As an inner city homo, I鈥檝e often said I could never live too far from the action 鈥� the abundance of music venues, good coffee, queer nights and queer friendliness (well, less spitting) the Big Smoke provides.
The idea of living outside the capital 鈥� or at least somewhere with trees 鈥� seemed like a great idea for retirement but just too low-key for now. But after having an awesome time in Newcastle last weekend I鈥檝e learnt I shouldn鈥檛 be too quick to judge.
My gf and I headed to Newie to perform at the launch of edition #2 of The Den, a slick LGBT magazine celebrating queers in coastal and regional areas. The party was at Newcastle鈥檚 only gay venue, the Gateway Hotel, and as soon as we arrived we were greeted by the loveliest local homo-ies who helped us carry our gear inside.
The night felt like more than just a launch party 鈥� it was an epic LGBTIQ arts festival showcasing all the wonderful and weird tidbits of our culture skillfully curated by The Den peeps.
Everything thing from rock bands to electro punks, folk singers to hip hop drummers, burlesque girls, DJs and awesomely-costumed performance artists pushing the boundaries in rooms throughout the venue.
A couple of acts were from outside Newcastle but most of the entertainment was local. I was totally blown away by the quality of performances 鈥� more fresh and interesting than many of the
arty things I鈥檝e seen in Syd and Melbs recently.
The other thing that stood out was how eclectic the crowd was. Every genre of queer from emo dykes to party boys, glamour girls to indie kids 鈥� not to mention their bogan cousins. And, best of all, it felt like one big family.
My gf and I were welcomed into Newcastle鈥檚 queer arms and even given tips on where to have brekkie 鈥� the gay caf茅 down the road of course. It was all a bit New-castle-town!
We often hear about how tough it is to be young and gay in rural and regional areas due to a lack of support and lack of 鈥渟cene鈥�, so it was nice to catch a glimpse of Newcastle鈥檚 thriving queer community.
I guess because there are fewer 鈥済ays in the village鈥� these dudes stick together, look out for each other and invent their own fun 鈥� and I鈥檓 totes chuffed I scored an invite to their party.
Newcastle is a very underrated place. Sure, there’s some dodgy bits like any other city (mostly just Wickham & Newcastle West), but if you know where to go it can be an amazing getaway. I’m from Syd and go up there regularly for the events runs by the Renew Newcastle galleries. My favourite LGBTIQ-friendly places up there are Longworth House (129 Scott Street) near the railway station (its an intimate, Victorian-era wine bar), Carrington Place (132 Young St, Carrington), which is an old boutique pub with crazy accommodation prices, the Merewether Ocean Baths, and also a handful of cafes (Rolador at Hamilton Station, One Penny Black on Hunter St, & Good Brother Espresso up near Newcastle Beach). First-time visitors are best to check out the East End (from the beach back to the train station), Cooks Hill (Darby St is a bit like Glebe Point Road), and the Islington antiques district (this is where the Gateway Hotel is located).
Anyone who tells you this place is a cultural backwater hasn’t been there fore years. The artistic community is now one of the most productive in the country, just check out the small galleries around the old Hunter Street Mall for proof.
I grew up (a long time ago) in Newie – becareful – so easy to run into past, present & future. The beaches are beautiful and the harbour is great now that industry has gone belly up. There is a certain style about the town – but I’m not sure if its for good or evil!
Thanks Monique, we loved having you.
-Bride of Frankenstein.