CityLife

A new addition to the village

HOW Julia Grant does it we'll never know! After all, you'd expect her to take at least a brief respite after the enormity of this year's Gayfest, but here we are, barely three weeks on, and already she's at it again.

Not a festival this time, but instead the launch of a new gay nightclub, built beneath the Hollywood International Hotel on the site of the former Placemate 7 (London Rd).

Named Legends, the club is open to gay and lesbians, offering a mix of disco and garage sounds. However, this is merely ''phase one''! Julia tells us more.

''Legends is 600 capacity,'' she begins. ''split between four levels, with three bars and five dancefloors, including a piano bar, a huge camp disco, and a heavy garage floor. Phase two is due to open in about six weeks (mid October), at which point our capacity will jump to 900.

''We plan to open links to Well's Fargo and the Pony Club, increasing our total capacity to 1350, which is more than the other two big village clubs put together!

''In keeping with the rest of the Hollywood Experience, Legends is due to operate a members-only policy, costing £5 a year for entry to all of Julia's famous haunts - from the Hollywood and Manhattan Showbars, to the recently opened Well's Fargo (for men) and the soon to be launched Pony Club (for women). Admission is free till 11pm, after which you'll be asked to pay £1 per venue visited. Bargain! Especially when you consider what's on offer.

Saturday Night Fever

''It's all very retro,'' says Julia. ''In fact, we've actually bought up a load of classic 70s and 80s disco lighting, all re-worked and re-motored. Old helicopters and mirror balls are back, giving the club a kind of Studio 54 feel, complete with scattered sofas, video projections, a grand entrance, and plenty of different rooms to explore - including a huge VIP area, upper and lower level bars, a sub-basement bar, and so on.

''One thing's for sure," states Julia, "we're not ripping people off!''

Last but by no means least, it's time for Julia to introduce her friendly, four-legged door host: ''People need to be warned that on a Friday and Saturday night they're going to have to pass two things,'' she smiles. ''The first is our sniffer dog, and the second is a drugs amnesty box where people can dispose of any illegal substances. We want to make a clear statement that Legends is a drug-free venue.''

Catch the Legends launch beneath the Hollywood International Hotel (London Rd). For more information contact 0161 236 1010.