Bad boys turn 10

>> The BBCM celebrates a decade of Black & Blue

by MATTHEW HAYS

The Bad Boy Club Montreal (BBCM), the city's circuit organizers, will unveil their 10th annual Black & Blue party, the crown jewel in their roster of year-round events.

And, as with every year, this year there are rumours to be dismissed. BBCM brass have been eager to set the record straight, so to speak. Here are the top rumours surrounding the event and what the truth really is:

- The Black & Blue main event, which will be held at the Olympic Stadium this Sunday night, stands a chance of getting cancelled because they don't have a liquor license. The event already has a liquor license, and has had so for months, thus there is no chance of the event being cancelled. Rumours have been circulating that the B&B stands a chance of getting cancelled for the same reasons that Swirl was cancelled last May. Not so, say BBCM types.

- BBCM has received terrorist threats about the event. There have been no terrorist threats against the event. Security, as always, will be in place to assure nothing goes wrong, say BBCM officials, who point out that of all the circuit events anywhere, theirs has proven one of the safest.

- Because of the recent blows to tourism due to the Sept. 11 incidents south of the border, ticket sales are way off. Not so, says BBCM prez Robert Vézina. In fact, because so many New Yorkers desperately want a break from their city, orders for tickets and VIP passes have gone up dramatically, with many planning to train, bus or drive in from Manhattan. Many of the regular revellers at the event come from Boston, Chicago, New York and Toronto, places where people can drive or train from if they don't want to fly. Ticket sales remain as robust as in previous years, Vézina insists.

Vézina does have rather serious complaints concerning the government administration of the Olympic Stadium, however. The provincial government body that oversees the Stadium has flat-out refused to give the BBCM any kind of discount whatsoever. "This flies in the face of what we're trying to do," says Vézina, pointing out that the organization has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to local charities in the past decade. Vézina reserves his harshest words for André Boisclair, the Quebec minister in charge of overseeing the Stadium. "Despite being openly gay, Boisclair has done nothing to help us."

Party hard, party safe

As well as the usual entourage of DJs (this year Manny Lehman, Satoshi Tomiie, Richie Rich Ladue and Chad Jack will all appear), the BBCM is unveiling debut programs at the B&B. In response to the consistent criticism that the circuit is all about unsafe drugging, a summit on drug use and party health has been arranged. Panel discussions and talks will focus on health promotion strategies, legal and health policy issues and the future of partying. A panel of DJs will also discuss how to throw a party safely. The summit takes place this Friday and Saturday, Oct. 5-6.

Celebrating its fifth anniversary at this year's B&B is the annual art exhibit and auction. This year's theme is reflected in the show's title, Identité, and organizer Kat Coric is particularly proud of the results, which improve every October. The exhibit has led to increased exposure for local artists and the auction has raised tens of thousands of dollars for the AIDS and community charities the BBCM donates to. Artists represented in the event include Luc Richard, Hermès, Carlos Quiroz, Zilon, Roger Thibault and Star Faraj. The opening cocktail for the show begins at 6 p.m., Friday, Oct. 5 at Hotel Gouverneur Place Dupuis (1415 St-Hubert) and the auction takes place on Sunday, Oct. 7 at 4 p.m. at the same place.

A hit at the Image&Nation gay and lesbian film fest, Circuit, Dirk (Man of the Year) Shafer's melodrama about the gay party scene, will again screen as part of the B&B. The film begins with a cop forced out of his job after being outed, then venturing to the L.A. gay scene to find himself. It's all a bit 90210, but circuit fans will want to see the first dramatic feature to ever try and capture this scene. The screening takes place on Saturday, Oct. 6 at the Théatre National at 8 p.m.

The 10th annual Black & Blue festival runs until Tuesday, Oct. 9. Info: 875-7026 or see the complete schedule of events on-line at www.bbcm.org