I know that i'm thought of on this site as the "N00b" and "Idiot", but I actually agree with a couple of the comments made by posters here; namely those of kicking out the DJ at the time.
A while ago, I was working at a complex containing 2 clubs (One upstairs, one downstairs). I was working the upstairs one, primarily on the door, but also rotating occasionally. The Downstairs and Upstairs staff, despite all being the same company, weren't allowed to cross over, and had to work the club they were assigned (Except for responding to a backup request, obviously!). It was myself, another guy, and a lady on the front door for the first couple of hours, when everyone was coming in. We stopped a girl coming in with her parents, who looked about 16, and had no ID. They kept trying to push through us, and within about a minute, we had another 3 units behind us, and the Head Doorman on his way. The Promoter saw what was happening, came over, and pretty much demanded that we let them in, saying she was 19. We explained clearly why we weren't letting her in, but he refused to hear it, saying that we knew nothing about how to work a door, were idiot, and that they were "Personal friends", with every one else in the party, and they were coming in. The HD intervened, and after an argument, let them in, giving them all a warning that if anything happened involving her, they'd be out on their arse, and that she wasn't allowed to drink.
About 5 minutes later, the Promoter came over all apologetic, saying that he was sorry, he understood what we did because he allegedly works on doors, and basically being really patronising. He said that there'd be no problem with any of the party all night, because "They're all friends, having a good time, unlike that lot", pointing at the groups arriving at the downstairs club; a Kenyan birthday party.
About 10 minutes later, he came out for a fag, standing about 3 meters away from me talking to someone. I could hear clearly what he was saying, and he was laughing and joking and bragging that he'd snuck underage girls in past security and that we were useless. Clearly oblivious of the fact that we could hear him.
He said that there'd be someone on the desk inside the door all night collecting entry fee from the punters coming in, but they didn't seem to be too bothered about collecting money, letting nearly everyone in for free. They quickly ****ed off, however, to join the party. Towards the end of the night, he started getting pissed off at us, saying that we'd stolen the money, and we were supposed to be collecting it, even though it was made clear at the start of the night that we wouldn't be touching it at all, and it was their responsibility.
As the night went on, we were having problems left, right and centre from the group. Everyone was on drugs, and dealing was rampant, despite the fact everyone was checked twice on entry, (VERY thoroughly) and we were kicking people out for Coke and Acid (We were told by the Owner/Manager & HD to let them do Cannabis, just tell them to go to the end of the car park and do it. They were slinging racist abuse at the Kenyan group (Sharing a Smoking Area) and the Security, having to be told every time no drinks outside, Men going into the Women's toilets, the lot. We had to tell the DJ twice to stop using the smoke machine, before physically taking it off him, because it kept setting off the fire alarm!
Over the course of the night, we kicked about 50 people out of the party upstairs, and the staff downstairs reported that they didn't have a single problem with their group all night
The whole night, the Promoter was being an absolute tool, had already pissed off all the other Security, and getting on my last few nerves.
About half 4, the bar shut, and the HD came over the radio to say the venue was shutting at 5, start telling people coming out for a fag to stay in, there was no reentry. It turned out very quickly that the Promoter had told everyone it was going on till at least 6, so people started getting frustrated. 10 to 5, he came out and started squaring up to us, saying he'd paid to hire the venue, and it was going on till he said so, and that the manager that took the booking said they were good to go till 7. Radioed all this to the HD, who went into the office to work it out with the manager, radioing to everyone that, while he was checking, act as though it was closing at 5.
Just after 5, the Kenyan lot were starting to leave, and, after hearing the music still going on upstairs, started getting pissed off, saying that they were told it was only open to 5 at the latest, and feeling annoyed that they were being kicked out with a party still going.
Quater past, the HD came over the radio, saying the License and Contract both said 5, shut the music down straight away. I got to the DJ first, ordered him 3 times to turn off the music immediately, that he was supposed to stop at 5, he told me to **** off, and tried to attack me when I touched the equipment, trying to turn it off. Luckily, the HD turned up them, slid between us, ordered him to turn it off (Just as the lights were coming up), he got the same reception from the DJ, so promptly walked over to the wall, and ripped the plugs out of the sockets, sending the DJ into a rage, and promptly onto the floor, with 2 DS on top of him. Promoter came over and started giving me a ton of abuse, squaring up to me, properly getting in my face when I was trying to clear the floor. Kept my cool, told him to get his things and get out, the night was over, very calmly and politely, before walking off to keep doing my job. A minute later, walked over to the HD, said what was going on, and that he was getting on my tits, looked over at him as he was about to go downstairs, and he'd lit up. HD was furious, asked where he was, by which point, he'd disappeared. Followed him, as I was going down, he was coming up, this time puffing away on a joint.
For me, that was the final straw, got on my radio, called backup, pushed him straight into the wall, told him he had been an absolute cunt all night, and, when backup came, ejected him from the venue on the spot, to a great deal of abuse!
Afterwards, during conversation, the HD said that he backed my decision, that he was being a serious liability.
After boring you all to death with my tale, the bottom line is, yes, their sole function might be to get punters through the doors, but if they start acting like a cunt, become a liability, and they overstep the mark, like the DJ did, preventing you from doing your job, it doesn't matter. Have them out the door straight away
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