BackRoom Chats

Madonna has spent more than four decades reinventing herself, challenging expectations and creating the soundtrack to millions of lives. For many gay men, her music was more than just pop. It represented confidence, freedom, self-expression and finding people who understood you. With Confessions 2 releasing just days before we sat down to record, we decided to dedicate an entire episode to looking...

Some interests appear out of nowhere. Others have been there a lot longer than you realise. In this episode of BackRoom Chats, we talk about rubber. From early memories and first impressions through to seeing it properly for the first time and falling hard for it. We talk about rushed purchases before events, figuring things out as we went, and the first time being shined and understanding why peo...

The first time you walk into one of these places, you really don’t know what you’re walking into. In this episode of BackRoom Chats, we talk about Sex On Premises Venues in Australia. Back rooms, saunas, dedicated venues, and some of the unofficial spaces we came across over the years. We get into our first experiences, what surprised us, awkward moments, and the different kinds of energy these pl...

There was a lot we were watching growing up that didn’t quite make sense at the time. Certain characters, certain looks, certain moments that stuck with you even if you didn’t know why. In this episode of BackRoom Chats, we talk about how TV and music from the 70s, 80s and 90s shaped how we saw ourselves before we had the words for it. From British comedies and camp characters to cartoons like He-...

Leather didn’t start the same way for both of us. For Gordon, it was always part of life. Growing up around motorbikes, leather was practical, protective, just normal. For Darren, it came from somewhere else. 80s TV, music, and that look that stuck long before it made sense. In this episode of BackRoom Chats, we talk about how leather showed up in our lives and how it eventually became part of the...

Thinking about getting your first piece of kink gear but not sure where to start? In this episode of BackRoom Chats, we talk through the basics. Boots, harnesses, jockstraps and pup hoods. What people usually start with, how different styles come together, and how your look can change over time. Some people go classic with boots, leather and a jock. Others mix it up with runners, a harness and a h...

Thinking about going to your first kink club night but not sure what to expect? In this episode of BackRoom Chats, we talk about what it’s actually like stepping into your first event. What to wear. When to arrive. How people find these spaces in the first place. And what it feels like when you walk in for the first time. It’s not about knowing everything. It’s about showing up and finding your pl...

Before apps, before swiping, before everything lived on your phone, there was a different way of meeting people. In this episode of BackRoom Chats, we talk about what dating looked like before Grindr. Dial-up internet in the living room. Shared family computers. Logging into gay.com and hoping no one walked in. Then actually going out. Pubs, clubs, and the spaces where you met people face to face....

In the very first episode of BackRoom Chats, we start where it all began. We introduce ourselves, how we found our place in the gay community, and the path that eventually led to Backroom Gear. We talk about our early days taking photos at Brisbears, stepping further into the community, and what it felt like walking into BootCo for the first time. It didn’t take long before it felt like home, even...