Oakley says that there was another growing problem with running a sex-oriented venue. Sometimes it’s down to rent increases and gentrification but it’s also down to badly run businesses that haven’t moved with the times.’ ‘Chemsex and licensed premises do not mix’ ‘It’s not only sex clubs, but gay venues generally. ‘Sex clubs are dying,’ he says emphatically. But then we saw a really big shift coming from around 2007-08: the sex side started to change a little. ‘We’ve had some successful Saturdays, like R18, but the other Saturdays have struggled. ‘Fridays have always been stable, with Chunk, then Tonker and more recently our own Men Inc,’ says Oakley, talking to me in his apartment above the bar. ‘I’d come downstairs and there would be ten people here – and they’d all be on Grindr!’
However, although HMD attracts a slavishly loyal following, other Eagle nights have failed to hit the mark. It’s widely recognized as one of London’s best club nights. It has consistently packed in a capacity crowd of male and female disco lovers. HMD, launched by DJs Jim Stanton and James Hillard in 2003, quickly moved into Eagle London’s Sunday night slot and became the jewel in its crown. The Horse Meat Disco team: DJs Luke Howard, James Hillard, Severino and Jim Stanton However, besides that, it also earned itself a reputation with a wider clientele – thanks to its Sunday night staple, Horse Meat Disco (HMD).
For much of the past decade, that’s what Eagle Vauxhall offered – with Oakley and his team working closely with Lambeth Council to secure the proper sex entertainment license and to provide as safe space for gay guys. ‘Eagle’ tends to conjure up a certain image: a testosterone-fuelled, men-only cruise space with black walls and sticky floor. In fact, there are at least five bars called The Eagle in London, but the Vauxhall institution is the only LGBTI-oriented one. The brand is not franchised and any bar can operate under the name. There are gay Eagle-branded bars in several cities around the world, most notably San Francisco, New York and Amsterdam. Oakley took over what was formerly known as Dukes almost 13 years ago with partner Ian Cullen and relaunched it as Eagle London.
This includes moving away from what some people might perceive as the Eagle brand. Its co-owner, Mark Oakley, is upfront about the fact that he and his team have had to make some big decisions to secure the venue’s future. ‘Adapt to survive’ is a motto many venues are now having to embrace as demonstrated by one of south London’s best known venues, Eagle London. Last week’s decision by Islington Council in London to revoke the license of super club Fabric highlighted a sobering statistic: around 50% of clubbing venues – gay or straight – in the UK capital have closed in the last eight years. Gay clubs in many major cities are facing a tough time at the moment.Įscalating real estate prices and gentrification in gay hotspots such as New York, San Francisco and London have led to a spate of closures.