Tommy D. I've got some pretty colourful feedback last time I posted about him here on Up Your Alley. Nothing beats controversy I guess. The truth is he works harder than pretty much anyone I know. So. I asked him for an Xtra Xposed because his shit is appraoching two years and any business that lasts that long gets my respect.

My name is Tommy and I am an event producer and promoter in Vancouver. I also am a profesional facebooker. Lots of people want to know. My last name is VERY foreign, and is never pronounced right. In high school, my friend Lesley game me the nickname TommyDee because it was easier than my full last name. When I starting doing the clubs and stuff I just went by TommyD cause I thought the two E's were too girly...funny right? But the D can stand for anything, somedays it stands for Tommy Driven, other days Tommy Douchebag, Tommy Delicious because of you, Tommy Dazzle is another good one. It can even stand for Tommy DON'T GET IN MY WAY...lol! My real last name can be found if you REALLY want to know.
I had been doing smaller events for a couple years, some were great, some bombed HARDCORE, but it's the nature of the beast right? I had done a summer event that didn't do so well, and that was the year the Rapture had been cancelled. After my little bomb I thought to maybe just retire and get a grown up job. Then Michel Nadeau who was the first owner or RAPTURE contacted me and mentioned that the trademark went back to him, and if I wanted to buy it. My inital thought was HELL NO, but I sat with it a couple days. Then Anna Thorsen (my current partner) and Kyle Murphy (our old partner) somehow managed to convince me that we should do it together. TFD used to stand for Two Flames & A Dame, then after Kyle moved for work we just went by The Flame & The Dame. We just wanted to do big events in Vancouver, cause there weren't any being done anymore, and knew that we could do it. Anna had worked a lot with Nordic Trax, and I did a bunch of my own stuff so we just combined out talents and worked our butts off...and that's how it all started.

4) How difficult is it to be a successful gay event promoter in Vancouver?

It's SUPER HARD, but I guess you can say that about any city. You have to be a good balance of business person, social butterfly, creative fool, a good negotiator, and completely insane to want to do it. You have to be able to attend a lot of events because if you don't support other people, and charities, and groups, why the hell should they support you? You have to keep yourself in the public eye (and hopefully for good reasons), and you should try to be very approachable and personable. Remembering people's names is CRUCIAL. It's happened to me a couple times and I feel really bad if I've met someone 5 times and STILL don't remember their names.
The whole thing with us taking it over was interesting. We kept it very quiet for a while, then XTRA West got hold of the info around November 2007 and we were like "WELL, GUESS ITS OUT NOW!" People liked it, and people thought we were crazy, and people hated it, as is the situation with everything. We had everything piled up against us. A cancelled previous year, Vancouver had fallen off the map with DJ's, we were always the butt of some bullshit rumour. People wanted us to succeed, but were expecting us to fail, that's the best way I could put it. But we just kept it very positive, did our job, never lost focus, booked the best talent EVER that year, and killed the event. 956 went through the door of our first Commodore event. We just stood back and couldn't believe it. The whole situation was so much bigger than us, and it was really really REALLY overwhelming.
MY HATERS...hahaha. My haters are funny. I never know how much I should talk about the drama because that's not what I want to be known for, but I'll talk a bit about it.
As far as haters go, I think it's just incredibly sad. There is a person, or people, that will sit behind the safety of a computer screen or use a fake Facebook account, and make facebook groups, and craigslist ads about me eating too much, or owing money to people, or lying to everyone about my events, and it honestly just means NOTHING to me, mainly because it's all completely false! I have never once lied to the public about anything, and if anything does change, we inform them RIGHT AWAY and always keep everyone in the know.
Right now these people don't exist. I have guesses as to who they are and so does everyone else. Unless they come and say it to my face, it really is nothing. That anonymous email slamming us that went out last year as well was funny. Of course my initial reactions is complete anger. I was LIVID! But how is that going to help me? I have to be careful because if I respond to it, I look like the asshole. Again, until whoever it is actually goes public which I DOUBT they will because everything they said just didn't happen...quite the opposite actually, it means nothing. I have more important things to do than worry about those sad sad people, like...come on. I actually read that email a lot even now. I don't think I will ever delete it.
 
AND FOR THE RECORD - I'm not a compulsive over-eater, I'm just hungry a lot!
Rapture: Recovery 2009 baby. Tony Moran, Nina Flowers, Rob C. It was crazy. 1128 people through the door. Can you believe that? Funny enough I thought last year was hard, but this year was harder. We had to prove that we weren't just a flash in the pan - one year good luck company. We REALLY stepped everything up, huge stage productions, moving video screens, one of the hottest DJ's, the HOTTEST performer right now. People were dying, I haven't seen tickets sell that fast to a pride ever...we were actually sold out Saturday for that event, and released a few more at the door that night. There was actually a lineup outside of the Commodore to get in, it was awesome. SO MUCH FUN...I wanna go back!
Good question. I have three.
Vancouver - Rapture 2005, with Manny Lehman and Circuit Mom.
Canada - Stereo with Victor Calderone Black and Blue...so good.
USA - White Party Miami 2004 Peter Rauhofer at Mansion. THAT WAS SUCH A GOOD PARTY! I remember walking there alone cause my friends I went with were tired, so I went first, and I walked in and thought "HOT this venue is cute!" then kept walking and realised that was only the entrance room. When I got to the main room...I DIED. It was Prince's old mansion I think and they changed it into a club. It was SO busy people were hanging from the staircases, and the chandelier...insane. Best party for sure. Miami is serious. They are serious about partying down there. Everyone is ripped, and built, and tanned, and steroided, and plastic. Intense. Felipe Lira was incredible when he was here. What he played just made me dance like crazy which hasn't happened in a long time. I think there were only 6 of us there, but we had SUCH a great time. I can't wait to work with him.
Peter Rauhofer is always amazing.
Kimberly S holds a very special place in my heart and always will.
It's funny, before I had clear favourties, but now it's more like OK, what does everyone ELSE like?
DANNY TENAGLIA - The greatest DJ in the world, for real. He barely plays over in North American though. He's so good, but I don't know if everyone here would get him, or knows who he is even. Anyone else like Peter, and Tony and Nina I have booked, so I just book the ones I'm dying to work with.
Our 2yr anniversary is on the 19th, which is super hot. Ana Paula from Brazil is coming she's AMAZING. We're doing a lot of stuff in the venue (PULSE), it'll look very different I promise.
Then fingers crossed we've got a Halloween show coming up. New Years is another one we're looking at, we've never done one but I think it might be time. Then PRIDE of course...I can tell you that it will be called RAPTURE X: Ten years of RAPTURE...hot right?
 
All of our info is on our website www.tfdpresents.com
OR our facebook group The Flame & The Dame
 
Or just email me on facebook, I'm on it all day everyday.

As I had hoped, those who were able to tote around cameras during Pride Week, have been busy posting videos and photos to YouTube and Facebook. Here are some videos of Nina Flowers at Rapture on Sunday...

(Thanks to Anna for photo)

...though before we go on, I would like to say this. Big Roger's parties were competing against TFD Productions Rapture parties once again this year. In the battle of the Vancouver party producers, here's what went down:

• This year, Big Rogers cancelled his Sunday party.
  
• This year, TFD Productions' Rapture Sunday sold out.

On to the videos:

I'm not going to lie. On Saturday morning, I was actually wondering if I was going to make it through this weekend in one piece. Last year, I had to skip Rapture because I was too exhausted to go. This year, I dug deep and hit 6 of the 8 Pride picks I made in the Xtra West Pride Guide. For most of it, I was wearing underwear and swimwear (or less)...which means I didn't have a camera available for photos. If friends donate, I will post Pride shots here this week. If you have any you'd like to send, send them to vancouvergayblog@gmail.com.

I don't want to go on and on about every event I covered, but want to tell you this: there are some incredibly talented people in this city and some excellent music filling our clubs and night spaces.

From stripping for Odyssey's Shower Power (I donated my time to the Heath Initiative for Men) to marching in the parade for Jagermeister to hosting the incredibly successful Rapture parties and everything in between, I can tell you that I have had the Pride of all Prides this year and have a better understanding of what that means for me. For some people, Pride is a political statement about their sexuality. For me, it's about celebrating who you are with community and your friends. Hallmark moment. Sure. But I really do mean that. There is no other time of year where I feel so visible and so part of something so much bigger than myself.

Music-wise, I also think I have a better understanding of house music. Although I was getting body painted in the basement of Celebrities on Sunday during DJ Bertossi's set, his set was so good I could hardly stand still and recommend you check him out next time he's headlining a big event.

Having popped my circuit cherry this summer in Toronto, I will say this: you haven't lived until you experienced a large-scale, full-produciton Pride circuit party. You wonder if the $90 ticket price is worth it? It totally is.

My friend Tommy D and his partner Anna T Fabulous from the Flame and the Dame exceeded my expecations from what I saw in Toronto. The Rapture parties on Saturday and Sunday were incredible. The performace by Kamalektra transcended drag. It was visual and aural art. I have never seen anything like it in my life. I lifted this photo from her myspace page and although it didn't even come close to what I saw Saturday, it will give you an idea of what sort of costume she's capable of preparing:

If you were at the sold out party on Sunday, you will know why circuit house is made for people who truly love to dance. Tony Moran layed down a dark, punchy set. And the performances by Nina Flowers were terrifying. 

At some point during the weekend, I heard a remix of this song and loved it. Already looking forward to next year...

Let's clear up a long standing rumour. When I mention local producers like Terry Costa or James Steck or Tommy D and/or the Flame and the Dame or the GMF team or Rico Amezquita or Dj Betty Ford, it's not because they are all giving me blow jobs in return for coverage here on UYA or in Cocked & Loaded.It's because they are paying me tens and tens of dollars.

No no, I kid. It's because they are promoters who are -- gasp -- good at their jobs and actually promote their events by directly calling me or meeting for drinks or with a personal email.

Terry Costa recently alerted me that a gay DJ from BRAZIL is coming to town and voila! I give you this welcome addition to the hotness files:

Bitch please!

Sir Chestalot? Call me? What what?

Here's the event write up:

THURSDAY, JUNE 4th, 2009
CELEBRITIES NIGHTCLUB in Vancouver-Canada

The hottest Brazilian DJ is coming to Vancouver... DJ FELIPE LIRA was awarded DJ of the year by "DOM" magazine and "DJ Sound" for 2008. Now, he debuts in Vancouver for the first "Made in Rio" event that welcomes the flare of Rio de Janeiro complete with samba girls and go go boys wearing the latest feathers and fashions from Brazil. Opening the night we welcome duo PEPE LORENZO (Portugal) and SASHKO (Macedonia) to warm-up the dance floor. VAI ARRAZAR!!!

DJ FELIPE LIRA: From Rio de Janeiro, Lira has played all the major clubs in the city of samba and capoeira as well across the country including major venues in Sao Paulo; he is the only DJ to accomplish a two-year residency at "The Week Rio" where he created the hottest after-party event the city has ever seen. Travelling around the world and regular nights at Apple Mixxx International is where he now spends most of his time. Electric-tribal and house with a Brazilian twist, Lira's sets are made to "get the people on the dance floor, smiling, dancing and happy as if the best day of their lives."

For this event, Celebrities Night Club will transmit the vibrant energy of Brazil, with Samba and Capoeira dancers, Brazilian models and, so, indefinitely, on. This is a spectacle not to be missed. Full details to follow shortly. Stay tuned.

Tickets will be availble for sale soon. 

If you haven't heard, there's a new club on Davie St. The grand opening was last night and let me tell ya - PULSE is hot Hot HOT. The interior has been revamped into a New York minimalist-meets-ultimate cage fighter kinda style. I love it. Hot music, hot guys AND hot girls and no more fireplace (the old Majestic is no more folks). Check out my next Cocked & Loaded print column for a full review.

I ran into Dean Nelson and Ken Coolen - the masterminds behind this year's WinterPRIDE in Whistler. I'll devote a full posting to Gay Ski Week next week here on UYA, though for the meantime, make sure you check out www.gaywhistler.com for the latest information on the festival. Whether you've been or you've never been, this is the year to go to Whistler for WinterPRIDE. I have it on good authority that this will be one of the BEST gay events in North America in this decade. DO NOT MISS OUT.

In case you missed out last week, every Friday for the foreseeable future is an Abtastic 2009 posting here on UYA (click here for last week's photos).

I'm personally inviting you to follow me as I work towards my New Year's Resolution: a six pack. To do this, I'm enlisting the help of my good friend LL Cool J (see far below).

Here's one week on the Platinum Work out. I'm going to try to get the shots on my "Balcony of Bulk" (yeah I did) - next week, we'll try to get some daylight photos so all you non-Vancouverites can see the cityscape. Enjoy tonight's fog and PS I'm seeing results already (still in gym clothes, sorry about that):

 

Next week I'll include measurements. And here's the man that's making it happen: