The Decline of Clubbing?

“Youngsters drink less often, and frequently “pre-drink” when they do, guzzling cheap supermarket booze before going out. The average customer now quaffs just 1.8 drinks at Luminar’s clubs.”

Well gee, sorry if I can’t afford to pay almost $10 a drink on a night I’d like to party ontop of an already insane $25 cover charge. Yeah, I know those of us without a lot of money aren’t clubs nubmer one target but we are the people who fill the dance floor. Without us, the ballers won’t buy booths because the club will be empty.

lmaoo, I just pre drink because its been part of my routine since I was 16. I think its also the fact that for me anyway clubs are getting boring. I will only go out to a club now if I’m forced for a birthday or if I dj I know and like is in town anf gonna spin.

“The best clubs now offer comedy, live music and food in the day”

This is a good example of adapting toyour market. Waht else am I going to get from my club experience besides a top 40 dj with abc mixing? Is the club doing anythign different or unique that separates them from the competition. I just think that nowadays clubs should be doing more than what they have been in the past if they want to keep their customers coming back while still attracting new ones

J-Zed, post: 37549, member: 1486 wrote: It’s a reason I see so many small clubs being more popular than the large ones. Cheaper running costs for cheaper drinks and cheaper entrance fees, though that always isn’t the case. Sometimes I think the way of the super sized club is dying and the hole in the wall is having its rebirth. Personally, the small places are way more fun anyways.

>_> you sir have to stop reading peoples minds,it’s getting creepy.

Michael Lawrence, post: 37555, member: 856 wrote: but at the same time I do love being in a massive club packed with people. Just that feeling and energy you get from being surrounded by like mind people jammn to the same beat is unreal. Thats why I will always love guverment nightclub lmao but I agree being in a small more intimate space is ideal as well. Im kind of on the fence here lol

I haven’t bothered with Guvernment in almost a year now. My fave place in Toronto is still Comfort Zone, it’s the most simple place I’ve ever been to but the music is ALWAYS the best. It’s the same price for entry but if you go upstairs during drinking hours the prices are pretty decent, downstairs the water is a good price but they’ll give you cups of water for free however Gatorade is like $7 each. o.0

I can’t comment on the UK, but here in Chicago, this is what I see that adds to the decline:

1) Too many spaces that are all the same. Right now, if you want to hear mainstream music, get bottle service, and be around the typical melange of fake people and office folk out on the weekend, you have way too much choice. If you want a relaxed dress code, better music, and lower costs…then you’ll have an issue.

Every new space is cookie cutter. They hire some interior designer to make it all fancy, fill the staff with the club chicks that used to be all over town on the weekends, charge too much money for entry and drinks, and especially destroy the dance floor with booths. Not to mention the lack of diversity in music.

I’ll even add now how many non-club spots are adopting club thinking. My friend works at a Tilted Kilt, but on weekends they put on a DJ, light show, and try to get dancing happening. Um…it’s a breastaurant full of male customers. Hello? Dive bars and college bars are now putting in booths and offering bottle service. Everyone has gogo dancers. Where’s the diversity?

2) The Economy. People are unemployed, strapped for cash, etc. $20-$25 entry for unknown local DJs and $10 a drink is ridiculous.

3) Gender discrimination and racism. If you’re a slender pretty Caucasian girl, then the world is open to you. Doors open, covers are bypassed, and people hand you free drinks. It’s become so bad now that hot girls in packs now expect the free royalty treatment. That or they’re now all working for clubs.

On top of that, if you’re fat or thicker, then expect to wait outside. If you’re a man and not showing you have loads of money to spend, expect to wait outside. If you’re a minority…then expect some crap like a longer wait or other politics.

4) Festivals offer more. We’ve talked about it here on the forum. Many have chosen that $50-$100 ticket for a massive lineup of big names over the crap the clubs offer.

5) Plenty of booths, no dance floor.

6) The music is getting old. The Guetta/Harris sound is getting tired, but DJs are still stuck pumping crap because suits believe it makes money.

In all honesty, the only way clubs can fix all this is to simply abandon the Miami/Las Vegas bottle service glam thing. It’s tired and done. In the past we used to pay $10-$20 to get into a spot and dance for hours to good DJs playing good music. The clubs were not fashionable, but dark and dank…with a killer sound and light system. The new generation is sick of Jersey Shore wannabes all over and clubs acting like you’re worthless if you aren’t a trust fund baby or an aspiring model.

Let them die. It’s how new innovations are born. Let the era of bottle service glam corporate nightclubs die. Bring back the rave culture that ruled the scene.

D-Jam, post: 37559, member: 3 wrote: I can’t comment on the UK, but here in Chicago, this is what I see that adds to the decline:

1) Too many spaces that are all the same. Right now, if you want to hear mainstream music, get bottle service, and be around the typical melange of fake people and office folk out on the weekend, you have way too much choice. If you want a relaxed dress code, better music, and lower costs…then you’ll have an issue.

Every new space is cookie cutter. They hire some interior designer to make it all fancy, fill the staff with the club chicks that used to be all over town on the weekends, charge too much money for entry and drinks, and especially destroy the dance floor with booths. Not to mention the lack of diversity in music.

I’ll even add now how many non-club spots are adopting club thinking. My friend works at a Tilted Kilt, but on weekends they put on a DJ, light show, and try to get dancing happening. Um…it’s a breastaurant full of male customers. Hello? Dive bars and college bars are now putting in booths and offering bottle service. Everyone has gogo dancers. Where’s the diversity?

2) The Economy. People are unemployed, strapped for cash, etc. $20-$25 entry for unknown local DJs and $10 a drink is ridiculous.

3) Gender discrimination and racism. If you’re a slender pretty Caucasian girl, then the world is open to you. Doors open, covers are bypassed, and people hand you free drinks. It’s become so bad now that hot girls in packs now expect the free royalty treatment. That or they’re now all working for clubs.

On top of that, if you’re fat or thicker, then expect to wait outside. If you’re a man and not showing you have loads of money to spend, expect to wait outside. If you’re a minority…then expect some crap like a longer wait or other politics.

4) Festivals offer more. We’ve talked about it here on the forum. Many have chosen that $50-$100 ticket for a massive lineup of big names over the crap the clubs offer.

5) Plenty of booths, no dance floor.

6) The music is getting old. The Guetta/Harris sound is getting tired, but DJs are still stuck pumping crap because suits believe it makes money.

In all honesty, the only way clubs can fix all this is to simply abandon the Miami/Las Vegas bottle service glam thing. It’s tired and done. In the past we used to pay $10-$20 to get into a spot and dance for hours to good DJs playing good music. The clubs were not fashionable, but dark and dank…with a killer sound and light system. The new generation is sick of Jersey Shore wannabes all over and clubs acting like you’re worthless if you aren’t a trust fund baby or an aspiring model.

Let them die. It’s how new innovations are born. Let the era of bottle service glam corporate nightclubs die. Bring back the rave culture that ruled the scene.

I like number 4 cause I do the same. Especially since people are heading out to clubs less they can justify paying the price for the ticket to see their favourite artists perform. Its also somethign big to look forward too cause I normally by my ticket like a month or so in advance.

rjwhite41, post: 37572, member: 2565 wrote: No name djs shouldn’t whine about clubs having no name djs. Support each other guys. Besides, the bigger names aren’t necassarily better.

No-name DJs only complain when it seems the no-name DJ is forced to play a select playlist while other names get to play whatever they like.

Club patrons (non-DJs) complain only why they have to pay $20-$25 to enter the club when there isn’t any big name entertainment in the booth. In the past, people justified a higher cover because the club was paying a bigger price for a headliner. When you have a no-name DJ in the booth you know is only getting $50-$200 for a night, then you ask why 1000+ people have to pay $20 each to enter and then $10 a drink.

We can then talk of business, and how the investors have to recoup their investment, or how it keeps the “bad poor elements” out, or free market capitalism…but the market has spoken. Clubs are overpriced and under-delivering…so people move on. They go to dive bars, people’s homes, etc…and then spend the bigger money on the big festival or some clubbing holiday in another city (Miami, Ibiza, Vegas, etc.)

What does this say? Business people shouldn’t complain…but adapt. That’s how you do business. That means the multi-million dollar furniture layout and such might have to be scrapped for a hole in the wall with better music and lower prices.

D-Jam is spot on. Unfortunately, in my town, this happened about 5years ago. Why? I think it’s because bars stepped up. Upgrading their sound system, lights, music. And of course no strict dress code and no cover charge/entry fee, no queing up to get in and cheaper prices for drinks. It takes less people to make a bar full than a big club too. So the clubs (apart from a couple of exceptions of course), didnt evolve here, they just died.