Survey About The Nyc Nightclub Industry. Honest Opinion

[minneec]

to answer the questions.....

1. Would more people come out if the price of admission was lower? yes, people always want to go out and have fun, especially kids like us college students...and if it could be cheaper, we would go out more than once a weekend

2. Because of the economy, the stock market, lay offs and the 11th etc., has money become tighter in a sense that people are more selective as to the night or nights they go out clubbing? it should

3. Can a nightclub do well without promoters if the price of admission was lowered to a reasonable entrance charge? despite the argument and my lack of knowledge about promoters, i think if the people really wanted a good time and knew enough about the club scene, they would go out and find out where the parties are. i know i get all these emails about parties and sometimes i read them, but a lot of times i don't. so it really depends on the demographics that the promoter is reaching out to...

4. What would be a reasonable charge if the price of admission was lowered? 20 or so would be good

5. Has the industry become a runaway train in that every nightclub seems to grab on to the next trend by seeking out these international dj's that charge an absolutely insane fee. This insane fee forces the nightclubs to raise the price of admission where upon the end result is you the customer pays for it. Regardless of the cost to enter, would you still go? i love the international dj's. they play the great mixes and music is music. people pay hundreds to see their favorite band, so i would pay pricier prices for a good dj.

6. Who financially is effected more by high priced admissions...males, females or both? no clue

7. What is a great night out...is it music driven or a social scene or a combination of both?.... If you owned a nightclub, what would you do that perhaps the curent club owners aren't?

music driven for me is what makes a great night. but the crowd also plays a role in that if they suck, well your night might not be as great. take the crowd at exit....they are way too young and way too into the drugs.

8. What does "back to basics" mean to you?

having a good time listening to the music that brought you out for the night.

also, i'm 21 and that might seem like a newbie to most of you, but i have feel like i have seen a lot. i knwo as a college student, i definitely read a lot. many people in this world are ignorant about alot of things. so what if some people don't know about thebehind the scenes of clubbing. does it matter? age is just something people hold over others because they need to hold something over others. it's prejudice and it's retarded...clubbing now to me should be just about the music and the fun times, not about all that crap you see in everyday life.

[djjonmartin]

people used to own clubs who were, or wanted to be, part of the club scene. now they've all been bought out by capitalist pigs who just want to make as much $$ as possible.

clubs used to hire promoters to promote their clubs. this was when the club scene in new york city was par excellence.

since club owners now work promoters against each other (and apparently SOME promoters have bought into this competition), the "businessman" wins out and the "club scene" suffers.

used to be the promoters all sorted each other out, promoting the "scene" by promoting their "club" and in the end, thousands more people came out each week and so the parties could not only survive, but flourish. all of them, rather than one each night that blew the others away by charging less or having this or that dj. it was about the party LIFE. now its about who's got a bigger dick or a fatter wad of cash.

i know, i know - i'm being nostalgic and showing my age (don't want to be accused of being only 21!). I've worked at clubs all around NY for the past 10+ years and all of the aforementioned factoids keep me from venturing into the big rooms unless its a REAL special occasion. if anybody wants to change that, they have to change the overall direction of the party itself, not just the admission price.

there's my $2.50 - and one last thing, BIG PROPS to shelter - owned and operated by club people who come from a club background (Blaze's Kevin Hedge, who has recently been named president of west end records and Maestro Timmy Regisford). support CLUB SHELTER (and no, I don't work for or with them)

[o-jay®]

Originally posted by cp

First off, your arrogance and your negative talk basically shows your youth. Honestly, your 21 years old. There is alot you don't know. Believe that. I am not belitting you or bashing you. Just respect your elders. This industry is on the low end right now. That is something you dont know. You have only scene this industry only for the past few years. Your only 21. You missed the days of Palladium, and the Tunnel, and Limelight, and many others... when they were all in their prime. Don't tell me you went there cause I know you didnt. Your only 21. Plus 5-10 years ago parties used to kick ass. All the DJs that are big today are big because of promoters. That is how this all works. Who do you think gives the DJs their gigs ? the promoters or club owners do. The problem today is that everyone thinks they are a promoter. If you bring 15 people to a party you are not a promoter. Know that. The worst parties are parties that have 50 promoters. Exception: concert promotions. Did you know that bar totals are lower then ever in NYC, compared to 5-10 years ago. I am not bashing anyone. Your youth is your problem. You need to sit back and listen a little bit. You really should.

I don't really have time to read what was said in full...however from what I have read I will state this...I was asked my opinion about problems about the club scene, which I gave regarding "vibe issues"...I addressed nothing in regards of what it takes to "run a club" because those are not my concerns, I don't care how you run a club, and no I would be the first to admit I probably could not run a club...but who cares? that is not what I do, nor is what I would ever want to do...So tell me the Rock, how I should "know my role" by taking into account things such as hiring dj's and service help, when I am addressing a completely unrelated, separate issue? I don't doubt that you know what you are talking about as far as what it takes to throw a party, you could be mike fucking bindra for all I know...but that doesn't relate at all to my concerns for vibes that certain spots give off...and btw you certainly are not the only one who was at tunnel, twilo, LL, arena, USA or any other notorious now defunct place...so while I will give you the benefit of the doubt as someone inside the club world, you should do the same to people who make up the club world and pay your salaries

PLUS, promoters should answer these questions. Promoters don't only go to their own parties. They go other places as well. Promoters are clubbers and patrons too. Also, patrons go to a place because of promoters or because of the music, DJ, or scene which is all created by the promoter.

Please stop using profanity in your posts. There is no reason for that.

[jaybzee]

Originally posted by o-jay®

Alright, this is fucking weird, but I think i know what happend, me and O-jay I guess use the same computer in fordham law library....so I made a post under his name...this is what i orignally wrote however directed to cp...sorry about that mix up o-jay, now I know why people have made posts under my name without me knowing it though...

I don't really have time to read what was said in full...however from what I have read I will state this...I was asked my opinion about problems about the club scene, which I gave regarding "vibe issues"...I addressed nothing in regards of what it takes to "run a club" because those are not my concerns, I don't care how you run a club, and no I would be the first to admit I probably could not run a club...but who cares? that is not what I do, nor is what I would ever want to do...So tell me the Rock, how I should "know my role" by taking into account things such as hiring dj's and service help, when I am addressing a completely unrelated, separate issue? I don't doubt that you know what you are talking about as far as what it takes to throw a party, you could be mike fucking bindra for all I know...but that doesn't relate at all to my concerns for vibes that certain spots give off...and btw you certainly are not the only one who was at tunnel, twilo, LL, arena, USA or any other notorious now defunct place...so while I will give you the benefit of the doubt as someone inside the club world, you should do the same to people who make up the club world and pay your salaries

[o-jay®]

Originally posted by o-jay®

Just for the record, I did not make this post. If I left myself logged on at school, whoever posted this, please kindly log me off. Thank you.

[o-jay®]

Originally posted by jaybzee

Alright, this is fucking weird, but I think i know what happend, me and O-jay I guess use the same computer in fordham law library....so I made a post under his name...this is what i orignally wrote however directed to cp...sorry about that mix up o-jay, now I know why people have made posts under my name without me knowing it though...

Thanks man. No problem.

[brickhouse]

In trying to bring more people out to the nightclubs in NYC many of us in the business have asked these questions.

1. Would more people come out if the price of admission was lower? Duh. That's basic economics.....clubbing is an elastic good, not a necessity.

2. Because of the economy, the stock market, lay offs and the 11th etc., has money become tighter in a sense that people are more selective as to the night or nights they go out clubbing? See above. However, people who don't have the money to get into the club are probably the same people who don't have the money to buy drinks and spend money IN the club. If you're trying to increase admissions, these aren't necessarily the people you want to be added. They just take up space and you run the risk of breaking fire codes, especially if the cover is really low.

3. Can a nightclub do well without promoters if the price of admission was lowered to a reasonable entrance charge? While promoters seem to be an important part to booking in New York City, they don't have to be. In a lot of smaller markets, the promoting is done in-house, but then again they don't necessarily get as good of talent

4. What would be a reasonable charge if the price of admission was lowered? Depends on what the club is and who's playing.

5. Has the industry become a runaway train in that every nightclub seems to grab on to the next trend by seeking out these international dj's that charge an absolutely insane fee. This insane fee forces the nightclubs to raise the price of admission where upon the end result is you the customer pays for it. Regardless of the cost to enter, would you still go? Depends on the DJ. However, I let them know if they're disappointing me. On the other hand, I disagree that what you described is the trend in clubs. The market will hit equilibrium one way or another when it comes to famous DJs, and to be frank, the majority of the clubs in the city still have local schmos spinning every night. Just not the clubs the people on this board usually go to.

6. Who financially is effected more by high priced admissions...males, females or both? Depending on the crowd, either both or females. If it's a "meat market" type crowd, then females know they can get their drinks bought for them and the only thing standing in the way is the admission price.

7. What is a great night out...is it music driven or a social scene or a combination of both?.... If you owned a nightclub, what would you do that perhaps the curent club owners aren't? Depends on the people; some are socially driven, some are music driven. Probably a lot more socially driven people, but once again, that probably is a little different than the board demographics.

8. What does "back to basics" mean to you? This is a dumb question.

CP, as for promoters, owners wouldn't bitch about them if they didn't fuck up so much. For an example, see Shelter who has consistently been overbooked by its promoters while the promoters haven't been paying their own proper fees, really screwing over the clubbing populace. I do know what it takes to throw a party, and I do realize that in a competitive market where this system is already in place, promoters are a necessary evil. However, when it comes to clubs, they still are middlemen who drive up prices. There's no denying that. There are some good promotion agencies in the city (i.e. RobPromotions) and some shadier ones (i.e. SOE, and they're not even close to the shadiest), but they are required to get big name DJs around here as long as the market stays competitive and already has them in place. We realize that and club owners realize that, and if all club owners were to join a coalition, get their own in-house promoters, and swear off the use of private promoters, then most of you guys would be out of business. Unfortunately, that presents a prisoners dilemma: while it would be better for everyone to do so, everyone else would lose out if even one owner still keeps using private promoters. This makes it unfeasible. Thus, we're stuck with an inefficient system that drives up prices somewhat keeps you in your job. There's really no need to get high and mighty here. If you want to explain your viewpoints, we'll accept that, but if you're going to whine for appreciation, take it to someone who cares. Which you would be hard pressed to find.

[ender84]

1. Would more people come out if the price of admission was lower?

~ umm.. yea!!!!

2. Because of the economy, the stock market, lay offs and the 11th etc., has money become tighter in a sense that people are more selective as to the night or nights they go out clubbing?

~no, not really, not for me at least

3. Can a nightclub do well without promoters if the price of admission was lowered to a reasonable entrance charge?

~yes.. a nightclub can do well w/o promoters as long as its not only profit driven.

4. What would be a reasonable charge if the price of admission was lowered?

~resonable charge? am I the only one that cringes when they have to pay more than 15$? It might be just me, but I feel more comfortable in small overpacked plaves with local schmoes playing everynight and, they usually charge a lot less than 15$

5. Has the industry become a runaway train in that every nightclub seems to grab on to the next trend by seeking out these international dj's that charge an absolutely insane fee. This insane fee forces the nightclubs to raise the price of admission where upon the end result is you the customer pays for it. Regardless of the cost to enter, would you still go?

~as I said, I dont like music for the masses. of course theres a few exceptions which I wouldnt mind spending 50$ on.

6. Who financially is effected more by high priced admissions...males, females or both?

~?

7. What is a great night out...is it music driven or a social scene or a combination of both?.... If you owned a nightclub, what would you do that perhaps the curent club owners aren't?

~ok... Im new to the club scene.. heh.. not even 21, but I went to some big clubs... and its not me. I prefer a more social scene. I wish Halcyon would have a small ass dance floor. Maybe in that hallway down to the bathroom... lol.. it would be nice to get your ass of that couch and dance. Another thing I like there, its the music. you hear stuff from back in 80's to the newest cutting edge trance, and it all fals together. Noone cares why you came there, who you are with, or what clothes you wear. yes, thats what I wish for in a club.... Halcyon with a dance floor ;p

and now for the small bitch session : )

just b/c ur 25 doesnt mean ur smarter than me. I dont care how many clubs u promoted, and stop gloating about it, no one cares. Your a promoter... u promote for the masses... the small clubs that exist just b/c of an idea, or music do fine w/o you. he asked for an opinion, not ur fing resume. This is why I dont go to big clubs....tired of assholes. I also cant stand all the fucking flyers on the sidewalks... noone bothers to read them. People that dont know shit just go off to exit anyway, and the others dont need a damn flyer.

ok... Im done now

[brickhouse]

Originally posted by ender84

just b/c ur 25 doesnt mean ur smarter than me. I dont care how many clubs u promoted, and stop gloating about it, no one cares. Your a promoter... u promote for the masses... the small clubs that exist just b/c of an idea, or music do fine w/o you. he asked for an opinion, not ur fing resume. This is why I dont go to big clubs....tired of assholes. I also cant stand all the fucking flyers on the sidewalks... noone bothers to read them. People that dont know shit just go off to exit anyway, and the others dont need a damn flyer.

ok... Im done now

I don't think he was talking about the proles. He was talking about the promoters who book the events, not the clubkids they hire to give out flyers for the cost of free admission.

Anyway, there are some really great promoters out there. One example would be Viktor from Tronic Treatment. He manages to get some of the biggest names in the world to play at tiny ass Baktun every Monday night, and it still only costs 3 bucks to get in. Unfortunately, that's the exception and not the rule.

[maximman]

1. Would more people come out if the price of admission was lower?

I don't know if i'd go to a party just b/c it was cheaper than the next. It's more like "oh wow, it's only $20 tonite, GREAT!" But a lower entrance fee WOULD give me the opportunity maybe hit up multiple clubs in one night. That would be a good thing.

2. Because of the economy, the stock market, lay offs and the 11th etc., has money become tighter in a sense that people are more selective as to the night or nights they go out clubbing?

Yes and No. I have become more selective about the parties that i go to, but not because of the money issue. The whole scene in general is pretty stale right now. Before, I could pick any Friday/Saturday nite and find a great party somewhere, but it's hard to do that now.

3. Can a nightclub do well without promoters if the price of admission was lowered to a reasonable entrance charge?

Like I said before, I wouldn't go to a party just b/c it's cheaper than the next. You need a REASONABLE number of promoters to help get the word out on your party, especially is you're looking for a select TYPE of persons to attend. It's like advertising on TV or the radio, you pick the station, channel, show, time slot appropriate for your product. Not to get too into this, but that's be like PIZZA HUT saying, "WE GOT PIZZA FOR $1!!!!!" and expecting people to run to PIZZA HUT for the $1 pizza w/o having ANY idea what kind it is. Same deal. Sure you'll get the few "WOW! a $1 PIZZA!" people, but ultimately, the goal of a club is to make money and those aren't the type of people you want in your club. ENOUGH on that topic.

4. What would be a reasonable charge if the price of admission was lowered?

I remember when regular nites used to be $20 and then $15 on guestlist or sometimes even cheaper. I doubt that we'll ever see a decent sized party for less than $25 ever again. NOTE: this is for the larger commercial clubs only, I know a few parties that charge $5-$10 and you'll get GREAT MUSIC, NICE VIBE, etc.. etc..

5. Has the industry become a runaway train in that every nightclub seems to grab on to the next trend by seeking out these international dj's that charge an absolutely insane fee. This insane fee forces the nightclubs to raise the price of admission where upon the end result is you the customer pays for it. Regardless of the cost to enter, would you still go?

Simple economics my friend, SUPPLY AND DEMAND. If the people want them, and the last guy made a killing with "SAID DJ" then everyone and their grandma will run to catch the next CROWD PLEASER. As for me, it all depends on how much I like the DJ. If it's someone I really dig, then i'm there (i'll even pay the higher fee).

6. Who financially is effected more by high priced admissions...males, females or both?

Not to be sexes or anything, but seriously, I usually see the guys covering the ladies at the door. But that's just from what I see.

7. What is a great night out...is it music driven or a social scene or a combination of both?.... If you owned a nightclub, what would you do that perhaps the curent club owners aren't?

I usually found that good music brings out the best in people and everyone gets along great. If the music's bad, then I'll just try and strike up a conversation with someone random and see where it goes from there. Overall though, it's the music. The second part of this question is just, woah... TOO broad... i'll leave that up to the other people to write in.

8. What does "back to basics" mean to you?

PLUR~~~ :laugh:

Seriously, none of this nonsene that I'm seeing in the rest of this thread... it HAS become a pissing contest with everyone claiming that they've been around for so and so years and used to go clubbing back in the day when so so club was the place to be. I'll be the first to admit that I used to be somewhat of a music snob, but hey, I won't get into an real serious arguements with you over it... i've got my tastes, and you've got yours. I'll try to convince you that you're wrong and I'm right, but that's how people are.

To answer the question: RELAX. Music is supposed to be soothing to the soul, not make you want to curse and scream at each other.

So once again i say, PLUR~~~~~~ hahah...