Why isnt Mantra more popular?

[gruuvenfunken]

Is it just me or is Mantra often just about deserted on Saturday nights? I know that Mantra often gets a decent crowd if there is something special on, but in my limited experience, it is often bare on Saturday nights. I have often headed to Mantra on a Saturday night, been impressed with the tunes, mixing and sound, only to see that hardly anyone else is there to enjoy it.

It's a shame really because the DJs deserve better than that. To make a contrast, I headed to Ja Jas as well on the weekend, only to see the place full of people dancing to quite possibly the most tragic @!#$ I have ever heard. It wasn't funky retro stuff - it was true unadulterated 80s crap. Sad sad sad! It was one of those moments when you feel like screaming out to the punters "What the fark is wrong with you people?....try Mantra damn it and get some atmosphere going on down there"

I'm thinking that there could be a couple of reasons for the low numbers at Mantra. One is that occasionally (not last saturday though) there are dodgy looking characters on the door - giving the impression that Mantra perhaps isnt a dance club. Perhaps some hot little dance bunnies could come in handy there. Another possibility is that the club is just not suited to being a dance music venue - because of the long narrow space with a relatively small dancefloor and minimal lighting possibilities.

Perhaps one of the ITMers who knows Mantra a bit more than me could shed some light on the problem.

[Polecat]

I love Mantra. It is about the only club I enjoy going to in Brisbane, so when I'm in town I tell all my friends, "you want to see me, come down to mantra and we catch up there". They come along, and they enjoy it!

I could rave on about Mantra forever, and why i think it is such an important part of the brisbane clubbing scene. I'll just give you one reason why..

<b>They *have* a music policy...play good tunes, play them well, support local talent, bring in great djs from interstate/OS.</b>

Why isnt it more popular? I dont know....?? Maybe ppl dont know quality dance when it's played? Maybe ppl want a diff decor vibe? ..nfi?? I just know i love it a Mantra...and i <b>miss</b> being able to go there.

[Fergus]

I think the reason it isn't as popular as say The Matrix or The Beat is because the Mantra guys tend to steer away from commerically viable dance choons in order to play stuff worth listening to and it seems to scare away all the little 18 yr party goer's because they cant wrap their heads around sounds that don't contain a hoover or looped appegaition alla Gatecrasher style...also because the lighting and sound is set up to create a more minimal underground feel to it rather than ur typical neon lights everywhere.....But thats not to say Mantra is unpopular, in fact it is quite a popular club with a good steady crowd who appreciate the finer points of music (and who love good beer)....Thats my 2 cents

[Cosmo Cater]

As both a resident DJ at Mantra and a writer who takes an active interest of the dance culture in Brisbane, I've given this proposition plenty of thought.
Needless to say the two promoters of the Saturday night, DJs Orinoko and Shadrach, have probably lost even more sleep on this issue.
Lucid, Mantra's Saturday night, has had both good nights and poor nights, and whilst it is easy to dismiss this as seasonal or the law of averages, obviously there is something deeper.
It comes down to a number of factors, too numerous and detailed to really go into here, but all parties so far have brought up extremely relevant points.

1. Gruvenfunken, you may be right when you talk of the venue's suitability to dance music and 'clubbing'. The venue's layout, shape and positioning all play a part, however I know the staff work 110% to try to improve on this.
2. People's overall conception of clubbing has changed over the years. Some think all clubs should be liek the big UK clubs, full of a squillion DJs with a squillion dollar light show, ten rooms and a marble foyer. Sadly very few clubs in England manage to achieve this,a nd Brisbane does not have the clubbing population to support such ventures, especially if more underground forms of dance music are played. Further, other people expect a 'Studio 54' version of clubbing - where looking good, being part of the crowd and 'seeing who is there' is more important than the music, quality of DJs, lighting, sound, etc. At present, Mantra does not cater to the Studio 54-hungry clubber. 'No Bullshit... just good music', is the current slogan of Lucid, and defines it pretty well. Perhaps better and louder articulation of this policy to the public and media will pay off.
3. Polecat - you've hit the nail on the head with what Mantra is trying to achieve, but then again you're smarter than the average cat;) One thing I've observed is that Brisbane crowds like a more, brash, rough, in your face sort of deal with clubs (just look to the mainstream clubs for examples). Perhaps the message and the actual event are too subtle for some? It's a random thought that entered my head and stuck around for a while.
4. Brisbane clubbers notoriously club-hop, and as DJ Gracie eloquently puts it: "If everyone's out chasing a vibe then there'll be no one in the actual clubs creating a vibe."
5. Even though cover charges are probably amongst the lowest in the country, the door staff are constantly getting complaints such as "$6! No way am I paying that!" Granted, Mantra is small and a cover charge may put some off, but when you get at least 4 well polished DJs and 1 reprobate (myself), decent sound, good lighting and a relaxed atmosphere, you sometimes have to wonder. Clubs in Sydney cost $10-20 just for a few locals!
6. As I said before, Brisbane doesn't have a large clubbing population. I'd really like to commission a survey to see the percentage of the general population in various cities that go clubbing (to dance clubs), and then compare those figures on a per capita basis. I'd hazard a guess Melbourne would possibly come out on top, but that Brisbane would lag a fair way behind.
7. Brisbane seems to be more of a monthly event town than weekly club town. Perhaps this is slowly changing. (Hopefully!)
8. The weather.
9. The music is different to other clubs(as Fergus put well), usually a plus but in some cases a minus as it takes people out of a musical comfort zone.
10. The nature of the underground is that it is, well, underground. Staying on that cutting edge and way from the mainstream does encourage more of a niche crowd, less of a mass appeal place (for instance the Beat). Who knows, as times change, Mantra may enjoy massive surges in popular support. Also, more popular support generates more capital and this allows greater promotional, advertising and creative opportunities to develop in line with economies of scale.
11. Consistency - Mantra is a young club and in time with a chance, will develop consistency, something which seems to attract clubbers.

BTW gruvenfunken, Ja Ja's hosted Flares on Sat night, which was an 80s theme night. Flares has been running for lamost 20 years and is basically an institution - Johnny knows how to do it well.

[gruuvenfunken]

Having never been to Flares, I expected funky 70s stuff. Me thinks "Stone Wash Denim" or "Wham T-Shirt" would be a more apt name for such an event.

[Cosmo Cater]

Gruven,

Sometimes Flares is 70s, sometimes 80s, it depends. Primarily it is 70s but as time progresses those 80s hits become classics hence the demand forthose nights

[thebar]

Perhaps Mantra needs an interstate DJ to inject some Perth flavour into the club :D

[Polecat]

hahaha @ thebar! :) Yes, you'd funk it up there! Be nice if you could meet Cosmo and Shaddy :)

Perhaps Mantra needs to talk up that underground edge in its marketing. Thats kind of why i like it. I detest that Studio 54 experience you talked about Cosmo. I dont go out to be seen. I go out to hear awesome tunes that stimulate me to think, feel and dance.

You're so right about clubbing hopping in Bris, i dont know how u fix that tho'. Maybe ppl just have to realise it. It's the downside of all the clubs being in one close location in the Valley. :(

Flares: when i started going in the late 80's it was a 70's thing. They shifted it to a 80's sound about mid 90's... .... i feel old now, so i'll just run away :P

[Blammo_fox]

I must admit that I haven't been to Mantra, cos I've heard dodgy stories qabout it, and about how not just anyone can get in, expensive etc. We always just end up going to Matrix. Well, next time I'll go to Mantra. Matrix plays the same sets every f#$%en night I go. I want variety and QUALITY tunes, not the latest Blow ya mind clone, or Public domain tune. Quality tunes with a good chilled atmosphere. C u at Mantra.

[undadainfluence]

as a matrix regular, i have to disagree w/ fergus and blammo fox. no set is the same and the dj's in there really mix it up. they also support female dj's who i am sad to say, are not a regular occurrence in any of the aforementioned clubs. the main thing against mantra ain't its choons, coz they are great - unfortunately SIZE DOES MATTER. they have done exceptionally with what they have but once mantra fills its too hard to get around.

[Cosmo Cater]

Undadainfluence, just a query - How does Matrix support female DJs? From memory, they have one (Chia) on their roster.
Freshcut @ Mantra features at least 3 females every Wednesday night, and Siren is a respected part of the Friday night crew.
Secondly, Mantra hosted Geisha on the Exhibition Eve in August this year - a night of ALL female DJs and MCs, as a fundraiser for breast cancer research. Now ya can't go past that!

[Fergus]

I will have to agree with Cosmo dude, Mantra seems to be the only club in Brisvegas to really support female talent i.e having more than one female dj play...It is also one of the only clubs to really support local up and coming talent with their new school hour and their open mind about holding events etc....Plus being an ex-tuber and an aquaintance of Barking Boy, I can asure u that the matrix doesn't really mix it up because of hannay's stupid "its got to be hard" policy in all his clubs....But enuff bickering...I'm going to eat breakfest

[gruuvenfunken]

How you could possibly compare Matrix to Mantra is beyond me. With each and every reincarnation, that sad and pathetic venue undergoes, it only emerges once again in an even sadder and more pathetic state. This latest reincarnation is truly appalling! Be it the dodgy faux gatecrasher imagery, the teeny "i love dance music, can we hear some more darude please?" crowd that frequents it, or just the irony that this now pitiful place played such an important role in the development of the brisbane dance scene.

I cant believe we are even getting into a Mantra v Matrix thing. Ridiculous!!

[JayP]

We have been promoting our Passion events at Mantra for all of 2001. We have
had instances of sell out crowds with an unbelievable vibe, to smaller
crowds but still a good night out.

Mantra rode a wave of popularity in the first half of this year - it was THE
place to be, but as inevitably occurs EVERYWHERE in Brisbane at some stage,
people get a bit tired of going to the same place and they try something
else for a while.

So Mantra went through a quiet period, but I believe things are picking up
again now and I have faith in the very dedicated group of people involved in
this club.

For those who are prepared to stick it out, work hard, and be innovative,
the rewards will come. As the cycle swings around again, people will start
to come back to the club. Perhaps what is needed is some attention to the
areas that have been constructively criticised, and improvements made to
bring the people back in their masses again. Sometimes a re-launch or some
visible changes can be what turns the corner and gets the word and vibe
spreading again.......

The music policy offers good variety through the varied events - perhaps a
little more variety is needed ? Perhaps the back room that is so well loved
but also impacts on the venues design and vibe should be removed ? Perhaps
the DJ booth and dancefloor should be repositioned with the back room
removed and some interesting design ideas put into breaking up the boxey
shape of the club ? Perhaps some nice comfy booths should be installed up
near the bar area to give it a more solid inviting feel ? and most
definately the sound should be upgraded to be fuller and fatter but still
remain crisp.......and some attention to the door policy to ensure a
comfortable environment once inside the club.

We need this club for Brisbane. I think the combined efforts of the owners
of the club, the management involved, and the promoters involved, together
with the support of everyone out there who enjoys quality dance music can
ensure Mantra evolves and develops into the Brisbane institution it deserves
to be.

[AliaK]

Blammo Fox: "and about how not just anyone can get in, expensive etc."
this sounds more like monastery or press club or family.. are you sure you're not mixing up the "M" word clubs in brisbane?

undadainfluence: "they also support female dj's who i am sad to say, are not a regular occurrence in any of the aforementioned clubs"
*cough* actually, mantra are EXTREMELY supportive of female djs and live artists and were always actively asking me to find more to play at least on the sundays which I helped out with! I only knew of a few and they are playing there now on wed anyway. I was playing there sundays (ok so it was just between the live artists & other djs) since sunday nights started last oct up until I left bris in aug or whenever it was.. and as Cosmo mentioned, they've put on an all female dj night and have female djs on wednesdays now. other clubs in brisbane have female djs as well.. the beat, morning glory, the press club, the raves. I don't think there's a problem for female djs in brisbane to get a gig if they are willing to approach clubs and send in demos/bios etc just as the guys do, so I think the female issue is moot. a dj is a dj just as the music is just music, it's more often whether the style of music is suited to the club that the dj wants to play at which is more of a hinderance to djs getting more gigs, + the booking people of the club in some cases. I'd say mantra is definitely the most approachable though of all the brisbane clubs.
/rant ;)

[Polecat]

hmm...you've got some good ideas there JayP in changing the dynamics of the club interior. Perhaps trying something different at the door too?
Mantra is already at a disadvantage there because you have to be brave to take the stairs and enter the unknown!! ;)

There's a reward waiting at the top tho'!! GREAT MUSIC :D

[Orinoko]

Thought I'd wait a little while to see how this thread was panning out. As most of the responses seen here have been positive i'd first like to say thank you to all those who have graced our little club and enjoyed what we have to offer. All the suggestions (specially from Cosmo and Jay P) have all been thought of b4 and for the most are on a list of things which we'd love to do to Mantra. Having been a part of the club as a whole, and Saturday nights in particular since before it opened a little over a year ago we have gone through a lot of blood, sweat and tears (and beers ;)) in that time, but have also had more than enough nights that have been unbelievably good and have made everything worth while.

All I'd like to say is that to all those who have let us all work our magic on you whatever night of the week, if you enjoyed it come back and help us grow by spreading the word that is Mantra. As 4 Mantra vs Matrix, pls don't go down that road, i know i don't.......

See you all @ Brisbanes Underground Sound Lounge.. Mantra

Orinoko
; )

[tim-e]

To compare Mantra with the Matrix, or indeed any other club, is like comparing chalk and cheese. (no pun intended)

Every club is different, with its own style and vibe. When I am in a progrssive or trance-y mood, I go to Mantra. If (and I admit it's rare these days) I feel like some hard stuff I'll go to the Matrix. If I want house and deep driving trashbag stuff I'll spend the night at Family. It's all about your mood and what you want to hear at the time. We have fantastic potential in Brisbane, with so many clubs, all so completely different, within a stone's throw of the Brunswick St mall. And it's not like London where you've got to catch 3 tubes and walk through the rain to get to where you want to be, or risk getting mugged to change clubs if you're not enjoying your night.

JayP is spot on with his comments about the rise and fall of popularity of a club or night. We've all seen it so many times before. I really hope Mantra picks up again - it is a great little place, and the management have always impressed me with their choice of remaining underground. I find it refreshing to be able to go out and just experience the music, rather than having to put in an effort to look good enough to get in somewhere. Of course, being pretentious and nipping up to Family has its place too :)

I often don't bother club-hopping. If I've decided to go to Ja-Ja's, I generally just stick there unless there are some extenuating circumstances. You create your own vibe by getting comfortable with what you're experiencing, and you can have just as good a time when there are 10 people on the dancefloor as when there are 100. Or, if you get trashed, the party's all in your head anyway, and it wouldn't matter where you were :)

My two cents. Agree, or not. Whatever.

[hibsboi]

I think Mantra has found it's niche, and I'm glad they're sticking to it. I wouldn't call my self a regular, as I only got into the Valley maybe once or twice a month. 1 reason is because the rest of it sickens me,(the sleazyness & atmosphere of some clubs, & the music of some clubs; it obviosly appeals to some people, but definately not me.) the other reason is because I prefer to go to outdoor parties where the atmosphere and people who frequent them is very accepting. The only club that I feel like that in is Mantra ( who just happen to put on psytrance nights once a month. Congrats Bris needs it keep it up)

I just brought up a friend from Sydney last month you frequents *ahem* Home, and the parties @ Marickville Bowling Club ( they are regularly reviewed in ITM, I went to one and i must say they rocked). we went all around Bris looking for a good night out, After going to about 5 clubs and being fully annoyed at the Bris scene thought we'd go and check what mantra had to offer. We should have saved ourselves the bother and went there first as we walked in on one of the pasion parties. It was going off, that was awsome for Brisbane. We all left satisfied @ 5 with a renewed faith in the Bris club scene.

On the layout I don't think that the layout upstairs has to change badly, I believe it works well, maybe it looks a little empty when not crowded, which I spose is why early partiers may 'clubhop'. I think it may be worthwhile to improve the entrance, to make it look more inviting. Maybe some lighting to stop it looking like a dark stairway to doom, Maybe even bleach, or spraypaint the carpet white, then dye/spraypaint the carpet fluro colours and hang a blacklight above it, that could be done really cheaply.

On the topic of clubhopping i think one of the main reasons why bris punters clubhop so much may be because of our quite cheap entry fees and drink prices(compared to Syd/Melb/London clubs) I mean when you pay $35 for entry into a club you don't want to go elsewhere( not that I advocate this, when it's not worth it)

I don't know why Mantra isn't supported by punters enough, but in my view it is the best bris has to offer, and we should support it as much as possible

[girlDJ]

thebar - Luke - you know nought.. the fact that you'd even know nought - would be somethin - but you don't.. so that's nothin.

we don't need your stinkin festy drug addicted @!#$-ups excuses for dj'z here..

*mwah!* - you know i loves ya but...

/me giggles til she can't giggle no more like...

[TECHiONE]

I hear that TECHiONE will be playing live at Mantra on Saturday 24th November...

Whoa that's only 11 days away, guess I better get my live set ready...

:)

Cheers Dave TECHiONE
http://www.techione.doof.org

[girlDJ]

ola senor dave - lookin way forward to hearing your stuff again.

last time @ deepspace/crunch (?) was toooooooo long ago...

YAY!

/me grins

[Orinoko]

mista TECHiONE

dat would be good
if ya could!!

See yourself and everyone else for a fine night...........

[gruuvenfunken]

ahh yes I remember TECHiONE. Saw him when he was up here last time and I still have the memory in my mind of the mad guy twiddling knobs like a mad scientist Great stuff!!

[DjCam]

I have to agree with Cosmo's post about the studio 54 game in Bris-vegas. It's quite unfortunate but true. Whenever we play in Mantra on a wednesday night, we get locals dressed to the nine's arriving in the club, taking a look around to see if anyone like themselves is up there and leaving again. It doesn't look like they have listened to the music playing and it's a shame that this is what the desicion to stay in the club is based on. If more people would come into the club because of what they hear and stay in the club the amount of groovers would soon enough add up and the vibe would happen. You also have to understand that Mantra is still relatively new and going through it's 'teething stages'. Over time the club will evolve into what the managers have set out to achieve with the club and it will look much more welcoming. For now, it just needs the support and understanding of this fact from the public, so the club can reach this point. People have to understand, in Brisbane it is a much slower process achieving the end result with a venue, but if you can look at the bigger picture, in time you will see this fantastic little club evolve and become something really great.