The Sheffield gay scene part 2

[aaron1867 10]

It seems like madness to be opening new gay venues in Sheffield in the current climate. There aren't enough customers to keep the three existing gay bars running, no matter where they are situated. Even if they all moved next door to each other in a gay village it wouldn't magically increase business. If two new venues open it will simply be spreading the same number of customers more thinly with the result that some, if not all, of the bars will go bust and close. Although I'm sure the people behind the new Gossips and Fuel/Twist, or whatever it's going to be called, are well intentioned, it's possible that they could simply be hastening the complete demise of the Sheffield gay scene

 

I disagree here.

 

There is definitely demand for a new venue(s) in the city, but they simply have to get it right. You only have to look at Affinity to realise how you could possibly get it so wrong & how they continue to operate is beyond me.

 

There is definitely demand and even though I am too young to have gone to Fuel, it was very popular and shows there is demand. We are also a big city, with possibly a great catchment area to attract customers, but they aren't going to come out for such a venue like Dempsey's, sadly. However they are very likely to come out to visit bigger LGBT nightclubs like "gossips". But they must get it right & I already believe they are getting it wrong with venue as soon it must be knocked down & the name of the bar? They may have to move location in the near future and shows what a possible loss maker this could be and the name is just lol.

 

I am a frequent weekender & I hardly stay in Sheffield as I find it crap, a lot more people do this, probably a few hundred each weekend, who knows? If there is a decent nightclub night, then there is custom and the locals will stay away from going away.

 

Personally hope this doesn't affect Dempsey's too much, they have been here all this time, stable & would be awful to see it struggle to stay open due to other venues. Weirdly I have seen no sign of development at Fuel, it must be costing over £100k to get that place sorted.

[jamesogt 11]

They have taken the name from the small bar on the side of 'Old Fuel', that was called Gossips. That or it is a huge coincidence!

 

There was Berlins, Isabellas* (which was over 25's) and Gossips. Berlins was 'The' place to go, and was there really before West St was developed from being an area that had a lot of Ladies of the night ....This is all in the 80's and early 90's. I too of course was far too young to have gone to them

 

I also agree it would be a terrible sequence of events if these new venes take Dempseys business and don't create any extra business of their own. As you say it is stable and has (as much as people whine) been a great stalwart of Sheffield for the last 10 years.

Edited December 19, 2013 by jamesogt

[EarthBoy 10]

There was Berlins, Josephines (which was over 25's) and Gossips. .

 

You mean Isabellas, not Josephines. Josephines wasn't near Berlins and Gossips, it was off Barkers Pool, behind the gardens next to the Nationwide. It was renamed Banus in the late 1990s or early 2000s, but I believe it's been shut for several years now.

Edited December 19, 2013 by EarthBoy

[jamesogt 11]

You mean Isabellas, not Josephines. Josephines wasn't near Berlins and Gossips, it was off Barkers Pool, behind the gardens next to the Nationwide. It was renamed Banus in the late 1990s or early 2000s, but I believe it's been shut for several years now.

 

Ahh Yes you are right, see I said I wasn't old enough! Yes Banus closed a while ago, I have seen that space on leasehold sites recently too.

[aaron1867 10]

Climax got a good turnout & I thought £6 to get in was pretty reasonable, whilst Dempsey's was packed until 5am when I left! I really enjoyed the night & first time in the new set out of Climax, the music was good throughout for a change which I was impressed with. However did laugh at their attempt to spray snow!

 

In other news a few pictures have been released of the new venue "gossips", no real opinion, but thought venue was actually bigger, it's going to be a shame to see a split audience between Dempsey's as I don't think a lot of people will be going to be both! I sadly won't be going to either as I am in Manchester!

 

Going away from recent stuff, I take you to older stuff from the year as I was unable to post this at the time or shortly after on here....

 

I was slightly critical of Sheffield Pride this year after noticing a few inadequacies, but at the same point I always said that I was looking foward to where Pride is going to go in future.

 

£10 put a lot of people off, Pride is about being proud of you and sexuality and showing how far they have come. Instead people wasn't allowed to get involved with this due to the charge. It perhaps may have been worth it, but it was more about a **** up than "Pride". Instead there was hardly any celebration, just acts being rolled off the stage, one after the other.

 

I made the point that there needs to be just as much about Pride than getting a big name in Sheffield. Not to mention the fact the whole new pride direction, was perhaps not all that new by some of entertainment, Lloyd Daniels was one of the bigger names, doesn't look that fresh to me. I would like to see the fresh new direction, be fresh, not seeing some X factor 11th place finisher who has done Barnsley, Doncaster and Hull Pride!

 

There was even more points I had highlighted, but I have forgot now, but the main one I do want to highlight is something that really did annoy me the most & that was the ticketing itself....

 

I arrived 4pm ish to Dev and bought the ticket, but to be told that I had to be in the park to get the nightclub ticket. I am not sure who came up with this idea if they are allowed to do it & why? How can you not get a ticket for the afterparty because you are not on the green? I am not even sure it was legal to attempt to make people come in the green or telling them they can't buy one even though they was selling them. Just so you know, it was a cabin about 5x5m big and you got sold a ticket at the other side of the cabin after entering the green. What on earth?

 

I have aired my views as soon of you may have seen on Facebook. Some don't really care, whilst one has taken unkindly to them. In fact he has taken so unkindly to them that everytime I am out in Sheffield he seems to want to make trouble for me, barging past, pushing me out of way, generally being a prat because he doesn't agree with what I have said, which seem to be fair, but forgets that I posted positives about the event too, which perhaps there was more than there was negatives! Sadly he wants to continue this and made a scene in Dempsey's last night, sadly he got a reaction which caused a little scene. It is sad for him, for when he has done so much to put his own place on the committee in question to cause trouble when people post negatives about the event.

 

Anyway, this may or not be my last post on this thread before Christmas.

 

So Merry Christmas Homo's!

[Roger123W 10]

You mean Isabellas, not Josephines. Josephines wasn't near Berlins and Gossips, it was off Barkers Pool, behind the gardens next to the Nationwide. It was renamed Banus in the late 1990s or early 2000s, but I believe it's been shut for several years now.

 

Ah yes I remember going in Josephines and B-Anus many moons ago when first in Sheffield and it was definitely in Barkers Pool and not near old Fuel.

I had lots good nights partying in B-anus but then the bouncers got heavy and it got taken over by a rost of heavy rap hip hop dangerous crowd untilo one night my entry to B-anus got refused saying that as a mincing queen I might not be safe - hey ho ... time to walk the dog ... "Here Hannibal!....

 

---------- Post added 22-12-2013 at 11:54 ----------

 

Hi Aaron its always good to read your detailed posts and I too would like to add to what you said ....

 

whilst Dempsey's was packed until 5am.

So it just goes to show that Dempseys is not really threatened by Icons and Affinity so much - last time I was there that late yes I noticed it was packed too - with people mainly on the younger side - I gues they want to be assured to go somewhere very busy to meet their own kind ... have noted of late that Icons and Affinity are starting to attract the older gays now - I am one lol

 

it's going to be a shame to see a split audience between Dempsey's as I don't think a lot of people will be going to be both!

I dont think in view of my first quote that Dempseys will be really threatened by that new development either ... it will come and then it will go as all new clubs down that area tend to do ... Berlines, Fuel, Limit, New Limit , blah blah !

 

£10 put a lot of people off, Pride is about being proud of you and sexuality and showing how far they have come. Instead people wasn't allowed to get involved with this due to the charge. It perhaps may have been worth it, but it was more about a **** up than "Pride". Instead there was hardly any celebration, just acts being rolled off the stage, one after the other.

I so agree with this - I did not go to the paid part on principle , and the only ones who seemed to be doing anything for the gay community and not making money out of it was all outside City Hall were Affinity staff playing free music and the one and only Tia Anna bravely fought on to entertain and to keep the spirit of the free community pride alive and well !

 

Just so you know, it was a cabin about 5x5m big and you got sold a ticket at the other side of the cabin after entering the green. What on earth?

Thet will be the same ugly cabin so focuseed on making money that they failed to notice that it flattened all the beautiful wild flowers on that corner of Devonshire Green - lucky I had photographed them a while before that and they were beautiful in all different colours. Did anyone give the people behind this tent permission to do that - or was it sheer ineptness from the Council who did not know - and do thay have any hope of growing back next year - the flowers that is !!!

 

I am out in Sheffield he seems to want to make trouble for me, barging past, pushing me out of way, generally being a prat because he doesn't agree with what I have said, which seem to be fair, but forgets that I posted positives about the event too, which perhaps there was more than there was negatives! Sadly he wants to continue this and made a scene in Dempsey's last night, sadly he got a reaction which caused a little scene.

Who could that be I wonder ...

 

Anyway Happy Christmas to all people everywhere ...

 

---------- Post added 27-12-2013 at 17:01 ----------

 

So what were the busy gay bars on Boxing Day ? I heard that Dempseys had a mega busy night with karaoke - if I wasnt ill I would have tootled down there with my dog ..... and where will be busy on NYE? I heard Gossips new night club is opening then where old Fuel was !

[Tyranna 10]

How did Gossips go, then? It was opening for NYE, but I have been away and unable to come. I will be at Gossips THIS SATURDAY, so see y'all there!

[HAPPYCHAPP 10]

So was gossips any good then ???

[Tyranna 10]

So was gossips any good then ???

 

Havent heard anything about how it went, but after taking last weekend off, GOSSIPS will be open again from this Thursday: It is open every Thursday, Friday and Saturday, a bit like Xes used to be for many years.

See you all there on Thursday!

[aaron1867 10]

I have heard that there was a few teething problems at Gossips for NYE, but I am sure that this isn't out of the ordinary for a new bar anywhere. They have added a few nights to their schedule, find them very weird, especially the "bring your own booze night", not sure many people will want to go through town carrying their own booze. I think it would be a much better idea to just create a cheaper entry and drinks.

[rich_sheff 10]

I went to Gossips on NYE and was very disappointed to be honest. The venue was a complete dive, it was quite literally like they had just been handed the keys and decided to just open it as it was. The seating was mismatched and the flooring had been ripped up and not replaced. All in all far from the glam club it was depicted it will be on facebook.

 

I won't be in a rush to come back.

[aaron1867 10]

I walked past Gossips just a couple of hours ago & I just can't believe the lack of change, already they have is a little bit of paint of the door and a really tacky sign on the top.

 

If you are going to open a new bar, at least do it properly, as it seems like it is being done on a very small budget. Not sure what the owner is expecting, financially, but unless you want to dig deep and expect a loss in the first year, then there really does need to be a change.