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Karmic Justice
Some of you have no doubt noticed I have been distinctly unhappy at the bullshit I have had to deal with from recent topless bar managers. Excuse me if it seems like I have been unduly plaintive.
But Karma is on my side. Saturday I went out to two of the clubs I had trouble working in, and it was great to see how bad things have gotten in them both. Read on, my friends, and behold the rewards of ignorance.
The biggest problem I had with the last club was their new music policy, leading me to write in total frustration, on this forum, thinking you--my fellow artistic type people, might sympathize: "they have failed utterly to consider the feelings of the women who have to DANCE to this stuff".
When I wrote that bit, I was working in this club which, at the height of slow season, and with a predominantly youthful clientele, at times literally demanding new and upbeat music, laid down the strictest format I have ever seen or heard of, requiring me to play:
3 "Classic" rock songs
1 "Modern" rock song
1 top 40 song
1 dance song
Repeat
Regardless of who was sitting at the stage, how much money they had just spent or were prepared to spend, and what they, the CUSTOMERS, wanted to hear.
I love that "repeat" bit.
Perhaps you might be able to comprehend the nature of my dilemma if I added the fact that "Modern" rock was considered to be anything after 1985. And nothing too "heavy", all music played had to be "upbeat", or "happy".
NO Metallica, for Christ sake. NO Godsmack. NO Alice in Chains. NO Tool. NO Type O Negative.
NO Kid Rock. NO Limp biskit. NO White Zombie. NO Korn. NO Marylin Manson. NO fucking Disturbed!
And sure as shit, NO fucking Enigma.
My manager managed to control his cocaine induced spasms long enough to call me on that little phone in a rage when I tried that, even though the crowd was lining the stage throwing money at the woman who was actually enjoying herself for a change, God forbid.
Furthermore, even their definition of "classic" rock had additional limitations, beyond that of being songs from before most of the dancers were born.
NO Rolling Stones. NO ZZ Top. NO Doors.
I forget what else, and I'm getting tired of typing the word NO.
But wait, I forgot. When I tried playing Mariah Carey's "Fantasy", or "Heartbreaker", the guy comes running over, incensed that I was playing "rap", which, by his definition, was anything with lyrics that rhymed. I refrained from telling him that included anything put out
after the Mayflower got here, for fear of further straining my precarious position.
Oh, but I was encouraged to include "Play That Funky Music White Boy" for those dancers who might be unprofessional enough to want something besides Van Halen.
I forgot, NO Techno, except after 1:30, and NO more than 2 songs a night.
I had customers, waving money in my face, literally begging me to play music which they, the dancers, and I would have loved nothing better than to have put on, but was strictly forbidden to play. Not allowed. Every time the manager heard a song he didn't like, regardless of our clientele's mood, composition, or desire to spend freely if I played something decent, the little phone would ring.
"WAH", my ass...
I wanted to break the fucking guy's jaw, if he could stop it from twitching long enough.
Well, I didn't, but I'm not there anymore, and when I went there last night, I noticed that neither were all but 3 of the good-looking dancers anymore, out of about 40 we had before, ready to go when season hit.
NO Diamond, NO Chloey, NO Morgan, NO Misty, NO Jenna, NO Candi, NO Faith, NO Sacha, NO Erika, NO Hunter, NO Raven, NO Playful, NO--well, you get the idea...
A girl was crying hysterically outside the front door, bleeding like a stuck pig, begging customers not to go in, with the manager right inside, afraid to come out and at least wipe off her face. I, who no longer worked there, had to take care of her.
Anyone who actually works in this business, will no doubt understand why I had to give notice at that place. Those who, in this business, do not work...
How about you try forcing a woman, who has made 30$ all night, to dance to music she HATES, and the customers have NO desire to hear, to please a manager whose three remaining brain cells are so coke-damaged he couldn't even subtract 21 from 2003 so he could check IDs when the bouncer got sick.
I gave up, and sorry to bitch about it in the process, but now I have a much better job at a new club.
I find it amusing indeed to see how those who violate the laws of Karma eventually get their due...
Djoser
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Re: Karmic Justice
Djoser, I have a great respect for a Dj who stands up for the girls, and what they need to hear while performing....... I am a metal head, and went round and round with clubs about no metallica no zombie, ect ect....
I have had customers pay me to dance to metal, get the Dj and myself reemed a new asshole, but we kept them, and myself happy........
Your right, it will come back around to you also though, in a good way..
I always took care of my Dj's who took care of me.........
I wish you the best in your new club......
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Re: Karmic Justice
Lot's of clubs that I have been in nowadays seem to be hellbent on restricting music format. they are afraid that it attracts the wrong element or the older guys won't like it.
With many clubs having metal detectors as in Houston that can minimize the chance of a shootout. And with airtravel down due to companies cutting down business travel if a club is trying to get the rockers and hip hoppers out, they may find they have very few customers left. if they want to boost their bottom line with the local crowd they should set up more tip friendly seating, do $1 dances randomly and run2/1s or buy a dance and get a free drink type promos.
The most fun clubs according to my fiancee who rarely will stay in a club beyond one drink are Prince Machiavelli in El Paso and Hi-Liter in Phoenix. he is in his late 30's and loves R&B old school music but is ok with hip hop. hi-liter has about 25-30 girls of all races working and they do one song per set. Two girls might play R&B then 2 classic and new rock, then 1 Hip Hop, then 1 alternative and so on. Prince is the same way but 2 song sets. girls dance to what they want but both clubs have pretty girls and the music and ethnicity of the girls is so mixed up that if you don't like two songs, the next 2 might be a genre you enjoy which keep guys in the club longer.
When a girl is on stage for 3 songs and the music is all tecno or house it is boring and won't peak the guys interest.
Those 2 clubs I mentioned have a very mixed crowd, all types of customers and the dances are reasonable at $10 and the girls constantly walk the floor asking for dances so that pretty much everygirl working will approach every guy.
Don't most club owners understand the viability of this concept?
The club doesn't need you Djoser if you can't run the show. Why not use a jukebox?
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Re: Karmic Justice
Tina, if I ever open a club, I want you as manager. But you have to dance, too.
Djoser
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Re: Karmic Justice
I really respect the fact that you stand up for the dancers. Geez, the manager should realize that what sells, isnt' based on what he thinks, but from what he observes from the dancers and customers.
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Re: Karmic Justice
Thanks, Cinammonkisses (what a splendid name)
You will appreciate this, then, at the height of Race Week, when even the worst-run clubs should be slamming, Hannah told me tonight was far from crowded there. Even though it is right in the party district.
The manager was screaming at the new girls, two of whom were in tears. She was one of the three remaining cute girls there, and is quitting this weekend to join me at the new club.
There was more, but she will tell you herself. You all will love Hannah, the Wild Irish Rose, who has recently joined.
Djoser
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Re: Karmic Justice
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Re: Karmic Justice
Hi everybody,
I'm totally new to this foum. I'm a friend of Djoser, also known as Sacha. I was woking at Molly Bown's for a while. I totally did not like it because I was not making any money. And to me as a foreigner when you want to make big bucks in the USA I was totally disappointed. I also got conned by this gil, who'm I thought was a friend. The past weeks I was helping her out but she saw me as a ATM machine. I finally could not take it anymore and moved out, find myself anothe club. And finally I'm happy.
The music restrictions suck at Molly's. And I can only dance on music I like. Not all that American country shit they'e playing.
Well I'll be talking to youy all.
ZAZA
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Re: Karmic Justice
Djoser, Your keyboard sucks BTW
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Lol, nice to hear from someone in my neck of the woods, zaza.
Pamela ;)
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Re: Karmic Justice
Djoser, with he proper financial backing you sound like the type ofperson who could run a good club.
As a DJ in the right kind of club where you can "do your thing" you'll probably get good tips from most of the dancers as you are key in helping to sell us to the crowd.
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Re: Karmic Justice
Thanks Tina,
At the club before last I did very well, as the manager let me have total artistic freedom, even if he did have the whole place wired for sound (even the DJ booth--he was ex army intelligence--I used to beat on the wall where the bug was), and took the dressing room videos home to watch.
Always 10%, which a lot of DJs in Daytona do not get. But I had a policy that if the dancer had a bad night, she didn't have to tip me. I would give it backto them if they tried, sometimes we would fight over it, LOL. This meant I got more when they did well, because they liked me!
Its funny, I was there tonight, partly to tell the dancers about the new club (carefully--he would have told me to leave immediately). They were glad to see me and bitching about the DJs they had there. It was so nice to see some of my old favorites, including a few I hadn't seen in a long time!
After a while the manager told me to stop talking to the girls, and when I (nicely) told him I was deliberately staying up front with the bouncer for that very reason, he got mad and stormed off in a huff, LOL. Jesus, I really was trying to be cool about it! So I just left, without telling them about the club--but a couple know so word will spread.
Your esteem is reciprocated, we should open a chain of clubs, eh?
Djoser