Music Journalist Barry Walters Looks Back At Manhattan's Legendary Saint Disco

Veteran music journalist Barry Walters has penned a fascinating look back at Manhattan's much-storied Saint nightclub. It begins:

From September 1980 to May 1988, The Saint defined gay nightlife in New York during its most tumultuous and literally plagued decade. Conceived by off-Broadway impresario Mailman, who had just scored a runaway success with The New St. Marks Baths, The Saint set such high standards that it soon rendered its competition redundant.

“When it opened, it just sucked the life out of all the other clubs,” says Robbie Leslie, the most popular of the disco’s surviving DJs. “Everyone abandoned these clubs they professed loyalty to. It only took a week or two, and they just flocked over to The Saint.”

Housed in the three-story former site of the psychedelic rock concert hall Fillmore East, The Saint offered multi-sensory pleasure like no other venue before or since. It featured a circular, 4,800 square foot dancefloor topped by an aluminum dome 76 ft. by 38 ft. under which much of the club’s 1,500 lights would shine, as well as constellations from a Spitz Space System projector ten times brighter than one in a typical planetarium. Designed by architect Charles Terrell, The Saint pointedly directed one’s attention skyward. Its experience was clearly meant to be uplifting – visually and otherwise.

The perforated dome hid the last and largest of the revered Graebar sound systems: Powered by 630 drivers and 32 amplifiers, nearly 500 speakers generated 26,000 watts – a figure touted in The Saint’s publicity materials as being “probably the most powerful per square foot for entertainment purposes in existence.” All this splendor ultimately cost $4.6 million in 1980 dollars – well over $13 million in today’s currency.

You don't have to be an eldergay to enjoy the full piece.

AUDIO: There are many recordings of Saint DJ sets floating around. In the above-linked piece Walters includes this set from closing night DJ Jim Burgess.

NYC's Oldest Gay Bar Closes

Ten days ago I reported that New York City's oldest gay bar, Candle Bar on the Upper West Side, would be closing after more than 50 years. West Side Rag reports on its closing night:

[Front in photo above] Owner of Candle Bar Michelle Ader and her husband William Greene. Michelle was bequeathed the apartment by her brother 22 years ago, after his death. “We just can’t do it anymore… We’ve lost money on this place for years. There are a lot of people sad to see this ending, but they’ve never even been in for a drink. This has always been a living room for the gay community, and we’ve tried really hard to give them great memories.” Bartender Amonte Demarko has worked at Candle Bar for almost 13 years: “This is the only place I’ve worked; I’m just trying to hold back tears!”

Hit the link for more photos.

NEW YORK CITY: Oldest Gay Bar To Close After More Than 50 Years

Via DNA Info:

Candle Bar, the neighborhood's oldest gay bar — and some argue the oldest in the city — is closing at the end of the month. The Amsterdam Avenue bar opened in the mid-1960s, and some people argue it has had its license and been openly gay longer than Julius, a West Village gay bar that claims to be the oldest in the city. Candle Bar's closing marks the end of an era for the regulars who frequented the neighborhood spot. The bar will close its doors on June 22. The dive bar, near West 75th Street, has stuck around despite rising rents and changes along the avenue because the building owner also operated the business, said the bar's manager Amonte Demarko, 37, who described it as the "only" gay bar in the neighborhood. 

Friends Of Ours reports that like other early New York City gay bars, Candle Bar may have been Mafia-run in its early years.

The premises has existed as a gay bar since 1958 when it was opened by George Fluss; however, it was a short run for Fluss. He lost his liquor license in 1959 for permitting "homosexual activities" on the premises according to New York State Liquor Authority records. Fluss went on to work at other gay bars and restaurants in the early 1960s including at the Pines & Dunes Yacht Club on Fire Island and the Coat of Arms at 140 East 53rd Street. Ralph Pansini took over the 309 Amsterdam Avenue space in 1960 under the name Candlelight Lounge, and continued to operate it as a gay bar. Pansini wore a wire for New York District Attorney Frank Hogan's investigation into corruption at the State Liquor Authority. The investigation brought down SLA head Martin Epstein and agency fixer Hyman Siegel who specialized in licensing cases.

Candle Bar will hold closing parties next weekend.

RELATED: According to its Wikipedia entry, Julius was "harassing and ejecting" gay customers until 1966.

Hotelier Ian Reisner Continues Apology Tour, Donates $20K To Fire Island PAC

Per the president of the Fire Island Pines Property Owners Association, the below apology from Manhattan hotelier Ian Reisner was read at the group's meeting over the weekend.

Dear Members of our Community, First I want to clear up that Mati Weiderpass has zero involvement or ownership in the Pines. Now let me state unequivocally that I made mistakes. While my initial intention was bi-partisan dialogue about National & Israeli security, I've come to learn that intentions and outcomes are different things. The outcomes of my actions are that I've deeply hurt our community - and I am truly sorry. In order to help build a stronger community I am taking the following steps: I am renewing and redoubling my commitment as an ardent supporter of LGBT causes. I will continue to invest my resources in the Pines, its cultural programs and activities that celebrate the diversity and acceptance of its community members, so that it always holds its rightful place in LGBT history. To this end, today I made a donation to the 'FIPPOA-PAC' -- matching All funds raised in its last active year -- which supports politicians committed to the Pines and to LGBT issues.  More so, I will be donating profits from my Pines Investment this summer to the following organizations that I have supported in the past: The LGBT Community Center in NYC & The Jerusalem Open House, as well as to 'Equality Texas' which fights for LGBT rights on one of this countries more challenging fronts. Further, I am in the process of hiring a Director of Community Affairs to serve as a liaison with various LGBT organizations and to guide me in better serving our community.

The donation was reportedly $20,000.

NOTE: High season on Fire Island kicks off this weekend. It will be interesting to hear reports on attendance at Reisner's businesses there.

Manhattan Club Promoter Fires Back At Hotelier Ian "Gays Are Cheap" Reisner

Longtime Manhattan nightlife promoter John Blair took to Facebook this weekend to react to beleaguered hotelier Ian Reisner's declaration that his club is losing money because gays are cheap.

Gays, like any group, will spend their money when you give them something that they want or need. Do not blame the community for any of your failures to make money. XL made over $8M dollars the year Beto and I ran it. Then you all thought you could do it by yourself and we got the ax. You lost your shirt the next two years trying to do it yourself. So you have no one to blame but yourselves. Gays are not cheap... as a matter of fact we spend more of our money on going to bars, nightclubs, hotels and restaurants than do most other people. Just tell the truth. You have lost money on The OUT NYC because of the way you and Mati managed or should I say mismanaged THE OUT NYC ... don't blame us for your mistakes.

Blair and his husband Beto Sutter were the main promoters of the now-shuttered Roxy nightclub before moving on to launch Reisner's XL club. In 2012 the couple married at the Out NYC in a ceremony officiated by actress Fran Drescher and reported upon by the New York Times.

HomoQuotable - Ian Reisner

"You know, it’s so ironic — I wanted to build kind of a community center in the gateway to Hell’s Kitchen, which in 2008–2009 was already a gay place and now it’s even gayer. Very close to Broadway. We decided there’d be so many different ways to give back to the community. We show gay artists there. For gay performers, we have let this cabaret club go on for three and a half years. And you don’t make money when you let drag queens in on Tuesday night and 30 people drink at $10 a drink and you have to pay five people to watch over the place. You don’t make money ... My only point is, this has not been a profitable venture. Gays are cheap. They’re frugal; gays are frugal. Let me retract that … gays are entitled … Do you know how challenging it is to make a penny off a gay person? I’m gay, I don’t pay cover. I’m gay, where’s my comp drink? [Everyone laughs.] No, I’m being serious! The Out NYC has not shown a profit yet." - Ian Reisner, in a New York Magazine joint interview with Mati Weiderpass. (Tipped by JMG readers TJ and John)

Protesters Chant "Shame!" At Midtown Hotel Owned By Cruz Meeting Hosts

Happening NOW! #BoycottFIPOut
Posted by Boycott Fire Island Pines Establishments & Out NYC Hotel on Monday, 27 April 2015

Photos by Matt Rettenmund at Boy Culture.

Hotelier Mati Weiderpass: My Meeting With Ted Cruz Was Good For LGBT Rights

"I am happy to see such passion and energy in support of gay rights. We just need to channel that passion and energy to those who would deny us those rights. The dinner with Ted Cruz happened only because IT WAS NOT A FUNDRAISER. It was about security for Israel, but it also gave me a rare opportunity to address the gay issues for which Ted Cruz has championed against. THREE FACTS WILL MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR TED CRUZ TO BE THE CHAMPION AGAINST GAY RIGHTS: 1) he had a private dinner (not a fund raiser) at a gay couples home, 2) he is in several pictures at that gay household, and 3) he stated he would love his daughter the same if she were gay. Those facts are difficult to reconcile with his stance on gay issues -- Ted's far right anti-gay supporters are screaming now. We need to be persistent with our message and it will slowly seep thru even to those most vehemently against gay rights.

"Ken Mehlman was the Chair of the Republican National Committee whose platform included several anti-gay positions. Later in life Ken was instrumental in the passage of Gay Marriage in NY State. People's views can be changed over time. I worked 6 years for the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell, which required many unpleasant conversations with people who opposed Gays in the Military. And it worked! THE GAY MOVEMENT NEEDS YOUR HELP. Tell those people that are against us or just neutral, that gay people have families, friends, some worship in church and we don't want to be demonized. Light up social media with calls for the SUPREME COURT TO RULE IN FAVOR OF GAY MARRIAGE! ‪#‎SUPREMESFORMARRIAGE‬ - Manhattan hotelier Mati Weiderpass, posting to the Facebook boycott page. (Tipped by JMG reader BD)

CRUZ FALLOUT: Broadway Cares Cancels AIDS Fundraiser At Ian Reisner's Hotel

From the executive director of Broadway Cares:

It is with regret that we have decided to cancel this year’s edition of the Broadway Bares Solo Strips fundraiser, which was scheduled for May 10 at the NYC club 42West. We cannot in good conscience hold an event at a venue whose owners have alienated our community, as reflected in an April 23 New York Times story and an April 24 follow-up post. We do business with and accept fundraising support from a variety of people across a wide spectrum of political and religious affiliations. The rich diversity of our community makes what we do together so special. It is a rare instance where the actions of a donor negatively impacts us as an organization and potentially jeopardizes our relationship with others whose support is integral to our success. But when it does occur, in a way that’s blatantly against all we stand and work for, we can’t pretend it doesn’t come with consequences. Silence is not a neutral position. It is complicit. This is not about partisan politics or punishment. This is about doing what’s right to ultimately ensure that our commitment to the men, women and children we serve cannot be questioned.

Fallout has been equally swift across Manhattan's clubland. Links to the boycott of Reisner's properties have been posted by top New York City club promoters John Blair and Mark Nelson, both of whom have worked with Reisner's clubs in the past. Facebook pages for Reisner's various businesses have been deluged with negative comments and vows to stay away. Also interesting are boycott pledges by summer-long residents of Fire Island Pines, who would have few other options as Reisner recently paid $10M for 80% of the resort town's commercial district. At this writing the boycott's Facebook group has grown to over 4100 members in just one day.

NOTE: Broadway Bares 25 will take place as scheduled at the Hammerstein Ballroom on June 24th. Get tickets here.

IOWA: Man Charged With Sending Fake Anthrax Letter To Des Moines Gay Bar

Via the Des Moines Register:

Police charged a man Thursday with sending hate mail containing suspicious powder to the Blazing Saddle, a gay bar in Des Moines, in late March. Eric Reece Wiethorn, 49, of Ames was arrested for first-degree harassment and booked in the Polk County Jail, the Des Moines Police Department announced in a news release Thursday. The arrest stemmed from an incident reported at Blazing Saddle, 416 E. Fifth St., on March 27. Police and the Des Moines Fire Department's hazardous materials team responded to a report of a letter containing an unknown white powder and slurs directed at members of the LGBT community. Officials later determined the powder was harmless. They confiscated the letter and initiated a criminal investigation.

Police and a hazmat crew responded to the bar when the letter was first received. The man remains in jail on $2000 bond. (Via Towleroad)

UPDATE: Here's the full letter.

CHERRY GROVE: Fire Destroys Two Hotels, Gay Nightclub, And Several Residences

A massive fire swept through Cherry Grove's commercial district on Fire Island last night, destroying several private homes, the Holly House Hotel, and the Grove Hotel, the last of which was home to the famed Ice Palace nightclub. For decades the Ice Palace hosted the Miss Fire Island pageant and served as the kickoff location for the annual Fire Island Pines Drag Invasion. Local authorities say that the source of the blaze, which reportedly broke out on the nearby boardwalk, is unknown. About 80 firefighters were on the scene and two suffered injuries, but no residents were hurt, possibly because most of Fire Island is unoccupied at this time of year. Last night's fire was yet another in a recent string of disasters to strike Fire Island's two predominantly gay towns. The commercial district of neighboring Fire Island Pines was destroyed in a 2011 fire and both towns were flooded during 2012's Hurricane Sandy.

(Via Towleroad)

UPDATE: Contrary to the above-linked Newsday report that the Grove Hotel is a "complete loss," this news item says the Ice Palace nightclub portion of the complex suffered only minor damage.

CHELSEA: Gym Bar Gets Ten Year Lease

As I've recounted here in the past, Chelsea's formerly famed gay nightlife has long been on the decline, supplanted by many newer clubs uptown in Hell's Kitchen. But Gym Bar, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this month, has just scored a lease for another ten years.

"We didn’t want to move, I didn’t want to move anywhere but where we are," Schmutzler told DNAinfo New York. GYM, which proclaims itself "NY's premier bar for balls, boys and beers," has been in its home at 167 Eighth Ave. since 2005, Schmultzer said. The bar is a regular hangout for gay sports leagues that play nearby and its basement "Locker Room" shows the NFL Sunday lineup, according to the bar's website. Rising rents along Eighth Avenue in Chelsea have been forcing out small businesses for years, and many storefronts are still empty. But Schmutzler was able to work out a deal with his landlord, he said, partly by convincing him that the store could stand vacant. "We had a diagram of all the empty storefronts," along Eighth Avenue, Schmultzer said. Schmultzer would not specify how much his new rent is, but said it was no "sweetheart deal." He was able to freeze it for a few years and get a five-year extension option on the new lease, he said.

Two years ago the Rawhide, a Chelsea landmark for 33 years, closed its doors in the face of a soaring rent increase. The space has since remained empty but a deal was signed in January to turn the storefront into a "high-end lingerie boutique," whatever that is. Interestingly, the landlord says he first turned down offers from at least five gay bars before making the deal. Is it possible that Chelsea could make a comeback? (Tipped by JMG reader Douglas)

RELATED: Gym Bar has a second outlet in West Hollywood and a third location is reportedly planned for Florida - Wilton Manors would be my guess. Another gay sports bar chain, Boxers, now has three locations in Manhattan and one in Philadelphia with more said to be on the way.

NEBRASKA: Fire Destroys Gay Nightclub

A popular gay nightclub in Lincoln, Nebraska was destroyed in a fire last night.

A four-alarm fire broke out at Karma Nightclub and Cabaret, heavily damaging the building and knocking out power in the surrounding area. The fire started at the club at 226 S. Ninth St. around 7:15 p.m. Saturday. Club occupants were being evacuated from the building by 7:30 p.m., when flames were seen coming from the building. Within minutes, the roof collapsed and heavy smoke came pouring out. There were no immediate reports of injuries. Only two patrons were inside the club when the fire broke out. Bystanders suggested the fire likely started near the stage.

Formerly known as The Q, the club celebrated its one year anniversary last week.

Fire Island Business District Auctions To Manhattan Hotelier Ian Reisner For $10M

Via the New York Times:

A strip of commercial real estate along the harbor in Fire Island Pines sold for $10.1 million at auction on Thursday to developers with plans to continue the revival of a former mecca for closeted gay men. The sale price was well below the $25 million the previous owners sought when they placed it on the market last fall, and below the $17 million they paid for it in 2010. In a deal hammered out over more than six hours, the property was bought by Ian Reisner, who also owns the Out NYC, a hotel on West 42nd Street in Manhattan that focuses on a gay clientele. The deal is expected to close in February.

In a telephone interview, Mr. Reisner said he, his business partner and a small team of investors planned to spend $4 million over the next 18 months to “renovate and rejuvenate” the property, which includes a hotel, a nightclub, a restaurant, a bar and retail space. The Pavilion nightclub in Fire Island Pines was rebuilt after a 2011 fire and reopened, but in the interim the crowd moved on. “My idea for the Out was to have a place for L.G.B.T., because we didn’t have that at the time,” said Mr. Reisner, who said he has been visiting Fire Island Pines since he came out as gay in 1989. “The Pines is the Out.”

Reisner was last in the news back in October when a 25 year-old Hell's Kitchen club manager died of an apparent drug overdose in his $25M Central Park South penthouse.

IRELAND: Prime Minister Visits Gay Bar

Via the Irish Times:

“So there’s An Taoiseach in Pantibar,” a post on the Dublin gay bar’s Facebook page reads over a picture of Enda Kenny who visited the bar last night. “It’s a changed world in many ways.” This was the reaction to the visit by Rory O’Neill, the entertainer and gay rights activist also known as Panti Bliss, who owns the bar where the Taoiseach met with members of the Fine Gael LGBT group during a pre-Christmas get-together. A tweet by Irish Times columnist Una Mullally summed up one Pantibar-goer’s reaction: “Bless,” he said when it was pointed out to him that one of the “suits” in the establishment was in fact the leader of the country. However the online reaction to a photo posted on the bar’s Facebook page showing the Taoiseach pictured with TD Jerry Buttimer, Brian Sheehan of GLEN, and Minister for Children James Reilly was decidedly less subdued and included no small amount of cynicism. “He’s obviously trying to win the pink vote,” one post read. 

Ireland's public referendum on same-sex marriage will take place in May and is expected to pass with overwhelming support. (Tipped by JMG reader Gerard)

Singer Jimmy Ruffin Dies At 78

Motown legend Jimmy Ruffin, whose 1980 smash Hold On To My Love helped usher out an era of gay nightlife, has died at the age of 78. Via the Detroit Free Press:

Ruffin, whose poignant "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" is regarded by many as one of Motown's greatest works, died Monday afternoon in a Las Vegas hospital. A Mississippi native and the older brother of the late Temptations singer David Ruffin, Jimmy Ruffin did backup work with Motown in the early '60s before being drafted into the U.S. Army and stationed in Germany. Upon returning to Motown in 1964, he cut material with little success before striking it big in 1966 with "Brokenhearted," which took him to No. 7 on Billboard's pop chart. The two brothers collaborated on the 1970 album "I Am My Brother's Keeper," and while Jimmy Ruffin ultimately notched eight solo songs on Billboard's R&B chart, his biggest success came in England, where he lived for a stretch and continued to perform frequently in later years.

Hold On To My Love, which reached #10 on the pop chart, was the final song played at the 1988 closing party of New York City's legendary Saint, perhaps the most storied gay nightclub of all time. The track had become a beloved Saint staple, largely due to the extended remix created by Saint DJ Robbie Leslie, who in that pre-computer era took Ruffin's 45rpm single and used "a reel/reel tape deck, a few razor blades, and editing tape" to create the eight-minute version of the song that continues to be a highlight of disco classics events. Shortly after the Saint shuttered its doors that day, an anonymous graffiti artist painted the song's title and Ruffin's name above the club's main entrance in what Leslie calls an "evocative tribute." You can read more about how Leslie created his version here. Hold On To My Love was written and produced by Robin Gibb.

NORTH CAROLINA: Gay Man Dies After Being Set On Fire By Nightclub Hook-Up

There is a sad follow-up to the crime reported here last week. Via the Associated Press:

An Army veteran beaten by a man he met at a bar died Saturday afternoon, nearly a week after being hospitalized with burns so bad that parts of both arms had to be amputated, police and his partner said. Veteran Stephen Patrick White, 46, died at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, authorities said. Greensboro Police spokeswoman Susan Danielsen confirmed the death when contacted by The Associated Press. She said a 26-year-old man, Garry Joseph Gupton, has now been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the beating last Sunday. A Greensboro city employee, Gupton had initially been charged with aggravated assault with intent to kill, according to police. Danielsen has said there was no indication the incident was motivated by the sexuality of the victim. "We believe this was a consensual encounter between the two of them, and at some point Mr. Gupton began acting incredibly irrational," Danielsen had said recently.

The alleged killer remains jailed without bond.

Venerable Philly Bar Closes After 50 Years

Philadelphia's Westbury bar, which was first advertised in gay guides back in the early 60s, has closed after last month's fire in the hotel above it. From their Facebook page:

With a very broken heart, I have to announce, the Westbury Bar and Restaurant will not be reopening. Our extensive efforts trying get an exception from the city have not worked. After 30 years in our current location, and many years at the 15th Street location, the Westbury has given our all to serve the community with a friendly oasis from the rigors of life. I hope we will be remembered fondly. I would like to thank all the local business's and patrons who supported the hourly employees these past 3 weeks. The community support was just overwhelming. In closing, I would like to thank our neighborhood sports teams, choirs, etc. Our loyal customers who always became part of the family. And a special thanks to the most dedicated and hard working staff I could ever have hoped to work with. Thanks for the great years!

According to Philadelphia Gay News, the entire building must be retrofitted with a new sprinkler system. JMG reader Ed provides us with an epitaph:

The Westbury was a come-as-you-are corner joint, as welcoming to lesbians, hipster gays and their straight posses, and the community's most colorful members as much as the ball-cap-and-jeans crowd of mature-ish men who dominated the clientele. The tavern fare was reasonable both in price and quality, and the extensive beer selection a welcome gay-bar-first in one of America's top beer towns. Marred only by horrible, horrible music from one of those bar-destroying digital jukeboxes, the atmosphere was warm and open, arranged for interaction with friendly patrons around the central bar, viewing/ignoring all the sportsing happening on those giant flat screens, and allowing quiet confabs in the elevated corner by the fireplace where you could still evaluate prospects being carded at the door. I got laid. It will be missed.

Several weeks ago friends and I dropped in at the Westbury for what we thought would be a solemn early afternoon cocktail before heading to a funeral. We were surprised to find the place mobbed with rowdy rugby players scarfing pizza. We agreed that our late friend would have enjoyed that. Visit the Gayborhood Guru for a fascinating history of the Westbury.

MINNEAPOLIS: Man Shouting Scripture Shoots Gay Couple With BB Gun

Two tourists visiting the popular Minneapolis gay bar The Saloon were shot with a BB gun on Thursday by a man shouting bible verses.

“He made a disrespectful comment towards the homosexual community, towards a couple that was holding hands and he obviously didn't appreciate that,” [security guard Tyler] Erickson said. Shortly after his expletives, Odegard's sheer disregard for the establishment, or humanity, then escalated. After yelling gay slurs, he allegedly pulled out a CO2 powered BB gun. “I ran after him and then it ended up he shot a different gay couple in the leg, with that gun and it went through his jeans and drew blood,” Erickson said. Before Odegard could run even 30 feet, Erickson nabbed him, arrested him and called police. “He told me multiple times that I'm going to go to hell and he's going to bring me with him,” Erickson said. “He recited a biblical passage -- I think it's a Deuteronomy passage.” Fortunately, they couple wasn't seriously injured. It wasn't a real gun, but the act shouldn't be taken lightly, Erickson said. “Even if the guy was shot with the same CO2 powered BB gun in the face, it would've gone right through his cheek.

(Via Christian Nightmares)

AUSTRALIA: Gay Club Issues Lifetime Ban On Patrons Found Using (Some) Drugs

Saying they are fed up with problems caused by patrons using GHB and crystal meth, the popular Melbourne gay nightclub Poof Doof has announced a lifetime ban for any customer caught using those substances. These bans will be shared with more than 100 nightclubs across Australia, who jointly use a system called Scantek to record the identities of problem customers.

It's the first time a city club has made a public stance on crystal methamphetamine, following moves at mainstream venues almost two years ago to place life bans on punters caught partying on the drug GHB. "There is a sadness and exhaustion attached to these drugs - everyone seems to know someone who has been directly affected," Poof Doof organiser Anthony Hocking said. "An individual who has been given a lifetime ban at one venue, will be flagged by all venues," he said. Melbourne clubs have been using the technology since 2006 and there are now 33 Victorian venues on Scantek. There are almost 4500 active bans across the country and nearly 1500 in Victoria with men accounting for 84 per cent of bans. Drug use or possession accounts for about 20 per cent of prohibitions, while threatening or violent behaviour is responsible for 43 per cent. Venues have used the system for years, but it is rare for Melbourne club owners, wary of being cast as having a drug problem, to go public and threaten drug users with lifetime bans. The last time was more than a year ago.

Poof Doof posted a statement on Facebook:

After seeing how these horrific drugs have affected our community, Poof Doof has decided to take action. Far be it from us to tell you what to do – we’re not the fun police – but we are putting our foot down with regards to what goes on whilst you’re all in our care on Saturday nights. Any doofer caught with these substances inside Poof Doof will be banned for life via the Scantek security system. This means that individual will also be banned for life at all other Scantek venues. Our venue staff and security will be assisting us to identify, eject and ban those individuals who have not heeded our warning. Make no mistake: we are serious. And the lifetime bans will be irreversible. Poof Doof says no.

Notably, the anti-drug campaign makes no mention of ecstasy or its current incarnation, molly. Doof, by the way, is Australian slang for a rave party.