Jump to content
Clubplanet Nightlife Community

WHY HOUSE NIGHTS DIE


Guest Sela V

Recommended Posts

Guest Darwin Castillo

"Instead of maybe serving juice, water or food, some of these owners want the people to get sloppy drunk," says DJ Izrael of chicagohouseradio.com. A lot of people know that many Househeads don't drink - they like to dance. But to owners, dancing doesn't add up to revenue for their club.

Quoted from [ftp=ftp://http://www.5chicago.com/features/102005/housenights.html]http://www.5chicago.com/features/102005/housenights.html [/ftp]

Thats so true... people now are all about the drinks and not about the music. When are we going to throw a garage party with a venue of all the florida residents (half hour sets). Just a party for the music, huh? ;D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest pod

It all comes down to the revenue. Rent/mortgage, power, payroll, taxes, permits, maintenance, DJ fees, etc...ya gotta pay for it somehow.

Some interesting thoughts in the article, though some portions seemed like overidealistic whinging and complaining. "Build it and they will come?" Yeah, that'll work.

The article did outline the perpetual conflict between owners and promoters/DJs though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Darwin Castillo

But as Miss Kittin said once on an interview, its not about the money or how much u make (as a dj) but about the music and playing for the people. Dj's forgot and forget this little thing that made them who they are. Let's play for the people at a rinkie dink club and have fun ey!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest pod

If that's what they wanna do, then that's fine by me! At least she understands her market. I

A lot of DJs and promoters don't...they think they can take over the Space main room on their first outing. You gotta learn how to walk first before you can run.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest coach

"Instead of maybe serving juice, water or food, some of these owners want the people to get sloppy drunk," says DJ Izrael of chicagohouseradio.com. A lot of people know that many Househeads don't drink - they like to dance. But to owners, dancing doesn't add up to revenue for their club.

Quoted from [ftp=ftp://http://www.5chicago.com/features/102005/housenights.html]http://www.5chicago.com/features/102005/housenights.html [/ftp]

Thats so true... people now are all about the drinks and not about the music.

And what? You expect the club owners to just open up their joints and let everyone come dance for free? They just pay the rent/utilities/payroll out of their own pocket?

I don't know about the rest of you, but anytime I go out, *especially* if I get in with no cover charge, I always try to get a few drinks for me and my girl. And not some cheap-ass Bud Light, but we usually drink martinis or mixed drinks. Because we understand that the people running the club have to make a living, too. It may be all about supporting the music, but the ONLY meaningful way to do that is with dollars.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest pod

rAmen!

Supporting is one thing, but in my mind support construes doing "something" for the night or the scene. The biggest issue with some house nights I've noticed is the comparative lack of bar traffic...go and get a drink or two!

And this guy going off about house and liquor being a bad combination? You can't sell E at the bar, ya know. Plus the venue has to make money. You could do the party sans a proper venue, but at some point, that becomes problematic.

Again, some valid points, but the rest sounded like typical whining.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest coach

Again, some valid points, but the rest sounded like typical whining.

Ha ha! I was thinking the exact same thing. And then there is this...

"One of the worst partnerships that ever happened to House music was liquor," says Loftis. He feels that when back in the '80s people were there for the music, and any substances that may have been around were simply music enhancers. Now it's all about the bar sales, and how much the bar owners can get the clientele to drink.

What a bunch of nonsense! Like back in the 80s there was some moratorium placed on paying rent! BS, those places had to pay their bills or go out of business, too, just today. Now maybe they weren't making their money on alcohol, but they were making it on *something*.

And here is my deal, why do people assume that house music nights should be successful? Especially in the big clubs like he was mentioning. Maybe house music just isn't that popular. Maybe there isn't the market to support multiple big clubs of house music per night. Just because HE likes the music, it does not follow that everyone else will, too. Maybe house music nights just fail because there is not the market to support them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest rhythmburn

I would be willing to put in my own money to throw something for the people, with no expectation of financial return....

Just for the love =)

If enough people thought this way -- something special could come from it...

~~rb~~

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Darwin Castillo

Yeah yeah yeah, its true, everyone has to get paid. The club, the electricity, the liquor, yeah I get it, but sometimes people dont like or want to drink, then what?

I think its more the idea of a dj who starts getting fame and forgets the idea of just playing for the people. It happens and it sux but what can u do.

Half hour sets for the masses!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest pod

Half-hour set? That's what, 5 tracks? Unless you are Bad Boy Bill.

I would love to open a venue with no expectation of financial return for my friends to play at, but I'm not in that sort of position right now.

Back in "the day" there was the Loft parties in New York City run by David Mancuso. Essentially invite-only house parties, there was no real financial layout since the event was at David's apartment, and it was essentially a rent party. David was an extreme audiophile though, so any excess dollars went to the best in sound equipment of the day. (http://www.mickmusicpage.net/)

What I'm basically saying is that if you want an event for the music, throw a house party. Don't expect to do it in a club.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest ramon

rAmen!

Supporting is one thing, but in my mind support construes doing "something" for the night or the scene. The biggest issue with some house nights I've noticed is the comparative lack of bar traffic...go and get a drink or two!

And this guy going off about house and liquor being a bad combination? You can't sell E at the bar, ya know. Plus the venue has to make money. You could do the party sans a proper venue, but at some point, that becomes problematic.

Again, some valid points, but the rest sounded like typical whining.

sounds like the bit of about the hacienda from 24 hour party people.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Darwin Castillo

What I'm basically saying is that if you want an event for the music, throw a house party. Don't expect to do it in a club.

What about a warehouse party. There are some by the art district that u cant rent out. ;D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest ramon

What I'm basically saying is that if you want an event for the music, throw a house party. Don't expect to do it in a club.

What about a warehouse party. There are some by the art district that u cant rent out. ;D

those are hella fun .. i did a few of those and i really enjoyed them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest pod

What about a warehouse party. There are some by the art district that u cant rent out. ;D

There's the word. Rent. That costs money. Unless you're a nice guy who can afford that sort of thing and do it for free, at least a little bit of your party will be influenced by monetary concerns. Therefore, you have to sell something at your party. Something being beer or liquor.

You could do it extra-legally but that's quite risky and could end up costing you a lot in the long run.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest coach

I would be willing to put in my own money to throw something for the people, with no expectation of financial return....

Right on, dude, you rock! Must be nice being rich. Just let me know when and where and I am there. I mean, I do my best to support my peeps, but I ain't made out of money. A free party is nice every now and then.

But I'm not sure how this is related to the point of the article, that it is hard to make a House music night work at a club?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest pod

See what they're really getting at in the article is a house night in the sense of classic or deep house.

My thoughts are a little more widespread. Space on Saturdays is technically a house night. And it works. crobar on Fridays is a house night...and it works. It may not be the house of Frankie Knuckles or the house of Larry Levan, but it is house in the broad sense of the word.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest coach

Yeah yeah yeah, its true, everyone has to get paid. The club, the electricity, the liquor, yeah I get it, but sometimes people dont like or want to drink, then what?

Good point, then what? What do YOU think should be done to pay the bills? I mean, we could go back to charging everyone cover. I'm not a big fan of that idea, though. I mean, I am by no means a big drinker, so I understand where you are coming from. Heck, sometimes I'll end up leaving a half-finished drink when I leave. But I don't think of it as drinking to drink, I think of it as supporting my favorite DJs and bartenders and sweep-up girls and even the club owners. If everybody thought that way, then House music nights would not be in trouble.

I think its more the idea of a dj who starts getting fame and forgets the idea of just playing for the people. It happens and it sux but what can u do.

Wow, I think I must have totally misread that article because I really thought it was about how hard it is for house music nights to make it in Chicago because of lack of attendance and lack of bar sales.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest coach

See what they're really getting at in the article is a house night in the sense of classic or deep house.

My thoughts are a little more widespread. Space on Saturdays is technically a house night. And it works. crobar on Fridays is a house night...and it works. It may not be the house of Frankie Knuckles or the house of Larry Levan, but it is house in the broad sense of the word.

Yeah, I always thought of Space on Saturdays as house and it seems to be doing a bit more than ok. And I thought the deep house party that Aquabooty does at Nocturnal does fine. I realize the article was primarily about the house scene in Chicago. Although, honestly, I still can't make out what the exact point was, aside from whining that for some vague reason not all of the house nights make it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...