Xander
Hollywood, CA
Male, 32
I promoted at several of Hollywood’s hottest clubs during a period of unemployment, mainly to see what all of the fuss was about. While it was fun and definitely had its perks, it also confirmed quite a few of the suspicions and stereotypes I’d previously held about how the industry works.
Ha! This made me laugh. Um, yes this one time, every weekend, at every club, ever. I've rarely heard of quid pro quo situations. Girls are getting into the club anyway if they are cute and not if they aren't. They certainly don't need to do anything "compromising" but do they anyway. Frequently. Short of being famous or paying for it, being a promoter is the easiest way to get laid ever. It's obscenely easy, like you'd have to actively try not to have sex like some sort of monk. I've never been a bouncer but I've seen women throwing themselves at them so i know it's same story. Lots of General Manager's offices (in the club) have a mattress or a couch and you can imagine what those are for. My promoting partner would hook up with 2-4 new girls a month without ever going on what normal people would classify as a date. Seriously, fish in a barrel.
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I've personally never seen it because I worked mostly classy places. But there have definitely been incidents particularly as the clubs start attracting the less-optimal crowd. I can remember specifically a bouncer being shot and killed at a club called Vanguard a couple years ago
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I went out a lot and wanted to be on the other side of the rope. I was unemployed at the time so it seemed like a natural fit. And yes, also I wanted to have sex with hot club girls.
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None of this will come as a surprise to anyone who has gone out in Hollywood more than once. Whatever you think of it as an outsider, it's much worse as an insider. The club's General Manager will explicitly tell promoters that there were too many Mexicans or Persians or fat chicks. Most places in LA don't even bother with the illusion of a line anymore. It's just a mass of people at the front and the door girl/guy or bouncer hand picks who comes in. Hot girls have first priority obviously. There is a preference for white and especially blonde. I've seen them wave a group of girls in and then when they get to the fat one in the group, pull the rope in front of her. Being dressed well helps for both guys and girls. They’re loathe to let guys in because they know the frustration of not getting in leads to guys springing for bottle service and that's how the club makes its money. Really good-looking guys who dress like Hollywood hipsters can get in without girls but everyone else better grease, buy bottles, or know a promoter really well (like you saved his life in 'Nam). Age is a much bigger impediment for women than it is for men. Oh and one last thing.... there is no such thing as a list. The promoter didn't type up 4,000 names to hand to the door girl. It's just an excuse to not let you in (ditto for "private party" or "we're at capacity.")
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Stand-Up Comedian
Did your career blow up after you performed on the Tonight Show / Conan?
Cruise Ship Officer
Is the "women and children first" rule still in effect?
Nurse Practitioner
As gender roles continue to evolve, are you seeing a rise in the % of male nurses?
This might come as a surprise to you but club people aren't big on history, myself included. Although I like the idea of a club promoter Hall of Fame. Like it would have framed Ed Hardy shirts from 2008 and a hall of coke vials used by the rich and almost famous. Maybe an artist's rendition of the first bathroom stall sex circa 1961. I'm going to look into this. If you are looking for club history, the movie 24 Hour Party People is a pretty good one.
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It ranges from less than a year to as much as four years, typically. The average is probably two. Les Deux in Hollywood lasted five years which is the longest I've ever heard of. Much depends on the size of the place. The bigger the place, the more people they have to fill it with and the less discerning they can be. This accelerates a club's demise. It's not a coincidence that the places that had staying power, like Hyde, were small.
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Everyone and their mother tells me about how great Austin, TX is. It's like The Wire of cities. I've never been so I can't say. Ditto for Reykjavik, Iceland. I've been to some great clubs overseas in places like Mykonos, Paris, and Rio. I think Toronto is pretty good too. As far as U.S. cities, I think the LA/NY/Miami/Vegas quartet has the well deserved reputation of the good megaclubs. But it depends on what you're looking for. I have a friend who swears that Latvia is the place to be. And I just returned from Thailand which was a little disappointing nightlife-wise.
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