If you want to discuss the Yumbo Centre in terms of its architecture or in terms of its cuisine, then I think you're on to a non starter. However, if you want to discuss the Yumbo Centre in terms of trashy gay culture, then surely it ranks up there with Manchester's Canal Street, New York's Greenwich Village and Madrid's Chueca.
More gay bars and clubs than you could wave a wand at and an impressive fluttering of rainbow flags, the Yumbo Centre caters for all tastes - as long as those tastes include cheap drinks, Spanish drag, sex clubs, bear bars pretty waiters with attitude and... did I mention Spanish drag? I loved it!
I started at Construction, laughing my ass off at the pretty bearded waiters chasing punters up and down the street outside, wearing wigs and the biggest silver platform stilettos I have ever seen.I then moved on to a drag bar upstairs where every miming turn was introduced using the term, "international". As the evening passed, their costumes and makeup became increasingly detached from reality and the shrieks, whoops and whistles grew louder by the minute.
I couldn't help thinking as I gazed on, how similar Spanish drag is to Kabuki theatre in Japan; highly stylised Gestures and loaded with meaning. Indeed, it seems performers in both genres are idolised by their followers for what they do.
After being satiated by drag, I then returned to Construction, dodging the invites to every other gay venue along the way, for a final "one for the road", enjoying the male go-go dancers high on their podiums, shaking their booty for all it was worth.
I must say, that despite initial misgivings, the Yumbo Centre has its place and excels at what it does. One day we'll accord a well deserved and correct level of appreciation to this gay culture in the same way we've recognised Yiddish culture's influence on comedy and musical theatre and black culture's influence on music and dance.
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