Posted on Sunday, 27th July 2008 by Bull
As I lie here in bed, basking in the red glow of my floor lamps and Depeche Mode soothes my ears, I reminisce of a time lost.
When I was serving in the Navy and stationed in Hawaii, I frequented a nightclub that I miss dearly. It was a place one could truely get lost from the world they belong to and enter a new dimension that everyone is accepted to. From all walks of life they came; young and old, gay, bi, transgendered and straight, large and thin, short and tall.
Enter Galaxy nightclub.
After you parked your car and made your way to the front entrance, the distinct smell of clove cigarettes filled the night air. Its a welcoming smell, and you walk just a bit faster. After you paid the cover charge, you begin to look for your friends. Just outside the building is a fenced in area where one could breathe the fresh air of a tropical evening and recover from dancing.
Walking in you step through a dark hallway with the appropriate props to remind one of a hive from an Aliens movie or any number of Giger’s creations. From here you can go three ways. Directly in front of you is a bar, but they only serve water. But since its BYOB the barkeep will also keep it nice and cold for you in the cooler.
To the right is what I call simply the Techno room. For those into beats that will shake the very synapses of your gray matter and make the hair at the back of your neck dance, then this room is for you. As the night wears on, you’ll find attendees relaxing on couches that surround the room, and shout to one another as one does when you can’t hear anything.
If we had taken a left earlier, we would have entered my favorite section of Galaxy. This is where I had done some serious dancing and worked off a few pounds. I simply loved the music that was played from the first time I went. Grunge, Goth, Industrial, Punk and some good ole hard rock permeated the room as sweaty bodies danced to their delight. Dancing solo was the norm, but of course there were the ones that loved to put on a good show with their partner, be they the same or opposite sex.
The strobe lights and fog machine set the stage for an all around fun night. TV’s set in walls showed some trippy visualizations to the beat of the music, and glowstick dancers gave a show to those on cloud X (read ecstasy).
A newcomer might ask what these strange metal contraptions are against the walls. On a regular night these would just stand as an ornament. But it was one special night, once a month, that your question would be answered and suspicions confirmed.
That night was appropriately named Dungeon.
Dungeon was the main event of Galaxy nightclub. Its the one you wait for in anticipation and mentally prepare.
If your not there early you’ll have to get in line and wait a bit, but you could get in pretty quickly. The price was jacked up to $20 bucks, but its not a bad deal considering its going to be the best night of your month. The fenced in area has been expanded to make more room for extra tables and chairs. As the crowd fills in, the dancing starts and Dungeon truly starts. That metal contraption you were staring at? Its in the shape of a cross made of iron rebar rods and you can step inside… Now off with your shirt and put your wrists just here while I fasten the straps… Great… Where’s my candle and whip?
No, I had never been the dom in these acts, but I have been the dominated before and to tell you the truth it was quite the enticing experience. But we aren’t talking about me, back to Dungeon. Your curiosity now sated you move back to the main room for dancing and so you do. The crowd is wild as shiny people undulate against one another and dance until they can barely move anymore, usually until about 6 AM. You’ve bought countless amount of water from the bar due to your exertion, or due to other activities. Oh yeah, things happened on the dance floor I really shouldn’t talk about, but were interesting nonetheless.
Outside hands exchange pretty little pills for 20 a pop underneath tables. Local tattoo and piercing parlor owners attend to show of their wares and services to attract potential customers. Undercover agents of some sort walk stiffly among the crowd, as obvious as a white stain on a Monica blue dress, and easily avoided.
One Dungeon night Ron Jeremy showed up, but unfortunately I wasn’t there. I would have loved to meet the legend.
That was all about four years ago. And I miss it dearly. According to my friend Lana, Galaxy nightclub no longer exists.
If you wish, you may visit the website, which hasn’t been touched in a long time.
www.dungeonhawaii.com
I also have a few pics of Halloween Dungeon ‘04 on my Flickr account, which can be accessed via the tab at the top of my blog.
I’m not sure if I’ll ever find a club like Galaxy again. I’ve even thought of opening my own at some point. That would be interesting.
Posted in From BlackBerry | Comments (0)
