Doormen and Doorwomen at Belfast Clubs.

[BOOZEHOUND]

no sweat .

[delane]

no sweat ... no problem boozehound..you take it easy..i,ll be taking my pop, who likes to party 24/7... the older the fiddle the better the tune...all the best...delane..

[nelsonsrin]

they are all the same, out for one thing, and married

 
...trouble is delane, i like the ones that look really mean - suppose I should look into it 

[delane]

they are all the same, out for one thing, and married

..who men or women....

[allymac]

I saw a nasty ginger haired doorman in Laverys nearly START a row the other week with a couple of young lads.How do types like this get to be doormen anyhow.

[dieselorange]

Have to say having been knocked back from the box a few times i think their bouncers are irresponsible and should be retrained... however laverys.. well the bouncers might not have the best appearance (tough) but they are the most fair bouncers around as long as you are old enough (over 18) and acting responsible they will let you in... also they are not too strict on their dress code which allows a mix of different people in!! I have never once had a problem with any of the bouncers from laverys and think they are probably the most decent in belfast

[Matthew]

You're dressed in your best clothes and looking forward to a night out with your friends in one of many of the clubs in Belfast. Unfortunately many young people have found themselves in the position of being refused admission to some clubs in the city. When I say young I don't mean that they are underage. I mean young people who have a job and have money to spend. The matter was discussed on the Nolan Show the other morning and in this evening's Belfast Telegraph there's a letter from a person who found herself in this position.

Last Saturday was her friend's 24th Birthday so they decided to celebrate at the Box at the Odyssey. They queued for forty minutes prior to being herded off to one side. They were under the impression the female door staff wanted to check their IDs. They were not the only ones. When the doorperson (I can hardly call her a lady as I've never had the pleasure of meeting her and I'm not sure I would like to meet such a person) was asked what was happening she replied "You are not the type of people we want in this club".

The correspondent who wrote to the Tele understands that clubs do have the right to refuse admission but the members of her party were not drumk and disorderly and were young professionals or students. She felt that the doorstaff were operating a policy of age and size discrimination. She noticed the doorstaff allowed young slim scantily dressed eighteen year olds into the premises but not the ones who were sensibly dressed in warm winter coats. One unfortunate guy was shoved out of the queue for having the audacity to ask why he was not being allowed entry to the Box.

The correspondent quite rightly said "The Box should remember this is a club in Belfast and not Studio 54, Modiva or China White. I did not see any WAGs or footballers in the queue." 

I had to google these clubs and learnt the following ...

Studio 54 was a legendary New York City disco located at 254, West 54th Street in Manhattan. It opened on April 26, 1977 and closed in March 1986. The proprietor hedonistic Steve Rubell was known for hand selecting guests from the always huge crowds outside, mixing beautiful "nobodies" with glamorous celebrities in the same venue.

Mo'vida is a London nightclub which is strictly members and guests only. They are usually extremely well heeled people ... many are well known names and their photographs appear regularly in the media. China White falls into a similar category.

WAGs seem to be Wives and Girlfriends of well known footballers

Hi Christopher,
 
The same thing happened to me and my best mate a few years ago. Both of us are they type that wouldn't hurt anyone. We help others if they asked, but we would do anything wrong. But my mate is more of the type that likes to be seen and heard, I am the more I only want to have a good time and have a few drinks. Anyway, we had decided to go to the Box. We went and got in had a great time had a wee dance with a few visiting French girls, that had been studying at Queens (so they said). The next weekend we decided to go again, we were refused entry, they said that we didn't have the right gear. Yet we both wore the excatly same gear as we did 7 nights before. Yet they let in two guys that looked like they were underage.

[neilo]

I live in Glasgow but was home a few weeks ago. Myself and four mates organised to go on a pub crawl in the city centre on the sunday afternoon. I wore white trainers, only a sunday didn't think there would be doormen never mind a dress code!!!!
 
Got a few knock backs because of a "no trainers" rule!!! was no loss to us as every where was dead, (really noticed how the recession has hit the nightlife in NI when I was home), we were happy to go somewhere else to spend our money. Eventually stumbled upon the busiest spot in Belfast that night and had no probs getting in with trainers.
 
Point is, Belfast has been punching above it's weight these past 8-10 years re. nightlife, it certainly go very arrogant about the whole thing!!! Now the bubble has burst, people's mindsets have changed and will happily spend their hard earned cash elsewhere if they suspect that they're getting treated like [censored]. personally I'll celebrate when each of these pretentious clubs mentioned earlier have to close down.....which won't be too far off!!!
 
I know a lot of the previous comments are 4 years old but I reckon a lot of doormen are quite fair, the ones who have it sussed are the ones who tell you straight "listen mate, i can't let you in..." ...the ones that just say "nah" and ignore you are getting few and far between thankfully!
 
 
 

[dogface]

no gorillas on the door @JOHN HEWITT/  11 YEARS ON NEVER  SAW A ROW  AND IS USUALLY PACKED...DONEGAL STREET
 
 

[prettyingreen]

no gorillas on the door @JOHN HEWITT/  11 YEARS ON NEVER  SAW A ROW  AND IS USUALLY PACKED...DONEGAL STREET

ive seen several. On one occassion a pencil was snapped in anger.

[moondog2]

STILL USE QUILLS!!!!!!

[Matthew]

They've gotten a bit strict on dress codes in recent weeks Neilo. I've lived in Belfast for years and noticed that you are not allowed to wear certain timerlakes or whatever they call them. Luckly, the bouncers know me from another bar they own the Washington or I would've been turned away.

[brixmis]

If at first you don't succeed, try try again....

If at first you don't succeed, spend your money elsewhere.

[billyscaf]

yeah I was in Belfast about 3 years ago for  a weekend trip as i am from England, I hadn't even had a drink I was with 2 friends we were going into the northern wig my friends they walked in front of me and I got stopped when asked why I was being refused entry one of them said I looked intimidating lol I was wearing a £150 shirt £200 jeans and £180 shoes I know that clothes or the price of clothes does not make a person I have a shaved head not through choice with age no tattoos on my arms or neck i am however a muay thai fighter but these guys did not know this or me from adam i know this place to be the northern wig as i have been on a few excursions since then and have walked past this place i have never tried to get back in as there are other great places in the city love it.

[stickleback]

Instead of pubs and clubs hiring doormen, who are usually a bunch of overweight thugs, why don't they pay into a police kitty and have a rapid response unit. People, inc drinkers are usually well able to police themselves. In the event of a fight breaking out, it isn't the preserve of some fat doorman to sort it out, it is a police matter. Belfast seems preoccupied by bouncers. I truly hated having to meet with the approval of any of them.