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OUT IN THE CITY: SCENE GUIDE JANUARY 2012


GOING OUT


SCENE GUIDE AND PARTY SUGGESTIONS... comptons-of-soho.co.uk


VENUES: CENTR AL L ONDON


79 CXR, 79 Charing Cross Road, WC2. 020 7734 0769. Leicester Square tube. Mon-Sat 1pm-3am, Sun 1pm-10.30pm. Cover charge after 11pm. Large, cruisy, bar – always busy after 10.30pm with those who don’t want to head home too early.


ADMIRAL DUNCAN, 54 Old Compton Street, W1. 020 7437 5300. Leicester Square tube. Friendly, famous, traditional gay pub – look out for the purple and pink exterior!


CANDY BAR, 4 Carlisle


Street, W1. 020 7494 4041. Tottenham Court Road tube. Mon-Thu 5- 11.30pm. Fri & Sat 5pm- 2am. Sun 5-11pm. Long- running and famed lesbian bar.


CIRCA, 62 Frith Street, Soho, W1D 3JN. Tottenham Court Road tube. Soho gay bar, offering pop and r’n’b tunes, drag hosts and cute bar staff. Open 4pm till 1am daily. www.circasoho.com


COMPTONS, 52 Old Compton Street, W1. 020 7479 7961. Leicester Square tube. Noon-11pm. A Soho institution. Large, traditional gay boozer on two floors, attracting a butch, manly crowd. www.


THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON, 77 Wardour Street, W1. 020 7439 1274. Piccadilly Circus tube. Mon-Thu noon-11pm, Fri & Sat noon-midnight, ‘til 10.30pm on Sun. Traditional fun gay pub over two floors, attracting a cross-section from across the scene.


THE EDGE, 11 Soho Square, W1. 020 7439 1313. Tottenham Court Road tube. Noon-1am, Sun 2pm-11.30pm. Stylish, hip gay bar spread over four intimate floors, with regular nights from top DJs, regular piano bar and tasty food.


ESCAPE, 10a Brewer Street, W1. 020 7734 2626. Piccadilly Circus tube. 5pm-3am. Cover charge after 11pm. Every night’s a party at this late- night video dance bar.


Anton Powers of Cahill and Christian M


XXL NYE Following its World AIDS Day Remembrance Ball, Southwark superclub Pulse will be put through its paces again on New Year’s Eve when it throws one of south London’s biggest New Year’s Eve parties. The XXL team will be moving from their usual venue at Arcadia and taking over Pulse for the night, offering super-sized fun for men of all shapes and sizes. The theme for the party will be ‘Aztec’, so expect another suitably lavish bash with high production values. Resident main floor DJ Christian M will be joined by special guests The Freemasons and Cahill, supported by Phil Marriot, Alex Logan and Joe Egg in the smaller room. The whole shebang will last for a whopping 12 hours (9pm till 9am) – enough to satisfy any pleasure-seeker. For advance ticket information, check the website at www.xxl- london.com). Pulse, 1 Invicta Plaza London SE1 9UF. www.xxl-london.com


FREEDOM, 66 Wardour Street, W1. 020 7734 0071. Piccadilly Circus tube. Opulent style bar, with late-night club promotions for a mixed, metrosexual, trendy crowd. www.freedombarsoho.com


FRIENDLY SOCIETY, 79 Wardour Street, WC1. Piccadilly Circus tube. Trendy and unique, intimate basement bar with quirky décor and fun atmosphere – attracts a mixed crowd.


G-A-Y BAR, 30 Old Compton Street, W1. 020 7494 2756. Leicester Square tube. 12pm-12am. Huge, poptastic gay bar, with a multitude of video screens, pop tunes and drinks promotions. www.g-a-y.co.uk


G-A-Y LATE, 5 Goslett Yard, off Charing Cross


48 WWW.OUTMAG.CO.UK


NEW YEAR SALVATION Following its birthday party a couple of months ago, Salvation is back for its annual New Year’s Day spectacular on 1 January. The team will again be returning to the Café de Paris, off Leicester Square, between the hours of 6pm and 1am. Expect a lavish and exclusive soirée at this most gorgeous of London clubbing venues. The team are playing up the venue’s glamorous history. “If disused cinemas or cramped railway arches send a shiver down your spine, then pull on your snow boots, head up to Leicester Square and step into our winter wonderland,” they say, perhaps taking a cheeky swipe at some of their competitors! Spinning the sounds will be Miswhite, Oliver M, Pier Morrocco, Paul Coals (pictured above) and special guests, while Raul Gonzales will turn in the visual performance. You’ll find Café de Paris at 3-4 Coventry Street, London W1D 6BL. Tickets cost £15 in advance or £20 VIP (available online or from Prowler). www.salvation-london.com


Road, WC2. Tottenham Court Road tube. 11pm-3am. Late-night sister venue to G- A-Y Bar – more video screens, camp pop fun and cheap drinks.Gets very busy most nights of the week.


THE GREEN CARNATION, 4-5 Greek Street, Soho, W1. 020-7434 3323. Stylish, three-floored late night gay venue, with bar, dancefloor and nightly promotions. Attracts a very mixed crowd. www.æ… greencarnationsoho.co.uk


HALFWAY TO HEAVEN, 7 Duncannon Street, WC2. 020 7321 2791. Charing Cross tube. Mon-Thu noon- 11pm, Fri & Sat 12pm- 12am. Old-style gay pub spread over two floors.


HEAVEN, The Arches, Villiers Street, WC2. Charing Cross Road tube. Huge, world-famous gay club, which is now home to G-A-Y, along with mixed/ studenty Monday nighter


Popcorn. Check www.g-a- y.co.uk for details


THE KINGS ARMS, 23 Poland Street, W1. 020 7734 5907. Oxford Circus tube. Mon-Thur 12pm– 11pm, Fri-Sat 12pm-12am, Sun 12pm-11.30pm. London’s bar for bears and blokes. Traditional atmosphere plus pool table. Sunday night karaoke very popular.


KU BAR, 30 Lisle Street, Leicester Square, WC2. 020 7437 4303. Leicester Square tube. Large, award- winning, upmarket gay bar spread over three floors, open till 3am daily; always busy throughout the week. www.ku-bar.co.uk


KU BAR SOHO, 25 Frith Street, W1. Leicester Square tube. New, smaller sister venue to Lisle Street Ku Bar, with entrances on Old Compton Street and Frith Street - open till 11pm daily. The first floor houses


a Gay Tourist Office from noon-6pm each day (www. gaytouristoffice.co.uk). www.ku-bar.co.uk


LO-PROFILE, The Basement, 84-85 Wardour Street, W1. Swanky, sophisticated, 400- capacity late-night basement bar and club space – from the people that bring you gaydar.co. uk. Open 11pm-3am Thursdays, and 10pm-4am on Fridays and Saturdays. www.loprofile.com


MADAME JO JO’S, 8-10 Brewer Street, W1. Long- running, late night gig venue, nightclub and cabaret bar - open to very mixed crowd. Home to popular Wednesday nighter Trannyshack. www. madamejojos.com.


MOLLY MOGG’S, 2 Old Compton Street, W1. 020 7434 4294. Tottenham Court Road tube. Small, intimate little gay pub, with


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