Sir William Welles’ Nocturnal Diary

Greetings my dear Gothings!

Let me first start off by saying: HO-LEE-SHIT!!! Did anyone catch the license plate number of that party that hit me last Sunday night?!? If there ever was a once-a-year, must-go-to, can’t-miss-this, party in our scene, The Bank Reunion at Club Element this past Sunday night night was it! Virtually everyone in the scene (and then some) attended this colossal shin-dig enmasse, and I have never (in my few years covering the Goth Culture) seen an event this crowded before 11pm! Maybe coming at a close second would be the Bi-Annual SMack! parties, when it was held at the same venue.

From what I heard on the streets, it was estimated to have been approximately 1,200 people in and out of the event over the course of the entire 6 hour evening! At around 12:30am it got so crowded that it was close to impossible to get around, let alone move floor to floor. Moreover, since the venue’s management underestimated the turnout, they failed to employ the proper number of bar-staff, thus resulting in up to a half an hour wait for a drink! At one point, when I was feeling somewhat parched, I simply bought two drinks just to save myself the wait of the next one…smart, huh? And speaking of drinks, the one major gripe everyone had upon their lips that night was the venue’s elevated dink costs. To put it into perspective, they had a Blood Bath drink special…nothing shocking there…but the drink (special) price was $7.00! uh…anywhere else in the scene that would be the normal asking price of a Blood Bath! What was so special??? Mixed drinks, I overheard, were in the $10 to $12 dollar range and above…ouch! And the beers started at $6.00(ish). maybe in hindsight actually was beneficial to your wallet to wait more than a half an hour to get your next drink!

O.k., so the overcrowding and the expensive drinks are really the only negative elements of the night. Other than that, this event was amazing!!! Truth be told, Club Element has one of, if not the, best sound systems in a club, in our scene. Did you know that in the lower level, known as “The Vault,” in those small sectioned off rooms between the bar and dance floor, the speakers on the wall each have a volume control knob that you can adjust?!? That is too cool!!! Check it out when I host Ravenholm in The Vault on October 15th…but I digress. Those getting an extra kick of the state-of-the-art sound system were, of course, the DJs. The impressive, and reunited  DJ list included: Ian Fford, Rob Xian, Patrick, Cyn, Hellraver, Krieg, and Father Jeff; each of them concentrating on pure Goth classics. The dance floor was swaying with bodies in unison like a snake under the hypnotic charm of a Fakir…and although the DJs all look very serious and focused as they toiled at their craft, they were undoubtedly loving every last luscious minute of their sets!

The thing I enjoyed most however was how low-key the event was (in form). Let me explain: The upstairs (main) area of Club Element tends to want to be rather ultra-posh and glamorous…something we Goths tend to shy or claw away from, that is why we prefer “The Vault” downstairs. On Sunday, however, the lighting and atmosphere, although crowded, was held constant and not flashy, which was a very welcomed detail. The only other thing I (and a lot of the Goth crowd) wish the promoters would have done was enforce at least an “all black minimum” dress code. I know that they were trying to lure those who have drifted away from the scene, and it goes very well with our “September is…Reintroduce a former Goth to the scene Month,” but some of those people could have made the slightest of effort. Hell! I even saw one guy in a red, white, and blue Hawaiian shirt!!! Really?!? Waddayagonnadoo? Those who did dress the part really did go all out to look impeccable! I still don’t understand how Shien Lee, organizer/promoter of Dances of Vices, got around in that stunning Victorian dress.

With the success of the Bank Reunion attempt, I am not sure if the promoters will wait another 10 years to have another installment or have it become a yearly event (the Club Element management would be fools not to slot this event for next year’s Labor Day Sunday, and more after that), which I would deem as a very wise thing to do! Maybe it is not just a Bank reunion…but a Bank comeback…think about it.

See you in the Dark!
Sir William Welles 

Greetings my dear Gothlings!

Wow, it has been a long time since I reviewed a goth club event, but with this nifty new blog of mine here, I figured I’d start to do so again! I will go back to re-review the first club night that I…well…reviewed: Necromantic.

Now, as most of you (should) know, the entire idea/concept behind your be-love-ed New Goth City was a suggestion given to me by the lovely Francine Devi, who is the promoter/organizer behind Necromantic. She gave me the idea (for which I will forever be grateful for) exactly two years ago at a Necromantic night when it was held every Friday night at the (now moved) Knitting Factory on Leonard Street in Tribeca. After some failed new venue attempts at The Annex and Le Poisson Rouge, Francine found a new home for Necromantic at The Bowery Poetry Club, which was a rather curious choice to me, but at least it was in Gothtown! The venue choice seemed odd to me because the Bowery poetry Club was…just that…a poetry club, complete with a coffee bar at the front, a full bar in the back, art hanging on the walls, chairs for an audience, and a stage. Now while poetry readings and shows like the BadAss Burlesque (who doesn’t list with me, why? Don’t know) are quite successful there, I did recall the dreaded Dead Heaven incident.

Dead Heaven was a popular Goth/Fetish event run by Victor Auton who also runs Berlin and several other amazing special events. After Dead Heaven parted ways with the venue M1-5, Victor tried to place his event at the Bowery Poetry Club, on the same night of Salvation’s anniversary party! Big Mistake…but that’s Victor for you…never afraid of big competition. The Bowery Poetry Club’s main room was gutted of its chairs and there was an issue of setting up the DJ table on stage or in the usual crow’s nest across and above the bar. The place was indeed an ill fit for the event. The turn-out was low. The only advantage Dead Heaven had was that it was an 18+/21+ to drink event (Funny story: I was writing in my black leather man-purse/notebook at the Dead Heaven @ The Bowery Poetry Club when this this cute girl wearing a collar started talking to me, asking what I was writing in my book. As our conversation progressed I learned that she was barely 18, goes to college in the city, that this is her first fetish styled party, and she likes being a submissive (spanky-spanky), and likes kinky sex. GULP!!! Moving on…) Needless to say, Dead Heaven didn’t happen there again. I miss Dead Heaven…it was a fun party in a sort of spanky-spanky sort of way.

Back to Necromantic: So, suffice it to say, I was a bit taken aback when Francine submitted her new venue info on newgothcity.com! “Really?!? The Bowery Poetry Club.” I asked. She informed me that she had run out of options and this place was at least willing to offer her the first Saturday of the month slot…a coveted and juicy slot indeed. Moreover, she was was determined to at least give it a shot. Fair enough.

The first Necromantic at the Bowery Poetry Club happened on the first weekend in June. Now, the one thing Francine has, whether she knows it or not, is a huge following. I’m even one of that flock. Personally, I think that she is selling herself a bit short by holding Necromantic in such small venues. I strongly believe that she should seek out more medium sized venues (think Don Hill’s (but NOT Don Hill’s!) but not as big as M1-5). With that said, I will admit that she had no problem filling up the newly acquired space.

The music and scene at Necromantic is, of course, stellar! When you get DJs Patrick, Aengel, Templar, and Father Jeff, all together at a single event, you know you are going to hear and dance to the finest Goth music around! Francine went through great pains to secure such an impressive line-up of Djs for a continuous monthly event. I will even repeat what I wrote in my original review and state that Necromantic is actually the purest Goth event in our scene. The event’s focus is solely on the music and has a simple and even minimalistic edge to it. Refreshingly so.

The next Necromantic will be this Saturday on the 5th, and will also be the third one in the Bowery Poetry Club. The only gripe I have with the event is that the start time is at Midnight because the venue likes to squeeze in a show beforehand, which, like most every other show or performance, runs late. The last time I went to Necromantic in August I made the mistake of showing up too early at 11pm and was treated to the tail end of a performance by this Brooklyn Jewish hipster rapping comedic hip-hop rhymes wearing a black cape and a sparkly purple jumpsuit…I can’t make this shit up! Unfortunately, by the time Necromantic gets in gear (the door people who are employed by the venue are a bit slow in their process, thus creating a slight queue) there is only but a few precious hours left to enjoy for the $8.00/$10.00 admission price.

In my honest opinion, Necromantic is, and will always be, a fantastic Goth club event, weekly, monthly, or otherwise. New Goth City was born from it! I sincerely wish that Francine continues to canvas for a slightly larger space that will give her a steady Saturday 9/10pm slot that it deserves and allowing the event to evolve. But until that time comes, you should experience every last treasured minute Necromantic has to offer, no matter where or when it is held. This event, any favoritism aside, along with some other events, is the core of the Goth scene in this city, and while maybe it is not the longest running, biggest, or even the most elaborate event on the block…it is, again, the purest to the scene. Make it a staple on your social calendar!

One last (and awesome) story about Necromantic I simply must share with you is this: when Necromantic was back in the Taproom of the Knitting Factory, it used to be an (if not the only) 18+/21+ to drink party around, and it started at 11pm.  For those who’ve been there will remember the large double doors that separate the Taproom from the hallway housing the stairs and restrooms. I stepped out to use said restrooms and was distracted by an acquaintance stopping me to say hello and catch up on the latest scene happenings. That’s when I noticed, leaning against the wall next to the flyer bulletin board, a short, thin, middle aged man who look so out of place there I was even uncomfortable for him! He was just standing there waiting, for what I did not know. Suddenly, emerging from the double doors beside me was a cute little Gothling that was clearly under 21 years old, and she ran up to this man. What I overheard was this: “Daddy, can I stay just a bit longer? I’m having such a good time in there!” to which the man replied, “Ok. I’ll give you another hour.” With that the girl gave her father a peck on the cheek. My heart simply melted! Here was a man who drove his daughter into the city to a Goth club populated by (maybe by his perspective) people dressed like freaks, on a Friday night, patiently waiting for his daughter just outside the club while she danced and enjoyed the darkness, and granted her an extra hour of merriment at 12:30am! The man’s daughter excitedly ran past me to return into the Taproom to enjoy her bonus hour of her Gothic outing. After seeing this, I couldn’t help myself from excusing myself from the conversation with my acquaintance and going over to the father to shake his hand and compliment him on what a kind and understanding father he was. He, in turn, offered me a puzzled smile and we just left it as that. I just thought it really cool of this father to be so supportive of his young Goth daughter that he would sacrifice his time for her sake…very rare.

See you in the Dark!
Sir William Welles