The London Gay Scene

Many changes are taking place on the London gay scene at present, thanks to the planned construction of Crossrail, the new transport link across the capital, which converges around the Tottenham Court Road and Soho Square areas.

The first victims of the development are the long-established G-A-Y and Ghetto clubs. At this point no replacement venues are planned on the site. Westminster council would like theAstoria to remain a theatre, as it was originally meant to be, rather than a club. It's a bit early to speculate at this point, as Crossrail won't be running until 2017, but it looks as though a long and fascinating history of gay clubbing will be lost forever. It all started in the 1970s withBangs at the Astoria which housed influential clubs like, most notably, The Jungle, The Mud Club and Dodo's. There was also Stallions at Ghetto, which catered for a more hardcore clientele, followed by the briefly trendy Substation. It still isn't clear what's in store for venues around Soho Square such as Punk and The Edge, as shafts within the roads surrounding the square will pump grout into the ground, 24 metres below, to enable the construction of tunnels. Out of all the club nights on offer at Ghetto during 2008 the only real casualty is The Cock. Meanwhile, Misshapes, Calling All Tribes and Wig Out are all moving east to Shoreditch. The venue, a wood panelled old pub, with a modern basement club, is at 58 Old Street EC1, at the corner of Golden Lane. Popstarz is also leaving Sin, opposite The Astoria, to a secret venue. As for G-A-Y, it has already moved down the road and successfully taken over Heaven. Also worthy of note is the arrival in Soho of The Enclave and Profile, two very stylish bars, which also run club nights.

Meanwhile, the 3-year old Circus has already left its West End home at the Soho Revue Barand moved to The Last Days of Decadence, a great 1920s style venue in Shoreditch. In a way, it's good news for the area as it recently lost the popular Foreign and Boombox, amongst others. And take into account the addition of the demented Gutterslut, as well as the majestic Beach Blanket Babylon and it's exciting parties on Thursday Friday and Saturday, it becomes clear that the clubbers in East London are now staying on home territory. In fact a lot of them, especially those who reside there, have more or less turned their back on the West End. As you can see, the scene is all about evolution and mutation this year. As much as change is a positive thing, clubs come and go at an alarming rate. If you're unsure, check with the venue before going out.

See you on the dance floor then!

"Gay people got a right to be as miserable as everybody else" Chris Rock