Culture club? by MIREILLE SILCOTT In New York, in the earlier '80s, Area was a club that combined the trendoid art scene and the dumb-ass club scene. It was pretty revolutionary. You could be having a cocktail, checking out someone in a blue Patti Labelle haircut doing an interpretive dance, listening to some synthy dance-oriented rock, standing next to a junk art statue of the holy communion. That sorta thing. In Montreal, in the late '90s, Area is a club that claims to be "based on all aspects of avant-garde culture within a club environment" too. Wow, like, will there be a virtual snowboard field and a make-a-track sound lab? Er, no. But there will be DJs! Lights! And sound! And food! And... rooms! So spare us the flyer jargon, please. Fact is Area is a club with a safety-net structure. During the week it's a venue creatively titled Box Office. A place to go see a Dan Bern show, like. But on the weekends, watch out! That's when it becomes "a robo-sonic techno mecca... essential for your afterlife." Which means, they clear out the plastic beer cups, give the chip stand a rub down, the floor a sweep and turn on the expensive zinging lights. The big schtick Area's got going is what Nicholas from Channel, one of the people hired to do PR, calls "a mixing of cultures." To be blunt, it's a French/English thing. Promoters Millenium are known for their fabulously young francophone techno-raves. And probable resident Mark Anthony plays house and thus is called an "old English DJ" by those who go to Millenium parties. In what seems to me like a bizarrely outdated move, there are thus "house" and "techno" rooms at Area. For the opening, Mark Anthony, Pfreud and Barbara are in the former. Philgood, Sativa, Yaz and Fred Tune in the latter. Maybe it's so the two cultures clashing it up at Area can do it without actually seeing each other. Danny Casseau from Reload also plays tomorrow's Area opener (Friday, April 3).1204 Ste-Catherine E., info 851-1444. >>> News you need! David DiSalvio is alive and well after being ceremoniously beaten by police and thrown in jail from the closing-night raid on Yoda's Den last month. His club High Bar is to open mid-April. He promises. * Next weekend is Easter weekend, which means lots of gay costuming. The huge Resurrection party ($25) with Alain Vinet and Sylvain Girard is at Metropolis Saturday, April 11. And Bal en Blanc, the gayest party in MTL run by ROD-STRAIGHT promoters Hardcore Crew (this year with token fags Playground Prod.), is on Sunday, April 12. Roger S. is coming in to play. Tickets $25/30. Info: 723-CREW. * Copyright Liberation Front is back in this space by popular demand! I just couldn't say no to those two nice people. DJs, please send your pieces of TDK Gold to 3am Eternal, c/o the Mirror, 400 McGill, H2Y 2G1.