The Tender Trap (club)

The Tender Trap was a cabaret nightclub that ran in Sydney, Australia from December 1994 to January 2000. It was one of the most successful Sydney clubs of the 1990s. The Tender Trap club pre-dated the mid 90s lounge culture phenomenon, but as the phenomenon grew, so too did the popularity of the club.

The Tender Trap operated on Sunday nights, in the theatre-restaurant room of the legendary Les Girls building in Sydney's infamous Kings Cross, New South Wales. The Les Girls review, featuring gorgeous "drag queens" including Carlotta, had performed in the building since 1963, but in the early 1990s the review decided to "go on the road" Priscilla style, leaving the building empty. The Les Girls building carried some intense history; it was owned by Sydney identity Abe Saffron; Kings Cross activist Juanita Nielsen was last seen here; various ghosts were rumoured to call it home. But in 1994 the building was still remarkably intact, a piece of living history in the heart of the Cross. Seeing an opportunity, Sydney filmmaker and DJ Sean O'Brien approached the management, and procured the use of the cabaret room for Sunday nights.

From the beginning, The Tender Trap club was an attempt to recapture the vibe of swinging sixties Sydney in the perfect venue, "a celebration of cocktail culture at its most sophisticated and savage". The essential mix was live cabaret entertainment, together with DJs playing their cherished vinyl LP collections featuring lounge music, jazz, latin, funk, soul, and the incredibly strange. The original fixtures of the room were embraced, including red cloth-covered tables, candles, chandeliers, velvet flock wallpaper, and the central focus - the cabaret stage. Every Sunday the running order was fixed - from 9pm cocktails, laid back music, and sophisticated discussion; then the live act at 10.30pm; and then the wild dancing commenced.

During the first several months of operation and experimentation, Sean gathered together the core Tender Trap team that would carry the club to the heights of success. Filmmaker Dr. Robert Herbert was the art director and "late night" DJ; renowned film editor Nick Meyers was the lighting designer; filmmakers Catherine Lowing and Sophie Jackson (aka "Schatzi") were the glamorous door girls; and other regular DJs included Andy Travers, "King" Dom Harding, and Mark Wells. Some of the most popular acts that performed at the club were drawn from Sydney's diverse ethnic community, and included Chinese plate spinner Miss Jerry Liu, Yao Zu Fu - the Monkey Man!, the Pearls of Polynesia, Voodoo Queen Desiree, and an array of exotic belly dancers such as the mysterious Zena. Other performers, such as Kay Armstrong and Paul Cordeiro, have gone on to become successful choreographers in the Australian contemporary dance scene.

Apart from the acts, the stars of the club were the patrons. Tender Trap patrons were generally regarded by the press of the day to be a cut above - articles often refer to their eccentric fashion sense and funky moves. The most loyal patrons were a group known as "the Kids" - the Captain, Tito, 'Tache, Peta, Ineke, Jodie, & Megan. Other colourful patrons included "Lantern", the "Dancing Partner", Mr. Tambourine Man, Quiet Dave, Disco Phil, and Bongo John - all regulars were issued the prized "Swingers" membership cards. However, the door policy was socialist/democractic - all types were welcome, from the sophisticated to the downright spooky. Celebrities had to pay to get in, no exceptions - Leo DiCaprio, Princess Stephanie of Monaco, Russell Crow, Geoffrey Rush, numerous touring bands, they all had to pay. At it's peak, and on long weekend holidays, the Tender Trap could be packed with 1200 patrons, the queue stretching down Darlinghurst Road, all in a building licensed to entertain 300. The crush added to the sense of wild occasion, but for those wanting a more laid-back experience, mid-winter Tender Trap was the place to be.

In January 2000 the Tender Trap had its final night, as the historic Les Girls building was shut down for major renovations, to become another characterless Sydney hotel. The Tender Trap lives on in the film that was shot on location at the club, [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0177199/ The Sapphire Room] , and is name-checked in Nikki Gemmell's book Shiver.

References

* Hutak, Michael (1994) [http://hutak.com/articles/1994/12/heavy-metal-out-easy-listening-in.html Heavy Metal out, Easy Listening in] . Sydney Morning Herald.
* Cockington, James (1995) [http://library.sl.nsw.gov.au:1083/search/ Classic Dag] . Sydney Morning Herald, Metro.
* Trimboli, Andrew (1999) [http://library.sl.nsw.gov.au:1083/search?/Xtender+is+the+night&SORT=AZ/Xtender+is+the+night&SORT=AZ&extended=0&SUBKEY=tender%20is%20the%20night/1%2C4%2C4%2CB/frameset&FF=Xtender+is+the+night&SORT=AZ&2%2C2%2C Tender is the Night] . Sydney Morning Herald, Metro.
* Bragge, Lily (1997) Shaken all over. Sydney Morning Herald, Good Weekend.
* Low, Lenny Ann (1998) Object Lesson. Sydney Morning Herald, Good Weekend.