After six years of operation, Wellington's iconic Pound nightclub will close on Saturday August 5. Owners Malcolm and Scott Kennedy-Vaughan plan on opening a new venue in January. Meanwhile, Wellington's second LGBT club Monkey Bar is currently on the market, advertised on the Internet site Trade Me, as “an underground cocktail venue”, with capacity for 130 patrons. “Our lease is expiring and we've been looking to do something different for some time now,” says Pound co-owner Mal Kennedy-Vaughan. “We don't want to be in that space any longer, and we'd like to open up a smaller café and bar, serving up food, coffee and the art of conversation to a discerning Wellington LGBT crowd.” The ‘Bon Voyage' party will “reunite many of Pound's queens and we'll be bringing back our original DJ, Nick J, from Australia, says Kennedy-Vaughan. “Deezar Star from Auckland will be coming down and we'll have loads of queens on stage that night. We'll host hourly shows, and the final dance will be an opportunity for all of Wellington's drag stars and our punters to bid Pound goodbye for the last time.” The final party is scheduled for the day after Pound's “6th Birthday Bash”, on the Friday night. Between now and the final closing date, Pound will be hosting a series of events. See GayNZ.com's events diary for details. “It's not over till the fat lady sings, and Scotty and I will be back with a vengeance in the New Year,” says Kennedy-Vaughan. “We've enjoyed serving Wellington's LGBT community over the years and look forward to continuing to do so with the opening of our exciting new venue. Stay tuned!” Ref: GayNZ.com (d)