Culture

What is ABSOLUTION?

ABSOLUTION is NYC’s Original Multi-DJ Gothic/Industrial Scene Night. It was started in 1998 by DJ Jason in CBGBs basement. ABSOLUTION is a Goth/Industrial dance party and preserve for true Goth/Industrial culture. It is also a way for established DJs to network, share ideas and strengthen their reputations by doing a short set on a weekend night. ABSOLUTION typically features 8-12 DJs per night chosen and scheduled by DJ JASON.

Where is ABSOLUTION?

Currently ABSOLUTION is being held at UC87 , located at 87 Ludlow St @ Delancey, and is subject to change – keep up with this site for the latest event details!

How often does ABSOLUTION happen?

EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT

What are ABSOLUTION’S hours?

10pm-4am

Is there a dress code?

Yes. We are a Goth/Industrial party. Therefore it is appropriate to wear a Gothic, Industrial, or some other Dark Scene clothing. If you don’t have anything appropriate, the minimum is what I call PIB – Person In Black, which means to wear as much black as possible. Sneakers, blue denim jeans, baseball caps, etc are frowned upon, as is any sort of “hipster” attire (shudder!). When in doubt, just go with all black.

A WORD ABOUT ATTIRE: You must make an effort to dress up. “Goth Casual” is so passé.  You don’t have to spend a lot on  clothing… You can find dark finery in thrift stores and forgotten closets with a little effort and imagination.  And soon this site will be publishing our own list of great deals!  So there’s no excuse:P

Can I DJ at ABSOLUTION?

Are you or have you been a resident DJ at a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday or Sunday Goth/Industrial/Wave party in NYC or another city? If so, you may contact DJ Jason at one of his events, or inquire on this site.

What is a resident DJ?

A resident DJ is a DJ who is booked every time the party happens. If you don’t know what a resident DJ is, chances are you are not ready to spin at ABSOLUTION.

I heard that ABSOLUTION had smoking and was BYOB, is that still true?

No. From July 4th 2009 to Oct. 2 2009 we were at a private loft space that allowed smoking and BYOB, but that has not been the case since we moved from that space in October.

How much does it cost to get in?

Most events are $8 with flyer or ABSOLUTION ID card, $10 at the door.

I pulled up the flyer on my cellphone. Can I use it at the door to get in?

No. You must have a printed copy of the flyer to get the discount. There are many reasons for this, the most important one being that we count the flyers at the end of the night so we need a hard copy. We also feel that the flyers are part of the charm of nightclub parties and we’d like to retain that part of nightclubbing as part of our event.

I heard you couldn’t get in without an ID card, is this true?

No. The ID cards are given to regular patrons as a sort of permanent discount card, but you don’t need an ID card to get in.

I am a fetishist. Am I welcome at ABSOLUTION?

Everyone is welcome at ABSOLUTION, but ABSOLUTION’s main topic is music, dancing and Goth/Industrial fashion/clothing. Will you find someone at ABSOLUTION to satisfy your fetish? You could, but that is not the main topic of the night so sitting around all night waiting for someone to spank or trample you might prove frustrating. If your main goal is to satisfy a fetish, you may have better luck at a party which lists fetishism as one of it’s main topics. But if you want to socialize, drink and hear some of the best and most relevant music in NYCs Goth/Industrial scene, you might be happily surprised by the people you meet here. After all, the Goth/Industrial scene and Fetish scene often go hand in hand here in NYC.

A word about fetishists who are “carpet men”(guys who like to lie down on the floor and get trampled): You are welcome to come in and lie down on the floor in the hope of being trampled, but you cannot lie down in front of the bar at my club. I realize this is the area where people are most likely to congregate, but that makes no difference because we need that area accessible to customers. The truth is that if you employed the services of a dominatrix to satisfy your “trampling fetish”, you’d be spending upwards of $300 or more for a single hour of her time. You are gratifying your fetish for $10 or less at my club for many hours, so you get what you pay for.

I am a DJ who is booked to spin at Absolution.  How should I behave?

DJs typically show up early, at the beginning of the night, and stay all night.  They bring friends with them or get friends to come hear them play.    Showing up just as you are supposed to go on, alone,  and then leaving right  after your set?  That’s bad form.  It telegraphs the message that you don’t really care about the event.

I am a band booked at Absolution.  How should I behave?

I will use the example of a certain band that has played at Absolution whom we absolutely adore.  These guys showed up to the event on a week before they were supposed to play to check out the stage, the house equipment, our procedures, size of room, etc.  They didn’t send multiple emails with multiple hard to answer questions.  We are currently producing two weekly events and multiple special events per month so expecting us to spend hours on the phone or answering emails is unrealistic.  They saw what they were working with and brought the equipment they would like to have  when they did their show, if the club didn’t own it- monitors, etc.   If certain equipment is very important to you, bring it with you.

On the night of the gig, this great band then showed up early.  They listened to us when we asked them to come in a certain door, even though it seemed counter intuitive, therefore making our job easier by not having to waste time and energy explaining.  They then set up and played.  All their fans were previously notified to say to our door person that they were there to see them play, so there were no issues with who was there to see whom.

*Note- it is NOT APPROPRIATE to stand in our line at the door and go phishing for customers, give them your flyer, etc as they are waiting to get in, trying to artificially increase the number of people saying they are there to see you.  If we see this behavior or are notified of it, we will not book this band again.  If you have a booking, you should already have been promoting it for a month before the show and your fans should know to mention your name at the door.

This band did not play a show in NYC for a month previous to their gig with us, nor were they booked to play a show in NYC for a month afterward.  Why would we want to book a band that has already played, when their fans have already seen them, or one who is scheduled to play right after the gig with us and who’s fans may be going there instead?  Bands who try to play a show before or right after our gig are not booked again.  It’s not good for us, the venue, the band(who is then seen playing to much fewer people and decreases their image), or the fans who have less fun when fewer people show up.

After their gig, the band broke down their equipment quickly and brought it back to their van.  They hung out after the show and talked to their fans.  The first time they played they did not bring the amount of fans they needed in order to get paid, and they did not argue or try to wheedle with us about that fact.  The second time they did because they had built up their promotions and made more friends in NYC.   We were very happy to work with this band and pay them  and will give them a booking whenever we can.  We will also try to give them a great opening slot when we begin booking bands with bigger and bigger names, because they have treated us well.  That’s the way our business works- one good turn deserves another.

I am a DJ/Band/Vendor/etc. and I want to be booked at one of your events/get my music to the DJs at your events/sell my product to customers who show up at your events, etc. How can I do this?

Show up at the event.  It is not appropriate to email us and ask these questions without ever having met us.  You must come to the event, hang out, get to know people, etc and present your idea to us.  The only situation in which this is appropriate is if you do not live within driving distance to our event.