The gays are rave-ing mad

Parties are meant to be a good time, but it seems two Victoria Day weekend bashes are turning into a turf war for two Montreal promoters. As expected, Robert Vézina and the Bad Boy Club Montreal are gearing up for their Wild & Wet weekend, held every year during the May long weekend. But Vézina saw red when local rave promoters 514 announced they would be holding their own party, Swirl, the very same night (May 17). >> "This sets a very bad precedent indeed," insists Vézina, saying his party could lose as many as 1,000 customers to the popular rave. >> Nonsense, says Ricardo, a partner in 514. Ricardo says the only reason for 514's choice of date is that Junior Vasquez, the DJ who's booked for the event, can only make it on that particular night. Vézina concedes he can't copyright a day, let alone a long weekend, but says he wishes 514 had chosen another night, noting they are a for-profit business while the BBCM donates a portion its earnings to AIDS- and gay-related charities. >> Vézina is seeking some kind of sponsorship from 514, hoping they will donate some of their profits from Swirl to the BBCM. Ricardo maintains that Swirl's crowd is predominantly straight while Wild & Wet is clearly a gay event, meaning the effect on ticket sales for either event will be marginal. >> The BBCM and 514 have agreed to discuss the issue to try to come to a friendly agreement, though one hadn't been reached by press time. --Matthew Hays