Rain dance and other Las Vegas, NV Nightlife Tips

Nightlife Spot: Rain and Ghost Bar

Chewed some cow at N9NE Steakhouse, then tried to blag an entrance to their sister venue Ghost Bar through the waiter (didn't work), so tried this place.

Already got hold of VIP free entrance tickets through lasvegashookups on Ebay, although didn't read the small print, and they were only valid Thursday & Friday (not that I had any idea what day of the week it was whilst in Vegas). By this point the queue was of epic proportions, snaking 4 deep around the casino, and disappearing far into the Nevada desert. After trying to sweet talk the bouncer, we quickly realised, like most places in Las Vegas, the only quick way in was to splash some cash. Had to grease him $40 (22 UK pounds) each, which when considering entrance to most nightclubs in London (AFTER queuing) would probably cost at least 15 quid isn't too bad. Dont know how much it would have been otherwise.

Rain is a cool futuristic venue, with a raised (but small & too crowded) dance floor surrounded by a steaming moat. Lighting rigs are lowered and spun and fireballs intermittently thrown over the crowd for good measure. Music was the usual let-down though, with just generally forgettable rock and hip-hop tracks thrown together willy nilly. As usual for expensive 'scene' nightclubs in the US, people are rarely here for the music, and generally seem oblivious to what the DJ is playing.

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Theme: Nightclub
Dress Code: We never went, but the club night at The Hard Rock Hotel, Body English, is meant to be one of the best. Listening to one of DJ AM's sets on the internet, he'd done a pretty perfect job of combining danceable tracks with some of the best scratch mixing I've ever heard. For VIP entrance to Body English contact the mythical VegasEd, otherwise prepare to queue and possibly be turned away.

If I ever come back in the summer Ill definately be going to Rehab in the afternoon - too cold when we went in October for obvious reasons.

DRESS CODE : Just look smart
Address: Palms Casino Floor

Nightlife Spot: Information / Sources

Quick guide to the top clubs in Las Vegas and how they work on a Friday / Saturday night.

1. Are you a world famous celebrity ?
2. If female - look like a glamour model ?
3. If male - accompanied by at least two of No. 2 above ?
4. Finally, are you willing to slip the door staff $50 a head to get in ?

If you have answered yes to any of the above questions, Congratulations ! Move straight to the front of the queue and onto the dance floor. If not, hard luck and expect a lengthy wait like everyone else.

OTHER WAYS IN

Free "VIP" passes can be found for most venues, but at best these will only get you free admission. DO NOT EXPECT TO QUEUE JUMP WITH THEM.

I bought some off a guy on Ebay (lasvegashookups - although his account has now been cancelled) for about $2 each, and all of them worked. Just be aware of the small print for date / time restrictions - and that if you search / ask about, you can probably find these passes for free once in Las Vegas.

Also, most of the passes in circulation are for the less popular venues on quieter (Thursday or Friday) nights. i.e. DO NOT EXPECT TO FIND A VIP PASS TO BODY ENGLISH ON SATURDAY NIGHT.

Entrance is also at the discretion of the door staff, and we were turned away from Studio54 with some, even though it clearly stated "FREE ADMISSION - ANY NIGHT". (We had blagged the guest list anyway so it didn't matter).

For guaranteed entrance (and especially if you're in an all male group) - I suggest using one of the VIP Guest services. Someone will meet you outside the venue and walks you in to a reserved table. Will be pricey though as each table requires bottle service - basically they make you buy a bottle of booze (up to $400) and then provide free glasses, mixers and ice all night - however it can prove cost effective for larger parties. Several companies offer this service with wildly differing costs - expect to pay about double the entrance fee + bottle service costs.

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Theme: Nightclub
Dress Code: Las Vegas Nightclubs.Com Ranges from free guestlist places to full personal VIP Host escorted entry. (Line Pass+ Admission). After you see the queue in The Palms on a Saturday night you'll realise it was $40 well spent.

Vegas Exposure Info for parties, clubs & VIP contact service

AE Vegas May be able to get on a guestlist here

City Search - Best Of Results Awesome nightlife source

Mecca Entertainment VIP services costing $$

Napkin Nights Info / Events / Guest lists

Club Zone

Club Planet Guest list galore

Vegas Resource Not much of a site - instead you sign up and they email you news letters. Only worth it if youre a Vegas regular, but interesting to find out what new hotels are about to be built / clubs opened etc.

Nightlife Spot: Studio 54

Watch out for the "1 free admittance" tickets. Bouncer told us it was an advertising flyer and so was effectively useless. (We got the last laugh as our names were down on the guestlist anyway).

Came here on a Thursday night called Doll House, and although it was obviously of no interest to me, the gimmick is to employ attractive models to wander round the club and, by request, dress up in different skimpy outfits. Some are also painted as they podium dance by a body artist with possibly the greatest job on the planet. However I was here only as Studio54 is home to one of the few resident house DJ's in this hip hop / rock obsessed part of the world.

The club itself is meant to be replica of the original New York Studio 54, although as I'm unfortunately not a 1970's rock star, it would be a little hard to comment on its authenticity. They did have the mechanical moon and some acrobatic dancers on elastic ropes, but unfortunately the debauchery was limited to a bottle of Becks on the balcony.

Music was wishy-washy underground house (I couldn't name a single track for an hour), and although the mixing from the main (female) DJ wasn't too bad, the second girl that came on couldn't mix a cake. In fact she successfully managed to do the impossible and "warm the crowd DOWN". 'Highlight' of the night was the very tired sounding Armand Van Helden mix of Tori Amos "Professional Widow"... oh dear, no more to be said.

Crowd was in dire need of some stimulus, and one or two would have lost a 'dance off' with my grandma.

In the late 1970's Studio54 was probably the most unique space on the planet, but by the late 80's and early 90's, every tacky nightclub in the UK had unashamedly plagiarised their design and lighting. So, in the hands of the right DJ, this place could possibly be electric, but instead it reminded me of Manchester's Piccadilly 21 on a Wednesday night. Disappointing.

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Theme: Nightclub
Dress Code: Found this on the Guardian Travel pages. Feel free to replace 'Miami' with 'Vegas' or 'LA', as it sums up beautifully most nightclubs across America.

But the oddest aspect of Miami's cool clubs is how naff they are. The music is rubbish, ranging all the way from 50 Cent to Usher, and the clientele are dressed like they're going to the golf club (men) or to a mini skirt convention (women). Everyone is very beautiful, I suppose; flat-stomached and shiny-haired, with their tops tucked into their trousers - but they're not lively enough to work up a club atmosphere hotter than a menopausal flush. Oh well. After a few drinks, you stop caring, because Miami clubs are fantastic, enchanting environments, for all their strangeness. All they need are brilliant DJs: which they get during the Miami Music Convention, in March.

Miranda Sawyer
Saturday February 5, 2005
Phone: 1-702-891-7254
Directions: Reached via the gambling floor of The MGM Grand

Tue - Sat: 10:00 p.m. to 5am
Website: www.studio54lv.com

Nightlife Spot: More Night Clubs

There's plenty of "Free Entrance" tickets knocking about for Light, unfortunately they wont help you get past the unfeasibly selective door staff. With a queue and attitude as you would expect for a nightclub inside the Bellagio, if you do manage to get past the velvet rope, the stainless steel escalators that take you up into the thumping, dark unknown promise more than is delivered. Main room is bland and looks more like a school hall that has been decorated for an Xmas disco than a world class nightclub. In fact, it was that bad we searched in vain for another room, convinced there must be something more to the place, before finally leaving one drink later in the lift.

Didn't fancy the two hour wait for Pure in Caesars Palace Hotel, but judging by the queue, it seems to currently be the hottest venue in Vegas. Bad news fellas - separate lines for girls and guestlists mean splashing the cash is the only way in without a LONG wait. ICE is another uber-club we didn't try.

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Theme: Nightclub
Dress Code: Due to it's fantastic setting in the Treasure Island facade (built into a fake but highly realistic looking Mediterranean cliff-side village), Tangerine probably looks better from the outside than in. Time your trip here with very cheesy (but also highly entertaining) Sirens Show, as the patio gives you the best view in the house. Unfortunately the bar was closed for a private party when we went, but we blagged entrance to the viewing platform reserved for TI hotels guests - otherwise you're watching the show from the Strip pavement.

Bafflingly, Peppermill's Fireside Lounge (2985 S. Las Vegas Blvd. Cross Street: Convention Center Drive) gets an unfeasibly high score in both Citysearch, and Zagat . Extremely tacky restaurant at the front, but the highly rated fire pit bar at the back isn?t much better. With its dark lighting, mirrors and neon lighting this place would do much better as a strip club. Drinks tasted like novelty slush puppies. Sort of place you're likely to meet some ugly middle-aged swingers...
Website: http://www.vegas.com/nightlife