29/06/13: Soho is the swinging centrepiece of gay life in London so it’s no surprise that at Pride it was packed with dancing, drinking, carousing, stripping and kissing all over its famous streets.
We began our whistle-stop tour in the wonderful outside of Ku Bar Frith Street where the DJs were blaring out music from the second floor window and the party was already beginning to assemble on the tarmac below; from there we had to hit Ku Bar Lisle Street for some fun times, where the wedding reception garden party got us in the mood over some buckets of Pimms.
G-A-Y Bar was pumping over all three floors with cute twinks and perfect pop, whilst Manbar and Bar Titania were keeping up the Charing Cross road front for those many hoards of people on their way up to Soho or down to Trafalgar Square; jagerbombs and DJs ahoy!
Comptons had their Orange Nation DJs bursting the beats upon Old Compton Street, and a smiling, good-natured crowd had amassed in the beauty of the afternoon sun.
Freedom Bar’s beach party was a sight to behold with a full-on industrial lorry load of sand creating an Ibiza-style atmosphere combined with languid beats from the decks; The Yard was popping to the green-foliage fringed rafters with cuties and good times, whilst sister venue The Edge had the sexy Soho Square loungers quaffing and enjoying the music (and hot barmen) all afternoon.
After a quick trip, skip and stumbled fall over to the Parade, we ended up back on Old Compton Street to get a good cop of the Admiral Duncan’s fun and laughter-filled ambience, before scooting up to the King’s Arms that was keeping Poland Street hopping and the Pride party banging.
But where else to finish off this blast of exceptional celebrations then at Circa’s Frith Street festivities, where the trendiest boys and sexiest smiles were in full appearance, to the musical likes of DMS, Kris di Angelis and Munroe Bergdorf playing on until the early hours. That was one hell of a party!
Words by Patrick Cash
