Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Tatchell Recalls George Michael in Harringay & Manor House
Writing in the Independent, Peter Tatchell recalls his first meetings with George MIchael in Manor House and Harringay:
I first met George in about 1980, when he was still a teenager and long before he was famous. It was a chance meeting in a small gay disco above a pub by Manor House tube station in north London. He was a great dancer and sang along to all of the songs. He had a good voice and said he was going to be a pop star. There were lots of wannabes in those days. I thought: maybe this one might actually be on to something.
I was surprised and pleased when he hit the big time three years later with Wham!
Around this time he was going to the gay nightclub, Bolts, in Haringey [sic]*, even though he was still closeted and not open about his homosexuality. This was a risky move for a major pop star, but typical of the risks he often took throughout his life. Some of us wondered whether going to Bolts was a manifestation of an unconscious wish to get outed by the press so he'd be forced to stop leading a secretive double life, with all the stresses it entailed.
*Tatchell is referring to the club that used to be above where Tesco is now based on Green Lanes in Harringay
Full article here.
Thanks to Colin Banon for flagging up this article on HoL's Facebook page.
More on this from 2011 here.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on
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I think it was 1982 when Wham did a PA at Bolts. It may have even been the first time they performed in public. They definatately did "Wham Rap" but I'm not so clear about the other numbers.
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Permalink Reply by StephenBln on
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I think it was 1982 as well. I was there too Michael
. I think everyone at Bolts that night was quite aware that GM was gay. And being North London, there were always plenty of young cypriot gay men about - GM lookalikes.
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Goodness me! I lived on Seven Sisters Road, opposite the park, back then and Bolts was like a second home. My friend Stuart got a free Wham! promo t-shirt on the night.
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Permalink Reply by Hugh on
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Having read your comments and Stephen's, a quick Google turned up a DVD of that performance on sale a various online outlets for £35+. One of the descriptions has the following:
Live At Bolts @ Lasers Nightclub 1982" DVDr ARTIST: Wham! This DVD is FANTASTIC!!! Wham! were just starting out in 1982 when they were told by Inner Vision managers Mark Dean and Shamsi Ahmed to go out and do some Promotional Tours in various nightclubs around the country. This footage was from a Thursday night in Haringey, North London at a dingy nightclub called Lasers on Turnpike Lane and every Thursday, they would have a night called 'Bolts' which was in keeping with the whole 80s, new wave, electronic era and only played newish songs to their throng. George & Andrew only do a couple of numbers but what you can see is the boys along with Shirlie & Dee C Lee practicing their dance moves and also George 'rapping'!! It is riveting and a MUST for any true GM fan.
(We'll forgive them their spelling and poor geography).
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It was only ever dingy when they turned the lights on at the end of the night to get everyone out!
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Permalink Reply by pamish on
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I thought Bolts/Lazers was above the parade next to the Salisbury? It was at one time as I used to deliver Capital Gay there every week.
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Just the other side of St Ann's Road, across from the Salisbury in the former Salon du Bal. That was its only home.
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Here are some photos I took in 2010 - the first is the stairs leading up from street level. The second shows the room through the door to the right at the top of the stairs which was the old Salon Bal/Bolts - now a gym above Tesco.
Michael, was the snooker hall (to the left at the top of the stairs) also part of the club?
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The dance floor was directly underneath that circular bit of ceiling (note the lonely looking disco ball). I think the bar was under the balcony. There was a VIP room too though I never got to go,in.
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It was where the pool hall is now Pam
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It had an amazing ceiling I seem to recall.. Much nicer than the 'improvements' thrown up after.
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