IT training QX magazine TruePDF 20 march 2019

clubs t bars t cabaret t life

No 1254 20 March 2019

RYNBHB[JOFDPN
t
RYHBZMPOEPO

Remembering
Studio 54
I just wanna go back,
back to 1979…

Sex Circus
It's back in town and
it's bigger than ever!

+

Your
guide to
London's
hottest
queer
events


The

Informer.

Free Squirt Flip Flops at Pleasuredrome
Pleasuredrome is celebrating

their rewards app by giving
away free flip flops. They’ve
paired up with the Stamp Me
app, where you can tap in and
collect loyalty points every
time you visit. Get yourself 10
Stamps and you can get 1 free
entry into the facility. The first
500 guys to head over and
stamp can get themselves a
free pair of Squirt flip flops,
with the offer coming to an
end on the 31st of March. The
award-winning gay spa is open
24 hours of the day, every
day of the week, welcoming
over 15,000 men through
their doors each month. Their state of the art facilities include deluxe pods, a
cinema, tanning booths and London’s largest men only spa pool. For more
information visit www.pleasuredrome.com.

George Michael art collection sold
for more than £10 million
Gay British pop icon George Michael’s
vast collection of queer art went on auction
at the world-renowned Christie’s Auction
House this past week. A total of 61 pieces
were up for auction, with artwork by Tracey
Emin and Damien Hirst in the mix, which
was auctioned off on Thursday 14th March.

The catalogue sold for £9,264,000, with
another 100 works selling online for over
£1 million in a sale that ended on the
15th of March. The biggest ticket item was
Hirst’s The Incomplete Truth which sold
for £911,250, featuring a dove encased in
formaldehyde. The proceeds raised will be
going to charitable causes which the star
supported before his sudden passing on
Christmas Day, 2016 at the age of just 53.

Archbishop of
Canterbury bans
same-sex spouses from
Anglican Conference

qxmagazine.com

Editor
Dylan B Jones

Editorial Assistant
Ifan Llewelyn


Outrage has been sparked within the
LGBT+ faith community this week as the
Archbishop of Canterbury has decided
to ban same-sex partners from attending
the Anglican Church’s 2020 Lambeth

Conference. The event sees bishops from
around the world meet to discuss issues
within the church. Reverend Kevin Robertson
was told personally by Archbishop Justin
Welby in January that his husband Mohan
Sharma would not be invited to attend the
meeting. The decision was made following
fears around a boycott from African bishops
over openly gay members attending. The
church is seeing an increasingly contentious
split between the liberal Western churches
who embrace LGBT+ people, and African
churches who do not. Bishop Michael Curry
who delivered a memorable sermon about
the power of love at the wedding of Prince
Harry and Meghan Markle has voiced
concerns about Welby’s decision, sharing
that he wishes that his Episcopal Church
would “like it to be reconsidered”.

Gay US Presidential Candidate
meets goal to participate in
Primary debates
In the run up to the 2020 US presidential election, several
politicians have announced that they plan on running to take
office. The first step towards the White House is at the DNC
Primary where candidates plead their case to get their place
on the ballot. It is expected that not all of those who have
announced their run will make it to the Primary debates. Openly
gay Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg has reached the 65,000 donor

goal needed to qualify making him the only LGBT+ Democratic
candidate running so far, and the first openly gay presidential
candidate to participate. A Rhodes scholar and a war veteran, at
37 he is also the youngest candidate running. He will be facing
off against Kamala Harris, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren
in the coming year.

2
qxmagazine.com

@qxmagazine

New Business Sales Executive
Steve Gregory
020 7240 0055

Senior Designer
Janne Öijer

Designer
Suren Gunpath

Classifieds
020 7240 0055
classifi
Director
Chris Colman
020 7240 0055

Distribution /

M.R.DISTRIBUTION
Printers / Acorn
Published by
Firststar Ltd. New House,
67-68 Hatton Garden,
London EC1N 8JY
Cover: Matt Spike

© Copyright in the UK and worldwide,
of the publishers Firststar Limited, Qx
(ISSN 1356-6903). QX is published
every Wednesday. Deadline for editorial
and display advertisement inclusion is
Thursday, six days before the relevant issue
cover date. Sorry, but we cannot be held
responsible for any unsolicited manuscripts,
illustrations or photographs. Inclusion in our
images, is no indicator of sexual preference.



UPS

AND

DOWNS

t h at a r e s hi t
s
ng

hi
t
nd
a
d
o
o
g
e
r
a
at
h
T he Q X gu id e t o t hi ng s t

GOING
down

Ups & Downs

GOING

UP

We’re back! Surprise bitch!

Not calling white
people terrorists
If they shoot people, they’re terrorists

Cottage cheese

Polenta

HORRIBLE

A bit wanky, but we like it

Mena Massoud

Wind

He’s playing Aladdin in Disney’s latest
cash cow meaningless remake, and
we are ON BOARD

Windy weather is SO ANNOYING

Scaffolding
Aladdin Porn

Dangerous and ugly!

It’s a thing, Google it

Billie Eilish
She’s gonna be the next Dua
Lipa, we’re calling it now.

Our government

Honestly what a fucking mess.
Beyond a joke

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Seconds with…

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69

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Hey Guys! Describe yourself
in three gorgeous words.

MF: On our website, the three
words we used to describe Mr
and Mr Ford are Provocation.
Deviation. Masturbation. But
that’s purely in our spare time
and not a reflection of our
business!
JF: Someone once described
us – as Sohocialites. But it’s only
one word.
MF: But it does say a lot about
us…
What are you most guilty
of?
JF: We don’t believe in guilt or
innocence.
MF: Only experiences.
Shag, marry, avoid; Boris
Johnson, Nigel Farage,
Jeremy Clarkson
JF: I’d shag Boris, but I’m not
into scat...
MF: I would happily marry Nigel
Farage…..to Theresa May.
JF: Jeremy Clarkson. I don’t
drive – already avoided.

Photo: Matt Pike

Mark &

Jason Ford

What’s the fabbest thing
that’s ever happened to
you?
JF: Drinking Cristal with Jerry
Hall and my idol, Grace Jones
in her trailer.
MF: Celebrating Halloween in
West Hollywood with Graham
Norton and buying a (terrible!)
JPG jacket because he thought
it looked ‘fab’ on me.
You own a certain business
some people might be
familiar with…tell us a little
about it?
JF: SweatBox is the most fun you
can have in Soho without your
clothes on.
MF: Am I allowed to mention
the Boyz Awards?
What’s the best Sweatbox
story you’ve got?
JF: We’re keeping that for our
memoirs.
MF: Film rights available by
negotiation. We were
thinking of
calling it The

Ins and Outs of
Shaking it All
About.

Were there any stumbling
blocks during the refurb
process?
JF: The interview said 69
seconds…
MF: And we had 99 Problems
(but you bitches ain’t one). But
it’s all behind us now. We’re
back in two weeks’ time on April
1st at 4pm.
What can people expect
from the shiny new
Sweatbox?
MF: Everything they loved about
the old SweatBox, but cleaner,
bigger, and much better
designed.
JF: More campness, more
playfulness and twice as much
sexiness.
MF: And we have a stage now,
so we are going to bring back
cabaret to bathhouse culture.
JF: Think Bette Midler and Barry
Manilow on keyboards and sexy
hunks in towels.

FINALLY - what time do you
get off work?
JF: We run the busiest 24 hr
sauna in London: we never
finish working.

Find out more at www.sweatboxsoho.com
and www.mrandmrford.com.
Sweatbox reopens at 4pm on 1st April.

6
qxmagazine.com



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So you arrive in NY what year?
January of 1977 - I had just turned 17. I
moved for NYU.
How were those first few days after
landing?
They were fabulous. I was too stupid and
young to be nervous about anything. I was
anxious to get out into the world and I don’t
think I said the sentence “I’m gay” until I
moved to New York City. That was part of it
because I wanted to claim my identity.
Was there a community there waiting
for you?
It was very apparent; I didn’t have to go
looking for it. Right away I got a job at
an ice cream parlour restaurant. We sold
hamburgers and hot dogs, right in the
village across the street from a store called
Reminiscence. At the time it was the trendiest
shop in New York City. There would be a
line around the block to get into the shop. I
became friendly with the people who worked
in there and they took me to Studio 54. I went
out to discos all the time. I went out two or

three nights a week. I had my classes, I had
my part-time job, and I still managed to go
out dancing two or three nights a week, and

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you’d stay out until 5 or 6 in the morning
somehow when you’re 17 years old. By the
way, completely illegal for me to be in them.
I didn’t drink, and I still don’t really drink. It
doesn’t mean that I didn’t do other things. I
did recreational drugs, but didn’t drink.
So back then, did it have that
reputation? Did everyone know about
Studio 54?
By the time I got there, yes. It opened in
1977, I think. From the time I got there the
first time, I became a regular and went every
Thursday and every Saturday for probably
eight months. Before I went I had heard of it.
The minute it opened it was a known thing there were crowds outside trying to get in. I
don’t know of any place that does it today the
way that they did it then. There wasn’t a line to
get in, there’d be a mob. Marc Benecke was
the doorman. He would come out and point
at people and say “YOU”, and you’d have to
force your way through the crowd. Sometimes
he’d split people up. I was a regular and I
never had to wait, but I used to go with my

friend Philip, and once we brought a friend of
his who was visiting and he wouldn’t let the
friend in. If you weren’t let in immediately you

were never going to be let in. You could wait
there until hell froze over. If you didn’t walk
up and you weren’t ushered in, waiting wasn’t
going to do you any good. Nowadays it’s a
lot more democratic. For Studio 54 they were
putting a crowd together that they thought
would make a good night in their club.
How did one get into Studio 54?
You got into Studio 54 because you were
one of several things: You were either very,
very physically beautiful by the generally
accepted standards in the culture - more
men than women. It pretty much meant
young and beautiful, if you were very
famous, or if you were very creative. I
don’t really think that being rich got you in,
unless you were so rich that you were also
famous for being rich. I was not particularly
beautiful, I was certainly not famous, but I
was very creative. Philip was very beautiful,
but as a pair I was the creative one and he
was the beautiful one. I remember going to
studio 54 with Phil and he was wearing red
corduroys and a white t-shirt and I would
have to wear a twister board with the centre
hole cut out with my head stuck through it,

and the spinner as a hat.


“It was
like be
ing

Your first time ever stepping through
those doors was with these friends
from the boutique. How did that night
play out?
You always got to Studio 54 around 11:30pm.
I knew that they were regulars already, Tim
and Jim. That was their names. One was
white and from the south, the other was black,
and they were both exquisite looking people,
and without trying at all they could just look
like models. I adored them. I was like a kid,
they were much more sophisticated than me.
I was in awe of them. That they allowed me to
come with them was a big boost to my ego.
Walking in, what do you see?
You would elbow your way through the
crowd, then walk into a vestibule where
you paid. Halfway up the stairs there were
lounge areas with sofas outside where
people had sex. It was the first place I ever
had any sexual activity with another human
being. Nobody cared, you just walk past.
Then you walk up to the ‘dress circle’ and

the seats had all been ripped out, replaced
by mattresses. People sat up there and did
drugs, and people laid up there and had sex
quite out in the open, and nobody noticed
or cared. It was like being in an artfully lit
Sodom and Gomorrah. The staff were all
male, they all wore gym shorts and had
fantastic bodies. There was a VIP downstairs
area that I knew existed, but I never went
because I wasn’t VIP enough.
So every Saturday Night and Thursday
Night…
Generally. Unless there was an event or a
holiday. If it was Valentines Day you’d go to
Studio 54. One year the whole lounge area
had been completely covered in those candymessage hearts, which looked fun but was very
messy. I was there the night that Bianca Jagger
was led in on a horse, and I was there that
Diana Ross sang sitting on the ledge of the DJ
booth, which was suspended over the dance
floor so she could have plunged to her death.
You’re just dancing on the dance floor
an in walks a horse?
Yes. In walks a horse. People weren’t
confused. People knew who Bianca Jagger
was, it might have been her birthday. You
saw many surprising things at Studio 54. The
horse didn’t phase anyone. It was just like

in an a

rtfully
lit Sodo
m and
Cinderella. There I was - 17 living in a dorm
- and I’d be dancing and sharing a drink
with Liza Minelli and Rod Stewart and Andy
Warhol, and I’d leave at 5 in the morning, and
would walk to the subway, sometimes through
the snow in my jazz shoes - my feet would be
so cold and wet - and go back to my dorm.
Quite the double life.
Who else did you know there?
Aside from the regular celebrities, there were
Studio 54 celebrities. There was Rollerena,
and Kevin and Arthur. The rumour was that
Rollerena was a very important stockbroker
with a seat on the New York Stock Exchange,
in his 40s, and he dressed in pale cream
Scarlet O’Hara-esque antebellum drag, and
wore roller-skates, and a wig, and rhinestoned
bejewelled glasses. I also remember him
having a Mardi Gras mask on a stick
occasionally. Then Kevin and Arthur; Arthur
was bald as an egg, and Kevin had a long
face. Neither of them wore wigs, but they
dressed in period drag. They’d turn up in
glamorous Escada gowns like they were going
to the Oscars. That doesn’t sound like such an
event today, but that was 1977. The first time
you saw it, it was quite an unusual thing to

see. Then there was Disco Sally who appeared
to be in her late-80s, certainly the oldest one
in the room, and she seemed to be there
every night. Towards the tail end of Studio 54,
I remember people with disabilities being led
in, in a way that was quite nauseating, as if
they were a novelty.
What would you say was the most
depraved thing you witnessed at
Studio 54?
I didn’t think any of it was depraved. You
saw men having sex in trios and duos. You
didn’t see many lesbians. You saw a lot of
heterosexual sex, as much as gay sex because
it wasn’t a gay disco. It was completely
libidinous and hedonistic. The idea was let’s
put people the management thought were
fabulous in a room, let’s make sure they were
doing drugs so they’d lose their inhibitions.
You’d see group sex sometimes, but never
more than three or four. This is very shortly
after the birth of sexual liberation - women
hadn’t had the pill for very long, gay rights
had just started to be a thing we were fighting
for. The Stonewall rights were ten years later,

Gomor
rah.”

but culturally that’s the blink of an eye. This

was an explosion of sexual freedom. That’s
also why it ended.
You stopped going after eight months.
Was it you that ended with it, or it that
ended with you?
When Steve Rubell (the owner) was arrested
for tax fraud, it closed for a few nights and
then it re-opened, but it wasn’t the same.
There was a big welcome back party for
him, but shortly after that it closed. The
spirit shifted when Steve was arrested, but
it really shifted because of AIDS. All of New
York nightlife slowly shut down and never
recovered.
And the very last time you headed over
to Studio 54...
I don’t remember, which is very sad. I
probably didn’t know it was the last time. It
would’ve been nice to be able to cement the
moments in my memory a little more. People
were trying to keep New York nightlife going,
but by then people had started dying. Philip
died in 1982, so even though it wasn’t even
called AIDS, there was something killing gay
men by 1980. The spirit of New York changed
very drastically, very quickly. The fights over
promiscuity took over.
The studio has garnered a folkloric
reputation. Would you say it lives up to
the lore?

One hundred per cent. Completely deserved.
It was a fantastic experience, and I feel very
lucky that I got there in time to be a part
of it. A bad night at Studio 54 would be a
spectacular night anywhere else. It deserved
its reputation, a spectacular fall of the Roman
Empire kind of place.
Would you say that a place like Studio
54 could exist today?
No, for a couple of reasons. One would be
the joy of that sexual explosion that only
happens when it’s new. Now we’ve been
through so much sexually as a culture that it
wouldn’t happen. Also we’re more evolved,
beauty is still the planet’s most valuable
currency, but we’re not supposed to admit
that. We would never have a club that only
allowed beautiful in. We wouldn’t support it
as a culture. Everybody hated the people that
went to Studio 54, resented it terribly and
EVERYBODY wanted to be one of them.

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QX meets…

ADAM TURNER
The British DJ and

radio presenter talks
music and lyrics!

Hey Adam! Tell us a bit about yourself.
I’m a DJ, producer and radio presenter from London. I played my first gig
on the scene about eight years ago at little old Circa Bar in Soho… and
have somehow managed to keep it together since then! I’ve spent the last
few years remixing artists like Robbie Williams, Paloma Faith, Years & Years
and others and travelling the world DJing.
What’s your radio show all about?
TURNED:ON is all about brand new dance music. I guess it’s a place
where people can be introduced to new sounds and artists, and skip all the
classic/older music that a lot of radio seems to put out. I was always that
kid who grabbed the aux lead at a party and tried to play new music off
my iPod to people (they would often just look at me with a blank expression
as I flipped Madonna off and put some kind of Drum & Bass on), so I kind
of just do the same thing now - it’s just that party is a radio show around
the world, and I get less blank expressions (I think). I’m really proud that
TURNED:ON is about to celebrate its 250th show - nearly five whole years
of sourcing music, mixing, producing and presenting it every single week
without ever missing one!
People are loving radio and podcasts and stuff at the moment –
why do you think that is?
There are many places in 2019 where an algorithm can tell you what
music you should like or should listen to based on your listening history
on an app. But the one thing you can’t get with an algorithm is company,
companionship and interaction with a presenter. The majority of radio
is listened to by people on their own - in their car, at the gym, at home,

10

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on their way to work, at their desk at work - and I think people enjoy
feeling like they aren’t on their own and that they are going through the
‘experience’ with someone else. With TURNED:ON that ‘experience’ is
discovering new music together. I think we live in an increasingly isolated
world with social media and the internet whilst perhaps not actively
realising it - so to have interaction with another human, even if it’s just their
voice, is kind of refreshing.
Do you think there are enough LGBT voices in music and radio?
In terms of radio, I think the fact that one of the biggest radio stations in the
world, BBC Radio 1, has two openly gay presenters in their daytime schedule
speaks volumes as to how far radio has come. With the explosion of digital
and internet radio, there are also now many LGBTQ+ dedicated stations
around the world focusing on issues and topics relative to the community
- which is amazing. Music wise, I’d love to see more LGBTQ+ artists away
from the mainstream - in Grime or Hip Hop for instance or even the smaller
corners of dance music, which can all be very straight/male dominated.
Finally…where can we listen to you?
TURNED:ON is syndicated as a radio show on 20+ stations around the
world between Thursday and Sunday every week - so quite a few places!
The main broadcaster in the UK is Gaydio, every Saturday night from
10pm-11pm. It’s also available to download every week from Sunday
morning as a podcast - just search for TURNED:ON in the iTunes podcasts
sections, or on Podomatic.com.
For more info on Adam, head to adamturnermusic.co.uk



CL UB

NE W S

For our Musts & Maybes listings, see pages 36-40
or visit the What’s On section at www.qxmagazine.com

BRÜT
Friday 22nd of March

Non Binary Cabaret
Friday 22nd of March
With a big middle finger to that pesky gender binary, these performers are
here to celebrate the rollercoaster ride that is the gender spectrum. Curated
by Sit Down Cabaret, this Non Binary Cabaret is home to queer performance
art and cabaret, where norms are left at the door. Embracing the menagerie
of gender, sexuality and love that the world has to offer, these folks are
pushing cultural boundaries and diving headlong into the tide of gender
expression. Nestle yourself into the intimate Glory Basement and watch living
history unfold. Host Ingo Cando will be your master of ceremonies for this
ceremonial disembowelment of stereotypes and social expectations. Grab
your sock-stuffed crotch, glitter those brows and slip into those heeled hightops. It’s time to explore the gender spectrum.
The Glory, 281 Kingsland Road, Haggerston E2 8AS.
Doors 7:30pm, show 8pm. Tickets £8, OTD £24.

Theresa May being truly fucked
over in Parliament? That’s
brutal. Being truly fucked in a
leather swing? That’s BRÜT!
Bringing you the capital’s
biggest beefcakes all in one

rip-raw party, where leather
harnesses and budging hairy
chests are the ‘it’ accessories for
this spring season. A typical club
night sees maybe one or two of
these huge beefcakes dominating
the dance floor, but at Brüt the entire
dance floor is packed with man meat, and
the domination happens over in the
dark room. The great thing about this
Friday night frolic is that you don’t
have to sort that awkward ‘your
place or mine’ discussion; the
only place you need are the
dark corners of Bloc South.
Bloc South, 65 Albert
Embankment, SE1 7TP.
10pm – 5am.
£5 before midnight with QX
ad/screenshot, £10 after.

Soul On Saturday 1st Birthday
Saturday 23rd of March
Can you believe it’s been a WHOLE YEAR of Soulful Saturdays over
at Eagle? It feels like only yesterday we were shaking our cabooses to
some Aretha mix at the launch. In celebration, they’re cranking up the
gear to bring you an even more banging dose of soul jams and RnB
hits. Serving up the best in the genre will be certified beefcake Terry
T-Rex who always delivers, and guest resident Jeanie Crystal will have
you bouncing to those throwback beats. To mark the occasion selected

drinks are 2 for 1 until 11 pm, so be sure to get lubed up in liquor
before the party really pops off! Host Roy Inc. is on hand should you
be in need of a soul sister. These days it feels like we all need saving,
and the one place sure to offer up our salvation is Soul On Saturday!

Eurofest
Friday 22nd of March
Remember when hearing the word ‘Europe’ didn’t make you feel
inconsolably exhausted? Well, turn back the clock to a pre-Brexit world
where Europe meant kitschy pop and sequined outfits! Eurofest is
powering on and bringing a heavy dose of Euro-pride back to the RVT.
This week they’re teaming up with Manchester’s Boom Bang a Bang to
bring you the UK’s biggest Eurovision preview vote. They’ll be blasting
out this year’s competing songs so that you know who you’re rooting
for at this year’s Eurovision. You may not have managed to book your
tickets over to Tel Aviv for the real thing, Eurofest is sure to be the next
best thing. PLUS they’ll be welcoming to the velvet-curtained stage
Macedonian pop sensation EYE CUE!, who competed last year with
their hit Lost and Found. They’ll be performing a set jam-packed with
Eurovision bangers. Get yourself some schlager you shlag!
The Royal Vauxhall Tavern, 372 Kennington Lane, Vauxhall SE11 5HY.
7pm – 3am. Doors 7pm, show 7:45pm. Advanced tickets £6.50,
£8 after 10:30pm.

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Eagle London, 349 Kennington lane, Vauxhall SE11 5QY.
9pm – 4am. Free before 10pm, £6 after.

BEYOND

Trough

Saturday 23rd of March

Saturday 23rd March

There comes a point in your Saturday
night when you’re slowly writing off
whatever you had planned for Sunday.
Once you’ve written it all off there’s
nothing stopping you from going FULL
THROTTLE. But where to head when
all the clubs have closed at 4? It’s
time to head BEYOND your average
clubbing experience. It’s time to take it
to the next level. Bringing in that killer
Tech and House combo are the folks at
Beyond, who somehow make staying
out until midday a good idea. When
all logic says “No, go to bed’’, Beyond
says “Buy yourself another drink and
dance up against that muscle hunk
who’s been making eyes at you’’. It’s
the irresistible night of high-octane
clubbing that makes staying out all
night a weekly endeavour.

London’s most stylish naughty night is
back. This time they’re taking over Bloc
South for an evening of debauched revelry,
all set to some killer tech beats. They
always deliver on a teaming dance floor
that’s jam-packed with grizzled muscle.
Delivering on the night’s dark beats are
DJs Tony Bruno, James Baillie, and Two
Kinds of Evil. Take a daring turn into the
dark room and you won’t be disappointed,
have a grope of a few grizzled pecks
and bulging abdominals. They’re really
not picky when it comes to dress code,
operating a ‘less is more’ approach, but
some hot gear is always appreciated, from
leather to rubber or just your civvies. It’s
all about getting the hottest guys in for a
night of hard-core clubbing and getting
your rocks off on a Saturday night. Time to
shove your snout in this Trough.

Fire, South Lambeth Road SW8 1SP.
4am – Midday. £13 concession/flyer
before 7am, £16 OTD.

Bloc South, 65 Albert Embankment,
Vauxhall SE1 7TP. 10pm – 6am. £20 tickets
available at TroughLondon.com.

XXL Military

Saturday 23rd of March
Are you into big hair bears? SIR, YES SIR. Do
you look sexy in camo print? SIR, YES SIR. Do
you fantasise about an orgy at an army base?
SIR, HELL YES SIR! There’s something about
a man in uniform that has us instinctively
grabbing our ankles ready for a cavity search.
It’s the perfect opportunity to get your hands

on some privates and dance up against a
captain or two. The theme might say army,
but the darkroom is sure to get handsy. All the
burly men of London head over to Southwark
on a Saturday night and one quick look around
the dance floor is enough to see why. This club
night is sure to be sergeant MAJOR.
Pulse Nightclub, 1 Invicta Plaza SE1 9UF.
10pm – 7am. £15 guests, £10 members.

TFN- Totally Fekking Nude

SBN & NBN

Saturday 23rd of March

Sunday 24th of March

When it comes to naked gay parties on a Saturday
night, TFN is undoubtedly No1. There’s always over
a hundred fit men in attendance who we’re sure you

can’t wait to get to know. Whether you’re looking for a
dance, a dip in the spa pool or a tumble in one of the
cabins, TFN has it all. It’s the kind of place where you
leave your attitude and your clothes at the door,
and just go with the flow. Picking out what
to wear on a Saturday night is a major
hassle, with TFN you can spend the time
you would’ve done choosing out an
outfit on some creative manscaping. It’s
where you can mix with likeminded
guys and kick back with some hot
naked men.
Covent Garden Health Spa, 29
Endell Street, Covent Garden
WC2H 9BA. £15 entry, includes 1st
drink and coat check.

A day of rest… but not for us! Sundays are the holiest day of the week.
They sure are over at Union Nightclub where the men of London come to
worship the male form. Get on your knees and do something way more
fun than praying. Stark Bollock Naked is where and
how you should be on a horny Sunday afternoon,
in the middle of a crowd of naked men who are
keen to get to know you. Thing get proper hot
and steamy over at SBN, with it all coming
to a boil at 5pm when bearded beefcake
Lex Anders & British beauty James Castle
(pictured) take to the stage for an XXX
live show that is sure to get your blood
pumping and your manhood throbbing.

Union Nightclub, 66 Albert
Embankment, Vauxhall SE1 7TW.
2pm – 10pm.

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CCMYK
M Y K BBar
ar
15/03/19
105-109 The Broadway,
Wimbledon SW19 1QC
Photos by Richard Holland
It’s only been around for just over a
week and it’s already drawing the
crowds. We decided to check out
Wimbledon’s first-ever gay bar on Friday
night, and we were NOT disappointed.
Spiffing down the District Line and a
5-minute walk from the station took us to
the doors of CMYK, and we weren’t quite
sure what to expect. Thankfully, the fact
that it’s the only queer joint in the area
didn’t have them slaking on serving up
a gorgeous watering hole. A big topless,
tatted dancer was doing his thing up on
a podium as we walked in and we felt
right at home. The place was full of a

Wimbledon crowd that meant a whole
bunch of guys that hadn’t been in our
Grindr neighbourhood before, making it
open season for us. Unfortunately, they
seemed to have more common sense
than your average Londoner so it was a
boy-less Uber trip back into central.

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XXL St Patrick’s Day
16/03/19
Pulse, 1 Invicta Plaza,
Southwark SE1 9UF
Photos by Zefrographica
What’s better than a big sexy bear?
A big sexy IRISH bear. Feeling our
four-leafed fantasy on Saturday night
we skipped like a leprechaun down
to XXL ready to find ourselves a big
bearded Irishman. With that accent,
we couldn’t help but swoon. Since we
were feeling particularly festive, we
decided to stick to the Guinness that
made for very pretty looking throw-up
on the floor of our Uber home. We
don’t know if it was the little stubble

we had growing or our beer-filled
belly, but we felt like the bell of the
XXL ball. The good thing about this
club night is that no matter how many
skinny young things waltz in, a big old
bear will always be way more popular
with the crowd. The morning after we
sure wished a ‘Top of the Morning’ to
the guy who we woke up next to…

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KU
15/03/19
30 Lisle Street, WC2H 7BA
Photos by Zefrographica
As always there was lots of FLESH
on show at Ku on Friday – which
is fine! There were also more than
a few moustaches. Moustaches,
like cowboy hats, are evidently
back. How do we feel? We don’t
care. Actually we do. SOMETIMES
moustaches look great, sometimes

they look shit. You have to be the
right sort of person to pull them off.
ANYWAY…Ku can always be relied
on for a great, raucous night out.
Speaking of which, head down on
Wednesdays for BOMBSHELL, their
t-girl night in the basement club. It’s
wild! Bring an open mind and leave
your judgments at home.

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Q X P R E V I E W:

Mighty Hoopla
IT’S MIGHTY HOOPLA SOON. Well, not that
soon. It’s on 8th June so still like three months
away. But it’s soon enough that you can start
trawling ASOS for your “look”.
Whatever you do, DON’T pick that sequin
rainbow shorts/t-shirt combo. Everyone and
their French bulldog was wearing that last year.
So 2018!
Now in its third year, Mighty Hoopla has
become a sparkling and well established summer
event on London’s LGBT social calendar. Like
Pride in London would be if they actually had a

good lineup. OMG WHO SAID THAT? NOT US!
The past two years they’ve thrown
unforgettable, glitter-strewn summer days of

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campness, with acts like Years & Years, Sophie
Ellis-Bextor, All Saints and more. If you’ve never
been before, you’ll be a convert after your
first time. When you’ve seen Charlotte Church
performing “Hot In Here” with a bunch of drag
queens, there’s no going back.
And this year’s lineup is JUST as major.
They’ve got Irish songstress and Time Machine
cast member Samantha Mumba! They’ve got
All Saints again, back for round 2! They’ve got
queen of disco, CHAKA KHAN! They’ve got
lippy London lass Kate Nash! They’ve got a DJ
set from Nicola Roberts!
They’ve also got stages and dance tents run
by the some of the best and most original queer

club nights in London; POC cabaret collective
The Cocoa Butter Club; queer Jewish party
kids Buttmitzvah; fab pop bitches We Love Pop;
cult garage connoisseurs Gay Garage; and of
course drag superstars Sink The Pink.
Oh and they’ve also got JAMELIA!
THAAANNKYOU! For every last bruise you

gave me! For every time I sat in teeeaaarss…
ok we’ll stop.
Mighty Hoopla is on Saturday
8th June at Brockwell Park. For
more info and tickets, head to
mightyhoopla.com



RAISING

THE BAR

The best bar
stuff this week!

Admiral Duncan

Halfway 2 Heaven

54 Old Compton Street,
W1D 4UB

7 Duncannon Street,
WC2N 4JF

The Dunky! It’s slap BANG
on Old Compton Street,
the thriving, throbbing,
thronging heart of Soho. Is

that enough “th” adverbs
for you? Good because we
haven’t got anymore. The
Admiral Duncan is one of
Soho’s cosier establishments,
but what it lacks in size it
makes up for in personality.
We’ve all met men like that
haven’t we. One of our all
time faves Sandra (pictured)
graces their cabaret stage
every Thursday. We love
her because, she SHOCKS
us. And we’re not easily
shocked. She’s…she kind of
defies description. Just go
and see for yourself.

Good old Halfway!
Can always be
relied on for a
camp ol’ knees
up any night
of the week.
Oh yes dear.
Halfway is
tucked behind
the bustling
bumptiousness of
Trafalgar Square,

a handbag’s throw
from fluttering pigeons
and sputtering buses.
Inside, it’s an oasis of old
school gay bar fabulousness.
Upstairs it’s all wood paneling and
salubrious pints, and downstairs it’s all cabaret and quipping on
their sparkly pink drag stage. Don’t miss Friday’s drag act – she’s
fresh out of the oven and crispy on top, it’s Lola Lasagne (pictured)!

Bridge Bar
8 Voltaire Road, SW4 6DH
Nestled away over the river in boozy, bougie Clapham,
it’s Bridge Bar! A slick little place under the arch of a
railway bridge (hence the name, very clever) Bridge
Bar is the place to be if you like cocktails and people
watching. It’s right by Clapham High Street, so you can
see all the tanned gorgeous Australian Clapham gays
stalking past with their bags of shopping from Next
and John Lewis. Cheers!

Old Ship
17 Barnes Street,
E14 7NW
Down in lovely
Limehouse, there’s
a gay pub that for
many is quite off
the beaten track.
So if you’ve already

sashayed your
way around Soho,
dawdled around
Dalston and veered
through Vauxhall,
why not try something
a little different and
hop on the DLR for some
Limehouse lovin’! The Old
Ship is an endangered species,
a proper old school gay boozer. It
doesn’t QUITE have sawdust on the
floor – if we were in America, it definitely would.
They have cabaret over the weekends. Head down this Saturday to see
someone whose name always makes us YELL; Wilma Ballsdrop (pictured)!

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Little Ku
25 Frith Street, W1D 5LB
Little Ku is CUTE! It is, as the name suggests, little! It’s the cheeky
little brother of the KU group’s flagship Lisle Street venue. Little Ku
is tucked down a Soho side street, the perfect place to dive into
for a catchup with friends, or a romantic date away from all the
hustle and bustle. They’ve got beers on tap, and do a mean Aperol
Spritz! Plus there’s a little bench outside where you can sit and
watch the world go by. Lovely.