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A POLITICAL GAME OF COOL

Club politics is a topic I’ve wanted to write about pretty much since I started working within the EMDS back in 2004. Because of my deep involvement within the scene I’ve felt the impact on club politics down to its ugliest.

I once was once questioned by a very popular nightclub in Toronto if I was hosting events at a competing nightclub — all because I was seen on TV wearing a pink T-shirt with the competing nightclub’s logo. What they saw was me on electronica!

Can you believe that? All because I happened to have shot electronica at a nightclub wearing a t-shirt exclusively made for me. I almost lost a hosting contract. This is how distasteful club politics can be.

Many people who work within the nightclub industry I’ve found to agree that it’s political game of cool. Yet few will publicly speak about it for fear of losing a gig, an affiliation or a job. And let’s face it: unless you’re a successful club owner, DJ/producer or veteran event producer, come the end of the day, playing the political game of cool doesn’t pay the bills.

Politics within the club scene worldwide is a nasty business. From my knowledge and experience I’d say it’s comparable to government politics in what club owners and some promoters will do to keep the competition down.

The weekend club-goer is the bread and butter that keeps this political musical game in production. They are the fuel that keeps the machine running. Canada’s electronic music dance scene has a wealth of talent locked inside it.

I’ve produced, organized and hosted various successful events, and it shocks me how some DJs think they are entitled to play an event they are professionally not ready for. It boggles my mind how some promoters will not promote an event because it might upset a venue or DJ they’re affiliated with.

True affiliation is only as good as the paper the agreement is written on and/or in action. Otherwise there is no affiliation.

I started in and remain part of this industry because of the music and my passion for it. The joy I see on a person’s face while they dance to a DJ who’s taking them on a musical journey they’ve longed for after a long, hard work week is my reward. Music is freedom of expression. Club-goers only want to hit a party with a good vibe and great beats, and to be treated well.

Club politics will always exist. They are not rules or laws — and therefore it doesn’t mean they need to be followed.

VIDEO PICK OF THE MONTH

The Streets, Blinded By the Lights (Warner Brothers 2005)

I remember playing this video on electronica back in about 2007 and I was shocked yet captivated by The Streets‘ real-to-life lyrics and video to go with the story of how many can get lost in what is real and not real due to anger mixed with the influence of drugs and alcohol in Blinded By The Lights.

UPCOMING EVENT

The Hot Boat Cruise – Sunday August 14

DJs:  MK |  Chad Savage |  Ticky Ty |  Ovi M |  Chris Ink |  Ethnologic |  Justin Chung |  Lyle Disco |  Jermz

19+ I.D. is required to board.

The River Gambler, 261 Queens Quay East, Toronto, ON

Click Here For Tickets and Info

MISS RAQUEL: WOMAN OF THE HOUR – GGT

“Here’s the thing: We know it’s mildly incestuous to crown our own pot-stirring blogger Miss Raquel (Poppycock!) our latest Woman of the Hour, but we have a thing for conscientious women who work hard, devotedly, and with a spirit that is broad and fierce. The indefatigable TV host, writer, web and club queen took time to put pen to our TMI Questionnaire …”

SCENESTER CHANNEL

DJ interviews and event coverage: Yoji, Paul Oakenfold, The Scumfrog, Flipside and more. Have a look and subscribe!

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SEE YOU ON THE DANCEFLOOR!

Miss Raquel

One of the sites we check regularly for bulletins from the cutting edge of EDM is Resident Advisor. So our patriotic hearts were all aflutter today when we saw that RA had posted this lengthy article on Toronto’s club scene.

The piece, by veteran local DJ Denise Benson, delves into the history of electronic music in the city, from the early 1980s through the rise and fall of the rave scene of the late 1990s to the current renaissance exemplified by groundbreaking acts like Egyptrixx, Crystal Castles, Art Department and Austra. It also includes interviews with prominent scenesters like Kenny Glasgow and Wrongbar‘s Nav Sangha, surveys the best of the current local hotspots, and offers out-of-town clubbers some helpful tips about late-night dining (Sneaky Dee’s!) and Toronto’s charmingly antiquated liquor laws. You should definitely read the whole thing here.

Lots to agree (and disagree) with — but one point that caught our attention is the way the city’s multicultural patchwork is mirrored in its diversity of EDM sounds and scenes:

“The cultural diversity plays a big factor in the way scenes developed here,” states Nav Sangha, DJ and owner of underground dance club/hub Wrongbar. “Drum & bass, house, dancehall and reggae—all of those scenes merged and influenced one another in many ways. You’ll see DJs hopping from scene to scene. There’s a great amount of diversity that may exist in some American cities, but here a lot of scenes and communities are more integrated. I think Toronto is extremely important where the North American market is concerned and it’s only just in the last five years or so that I really feel like it’s being recognized as such,” emphasizes Sangha. “Everyone is turning the pages on the history books and realizing what an important role this city played.”