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Abode: Confessional/Sinful | Chains | Purgatory | Hush Now: Stepping Out
Abode: Confessional/Transcend
I love Abode. There, I've said it (and in a colour used nowhere else on this site); Abode is freakin' awesome; it's great as a nightclub, and its even better as an alternative venue. Abode's a unique experience; it's a nightclub-format venue with different activities on different nights. Their BDSM night is known a Confessional/Transcend, and it's really a two-parter. Opening at 9pm, the doors close between 10.00pm and midnight for Confessional: play, demonstrations, and general BDSM-ness. It's not unusual to see some various kinds of moderately serious play performed by people who obviously know what they're doing. After midnight, the evening changes name to Transcend, and becomes more general, more like a standard nightclub. Transcend features some really cool, thumping beats that I really like dancing to.
The door contribution for non-members to Cofessional is, in my view, a little steep for what you get but not stupidly ridiculous.
One other aspect of the scene, and Abode in particular, is individual dress. Because there's a lot of people at Abode: C/T, there's a lot of variation in dress, including some absolute corkers. Corsets, PVC, leather, and latex abound; indeed, it's almost worth the price of admission just to see all the different outfits that people wear.
One criticism I have heard levelled at Confessional within the BDSM scene is that it is a little unfriendly. Thinking about it, I can see how people would think this. However, I don't believe it's any less friendly than any other nightclub; what that illustrates for me is just how friendly the general BDSM scene is, rather than Abode being particularly unfriendly. If you're a beginner, and you can't get to Chains or Hush Now: Stepping Out, Abode is as good a place as any to start; however, unsure or less-committed people could potentially be put off by some of the heavier play, so think carefully before taking someone who's not really into the scene. On the other hand, after midnight the dance floor provides an alternative activity and it's not as though any after-midnight play is front-and-centre or compulsory.
Last attended: June 2007
Positives: awesome venue, lots of interesting people, cool outfits, always something happening
Negatives: entry is sort of on the vaguely pricey side if you're not a member
Web site link here.
Chains
Chains is a very social activity held in a hotel function room in the inner north of the city. Run by the very friendly Master Joe and his submissive Kim, this is a very good introduction to the scene for people who's perhaps played amongst themselves for a bit and now want to meet others. There is a floor show/demo/something different every few months, the current venue is less conducive to this. It's a little bit lighter, so it may be suitable as an introduction to the scene for people who might be scared by the sight of hardcore latex-clad dommes flogging screaming submissives to within an inch of their life. There is also a dinner beforehand for hungry dom/mes; presumably, any subs who are into puppy training get the table scraps.
Last attended: May 2007
Positives: very social atmosphere, reasonable door contribution
Negatives:
Web site link here.
Hush Now: Stepping Out
I'm not sure what to think of Hush Now. On the one hand, they're very friendly, but on the other hand the whole concept seems to be built around a particular mistress. I wondered how the event would fare if that person's car broke down one night, and I suspect that it would not go well. That isn't to say that the other organisers weren't competent, merely that we didn't hear much from them over the course of the evening. Hush Now's 'Stepping Out' function is aimed at beginners to the scene, and this review needs to be read with that in mind. Of the two occasions I have attended, one was held in a vacant factory office or showroom in the inner city, close to a freeway. The other was in a very small on the city fringes. I got the impression that it moves venue relatively frequently, which is bad for continuity but good for privacy and security. The door contribution was about standard and included simple nibblies but not drinks.
The format of the Stepping Out evenings that I attended was as follows. People arrived and socialised for a little while, until about an hour or so after the advertised starting time the mistress gathered everyone into a circle and started a discussion about BDSM. It was an interesting discussion, but although it would have been perfect for a complete beginner, I felt that it was a little too entry-level for anyone who's been into the scene for a while. I don't consider myself to be all that hardcore or deeply into the BDSM scene, but it was a little basic for my tastes. If you're after a basic starting point in BDSM, it is hard to go past HN: Stepping Out, but if you're a little more into it then one of the other activities might be more interesting.
Last attended: January 2007
Positives: really friendly people, good entry-level activity
Negatives: this particular function is possibly too basic for some people
Web site link here.
Purgatory
Purgatory has closed, although their web site is still active. The review below was current as at May 2006.
I was a little apprehensive about ringing Purgatory. I had rung several years ago, enquiring about coming along, when I was just getting into BDSM and still exploring. I was brusquely told that 'we don't take spectators'. That's a fair enough policy- you don't want two people playing and forty just watching- but it wasn't very friendly and for several years I was left with the impression that Purgatory was a bit elitist. Nevertheless, I rang up again recently and was pleasantly surprised by the friendly voice on the other end of the line. Encouraged, I dressed up (short skirt, PVC bustier, and CFMs, if you must know) and went along.
Purgatory is held on the same premises as a well-known northern suburbs swingers club mentioned on this site. It's effectively a dedicated alt-sex venue, and it shows. The night I went (Purgatory is on Sundays) there were maybe thirty-forty people there, with roughly equal gender balance and half-a-dozen tgirls. Soft drinks, tea, coffee, and nibblies (including hot food like spring rolls) were supplied for the very reasonable door contribution.
There were a variety of play styles in evidence, including quite a bit of flogging but also some that I hadn't seen first-hand before. For example, one young lady was giving a prone gentleman a good kicking, while elsewhere a mistress was training a blonde latex-clad cat and a leather-trousered puppy. Although I didn't play myself, there was ample opportunity to do so had I wanted to. All in all a very good night out.
Last attended: May 2006
Positives: friendly people, mid-strength play makes it accessible to a wide range of people and play types.
Negatives: Sunday night timeslot means an early night for many people.
Web site link here.