Goth Customers find Bar Sinister a dark delight
By Vasiliki Marras
Oct. 29, 2003 9:00 p.m.
With fog machines abounding and ornate candles illuminating the
route to the bathroom, Bar Sinister is the spot in Los Angeles for
finding your inner goth persona.
Many associate the goth subculture with middle-class high school
kids who dress in black, listen to Marilyn Manson and Slipknot, dye
their hair green and wear a permanent scowl that’s only half
makeup. But most Bar Sinister customers are (seemingly) functioning
members of society in their thirties.
Hosted in Boardner’s, a classic Hollywood watering hole on
Cherokee Avenue, Bar Sinister has been running strong for about
five years. Club founder Tricia LaBelle started Bar Sinister after
a break-up left her wanting to branch out in a new independent
direction.
“I got a lot of support when I started this, and
that’s been the backbone of the club,” LaBelle said.
“A lot of negative press has made the goth scene look like a
dark freak show. But I wanted to start an alternative bar
dedicated to rock and underground music. We love all kinds of
music.”
After entering a candlelit alleyway, there is a small sitting
area adjoining a large courtyard with a fountain in the middle and
a stage along the back. Turning right after entering directs
the patron into the inside bar area with a dance floor and 30-foot
ceiling. Winding stairs lead to a second-floor bar and a
partitioned room ideal for a bondage show. Sizeable leather
couches and matching ottomans are found in many of the large
room’s corners.  Â
Given its location and haunted- mansion ambiance, Bar Sinister
is the “it” goth bar in Hollywood. Most patrons
abide by gothic dress standards, allowing for a cohesive mix of
costumes: one part punk, one part woodland nymph, two parts vampire
chic, and of course, all black.
Though cocktails are on the pricey side, Bar Sinister is a great
place to spend a particularly authentic Halloween. The club has a
good mix of ages, an almost equal balance between those barely 21
and seasoned vets of the bar scene.
Set among clips from gory horror movies projected on the walls,
public whippings and a dance floor soundtrack varying from dreary
to angry, the Bar Sinister crowd is surprisingly peaceful and
friendly. Anyone caring to eavesdrop would be treated to tips on
where to get the best corset or which tattoo artists were behind
their latest body art. Whether full-time leather wearer or closet
goth, the laid-back atmosphere makes it easy to mingle.
“This is the only club in L.A. with this kind of positive
vibe,” LaBelle said. “Other area goth bars might
look down at the mix of people we have here, but I have never had
any incidents here, not in the five years I’ve been running
this.”
Safe but erotic, the club’s whip and rope fetish show is a
good indication that you are not at Bob’s Pretty Good Sports
Bar down the street. But for the torture-skittish, one can always
meander downstairs and admire the scantily-clad bar dancers. Or go
watch the band. Or dance into oblivion. Â
The arching doorways and high ceilings, along with the mounted
candle holders, give the club a haunted mansion feel. Two
fountains with dry-ice fog pouring over the sides provide kitsch as
well as a sense of intimacy. Aside from steep drink prices and
large crowds, Bar Sinister is an enjoyable place to spend a
Saturday night. A little intimidating from the outside, everybody
on the inside is friendly. It allows for clubgoers to soak in
the goth atmosphere without worry.
Bar Sinister regulars are attracted to the club’s boldness
to defy the mainstream. LaBelle’s effort to start a club like
the ones she grew up with, and her determination to promote it as
an alternative venue rather than a strictly gothic one, makes it
appealing to more than just a specific L.A. clique. And after five
years of opening its doors to the lost souls and vampires in search
of fun on a Saturday night, it appears her formula has had an
immortalizing affect.
“I come because it always bounces back,” club
regular Lady Blade said. “It always survives.”
Bar Sinister is open Saturday nights at Boardner’s in
Hollywood at 1652 N. Cherokee Ave. Visit www.barsinister.net for
more information.
