How the inner west was won
Konichiwa, bitches! Welcome to the first Observation Deck, the place where the scene is peered upon, plucked at, plumped out and profiled. It will be your weekly destination if you wanna know where to party in queer Sydney, sans the Kylie remixes and poker machine hell.
The biggest movement of the month is the reopening of Syd-ney’s only leather bar, Manacle, at Petersham next Friday night. The violence has become too much of a concern on Oxford St to reopen back in their old hood, say the owners, who quite admirably are seeking to provide an environment where you can express yourself in safety. The continuing move west doesn’t bode well for Oxford St, though, where another major gay nightclub is said to be on shaky grounds due to dwindling numbers (maybe they should try doing a $7 steak).
Manacle will join the Sly Fox and the Bank, and soon the Imperial Hotel and possibly the Newtown Hotel, as part of the inner west’s gay and lesbian renaissance.
Oxford St hasn’t had the kind of atmosphere that’s happening around King St since Puma bumped Puppy offstage at the Albury and into drag history. But it might be reversible; Clover Moore’s long-awaited small bars bill -“ the Liquor Act 2007 -“ is set to become law in July and might be the savior the strip needs to be reinvigorated.
One super cute place the Golden Mile can boast is the pint-sized disco basement Gilligans, below the Oxford Hotel. Ooh La La is having its second party at Gilligans, a masked ball on Saturday 31 May. It will go a long way to quench the thirst for ironic electronic and disco so desperately craved by Gen Y’s homeless since Gay Bash turned itself in.
This Friday QBar and 34B at the Exchange Hotel will be hosting the Scissor Sisters’ official tour DJ, Sammy Jo, on the decks. Melbourne’s hottest alterna-band, the Blow Waves, fronted by ex-Mavis, Matt Mavis, will join DJs Sveta, Mark Murphy, Lovertits, Jack Shit, A-Cybele, Johnny Pash, Sam Kauss and Matt Vaughan and a set by Dallas Dellaforce.
On the horizon, Bitch will be going monthly after their final weekly club at the Mars Lounge on 13 June, and are teaming up with Fag Tag at the Oxford Art Factory on the Queen’s Birthday weekend for another Get Together. Big Pig won’t be there, but New York vocalist Inaya Day will be, covering her tough 80s hit Breakaway.
Also on the Queen’s Birthday weekend, UK DJ Steve Lawler joins John Devecchis and Andrew Padula for another Action party at the Arthouse in Pitt St. Expect filthy and sleazy progressive and electro house, and lots of hardcore chaps with their shirts off (yum on all fronts). Till next week, be excellent to each other. And if you know something I don’t, email me.
