QX Magazine

Continuing our series looking at the issues around gay shame and sexuality.

No, we’re not talking about the memoirs of Dusty O or Tasty Tim (although the latter does DJ there every Thursday) but the towering Comptons of Soho, which stands bold on Old Compton Street. Although it had a gay following for several decades during the 20th century, the bar came out and proud with its queer identity in 1986 and championed the modern age of homosexualist Soho. This weekend, the bar celebrates its 29th birthday as a gay venue. General Manager Neil Hodgson has been overseeing the shenanigans there since 1998 and knows every nook and cranny of its insides better than Katie Price’s gynaecologist knows hers. In commemoration of such a landmark venue, Neil shares some of the bar’s lesser know secrets…

‘The Boy in the Dress’ was daring and original television. Why? 

Have you been hooked on the current series of Celebrity Big Brother as much as we have? I mean, it’s total car crash telly but addictive viewing. We were having a natter about it in QX Towers and started pondering who from the scene we’d love to see in a special drag version of the show? What mix of cabaret queens would make it compelling viewing? So, ahead of G-A-Y’s Big Brother spesh this weekend featuring its very own customers fighting for a £1000 prize, and in the throes of the most controversial CBB ever, Jason Reid compiled his list of dream drag housemates....

24/01/15: Hundreds of homos stampeded to the dancefloor last Saturday to watch our swag sister Charli XCX perform tidbits from tasty new album ‘Sucker’.

23/01/15: So, mid-January, and not being among those weak bitches doing a Dry January (‘cause real lushes don’t need a break, especially not over the most depressing month of the year), we sauntered through Soho expecting some city abandonment scene, but not at Ku Bar.

Having already gifted us with The Glory, a bar that’s proven to be just what the drag queen ordered for the East London scene, creative genius Jonny Woo is presenting us with another hot sensation in the form of Lipsync 1000! A new(ish) night for fabulous faux femmes and friends, to dazzle us with their ability to memorize and mouth long sequences of words set to music. Naturally, we were in the front row for opening night.

24/01/15: This Saturday we ventured north of the river for a night of girl power as the Black Cap and Buffalo Girls presented Spice World Live and Lady Lloyd’s Birthday Bonanza! Mile-long queues were running outside the ‘Cap as the North London crowd anxiously waited to join the ultimate Spice Girl ball! From Sporty to Ginger, the homos were dressed from head to heels as their favourite Spice Girls characters.