How freebie-seekers hurt the scene

Working the door at a busy party can be one of the most stressful jobs out there. Imagine dealing with hundreds of people who are all trying to get in for free. They all seem to write for some magazine, or they have a cousin who works in TV, or they "know the owner of the club," or they "just want to have a look and come right back, promise!"

Everyone likes a freebie, but what is it about a velvet rope that whips people into such a frenzy that they will do just about anything to get access? Picture the hordes of clubbers outside Studio 54 in its heyday when owner Steve Rubell would self select the hottest of the crowd to go in for free. Unfortunately for China's underpaid doormen, who don't carry the clout that Rubell did, people in Shanghai can get down-right rude. Truth is, the ¥50 you pay at the door usually barely adds up to cover the expenses. Independent party organizers usually don't get paid by the club they use to host their events, so the door cover is all they have to pay expenses. In some cases they actually have to pay rent for the venue.

What are the expenses? Weeks, or even months, of organizing and promoting. Printing of flyers. Equipment rental. Talent fees and expenses–in some cases international flights and hotels. The list goes on.

In a city like Shanghai, with a party-going community that is small and insular, especially among expats–where everyone knows everyone else in the scene they like–it can be a real chore collecting a cover charge. DJs and party organizers tend to know a lot of people by nature of their work. They just can't let all their friends in for free–that's essentially everyone in the place!

At a recent independent party, I witnessed a mob scene outside the door, with nearly 50 people outside all aggressively trying to get in free. The people working the door were volunteers, for Christ's sake! Eventually the cops came because of the noise and loitering outside the entrance, even though there was no sound from the music leaking out of the club.

The victim in this situation is the club, and the independent organizers and, by extension, the party-goers themselves. This attitude of "I should get in free" really hurts the whole scene.
Ironically, I overheard one of these door-cover dodgers complaining about the lack of a good scene in Shanghai. Go figure.