Montreal fete National

[bigguyinpasadena]

Well,,,,,,I must report my thoughts on Tabboo-this is my first visit since the"remodeling"of the club.The only F''''G difference is they have these stupid"teaser"curtains between each place in the "salle prive"what a f'''''g joke-there is no privacy afforded to the client at and dancer at all.And they have a mother hen coming back every few

minutes to check on you.SCREW THAT NONSENSE!!!!Not worth the time or money.Yes there are cute boys.but they are pretty much all twinks,no preps and jocks,there are a few "bad boys"but very few.

I did enjoy meeting a few M4M'sincluding firecat,and the service in the club was pleasent,and some of the boys do put on a marvelous stage show.So if that is all you want out of your evening-go for it.I will save my bucks for campus-and for the agency boys.

Advice to Bobby Thompson-The smart choice for you IMO would be Campus during the day,especially if you would work up a really great acrobatic danse numbers.The Stock is a tomb before 8,and the Addonis(although there are some really sexy guys there)is not going to make you rich.

[Guest jamier]

Hey guys, just a few thoughts on my time up in America Junior, and it was great to meet up with a couple of m4m's especially bigguyinpasadena - you're all such nice guys.

 

TABOO undoubtedly has the best stageshows - the dancers 'dance', the place is packed and the bar staff and regulars are friendly. Great. But sadly the dancers prefer to head straight for the regular patrons rather than newbies, leaving me feeling quite lonely and unloved! Cute dancers though, maybe you just need to approach them and not be shy. Where did Criss disappear to after his dancing? Man! I've been trying to attract his attention in there for ages!

 

In contrast L'ADONIS is my favorite club. Sammy the bar-tender is gorgeous, the dancers are equally yummy and a nice variety of body types from cute twinks to more muscular guys like Martin who gives a great massage!

 

CAMPUS in the day time is pretty good. In fact, it's even better when Philip is there, such a sweetheart. I love the layout of Campus with the bar seating and lower table areas too. Sylvester has the best stageshow by far.

 

What about WESTSIDE? What about it? Quiet like a mausoleum with two dancers and as many customers. The personal attention and private dances are good, the stageshows... well one dancer did make an effort. Head there if you want an intimate experience, but don't stay too long or you'll feel like a reverse slot machine!

 

What else in Montreal? Surely it's not just about the cute guys is it?

 

Enjoy the best pizza ever at Napoli Pizzeria on Rue Saint-Denis and drool over the equally yummy waiter - oops thought I was saying it's not just about the guys!

 

The fireworks. For around five weeks on Saturdays there're the most impressive displays I've ever seen across the river - just walk a few blocks towards the bridge from Rue St. Catherine and the views are amazing - practically the whole village headed over there, so enjoy the hoards of cute guys too.

 

Unity II is the best club in the world, with a great friendly, unpretentious atmosphere which you don't get in New York clubs.

 

The museums - all amazing, the Botanic Gardens - beautiful, and just strolling along the waterfront and the old town fab! Oh yeah, and the shopping too in this chic city.

 

I want to live there!

 

jamier

[bigguyinpasadena]

BONNE FETTE NATIONAL

Can I tell you how much national pride I felt during the last couple of days ,both here and in Quebec City(great to spend a day in-just bring your hiking boots!)I atened both fetes in blue and white-great holiday.

The scene here is little changed,except that Stock and,as Jaimer mentioned above,Westside are tombs before 9 or soAll the action is definetly at the Campus and Addonnis.

Campus has a few new twinks(MARC ANTHONY ALERT!!!!!!WAIT TILL YOU SEE KENNY)

Did a LOT of musuem hopping the last few days.The Cocteau exhibit is a must for all artistic queers(which I consider myself to be)It is so well put together.

It was a pleasure to Meet Jaimer-a very smart well travelled young man-I hope I did not lead you to far down the path to eternal damnation with my urging you to taste off the¨naughtier bits of Montreal.

[marc anthony]

>Campus has a few new twinks(MARC ANTHONY ALERT!!!!!!WAIT TILL

>YOU SEE KENNY)

 

Details, please! Details!

 

:9

[bigguyinpasadena]

Kenny is just the sweetest little boy you could meet-dark hair,nice-not skinny-body really happy smile.

Also Pascal has won my heart,to bad he has a boyfriend.

Have YET to see the 2 new redheads my friends told me to watch out for-and I leave tommorow.

[+ newatthis]

RE: Montreal fete National- Taboo

 

I just came back from a trip to Montreal , and found my experiences resonating with a number of the recent posts about the clubs, including this one about Taboo.

 

The best dancers are constantly aware of and focused on the audience as they perform – not collectively, but as individuals – smiling, making eye contact, checking out who is new and who likes what he’s seeing. After they finish, they make a beeline for those who showed interest. And they know how to handle more than one interested party at a time – saying an encouraging “hello” or “I’ll see you in a little while” or giving a little hug, or kiss, or pat as they go by. Pascal of Campus epitomizes this kind of dancer for me.

 

Unfortunately, many dancers stare off into space and don’t know who’s interested and worth pursuing (I *want* to be pursued – I want to know that earning my money is not a matter of indifference to them – because that is often a telltale of how good they’ll be in a private dance). Sometimes, too, the layout of the club makes it hard for a dancer to see everyone. So I’ve learned that when someone on stage strikes my fancy and doesn’t know it, I need to make myself noticed. Sometimes just an encouraging smile or wink brings them to focus on me; sometimes I need to change my place or conspicuously move closer to the stage.

 

With most of the Taboo dancers, I practically had to jump up and down to get their attention, even momentarily. And usually that wasn’t enough to get them to stop by afterwards. Worse still, as jamier already recounted, even a direct approach after seeing them on stage gained me 30 seconds of conversation, and then an “excuse me” while they ran off to some “regular” (I assume) sitting in a dark corner at the back of the room.

 

Now I understand why dancers want to cultivate their regulars. Nathaniel of Campus made me aware of this: the meat and potatoes of the business are the local customers who come in 3, 4, or 5 times a week, week in and week out, and that’s why “tourists” like me take second place to them.

 

(By the way, Campus too has its afternoon regulars. But unlike the Taboo regulars, they congregate at one end of the bar kidding around with each other and the dancers. They get lots of dancer attention, but not to the exclusion of other customers, and they are friendly and inclusive to other customers, at least if approached.)

 

Even worse, at Taboo even the dancers who aren’t with regulars more often than not just flock together. The newest ones seem to take up this ethic instinctively. Example: Tuesday night I spotted a small, cute reddish blond kid (Daniel, I later discovered) who did a great dance. One of the other dancers told me he had just started a few days before. I could not make eye contact with him, no matter what I did. After his dance, he hung around the entrance to the back room with some of the other dancers. I went over and introduced myself. He barely managed to hold up his end of a very primitive conversation (this wasn’t a language issue; my French is good enough for these conversations, at least when I can hear over the music). Against all my better judgment, I took him back for a dance – which he seemed none too eager for. And, of course, dismissed him after one song, as my rational side had known would happen.

 

(Lest you think it’s only the customers who post here who see things this way: on my last night in town I brought a local escort along to the clubs with me for a couple of hours, and his reaction to the dancers at Taboo – with no prompting from me – was exactly the same as mine.)

 

In my 4 days, there were exactly 2 exceptions. #2 was a lanky, Texas-born dancer with the stage name Pascal. On Monday night, he was sitting at the bar, along with Travis and Silvestre; they were the entourage of a client in his late 50’s. I was next to Pascal and kept looking past him at Silvestre (whom I lusted after), waiting for a chance to make my move. After about half an hour, Pascal struck up a conversation with me. Very pleasant, low key guy. Not my type really, but to show my appreciation I took him back for a dance. [Footnote to this story: the next night, Pascal told me that the client had paid him $100 to sit there and steer dancers to him. P didn’t know how much he was paying the other two dancers for sitting around with him.]

 

And #1, and the reason I kept going back to Taboo despite my negative experiences (hoping to find someone else like him) was Vince. On Sunday night I was sitting up top at the back, not very visible (it was hard to find a free seat when I came in), and he noticed, came over to me, struck up a conversation, and did the whole caressing bit for more than half an hour, cultivating me as a potential customer. He, like Daniel, had just started dancing a few days before. And his attentions paid off for him (and for me). He is taller and more muscular than the standard Taboo twink, and wears thick glasses that magnify his eyes and give him a strange look. It wasn’t till he went on stage – he dances without his glasses – that I realized how attractive he was. And his routine was super – think Joey, but in a larger version. Very good movement, very acrobatic and energetic.

 

You bet I took him for a test drive after that, and a very nice test drive it was. I absolutely agree with bigguy that the Taboo back room is not conducive to private dances, but somehow Vince managed to make it almost as exciting as the best dances I’ve had elsewhere – in his short time there, he has mastered the art of keeping an eye on the chaperones, and dancing in such a way that interesting things happened that only X-ray vision could reveal.

[+ newatthis]

RE: Montreal fete National - Kenny of Campus

 

Kenny: Taboo height and weight, barely 18, still with a hint of baby fat about him. Spiky hair, several piercings, and a raunchy attitude. Sweet (well, most of the time, anyway), but certainly not innocent or naïve. I spent a fair amount of time in my just-ended trip interacting with and observing him.

[firecat]

RE: Montreal fete National- Taboo

 

I feel like I can add sometning to this conversation and I will try to be balanced in my views.

 

First of all for many years I was a visitor to the Clubs just like most of the Posters and now I live here so I believe I have seen both sides of the coin.

 

Campus has never been one of my favorites not withstanding Phil and Pascal who are adorable. The reason is the non stop attack by dancers that I have absolutely no interest in. The scenario is always the same. They walk up to you engage in 60 seconds of small talk and then ask if you want a dance. I would prefer to pick out the dancers i want to talk to and I will be the one to ask about the dance. I guess this is the opposite of Taboo and frankly I prefer the Taboo approach but everybody has their own feelings on this. It is undeniable that the back area at Campus is more conducive to fun time during the Private dances.

 

Stock has some of the most gorgeous dancers in the evening and 99% of them are straight. Just not my thing and i find it near impossible to get the attention of a dancer in there. And if you do ,they try to sell you the $20 dance thing. Although there may be a lot available at $20 per dance, it doesn't take long befoe you have spent what a wonderful escort will charge and with them the action is full service and in the comfort of your Bed.

 

Adonis a few years ago used to get about 1/2 of my business and then it went completely downhill with Ladies nights and Dancers that looked like they belong on the street.

 

Recently there has been an improvement in the quality of the Dancers but unfortunately they do not dance. Last night was a perfect example. I stopped in at 8pm. There were 20 customers in the Club and I sat down and bought a drink at the exhorbitant price of $6 fully expecting to be entertained for these kind of prices. It was 20 minutes before anyone was on stage and that in fact was the only Dancer who appeared on stage in the 45 minutes I spent at the Club. Ridiculous calling this place a Strip Club since very little Stripping goes on here. To be fair 8pm is a bit of an in between time but this was the same scenario the week before earlier in the afternoon. There is more dead time on stage then there is Dance Time.

 

Now to Taboo which I freely admit is my favorite Club. The reasons are the friendliness of the Staff and the Dancers. There is always somebody on stage so you are always getting a show for the price of your drink.

 

I am in total agreement that the Dancers are not aggressive enough in walking around and cultivating new customers. They do in fact tend to congregate with Regulars and with themselves.

 

Sometimes I am the beneficiary of this and frankly at times I remind some of them there are customers to be had so please leave me and make some money.

 

I must say however, that I find many new customers who are able to get the attention of a Dancer on Stage . It may be a smile or a nod or sometimes a Tip that will get them noticed. For you fellow Americans even a $1 US will get you noticed and a thank you after the dance routine.. I t is really then your responsibility to cultivate that initial contact . Offer to buy the Dancer a Drink or invite them to sit down.. l

 

Last night I saw one of the more popular new dancers get approached by the Waiters ,Doorman and other dancers to be told there was a customer that would like to talk to them. If you don't want to interrupt a dancer at a Table then this is a good approach.

 

Believe me in most instances once you have been in the back a couple of times during the evening, you will be noticed and pursued . But best of all if you and the dancer have a good time in the back then you will become one of the Regulars that seems to get all the attention.

 

Believe me you can become a Regular even on a 4 day trip. Maybe it does take a little more work then at some of the other Clubs. The difference is once you have become friendly with a Dancer at Taboo you will get many minutes of conversation with no expectation on their part. This is much more rare at the other Clubs.

 

 

The bottom line if you like being persued then Taboo is probably not the place for you. It is a place to relax and enjoy the beautiful Non Stop Twinks on Stage and then make your move for those who interest you.

 

If you like being persued on a non stop basis and seeing Stage Show that are boring then try Campus in the afternnoon.

 

It is worth the stop just for Phil and Pascal.

 

Adonis has added some cute boys and if you don't mind the fact that most of the time there is nobody on stage then give it a try.

 

There is something for everybody in Montreal and only you can decide which is the best for you.

[bigguyinpasadena]

RE: Montreal fete National- Taboo

 

Firecat,I think that was a pretty fair rundown on the stripclub scene in Montreal-with one glaring exception.I find that the shows at the Campus,while not as flamboyent as those at Tabboo,are still entertaining in general.

The young fellas at Tabboo for the most part are young gay boys who love to "be a star"for a little while-and thus give a little more energy and polish to their dance numbers.I would visit more frequently if they would change their backroom.I will not go in the back if I am going to be monitered,it makes me uncomfortable and I find myself cutting a session short-2 dances max.

The second biggest disapointment(after the non-evident "remodel"of the tabboo)was the TOTAL CHANGE in the energy of the stock.Some of theese guys really used to get up and put on a show-no more!Abunch of very pretty studs(mostly straight)getting up and showing off their bodies.As one of the danseurs told the crow I was with,we make the same money-so why put out more energy than we need to?

Also,since the Stock has installed web cameras apperently they get more hits on the live streaming site since it is hard to get a lot of action captured unless you have DSL or T1.

I was reallllllllly board at the stock for the most part,and I miss the old location.

It was a very nice trip,I was very happy to meet up with some new Hoovillian friends,Firecat.Jaimers,and Samai.I got to see thing that I had promised myself to see(new museums,Quebec City,the fireworks competion)and not spending too much time in the village,during a french Canadien holiday rather than an american holiday weekend really made it a much better experience.

[marc anthony]

RE: Montreal fete National- Taboo

 

I think this summary by firecat is pretty accurate... and I completely agree with most of it.

 

As someone who has become somewhat of a "regular" with "weekend" type trips to Montreal, I just want to add my suggestions for how to get noticed at Taboo.

 

1) Tip on stage. It is not CND custom, and many people on this board and in the bar have criticized this act as it is a "Bohemian American" custom, but the boys truly love it, and it definitely gets them to notice you. As BGP said in his post, the Taboo boys really enjoy being a "star" for a moment, and a tip is the greatest compliment. I usually put $5 CND in their sock, or shorts, etc. It almost always gets them to stop at my table after their dance.

 

2) Don't be shy. Even if you are, basically, which I can be at times, there is not enough time in the day to be alone with that much beauty around you. Walk up to boys and ask them to join you at your table.

 

3) You have to invest to get returns. The most important thing to remember is that all dancers want to make money... the shy ones, the aggressive ones, the friendly ones, the cliquish ones. So you have to be perceived as one who may ultimately take them in the back. If you can take a boy or two in the back early on your stay, and be generous and nice to them, believe me, it will pay dividends for your trip. The dancers talk, and much of your work will be done for you.

 

I always feel bad when I read of relative newcomers to Montreal feeling isolated and left out of the action at Taboo when they return, because I felt that way for a very short while when I first started going there. Now, I always look forward to my next trip with GREAT expectation... and knowing the difference, I wish it upon everyone!

[+ newatthis]

RE: Montreal fete National- Taboo

 

Both jamier and I posted on this subject and our approaches at Taboo were different - firecat's and Marc Anthony's comments seem more directed at his experience than mine. On my first trip to Montreal a year ago, I behaved much like jamier did. I had no idea what was going on, only that I might as well have been part of the wallpaper for all the notice I got. And I had no idea, at that point, how to get a dancer’s attention. I left and didn’t bother going back.

 

But I have been reading what Marc A and others have posted here in the past year, and, as I described in my first post, took their advice: showed evident appreciation of good dancing, approached boys directly and invited them to sit with me, took some dancers back for private dances. With the disappointing results I described. Guess I'll just have to try harder next time.

[marc anthony]

RE: Montreal fete National- Taboo

 

>

>But I have been reading what Marc A and others have posted

>here in the past year, and, as I described in my first post,

>took their advice: showed evident appreciation of good

>dancing, approached boys directly and invited them to sit with

>me, took some dancers back for private dances. With the

>disappointing results I described. Guess I'll just have to

>try harder next time.

 

Again... I am really sorry to hear this. I don't doubt a word you say, as I it has certainly been commented on by quite a few posters. I can only suggest that if the boys at TAboo are your "type", that you keep on trying. One day, it will all click together... and then you will be glad you did. Sometimes it is just the familiarity of your face (after the 3rd, 4th, 5th trip) that makes the boys comfortable with you.

[bigguyinpasadena]

RE: Montreal fete National- Taboo

 

Or.....It may never happen!This was my 7th trip to Montreal in 3 years,and I still feel like an intruder at the Taboo!I am very apriciative of the boys efforts on stage,I slip the ocassional $5-$10-$20 in the boys pocket after his dance,if one of the boys sits with me I buy him a drink,,,,and yet this last visit I was aproached only once out of three trips to Taboo,and that was by a charming fella from France that was a little older than the norm.I visited the backroom with him and we met up later.That is the first and only time this has happned in the Taboo,it happens alll the time to me in the other clubs and I have regularly seen boys from the Campus outside of the clubs(this has not always been such a hot idea-search this forums for my adventures in this field)So,I do not know what the formula is for hooking up with these fellas-I do know that I and my parisian friend were the only guys in the back room at 9 o'clock on a monday night.

[LurkerSpeaks]

RE: Montreal fete National- Taboo

 

thought I would put in my two cents worth.. i visited montreal and taboo for the first time in may. I was definitely attracted to the type dancers they have there. I arrived on Thursday night late, and left Monday morning. I made it a point to spend several hours there Thursday, Friday and Sunday..But Sunday, several of the boys recognized me.. Thursday nite was a good starting night.. it was slow when I got there (after midnite). I had three different boys in the back for private dances that first night. Then several more on Friday... and more yet on Sunday.. While I agree that a lot of the dancers are stand-offish towards new people, I do agree that once the dancers see you going in the back, they are more likely to approach you. And keep trying until you are able to make eye contact. Sunday night a new boy was auditioning who I was madly in lust with (Daniel).

It took me almost two hours before I was able to get his attention to get him to come over.. but he eventually did.. we talked.. and we went in the back..Guess I can agree with the other posters.. PATIENCE.. and PERSISTANCE...and a few tips..will get you noticed..

 

I can't wait until I make it back.. although I have no idea when that will be. I blew my wad.. (and not the one I necessarily wanted to) while in Montreal, so i have to save up again to make the trip.. Not all of us can be worldly travelers like Marc Anthony..