The Tender Trap (club) - Patrons & Celebrities

Patrons & Celebrities

Apart from the acts, the stars of the club were the patrons. Tender Trap patrons were generally regarded by the press of the day to be a cut above - articles often refer to their eccentric, period fashion sense and funky moves. The most loyal patrons were a group known as "the Kids" - the Captain, Tito, 'Tache, Glen, Peta, Ineke, Jodie, & Megan. Other colourful patrons included "Lantern", the "Dancing Partner", Mr. Tambourine Man, Quiet Dave, Disco Phil, and Bongo John. A teenage Hana Shimada, now a co-director of her own successful GoodGod Small Club in downtown Sydney, was a regular sight on the dance-floor. All club regulars were issued the prized "Swingers" membership cards. However, the door policy was deliberately inclusive - all types were welcome, young and old, straight and gay, the sophisticated, the sexy, and the downright spooky. Celebrities had to pay to get in - they included Leonardo DiCaprio, Princess Stephanie of Monaco, Russell Crow, Geoffrey Rush, numerous touring rockers such as Urge Overkill and Donovan Leitch. Only one celebrity was ever admitted free as a special guest - Lamonte McLemore, one of the founding members of the American popular music vocal group the 5th Dimension. Lamonte received star treatment, and was feted by young ladies at his own table. Lamonte smiled enigmatically as a room full of people danced wildly to the 5th Dimension hits, Up, Up and Away, and Puppet Man, 30 years after those records had first hit the charts. At its peak, and on long weekend holidays, the Tender Trap could be packed with 1200 patrons, the queue stretching down Darlinghurst Road, all in a building licensed to entertain 300. The crush added to the sense of wild occasion, but for those wanting a more laid-back experience, mid-winter Tender Trap was the place to be.