Kim Lucas This weekend something rather incredible is going to happen in Auckland. Candy bar, a dedicated lesbian venue, will open its doors. Behind the K' Rd bar is a team of scene-setters led by one incredibly motivated woman: Kim Lucas. Originally a New Zealander, Lucas has spent the past 30 years "tirelessly creating a scene in London and Brighton". She has plenty to show for it.The 47-year-old entrepreneur and club promoter was dubbed "the Queen of Soho" by a local London gay rag and "Scene Queen of the Century" by lesbian magazine DIVA. Lucas first started promoting in the late 80s, creatinga string of popular girls' clubs including Tantrum, Passion Pit, Betty's and Flirt Sauna. The flagship Candy bar was launched in Soho in 1996. The London Evening Standard once voted it as one of the top ten celebrity bars in London. Cast members from The L Word, Martina Navratilova, Rupert Everett, Naomi Campbell, The Pet Shop Boys, Sir Ian McKellen and the late Alexander McQueen among the guests it can name-drop. It also boasts a mind-boggling list of awards and plaudits for being a scene-maker, in both gay and mainstream media. Time Out London Magazine's Top 100 bars guide described it as "a real breakthrough: a gay women's bar with an emphasis on fun and coolness… The Candy bar seems to have far more energy than any other gay bar in London: on our visit it was bustling, friendly, and vibrant, as if the women who packed out the place knew they were onto a good thing.” But it hasn't all been smooth sailing. In 2008 Lucas and her original crew left the Soho venue after "a series of events found the premises owned by people the girls could not work with". It came as the economic downturn saw 40 bars a week closing in the UK, leading to the decision to shut up shop in Soho and Brighton for the meantime until the British economic climate improves. Lucas then eyed the more positive economy in New Zealand and Australia. After an offer from Naval Kitten Power - 13th April 2010