[Revisited] Bonbon
A journey to the end of all things on a Thurzday - By Morgan Short, Jun 04, 08
I've never really been to Bonbon since it opened three years ago, but have driven by it enough times late at night to know to stay away. Between 3 and 4am the club spits the chewed-up and exiled youth of Shanghai out onto the steps sliding down to Huaihai Lu -- writhing, fighting, puking, dancing, crying, and screaming into the night -- Bonbon's logo hangs in the air overhead glimmering demoniacally through the billowing BBQ meat smoke. The club yawns open into the city night like the gates of hell and the scene below is like a Lacoste-sponsored mass suicide.
The specter of Bonbon looms large on the nightlife scene -- its pukey reputation precedes it -- and usually I would rather burn off my pubes with a flamethrower than go inside.
But there I was last Thursday, waiting for Godot, -- or rather, waiting for Beach Honeys -- clinging to dear life at the Bonbon bar for their weekly hip hop "Beatdowz" [sic] party. Glass of gee'n'tee in my sweaty palm, the human condition all up in my grill; side by side we were with a room full of strangers waiting for salvation in the form of Beach Honeys. Beach Honeys by the truckload.
But let's back up a bit: A wave of titillating nausea when mounting the steps to Shanghai's most "craaaaaazyLOL club" (according to one SmSh'er). The large front room is like a theater box office, and you're immediately knee-deep in a devious club bureaucracy designed to stamp out individual thought and rational thinking: buy your ticket at one desk, take it to another desk, sign something and leave your cell phone number to check your coat, get into a velvet-roped line, stamp this, stamp that. They were UV light activated invisible stamps too -- even if you think you're free you're marked.
Young Jeezy already wafting down from the stairs. We weave past the gaggle of young girls lighting up ESSEs and vamping in the mirror and get to the top. A seriously distressed businessman in a rumpled suit plows past us to get to the bathroom. Da Jeezy is really loud now as is the harsh rattling of dice emanating from the booth seating at the top of the stairs -- grimy, fingerprinted bottles of whiskey, blotchy faces garishly illuminated by slut red light.
This is three-star rated Only Mosy -- a Beach Honey Finalist - enjoying a dip in the pool.
We turn the corner into the main room and are witness to a full blown Theater of the Absurd. A packed and nasty little dance floor of mostly Chinese kids, a few slick rapper dudes, tourist degenerates, and tricky-looking foreigners interspersed in the crowd -- men outnumbering the women by at least 5 to 1.
We slid past a group of hardcore Russian drug lords dressed like NASCAR pit crew members to get to the bar -- they had a real leathery seriousness about them, if I recall.
The drinks: Bonbon is open-bar all the time, as you very well know, playa. After paying the cover (88rmb for thugz, 50rmb for shorties), it's a free-for-all on their limited selection of mixed drinks and beers. The thing is you have to produce your empty to get a new one. I tried to order a "Tiger" but ended up going with "goddamn anything, give me a beer."
As the night wore on, I switched to gin, which did indeed tasted like iced embalming fluid, but it's a taste I've gotten used to and even grown to love in my travels in Shanghai. Two thumbs up.
At around 12am, someone whom I assumed was a Beach Honey got up on stage wearing shorts and a bikini top and danced to a song. She was greeted warmly, and even knowingly by the crowd, and when she was done her song she blew kisses to the audience and waved with a sort of gratified and wearied satisfaction -- another day, another dollar in showbiz -- not unlike Liza Minnelli at the end of one of her power-house shows.
Wonderful. Was this a sign of the main event? A palpable and infectious hopefulness began to electrify the crowd and the collective throbbing of the throng grew a little more animated. By this point I was no longer seeing a dancefloor but rather the collective existential crisis writ large. Chinese, foreigner, young, old, male, female, the undersexed, the oversexed, b-ballers, shot-callers, hip hoppers, body rockers -- we were all waiting for Beach Honeys.
Here's three-star Beach Honey Beiyi, striking a pose, breakin' hearts everywhere.
At this point things get blurry and I have to look at my field notes scribbled on Taxi cab fapios:
"The d
sherliq
Jun 04, 08
Oh my Gad! someone had described how I felt exactly every time I was there, the dream-like experience, the heat, the I don¡¯t give a f**k no more! Give me gin & tonic, ah! gang bei 2 am in the morning¡¡..its like nothing on earth ¨C The I feel so young again and I am so part of it energy, the kids crabs you like a real man and kiss you on the cheek you don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the music or its me so hot flattering, ah, god is a dj, life is dance floor, ¡¡and plus, there¡¯s hardly drugs¡¡¡quiet a healthy indulgence for kids!!!
This is such an awesome article!!! Masterpiece!!
This is such an awesome article!!! Masterpiece!!
urgent
Jun 05, 08
you're being nice ;)
Melanie278
Jun 05, 08
word. that's kind of how I feel everywhere I go.
JulienFrenchy
Jun 05, 08
Never seen such a good atmosphere between foreigner and chinese there...really love this place!! It's great if you guys don't like..We will have more space coz it is fuckin' crowded during the weekend...hehe
borisk770
Jun 05, 08
this is perfect. the hate/love of bonbon is what everyone has. only thing, whats this 5/1 guys to girls? theres always girls in bonbon...
ISpyShanghai.com
Jun 05, 08
borisk770- I'd guess because it was a Thursday night.
Fair article for a place that always gets a slagging by anyone who's been here for more than 6 weeks. It is what it is, and it beats a lot of other places.
"the human condition all up in my grill"
that's not a line you hear often is it? :)
Fair article for a place that always gets a slagging by anyone who's been here for more than 6 weeks. It is what it is, and it beats a lot of other places.
"the human condition all up in my grill"
that's not a line you hear often is it? :)
stephanluclarose
Jun 08, 08
What I think is funny here is the need for the writer to act as if Bon Bon is so much worse than every other club. I was there a week ago, the crowd was approachable, happy, animated, and that beats pretty much every venue hats down. HATS DOWN. Go to Bar Rouge, Attica, Shelter, Volar, (God help you if you're going to Tongren) you still see the same shit or worse. One question. Why is Shelter held in such high esteem? It's too packed to dance, there's no ventilation, and its all foreigners - who all act as if they're too cool to talk to you just because they know about the place. It's pathetic! It almost seems as if there is some sort of unspoken rule where everyone has to say Shelter is so great. I assure all you fretful conformists that it is not beyond rebuke. Shanghai's pitifully self-conscious social hierarchy can't hurt you okay?
Anyways, I grant that this article is funny to read, but it's essentially meaningless - you can apply the pseudo-elitist cynicism that saturates this article and apply it to ANY Shanghai club. Bon Bon may be a train wreck, but its fun as hell, which is better than most other clubs in Shanghai which are just tired, lame venues trying to appeal to some non-existant "hip" nouveau-riche in Shanghai.
Finally, although "demoniacally" is not a word, I would definitely be interested in visiting any place that exuded such an aura, if not for just the fact of its difference from the near suicide-inducing monotony of the rest of Shanghai's "cultural" and nightlife scene. Super Retch!
Article Score:
Quality of writing: 8
Knowledge of topic: 0
Relevance: 0
Originality: -3
Total: 0.8 / 10
Anyways, I grant that this article is funny to read, but it's essentially meaningless - you can apply the pseudo-elitist cynicism that saturates this article and apply it to ANY Shanghai club. Bon Bon may be a train wreck, but its fun as hell, which is better than most other clubs in Shanghai which are just tired, lame venues trying to appeal to some non-existant "hip" nouveau-riche in Shanghai.
Finally, although "demoniacally" is not a word, I would definitely be interested in visiting any place that exuded such an aura, if not for just the fact of its difference from the near suicide-inducing monotony of the rest of Shanghai's "cultural" and nightlife scene. Super Retch!
Article Score:
Quality of writing: 8
Knowledge of topic: 0
Relevance: 0
Originality: -3
Total: 0.8 / 10
morgan
Jun 09, 08
demoniacally: (adverb) in a very agitated manner; as if possessed by an evil spirit
chris**
Jun 11, 08
Just went to BonBon on Saturday for the first time, and I had a great time. May have had something to do with the ridiculous amount of JD (cough cough) & coke consumed, but the atmosphere, from a western guys viewpoint, seemed a lot more friendly than babyface (although I enjoyed it in there as well, I probably wouldn't fancy going without my Chinese friends).
Jeffsteez
Jun 12, 08
It all depends what you look for on a night out.
I don't normally go out for Beach Honeys, Young Jeezy and approachable animated crowds (that in turn go out for Beach Honeys and Young Jeezy). If that's your thing, then enjoy it.
I'm happy with world class funk, breaks and hip-hop. Each to their own.
I don't normally go out for Beach Honeys, Young Jeezy and approachable animated crowds (that in turn go out for Beach Honeys and Young Jeezy). If that's your thing, then enjoy it.
I'm happy with world class funk, breaks and hip-hop. Each to their own.
putao
Jun 20, 08
Last Saturday, I went to Bonbon with my husband. And there I experienced the most horrible and humiliated moment ever in my whole life!
It¡¯s started by some misunderstanding between me and a bar tender, we both got worked up, and he suddenly pushed me really hard on my chest across the bar. I was furious to be treated that way, so I fought back. And then, I got a heavy slap on my left face! I was furious and lost my mind! But I couldn¡¯t do anything to him since I was a thin woman and he¡¯s a man much taller than me!
Then we were taken to the security room on second floor and we asked to pay them 1,000 RMB! It seemed they bought the police and we were surrounded by 5-6 guards in that room. I asked for official receipt but then I was threatened. They only gave us a handwritten receipt without company seal on it.
Now I still have bruise on my body and the hurt on my emotion. I strongly recommend everyone to think twice before you go to Bon Bon.
It¡¯s started by some misunderstanding between me and a bar tender, we both got worked up, and he suddenly pushed me really hard on my chest across the bar. I was furious to be treated that way, so I fought back. And then, I got a heavy slap on my left face! I was furious and lost my mind! But I couldn¡¯t do anything to him since I was a thin woman and he¡¯s a man much taller than me!
Then we were taken to the security room on second floor and we asked to pay them 1,000 RMB! It seemed they bought the police and we were surrounded by 5-6 guards in that room. I asked for official receipt but then I was threatened. They only gave us a handwritten receipt without company seal on it.
Now I still have bruise on my body and the hurt on my emotion. I strongly recommend everyone to think twice before you go to Bon Bon.
putao
Jun 20, 08
Typo: Should be "we were asked to pay 1,000 RMB", instead of "we asked..."
plui
Jun 20, 08
pics of a Beach Honey catfight from the same night at: <http://www.clubbonbon.com/bonbonpics/080614/>
plui
Jun 20, 08
and here are some dnb [pics from Blame n Stride the night before](http://www.clubbonbon.com/bonbonpics/080613/)
plui
Jun 20, 08
What, no markdown? lets try good 'ol <b><i>html</b></i>
<br><br>
<a href="http://www.clubbonbon.com/bonbonpics/080613/">pics from DnB Blame n MC Stride</a>
<br><br>
<a href="http://www.clubbonbon.com/bonbonpics/080613/">pics from DnB Blame n MC Stride</a>
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