After some thought, we have decided to move ABSOLUTION to UC87 (87 Ludlow St @ Delancy) permanently. FONTANAS has very obvious advantages such as being a rock club and having a wonderful staff and atmosphere. But they have a lot going on. When we had to switch venues at 8:30pm the night of the party because of a schedule mixup and UC87 took us no questions asked, we decided to make the change. UC87 is an amazing dance space downstairs and has some advantages like the free parking lot across the street, cool lighting and great staff. We also get to start at normal club hours instead of waiting for bands to get offstage. So, to recap: Just as we had decided to make FONTANAS our home, UC87 saved the day so we decided to make them our permanent home instead. The last party we will have at FONTANAS will be New Years Day.
We are holding true to our weekly schedule, and it is slowly building into what a true Gothic nightclub event should be. We were very surprised to see that NYCs Goth/Industrial scene had disintegrated into fragments of nights, such as "first Tuesdays" or "every other Thursdays" or some such. We don't believe that is a proper club event. The truth is, almost anyone could do a monthly or bimonthly event because they are so easy, and such events do not contribute enough to building a proper scene. They are for dilettantes, students or people who are not serious about music and nightlife or do not have time or do not want to make time in their lives to make a proper effort.
We are also holding true to pure Gothic/Industrial music and theme. We do not drift toward hipster influenced sounds, number one because the sound is boring and number two because that would not be doing a true Gothic/Industrial night. Not every year produces good Goth/Industrial music, so just keeping up with the latest is not enough in our opinion. Is what you're playing actually entertaining? In addition, we are using intelligent, sophisticated images and not underestimating our audience with childish, grotesque or dumbed-down images and words.
A WORD ABOUT INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY:
One of the most dishonorable things a person can do is use intellectual property belonging to someone else. This is very, very looked down upon by people from all walks of life. Can't you have your own ideas? If someone else has used an event name, it is not acceptable for another promoter to use it later on. As with any artist, originality goes hand in hand with respect. A real artist does not regurgitate things he has seen and heard other artists doing verbatim in a monkey-see, monkey- do fashion.
Xtine
www.absolutionnyc.com
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Jason
Living with Jason is one of the greatest things that ever happened to me in my life. It's not just because of the obvious reasons. Jason is a sweet, gentle person who is very courteous and respectful. It upsets him to forget Christmas cards and birthdays. He is sensitive to the extreme, and has the ability to deeply care about other people. He is so polite that he won't even walk into a store unless he is intending to buy something, not even to get out of the rain. He hardly swears. He is a true gentleman who displays good sportsmanship and gentility with every move. He is a living treasure.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Performing A Quick Save
Last night at 8:30pm, I was shopping for video cables at Best Buy in preparation for ABSOLUTION when I received that call that all producers dread:
"...I'm so sorry, but there's been a schedule mix-up. There's a Christmas party that has been booked for 3 months which I forgot about when I gave you this date. I'm really sorry..."
This left me exactly three and a half hours to find and book another venue for our weekly party, and get it in shape for our night. Impossible? No Way.
The main thing is not to panic. Follow the steps. First, have a back-up plan. I followed my plan and called a venue which has been friendly and reliable to us in the past, UC87@87 Ludlow St. Luckily, they had no regular party booked. We worked out a deal where we would take the upstairs, which was decorated very prettily for Christmas(bonus!). Next, I made sure working DJ equipment would be there, opting to bring my own set-up.
Rushing home, I began to edit the website and put the word out about the venue change on the networking sites. I use a site that lets me post to all the networking sites at once. Jason threw the flyer into Photoshop and chopped out the address, and I re-uploaded it to the site, making an annotation about the venue change. I then made phone calls to every staff member and guest with texting and calling circles.
We then loaded the car with the DJ setup and gear we bring to ABSOLUTION and burned rubber down to UC87. I analyzed the new room and performed all the duties which get us ready for guest to arrive. I then got back in the car and went to Fontanas, opting to give up my DJ slot in order to catch people who didn't get the word about the venue change and tell them where we were tonight- luckily only about 5 blocks away in the same section of the city, walking distance.
The entire time I was doing all this I felt no tiredness or anxiety, just following the steps that were necessary. But when I got back to UC87 and was sitting comfortably with a drink in hand surrounded by the party, I then almost slumped over from the delayed anxiety reaction of having the venue changed at the last minute. This is often how it works for me, I can perform like an automaton when there is a crisis but when everything is ok again that's when I feel it.
UC87 upstairs turned out to be a great place to have a party. They have a mini laser lighting setup which has a beautiful effect on fog, and the space is long and dark with lots of comfortable nooks to sit in, with a dance floor at the end of the space, the DJ booth on a raised platform by the dance floor surrounded by clear glass. I met some great new people who came out for the first time who had a really good time. I had a lot of fun dancing, and the drinks were good for the price and came in large, pretty glasses. Not bad for a quick save.
In this business you must be prepared for anything to come your way. When working with people you must keep in mind, they are not perfect. Mistakes will be made, but with quick thinking and experience(and good luck!) all obstacles can be surmounted. We are dedicated to bringing you the best club experience possible, and we thank you for the comradery and support you have shown us in this Holiday season.
"...I'm so sorry, but there's been a schedule mix-up. There's a Christmas party that has been booked for 3 months which I forgot about when I gave you this date. I'm really sorry..."
This left me exactly three and a half hours to find and book another venue for our weekly party, and get it in shape for our night. Impossible? No Way.
The main thing is not to panic. Follow the steps. First, have a back-up plan. I followed my plan and called a venue which has been friendly and reliable to us in the past, UC87@87 Ludlow St. Luckily, they had no regular party booked. We worked out a deal where we would take the upstairs, which was decorated very prettily for Christmas(bonus!). Next, I made sure working DJ equipment would be there, opting to bring my own set-up.
Rushing home, I began to edit the website and put the word out about the venue change on the networking sites. I use a site that lets me post to all the networking sites at once. Jason threw the flyer into Photoshop and chopped out the address, and I re-uploaded it to the site, making an annotation about the venue change. I then made phone calls to every staff member and guest with texting and calling circles.
We then loaded the car with the DJ setup and gear we bring to ABSOLUTION and burned rubber down to UC87. I analyzed the new room and performed all the duties which get us ready for guest to arrive. I then got back in the car and went to Fontanas, opting to give up my DJ slot in order to catch people who didn't get the word about the venue change and tell them where we were tonight- luckily only about 5 blocks away in the same section of the city, walking distance.
The entire time I was doing all this I felt no tiredness or anxiety, just following the steps that were necessary. But when I got back to UC87 and was sitting comfortably with a drink in hand surrounded by the party, I then almost slumped over from the delayed anxiety reaction of having the venue changed at the last minute. This is often how it works for me, I can perform like an automaton when there is a crisis but when everything is ok again that's when I feel it.
UC87 upstairs turned out to be a great place to have a party. They have a mini laser lighting setup which has a beautiful effect on fog, and the space is long and dark with lots of comfortable nooks to sit in, with a dance floor at the end of the space, the DJ booth on a raised platform by the dance floor surrounded by clear glass. I met some great new people who came out for the first time who had a really good time. I had a lot of fun dancing, and the drinks were good for the price and came in large, pretty glasses. Not bad for a quick save.
In this business you must be prepared for anything to come your way. When working with people you must keep in mind, they are not perfect. Mistakes will be made, but with quick thinking and experience(and good luck!) all obstacles can be surmounted. We are dedicated to bringing you the best club experience possible, and we thank you for the comradery and support you have shown us in this Holiday season.
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