Lady C of Le Clan PDF Print E-mail
User Rating: / 0
PoorBest 
Written by Hany Sevcikova   
Please help Barman Guide spread the word ...
Technorati Mr. Wong Stumble It! Diigo BlinkList Reddit Del.icio.us; Digg This!

Clemence Vasek came a long way to find her destination.

 

Clemence Vasek

S
he decided to leave Paris to follow her Czech husband to the capitol of his native country, to Prague.

 

After just a short while, she got fed up with living without her biggest pleasure, running a nightclub, and created one in her own image. Prague club-goers rejoice!

 

The rococo scene framed by heavy red curtains, everything drowned in darkness, dimly lit with burning candles... Heaven and hell, good and evil. So here we are, talking to the lady who opened a French-style club for those who start living after sunset.

 

BarmanGuide: How would You compare opening a club in Prague and Paris?

 

Clemence: Ten years ago I worked as a PR person for the best nightclub in Paris. The only reason I stopped was my daughter, I just didn't want to work at night anymore.

 

But she has grown and I felt like going into my own business again. To open a place in this city is much easier than anywhere in France. On administrative basis, finding the right location, hiring people... and also there are no problems with mob, at least not for the moment (laughs).

 

Yet I had little difficulties with czech mentality, people here are more paranoid, therefore I cannot afford to make a mistake, because they 'd think I want to f*ck them over.

 

I have to be very careful, they wouldn't forgive me even the smallest error. I have to be perfect. But if You know the history of this country, You understand.

 

BarmanGuide: What kind of people go to your club ?

 

Clemence: 50 % Czechs, 25 % Americans and 25 % French and I would like to point out, the latest ones above here in Prague are very snobbish.

 

People who go to Le Clan are friends, old and new, who adore this country for its progressive attitudes and passion for life. That is very important to me because my husband is Czech and I love this country.

 

Not too many people know our name and address because I decided not to advertise. It is my choice and I like it that way. The French- style means that club is more private, more like a family.

 

For example nobody pays entrance fee. Maybe later when my club is well-known, I will have a doorman to decide who can come in. But I have time for that, definitely not yet. And it won't be for rich people, only for original, strange and friends.

 

BarmanGuide: You are here almost every night, I suppose. Is there anything particularly interesting happening, you would like to mention?

 

Clemence: Le Clan is a place where anything is possible. On Wednesday I do Sex parties. There are go go dancers, strippers, lesbian or by the sado maso shows. The difference from other clubs is the show is not made by our girls but customers.

 

They can have whatever they want, and everybody loves it. Most of special events take place at the VSP (very strange people) room. I don't want to talk about it too much so it wouldn't loose it's secret. But after all, I can always lock the door and let in just somebody.

 

You can also buy to whole bottle of liquor when you got some extra cash on you and drink it later when you are broke (plus soft drinks with it are free). But the typical situation here is that because Czechs drink so much that they generally finish the bottle the night they buy it.

 

At the beginning some people found my specialities and secrets strange but gradually they started to like the private atmosphere. You know, the frequent club-goers are the same everywhere. They drink, smoke and dance to forget about what's heavy on their minds. And that is what connects them.

 

By the end of the day, nobody cares about stupid little troubles, social differences and so on. Everybody is having a good time, enjoying themselves. That is why I love people of the night.

 

BarmanGuide: What are Your plans for the future?

 

Clemence: I want to open another club downstairs, about 400 square meters, in the similarly style like you see here. I would like to have DJ and house music, because people come here for it and I want to give it to them.

 

In October there will be a restaurant with French cuisine upstairs instead of cafe which is there right now. You know, people get usually hungry after a lot partying, and so do I. So the restaurant will be open till about 5AM.

 

After Clemence left to do her work, I stayed on the bar to have a drink and to feel the atmosphere. There was a beautiful young girl dancing in a middle of a stairway moving her body in a rhythm of house music and striping her cloth in front of an old painting of Jesus who seemed to be watching her, hypnotized... Thank you, Clemence, for sharing your world with us.

 

Kelly: And it requires a business plan and a business strategy and a business model just like any other business. End of the day, we work to meet our bottom line as well.

 

Be prepared and committed enough to invest three quarters of your daily life into it. Unless you're prepared to do so, it would be a rather tedious job!

 
Please register or login to add your comments to this article.

talk of the town

  • Crazy Elephant
    The Crazy Elephant is one of the best places in Clarke Quay! More...
    06.08.09 11:15
    By jeffree

Drink Cool

The Good Life
10/12/2008 | M. Salah
article thumbnail

Living it up... you'll be dead soon enough anyways...  


The Most Interesting Beer Campaign in The World?
16/01/2009 | Francis Pruett
article thumbnail

Ladies and gentlemen, I urge you to expose yourself to The Most Interesting Man In [ ... ]


More cool stuff

Bar Stars

An Irish Gent in Prague, Frank Haughton
10/12/2008 | Rob Young
article thumbnail

Frank Haughton moved to the Czech Republic in 1993 with one goal in mind; to open  [ ... ]


Dennis Foo & Andrew Ing of St. James Powerstation
09/12/2008 | Mark Koh
article thumbnail

Unless you've been living under a rock, you must have at least once enjoyed a ni [ ... ]


Meet the Team

World Venues

The Forbidden City
11/12/2008 | Darren Ho
article thumbnail

Indochine takes chillin' to a whole new level... with Forbidden Ice Palace...  


The Butter Factory
09/12/2008 | Cher Tan
article thumbnail

Hip-hop lovers, be sure NOT to give The Butter Factory a miss if you really like to get down.  


Brasserie44
06/02/2009 | Barman Guide
article thumbnail

Walk into the Royalton’s playroom lobby, survey the noisy young scene, then retreat to the soporific Brasserie44, secreted on your right just inside the hotel’s front door.  [ ... ]


Ou Thai Restaurant
11/12/2008 | Eslynn Su
article thumbnail

A slight air of sadness hovers over this Beijing Thai restaurant. Iron chairs and multi-coloured cushions create a pleasant but cold atmosphere at this restaurant, which is a key g [ ... ]


B.B. Bar (The Bungy Bar)
10/12/2008 | Adeline Loh
article thumbnail

The cocktail selection here is splendid with 69 different choices.  


Beaver's American Pub
10/12/2008 | Adeline Loh
article thumbnail

The location is great, considering it's surrounded by a host of eateries and away from the usual over-crowded stretches of pubs.  


More World Venues

Prague Venues

Cocktails in Prague
11/12/2008 | Alex Waddell
article thumbnail

Alcohol's a way of life and good for the economy. It's keeps those certain people off the streets at night. Cocktails must be Prague's unsung secret.  


U Krale Jiriho
11/12/2008 | Barman Guide
article thumbnail

U Krale Jiriho (King George's) shares the same passageway as the James Joyce but not necessarily the same clientele.  


Do they drink a lot in Prague?
26/01/2009 | Casey Coler
article thumbnail

A friend of mine celebrated her 21st birthday in Prague a while back...


Molly Malone's
11/12/2008 | Barman Guide
article thumbnail


You know right away that this crowd isn't Czech.  


Rocky O'Rielly's
10/12/2008 | Keith Kirchner
article thumbnail

If you find yourself down on Vaclavske nam., turn up Stepanska and find yourself the no-frills, keep-to-the-basics Rocky O'Rielly's and try to find yourself a seat in what is undenia [ ... ]


Prague Bar Anagrams
11/12/2008 | Dan Levine
article thumbnail

An anagram is word or phrase formed by rearranging the letters of another word or phrase, not some new specialty cocktail...  


More Prague Venues

Bartending

Bartending Tips10 Top Tips on Making Cocktails
Derek Rogers
article thumbnail

Cocktails are not only savoury to sip but also look exciting and fun to drink; they are perfect for celebrations as they tend to elicit a pleasurable response among drinkers. Fortu [ ... ]


Glossary of TermsWhat is TIPS® Alcohol Awareness Program?
Barman Guide
article thumbnail

The TIPS® Program provides graduates with intervention strategies for handling difficult situations.   Also beneficial in third-party liquor liability lawsuits, providing a 'reas [ ... ]


Glossary of TermsWhat is Flair?
Barman Guide
article thumbnail

Working Flair is the style of flair used behind the bar on an everyday shift.   It consists of many quick, light moves in the drink building process and does not detract from spee [ ... ]


More Bartending...

Think Magazine

Got an itch to see the world? Think Travel has lots of inspiring ideas for destinations!.
Think Cinema covers cinematic DVD reviews, plus celebrity profiles and interviews.
Do you relate? Think Relationships offers relationship and self awareness tips.

Gashaus - Where the Music Lives

Come check out the best little music website on the net... the Gashaus! No, you won't find any free MP3 downloads (yet) but what you will find are some insightful CD reviews, band interviews and DJ profiles, music venue reviews and witty takes on what makes the music great.

We're talking music reviews by some of the wittiest scribes to grace the pages of Think Magazine and then some. We hope you enjoy, and if you'd like to contribute, join us in the member's lounge!

FashionBrain, Thinkin' About Style

FashionBrain.com is your place for fashion, the latest gadgets and totally cool automotive reviews.