Fridae

Hitherto relegated to Happy, Why Not & Taboo, online forums and chatrooms were aflutter with excitement last week as two new clubs - Club Momo, at Central Mall, and ONYX at One Fullerton - launched their respective boys' parties last Sunday night.

Fans of Adzme (second from top), Helga (third), Leeroy (last pic) and their sistas should mosey down to Momo while those who are after hot boys and hot action on the dance floor are more likely to find fulfillment by having a fling with ONS!

To say the least, these new Sunday parties make perfect commercial sense. After all, after Centro (incidentally the space which ONYX now occupies), a clear frontrunner in the gay scene, ceased operations, and China Black discontinued its boys' nights, there was a gaping hole in the market for weekly gay nights.

The Tanjong Pagar belt, in particular the uber trendy green horn Happy, plugged that hole and happily welcomed the spillovers of the closures elsewhere, being the only place to party on a Sunday night.

But now that interim period is over, as mega scene-stealers vie for Sunday supremacy once more. The line-up thus far: Goliath Club Momo, with its sprawling warehouse premises, and ONYX's ONS at the waterfront.

Club Momo
To be perfectly honest, I cringed when the first time I got wind of a nascent club called, of all things, 'Momo'. 'Momo' is either some misconstrued version of Mariah Carey's nickname, 'Mimi', or the onomatopoeic gurgle of an infant. But Club Momo's operators are no novices to the scene, having run successful boy's nights at ChinaBlack, and, prior to that, Venom at Pacific Plaza.

Adjusting my expectations in this vein, I. However, I recanted all biasness when I caught my first glimpse of the compound. The size of Momo is simply gob smacking, and, at 22,000 sq. ft., is the biggest of all the clubs, and easily doubles the size of Happy. The undertaking, replete with valet parking and canopied lounging areas that line the exterior perimeter, is clearly ambitious.

If there was a theme to the club, it did not come through very clearly. The backdrop is a sea of coloured pods which double up as storage compartments. Turkish style harems, with mirror appliqu�d cushions, and plush ottomans in hues of vermillion and plum form one section of the seating, while another has the feel of a Moroccan souk, with antique lamps and sliding concrete segments. The three bar tops look like carbon copies of the ones at Zouk, down to the blue mosaic tiling. To top it all off, Japanese maki and Tiramisu cake were all available for order off the menu. A rather bizarre combination, it somehow all came together quite nicely, save for the snooker tables at the rear end of the club, which looked out of place.

By 11pm, the crowd was still trickling in, and they came in all forms. Gays made up half the crowd, while fag hags, lipstick lesbians, straight couples, and drag queens were all represented. A beautiful crowd, in particular the sistas of the night, who came in droves in support of the sistas on stage.

The music, while predictable dance remixes of handbag choons, set the convivial mood for the night, as everyone broke out of the cliques they arrived with, and mingled without the typical airs. The good thing about the large floor space is that you don't have to be crushed in the crowd, or have your toes trampled on. One can simply drape across a settee and feel at home, or come to chill out with friends, and the laid-back atmosphere perfect for initiating conversations with strangers.

Things really got underway when the drag set began at 11.30pm. The crowd was treated to tight choreography and immaculate costume changes, as each of the divas took turns to belt out (what else) Kelis and Kylie numbers. The clear winner in the half hour set had to be (Boom Boom Room alumnus) Helga's rendition of Gwen Stefani's 'Hollaback Girl'. The hairs of her blonde wig slapping her rotund face exaggeratedly, and in cheerleader get up, she attempted a split to great comic effect.

If only as much could be said about the stand-up by (resident Velvet, and now Momo drag artiste) Leeroy. Her leopard print gown looked like a million bucks, but her jokes were not nearly as palatable. Getting off to many false starts and lacking punch, the material stalled in many parts, and became trite after awhile. Still, the constant catcalls and applause from the crowd, which had suddenly swelled to healthy numbers and slowly packed the joint, voiced their full approval.

The drag show ended in a burst of confetti, and if the celebratory and easy going (and easy on the eyes) crowd was anything to go by, Club Momo's boy's night was off to a rollicking good start.

Happy
Next, a quick stop at the Tanjong Pagar belt. Clearly the double whammy of boy's night openings elsewhere had taken its toll. A quick check with the bouncer, and he let on that Happy was at less than half its usual occupancy. Scanning the dance floor, there was, at 12.30am, a grand total of gasp!, a single dyke performing a para para inspired solo to a captive audience of - her partner.

However, I was relieved to find that, off the dance floor, things looked rosier. Happy loyalists were not tempted in the least bit to hop over to the new clubs. So while the tills were not exactly ringing endlessly that particular Sunday night, Happy still remains a maverick success, and a force to be reckoned with.

After an inevitable initial lull following the openings of Sunday boy's nights elsewhere, the Tanjong Pagar belt in general does not have to worry about watching its back. After all, it has seen the coming and going of many gay establishments many times over, and has proved resilient in the face of competition.

TP, as it is affectionately labeled, will always hold a special place for many, most of all because its enclave of watering holes there are not 'gay for pay', meaning to say these establishments are gay owned and operated, and do not just 'come out of the closet' one Sunday a week in search of pink dollars.

Onyx's ONS
One Fullerton's previous occupants, Centro, set the bar high as far as cache and entertainment value were concerned. I had expected Onyx's boy's night, ONS, to turn in an immaculate opening night and I wasn't disappointed.

Going through the motions of lift ride up, preening in the toilet, staircase climb to grand entrance and cruising round the circular pathway, the place brought back fond memories, - playing tongue hockey with whatshisname by the toilet, grinding with beautiful stranger X by the podium - and the layout of the club has not changed. The place has quite literally, been giving a new lease on life, since its previous occupants could not make its timely rent payments.

So while there is a comfortable familiarity, the d�cor has been revamped. The art nouveau graffiti circles on the walls opposite the toilet are a nice touch, as are the stuccoed charcoal walls, which have a nice textured effect, although they might come across as unfinished because of their course construct. However, the strobe light machines, which usually come in black to blend in with the ceiling, came instead in a stark white, and moved around frenetically like mounted ray guns in a Star Wars prequel.

But nitpickings aside, Onyx's ONS was largely a success, thanks in no small part to the sheer numbers that flocked to One Fullerton Sunday night. The place was packed cheek to (chiseled) jowl, and the crowds grew so thick at one point, the entire club seemed to pulsate to a single, gyrating, hip swiveling mass.

While the steady stream of radio friendly handbag and R & B dance remixes by the likes of Janet and J.Lo might be a little too commercial to some, it proved to be an enticing ruse which encouraged the usual suspects - consisting mostly tank toped macho marys, podium queens, army boys as well as a smattering of GWMs - to party till 4am.

'Talk is cheap' was certainly the axiom adhered to on Sunday, as you either danced or watched enthralled at the gorgeous crowd dancing in true circuit party style. Needless to say, navigating the sea of sweaty torsos was a welcomed endeavour but physical contact and accidental brushes followed by lingering glances could communicate only so much. In other words, small talk and quiet conversation are forsaken in such a setting, but the boys, in their muscled glory, couldn't have cared less.

The Verdict
If Club Momo provides a more intimate atmosphere, and Onxy's ONS a heady sexual playground, then Happy strikes a comfortable middle ground and balanced distillation of the two new players to the Sunday scene.

Fans of Adzme, Helga, Leeroy and their sistas should mosey down to Momo while those who are after hot boys and hot action on the dance floor are more likely to find fulfillment by having a fling with ONS!

Information
Club Momo, 5 Magazine Road, Central Mall
Nearest MRT station: Clark Quay
www.clubmomo.net
Cover charge: Free entry before 11pm, $20 for girls
Special nights: Kylie Interpreted Night
Happy Hour: 1 for 1 before 11pm

Onyx Club, One Fullerton
Nearest MRT: Raffles Place
Cover charge: $15 for boys, $20 for girls
Happy Hour: 1 for 1 from 11pm-12am, 2am-3am

Happy Club, 21 Tanjong Pagar Rd
Nearest MRT station: Tanjong Pagar

Special Nights: Sweat, Fag Hag Night
Cover charge: Free entry on Sundays
Happy Hour: 1 for 1 from 11pm-12am