Complex sentence: In 1984, O'Grady began working as a barman at the Elephant and Castle, a notoriously rough gay pub in Vauxhall; as Lily, he became compere of Ladies Night every Tuesday, where amateur drag acts would perform.
Split into simpler sentences: In 1984, O'Grady began working as a barman at the Elephant and Castle, a gay pub in Vauxhall with a rough reputation. As Lily, he became compere of Ladies Night every Tuesday, where amateur drag acts would perform.