MAN-UP

Put the sequins away and leave the feather boas at the doors as Central London welcomes Manbar, a new late night bar concept that delivers a sexy, distinctly testosterone-fuelled experience for gay blokes, butch boys and their brethren. Cliff Joannou meets owner Charles Hill and general manager Cathy…

CHARLES HILL

What many people don’t know is that you have a long history of working on the gay scene. Tell us about your first ventures on the gay scene.

Not just the gay scene, I started working in Soho in 1982. In those days most of the gay scene was in Earl’s Court. Soho was a mixture of lovely old shops – there was a cigar shop and two butchers in Old Compton Street – and many more interesting places to explore. In 1995 I took over a gym in Waterloo. It was going to become a leather bar – amazing what a few nights in Amsterdam can do for your tastes and preferences! I couldn’t get permission for this, so I turned the space into Pleasuredrome Spa, instead. It opened in 1996 and has run continuously since then.

With Manbar, you’ve taken over the old 79CXR premises and transformed it into a late night bar venue. What makes it different to other late night venues in the West End?

CXR opened in 1994. It was amazing. So busy you would slither in! Full of men! Magic. You never went home alone unless you wanted it that way. In the last few years it fell on hard times. The original guys behind it had gone and the straight operators who owned it didn’t have a feel for what a gay man – or girl – wants. Like the original CXR, Manbar is for all of us. No one intimidated; everyone welcome. Clean, safe, fun. Good music. Sensible prices.

There have been so many gay venues closing over the last few years due to the recession. Why did you decide to launch a new gay business now after?

There is more to a gay bar than simply recruiting gay staff, important though they are. Somehow it’s different. So many little things. Chain operators struggle to create the atmosphere. We are the real thing. The genuine article. There is never a good or bad time to launch a bar. It’s more a question of luck and the opportunity arising. I believe that there is space for us on the scene and that we will add to the attraction of Soho to our community as a place to hang out.

CATHY TAYLOR

You’re the new big boss at Manbar! Tell us what to expect from the venue when we walk through the doors! 

When you walk through the doors at Manbar you can expect a gay fantasy world, walls covered in very sexy artwork by Mike Bliss. First drink is half price at all times and the cloakroom is alway open without charge, and our toilets looked after at all times.

What can we look forward to musically? 

The music you will here is all the up- to-date tunes you know and love, with the best current mix always played at a pitch comfortable for conversation. We have some of the best DJs in London on the gay scene as residents including Alessandro Londra, DJ Minx, Brent Nicholls, Rich B and Tony English.

MIKESBLISS: artist

Mikesbliss is an artist living and working in London. He spent his childhood living in various countries including Germany, Hong Kong and Thailand. This upbringing has given him a unique vision of the world, which is constantly infused into his work.

His work is expressive and earnest, raw and revealing. The artwork featured in Manbar is his largest single project to date.

He has also just published his first graphic novel ‘God Maker: Vampires of London’ in America.

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