Madame Jo-Jo to close

[Stavros]

In the last week it appears that Madame Jo-Jo's will close following an incident which has led Westminster City Council to revoke its licence. The venue over many years has at various times been (in the 1990s) a 'drag' Cabaret (although not all the dancers and performers were in drag, some were transexual artistes), and in more recent years the weekly gathering known as Trannyshack

Depending on which report you read, bouncers and a cab driver used baseball bats and fists to quell an angry customer, or a local gang member who had been intimidating guests in and/or outside the club. Some also see this is part of an attempt to rid SOHO of its nightclubs, indeed, its post-midnight scene altogether.

My only visit to Madame Jo-Jo's was in 1991 when there really was a Madame Jo-Jo, hostess of the song and dance show which included, from memory at least two profoundly attractive girls and the waiting staff who were attractive TVs one called Mickey I recall. It was a standard show of the times and the venue though quite large attracted a mostly hetero crowd - I believe the nightly performances of the cabaret did not last more than a year or so, that it became occasional and that the club was rented out to various themed nights as indicated in The Guardian article below.

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2...b-forced-close

[rodinuk]

Sad news

[darkrose2000]

There was only a few Tgirl events in London and now one less... not good.

[pablo12]

Went once about 15 years ago. The most beautiful girl in the show told me in a french accent that her name was Alex, a suitably androgynous name.

[Fancy fancy]

London becomes ever more soulless

[Fancy fancy]

A new t-girl night should be promoted; way out has been in decline a long time now also

[Stavros]

Madame Jo-Jo has closed which leaves as always, occasional events, and I suspect that this will be the form from now on. Stunners also closed some time ago. The simple fact is that the cost of opening a club requires that the evenings pay back the original investment and make the continuation of the business profitable, which may be one reason why one night a week has been standard.

If you had the money, would you invest it in a transgender nightclub?

Consider yourself lucky, in the past before WayOut existed the Porchester Hall balls and Ron Storme's Tudor Lodge events were once a month (but not always in summer) and other than some private clubs which were expensive, that was it, unless you wanted to see a man in a frock in the Cricketers in Vauxhall or the Black Cap in Camden -even if Lorri Lee and Shane were worth the trip. I think the once a week format is all that the market can take, which means that you need to keep your eyes peeled for alternatives like beauty pageants although this year the Mango Tree has been and gone (with no mention on HungAngels this year) and Miss Diamond Queen yet to be announced (link below). TrannyshackUK (not to be confused with the venue in San Francisco) was based at Madame Jo-Jo's and I assume will carry on but at a different venue.

Night clubs come and go, and a specifically transgender club is a super-niche market and just out of interest some transexuals in London (many? most of them?) would never go to such a club anyway. I knew one girl who never set foot in WayOut even though she was often clubbing from midnight to 11 am or whenever those odd hours clubs run to.

Some links here to Trannyshack (presumably to be updated soon) and Miss Diamond Queen

http://trannyshacklondon.com/

http://www.missdiamondqueen.com/

[deangamble1967]

I remember Ron Stormes, there was also a social once a week but cant remember where. I remember Jo Jos from 25 years ago, shame but I guess things change. Then in the 90's fruit machine at Heaven on a Wednesday and Trade on a Saturday night Sunday morning and Stefan of wayout fame started a Wednesday night in Green Street Mayfair, house of drag I think... I do miss being in London and 20 years younger!

Madame Jo-Jo has closed which leaves as always, occasional events, and I suspect that this will be the form from now on. Stunners also closed some time ago. The simple fact is that the cost of opening a club requires that the evenings pay back the original investment and make the continuation of the business profitable, which may be one reason why one night a week has been standard.

If you had the money, would you invest it in a transgender nightclub?

Consider yourself lucky, in the past before WayOut existed the Porchester Hall balls and Ron Storme's Tudor Lodge events were once a month (but not always in summer) and other than some private clubs which were expensive, that was it, unless you wanted to see a man in a frock in the Cricketers in Vauxhall or the Black Cap in Camden -even if Lorri Lee and Shane were worth the trip. I think the once a week format is all that the market can take, which means that you need to keep your eyes peeled for alternatives like beauty pageants although this year the Mango Tree has been and gone (with no mention on HungAngels this year) and Miss Diamond Queen yet to be announced (link below). TrannyshackUK (not to be confused with the venue in San Francisco) was based at Madame Jo-Jo's and I assume will carry on but at a different venue.

Night clubs come and go, and a specifically transgender club is a super-niche market and just out of interest some transexuals in London (many? most of them?) would never go to such a club anyway. I knew one girl who never set foot in WayOut even though she was often clubbing from midnight to 11 am or whenever those odd hours clubs run to.

Some links here to Trannyshack (presumably to be updated soon) and Miss Diamond Queen

http://trannyshacklondon.com/

http://www.missdiamondqueen.com/

[Nikka]

good times at madame jojos

[darkrose2000]

Not good news:
Madame Jojo’s demolition approved as part of Soho redevelopment plans

Westminster council revoked the club’s licence this week, while Soho Estates’ plan for the area was approved in December 2013

More : http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2...ouncil-licence