Gentlemen, brace yourselves—GBU is coming to London, and this isn’t just a party; it’s the party. This is your chance to let loose with super hot, like-minded guys, turn up the heat, and soak up an atmosphere buzzing with electric energy that only GBU can produce!
Ahead of its London launch, we caught up with founder Chris Hawke and Operations Director Marc James to get the lowdown…
They also introduced us to Rich, who gave us his take on the importance of GBU parties.
How did GBU come about?
Years ago (I am keeping the exact date a mystery!), I began discretely exploring my sexual identity and fetishes because at the time I was a budding actor on the DL. This led me to visit club backrooms and fetish events primarily after a night out. Whilst I had hoped to meet the younger, college-aged guys I chatted with online, I mostly encountered a crowd that didn’t quite match my interests—primarily older leather daddies and bears. As a recent college grad myself, I didn’t feel a connection with that scene. This didn’t make sense to me..surely there were other guys in the same situation…
Around the same time, a friend offered his spacious Chelsea (NYC) apartment as a venue for a party, and I decided to take matters into my own hands. I curated a guest list from AOL chatrooms (yes, AOL!) and hosted our first gathering, attracting about 35 guys. That night, GBU was born and none of us had a clue what we were about to embark on! Word spread like wildfire, and as more attendees brought their friends, the crowd grew and GBU established itself as something of a fixture in NYC. Over time, the party began to draw people who weren’t necessarily even into fetish culture but had heard about GBU’s incredible vibe and SUPER HOT crowd.
This shift transformed GBU into what it is today: a dynamic judgment-free safe space for like-minded, sexy guys to connect and socialize—free from the stigmas and shame often associated with back rooms and traditional sex parties.
Where do you think GBU Party will fit into the London LGBTQ+ scene?
One of the things we find in many cities is that there is a high number of circuit parties that have play areas and darkrooms as an add-on or what seems like an afterthought. We are the complete opposite of that. We ARE the darkroom and we are REALLY good at expertly designing the play-space. We pain over the tiniest of details from the texture of leather in the slings to the level of the atmospheric fog to the exact shade of red in the lighting. Of course, in addition to the dark rooms, there are more social areas to chill, a bar area to socialise and dance all the while listening to our incredible DJs, but the primary focus is on the action! We pride ourselves on creating safe, sexy spaces around the world for like-minded guys to come and live out their best sex lives free from judgment or shame.
How do you ensure partygoers have a safe and enjoyable experience?
We have a strict code of conduct posted in all our venues. We ask that everyone who comes to GBU adheres to this. This can be found on our website gbuparty.com/waiver. It explains some simple concepts like consent, confidentiality, and safety. We want everyone to start from a place of mutual respect. Also, the teams at our parties are well-trained in our code of conduct and their to assist should you need them. From our security to our bar team, we select our teams based on experience in nightlife. We have also introduced harm-prevention officers which we will be using in London. Ultimately, we understand that a good time looks different to different people and whilst we would never pass judgment on that, our duty is to ensure that your good time (whatever it looks like) is a safe time!
Why have you decided to bring it over to this side of the Atlantic?
GBU has been running successfully in the USA for almost 2 decades. We continually get asked to bring the party to people’s home cities but of course, we gravitate more towards gay Meccas. London, like Los Angeles, was an obvious choice. There is also something to say about the fetishising of the ‘frat party’ theme. GBU is in essence a collegiate feel/college frat party vibe and we thought that would be hot and go down well with London boys!
What’s the music policy like?
Our music is always deep house / Berlin minimal techno vibes. We do not play top 40 or pop hits/remixes. It’s deep, it’s tribal its minimal, it’s music to f**k to! We rotate a selection of high-curated DJs in each city we are in.
We hear there’s a free bar, too…
Indeed there is! Once you enter the venue everything is free including the drinks. (Of course, we provide free lube and condoms as well.) There are a few reasons for this. The dress code is strictly jock or naked and we do not allow phones or bags in the party space so there are limited places to keep cards and mobiles for Apple Pay. They get in the way of the action and of course, phones threaten people’s privacy which we take very seriously. So a free bar just made sense. Also, we don’t believe that guys should be spending a week’s budget on 3 overpriced drinks at a bar which is often the case in big cities like London or NYC. We ultimately want GBU to be accessible to everyone unlike some of the huge parties that charge a fortune for entry and then a fortune for drinks. It is not about the money for us, it’s about the passion and love of what we do.
What would you say to anyone reading who likes what they hear?
Come and check it out. Yes, this might be a new experience for you or you may be nervous to try, but the vibes are seriously chill, friendly, and most of all sexy. There is zero obligation to do anything or participate. You could just watch, spend time at the DJ booth or bar, connect with like-minded guys, you could be a total sl*t all night or you could indeed find your future husband! All is possible at a GBU party…trust us…we’ve been to four GBU weddings!
I’ve been to a GBU party in New York. I was intrigued mostly because it seemed different. I’m half English/half American and have been living in NYC for years. I’d heard about GBU through guys at my gym. It seemed GBU was unashamed about who they were and what they provided – that interested me. By coincidence, the New York location happened to be right next to my powerlifting gym too. It took less than 15 minutes to go from the gym to fully naked and on my knees at a GBU party.
How does it differ from other parties you’ve been to?
The key difference is the vibe. There’s a DJ and conversation.. as well as sex. If you’re shy, or more of an introvert there’s an option to see who you’re there with and warm up.. but if you’re like me and you’re there for one thing.. you’re able to get stuck into it too.
What does the invite-only format add to the party?
It means you understand exactly what you’re walking into. Knowing you’re among your peers.. you’ll feel far less cautious than perhaps you ordinarily would. You’re able to let loose. Get loose. It takes only a few minutes to realize you’re somewhere entirely for sex, in an entirely safe environment.
Check out Rich on his X account: https://x.com/777richharring
For more information and to request an invite, go to gbuparty.com/london or text the GBU guys on 07507 288881
