In a lengthy Instagram post, he also says ArchCo increased Heaven nightclub's rent to a "high but doable" figure. He thanks another G-A-Y landlord for not asking for rent during Covid.

by dontflyaway

31 comments

  1. Wonder if it’ll actually happen this time. Joseph’s announced it before.

  2. This reads so… clunky? Jeremy does not have a way with words.

    But also, this isn’t an LGBT venue issue right? Clubs, pubs, and bars and are closing all over central London.

  3. No horse in this particular race, but fuck The Arch Co in general. Network Rail selling off all their railway arches to them was such a giant mistake

  4. im sure he’s made plenty of money and will get over having to close one of his venues..

  5. This is the 5th time he has ‘announced’ the closure, the first being two years ago… the reasons he provides are different every time…

  6. Dude needs to either close up or shut up at this point I’ll be honest

  7. Has it closed effective immediately? I’m a little surprised its lasted this long tbh.

  8. I thought he closed it already? Or was that only GAY Late?

    Anyway, it’s really sad. Had some of the most fun nights in there. Soho is dead now, I remember having to queue to get in on a Wednesday and now everywhere is quiet even on weekends

  9. Feels like G-A-Y being closed is announced every other Tuesday. So far nothing has changed.

  10. Fuck Jeremy Joseph. The quicker he sells up and fucks off, the quicker it gives someone else the opportunity to take the space and hopefully do something better for the community.

  11. Jeremy Joseph is one of the worst people I’ve ever interacted with and he’s made these venues horrible places to be for many years. We desperately need more LGBT venues, but ones not run by the likes of him.

  12. To half the people in this thread: this is about closing down G-A-Y, a bar on Old Compton Street, distinct from G-A-Y Lates, a separate club by Tottenham Court Road which closed two years ago.

  13. Jeremy Joseph basically used destroyer pricing to drive other Soho venues into the ground, with many closing up shop altogether, allowing them to be taken over by vape shops and hairdressers. He’s decrying the death of queer Soho, and he’s right, but he played no small part in its downfall.

  14. This venue was outdated and not safe anyways, I don’t think that’s a big loss

  15. Economics doesn’t care who you sleep with or associate with. Find another cheaper venue. Upward and onward!

  16. G-A-Y in soho is dreadful, not a particular loss. Other gay clubs across London are doing just fine

  17. I’m concerned that foreign agents are buying up central London

    We had that rich asian guy who buys pubs up just to close them down

    These guys too seem to be buying up areas that coincidentally have cultural spots of land and their companies house listing lists predominantly foreign agents too

    Shouldn’t the mayor or local government have blocked this? Everything will be owned by foreign countries soon not just british steel. Will they buy the Houses of Parliament next?

  18. Tatty dishevelled place that played loud cheap american music and promoted a toxic and exclusionary vision of homosexuality.

    It may have served a purpose back in the day so thank you for that g-a-y, but the prevailing feeling is good riddance

  19. There’s definitely a need for an LGBT space in SoHo.

    That being said, I have very little sympathy for Jeremy Joseph or any of his business ventures. He allowed his door staff to be openly misogynistic, and had to shut down Heaven over a claim of sexual assault. He himself has accused people from Somali for an increase in crime in London. And he continues to rub shoulders with people with incredibly shady backgrounds despite being told numerous times.

    Having interacted with him a few times, he really is a nasty person. He has treated myself, alongside my friends, with an absolute contempt and I have absolutely no desire to give that cretin anymore time or money whatsoever.

  20. Love it or not – GAY Bar has been a staple in Soho for many years and was some of the last places that stood the test of time. It never pretended to be anything apart from a sticky bar with cheap drinks. It was fun and whilst some of us grew up and no longer went, it still served a purpose.

  21. London is great for LGBTQ in the sense that LGBTQ venues are not concentrated in one area like in other cities. You can find great venues in the east, Vauxhall, Clapham, now even E&C, etc. I think it’s better that way. G-A-Y, in a way, paved the way for the death of Soho, tbh.

  22. It’s weird because with fewer and fewer venues Soho is now… more dangerous. Been told by many people about guys approaching to steal their phones, and I am 100% sure that this would not happen if the area was more crowded and popular and with folks going from venue to venue all the time.

  23. It’s sad that Soho’s queer venues are all but gone, but there are plenty of queer venues and events happening in East, Southeast, and South London. And those venues tend to be more inclusive overall.

  24. Where is Philip Sallon or Laurence Malice when you need them

  25. I’ve tried to Google it but I guess I’m dumb.
    Could someone explain why this place is closing?

  26. Sadly he didn’t invest in the place and keep it relevant. His market is young people looking for a cheap night out, except today’s young people aren’t as into drinking as in the past and when they do go out they want more of an experience – entertainment, a quirky environment or impressive drinks. Cheap, loud and sticky doesn’t really cut it any more.

    When you look at the LGBT places in Soho that are busy they all either offer cabaret (eg. Admiral Duncan), cater to a more mature crowd (eg. Compton’s) or have a unique setting (The Yard). Ku in Chinatown seems to do well at weekends and on sunny days but on more typical weekdays is dead because the prices are on the higher side.

    And yes I will admit since we gained two venues in Elephant & Castle I’ve found myself in Soho less, but I stopped going to G-A-Y Bar years ago. I’ve popped in a few times for old times sake and a cheap drink and not really enjoyed it. Weird vibe, one time it was really quiet and closed early, drinks are in disposable plastic cups, terrible sound system and in general need of a refurb. Also there’s no phone signal in there on most networks and they’re too cheap to provide wifi so not a great place to wait for friends. Sad really, I remember when even on a weeknight all three floors were rammed but now sometimes even on a Friday only the ground floor is open.

    Something that does worry me is how many LGBT venues are run by Stonegate who are not in the best place financially at the moment. If they collapse, will all the venues survive? I’ve heard that some of their London LGBT venues are some of their most profitable, though.

  27. It’s a shame to see another iconic spot potentially disappear. While rising costs are hitting all kinds of venues, the loss of these specific queer spaces in SOHO feels like a real blow to the community’s heart. The Arch Co’s role in this just adds to the frustration many already feel about them. We’re definitely losing more than just bricks and mortar.

  28. It breaks my heart what’s happening to Soho. We need to protect LGBT spaces.

  29. As a straight guy I used to love going to G-A-Y venues. The vibes and people were brilliant.

    Someone said to me this week that the reason why some straight men hate going to gay bars is because they are worried they will be treated the same way they treat women in a leacharous way

  30. I think this makes Friendly Society the very last privately owned queer venue in Soho now? Damn.

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