The idiot “sex encounter” laws hatched by Jacqui “deadbeat” Smith {presumably in her sister’s taxpayer funded box room in between claiming bath plugs off expenses and having opposition spokesmen arrested for daring to criticise her!} are now raising objections from a range of groups who see the possible impact on all entertainment and licensed premises including the actors union Equity. They feel that to classify striptease dancers as part of the sex industry is just as wrong as saying the same about an actress who plays a sex scene.
The “Proud Gallery” in Camden which holds regular burlesque nights has been told by the council that they will have to apply for a full license or stop altogether, it seems the forces of moronic repression are already champing at the bit.
The credit crunch has started to affect all aspects of the hospitality business in the UK and it’s prompted some long established clubs to review their product offer. The Venus club in London has just had a major refurbishment and revamped it’s while at the same time reducing the cost of dances to £10 before midnight and offering free entry up to 10pm.
Sunderland striker Djibril Cisse was arrested for assaulting a woman outside the Diamonds club in Newcastle.
The coming new laws on lap dancing clubs seem to have prompted another rush of applications {rather like in 2004} to get in before the changes {the effect of which are still pretty unknown at present but are expected to make new openings more difficult} actually happen. It seems that the credit crunch inspired collapse of Woolworths has created a number of opportunities for new clubs for example in Ammanford, South Wales and in Lewes applications to turn empty stores into clubs have been made.
A first club in Kings Lynn, Norfolk has been granted a license to open. An application to open a new club called the “Eden Lounge” in Exeter has been made, another one to re-open the old “Charlie Browns” in Wood Green, London which closed as a strip venue 4 or 5 years ago, and a further one to convert a bar in Leisure World, Southampton into a club called “Glamour”. Another new application is for a club in West Street, Bristol, also “ Bar Acquarium” in London mentioned in previous columns opened on the 21st April. The former “Direktors” club in Manchester has also re-opened under new management as Baby Platinum see www.babyplatinum.co.uk .
A new Entertease strip pub is “ Rumours” at Linslade near Leighton Buzzard open every evening except Sunday, another pub called the “Decoy” in Newborough near Peterborough is starting up pole dancing shows. The “King Edward V1” gay pub in Islington has won permission to put on regular male strip shows.
On the other hand “Poletrix” of Southampton has given up striptease to concentrate on live music as has “ Minnesota Jacs” in Eastbourne to concentrate on poker. Also “ Passion Nights” in Kensington has dropped it’s appeal against against the council’s refusal of a license.
The new “ Club 76” in Maidstone now has a web site, as has the “Unique “ club in {formerly the White Horse} New Cross.
Despite the worst efforts of Smith, Harperson, Object etc the world of burlesque still seems to be growing ever more into the mainstream with 2 acts Fabia Cerra and Carrie Ann O’Dell both getting through the first round of “Britain’s got talent” and now news of a quarterly specialist magazine being started up in the North of England . The magazine was launched at a party at the Ringside club in Hull on April 5th .
Ex Spice girls Mel B is appearing in a burlesque review at Las Vegas called the Peepshow. A troop called Ragdoll Rebels which will include ex strip-magazine coverdancer Solitaire is performing at the Russian {a former strip pub many years ago} in Kingsland Road, Hackney on 29th of May.
A former stripper turned nun called Anna Nobili has utilised her old skills by starting a religious dance troop performing biblical routines.
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Author: Saxon
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