Raymond reviewed

Daisy Kay

Sun, Jan 28, 2007

Ah, the swinging Sixties. When life was loose and the Raymond Revuebar was the "World Centre of Erotic Entertainment".

Sadly those days are gone, as The Guardian kindly informs us that Soho's classiest cabaret bar faces closure.

"The Revuebar was the first building Raymond ever bought. But now, rent demands from his own organisation seem likely to sink the internationally famous club he founded, which has become as much a London institution as The Mousetrap, and is the only visible monument to Raymond himself," reports the paper.

It's clear that 2004 is a long way away from the heyday of sharp suits and champagne that once flowed in the stylish club. Now, they're lucky to get a handful of customers, let alone pack the place out.

"We wait for 'Personal Appearances of the World's Greatest Names in Striptease... But just as the curtain starts to rise, three lads in sweatshirts shamble in and get stuck into the beers. Two are already close to legless," comments the reporter who decided to sample a show.

So why the sudden attack from its own organisation?

Raymond is quite happy in his penthouse flat behind the Ritz, but his friend, Gerard Simi, who bought the lease and the Revuebar name in 1997, is very disappointed that rent rose by 120 per cent.

"Along with the bill for the next quarter came a demand for a further sum to bring the previously paid rent up to the new rate, backdated for the nine months the negotiations had taken," the paper says.

Raymond on the other hand, appears to own a huge amount of property in Soho, which reportedly raked in "pre-tax profits of nearly £13m in 2002. Meanwhile, his porn website and eight top-shelf magazines - including Men Only, Mayfair and Razzle - bring in another £13m."

We're definitely in the wrong business.

The problem might lie with a ridiculous rise in rent, but Simi must know in his heart of hearts that his acts are looking a little tired.

"Though Simi's sets and routines are creative, there's only so much that five naked women and two men in leather jockstraps can do on stage without breaking the law. After the show, one of the drunk lads gives it a succinct review: 'It were shite.'"

Sorry, Simi, but you know what they say, "the customer is always right".