Spend a dollar and save a life

Bah humbug. Why is it always beautiful during the week and then rainy on the weekends? Yet another grey storm cloud descended on Sydney last weekend and once again summer seemed like just a midweek fantasy.

But what a great weekend it turned out to be with a dance and a turn behind the decks at Handle Bar on Saturday night, then on to Fag Tag at the Opera Bar on Sunday afternoon followed by even more drinks at the new Beresford Hotel on Sunday night.

It’s hard to believe that the Beresford is the same spot of earth where so many seedy Sundays were passed a hundred years ago when it was home to the most bad-trashy recoveries ever.

It’s great that the area has finally got a classy grown-up place where you can escape the trauma of Oxford St. A round of applause to the door security who actually smile when you walk in. Truly amazing.

The heavily stylised tone of the new hotel is in sharp contrast to the ugly scene I saw earlier on Sunday when two police on horseback were on the footpath outside an Oxford St gay club, with some smiling assassin on the ground looking like she’d been completely masking-taped. What reason can there be for police getting around on horses these days when clearly they should be driving Ferraris like they do in Italy? And that taped person -” what was that? With all of the sozzled party crowd ogling out the club’s window and the police’s dated and overly-stated presence, it was like a bad psychedelic movie. Someone pass me the remote, please.

Flicking the channel I can see that this sunny Saturday at Hermann’s Bar at Sydney Uni, Kooky will be on again with live shows by Stranger Danger and the Mightyhermaphrodity, an arty outdoor scenic installation, and as always, the ever trusty, slightly crusty DJs Seymour and Gemma on soundtrack. Entry is $12 from 9pm till 3am.

On Saturday on the east side, Back to Love at the Flinders Hotel celebrates 30 years of dance music. Expect funk, disco, electro, acid jazz, trip hop, gospel house, hip hop and house, house and more house. House music never dies, it multiplies. The DJs are Calvin Wong, Chip and Beatrix and the party starts at 9pm and entry is $10.

By Sunday, the beach will hopefully be the scene of more sunshine rays, and if you’re driving your hotted-up car to Bondi make sure you visit the Bondi Social (38 Campbell Pde) for Bondi Boys, the gayest event in Bondi since that drag race thingie in the ’90s. Bondi Boys runs from 3.30pm until evening and DJ Jason Barry is in charge of the sounds. At just $2 entry (which goes to the Lifesavers with Pride), it’s cheaper than parking your Barina outside.

It’s the Colombian’s sixth birthday celebrations all next weekend. To get the party started, Glamour pour le Hammer upstairs on Thursday night will be the scene for Swordbox, the new show from Celia Curtis and Annabel Lines. The press release says don’t get too close … she’s a bleeder! so it’s definitely going to be interesting and possibly a lot disgusting! Handle Bar’s Lovertits will be behind the turntables and Jack Shit and Faggot Rooster will be supplying the audio-visual entertainment and pikelets.

The following week Glamour pour le Hammer will be hosting special guests Team Plastique, who are fresh from Adelaide’s Feast Festival. Entry is always free but I’m told the glamour don’t come easy.
If you’re looking for somewhere to kick on after Summer Gay Day next weekend, Go Underground is at the Phoenix on Saturday night with DJs Ben Drayton and Feisty. And Ben Drayton-lovers can get another dose of the man at the Non-Scene party the weekend after, which will also be the scene of Cindy Pastel’s re-emergence on the Sydney stage after many, many moons off it. Happy Mardi -” I mean Happy Summer Gay Day.