 | This article needs additional citations for verification .(September 2023) |
 The White Swan | |
| Industry | Nightclub |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1993 London, England, U.K. |
Key people | Vicky Lee and Steffan Whitfield/DJ) |
| Website | www.thewayoutclub.com/ |
The WayOut Club is a nightclub venue currently in Zodiac Bar, 119 Hampstead Rd, London NW1 3EE. Formed in 1993, [1] it is one of London's best known transgender venues and was the first to hold a regular Saturday night event.
The WayOut Club was founded in 1993 by Vicky Lee and Steffan Whitfield. [2] Its first venue was Jamisons in Goodge Street; after a year it moved to Maceys in Duke Street, and then to a restaurant under the Scotch House in Knightsbridge. It also used Circa in Berkley Square, had a short spell in a restaurant in Great Titchfield Street, and a shorter spell under the theatre showing Cats in Drury Lane.
The club moved from venue to venue around the City of London several times before settling at Charlie's in Crosswall (off Minories) in the City of London in 1998, [3] where it remained for 15 years.[ citation needed ] In 2008 the club won an online people's vote award from transgender charity Sparkle for "Best Transgender Nightclub". In June 2012 Charlie's lease ran out and had to close, and the club moved around the corner to 2AD and then to Abbey in Minories. Abbey gave up its Saturday late licence and Vicky Lee took the club to Gilt in Crutched Friars. Gilt changed ownership and closed for refurbishment, forcing the club to move again, this time to two venues: The Minories [4] for three Saturdays per month and Mary Janes for one Saturday per month,[ citation needed ] both in Minories. Mary Janes was taken over and refurbished, so the club moved into The Minories every Saturday. These frequent relocations stopped in 2016, and The WayOut Club remained at The Minories for seven years. Occasionally, to help The Minories, the club would use nearby "sister bar" The Duke of Somerset. The club closed on 23 March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and did not reopen until November 2021, with a record 450 people returning to party. The club operated on the second and last Saturday as visitors gradually returned after the pandemic.
However, in September 2022, Stonegate, owners of The Minories, changed their policy towards promoters, and Vicky Lee quit and moved the club to BJs White Swan at 556 Commercial Road, accepting the offer of one Saturday per month. The club has been rebuilding since with a once-a-month club on the third Saturday of every month.
The WayOut Club's performances were led by female impersonator Steffan Whitfield, until his death from cancer in 2005. [5] His stage partner and co-founder of the club, trans woman Vicky Lee, took over running the club.
The WayOut Club has long been a launch platform for transgender and drag talent. The club has held talent searches and offers a guest spot before the booked show to upcoming performers. Many of those that have performed as guests at the club have gone on to perform regularly at WayOut and other venues.[ citation needed ]
In 2022 Basque film director Izaskun Arandia premiered her documentary My Way Out, telling the story of The WayOut Club featuring Vicky Lee, her partner Lesley and club regulars Geri Love, Andi and Kam Angel. The documentary documents the impact on the club of the COVID-19 pandemic, its shut down, re-launch and efforts to rebuild. [6] [7] [8]
The Turnmills building was a warehouse originally on the corner of Turnmill Street and Clerkenwell Road in the London Borough of Islington. It became a bar in the 1980s, then a nightclub. The club closed in 2008 and the building was later demolished, replaced with an office building.
Nightlife is a collective term for entertainment that is available and generally more popular from the late evening into the early hours of the morning. It includes pubs, bars, nightclubs, parties, live music, concerts, cabarets, theatre, cinemas, and shows. These venues often require a cover charge for admission. Nightlife entertainment is often more adult-oriented than daytime entertainment. People who prefer to be active during the night-time are called night owls.
Ministry of Sound or Ministry of Sound Group is a multimedia entertainment business based in London with a nightclub, shared workspace and private members' club, worldwide events operation, music publishing business and fitness studio.
G-A-Y is a long-running gay nightclub brand, based at the Heaven nightclub in Charing Cross, London, owned by Jeremy Joseph.
The Twisted Wheel was a nightclub in Manchester, England, open from 1963 to 1971. It was one of the first clubs to play the music that became known as Northern soul.
The Barfly was a chain of live music venues in the United Kingdom originally started by Nick Moore, Jeremy Ledlin and Be Rozzo on Valentine's Day 1997. Club nights and events tended to feature rock, alternative and independent music.
The Zap was a beach-front nightclub and performance arts venue, in Brighton, England that became known in the late 1980s and early 1990s particularly for its acid house nights. It has been described as an "influential ... club which pulled together many of the underground strands of visual art, fashion, music, design, comedy, cabaret and theatre which were circling at the time".
Heaven is a gay superclub in Charing Cross, London, England. It has played a central role and had a major influence in the development of London's LGBT scene for over 40 years and is home to long-running gay night G-A-Y. The club is known for Paul Oakenfold's acid house events in the 1980s, the underground nightclub festival Megatripolis, and for being the birthplace of ambient house.
The Phoenix Concert Theatre is a concert venue located at 410 Sherbourne Street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
XXL was a gay nightclub in London and Birmingham which catered to the bear sub-group. The club was founded by Mark Ames and his then partner David Dindol in 2000. They separated in 2005, after which Mark purchased his ex-partner's share of the club. It was the largest dedicated "bear" venue in the United Kingdom and the world. It was not just the bear scene's longest-running weekly disco but London's too, having not missed a night in over 16 years.
Hammerjacks was a music venue in downtown Baltimore which operated from 1977 to 2006. It was founded by Louis J. Principio III. The club attracted many big-name national acts, but also showcased many rising stars in the music world. The bands ranged from punk, glam, thrash and heavy metal acts most commonly associated with the venue to pop and alternative rock groups. The club was often frequented by hard core patrons and musicians donning big hair, leather, lace, spandex, and heavy makeup, and was considered a "hard rock shrine." Hammerjacks, however, attracted audiences with other attire as well.
A nightclub is a club that is open at night, usually for drinking, dancing and other entertainment. Nightclubs often have a bar and discothèque with a dance floor, laser lighting displays, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who mixes recorded music. Nightclubs tend to be smaller than live music venues like theatres and stadiums, with few or no seats for customers.
The Birmingham Gay Village is an LGBT district next to the Chinese Quarter in Birmingham city centre, centred along Hurst Street, which hosts many LGBT-friendly businesses. The village is visited by thousands of people every week and has a thriving night life featuring clubs, sports bars, cocktail bars, cabaret bars and shops, with most featuring live entertainment including music, dancing and drag queens.
The Glasgow Cathouse is a long-established alternative music nightclub on Union Street in Glasgow. It is well-known for hosting live gigs, with globally successful, mainstream bands such as Oasis, Pearl Jam and Fall Out Boy have played there in their fledgling years.
Electrowerkz is a three-floor music venue in Islington, London. In addition to mainstream club nights, it hosts the regular goth night club Slimelight and many other club, live music and events.
Rebel is a nightclub and concert venue located on the Polson Pier in Toronto, Canada. Relaunched in October 2016 as Rebel Night Club, the complex is on the edge of Lake Ontario, overlooking the Toronto city skyline. The main room has a 65-foot stage with an installation of LED video walls, as well as outdoor grand terraces. The mezzanine hosts the central bar which includes built-in seating.
The Cross was a nightclub in York Way, Coal Drops Goods Yard, King's Cross, London, England between 1993 and 2007, closing on New Year's Day 2008.
Paradise is a gay nightclub in Asbury Park, New Jersey. It is known for its fundraisers and drag shows, most notable of which is the annual Miss Paradise pageant. The club is integrated with the Empress Hotel; both are owned by record producer Shep Pettibone. Paradise's 1999 opening is credited as one factor that improved Asbury Park's struggling economy and drew the LGBT community back to the city after a period of local unrest. The venue is a popular Jersey Shore destination in the summer, and it has received praise for its welcoming atmosphere. After several months of closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Paradise reopened its outdoor pool and bar area in summer 2020.
The Liquor Store was a bar, restaurant, and music venue in Portland, Oregon. Established in 2015, the business operated in a space previously occupied by the Blue Monk, a jazz club and restaurant, in southeast Portland's Sunnyside neighborhood. It was named the city's best new bar in Willamette Week's annual readers' poll in 2015 and 2016. The Liquor Store's upstairs had a bar and the owner's large vinyl record collection on display. The downstairs venue hosted live music and disc jockeys, playing a variety of genres, especially electronic music. The Liquor Store closed temporarily in March 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and two former employees filed a lawsuit claiming sexual harassment one month later. Sometimes confused for an actual liquor store, The Liquor Store closed permanently in September 2020.
Rise Bar, or simply Rise, is a gay bar in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 2015, it is a small establishment surrounded by a number of larger LGBT nightlife venues. The bar is most popular among gay men and some women. It features pop music and hosts weekly entertainment including drag shows, open-mic nights and karaoke. Though Rise's owners invested in soundproofing before it opened, noise concerns from nearby residents initially led the local community board and state liquor authority to require the venue to close at an earlier hour than its competitors. Following a contentious series of applications to modify Rise's operating schedule and liquor license, this requirement was overturned for weekend nights. The establishment has received praise for its welcoming, diverse atmosphere.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)