In The Top 10 Things NOT To Do at The Gay Club I gave a nice, short list of things every responsible party person should know and abide by. Rules that make partying more fun and easy for everyone involved.
But nightlife isn't about saying "No," now is it? No it isn't! Nightlife is about saying YES YES YES (preferably screaming this, to be honest). And so today I am doing a 180 with yet another informative list for your consumption, studying, and following. In this list I have laid out for you 10 things you SHOULD do at The Gay Club. It will enhance your experience, and it will make nightlife better for all of us!
If you have any, be sure to comment and let me know!
The Top 10 Things to ABSOLUTELY Do at The Gay Club
10. DO read the promos for the party. Any promoter who is any good at what they do has a weekly theme at their parties. And they print this theme on a pretty promo card they put on Facebook. READ THESE PROMOS CAREFULLY. On them you'll often find drink specials, surprise performers, offers to get in free or reduced, the location, contests and competitions that will be going down. If you just walk into a bar with your friends, ask around if there's a theme, contest, or drink special. Chances are there are all of these things. And why pay more for booze when you can get drinks for free by wearing red?
9. DO embrace the theme. This connects to number 10. If the theme of the party includes YOU dressing up - do so! I've co-created parties with Alan Picus and BoiParty.com where we've had our guests dress in football gear, in colored shirts that corresponded with their relationship status, as divas for Halloween. For one, dressing according to theme often earns you free drinks or swag, and for two, it just makes the party more fun for everyone.
8. DO enter the contests. If there's a contest at a party, get your ass up on that stage! Chances are it's a Best Butt Contest. Or a Strip Tease Contest. Or a Sluttiest Slut Contest. Yes, I know, it's not that original, but these are the types of competitions that clubgoers enjoy. Here's the thing: most people at a party are very VERY shy. They will not enter the contest. So you have a great opportunity to win huge prizes (we promoters blow most of our budgets on prizes). I have given away free CDs, hundreds of dollars in cash and bar tabs, free tickets to concerts and movies and events. Plus, if no one enters the contest, it looks lame... usually resulting in a depressed drag queen killing time til the DJ goes back to spinning.
7. DO tip the go-go boys. It is a common, unfortunate understanding that only Creepy McCreepersons tip go-go boys. This is a tragic belief. We don't pay our go-go boys all that much money. They are working for tips. They're like waiters, except they are in their underwear and serving you a big ole plate of Booty Pop. So go up to them and say hi (they will be nice, because if they aren't nice, we fire them promptly). And then tip them! You can place the dollar in their underwear, or hand it to them if you're really concerned. But yes. Tip them. Your bartenders too. They will love you long time.
6. DO bring your friends. If you like the party you're going to, bring your friends! You could be on a garbage barge and have a blast so long as people you like are there with you. Plus, if you show up with a large group of people, promoters and club owners and hosts may take notice of you. I have seen people arrive with a full crew and approached them immediately. You may be offered a bottle hosting gig (where you show up with your friends, you ALL get in free, AND you get a free bottle of booze for the trouble). In nightlife, numbers are power. Show up with a gang of 20 and you'll be surprised at the hookups you get.
5. DO arrive early. I cannot stress this enough: gays love to get to parties late. If it starts at ten, it's considered fashionable and fierce to arrive after 12. This is the dumbest thing in the world. Promoters and bars have a hard time filling up early and so they STACK UP OFFERS early on to coax the gays in. Showing up early to a party can get you: open bars, free give-aways, free entry, personal one-on-one time with the promoters, etc. Plus, since everyone arrives late, lines wrap around the club after midnight. Arriving early means you'll get in fast, get your coat checked quicker, and begin partying. Sure, you may be alone - so bring friends with you. And soon enough everyone will start coming earlier, and everyone will be happy as gay clams.
4. DO have your birthday at your favorite party. Oh my gosh. Promoters, bars and clubs LOVE birthdays! Hell, at BoiParty.com, we have our own resident party planner for this express reason. If you are having a big gay bash for some special reason, let a promoter know. Again, the surge of swag will be staggering. Free booze. Free entry. Maybe a cake! Shout outs from the DJ! Access to the VIP to meet performers there that night. There is no end to it. And it will make you look like a damn superstar to your friends. So do it to it. SO much better than having it at TGIFridays or Applebees (those songs the waiters sing are terrible to begin with).
3. DO be patient. If you're at an awesome party, you're going to experience a few bumps in the road and a few waiting periods (especially if you arrive gay late). Rest assured everyone at the party is working double-time to get you in, boozed up, and dancing. We have no interest in leaving you and your friends out in the cold (unless you're a shitty promoter with no one inside your party, and so have instructed your doorman to leave everyone waiting in the cold to make it LOOK like your event is packed). Our bartenders are doing the best they can. The DJ will get to your song request as soon as he can (they usually think three songs in advance, and I promise you they have other requests besides yours). And everyone is treated equally. You are all our guests. So take a deep breath, play on your phone a bit, and you will be attended to soon enough.
2. DO be friendly. If you see someone you think is cute, go say hey! And to those of you being approached, say hi back! Attitudes are such a party killer. And because of decades of bitchy queens with muscles, a lot of the party world has become anxious and full of fear of rejection. What fun is that? Can't we all just smile, be nice, and enjoy ourselves? I make it a habit of introducing EVERYONE I meet to EVERYONE I know. It's almost comical. I probably make about 500 introductions in a night. I am often made fun of for re-introducing people to each other (partly because I make so many intros, partly because I'm drunk). Always make introductions and grow your crew. The happier and more connected the crowd is, the better the party will be.
1. DO come back soon, ya hear?! If you like the party you've been to... come back again! Find out if it's weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, seasonally, whatever. And bring your friends. Ask the promoter if he has other parties, and then go check those out too. Much like you support an artist by buying their CDs or work, you support a promoter by going to their events. This will endear you to them. They will be more likely to recognize you, comp you, get you drinks, etc. Plus, again, it's just nice. If the promoter is a good one, they're working hard so you don't have to. The best way to pay them back is to pack their party so they look good to the bar owners and the press. A promoter would ask nothing more of you.
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And, again, that's it! Let me know if I've missed anything :) And I hope you found it helpful.
- Justin Luke
Thank you for this :) AC
ReplyDeleteAre gay clams something like coney island oysters?
ReplyDeleteTo expand upon #2 -- TREAT OTHERS AS YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE TREATED. Don't be a total bitch to someone just because they hit on you and they're not your type -- it doesn't make you look better to anyone else. Don't assume just because someone comes up to you, they're trying to hit on you. If you're an older guy and trying to hit on some cute younger guy, offer politely to buy them a drink, DON'T just grab their ass and ask if they're horny. Don't "assume" everyone shares your taste in men, or just because some guys think you're hot, everyone else will. Remember, anyone you reject has probably in turn rejected someone else who rejected someone who rejected YOU. It's what makes the world go round... and you can either help make it a pleasant and friendly go-round, or a bitchy, nasty, degrading go-round.
ReplyDeleteUmm, this read like a list of "what does the promoter want you to do at a club." But we want to see the list of things to do TO HAVE THE MOST FUN. in NYC, most of the jaded clubgoers just wanna dance week in and week out and don't pay attention to the theme. You don't wanna be the only fool who shows up dressed as Gaga.
ReplyDelete...and to expand upon DaveNY who was kind enough to ad his wisdom upon #2... DaveNY should add that - Equally tacky is when some young guy IMPOLITELY ASKS older guys to buy him drinks to garner the privilege of talking to him. Some need to take a reality check. This kind of tackiness erodes the Club's reputation as a place for fun. Some might do best to collect their unemployment checks BEFORE coming down to the Club and leaving their begging skills back at their dorms. Yeah, lets all help make it a pleasant and *friendly* go-round.
ReplyDeleteHaha! Too true, stinald! Jeez, I've had guys asking me to buy them drinks since I first came out at 22, because even in my young hottie days, I "looked" like someone who would have a lot of money (were that it were true!). At this point, my favorite rejection lines for solicited drinks are:
ReplyDelete"Wow, what a pity! I was JUST about to buy you one, but now that you've asked, it wouldn't be a surprise!"
"How about I buy you one AFTER you blow me? What? You're not a hooker? Then why are you acting like one?"
and, of course,
"Tell you what, why don't YOU get THIS round..."