Cafe Culture Pineslopes Centre

This was my first experience at this new venue, and yes I do not know how it is usually run, but this is my experience of this venue. How I understood the venue to be was very loungey and when I picture loungey I see warm colours, big comfy couches and big bright cushions scattered on the floor and on the couches for everyone to feel cosy.

My girlfriend and I arrived at the venue pretty early, it was probably around 9pm, the place had many of well known and prominent women in the community sitting outside at tables, laughing and drinking and basically winding down from their stressful weeks of work.

We entered the venue to and went to the bar to order drinks and we looked around inside. It’s all very white, clean like a hospital, Two beautiful bubble chairs hanging from the ceiling occupied to two people swinging around having a good time, Beautiful light fittings beam bright light down on the venue showing us the u-shaped leather seating area just in the back.

We looked up and there was the infamous DJ Lindi Lush  spinning on the decks. She is a very popular DJ in the community and she is regular at most of the gay and lesbian venues. She seems to have a regular set though and if you go to enough of these places you know which song is coming up next and my only issue with her set really is the fact that we hear the same songs more than once.

After we got our drinks we went and found ourselves a place to rest our weary bodies and wait for the friends we were meeting there. There is staff will wait on you with drinks. I did also notice that we had to keep asking for ashtrays and they seemed a lil short on those as I watched a few times they would just bring us one from another table. Which we didn’t mind but the people at the other tables still needed them. And so it was a bit of a game of musical ashtrays....

Once our friends arrived, we moved a bunch of tables pushed together in a row and we all sat there catching up as for some of us we hadn’t seen each other since the festive break and some even longer than that. We sat there sipping our cocktails and other alcoholic drinks laughing as the other women were. After our second drink my girlfriend and I decided it was time to get home as Douglasdale and Pineslopes is known for their road blocks and heavy police presents and we also wanted to be responsible.

On the way home I discussed my confusion on the venue with my girlfriend, If it’s a lounge feel then its missing all the colours and warmth and if it’s a cocktail bar, then its missing something too. I don’t know how to put this across but there needs to be a vibe, something that makes you want to stay there and continue to have a party, and this place yes granted is new and still a work in progress but I think once the vibe has been placed I won’t be left wondering what it is, and I am sure more others feel the same. I think with a little bit of TLC this place could be the new Lesbian and gay venue for an after work drink.

Cafe Culture is situated in the Pineslopes centre next to the Keg.

Address: Pine Slopes Centre, Corner Witkoppen Rd & the Straight, Fourways, Johannesburg

Sonique to ROCK Johannesburg PRIDE

That’s right people, Gay pride is happening on the 2nd of October 2010. And it’s just been announced by the Pride Organisation that they have managed to bring out British pop-star DJ Sonique to our warm sunny shores for a guest appearance at the actual pride parade party but most and foremost for their Official Pride after party, to be held at our world class Standard bank Arena on the same Saturday just in the evening of the 21st annual Johannesburg Pride parade and day.

Tickets already went on sale at Computicket  for this event and are available for a minimum charge R56 including Computicket  fees and VIP tickets are limited to the first 500 and I am one of those 1st 500 people for a price of R100. These are not available from Computicket rather you should call 082 567 8894 to book as there are so few.

How did this come about?

Sonique has been brought to us by a new energy drink Cintron Liquid Energy  and the Pride Organisation  wanted to bring back the official after party experience some of the older members of the community will remember back to the pride march. Over the last few years there hasn’t been an Official pride after party leaving room for other event organisers to try their hand at hosting such an event and one never caters for all. There is something for the men something for the women, people travel to Boksburg’s Ramps ,The Dome for the Fire mans ball and Pretoria to where they host there after party, But this year we have the chance to unit under one roof again to re- bump into the people we met doing the march or on a float. Never mind the person who let you slip into their spot at the bar, as they leave.

I am too excited for this event as I was one of the people who has had the joy of experiencing an old after party and this is the first time that I am aware of that they have brought us someone who can appeal to the entire Lesbian, Gay, Bi and trans-sexual community.

DJ Sonique has been a part of my memories since I can remember with hits like “Fly so high” and “It feels so good.”And I am just too excited to see her, to hear her live mixing up her beats and singing.

DJ Sonique who has previously visited the country will be supported by two dancers and a line up of South African DJ’s, this to me sounds like it’s going to be a rocking evening.

For those of you who haven’t purchased your tickets do it now. It’s going to be a night to remember for a very long time, until the Joburg pride  organisation out does themselves again. Buy those tickets with less than a month till Pride. Make sure you’re not left wondering where to go and why you couldn’t go see this Award winning British pop-star Live here in South Africa.