Lost Spaces: Memories from Gay Bars, Lesbian Clubs, and LGBTQ+ Parties

Mr Pussy’s Cafe De Luxe was a cafe and restaurant dreamt up by Jim Sheridan, Gavin Friday, and Bono and hosted by old-school drag legend Mr Pussy. Opening in 1994, the place quickly established itself as the place to be seen in Dublin, and hosted a number of record launches and after parties. But, just as quickly as it arrived it disappeared, closing a year after it opened. I caught up with drag super star, singer and recording artist Veda to discuss her time working at the cafe and the adventures she got up to. Follow Veda on Instagram - www.instagram.com/vedalady

Now, I know that I've been using the term 'icon' to describe a lot of my guests lately, but, if ever there was an appropriate time to use the word it is now. Shirley Temple Bar burst on to the scene when she won Alternative Miss Ireland in 1997. Since then she has hosted bingo weekly (for the last 23 years) at The George in Dublin, and hosts the National Lottery gameshow, Telly Bingo. None of this compares, however, to the fact that she has MET THE SPICE GIRLS... Like, all five of them...  We caught up to discuss H.A.M at P.O.D, meeting Ms. Halliwell, and the heady, heady days of 90s Dublin. Find out more about Shirley by following her at https://www.instagram.com/shirleytemplebar

Candy Warhol is co-Host Of Comedy Central UK's ’Dragony Aunts’, mother of the Haus of Mockie Ah, and, on top of all of that, an absolute sweetheart. But before she was Candy she was a fresh faced 18 year old who worked herself all the way up from the glass collector to the manager of Instinct Bar, a gay bar in Cork that opened in the naughties. Follow Candy on instagram - https://www.instagram.com/candywarholqueen/

I have a new boyfriend. His name is Phil T. Gorgeous.  But, alas, he's only the drag persona of Mia Campbell, emcee and genderqueer weirdo (their words, not mine!).  So, instead of flirting wildly we sat down to discuss Kiss, a lesbian and bi women only night that ran for about 10 years through the Naughties in various venues (but predominantly the Tivoli on Francis Street) in Dublin, Ireland. Make sure you find out more about Phil on instagram - https://www.instagram.com/philtgorgeous/

Bob Downe is the stage name of comedian (and polyester lover) Mark Trevorrow, who is… if I can be so bold as to say, a bloody legend. Getting his start in the Globos, a 60s throw back band, in the 80s, his life was turned upside down when the band broke, and in amongst the changes was a move from Melbourne to Sydney. In Sydney he discovered the legendary Albury Hotel, which is one of two queer venues that were used as the inspiration for the film Priscilla, Queen of the Dessert. We caught up to find out about that time in his life, the basement full of drag costumes, and being the ‘dag of dags’!

The Greyhound Hotel was a 160-year-old venue that, in its last decade, transformed in to a state of the art drag venue, before closing its doors and being demolished in 2017 to make way for.... a boring blocks of apartments. I caught up with performer / photographer / singer / motormouth Dean Arcuri to find out about his first time, the memories he has of the drag queens who performed there, and his most embarrassing make out story.  Find out more about Dean on twitter (@deanarcuri)

Katie Underwood came to fame in the year 2000 following her appearance on the first series of Australian Popstars, and her subsequent role in the band that was formed on the series, Bardot.   We caught up to discuss The Market, a club on Commercial Road, Prahan in Melbourne., which closed in 2011.  Expect to hear about going clubbing with your mum, inspiring young queers to get in to latex, and alternative uses for the disabled toilet (if you know what I mean...) Follow Katie on instagram - @katieunderwoodhealing

'You're out of here, queen!' are the last words that Fat Gay Vegan heard from the owner of Patches, a queer bar in Brisbane, Australia in the late 80s, just before he was banned for life. We caught up to talk about growing up in Redcliff, old school drag queens, and the  impact of  the decriminalisation of homosexuality in Brisbane in 1991.  Find out more about Fat Gay Vegan at www.fatgayvegan.com

Mark Brummitt is an Associate Professor of Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) and Assistant Dean of Students at a small post-graduate college in Rochester, New York. In the early 90s, after a decade of service, he left his role as a Salvation Army Lieutenant and started exploring his queerness at The Black Cap, an iconic drag bar in Camden, London. We caught up to talk about that transition, Regina Fong and other drag legends who performed at the bar, and what happens when you run in to your brother at a gay bar. 

Isn't that just the way? You wait months for one bearded drag queen to show up, and then two arrive a week apart! One week after schmoozing with Diana Fire I had the utter joy of chatting to Timberlina about living in Dalston in the 90s, how to cruise in the pre-internet days, and the perils of falling in love with a police officer. Find out more about Timberlina and The Duke of Wellington pub in Islington, London on this week's episode of Lost Spaces. Links: http://www.timberlina.co.uk/ https://anchor.fm/livefromrye