Club West, the fun filled night which raises money for LGBT charities, is calling it a day after 24 years. We sat down with founder producer, matriarch and part time go-go dancer, Terry Larder and asked why it was all coming to an end?
For Terry the end of Club West also corresponds with looking forward to retirement from his professional career. In his near future he cites travel and spending time with his loving partner Peter as high on his agenda.
Club West began in 1989 at the height of the AIDS crisis, at the time Terry was part of a 24 hour care team that looked after HIV patients.
“The first function was at, of all things, the Royal Commonwealth Society Hall in Subiaco. It was a majestic hall and they were looking for ways to make money. When they found out we were starting up a gay group they didn’t really close the doors, but they didn’t exactly welcome us with open arms.”
Terry highlights that at that time many organsiations were very reluctant to book out their venues to a gay organisation and it took a little while for Club West to find its longtime home at The WA Italian Club.
‘The first show had just three people in it,’ said Terry, ‘It was so cold, it was in August 1989 and everyone was complaining how cold it was, there were only about sixty people there, so it was miniscule. I think people were drawn out of curiosity.
“We told the people the best way they could keep warm was to get up and dance, so sixty people got and danced and they just never stopped.”
Back in its early days the event used to be on five times a year, Terry recalls that as soon as one event had finished the team would start rehearsing for the next one. He looks back on those days as fun times and has some favourite moments.
“I really liked ‘Noddy and Big Ears in Gayland’, that was pretty good,” said Terry, “and ‘The Sound of Mucus’ which was spoof of ‘The Sound of Music’. I just loved them!”
Putting together the charity shows is a lot of work for Terry and his team of volunteers. Each event involves a big financial investment, a lot of planning and team work. Terry acknowledges that nowadays it’s much harder to sustain events like Clubwest and notes that attracting younger people to events is hard.
“It’s like Generation Y has discovered they can all hide with their computers, it’s funny because the whole idea of gay liberation was that you’d didn’t have to hide. You don’t have to be in the closet, but technology has created a new sort of closet.”
Terry hopes that something new appears to continue the spirit of the organisation. Not something in the same venue or of the same format, but something new created by younger people who are ready to take up the cause.
The Last Club West
is Saturday 17 August at The WA Italian Club,
for tickets head to www.clubwest.com.au
