Slow dancing to Madonna

AOG, Madrid

The last time I was in Barcelona I was invited out to a new club near Montjuic. It was the usual people, music and drinking one would expect in any Euro club, except for one thing: demographics.

As I entered, and even more so, as we all left for home, a growing number of elderly gentlemen kept pouring in.

Madonna was playing and they danced with each other hand in hand.

I could not believe how beautiful it was. And odd too.

I just never associated the Pasodoble with the pop queen’s music, and yet, to them, it was the only way. It was one of those things which you think should happen all over the place, and yet, you only find here and there in this modern world.

I made a comment to a couple of friends and they explained.

As in London, Barcelona has, or rather, had, a bar which catered to older gentlemen. We went there once. I have to admit that I loved it. It was like a 1970s Art Deco disco with all sorts of people inside.

Not the usual fare found in London’s “City of Quebec” but rather, that, and then some.

Old, young, hustlers and disco bunnies seemed to relax in the company of elderly gay gentlemen. I remember saying to my friends that having seen that place gave me some hope for my, shall we say, Golden Years.

Well, not anymore. That club has been shut and what I saw slow dancing to Kylie, Madders and co was the overspill.

As far as I could tell, nobody was upset that they were there. They were keeping mostly to themselves, and, as far as I could tell, looked quite friendly.

Will their club reopen? I hope so.

For their sake and mine.