This week we did a lil chat with Nadja of
Puppies and Rope : How did you come to start Vampires Guide to LA?
Nadja: The site was an idea of mine back in January 2001. I wanted a site that listed the clubs and bars of the scene with real reviews. I guess the idea
really came to me when I was in Illinois, a few weeks before The Count came out to visit me. I was looking up local (Chicago) clubs on the internet and I found next to nothing! One club
in all of Chicago land! My brother had insisted that Chicago had a thriving goth/industrial scene, but I couldn't find it. Then when I came back to CA I looked up goth clubs in LA. The
only "goth" club I found was a gay bar in Pasadena! I knew that there was lagoth.net. but their site read more like LAWeekly classifieds, the "reviews" were the same as the flyers that
the club promoters would put out! So, I thought that it would be great to have a site that not only lists the clubs and reviews them, but also lists the popular after-club eateries,
places to get the coolest clothes and accessories, super gothy music and trashy flicks That was the inception of the Vampires' Guide idea
Puppies and Rope: So how did you go about collecting information?
Nadja:: The idea took two years to come into formation. Most of the club information comes from The Count's own experiences. These are clubs that we go to. We
would never review a club that we haven't been to at least once. The movies are also ones that we've watched and *tortured* ourselves with. We did get a lot of info from AllMovies.com and
from the Hollywood Video.
Puppies and Rope: So what are a few of the places you haven't reviewed that you might recommend?
Nadja:: Well, I would definitely recommend Dungeon and any Coven 13 event that you can go to. The best is the Halloween Masquerade Ball. I think Madeline's
Tomb (opening March 26) will be a definite winner as well.
Puppies and Rope: There seems to be an implied connection between the la goth scene and the bdsm world/fetish world and on your site, care to elaborate.
The Count::Many who are into fetish and bdsm tend to frequent Goth/industrial clubs. I think the main reason might be because there are few if any S&M or fetish themed clubs in LA. Goth and industrial clubs arn't true bdsm clubs, but many do offer bdsm theme nights and are very open in terms of cliental and people that are part of alternative lifestyles. Many who frequent the clubs are professional Domme's, Masters, slaves, ect. Also I tend to meet alot of goths and rivetheads that have a serious interest in bdsm and many others who are interested and experimenting.
Nadja:: I suppose that since those two worlds are present in me they both come out in my work. Also, the site is not only about the LA Goth scene. It is about
the LA underground... the nightlife and it's creatures. I would say that I am not the only one who shows a correlation between the two as many Goth clubs feature fetish/BDSM shows and
encourage that type of dress. Goth's themselves support that correlation, as they often bring a flogger with them to Dungeon as well as a coffin-shaped purse. Well, not that I believe
"poseur" is an accurate word in this arena, but most any fetish club you go to that is open to the public will be populated with poseurs and normals (the lookey lou's). Private clubs are
where you will find the "real" scenes. Of the public clubs, Dungeon and Velvet would be the most likely spots to find a "real" fetish type.
Puppies and Rope: What clubs have the best music, ambiance, etc?
Nadja:: The club that had the best music was Coven 13 with DJ Amanda. You can still hear her spin at Dungeon, Perversion and Stigmata. I expect that
Madeline's Tomb will have great music as the DJ's are from "The House of Usher" and "Winter Gone By" of San Francisco and Release the Bats (Long Beach). Personally, I like Goth and Death
Rock. But until I actually go to Madeline's I can't say that it is my favorite. The best ambiance goes to Coven 13 again. Best-dressed crowd: Coven 13 Best smoking patio: That was Fang...
sorry Coven. Your smoking patio sucked. Basically I strongly recommend that you go to the occasional Coven 13 events. Dungeon is #2, then, I would have to say Bar Sinister is #3. Then
again, you'd better ask again after the 26th.
Puppies and Rope: Any parting comments?
Nadja:: The Count and I have been together for 5 years and one of the first things that we did as a couple was to go to the goth clubs in Hollywood. Of
course, it was my idea to go and I had to push for it, but in the end it became ours. In a way, it has almost come to define a part of our relationship. I think we will be a part of that
scene for several years to come
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