CaKe – a boutique night club experience for women and their friends

CaKe (A Gay ol’ Tea Dance) has always been this night owl’s favourite haunt, but this weekend I decided to attend wearing my Gaelick hat and see what I could see.

Since its inception in September 2008, CaKe has always been a different kind of lesbian night. Adverts for the club night tell us that “CaKe is a jumping tea dance to celebrate all that is bygone and what is yet to come! A night like no other! CaKe is a night for women and their friends who want something a little less predictable from their night out.” They ask what makes a perfect cake, then go on to answer that a perfect CaKe is made by taking “a dollop of pop, a pinch of electro, a hint of alternative, and a dab of retro, and leave to dance till late…”

CaKe is definitely the place to be on any Saturday night that it is on, as the music, atmosphere and craic is not to be missed. There are free shots upon arrival that are poured from tea pots and there are always buns and cakes lying around the place. Those are just two small examples of the uniqueness of this club.

The best part however, has to be the music. They play EVERYTHING, from Florence and the Machine to Haddaway to The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Peaches. The music does what it says on the tin and isn’t a selection of tired club anthems, but rather music one can actually dance to. The finest moment I have encountered in CaKe was a couple of CaKes ago, when they gave everyone sashes and played Riverdance. Trust me, the results were something to behold!

The CaKe just gone was the official launch night of the Pink Calendar. Every week, CaKe has a different event or theme. So far we have seen Christmas CaKe, CáCa Milis, Wedding CaKe, Rainbow Sprinkles CaKe, The oVen@CaKe, Tom Seleck CaKe (‘Coz Tom’s ‘tash is cheesier than cheesecake) and Birthday CaKe. Try and guess what each one was for. The Pink Calendar launch proved to be a huge draw on Saturday last, with hundreds of lesbians buzzing around in the Academy. The oVen was the home of the launch, with people walking along the walls pointing out their friends or girls they have kissed or the people they know from around who made it into the calendar.

It was that simple fact that has made the idea of the calendar so popular, that they are all real life home grown lesbians who people see out most nights. Loads were sold on the night, which was great to see as all the proceeds went to BeLonG To and NOISE. They let people order and pay throughout the night, with a view to them picking them up at the end of the night (for fear of people losing their calendars on the dance floor). However, if you’re like me, you ordered, paid, and then left without going to collect one… And I don’t even drink.

However, I digress. The venue for CaKe is the Academy on Middle Abbey Street, Dublin 1. CaKe is on the main floor, which is a good size for the necessary capacity of the night. The bar is well-stocked, but a bit under-staffed so expect queues. The only other complaint I have personally, and one that I hear quite often is that the queues for the toilets are ridiculous. So be warned. A tip though- there are more downstairs that you can use, a fact I only learnt at the weekend.

You often hear people say that they won’t go to lesbian nights, and when pressed it can often be due to bad past experiences at other nights. I know I retired from lesbian nights after a few times in Kiss. However, fear not. CaKe is the antithesis of Kiss. As one of my friends once put it, it’s Kiss for adults. CaKe is relaxed, fun, and you will always get chatting to some lovely randomers in the smoking area out the front. So give it a shot!

caKe is at The Academy on Middle Abbey Street, Dublin 1. It is €10 in, and doors open from 10pm. There are free shots and cake before 12am. If you’ve never been, I would highly recommend it!

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