With its 25-year history, the Beat is Brisbane’s longest-running gay venue, and with its five bars, it’s also the largest. However, it’s also the most mixed.

Though the main dance bar is popular with ravers both straight and gay, a less mixed clientele tends to predominate in the bar upstairs, fittingly called the Cockatoo Club.

The music at the Cockatoo Club will also appeal to those punters with a preference for handbag over deep trance and house.

Sunday Fundays are a particularly popular night at the Cockatoo with an early opening time of 5pm and a free barbecue from 7pm to 9pm.

The Beat is the only Brisbane gay venue to feature an outdoor bar and beer garden.

Interestingly, however, unlike Sporties and the Wickie, locals don’t tend to shorten the Cockatoo’s name...

Queen Bees: Trixie Laumonte and Simone Simons
Turntable Wizards: Rudemood, Ben Eazy, Nitro D, Dan, Akajik

What’s old is new, or so they say. I had better not emphasise the old too much or she’ll kill me, but guess who’s back at The Beat? Simone Simons is replacing the legendary Trixie Laumonte. Simone will bring her cavalcade of back flips and hand stands and fire eating to the Beat on Saturday nights. Also making Sunday an extra Funday will be Simone and her gal pal, Seena Mirage. From 5pm you queens can drink your butts off and watch the shows from these two ladies. While on the subject of Seena, you can see her on Wednesday nights as well with her very messy but tasty jelly wrestling. Sounds totally insatiable....which brings me to Thursday and Fridays. Three hot bodied boys, Shane, Matt and Shai from Insatiable, will present their dance shows. And on Tuesdsay June 10, get infected with Toxic, a new show featuring Shaneel Downt'ue and Di Slowly and introducing Shantelle Secrets.

www.thebeatmegaclub.com.au