Pulse

Always end up here on a night out, very friendly atmosphere. Alcohol prices are good, and when you got entertainment on it never seems to disappoint. Just please do something about your downstairs dance floor. Very dangerous when alcohol is tipped over it. Had quite a few nasty falls.

Pulse is probably Cardiff’s most friendly and versatile gay club. In the daytime it seems to be your regular run of the mill pub which serves reasonably priced food and offers a nice outdoor seating area. By night however, this place transforms into a completely different place. The upstairs becomes a bar which is free to enter, has music playing at a level which you can still chat over and hosts a decent seating area. Downstairs is a full on club, with music pumping, a big old dancefloor and a £5 entry fee.
I have had many a good night out in this place, but I usually only visit after I’ve already knocked a few back so my opinion of this place is probably ‘merry’.
Everyone is welcome here, regardless of sexuality and a decent night out is a probability once you arrive. Wednesday nights are particularly fun, (student night, but non-​students welcome) as there is often fun such as strip-​limbo to be had.
I’m not ashamed to say that I have been at Pulse when the lights have gone on (often at 4am) on a number of occasions.

Pulse of all the gay places in town doesn’t seem to have found its feet yet. When it initially opened it was one of the first places to offer really cheap drinks. It also catered for 18 – 25 year olds. Now the competition across the road has caught up and Pulse is often quiet or very empty these days. The main plus point is the seating area outside. The perfect place to spot if that person you’re trying to avoid is in Wow.
The other drawback is that sometimes they’re not open until early evening when the other places have been open since midday. I think Wow feels more intimate whilst Pulse feels a bit cavernous. Interestingly it’s mainly gay guys in Pulse these days very few women. I think because it opened specifically targetting a younger crowd people may have just got bored and moved on. It feels like it needs a bit of a re-​think.

I escorted a gay friend of mine to Pulse once, and both of us ended up spending the entire night sat outside in the smoking area.
This was not because the music was awful (it wasn’t great but it’s a club so I didn’t expect it to be), and it wasn’t because I felt uncomfortable being in a gay bar. Well, actually I did feel uncomfortable, but that was because of the ridiculous amount of straight men that seemed to be everywhere trying to get lucky. Whether they had gone to Pulse out of a desperate need to watch girls kissing girls, or whether they were there hunting down the straight girls who had tagged along with their gay friends or who’d let their guard down because they thought they’d be left alone in a club full of gay men, I don’t know, but either way it was not cool. For some reason it was worse than being chatted up by a guy in another club. I felt targeted and they were a much lower class of bloke than the usual prats that chase girls around clubs.
But aside from that, this isn’t a bad club. In fact, when I’ve been there with more people since that awful first time, I’ve had a lot of fun. It’s a bit hard to navigate your way around, especially when you’ve been drinking, but it’s nice to have a separate seated area away from the dance floor where you can catch your breath and chat to your mates with out having to go outside. A pretty good night so long as you’re not a straight girl going there under the false assumption that it’s a night away from the attentions of desperate lads.

Great nights can be had in abundance at this place. Whatever your orientation, you’ll feel welcomed and comfortable here. It’s very relaxed and friendly, without lowering itself to sleazy standards.
I know lots of gay clubs where straight girls have a ball in, but straight guys wouldn’t be seen dead in. But this one is different, many of my male friends have been on night here and only left when the bouncers kicked them out at dawn. But maybe that’s just my friends…
The most memorable thing about Pulse has to be the shows they put on. If you go on a busy night (Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and many in between) then you’ll almost certainly be graced with the luxury of one of these shows. Imagine drag queens, nudity and audience participation, and you’ll be pretty much there on the mark.
Go to Pulse and YMCA your night away!

Pulse has to be my favourite gay club in Cardiff and I’m not the only one who thinks so. Voted best club in Wales by the pink paper three years on the trot it really outshines its competitors.
It’s difficult sometimes to find a place in Cardiff without generic club music and sleazy toothless blokes rubbing up against you but the vibe in pulse is totally different. Depending on when you go there is usually something camp and kitsch happening and the MCs are Cardiff’s finest drag queens. If you’re a fan of Minsky’s you’ll recognise a few familiar faces. Fanny Dazzle hosts a Karaōke night called ‘Fannyoke’ which is not to be missed. The drinks often have promotions and the 80p drink offer will have you feeling merry in no time.
This isn’t just a great club venue, it serves decent pub style grub in the daylight hours. If you’re on a budget it’s ideal as no meal is over £2.99 and kids meals are even less.
All in all a fantastic all round venue and certainly the most versatile gay club for miles.

Pulse is a gay bar that I went to with one of my friends and her housemate because there was an S Club 7 night. It was quite expensive to get in (considering the fact that it was actually an S Club 3 night) but I did have an absolutely brilliant time.
The whole feel of the club was outrageous and fun. There were transvestites acting as MCs and the music was a great mix of disco classics and current chart-​hits. There was no rubbish dance/​club music at all, so I was really happy!
The prices are really good — but I do have a little tip. Make sure you specify that you want tap water if you need an alcohol break. Otherwise you’ll find yourself arguing with a barman who’s poured bottle water into a glass for you.
Also, don’t go if you’re easily shocked as you will probably see some rude bits. But for a night of uninhibited, silly fun, it’s excellent.