‘This purple paint has been a nightmare to get rid of,’ the new owner of the former G-A-Y Bar building moans. Matthew Jacobs Morgan has taken over the building on Old Compton Street in Soho after it lay collecting dust for nine months.
G-A-Y Bar, which had been in the space for 22 years and had become an ‘institution’ on what was once considered Britain’s gayest street, shut in October. The owner Jeremy Joseph said he had enough of fighting with Westminster Council, Nimbys and a general decline of the area.
But Matthew is determined to make Old Compton Street the LGBTQ+ staple it once was, and is today opening Coven, a club for ‘every letter of LGBTQIA’. And as the Coven team finishes decorating, Metro has been given an exclusive look around.
The 32-year-old, from Croydon, told Metro: ‘Three layers of high coverage paint and it still feels like water when you are trying to cover all this purple. Also, getting fire-rated tiger print wallpaper is a nightmare.’
‘All are welcome here’
There are remnants of G-A-Y Bar’s past everywhere, for those with eyes to see. Peering into cupboards, a stack of branded plastic cups sits amongst the dust. On one of the screens downstairs, the logo is dimly, but permanently, burned on. Work on the rooms were still very much being completed when Metro toured the venue on Wednesday.
But one thing is for sure, they are being transformed into something much more modern with a somewhat sophisticated style. Walking into the main room downstairs, an antique fountain sits in the middle filled with books on queer history. And just a few metres away, a grand piano is lit up by the wall of screens now showing Matthew’s very own music video.
He said: ‘G-A-Y Bar was my very first clubbing experience when I was 19. The fact it was open for 22 years is a success in itself. But with Coven, we are making it more inclusive, rather than focused on gay men. All are welcome here.’
Sign of good things to come
Coven’s opening is a sign of good things to come, as London’s nightlife scene slowly climbs up from the bottom of the trenches. The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has recently proposed a licensing overhaul across the city, which will standardise rules across all boroughs, and allow him to wade in on decisions.
For Soho in particular, Sadiq has said residents’ groups have had ‘undue influence’ over Westminster Council’s licensing decisions, with groups applying blanket oppositions to all new and extended license applications. Metro has reported on the state of Soho’s nightlife over the last two years. Speaking with business owners in the area, many have spoken of their woes trying to boost their venues with later operating hours. One restaurant was even forbidden from extending their alcohol sales by just one hour longer to allow diners to stay at their table for longer.
‘This space is built on the kindness of others’
Refreshingly, Matthew has said he has had a good experience opening Coven. ‘I spoke with residents groups, and they were supportive,’ he said. ‘But we won’t be open past 1am most days.’ The building will also be open during the day, with tables and chairs put out for those who want to work and get a coffee.
Matthew said: ‘So many people have just committed their energy into making this a great space. I have struggled working out my power tools, but I have some friends who have been so quick to offer to help. The piano was gifted to us, the bathrooms have been sponsored by businesses like the dating app Feeld. This space has been built by queer people, for queer people.’
