The Backstreet was London‘s longest-running leather and fetish bar/club. It had been running for over 37 years. In a statement released on social media, the management team announced that the club was to close in July 2022
The announcement said,
“After an incredible 37 years, The Backstreet will be closing its doors for the last time on 17th July. John and all the staff would like to say how grateful we are for all the support our customers have given us throughout the years. The club could never have carried as long as it has without your loyalty. From all of us to all you of thank you.
The club which is set in London’s Mile End was established in 1985 when London’s gay scene was booming. Since 2000 THEGAYUK has been tracking London’s gay scene closures of which there have been over 110 LGBT+ venues closed. The Backstreet becomes the latest venue to close. During its time it hosted fetish social nights, life drawing classes, smoking and naked events.
Fans of the Backstreet shared their sadness at the news, with one fan suggesting that The Backstreet was one of the only social clubs in London to be truly accessible, saying, “You’re the one social club and play space all on one level, which made it the most accessible venue I’ve been to in the UK. Such a shame you’ve decided to close, rather than sell the business on!”
Another remarked how the fetish scene had been effectively “cleansed” writing, “Consider the scene fetishised cleansed, remember the battle to save Xxl from closing, even the judge, in that case, said there was homophobic play going from the foreign investors, we’ve allowed ourselves to be marginalised, pushed aside.”
While another added, “It is very sad news indeed. it is 30 years ago (since) I started going to the Backstreet. I was a young man still in my late teens. The UK has become sterile regarding fetish. Most good events are outside of the UK now. Depressing news.”
Another added how marginalised the leather and fetish community had become within the LGBT+ community writing, “This is a tragedy! Leather men have been pushed out of the London scene over the past 20 years. The anvil. Gone. The Colehearne. Gone. The London Apprentice. Gone. And now the BACKSTREET! Very sad news that will affect my life.”
With England’s latest lockdown ending in just over a week many bars, and in particular many LGBT+ venues are really feeling the pinch. One gay bar in Birmingham has said it might be time to”call it a day”.
One of the issues facing many bars, but in particular gay bars, is that many aren’t equipped to serve food – which is one of the requirements for pubs to be able to open in at least two Tiers of the Government’s system. Bars which solely sell drink are unable to open in Tier 2 and Tier 3. Only bars which sell “substantial” food can open in Tier 2 and can only operate as takeouts in Tier 3.
With most of the country expected to be entered into Tier 2 or 3 when Boris Johnson announces the Tier system in the next few days, the Equator bar in Birmingham announced that it might have to close forever, adding “Equator bar is not a restaurant so will not be allowed to open in Tier 2” and added, “Maybe time to call it a day”.
If the Equator Bar, which has been operating for over 15 years, does close it will be the second bar in Birmingham to have fallen victim to the economic woes faced by the hospitality industry due to the Government’s handling of the current Coronavirus pandemic.
Speaking to THEGAYUK.com the owner said, “It’s devastating that customers cannot come to their local community bar. We haven’t had a single case that I know of…
“I’ve been here 18 years and not sure how much longer we can stay closed with no help from the gov”.
Not the first victim of the devastating Tier system
The Tier system used in England has brought economic hardship for many businesses, but in particular for social-based businesses like pubs and bars.
Nightclubs have not been able to open since March.
In Tier 2, which most of England is expected to enter come the 2nd of December does not allow for household mixing, meaning that friends and family from different households are unable to meet in public, including in pubs and restaurants. In Tier 3 all bars and restaurants must close and are only permitted to operate as a food takeaway.
Bars and pubs across England have spent huge sums of money on becoming “COVID-secure” and have restricted their capacities in order to aid with social distancing, adding extra pressure on their bottom lines.
Writing about the latest announcement from Boris Johnson, the Royal Vauxhall Tavern in London tweeted, “We are all stuck in the worst possible purgatory with the worst possible ruler”
We are all stuck in the worst possible purgatory with the worst possible ruler
2020 has turned out to be a truly unsustainable year for so many industries, but LGBT+ venues are getting a real battering right now, thanks to the tier system, uncertainty surrounding lockdowns and the controversial 10 PM curfew enacted by the government.
Bar Broadway in Brighton has announced that it is closing and many former patrons and performers are mourning its loss, including Drag Queen Tanya Hyde who said the closure was a “terrible loss for Brighton and the scene”.
The bar, which is relatively new on the Brighton gay scene, opening in 2014, had been an incredibly busy and distinct venue for the area.
Brighton’s Gay Men’s Chorus, wrote, “All of us at Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus would like to express our deep sadness and regret on hearing the news that Bar Broadway has had to close its doors for the last time. Having spent many unforgettable nights there celebrating after our own shows, it will be a huge loss, not only to us, but to the whole community. We wish the management and staff all the best for the future and hope that this is only just the start of something new for them all.”
Drag Queen Maria Gardner wrote, “Bar Broadway was far more than a bar to me. It was a place that gave me the opportunity to start my drag career, they comforted me through a tough breakup, they gave me space to heal and sing for so many likeminded Disney lovers, I hosted my first Fringe shows there, collab shows with Alfie Ordinary, MenTalkHealth and 2 hilarious birthday bashes plus I made some of my closest friends I could ever ask for in this space.”
Another LGBT+ bar has said it is to close after trading in 2020 became unsustainable due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and the restrictions imposed by the government to try and curb the rising infections.
Eden Bar in the heart of Birmingham‘s gay village wrote an emotional goodbye post on social media saying that it was closing with its last day of trading on the 24th October.
The owners outlined how the government’s response to the pandemic had stretched many businesses, like theirs, beyond their limits, saying,
“Like many small businesses, 2020 has stretched Eden beyond belief. A reduced capacity to 25% then further reduced to 10% under Region Tier 2, heavy staff costs due to the ongoing changing government guidelines, the recent 10 pm curfew and an imminent Region Tier 3 lockdown, has meant we have decided to bite the bullet, making this drastic commercial decision.”
Closures across the Midlands due to COVID
Eden had hoped that 2020 would be its most successful year to date and had plenty of events planned, which all had to be cancelled. It had also opened a new venue called Sherlocks in Blackpool, which they have had to “inject finance into… in order to stay afloat, despite adapting to the “new normal”
The statement, however, did state that the owners would be looking for new premises. They continued,
“Our focus now is to look to the future with positive eyes, and wait for the pandemic to calm, albeit months. It has always been our long term plan to find alternative premises, therefore, once the pandemic calms, we will be taking active measures, looking for other premises in Birmingham, which we feel would be suitable for a ‘New Eden’
“What is important, is that Eden’s closure is not clouded by COVID but instead, is celebrated for its fantastic atmosphere and countless acts and events, which have graced Eden over the last 13 years”.
Read the full statement here:
After careful consideration, it is with great sadness that we have to announce, Eden will be closing its doors for business, on Saturday 24th October 2020, at 10 pm. Like many small businesses, 2020 has stretched Eden beyond belief. A reduced capacity to 25% then further reduced to 10% under Region Tier 2, heavy staff costs due to the ongoing changing government guidelines, the recent 10 pm curfew and an imminent Region Tier 3 lockdown, has meant we have decided to bite the bullet, making this drastic commercial decision.
Understandably, the fear of COVID is apparent, despite huge efforts to ensure a safe environment, making current conditions none financially viable. 2020 was set to be our best year, with many new events booked, the planned closure of Lower Hurst Street for “The Eden Pride Street Party” and the opening of Sherlock’s Blackpool. Instead of this anticipated bumper year, each week we have had to inject finance into the business in order to stay afloat, despite adapting to the “new normal”, being at full capacity and having to refuse entry. We have all worked so hard to try and make it work, but it is now apparent, we can no longer sustain this form of attack, without jeopardising Eden’s long term future.
Even today’s government announcement is just too little too late. Sadly, now we have to remove emotion and let common-sense prevail. We can only give so much until there’s nothing left to give. Our focus now is to look to the future with positive eyes, and wait for the pandemic to calm, albeit months. It has always been our long term plan to find alternative premises, therefore, once the pandemic calms, we will be taking active measures, looking for other premises in Birmingham, which we feel would be suitable for a “New Eden”.
It is not the bricks and mortar which makes Eden so special. Its a collection of people including our customers, fantastic staff, DJs, entertainment and those who work behind the scenes which share our vision. It is this vision which we believe can be transferred to another venue, once the pandemic calms.
We see this as an opportunity to take stock of the business and come back stronger and fighting fit. In short, Sherlock’s will still go ahead next year, hopefully, once government guidelines are relaxed. For Eden, as stated, our plan is to look for alternative premises in Birmingham and re-establish, once we are in a position to.
Putting the breaks on now will give us the opportunity to do this, protecting the Eden brand and future business, instead of trading at below breakeven using additional finance as a crutch, putting our long term future at risk. What is important, is that Eden’s closure is not clouded by COVID but instead, is celebrated for its fantastic atmosphere and countless acts and events, which have graced Eden over the last 13 years.
Too many to mention individually, but we’re sure you all have your favourites, along with fond memories. We would like to thank all our staff, DJs, entertainment, community groups and customers, in particular those whom have continued to support Eden post lockdown, when we needed you most.
We look forward to welcoming you all back once we are in a position to, along with the opening of Sherlock’s Blackpool next year. So please watch this space for our next chapter. Tickets for our final night will go on sale tonight at 7.30 pm. To open the night we have the fantastic Fanny Burns. There is however only one person who can close this current era, and that’s the fabulous La voix.
With a “heavy heart” Mary’s in Cardiff have announced that they are unable to keep the doors open after the latest restrictions for hospitality venues were announced earlier this week.
Many bars and restaurants have reopened in the last month, many spending hundreds if not thousands of pounds becoming compliant to Government guidelines on being “COVID-secure”.
A 10 PM curfew, along with other restrictions on the number of patrons bars can serve has left many venues struggling to make money.
In a statement on social media the Cardiff bar, which is a popular venue with drag acts and cabaret performers said that due to the 10 PM closure times announced, that the bar would have to remain closed during the enforced period.
“Not financially viable”
They said, “It is with a heavy heart that we have to inform all our customers that due to the 10 pm closure notification that was imposed on us, that Mary’s will be closed during this period of time as it’s not financially viable for us to try and trade, maintain turnover and monitor costs with a 10 pm closure.”
The bar had reopened once the rest of the hospitality industry was permitted to do so, and the management said that the team had worked hard to make the venue COVID-secure and work within the restrictions, “with panache”.
They added, “It has been hard to operate Mary’s without the rest of our team, our DJ’s, Entertainment but we have done so and we have conformed fantastically to the new ways of operating
“I like to think that even without our entertainment we still ensured you all enjoyed your visit to Mary’s”
Fans are supporting the bar
Fans of the bar were quick to let bar management that the community was behind the venue and fully supportive.
One user added, “Sad to hear but once you’re reopened, we will be back. The whole community is behind you!” Another said, “I’m really saddened to read this and hope that you’ll be back soon. So many members of our community are behind you with their full support.”
Nottingham’s only dedicated LGBT+ nightclub, Propaganda is to close after the lockdown and COVID-19 restrictions meant it has been unable to renew its lease.
Propaganda, which has served Nottingham’s LGBT+ community for over 11 years will close with immediate effect, according to a Facebook post the club’s management published yesterday afternoon.
In the post, the management wrote, that due to the “current economic conditions” the club was unable to come to new terms with its landlord and that they had “no other option but to close”.
The outpouring of support from the community has been “truly humbling” according to the management after the post announcing the club’s closure, received over 2,300 comments from customers.
The management of Propaganda sad that they were “humbled to have been part of something special” and wished their “incredible staff, past and present” their thanks.
As it currently stands bars and clubs will not be allowed to open again for the foreseeable future, putting immense pressure onto the “gay scene”, which has already suffered a slew of closures in recent years due to ever-increasing rents in cities and generally falling footfall.
On May the 10th the UK’s Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, laid out tentative plans to reopen parts of the UK’s economy. The hospitality industry, arguably the hardest hit by the Coronavirus pandemic, will be one of the last to be reopened.
Some of the industry would be permitted to commence trading again on 4th July, but that was contingent on a number of factors, including keeping the number of new infections of COVID-19 down and the ability to maintain social distancing measures within the premises.
“The company has had to make the difficult decision to close with immediate effect”
Legends in Brighton has instructed an insolvency firm to help wind down its business, a statement released today has said.
Since the outbreak of coronavirus, thousands of businesses across the UK shuttered indefinitely with many now struggling to stay financially viable with no customers.
The venue, which was a hotel, club, bar and restaurant on the Brighton seafront issued a short statement on its website, stating,
“The company has had to make the difficult decision to close with immediate effect and a licensed firm of Insolvency Practitioners has been instructed to assist in placing the company into Creditors Voluntary Liquidation. Therefore, no further bookings can be made”.
It also suggested that those who had pre-existing bookings should contact their credit card providers to check if they were eligible for a refund.
The UK has been in lockdown since the end of March and the Government ordered that all bars, restaurants and clubs close, except where they could provide takeaway services.
The closure of this legendary venue is yet another blow to the LGBT+ community which has seen the widespread of Pride events planned for this summer cancelled or postponed.
Organisers of Brighton Pride responded to the news of the closure by saying that the venue, had been “sad news… such a big supporter of Pride and community fundraising in our city over the years”
The company “sincerely apologised for the inconvenience” that was caused by its decision to close.
Sad news, as The Chateau, a Pop Up LGBT+ bar and cultural space is set to close at the end of April.
The bar, which started life in Camberwell, London made the announcement that it’s due to close at the end of April.
The statement said, “we’ve held on as long as is humanly possible, but the time has come to move on…”
It added, “The Chateau is an entity without and we will continue to live outside of the basement.
“Thank you to all who have supported us over the last two years, it’s been stunning”.
The bar was planning a raft of events up until the last date in April, however, a further message from the organisers wrote,
“In light of the current situation, we have taken the decision to cancel all events scheduled this week at The Chateau.
“We will keep you posted with our plans going forward. Sending lots of love and strength to all the artists, promoters, djs, freelancers and queers right now and thank you for all your support for the chateau team at this tough time. “
A bar, popular with the LGBT community in Cardiff for 25 years is set to close in May 2020.
Minksy’s showbar in Cardiff is set to close after 25 years after the new owner of the building decided not to renew the lease, according to the bar’s management.
Speaking about the decision to close the doors, the bar’s owners, Owen Sendell and Nathan Barker said,
“It is such a shame that we are having to close our doors at our current premises, we are going to miss providing top quality entertainment to Cardiff and our visitors from further afield”
However, all is not lost as the pair are looking for another venue in Cardiff to continue the legacy, they added,
“We’re currently looking for another venue so that we can continue to provide Cardiff with amazing shows.
“We’re currently looking for another venue so that we can continue to provide Cardiff with amazing shows. Entertainment Manager Gavin Wilson said “We’ve lined up a top evening of entertainment for our big send off.”
The last shout
The last night Minsky’s will be open to our customers will be Saturday 9th May 2020. We’ll have entertainment from Opal Fruits, Jolene Dover, Dr Bev, and Mary Golds and a whole host of other entertainment starting from 7:30pm.
Tickets are £5 for standing, £10 for silver and £25 for gold. For more information visit www.minskys-showbar.co.uk
“Dot Cotton Club has been a huge part of the LGBTQ+ scene in Cambridge, first opening its doors almost 30 years ago”
An LGBT+ club night was facing an uncertain future this week and may have been forced to close its doors had a new venue not saved the day.
The Dot Cotton Club, based in Cambridgeshire, which has been in existence for nearly 30 years, has had an emotional week after the venue it uses to host its iconic night, Atomic, are reportedly “struggling with negotiations with their college landlords”.
The club night had been held at Atomic for the last four years.
In a statement, organisers of the Dot Cotton Club said, that there were hopes of working with a new venue, Fez Club, in order to keep the night alive.
“We are sure Dot Cotton Club will continue to evolve”
Speaking about the abrupt ending with Atomic, organisers wrote on the official Facebook page, “Dot Cotton Club has been a huge part of the LGBTQ+ scene in Cambridge, first opening its doors almost 30 years ago, and is the final regular club event here for our community that takes place on a weekend.
“This is hugely important as it provides a safe and welcoming space for both students AND Cambridge locals, along with visitors to the city, to celebrate everything that makes them fabulous. We are also sad for our current home Atomic (formerly Q-Club), as it is one of the only alternative venues in the city with nights catering for the less mainstream communities, including the rock, metal and goth crowds – we know everyone who has visited will miss it greatly.
“Looking to the future, while we hope some agreement can be made to allow us to continue where we are, we are sure Dot Cotton Club will continue to evolve and find some way to keep supporting the community in any way we can.”
Light At The End Of The Tunnel
In a separate post, Dot Cotton Club told its fans, “After seeing our posts online and the story in (the) local press, Fez Club Cambridge have stepped in and kindly offered to help us with a venue to keep our fabulous LGBTQ+ Dot Cotton Club community alive!
“Because they (Fez) already have some other commitments pre-planned in their diary, we still won’t be able to celebrate our festive White Party on December 7th as originally planned, but instead we are moving it to Saturday, December 28th, 10 pm-3 am! The Fez Club has two bars, cocktail menu, large seating area and dance floor, the bathrooms will be gender neutral for the night and there is a lift up to the first floor”.
A North London LGBT+ venue, Her Upstairs has closed abruptly, without warning for unspecified “legal reasons”.
North London’s gay scene has been dealt another blow after the popular LGBT and drag venue, Her Upstairs, closed with no warning. The venue’s management announced the sudden closure on its Facebook page.
The statement reads,
“It is with great sadness that as of today Her Upstairs is no longer open for business at 18 Kentish Town Road.
“For legal reasons we cannot share the details of this sudden closure.
“We regret that we have had to do this so abruptly and without giving our incredible community a chance to say goodbye to the space.
“Our queer spaces are so vital, but it’s the people, not the bricks and mortar that make the space. We may be lacking in a physical space but we feel each and everyone of our family with us no matter where we go.
“This is a goodbye for the present but not a farewell.
“With love from the Her Upstairs family, stay tuned and we’ll see you very soon.”
The closure comes just a few years after the landmark venue, The Black Cap was forced to close in Camden. The only LGBT venue that now exists in North London in permanent form is Central Station which is close to Kings Cross train station. THEGAYUK.com has been running a campaign called Lost LGBT Scene which keeps track of LGBT venues closures in London since the year 2000. The loss of Her Upstairs take the number of venues closed to around 117.
