, 11 Wardour Street, W1D 6PG, 020 7734 0522, Bratty queer indie bar.
North:
Cosmo Lounge, 43 Essex Road, N1 2SF, 020 7688 0051, Subdued bar, normally full of regulars.
Central Station, 37 Wharfdale Road, N1 9SD, 020 7278 3294. Pub/club with ominously blacked out windows.
The Green, 74 Upper Street N1 0NY, 0871 971 4097, Innocuous gay bar/restaurant frequented by many unsuspecting straight couples.
King Edward VI Pub, 25 Bromfield Street, N1 0PZ
The Black Cap, 171 Camden High Street, NW1 7JY, 020 7428 2721, Slightly crummy gay pub.
East:
Bistrotheque, 23–27 Wadeson Street, E2 9DR, Jonny Woo’s restaurant, great food and drag acts.
The Black Horse, 168 Mile End Road, E1 4LJ, 020 7790 1684
George and Dragon, 2 Hackney Road, E2 7NS, Small, atmospheric pub full of trendy boys and girls.
Joiners Arms, 116–118, Hackney Road, E2 7Q, Late opening free-for-all with a wonderfully mixed crowd. (‘til 2/3am most nights)
South:
Area, 67–68 Albert Embankment, SE1 7TP
Barcode Vauxhall, 69 Albert Embankment, 020 7582 4180
The Two Brewers, 114 Clapham High Street, SW4 7UJ, 020 7498 4971
Depot, 66 Albert Embankment, SE11 7TP, Sister club of Area, with a more cruisy vibe.
Fire, South Lambeth Road, SW8 1RT, 020 7434 1113, The quintessential Vauxhall club. Open pretty much forever, bulging muscles everywhere.
The Fort, 131 Grange Road, Bermondsey, SE1 3AL - Themed cruising/fetish/sex bar.
Kazbar Clapham, 50 Clapham High Street, SW4 7UL, 020 7622 0070
Little Apple Bar, 98 Kennington Lane, SE11 4XD Mixed/lesbian bar.
The Powder Monkey, 22 King William Walk, SE10 PHU, 020 8293 5928, thepowdermonkey.net
Royal Vauxhall Tavern, 372 Kennington Lane, SE11 5HY, 020 7820 1222
South Central, 349 Kennington Lane, SE11 5QY, 020 7793 0903
Substation South, 9 Brighton Terrace, SW9 8DJ, 020 7737 2095
XXL, 51–53 Southwark Street, SE1 1TE, www.fatsandsmalls.com, Busy bear club.
West:
Bromptons, 294 Old Brompton Road, SW5 9JF, 020 77370 1344
The Coleherne, 261 Old Brompton Road, SW5 9JA020 7244 5951
Club Motherfucker, second Saturdays @ Barden’s Boudoir, 38 Stoke Newington Road, Dalston, N16 7XJ, Polysexual band night. Sweaty, noisy, very much about the music.
Circus, Fridays @ Soho Revue Bar, 11 Walkers Court, Brewer Street, W1F 0ED, Drag Queen Jodie Harsh’s long running night attracts its fair share of celebrities from both on and off the scene. Get there early or be prepared to queue.
DTPM, www.myspace.com/dtpm, Legendary event, no longer with a fixed location. See site for details of upcoming parties.
For3ign, Saturdays @ Bar Music Hall, 134 Curtain Road, EC2A 3AR, 020 7613 5951, Outlandish costumes and, of course, thumping electro.
Horsemeat Disco, Sundays @ South Central, Italo and 70s Disco bring all sorts to this fantastic night, originally a bear love club.
Icon, Sundays @ Essence, 562a Mile End Road, E3 4PH, 0208 980 6427, mob 07843 440 443 (weekly), New night in the East End. Yet to prove itself.
Issue, monthly (check site for details) @ Electricity Showrooms, 39a Hoxton Square, N1 6NN, issueclub.blogspot.com. Polysexual parties to coincide with the launch of this scene/fashion magazine.
Matinee, monthly (check site) @ Fabric, 77a Charterhouse Street, EC1M 3HN, 020 7335 8898, www.matineelondon.com, Irregular gay night at this enormous club in Farringdon.
Popstarz, Fridays @ Sin, 144 Charing Cross Road, WC2H 0LB, 020 7240 1900, Gay indie institution, recently relocated.
Trailer Trash, Fridays @ On the Rocks, 25 Kingsland Road, E2 8AA, 020 7688 0339, The dirtiest electro and the drunkest you’ve ever been. Crammed with sweating fashionistas.
Wet Yourself, Sundays @ Aquarium, 256–264 Old Street, EC1V 9DD, 020 7251 6136, This used to be the place to be after Boombox. It’s lost only a little of its charm since (mixed polysexual crowd).
Blush Bar, 8 Cazenove Road, Stoke Newington N16, 020 7923 9202, www.blushbar.co.uk
Candy Bar, 23-24 Bateman Street, W1V 5HR, 020 7437 1977, The reluctant epicentre of the Lesbian scene in Soho.
First Out Café Bar, Soho - 52 St Giles High St, WC2H 8LH, 020 7240 8042, Cafe with nightly events. All girls on Friday.
Oak Bar, 79 Green Lanes, N16, www.oakbar.co.uk, 020 7354 2791,
The Star At Night, 22 Great Chapel Street, Soho, W1 8FR, 020 7434 3749, Mixed cocktail bar with a predominantly female crowd.
100% Babe, Bank Holiday Sundays @ The Roxy, 3 Rathbone Place, W1P 1DA, 020 7636 1598, Irregular party for fans of funky house, R&B, old skool and electropop.
Blue Light, last Saturdays @ Bar Med, Triton Court, 14 Finsbury Square, EC2, 020 7588 3056
Club Wotever, first Saturday of the month @ The Masters Club, 12 Denman Street, Piccadilly, W1D 7HH, 020 7734 4243, Draggy night with a large ‘King’ quota.
Code, irregular night @ the Enclave, 25–27 Brewer Street, W1F 0RR, www.club-code.net - check website for details.
Girls on Girls, Wednesdays @ Village, 81 Wardour Street, W1D 6QD, 020 7434 2124
Lounge, second Thursdays @ Vertigo, 1 Leicester Square, WC2H 7NA, 020 7734 0900, Relaxed cocktail night at this swish Leicester Square club.
Miss Shapes, Thursdays @ Ghetto, Falconberg Court, W1D 3AB, 020 7287 3726, Popular girls-only indie night.
Pink, Wednesdays @ Element, 4-5 Greek Street, W1D 4DD, 020 7434 3323.
Play, irregular night @ Bar Rumba, 35 Shaftesbury Ave, W1D 7EP, 020 7287 2715, www.myspace.com/_clubplay
Rumours, last Saturday of the month @ 64–73 Minories, EC3, 07949 477 804
Smack, irregular night @ various venues, check website, www.myspace.com/smackclub
Wish, first Saturdays @ Gramophone, 60–62 Commercial Street, E1 6LT, Style conscious night for young techno-heads and indie girls.
Women’s Anarchist Nuisance Cafe, Penultimate wednesdays @ the RampART Creative Centre and Social Space, Rampart St, Aldgate, E1 2LA, Social group and cooperative vegan women’s cafe.
Club Fukk, second Fridays @ Central Station, 37 Wharfdale Road, N1 9SD, 020 7278 3294, www.centralstation.co.uk or www.woteverworld.com/id12.html, Predominantly Lesbian fetish/play club. One of many sex/cruising nights at the venue – check site for details.
Chariots, www.gaysauna.co.uk, Popular chain of gay saunas, with branches at the following locations: Shoreditch: 1 Fairchild Street, EC2A 3NS, Waterloo: 101 Lower Marsh, SE1 7AB, 020 7401 8484, Limehouse: 574 Commercial Road, E14 7JD, 020 7791 2808, Streatham: 292 [rear of] Streatham High Road, SW16 6HG, 020 8696 0929, Farringdon: 57 Cowcross Street, EC1M 6BX, 020 7251 5553, Vauxhall: 63-64 Albert Embankment, SE1, 020 7247 5333
The Fort,131 Grange Road, Bermondsey, SE1 3AL, Themed cruising/fetish/sex bar.
Hard On, monthly @ Hidden, 100 Tinworth Street, SE11 5EQ, www.hardonclub.co.uk, Rubber and fetish sex club for gay and bisexual men and women.
The Hoist, Arch 47b & 47c, South Lambeth Road, SW8 1RH, 020 7735 9972, www.thehoist.co.uk, Fetish sex club with strict dress codes, check website for details.
Nudity, first Fridays @ Hidden, 100 Tinworth Street, SE11 5EQ, Nude men’s dance/play club.
Purrrr, 87 Fortess Road, Kentish Town NW5, www.purrrr.co.uk, Monthly S&M play club for Lesbians.