Bianca's RED SHOE DIARY FETISH CAFE EXTREME MAKEOVER - HOMAGE (Translated from french by our dear friend KosmikKreeper). APRIL 2004. FORWARD NOTICE: April.04th.2004 The following Diary entry was written the first week of January 2004. Back then, it had been a few months since the re-opening of the new and improved Fetish Cafe. When the cafe re-opened with its stunning face-lift, a lot of people offered to help in many ways to support the Café. Bianca and I did what we could to help, one of them by giving a lot of exposure to the Club on LatexLair. We did it because we firmly beleived that the club deserved all the attention it could possibly get, and we wished the new and improved Café the best of success. In January, Bianca wrote the text and we sent it to be translated with the purpose of publishing it early February. Sadly, a week after what would be our last visit to the café, things changed drastically. Bad news was in the air that the new manager would be fired. When he left, all the employees left with him. The club was stripped down from many of its accessories people had lent. A few weeks later, the Fetish café closed. Many rumors and lies circulated. The scene was in shock. People still wonder to this day what could possibly have gone wrong. After all, the café was on the verge of going bankrupt when they asked for help to rebuild it. In less than three weeks, a completely new Café was born. Attendance was high; people were coming back to the once deserted club. This rebirth was nothing short of a miracle and the good news was on everybody's lips. The future had never looked so bright for the local fetish scene. What went wrong remains quite a mystery. Fingers pointed in many directions and accusations were flying like smokey jets at a local fare show. Sadly, the reputation of many people who contributed positively to the rebirth of the club was stained with lies in this chaotic fireworks. In the end, people are left with a sour taste in the mouth, and a divided Fetish Scene. This is rather sad considering the amount of work and energy that was invested into the creation of the new place where we all got the chance to relive, although limited, precious and very fun times. We should all keep good memories of this short period of time instead of wasting ours with childish schoolyard behaviors. Bianca and I are publishing in good faith the following outdated Diary Entry to honor those who invested their precious time, energy, efforts, creativity and money in the creation of what we beleived to be the hotest fetish club Monteral has ever scene, out of their love for fetish and their dreams for a local community united. - Martin January.2004. I’ve noticed lately that on the forum, people often talk about Montreal’s Fetish Café and the ambiance that it portrays. And since it has also moved to a new location two years ago, my last diary entry about the Café isn’t up to date. So I told myself that it was high time for an update. First off, a quick tour in history shows us that the Fetish Café was just a tiny little club on Beaudry Street. It could only accommodate 80 people and with its growing popularity it was becoming more and more of a challenge to fit everyone. And destiny would have it that the building’s owner wanted to take possession of the space putting an end to Beaudry Street’s Fetish Café. It took the better part of 2 years before it reopened. This time round the owners wanted a bigger club to accommodate a wider variety of clientele. They didn’t really want to put a major emphasis on fetishism or SM. It’s probably for this reason that it was renamed The Funhouse and Cabaret. The Funhouse was now located at the corner of St-Catherine and De Lorimier right under the Jacques-Cartier bridge. The area is quite devoid of life and activity. The only thing that catches your eye is the Funhouse sign or the cars accessing the bridge. Areas for passer-bys or party goers is very limited which I think hinders the club. Let’s just say that at night the neighbourhood looks a bit creepy. But coming from a girl who watches a ton of horror movies, it’s not surprising at all! After the first shock (I do admit that I preferred the other location in the gay section of town near the heart of the city), I had to put my first impressions aside. After passing the entrance where I unfortunately couldn’t find a room to get changed (I’m not the kind of girl that’ll wear a catsuit at -20C outside!... I at least wear warm clothing over it), I discovered a spacious, rectangular club (not as big as a discotheque… more like a big café). The bar was a majestic half oval taking about half the space on the right. I think that the owner had kept bad memories of the old club’s bar. True, it was small not to say minuscule! So the owners wanted something bigger and spacious. Unfortunately, they found out quickly enough that it took too much space cramming the people that wanted to move between it and the chairs lined up on the left side. Let’s say that between the tables, the bar and the cigarettes threatening to put a whole in your latex, there wasn’t a lot of manoeuvrability available! Not only was the bar too big, the service was also very slow since they only had one barmaid with the owner helping out once in a while. Waiting 15 minutes in line to get a glass of wine was commonplace. It came to a point that people either stopped drinking or ordered more than one drink at a time! As for me, I barely drank because, laugh if you want, but I was horrified to use the club’s washrooms. To start off, I don’t think that many women like using public washrooms. It’s quite a disadvantage having to pee sitting or almost sitting with high heels and a catsuit. On top of that, the floor was always wet with I don’t know what and the walls’ and cubicles’ hygiene was doubtful. I would rather drink less and pee less. And it just might be my paranoia acting up again. :-) A part from the bar, the service and the toilets, what’s left is the music. At the end of the gigantic bar was the DJ’s platform taking up space on the already small dance floor. Unfortunately the music had pretty much the same style and was a bit too hard for my taste. Special requests were also ignored which was frustrating and insulting. I still managed to dance once in a while. With time the Funhouse opened a second level in the basement where SM games could be played if desired. There was only one room and the floor wasn’t finished. There was a couple of crosses and furniture where you could tie up your favourite slave. A few people played down here but I didn’t. Anyways, I rarely play in public anymore. It's just a personal preference; I consider myself more of a fetishist than an SM player that's all... I seem to be painting a dark and repulsive picture of the Funhouse, I admit. If the owners read this text I hope they’ll forgive my honesty. But you can probably imagine that if I’m talking about the Funhouse it’s to say good things about the Fetish Café. All the above mentioned items made it that, slowly, people stopped going to the Funhouse, myself included. I think that many of us preferred to keep fond memories of the old Fetish Café than to tarnish them with bad Funhouse memories. As mush as the owners tried to attract new clientele, the attendance became very low. So, after just a little more than a year in business, the club closed its doors. Closed its door… for renovations! The Funhouse was renamed the Fetish Café. The owners hired John, an exceptional manager. He takes care of everything and ensures an optimal balance in the club with wireless communication with the DJ, coat check, etc. There are also 2 very sexy barmaids Alejandra and Sara, a new DJ and the lovely Angélique working at the coat check. The club had a complete makeover! The only thing that recalls the Funhouse is the floor! You’ll now find a change room at the entrance complete with a chair, a mirror and much appreciated heating. After leaving your coat with the lovely Angélique, we enter the club through an amazing medieval-looking wooden door constructed by Denise, a carpenter that gave her time to the Café’s renovations. The entrance is now separated and allows the curious only to see inside once they’ve opened the door. On the other side, nothing is the same. First off, the bar was completely disassembled. It’s no longer on the right but in the center of the left wall only taking a quarter of the space. It’s more in the center of the room but not taking too much space. It has a rectangular shape and each corner is adorned with columns covers in red latex, compliments of Polymorphe, also involved in the reconstruction of the club. A wide variety of beverages are available contrary to the Funhouse’s limited offer and the barmaids are to die for! Alejandra, the luscious Latin bombshell with a more classical look, and Sara, a beautiful blond with big blue eyes expressing both innocence and mischievousness. Deck them out in latex or leather with 5” to 7” high-heeled boots or shoes (that’s what they wear behind the bar!) and add an amazing smile to the blond and a feline look to the brunette and you have the two most seductive barmaids in town! Let’s just say that I have the desire to take more than one drink just to see them smile and parade in front of me. And since the toilets have been redone… :-) A part from the bar, you’ll find a small Victorian lounge room on an elevated platform in the first part of the club furnished with the old Fetish café’s furniture. It gives it such a romantic and vampireish look. Not to mention that the wall is now covered in a grey brick imitation giving it once again a medieval genre. And have I mentioned the huge mirror with the golden frame? You’ll have a chance to see it soon enough since Alejandra and I did shoot here not too long ago. [note: the shoot has been published in the members zone since the writing of this text]. At the other end of the club, after the bar, we find a few tables a long the left wall and in the middle near the new stage. The stage is quite elevated with the sides made of bars. I’ve actually had the opportunity to see a couple of shows by some of the local artists. Most of the time, it serves as a dance floor. The music is so much better with the new DJ; his booth now located near the entrance leaving more dance room. Not to mention that near the middle of the club is a small metal cage where you can put you slave in or just dance. There’s also a metal structure on a podium near the right wall for those into bondage. The structure was built by Jules, the same person that custom-made my pony boots. Jules is a well known and very much respected figure in the local scene. Last but not least, the basement expanded and was redone. The humidity is gone and there are 3 rooms lit by lamps with a softer, more atmospheric music. More furniture was added as well as rings on wooden pillars to tie people up. I’ve been down there a few times to see people play. It’s always interesting to see couples play in a loving and respectful way. It compensates for the many times and countries where I’ve seen people play without respect or knowledge of what they were doing. Now that I think about it, I don’t miss the old Fetish Café on Beaudry Street anymroe. The new Café, much improved, is really amazing. They also have featured events like Erotica nights every first Saturday of the month with many shows, and also monthly Gummi nights where latex is required :-) Since the new Café’s opening, it is amazing how many people have resurfaced! So many people are present and a positive energy floats in the air all the time. The ambiance is just great and it seems to be a genral concensus that the fetish acfe is destined to once more grab the title of the #1 fetish place to be in Montreal! I’ve have the chance to share a couple of drinks with Agélique, Alejandra, Sara, as well as Mario from Polymorphe, Denise, Jean, Jules, but I also have the great pleasure to meet the luscious Isabeau. Her sense of humour is quite refreshing. From my website forum, I’ve met Observer, that’s actually what he does, Armadilo, that I don’t know enough to describe but seems nice, and 1love, shy and always smiling. Clearly, there is an unprecedent attraction to the revamped club! Maybe we’ll get a chance to see MissFuzzyBunny this summer in Montreal??? :-) It’s always surprising to meet people from my forum here in Montreal. I love it! Thanks you's are in order: to the owners for doing all they could to bring a team in and give a new breath to the club. To the team, you know who you are, for investing time and energy into the re-making of a truely exceptional club. If you plan on coming to Montreal, make sure that you come during the summer (-20C is nothing, it’s actually -40C right now!) and drop by the Fetish Café. You’re sure to see me with the 2 barmaids at the bar sipping on a raspberry Sour Puss. Of course you must wear fetish attire to get in… but I’ve seen a couple of people making it in only dressed in black. As for me, not too original… latex, latex, latex… did I mention latex? Bianca xxx Do you have questions/comments regarding this Diary Entry? We'd love to hear your feedback in the FORUM!