Background
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 Building stood prominently on the corner of Darlinghurst Road and Roslyn Street, in the heart of the Cross, an area popularly known as "the Golden Mile". The original Les Girls review, featuring gorgeous "drag queens" including the leading lady Carlotta, had performed in the building since 1963, but in the early 1990s the review decided to go on the road inspired by the film Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, leaving the building unused. 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. Seeing an opportunity, Sydney filmmaker and DJ Sean O'Brien approached the management, and procured the use of the cabaret room for Sunday nights. Sean named the Sunday night cabaret club after the Frank Sinatra song, and the Tender Trap first opened its doors on December 11th 1994, at the cocktail hour of 7pm. The performer on the opening night was singer Stuart Grant with his jazz combo. Stuart had previously been in the infamous 1980s post punk band the Primitive Calculators.
The Tender Trap arrived in a vibrant period for eclectic contemporary clubs in Sydney, including Spicy Friday, Jamie and Vanessa's, The Sunset Club, Madd Club, Club Kooky, and the bohemian Rat Parties. But from the beginning, The Tender Trap was aiming to recapture the vibe of swinging sixties Sydney in the perfect venue, "a celebration of cocktail culture at its most sophisticated and savage". The Tender Trap referenced legendary Sydney clubs of an earlier era such as Chequers, The Latin Quarter, the Silver Spade Room, and Tabou. 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 and enhanced, including red cloth-covered tables, candles, chandeliers, velvet flock wallpaper, and the central focus - the cabaret stage. The effect was remarkably like stepping back in time. Every Sunday the running order was fixed - from 7pm cocktails, laid back music, and sophisticated discussion; then the live act at 10.30 pm; and then the wild dancing commenced.
Read more about this topic: The Tender Trap (club)
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