Soho nightclub G-A-Y Late will shut on December 10: Venue is set to close its doors indefinitely as boss blames ‘attacks on staff’ and ‘building works’ for decision
Soho nightclub G-A-Y Late will shut its doors indefinitely on December 10, its boss dramatically revealed.
In a shock announcement, owner Jeremy Joseph announced the LGBT venue was closing its doors due to an ‘extremely difficult’ few years which saw ‘attacks’ on staff and customers as well as ‘building works’ surrounding the venue, in a move which could be permanent.
He said: ‘There are also increased street safety issues. G-A-Y Late is a destination venue and that comes with its own street safety issues.
‘As a result of sometimes being the only venue open late at night in the surrounding area it has led to customers and staff being attacked on their way to and from the venue.’
Mr Joseph said they have been in contact with the police about their customers safety but no regular checks are carried out due to the police being ‘seriously understaffed’.
The shock announce of the iconic G-A-Y Late nightclub is the latest in a decades-long decline of Soho’s once thriving nightclub
Owner Jeremy Joseph announced the LGBT venue was closing its doors indefinitely due to an ‘extremely difficult’ few years
The late Anthony Bourdain (right) with Marco Pierre White at Trisha’s in Soho which was at risk of being closed due to noise and drug use complaints
‘When you are a standalone venue it’s impossible to guarantee customer and staff safety once they leave the premises,’ he said. ‘Crime continues to be one of the biggest issues for LGBT venues, but even harder when you are a venue with no other venues around you.’
Mr Joseph added that ‘no staff will be affected by the closure’ as their jobs will be moved to his two other venues – G-A-Y and Heaven which is set to be extended so more capacity can be added.
Soho’s reputation as a destination for late-night boozers, nightclubs and general seediness has been in decline for decades.
The closure of Madame Jojo’s in 2014 over a ‘serious incident of disorder’ was a massive blow. Other iconic venues include the whisky a go go, the Flamingo Club and the Wag Club – the legendary 80s venue which saw the rise of the Sex Pistols, David Bowie and Francis Bacon.
Some 15 years ago you might have seen Amy Winehouse’s beehive bobbing about in the smoking area of Trisha’s
David Bowie at the Wag Club in London’s Soho for a one-off screening at the MTV Awards
Rolling Stones perform onstage at the Angus pub in Soho, London, England, 1963. Visible are Mick Jagger (left) and Charlie Watts (1941 – 2021), on drums
One might have run into Mick Jagger and the rest of the Rolling Stones in the Angus Pub.
There was even a threat to Trisha’s – which has hosted the likes of Anthony Bourdain, Marco Pierre White, Peaches Geldof and Amy Winehouse – due to noise and drug-use complaints.
However, the New Evaristo Club, as it is also known, has kept its doors open.
Gentrification across the capital has seen the demise of 58 percent of LGBT spaces – according to a 2021 report – with many being replaced by apartments and transport hubs.
Model and activist Munroe Bergforf called for LGBT nightclubs to be protected earlier this month.
She told the Independent: ‘Nightlife is a refuge, and we’re seeing queer spaces dramatically fall off the map, especially in London – with the way it’s been regenerated, the way communities are changing, how cuts are happening.
‘I grew up in Soho at a time when I shouldn’t have been out in clubs – far too young to be in a club, but I was,’ she admitted. ‘And I found myself. I transitioned in Soho. Soho is where I found myself and my community.’
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