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Where have all the people gone from Sonic (pg. 11)
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| The Highroller |
| quote: | Originally posted by fairy godfather
Yes Jon...it was upstairs, in the back, near the bar...and it was always a disaster!
But, I don't think giving up the lounge was the best solution. It was used to showcase local talent and brought in another level of clientele. |
Agreed. Although NYE 2005 was a disaster, most other nights were not that bad at all. I don't think one incident justifies moving the coat check and removing the lounge. As far as I know, there were other factors at play in that coat check fiasco that had nothing to do with its location...
Removing the lounge was by far the biggest dissapointment when Sonic opened. As I've said many times before, the lounge was often a place where even if you went to the club to see the headliner, you might just spend your night in the lounge rocking out to a DJ you hadn't even heard of before (ie what I did on NYE of 2004 and 2005).
Although it is speculation, I think the removal of the lounge is a significant factor in why the numbers at Sonic have been dwindling. Locals bring in their friends. If their friends are impressed by the club, they will come back. The opportunity this factor presented to attract a constant flow of new faces is not present anymore. |
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| Cribby |
Some great points Andrew!
| quote: | Originally posted by SuperJimbo
* Open the club at 12pm
* Bring in fresh, new openers with strong local followings
* Let openers play from 12pm to 2am
* Have headliners go on from 2am to 6am
* Let young local talent close the night out from 6am to 8am (or longer, if enough people demand it)
* Aggressively promote/communicate the new format
* Have a theme night once a month (or bi-monthly)
* If possible, record live sets and post them on Sonic's website
* Add at least a small tent or cover to the smoking area (and a couple of heat lamps)
* Allow gum (it is getting in anyway)
* Sell fruit or energy bars
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These all sound reasonable, and I whole-heartedly agree. Although I don't have a problem with Sonic's opening time, an hour could make a significant difference. As far as locals...YES! Besides Kenny Glasgow and his troupe of awesome deejays (Jonny White, Tilo, etc.) I would love to see Kevin Harcourt, Brad Copeland, DJ Barbi, Lee Osborne, and some others opening/closing. They've had a few nights where the local talent has closed...some more successful than others. Theme nights are a GREAT idea as many people have exclaimed...Who's in charge of the creativity crew?...they need to see this. With gum...maybe they should kick out anyone they catch throwing it on the floor? Sounds reasonable.
| quote: | Originally posted by SuperJimbo
* Enforce a shirts-on on Saturdays policy
* Keep the f*ing lights down
* Add a new promoter or two to attract new people
* Sign co-marketing deals with a couple of smaller bars/clubs on college street (and let the young local talent that are opening or closing Sonic spin there)
* Make alcohol available (whenever possible)
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IMO these are unneccesary. I LOVE Sonic's lights. |
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| van haaster |
While there’s a number of good suggestions up in this piece, I fear that Sonic may be in an irreversible downward spiral. It could be that the market is changing and Sonic is just not offering the right product at the right time.
No one has mentioned a trend that I have witnessed in the last year or so. I’ve seen a trend in the scene towards smaller, more intimate venues for underground electronic music. Converted restaurants, little hole-in-the-wall places, boozecans, basements, one-off places, warehouse spaces, etc. I know these types of places are not really new, but I’ve heard more and more people saying they are fed up with larger clubs, the crowds, security, ty vibe, weird people, and so on. These smaller places are filling up every Saturday night and the reason is that they represent an “anti-club” club. People’s tastes are shifting. Nothing stays the same in the underground dance community, it never has, and it never should.
Even among the legit venues, look at the popularity of Footwork, ToiBar and the Drake underground for example, all small venues. There’s an intimate vibe there and people like it. I’ve heard folks say it’s like family. Cheap cover, familiar faces, kick ass tunes and yes, booze.
People seem to be gravitating to these places from what I can see. I have to admit I have been checking them out more often lately and I can say that I am having a wicked time at many of these jams. While I was a regular at Boa-Redux 3 years ago and loved the place, I cannot say that I’ve had the same good times at Sonic – not on as consistent a basis.
Sonic may be able to turn things around, I don't know. I've said this before, but I'd like to see higher quality talent bookings on a more consistent basis. I don't see that they've shelled out the bucks to pull in the top names (at least those that I'd like to see). |
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| Cosmic Fur |
| ^ Yeah, but Guv is not really losing attendance (unfortunately :( ) |
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| Kytracid |
Guv has adopted a shotgun approach and caters to the widdest possible demographic. It has also been around for 10 years and has the reputation as Toronto's biggest club. Sonic for whatever reason has an image problem. Quite a few of my clubbing friends won't go to Sonic because they are convinced it is a gay club...
I also agree with van haaster that the trend for quite a few clubbers (especially the 25+ crowd) is to seek out more intimate venues. The acts aren't as big as Sonic or Guv, but the crowd in my opinion is less sketchy and laid back.
Then again, it is January...so I wouldn't read too much into the dwindling numbers. |
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| jchung52 |
| quote: | Originally posted by Kytracid
Guv has adopted a shotgun approach and caters to the widdest possible demographic. It has also been around for 10 years and has the reputation as Toronto's biggest club. Sonic for whatever reason has an image problem. Quite a few of my clubbing friends won't go to Sonic because they are convinced it is a gay club...
I also agree with van haaster that the trend for quite a few clubbers (especially the 25+ crowd) is to seek out more intimate venues. The acts aren't as big as Sonic or Guv, but the crowd in my opinion is less sketchy and laid back.
Then again, it is January...so I wouldn't read too much into the dwindling numbers. |
my frist impression was that it was a gay club (and still think it is). its kind of hard not to when u go up the stairs at peak time and all you see is a sea of shirtless dudes grinding with each other |
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| Claude Hughes |
Ok, ive read everyones comments and couldnt sit here in silence anymore. Morales has probably left because, as already mentioned, this club is a dead end & will continue to lose money every week. The only way they'll stay afloat is to keep borrowing off the streets....No wonder Nevio (owner) wants out as well...i would too if i was in debt up to my eyeballs with the worst people in the city. So now, the word is hes looking for a buyer as well as he wants out too...But who the hell would buy a club that loses money on a weekly basis?
As for the other points (comparisons to other venues), the scene has changed. People for the most part don't want to be in a non-drinking, non-social venue anymore. The days of 4 black walls & a sound system dont cut it anymore. People want to be in a social environment....A drinking & social club where there happens to be a dj. Gone are the days of just selling a dj & a soundsystem...The party must be sold first & Sonic has no hope of doing this without a liquor license (which they will never obtain).
Dare i say it, the scene has shifted to coke & liquor...People simply dont want to be surrounded by "pills" & water anymore....because it just aint fun...& this is clearly illustrated by Sonic being empty on a regular basis. |
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| Big Boss |
They won't get a liquor license, but it's not to get a special catering permit for the really big Saturday night events.
, it's not like Sonic's doing 50 people every night. They need probably 200-300 more people in there. That's the casual people and the curious people.
Most of you are too young to remember Guv having 500 people on a Saturday night. It takes a long time to grow a party. Sonic isn't a bad looking place and the sound system is pretty decent. They have always worked under the assumption that everyone was "educated" in the house music scene. Truth is, maybe 10% of the clubbing population is in the loop house music wise. The rest of the 90% is a mix of things.
I think if they were licensed for special events, and the booze prices were slightly cheaper than places like London, Guv, etc, they would be in better shape.
But things will become more clear after winter is over. |
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| English Rachel |
| quote: | Originally posted by Claude Hughes
Dare i say it, the scene has shifted to coke & liquor...People simply dont want to be surrounded by "pills" & water anymore....because it just aint fun...& this is clearly illustrated by Sonic being empty on a regular basis. |
I can't sit here in silence with that comment either. It is funny, living the first 25 years of my life in England, how very smoothly Toronto seems to follow suit. The same trend shift happened back home about 7 years ago - coke and liquor were the order of the day and the great house clubs died a death, and I mean, a death.
Sonic does need to make some improvements but honestly guys, if you want your scene to continue, support the afterhours or else TiL and similar will be all you have left.
Guv will cater solely to trance and you will have to rely on the zone for your house (I'm not complaining).
Think about it, your decisions and choices will dictate availability - it is simple supply and demand. |
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| infinity HiGH |
| quote: | Originally posted by English Rachel
Sonic does need to make some improvements but honestly guys, if you want your scene to continue, support the afterhours or else TiL and similar will be all you have left.
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I'd love to support and go to Sonic on a weekly basis. It's an amazing club with so much unrealized potential, but the problem is that I can't do the extra long partying thing anymore nowadays, especially when it comes to seeing headliners who come on at 4am. Most of the time 4am is when I'd like to head back home.
I think the no alcohol thing though, is what's killing the club the most. I don't think there's a big enough market for this sort of format here in T.O.
edit:
. All this talk makes me wanna go there now.
| quote: | Originally posted by English Rachel
Guv will cater solely to trance and you will have to rely on the zone for your house (I'm not complaining).
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It'll be a sad, sad day when we have to rely on the Zone for our house fix. |
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| EvilTree |
| quote: | Originally posted by English Rachel
Guv will cater solely to trance and you will have to rely on the zone for your house (I'm not complaining). |
Can't say I agree with this comment... Guv seems to deliver a bit of everything. (though needs more TECHNO)
| quote: |
Think about it, your decisions and choices will dictate availability - it is simple supply and demand. |
Well, Sonic is getting a bit of customer feedback. Keep customers happy and people will come to the club. (Though obviously you can't please everyone) |
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| van haaster |
I think I have heard an excuse offered up for low attendance at clubs during every single month of the year.
January - everyone's paying off their xmas bills
September - everyone's focussed on back to school, or back to work
July/August - everyone's at the cottage
April - exams/broke-ass
blah,blah,blah.
It makes me laugh. If winter in Toronto isn't a good time to go clubbing, then when the hell is? |
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