Tuesday, June 8, 2010

The Ten Coolest Gay Clubs in Second Life

Second Life is home to so many great gay dance clubs, and with a high rate of churn it can be hard to keep track of the best ones. I don't go clubbing much, but I when I find a club that distinguishes itself from a design sense, it sticks in my mind.

So I thought I'd post a list of my favourites: those that stand out for visual style and character. Here are the first five in alphabetical order:

BLU Dancebar
http://slurl.com/secondlife/BOYSTOWN/61/79/22
Boystown is the urban gay lifestyle capital of Second Life, so it's not surprising that the chic BLU Dancebar appears on this list. The stylish build shows that a Second Life club can be an exciting architectural experience.


I don't think this is officially a dance club, or that it ever has events, but it does have a dance ball and a tip jar, and it's simply a great build - industrial and sexy like everything in Hubs Howlett's Cargo City.


Club IX
One of the newest clubs on the gay grid, Club IX is a stylish converted warehouse built by renowned virtual architect Patch Thibaud.


Erotes
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Hinterland/184/32/10
Hidden away beneath the Red Lion pub in Kirkness Village, a quaint Scottish community, is The Den, home of Erotes. Blending traditional stone architecture with a high-tech nightclub vibe Erotes has an intimate and clandestine feel to it.
A fun construction, the Engine is a detailed and eccentric steampunk factory. Like the Bull Ring above, it illustrates that clubs can have character and in this case charm and whimsy.


Jake's is renowned for their gala events and for the elaborate sets they produce for these. Seen below is the set for their annual prom night.


Pasha
http://slurl.com/secondlife/House%20Legendary/156/111/22
Probably not so well-known to the wider gay community, this femboy club is the heart of an opulent sim the aesthetic of which is a kind of steampunk baroque. The club and sim are rewarding to visit and sadly often deserted.
Another fairly new club in Wendell Thor's San Francisco, The Slot is as raunchy as the Bull Ring in a lavishly textured and detailed industrial warehouse.


Week-End
http://slurl.com/secondlife/BOYSTOWN/196/54/23
An expansive and glamorous Week-End nightclub gives Boystown a second entry on this list (if they still had the Ambient Ultra Lounge they might even have taken up three slots!).


Zeus
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Gay%20City%20Cologne/65/159/22
Built inside a colossal Greek temple, the popular Zeus is one of the seven wonders of the Second Life gay club scene. It's another example of the kind of not-possible-in-real-life architecture that Second Life can provide.


There are so many great clubs with differing strengths. I recommend these for their appearance, but encourage you to explore and find which ones suit you - beauty is only prim deep after all and the real assets of a club are the tireless and talented staff and owners and the community of regular patrons.

Suggestions? Feedback? Let me know in comments!

4 comments:

  1. Thank you for mentioning Zeus Gay Club among your SL top gay clubs, Jago! :)

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  2. Not a problem, Inner - I was really impressed by your temple!

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  3. I must recommend two more clubs (with admitted bias, as I work at them). Ironworks Club (Warehouse Plaza sim) and AquA Lounge (Gayllyweood sim) both have fantastic people running them, and some of the best crowds I've found in SL. Check them out, and see if you like them!

    Vortmax Mumfuzz

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  4. Those are some nice clubs - Ironworks does have an impressive build!

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