dancerjodi | Manray Reunion

I've been torn. Part of me rages against having to buy a ticket for this, and of course it being in Alston doesn't help (where the hell will we all PARK?!). I do want to hear Mothra spin again, though. But people believing the hype that ManRay is returning yet again (in a former Blockbuster of all places) makes me anti-nostalgic. I much prefer the variety of options we have now to the monopoly we had then. I think we're better off without ManRay now and don't need it to return, not that the fire could ever re-ignite. I find it amusing that the closer I lived to ManRay, the less I went. I would drive to it from Worcester in snowstorms, but I couldn't be arsed to go when I lived at Sinister House.

All that said, I am still curious to see what this reunion would entail.

I miss the dedicated space. The large dance floor not totally littered with dancers (all the time) and the safety of the quiet of Wednesday nights. Trying to plow through people on Fridays after Superstition was really bad. Having to take a bus, and get through a large drunken crowd of normals at the top of the street where Slimelight is is enough to keep me home. It's what eventually kept me away from (hold on to it now, about to go real old school!) Hexx that theatre district location. The abuse when leaving, without any help from the bouncers made me appreciate the help and location of the old place. Even the local night, The Calling, which is a very short walk from our house and not even in the center of town has a big crowd outside the pub next door if we go early enough. And intimidation is their favorite game. (I'd like to point out not for ME, but if they look at M funny I get a bit ballistic.)

And yes, that new potential space sounds - weird. And who wants to eat there? I sent that off to my friend L who said "Who wants to *taste* sweaty man-flesh, mixed with stale clove?" hehehe. It's not the dedicated space that say, Slimes is, which is what I enjoy about it when I go. Just the getting into and out of is - repressing.

That said - I agree about missing Mothra DJ. How often is THAT going to happen - it hasn't happened since his last set at Ceremony has it? THAT would be worth it.

Manray as it was can not exist in this current climate of social media. You just can't run a business where you treat your patrons badly. We put up with it back in the day because it was the only game in town outside of Ceremony and it was part of our culture somewhat. But now? Bouncers turning away people at the door because they are wearing brown shoes with a black outfit? Or a white stripe around the bottom of their platform boots? Or Voltaire with his graver pants? Not only will those kids not come back, but the bad press on FaceBook, Twitter, Yelp reviews, FourSquare reviews, Google+, individual blogs, well, you get the point.

There isn't a twenty something generation of Goths in the city. It's burners, bellydancers, circus performers, fire spinners. And that's fine, but they don't need Manray. And Manray class of '99 has moved on with their lives.

Something else to ponder, T.T.'s isn't going to let Chris Ewen and Terri go without a fight. Heroes saved that club from closing and allowed them to remodel. It's not perfect, but I'm sure they aren't anxious to lose their cash cow.

Of course, one forgets about that! I forgot about the time when

canongrrl wasn't allowed in because she had on a white babydoll t-shirt with her Illig skirt and platform boots (not name-dropping brands here, but the point was, she WAS dressed up for the club).

It was a little ridiculous. But I suppose it made sense in its own way, for how things probably were for fetish-y people in the past - they would have wanted to maintain their privacy in a less friendly world.

Manray as it was can not exist in this current climate of social media.

This brings up another good point re: social media. Back then, some could lead a "double life" if they chose, with a professional job and a kinky/gothy nightlife, and none would be the wiser. The club was (mostly) decent and strict about unauthorized photos and publishing online, and the crowd had a very privacy-respecting attitude.

But try to police privacy in the days of FB/twitter/smartphones! I doubt it would work. It would be nearly impossible to keep your privacy and feel safely incognito out a club. People could very easily both their own privacy (drunken iphone/FB uploads that bosses could find), without any help from strangers.

"And that's fine, but they don't need Manray. And Manray class of '99 has moved on with their lives."

It has always struck me that this reunion is largely about the people who have not moved on, and that is sort of sad.

I wouldn't trade my time there for anything, but I don't crave having it back.

Which reminds me... I've got a pair of mildly worn New Rocks I need to sell!

Hey, what size New Rocks?? My main pair may be on their way out and it is outrageous to try to buy them new.

I'll confirm at home tonight. I wear something in the range of 9 - 10 mens depending on the fit. I'll get the wacky non-US size out of the boot tonight.

This is the style:

Cool! Those are the basic style Reactors that I am hoping to replace! I have worn the souls down to a point where they may start buckling (it's hard to explain) and have literally worn the heads of the screws on the bottom off. The heel cups are all torn up and one side is broken and one of the buckles on the bottom has come unstiched, which is really the only fixable problem!

They are a 42

Manray Reunion

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