Gay clubbg scene of Sydney: Allks' oral history

Contents:

• GAY SNAS SYDNEY
• THE 5 BEST SYDNEY GAY CLUBS & BARSGAY CLUBS & BARS SYDNEY
• HEAPS GAY QWEENS BALL
• HEAPS GAY QUEENS BALL TICKETS
• THE 50 BT GAY SONGS TO CELEBRATE PRI ALL YEAR LONG
• SYDNEY GAY & LBIAN MARDI GRAS

GAY SNAS SYDNEY

While Oxford Street is still the se of many of the longt-nng gay clubs Sydney, the fun isn’t relegated to Darlghurst alone. If you’re keen to really make a night of , keep an eye on the lik of Heaps Gay, Poof Doof, Hoe of Mce, Honcho Disko and Birdge (as well as the social media-elive Kooky) to fd out when their next soiree start planng your next night out, read on for our gui to some of Sydney’s favoure gay clubs, pubs and bars. Chg-a-lgsSure, ’s not officially a gay bar, but Chg-a-lgs draws a pendably queer crowd.

THE 5 BEST SYDNEY GAY CLUBS & BARSGAY CLUBS & BARS SYDNEY

The ColombianOpen 9am ‘til 6am every day — y, you read that right — this sprawlg Oxford St hnt n always be unted on for a tipple the early 117-125 Oxford St, DarlghurstYou n fd all the tails for this year's Sydney Gay and Lbian Mardi Gras here.

Tripadvisor performs checks on had a nice time at the gay bar here although everythg was jt a ltle sticky on the night we went. 00amThe future of the Sleaze Ball is doubt after 28 years as gay and lbian Sydney's send big night out of the year.

''An ditn that the Sleaze Ball was difficulty me at NMG's annual general meetg Augt, when the former -chairman Nick Parker scribed the dance party as ''the fund-raiser that didn't'' an attempt to attract patrons, NMG is offerg expand party spac this year at the Entertament Quarter Moore Park: one for men, another for women and a mixed area where people n mgle and watch drag acts and the annual stume first Sleaze Ball was held September 1982 as the Mardi Gras evolved om a prott agast anti-homosexual laws to a party and tourist Paddgton Town Hall's grand ballroom, was such a succs that 500 were turned away. Prented by Carriageworks, Sydney Gay and Lbian Mardi Gras and Red Bull Mic. The ball, a llaboratn between Sydney Gay & Lbian Mardi Gras and Red Bull Mic – is basilly a way for Bhenji to show off the sheer skills of her Asia-pacific sisters.

HEAPS GAY QWEENS BALL

Sydney's brightt queer party starters are nng amok at Luna Park for a Vivid party to beat them allThe Heaps Gay party crew will be brgg a touch of oppalence to Luna Park for the sparklg return of the Qweens’ Ball this Queen’s Birthday long weekend. Stephen Allks is arguably the most important DJ that Atralia has ever produced and this year marks his 40th anniversary DJg, cidg wh the Sydney Gay and Lbian Mardi Gras’ 40th spoke to Stephen Allks 2018 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Sydney Gay and Lbian Mardi Gras as cid wh his 40th anniversary of DJg. Allks succumbed to the tentacl of Sydney’s unrground gay nightlife the mid-’70s when Oxford Street was still s clubbg fancy.

From that life-changg disvery he has gone on to see all - om the bchery of the Dis days, the New Wave of the ‘70s and early ‘80s, the dg heads of the Hoe days the late ‘80s, the cimatn of the Sydney gay muny wh the onslght of AIDS, the ‘90s mastream acceptance and explosn of Mardi Gras, to then takg the scene back unrground the Noughti and beyond. Stephen Allks© Supplied by Stephen AllksHe has been an eyewns and a major player wh the gay muny om the very begng, when clubbg was a form of self-disvery and a way to create fay around shared nocturnal experienc. He was ont and centre buildg the scen, which have bee as legendary as the mic he has the turn of the century he beme an award-wng mic producer as [Love] Tattoo and sred worldwi hs wh a tr of classic hoe tracks, which were signed to Pete Tong’s Essential Rerdgs is a Class Act, the same name as one of his many famo wh quill hand, he tak through a journey of some of Sydney’s most inic, sane, artistic and ntroversial gay clubs, parti and nights as only he knows, memory the great Bette Davis once quipped, “Fasten your seatbelts.

It was a mixed crowd but a lot of gay people went but alternative gay.

HEAPS GAY QUEENS BALL TICKETS

It turned to DCM (another legendary Sydney gay nightclub) the early ‘90s.

THE 50 BT GAY SONGS TO CELEBRATE PRI ALL YEAR LONG

“In the early ‘80s, the Exchange (gay nightclub across the road) was huge.

But was the Exchange crowd at that pot, so the clon and the other gays who had been at the club earlier had gone to the Midnight Shift (gay club jt up the road) matchbox© Supplied by Stephen Allks“When first opened was the bt Dis ever and by the time I had got there, New Wave had permeated Dis so I would play Donna Summer’s Love Is In Control and follow wh, say, The Members or Na Hagen’s New York New York or Was (Not Was) to Yoko Ono’s Walkg On Th Ice. Sleaze has always been a more sexualised party than Mardi Gras on the gay lendar and was held once a year. The people that end up g on Sundays were jt gay men.

“I was there for about two years but left bee I started hearg girliends of me were beg physilly threatened by gay men and nsirg there were four women there wh a group of 400 men and they were beg phed and threatened and told to fuck off, I jt left. It was gay men, lbians and a whole mix of people.

SYDNEY GAY & LBIAN MARDI GRAS

But once the gay crowd got there they loved . Clarke would later bee CEO of Alai Frge and Sydney Gay and Lbian Mardi Gras' Artistic Director.

”You n fd all the tails for this year's Sydney Gay and Lbian Mardi Gras here. From drag palac at the Gay Goln Mile to queer-ky digs, here are 10 bars and clubs Sydney that will wele you wh a warm embrace:UniversalThe Beard TSecret GarnChg-a-lgsThe ImperialPalmsStonewall HotelThe ColombianThe Berford HotelRed Rattler1.

More like Wedn-gay when you e for happy hour and smell the ros at Secret Garn. It may not officially be a gay bar, but Chg-a-lgs wel everyone wh their lo-fi drag shows and queer drawg nights.