QX Magazine

12/04/13: Last month Brighton saw the launch of its newest gay radio station, Sauce FM. As if to prove they didn’t just have faces for radio, resident DJs Dulcie Danger, Simon Le Vans and Lil Alex went off-air and took over Royal Vauxhall Tavern on Friday night.

14/04/13: QX Club News hit legendary Vauxhall afternoon session, S.L.A.G.S/Chill-Out, as London basked in the first warm(ish) day of the year last weekend.

10/04/13: It was raining cats and dogs outside but it was a whole different animal in the Royal Vauxhall Tavern; comedy nights are one tricky beast. Emma Packer, Chris Fitchew and headliner Zoe Lyons took to the stage in the convivial, candle-lit surroundings, to varying success.

01/04/13: An assemblage of biblical proportions besieged Vauxhall as the magnificently multi-faceted Jonathan Hellyer, aka RVT institution, the D. E. Experience, brought the curtain down on 14 thrill-packed years entertaining the masses with a sensational swan song of a show.

01/01/13: Despite our fragility after the New Year’s Eve festivities, we were still more than up for a fully-fuelled ‘detox-retox’ party as S.L.A.G.S/Chill-Out romped back for a second holiday helping of sass, sleaze and dazzling dancefloor action on New Year’s Day.

Cliff Joannou chats to the inimitable D.E. Experience about the impending return of Trannie Lennox…

Whether you call it the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, or by its trendy abbreviation, RVT, there’s no getting away from the fact that it’s one of the most creative, vibrant and eclectic venues on our fair gay scene. From quirky club nights to cutting edge performances, this joint has it all. We sent Lee Dalloway to go behind the scenes and speak to some of the colourful characters that make the venue pop so beautifully…  

16/08/2012: Imagine, if you will, the most eclectic, diverse array of cabaret and performance, add a dose of the bizarre and downright ridiculous and pepper with tranny terrorists, and you would be about halfway down the road to the RVT’s summer season, also known as the Hot August Fringe.

06/05/12: Licking her way through the crowd like a horny lizard, spitting lyrics that would burn the devil himself, there is only one Dame that can sell out a Vauxhall venue, week-in, week-out and have them all dancing to her tune like she’s the pied piper of the gays.

29/03/12: When an invitation comes in from avant-garde cabaret terrorist, Scottee, to judge the final of the second Burger Queen contest alongside UK soul legend Lisa Stansfield, scene goddess Princess Julia, one Jasinta (RVT manager Jason Ried’s drag alter ego) and even Scottee’s mum (!) how could I decline?

16/03/12: Viva le Revolution! It can take a fair bit for this shamefully snobby Norf Londoner to sashay down Sarf of the river, but the RVT always manages to lure me out of my Islington cocoon with its mix of raving trannies, live tuneage, hand-in-the-air club nights and quirky art/cabaret.

31/12/11: The RVT have been holding NYE events now for over a decade and every year appears better, bigger and busier than the previous year!

30/10/11: QX ventured across the River Styx (aka the Vauxhall gyratory system) and into a dark netherworld of nefarious doings (no, we don’t mean the Kennington branch of Tesco) as S.L.A.G.S/Chill-Out got gruesome with a Sunday spectacular Halloween Special last weekend.

28/08/11: HELLO POSSUMS! A Sunday wouldn’t be complete without a bit of ‘Dame Edna’ in you!

23/07/11: There’s always someone calling me an old slag or telling me to chill out – usually when I’m having a queeny/dramatic moment at the thought of my beer glass being empty.

24/06/11: Those that weren’t at Glastonbury this year, were at Marvellous enjoying the indie pop sounds of Dawn Right Nasty.

13/01/11: Oh, my bittersweet David Hoyle! My personal Jesus. The saviour to a gay scene where mediocrity sometimes screams louder on a rancid karaoke machine than true bleeding-edge talent with an acerbic mind and even the tiniest dose of intellectualism.

28-30/12/10: Always keenly anticipated, the RVT annual panto is one hot ticket on the yuletide calendar. Entering through the lace curtain-framed doorway last week we found ourselves in a wallpapered leopard print and zebra boudoir with a festive compilation soundtrack of 80s Christmas sounds playing, courtesy of DJ Dawn Right Nasty.