Thu 13 Mar 2014 In: New Zealand Daily News View at Wayback View at NDHA
There will be one final party this Saturday night Hamilton’s only gay nightclub is closing its doors for good this weekend. “There are a number of factors contributing to that decision, some complicated,” spokesman Zak Denison says. “However, I can assure everyone that we have tried anything and everything to avoid having to do this - unfortunately this is the only option left.” Denison says he and his team have loved being part of Hamilton for the last six years. “I'm truly thankful to the amazing staff, as well as everyone who has visited and supported the business during its time.” There has been an outpouring of sadness on the bar’s Facebook page, while people have also asked the likes of “where will I meet babes now?” Lee Tere writes that from the first visit, she couldn’t stop going to Shine. “It was the club I made new friends, worked that pole lol, celebrated pride events and other community events too. It was the club that I really felt comfortable in and enjoyed having drunk yarns with peoples where are we LGBTQI* folk going to paaaartay now?” Another person shares that they not only met their partner at the venue, but also proposed there. Shine is putting on one final show on Saturday night, One Night Only, featuring ‘drag shows galore’. The venue became a gay community hub when the late Nicholas Morgan opened it as Venom nightclub in December 2006. Following his death the following year, new managers completely refitted venue as Shine nightclub in October 2007.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Thursday, 13th March 2014 - 9:35am