Pigale's VIP super-short songs ripoff !

[Guest blo*****s]

I was at Pigales today, and eventually found myself in their VIP rooms downstairs.

 

What a ripoff at 20.00 per song when the songs are very short - and some are even cut OFF before they end to start the next short(ened) song !!

 

Unbelievable !

 

I won't return.

[Akhenaton 221]

They have always been doing that, and it sucks.

 

That's one reason I stopped going. Join the disgruntled gang my friend.

[mod 135640]

When I managed clubs (Many years ago) we did not allow songs under 3 minutes (this ruled out much of the Beatles collection)

 

The girls would often try to sneak the shorter songs by the DJ. The good Dj's would catch them as the CD players displayed the length of the track. The good Dj's would do a talk over with a fade on the music and while the DJ was speaking he would rewind a good minute of the song to stretch it out (Like a bad remix) or he would add another song to the set and announce it was to be counted as one song for the private dances (back than at least in the clubs I worked in) no one wanted to rip the guys off in the VIP - including the ladies.

 

Doing stuff like this only kills the industry that much more. Seams the clubs are just digging their own grave deeper and deeper these days if they are allowing this to go on. In 99% of the clubs the ladies who are on stage choose the music and of course they want to be off the stage as quick as possible (no money to be made on the stage these days)

[curious2 323]

While it's absolutely true about the song length, they do have very good quality control ensuring beautiful women there (not just any girl looking to cover rent at the end of the month), and the booths downstairs are much more private than the clubs in Ontario so the mileage is definitely higher there.

[shymale 10234]

as a regular visitor of the club, i must agree the songs are now shorter than before and that sucks. on the other hand you get high milage in the champagne rooms. but in the end at 20$ for a 3 minute song it's not worth it that's why i've change to sp's. more bang for the $.

[Peachka 4334]

The VIP music is different from the stage music upstairs. It's all pre-programed so they can control the number of songs in an hour...20+. :shock:

[mod 135640]

Wow.. 20+ is under 3 minutes on average... $400.00 for the hour. Someone in management obviously came up with the formula and has a reason for it. Not sure how well thought out it was... is the VIP very busy these days? Maybe most guys don't notice?

[Andee 220524]

Some strippers I talked to when I go to the clubs say it's been $20 a song for years so maybe that's their way of making more money without actually increasing the price?

 

I hear complaints there are too many girls, and since they have to pay for the right to work, so it's all about the hustle and that some actually don't make much $ at all for all the time they spend hanging around. Not being totally up on the scene, not sure if that's totally accurate, but I would think that if the DJ's might figure if they get away with playing shorter songs, then the girls will make more and everybody's happy....is this just Pigalle's?

 

I was at the NuDen recently and the songs were definitely longer than 2 minutes.

 

Because I am in my 40s any of my friends who worked as strippers (or exotic dancers as used to call themselves) did so many moons ago. They have told me the business operated much different 20 to 25 years ago when they were doing it. I believe they were actually paid by the club to dance, champagne rooms/lap dances came later. A friend of mine who is close to 60 years old actually used to do Burlesque and did not even take all her clothes off. This was back in the late 1960s.

 

And when you say mileage varies, not to sound naive, but does that mean, you can actually get more than a bump and grind if you go on the Quebec side? I bet those $20 have to fly out of your hand like kleenex...

:-P

[ekimout 188]

Even before the Pigales' renovation they had different music in the VIP area then on stage. It's been like that for years.

 

As for higher mileage? Well, good luck, it's always been hit or miss.

[curious2 323]

As for higher mileage? Well, good luck, it's always been hit or miss.

 

True, it's always hit or miss, but the ratio of hits is better at Pigales. Generally the mileage is limited to being able to touch the outside of their pussies. Sometimes DIGITS are OK. I was offered FS once for $200 plus the dances, and turned into a $100 handjob which was a total waste of money as her reminder that the $20/3 minute timer was also ticking at the same time guaranteed that I couldn't finish quickly and I only had $140 on me. Strip Clubs are a very lousy option for achieving orgasms. They're a lot of fun, though, if that's not the big objective of that part of the evening.

[ekimout 188]

True, it's always hit or miss, but the ratio of hits is better at Pigales. Generally the mileage is limited to being able to touch the outside of their pussies. Sometimes DIGITS are OK. I was offered FS once for $200 plus the dances, and turned into a $100 handjob which was a total waste of money as her reminder that the $20/3 minute timer was also ticking at the same time guaranteed that I couldn't finish quickly and I only had $140 on me. Strip Clubs are a very lousy option for achieving orgasms. They're a lot of fun, though, if that's not the big objective of that part of the evening.

 

Yeah! No pressure there...I guess both ways. :smile:

[APower20 400]

I was there for a bachelor party, and had a great time. Songs didn't seem that short, I was with one girl for two (and then came back to her for four more)...maybe I was just having too much of a good time. I did however notice that some of my friends from the bachelor party were getting ripped off...leaving for 3 or 4 songs and coming back missing $140. It was my second club experience, first being at Barb's.

 

The girls there really know their stuff, and there are quite a number of beautiful girls working there. I'd love to go back sometime soon with friends.

[JuliaOttawa 131]

Well, I've danced at different clubs and there are two models:

 

1) Cut the songs to make them all the same length (3.5 minutes). Customers complain when a song is cut short.

 

2) Dance to the songs onstage that vary between 2.5-5 minutes. Customers complain that a song is "shorter" than the other songs.

 

We seriously can't win.

 

Angela - You're right about cutting the length of the song instead of raising the prices. Dances have been $20 for around a decade and this has not been adjusted to the rate of inflation or rise in living costs. However, I don't want to see the prices raised because $20 bills are convenient. It would be kind of ridiculous to charge $23/song or something like that.

 

On a side note, I do $140/200/240 for 30/45/60 minutes respectively and customers seem to prefer this in comparison to counting songs as do I.

[Guest f***nds4f**]

Sometimes we need to pay double for long songs.

Once the song was finished but the dancer hadn't taken off anything. Paid $20 for almost nothing.

I have limited budget and can not afford to pay all the girls who ask for dance. I could only invite select the one who I like. Another time a girl gave me bad look when I said no politly. I don't go clubs anymore now - not worth it.

[JuliaOttawa 131]

Sometimes we need to pay double for long songs.

Once the song was finished but the dancer hadn't taken off anything. Paid $20 for almost nothing.

I have limited budget and can not afford to pay all the girls who ask for dance. I could only invite select the one who I like. Another time a girl gave me bad look when I said no politly. I don't go clubs anymore now - not worth it.

Yeah, no offense, but you're not going to have a good time at a strip club if you can only spend $20.

[ekimout 188]

Well, I've danced at different clubs and there are two models:

 

1) Cut the songs to make them all the same length (3.5 minutes). Customers complain when a song is cut short.

 

2) Dance to the songs onstage that vary between 2.5-5 minutes. Customers complain that a song is "shorter" than the other songs.

 

We seriously can't win.

 

Angela - You're right about cutting the length of the song instead of raising the prices. Dances have been $20 for around a decade and this has not been adjusted to the rate of inflation or rise in living costs. However, I don't want to see the prices raised because $20 bills are convenient. It would be kind of ridiculous to charge $23/song or something like that.

 

On a side note, I do $140/200/240 for 30/45/60 minutes respectively and customers seem to prefer this in comparison to counting songs as do I.

 

Good points!

 

The idea of a fixed price for the time is a good idea. I've seen some clubs and girls offer similar type arrangements. I guess you would have to know the girl first before taking the time and spending the money. Although if after the first dance all is good, you can always arrange a fixed price for the time. It would be easier, as you say for both, to not have to count songs.

 

I've had dancers offer me a deal for the rest of the night. It's obviously someone I'm familiar with, it's an hour or two from closing and she just wants to have some drinks and have some fun. I'm happy with that.

[Guest f***nds4f**]

Yeah, no offense, but you're not going to have a good time at a strip club if you can only spend $20.

 

 

Of course, but good starting is important. Usually at spend $60 -$100 for one girl if I satisfy the service.

[JuliaOttawa 131]

Good points!

 

The idea of a fixed price for the time is a good idea. I've seen some clubs and girls offer similar type arrangements. I guess you would have to know the girl first before taking the time and spending the money. Although if after the first dance all is good, you can always arrange a fixed price for the time. It would be easier, as you say for both, to not have to count songs.

 

I've had dancers offer me a deal for the rest of the night. It's obviously someone I'm familiar with, it's an hour or two from closing and she just wants to have some drinks and have some fun. I'm happy with that.

Thanks! I'm really happy with the arrangement as are my customers. I only do it with guys who liked me the first time and are coming back to see me. I think they especially appreciate that they don't have to keep track of songs and they aren't afraid of going "overboard" and getting a hefty unexpected bill. Eg. If we do 1h for 240, they know exactly what they are going to owe and they can check their watch at any time to see how much time we have left.

[Capital Hunter 18263]

It is true that dances have been at $20 since 2001, not adjusted for rate of inflation of about 20% since then BUT, keep in mind that prices were doubled overnight in 2001 from $10 to $20 and that is 100% increase in prices. Dancers are making less money now than before and clubs are fairly empty. Cutting short the length of the song will not result in more money for dancers either as people tend to take less dances and avoid those bars who practice that. I haven't been to Pigale recently but if they do that, they are shooting themselves in the foot.

 

I personally don't take dances for the fixed hour since I like variety and when I go to strip bars this is the reason, VARIETY. I very much prefer to spend $240 and be with a few ladies than with just one lady for the hour. If that is what I want then I would rather go with an escort which is a lot more intimate and have a lady all to myself without the hassel of CR and bouncers and other customers and girls in nowadays open CRs at the privacy of my home

[JuliaOttawa 131]

It is true that dances have been at $20 since 2001, not adjusted for rate of inflation of about 20% since then BUT, keep in mind that prices were doubled overnight in 2001 from $10 to $20 and that is 100% increase in prices. Dancers are making less money now than before and clubs are fairly empty. Cutting short the length of the song will not result in more money for dancers either as people tend to take less dances and avoid those bars who practice that. I haven't been to Pigale recently but if they do that, they are shooting themselves in the foot.

As a dancer, I'm not sure I agree.

I personally don't take dances for the fixed hour since I like variety and when I go to strip bars this is the reason, VARIETY. I very much prefer to spend $240 and be with a few ladies than with just one lady for the hour. If that is what I want then I would rather go with an escort which is a lot more intimate and have a lady all to myself without the hassel of CR and bouncers and other customers and girls in nowadays open CRs at the privacy of my home

Well it's not for everyone. I only do the fixed hour rates for regular clients who come specifically to see me.

[Capital Hunter 18263]

I am just stating the fact regarding prices. I have been going to strip bars since 1997. Prices were $10, prior to 2001. It is a fact. It jumped to $20 over a span of several months in 2001. This is a fact too. The second part of my comment is hearsay though. The dancers (those who used to dance before 2001) are telling me that they used to make more money when it was $10 as they had a lot more requests.

 

Regarding the bars being less crowded these days is also a fact. Many used to come and have a drink and have a few dances and spend only $30 to $50 for a couple of hours (I believe table dances used to be $5 until 1995). Nowadays the same could cost over $100 and many choose to stay home, watch a TV go to park or call for an escort for the same price (half hour). Strip bars used to be crowded even daytime those days with many sitting next to the stage and noisy too. These days sometimes it is as lively as graveyards in some bars and some bars may have to close daytimes (I believe Club 77 and Pigale and Pink Panters are already closed Saturday daytime). I also agree with friend4Fun that some (minority) dancers give some attitude when politely turned down and another reason for me to discontinue going to SCs.

 

I switched to escorts two years ago as I find it more intimate, more private, less expensive, and in summary more mileage and fun for the hard earned money but opinion may vary in this regard as myself sometimes (once a month) go back to SCs to visit the old friend dancers (much less nowadays) or for a variety (being with several girls instead of one escort).

[JuliaOttawa 131]

I wasn't disputing the facts re: dance prices, etc. I was just stating that I disagree that shorter songs will hurt business for dancers.

 

Dances at $10/song give you a maximum of $160/h earning potential, compared with $320/h currently. A higher earner potential is great for top earning dancers. Maybe the dancers who sell less dances might benefit from $10/song.

 

For the record, I've danced at $10/song (club's rate, not mine) and I made about 80-100% what I make at $20/song and I worked twice as hard for it. Also, a lot of girls in Montreal come to Ottawa specifically for our $20/h dances.

[Guest blo*****s]

I wasn't disputing the facts re: dance prices, etc. I was just stating that I disagree that shorter songs will hurt business for dancers.

 

 

JuliaOttawa, I started this thread for a reason.

I was upset at being ripped off.

This "will" affect business for dancers.

It does not take a brain surgeon to figure out one is being short-changed with either electronically sped-up versions of songs, short songs, or even songs that are "cut-short" on purpose.

When a normal person figures out they are being ripped off, they usually do something about it.

In my case, it is to never return to Pigales, and also to express my dissatisfaction to others if/when the subject ever comes up.

 

I have NO issue spending TONS of money on things that I enjoy - as long as I know that I am getting some value for it - instead of just flushing it down the toilet because of unscrupulous business practices at a club to fleece its customers.

 

If you don't think negative experiences like this will hurt the industry, and as a result, the dancers - then you are wrong.

 

Word travels fast - and nobody likes feeling taken advantage of.

[JuliaOttawa 131]

JuliaOttawa, I started this thread for a reason.

I was upset at being ripped off.

This "will" affect business for dancers.

It does not take a brain surgeon to figure out they are being short-changed with either electronically sped-up versions of songs, short songs, or even songs that are "cut-short".

When a normal person figures out they are being taken advantage of, they usually do something about it.

In my case, it is to never return to Pigales, and also to express my dissatisfaction to others if/when the subject ever comes up.

 

I have no issue spending tons of money on things that I enjoy - as long as I know that I am getting some value for it - instead of just flushing it down the toilet because of unscrupulous business practices at a club to fleece its customers.

 

If you don't think negative experiences like this will hurt the industry, and as a result, the dancers - you are wrong.

 

Word travels fast - and nobody likes feeling taken advantage of.

Did they tell you a song was 4 minutes or something? I don't really get why you think they took advantage of you. The club gets to set the length of the songs, and if you don't like the length you don't have to stay more than 1 song!

 

Like I said above, I get complaints equally at clubs that cut songs, versus clubs that don't cut songs. You may be upset at them cutting songs, but I can assure you that for every guy who complains at cutting songs, there is a guy who is complaining at a club that doesn't cut songs that his song was shorter than the others.

 

Also, I'm pretty sure Pigale's cuts their songs to exactly 3.5 minutes.

[Ricco 411]

I'd suggest Barbs then. From my time there, the songs arent cut short and are of full lenght. I must admit the booths could be a bit nicer though :-o