We’re creating an online memory board for some of London’s lost venues. Since the turn of the century, London’s gay scene has lost over 100 venues.
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The Spiral Staircase
A description from Dan who worked there in the 90s.
On the corner of Shoreditch High Street and Rivington Street at 138-139 Shoreditch High Street.
Was part of the 90’s ‘gayditch’ scene along with the Joiners Arms, George and Dragon et al.
Slightly ‘upmarket’ wine bar atmosphere to the ground floor, with a spiral staircase taking you to the basement level which was often given over to Karaoke.
Usual DJ nights & cabaret.
Worked there in 97-98. Not sure when it closed.
Approx open date: Can you help with this info? Comment to update the listing.
Approx closed date: Can you help with this info? Comment to update the listing.
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We used to go too on Sunday nights. Full of actors from west end musicals showing off their singing on the karaoke nights. Lots of polari chat there. Used to go with pals, Michel Martell, Richard and “judy”
I used to be a regular at this venue and I truly loved it although I didn’t appreciate it as much as I should’ve done at the time – but you never know when these things will be gone. I used to go there regularly from about 1998 until the early 2000s I think it closed in about 2004. The bar was owned and run by Max and he used to sit at the door reading a cheap crime novel. He decorated the toilet in porno magazines and I think he desperately wanted to see some cottaging but with the sauna nearby I never saw any of that happening at the Spiral. Max was never particularly happy, I don’t think the venue made him much money. I remember saying to him one day Shoreditch will be really popular and I’ll be loads of people here, and he said people have been saying that for years but it never happened. I think he gave up on the venue a year or two too soon. Behind the bar you had John, Khalil and Tre (short for Trevor). Tre was so hot. The best nights were at the weekend, Friday night was Karaoke with Chris Andrews. I think Chris had a former minor role on Hi-de-Hi – never quite sure. There was a regular crowd and it was so nice, not bitchy, you made friends there. On a Sunday there was the Piano Bar hosted by Kevin Del Rio and his pianist. I think Kevin disappeared off to Tenerife eventually. Anyway, Del Rio would dress up in sequinned drag and amuse the large crowd (in a very smoky room) with his witty one liners. The only people allowed to sing were people who could actually sing: Kevin would always sing Hava Nagila towards the end. A lovely guy named “Miss Ross” often got up and sang some of his namesakes classics. I do miss that place. Everyone abided by the rules. It was polite and there was a regular crowd who knew one another. For me it was so sophisticated and cosmopolitan being a boy from the countryside where nothing much happened. There were other venues nearby like the Joiners Arms – but that’s another story….