I was thinking we could split the project into 3
I could do the Alley with it’s rooms & the front windows. In LA. I have access to this work space in here. Also, Ash, Chad, & Aimee are local and are eager to help.
Jim or B-rad could do the overhead facade.
Every one else could support the decor.
Of course work weekends and problems could be listed on the tribe list.
Is that agreeable?
Questions:
1) Are we going to have a stage? If so where and what for. Someone mentioned a pole dance at the end of the alley to bring people in which is an awesome idea. A removeable pole so we can use the stage for other things like shows?
2) What specifically is going to happen in the “rooms”. I would think there needs to be some direction here so person(s) involved can plan for matching costumes, acts, etc. If it’s just a swing then that’s a no brainer. How many rooms, what size, how many peole are in them, what are they doing. Heck, they can serve as sleeping quarters if carpeted, cooled and filtered. How the rooms are to be constructed will dictate much of the initial design parameters.
3) Are we going to perform like shows in the Moulin Rouge or just have an alley that looks likes one? This would define an end goal and also create a movement towards seeing who is up for doing it or not. Sounds like fun to me. A drag queen show miming to music like “Play that Funky Music White Boy” or “She’s a Brick…..HOWSE”…that would be a hoot (a show of hands boys?). If so, we will need a thumpin’ sound system, a DJ, room for burners to dance so layout will be important once we all decide on what the Tribe wants to put out. Power…we are going to need power but if designed right using LED’s and EL wire can get by with jenny’s if need be. Plan for grid or Jenny’s up front I guess.
4) It’s my opinion that all facade and show lighting on the alley be done with low voltage. We are going to need a lot of light to simulate what Ruvi posted on our page and if 110v wires are running all over, it’s going to get expensive and is going to be safety issue if the wind blows something over. Low voltage (12vdc or 24vac) can be run in much smaller and less expensive wire than 14/wg romex and junction boxes and is far safer, especially if it rains and there are no ground fault circuits.
I really like the security/stability that steel scaffolding offers but like the flexibility in design of plywood for the facade. How ’bout using both? Scaffold “behind the scenes as a support structure on each side of the alley two courses high with the plywood attached to the front with U bolts? This would accomlish several things:
1) Triangulate the vertical support members for strength
2) Offer two rigid points to suspend the overhead from (I’m thinking fabric)
3) Uses less wood and NO expensive 2×4’s for structural support. Use 1/2″ plywood on the front for strength and surface to paint and mount lights on and 1/8″ plywood (or fabric or 4′x8′ plastic poster board) to line the rooms.
Anybody got connections to a x-y plotter/printer/vinyl cutter? This would allow for some really professional looking signage, especially if lit from the rear through opaque plastic.
I think this idea has tremendous potential for fun for all and possible BM funding? Jim? What do you think?
Personally, I would like to see the placed jammed with dancing, fucked up burners who are really enjoying themselves while we have a blast doing it. Last year we partied outside the camp and didn’t offer much in the way of giving back which was fine, but next year, like the Dragon, I would like the Tribe to be remembered as a group that provided an awesome contribution to Black Rock City in more ways than one.
Another idea? For the lighting effect for the blades of the windmill (gotta have a windmill), we may be able to get the Mad Scientists to help out with that rotating LED thing they made in ‘06 to put on the blades. THAT would look cool as hell. See? Shit like this needs to be put in the pool so we can ya or nay them and move forward with concrete plans/ideas/drawings sooner than later…for submission to BM. If they have an idea, a drawing/sketch of our plans would that not make our pitch stronger? I don’t that much about how all that works but it sure seems logical.
B Rad
How does this layout look? Is this what we are trying to accomplish?
Wow, that is a lot of lumber.
I was thinking to keep the use of wood to bare bones. The doors & their frames; wood of course. The rest of the ‘walls’ could be curtains. Curtains held up by metal poles. Poles like the shade structure. Like the Astral Lounge.
The facade above the front windows could be like the Eyes of Gawd. El wire on mesh. Of course we don’t have to use carbon fiber rods since we not going to fly it. Remember how we hung it above the shade structure on those poles
The front windows. would have low stages, to raise the swings higher. The other rooms, could be curtained rooms with wooden doors with plastic windows.
I agree with you that there is a critical mass on this idea.
Now that if we have a idea, we just need a plan.
K I’ve been watching the amount of interest in this project and it “appears” at this point that a good majority of the group is willing to get involved.
I would be willing to head up the “artistic” construction of the “store fronts” and buildings here in colfax. This is assuming we could put together at least two or three work weekends AND we were able to fund the materials that we’d need to create the structures.
I don’t know how much plywood and lumber we’d need, but i wouldnt be surprised if we used 75 sheets of 4×8 plywood and 150 2×4’s. (not to mention trim and hardware / nails/screws/paint/etc.)). then we would have transportation to/from playa.
As far as the seperate “venues” - the tribe can brainstorm each of the attractions online and come up with the details…. ie; #1) swing #2) shadow dance #3) peep show #4) pole dance etc…..
I’m thinking that three venues on each side of the street would be sufficient…. ???
> Brad expressed concerns that we will need a lot of power for lighting.
I don’t think it will be that much power. In past years we have run generators and had everyone bring 5 gals of gas for the jennys. The center camp years where sweet because we where on the grid. Previous to that we ran jennys almost all night long. Some times we had 2 jennys running at the same time.
Look at what the camp across the street, they did off the grid. Lots of light & loud sound.
Second. The BORG mantra is Radical expression & Self reliance. So lets plan for off the grid first.
Third. I am pretty sure we can get Center camp if we want it Or C camp adjacent (on grid). We are a small-ish camp yet we provide a very interactive camp. That is what they they like in C Camp, small camps that provide a wallop.
Fourth, Grid power is a requested on the Theme camp questionnaire. I did not request it for ‘07.
Jim said:
also, if someone wants to create a building or more in their own
town… we could do that too. just make them so they’ll connect up. I
can see Brads team being able…. maybe thumper?
B-Rad said:
Like I mentioned previously, this can be done like the dragon in sections and delivered but first we need a master plan. One for construction, one for design, one for final assembly.
Once we agree on a direction, the rest is academic.
Brad
OK…so Jen and I have thought long and hard for our performance piece for the bordello of dust…in keeping with the American Dream theme….we are going to dress up as typical 50’s mom and dad…me…mama cleaver…Jen…papa cleaver….we will play out a rather mild scene where June serves her man and puts the baby to bed (costumes to reflect that 50’s version of Americana..) at some point, Ward is going to become displeased with June, bend her over the table and spank her bare ass….I think it will be hot, comfortable for us and entertaining for the public….
sayfty
xo
We want to do an Amsterdam Alley, i.e. the red light district. We thought this could be a fantastic way to have a single theme and still have all of our fabulous campmates use their respective artistic and other skills to add to the overall theme. (And since we were all Dirty Whores this year, it seemed appropriate.)
My vision is that the theme is to be fun and sleazy (!!!), but in the name of art and expression and playfulness and theatrics, not really in the name of sex at all.
So, basically what we were envisioning was an “alley” with window fronts, maybe 3 on each side. Or maybe only 2 or whatever. Anyhow, as you know, in Amsterdam the hookers just kind of sit there and wait to be chosen. We thought we could do that sort of, but could be rather dull just standing there, so thought that spicing it up with peep show idea or pole dance would be fabulous. I hadn’t actually given any thought to real sexual performances though. (Sorry boys.)
As Gary mentioned, we’d expect all Tribesters to participate on the performance side. I want to stress though that your performance need not be anything sexual whatsoever. You may just perhaps be dressed provocatively sitting in the window. Or, you may perform a pole dance, or burlesque ish performance or whatever. I totally see a place for comedy in this as well.
And yeah, if you wanted to, you could do something sexual. I personally don’t see the draw for this theme necessarily being a sexual show, but rather the simple suggestion. Provocative and playful is what I see.
How this could involve everyone, besides in the performance areas, I thought could go maybe something like this:
- We’d need to create two platforms on either side of the alley with “store front” windows on each side (and just being stage/performance areas on the non public side). In addition to the actual windows for performance, I think it would be great to maybe have a picture opportunity window (or 2 even) for those more inhibited. What I am thinking is something like the SINNER panels where they could put the face in hole, only with a Red Light District flavour to the panels. I personally see Gary and Jim and others heading up the construction and painting of these structures and the more artistic photo op windows for sure being with Jim’s input. Anyhow, they’d need others to help construct the stage/windows/etc.
- The whole front of it should be flashy and the alley itself “red light”-ish. We’d need a fabulous sign over top of the alley and we’d need lights in each window and in other areas. Ideally, they could be different behind each window adding a different flavour to each area. I see B-Rad, Rad Dan and those boys heading up the special effects/lighting side of this project.
- Also, I’d like to see a swing (not a sex swing, just a swing), ala Moulin Rouge in a window maybe. I dunno. Just a thought.
- Although not strictly a red light thing, and this would be after all a BM take on it, but I’d like to have a bordello-like flavour to the entire thing. I see us Canadians creating velvet draperies and taking charge of other decorations to create a bordello-ish feel to the entire area.
- I think it would be great to have our bar located somewhere at the end of the alley, making those that want a drink to have to come in and watch or participate. Obviously, Jeannie could head that up (and I think your red outfit would be smashing in there sexy girl!) and Gracie too. I think it would be groovy to have a sitting area more akin to the Bloody Mary dudes, i.e. a smaller well-defined public space specifically for that purpose. I’m sure Jeannie would need and could convince (I can’t imagine how!) many to assist her in this respect 
- I think it would be fabulous to have “show times” in the WWW so that we’d only have to be “open” with Tribesters performing at set times leaving us free to explore the playa the remainder of the time. Like maybe 9 to 11 each night, or even every second night or whenever. After dark anyhow. Other than those scheduled times, whoever, whenever could perform.
- I do think however that it would also be good to really get people to participate to have someone in charge of reigning them in off the street to do so. I can see myself doing this. I can see Bare doing this. I can see Amy doing this. I can see many of us doing this. We’d need a mic or megaphone and fabulous costumes.
- And I think that probably providing participants with some small token for their participation would be great. It’d need to be fabulous so that they’d be coveted and kind of hard to come by, ya know? Not a pin probably as has been done by playa records and others. Not a pendant ala Alien Love Nest as again has already been done. However, I think that Siren, Chad and crew would be ideal for coming up with something special and then making ‘em to hand out to our participants.
- We’d need tunes for performances. Given his techie wiggle butt nature, I’m thinking maybe Ruv you could have a hand in this with help from others.
- If we were to have an art car, it would be cool to have it all in the same theme. I haven’t given this a lot of thought though, but I’m sure Thumper and others could come up with something fantastic.
- I like B-rad’s idea with some sort of gambling component (of course I would!!!) and the wheel idea could be a good one as I think for some it is easier to be told what to do than to try to think of something creative to do on your own. Someone would need to build a wheel.
- The pole dance area should be at end of the alley near the bar, in my opinion. Gary has already stepped up for the pole part. Naturally J
- Of course we are a bordello in the red light district and so, we’d need perverts. That is where all of the rest of you not specifically named yet would come in! In particular, I’m thinking Glitterdick, Nymph, Dale, to name just a few J
- We could all have bordello names maybe.
- And, of course, we’d all be part of the performances. Again, I stress it need not be a sexual performance, in fact I’d kind of prefer if it wasn’t unless it organically just transpired. You all know that I’m far from a prude, but the headache involved with a live sex show, well, I‘m not sure we want to go there really and/or attract that crowd. Provocative with your own spin on it though. Think Moulin Rouge. Which, again, could just simply be preening oneself dressed sexy sitting in the window.
- I think we could pull this off and could truly be a group effort, but we’d each have our own little areas of creativity and input.
- I’m willing to coordinate if have the support of the camp.
- Anyhow, it was just an idea conjured up over a smoking bowl or ten J
Yours in sin and debauchery,
Evil xo