Hi everyone, I'm emailing this in my capacity as one of the GB party organisers, and we need some URGENT feedback about the New Year's Party. As so many of you know, this has been GB's way of both ending and starting the year with a blast, and we're hoping to do so again this year.
Every year we've seen the numbers at the party rise - I think last year we touched 600. A lot of these are people who come from out of town for the party, though we've noticed that as the evening goes on, quite a lot of locals who were planning their own parties, can't resist dropping by as well! Its the one time of the year we can party till 4 am and everyone wants to take advantage of that. We've had parties at a number of venues, with some memorable ones, not always for the best reasons - yes, the name of a place called Chat Masala is burned in my mind, for the almost total chaos of that night. Its the one time we've been caught between people inside complaining it was too packed, and others outside begging to be let in, no matter how packed it was. Total chaos, though I'm sure it was fun for some... For the last few years we've stuck to our regular party venue of Karma/Liquid Lounge at Girgaum Chowpatty, since we've found it large enough (we take over the whole ground floor), reasonably accessible (near Charni Road train station), quite well laid out, and acceptable service and food and alcohol. And the prices, while unavoidably higher for New Year's, have been substantially lower than most other New Year Parties (we've had straight people trying to crash since its been such a good deal!) We would like to stick with Karma, since if one thing Chat Masala taught us is that best not to try new places on New Year's. But there's been a change of management at Karma and the new team is approaching it as they would New Years anywhere else - which is simply a venue's best change to make money all year long. In the last few years, as this habit of going out to party has grown, the importance of New Year's as a moneyspinner for a venue has just increased hugely. So the new team at Karma is just looking at it this way, which I suppose I can't object to, but its still a bit tough for us. They started off negotiations this year at a really high price, and while Dee has managed to bargain them down, and make sure they stick to the usual unlimited alcohol and dinner deal, its still working out quite high, Last year, entry (unlimited booze, till 4 am, etc etc) was was Rs1800. This year it looks like the best we can do is around Rs2300 - a a straight Rs500 up over last year. This is pretty heart stopping, and our first reaction was - no way! But we've been asking around, and the options don't look that great. They are either too small, or don't have proper licenses (the introduction of the compulsory DJ license has taken a lot of places off the market), or are just not as well organised - the sort of places that seem like a good deal, but where you just know its because they won't buy enough booze, so will run out at 1 am. And the few comparable places look like they're going to be even more expensive - one place in Worli set Rs3000 as the absolute floor, with possible increases above that. Even at Rs2300, we'll be better priced than most places. And while there's a big jump in price, as one friend of mine said realistically, the Rs500 more is what many of us end up paying at a regular multiplex screening. There is an option to this, of course, which is just not having a New Year's party. Forget this whole crazy night, stay at home and go to bed early. But I don't know, its a primal thing, but on this one night of the year where we can stay out late and party, most of us just want to! We just want to have both our old friends to hug at midnight as well as hot new guys we hope will become friends after hugging them! So anyway, we're asking everyone for what they think, and we thought we'd check on the GB list as well. Please think about it, and the options and mail what you feel, either to the list, or me directly, or maybe sms Dee, since many of you have his number, but URGENTLY. Is Rs2300 too much so lets forget a GB New Years Party? Or what the hell, unlimited booze and food and on till 4.00 am, so lets party?! Vikram
