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Creation is one of the largest clubs in Bristol, formerly called IQ, the club - like the rest of Bristol's 'super' clubs has been through a major image overhaul. US spoke to Alex Smith, the promotions manager about big name DJs, designer drinks and the future of clubbing.
universalsource: Who owns Creation?
Alex Smith: We're owned by DP leisure, which is owned by Po Na Nas, but we're a separate entity from DP leisure. Places like The Works and Po Na Na are the same all over the country, but we're not run by head office.
US: Do you think that dance music has been ruined by super clubs like yourselves who are sanitising it all, making it corporate and slick. Don't you just take it too far with the bouncers and money and guest lists?
AS: Anyone with a business head on them will see a business opportunity and make something out of it. The reason anything with Gatecrasher written on it sells is that the whole 'rave culture' thing is now a lifestyle, not just a party. All the money and stuff is just a natural thing, it comes when something gets popular. When it comes down to it, there is no such thing as an 'underground' dance music scene anymore, it's such a good scene that everybody wants to know and does know. 10 years ago dance music was fun, but now it's fun without being dangerous.
US: That's what I'm saying, do you think that with the 'danger' element taken out dance music and the people who follow it are missing the point a bit. I mean, the uncertainty of following a convoy of people to an unknown place, the excitement of finding it, the feeling of being a part of something untouched and non-commercial, the new and different music, has it all gone?
AS: Yes, then it was 'we just want to have a laugh,' now it's 'we want to have a laugh but this person owns this and that person has this invested' etc. It's become a business. Nowadays, most club owners look at the books to see if they've had a good night, and it doesn't matter if people had fun or not, if they've made money then all the staff get a pat on the back.
US: What do you do to help young people and the music scene in Bristol?
AS: We work closely with the CEED in St Paul's, they have young people going in there to do music production courses, and make music, and they also have a course for people who want to be DJs, telling them how and what to do. We are writing them guidelines for putting on and promoting nights, then they'll come down here and put them on- with help from us.
US: How easy is it to get big name DJs to Bristol?
AS: Very hard, unless you know and are friends with the PA or the manager or someone connected to them, it's pretty much impossible. There are a lot of barriers put up between them and the rest of us. That needs to change. The fees are ridiculous sometimes too, Paul Oakenfold can get 10 grand a night! When people make that much money from one night, there's bound to be a lot of cliques. I think it's stupid, but we have to pay travel, meals the lot, they don't do it for the love anymore. They put themselves in a bubble and act almost like Gods sometimes.
US: Doesn't that just make it a shit night in the end, when everyone is being ripped off by someone who's just playing other peoples music?
AS: It's all just hype, you could make up a DJ name, put it on a flyer with 'world exclusive' written underneath and I guarantee some idiot would say 'I've heard of him, he's really good.' Then in a few months he's worth 2 grand a night. You can make people think what they like. It's like if you stick someone on the door of the VIP lounge, saying you can't go in, everyone wants to get in!
US: So people suddenly think Red Bull and Vodka tastes great and is cool, when it's just that DP leisure have a deal with Red Bull and Smirnoff?
AS: People think what they want to think, and we make their dreams come true, that's it, it's a business.
US: Is that a major problem in big clubs like this, the management being unable to stay in touch with what people want because they've got to think about what kind of night pays the bills?
AS: Well, here we try to get involved with the whole scene. We all go out loads, we're in touch with other people in the industry, which helps us know what people want that way we make more money for the company. I run a student night here called Higher Education on a Monday, and that is a classic example of how it works, because I have fun doing it everyone else has fun coming.
US: Are people going to stop going to clubs in favour of bars?
AS: All the people saying they don't like clubbing are the ones who have been doing it for 5-10 years, but all the little Gate Crasher kids really think it's just been invented and they're part of something new. The older people aren't cos it gets boring. The clubbing industry will change drastically over the next few years though. It'll be small, intimate places, going back underground almost, instead of huge branded clubs with millions of DJs and people.
US: So Creation will become a breed of dinosaur in clubbing terms?
AS: Well we do more than clubbing, we have conferences, ballroom dancing. This is a venue first and foremost, we're business minded and we'll survive that way.
US: What's the difference between Creation and The Works or Evolution?
AS: We've moved on from pushing the Creation brand, we act as a venue, so if you've got a really popular night, bring it here. When we first started it was quite Creation Creation Creation, but now we can be Logical Progression one night and Karanga another. In many ways, we're actually more Creative than the rest because we can do that mixing and matching nights so well. Places like Café Blue have a tendency to latch onto other peoples nights, and just copy them, but we try to have originality and creativity.
US: Do you have a dress code here?
AS: No, we've made a conscious break from the old IQ 'shirts and shoes' thing, in fact if a group of 10 lads in shirts and shoes turned up, we'd turn them away, they tend to be the ones who cause trouble anyway. We prefer people to wear clothes they feel comfortable in, you know - Park Street wear. We still get the guest list blaggers though, people thinking it's cool to be able to jump the queue.
US: I know what you mean..
AS: You give them a freebie then they don't come back..
US: Terrible..
AS: So do you want to be on the guest list for Logical Progression tomorrow?
US: Oh, wicked, yeah, cheers, nice one! Can I bring a friend?
This interview was blagged by Seyi Rhodes.