Dublin’s hot new rock, indie and pop club

The lovely Daragh invited Andrew and I to RIP opening night which was a blast last night. We started the evening with Conor and Michael at Front Lounge and PantiBar and despite them planning an early night they joined us for the fun at the old button factory in the heart of Temple Bar which was transformed for the evening into a riot of drag rock and indie pop. It’s Dublin’s newest alternative to the mainstream gay clubs and a very welcome change from the George.

There are to be more evenings planned in the future with the next being July 23rd. More info is available from RIP

There is also a blog with info at http://www.rockindiepop.com/blog or you can be added to the guest list via Facebook.

Find RIP on all the usual social networks including Facebook, QueerID.com and Twitter

Blast from the past

Last week I went to Earls Court which used to be the major stomping ground in London before Soho became gentrified and got more bars than brothels. I went for a drink at the Colherne. Okay so it’s not been the Colherne for ages and is now a trendy bar called the Pembroke but to me it will always be the Colherne. Then dinner at Balans West which seems to have stood the test of time. Then we went to Bromptons, again no longer Bromptons and now Infinity and definitely hasn’t stood the test of time!

Talking of blasts from the past, The Bridge (425 New Kings Road) has been foremost in my mind recently also for a few reasons. Including that one of the regulars who with his partner were dear friends has sadly passed. Another is I keep bumping into people who used to drink there. Oh and then of course there is Andy God – not his real surname but then there were a lot of Andy’s, Andrew’s and Drew’s in the place for some reason. Last night for the first time I discovered his surname!

So back then the internet wasn’t as slick as it is now and AOL still ruled the roost. It was mostly made up of home pages with spinning email icons. Pages basically like this one which is a resource page that time forgot!

Of the bars and dance clubs listed I think seven were owned by the same brewery and about half are now closed or open for other purposes 😉

  • 79 CXR 79 Charing Cross Road.
  • Bar Code 3/4 Archer.
  • Black Cap 171 Camden High Road.
  • The Bridge 425 New Kings Road. (Now a gastro pub)
  • Brief Encounter 42 St. Martin’s Lane.(now Bungalow 8)
  • Brompton’s Bar 294 Old Brompton Road. (now Infinity)
  • The Champion Bayswater Road at Ossington.(Now a gastro pub)
  • Club 180/Earls 180 Earls Court Road.(Now Wagamamas I think)
  • The Colherne 261 Old Brompton Road.(Now a gastro pub)
  • Comptons of Soho 53 Old Compton Road.
  • The Edge Bar/Cafe 11 Soho Square.
  • Halfway to Heaven 7 Duncannon.
  • Ku Bar 75 Charing Cross Road.
  • The Queens Head Tryon Street, Chelsea.
    About the nearest thing to a “traditional” pub in London’s gay scene.
  • Market Tavern 1 Nine Elms Lane.(Closed/Colloseum?)
  • Penny Farthing 133 King Street.(Now a gastro pub)
  • Trade 63B Clerkenwell Road.(Closed for redevelopment of site)
  • The Two Brewers 114 Clapham High Street.

The website owners say “Help us keep this listing up to the minute. Are there new places in your city? Have any places closed? Not quite up to par? Let us know! Send us an e-note” I may well just do that but where do I start?

Ten Four

Oh it’s been ages since I had a decent one of these…
Thanks to Spence for livening up my Monday morning!
Here are FOUR things you may not have known about me:

A: Four jobs I have had in my life:

1. Club Host at Heaven

2. Bar Manager

3. Licensee in Soho

4. Head of Training

B: Four movies I would watch over & over:

1. The Opposite of Sex

2. Thank you for Smoking

3. Twelve Monkeys

4. The Bourne Identity

C: Four places I’ve lived:

1. Blundellsands

2. Fitzrovia

3. Tilburg

4. Motspur Park

D: Four TV shows I love to watch:

1. Columbo

2. Law & Order (Special Victims Unit)

3. CSI (Any)

4. Oz

E: Four places I’ve been on holiday:

1. Sydney, Australia

2. Christchurch, New Zealand

3. Connecticut, USA

4. Singapore

F: Websites I visit daily: *

1. http://www.aol.co.uk

2. http://www.gmail.com

3. http://www.flickr.com

4. http://my.omniture.com

G: Four of my favorite foods:

1. Cherries

2. Beetroot

3. Bananas

4. Ramen

H: Four places I would rather be now:

1. Sydney

2. Wellington

3. A beach

4. Sydney (did I mention Sydney?)

* I can’t list all the work ones I visit as they are all confidential and/or behind a very good firewall.

Post Holiday Blues


love hearts

Originally uploaded by 8lettersuk.

Okay so I know there has been a lack of updates and I’ve been back in the UK for nearly a week. I haven’t even taken my travel dates of my gdar profile yet :o(

I have however addeed some of the holiday pics to flickr.
Including this one taken in Bangkok when Ian took me to a strip bar. They try to sugar coat the place with love hearts and the like but everyone knows it’s all about sex really. Sex by numbers in fact. Come in number 24, your time is up!