Boozecan used to work in the legal bar scene and was frustrated by the sketchy after-hours clubs he and his co-workers had to frequent after their shifts. Many years ago, he started running an unlicensed late-night party place for people to dance and drink after the bars close.
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Relationship with the cops?
“At the beginning it was difficult. They would come in, break up the party, smash a disco ball, break a turntable. Eventually, they saw that everything was cool – no one was hurting anybody and there were never complaints from the neighbours – so they could just turn a blind eye to it.”
Organized crime dealings?
“Without getting too specific, there have been times when that was a source of tension for us, but it’s not any more. It’s a big city, and there are other places for them.”
Do late-night festival licences affect your business?
“Business gets quite slow. I still think they should have late-night drinking on a permanent basis, though. If it puts me out of business, let it happen.”
How do liquor laws cramp our style?
“We’re one of the only places in the world where you have to call them ‘booze cans’ or ‘after-hours.’ When I go to another city and someone asks what I do, they assume ‘after-hours’ means a regular club. I try not to explain it.”
