Toronto Night Club Awards, Rigged or Real?

The Toronto Night Club (TNC) Awards are held every year in the heart of downtown Toronto. The TNC Awards is a party that hosts the night club industry’s most relevant names, who come together under one roof to receive awards for different categories in the night life scene. Something I call into question is, who is voting and why are the live voting results not revealed? I can imagine many of these votes may be purchased through a handful of social media websites. I wonder if the TNC Awards are a popularity contest or an award show to showcase the best in the industry.

After a few years of following this award show, I’ve begin to question it’s credibility, besides the fact that it’s only award show of its kind in Toronto. The results may be more reliable if knowledgeable industry players were incorporated as judges in the decision process. I also noticed there is a conflict of interest, as Kleen Media & NRG are identified as “promotors” on the footer of the TNC website, which gives me the impression they may have an influence during the voting process.

Let’s review the results of this years 2014 TNC Awards. (Since they are not even posted on the TNC website)

Best Radio Station
Z1035

Best Radio Personality
Tony Monaco

Best MC
MC Iceman

Best Local DJ (House)
Manzone & Strong

Best Local DJ (Club)
Mike “Toast” Toste

Best College/University DJ
DJ MixnMatch

Party of The Year
Digital Dreams

Nightclub Of The Year
Gravity Sound Bar

Club Staff of The Year
Gravity Sound Bar home of Wayback Wednesdays on Z1035

Best GTA Nightclub
Ivy Social Club

Best Bar
Tequila Jacks

Promoter Of The Year
NRG

Best New Generation Promoter
Redline Toronto

Best Host
Bill Kourbetis

Best Patio
Cabana Pool Bar

Best Upscale Club or Lounge
Maison

Best New Club
Lost and Found

Best Industry Night
Uniun Sundays

Best Marketing Manager
Mike Henry

Best Promo Models
Claudia Maria and Professional Promotions

Best Bartender
Nessy Zoubiri

Best Gogo Dancers
NRG Gogo

Best Sound System
Ryze

Doorman Of The Year
Ave Gill

Best Server
Jenny Lam

Best Weekly Party
Saturdays at Tryst Nightclub

Best Nightclub Photographer
Moses Sousa

Club Owner of The Year
Charles Khabouth (Ink Entertainment)

Manager of The Year
Orin Bristol

Lifetime Achievement Award
Gavin Gerbz

How many votes did this award show tally up and from who? Hundreds, Thousands? Unbiased voters, biased voters? It makes a big difference. To be a considered a reputable award show you need your results to be compiled by thousands and thousands of legitimate voters.

Going through this list I notice so many red flags.  Best Nightclub Photographer went to Moses Sousa, a newest addition to the NRG family.  Night Club of the Year award went to Gravity Soundbar which is managed by NRG . Are you seeing the pattern here? For anyone who takes nightlife in Toronto or this award show seriously knows that they’re so many clubs that surpass this venue. For example: Uniun, EFS, Cube, The Guv, Coda…. you get the point. Club Staff of the Year also went to Gravity Soundbar, but anyone who has been to this club knows they’re far from it! Best GoGo Dancers awards goes to NRG GoGos, and the best MC goes to Iceman who works for …. you got it!

Not to take the hard work away from anyone but you lose credibility when you find out that most of these winners conduct day to day business with the founder of the award show. Besides how do you win an award for Best Door Man of the Year?  Hopefully as the years pass by we can establish an accurate  system that truly showcases the best in the industry!

Written by: V.V

Top 5 Clubs We Wish Were Still Open

What happened to the good ol’ days?  Whether it were the clubs, the music or just life in general!  Here we have captured our five favorite clubs that we wish were still open!

5. Atlantis

This club was notorious for a rotating dance floor above the water, but most importantly, a clear glass fishbowl that kept patrons warm during the winter line ups.

Photo courtesy of BoomsBeat

4. Club Ménage

Long after being closed for over six years, Club Ménage is still known to be one of the greatest legendary clubs in the heart of Downtown Toronto!  Known for its “Wayback Playbacks” hosted by one of Toronto’s most recognized voices, Tony Monaco, Club Ménage has secured a title as one of the longest running Wednesday night parties in the city! Don’t be fooled, clubbers came here religiously and had no issue going to work or school with a hangover the next day.

Photo courtesy of ClubbingWithUs

3. Paparazzi

Despite this club being in Richmond Hill, people from all outskirts of Toronto came here to party.  With the best DJ line up in the city and home to the Z1035 Top 10 at 10 countdown featuring: DJ Pauly P, DJ Danny D, The Hammer and Tony Monaco. These class acts turned this nightclub into Toronto’s hot spot.  Known for its VIP treatment, Paparazzi offered a membership card to its regulars, but not without a price. This luxurious membership card set you back roughly $550; worth every penny!

Photo courtesy of the Canadian Intellectual Property Office

2. Palazzo

Between the original location on the Airport strip, and the relocation to Jane and Highway 7, the name Palazzo should give you a vivid image of what the club was like!  An Italian palace that could fit up to 3,000 people, and open from Thursday to Saturday, Palazzo was known as the Woodbridge ‘hot spot’.  Although they played various genres of music, it was definitely the go-to place for dance music.

Photo courtesy of ClubbingWithUs

1. Meow

Although Meow (also known as “The Pussycat”) was only open for twenty months, it was around long enough to make an impact in the Toronto nightlife community. Just off of Lake Shore Blvd. W., east of Windermere Ave, Meow operated with two floors and had the biggest mirrored disco ball in the city. “Platinum Fridays” and “Purr Saturdays” was home to the exotic masked cat women who swung from the ceiling, together with the go-go dancers who were visible through the windows from outside the club.  This was the very first night club I attended when I was fourteen years old right before it shut its doors on February 5, 2001.

Although I could not find a photo of Meow Nightclub, this is a Google Maps screen shot of where it use to be. 1926 Lakeshore Boulevard

Runners up were: Plastique, Money, Berlin, Helium, Shock, Industry, Limelite, RPM, Orchid, Club Energy, Club 108 and The Docks.

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Brainwashed by the EDM Industry

Don’t be a sucker for what you perceive to be a “talented DJ” in the EDM scene. The industry will have you believe that these EDM DJs are music Gods, but this is, more often than not, far from reality.  The recipe is simple: a good manager and a full bank account to fund a musically talented ghost producer.  If you got the money honey, they got the time and you got yourself a spot on the Top 100 Beatport chart.

I am one of the few that has not been brainwashed.  I see through the lies, the politics and the connection between a DJs brand and their success.  As a DJ, I cannot raise hell and call em’ out.  Why?  For starters, its not politically correct and they would probably do everything in their power to make sure that I would never step foot into another DJ booth in Toronto again.

The funny part is, these DJs are becoming a victim of their own lies. They have dug a hole so deep, even God himself can’t save them.  I am waiting for the day Ashton Kutcher pops out of the DJ booth to reveal that we have been “Punk’d” by the billion dollar investors that have funded our EDM scene.

I will now follow my conspiracy with a true story.

A close producer friend of mine from Belgium had told me he produced a track that he was planning to sell it to a “Top 10 DJ” from the ‘DJ Mag Top 100’, this track would be a follow up to their smash hit that was supported by the Swedish House Mafia on the “One Last Tour” tour. It was a tribal inspired track that would most likely hit #1 on Beatport, if ever released. He messaged the DJs directly and received interest immediately, these DJs wanted to collaborate with another member of the ‘Top 100 DJ Mag’ chart. As days turned into weeks, my friend never received a response and everyone knows that EDM music has a short shelf life. With no choice but to sell this track to another DJ, my friend was shocked to receive an e-mail from the “Top 10 DJs” alleging that their track has been stolen by another DJ. Long story short, the members of the DJ Mag Top 10 had already sent this track to people in the industry crediting them as the owners of it, to be told that it was no longer available. They made it clear that if it was just about the money, they could have sent a payment. The track was eventually sold to another DJ and shortly after signed to Dim Mak Records.

The moral of the story is, the scene is poisoned with famous DJs pretending to be producers with other famous DJs.  It’s like a written code of conduct that nobody is willing to expose for the sake of their celebrity status.

No Filter Needed: Top 5 Toronto Club Photographers!

What is better than having a brand new Profile Picture?  Nothing!  Check out our Top 5 Toronto Club Photographers that will make you think twice about the filter option on Instagram.

1. EFS
Bold and Beautiful! I am super picky when it comes to photos, but I must say, this photographer is on point!

Photographer: Unknown

2. F-STOP BAR 
Easy on the eyes!  Something about the filter that gives it a ‘hipster’ look.  Kudos for standing out!

Photographer: Photagonist.ca

3. CABANA POOL BAR
Adding colour to your life!  Between the beautiful skyline and the bright colours surrounding you, it is virtually impossible to take a bad photo.

Photographer: Unknown

4. GRAVITY SOUNDBAR
So crisp, so clean!  Definitely one of Toronto’s finest photographers! 

Photographer: Jakob Burkhardt

5. MAISON MERCER
Capturing those unforgettable moments!

Photographer: Pedro Marques

Had a good or bad club experience?  Feel free to share it with us by writing a review simply by clicking on the club name!

Written by:  Zyad Suleiman  |  Headline by: Sara M

 

Top 5 Halloween Parties in Toronto!

It’s that time of the year again. We thought we would help you by highlighting the Top 5 parties on Halloween. (Not the day before Halloween, not the day after Halloween, ON HALLOWEEN.)

1.  MONSTER MASH

If you are a fan of the EDM party scene this party is right down your aisle!

Date: October 31st, 2014
Where: Liberty Grand
Address: 25 British Columbia Rd. (Exhibition Place)
DJs: Blasterjaxx, Deniz Koyu, Moguai, Adrian Lux and more…
Music Genre: EDM (House, Electro-House, Progressive House, Trap, Minimal, Deep House)
Price tag: $39.50 (Does not include tax or service fee from any ticket service site)
Minimum age: 19+

For more information visit their Facebook event.

2.  DIABLO HALLOWEEN NIGHT 2014

7 Rooms and 7 Sounds! Experience the FINAL Halloween party inside the Guvernment.

Date: October 31st, 2014
Where: Guvernment
Address: 132 Queens Quay East
DJs: Jed Harper, Danny D, Alex K, Deko-Ze, Joee Cons and more…
Music Genre: Top 40 and EDM (House, Electro-House, Progressive House, Trap, Minimal, Deep House)
Price tag: $35.00 (Does not include tax or service fee from any ticket service site)
Minimum age: 19+

For more information visit their Facebook event.

3.  5th ANNUAL FRESH PRINCE OF BEL-AIR 90’S HALLOWEEN

Taking you back for the only 90’s Halloween party in the city!

Date: October 31st, 2014
Where: Sound Academy
Address: 11 Polson Street
DJs: DJ Wristpect & DJ Mensa
Music Genre: Hip Hop, R&B, Dance, House, Reggae, and Pop from the 90′s
Price tag: $25.00 (Does not include tax or service fee from any ticket service site)
Minimum age: 19+

For more information visit their Facebook event.

4.  SINISTER

Drink till’ you drop, OPEN BAR!

Date: October 31st, 2014
Where: Chateau Le Jardin
Address: 8440 York 27
DJs: Project 46, Paris Blohm and more…
Music Genre: EDM (House, Electro-House, Progressive House, Trap, Minimal, Deep House)
Price tag: $90 (Does not include tax or service fee from any ticket service site)
Minimum age: 19+

For more information visit their Facebook event.

5. BURROUGHES BUILDING 2014

Haunted Loft on Queen Street!

Date: October 31st, 2014
Where: Burroughes Building
Address: 639 Queen St. West
DJs: TBA
Music Genre: Top 40, Hip Hop, House
Price tag: $20 (Does not include tax or service fee from any ticket service site)
Minimum age: 19+

For more information visit their Facebook event.

On Their Way To The Top feat. Tamper Track

It was the month of November and I was at a general meeting for a new club that was opening in Mississauga.  I remember a flock of DJ’s and promoters that were hovering around the club’s General Managers.  There were three specific people that caught my eye, being the local Mississauga residents, Graham Gorrie and Gabriel Encalada, also known as, “Tamper Track”.  Gorrie and Encalada were introduced to me by their manager, Danny Encalada.  After speaking to them regarding what software they were using and what genre they were producing, I could sense their deep-rooted determination and passion.  These two Melbourne bounce undergraduates were jumping on a genre that was not tackled by any well-known Toronto producers and during a pivotal time.

I started following these two on Soundcloud and began to notice the quality of their productions improving track by track.  With a heavy straight bassline partnered with a groovy-pitched vocal synth, these guys dove into the niche Melbourne Bounce market that has quickly turned into one of the most popular party sub genres of EDM.  Already opening up for some of their influential DJ’s, Sidney Samson and Melbourne bounce artists, Will Sparks and Joel Fletcher, these guys are turning their dreams into reality.  Don’t be fooled by their age, these twenty-ish year old producers will without a doubt make some noise in 2014.

Download their new bootleg of Alvaro & Carnage – The Underground

You can check connect with them at:

https://www.soundcloud.com/tampertrack
https://www.facebook.com/tampertrack.official
https://www.twitter.com/TamperTrack

For bookings contact: Daniel Encalada

Written by: Zyad Suleiman | Edited by: Julia Corrente

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Local DJ’s: A dying breed

It’s the morning of my club gig and like many passionate DJ’s, I need to plan my day accordingly.  I have to check out several music sources for new releases, download them and organize it into folders then transfer them to my hard drive.  For Serato users you then have to create new folders, and make sure you upload your songs into those folders.  That alone can take anywhere from two to three hours easy!

This is where the debate begins, do you show up to the club with a plan in mind, or do you show up and “freestyle” it?  I will speak for myself when I say I create sub folders that are named accordingly to the times I start and end my DJ set; 10pm, 10:30pm, 11:00pm, etc.  Then depending on my mood and what I want to plan for the night, I go through the last two years of music and distribute them based on two factors.  First is, what time will people arrive and secondly what time will they want to hear their song.  People tend to arrive to clubs between 11:30pm-12am, based on that this is how I predict the night.  Between 10pm-11pm I open my set with music that is familiar, I do this just so I do not scare or irritate the club owner.  This is important because if you play what YOU want, you will get an ear full from the owners/promoters and they will expect you to change it up.  So never play what you want to play at midnight for the first hour and a half of the night.  Keep it groovy, upbeat and at a recognizable level.

The calm before the storm;

This is usually 11:30-11:45pm and the people have started moving to the dance floor.  I pretty much build the night with tunes that were big a year ago. The rest is pretty obvious, between midnight and close I play what I want which is usually what the people want. When organizing my music for the night, I organize by time slots and by style.  I have songs that I know go well together, and I don’t count on Mixed in Key to tell me what songs do go well together.  This usually takes me a few hours to really perfect a set. Now people are going to argue, “How can you determine what you are going to play ten hours before the doors open?” This is just something that comes with experience. Is it cheating? Not to me, but I am sure others beg to differ. Just because you pre-plan what you are going to play, does not mean you will play every song in that folder. Sometimes you will go between folders and mix it up.  This format is made to make me feel comfortable when arriving to the club. There are times people come up to the booth and distract you like you have nothing better to do. We don’t care that you went to Tomorrowland, or that you are a DJ, or that your cousins best friends daughter met Hardwell.  We are here to do a job and don’t have enough patience or time to put up with your drunken ass.  Avoid visiting the DJ booth, avoid touching things and if you have a request be polite and quick. Most likely we will play it if it fits within our set however, if you don’t hear your song please don’t come back and break my balls.  It was for a reason, and I did not want to be rude and tell you that your choice of song sucked.

It’s 3am, the club is empty and it’s time to get paid. Don’t forget, we arrived to the club thirty to forty-five minutes early for sound check and we are eager to go home and sleep.  Most people think this should be the easiest part of the night, but it’s not, sometimes it’s the hardest part of the night. Most clubs cash out all their bartenders first to make sure their tills are balanced while the DJ’s sit and wait to get paid.  This is the part that is confusing! You know you have a DJ expense, and you know it’s going to be accounted for at the end of the night.  Why can’t you have an envelope ready with my name on it?  This is the part of the night in which I like to call “Judgment Day”. Depending on how the night went, club owners feel that they can give you a pay cut because the night did not do well.  How is this my problem?  I am not too sure.  We did our job from start to finish, and because they did not do their job to fill the club we have to pay the price?  I will give credit where credit is due though!  During my experience, The Guvernment was the only venue to have my cash ready for me during the middle of the night.  I did not even have to ask for it! One of my worst experiences was at Mansion Nightclub on 102 Peter Street, it was New Years Eve and the owner made me wait until 5am to be told to come back tomorrow to get paid.  Some DJ’s are weak and others will hold their ground and demand to be paid, and I got paid. But it shows you the character of some club owners.

When all is said and done, after calculating the time spent on preparing my set, downloading music (90% of the time PAYING for my music), transportation, parking, and finally DOING my job along with waiting to get paid, us DJ’s are probably making no more than a minimum wage job.  The moral of the story is, we do not get paid enough money to put up with your bullshit or the owners bullshit.  Give us a break and let us do what you pay us to do.  Pay us in full and on time!

Written by: Zyad Suleiman | Edited by: Ryan C

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Mix Markham – A Beautiful Disaster

A beautiful Vegas inspired venue right in the heart of Markham.  With 14 elegant VIP Booths to compliment a 600 sq. ft. dance floor, this venue really defines what the standard of nightclubs should be in Toronto. With a state of the art sound and lighting system, Mix Markham prides itself with the quality of their venue’s equipment.  How could this multi-million dollar facility be struggling to attract a crowd?

In August 2013, the long awaited Grand Opening of Mix Markham arrived.  Teaming up with Toronto’s leading dance station Z1035, one could only imagine a positive outcome.  After four short lived weeks into the live to air broadcast, Mix Markham pulled the plug on their twelve week contract with Z1035 because of what they perceived to be lower than average numbers.

With the cancelation of their leading source of promotion, the club saw numbers plummet like the Wall Street Crash of 1929.  With no plan b, and a go with the flow attitude, the club experienced an all time low of zero patrons.  That’s right, at one point it was a ghost town. How do I know?  I had the privilege to be their resident DJ for over twelve weeks.  The total number of people averaged to be about five to ten on a Friday night.   It was something that a club of such a high caliber should never have to experience, along with branded DJs having to show up and play for nobody but the staff. I witnessed Marco V, a 2007 Top 20 ranked DJ on the DJ Mag’s Top 100 play for a crowd of five. Even with a pay cheque of over $10,000, no money could be worth the damage that was done to his ego and reputation.  The promoters should have done its due diligence by researching their target demographic.

I wish I could tell you the bleeding stopped there but it didn’t. With the EDM duo, Sex Panthers making their first appearance to Toronto, Mix Markham left them with no choice but to throw on a pre-mix C.D. and get smashed to the rats ass. These Hollywood new aged rock stars with a solid fan base got a bad taste of Canada.  Can you blame them?  After losing a lot of money and hope, they finally did their research and booked Tenashar, a Singaporean DJ who was crowned #87 on DJ Mag’s Top 100 DJs of 2013.  The promoters finally packed the dance floor with locals, but the damage was already done.

Mix Markham is still struggling but deserves the best of luck because this venue is operated by some of the nicest and most loyal club owners I have ever met.  Putting trust in promoters that don’t know left from right, has left this club in shambles. I encourage everybody to check out this club, and most importantly, DJs and promoters to come together and build something positive with this beautiful venue.

Written by: Zyad Suleiman | Edited by: Julia Corrente

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