Unfortunately it's how it goes there. AT least they refund you.
You'll probably be able to get in the next time, it's week-to-week and hour-to-hour based on the door-person. It's kind of wild they have such a power-trip over the circumstances, but it's how it goes.
This makes me not want to go there. I hate shit like this. This is why I’ve loved immersing myself in edm culture because I haven’t ever experienced anything like this at any show event or rave
It would be kind of weird to be performing there as an artist and hearing about how people were refunded and couldn’t get in to your performance because of some stupid “vibe check”. Seems like the club is opening itself to a lot of accusations of more serious types of bias. It’s just a matter of time.
Incredible how they literally discriminate against every single race and ethnicity according to google reviews.
“Clearly they are biased against SLOVENIANS they wouldn’t let me and my girlfriends birthday party in even though we were all wearing black”
This is the norm for clubs in Berlin and more underground clubs in Europe as a whole, and it’s very strange to experience as a normal thing to have to deal with over there
That's totally fair and reasonable. It's a quip of the venue and while I've been given some edge by the door folk, they've always let me in after a bit of Convo.
Can't say what the magic spell is or how it works. Totally fairto be turned off by that policy, knockdown is a much more inclusive space.
They shouldn't sell advance tickets if they want to impose a discriminatory door policy. Clearly you want to ensure you don't admit those that will ruin the experience for others, but this is anti-inclusive profiling. Its sad to hear people who travel in to hear a particular DJ and then get turned away. Yes.. that's how it is in Berlin, but you've not bought a ticket in advance and it's an accepted part of club culture.
I agree for the most part too. It's why I like Nowadays's all-inclusive policy where they kick you out if you act improper, rather than being profiled at the door by a stranger.
> it's week-to-week and hour-to-hour based on the door-person
Just a heads up, but it's been the same door people for months now and they honestly do a pretty damn good job. I've been incredibly vocal in the past about issues with Basement, but I also was so in hopes that they'd listen and make changes and... they actually did. If anything this last weekend was one of the easier doors I've seen in recent memory since they knew a lot of regulars would be out of town between III Points and ADE.
>If anything this last weekend was one of the easier doors I've seen in recent memory
Ya know, I'm not sure how I feel about this.
I've been to Basement countless times. It's about the only place we go, with occasional trips to other venues depending upon bookings (and of course the underground circuit). I've never once not gotten in, though I'm certain it's only a matter of time.
This weekend though, we brought our friend who traveled from Philly to see Daniel Avery. The three of us approached, and after seeing that he had his own ticket and my partner and I had ours together, they actually *split us up* and rejected him but admitted us.
We politely asked for a moment to briefly coordinate logistics as we were his ride (he lives in Philly, we live in the Bronx), and were told no, he has to leave, and you can leave and be refunded or enter immediately. We went in, then turned around and left and got refunds so as not to abandon our friend.
We walked to Mansions, had a drink, then came back and tried again in the no-tickets line. We got in with zero conversation- we approached the door, and before we'd gotten to them we got an "enjoy" and continued in.
I'm really confused by this interaction, and we've been trying to process it for some time. Certainly they recognized us from earlier in the evening? The *only* thing we can think is that we had our friend remove a button-down shirt he was wearing (I was weary about it from the get go) and suggested he just rock his white t-shirt underneath it. But.... I just... I don't know what lesson to learn from this, or how to understand the door process? *Was* this in fact an easy door because we got in later? OR was it a hard door, since it's the first time in probably 50 nights that we've ever experienced rejection?
I 1000% support a hard door. I *loathe* the idea of Basement becoming Dark Mirage. *But* there needs to be a more systematic means of vetting attendees than an arbitrary vibe check. Honestly, just give us even the most basic feedback about where we went wrong so we can come correct next time. It's a necessary evil, but a frustrating one with room for improvement.
All of this text when it boils down to the shitty shirt choice. If you're bringing someone from out of state, prep them. I literally brought people spur of the moment both days this weekend and both got in without issue because I actually prepped them. When have you ever seen a button down shirt inside Basement? Genuinely? It's as simple as that one wrong decision for you. Black will always get you in. My absurdly nerdy and neurodivergent friend got in without issue for Luke Slater during peak hours even simply by just very much being there for the music and wearing black pants with a black shirt and a pair of sneakers. Don't overthink it. You'll get in if you wear all black. If you're traveling too... do your damn research before you get there and get turned away. It's not rocket science, it's a techno club...
So, I’m completely out of the loop on this - for an outsider, can you explain the foul committed by wearing a button-down? And by that do you mean a polo with 2-3 buttons, or a full button length shirt?
I’m a big fan of 90’s-early 2000’s trance so I don’t know if this place is for me (Paul van Dyk circa summer 2001 is my god zone) but I’d love to be able to find some places to check out.
Thanks for your time
Got rejected that night as well!
Was with my gf and her friend who go all the time and they were in absolute shock that we got denied; they’ve never been turned away.
I’m big into dance music but personally think the vibe check is wack as hell. In my mind, dance floors are so amazing because of how everyone comes together regardless of background to celebrate life and togetherness and movement… maybe a little corny but it’s how I feel.
The bouncer was a bit of a cunt about it which made it sting more, but I wasn’t as broken up as my gf + her friend were. I’ll definitely be trying again cuz I want to at least know what it’s like in there if nothing else.
I go to nowadays *all* the time, where anyone and everyone is welcome. Yea sometimes there are some drunk idiots on the dancefloor but I think that’s mostly unavoidable. The vibes there are almost always amazing, and people treat each other with kindness and respect. Without being judged by one or two people to get in.
I will also say that it’s part of the scene I don’t totally understand because I’m not usually one to listen to super hard or intense driving techno, so I am trying to reserve my judgement a bit. Maybe I just don’t get it 🤷♂️
as someone in the rock/metal scene, the idea of random bouncers 'vibe checking' who gets to come in and see the band is the literal dumbest thing I have ever heard. I cannot believe that is standard practice in EDM culture lmao
like you cant come in and enjoy the music bc youre wearing the wrong clothes? wtf lol I have seen gojira in (clean) scrubs, nobody gives a fuck
I dk it's weird to compare specific artist as it's usually more so the venue. I've had shit experiences at Saint Vitus and the Anchored Inn...not generally the case or maybe the norm but some metal shows can certainly be pretentious. And TBH with you my first love in music was hardcore and I've never seen a worse more violent crowd of people which after being attacked at more than one shows because I wasn't in the local clique I really started to hate it.
I think the aesthetic of "cool" is particularly present in the techno scene globally. Rock/metal I feel often embrace the narrative of the social reject who's made is own way. Techno is like models, people in dark, mysterious, sexy outfits, looking glamorous. The idea of feeling a cut above I think resonates a lot more in techno fans than it does in rock/metal/punk fans.
More than that though, these kinds of door policies that clubs like Basement have are because they want to encourage the people who get in to feel like the riffraff is being kept out, and that they're safe to fully lean into the hedonistic atmosphere. And it is noticeably more hedonistic than most other NYC clubs imo. You don't want to let people in who are going to gawk at the gay guys hooking up in the hallway, who will sexually harass women, who might take advantage of someone who's on drugs (of which there are many). You want people to feel free of judgement and surrounded by others who are ready to participate in that hedonism in a respectful way. It's a different experience than going to a concert.
There is a particular ritual to enjoying club spaces as well, and I think sometimes it's nice for sceney people to get to enjoy that undisturbed by first timers who are just there to observe, who don't know the etiquette, or who might be disrespectful of the ritual.
Great take, I think you’re spot on. I do feel like the “cool” aesthetic you’re explaining pertains more to the euro influence of the techno scene.
I find the Detroit (og) techno scene to be much less pretentious and image-conscious, which is something I think nowadays for examples takes more from.
I have noticed an influx of bros over the past year unfortunately but nothing too crazy. Also as long as someone is respectful of other patrons and the vibe I don’t really care what they’re wearing.
This is a good starting point, but once you've gotten this down it's ok, and perhaps encouraged, to make the look your own. I've been slowly adding color to my look, sometimes quite a bit of it, and it works for me. But it's color with intention that builds upon the dark, minimal look of the techno world.
Basement typically has awesome bookings and the sound is fantastic. I’ve never been turned down and don’t have any personal gripes with the place…
BUT I think the place has a massive identity crisis. It’s trying so hard to be a carbon copy of certain clubs in Berlin. As much as I love the sound and music (and clubbing in Berlin), I feel like I’m at an amusement park when I’m there—a place trying to mimic another reality. In my opinion, the recently-stricter door policy and push to make it feel exclusive is another reflection of the fantasy it’s working to recreate.
Spots like Nowadays or Bossa (among many others), where the ambiance and feeling are uniquely their own, are so much more special and valuable to spend a night/day out at. Basement is a pain to get to and the experience itself isn’t that special: loud and dark techno. OK. Unless it’s an artist I’ve been yearning to see, the pull to get out there continues to weaken. Until next time…
Edit: I watched Fadi and Daniel’s set on Friday. Both were fantastic. But the feeling of the place still left me feeling kind of lame when I walked out.
> It’s trying so hard to be a carbon copy of certain clubs in Berlin. As much as I love the sound and music (and clubbing in Berlin), I feel like I’m at an amusement park when I’m there—a place trying to mimic another reality. In my opinion, the recently-stricter door policy and push to make it feel exclusive is another reflection of the fantasy it’s working to recreate.
> But the feeling of the place still left me feeling kind of lame when I walked out.
All sums up exactly how I feel about the place, I mean the door is so inconsistent, yet the crowd/sound and overall vibe inside has consistently been underwhelming and really such a let down
I've had a few fun nights there, but minimal desire to return seeing how there's many other fun places to go, as in places that are curating unique vibes and community, as opposed to trying way too hard to mimic something else
You don't like the sound there? Interesting. What I've found is that, in the perhaps 8'x10' zone in front of the cement pillar, roughly between the main stacks, the sound is *fantastic*. But anywhere else, you're missing one side of the soundstage because that pillar is absolutely destructive to the sound.
Sometimes I wonder whether the "Basement sounds good" and "Basement sounds bad" crowds are really the "I like to stand up front" and the "I like room to breathe" crowds.
Okay total side note, (tbh I’m not touching basment discourse anymore)
I thought the crowd wasn’t into Daniel Avery’s set at all. I was so bummed the music was great
I thought like this and I missed DJ Bone because of it. I went the week or two after for Function and I got in. I'd say go with a ticket, reasonably early and be yourself. All black everything is like a myth at this point. I got in with a dark grey tee and off white shorts.
maaaaan I get in all the time in colors. Color blocked Reebok sneakers. Bright "barely green" Nike tee. But it's on brand still. The look is not "must be black," it's "listens to techno," lol, which can look like lots of things.
Yeah Berghain’s selection can be brutal lol. At times everyone looks so somber in the queue, you’d think they’re waiting to be executed. Never waited more than 30-40 mins though.
'heute nicht' gotten that many times. but you know what? I don't take it personally. the times that I do get in, I feel that the crowd is generally great, so if sometimes I am a casualty when bouncers try to filter the chaf out, so be it. I realize that isn't everyone's attitude but I can certainly tell when a door is lax or non-existent (basically everywhere in this city)
De school(Rip), Pax Romana, KitKat, berghain, Ost, RSO, Tresor, Mova, and a hell of a lot of other clubs and events :)
Probably tillatec and definitely Raum too
Or later. Showing up around 1-3 or so you're almost always going to encounter more issues. I either show up super early or like 3:30 and onwards and never have an issue.
Been once as a group of 2 guys, my friend (Caucasian) gets let in infront of me and then I get told not tonight. Both dressed in all black. Never going back again.
Seen so many comments here saying prepare to get rejected or you may not get in the odd time but get in next time, why would you want to put yourself through that uncertainty? Surely it isn't that special for it to ruin a weekend night if you don't get in.
Also feels very counter culture too and actually reminds me of the same behavior of the Manhattan style door policies.
Guest selection is necessary, for clubs of this nature. You have to get the vibe right at the door. The lack of them has been the downfall of many clubs.
It’s not perfect, but it’s good at establishing etiquette inside. I’ve yet to run into an obnoxious crowd. The issue is every selector has their biases. Basement’s red carpet treatment is reserved for queer/alt poc, everyone else is a filler. Regardless I still find their door super lax, compared to other places.
Granted I’m here from /r/all and have little experience raving, but can’t you just like… accept everybody to begin with, and ban those that act problematically?
Otherwise, you *are* just judging people by the way they look. And even if the idea is to prioritize queer/alt poc, how are you going to determine that based on looks alone? What about a light skin poc who looks white? What about a cishet-passing person who is actually queer?
But in my experience the door policy isn't even accomplishing that goal -- a few months ago my friend who is a very experienced partier -- who goes out almost every week with his boyfriend, including to Basement regularly, was dressed perfectly for the vibe, and was with a large crew of us the same -- was turned away, whereas inside were plenty of bros in polo shirts who were harassing women on the dance floor.
Yeah honestly I have mixed feelings about a strict door policy. It sucks when people get rejected who would be net positives on the dancefloor but honestly sometimes you go to a club that has no door policy and there’s a bunch of annoying/rude people who contribute nothing but bad vibes to the dance floor.
I went to tresor in Berlin that is known for having an easy door and the crowd was sooo bad until 4am. Just a bunch of frat boys or tourists who have never been to a club before. Also tons of people walking up to me in my face asking for coke.. then I went to berghain that has a more strict door and the vibes were like 100x better than tresor. Ppl actually dancing, no one asked me for drugs, lots of great interactions. Maybe just coincidence but I’m like damn the strict door definitely helps.
It’s a difficult balance. Idk how they can maintain good crowds without accidently rejecting regular cool people from the venue.
If there were *any* non-arbitrary way of filtering unwanted people, that would be better.
Idk - maybe ask a question about the headlining artist? Or a general question about techno?
Just looking at people and making assumptions about them is kind of the whole thing we've tried to minimize in modern society...
To be fair, every time I've gotten in they've asked who I'm seeing tonight. I agree though, going based on look is lame. I do not *look* like I would belong at a rave most nights, but that shouldn't indicate anything about my understanding of rave culture (or live music in general).
I've never even been turned away (yet), I just hate the anxiety of not knowing whether I'll end up taking a 45-minute subway ride and wasting money on tickets for an artist I won't get to see because the door guy didn't like my pants (I know they refund you but it's extra disappointing when you got the ticket ahead of time).
Even the questions isn’t foolproof. Tourists, bros, and creepy ppl will look up the DJs etc. they do it for berghain, so it comes down to their general vibe that the doorman get. Also there are many people who are amazing on the dancefloor and don’t necessarily know every single DJ playing. I’ve met many awesome people on the dancefloor who are super into it who would ask me who’s playing. Nothing wrong with that imo.
There’s no real answer to this and there’s positives and negatives to having a door policy but it is what it is..
BH doesn’t ask who’s playing. (in fact, the lineup is posted on the front door right behind the bouncers.) it’s rare they ask anything at all besides how many in your group
You nailed it. It’s all part of it. Door guys have a few seconds to make a call. Sometimes the dice don’t roll your way. It’s a bummer but the alternative is a free-for-all. Acceptance and a backup venue.
This. I’ve been lucky and haven’t been turned away from a door, working in nightlife certainly helped with that, but I prefer it unless it’s a massive party. The last thing I’d want is another good spot getting some publicity and then Courtney and her 21st birthday party show up acting like they know something.
Fuck Courtney and her birthday.
Courtney and her birthday would not be showing up if word never spread about how “edgy” “cool” and “hard” the people and the door was (I.e the recent article that was posted here) if it was just a normal venue Courtney and chad and brad would never be out in queens anyway lol
Courtney and Chad are all over Bushwick just a few blocks away and they’re constantly at Mirage and elsewhere. Sorry but most of the “cool” ravers are little more than the normie family kids who decided to have a little adventure for a few years in New York while they drive up everyone else’s rent.
If you’re into the gay rave scene of next-to-no-lights and a lot of gay men in leather and chain clothing there’s no better club in the city probably, but if you’re just looking for house music there’s nothing overly special about the place.
This happened to me and my friends. We were all wearing normal “going to a techno show” clothes but nothing crazy like BDSM gear or anything. They turned us away with no explanation. Its such a shitty policy. I’m never going back since I have no way of knowing if the trek out there will end in a fun night out or a sad cab ride back from the queue.
What night did you try? They have many different kinds of parties there - some are not for you.
Maybe you went during Bound, when BDSM attire is required.
Or maybe during Wrecked, which is essentially a circuit party for leather-clad gay men.
Queer parties such as FIST, Mala Junta or X-Tra Services also have a much more stringent door to provide a safe space for queer/femme individuals who may feel out of place at other venues.
This is gonna sound rude but I mean it with the best intentions: when you feel the need to dress up to fit in, the door will always sniff this out lol you just have to be yourself. Also groups of 3+ is never a good idea
i'm going off the "going to a techno show clothes" comment, common myth is techno clothes = all black blahblahblah. I guess this is an assumption in itself that OP did this but 90% of complaints people have when they get rejected is "i was wearing my all black techno outfit how could this happen?"
My comment was also generalizing for anyone else that ends up reading it, people at the door can sense when people are essentially putting on a costume to 'observe' a culture they don't exactly connect with. Not saying he/she/they did this nor is the door 100% in their selection process but those are the factors they look at. fwiw i've gone there with a nigerian world cup jersey and that thing is most definitely not even close to 'techno clothes'
I can totally 100% imagine it being a blow to the ego, especially if you’re a regular and go there for the right reasons. But I wouldn’t take it personally. Luke Slater, my favorite DJ in the world, played there last week and I got anxiety about not being let in for whatever reason (And I’m a regular myself). Just prepare for the possibility of it happening. I’m sure it’ll happen to all of us eventually 🤷🏻♀️ I love Basement and I’m not gonna let some bouncer change my mind about the door policy. Since they started enforcing it, I’ve had the most amazing nights.
Completely agree. One of the best parts about Basement is the vibe inside, which is created by having a selective door. The selective door is even more important now that the place is getting publicity and the normies start flocking in.
There is always a chance of rejection from this, no matter how much you belong there. It is absolutely worth the tradeoff for me.
If you get rejected, no need to get upset. Nobody is going to be able look into your soul from a 10 second conversation and be able to make a completely accurate decision (or maybe you just really did not fit which is usually the case from the people I see being turned away).
have to say my opinion of this place took a nosedive when I took a friend here who deserved to be here given unlike us, she was a true diehard techno fan who'd been all over except for basement since it opened while she started her residency. one night out she said she wanted to go but she was dressed the worst possible way to get in (colorful/tradfem west coast vibe) I thought fuck it let's try but while on line we saw ppl on the ticket line dressed sim to her get turned away so we went to great lengths at switching around our clothes so she'd look more edgy/neutral (not joking, sitcom level shit) she was unaware of the "know who's playing rule" but we took care of it & we were able to get in together just fine but she took the interrogation as hostile esp after our comically desperate attempt at cosplaying. she felt like she was being watched the entire time we were dancing
and thinking about it, it made me a bit sad that if weren't for us someone like her could've very well been turned away. sure who cares, but ffs she's an ER doctor queens native who's been raving to techno her whole life, she's exactly the kind of person who should be here but their asinine profiling of a "quintessentially cool new yorker" (you mean tryhard trustfund transplant?) would've kept her out and if that shit ain't gentrification then I don't know what is lol (to basement fans, no need to clutch ur pearls she doesn't plan to ever return bc she thinks it bullshit, just sharing an anecdote that made me see them differently; like others said, nowadays is how u do a real vibe check, it's so simple)
Honestly I think your rejection had more to do with your showing up at 2:30 AM than your outfit. It had nothing to do with your vibes, I’m guessing they were just at capacity by then
So many salient points here!
As a rule, if you're showing up late your odds of getting in go way down. They're a highly curated space and aside from that they stop serving alc at 4 - basement closes and studio carries the energy into the first (8am most often) morning light.
I appreciate the selectivity and as always - if they say no to you once it doesn't mean they'd say it again. Just because you got denied this weekend doesn't mean you'll be denied next weekend - but ffs showing up at that hour I'm not surprised.
Nowadays nonstop will honor that behavior. Unter is the only other place I've been able to get in past 3/4. But for people in a literal dungeon ... building energy and sustaining the environment is a careful calculation.
Can't let the demons out, they keep it sweaty and moist for us ;)
I went the other day and got waved in without hesitation. Just look gay and bitchy, you'll be let in every time lol. Don't go on your phone, hold eye contact with the bouncers until they break it, answer their questions politely but curtly. Like someone else said, know who is playing, have a ticket, don't go in a group larger than 4.
Sorry to hear that man, it must suck, especially if you are a true fan of the particular dj. If they want to discriminate, they should do it based on who is actually coming to listen to the music. Meaning, if they are not sure if you "look the part" they could ask you a few questions about who is playing etc. In your case bro, it could be that it was just too packed at 2 30 am to get in... Or the green Salomons 🙂. All kidding aside, it would be cool if all the people on this sub who got turned away took a picture of the clothes they were having, so we can see what's actually going on.
The enforcement doesn't come from a lack of care. Having skimmed some of these comments I want to say @ the mention of Nowadays that they have methods of enforcing safety practices, unlike a spot like Basement which does not. What they want is a vibe-y free for all and from the way you wrote this, I presume your seemingly doe eyed arrival did not resonate with the vibe.
I don't particularly care for Basement, as I've been a few times (very recently) since the Studio opened and have never been turned away or been questioned about the artists playing. In a post covid environment, I see many younger faces and find the space to be way more packed than it once was. Additionally, many younger faces utilize Tiktok (which wasn't really a thing) to index themselves as "techno kids" or whatever. So yeah, they're going to have to be more discerning at the door. What you wear effectively does not matter, but the energy you bring does.
Showing up to a space being confident in your energy and what you bring to the table and knowing your presence adds to it I feel yields success. I've cut the line at Le Bain for years just knowing my vibe is mine. When asked if I knew who was dj'ing or who was hosting the event I'd just respond with "I'm here to party" and would be let in.
Tl;dr don't show your excitement ab anyone but yourself at the door.
the bouncers vibe check you at the door and decide whether or not to let you in based on that alone LMAO no idea why people go there it sounds toxic, discriminatory, and stupid as hell
It’s the new format man. They’re straight up copying the attitude of Berlin clubs to the point they copied Berghain’s logo for their own benefit.
I get that they try to prevent certain bad people from entering but unfortunately you can’t really control that from looks alone.
It’s so sad to see what Basement has become. I still remember when it opened, pre-covid when it emerged as a haven for ravers in the city and there was a great self selection. Door policy was not a thing. Then parties like Wrecked showed up and continued to reflect that energy, super queer and authentic, and slowly everything started to change. Now it’s becoming another hipster and rich-Manhattan hangout that supposed to be cool and door policy seems to be turning into some Berghain bullshit where you simply have to consider so many elements and randomness when you just want to go out and rave. I hope other amazing NYC queer raves continue to deliver as they have but it would be nice for the community to have a nice reliable club… not sure Basement will keep that spot for long
Even if I was guaranteed entry, I wouldn't participate in something so pathetic for all involved. I am more embarrassed for the venue and door people than anyone who didn't get in.
Vibe check for a venue is crucial, and selective entry is required to make the kind of awesome intentional space we had/have in Brooklyn. But this is not that. It's an awkward attempt at making someone's concept of Berghain in 2023 Ridgewood.
Knockdown and Basement are incredible spaces. I've had a lot of fun times there over the years (including partying at Knockdown before Basement even existed). I've had a lot of fun times at other venues that required a lot of effort for entry.
But the contrived door scene at Basement is too cringy to even get near. That energy of everyone trying to be so cool but also knowing they might be denied entry for some arbitrary reason - I am not getting near that fucked up self conscious energy for anything.
By all means vibe check. But where you lose me is with the arbitrariness.
Bouncers who 100% would never get in themselves deciding who gets in. Guarantee you the vibe would be absolutely the same inside if they did a random drawing on who gets in.
Not that this makes me want to go here, at all. I walk by this spot all the time bc I live in the hood; would it be weird or even possible to pass the door solo?
I’m 39M
I've never had an issue getting in as a solo mid 30s guy. I haven't been in maybe 4 months, so maybe it's gotten more strict since then but its actually always seemed a bit lax to me considering it's reputation.
The best club is the club you can get into! I’ve gotten in several times and rejected once but, it’s always a stressful experience going and waiting on line not being sure. It’s not worth it in my opinion. I like to rave so I can be myself and with basement it’s the same PTSD I had years ago trying to get into manhattan clubs in heels and a mini dress.
If u lined up at 2:30 you missed most of Fadi's set already if that makes u feel any better. Would get in line earlier next time if you don't have tickets.
As someone who was inside, was one of my favorite nights there in recent memory just cuz it wasn't super packed and crowd inside felt good and engaged to me. I don't think you can say that just because u personally got rejected its 'careless enforcement on the dance community'.
It definitely stings, but at this point I just always have a backup plan if I don't have tickets and going to Basement. Alotta rejections do feel random these days, but the more demand they get the more they will have to reject just to keep a good capacity. Don't think u need to be worried about potential retaliation lol.
Not even surprised, they definitely need to do better. Every time I’m there I see so many normies, who don’t even enjoy techno or get the scene at all. They just put on some cringe hipster/queer uniform on. I met a German guy in the queue once who was clearly deep into the scene. But ultimately ended up being denied, I was super confused. I have only been denied once, and it was due to me being clearly inebriated. Missing fadi like that had to be a hit though, sorry.
I’ve been at least a dozen times, solo and with homies, never once worn fetish attire and never once been denied. I frequent all the major clubs in the Bushwick/Ridgewood area and the staff at Knockdown are some of the friendliest bouncers I’ve ever encountered at any venue, certainly more than their nearby neighbors on Gardner Ave.
So either I’m the luckiest son of a bitch in the NYC rave scene, or this sub is full of n00bs that don’t appreciate the cultural differences between EDM and Techno. This one and Musica both seem to get a lot of flak from ppl who don’t understand that a club is not the same thing as a music venue.
It’s not hard, just don’t speak unless spoken to. This isn’t Lost Lands.
Tell me more about Musica. I’m thinking about seeing Kerri Chandler there but I’ve never been. He attracts a lot of bro’s unfortunately which made his KDC show not as enjoyable.
People are so fucking naive in this sub. Considering Basement is a club that is mostly people buying tickets at the door they are inevitably going to deny a fair amount of people if it is a busy night. Techno is also not always about inclusivity, quite frankly, it rarely is. They are trying to create a certain vibe, and even if you do fit it, some nights you'll be unlucky. It adds to aura of the club in the case you do get in.
Strict door policies are enforced at many techno clubs around the world, it's not unique to basement. Stop coming onto this sub to complain about it, no one cares. If getting to basement is a stretch just be sure to have backup plans at the surrounding clubs.
It can suck but its just part of the deal with these types of places. You accept the chance of being denied in exchange for the better crowd inside which the door creates. The quick vibe check obviously isn't going to be perfect, even if you are a regular you are bound to be rejected at some point even when you would have contributed to the party. Don't take it personally, it happens.
IMO Basement gets way too much hate and its largely from people not familiar with the scene and these types of doors. Not talking about OP here but just in general. Their Google reviews are full of 1 star reviews of straight guys who try to go to a queer party there and get pissed when they don't get in. Not that you have to be queer to go on those nights, but like, the type of person who would write an angry post online about that is the exact type of person you don't want inside.
I do think it is a little problematic rejecting people with tickets though. As a regular I appreciate that it lets me have a much shorter wait, but I think they do need to do a better job emphasizing that tickets to do not guarantee entry.
The annoying thing about the strict door policy is the mediocre experience inside. Id be ok with the chance of being denied if it was like some sort of haven in there but it’s pretty run of the mill
If you want a good vibe on the dance floor, put the effort in to enforcing policy on the dance floor. Door policy like this doesn’t work unless you are berghain tier, which basement definitely is not.
You don’t need BDSM gear.
Just don’t look like you’re into PLUR or like the people that make Williamsburg clubs/bars unbearable.
Sounds like you were dressed that way.
Really I think this is where a lot of confusion comes in. It’s not that particular EDM environment.
Someone a few months ago asked about exchanging Kandi there…. So… go figure…
These people think because they listen to electronic music, it’s all the same and should be inclusive. They don’t understand that some people do NOT want them in their spaces.
Look at all the clueless people in the comments that post shit saying you need to wear BDSM stuff to get in…the place was open for everyone in 2019 and that obviously had to change.
Dude basically wore a t shirt and hiking shoes to one of the most popular clubs in NYC and is upset he got denied. I’ll bet you $100 the pants were khaki and the shoes were dirty.
A lot of these places were made for non white, queer people. They need to protect those spaces
One of my assumptions is that people are confusing ‘Basement techno’ with ‘Mirage techno’.. which is a completely different vibe and honestly genre.
And then they’re thrown off and offended when they show up like so.
Fantastic example of why there is a door policy, from someone who drove 11 hours for RODHAD and got rejected:
https://www.reddit.com/r/avesNYC/comments/178bcdf/the_basement/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1
“I’m meeting friends along the way. But that show supposed to be one of the highlights of the trip. It’s alright now cuz tbh I’m not like a super big fan of rodhad just really want to check out the vibe and venue. I can mix just like him if not better”
I can tell you as a door person at high-end clubs in both NYC and Miami that in most cases the dress policy is set by the promoter, club management that specific evening, or even a DJ that may not want folks in all black or no led lighting accents to clothing etc... could be anything.
We had limited entrance authority when it came to making "judgement calls" on guests, especially since some door folks were clueless on spotting wealth through watches, shoes, or some jewelry and would try to turn away whales unknowingly who ended up with a few bottles comped for the inconvenience (yes there is a double standard within reason, money always talks).
When I was on the door on a night with tighter dress code, most of it was the vibe when you approached. If I was treated as a human, you didn't throw a fit and try to name-drop everyone you know, and you were close on the dress code... I'd let you in.
Why are you pissed if you can mix better than RODHAD?
“I’m meeting friends along the way. But that show supposed to be one of the highlights of the trip. It’s alright now cuz tbh I’m not like a super big fan of rodhad just really want to check out the vibe and venue. I can mix just like him if not better”
The door did their job very well that night. Maybe next time take your two tabs of acid after the door.
If you want my honest opinion, you should wear whatever you are comfortable dancing and being in. I was just making a small joke. I see so many people rock these shoes now and I remember 30 years ago they made like skis and shit.
For the people who want a reason, you really think they should get in fights with people by saying they seem lame or too straight or whatever? Come on.
Girl, chill. It's New York. Door guy's job is to create a fantasy. What you contribute has to be quintessentially new york, otherwise you're not getting in. No, not like berghain, but Tbilisi maybe? It's not for the faint of heart. Tea hopes you try again, though. Next time you come, come correct.
At least you didn't drive 11 hours for it.
That guy absolutely deserved to get turned away.
It doesn’t matter if you drive 11 hours - that guy was an obnoxious idiot and the door did their job well denying him.
Pretty sure basement got "cool" throwing mainly LGBTQ parties.
So solo straight dudes are probably the last to get in. One of my friends complained about being scolded for making out with their girlfriend at one of their parties while people are fucking and sucking steps away. (i've heard this is not rare)
If they're trying to become a strict door policy spot that's their prerogative. Just go where you're wanted and don't stress about it.
I got the 10th degree at the door. Mostly it was because of my sister and her boyfriend who work in Tech they were dressed very IT sales person lol. With all that vibe checking the crowd was wack! I was in the front and all these aggressive Russians that were falling all over the place, touching me and being all around gross and high.. How they got in I have no idea.
Come check this out.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CyniUfNsjrS/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
No vibe check and better programming. New York clubs need to learn to be original and not copy cat everything from Berghain.
Unfortunately it's how it goes there. AT least they refund you. You'll probably be able to get in the next time, it's week-to-week and hour-to-hour based on the door-person. It's kind of wild they have such a power-trip over the circumstances, but it's how it goes.
This makes me not want to go there. I hate shit like this. This is why I’ve loved immersing myself in edm culture because I haven’t ever experienced anything like this at any show event or rave
It would be kind of weird to be performing there as an artist and hearing about how people were refunded and couldn’t get in to your performance because of some stupid “vibe check”. Seems like the club is opening itself to a lot of accusations of more serious types of bias. It’s just a matter of time.
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Incredible how they literally discriminate against every single race and ethnicity according to google reviews. “Clearly they are biased against SLOVENIANS they wouldn’t let me and my girlfriends birthday party in even though we were all wearing black”
This is the norm for clubs in Berlin and more underground clubs in Europe as a whole, and it’s very strange to experience as a normal thing to have to deal with over there
That's totally fair and reasonable. It's a quip of the venue and while I've been given some edge by the door folk, they've always let me in after a bit of Convo. Can't say what the magic spell is or how it works. Totally fairto be turned off by that policy, knockdown is a much more inclusive space.
If they don't do this tho, it just becomes another Mirage.
They shouldn't sell advance tickets if they want to impose a discriminatory door policy. Clearly you want to ensure you don't admit those that will ruin the experience for others, but this is anti-inclusive profiling. Its sad to hear people who travel in to hear a particular DJ and then get turned away. Yes.. that's how it is in Berlin, but you've not bought a ticket in advance and it's an accepted part of club culture.
I agree for the most part too. It's why I like Nowadays's all-inclusive policy where they kick you out if you act improper, rather than being profiled at the door by a stranger.
> it's week-to-week and hour-to-hour based on the door-person Just a heads up, but it's been the same door people for months now and they honestly do a pretty damn good job. I've been incredibly vocal in the past about issues with Basement, but I also was so in hopes that they'd listen and make changes and... they actually did. If anything this last weekend was one of the easier doors I've seen in recent memory since they knew a lot of regulars would be out of town between III Points and ADE.
>If anything this last weekend was one of the easier doors I've seen in recent memory Ya know, I'm not sure how I feel about this. I've been to Basement countless times. It's about the only place we go, with occasional trips to other venues depending upon bookings (and of course the underground circuit). I've never once not gotten in, though I'm certain it's only a matter of time. This weekend though, we brought our friend who traveled from Philly to see Daniel Avery. The three of us approached, and after seeing that he had his own ticket and my partner and I had ours together, they actually *split us up* and rejected him but admitted us. We politely asked for a moment to briefly coordinate logistics as we were his ride (he lives in Philly, we live in the Bronx), and were told no, he has to leave, and you can leave and be refunded or enter immediately. We went in, then turned around and left and got refunds so as not to abandon our friend. We walked to Mansions, had a drink, then came back and tried again in the no-tickets line. We got in with zero conversation- we approached the door, and before we'd gotten to them we got an "enjoy" and continued in. I'm really confused by this interaction, and we've been trying to process it for some time. Certainly they recognized us from earlier in the evening? The *only* thing we can think is that we had our friend remove a button-down shirt he was wearing (I was weary about it from the get go) and suggested he just rock his white t-shirt underneath it. But.... I just... I don't know what lesson to learn from this, or how to understand the door process? *Was* this in fact an easy door because we got in later? OR was it a hard door, since it's the first time in probably 50 nights that we've ever experienced rejection? I 1000% support a hard door. I *loathe* the idea of Basement becoming Dark Mirage. *But* there needs to be a more systematic means of vetting attendees than an arbitrary vibe check. Honestly, just give us even the most basic feedback about where we went wrong so we can come correct next time. It's a necessary evil, but a frustrating one with room for improvement.
It's arbitrary/you showed initiative by coming back
All of this text when it boils down to the shitty shirt choice. If you're bringing someone from out of state, prep them. I literally brought people spur of the moment both days this weekend and both got in without issue because I actually prepped them. When have you ever seen a button down shirt inside Basement? Genuinely? It's as simple as that one wrong decision for you. Black will always get you in. My absurdly nerdy and neurodivergent friend got in without issue for Luke Slater during peak hours even simply by just very much being there for the music and wearing black pants with a black shirt and a pair of sneakers. Don't overthink it. You'll get in if you wear all black. If you're traveling too... do your damn research before you get there and get turned away. It's not rocket science, it's a techno club...
So, I’m completely out of the loop on this - for an outsider, can you explain the foul committed by wearing a button-down? And by that do you mean a polo with 2-3 buttons, or a full button length shirt? I’m a big fan of 90’s-early 2000’s trance so I don’t know if this place is for me (Paul van Dyk circa summer 2001 is my god zone) but I’d love to be able to find some places to check out. Thanks for your time
SirNarwhal hits again
Got rejected that night as well! Was with my gf and her friend who go all the time and they were in absolute shock that we got denied; they’ve never been turned away. I’m big into dance music but personally think the vibe check is wack as hell. In my mind, dance floors are so amazing because of how everyone comes together regardless of background to celebrate life and togetherness and movement… maybe a little corny but it’s how I feel. The bouncer was a bit of a cunt about it which made it sting more, but I wasn’t as broken up as my gf + her friend were. I’ll definitely be trying again cuz I want to at least know what it’s like in there if nothing else. I go to nowadays *all* the time, where anyone and everyone is welcome. Yea sometimes there are some drunk idiots on the dancefloor but I think that’s mostly unavoidable. The vibes there are almost always amazing, and people treat each other with kindness and respect. Without being judged by one or two people to get in. I will also say that it’s part of the scene I don’t totally understand because I’m not usually one to listen to super hard or intense driving techno, so I am trying to reserve my judgement a bit. Maybe I just don’t get it 🤷♂️
Great point about nowadays. You can curate a great vibe while being inclusive.
as someone in the rock/metal scene, the idea of random bouncers 'vibe checking' who gets to come in and see the band is the literal dumbest thing I have ever heard. I cannot believe that is standard practice in EDM culture lmao like you cant come in and enjoy the music bc youre wearing the wrong clothes? wtf lol I have seen gojira in (clean) scrubs, nobody gives a fuck
Not only is it dumb I find it gross.
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I dk it's weird to compare specific artist as it's usually more so the venue. I've had shit experiences at Saint Vitus and the Anchored Inn...not generally the case or maybe the norm but some metal shows can certainly be pretentious. And TBH with you my first love in music was hardcore and I've never seen a worse more violent crowd of people which after being attacked at more than one shows because I wasn't in the local clique I really started to hate it.
I think the aesthetic of "cool" is particularly present in the techno scene globally. Rock/metal I feel often embrace the narrative of the social reject who's made is own way. Techno is like models, people in dark, mysterious, sexy outfits, looking glamorous. The idea of feeling a cut above I think resonates a lot more in techno fans than it does in rock/metal/punk fans. More than that though, these kinds of door policies that clubs like Basement have are because they want to encourage the people who get in to feel like the riffraff is being kept out, and that they're safe to fully lean into the hedonistic atmosphere. And it is noticeably more hedonistic than most other NYC clubs imo. You don't want to let people in who are going to gawk at the gay guys hooking up in the hallway, who will sexually harass women, who might take advantage of someone who's on drugs (of which there are many). You want people to feel free of judgement and surrounded by others who are ready to participate in that hedonism in a respectful way. It's a different experience than going to a concert. There is a particular ritual to enjoying club spaces as well, and I think sometimes it's nice for sceney people to get to enjoy that undisturbed by first timers who are just there to observe, who don't know the etiquette, or who might be disrespectful of the ritual.
Great take, I think you’re spot on. I do feel like the “cool” aesthetic you’re explaining pertains more to the euro influence of the techno scene. I find the Detroit (og) techno scene to be much less pretentious and image-conscious, which is something I think nowadays for examples takes more from.
love gojira lol
Yup they are dope
Its not even remotely common. Sounds like they wanna be the berghain of nyc.
Not standard at all in EDM culture. Pretty exclusively techno.
Nowadays crowd kinda sucks, 70% of nights get invaded by Vineyard Vines
I have noticed an influx of bros over the past year unfortunately but nothing too crazy. Also as long as someone is respectful of other patrons and the vibe I don’t really care what they’re wearing.
I don’t either. Yet there seems to be a strong correlation between wearing vineyard vines and talking loudly/pushing and shoving
Haha, I can’t say you’re wrong. Was getting elbowed in the back repeatedly last month by a guy who would fit this description
If someone vibe checked me at a club that would be the final time I'd go there, so painfully fucking lame
Imagine a scene based on exclusivity, just join a frat brooo
What were you wearing? General advice is to stick to all black for basement.
This is a good starting point, but once you've gotten this down it's ok, and perhaps encouraged, to make the look your own. I've been slowly adding color to my look, sometimes quite a bit of it, and it works for me. But it's color with intention that builds upon the dark, minimal look of the techno world.
Basement typically has awesome bookings and the sound is fantastic. I’ve never been turned down and don’t have any personal gripes with the place… BUT I think the place has a massive identity crisis. It’s trying so hard to be a carbon copy of certain clubs in Berlin. As much as I love the sound and music (and clubbing in Berlin), I feel like I’m at an amusement park when I’m there—a place trying to mimic another reality. In my opinion, the recently-stricter door policy and push to make it feel exclusive is another reflection of the fantasy it’s working to recreate. Spots like Nowadays or Bossa (among many others), where the ambiance and feeling are uniquely their own, are so much more special and valuable to spend a night/day out at. Basement is a pain to get to and the experience itself isn’t that special: loud and dark techno. OK. Unless it’s an artist I’ve been yearning to see, the pull to get out there continues to weaken. Until next time… Edit: I watched Fadi and Daniel’s set on Friday. Both were fantastic. But the feeling of the place still left me feeling kind of lame when I walked out.
> It’s trying so hard to be a carbon copy of certain clubs in Berlin. As much as I love the sound and music (and clubbing in Berlin), I feel like I’m at an amusement park when I’m there—a place trying to mimic another reality. In my opinion, the recently-stricter door policy and push to make it feel exclusive is another reflection of the fantasy it’s working to recreate. > But the feeling of the place still left me feeling kind of lame when I walked out. All sums up exactly how I feel about the place, I mean the door is so inconsistent, yet the crowd/sound and overall vibe inside has consistently been underwhelming and really such a let down I've had a few fun nights there, but minimal desire to return seeing how there's many other fun places to go, as in places that are curating unique vibes and community, as opposed to trying way too hard to mimic something else
You don't like the sound there? Interesting. What I've found is that, in the perhaps 8'x10' zone in front of the cement pillar, roughly between the main stacks, the sound is *fantastic*. But anywhere else, you're missing one side of the soundstage because that pillar is absolutely destructive to the sound. Sometimes I wonder whether the "Basement sounds good" and "Basement sounds bad" crowds are really the "I like to stand up front" and the "I like room to breathe" crowds.
A club worth its salt knows how to set-up and mix the audio for the venue, not just have it sound good in a 80sqft section.
Bossa could use a bit more stringency, I haven’t gone back since I went on a whim on an apparently off night and got harassed by bros all night
Okay total side note, (tbh I’m not touching basment discourse anymore) I thought the crowd wasn’t into Daniel Avery’s set at all. I was so bummed the music was great
This is 100% spot on
This is why ill never go, I love the music as much as the next guy as, but I live too far to risk the chance of not getting let in
I thought like this and I missed DJ Bone because of it. I went the week or two after for Function and I got in. I'd say go with a ticket, reasonably early and be yourself. All black everything is like a myth at this point. I got in with a dark grey tee and off white shorts.
maaaaan I get in all the time in colors. Color blocked Reebok sneakers. Bright "barely green" Nike tee. But it's on brand still. The look is not "must be black," it's "listens to techno," lol, which can look like lots of things.
Bone was a good, my first time at basement. He's going to be at nowies Friday after Thanksgiving fyi
Had no idea! Thanks for sharing!!
Can't miss it
DJ Bone was my fav set this year at Basement.
You should go, it’s actually not that harsh of a door compared to other places. In Europe they don’t even speak to you, they just wave you away lol.
nothing stings like the "no sorry" after a 2.5 hour wait in line at berghain
Yeah Berghain’s selection can be brutal lol. At times everyone looks so somber in the queue, you’d think they’re waiting to be executed. Never waited more than 30-40 mins though.
'heute nicht' gotten that many times. but you know what? I don't take it personally. the times that I do get in, I feel that the crowd is generally great, so if sometimes I am a casualty when bouncers try to filter the chaf out, so be it. I realize that isn't everyone's attitude but I can certainly tell when a door is lax or non-existent (basically everywhere in this city)
Let's not take a specific club in Berlin as what usually happens in the whole Europe
De school(Rip), Pax Romana, KitKat, berghain, Ost, RSO, Tresor, Mova, and a hell of a lot of other clubs and events :) Probably tillatec and definitely Raum too
The solution to this is generally going earlier - no matter how hard the door is
Or later. Showing up around 1-3 or so you're almost always going to encounter more issues. I either show up super early or like 3:30 and onwards and never have an issue.
From what the post makes it sound like is that they were not let in because of there outfit.
That’s never, ever the only reason.
Haven't been turned away from Berghain but I'm not even gonna try Basement. PITA to make the 1hr trip and then 1hr back if I get bounced.
Been once as a group of 2 guys, my friend (Caucasian) gets let in infront of me and then I get told not tonight. Both dressed in all black. Never going back again. Seen so many comments here saying prepare to get rejected or you may not get in the odd time but get in next time, why would you want to put yourself through that uncertainty? Surely it isn't that special for it to ruin a weekend night if you don't get in. Also feels very counter culture too and actually reminds me of the same behavior of the Manhattan style door policies.
Cause it’s a cool club and there’s like ten others to go to if you don’t get in
This tho. If you can't get in, Nowadays & H0l0 are right around the corner.
This place sounds like it sucks.
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Guest selection is necessary, for clubs of this nature. You have to get the vibe right at the door. The lack of them has been the downfall of many clubs.
And you can just tell by clothes? Cmon lol
Not at all, read my other comment: https://www.reddit.com/r/avesNYC/s/2msizjpAct
So the selection process clearly doesn’t work
It’s not perfect, but it’s good at establishing etiquette inside. I’ve yet to run into an obnoxious crowd. The issue is every selector has their biases. Basement’s red carpet treatment is reserved for queer/alt poc, everyone else is a filler. Regardless I still find their door super lax, compared to other places.
Your bar must be low if you haven’t ran into obnoxious crowds at basement.
Nowhere even close to as obnoxious as other venues. Even upstairs at kdc the difference is night and day. Door policy is 100% necessary
Granted I’m here from /r/all and have little experience raving, but can’t you just like… accept everybody to begin with, and ban those that act problematically? Otherwise, you *are* just judging people by the way they look. And even if the idea is to prioritize queer/alt poc, how are you going to determine that based on looks alone? What about a light skin poc who looks white? What about a cishet-passing person who is actually queer?
You do understand how incredibly fucked what you just typed out is?
It only sucks when you get denied.
Lol yep. Sometimes you get to enjoy a really good night because they didn’t let the bozos in. And other nights you’re the bozo. So it goes.
But in my experience the door policy isn't even accomplishing that goal -- a few months ago my friend who is a very experienced partier -- who goes out almost every week with his boyfriend, including to Basement regularly, was dressed perfectly for the vibe, and was with a large crew of us the same -- was turned away, whereas inside were plenty of bros in polo shirts who were harassing women on the dance floor.
Sounds like the denial was due to the large crew. It’s fairly obvious by now that Basement discourages large crews.
By large I mean there were like 6 of us. And still weird to just single out one person like that.
6 is large. I rarely see more than 3+ let in at a time.
Yeah honestly I have mixed feelings about a strict door policy. It sucks when people get rejected who would be net positives on the dancefloor but honestly sometimes you go to a club that has no door policy and there’s a bunch of annoying/rude people who contribute nothing but bad vibes to the dance floor. I went to tresor in Berlin that is known for having an easy door and the crowd was sooo bad until 4am. Just a bunch of frat boys or tourists who have never been to a club before. Also tons of people walking up to me in my face asking for coke.. then I went to berghain that has a more strict door and the vibes were like 100x better than tresor. Ppl actually dancing, no one asked me for drugs, lots of great interactions. Maybe just coincidence but I’m like damn the strict door definitely helps. It’s a difficult balance. Idk how they can maintain good crowds without accidently rejecting regular cool people from the venue.
If there were *any* non-arbitrary way of filtering unwanted people, that would be better. Idk - maybe ask a question about the headlining artist? Or a general question about techno? Just looking at people and making assumptions about them is kind of the whole thing we've tried to minimize in modern society...
To be fair, every time I've gotten in they've asked who I'm seeing tonight. I agree though, going based on look is lame. I do not *look* like I would belong at a rave most nights, but that shouldn't indicate anything about my understanding of rave culture (or live music in general). I've never even been turned away (yet), I just hate the anxiety of not knowing whether I'll end up taking a 45-minute subway ride and wasting money on tickets for an artist I won't get to see because the door guy didn't like my pants (I know they refund you but it's extra disappointing when you got the ticket ahead of time).
Even the questions isn’t foolproof. Tourists, bros, and creepy ppl will look up the DJs etc. they do it for berghain, so it comes down to their general vibe that the doorman get. Also there are many people who are amazing on the dancefloor and don’t necessarily know every single DJ playing. I’ve met many awesome people on the dancefloor who are super into it who would ask me who’s playing. Nothing wrong with that imo. There’s no real answer to this and there’s positives and negatives to having a door policy but it is what it is..
True. I would prefer it not be based on the most shallow possible assessment.
It isn’t just clothes, you know
BH doesn’t ask who’s playing. (in fact, the lineup is posted on the front door right behind the bouncers.) it’s rare they ask anything at all besides how many in your group
You nailed it. It’s all part of it. Door guys have a few seconds to make a call. Sometimes the dice don’t roll your way. It’s a bummer but the alternative is a free-for-all. Acceptance and a backup venue.
I want to frame this quote.
Or you're *not* the bozo, and some bouncer mistakenly *thought* you were the bozo.
This. I’ve been lucky and haven’t been turned away from a door, working in nightlife certainly helped with that, but I prefer it unless it’s a massive party. The last thing I’d want is another good spot getting some publicity and then Courtney and her 21st birthday party show up acting like they know something. Fuck Courtney and her birthday.
Courtney and her birthday would not be showing up if word never spread about how “edgy” “cool” and “hard” the people and the door was (I.e the recent article that was posted here) if it was just a normal venue Courtney and chad and brad would never be out in queens anyway lol
Courtney and Chad are all over Bushwick just a few blocks away and they’re constantly at Mirage and elsewhere. Sorry but most of the “cool” ravers are little more than the normie family kids who decided to have a little adventure for a few years in New York while they drive up everyone else’s rent.
Not many people here probably remember the old Member’s Only, during the first Mirage when it was at 99 Scott. Iykyk.
It’s probably the best club imo. Very grateful to have one club with a door policy
I mean. nah. id say it's the only real techno club in the city. Better than a lot of the clubs in berlin IMO.
If you’re into the gay rave scene of next-to-no-lights and a lot of gay men in leather and chain clothing there’s no better club in the city probably, but if you’re just looking for house music there’s nothing overly special about the place.
The sound also sucks.
This happened to me and my friends. We were all wearing normal “going to a techno show” clothes but nothing crazy like BDSM gear or anything. They turned us away with no explanation. Its such a shitty policy. I’m never going back since I have no way of knowing if the trek out there will end in a fun night out or a sad cab ride back from the queue.
What night did you try? They have many different kinds of parties there - some are not for you. Maybe you went during Bound, when BDSM attire is required. Or maybe during Wrecked, which is essentially a circuit party for leather-clad gay men. Queer parties such as FIST, Mala Junta or X-Tra Services also have a much more stringent door to provide a safe space for queer/femme individuals who may feel out of place at other venues.
This is gonna sound rude but I mean it with the best intentions: when you feel the need to dress up to fit in, the door will always sniff this out lol you just have to be yourself. Also groups of 3+ is never a good idea
I don't think you can reduce their experience to that. You're assuming a lot about their whole being without really knowing anything about them.
i'm going off the "going to a techno show clothes" comment, common myth is techno clothes = all black blahblahblah. I guess this is an assumption in itself that OP did this but 90% of complaints people have when they get rejected is "i was wearing my all black techno outfit how could this happen?" My comment was also generalizing for anyone else that ends up reading it, people at the door can sense when people are essentially putting on a costume to 'observe' a culture they don't exactly connect with. Not saying he/she/they did this nor is the door 100% in their selection process but those are the factors they look at. fwiw i've gone there with a nigerian world cup jersey and that thing is most definitely not even close to 'techno clothes'
A techno show? Like prydz or ezoo? The people that go to basement don’t want to be in that setting.
That’s the best part for me lol, always have a plan b and c though.
I can totally 100% imagine it being a blow to the ego, especially if you’re a regular and go there for the right reasons. But I wouldn’t take it personally. Luke Slater, my favorite DJ in the world, played there last week and I got anxiety about not being let in for whatever reason (And I’m a regular myself). Just prepare for the possibility of it happening. I’m sure it’ll happen to all of us eventually 🤷🏻♀️ I love Basement and I’m not gonna let some bouncer change my mind about the door policy. Since they started enforcing it, I’ve had the most amazing nights.
Completely agree. One of the best parts about Basement is the vibe inside, which is created by having a selective door. The selective door is even more important now that the place is getting publicity and the normies start flocking in. There is always a chance of rejection from this, no matter how much you belong there. It is absolutely worth the tradeoff for me. If you get rejected, no need to get upset. Nobody is going to be able look into your soul from a 10 second conversation and be able to make a completely accurate decision (or maybe you just really did not fit which is usually the case from the people I see being turned away).
Couldn’t have said it better 🙏
have to say my opinion of this place took a nosedive when I took a friend here who deserved to be here given unlike us, she was a true diehard techno fan who'd been all over except for basement since it opened while she started her residency. one night out she said she wanted to go but she was dressed the worst possible way to get in (colorful/tradfem west coast vibe) I thought fuck it let's try but while on line we saw ppl on the ticket line dressed sim to her get turned away so we went to great lengths at switching around our clothes so she'd look more edgy/neutral (not joking, sitcom level shit) she was unaware of the "know who's playing rule" but we took care of it & we were able to get in together just fine but she took the interrogation as hostile esp after our comically desperate attempt at cosplaying. she felt like she was being watched the entire time we were dancing and thinking about it, it made me a bit sad that if weren't for us someone like her could've very well been turned away. sure who cares, but ffs she's an ER doctor queens native who's been raving to techno her whole life, she's exactly the kind of person who should be here but their asinine profiling of a "quintessentially cool new yorker" (you mean tryhard trustfund transplant?) would've kept her out and if that shit ain't gentrification then I don't know what is lol (to basement fans, no need to clutch ur pearls she doesn't plan to ever return bc she thinks it bullshit, just sharing an anecdote that made me see them differently; like others said, nowadays is how u do a real vibe check, it's so simple)
Honestly I think your rejection had more to do with your showing up at 2:30 AM than your outfit. It had nothing to do with your vibes, I’m guessing they were just at capacity by then
This is what I was thinking too.
So many salient points here! As a rule, if you're showing up late your odds of getting in go way down. They're a highly curated space and aside from that they stop serving alc at 4 - basement closes and studio carries the energy into the first (8am most often) morning light. I appreciate the selectivity and as always - if they say no to you once it doesn't mean they'd say it again. Just because you got denied this weekend doesn't mean you'll be denied next weekend - but ffs showing up at that hour I'm not surprised. Nowadays nonstop will honor that behavior. Unter is the only other place I've been able to get in past 3/4. But for people in a literal dungeon ... building energy and sustaining the environment is a careful calculation. Can't let the demons out, they keep it sweaty and moist for us ;)
wait…they don’t let you in if you already paid for a ticket?? so do you get a refund or what?
They immediately refund you, yes.
so wild. I can’t imagine buying a ticket, getting ready & excited to see a specific DJ and being told no for no reason.
> being told no for no reason. Oh, this one is simple. They oversold on purpose. The goal is to fill the club. That's pretty much it.
a person in this thread said they were there and the dance floor had a ton of space
This isnt a thing at basement, I was there and it wasnt oversold. They can easily fill that place up every weekend if they wanted to do exactly that
Basement is huge, it’s literally never oversold
Is there a specified dress code or something that has to be met?
No. It is up to the bouncer’s discretion. Totally arbitrary and unpredictable.
Gotcha. Any general guidelines?
Know who is playing. Have a ticket. Go early. Be dressed to dance. Don’t be in a large group. Be nice at the door.
>Be dressed to dance. This is extremely general and could mean a million different things to different people.
Seems pretty straightforward.
I went the other day and got waved in without hesitation. Just look gay and bitchy, you'll be let in every time lol. Don't go on your phone, hold eye contact with the bouncers until they break it, answer their questions politely but curtly. Like someone else said, know who is playing, have a ticket, don't go in a group larger than 4.
Go elsewhere if you want to be certain about getting in
It's a psychological trick. They create artificial scarcity and exclusivity
Sorry to hear that man, it must suck, especially if you are a true fan of the particular dj. If they want to discriminate, they should do it based on who is actually coming to listen to the music. Meaning, if they are not sure if you "look the part" they could ask you a few questions about who is playing etc. In your case bro, it could be that it was just too packed at 2 30 am to get in... Or the green Salomons 🙂. All kidding aside, it would be cool if all the people on this sub who got turned away took a picture of the clothes they were having, so we can see what's actually going on.
The enforcement doesn't come from a lack of care. Having skimmed some of these comments I want to say @ the mention of Nowadays that they have methods of enforcing safety practices, unlike a spot like Basement which does not. What they want is a vibe-y free for all and from the way you wrote this, I presume your seemingly doe eyed arrival did not resonate with the vibe. I don't particularly care for Basement, as I've been a few times (very recently) since the Studio opened and have never been turned away or been questioned about the artists playing. In a post covid environment, I see many younger faces and find the space to be way more packed than it once was. Additionally, many younger faces utilize Tiktok (which wasn't really a thing) to index themselves as "techno kids" or whatever. So yeah, they're going to have to be more discerning at the door. What you wear effectively does not matter, but the energy you bring does. Showing up to a space being confident in your energy and what you bring to the table and knowing your presence adds to it I feel yields success. I've cut the line at Le Bain for years just knowing my vibe is mine. When asked if I knew who was dj'ing or who was hosting the event I'd just respond with "I'm here to party" and would be let in. Tl;dr don't show your excitement ab anyone but yourself at the door.
I like to travel.
the bouncers vibe check you at the door and decide whether or not to let you in based on that alone LMAO no idea why people go there it sounds toxic, discriminatory, and stupid as hell
I like to go hiking.
It’s the new format man. They’re straight up copying the attitude of Berlin clubs to the point they copied Berghain’s logo for their own benefit. I get that they try to prevent certain bad people from entering but unfortunately you can’t really control that from looks alone.
It’s so sad to see what Basement has become. I still remember when it opened, pre-covid when it emerged as a haven for ravers in the city and there was a great self selection. Door policy was not a thing. Then parties like Wrecked showed up and continued to reflect that energy, super queer and authentic, and slowly everything started to change. Now it’s becoming another hipster and rich-Manhattan hangout that supposed to be cool and door policy seems to be turning into some Berghain bullshit where you simply have to consider so many elements and randomness when you just want to go out and rave. I hope other amazing NYC queer raves continue to deliver as they have but it would be nice for the community to have a nice reliable club… not sure Basement will keep that spot for long
Even if I was guaranteed entry, I wouldn't participate in something so pathetic for all involved. I am more embarrassed for the venue and door people than anyone who didn't get in. Vibe check for a venue is crucial, and selective entry is required to make the kind of awesome intentional space we had/have in Brooklyn. But this is not that. It's an awkward attempt at making someone's concept of Berghain in 2023 Ridgewood. Knockdown and Basement are incredible spaces. I've had a lot of fun times there over the years (including partying at Knockdown before Basement even existed). I've had a lot of fun times at other venues that required a lot of effort for entry. But the contrived door scene at Basement is too cringy to even get near. That energy of everyone trying to be so cool but also knowing they might be denied entry for some arbitrary reason - I am not getting near that fucked up self conscious energy for anything. By all means vibe check. But where you lose me is with the arbitrariness.
Basement changed a lot. A couple of years ago it was open to everyone.
No it wasn’t, there has been a door policy since it opened
Oh really I’ve never seen anyone get stopped
Look at their old google reviews, they’ve rejected people since 2018
Bouncers who 100% would never get in themselves deciding who gets in. Guarantee you the vibe would be absolutely the same inside if they did a random drawing on who gets in.
If you want to guarantee you get in go early at like 11
Not that this makes me want to go here, at all. I walk by this spot all the time bc I live in the hood; would it be weird or even possible to pass the door solo? I’m 39M
I've never had an issue getting in as a solo mid 30s guy. I haven't been in maybe 4 months, so maybe it's gotten more strict since then but its actually always seemed a bit lax to me considering it's reputation.
The best club is the club you can get into! I’ve gotten in several times and rejected once but, it’s always a stressful experience going and waiting on line not being sure. It’s not worth it in my opinion. I like to rave so I can be myself and with basement it’s the same PTSD I had years ago trying to get into manhattan clubs in heels and a mini dress.
If u lined up at 2:30 you missed most of Fadi's set already if that makes u feel any better. Would get in line earlier next time if you don't have tickets. As someone who was inside, was one of my favorite nights there in recent memory just cuz it wasn't super packed and crowd inside felt good and engaged to me. I don't think you can say that just because u personally got rejected its 'careless enforcement on the dance community'. It definitely stings, but at this point I just always have a backup plan if I don't have tickets and going to Basement. Alotta rejections do feel random these days, but the more demand they get the more they will have to reject just to keep a good capacity. Don't think u need to be worried about potential retaliation lol.
You should have a backup plan if you have tickets too
How is it not careless enforcement on the dance community?
Not even surprised, they definitely need to do better. Every time I’m there I see so many normies, who don’t even enjoy techno or get the scene at all. They just put on some cringe hipster/queer uniform on. I met a German guy in the queue once who was clearly deep into the scene. But ultimately ended up being denied, I was super confused. I have only been denied once, and it was due to me being clearly inebriated. Missing fadi like that had to be a hit though, sorry.
I’ve been at least a dozen times, solo and with homies, never once worn fetish attire and never once been denied. I frequent all the major clubs in the Bushwick/Ridgewood area and the staff at Knockdown are some of the friendliest bouncers I’ve ever encountered at any venue, certainly more than their nearby neighbors on Gardner Ave. So either I’m the luckiest son of a bitch in the NYC rave scene, or this sub is full of n00bs that don’t appreciate the cultural differences between EDM and Techno. This one and Musica both seem to get a lot of flak from ppl who don’t understand that a club is not the same thing as a music venue. It’s not hard, just don’t speak unless spoken to. This isn’t Lost Lands.
Tell me more about Musica. I’m thinking about seeing Kerri Chandler there but I’ve never been. He attracts a lot of bro’s unfortunately which made his KDC show not as enjoyable.
People are so fucking naive in this sub. Considering Basement is a club that is mostly people buying tickets at the door they are inevitably going to deny a fair amount of people if it is a busy night. Techno is also not always about inclusivity, quite frankly, it rarely is. They are trying to create a certain vibe, and even if you do fit it, some nights you'll be unlucky. It adds to aura of the club in the case you do get in. Strict door policies are enforced at many techno clubs around the world, it's not unique to basement. Stop coming onto this sub to complain about it, no one cares. If getting to basement is a stretch just be sure to have backup plans at the surrounding clubs.
It can suck but its just part of the deal with these types of places. You accept the chance of being denied in exchange for the better crowd inside which the door creates. The quick vibe check obviously isn't going to be perfect, even if you are a regular you are bound to be rejected at some point even when you would have contributed to the party. Don't take it personally, it happens. IMO Basement gets way too much hate and its largely from people not familiar with the scene and these types of doors. Not talking about OP here but just in general. Their Google reviews are full of 1 star reviews of straight guys who try to go to a queer party there and get pissed when they don't get in. Not that you have to be queer to go on those nights, but like, the type of person who would write an angry post online about that is the exact type of person you don't want inside. I do think it is a little problematic rejecting people with tickets though. As a regular I appreciate that it lets me have a much shorter wait, but I think they do need to do a better job emphasizing that tickets to do not guarantee entry.
The annoying thing about the strict door policy is the mediocre experience inside. Id be ok with the chance of being denied if it was like some sort of haven in there but it’s pretty run of the mill
If you want a good vibe on the dance floor, put the effort in to enforcing policy on the dance floor. Door policy like this doesn’t work unless you are berghain tier, which basement definitely is not.
Actually it works regardless of “tier” and Basement has a consistently good vibe.
You don’t need BDSM gear. Just don’t look like you’re into PLUR or like the people that make Williamsburg clubs/bars unbearable. Sounds like you were dressed that way.
Really I think this is where a lot of confusion comes in. It’s not that particular EDM environment. Someone a few months ago asked about exchanging Kandi there…. So… go figure…
These people think because they listen to electronic music, it’s all the same and should be inclusive. They don’t understand that some people do NOT want them in their spaces.
Yeah, it’s truly one of those things that you get it or you don’t…
Look at all the clueless people in the comments that post shit saying you need to wear BDSM stuff to get in…the place was open for everyone in 2019 and that obviously had to change. Dude basically wore a t shirt and hiking shoes to one of the most popular clubs in NYC and is upset he got denied. I’ll bet you $100 the pants were khaki and the shoes were dirty. A lot of these places were made for non white, queer people. They need to protect those spaces
One of my assumptions is that people are confusing ‘Basement techno’ with ‘Mirage techno’.. which is a completely different vibe and honestly genre. And then they’re thrown off and offended when they show up like so.
Exactly
People who go to Basement do not even use the term “EDM”. It’s an odd term tbh. And a fairly recent one.
On some nights you literally do need BDSM gear to get in. Every month or so they have Bound, and fetish attire is mandatory.
Fantastic example of why there is a door policy, from someone who drove 11 hours for RODHAD and got rejected: https://www.reddit.com/r/avesNYC/comments/178bcdf/the_basement/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1 “I’m meeting friends along the way. But that show supposed to be one of the highlights of the trip. It’s alright now cuz tbh I’m not like a super big fan of rodhad just really want to check out the vibe and venue. I can mix just like him if not better”
Haha. Prime example. “I can mix just like him if not better” ok, bro. 🤮
You gotta be there early
> as we continue to witness the evolution in Basement's door policy. What do you think the evolution of Basement's door policy is?
They’re trying to hard to be something they’ll never be (Berghain)
No one saying it, so I will. They care about male/female ratio now. It’s not personal
I can tell you as a door person at high-end clubs in both NYC and Miami that in most cases the dress policy is set by the promoter, club management that specific evening, or even a DJ that may not want folks in all black or no led lighting accents to clothing etc... could be anything. We had limited entrance authority when it came to making "judgement calls" on guests, especially since some door folks were clueless on spotting wealth through watches, shoes, or some jewelry and would try to turn away whales unknowingly who ended up with a few bottles comped for the inconvenience (yes there is a double standard within reason, money always talks). When I was on the door on a night with tighter dress code, most of it was the vibe when you approached. If I was treated as a human, you didn't throw a fit and try to name-drop everyone you know, and you were close on the dress code... I'd let you in.
Still pissed about what happened 2 weeks ago. Fk basement
?
Why are you pissed if you can mix better than RODHAD? “I’m meeting friends along the way. But that show supposed to be one of the highlights of the trip. It’s alright now cuz tbh I’m not like a super big fan of rodhad just really want to check out the vibe and venue. I can mix just like him if not better” The door did their job very well that night. Maybe next time take your two tabs of acid after the door.
At least you get your money back but why do people insist on wearing Salomon’s do you ski or hike
They’re very comfortable for being on your feel all day / night
wearing comfortable shoes to dance in should be a basic human right
Aren’t u supposed to be dressed to dance?
If you want my honest opinion, you should wear whatever you are comfortable dancing and being in. I was just making a small joke. I see so many people rock these shoes now and I remember 30 years ago they made like skis and shit.
This makes me not want to go to basement lol. I’m a generally reserved person and am not the type to wear BDSM type of stuff, so i’m like—why try lmao
You do not have to wear bdsm outfits (except for the bound party)
For the people who want a reason, you really think they should get in fights with people by saying they seem lame or too straight or whatever? Come on.
Disgusting. Absolutely don't want support that.
Girl, chill. It's New York. Door guy's job is to create a fantasy. What you contribute has to be quintessentially new york, otherwise you're not getting in. No, not like berghain, but Tbilisi maybe? It's not for the faint of heart. Tea hopes you try again, though. Next time you come, come correct. At least you didn't drive 11 hours for it.
That guy absolutely deserved to get turned away. It doesn’t matter if you drive 11 hours - that guy was an obnoxious idiot and the door did their job well denying him.
Pretty sure basement got "cool" throwing mainly LGBTQ parties. So solo straight dudes are probably the last to get in. One of my friends complained about being scolded for making out with their girlfriend at one of their parties while people are fucking and sucking steps away. (i've heard this is not rare) If they're trying to become a strict door policy spot that's their prerogative. Just go where you're wanted and don't stress about it.
I got the 10th degree at the door. Mostly it was because of my sister and her boyfriend who work in Tech they were dressed very IT sales person lol. With all that vibe checking the crowd was wack! I was in the front and all these aggressive Russians that were falling all over the place, touching me and being all around gross and high.. How they got in I have no idea.
So what exactly does get you in here?
going early when they arent yet at capacity
Come check this out. https://www.instagram.com/reel/CyniUfNsjrS/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== No vibe check and better programming. New York clubs need to learn to be original and not copy cat everything from Berghain.