Guest writer Daniel Welsh gives his take on Newcastle and Sunderland’s gay scene.
Having lived in the north-east for my entire life, I would forgive you for assuming that once you leave London the gay scene hits a noticeable slump, and that by the time you get as far north as Newcastle the only spots worth visiting are mines, the birthplace of Cheryl Cole and about a hundred bridges over the river Tyne. Admittedly, while no trip to Newcastle is complete without a mandatory walk along the Quayside, there’s one crucial thing Geordies do better than anyone else, and which is often overlooked: our legendary nightlife.
It’s not just Newcastle’s notorious Bigg Market where the nightlife is thriving, though; the city is host to its own gay scene – the renowned ‘Pink Triangle’. The strip itself isn’t that big but, as is the case with so much in life, size isn’t everything. Here, the scene manages to cram in a diverse range of different venues despite its relatively modest size, so that there’s essentially something for everyone.
If you’re just after a few quiet drinks then you need look no further than Twist, the first bar you come to as you step onto the scene. It’s also a brilliant place to start a night out, and is popular with students attending the indie club next door who are looking for somewhere to pre-drink – indeed, it’s always a good idea to get to the jukebox before them unless you want to spend your evening listening to The Libertines. Twist is also one of the quieter bars on the scene, which makes it an ideal place to take a date (although I haven’t been on a date since before Noah built the ark, so perhaps I’m not the best spokesman for that).
Meanwhile, if you’re after something a bit more raucous then the strip has a lot to offer in the form of Eazy Street and The Bank. Eazy Street is one of the newest bars on the scene, offering nightly cabaret from drag queen hostesses Miss Lucy and Vicky Paris, as well as boasting some of the cheapest drinks on the scene. Similarly, The Bank is a friendly bar which offers a brilliant night out, with a different drag queen playing the best camp classics every night of the week.
For a trendier night out, bars like Switch and @ne are popular with young people looking for a good time. @ne plays the best in chart music and remixes, and also has internet facilities in its upstairs area. Over the weekend Switch tends to get packed full of the fashionable student crowd which, while they may be lovely to look at, means there isn’t often a lot of room for dancing, which can prove problematic after a few vodkas when they play your favourite Britney song.
On the more daring side of the scene is the infamous Eagle, Newcastle’s only leather bar. Similarly, Heavens Above, situated above the famous Yard bar, is a brilliant place to spend a night out for anyone looking for something a bit different; beautifully trashy, it takes something of an ‘anything goes’ attitude, and is popular for its remixes and a stage complete with two poles for the bravest clientele to show off their moves.
No trip to the Pink Triangle is complete without ending the night at Powerhouse, Newcastle’s biggest and, probably, most well-attended gay club. Popular with young and old alike, the club is spread out over three floors, including a cosy smoking terrace with its own bar, which is ideal for mingling away from the loud music. Downstairs plays popular and chart music, while the upstairs ‘purple room’ plays more hardcore house music. Powerhouse regularly has dancers for specialist nights and in the past has had live performances from acts as diverse as Stacy Solomon, September and Alphabeat.
The newest venue to the scene is the camp-as-a-row-of-tents cabaret bar, Boulevard, which is modelled on Blackpool’s Funny Girl bar. With a host of hilarious performances from Betty Legs Diamond and her dancers, and comedy from the scene’s most respected drag queen, Miss Rory, the bar is a must-visit for tourists to Newcastle and is popular with both gay and straight audiences.
While all of those venues sport a great mix of men and women, there is also a famous dedicated venue for our lesbian friends at the Barking Dog, a friendly pub also close to Time Square.
Newcastle’s neighbouring city, Sunderland, doesn’t have a gay scene to speak of, although each Tuesday some of the city’s best bars host a bustling gay night. Some popular spots to hit on Tuesdays include Luma, where DJ Ophelia Balls keeps everyone entertained, and night club Diva whose weekly gay event, Viva La Diva, is a firm fixture on the Sunderland scene. Each week Viva La Diva hosts a different themed night, with past themes including The Rocky Horror Show and a Lady Gaga-inspired fancy dress party.
Outside the nightlife, Summer 2011 will be the fourth year of Northern Pride, the north-east’s annual gay pride event which has featured past performances from Same Difference, Basshunter and Lisa Scott-Lee. The festival culminates in a thriving street party in the Pink Triangle, a definite highlight in the north-east’s gay calendar. This year Sunderland is also hosting its very own pride which looks set to be a success. The north-east also has its own gay radio station, Pride Radio, to which you can listen online.
With so much going on for the north-east’s LGBT community, it seems that things aren’t as grim up north as people may have been led to believe. In fact, the north-east is a definite must for people hoping to sample gay life in different UK hotspots.
Main image courtesy of Rob Sharp.
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