AUSSIE MITTENS.... Or maybe just getting together to get drunk...

[Peter Thomas]

Titters clubbing? Hmm... you COULD get all that The Beat. Endless girl on girl action, there. Okay, maybe not endless...

Yeah, I'm totally happy to go wandering to straight clubs. I was simply warning you that at SOME point, i AM going to walk past the beat and say "shut up and go in!"

Free entry before 10:30 pm, super-cheap drinks 'til 11. Still-really-cheap-drinks after. Awesome music and good clothes! What more could you want?

[Kinoko]

What's super-cheap by your definition? I for one abhore the price of drinks out. If it equals $2 a bottle of Strongbow, I'm there ^_^

[Peter Thomas]

okay, well, basic spirits are $3 normally (up until 11pm, where it, goes up to $4.50, I think?) which I know isn't SUPER cheap, but it's not bad. However they have $1 shots on Thursday nights. And with FREE entry 7 nights a week (before 10.30), that does work out pretty good, really. Water's only $1.50, and I think soft drinks are about the same (I've never bought soft drink there, though) so if you're not up for drinking big, then you can still have a fun night and stay cheap.

[Edit] I might head out one Monday night soon, play a game of bingo and try to win one of their $50 bar tabs. THAT'S a good prize

[Las Naranjas]

I'm used to my $2.50 schooners on wednesday nights...and $2 shots...

And you have to pay for water?
I like free stuff, and it's always free! It has to be! [clubs are shit, or maybe jsut Queensland clubs].

Funny thing though, since I frequent the music/"counter culture" pubs, if I drink the water whislt wearing a shirt of an obscure band, people imedietly assume I'm straight edge, and say things like "Straight edge dude" whilst giving me rock horns.

[DGMacphee]

And you have to pay for water?
I like free stuff, and it's always free! It has to be! [clubs are shit, or maybe jsut Queensland clubs].

You'll find it with most dance clubs in Queensland. The E trade is pretty heavy here. Most clubs make their money on bottled water since everyone is so dehydrated from taking so many Eccies. And a lot of these clubs refuse to give free glasses of water.

Also, in some clubs they only have warm water in the bathrooms for washing your hands -- that way there's no cold water so people don't refill their water bottles and are forced to buy a new bottle each time they want water. Hooray for consumerism!

Don't know about NSW, but my guess is it's a similar situation in Sydney since the drug trade is similar (if not heavier) there.

I prefer my Uni bar where the drinks are cheap, the pool tables are well-maintained, and they have a working pinball machine. Oh yeah, and a jukebox with some decent music.

[Peter Thomas]

Also, in some clubs they only have warm water in the bathrooms for washing your hands

Hadn't thought of that - but I may as well address it. The Beat has COLD water, so if you buy a bottle, then you CAN just go refill it at the basin. And yes, they ARE sanitary. Completely seperate from the toilets and exposed to the bar and dance floor, just to make sure people don't 'experiment' with them...
They also have pool tables.

And the club has a distinct 'straight' area. Gay people wander through to get from one part to another, of course, but they've got the "Wrecker's Street Bar" which is mostly used by straight people who play pool, drink cheap beer, and want to have a crack at the break-dance floor.

And then there's Crystal's - an off-shoot building from The Beat (same premises and everything, it's about a five meter walk from one room to the other) for the more...um...guess you'd say "non-personal" people. The lighting there is a bit darker, it's a little smaller, and is usually not as busy as the main Beat dancefloor. Good for if you want to have a dance with someone, but don't really want them to be able to see your face.

[Las Naranjas]

The few clubs I've been to had free water, but I know there's a law that limits the price of water where it is charged for, since alcohol on it's own dehydrates you.

Incidently, whilst we're talking about gay venues, I might as well relate the story of the Star Hotel [as told of in the Cold Chisel song of the same name] which, in the late 70's, managed to simultaneously be a venue for the sailors, bikies, drag queens and punks of Newcastle at the same time.
In those old unenlightened times, you still had all those groups hanging around with no internal conflict.

Of course, when they closed it a riot happened, I think the largest riot ever to occur in Australia.

C'est la vie.

I far prefer pubs to clubs. I like to talk to people, not just rub up against them in the darkness.

[Timosity]

Don't know about NSW, but my guess is it's a similar situation in Sydney since the drug trade is similar (if not heavier) there.

I don't know about the hot water in the bathrooms, I haven't noticed it where I've been but that's pretty full on.

As I'm sure with every city there's different pubs and clubs with different scenes. and Sydney is fairly diverse, but you'll find most sub groups all take the same drugs, but the trendy thing is for the last few years for clubs is E's.

An interesting study I've heard (but have no evidence to back up) is that australians mix drugs more than other countries.

Eg. Smoke some pot, (not feeling up enough to go out) take some speed or coke, while in the same night someone offer's you an E, so you take that too, and of course alcohol is always involved, then get back home, smoke some more pot. and that's just a tipical night  for some.

what ever happened to LSD, it's just not cool anymore since E's came around.

you'll find more of the younger age group (usually uni students 17-23) are more into the party drugs.

My local pub isn't cheap, about 3.30 for a schooner of standard tap sludge, but in the city you'll pay 4 to 5 bucks for these silly things called schmiddies, which are inbetween a schooner(425ml) and a middy(250ml)

If you ever go to Sydney it's always good to go to The Rocks, which is probably the oldest part of the city, with a huge variety of pubs, and people from everywhere (well mainly the UK and Germany) just keep pub crawling till you find one you like, and maybe a pub you like too. It's expensive to drink in the city though.

RSL's are always good for cheaper than average drinks, but they should be even cheaper with all those damned pokies

[Peter Thomas]

I far prefer pubs to clubs. I like to talk to people, not just rub up against them in the darkness.

Then you'd love the Wreckers Street Bar at the Beat. That's what it is. Just a great place (free entry ALL night) with cheap beer, not-too-loud music and other straight people who aren't going to frisk you every 2 minutes.

I seem to be getting more and more determined with every post, no? Maybe I should just go and get it out of my system...

[Layabout]

I'm in Brisbane! Can go... TO BRISBANE! Yay! To travel any further for me would jeapordize my work, which I'd rather not do at this point in time.

I could take you all out on a fabulous night clubbing in The Valley. Of course, at some point I'd end up dragging you all along to a gay club (The Beat, most likely)... They're not bad, though. Not like what you see on Queer as Folk. In all honesty, if you were to walk into The Beat, you'd think we homosexuals were actual normal people with actual normal souls. None of these pole dancing queers. Just good dancing, good music and good alcohol. The scariest part is probably the one or two drag queens that show up. Why am I talking about this like it's already been decided?

Of course, if the clubbing scene is overrated then I'm up for most anything else. Except 'bloke' stuff. I refuse to go to the motor show for fun. Theme parks, bars/pubs, arcades, all that stuff is fine. Just don't make me look at an engine

Just to comment on your 'comments' about the Beat... I disagree with you. That place scares me. And I've been in there a few times. I've been propositioned too many times in there. Scary.

[DGMacphee]

And a friend of mine got raped in their toilets.

[Las Naranjas]

wah, 4-5 for a schmiddie? I've never paid more than $2.50 for one, and when I usually drink them [on wednesday nights again] they're $2.

[Peter Thomas]

Lay, yeah, if you're a good looking guy of course you're going to get propositioned. Just as I - walking into a straight club - am often approached by preppy girls in too-short skirts, wanting to get at my belt buckle. It's just a simple matter of saying "no". I don't know why you'd be scared of the place, though. About 50% of the people I know there (meaning people I actually talk to on a regular basis, not everyone in general) are straight. They often come because it's such a great, relaxed atmosphere.

Of course, I could take you to The Wickham instead, filled with delightful men (none of whom are under 50), all wanting to rub their scraggly beards against your belly...

[dgunpluggered]

Thanks, Daniel *rolls eyes*

If you rolled your eyes at her after she told you she'd been raped in The Beat's toilets, she would kill you.

[DGMacphee]

And I'm a little offended too. What's the roll of the eyes supposed to mean? Do you not believe me? Or do you think I'm blowing it out of proportion?

If the former, trust me, I'm not joking, she got raped in their toilets. And The Beat did squat about it.

If the latter, I only mention it as a point of interest. I'm not saying anyone who goes into their toilets will get raped. But regardless it did happen. And I mention it to say I'm not a big fan of The Beat.

But what I can't abide is someone rolling their eyes at a friend of mine who had something very traumatic happen to her. It's made me lose a lot of respect for you, Peter.

[MrColossal]

DG,

Why don't you PM Peter Thomas about this and not make it into a public thing since it's specifically between you and he?

[dgunpluggered]

Cause my time was a little scarce when I wrote that. I was at work and didn't have a great deal of time to think about what and where I was writing it. Yes, in hindsight, I should have PMed. Thank you for bringing me up on that, eric.

And it was probably a misunderstanding on PT's behalf. But it still irked me.

Anyway, let's not turn this into another teh dramah.

[Peter Thomas]

Oh, sorry Dan, I had no idea you were being serious. I thought it was just a made-up thing trying to scare the others away. Humble apologies, for sure. I assumed incorrectly, it was stupid of me. I've just never heard of anything like that at The Beat.

I suppose it may best to get rid of these last few posts? Anyway, I'm right on top of editing my last post

[DGMacphee]

Don't worry about it. Having thought about it a little more this afternoon, I could see it was easy to misinterpret what I said, especially when I give no elaboration. But it's something I shouldn't talk about much because it happened to a friend, not me, so I didn't want to say too much.

Anyway, let's forget about this and get back to arranging something.

[Peter Thomas]

Anyway, let's forget about this and get back to arranging something.

Too right...

What? No one wants to come out with me all of a sudden? What on earth for...?