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There were a lot of things to take back from last night. In no way did I even know (much less) authorize the fact that they were charging 40$ at the door, much less any of the other discrepancies with the lists, reduced. You know you're never working at a club again when you have to remind the management of the promised open vodka bar, only to have them reopen it until 11:30. They highly underestimated our draw and thus, did not take us seriously, apparently, the night of, until they thanked us at the end of the night for an amazing night (FOR THEM) and told us they couldn't wait for us to be back. It's almost mission impossible to have something like this, so musically rich in good DJs and good-vibe intentions, in a place that has never had any house on main floor before, much less guys like Talla or Vic.
I myself, and my staff and helpers setting up, was not let in until 10PM (!!!), only to find that it would take 20 minutes to set up the mixer we had rented for Talla (in his contract), and once that was set up, we found that the CDJs were broken... Someone like Talla, you cannot have play on broken CDJs, so my thanks cannot go any more out to Gerard and his girlfriend for trooping it back to Staten Island to grab a new CDJ (this club didn't have any spares!) for Talla to come on.
I have never seen anything as messed up as the staff, bouncers, and ticket people, in my entier life. The second I would walk outside, they'd treat me and my crowd like gold, and the second I left, I couldn't have heard any more horror stories than I did last night. Sorry to anyone who had tried calling me as a result of problems at the door or anything of the sort, in total I had 146 received calls (calls I had the time or oppurtunity to pick up), much less the missed calls I just couldn't get to. It's hard to have any say, in a venue as a first-time promoter involved with the party, when there are 40-50 other weekly Friday promoters who don't understand the concept of shelling out thousands of dollars for international DJs, in a venue that has never had something of the sort. There were at least 40 hip hop promoters (as you can see from the upstairs), and just me and my buddy Michael who are mostly responsible for just about most of the people on main floor at any point.
Of course, had the party been the most amazing party in the world, I would have been praised, so with this same responsiblity, I am all ears to your negative, and probably merited, reviews. I was expecting the flattering reviews since you know me, so please don't hold back, let us know what we will make sure to voice in any contract with any venue, not to mention what we will voice angrily in the T-NY offices the beginning of next week. I just want you, personally as friends and people I have met, to know that I was in no way involved with any hiking of the price to 40$, no way involved with not honoring comps for people that had been promised them, or any of the seemingly shady things that had come up. Those were simply a byproduct of the inefficiency, and flat-out MESS, that ensues with a venue this size, layout, and diversity of crowd. None of us, nor the staff, could have ever imagined the huge turnout outside; it seems they have never dealt with such crowds, people, or sizes before. Friends of mine who promote there every week have said the price was never jacked up further than 25$ or 30$ on some small occasions, and that the guestlists had never closed so early (I was never aware of any guestlist-closing time in the first place!!!!).... So I am assuring you that we were behind none of it, and sure enough, as a result, the club and its weekly promoters (who are all in cahoots now that I look back) absolutely BANKED in at our expense... and when I say "expense, I mean "expense" on all levels.
It seems like a Jonathan Peters "sorry guys" letter, but all I can say is I hope you had fun and enjoyed the music, and realized my intentions. And like the JP "sorry guys" letter, I, as head promoter, expect the negative comments, remarks, and reviews that come along with it. I assure you I will make sure none of the issues surrounding last night, or the negative experiences any of you went through, ever is involved in any party of mine again. It seems that, aside from the smaller spots like Sullivan Room and Love, that there are no more venues with knowledgable management, friendly staff, or good vibes. Even a place so true as Shelter gave us some negative vibes when we were there. We hope you will give us and our parties and our great intentions a chance next time around. We promise to make it worth your while.
Marcello
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The boys are back in town....
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