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At the end of the first convention`s day the announcer shouted from the stage above:
"Will you all attend the party tonight
", and the Trekkers bleated honestly
"yes - we are ready to being fleeced."
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The Hammersmith Le Palais was the nightspot where the party took place. So I went there in a very good mood and was shocked while approaching the entrance: Where were the Trekkers? All I saw were dozens of youngsters queueing up for admittance. Across from the nightclub there stood the same number of disappointed boys. I guess they were too young to be admitted. There was no sign of Star Trek, neither an announcement nor a fan in Starfleet-uniform. Fortunately the guy at the door accepted the ticket I had ordered by mail from Germany
(12,50£). |
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| Thus I entered the wondrous Saturday-Night-Life. But when looking at the dance floor, I was shocked again: Where were the Trekkers? Where were all the people who had answered
"yes" to the announcer`s question
just a couple of hours ago? Beautiful, barely dressed girls were dancing.
A lovely picture - but what did this have to do with Star Trek?
Was I at the wrong place or was I one day early?. Unfortunately I wasn`t.
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| The Trek community gathered at the gallery where you had a good view on the occurrence. Most of them loitered, almost none of them danced. The disco rythms couldn`t fill them with enthusiasm. At least I knew they shared my feelings about this event: This party was poor! In my opinion it was another big money business on cost of the current Star Trek boom. The promoter should have given further impulses. But he simply played the standard every-week music that only serves to fulfill the satisfactions of the steady customers. The Trekkers were obligatorily dressed which means they showed up in Starfleet-uniforms or other fancy dresses. But when for every Trekker there are two "ordinary" teenagers who just want to have their weekend`s fun there can`t arise a party-feeling.
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| Therefore here are my naive suggestions for the next Generations parties addressed to the promoter - may he ever read this:
- Rent a club that is a quarter of the size of the Le Palais.
- Play at least one titel per hour
that has something to do with Star Trek.
- Admittance only for those people who attend the convention.
- Leave the actors in their hotel and don`t misuse them as lures (Besides: Where was the free special gift pack that was promised on
the ticket - JPG - 82k).
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| And finally there is one further topic that disappointed me that evening: The stars! |
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| When I arrived at the party there were three actors present: Robert Picardo, Ethan Phillips and Jennifer Lien. Avery Brooks had already left. They were separated from the fans in the Le Palais` V.I.P.- lounge and were giving television-interviews. I stood there for an hour with about 20 further Trekkers and during that time period, none of the actors ever had a look outside to check on the party. But even when Jennifer Lien and Ethan Phillips left the V.I.P. - lounge quickly one by one, the waiting fans were not worth a glimpse to theme. Thatīs really sad!
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Jennifer and Ethan, who do you think who you are? Michael Jackson? The Pope? Q? Do you know the Trekkers as savage, fanatic and incalculable fellowmen? What do you think we would have done to you, if you had waved shortly to greet us. Do you think we could have injured you, if you had had a word with us? Of course an interview with the SciFi-Channel is much cooler than a first contact situation with 20 transpiring Trekkers, but if you act that way you had better stay at home! At least Robert Picardo showed the necessary grit and signed some autographs while leaving the club. The fans thanked him for that during his panel the following day.
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| Jochen Kugele, April 1996. |
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