Arts
Hot & Dry, Lots of Dancing
Hot
& Dry
Lots of Dancing
by Ric Kasini Kadour
BBCM,
short for Bad Boy Club of Montreal, produces events that are big, beautiful
and transcendent. They are also painfully difficult to describe accurately.
You have to see it to know it. And you have to know it to decide how it
does or does not fit in your life.
Here's your chance. On May 19-23,
BBCM is presenting Hot & Dry, five days of parties that climax at
Club Metropolis on May 21and 22. The event combines world class DJs with
high-energy visuals to create a spectacle unlike any other on the planet.
The theme of this year's event is Egyptian – but not the Egypt of
gay arrests and imprisonment, no, this Egypt is the desert land of fantasy
and excess: think Cleopatra.
From Friends to Foundation
BBCM started in 1991 when a group
of friends decided to throw a big party.
"In the beginning, we started
off with just one party, which was the Black & Blue," recalls
BBCM Director of External Affairs Caroline Rousse. "Originally, the
cofounders wanted to recreate what was going on in the States and be part
of the Circuit. They wanted their friends to come to Montreal because
they really liked their city. They started by inviting their friends for
the first Black and Blue. It was a by-invitation-only party, but 800 people
showed up."
The Circuit is a series of annual
events that take place around North America. The events are one part marathon,
one part disco, one part family reunion with drugs, sex, music, and lights
thrown in to boot. What lures someone to a Circuit party can be anything
from curiosity to spirituality, a deep love of club music, or a desire
to be part of something much, much bigger than themselves.
Over the years, Black & Blue became
a fixture of the Circuit and grew to a seven-day, multi-faceted social,
cultural, sport, and party extravaganza that brings more than 80,000 participants
from North America and beyond. BBCM began producing other events throughout
the year: Bal des Boys on New Year's Eve; Red Party for Valentine's Day;
Twist during Montreal gay pride in August; and Hot & Dry Weekend in
May.
"Hot and Dry is our second-biggest
event," said Rousse. "It is the end of the winter here and people
go wild."
Rousse added, "For this party,
we've been booking more progressive DJs. For other events, we have a more
typical 'gay' sound." This year, DJs include DJ Vibe from Lisbon,
DJ Desyn Masiello from London, Robert de la Gauthier, and local-boy DJs
Patrick Guay and Gilles Jr.
Walk Like an Egyptian
" We also have a theme that we work around every year. This year
is Egyptian-themed. We have a dancers show. We are talking about Cleopatra,"
said Rousse. BBCM works with several artists and a team of dancers to
weave various shows, imaginative decor, and special effects into the twelve-hour
party. The provocative Radical 5 and the BBCM dancers will present "Queen
of the Nile." Singing diva Stephane Moraille will perform live.
Proceeds from these events support the foundation's
charitable work.
The BBCM Foundation has granted over
CAN$1.1 million to gay and AIDS-service organizations. Its events have
generated over CAN$500 million in economic and tourism spin-offs. Their
success is the result of a few unique factors, not the least of which
is the broader social and cultural conditions of Montreal and Quebec,
including tourism promotion support from the city and the province.
World-Class Acceptance
While the core audience of BBCM events
is gay men, a greater diversity of participants makes them more welcoming
than other circuit parties.
"For some reason, in Montreal, people
really like to mingle together," said Rousse. "They go out just
have fun, so what you look like really doesn't matter so much." Men
and women, gay and straight, old and young; when BBCM throws a party,
a wide cross-section of Montrealers get involved.
BBCM also has developed a reputation for
being fiercely progressive and forward-thinking when it comes to producing
a party. They look globally for talented musicians, rely on highly skilled
professionals for lights and decor, and stay mindful of the health and
well being of their audience.
"We know that people do take drugs
and there is no way for us to stop them. We realize that it is a problem,"
said Rousse. "We do the best we can. We give them information. We
do lots of research about the effects of drugs. And tell people to be
careful." BBCM's website offers clear, succinct information about
how ecstasy, GHB, crystal meth, and other club drugs work in the body.
The site includes information on benefits and potential risks. The site
also offers tips for safe and fun partying.
For those who have never been to a BBCM
event, or any circuit party, for that matter, Rousse has some advice:
"Dance a lot, make lots of new friends, and relax."
Hyperbole is easy when talking about
BBCM events. One could say it's a few thousand mostly gay men dancing
shirtless for twelve hours, taking a nap, and doing it again. You could
say, it's a bunch of cranked-up, bitchy muscle queens spending 72 hours
getting wasted and screwed to monotonous, repetitive music. Or, you could
say, it's a deeply spiritual convergence where music and lights are the
vehicle participants use to enter sacred space, to transcend the mundane
and elevate their lives and the lives of those around them.
Rousse's best advice is also the best description
of the event: "It is a state of mind."
Ric Kasini Kadour is a writer, a men's health advocate, and a Bear who
lives in Montreal and Vermont.