Monday, November 13, 2006

Greyhound to go gay?

I've heard some rumours recently that the Greyhound Hotel , arguably St. Kilda's last surviving real rock venue, is to be transformed into a full time gay bay in the next couple of months.
This annoys and saddens me on a couple of levels. Historically, St. Kilda was always something of a gay hub- who remembers those drag queen photos that used to line the staircase at the Prince Of Wales?- and still hosts the Gay Pride march each year. However, the centre of gay culture in Melbourne seems to have cemented itself fairly firmly a couple of kilometers away, in Prahran. Up there, The Market Hotel, where I once saw bands like Little Murders, International Exiles & the Nicest People , has been a gay bar for years now.
The drag show in the back room of the Greyhound has peacefully co-existed with the rock & roll in the front bar for years. I just can't see how the place will survive as a full time gay venue though- those long term customers who prop up the bar each day will go elsewhere, for a start, and the location is, as I say, outside the gay district. Where will the bands be able to play now?
And why do we need segregated bars these days anyway?
It seems to be a bad decision on a few different levels, and I hope the rumours turn out to be false. The 24 hour kebab shop/garage across the road is being demolished soon (where will the Carlisle St. working girls get their 3.00am dim sims & cans of Coke?) and if the gay thing doesn't fly, I can see the 'Hound being converted into apartments in the next year or two.

3 comments:

  1. Anonymous12:30 AM

    I hope you are wrong about this rumour. I was very shocked to here this might happened and for the same reasons you have already mentioned. Why do we need segregated bars these days? And where will the bands play? I was a regular (under aged) user of the great St Kilda bars/pubs. What now? Night clubs and Vodaphone arena...argh!

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  2. Anonymous6:59 PM

    No it is not!

    I think someone is pulling your leg.

    Why would they want to mess with a tried and true formula?

    Makes no sense.

    (They will loose me and my friends!)

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  3. Anonymous9:40 PM

    The first comment is mine too TJH...

    - Pea Beau (the disappointed)

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