Clubland: The Fabulous Rise And Murderous Fall of Club Culture

by Frank Owen

In 1995, journalist Frank Owen began researching a story on "Special K," a new designer drug that fueled the after-midnight club scene. He went to buy and sample the drug at the internationally-notorious Limelight, a decrepit church converted into a Manhattan disco, where pulse-pounding music, gender-bending dancers, and uninhibited sideshows attracted long lines of hopeful onlookers. Clubland is the story of Owen's six year journey behind the velvet ropes, into the cavernous clubs where any transformation was possible, every extreme permissible--even murder.

At first, Owen found an unexpected common ground between very different people: stockbrokers danced with transvestites, pacifier-sucking "club kids" with celebrities, thick-necked jocks with misfits. But as money flowed into the clubs, the music darkened, the drugs intensified, and the carnival spiraled out of control. Four men defined the scene, all of them outsiders, who saw in clubland the chance to escape their pasts and reinvent themselves by making their own rules. Peter Gatien rose from a small Canadian milltown to become the most powerful club operator in America; Michael Alig, a gay misfit from the midwest, escaped to Manhattan where he won a legion of fashion-and-drug enamored followers; Lord Michael Caruso left Staten Island's bars for the rave parties of England, returning as clubland's leading drug dealer and techno music pioneer; and Chris Paciello began as a brutal Bensonhurst gang member, then recast himself as the glamorous prince of Miami Beach, partying with Madonna and Jennifer Lopez at the exclusive nightspots he created. Each of them had secrets that led them over the edge, and when when clubland fell, it left behind tragic human consequences: the disillusioned, the strung out, and the dead.

A tour de force of investigative and participatory journalism, Clubland offers a dramatic exposé of a world built on illusion, where morality is ambiguous, identity changeable, and money the root of both ecstasy and evil.

Genres: Nonfiction, True Crime, Music, History, Drugs, Crime, Pop Culture

323 pages, Hardcover

First published November 30, 2003

Reviews

[Greta is Erikasbuddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm very interested in the life and times of Michael Alig. He's almost like a hobby to me.

Since he got out of jail last year I have been following his career. He hosts a Youtube talkshow called the "PEW-EW" with Ernie Glam. Has had an art opening. And we're still anxiously awaiting his memoirs to be penned (which he has been doing for nearly 2 decades).

This book is not only about Michael Alig, Freeze, Angel and the gang but also the rise and fall of Peter Gatian. Who I can't believe never served any time for the drug trafficking that were going on in his club.

While you might be thinking you could just read "Party Monster" and get the whole story... if you have listened to the episode of "The PEW-EW" that tells the differences between what is fact and fiction in that book, this book might open your eyes up to other things that happened.

I did not really have any access to the NEWS when these trials were going on. But I do remember the Club Kids on Phil Donahue, Joan Rivers, and Geraldo. They were fascinating. How did they come up with those costumes? How did they have that lifestyle?

This book is written by a field reporter for the Village Voice who was doing a piece on Special K and also on Peter Gatian. A lot of Club Kids have been interviewed. Also, a lot of 'mafia' members were too. It amazed me the ties to the mafia these clubs had that were owned by Gatian.

Gatian was not involved... but he sure did have employees who were.

I was also amused to the ties Madonna had in the Miami nightclub owned by a previous employee of Gatians. And the mention of Sophia Vergara.

The Beastie Boys were also mentioned. They got their start in one of Gatian's clubs.

What was left out of "Party Monster" is the trial of Alig and Freeze. This interested me. And now I am curious to know whether Freeze is out or not. I have not looked into this.

There is a movie called "The Limelight" out that is about Peter Gatian that I plan on watching soon. The pictures taken of the club are just amazing. It really is a church on the outside! I do know that right now it is a gym. Someday I hope to see it.

All in all... this is a very informative book. I believe everything on Alig was what kept my attention.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frank Owen's Clubland: The Fabulous Rise and Murderous Fall of Club Culture offers a far more objective version of the same events in James St. James' Party Monster. Though St. James had the benefit of having intimate involvement with Alig and company, Owen takes a more measured, journalistic tone. Beginning with an investigation into the drug Special K, Owen moves through the subculture to offer a broader context of the 1990s New York nightlife scene, with corruption and criminality evident at all levels of management of the clubs and entertainment, as personified by the four spotlighted here: Michael Alig, Peter Gatien, Lord Michael Caruso and Chris Paciello. All four were key figures in the nightclub scene, and each in their own unique way, deeply involved with the more criminal aspects that would eventually destroy the utopian club kids ideals. From drug dealing and taking, to mob connections, to robbery and ultimately murder, it's all here, albeit set against a colourful and glittering nocturnal backdrop.

Despite the journalistic approach Clubland is, mostly thanks to the behaviour of the people involved and those within their orbit, far from boring. It is more than a look at a particular subculture, instead delving into institutional corruption and wider cultural issues. But the main heartbreak, the crux of the drama is the descent from the possibility offered by such an open, accepting, creative and proud community to becoming one riddled by drug addiction and serious crimes. It's more than mainstream co-option of subcultural ideals, which is often disheartening enough, but here it is like the subculture is unable to handle what it offers and devours itself in the pursuit of these self-created ideals. This was a really fascinating book, and one that works well read in tandem with James St. James' memoir of the same era.

One minor quibble? For an exploration of a scene that was so garish, bright and visually interesting, Clubland could have benefited greatly from a photo insert.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sex, drugs, and rock n' roll. Few things epitomized these cliched ideals like the mid-90s club culture. Especially Peter Gatien's Limelight and Tunnel nightclubs in New York City. They were a place for people to be whoever they wanted to be and anyone they never thought they ever could be, meet new people who will never judge them, and just have fun. But, you can't forget about the drugs. Ecstasy, roofies, Liquid G, Special K, you name it and it could be found at these clubs. Owen is a writer for the Village Voice who, while trying to investigate the ease by which drugs could be purchased at clubs, got sucked into the subculture of the people who inhabit them and probed further to find out their motivations. The focus of the book is on Gatien and many of his higher up managers, party planners, and competitors including characters like Michael Alig (the man portrayed by Macauley Culkin in the 2003 movie Party Monster), "Lord" Michael Caruso, and Chris Paciello, among a few others. The result is a compelling true story of love, hate, drugs, and murder among people who just want to escape the norms that bind society.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating read, though I could do without Owen's moments of moralizing and self-aggrandizing. This book wonderfully complements "Disco Bloodbath" in the sense that both (inadvertently) illuminate the policing and hierarchy that (inevitably?) arise in initially radical, subversive subcultures (of many kinds, though "club kid" subculture in particular here). I recommend reading the two texts together. You end up feeling like an expert on the subject - and you might just get the urge to interview your favorite NYC drag queen about her experiences with these communities in the 80's and 90's. (Maybe that's just me?)

[Leo Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lot better than I expected. The best journalism, at least that I've read, appears to come from the desire to exorcise something, to finally put it to rest- a lot of the time I questioned why certain sections were important and judged myself for my own prurient desire to savour salacious details, but in the end it's as I noticed de Botton tweeting recently, of all things: "Authors write things down in the hope, thereafter, to have to think about them a bit less", and that apparent drive is what makes this book great.

[Candice · Rating 2 out of 5]

In the author’s bid to be thorough, this book reads as tedious, desultory, and unfocused.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great look at the major players in an era that produced the most unlistenable music of all time.

[Jessica Zirkel-Rubin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmph. Not at all what I was expecting, which was a louche look at 90s club culture. Instead, this book focused on the behind-the-scenes minutiae of low-level mobsters, dirtbag drug dealers, and lunkhead cops swarming around club impresario Peter Gatien. The tone was especially annoying - the author seemed to fancy himself a gonzo journalist sampling club drugs but also a hard-boiled crime writer detailing wiseguy whacks.

Some fun name drops, though.

[Jernelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well researched interesting drama on drugs, drag queens, murder and crime. I found myself nodding off at different sub plots that didn't seem to connect at first. I felt it could've been a little less long winded and a little more fabulous. Opening chapters had colorful scenes that held my attention, court proceedings not so much.

[C.J. DeBarra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed it as I have an interest in Alig. However at times I found myself having to double check who was who. It was confusing to keep all the names straight. It was an interesting read to understand more of what the scene was like. I also found it filled in the gaps in my knowledge from documentaries on Alig, nightlife and the Limelight.

[Richard Coulson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frank Owen’s Clubland is a wild, high-octane chronicle of New York’s club scene in the 1990s—a world of excess, music, and mayhem where nightlife wasn’t just entertainment, but a full-blown subculture with its own language, politics, and dark undercurrents. With journalistic precision and a novelist’s flair, Owen takes readers deep into the pulsing heart of an era defined by ecstasy (in every sense), chaos, and cultural transformation.

More than just a history of clubs and DJs, Clubland is about the people behind the scenes—club promoters, ravers, dealers, dreamers—and how the convergence of drugs, capitalism, and underground music created a cultural phenomenon that burned brilliantly before imploding. It’s an unflinching portrait of an era that celebrated liberation and lost itself in its own intensity.

Reading Clubland, I couldn’t help but reflect on the themes I explore in Agents of the Universe. While Clubland captures a very real cultural movement rooted in late 20th-century hedonism and expression, Agents pushes these ideas into the realm of speculative evolution. Both books ask: What happens when subcultures, substances, and technology intersect to alter human consciousness and community?

In Agents of the Universe, I take readers beyond the dance floor, into a future where psychedelics, AI, and ecological awareness are the tools of a global consciousness shift. Like the club kids and visionaries of Clubland, my characters are seekers—only their dance floor is the universe, their beats synced with the rhythms of planetary change.

If Clubland gives you a rush of nostalgia or curiosity about the social revolutions born under strobe lights and bass drops, Agents of the Universe will feel like its spiritual successor—a next chapter in the ongoing story of how music, mind-expansion, and rebellion reshape society. Where Owen documents the rise and fall of a movement, I offer a vision of what might rise next.

[Gabby Lobby · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the glitz and glamour to seedy dark side of the Club Kids. I have always been fascinated by the club Kids. A group of outcast banned together to make their own club. If you’ve ever read Disco Blood Bath or watched Party Monster. This book dives deeper into to that world. There were so many things I didn’t know. The book talks heavily about Michael Alig (the King of the Club Kids), Peter Gatien (the notorious club owner), and the Mafia who was also involved. This books is great at giving us a different perspective of that world. My only complaint was there was a lot of repetition when it came to the story and the trials. If this is something your into this is a must read.

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started out strong. I was down right captivating, but really after the intro and maybe first chapter this book peters out. In the end Owen didn't really have much to say and instead filled the book with drab details about investigations and court cases that felt at times tangential to the story. It does have it's moments where it picks up but spends to much time on tangents that most people (atleast I didn't) care too much about.

[Daniel Guglielmo · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a club kid at heart born too late to see these events unfold firsthand, I loved this objective approach to the behind-the-scenes facts of the “Party Monster” story we’re more familiar with. I could see this book being extremely interesting to anyone not already familiar or interested in these events. Also loved touching on the club kids, but staying true to focusing on the rise and fall of Peter Gatien.

[Sinistre · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muchísima información no sólo del caso Alig, si no también de Gatien, Caruso, etc... Creo que es una buena lectura si te interesa en profundidad que pasó con toda esa movida de las discotecas de NY en los 90 y como terminó como terminó.

[Laura Nine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t believe this stuff really happened.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, skipped some parts to get through it.

[Sarah Boutin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed hearing a different side to this story. Read along with "Disco Bloodbath" and formulate your own opinion.

[Jay Pal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Third time i've read it. I love this book.

[Charles Willmott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Also, audiobook in the car. Quite an adventure.

[Tlingit · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a true crime book. It's not as entertaining as James St. James' "Party Monster: A Fabulous But True Tale of Murder in Clubland" but is more comprehensive. I found it a challenge to finish mainly because it didn't convey the spirit of the scene but what it lacked in "fabulousness" it made up in with names, background and details. Unfortunately it seemed like it was written like the more words that were included the more the author would get paid. Sometimes phrases were repeated and facts reiterated; the book could have used a better editor.
Don't expect a personal account all the way through. It's like a newscast rather than a slice of life piece. Saying I liked it by way of stars it not really expressing my opinion of this book. The author did a great job at gather facts and relating them but I found myself slogging through many parts of the book wondering when he'd get to the point. The index in the back was a solid addition to this news account. It REALLY could have used pictures.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I sincerely wanted to love this as I've had a quiet obsession with the Club Kid phenomenon since I saw Party Monster when I was way too young to be watching it. (I recently tried to re-watch it and I forgot how god-awful the acting is). So this should have been a blockbuster book for me--drugs! murder! drag queens!--but Owen is fairly straight-laced in his journalism. I also realized I'm stupidly picky with nonfiction, because I hated the memoir aspects of "Witches in America" but would have LOVED more on Owen's personal experience in the club scene. Instead, there's a lot of phone transcriptions, court drama, and a few too many cameos by PRESIDENT ELECT DONALD TRUMP which was honestly the most disturbing part.

Not so much about drugs as it is about the thugs who sell them.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

After having read this book I wondered what compelled me to read it. Who cares about these people? And unlikable cast of liars, thieves, snitches, crooked cops, mobsters, murderers, drugs and drugs and more drugs. Sounds interesting, but it's not. It's a sad commentary about people who do nothing but create havoc and take up space on the planet. The club culture scene may have appeared fabulous on the outside, but not too far underneath the glitz was nothing but ugliness. I didnt need to know, but now I do. meh.

[Fishface · Rating 4 out of 5]

The same story you read about in James St. James 's DISCO BLOODBATH, but completely different. This author was an insider in the club kids scene, but he was a journalist, not drowning in the lifestyle the way St. James obviously was. Offers a lot more background on the situation and gives a much clearer picture of how it all went down. On the downside, not nearly as hilarious as DB was...It would be well worth your time to read both.

[Frank Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frank Owen went into the Limelight like many of us. To listen to a new new sound of Techno music. What he uncovered was an underworld of drugs, kidnappings and death all dancing around the same groove. As an eyewitness to his account, there is no fabricated nonsense in this book. it is matter of fact, exact and precise to the timeline, making it a fascinating book to read.

[Jessi Sawyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed it, but it did go off into other characters involved in Limelight and the club scene in general that I wasn't expecting. This wasn't a bad thing, and it gave it more of a bigger picture feel, but I thought I'd be reading more about the club kids.

Still a very interesting and weird little piece of history.

[Glenn Van · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having visited the three clubs in the book myself, I observed some of what was written about but never knew the real story behind the scenes.

Owen documentation of both the NYC and Miami club scenes are well delivered and seems to report from a distance, not taking the spotlight (or Limelight) from the characters directly involved.

[Jacqui · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was far more cohesive than st James, but where that was disjointed and almost manic, this was dry... more detailed, but drones on a bit too much and it felt a bit judgemental vs telling the facts. the lifestyle still fascinates but like everything else that looks shiny and pretty, underneath it all is pretty dark and in this club scene pretty grisly and greedy

[John Treanor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a page turner. Not what I expected at all (oh, those goofy clubland kids, so cute), but more like a true crime novel about the drugs and violence behind the hood-infested club scene. An easy read.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was pretty good. Found out some things I didn't know about the whole ecstasy movement but it got a little drawn out towards the end with the court proceedings and a little confusing as to who's side who was on