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An independent cultural and nightlife website, with its ear to the ground.
Many places are prettier. Almost anywhere is less crowded and a lot cheaper, but St Tropez has to be the ultimate south of France.
Blag your way into one of the town’s big three beach clubs — La Voile Rouge, Club 55 or Nikki Beach — or as a last resort pay.
This is the jetset at play — Russian millionaires swigging Crystal and tons of beautiful, famous people you haven’t quite heard of.
La Voile Rouge, Moorea Beach (+4 9479 8434).
Club 55, Boulevard Patch (+4 9455 5555, leclub55.com).
Nikki Beach, Route de Epi Ramatuelle (+4 9479 8204, nikkibeach.com/sttropez/)
It's a techno warehouse club on the Schillingbrucke in Friedrichshain. Basically, if you want a proper German hardcore clubbing experience then you have to go here. The building is huge and stripped down, the people are a mixture of local arty types and old-time East-siders, and the whole place doesn't get going till 2am. We left at 9 in the blinding morning sunshine, as a troop of skinheads were just arriving. Class!
An der Schillingbrucke
Stralauer Platz 33-4
10243 BERLIN
clubmaria.de
030/ 21 23 81 90
Ostbahnhof
Lively gay club based in the Salitien (think that's how you spell it) shopping centre to the East of Veronica's strip in Playa De Las Americas (approx 10-15 minutes walk east).
Within the complex there are other gay bars and clubs. Gemini's (open from 10pm to 4am), Cellar Bar (open from 8pm to 2am), Chaplin's (open from 11pm to 8am and gets busy from 4am), Gay-Sha (weekends from midnight to 6am) and of course Punto Zero (open from 10pm to 6am).
Punto is a lively club which is tastefully decorated and plays great music. They also have a drag show from time to time. The staff are friendly and whilst the crowd on the gay scene is mainly Spanish there are a lot of other nationalities there too.
Earlier in the evening (9pm-ish) there is Playafloor, the entrance is directly opposite Veronica's strip (on the same side of the road as Burger King).
The scene in Tenerife is growing and well worth a visit. Be warned though it does not get busy till after 11pm.
10-15 minutes walk east of Veronica's Strip (toward Adeje). Come to a shopping centre (Salitien) with a path down to the promenade (the path is just before the shopping centre). The gay bars are not that easy to find so you will have to walk into the shopping centre (for Cellar Bar, Chaplin's, Punto Zero and Gay Sha) and to the end of the shopping centre and turn right (up the hill slightly for Gemini's).
Upmarket lounge club in the city centre. Intimate and luxurious, Liquid Lounge is like something you'd find in San Francisco. Lovely VIP area and fantastic smoking garden.
29 Marlboro St
www.liquidlounge.ie
T: +353214376097
One of Vientiane's few clubs (and one of the few places open after 11.30pm). Local bands play a varied, and sometimes quite bizarre, mixture of Thai, Lao and Western pop and rock.
Good place to hang out with the locals and try a bit of Lao dancing!
Open 7pm-midnight.
Piawath Road, Sisatanak District, Vientiane
www.chesscafe.laopdr.com
There are two or three nightclubs in Siem Reap - this one tends to serve the locals more, and is less touristy. When you walk in (you may be frisked for knives) you'll be hit by the loud music (somewhat Western these days: Usher, Black Eyed Peas) and by the pictures of beer from the bar girls. Go for Angkor Beer. It is good, inexpensive. Now settle in and enjoy. Better still go with locals - these guys know how to party.
Just over the bridge from the old market area. A stroll. If in doubt catch a tuk tuk. Goes from 8:00pm to around 1:30am. (Remember, you'll be up at dawn to see Angkor, right?)
A rock club, recommended simply because I had one of the most amusing nights out ever there. A good bit of old school rock and what must be Munich's most colourful clientele. Another 'has to be seen to be believed'.
U-Bahn Giselastraße
Okay. Let me be frank. Club Rub is a fetish club. And before you all reach in horror for the computer mouse, it's not full of freaks and wierdos (although it's best to keep an open mind when delving into alternative entertainment). Held once a month on a Saturday in Houndsditch, London, it is a fetish event - max 400 people, featuring music, dancing, fetish fantasy, licensed bar and 'play' area. You can get tickets or pay on the door. There is a STRICT dress code. I mean S T R I C T! Leather, PVC, transvestite, latex rubber, that sorta thing - but absolutely no streetwear. Let your fantasy run wild. You HAVE to dress up - that's the point! The etiquette is simple - anything goes, but NO means NO.
What strikes you the moment you walk into the place, is the spectacle and friendliness. Oh, and the acceptance. You may be dressed as a transvestite priest but someone will always offer a friendly chat or an indecent proposal. A great place to give your sexual fantasies a free reign, or to just sit back and enjoy the carnival. All ages are welcome- it's attitude that counts, not grey pubic hairs. One thing I guarantee - Club Rub will spoil you for regular 'vanilla' clubs forever!
I would recommend this hotel to anyone looking for a really luxurious treat. It’s new and very opulent, and that bit different. It has eighteen rooms, all themed around a city (for instance: LA, Dublin, Marrakech, Beijing). We stayed last time in Atlantis, which was absolutely beautiful. Attention to detail is first class, staff are really friendly, and you get a welcome drink on arrival. Right in the centre of Edinburgh on the very stylish George Street, it also has three bars called Paris, Milan and Vienna and a nightclub called Tokyo in the basement. I particularly enjoyed the French martinis in Paris bar. Definitely wish to go back soon.
16 George Street, EH2 2PF;
tel: 0131 270 3900;
www.lemondehotel.co.uk
Whether you’re into dirty funky beats or retro classics, the Cross is the place to be, more for sinners than saints.
The World Bar is an eccentric place, serving alcoholic beverages in tea pots and cool cocktails that slip down a treat. With a comfortable atmosphere, live music and friendly people it’s definitely the place to begin the night’s proceedings.
Down the main street, take your pick from Moulin Rouge, Plan B, YU and Dragonfly, which are just a few of the clubs that will have you dancing till the early hours of the morning.
Moulin Rouge has a seductive feel to it as you enter, with a voluptuous red and gold interior that surrounds you. A small but intimate dancefloor sees the ladies and gents strut their stuff.
If you’re into some thing a bit more deep and progressive then head down to YU, situated off the main street. It’s a dark club with a twist of contemporary art. “Mirror, mirror on the wall you are the fairest of them all”, adorns the toilet area: different, yet somehow it works. The club always pull in a friendly crowd, and is certainly a place to get your groove on.
Trains from Central, Town Hall and Martin Place to Kings Cross are probably the quickest way to get there. Taxis also.
The World Bar: 24-26 Bayswater Rd;
Moulin Rouge: 39 Darlinghurst Rd;
YU: 171 Victoria St;
Plan B: 22 Darlinghust Rd;
Dragonfly: 1 Earl Place
Everyone says: go to Charlie's Bar. Don't. For a start, the place is a dump. Secondly, and this is the main reason not to go, the door staff are crooked thugs.
We were in there, minding our own business and our friend went to the toilet. He was followed in by 3 doormen who closed the door behind them and demanded money and cocaine off him. Upon finding that he had no cocaine and was not eager to hand over cash, they beat him up, leaving him needing a trip to the hospital and several stitches in his top lip which had been completely split open.
We called the police who seemed to be in on it because they arrived, and the same doorman that had been involved in the beating told them that there was no problem. They left, despite us protesting otherwise, with a guy standing there bleeding profusely from the mouth.
Just don't go there. I can't say strongly enough that there are so many good bars and clubs in Bratislava - enough for that place to be avoided. Vote with your feet. Any place that employs thugs on the door who try to fleece tourists needs to be given a wide berth. Go to the Slovak Pub. It's ace.
Don't find it. Avoid it.
A deeply eccentric experience based in Belfast and Dublin. It is a combination of live art and jazztronica presented in ever-changing environments. I was given corporate tickets by my employer in France but I believe you can get on the paying guest list for 80 euros. Beautiful people, beautiful music and very very weird venues - this is the coolest club in the world.
Various venues in Belfast and Dublin. Contact +44 (0)7901 853 216.
This gay club is on Sunday nights only - during the rest of the week it is straight-ish (though very mixed on Thursdays). Being a Sunday nighter, it attracts a crowd of very cute boys who don't have to get up for work on Monday morning (or wish they didn't). Good music by Moscow standards, and the drinks are VERY cheap.
7 Bolshoy Zlatoustinsky per.; Metro: Kitai-Gorod, then follow the Maroseika Ulitsa and take the first lane on your left;
Open: Sunday 12am till 7am
If you like your beer with a bit of nature, head for the Stadtgarten. The venue is popular with students and has a bar, a beer garden complete with shady trees, concert hall, nightclub and a friendly clientele. It's a 15-minute walk from the city centre. It will be showing games for the 2006 World Cup.
Venloer Strasse 40, tel: 9529 9433; www.stadtgarten.de/Information.htm
I remember a trip to Ibiza back in September 2001 with a group of lads - respectable lads, not Ibiza Uncovered types. Anyway our departure was a late flight that gave us just enough time to watch the England beat Germany 5 – 1 in Munich, a great start to the week!
After a great week spending our days lounging around the pool at Coastline or listening to the chilled out sounds at Café Mambo and our nights clubbing in the White Isles’ top spots, for our penultimate night (the one we were going to take it easy) we managed to blag free tickets for Roger Sanchez at El Divino.
El Divino was Pacha’s equally swanky neighbour in Ibiza Town and the new kid on the block backing onto the town’s marina. It was the most expensive club to get into on the island, with the most expensive bar on the island and if you wanted to go VIP, the prices of a table were the best part of 2,000 euro – unless you blagged it!
The gang of us got into the club no problem, one of our number was good friends with the promoter, and we set about checking El Divino out. It’s small but it certainly fits its ultra bling bling billing. But I wanted to test just how far our blagability could go, so I tried my luck at getting into the VIP area.
Now this was a strictly solo mission and I knew that I if I got caught and thrown out on my ear the lads would deny all knowledge of me! So like all good blags, timing was essential. I watched my entrance and the young security guy who was guarding it to watch his routine. He wasn’t asking names and didn’t seem to know faces but he seemed to be lucking at attitude and I knew I could bluff it. My timing came when two very English looking girls, pale skin and short skirts, were allowed through, so I followed closely behind.
The big man stopped me closing the chain in front of me, but I looked him straight in the eye, holding his gaze as I said, bold as brass, “I’m with them mate.’ He looked me up and down, looked back at the two girls, who were heading towards a large group sat around the centre of the VIP area, and then let me in.
I felt like a million dollars, but knew I was still being watched, so I followed the two girls that had just unknowingly adopted me and sat down with them. Understandably they both looked shocked as this strange Salfordian blag artist took root in their company, so decided that honesty among friends was my best policy. I told them the story, ‘I’ve just blagged my way in, saying I was with them and I was being watched, so could I sit here just for a few minutes until the heat dies down, then I’ll get out of your way.’
I think the two girls, still in disbelief, admired my guts for doing what I was doing, and told me that it was fine by them, but the table they and I were sat at belonged to the Club’s owner, who’s entourage were all eyeing me up suspiciously.
Naturally I decided not to outlive my welcome and left to wander around the decadently decked outdoor VIP area. As I was admiring the gargantuan yachts, which were moored behind us, my attention was drawn to another group of four young ladies who evidently required my assistance.
They too looked English and in their early twenties, and were sat with a group of middle-aged men. Very suspect I thought, so I decided to investigate. One of the girls immediately grabbed my arm and said, ‘oh thank God your English.’
‘Well Yesh,’ I said in my best Connery Bond accent.
As it turns out the middle aged guys they were with, one of whom was a dead ringer for a healthy looking Michael Stipe, were all German. They had invited the girls back to the VIP area for drinks and now they were asking if they wanted to, ‘come back to their yacht for dancing yah’.
The girls were trying to shake their offer but the Germans were quite persistent. As I sat down I could sense I was about as welcome as a WW2 joke in Nuremburg, and the Germans kept trying to shove me aside, real alpha male stuff. So I decided to be friendly and play the dumb gracious Brit. I made them laugh at my poor grasp of German and eventually I got the conversation around to the subject of football, more specifically the night in Munich six days before.
I was trying to explain how I thought the result would have been different had German midfield enforcer Jens Jeremies been playing, when the Germans beat a retreat that would make the one from Stalingrad look like a stroll. ‘We’d been trying to get rid of them all night,’ said the girls, amazed, ‘what did you say to them?’
Bemused I said, ‘I don’t know I just mentioned football.’
By the end of the night I’d managed to make friends with the guard on the VIP gate and bring the lads in to a table of our own, all free of charge and all totally blagged!
Ibiza Old Town, backing onto the marina;
tel: 971 318 338;
email: info@eldivino-ibiza.com;
www.eldivino-ibiza.com
One essential word that you cannot survive in Australia without is ‘daggy’. And if you’re gay (or gay-friendly), and you’re in Sydney, and you know what daggy is, this is the place to come and express it. Palms makes a nice change from the posturing that you get in so many other places along Oxford St (one of Sydney’s main gay streets). People are friendly, and the atmosphere is relaxed.
124 Oxford St (in the basement), just before you get to Taylor Square
This is another large gay club, a bit further out of town. It has a very large main dance floor where they play (mainly uninspiring) dance music, a smaller room where they play cheesy Russian pop music and a (men-only) bar. This seems to attract a younger crowd than Three Monkeys. Chance also puts on cabaret but this seems to be less drag-oriented - last time I went there were a lot of cute circus boys performing acrobatics in skimpy outfits.
Shans, 19A Kuusinena Ulitsa; Metro: Polezhayeskaya;
Open: 10pm till 6am, Monday to Sunday.
Moscow's gay scene isn't very visible, but it's still there. This is a fairly large club on three floors (dancefloor, restaurant/bar, pub-like bar) with a great outdoor bar/area - surprising as it may seem, Moscow has good hot summers!
Attracts a mixed crowd from 18 to 80 (but most seem to be in their 20s). Not great music (like most clubs in Moscow) but good fun. They have two big drag shows of an evening, cute go-go boys and it's busy till very late on Friday and Saturday.
Tri Obeziany, bldg. 1, 11 Nastavnicheskiy Pereulok;
Metro: Chakalovskaya;
Open 10pm - 7am, Monday to Sunday.
Want to sweat to indie pop, dancefloor or electronic rhythms? Take a look at the Glocksee, a former industrial area close to the river Ihme. Here you can find two discos: the Café Glocksee and the bigger Indiego Hall in the same building. Usually the DJs play different kinds of music upstairs and downstairs, so you can change the location and the style from time to time. The Glocksee is not only a disco: musicians play live performances too.
Glockseestraße 35 (backyard);
Tram station: Goethestraße;
tel: 0511 161 4712;
www.cafe-glocksee.de
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