It may be a mainstay of the Kalgoorlie pub scene, but for some locals of Perth’s southern suburbs it was a shock addition to the neighbourhood.
A Fremantle bar is now proudly advertising skimpies and 18+ entertainment in the port city’s central precinct, below a Hoyts cinema no less.
It’s a stereotype that would turn many families away: lingerie-clad barmaids, cash-in-hand tips, and an atmosphere reserved for sleazy after-work drinks.
Admittedly for myself, a skimpy bar is not often my night out of choice.
But behind blacked-out windows and a “Strictly 18+” sign, the skimpies and adult entertainers I spoke to at The Rec Bar were unabashedly proud of their workplace.
“There’s people that try to push things,” The Rec Bar’s skimpy Kristy Quinn told me.
“They’re like, ‘Come back to my house and I won’t pay you because you’ll enjoy spending time with me’.”
Fellow skimpy Kya Showgirl has been in the industry 10 years, contracted under entertainment agency Gold Class Girls.
“You’re put into positions most people would never be in their entire life,” she said.
“You’re very vulnerable in front of a large crowd, so it builds your confidence and your people skills really quickly.”
Kya said she had forged a successful career out of her work, which includes waitressing, bartending and dancing, vocations which require a uniform of minimal clothing.
“When I was really young — and in high school — I was really bad at concentrating, and I thought, ‘What is a job I could do and make money in?’,” she said.
“I really love dancing and I thought, ‘I’m going to do stripping and I don’t really care about showing some skin’.”
When I arrived at The Rec Bar’s ‘Filthy Thursdays’ I was asked if I was interviewing for the skimpy role, which was far from surprising given the demographic filling the bar.
I was the only young woman who had ventured to the venue on Thursday at 3pm, with the median age of male revellers sitting well above 50.
What surprised me more was how the dimly lit bar filled up from 3pm on a weekday, with more than 10 patrons filing in after the doors were opened to play pool and watch on as the girls served drinks.
But the managers behind The Rec Bar say they champion inclusivity, with male skimpies, or ‘himpies’, also on offer, ladies’ nights and a drag queen MC all to take the stage in the following weeks.
Douglas Karunakaran, who is behind dance company Amongst Men, said there was increasing interest from men in breaking into adult entertainment.
“After Magic Mike and all these movies coming out, a lot of men are actually hitting us up about wanting to learn how to strip down specifically in parties or for their partners,” he said.
“Recently we’ve had a lot of men come through our academies, just wanting to learn how to get more confident in their bodies.”
While the positivity and inclusive atmosphere amongst the entertainers were certainly contagious, the girls also told me how they learnt to deal with people who inevitably pushed boundaries.
“It’s about how you react to it and how you play with that energy,” Kya said.
“Even when I do get those drunken dickheads, I just play with them a bit and defuse the situation.”
Although I will never pull up a stool at an adult entertainment bar by myself, I felt warmly welcomed at The Rec Bar.
I would likely go back — albeit only with a group of girlfriends.
The Rec Bar is open Thursdays through Sundays, with ladies’ nights on offer from August 19.