January 18th: Pub Meeting, The Village
We get asked a lot of questions, most of them are one of the follow questions. If the FAQs don't answer your question please feel free to e-mail us, we will try and give you as comprehensive answer as possible.
Q1: I am coming on my own, is this a problem?
Q2: Why do you have a dress code? What is it?
Q3: Do I have to arrive dressed?
Q4: Do I have to book in advance?
Q5: What sort of people go?
Q6: Will I be too young/old?
Q7: I don't know what I want to do, is it OK to just watch other people?
Q8: I don't want to make a fool of myself, how should I behave?
Q9: Will there be room to play, and equipment to play on?
Q10: It is my first time at a club, will I spend all evening sitting alone?
Definitely not. Most of the people that come along are single, of both genders, the rest are couples. We have never found any evidence of couples only speaking to couples and singles only speaking to singles. People who come to Nightshade tend to mingle a lot, they don't stay in their own little groups. There are some clubs where people tend to stick in the same little group all night. One of the many good things about Nightshade is that people are happy to talk to anyone, single or not. In the same way if you don't have anyone to play with it is a club rule that you can ask anyone if they will play with you, but please respect their first answer.
We have a dress code for three reasons.
Reason number one is to prevent people from being embarrassed if they do happen to meet someone they know from elsewhere. If one of you is in trousers and a shirt and the other one is wearing head to toe rubber, which one can pretend they didn't know what kind of an event it was? If everyone has to dress up then it means that anyone will know that someone else they meet there is there deliberately, and not by accident.
Reason two for the dress code is to only let in people that will adhere to the club rules. All groupings of people have rules, written or not. Our rules are kept to a minimum, but are very important, if someone won't keep to the dress code rule they may not keep any of the other rules. In the same way as we would expect you to keep to the rules it is rightful that you expect us to enforce the rules, and this we do. Some clubs don't enforce their dress code rules entirely, and as one rule goes by the wayside, so do other rules. If a club admits someone in jeans they may let someone take photos.
Reason number three is perhaps the most important. It's because Nightshade is a members club and the members have voted for the dress code to stay as it is at the last three AGMs.
Acceptable dress is usually listed as leather, rubber, PVC, metal, fetish, glam, crossdressing, lingerie, uniforms, fantasy or skin. There are ways of appearing to be in fetish dress without spending a lot of money. Each month there will also be a clothing theme that you can choose to dress to instead. If you have any questions about what to wear please contact us. We want you to come along and enjoy yourself, and we will help you however we can. In general, we would probably accept as fetish anything you would not be prepared to walk along the street in, or go to your local Asda or Sainsbury's wearing.
No, you can just turn up in your normal clothes and get changed once you arrive. Some people arrive, pay their entry fee then go and get changed. Similarly at the end of the night most people get changed before venturing out into the dark night.
You can just turn up, pay an entry fee of £8 for non members and £6 for members and go in and enjoy yourself. If you want to become a member then you can join at the door. There is a one off joining fee of £1 and an annual membership fee of £6. To become a member you must be aged 18 or over. Nightshade is a members club in that it is owned by the members. They are the ones who dictate which way the club goes, and what happens with the proceeds, they also get various member benefits such as reduced entry at various other clubs.
If you become a member we will never contact you unless you give us permission. The membership card does not give any clue to the club it belongs to, and we are obtaining reciprocal agreements with other fetish clubs to enable our members to attend at their members' prices, and vice versa.
All sorts. If you watch the people that walk past you in the street, they are the sort of people that go to a fetish club. They are male and female, gay and straight, single and attached, but all of them are tolerant... or are kicked out!.
No. Nightshade has people from 18-72 going to it. It is held in licensed premises so the youngest can be 18. We do not have an upper age restriction. The majority of them are 30+.
It's better to just watch until you get a feel for what's happening. If people are playing and you want to ask something, then wait until they are finished. Most people will be delighted that you are interested enough to ask, and glad to offer an explanation or to give advice. There is no compulsion to do anything at all. If you want to ask more, then look for one of our dungeon mistresses/masters.
As above. Also don't touch anything belonging to someone else without asking or being invited, not their possessions, nor their 'slave(s)', Just because someone is very scantily dressed, or not, is not an invitation to touch. If you want to do something with someone then ask them. They have the same right that you have to say No, and it means No.
We have a continual policy of updating and adding equipment, equipment is our biggest expense, after venue hire, but we think it is worth it. We have the best and most equipment in Scotland. We vary what we put out each night, but there are pieces in the open areas of the club, and in the secluded areas. It is up to you what you play on. If a piece is in use speak to the Dungeon Person, they will have a badge, and ask to book a place. They will let you know when it is free.
We make a point of talking to all people that come along to Nightshade for the first time. Once you arrive at the door the door person will ask you if it is your first time there, and then get someone to show you around. At some point in the evening someone from the committee will come and chat to you, answer any questions, point you in the direction of friendly souls. We will chat to you again towards the end of the evening just to check you have enjoyed yourself, and if not is there anything we can do to fix it. The people that come to Nightshade tend not to sit with in one little group all night but move around chatting to many people. If you hear a conversation that is interesting just go across and join in.