Andrew Pankhurst worked as manager at G Bar for almost 21 years and has recently left to pursue a career as a teacher. We caught up with Andrew to find out how it feels to have left G Bar and why the night club is so beloved in Liverpool.
How does it feel to have left G Bar?
I can’t even describe it. It’s really bittersweet. One half of me is glad to be off nights so I don’t have to work until seven o’clock in the morning anymore. And the other half is sad that such a massive part of my life has come to an end. But it’s come to a natural end, I’ve not been left with any open questions or regrets which is all I ever really wanted.
Lots of venues come and go in the Pride Quarter, but G Bar remains a pillar of the scene. Why do you think that is?
It had something when it opened back in the 90s – that something has never left it. It’s not just a nightclub to some people, it’s a kind of home. It’s like a comfortable pair of slippers, if that makes sense.
How has the scene changed since you began working at G Bar?
When I started, there were nowhere near as many nightclubs and bars. So the nightlife was a bit limited. But I would never, as a younger person, go out to to other parts of the city. Obviously this is where Pride comes in as acceptance has grown and people’s attitudes have changed and they have opened their eyes a bit more and realised that we are equal and equality’s grown. All these things have improved and with it so has. the nightlife. That’s what I love about G Bar because, obviously it’s an LGBT+ venue, but it’s also a mixed venue. Garlands was like that. Everyone was free to be who they wanted to be.
Although you’ve just left, where can you see G Bar in the next 20 years? What is its legacy?
I think G Bar’s gonna do really well. It’s got new owners. Everyone’s still staying there who I work with and the new manager’s great. She’s lovely. Yeah, they’ve got lots of exciting things planned and I just think it’s gonna do really well. I’ve been through a pandemic with it. We’ve been through a cost of living crisis. Everyone’s going through a bad time at the moment. I mean, let’s put it politely, hospitality, retail, all businesses are struggling at the moment. But I think that it will get through it. There’s gonna be light at the end of the tunnel. They’ve got a lot of events planned for the summer. G Bar will be around until we’re about 90. It’s got this following that just keeps on getting bigger. It’s the longest-running gay night club in Liverpool – it’s an institution in its own right.
