Heaven finds a new home
Western Sydney’s Heaven Social Group will ring in the new year in style after securing a new venue, the Parramatta Golf Club, to house an all-new show for partygoers out west.
Launching on Saturday January 21, there are hopes that 2009 will mark a new era of security for the Heaven Social Group event, which has struggled to find a space for the GLBT scene since leaving the Rosehill Bowling Club in September.
Event organiser Beverly Buttercup said she was pleased to have found new surroundings, but warned it would only work if people supported the western Sydney scene.
When we moved to Rosehill I looked at 16 different venues, and it has been just as difficult this time because my main priority is safety. It needed to be somewhere that is our own space, Buttercup told Sydney Star Observer.
The golf club, which already runs a lesbian night, had always been considered an option, but it took extensive negotiations.
I think there was perhaps some concern at first that with one lesbian night already going on that the club might get stigmatised as being just a gay venue. So we’ve gone back and forth with meetings, I spoke to the mayor of Parramatta and submitted a letter to the [club’s] board.
The really important thing now is to make sure that people come show their support. You don’t make money out of doing this, so to keep it going we really need people to show up, otherwise we won’t have any nights or venues left in the west.
The venue has now been secured for the last Saturday of every second month, starting next January with a show with an all-new cast of drag performers.
info: For more information on the Heaven Social Group or to receive updates on the upcoming show head to www.heavensocialgroup.zoomshare.com.
I commend Beverly, Gracie and the Team at Heaven for their efforts of keeping the night going. Its bloody hard work believe me after running PASH/4Play for several years trying to make everyone happy (or find that median point). Yes unfortunatley the Parramatta Club is gone, which was really sad for me on a personal note cause my Drag career started there. It all just means the Heaven Team have a bit of hard task at the beginning to promote and make the new night different to the Dolphins Dance night. All we can ask its that the Western Sydney Gay Community get behind the night and keep it going, along with support by myself and the other Special Guest performers to make it enjoyable and keep the variety there. In regards to certain people and their attitudes or manner whilst they are out at venues, unfortunatley you cant control people and how they act once they have had a few bevvies under their belts all that can be done is have them ejected from the venue and banned. We all have to learn to co-exist together, we are all part of the same community. Nights like this not only provide a venue for us to party at also allows performers a space to perform and also for the community to help and raise funds for Charity ie The Haven. Dolphins is a well established Girls Night and will always be more Girl dominated but never closed for the Men to attend so wether Heaven turns out to be the opposite who knows but I hope it becomes a mixed crowd, Heaven just has to ne mindful of that and cater for both Lesbians and Gays. But aside all of that they have my support 100% and hopefully Western Sydney.
Well done on securing a venue out west!
I think that the Western GLBT community should really be thankful and appreciate the effort that has gone into this.
You lot should try living in Darwin or Alice Springs. In Darwin, our only gay venue is overrun with ignorant straight people (most are well behaved, asking dumb questions and others are downright rude). It is only open very late on Friday and Saturday night. In the Alice, there was/is a cafe, I believe, and a few other random things occasionally. Apart from having one Nightclub with hardly any of the Gay community there, we have nothing just for us in the Territory – we have to share with the rest of the straight community, who seem to invade only to watch the ‘Freakshow’.
Well done to you Beverly Buttercup! F**k I miss Sydney and Melbourne!
Great work Beverly!
It’s such a shame to hear the western GLBT community can’t all party together amicably, especially in an area that is still limited with social acceptance (& venues willing to host GBLT events).
I guess two seperate nights is better than none I suppose! It’s also good to hear Parra Golf Club is still cool to open its doors again …almost since back in the days of Castaways :)
Congratulations Bev.Looking forward to it!It will be heaps of fun !
Congratulations Beverly, I knew you would find a place for Heaven to rest its weary wings, I know it will all go well for you. It may be at the same location as Dolphins but I am sure with your vast experience of advertising people will come to know them as seperate nights. At the end of the day we are all “gay” (and friends) weather we be guys or gals and we should all learn to support and get along with one another. Good luck with it all and no doubt I will catch up with you soon. Love Ian.
Thats a bit rough isn’t it,the bitchy comments about my previous comment.Ofcourse I take my hat off to Beverly for finding a new place for the GLBT and thank her for it.I used to go to Heaven,ignored the bitchy group thing and keep to myself.
The shows were good but slowly over time the place just carked it because gay men were turned off over the fact that half off everyone had already screwed each other and also the table were taken up by aggressive “Butch” lesbians with little or no manners.
So good on you beverly for re-birthing Castaways,Heaven,Foreplay, for the CommunityI didn’t mean to offend,so sorry
But to “Micheal” Ive been only to Arrows once and at the end of the day you,ll go there maybe only for the one time or more,who knows?
Good on ya Bev for organising something for the blokes in western sydney. Yes Mark, Dolphins will be one night for the girls and heaven a different night on a different weekend for the boys, girls, drags, friends & anyone else that wants to come along. It will be probably end up being like the old Castways that was there years ago!! A great night out for all!! I for one don’t want to dance at a sex venue with a whole bunch of trannies, bi’s, poofs & others on a sat night, while the majority of them are off there tits on alcohol and other stimulants. Mate, as you would know there aren’t too many venues for the g&l community out west. Stay at arrows Mark, you won’t be missed at Heaven!!
Mark – thank you for your comments.
What people don’t seem to appreciate is how hard it is to find a venue in Western Sydney that will support a GLBT night.
We all know that the Parramatta Club in Hunter Street was a great venue – although for those who haven’t heard – it was sold last year and is no longer an option.
The lesbian night Dolphins is a very popular night amongst the girls, and I am sure that they will continue to support it.
I am also confident that the rest of the GLBT community out West share a more positive view of the community than you do – Mark.
If patrons wish to go to a sex on premises venue which also caters for heterosexual swinger couples – just for a dance, and pay a $20.00 cover charge, then that is their prerogative.
It would also be worth noting that Heaven supports charity organizations out west like The Haven – does Aarows?
The community out West needs to stand up and support each other, not criticize and call each other names.
Beverly
P.S. The opening night is January 31st, 2009. (Not 21st)
Yeah that is so true about Pash – the unfriendly lezbion girls where just simply animalistic, dont you recall all the fights they would always start up? and they where always so pushy and mean to guys.
Cant wait to Drive up the Great Western Highway to watch some Lip Sync!!!
Oh no Beverly,What have you done possum? We all know that Dolphins (Dyke night) is at the Golf club every fortnight,now Pash is to be located there?
C,mon Beverly now Pash is surely doomed as any gay man with common sense would avoid that place as no-one wants to be rubbing shoulders with an intoxicated butch dyke in a singlet.
Sorry but the gentlemens Club was on equal shared turf were everyone respected each other but how will gay men walk into a lesbian dominated Club and be hissed at,bullshit they will march off in droves to Arrows instead were the disco downstairs is getting better and better,sorry.