Favourite VJ friendly club? [Archive]

many2

14th November 2006, 03:27 PM

I don't have a favorite club but I do have a favorite producer : Carlos, from the company Produkt in Montreal, has always been extremely supportive all the times he has hired me as a VJ. Even when the event he was producing was in a club with video equipment, he would always be willing to push the limits and add comething special to make the night stand out.

matthecat

14th November 2006, 04:21 PM

russell and mark kindly took me to razzmatazz 1 in barcelona, a farking wicked vj friendly venue there was a v4 and several screens.. music was indie unfortuantely but the vodka measures they dose u up with would knock out an elephant...

famouswhendead

14th November 2006, 04:40 PM

VIP room Paris.
Barely lights just screens :)

dansmachine

14th November 2006, 05:01 PM

Every club has to learn how to deal with VJ's and their wishes how they would like to have their environment, and in my carreer of 10 years pro-vj'ing all I can say that virtually every club in the Netherlands is quite ideal to perform. Special mention of my former residencies 013 (Tilburg) and Effenaar (Eindhoven), which have improved enormously over the years.
Favourite place outside NL is The Beach, Torino (Italy).

Luminarti

14th February 2007, 11:45 PM

I know this one is biased, as I fitted the video kit in this venue,and It is one of my residencies, but digital in newcastle is fairly wicked.
You get massive space in the dj booth, right next to dj, 5 projectors, 3 of which are front and rear project (so image on both sides). You also get V4 2DVD players, one DVD recorder, preview, and amazing techies.
Also ability to send signal to two screens upstairs. Also interestingly - two of the main rooms screens are rear project side by side onto smoked glass above the bar. These look amazing and don't suffer from any smoke as room is huge and enclosed from club.

Did an amazing live 6 camera thing when Public Enemy, De La Soul played last year using 1 V4 and an MX50.

MarkVideo/Luminarti/Perspective

PCProject

15th February 2007, 01:16 AM

both jacks club and seONE have been very receptive to allowing us to do silly things with multiple screens and projectors

on a personal note i love jacks as the management enthusiastically embrace what we do and "if carlsberg made security then this is what they would be like" - in my many years of playing live to dj'ing to running a successful lighting company to moving to video (and onto AV shortly) i have never come across anywhere like it since the days of the tyssen street studios in hackney

hookturn

15th February 2007, 02:01 AM

Studio in Auckland.

I turn up and plugin to 1 rca and that feeds all projectors.

Simple as

Plus they have the biggest permanent screen in Auckland

SteveG

15th February 2007, 09:44 AM

Surely the only VJ friendly clubs are those who employ resident VJ's and there isn't many around. I know several VJ friendly promoters tho;)

SilentEclipse

15th February 2007, 11:22 AM

The Big Chill house is very well kitted out for vj's, there is a special VJ booth with V4 and MX50 plus multiple screens all over the venue!! :inf:

Luminarti

15th February 2007, 12:19 PM

Hi

Found a photo of the DJ/VJ booth at Digital.
Although it has moved to the other side of the dj for more space.

<img src="http://www.event-video.co.uk/digi.bmp">

Mark

SteveG

15th February 2007, 12:27 PM

Are you resident up there for all nights Mark? Must pop up to meet you and see what you do. I email'd this place when it was opening but received no reply. Must be one of the cleanest most organised booths I've seen. You need to get some monitors on those DVJ's ;)

Luminarti

15th February 2007, 07:10 PM

SteveG

15th February 2007, 07:32 PM

Sorry for off topic reply to Question.

Yes I am Steve, apart from two monthly nights, which have there own VJ's who have relationships with their respective promotors.

Also - we have met, at The Cosmic Ballroom when you got rained out!

And as for the DVJ/monitor situation - well the DVJ's have gone, we broke one, and the other does a Audio/Visual job at The Carling Academy.
Monitor wise, there's one and I take two. And if you could tell - that's a press type shot, which It rarely looks like.

Mark

Ahhhh! sorry Mark, yes of course I remember you, cant remember you saying you were a VJ tho :) That flooding was crazy....there's no way I was going to perform in 3" of water. Cosmic Ballroom was a little small too. Good lads the Habit guys tho and their puting on some great DJ's. I did have one very good night with them in the Sage. You should get the Habit night into Digital Mark ;) If I get a chance I'll pop up to say hello at some point. Keep us posted on the forum what nights and when your working.....allways a good night out in Geordie land too:)

SteveG

16th February 2007, 07:27 AM

Here's the latest from Mixmag...The Top 50 Clubs, how many have a resident VJ or even regularly publicised VJ?

1 Space Ibiza
2 Fabric
3 Pacha Ibiza
4 The End
5 Warung
6 panorma bar/ berghain
7 dc10
8 amnesia
9 pawn shop lounge miami
10 zouk singapore
11 stereo montreal
12 the arches
13 turnmills
14 miami space
15 digital
16 ministry of sound
17 womb
18 guvernment toronto
19 cocoon
20 pacha NYC
21 d edge sao paulo
22 cavo paradiso
23 sirena
24 crobar chicago
25 fuse brussels
26 pacha BA
27 basics
28 kristal romania
29 coco rico
30 cielo new york
31 the rex club
32 robert johnson
33 yellow tokyo
34 home sydney
35 weekend berlin
36 privilege ibiza
37 the cross
38 sankeys
39 tenax italy
40 pacha sao Paulo
41 the key
42 babyface shanghai
43 honeyclub
44 se one
45 alter ego verona
46 spundae LA
47 Trilogy dubai
48 venue, athens
49 T-bar
50 ageha, tokyo

shudder inc

16th February 2007, 03:23 PM

my best experiences at clubs as far as both the set-up and the tech support were Loft club in Barcelona and the Arches in Glasgow. Space had some nice gear but i didn't think it was utilized in the best way, the video was pretty much sidelined. Space club had a designated tech for the video but i don't think he was really a 'vj'. Loft club had the gear set-up and brought in vj's for different events, and the Arches had a lighting/video person who ran both, and actually quite well from what i remember

Brinkman

16th February 2007, 05:14 PM

Vision in Chicago has the best video rig in the midwest imho

jimmyogenic

16th February 2007, 05:37 PM

The Big Chill house is very well kitted out for vj's, there is a special VJ booth with V4 and MX50 plus multiple screens all over the venue!! :inf:

don't forget the matrix and 5 preview screens...

and a HUGE fan to keep you cool

and a lockable door ;)

Kyle

16th February 2007, 07:40 PM

I played Rex club in Paris number 31 on the list...It sucks for VJs. Laurent Garnier didn't want to use all the beamers cause he said it was too bright.

The VJ desk was out of site from the crowd tucked back in the corner behind the DJ who got all the glory.

Kyle

16th February 2007, 07:42 PM

my best experiences at clubs as far as both the set-up and the tech support were Loft club in Barcelona

Dubassy and I definitely want to check this place out. They have a rotating lineup for VJs every month. Who do you contact for gigs there?

brain

16th February 2007, 09:17 PM

Here's the latest from Mixmag...The Top 50 Clubs, how many have a resident VJ or even regularly publicised VJ?

6 panorma bar/ berghain
8 amnesia
19 cocoon
32 robert johnson
35 weekend berlin

6 - the panorama bar (berlin) has no fixed installations for video. they only have a beamer and a resident visualist on the perlon nights every 1st friday. its my buddy j?rg franzmann, he's rather doing moving imagery instead of classic VJing. it might be different downstairs at the berghain; hard to tell with all the smoke and drugs... :D

8 - being once to this baddie ripoff club was more than enough, saw no video...

19 - cocoon uses a customized vvvv system with lots of beamers, but actually it does not really show. there are no screens, most projections go onto stuctured and broken up wall surfaces. this sounds cool but actually it is almost impossible to recognize an image; only abstract structures seem to work. the intended immersive "room-Jing" does not appear to me. there are rumors that the original visual concept had been cut down prior to opening for budget reasons; after all the club was still a 10 million euro venture. visuals and lights are mostly handled by one resident guy.

32 - robert johnson: we used to do countless gigs there. the club has six monitors, recently rearranged in one row above the DJ. now the VJ cant see anymore what he's doing. they do not seem to care for visuals much lately; mostly just one guy with the same loops over and over again. the VJ workspace is now the worst ever; about 1/2 squaremeter in a corner under an airvent, DJs almost have to climb over you to get to their place! still my favorite club tho (firstrate DJs and best sound i know); but not for playing anymore :)

35 - weekend has such a spectacular 270-degree panorama view from the 12th floor over berlin alexanderplatz that visuals would go unnoticed, i think---

shudder inc

17th February 2007, 08:01 PM

Quote:
posted by Kyle
Dubassy and I definitely want to check this place out. They have a rotating lineup for VJs every month. Who do you contact for gigs there?
*apologies, i don't know how to properly quote*

about the Loft club, i played there while on tour with a dj, i wasn't booked there 'in my own right' i suppose, just blessed to be able to travel were he went. i did have the contact info for the vj who played there that night and helped with the tech. i will see if i can find it. he told if i made it back to Barcelona he could help me play there again.

stealthsyst3ms

17th February 2007, 09:04 PM

I Love the SEone in London....loads of space;)

But i love my flat more, cos i can kick the missus out and create a totally immersive enviroment...;)

SteveG

18th February 2007, 12:12 AM

The SeOne must be one of the worst clubs I've performed in. Too hot no air conditioning, too many people constantly on the move, a struggle to get to the toilets and little chance of getting to the bar if the promoters forget to bring you more beer, if your lucky to get to the bar your expected to pay around a fiver for a cheap non brand beer that tastes like thames water...sorry awful is how I would describe the SeOne.

I hope your flat's a lot better :D

AdamJay

18th February 2007, 08:08 AM

The VJ desk was out of site from the crowd tucked back in the corner behind the DJ who got all the glory.

i'd never do that to you, bro!

up front and where the people can see ya.... and bug the shit outta ya! :yep:

eduzal

21st February 2007, 06:12 AM

Here's the latest from Mixmag...The Top 50 Clubs, how many have a resident VJ or even regularly publicised VJ?
(...)
5 Warung
(...)
21 d edge sao paulo
(...)
23 sirena
(...)
40 pacha sao Paulo
(...)

These are the ones i know, i played at the first 3, and they aren't VJ friendly, i mean, friendly they are, but they don't have permanent VJ.

Warung is the best club vibe that i ever been, i played there with 4 screens, ina very beautiful club placed in an amazing spot, but the whole vj setup was a one night stand. they open 30, 40 nights a year and normally they don't hire VJs.
D-EDGE is the best club in s?o paulo, a very cool and dark place. one of the finest sound systems in town, great lightning(the space is pure lightning), a very trendy club, only the best djs plays there, and the music is fine, great place for electro, minimal and tecno. you can only play on plasma tvs there, one or two. believe me it's the only way to play there, unless you want to loose your reputation for trying to dump the party trying to setup some projectors and screens.
Sirena is another club by the beach, it also opens 30, 40 nights a year. Mostly house clubbing. Don't have VJs on a regular basis, only on special ocasions, like carnival, NYE.
Pacha S?o Paulo, never been there, but some projects got their own VJs. I know some of them. I'm only surprised that it's got on the list 30 days after opening, for what i know it ain't that much of a place.

i'm eduzal, from brazil finishing the top 50 VJ report for vjforums.com.

many2

21st February 2007, 12:07 PM

11 stereo montreal

I've played there. The sound system is awesome (really, one of the best I've ever seen) but afaik there has never been a permanent VJ setup there, nor a resident VJ.

SteveG

22nd February 2007, 07:59 AM

It's begining to look like there really isn't very many VJ friendly clubs around. Perhaps we should name the VJ friendly promoters instead :biggrin: I think certainly in the UK it's the way the clubbing industry works with promoters having to design and front up their own nights, all most get is the facility of the staff, bar and venue. I think all of the nights I work bring in elements of their own, some more thaan others. Extra lighting, PA, visuals, dancers.....shame they operate in this way....is it greed or finances? The one thing that really get to me is when you visit really a good club, well decked out with good screens and possiblities to expand on things only to see very boring looping branding visuals all night. Amnasia springs to mind. Even offered to do a free week there a year or so ago and got nowhere:( Looks like I'll have to buy my own club :nod:

vdmoKstaTi

18th April 2007, 03:56 PM

I have recently started to put a bit of list together of places where I have played that are most VJ friendly. Its especially pleasant to come back to those venues where you already played and know they system well. It can get slightly stressing not knowing about the set up of the place if you are booked to play and you dont have great deal of info.

I had a gig @ Velvet Underground in Cairns last week-end and that would have to be among fav spots to play for sure. I will disregard pretty weird messages I was given a day before that the owner doesn't like to use his plasma wall 3 x 3 (and it massive). Playing on this set up will put a massive smile on any VJ face, I guarantee it..

If you stand on the dance floor near DJ, the plazma wall overhangs the dance floor and visuals present themselves as something totally out of this world. I stood under it when I was testing things out and I couldn't stop smiling.

Otherwise, list of other venues would include:

Ze Bar, Mackay
Entertainment Centre, Mackay
Velvet Undeground, Cairns

these are great as venues from visuals and space to operate point of view.

xrayconcept

23rd April 2007, 08:12 AM

I should say without hesitation :
Le Rachdingue (villajuiga - Spain) a surrealist club created by Dali and many of his friends ... a crazy atmosphere. :Smoking:
check this out :
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1k1ke_electrovisions-rachdingue
or
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xamtb_rachdingue-11-aout-06

and I'd say also Club Couch in Berlin... all for audio visual stuff...

See ya
Pixray

synoptics

10th July 2007, 01:50 PM

There isn't a single club here that's generally friendly, let alone VJ friendly. When I turn up to the place I do one of my residencies at I normally end up plugging in the decks/CDJs and testing the speakers to make sure they're still working - for the last 3 months the bass bins have dropped out during the night, and considering this is a dub/dubstep room...

(FYI - There's 2 rooms, upstairs being priority, the promoter is always too busy sorting that and the resident for downstairs travels from LDN every month so doesnt get there till we open)

When they opened the club they had 4 projectors, a V4 and a PC with resolume & arkaos. Now they have 1 projector, which is severley damaged and is held in place by gaffa ABOVE THE DANCEFLOOR and points at a wall which normally has a dance platform infront of it so you cant see the projection anyway, everything else has been broken or stolen by their staff. You may think from their initial setup they would be good - but they've put no money whatsoever into insuring or maintaining ANYTHING including sound and light systems.

This club won international awards it never deserved.

On the flip side, what Steve's said about VJ friendly promoters is becoming more and more true with people who 2 years ago wouldn't of considered it a worthy expense are now willing to pay good rates and push your name as much as possible. This, however great, doesnt matter if when it comes to the gig there's fuck all support from the venue staff and the bouncers try and kick you out at the end of night before you've packed down because they've taken all the drugs they confiscated....

</rant>

SteveG

10th July 2007, 03:27 PM

Bad weekend then :sigh: .....most clubs are the same. Tell the bouncers you'll be quicker if they help. They'll either leave you alone to get on with it or help. Either way you win :) Helps if you tell the management how long break down will take too. Even more annoying for me is the few clubs who do have the rigs in situ and still dont invite VJ's along. They are supposed to support the industry....joke. The 2 big ones close by that dont for me are Gatecrasher (RIP :) ) and Tall Trees at Yarm. Tall Trees has a few of the largest screens in any UK club and the same looping DVD's. Support VJ's the do not:(

evomedia

10th July 2007, 03:50 PM

the bouncers try and kick you out at the end of night before you've packed down because they've taken all the drugs they confiscated

Yep bouncers are the bain of my life as they are for many a VJ, Most clubs would be great if they just banned the bouncers going anywhere near the VJ's.

The end of the night arguements... I dont care how power crazed the bouncer is, I'm taking MY KIT home.

The clubs that give you a bucket load of drinks tokens, then put you on a balcony/area where your not allowed drinks.

And the managers who decide to put up 50 lasers and a massive box over the walls you use for a screen, which they forgot to mention before the 80 mile drive.

Yep, most clubs are shit for the VJ. I was in one, where the second VJ was chucked out for standing on a chair to focus a beamer, had to come back the next day for his gear.