Saving an independent club/music venue

scorza said:
I always thought the golden rule of the nightclub business was get the ladies in, because the money follows the ladies.

How to attract the ladies is a subject I fear I am in no position to offer you advice on :(
Click to expand...

Just had a probably stupid idea; find a modelling agency in Manchester say that specialises in alternative models then pay the models to be at your club for the night. I think I read that mainstream clubs do that these days with z-list celebs like the TOWIE lot. Then let it be known around town that these girls will be at your club. Ideally you'd pay some Suicide Girls to attend your club, however I suspect that may be beyond your price range.
 
Last edited:
I don't have any experience running a bar, but as a 25 y/o I can tell you what i like atm.

The house scene is very big atm, as well as techno. Anything to do with DJ's mainly. Maybe try and get some 'resident' DJ's, you know, local people who have talent. Give them a night a week. They will probably have mates who will come. Then grow it from there. Get them and their mates to start promoting their own night.

Other option that is popular in London is Sunday daytime parties. Cropping up everywhere. Same kinda music, house, techno.

Other than that its things like student nights and cheap drink nights.

p.s I'm not familiar with the spread of genres in Manchester, but I presume it's similar to London, having rock night on a Saturday (busiest night of the week?) is probably hindering the potential? Something more mainsteam on a Saturday perhaps? I could be wrong though and as far as I know you're Rock nights on Saturday's are massively successful.
 
Last edited:
Spursingham said:
Also, go easy on the security presence. ;)
Click to expand...
Don't do this it will not end well once you get a rep as a place with crap security.

balky12 said:
Other option that is popular in London is Sunday daytime parties. Cropping up everywhere. Same kinda music, house, techno.
Click to expand...

Do this! Especially if there's students around, The Church in London is a massive Sunday party that's on a few times a month and is absolutely brilliant.
 
The Sunday party is a good idea. I remember 10 years ago "The Church" meets in Loudon were very popular. Not sure if they still run but they were great and always popular. It might need a license change though.
 
tom_e said:
Don't do this it will not end well once you get a rep as a place with crap security.
Click to expand...


Maybe I could have said something other than "go easy".

I've had nights ruined because clubs have had security walking around and shinning lights in people faces or doing random searches. Security kicking toilet doors in while i'm taking a ****. Security filming you as you come in and out. It's off putting whether you're doing anything wrong or not. A high security presence WILL put people off.
 
MoDe said:
18-25's seem to love this, cant move for House music events in Newcastle. Deep house especially, even seems to be storming the charts at the minute.

Best of luck!
Click to expand...

Deep house (called minimal house as well)
Tech house

Shouldn't be hard to find someone who would want to DJ at a venue. Every 18-25 y/o seems to be a 'producer' or DJ these days.

I have a gut feeling garage will be coming back shorty. Watch this space.
 
Spursingham said:
Maybe I could have said something other than "go easy".

I've had nights ruined because clubs have had security walking around and shinning lights in people faces or doing random searches. Security kicking toilet doors in while i'm taking a ****. Security filming you as you come in and out. It's off putting whether you're doing anything wrong or not. A high security presence WILL put people off.
Click to expand...

That's completely different to what your little wink implied!
I agree there's no need for that in most cases although I have worked events where that was the sort of line we had to take due to the type of event and the intelligence received from the police.
 
tom_e said:
That's completely different to what your little wink implied!
I agree there's no need for that in most cases although I have worked events where that was the sort of line we had to take due to the type of event and the intelligence received from the police.
Click to expand...

It is tough. You have to be seen to be doing your upmost to stop drugs. Truth of the matter is they are everywhere, and the clubs don't really want to be too heavy handed because they do lose so much business... maybe not venues like this one. But imagine Ministry of Sound/ Egg / Fabric in London if they compleytely stamped out drugs. There would be about 7 people in there!!
 
Random searches mean jack if you hid it well. One boy I went clubbing with in the early 2000s taped his contraband to his unmentionables...
 
tom_e said:
That's completely different to what your little wink implied!
I agree there's no need for that in most cases although I have worked events where that was the sort of line we had to take due to the type of event and the intelligence received from the police.
Click to expand...

I was just being a light hearted on the matter.

balky12 said:
It is tough. You have to be seen to be doing your upmost to stop drugs. Truth of the matter is they are everywhere, and the clubs don't really want to be too heavy handed because they do lose so much business... maybe not venues like this one. But imagine Ministry of Sound/ Egg / Fabric in London if they compleytely stamped out drugs. There would be about 7 people in there!!
Click to expand...

'Harry said:
Random searches mean jack if you hid it well. One boy I went clubbing with in the early 2000s taped his contraband to his unmentionables...
Click to expand...


You'll never stop drugs in the club scene. Like you say, in some cases it's the drugs that make the club scene work.

Random searches are just there because they have to be. You wont stop some guy walking in with a few smiley faces hiding behind his ball sack. I think it's mainly there to stop the dealers getting in. once the dealers can start walking in with bags of it, thats when the reputation starts.
 
Spursingham said:
. I think it's mainly there to stop the dealers getting in. once the dealers can start walking in with bags of it, thats when the reputation starts.
Click to expand...

Very much so, I've never understood going to clubs and being a dealer. One, most people I know take their own stuff anyways and two, if I am at a club I want to enjoy the music and socialising, not worry about trying to make some money!! Plus then there is the whole getting caught risk. Being caught with a few pills or gram of something is one thing, bieng caught with enough to anaethetise the whole club is something else!!

Must be money in it I suppose otheriwse they wouldn't do it.
 
Could you find people in your area who need space for running dance lessons or martial arts and then rent space to them during the day?

For basic maintenance can you do it yourself? Just new paint may freshen the place up.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom