With summer just about here and soaring temperatures we are thinking about all things hot. Hot men and women glistening under flaring lights and lasers getting down with hot music and pounding rhythms. That sexy person over there is making your blood run hot. Those sexy moves, those sultry glances your way. It's going to get even hotter later tonight.
Or maybe cool is more your style. Laid back grooves with a cocktail, lounging by the pool or relaxing in the shade.
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me (Panther).
Someone ought to remind the good folk at Nevermind that it doesn't pay to be so blatantly rude to your punters. Word spreads quickly in the gay scene and once the gloss comes off the opening and the fickle first comers move on to to the next new night, there will be no one left.
It was apparently ok for my boyfriend and I to go in last night but when our 5 mates arrived behind us this suddenly changed to "we're full" and "guest list only". When we dared question why and suggested we would wait we were told in a terse, put down voice "why don't you try palms".
Not cool guys.
Any by the way the fake clipboard is the oldest trick in the book.
Looks like Nevermind wont be around for long, I think some people forget the world is till in recession and it doesn't pay to treat any new potential customer that way, especially 5. Word does get around quick and I for one wont be going to check it out if the owners have attitude like that. Thanks for the heads up.
The Midnight Shift door guys were always very courteous. Even if they were lying they'd say it in a friendly manner. I often heard them telling straight people "it's not your scene" and "you wouldn't like it" but in more of a sincere piece of advice to ensure they have a good night out and not get disappointed.
And they kept their composure even when the punters were saying "please please let us in". Never a put-down or insult.
It only takes the guys that they DO let in to hear that as they pass to ruin THEIR night because the bouncers are creating their own scene at the door.
But yeah, they are supposed to be creating a gay saturday night and surely they can't afford to turn away 5 or 7 guys who are interested in checking the place out and perhaps returning on a regular basis?
Maybe you need to send an email to SX or Star Observer and suggest that the heavy-handed door bastards will kill the concept.
nevermind is a bit sub-standard anyway... full of boys who think they're god's gift - dancing to music that is often old and really lacking in energy - in a tiny little crappy club (alebit with a pretty cool video screen, I'll give them that).
This is totally a fad. It's had a good run - well done guys, but I don't see this place continuing on forever and ever... Largely because of these attitude problems that you describe. But then again - that's sydney boys for you...
We are proudly bringing this tour to you with the support of our Presenting Partners - VH1, 4BH, 2GB, 2CH, 2HD, 3AW, Magic 1278, FIVEaa, Mix 94.5 and the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras.
Well I have to say, whatever Nevermind is doing, theyre doing it right....cos it has always been packed when I have been there. People don't get let in to clubs for various reasons all the time...most people deal with it and move to another bar rather than bitch about it.
Did you try Palms? lol
Just kidding... Maybe she was mis interpreted or something. I have been a few times and didn't suspect she was being arrogant. That's if we're talking about the same girl anyway.
Most new clubs go through this whole mean door bitch thing. I remember visiting Fluffy every weekend years ago and she was nasty work...but I think it only made the club busier.
How long till NMG get there new website up? Was supposed to be up by mid November, it's now December. OS friends are wanting to see what's on for next year so they can organise their hols and what events to go to.
Thank you all so much who have shown support and now first release is sold out, so final release tickets are now available at all outlets.
Hot off the press the international super star from Germany “Fragma” will be joining our star studded line-up for New Years Day Frisky. Exclusive and only Sydney appearance of the European Super Star will definitely set the dance-floor on fire and we here at Frisky so look forward to hosting one of most talented and loved vocalist yet to grace our stage at the Metro.
Here are some links to hear Fragma’s amazing trax:
Toca’s Miracle:
New Mardi Gras (“NMG”), ACON and the NSW Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby today issued a statement of intent regarding ‘Project Blue’, an initiative to inform, support and educate members of the GLBTIQ community on health, safety and rights issues when attending NMG and community events, particularly where police drug operations occur.
NMG will co-ordinate a community approach to the issue, with three areas identified for particular focus: health and safety; rights information; and monitoring and patron assistance at events. Each of the three organisations will take a leading role in one of these key areas.
A community meeting will be held at 7pm on 8 December 2009 at the Rex Centre, 58A Macleay Street, Kings Cross (entrance near Baroda Street) to discuss ideas, listen to feedback and to seek assistance from interested people to be a part of the project.
NMG will provide initial funding for the project and NMG Board member Josh Keech has been tasked with co-ordinating NMG’s work on the project and liaising with community organisations and volunteers that have stepped forward to assist.
“We understand that the police have a difficult job to do,” said NMG Co-Chair Steph Sands. “However it is clear from the feedback that we have had that many in our community feel police operations at our parties have become heavy-handed and intrusive.”
“Today’s joint statement sets out three very clear priority areas where we can make a difference,” said NMG Board Director Josh Keech. “To be effective though this must be a community campaign and I urge as many people to get involved as possible.”
Personally I would rather be with all my straight friends as well for New Years Eve. They all wouldn't want to go to a gay dance party. The New Years Day parties are always far more successful.
NYE party was successful as well but then in came all the competitors and no one made money. Then one promoter did well out of a day party now its only day parties. Not all will succeed.
It seems like its all or nothing.
From talk on other sites a lot of people are asking if anything on NYE as even upstairs at the Shift has gone and that only leaves places like Arq as a full on dance club.
One party on NYE could have been quite successful.
Bring in the new year with the leather boys, bears and daddies at UNITED.
UNITED is all about Leather, Beards, Tatts, Bear Chests & Chaps - men, music and a masculine vibe.
Held in the unique cruise bar atmosphere that can only be found at Saddle Bar, UNITED is set to become Sydney’s number one party for bears and leather guys.
End the year with UNITED’s fantastic line-up of DJs:
Chip (Inquisition – Sydney)
Matt Effect (Chunky - Sydney)
Mike Kelly (Furball – Amsterdam)
These guys play music for men … sexy, dancey, dirty beats!
UNITED is the Saddle Bar’s commitment to the bear and leather community – dirty music, dirty shows & dirty men.
The Saddle Bar is an attitude free venue – play pool, have a beer, a dance, cruise or chat in Sydney’s newest men’s bar.
Exclusive pre-sale tickets will be available to members of Harbour City Bears, Sydney Leather Pride and of course Saddle Bar members.
Details:
UNITED
@ Saddle Bar
Level One, 85 Oxford St, Darlinghurst.
Thursday 31st December 2009 (NYE)
From 8pm
Note – the second UNITED will be held on Thursday March 4th @ the Saddle Bar during Mardi Gras/Bear Essentials.
ha... in a way, I think we have to thank MG for their small lapse in concentration earlier this year... it looks like it has forced them to deliver one hell of a week and a half of parties and cultural events... Thank god, maybe next MG season will be the one that breathes some life back into it!
Toybox Luna Park
Community Share
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Dance parties
The day after the night before,
Can only mean one thing more,
A fabulous fun-filled day of play,
A celebration of all that’s gay...
And lesbian
And bisexual
And transgendered
And queer
With all our friends we’ll safely sparkle the Toybox way,
On the edge of the verge of the ridiculous all day.
It’s big, it’s a top, it’s a toy, it’s a box.
Come, it’ll be fun.
Location
The Big Top
Luna Park,
1 Olympic Drive,
Milsons Point, New South Wales
When
7 March
12.00pm to 8.00pm
Cost
Check the Toybox website for details.
Website http://www.toyboxparty.com.au
The NMG CEO Anna McInerney haas been quoted in the SX, "we're not going to be letting the fans of progressive house down in 2010".
Let's hope NMG brings in John Digweed or Eric Morillo to the Hordern, please, please, please.... They are both in town the same night as David Guetta, playing at the Future Music Festival.
If MG party is March 6 and Toybox March 7...wtf are we supposed to do after the parade which is a week before? Gay bars/clubs wont cope or be able to supply enough tickets to the limited places left for after the parade. Either people will choose to stay home or it will be as busy as usual with thousands of aggressive drunk people being refused entry to everywhere resulting in fights.
FREE for Parade Participants, Mardi Gras volunteers and NMG Members!
Experience a true community atmosphere as the Parade celebrations continue into the Show Ring, Dome and Forum at the Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park where Parade Volunteers, Parade Participants, NMG Members and their friends are invited to keep on kicking on!
Keep your frock on, step out of line, forget your choreography from Parade, check out winning floats close up and get loose! Parade Carnival takes over the Entertainment Quarter, fun, dancing and Parade Awards!
Tickets on sale soon!
Location
Entertainment Quarter Lang Road, Moore Park, New South Wales
When 27 February 10pm
Cost $50 for general public (priority given to NMG Members friends and family)
This was discussed ages ago and most said NMG have to put on a pretty amazing party or they could suffer but looks like they are coming to the party so to speak.
There is something on in Dome/Forum and the Circus Ring but lets hope those people who do that still turn up for the party.
Fingers crossed for a nice Tribal/Dirty Sexy House music in the Hordern.
'Fingers crossed for a nice Tribal/Dirty Sexy House music in the Hordern.'
tribal - the proper spanish one has not been made since 2004, the rest is fluffy circuit coming from even fluffier american diva parties
dirty - whats "dirty" ? when beyonce uses the word "bitch" in one of her tracks?
sexy house - thats something you would hear on a terrace on a sunny sunday afternoon
above & beyond - its 2009, move on a start listening to progressive or tech house
the person who wrote this should do some googling before
suggesting such a music hotchpotch.
"? no. but at least you know they don't let in drunk losers."
Nor anyone else that doesn't fit their one dimensional view of acceptable gay society. You would think the people running it would know about a thing or two about discrimination but apparantly its ok when its directed at your own kind.
All I can say is that there was uproar at the Beresford when certain bouncers were not allowing gays in. Nevermind do it and its apparently ok.
Well, personally I think it's pretty obvious that nevermind is breeding this little club where they only let certain people in. In fact, I would say pretty much all of that promoter's events are guilty of looking down their nose at someone or something else... And I do think it has something to do with its main figureheads...
Well done for taking back one of the clubs on oxford street, but shame for allowing such arrogance and pig-headedness to inhabit that club...
Ultimately though, I guess its all a result of some of the horrible people that exist in our world today. I go out on oxford street and I see all these people who just have no time for others that seemingly do not measure up to their expectations... what a shame some of these people are now an integral part of our major community organisation... Things can only get worse if you ask me...
New Mardi Gras (NMG) today announced that it is re-adopting a policy of not announcing the identity of its key singing talent for Mardi Gras Party, adding a major element of surprise and excitement for the night of this key fundraising event.
In recent years NMG has usually announced the key entertainers for its shows in the Royal Hall of Industries, however for the 2010 and subsequent parties NMG is adopting a strict ‘no comment’ policy on who will be appearing.
“The rumour mill is already buzzing away - as well it should,” said NMG CEO Anna McInerney. “2010 sees an unprecedented array of talent coming to Sydney on or around Mardi Gras and obviously we’re talking to all the people you’d expect us to be targeting.
“Speculation and anticipation about major acts has been one of the unique things about the party in the past and we think that it’s time to return to that formula. We’re going to keep you guessing until the very last.
“It’s like Christmas presents. Much as you desperately want to know what you’re getting, it’s actually much more fun if it’s kept a surprise!
I'm sure such a policy makes sense. I'd imagine that some major artists may not sign on the dotted line until rather late in the piece, or may pull out at the last minute, creating problems when they were used to sell tickets.
The new policy gives more flexibility in arranging a last minute line-up change without disappointing anybody.
Perhaps they are targeting the 'Homesexual' demographic, i.e. the slightly girly twinks?
[and please don't hit me with PC diatribe here, I'm trying to accurately describe the type they are letting in, so the rest are fully aware and can avoid being refused entry]
It's one thing for punters to speculate on Ga-Ga and Michael, but it's a bit rich when the party promoters are doing it. Trying to hype up tickets on name association is a tad like false/bait advertising?
Tribal/Dirty Sexy House Music is not so out of date...
for your info, go to the tech house section on websites like Beatport, and you might just find the tech house sounds eerily like tribal house...
dirty sexy house music is pretty self explanatory, and not in itself an exhaustive genre.
tech house is, in case you missed it, derived from house music. you might even say it is a kinda sexy meets techno twist... original tech house sounds like Chicken Lips etc have very little to do with what is now called tech house, which seems to be more a word of fashion than anything else.
so, for the person who has to put someone else down, you should probably get a clue first. and should we also change all our clothes to the latest fads (insert an ed hard here), or repaint our apartments in "this season´s colours"?
hmmm, i smell a fashion victim... i just wish i didn´t have to read from one.
Yes, Lady GaGa would be great, however, she is on tour in the UK until 8 March. There will be no GaGa.
Let's stick with tradition and start rumours about Madonna, Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler and Cher.
a headline act will sell the 26000 tickets needed to make mardi gras a financial success... if you don't announce the headline act then they will NEVER be big enough to pull this audience... plus if you paying the big $$ for george/whitney then you would have to MAKESURE you sell out otherwise their appearance fees alone would make a HUGE hole in mardi gras' bank account...
i think it's completely ridiculous, misleading and basically admitting that they don't have ANYONE!
I like the suspense and speculation, it's part of the fun! I think people just need to relax and enjoy themselves. I find if you go with no expectations or pre-conceived notions of what *should* happen you have a better time anyway, and that goes for any party not just MardiGras.
It's not like the days of old when there were not as many events to attend around the Mardi Gras festival. Everyone is trying to cash in, with the likes of Future Music (the same night as the party) which does sell out (30,000+ people), part of the reason is, because they introduce their performers months before the event.
Actually future musical festival announces their DJ's just like Mardi Gras does. No other event has special guest shows like Mardi Gras, so in that respect its quite unique.
As I understand it many of the guest stars they have had over the years actually require their appearance not to be publicised. You will probably find that this is the case this year which has forced Mardi Gras to go back to the old policy... a great one at that for the buzz factor alone.
That's right. Mardi Gras has rarely brought big acts in for the night. It's usually a case of an act agreeing to do Mardi Gras as well as other concerts or festival on the condition that they aren't pre-announced so that it doesn't take sales away from their main gigs.
Mardi Gras need to make the Party the week after a huge success or they could be in trouble. Personally I think they should advertise who is on ( if they can ).
Other Parties will/may go up against Mardi Gras on that weekend and NMG cannot afford to have a mediocre attendence.
The are getting us all worked up nicely with the DJ's being named and they need to nail it with the stars they will have.
Considering Frisky has Wayne G (UK) and Fragma (Germany) plus a huge production I don't think your comment is valid. Even some club are charging premium on New Years.
Take a moment and have a think back just for the last two Mardi Gras parties, Tina Arena and Cyndi Lauper were not announced.They both had side shows planned at the State Theatre, it is not unreasonable to expect that someone of George Michael’s musical calibre would do the same.
I am sure he would appreciate the extra spending money of two sell out stadium shows to spend whilst on holidays here as well.
It makes perfect sense that he would stay around for another week considering the amount of rehearsal necessary to make such a big production show work. Further to that this could be the dawning of a new era for Mardi Gras with a split format possibly becoming permanent if it works.
To kick off such a big change surely you would want the best there to perform.
Think about the party as it stands now, you have Bimbo Jones the huge international UK success story coming. Further to that, David Guetta who is currently ranked number 7 in the world making him the highest ranked dj ever to play our parties.
To me just observing from the outside, it appears they are make quite a big fuss about this party indeed.
Maybe you just gotta have some faith and believe then see what happens on the night. I am fairly sure you will be very impressed!!!
Um I think my facts are correct love, the Tina story you are referring to was about her performing as part of the festivities at the State Theatre.
Whilst an article released at 11:20pm the night of the parade and after party is hardly well in advance is it? The party had well and truly started by that time.
I'd rather Mardi Gras announce they have Above & Beyond djing at the party. IMHO they would sell a lot more tix if they had them on their books rather then some has-beens trying to ressurect their singing career.
Give me $40 off the selling price and I just might consider buying one - but even at $74 a tix I think it is way over priced. Obviously others do to, hence the party not being sold out for the passed three of them.
And I think it is a bit risky going up against Toybox over the Mardi Gras week - I know which one I will be going to (they one that consistently always gives you bang for your bucks - upright and eyes wide open with a big smile on my face)
Pardon me, I should be more clear, the ABC story referring to Cyndi Lauper performing announced by Margaret Cho was published at 11:20pm on their website.
The Mardi Gras party started at 10pm, which means that unless you were associated with Mardi Gras and had this knowledge or were involved with the ABC story (and other media)you would not have known.
This clearly argues against the case this performance was announced publicy in advance before the party. On that note I think my original comment is relevant given the theory these performances were publicly announced is completely incorrect.
I wish all of you a Merry Christmas Pinkboarders. Have the best New Year and bring on 2010!!!
You must still be living in pre war years if you think 74.00 is overpriced for a great night out. Its a very reasonable price for what you get i suspose you still think you can buy a pkt ciggys for $2.00 and a beer for $1.00 and fill the car up for 10.00. The war is over it costs a lot of money these days to stage these events. I dont see any of these knockers putting there money up to entertain us. I support these people toybox / frisky because they entertain us.
Well if Daywash can do a party for $50 with 20 dj's (and has sold out), Homosexual at $49 and other parties at similar prices, $84 for Frisky is getting a bit much for what is delivered. I am not the only one who thinks so.
And I can assure you I will be first in line for Toybox tix for Mardi Gras weekend - they have consistently delivered a high standard of production and at a bigger venue it is far better value.
Actually, Ruby is not playing. It says Stephen Simpson.
I think Ruby might be going to that small white Trance party put on by that DJ from the 90's. I can't remember his name at the moment.
Wishing you the very best for 2010 ! Saddle will be open on New Years Day . FREE ENTRY.
Relax, unwind and gather up with friends as we begin the new year with happiness and positive vibe.
Fancy a new look for 2010?
Be our guest and have a seat at our barbers chair and let the Naked Barber service you with a buzz cut, mohawk or military butch cut .
Soak up the athmosphere of MEN playing a game of pool , having a Saddle buzz cut or dancing to the music of DJ MAN. Get sporty on the day for a chance to win 1of 10 tx to INDULGENCE BLACK 2010!
Details:
CHILL
@ Saddle Bar
Level One, 85 Oxford St, Darlinghurst.
Friday 1st January 2010 (NYD)
From 8PM
FREE ENTRY
TB has just announced ticket sale for members. at $147 each. I will give my chance to other rich people to enjoy. Bye Bye toybox. You have been great. my friend in japan says with $147 you can get a yearly pass for a gay party in japan thats bigger production than anything in sydney.
I thought I'd seen an underwear party mentioned a while back but have not been able to find out any more info, perhaps that's the one you're thinking of? Sounds like nothing is happening.
The hottest party ticket this Christmas holiday is selling fast and what a ticket to get. We have brought together the best of the best to make you dance like never before.
Leading the charge we have the multi dance chart topper The Freemasons, whose ballets have truly reshaped the party scene. Mr Fierce Angel himself Mark Doyle will be back to pump out some hot new tunes and then we have Wayne G fresh from the UK with a bundle of new mixes. If its the heat from the island of Ibiza that you are after we have thought of that too flying out Jon Sa Trinxa & Jonathon Ulysses.
Live singing sensation Mary Kiani will be joining us whilst lets not forget our Local DJ favourites, Alex Taylor, Baz Emera, Dan Murphy, Monkey Tennis DJs, Kate Monroe, Ping Pong DJs, Random Soul & premier of the "Oxford Hustlers" Murray Hood vs Brett Austin.
2nd release tix have sold out - final release tix are on sale at just $59 + BF so be quick if you have not already bought ticket.
Ticket prices have gone mad for 2010 and sooner or later people will talk with their pockets. I have just finished reading a book on the death of the super clubs during the 1990's early 2000's. I can see the death of the dance parties pretty soon also.
People never learn...... it's just greed at the end of the day.
apparently there was going to be a speedo pool party theme night some time in december or january. would have been HOT!!! anyone have any more info on this?
Merry Christmas , see you all at Bodyline tonight :o)
Here cums Santa Clause
Here cums Santa Clause
Right up everyones bum
Here cums Santa Clause
Here cums Santa Clause
Watch out ! Too much cum
Bells are ringing
Twinks are singing
Everyones horny and bright
Oh what fun it is to fuck
Now that Santa Clause cums tonight
Having Freemasons play are would push the ticket price up as they are a hot ticket at the moment. I don't think the average punter realises how much successful DJ's get paid. I would imagine that the Freemasons would be getting at least 10K to do the gig (maybe more?)
at least 10K for playing pre-recorded from laptop. their MG gig comes to my mind right now....and other "successful" djs...such as offer nissim...and many many many more.... i dont think average punter realises that either. id rather dance to not "successful" dj who does the job properly. ive never seen the locals playing anything pre-recorded. ok maybe one
In the day of the Super Star DJ era at it's peak in 99/00 NYE, Pete Tong made 130K, Judge Jules made 100K (gatecrasher), Carl Cox 100K (Bondi), Fat Boy Slim 100K+, Jeramy Heally 80K+, Sasha more than 150K. If you don't believe me, read: Superstar DJs Here We Go!: The Rise and Fall of the Superstar DJ (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Superstar-DJs-Here-We-Go/dp/0091926939). It has it all!!!!! It is starting all over again like one big cycle.
are the freemasons really still such a hot act? their music is pretty repetitive and with the exception of one i heard in the last 3 years, trapped in the sound they did before.
a shame because they really DID have a moment there of something very cool.
bummed that when i drive around and see the pole posters advertising what the straight parties get on in their ears, and then i go to any gay event, small or big and see the same names i could live without. has no one else noticed, or does no one else care that our promoters seem to have zero taste? or worse, we the public have defined what they will do by our own brainless actions???
But dn't forget that a lot of people want to mostly hear songs they know so they can dance and sing along to them. Of course they don't want just the anthems, or only stuff they know. From watching people for years now, IMHO most people want about 80% songs they know in a set. Now, your chinstrokers want the same, but they want more obscure songs they know and to be suprised/introduced to new songs too.
Which explains why Australia is so far behind the rest off the world, if you want to sing go to a karoke bar!
I prefer a DJ that can build a vide and play music to dance to. It is the quality of the music but unfortunately the majority of venues on Oxford Street prefer to sound the same and maintain the DJ skill level of a randomised iTunes play list of commercial tracks
Even when there is a big party we are charged higher prices to hear the same stuff churned out at the major clubs day in day out by the same DJs.
.
Hi, two guys here thinking about going out for a day-time bop on Friday during the day (NYE day-time recovery). Does anyone know if anything willl be happening?
I'm sitting here at home thinking with great fondness of where I was at this exact point in time 10 years ago and I cannot help but shed a happy tear or two. I remember exactly who I was with and exactly where I was standing at this exact moment in Hordern pavilion - front and centre, event sold out months in advance, it really didn't get any better than that.
1999 into 2000 was such a joyous night for me, for all of us I'd say. Now a decade later and I shed another (but very different type of) tear for the sad sorry state we are in here in Sydney.
Not one single decent NYE event and a handful of events the next day. If anything this decade and the emergence of the day party has stripped from Sydney the heart and soul of what celebrating NYE is all about. It's never been about celebrating January 1, it's supposed to be that magic 10 seconds leading into the new year and the next few minutes that come after that, and then the rest of the night from there on
The kids of 2010 have absolutely no idea what an ugly monster they have created this last 10 years. I want no part of it.
Oh hum - I will go and check this out as friends are going but we are going for a more chilled out vibe and little dancey ! if we wanted more we would have paid to go to space!!
Jam packed with hot guys.
Everyone was in an up for it mood.
The music was sensational in every room.
The Chinese Laundry and The Cave was an absolute sweatbox - full of hot, sweaty, sexy guys.
Nice touches like free icypoles, hand fans etc
I wasn't sure what to expect but I can now see why this party was the hottest ticket in town.
The trouble was tooooooooo many competed for the NYE parties and some just never happened again. Was it Toybox ? who did the day party thing and it was a success and what happened ? everyone puts on a day party.
Wonder how many of them will not make money and dont bother again ?
No offence to Wildlife but I dont think it was popular enough to go into the Hordern. Had it been somone like Frisky or Toybox putting on a party on new years eve it would have taken off.
So yes our peers did desert as the later parties like Wildlife did not offer up the more popular music choices so those wanting to party did not have a choice than to go to the day parties.
Put a party on in something like the hordern with the current music style/s that are popular and you hopefully would have a success as it would have been the only big party on for NYE.
But "lamenting the good old days" try Tropical Fruits if no big NYE party on this year. Halls are not huge but decent and it was like parties of old and guess what ?
extremely popular ! the fireworks were a huge surprise
and they had 2 long sheds - one playing trance the other a bit more tribal , another room with chill out, another open area for cabaret and you sat around the showgrounds watching the crowds walk around.
Unfortunately the guys had to work this year so missed out but next year for sure !
I shead a few tears there have been no decent NYE parties for the past couple of years. Oh I remember the pride parties and what distant memories they are know, adapt, overcome and improvise....
Yes I agree completely. $150 for tickets is outrageous and cannot be justified...the producers have been given great feedback and support on this website for ages now.
Last time we all noted the steep price and went anyway = just to see. Unsurprisingly, it did not live up to expectations. A very average and overrated party.
I am very sad that Andy has not listened. Very sad. Toybox was a great party. I reality is not the money but the value and it is just not there.
Was crowded till after Fragma. They even closed off the small room for a while due to it getting too packed. Weirdly they did not have the balcony open. Lighting for the small room gave that cool dark and intimate feeling. Lighting for the main room was great. There were 6 lasers used to great effect with mirrored curved contructions hanging in the air. Sound system in the main room was tuned very well. It was too loud for my ears, but really clear. The crowd seem to love it. For me, JoJo played about 2 hours of pounding music in the middle of his set that was too hard for me, but others loved it.
Currently listening to: background music - Star Trek - Enterprise
Only went to Daywash2 on NYD. First time to this event and venue. Will definately go to the next one. So many hot and happy guys up for it there of all ages, sizes and nationalities. Four rooms to choose the music you like to dance to - 20 dj's, hot and sweaty dancing. Upstairs was like a sauna whilst Neil Crawford was djing - good to see him back on the scene, was like a breath of fresh air. $55 bucks well spent.
i don't feel like there is much point in disagreeing with issues of taste, but the 80% ratio someone mentions is pretty backward. this is not how i feel, nor how my friends feel. we go to a club to get blown away. to be on our feet and feeling a moment as special. we go to be dazzled.
we can watch a mandonna dvd or mamma mia when we feel brainless and repetitive... or australian idol.
would be great if more djs in this town had the courage to play fresh unique sounds. would be great if djs researched their music a little more. it would be great if promoters said to djs "i trust you", instead of "play more vocals, or something they can 'dance to'". it would be great if the clubbers still used they brains and hearts.
* Packed full of hot sexy guys, with the majority in an up for it mood.
* The music was pumping in every room and it seemed everytime I changed rooms the music in each had me equally captured.
* Downstairs was ridiculously hot but was great dancing with hot and sweaty guys everywhere.
* Nice touches like free icyblocks and fans etc
Well done guys. If only the gay venues put the same type of effort in.
Wow my first Tropical Fruits and I had a great time!
I camped at the showgrounds and ran into some old friends, it was so friendly with absolutely no attitude.
The music was good, Neroli and Buck Naked were the standout for me! The DJ’s at recovery were awesome until late that night where music started getting dropped in which is not my scene however appreciate and respect that others enjoy it.
What gorgeous punters as well, truly some of the hottest guys I have ever seen at a party!
My feet are sore (I still danced even with a sprained ankle ).
I really liked the fact that some of the other unpleasant things you see at big dance parties/festivals were not there!
I will come back to Fruits as this was truly a memorable New Years Eve!
Thanks Lismore for letting us take over your town! Thanks to the organisers, staff and volunteers that put the party on! Lastly thanks to everyone that went and helped me have a great New Years Eve!!!
Absolutely agree. I went to Daywash and was blown away, how could it be topped? well......
Fierce Angel, geewiz, the organisers really did blow the roof off the joint (if it had one!), fantastic production, stellar line up of 5 internationals? I could quite easily say, it was the best party I have been to in years.
The music was a perfect mix of new/old and carefully placed commercial music. The DJs really did bring out the big guns, and could easily tell they were playing what they loved (something good to see, as its often debated here)
The crowd wasn't at all manky like at Daywash, and the weather was perfect. I seriously cannot fault the event.
Then the after party at Nevermind, not somewhere I usually frequent, but the vibe moved over there and kept going. As I walked in around 12.30 the first DJ blew me away, great energy and track choice for a recovery, and the other DJs just kept it going, and there was a special surprise set from the Freemasons, bliss.
Toybox charges $150 because the majority of people going are on some form of drug.
Ticket prices can be offset if people purchase from the bar. But if all your purchasing is the occasional bottle of water and then filling it up in the toilet... well... there ya go...
But if you are purchasing your "drinks" from elsewhere... as the majority of my friends will be... we don't expect a free show... and realise our "bar drinks" component has been included in the ticket price...
I just feel sorry for the non-drug takers who have to pay a drug takers ticket price and still have to buy drinks at the bar!
But to be honest I would hate to be at Toybox in room full of drunk guys... it just wouldn't work! If I wanted that I would go to a Jimmy Barnes concert at the V8 Supercars!
Well, might suprise you to know I'm a 39 y/o guy who actually goes to a lot of these parties, it was refreshing to go to a great one and not have a smelly "manky" crowd off their heads on G, all I can say is Daywash, 8.5/10, but it wreaked in that joint seriously. Fierce Angel gets a 9.7/10
i am wondering which part is pinkboard unable to verify? (or has pinkboard even tried?)
i can confirm that toybox has got a drug crowd. i think that is pretty obvious and doesnt need to be verified or whatever pinkboard wants to call it to avoid any legal issues.
never been to jimmy barnes but have no doubts at all its all drunks.
Agreed! Hands down the best party I've ever been to. I honestly can't think of another party I've been to that has had such an amazing crowd, venue, DJs, atmosphere, just everything was absolutely perfect!
Drinks were expensive, but I'm ok with that cause you're effectively paying for one of Sydney's hottest venues.
I don't think I saw anyone overly trashy, either. Which is very refreshing. Some of the other parties, while they are fun, are just a bit too trashy for my liking.
very good point. i love toybox, love trance and i myself along with 2 of my other good mates dont do drugs. i guess we just get the same and very happy buzz out of getting a few drinks into us as people do out of mdma
i've got absolutely nothing against people who do drugs, i think like anything its a personal choice & at the end of the day i'd rather be in a room full of guys who are responsibly taking drugs as opposed to stinky, forceful and aggressive drunks.
i dont go there completely sober tho either, simply because i cannot afford to spend $300+ on alcohol for most of the day(even tho i spend a good $100-$200 anyway) with all the other expenses like ticket price, taxis etc etc...
are the tickets too expensive? well i suppose you can argue both ways and you'll have plenty of arguments to support your claims...
if you want a good party i guess you'll have to pay for it. marketing, venue hire, security, insurance & expensive lasers cost a looot of money...
then again i went to frisky on new years day night and was getting charged $12 for a vodka and red bull. whats worse is they didnt even give you a proper sized drink glass. they were serving vodka/red bull in those cheap tiny plastic cups that you get at coles (usually about $2 for 200). put some ice into that, wack in a bit of vodka and you'd be lucky to get 50 ml's of red bull in there. by the time you started drinking it it just tasted like a very small vodka/red bull shot not a standard drink. that's just very scummy in my eyes.
these sorts of drinks werent much more the $6/$7 and this wasn't even all that long ago. prices are just getting ridiculos for drinks these days wherever you go. at the rate we're going sydney will have ibiza club drink prices and its not too far away from what it looks like.
i absolutely love toybox and frisky and i'll still pay $150 for a ticket (mainly because its only once a year) but anymore then that and i'd seriously reconsider going too.
If the crowd at Daywash was "Manky" the beautiful people must be pretty damn hot. Maybe it wasn't the people but the fact that Slipp Inn's air con couldn't cope with the heat.
And as for Toybox the ticket prices are what they are because the production values are so high. All those lasers and special effects don't come cheap.
I'm not sure the case with the Luna Park but generally the dance party promoters DO NOT get a share of the bar takings. Certainly this is the case with Mardi Gras as I understand Playbill take the lot!
If you don't like the ticket price then dont buy one. But don't bring the rest of us down who choose to go...
If the crowd at Daywash was "Manky" the beautiful people must be pretty damn hot.
There's no doubt that some good looking people go to Phoenix Rising, Q bar and Daywash. It's just that it's typically a far trashier crowd than say the people attending parties like Fierce Angel, DTPM, etc.
Everyone in Sydney needs to know that the "Beyond Filth" leather event planned for Friday 22nd of January 2010 has NOTHING to do with the well-known and highly successful Beyond parties that have been running in Melbourne for 10 years.
The organiser has ripped of everything about the party, it's name and even the font used on the ads and posters from the Melbourne Beyond parties.
The organiser has been asked on a number of occasions to rename and / or re-brand the event or clarify the fact that it's not a genuine Beyond event but they have ignored these requests.
They are just trying to rip the Sydney leather community off and need to have their deception exposed.
If people are silly enough to part with their money and attend the event they are going to be severely disappointed with the event. You have been warned.
Sunday afternoon (Australia Day Weekend)
24th January 2010 | 3 PM start | Saddle Bar
DJs:
Mark ALSOP
CHIP
John THOMAS (LA)
John Thomas is a well respected dj in LA and has played at numerous circuit parties. John will be indulging us with his sexy hypnotic progressive tunes on the night.
IM Perfomance
Kaleb HAWKINS (silk, aerial, fire performance)
Stu FENTON (International Tom of Finland podium dancer)
some exhibition throughout the night.
Pre-Sales tx $15 SLPA members & Saddle Members
At Door $25
Indulgence has been a supporter of Sydney Leather Pride Association.
Some of the door proceeds will be donated to SLPA.
I was a bit suss about the advertising for this party too! Nothing in Sydney could compare to the Beyond parties held in Melbourne - been to a few of them myself and really enjoy the crowd they have. I'd rather travel to Melbourne for them, then risk someone trying to emulate them up here.
Peeps would be better off going to 'Love Muscle' the following night (Sat 23 Jan) at Q Bar, Exchange Hotel, I know I am.
They sure did. They actually tried twice to rip-off woofclub's branding and reputation. They had no luck there so now they are trying it on with Beyond.
What next? Are they going to stage their own Mardi Gras?
Ah the deception!
Arq's first leather party? Definately not!
Sydney's Beyond? No such thing, just a rip off to get a crowd.
Filth? Another Woofclub rip off , they did a party called Filthy at the Phoenix.
Its just that Manhunt party at ARQ changing its name and look and taking it from others.
The name and font is almost identical to Beyond from Melbourne.Trying to deceive the public and community and also undermining other promoters is not kosher.
EPIC FAIL!
I guess its all in the name and how it is perceived. One could say 'Love Muscle' equally has been borrowed from the clubbing experience in London. I recall the last one was held at the Fridge Club, Brixton in October. Then again I'll be heading to Chunky (Sat 23 Jan), a name synonymous with I think a now defunct club night in London.
It really doesn't matter in terms of the law if a name is borrowed from overseas even though we might say they just ripped off the name. Australian law covers all our states and goes like this... copyright exists for a piece of art etc and does not cover one word being used as the name of a party. However, if a name is trademarked or synonymous with a particular product in the marketplace and some potential rival wants to use a name deceptively similar in EITHER by design OR by accident, then there is a case which can be made for contravening PASSING OFF laws. In the case of Woof@ARQ and the number of people who presumed this was WoofClub (which was held there prior), and the same for BEYOND filth which has an almost identical font to BEYOND in Melbourne, the case is quite clear for how such a case could be mounted.
I wonder how many people know that Sydney Leather Pride wasn't even involved in Saddle Bar's "United" party on NYE. Was this just an "oversight" or just a marketing ploy by Saddle Bar?
--------------------------------------
Fag Tag at the Bank: Sunday January 17
--------------------------------------
We love our Summer traditions.
And perhaps our most favourite of all is when we grab as many of our gay ghetto friends, all of our Inner Westie buddies and anyone else who will listen and invade Newtown en masse for our annual Fag Tag excursion to
the Inner West.
We're packing our cut lunch and hitting up The Bank Hotel on King Street on Sunday January 17 for a Sunday afternoon of beers, queers and hopefully not too many tears. Fag Tag at The Bank in Summer has become
one of our favourite partying pleasures. A full house, music over several levels, a thousand of your new best friends and some of the best DJs around.
For the Bank Hotel this year we've lined up DJs Beth Yen, Troy Cox and Richie Carter on the outdoor balcony, and Scott Pullen and Sandi Hotrod in the Velvet Room. It will be all hands on deck for one of the biggest
Fag Tags of the year.
Fag Tag at the Bank starts at 3pm on Sunday January 17. We'll cattle-prod you with a reminder next week.
Given that the event was extremely well attended I venture to say the organisers of "United" were well pleased regardless. Happened to notice many regulars of Woofclub at the event so I assume it must have affected the numbers at Dog Pound held that same evening.
i would like to say last night at the oxford 4 bears night was awsome!! 1 of the best nights iv had 4 quiet sometime and the friends i went out with last night
agreed it was great..the dj was amazing he made our night worth going out!!! a big thanx you!!!
Another one they ripped off was the Rezerection Underwear party.
Rezerection held one there in 2008 then in 2009 ARQ ran a party at exactly the same time and promoted it in a similar way so people would think it was the one organised by M.E.N.
Sections 22 and 53 of the Trade Practices Act deal with passing off and that is what Beyond Filth is trying to do - even the font for the name is the same.
The Beyond boys would like to advise our patrons that the party titled "Beyond Filth" which is being held in Sydney on 22 January is NOT in any way related to Melbourne's premier leather event.
We are deeply disappointed that people are attempting to trade on our name, logo and reputation.
The Beyond Boys would like to thank all our patrons for their ongoing support. Our thanks also go to those people who emailed or phoned to make sure we knew about it.
The next Beyond will be a day party to be held on Sunday 31 January 2010 at Chaser's Nightclub in Melbourne. DJ's include Beyond residents Rob Gilbert and Scott Anderson and special guests Eric Tan, Dan Wilson and Neal Crawford who will be making his much anticipated return to Beyond.
Another one they ripped off was the Rezerection Underwear party.
Rezerection held one there in 2008 then in 2009 ARQ ran a party at exactly the same time and promoted it in a similar way so people would think it was the one organised by M.E.N."
I wonder if they'll try running a bear underwear party before mardi gras now that HCB have kicked them to the curb....
Sorry it is not just a party it is a brand that belongs to the Beyond boys who have successfully marketed and put on their wonderful parties for coming up to 10 years now this September.
It also shows the lack of morals and respect that seems to be all pervasive in the Sydney scene at the moment. Lying, backstabbing and ripping off others all seem to be a way of life for so many these days.
Seriously, if it is such a big deal, let the beyond people deal with it from an intellectual property point of view. If they were stupid enough not to protect their branding and image, then that is their own fault.
I think there are more important things to be throwing a hissy fit about than some party...
I think there are more important things to be throwing a hissy fit about than some party...
Like what? Considering this conversation is taking place on the "Party" graffiti wall, I think it's entirely appropriate. If you have something which you think is more important to talk about, then by all means start discussing.
I am sure that if you went along to an event marketed in this under-handed, lying, cheating way and found that you had been mis-led into parting with $$$ and wasting your time you would be more than happy to complain about it.
People in Sydney need to know that some venues and a number of promoters that use them are always looking for a way to fleece people. Exposing them for the frauds they are is the only way to curb their behaviour.
The organisers of Rezerection, Woof Club and Beyond (who have all been ripped off) work very hard at providing a space for their clientele to come out and party. Organisers of ANY event - no matter how big or small - put alot on the line for the enjoyment of others and also as a way of making a living. No one deserves to have their hard work ripped off. No one.
The mindset behind what has happened (AGAIN) with Beyond Filth is a reflection of why a large part of the gay community chooses to bypass the club/party scene and stay at home or arrange their own private events.
This sort of behaviour would not be tolerated in any other industry.
It's time for some people to lift their game.
The assumption is that we don't care and we are idiots.
do you realise there is some wanker in mallorca, who has a patent on the name and theme "white party" for all of europe?
this means you are not allowed to have a white dress code, or use the theme "white party" or allude to it. if you do, you get slapped with a minimum of 2000€ (or more if a big party) for compulsory license of the name, plus court charges.
as a promoter, i respect the need to hold one´s product name, however, when words you did not make up are being quoted as intellectual property, i have to wonder how smart people think they are.
beyond filth is not equal to beyond
woof is not equal to woofclub. (if it were, mega woof london or a million other parties would be wasting each other´s time in court)
these are all generic words, and when not used in the same combination and not patented, are free to use. agreed the font similarity is dubious, but really guys, do you think you made up the word "woof", or do you not see that "beyond", and "beyond filth" mean 2 different things?
anyway, this is a distraction from the point i wanted to make that the perspective on Fierce Angel is definitely skewed. the crowd was quite attractive, a little like a grown up Vibes On A Summer´s Day audience, mixed with generic metrosexual reproductions. nonetheless, it was pretty. the music however, was not what i would call "pulling out the big guns" as someone described it. it was more like pulling out discarded 1960s russian missiles. it was just happy pop house, nothing new, and the mixing from mark doyle just seems to get worse. has no one told him?
still, i love the venue, and think the party overall WAS very good, because it united the people there, gave us place to be with friends in a smaller space or with everyone in a fantastic location. despite the music, for atmosphere it gets a thumbs up
On this note - isn't this a legitimate thing on behalf of the RISING boys? They have a UK dj after all... I thought they were legitimately using the brand?
thank you guys for bringing this communication up tp the community to acknowledge us and look after each other among the leather community.
I also had huge dissapointment to ARQ last year when they arranged the party called BLACK PARTY, sponsored by Manhunt. Oh my gawd....it was a leather party at all, they advertised it is for MEN only. But, I noticed few girls came up from the downstairs venue, sneakingly. We spent more money for the party ticket at the ARENA- upstairs, but people simply came up from downstairs venue, and completely gender Female where not included on the advertisement. And more embarras thing happened, the DJ's played Madonna, Britney, etc.
So we are as a genuine patron spent our money wanted to have fun, but being ripped off and cheated.
It is one thing to innocently use a name, word or phrase that is in common usage such as Beyond or Woof.
It is completely wrong to intentionally use a name associated with a brand, event or theme. It is REALLY wrong to deliberately deceive people by making the look and feel of the ripped-off theme so similar that it fools people into thinking there is some connection.
Are you people so self-centred that you cannot understand when someone is trying to con you?
Majorca (Spanish and Catalan: Mallorca) is the largest island of Spain. It is located in the Mediterranean Sea and part of the Balearic Islands archipelago.
I too was at that 'Mens' party at ARQ last year, I think we paid about 30 bucks for the privilege only to be dancing next to girls (straight ones in stilletos) at 1am who had paid 10 bucks to get in downstairs.
Never again!
Looks like the party is about to sell out again. It appears that these guys can sell out a party without advertising in the gay press. Their website has the following message - Some tickets still available.
I hope they have heaps of lasers up the front like two years ago. I still love looking at all the 2008 video's of the "A Moment Like This" finale on You Tube - pure magic!
Woo Hoo can't wait for Toybox at Luna Park - wow it will be a year since the last one. It's gunna be so much fun.
Skipping Mardi Gras due to lack lustre line up of DJ's - when they had the chance to choose from some of the best that are out here for other festivals. Above & Beyond come to mind.........
Did anyone get their 'free' Toybox t-shirt when they ordered tickets online before Christmas?
I just got my tickets in the mail today with a coupon to go and pick up the t-shirt at Soleil tanning, Soleil tanning said they ran out of the t-shirts 2 weeks ago!
OMG yes that video brings back memories of how awesome that years party was. 2008 was definitely the best. Last year I had no idea what that thing on the ceiling was doing and then there was that strange fat lady singer???what was with that??
OMfG, i would be devastated!!! immagine, my whole life would collapse. i wonder if any person from haiti ordered their toybox ticket online too and didnt get their free t shirt?. now - THAT WOULD BE A DISASTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hope that they play "Moment Like This" song again this year as they didn't play last year. I was very disappointed last year when it ended without playing it. Well I can only hope ....
Gosh, I hope you weren't out of the main room at the time - they definitely played it last there. There's a video on YouTube of it - I'll have to dig it out.
No...Toybox is more about what is going on outside of the DJ booth.
Not being a smart arse but you could almost be fooled into thinking that it's a cd playing with someone standing up the front because that's what you expect.
They don't need DJ Mag world ranking DJ's to do that.
Steven Hales is great at Toybox and I'm looking forward to hearing Matt Bachl play in the big top as well.
I travel from overseas just for Toybox -- Steven Hales really makes it worthwhile. His Toybox sets are epic. Absolutely something else. I've not heard Matt Bachl live but have heard only good things from Sydney pals so I'm looking forward to hearing him live.
The good - so many hot guys, great music, good atmosphere, something different from the same old parties
The bad - took forever to get in the front door, party obviously oversold, so crowded, stinking hot inside, soaked in sweat (even more than the middle of the RHI at MG!).
Would we go again? If there were less people or better air cond., yes.
I didn't have to queue at all but I suppose if a mass of people arrive at the same time you have to expect to.
It was crowded in parts but there were still plenty of areas to move around freely. I wouldn't say they oversold it but certainly the venue bottlenecks in a few areas.
It was stinking hot in the two downstairs dance areas and the aircon clearly couldn't keep up. At first I wasn't sure about it but then I just went with the sweaty mass of hot guys and had a great time. Next time though they might want to invest in some portable air con units... just makes it a little safer when people are dancing for hours on end.
Daywash was ridiculously HOT because they'd obviously oversold the party. all and all i didnt see what all the fuss was all about. a lot of people are saying there were hot guys there and i dont understand where people are coming from when they say that. the guys are 80% the same at almost every dance party in sydney with the exception of maybe specific leather parties/nights etc etc other then that you get more or less the same guys at frisky, MG, Sleaze, toybox and so on.
it was soooo hot, you couldnt even move in there. not my idea of fun.
The 1st Daywash did have a ridiculously good looking crowd, and IMHO I'd say that was due to it being held on a major party long weekend and lots of interstate-ers. The 2nd Daywash was good but as per previous posts almost unbearably hot, and more of the manky Sydney crowd rather than the visitor eye candy.
... and the toilets were disgusting - dirty and the urinals smelly. They didn't seem to be cleaned the whole party. Why anyone would want to take advantage of the safe sex packs left in them is beyond me! Ewww (or however one spells that exclamation of disgust)!
Get Up - Kimberly Davis - Oxford Hustlers Arena Anthem Mix
Local Sydney boys Murray Hood & Brett Austin team up to bring you the Oxford Hustlers.
Here is a preview of their debut remix release "Get Up" by Kimberly Davis.
Available now on iTunes, masterbeat.com and amazon.
i never went to the first daywash so i cant really comment. this one however felt no different to a standard night/day out at Phoinex with a NYE buzz. had they not oversold it to the point that they did it might have been a better party.
at one stage you couldnt even have a smoke outside because you had to hold your ciggie up high so you wouldn't burn someone walking past you.
I will be VERY keen to hear from anyone that attends the Beyond Filth event at ARQ tonight. It will be interesting to find out about the numbers in attendance, the DJ's playing and the crowd + atmosphere.
There was plenty of room in the upstairs (main bar) dance area and it was much cooler.
The fact is that the majority wanted to hang out on the terrace and the stairs as the vibe was sensational!
The party was put on by the Rising crowd at phoenix which is the 'mankiest'of the 'mankiest'!
Just the way we love it!
It was never going to be a 'nice' event!
Sorry but IMHO hot, crowded and manky is not a bad thing.
they saw me coming. 40bux on the door. i'd say 150 max is somewhat north of what i witnessed. i may be wrong, but it seemed sub 100. felt sterile. identikit men in identikit harnesses, staring each other out. i'm an out-of-towner....is this really leather in sydney? arrived 1130, left 0145.
That's because all the hot men were saving themselves for Love Muscle at Q Bar. Was a really hot turn out of topless sweaty men and boys. Pity the music was all over the place and didn't settle down towards the end - with speakers dropping out and loosing power at one stage.
But still had a hot trashy time. Good to have something on a Saturday night for a change.
The DJ who decided to get up and sing was hopeless.
But it was an interesting night. I got a massive headache from the heat as well as dancing on the concrete floor, so left at 1:15am
Fair few big muscle guys there who were clearly just after the attention. They'd manouvre themselves around, looking to see if the other guys were checking them out.
Hope you're reding this fellas - it was kinda sad that you were there on your own too.
Back from Stardust - interesting afternoon to say the least.
Nice lasers but there didn't seem to be many full colours, only green ones...unlike last time?
Music was fantastic, first DJ - Steven Simpson? - was great...Matt Bach? wasa great also. Music was alot less camper this time and he played some beautiful trance music. Looking forward to hearing him at Toybox - cute too!! Tim's set was brillaint, as always, I just wish we could heqar more of him! I left because I have to work tomorrow.
All in all a good party - but seemed to lack that certain sparkle of the first one.
Absolutely brilliant party. Not busy to start with but by 3.00pm very busy. Steven and Matt very good. Tim was fantastic. Would love to see his play list as some great new stuff and a few regulars i dont know the name of. Home should keep the momentum with this party as this was alot better than the last and I am sure can become a regular party if has similar talent as this one.
Cant wait for toybox!!!
Currently listening to: Wings Across The Universe - Essence
I had the priviledge of hearing Matt and his boyfriend play at a house party last night and the place was going off. As a trance nut myself, my friends and I were very impressed - hardly inexperienced and hardly "lacklustre". I spoke with him throughout the night and he's lovely, which is even better. His music was superb and mixing flawless. And it sounds like he has some special stuff up his sleeve for Toybox. We cannot wait.
Every DJ has to start somewhere and, believe it or not, he said he's been DJing at home and making CDs for six years. Personally, it's not hard to see why he's now doing so well.
I went to Tiesto on Saturday night and he was brilliant, his style has really evolved where he played quite a few vocal handbag trance/house tracks but he also threw in loads of hands in the air trance and kept the Hordern pumping till the end (3.5hr set.)
My only gripe was, the organisers took your chewing gum off you as you walked in and when I bought a bottle of water, the bar staf took the cap off and kept it and the airconditioning was not working either which made things quite hot and unbearable.
There is no doubt that Matt is talented and a nice guy, I think the frustration with a lot of people is that there is a need for a regular trance event that is not so cheesy.
I would love to see an event that features Scott Anderson, Colin Jowell and DJ Man all three have a lot experience playing trance here and overseas. I heard Colin and Man play at Sublime in November and their sets blew the crowd away. These guys know how to play to a time slot and a crowd.
Tiest was EPIC! Best party ive ever been to! I got to keep my chewie, the heat wasnt that bad, nothing at all to complain about!! Awesome music, awesome crowd, AWESOME lasers!! Too good!!
New Mardi Gras announces that due to the small number of entries received for the girls' DJ Spin-Off competition, the deadline has been extended to 5pm on Friday 5 February. All up-and-coming DJs are encouraged to enter the competition for the chance of playing at the Mardi Gras party on March 6. For full details see www.mardigras.org.au/djcomp or page 30 of the Mardi Gras Festival Guide.
Derek Hodgkins
DJ Competition Co-ordinator
what about DJ ANGE ? she seems to be doing well in Ibiza also.... would be good to include some hot female trance gtalent. She even has some nice productions of her own
"I think the frustration with a lot of people is that there is a need for a regular trance event that is not so cheesy."
This has been the situation for years now. There have been a few parties where the music turned out to be not so cheesy (such as Luminere and the first Tranzac party), but the problem is that no promoter or club has the balls or inclination to put together a decent regular gay trance event. People have been complaining about this for years now, but nothing has happened. My advice is to go to straight events if you want to hear decent trance music....
Ventured out to Oxford street on friday night for the first time in over 6 months and it'll be that long at least before I venture into that slum area again.
The cab dropped me and 2 friends off across from Hum records where I was immeadiately assaulted by the druggies there begging for money.
I then tried to cross at the lights only to be abused by some brain dead cyclist who was on the footpath and thought he had the right to take up the entire walkway.
Walking up the road towards Stonewall I had to fight my way through more and more bums outside the shops just past Columbian, one sitting in his own urine. Eventually I went back down the street to the Shift and downstairs had it's normal mixture of drunken morons and some almost normal people.
Went up to Saddle bar which wasn't all that busy. My group and I were sitting having a nice chat, not really getting into the music though, when some dickhead who was drugged off his skull came up demanding I play pool with him. When I politely declined he got agressive and started ranting about some incoherent bullshit and just wouldn't leave us alone.
We finished our one and only drink then went to grab a bite to eat at Opporto where there seemed to be bull dyke convention going on. There "girls" were over agressive, loud and rude to everyone in sight.
We grabbed the first cab we could to get the hell out of the area asap.
What used to be a great area to go party is as I described it before, a slum. It'll be a long long time before we try and go anywhere near there again.
Oxford St has been going down hill for quite a few years now. When new kebab shops and two dollar shops open on the strip you know it has a long way to redeem itself, if ever and you also only have to look at how many vacant shops there are too.
Sounds like you need to live in Singapore. It will be a long time before Oxford Street is cleaned up and it will go down hill even further before it gets better. Check out the bars/wine bars on Crown street. Theyre far far better if you can handle not being surrounded by gays. Only time I do that is Sundays at the Beresford, Fag Tag, Disgraceland, sometimes Stonewall, and Arq for more messy times. The remaining choices are very dismal IMO.
For decent regular trance events you should go to one of Ruby's event.
There is none of the cheese or commercial dance music running at 138bpm+ like you get a toybox etc.
If you know and like new trance hearing Ruby and Stephen Simpson play amazing new tracks from Aly & Fila, Andy Blueman, Super8 & Tab, Alex Morph, Above & Beyond/Oceanlab, Dash Berlin, Daniel Kandi, Roger Shah and Vast Vision will prove you can hear decent new trance in the gay scene.
Firstly it is illegal if you were assaulted and I encourage reporting such behaviour to Police.
Your post is rather negative describing those people less fortunate than yourself as Bums. Yes some people do sit in their own urine however does it really help society when we have an attitude like this???
What I find particularly disgusting in your post is the reference to a bull dyke convention. This reads as internalised homophobia and maybe you should have a look at that!
If you don’t like it then don’t go, there are different social problems no matter where you go. Try the Valley in Brisbane on a Saturday night, similar things happen there. We have choices, we choose to visit those places and if you don’t like it then don’t go!
Agree that Oxford Street is still a serious mess. It needs LESS straight nightclubs, dodgy pubs, $2 shops, kebab and pizza shops, convenience stores, random suburban drunks, hipster/emo's drinking on the street in public, traffic and vomit/urine on the street. So really it needs a lot of work!
I think everyone is over Stephen Simpson! I have been to Sublime over the oast couple of weeks hoping to hear Ruby play but everytime, Ruby decides to subject us to an extended Stephen Simpson set. Stephen might be a nice guy and has dj skills but at Sublime in particular he empties the trance room. The worse thing is he does not seem to care and do anything to try and get the crowd back.
This might appear negative to Stephen's friends but shouldn't the promoters take notice and do something about a DJ that is obviously not delivering and turing the crowd away?
I agree - his sets the last feww times have been terrible! You cannot play the same tracks each week and expect everyone to be excited. Djing is about the atmosphere and creating, not killing it.
I usually like stephen's and the ruby sets, but lately they have been very bland. Sublime is a great fix for Trance and it's a shame becasue people are starting to get over it!
Sublime had it's day when they moved from pitt street, the back room in subbies, there was no other club like it in Australia, trance would have gone great in there too. Someone should seriously look into holding events at the old sublime venue, I am sure they would still have the room set up like it use to be with a bangin kick ass sound system, sprung wooden flooring, dark with lazers and a great aircon system
Ok, found the set times finally.
Nathan Cryptic 10–12
Rossco 12–1.30
Digital Control 1.30–3.00 includes some live singing(Tennille)
Ruby 3–4.30
Raptor 4.30–end
Currently listening to: Smells like Teen Spirit (BK Bootleg mix) - Nirvana
Had a lot of fun, the music was a bit ordinary but I am starting to think it is better to focus on enjoying being with your mates than expecting awesome musical events.
Yep I agree - was too cheesy and predictable which they are not normally - and I hate to say Ruby not a good set maybe I heard you play too many times, but when you can guess the next song thats about to be played thats bad - Sorry Ruby!
I wish there was a good trance club that was willing to push the new trance with the old, without just worrying about Trance anthems all night!
Anybody know about this event coming up at The Forum?
"Your disco needs you! Remember the days of a night out where your hands were constantly in the air? Where you left with a big grin on your face and went home humming the tune to that one anthem that you just couldnt get out of your head?
Everyone has a dancefloor anthem. That one song which gives you goosebumps every time you hear it, throwing your hands in the air and singing along with a huge smile on your face Now imagine a whole night of nothing but back to back anthems."
Moshtix doesn't mention the DJ's
Currently listening to: Welcome to Our Block - ZeaLouS1 and Beefy
A lot of people will love it. It's a shame you don't, but why do you have to put a downer on what I think it's a great addition to the party calendar?
It's not my cup of tea either, but I am sure it will be a lot of fun. Lots of my friends are very excited about it. Kudos to Dan, Sean and Lee for having the balls to put together a party for us.
The frustration is that all the venues are booked or want to cater only the cheesy events, with varying degrees of success. Anyone that wants to creates an alternative are effectively locked out.
This is not an attack on Dan, Sean or Lee and I wish them well but it would be nice to see some promoters actually offering an alternative!
a dj should be able to play more than kylie and whitney. dj'ing is actually an art. being able to mix/mash tracks together at exactly the right time creating a roof raising experience. not just fade in and out of CHEESE. i'll be going to hear some world class dj's at mardi gras and after parties. i think you would get better music at arq on this particular thursday night
For the people who like their trance with more energy and a blend of different trance styles check this out. The description says it is typical of the style he plays at party in Hong Kong.
UNITED is back.
Continue your Mardi Gras week celebration with the leather boys, bears and daddies at UNITED.
UNITED is all about Leather, Beards, Tatts, Bear Chests & Chaps - men, music and a masculine vibe.
Held in the unique cruise bar atmosphere that can only be found at Saddle Bar, UNITED is set to become Sydney’s number one party for bears and leather guys.
End the year with UNITED’s fantastic line-up of DJs:
Chip (Inquisition – Sydney)
Matt Effect (Chunky - Sydney)
Mike Kelly (Furball – Amsterdam)
These guys play music for men … sexy, dancey, dirty beats!
UNITED is the Saddle Bar’s commitment to the bear and leather community – dirty music, dirty shows & dirty men.
The Saddle Bar is an attitude free venue – play pool, have a beer, a dance, cruise or chat in Sydney’s newest men’s bar.
Exclusive pre-sale tickets will be available to members of Harbour City Bears, Sydney Leather Pride and of course Saddle Bar members.
Thursday 4th March
6 PM
Saddle Bar
Djs Matt EFFECT || CHIP || MIKE KELLY
Pre-Sales $20
Available at the Midnightshift Video Bar , SAX Fetish Shop
Show your Saddle , HCB , or SLPA card for further discount.
yup they just copied the blurb from NYE and didn't bother to re-read it. As for music for men... well 2 DJs out of 3 ain't bad. As for the other one as long as you like freemasons after freemasons with maybe some britney thrown in, then you're in for pretty much the same music he plays at every single gig. sooo boring.
well 2 DJs out of 3 ain't bad. As for the other one as long as you like freemasons after freemasons with maybe some britney thrown in, then you're in for pretty much the same music he plays at every single gig. sooo boring.
Sad, but true. Little originality or inspiration. There's more to constructing sets than just playing commercial hit after commercial hit. Having said that, there are places for music like that (Say Cheese, Palms, etc), but not at a bear/leather party.
djs can play more than one style you know (all the good ones can) . Perhaps this dj you are referring to will be showcasing his dirtier, more 'masculine' musical style?
based on the shows he's been playing for the past few years, he doesn't seem to have one, hence the reputation for freemasons, freemasons and (just for variety) freemasons!
You are right though, all the good ones can play more than one style.
If you check his name in any dictionary you find he is telling you what to expect the definition I like and appears most appropriate is "a dull non glossy finish"
If you are looking for a great night out with DJs that can deliver Furry Fridays at the Oxford tomorrow night has DJ Puppy playing dirty tribal in the main bar from 9.30pm and in the Underground DJ Man with his blend of Chunky house, electro and tribal from 10pm.
Guarenteed to be a Freemason free zone and NO cover charge!!!!
XXL in London actively promote and feature the Freemasons so one might assume that they are in fact popular with the clientele who attend, namely the bears.
yes indeed some bears like freemasons, some like tribal, some like trance etc. It's a big group (I won't say community). The point being made is you can't be "the best dj in the country" (his words not mine) and just play the same sound over and over and over.
I believe that the entire gay community learnt a long time ago that parties that "are selling out fast" are often the exact opposite. Why bother sending out such a desperate email if there are only 66 tickets left? Surely they would sell on their on accord if such a heavy demand? LOLLL.
"We are a diverse community with different tastes so why can't people just accept that and stop the judging?"
Yes we are a diverse community however musically we are being stereotyped by being constantly force feed camp commercial cheesy house in the clubs and at events!
There is little or no opportunity for us to voice our frustration apart from avoiding the clubs which does little to change the situation.
For example Chic Sundays, Sound Factory and Stonewall offer the same gaggle of Djs and music content.
Arq, only the posters and event names change but it seems to be the same DJs delivering the same music whether it be there poor attempt as a Leather Event or a cheesy club night.
Homesexual parties are in decline because musically they tend to deliver the same as Oxford Street on any night of the week night.
Mardi Gras, apart from a few top internationals generally serve us up with the same local cheesy DJs to the extent we may as well got to the Stonewall or Arq and put the cost of the MG ticket into booze.
Generally when you attend these events you get the impression that your ipod could deliver a better flow of music music and vibe.
Trance events are dying in Sydney, unlike the rest of the world! Trance is supposed to be a beautiful emotional journey, but the DJs we are subjected to appear to have little skill in building and maintaining the vibe. It seems to be a case of sleep inducing uplifting trance, cheesy camp trance or your senses are continously assaulted by hard style delivered akin to a jack hammer set on auto!
The exceptions Mandy Rollins Dirty and Filthy events, Jojo's Frisky (when Jojo is not being self indulgent and looses the plot) and a couple of others. The HCBears events generally hit the mark apart from one particular DJ.
I think that the discussions on here are great and there should be more of it.
Melbourne parties rock and it seems that there is a good diverse offering for the punters to enjoy.
Arq - I don't know what some of those DJs are doing to keep their places there, but its certainly effective. The same boring djs play every week, they seemingly have management under the thumb or something. Now, don't get me wrong, there are residents at arq that are fabulous - Late Saturday nights and late sunday nights are just wonderful. But their downstairs selection of DJs is just woeful I feel. Even worse - those downstairs DJs are now somehow scamming their ways into the Arena to play at the bigger events... Arq needs to get some DJs who are more clearly defined (and not just doing it for the money me thinks)... This club is being under-utilised. Me thinks some risks need to be taken.
MG - oh dear... Seriously, the local lineup this year in the RHI... Good DJs, but - we've seen them before. More to the point - we could probably see them at six or seven other parties in the preceding week and on the same weekend.
It boggles me that promoters are happy to book djs who are already playing at other parties... Some djs play two or three events in different parts of the city in one day at this time of year. As a punter, this depresses me hugely. I believe it would make our party scene much more interesting if promoters chose completely unique lineups. I understand to a certain extent that there actually may not be enough talent around to do so (its plainly evident that apparently ANYONE can call themselves a DJ), but I think promoters actually need to take the plunge and risk not booking the old favourites, and slotting them in where they can.
Homesexual - this is not a dance party anymore. It used to be, but the focus has unfortunately changed now. What a shame. I'm assuming that the dj playing before tony moran and paulo will be playing cheesy, handbag music (much like that downstairs at arq)... What a horrid introduction to two of the best gay DJs in the world.
If you're going to be so damn blunt, then post your name. I'm sick of you bitches anonymously putting down these hard working DJs (and anyone else who works in the industry) who entertain you every week.
Matt and Kitty, you guys rock.
This is our workplace. We all have feelings, and take comments like yours personally. Would you like it if at your workplace there was an intranet which allowed colleagues to anonymously slag you and your job performance off without any scrutiny? Not knowing if the anonymous comments are or aren't just simply a gripe from a jealous colleague wanting to stir shit?
Think about how the other person may feel after you post your comments, before you post.
You are a super nice guy Murray and I doubt you would say anything negative about anyone. I have a lot of respect for you as a person and a DJ. Even so I would not feel confortable telling you when you have had an off day.
I am not a DJ nor ever aspire to be one, I do know quite a few DJ and seen how bitchy they can be to other DJs and some react to a person who did not rave about their performance. I will admit that it can be frustrating know quite a few talent and experienced DJs that seem to get overlooked in favourite of mates just learning to DJ but hey nepotism is rife in most industries, so is a fact of life.
Everyone gets their opportunity sooner or later and the events that favour mates generally fail because the punters stop coming or it becomes a private event for the DJs and their close friends and even they give up after a while LOL
I have provided honest feedback in the past and related feedback from other punters, in the best positive way, the general response is being told to fuck off, no one cares what I thought and the punters who didn't like their sets were morons and had no taste in music.
I think part of the problem relates to the DJ industry and the fact that it is hard going for any DJ so it is not condusive to being honest to a peer.
I see this forum a valuable resource and whilst some might take it too far with regards to personal attacks (which may be understable if their night was ruined and wasted $$$) a DJ should consider what is being said and learn from it.
Where I work, we all levels of management are subjected to anonymous 360 degree reviews and it is a great, sure you might get an occasional bitter and twisted review but the majority are more honest than a face to face encounter and from experience you find people do say nice things when they believe you have earnt their respect!
The main issue being discussed is the lack of choice and the majority of the events sounding the same. It is still not unusual to walk up Oxford Street and hear the same track being played at the Shift, Columbian, Stonewall and Arq almost at the same time or worse the same set of tracks. Deja vu and groundhog day rolled into one LOL
The other issue raised was DJs playing multiple venues in the same night. It is expensive and frustrating to leave one venue because the DJ set was a turn off, go to another only to find the same DJ turns up and play there (in some cases an almost identical set).
Regarding Mardi Gras it is DANCE PARTY not a club night. In other countries DJs know the difference and some specialise in one or the other. The top internationals know the difference and adjust their set to suit. DJs a few years ago did as well, but it is difficult to expect a DJ who has little comprehension of the difference between a warm up/opening set, main set and closing set is to deliver anything other than what play week in week out.
I believe Mardi Gras should focus on developing new talent than serving up the same people who play every week in the clubs. Sure there is the Spin Off competition, I hope this year they put the winners in a more apporpriate area, massive fail putting them in the Retro Space when the majority of punters wanted the retro to start and not what the winners were playing.
I know you tried your best at Gearshift to do something different, but my honest oppinion is that you were not supported by the right DJs. I wish you would try again but this time use DJs that play to a timeslot and prepare the way for the next DJ. I have great respect for two of the other Gearshift DJs Greg and Luke but there is not enough energy for everyone to play the main set
As written in another post we are a diverse community and the club scene should reflect that! Not everyone is into drag queens and camp cheesy music or funky, we would just like a choice.
Sorry if this is a long wind response but you raised a few things that need to clarified.
C'mon on guys we should be talking about all the good parties, dj's coming up or been not just whinging about everything.
We have a great diverse community compared to alot of other countries in the world and we should feel lucky we have some of the best parties also in the world. Lets not take this for granted, I'm sure you will bitch more if there was no options!
Don't like a dj, don't go pick another club, bar or party!
"Don't like a dj, don't go pick another club, bar or party!"
If you have been reading the main posts there are very few options left, we cannot stay home all the time
We are grown up and rather than hide our heads in the sand we have become vocal in the hope someone will listen, the other thing to consider is if a DJ only hears what they want to from their mates, how do they develop and improve?
I have been to a few events lately where the DJ (a resident DJ) emptied the room shortly after he took over the decks. It didn't phase him and he did nothing to try and get the punters back, soldiering on for 3 hours totally engrossed in his music, this is a regular occurrence for him and the promoter accepted this and kept bringing him back. It must be frustrating for the DJ booked to play after him when there were no punters and club close early. I know it was for us because the DJ we wanted to hear never got to play.
A DJ provides a service to the punters of a venue not the other way around and it is not unreasonable to expect value for our hard earnt $$$
The same wall of indifference greeted comments on this wall about what was wrong with Gearshift and other incarnations of the Shift upstairs. Comments relating to the sad and sorry track mix and how something had to be done.
That something was to stop rather than listen to the punters. This is clearly why we ceased to patronise the club and it closed.
Unfortunately it seems the DJ's and promoters in Sydney don't want to talk about the elephant in the room.
Guys, if you're all so poopoo about the state of the current gay dance scene due to poor DJ's, how about you come to The Supper Club tonight to take a look at the new breed? Part of the judging process is crowd reaction, so if you're not there, you can't react.
I must say, there are so many of us whining and bitching about DJ's, yet year after year, the DJ spin-off gets around the same amount of entries and considering the size of our community, it's really poor.
If you want to see some changes - make them friggin' happen!
This is not a bitch just a statement of fact! The competition rules precluded a lot of DJs from entering! Last years finalist Damien Reddrop, David Jago and Man have picked a quite few gigs during the last year so they were out.
Last years winner Brett Austen posted a message saying it was only for DJs who hjave had only a handful of gigs and the press releases seemed to be aim at people who were bedroom bangers. Perhaps this could be the reason for entrant level being poor.
It is a great competition and all four finalist played well last year, thought both Brett and Man rocked, it would have been a difficult job for the judges.
I would love to see these guys play Mardi Gras, Brett in the RHI and Man in the Dome. Man is also an amazing Trance DJ.
They are also two of the nicest guys you will meet on the DJ scene and attitude free.
As testiment to the calibre of the competition both Brett and Man have gained international recognition as remixers The Kimberly Davis Get Up is a smash hit for both of them and they both have different tracks currently in the Masterbeat top 10
Sydney does indeed have amazing talented DJs, we just need to see and hear more of them!
to the original post: this situation has been in sydney for years. everyone has got the solution but no one is doing anything. why don't people check the posters/line ups before they buy the tickets? anywhere else in the world, if a dj doesn't perform - he/she is not booked again. the promoters cant afford to loose $. start going to parties because of what they are not because "i'm going because everyone else is"...
bret austin: theres no doubt he is a very talented young man. and having a release as a dj certainly opens lots of doors. congratulation! however i dare to ask, does sydney need more circuit diva music? because thats what oxford hustlers mixes are....
start going to parties because of what they are not because "i'm going because everyone else is"...
That's it right there, and that's what I do....I go where the good djs (for me) are playing. A lot of others...well the words 'scene', 'be seen' and 'sheep' come to mind.
bret austin: theres no doubt he is a very talented young man. and having a release as a dj certainly opens lots of doors. congratulation! however i dare to ask, does sydney need more circuit diva music? because thats what oxford hustlers mixes are....
Just want to qualify this a bit. I'm a long time friend of Brett (have known him since I was 15, so roughly 2O,OOO years) and he is without a doubt one of the nicest, most genuine, professional, perfectionist DJs on the Sydney scene.
Together, we are the Oxford Hustlers. We've done a few tracks, two of them have been released. One is unashamedly circuit, which is getting very good reactions over in the states (Billboard #42), the other is Inaya Day's new track which is the complete opposite of circuit. That's also charting well, debuting at #44 on the ARIA Club Chart. There are more others coming along, each with a different style. Not all circuit.
On another note, I'd also like to point out that I'm a previous MG DJ Spin Off winner as well, in 2005. This competition is such a valuable opportunity for lots of up and coming bedroom banger DJs. And having been a judge since 2006, I've been some very good new DJs come through, and unfortunately there are also a lot who don't get to win. That's a real shame, but not a reflection on them being not good enough. There can just only be one winner I'm afraid.
Just got back home from Melbourne, so have only just had a chance to read these responses.
We all get our fair share of criticism, and that is part n parcel of our job. You just simply cannot please everyone, no matter how good you are. I've also told other DJs (who are colleagues, friends, etc) to their face if I think they were a bit off, and they do the same to me. My close friends don't hold back either. BUT, I also tell them when they absolutely rock the house.
Having been doing this for 6 years now, I know full well how hard it is to get a foot in the industry. And yes it was frustrating for me (and my supporters, albeit not many back then haha) to constantly see the same ol' names on the line-up. That upset me, because I thought that I immediately deserved these gigs. I know now that's not the case. You earn your stripes, and then an opening will happen. Some people get their stripes much faster than others, I'm happy and content knowing that mine has been a slow, gradual, persistent process.
With regard to the same DJs playing at every venue, there are a few factors in this. When I first started DJing, I would often do 7hr or up to 10hr sets. This meant I didn't need to work at any other venue that night, and two gigs a week was more than enough. Now, we are often stuck with 2-3hr sets, or sometimes even shorter! For working DJs, that doesn't pay the bills, so they need to cram as many in as possible - which means doing multiple gigs per evening. I wasn't arguing with this, I know it's a problem. Plus, I would MUCH rather do one long set in a night than multiple short sets in different venues, as I'm a bit believer in the 'journey'.
As for DJs repeating music styles when playing multiple venues per night, all I can do here is give you my own experiences. Mentioned earlier were Chic Sundays, Stonewall and Sound Factory. I'm a resident at all three. I play vastly different styles at all three. Stonewall is commercial hits, Chic Sundays is funky/lounge, and Sound Factory is chunky clubland. That's the point of difference that I make as a DJ, and I know there are plenty of other very good (new and old) DJs who do the same. Greg Boladian, Luke Leal, Brett Austin, Alex Taylor, James Tobin, Mark Alsop, the list goes on. They are all very capable of playing very different styles of music to suit the venue/crowd/event.
The main gripe I had was the very personal attacks on a few DJs. They weren't constructive at all. They were nasty and uncalled for. I just wanted to compare the method and medium of the comments to your own workplace, and ask you to imagine how you would feel if you were in their shoes (or high heels, as the case may be).
With Gearshift, Shane and I really tried hard with this one. We wanted to give something different, musically. I had oodles and oodles of new fresh music that I was itching to play, and the other DJs did too. The people who came didn't respond to it, and only wanted top 40 remixes. We tried staying true to the style for as long as we could, but in the end we had the pander to what the punters wanted. And then, you fall into the same category as every other club on the scene.
Correct. I self excluded from judging that competition for that very reason. I am also mates with Man, David Jago and Damien Reddrop. I didn't get to see yesterdays competition either as I was out of town, which was a real shame. The MG Spin Off is one of my favorite events of the MG calendar.
INDULGE .....yourself in the ultimate dirty wind-down from your Mardi Gras indulgences with one and only ..Midnightshift's sweaty, raunchy, and down right dirty recovery party, a sensual overload of men music muscle and machismo in Oxford Street's newest mens bar, SADDLE BAR ( above Midnightshift Video Bar)
INDULGENCE INTERNATIONAL
In its 8th year of brininging you the men, the
music, the class, and the athmosphere to let yourself go in celebration
of our Mardi Gras festival season.
A special Indulgence performance by Amazing ARI (pictured) and a voyeur exhibition throughout the night by Richard Savvy ( aka Naked Barber).
Doors open at 3PM
Sunday March 7
Pre-sales now on sale $20 + bf
outlets : SAX Fetish at Oxford St or Midnightshift Video Bar (no bf)
Show your SLPA and SADDLE members for discounted tx.
Saddle up.. for a trip down memory lane with all the finest disco, anthem and house music of the 70s 80s 90s and 2000!
DJ Paul GOODYEAR and dj comeback BRUCE DIXON will be showcasing the finest music from the different eras in a 9 hour extravaganza at the Saddle Bar's crisp sound system creating a peak dance floor experience of thumping sound and piercing lasers.
Continue your Mardi Gras celebrations and celebrate the night with a Boogie . Journey through the different eras and re-live the happy days of yesterday and today.
This party will sell out!
Pre-Sales tx are on sale at the Midnightshift Video Bar discounted tx for Saddle and Midnightshift members.
BOOGIE NIGHT
After Mardi Gras Parade
Saturday 27th February | 10PM
Saddle Bar
DJS Bruce DIXON // Paul GOODYEAR
$20 Pre-Sales
please can we look outside of ONLY vocal house or female-vocal circuit tribal this whole mardi gras period?
me, and my 500 facebook friends (lol) will be sure to go to lots of clubs and maybe one of the bigger dance parties but, much as i love this sound sometimes, i don´t want to hear the same songs over and over and over. especially "I just wanna f--king drop", "cha cha heals", anything by lady gaga (we´re all ga overdosed)
A further cry out to the headphone clad (with extreme hope), even though there´s a pile of americans who have done their best to alienate the locals in their own event, it would be tops if you didn´t play like you´re on an atlantis cruise.... i could seriously be mentally scarred-
On Sunday March 7th LOVE♥GAZE at Soho, (Victoria St Potts Point), brings you an afternoon and evening dedicated to the funky & the dirty LOVE♥GAZE sound.
Starting at 4pm and continuing into the early hours of Monday morning.
Bringing together DJ’s from the hottest Cities around the globe, from NYC - Corey Craig. From London - Miswhite (Salvation UK) and now Tim Jones (Tonker London). Plus special guest Soul Mistress Towera. Alongside a handpicked selection of Sydneys best purveyors of fine house music over two levels of the entire venue.
★Alex Taylor
★Kate Monroe
★Jason Barry
★G.I. Jode
★Troy Cox
★Eddie Coulter
★Sista P
★Chip
★Murray Hood & Brett Austin 'B2B'
Queer website and new party series Raydar launches in the basement club level of 202 Broadway on Thursday 25 February (Week One of Mardi Gras).
Raydar is the project of former street press editor Danny Corvini and features his interview with party monster Michael Alig, which was conducted over 2 years through the post. There’s also a profile on the artist behind the party image, Trademark, an interview with the newly resuscitated Itch-e and Scratch-e, and much, much more.
Headed by special guest DJ Mike Kelly (who will be straight off the plane from Germany), the party will rock all night to DJs Seymour Butz, Matt Vaughan, Lovertits, Sex Azza Weapon and DCON and the visuals of .M.
Entry is via the laneway entrance on City Rd and is just $15/$10 conc.
DJ SET TIMES:
9-10.30 SEX AZZA WEAPON
10.30-11.30 LOVERTITS
11.30-12.30 DCON (Danny Corvini)
12.30-1.30 MATT VAUGHAN
1.30-2.30 SEYMOUR BUTZ
2.30-4 MIKE KELLY (Sorry Shoes Records, Plastic Fantastic)
Make sure you know your rights regarding what the police are / are not allowed to do before you go partying over Mardi Gras: http://www.mardigras.org.au/projectblue
since when did we become such a bunch of conformists??? we began as a protest organisation for our rights.... and now, we are a mother's meeting.
sorry but live a little folks, watch out for the police because they are the instruments of those in power... they are not to blame, nor are they to think for themselves.... they are not the enemy of freedom, but they are the messengers of boredom
Everybody who is there has to worry, even those of us doing the right thing.
It's a Nanny state and we are having our every move monitored and our cavities searched simply because 3% do the wrong thing and the cops think everybody should pay for it.
snap out of it.... all night dance party. dance music.
since when did drugs get removed from that???
i don't need to take piles of drugs, nor do i like to get messy like a lot of people who drink themselves stupid but are on socially exceptable DRUGS!... pissing and vomitting all over the place, smashing bottles etc etc.
hmmm, the only person i have ever done harm with drug use is me... i don't need your conscience or judgement...
it is mardi gras, if i want to take something, i will. wasn't this supposed to be about freedom?
One of the messages that this campaign is trying to convey is that regardless of whether or not you are carrying anything illegal, if the police take your name then it is officially recorded.
If in future you are asked for your details again and *are* guilty, it may then considered a 2nd offence.
Very disappointing Frisky experience last night. Jojo, you have the ability to put on a fantastic party and your trance sets leave the toybox handbag trance for dead. 2 problems last night. Firstly, playing house music till 1am in the main area was a very bad idea. People go to Frisky for the trance. The trance should have been pumping out by midnight. Secondly, the crowd size was dismal. Very empty till about 12.30am, then a respectable crowd for the next couple of hours but by 2.30am crowd was thinning badly and we couldn't stay. Jojo, why the hell didn't you advertise the party? Like you did this time last year, when you were pulling in massive crowds. If Frisky survives (and I hope it does), please advertise the next one properly. Word of mouth/facebook isn't enough.
(ps headed down to the strip around 3am. Phoenix was appalling (straight crowd, handbag music). Shift upstairs was even worse. Thankfully, Shift downstairs was fantastic and pumping. I think the dj's name was franky. Played a great progressive house (I think) set. What a star.)
You know, it did amaze me that there were NO ads for frisky in SX or SSO... Like it was not a gay party anymore, and that they didn't need our community's support.
I did not realise it was Paul Goodyear playing either. I heard so many tracks from the 80's that I have never heard in a club before. And the mixing was fantastic. I had a ball.
I think Frisky has been dieing a slow death for awhile now. Like the parade it has lost it's wow factor and peeps think it is way overpriced for what you get.
Frisky returned from its long hiatus with a bang, then I think its numbers dropped to the level they were when it was dropped in 2002... because it no longer offered a variety of DJ's, just JoJo.
Before it was usurped by Queer Nation, Frisky was exceptional. The latter party poached its DJ's and the rest is history.
Personally I think it was a bad decision to place it on parade night and not advertise it.
People were either at Fox Studios, or saving themselves for Harbour and Mardi Gras parties, and Toybox.
Quote: "hmmm, the only person i have ever done harm with drug use is me..."
That is unlikely given the likelihood of international and Australian organised crime in illicit drug distribution (see www.ndlerf.gov.au/pub/Monograph_27.pdf). You are not the only person harmed by your (and my) illicit drug use and the level of harm and number of people harmed probably depends on the type of drug you consume and from where it derives.
I think a large number of people (myself included) didn't go with a house dj opening in the main room. Frisky is a real trance party, unlike toybox which is more a camp high energy style of music, Frisky has always been about decent trance and it attracts only the serious trance punters. If you take the trance out of Frisky it becomes just like any other party on the scene without any major selling point.
One of the problems jojo has is he always picks djs who won't show him up, hence you never hear any amazing djs at Frisky.
Absolutely - jojo seems too arrogant to believe people will stay and listen to his music that has a 3minute drop in it, track aftert track. its boring.
it's simple.. keep the crowds happy. again, the parrty is dying a slow death. guess history repeats itself.
i studied drugs across cultures at uni, and contributed to the nsw drug survey where such findings are made. i have a clue about that which i am speaking. however i respect your opinion and will take your view on board.
United 2 was a complete flop, the DJ line up is not appealing, especially the "the best dj in the country" once again playing the same set of freemason's tracks
One could be forgiven for thinking that this is merely personal and has little bearing on whether the night was successful or not. As it is this negative thread regarding "the best dj in the country" was aired previously on this list so it seems rather odd that you felt it necessary to subject yourself to attending the said DJs set on the night in question.( I am assuming of course that you are indeed the same author who made reference to the playlist of the DJ who happens to feature the Freemasons.
Given that "Underbear" had sold out the night before( I hasten to add that the particular DJ you appear to referring to was playing on this night as well) and also being held on a working day week may well have attributed to a decline in the attendance at United 2.
I'm not the same author and dont reply to my own comments,and in no way is it "personal".
I went to United 2 and merely stated that this author that made the comments in regard to this freemasons DJ was right.I have replied to their comment after attending the party and just validating what they said.
The night was unsuccessful,the music was lack lustre,the venue lacked presence.... we dont wanna hear your excuses!
"Given that "Underbear" had sold out the night before( I hasten to add that the particular DJ you appear to referring to was playing on this night as well) and also being held on a working day week may well have attributed to a decline in the attendance at United 2."
Underbear sells out almost every year so that's no great surprise. it's part of the bears annual event so getting all excited about it selling out on a school night shows your lack of knowledge and experience on the subject. There were 6 other dj's on that night so you seem to be over estimating the "star power" of that particular dj who was nothing more than the support act for the others on the bill.
Underbear was a sell out due in part to the limited capacity of the venue as opposed to Arq which had hosted the event in previous years. I am not aware that it has ever sold out before. I'm also confused as to the 6 other djs you refer to. Could you perhaps enlighten us as to who they all were! The original line up according to the Bear Essentials guide featured 3 headline acts including "that particular dj" although I did not notice Rob Gilbert on the evening in question.(I did however see Bramsterdam/Big General play the final set). As I was not present for the entire duration of the evening I would certainly appreciate your 'knowledge and experience' to help clarify in what particular order the djs played in.
A clear distinction was made in reference to the Underbear party the night before and its possible impact on an event the next day. I attended Underbear and could not possibly entertain the thought of two nights out in a row during a working week. United 2 obviously sought to exploit that target audience in light of the New Years Eve event which proved successful in attracting a good sized crowd. Given that Bear Essentials was in full swing the organisers of United 2 obviously hoped for a flow on effect from that target audience but according to your comments it did not succeed. So be it. I hardly think it mattered who DJd this event. Given the exhausting events of the previous night I imagine most people were simply partied out.
Mardi Gras - I hear mixed reviews, some loved it, some hate it, I hated it. Production was cheap and very evident. Carl Cox amazing. Bimbo Jones tripe - playing his own mixes. Dan murphy - same old same old, David Guetta seriously, it was a gay party - your music was terrible, Jake was the only one who rocked it in my opinion.
Toy Box - one word, Amazing
Homesexual - very very disappointing. Kitty was a joke, her mixing was all over the shop, and she couldnt even keep in the one style for more than 15 minutes, and you stick a DJ like shigeki in the side room over her? The best part of the night was the show, one of the best I have seen. But the event has just lost its pizzaz, its over run by twinks, and this I feel is Kitty's doing. Tony played so loud my ears are still ringing. I left before Paulo - couldnt stand it. Stephen you need to let it die.
Beach Bar
- Frankie Shin (Korea)
- DJ Man (Sydney/Hong Kong)
- Rob Glibert (Melbourne, Australia)
Under the Ocean
- Matt Effect (Sydney, Australia)
- Rotten Robbie (San Francisco, USA)
- Bramsterdam & Big General (the Furball DJs from Amsterdam)
The Beach Bar had a more tribal feel and Under The Ocean Room was commercial.
It was a great night, my only suggestion is a bigger venue next year, 650 bears in a venue that has a max capacity of 650 tends to be severly overcrowded
so if you count the Amsterdam DJ's individually, there were 6 other dj's besides the one being discussed.
As for previous Underbears not selling out, that's not true. I know for a fact that 2004 upstairs at the Shift sold out, prior to that I believe there were also sold out parties at various venues such at T2 when it had that huge dancefloor which later bacame the gaming room. The move to ARQ proved difficult but still the 2005,2006, 2007 and 2008 parties were as close to sold out as possible with only a handfull of tickets available on the door. The 2009 party had dissapointing numbers but I believe that was due in large to dissatisfaction with the venue.
Moving to Art Factory (or at least away from ARQ) was long overdue and a much welcome change.
Thanks for clarifying the full line up. I was totally unaware that a second room existed with DJs in tow. Frankly I could never get back through to the so called "Beach Bar" it was that crowded. It was hard enough finding space on the larger dance floor area.
Underbear was a great party and I must say it was alot of fun...I didn't enjoy the music as much tho. When Kylie "Locomotion" was played the room come to a complete stand still. Miley Cyrus was next and if I closed my eyes I would of thought I was in Stonewall.
In my opinion the music could of been better and not directed to pre pubescent girls singing into a hairbrush and mirror.
I had a good time tho,the crowd was very friendly,and the production was very good,but I prefered ARQ as the venue.
Am I right in thinking that the old Beresford staged an Underbear event? I also recall somewhere in the long distant past a venue on Oxford Street opposite the Midnight Shift or there abouts.
that would have been the infamous Gay Games Underbear, another sold out event. Remeber the changing room out the back with no lights on....the antics at that one made the very seasoned manager blush Ah the good old days...
agreed. the production values were amazing. possibly the best party in the world in terms of music, lasers, lights and overall vibe. it was electric. well done to all involved.
Absolutely! That was the best party I've been to in years.
Better than the MG party the night before.
Why even bother making it part of Mardi Gras' billing this year. Toybox totally stands on its own.
Did I miss something or were there no shows at Toybox this year? There also seemed to be less confetti and streamers falling during the finale. No toybox flags either? Has the GFC hit Toybox?
Saw on TV a short piece on Fuerza Bruta. An amazing theatrical experience that I think NMG could nick some ideas from. See http://www.fuerzabrutanyc.com/ for some great visual.
"Why even bother making it part of Mardi Gras' billing this year. Toybox totally stands on its own."
True... they sell out every year so one hopes they did it for altruistic reasons and they gave Mardi Gras a small cut for letting Toybox being the Official after party.
Plus Mardi Gras want an After Party to be proud of... not a dud has been like Homesexual.
Is it just me or is anyone else noticing that as a patron of all these 'new' forms of parties we are coming away feeling a little short changed???. I remember when parties use to have all different styles of music, from trance, tribal, progressive and house... Now all you get is 3 or 4 rooms of commercial house.
It doesn't help that there are also a number of 'new' dj's around that are all coping each others style, which at one particular party over the weekend, Gaga was being played in every room at the same time, the only difference was the song (not the mix).
I read on here all the time people are not happy with Promoters or Parties that they have attended and I ask when is one of these promoters going to pull the plug out of their ass and create something that doesn't come across as a sell out to the commercial market??
There are only 2 promoters that I know that put on parties who actually have a music policy and brief the dj's as to what styles should be played and if not followed then the DJ is not employed again.
Bugger the landfill - we want a spectacular party! I'd be happy to pay a carbon tax and get more sprinkles from the roof. Anyone remember Stormy Weather at the old Mardi Gras with the rolled up newspapers in the fans? It used to cover the dance floor!
aahhh! The good old days......
Currently listening to: Stormy Weather - Viola Wills
Mate - It was mean't to be handbag/anthems in RHI - 9 to 5 re mix fits that perfectly!
I had some concerns with the likes of Guetta's set, that ruined it for me. Pots and pans and then part of a remix of one of his remixes with him MC'ing to want to hear then pots and pans! eewww!! He was cheesy but not that good cheesy - not consistant!
"Well I was annoyed in the RHI last weekend when the DJ played fricken 9 to 5, and a few other very old tunes.
Totally wrecked it for me."
Here's the facts. When '9 to 5' and the other fabulous music so many of you disparagingly refer to as "cheese" was on, the RHI was alive and pumping with (most) people having a great time. A few hours later, Guetta was playing discordant, vocal-less noise and the RHI was empty. It's not rocket science to work out what is more popular. You people just need to deal with it and stop insulting the music preferences of the majority.
Hi Everyone
I Lost My Best Friend Yesterday His Name Was John..
And For All Those People Who Know Him As John Cc.
From Hcbears One Of The Commity Members!! Its A Huge Loss For Me And All His Friends,And My Heart Is You Peter-Aka Badger John's Lover 20+ Years.These Were The 1St Two Men To Get Married In (Us) Before The Laws Got Passed.A True Fairytale..I Will Miss You John And Thanx U For Being Apart Of My Life And Showing Me That Life Is Worth Liveing Through The Good Times And The Bad Times,I Wouldve Been Lost Without Ur Guideence..Love Allways For Ever Djbeefyboy-Chris C U On The Dancefloor Buddy!!!
Currently listening to: WERE IN HEAVEN - IAN VAN DAUHL
Rest in Peace my friend. I had the pleasure of knowing and working with you in the last 6 months. Its a great loss to HCB indeed! I remember just listening to your calm spoken voice when Iam stressing running events. Peter - Let me know how Tim and I can help .Clarence
Alex Taylor's TAYLOR SQUARE feat KATARINA "Something In The Air" remixes finally came out this week on Beatport, Junodownload and a bunch of other good stores.
Looking for Promoters for a New Gay Night at The Bank Nightclub
Sydney's Kings Cross is home to a new premium nightspot called The Bank Night Club, located on the main strip we are one of the busiest venues in the cross over the weekend and are looking to expand the party even further with a new gay night once a month on Thursdays, and we need your help. We are looking for fun, friendly, sociable outgoing promoters who know that they can bring a crowd and how to party. If you or any of your friends are interested in the promotion or launch of our new gay night please contact us. We look forward to hearing from you! x
for venue photos and description The Bank Nightclub www.thebanknightclub.com.au
there is a supposed gay friendly pub in the cross but unfortunately some of the managers are extremely homophobic. I know some of the gay guys who provided the entertainment there have quit due in part to the homophobic attitude of some of the staff. Surprisingly one well known drag performer is still working there but I wonder for how much longer???
if i had a dollar everytime there's a straight bar going gay in the lead up to Winter, (and only for Winter), i'd be rich...
if they honestly think the pink dollar will see them thru the quiet season, (especially once a month in seedy kings cross), they're seriously mistaken...
Kings Cross is,and make no mistake, basically a violent place. It's a place that feels less tolerant to gays and doesn't compare to the, unfortunately deteriorating, gay strip that is Oxford St.
I wouldn't party in the 'Cross. I'm too fearful and I'm not even gay!
The pink dollar? The assumptions that gays have more spare cash because they probably don't have kids to support etc. never sat well for me, either.
That used to be called Madame De Biers.
There was a indie music club on Thursday there that I never managed to get to. I wonder if the new management kicked them out or they truly want a very gay friendly night for people from Potts Point/Elizabeth bay area instead of going to the old Green Park hotel...
Help us celebrate Grindr's 1st Birthday! In just one year Grindr has reached 500,000 users and we are throwing Grindr a Birthday party. This is a global celebration and The Midnightshift is bringing it locally to make Sydney part of this exciting international event. Join us in wishing Grindr a Happy Birthday. See you there! Make sure to download Grindr for FREE at Grindr.com or on the iTunes App Store prior to the party.
The Midnightshift - Saddle Bar
85 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst NSW
From 3pm to late Sunday 28th March with DJ Man spinning the sexy beats.
So Ceasars is closing down "for a while". What a shock! lol
I know this is going to sound nasty but someone has to say it. This was never going to work simply because of who was running it.
Poor quality drag shows and nasty attitude drag queens are so not entertaining and people have been voting with their feet for a long time now. Promotion after promotion run in this style have consistently failed to draw people in across various venues including Ceasars, Manacle and Taxi Club.
To the guys at the Clarence, the sydney leather community didn't turn their back on Manacle, it's just that a large number of us didn't like going there to be confronted by one particular drag act (I won't compliment them by saying they're a performer) who doesn't put on an entertaining show and who thinks that insulting everyone in sight makes her an entertainer. Even when she wasn't scheduled to be there according to the Manacle website, she was there! After one or two visits, we never went back and it seems a lot of others did the same.
So after scaring away the Manacle crowds, the Clarence for some strange reason engaged her to present Cesars! Sure enough, the same result has happened with people not wanting to go to Petersham to be insulted or to watch drag so bad it wasn't even laughable.
Remember club owner/managers that just because you're friends with someone, doesn't mean they're a class act or can attract a crowd despite what their inflated ego may tell you.
Just my opinion and pinkboard can't verify any comments etc....
Don't the Venues realise that it's exactly things like Grinder, Gaydar etc that have significantly contributed to the downturn of the day-to-day numbers of their patrons??
But hey, let's celebrate by maybe turning up (if we havent already hooked up on Grinder beforehand) and then spend the night looking at our phones until we find someone so that we can leave the venue.
Sad indeed.
It looked finished to me when I walked past the other night. The front doors were open, lights were on, video screen was going - the only thing missing was the punters.
I reckon he's done a deal with the developer across the road and won't open until the townhouses are finished and tenanted.
I think Arq is running "Trade" on Sunday night on both levels, borrowed from an event of the same name in the UK. should be an ad in the gay rags and something on their website
I wont ever do Daywash at Chinese laundry again. It sucks.
i was at the clarence at mardi gras, there were no drag queens (no value statement added to their prescence or abscence), i had a fun night and appreciated the fact that stuart and andrew had the courage to try to take the taylor sq hotel trash element out of their audience. i like the place and wish some folks would get off their wank sites and go and support these 2 very special folks who have tired (again all odds) to give sydney a good dance space, a good bar space, a community space, and a bit of heart amongst all the greedy traders occupying the public space, who capitalise on the weak drug choices of the many still present in clublife after the repulsed reaction to the destruction of G and crystal in sydney´s gay club scene, in favour of a way to find sex, relaxation or entertainment in a extraordinary conception of a gay venue.
hats off to those who work out who´s writing.... gold stars to those who get the drift.
"I reckon he's done a deal with the developer across the road and won't open until the townhouses are finished and tenanted." Funny statement. He is the developer.
"DFAT confirms Jock McKeon as Australian found dead in Indonesian apartment
* From: AAP, April 06, 2010 4:08AM
CONSULAR officials are assisting the family of an Australian man found dead in an apartment in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta.
The 37-year-old man, from NSW, was reportedly discovered by his maid today.
A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokeswoman confirmed the death, and said consular assistance was being provided to the man's partner and family in both Australia and Indonesia.
South Jakarta police have named the man as World Bank consultant Jock McKeon, according to an ABC Online report."
Jock was New Mardi Gras' Party Director in its early days and long time partner of DJ Shigeki.
Our thoughts go out to Shigeki and Jock's friends and family during this difficult time.
'I wont ever do Daywash at Chinese laundry again. It sucks'
Well ya missed out on another great Daywash Party mate. Great crowd (so many hot topless guys), great venue, perefct weather and music. Had so much fun. We need more parties like this one. Please bring on the next for June longweekend thanks.
This promoters clear and evident disregard for the wellbeing of our community is highlighted once again by his decision to run a gay night at a very homophobic venue on Oxford Street.
Havana is, and has long been a source of big safety problems every weekend on Oxford Street, and everyone from security right up through management to the owner is responsible and complacent in their attitudes. A lot of people were very vocal when a Thursday night gay promoter tried to run a night there, with extreme backlash. Now that a more 'popular' gay promoter goes in, I would expect the same backlash. If not... then how do you spell hypocritical?
Just because something is more popular, doesn't mean it gets to go past GO and collect $200. The only way to get this message across I'm afraid is to vote with your feet, and don't support such morally contemptible business ethics.
I agree. The same people still own the venue, why now should we spend our money there to line their pockets when in the past they have shown nothing but contempt for the other gay venues around it? Support the venues that have always given us a place to go. Havana needs to just go away...
I was personally really happy to hear that Havana will now be going gay on Saturdays. People had an issue with the gay thursday night event because Havana was still straight on the major nights (ie. weekends) and the patrons and security were causing big problems. It is a different story now with the club committing to going gay on the biggest night of the week. This helps to eradicate all of those problems that were previously caused by the venue - so long as it stays that way. In addition to this Johan was quoted as saying they will have a whole new security team. While I agree that the best outcome would have been for Havana to close down completely - the club holding a gay saturday is without a doubt the next best option. This part of Oxford Street will finally be totally gay again
The whole area around the newsagent and Stonewall is one I avoid late on weekends, it's just shambolic and dangerous. Last thing I need is to step out into a melee.
The thing about the Midnight Shift is that it's away from the straight clubs
regardless of it being held on a thursday or saturday, the majority of the gay community simply do not want this venue whilst it is owned by the same people who have traded on homophobia for so long.
Like many others, I won't be going and I hope it closes down completely.
It doesn't matter what night of the week they choose to cash in on the pink dollar. The fact is that the owner has supported homophobia for this long, why does he deserve our support and money?
There are places like Stonewall, Midnight Shift and Slide, which have been gay venues since conception and have supported the community tremendously through. Yet while their weekly numbers dwindle, the numbers will no doubt support a homophobic publican in lieu of the stalwart venues.
I won't be. None of my friends will be. They all hate Havana, and what the venue has done to the street.
'There are places like Stonewall, Midnight Shift and Slide, which have been gay venues since conception and have supported the community tremendously through. Yet while their weekly numbers dwindle, the numbers will no doubt support a homophobic publican in lieu of the stalwart venues.'
If only the Midnight Shift Club upstairs was well supported - it was a great dance space in it's heyday.
Arq is the pits these days on any given night. And there is really no other decent sized dance spaces around.
Oh well lets hope the evolution of Oxford Street is for the better in the near future. I'm not holding my breathe. Maybe time to move to Melbourne.
There IS merit in taking back the club on a Saturday night... However, I realy struggle to see how the night will survive... I think there's a slight danger that this could turn into an event that is very similar to Daywash and RISING... I sincerely hope it doesn't... One thing just blurs into the next...
Hi everyone, I'm hoping to come to Sydney for a couple of weeks end June / early July. Does anyone know of any big (maybe annual) parties that will be on at that time, so I can plan my trip better? Thanks for the advice.
What people fail to realise is that there is not many venues available to independent promoters on a Saturday night so although Havana is not ideal at least Johan has the balls to give it a go but I think he is up against it making it a success.
Do many gay men actually go out on Oxford St anymore?
Having been to Matinee in Ibiza, which was one of the best party experiences ever, I really hope this happens here in either Syd/Melb.
Waiting for the details.....
the slow demise of mdma (e) and the slow influx of non-happy drugs like ghb, crystal meth, and the piperazine pills that people THINK are ecstacy, has led to punters being high but not having such a "good/happy" time.
So many just go out far less often as they don't get the same enjoyment.
the question is - does sydney need another circuit event? with its hideous circuit music with some awfull american circuit dj?
i dont see matinee coming down under as a "finally something new" ...more like "oh not again"
Could be great if it's actually done right... Think about it, the past efforts have be somewot lacklustre, (ahem: machine), doing it well would "finally be something new". I'll reserve my judgement till after experiencing an event.
"the question is - does sydney need another circuit event? with its hideous circuit music with some awfull american circuit dj?"
If you knew anything about Matinee, then you would know that this is a european party (Ibiza) , so why would you think it will have American circuit djs ????
I think you'll find that Matinee is not another Circuit Event with american djs... If this were to come to Australia this would be HUGE! Tikaro, J Louis, Ferran... My god, it would be brilliant! This would be much more european, and the music is just wonderful... check out the matinee website if you wanna know more...
Havana was open on Saturday night, with an ugly crowd flowing in and out, and rough, heavy handed security still employed. I thought that Saturdays were going to close until this supposed new gay night? John Ibrahim lies.
Also, notice on the Havana/DCM facebook page that they have advertised another night held this Saturday night? So why did they say to SX that they would be closed until Live started?
i noticed the new live advert that dean murphy sent to the rogue database today, it has no mention of it being at Havana only the street address for the club... a bit of advice, ignoring the problem doesn't make it go away guys.
OK, not trying to be a scaremonger but picture this:
The weekend that the Gay night starts at Havanna: 'Straights' refused entry while 'Gays' walz straight in. Result: Angry straights hanging around the entry arguing with the bouncers and potentially with the gays entering and leaving
Are you guys saying that Havana is a John Ibrahim backed/owned club?
Given that the riot police stormed the Cross last weekend after intelligence that some bikie clubs were going to cause a major incident at one of his clubs I'd be thinking twice about going.
And this is exactly why Havana SHOULD be closed for 2 weeks so that the DCM crowd get used to the fact that DCM will no longer be held there and not rock up and cause problems at Live. It's a real shame that Ben Cooper said he was going to do this but didn't follow through
Love it. Underbelly 'The Golden Mile' has just started with a certain John as a central character. Is this the same character still operating in Oxford Street and after all the the Police intel, still can? And Johan, who has the respect of the community, is getting into bed with his new LIVE concept?
Ah, the good old days are back - so called "gay" venues run by 'colourful' characters and very large brown paper bags so that certain officials turn a blind eye.
No wonder we don't feel safe on the strip anymore. No wonder Clover is on a mission to shut the venues down.
This night should not be supported, and the word must be spread.
Whilst it's refreshing to have a new Saturday night event that is more up my alley, I do not support the venue at all, and neither should any of you.
There is no mention of Havana anywhere in the advertising. Is the club being rebranded? Same owners dudes, you're not fooling anyone.
DJ Line Up - Justin Who? Dimitri Who? Troy Cox is about the only one that interests me. You've got plenty of other local talents to choose from that are more established and talented with fan bases, why not use them, why people we have never heard of as Residents?
In closing, wake up people, its all a big money grab for everyone involved.
INQUISITION Rebooted
Annual leather dance party
organised by Sydney Leather Pride
will be held in JULY 17
Tickets will be on sale from 1st May
at SAX and Midnightshift
I tend to agree with this comment - it is probably true that gay bars in the past were often run by criminals and let's face it they are not charities - they are businesses. And besides you don't really know who owns Stonewall (as an example) and who the partners are behind it. What I will say is that until now Havana has been a problem for Oxford Street and the gay community but this hopefully looks set to change with the launch of a gay night on Saturdays - this was the night that was causing the biggest issues for the street. If they continue to hold anti-social events which cause problems on other nights then we should not support them. But if they have decided to finally commit to the gays then this is a positive thing. What would you rather? That they continue to operate DCM?
I'd rather the Police start policing actual trouble spots and leave good venues like Stonewall, that get the negative fallout (and lockdown), caused by these cesspools.
Why aren't they being raided and policed? Is it because of the owners? Do we need a new Royal Commission?
"In closing, wake up people, its all a big money grab for everyone involved."
100% Agree. I actually probably wouldn't support this due to the debacle that is Daywash. Too much greedyness.
However, Dj selection is something people will never be happy with unfortunately. When we hear the same djs play at several venues in a night - we get pissed off. Then, when we hear different djs at every venue - "Oh - why can't we hear someone we know?" It has unfortunately stemmed from the promoters initially DYING to use the same djs over and over again... bad promotional practice that unfortunately has helped breed an attitude of "GIMME GIMME GIMME NOW NOW NOW!" in the punters...
Hit-making UK song siren Katherine Ellis is on her way back to Australia for big nights out in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide. We chatted to the diva who’s got one of the most powerful sets of lungs in dance music.
Katherine’s vocals have been heard on a huge and growing collection of massive dance tracks of the last two decades, including When You Touch Me with The Freemasons, Lost by Roger Sanchez, Dreaming by The Ruff Driverz, Make A Move On Me by Joey Negro ASBO’s Let The Beat Hit ‘Em and Wilder & Clarke’s Stand Up. She’s also in the band Bimbo Jones – they have their first album out and new single Freeze.
When Same Same speaks to Katherine she’s on the road after a Russian gig: “This world is an amazing place,” she enthuses. “I’m sitting in a cab on the way to Moscow Airport from Vladimir which used to be the capital of Russia. I’ve just had a beautiful sunny walk around the city and been into a 1,000-year-old cathedral.”
She says she loves Australia and is looking forward to returning, after her unforgettable Mardi Gras experience with the Freemasons in Sydney last year. “Having our fans dancing behind us on the float was so moving, we all had tears in our eyes. It was such a celebration, a highlight of my life.
“The Hordren Pavilion was awesome too, it was fabulous to say ‘let me hear you say yeah’ and have 10,000 people scream ‘yeah’ back to me. I thought it was simply outstanding, a huge, colourful, extravaganza, I was so excited to be a part of it.”
After her Aussie trip next week, she’s off to perform in Bali, Malta, Montpellier, then will head back home to London (where she’s lined up to immediately appear on a gay party stage, naturally). But after so much travel, does she still have a wishlist of places she’d love to visit? “Oh yes, India, China, Egypt, North Africa…” she reels them off. “Anywhere I haven’t yet been, I would like to go.”
Along with chart-topping dance tracks, she also lends her lungs to jazz, blues and soul numbers. We wonder what music is influencing her at the moment. “Actually, I’m listening to Janis Ian and reading her autobiography. It was her album Between The Lines that solidified the desire in me to make a life out of singing and songwriting when I was a teenager,” she recalls.
“Janis is in her late 50’s now and her material is as inspirational as ever, it really comes from the heart. I was super chuffed that she signed my copy of the book too, I wrote an email along with my order to say how important Janis’ music had been to me and her assistant kindly had it signed.”
Whether she’s visiting an exotic locale or hanging at home in England, Katherine loves to party. Her recipe for a great night out? “A group of friends who can have a really good laugh, a lot of showing off, good food, good music… and champagne, of course!”
Katherine Ellis will join crowd-pleasing Melbourne DJ Grant Smillie at next Sunday’s Fierce Angel 5 party in Sydney’s Ivy bar. She’ll also visit Melbourne’s The Market venue on Saturday 24 April, and is headlining Adelaide’s Fierce Angel party at Top of the Ark on Thursday 29 April.
- Tue 1 Dec 2009 21:25:11
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