I’ve heard many a heterosexual woman claim that the dance music played by deejays in gay bars is better than in clubs catering to no particular sexual orientation. When I ask them what’s so good about it, though, they don’t have an answer. “It just is!” is usual typical response.
I usually don’t go do dance clubs, so I can’t exactly judge for myself. The times I’ve been in gay clubs, though, the music really dind’t sound any different than what’s played in a straight-ish dance club.
So, Doper aficionados of dance music, what’s so good about the music played in gay bars? Is it really better, and if so, why?
You’d really have to specify what type of club you’re putting against gay clubs. There are lots of varieties of straight clubs, after all.
Having been to plenty of both types of club, I guess you could generalize that gay clubs play a lot more “fun” music - lots of dance remixes of songs that everyone in the club is likely to be familiar with, ranging from “It’s Raining Men” to whatever’s in the top 40 at the moment (and believe me, I’ve heard dance remixes of songs that you would have thought would be impossible to make dance-y).
Gay clubs are definitely the place to be if you don’t like hip-hop. In my experience, it’s very rare to hear hip-hop in gay clubs outside of the odd song by Missy Elliott or Lil’ Mama.
There are straight dance clubs? I thought they died around the same time as disco.
Most big dance clubs I’ve been to were gay/mixed, and the DJs are great at working the crowd, pumping them up, slowing them down, pumping them up again.
The last time I was at a strictly straight dance club was years ago in Sacramento. It sucked. The music was mostly right off the radio and the atmosphere was aggressive and uncomfortable. The women were mostly acting stuck up and the guys were mostly acting like they wanted to catch you looking at their girlfriend so they could beat you up.
It just seems hotter because the guys actually get on the floor and dance without having to be hit by a cattle prod and they raise their hands higher than their nipples.
You are the second American I have heard mention this, I am assuming the OP is referring to clubs that play dance music like house and techno and stuff. We have loads of these in Britain but (IMHO) their heyday was in the 90’s although clubs like ‘Ministry of Sound’ (yawn) are still going strong. I was an enthustiastic clubber myself in the 90’s and regularly went to ‘The End’, ‘Chunnel Club’ and ‘Heaven’ which brings me neatly on to my second point and the answer to the OP…
In the UK at least the dance music scene and the gay scene seemed like very close bedfellows to me and loads of (straight) clubbers would go to ‘gay’ clubs as very often they would have the best music and a relaxed mixed crowd although there was a definite divide - techno, house etc seemed to be the music of choice at gay clubs and drum and bass and garage were more usually at more black orientated and less gay clubs. I think that the high energy vibe of house and techno is just more popular with gay people and therefore they tended to put on the best nights and as a result the straight people who liked this type of music gravitated towards them creating friendly nights full of open minded (mixed) people.
I’m willing to bet when she is talking about dance music she means this type of dance as I have heard the same theory espoused by clubbers from Noo Yawk and San Fran.
Are these type of ecstasy fuelled clubs not very prevelant in the US? They are what I would call a ‘club’ if someone uses the word over here - anything else is a ‘Nitespot’ and is usually more like a late opening, watered down beer, cattle market nightmare!
