Gay clubs Sydney: The 10 bt LGBTQ spots to party

Contents:

• NIGHTCLUBBG: GAY CLUBBG ’70S LONDON
• SYDNEY GAY BARS
• OXFORD GAY BARS
• LEGENDARY OXFORD STREET GAY CLUB ARQ HAS ANNOUNCED AN OPENG DATE
• SYDNEY GAY CLUBS
• LEGENDARY OXFORD STREET GAY CLUB ARQ HAS ANNOUNCED AN OPENG DATE – TIME OUT
• 5 BT GAY BARS AND CLUBS SYDNEY

NIGHTCLUBBG: GAY CLUBBG ’70S LONDON

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 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. Before 1976, gay venu London me two tegori. There were the members’ clubs that provid dner and dance, pl baret, for the stately-homo set.

SYDNEY GAY BARS

DJ Tricky Dicky was one of the first promoters to grasp the ia of the one-nighter – hirg out a pub or bar for the night, jt to put on a gay night. His Dick’s Inn Gay Dis operated out of straight venu as far afield
 as Croydon, Ilford, Bishopsgate and Eton, packg a few hundred gay boys and girls at a time. Wh his pop and soul mic reviews and dis chart Gay News, Tricky Dicky received verage om a gay prs more terted polics, cema, theatre and opera than the mercial gay 1975 Tricky Dicky held a one-nighter lled Fangs unrneath a hotel Paddgton and, much to his surprise, the place was full to pacy, wh 600 dancg queens 
lappg up every mute.

The night didn’t last long
 due to terference om
 the venue’s owners, who
 were none too happy about
 homos takg over their 
space.

1976 was a groundbreakg year for gay dis London, thanks to the arrival of Bang, London’s first gay superclub.

OXFORD GAY BARS

Gary London, already rint at the Sundowner on straight nights, took his spiratn for Bang om the big gay clubs 
of New York, LA and San Francis.

For London’s scenters and disphil, a trip to Bang s early days, wh s vastns and hedonistic dis energy, uld be as liberatg as gog on a Gay Pri march (whose numbers those days were srcely bigger than a Bang crowd). Speakg at the time Gay News, London proselytised for the newly overground clubs: “Diss create the right environment for gays. Legendary gay dis DJ Talullah, who
 up until his untimely ath 2008 was still DJg London and abroad, had first-hand experience of New York dis at s height.

LEGENDARY OXFORD STREET GAY CLUB ARQ HAS ANNOUNCED AN OPENG DATE

Talullah ttified to Bang’s unifyg effect on the gay unrground. However, the number of smaller gay diss that thrived durg this perd proved that Bang certaly didn’t have the monopoly on hedonism or dis. The Rabow Dis, hoed unrneath the Rabow Rooms Manor Hoe, was advertised Gay News as playg all the bt Amerin soul and funk, but also boasted dis mic on the playlist.

Meanwhile, Chris Hill DJ’ed at so-lled “New York gay dis” nights such as Wt End Affair at Crackers Soho and East End Affair at the Lacy Lady Essex.

Adams Leicter Square was another Wt End gay club playg all the latt dis sounds. Lus then went back to Earls Court to take his rincy at the Copabana, a much-need large club for the area, then still the hub of London’s gay scene, givg the regulars of The Colherne and Bromptons pubs some late-night actn.

SYDNEY GAY CLUBS

But took the arrival 1978 of the Embassy Club Bond Street to really brg an element of glamour to the gay dis scene. Jeremy Norman, chairman of historil high-society gui Burke’s Peerage, was spired to open The Embassy after numero trips to New York clubs, where the openns and signer dg-fuelled liftyle of the cy’s flourishg gay life ntrasted wh London’s parochial feel (you uld still get banned some venu for sniffg poppers). The Embassy was signed for an upmarket, mostly gay clientele who wanted somethg ls provcial and clstrophobic.

LEGENDARY OXFORD STREET GAY CLUB ARQ HAS ANNOUNCED AN OPENG DATE – TIME OUT

The Embassy was immortalised the vio for Sylvter’s “You Make Me Feel Mighty Real, ” but ultimately s populary was s downfall, as the upmarket straight crowd outnumbered the gay element.

5 BT GAY BARS AND CLUBS SYDNEY

At s time of openg, Heaven was the biggt gay club Europe, markg Norman’s attempt to extend his Embassy achievements while retag a re gay crowd. The key figure on the cks was Ian Leve, who as rint DJ at the Blackpool Mec had been at the heart of the Northern Soul scene, broang s rem to embrace dis after wnsg New York gay clubs on trips Stati huntg rare soul. Leve was among the first on the gay scene to tly embrace mixg, keepg the tempo steady and puttg paid to the Motown medleys monplace at Bang, Copas or Sndals.

Heaven’s attractns may have been s mic and lights, but s prime purpose was for cisg and Norman was termed to prevent straight punters om takg over, enforcg a rigoro gay men-only door policy. The London Eveng Standard, reviewg Heaven’s openg night, liberated: “Heaven’s biggt headache uld be terrg London’s non-gay disphil who uld end up tryg to pass for gay to get past the elegant bouncers at the dis’s equivalent of the Pearly Gat. Gay dis, Boystown or hi-energy (named after Evelyn Thomas’s h of the same name), beme the soundtrack to the clone scene that took over Heaven and gay Earls Court.

By the 1980s, the mercial gay scene was takg off and dis fell out of favour as electronic, hi-energy sound took hold. Oxford Street / DarlghurstStonewall Hotel175 Oxford Street, Darlghurst, Sydney, AtraliaShow on mapSydney's premier gay & lbian tablishment.

Loted the heart of the Oxford Street gay scene. Featur:BarDancgKaraokeMicWeekday: 5pm - lateWeekend: 1pm - lateLast updated on: 9 Aug 2023Last updated on: 9-Aug-2023UNIVERSAL Sydney85-91 Oxford St, Darlghurst, Sydney, AtraliaShow on mapThe latt addn to Sydney's gay scene on Oxford Street. Fun, laid-back bar on Sydney's gay Oxford Street wh rint DJ's playg favore tracks.

Weekday: Thu-Fri 20:00 - 03:00Weekend: 20:00 - 03:00Last updated on: 26 Aug 2023Last updated on: 26-Aug-2023The Colombian HotelTomorrow: GROOVES Night om 7pm - Every Sunday117-125 Oxford Street, Darlghurst, Sydney, AtraliaShow on mapSydney's popular gay bar wh panoramic views of Oxford Street. The Colombia has a prime lotn for the Mardi Gras para updated on: 9 Aug 2023Last updated on: 9-Aug-2023Ggers @ The Oxford Hotel132 Oxford Street, Darlghurst, Sydney, AtraliaShow on mapCocktail bar and entertament/baret venue the heart of Sydney's gay district. Sli is one of the hippt gay venu, featurg baret shows, live performanc and themed events wh cuttg-edge light & sound technology.