The Sheffield gay scene part 2

[Tyranna 10]

Pubs/clubs gay or straight are struggling as people don't have the money to go out now you can have the best entertainment under the sun it will no difference Fuel closed simply down to the fact it was not viable. Dempsey's survives because it does meals during the day and a nightclub at night but as time goes on that might not be the case.

 

Dempseys are definitely onto the right thing by offering food all day and until late in the evening; few other gay bars offer such a comprehensive choice of food at all hours, and many which have tried food have dropped it eventually (e.g. Lions Lair about 5 years ago) probably because they have had to spend out too much to update the kitchen, or on getting a committed chef. In Manchester several gay bars such as VIA and Taurus do food and also there are a few gay restaurants; maybe the time is right in Sheffield for a gay bar/restaurant that does regular cabaret with opening hours until 11/midnight, rather than an all-night club with DJ's. I remember when the managers at ICONS said that they would be redoing the kitchen and doing a food menu, but nothing ever came of it, and they moved on.

As and when anything further develops on the local scene, I will keep people informed, just to keep you up to date, the monthly LES FEMMES meet-up will be taking place THIS FRIDAY, March 27th, at Dempseys from 8.30 until late. Any TS's TV's and partners/admirers welcome, as well as the normal crowd; Dempseys also usually put on karaoke on Fridays now, so should be an enjoyable night out...

[Vegas1 10]

I had the misfortune to go into "ICONS" on Friday night. There were eight people in there when we arrived and two when we left at half past eleven. DJ seemed disinterested and played the same song twice in three songs. Place is on its arse.

[andyms1 10]

I had the misfortune to go into "ICONS" on Friday night. There were eight people in there when we arrived and two when we left at half past eleven. DJ seemed disinterested and played the same song twice in three songs. Place is on its arse.

 

They have no clue. Doors wide open on cold windy night, no heating, music so loud so can't speak, no beer oh and no customers !!! Will be closed in days

[Tyranna 10]

Sad to hear about the moribund state of the scene; however there was one bright note last Friday. I was at Dempseys, but did not stay in the downstairs bar for long because I just had to go upstairs where there was a LIVE ROCK MUSIC NIGHT with 3 or 4 bands and also a friend who is a talented performance artiste (Gender Princess) doing a mime piece to backing tracks. The place was packed, but in a way the smallness of the main upstairs room at Dempseys was shown up by the fact that the 'stage' took up half the dancefloor, whereas you could almost land a helicopter if not a small plane on the dancefloor of the sadly shortlived 'Fuel' on Snig Hill.

I'm really hoping that some kind of live music/entertainment will once again become a regular feature of Dempseys, as they are doing their best to keep a Vibrant gay venue going in Sheffield; when I asked the staff if live music will be regular, they couldn't say, but as Sheffield has lost a number of live venues (Boardwalk, Casbah, etc.) then if you have a band needing a venue, do talk to Dempseys about if they can arrange a gig.

 

 

To add to this, I happened to visit friends in HULL at the weekend, and managed a flying pubcrawl of the 4 gay venues there. The first, Frankie's Vauxhall Tavern, is an absolutely beautifully clean and friendly pub done up with elegant decor and with a drag queen host/DJ at weekends, and yet it sits next door to a council estate near the city centre.

The next venue I visited, is The Yorkshireman, but it wasnt open until after midnight, but it is supposed to be a club like Club Xes, although much nearer to the city centre, just alongside the railway/bus station.

Then I went on to the city's main gay bar, PROPAGANDA, just across Ferensway from the Yorkshireman; the place was packed to the gills, but noticeably the overwhelming majority of people there were 'straight', i.e. Hen Parties, and individual straight women and men.

Finally, it was off to FUEL, just down the side street from Propaganda, and which also filled up after it opened at midnight, and, where I solved a mystery which bugged me ever since their first club in Sheffield closed in Spring 2008: What happened to the enormous multi-branched mirrorball that used to hang above the dancefloor. The Hull Fuel has not one, but TWO of them, so one of them must be the long-lost one from Sheffield, and the Hull Fuel, currently showing a fair bit of wear and tear, is undergoing a refurbishment.

When I asked at Propaganda if Fuel was coming back again to Sheffield, the obvious answer was 'Never', due to the disappointing customer levels, although this can be blamed on the decisions to open a club away from most of the nightlife area and also to employ only unknown drag queens and DJ's from Leeds, Hull and London and not locals from Sheffield; the latter absurdity is only slightly less barmy than Kim Kardashian's recent love-in with Russia.

 

So there you have it with 'Fuel', but think for a moment, what IS the secret of Hull's gay scene's success? My opinion is down to the fact that all but one of the venues are only about 100 metres from each other, they are very central, close to the bus/rail station, they seem to be drawing in the crowds of straights such as Henparties, birthdays, etc. and they DO provide some form of regular entertainment, even if that is just a drag DJ, some dancers and a live PA singer or two every week.

Maybe Sheffield will in the near future emulate this success; for this reason I would urge any future gay venues or gay nights to focus on locating in the Cultural Industries Quarter, which has been known for having plenty of gay or gay owned pubs and bars and nights in the past: the Cossack, The Rutland, and the sadly still empty Matilda pub, to name just three. If you care about your gay scene, then let the Council know about the need to encourage more gay venues to flourish in their future plans for the city centre, and maybe soon there will be a whole clutch of places once again catering for the Gay market, whether it is an occasional gay night, or a 7-day-a-week venue with dancefloor, cabaret and live bands.:love:

[Roger123W 10]

Sad to hear that the Fuel disco ball has ended up in Hull - that is disgraceful Tia Still at least Sheffield has its own Crystal Ball still

 

The gay scene in Sheffield at the moment really is very very moribund, its time for something to happen to shake it all up but I am not sure what yet ??

 

Wasnt there talk of some gay sauna opening in town - not that I am personally into that sort of thing myself ... and are Dempseys doing anything special for Easter ?

 

---------- Post added 12-04-2015 at 11:53 ----------

 

SO I hear Icons has changed its name now to Bar whats it called with an unmemorable name - does this mean its no longer gay ? :-(

[Tyranna 10]

ICONS has changed its name to 'Equality' and is still gay-friendly, but I haven't been out on the scene except for Climax, so I don't know how its doing at present. I'll try and get out one night to see what's up, as Icons was always popular with LGBT's and when I was in there a couple of times after it changed management there seemed to be plenty of LGBT's there as well as others.

As yet there is absolutely no news of any new LGBT venues opening in town; lets hope the Scene will eventually pick up though.

A quick rundown of forthcoming events:

THIS Saturday, 18th April, there is a special event QUEER PRESENCE, 'a day of queer documentaries and a divine disco in the evening' at the Moor Theatre/Delicatessen in the former Woolworth's on The Moor, starts 12.30 in afternoon, until late at night.

On Monday 27th April, there will be a launch event for the latest Eden Films productions on bisexuality and the Scene Debate, at the Circle Building off Division Street, start 9am.

On the evening of Wednesday 29th April there is a LGBT Elections Question Time event being held at Sheffield University in association with Sheffield Pride.

Sunday 17 May, IDAHOT (International Day Against Homophobia/Transphobia) will take place in Peace Gardens from 12 noon; there will also be some associated events at the Millennium Galleries.

On Thursday 21st May, the annual LGBT Ball and Awards Ceremony will be held at City Hall, Tickets £45.

On Saturday 27th June, Pinknic will take place in Peace Gardens with light entertainment and stalls; admission free.

The following weekend, on Saturday 4th July, Sheffield Pride will take place at Sheffield University Students' Union; from what I have heard admission will be a lot cheaper than it was for the last two years at Devonshire Green and lots of things are being planned, so do check their Facebook page/website.

[SpiderPete 10]

ICONS has changed its name to 'Equality' and is still gay-friendly, but I haven't been out on the scene except for Climax, so I don't know how its doing at present. I'll try and get out one night to see what's up, as Icons was always popular with LGBT's and when I was in there a couple of times after it changed management there seemed to be plenty of LGBT's there as well as others.

 

To get everyone upto speed the place is now called Club London 5254 and its very much empty, hardly any drinks. The gay people I know who used to go have now gone elsewhere.

[andyms1 10]

To get everyone upto speed the place is now called Club London 5254 and its very much empty, hardly any drinks. The gay people I know who used to go have now gone elsewhere.

 

From their FB page it's a "club" dedicated to old skool (sic) House and the Speed Garage scene, selling drinks extremely cheaply. I'm not sure I would have invested in new signage !!!

[bensonhedges 10]

Have you a link to their FB please - can't seem to find it.Cheers.

[andyms1 10]

Have you a link to their FB please - can't seem to find it.Cheers.

 

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009203387481&ref=ts&fref=ts

[bensonhedges 10]

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009203387481&ref=ts&fref=ts

 

 

"Page not found" but thanks anyway

[EarthBoy 10]

"Page not found" but thanks anyway

 

It was working 15 minutes ago, because I was reading it, but it seems to have gone down now. I don't know what the problem with it is.