Club Royale Sunshine Coast performers share glimpse into their lives

Queensland strip club dancers may not make the six figure incomes that some OnlyFans creators do but neither do most OF creators. So what are the pros and cons of dancing in a club versus performing online? TAKE A PEEK

Strip club dancers can be make good money but nowhere near the top OnlyFans creators like the Maddison Twins’s $300k a month (right) or Renee Gracie’s $200,000. But most OnlyFans creators don’t consistently make as much as dancers at clubs.

Queensland strip club dancers may not make the six figure incomes that some OnlyFans creators do but neither do most OF creators.

So what are the pros and cons of dancing in a club versus performing to fans in front of a camera?

Current and former performers of the Sunshine Coast’s only strip club have shared how they are navigating the new era of adult entertainment.

Club Royale Sunshine Coast opened its doors in 2023 after it changed owners and rebranded from Secret Door.

Performer Siren and former performer Pepper, who wished to use their stage names, shared how their work at the club compared to their time using OnlyFans.

Siren, 29, has been working at Club Royale since early 2023 and juggles her work life between studying and taking care of her two children.

Siren ran an OnlyFans account for a few years, concluding there was a vast difference between the platform and working as a dancer.

Siren juggles her work life at Club Royale Sunshine Coast and taking care of her two children. Photo: Rod Moore Photography

Similarly, Pepper, 20, also trialled OnlyFans but grew concerned about external sites leaking her content for free.

Initially, her content on the platform produced decent income but steadily went downhill.

OnlyFans vs. strip club: How much can you earn?

Siren said a lot of women join the industry thinking they can make “ridiculous amounts of easy money’’.

But as they will find OnlyFans can be a “24/7” job which requires a lot of hard work and some lucky to be successful.

Siren said she had respect for content creators, with the most successful having a social media following prior or having worked tirelessly for years to build their account and retain followers.

OnlyFans twins April and Amelia Maddison are said to earn more than $300,000 a month on OnlyFans.

While some of Australia’s top OnlyFans creators generate six figure earnings every month, they are not the norm.

Grey Space Advisory findings estimate the average content creator on OnlyFans earns about $180 per month.

TikTok and OnlyFans star Anna Paul is reported to earn more than $130,000 a month.

Using OnlyFans blog insights which estimated about 1 per cent of social media followers subscribe to an influencer’s OnlyFans account, one would need 10,000 social media followers to earn $1,000 per month, presuming a monthly subscription costs $10, Grey Space Advisory found.

Pepper from Club Royale Sunshine Coast, said she had made anything from $1000 in a weekend to $200 per night. Photo: contributed

It’s a long way from The Maddison Twins – who were listed as the country’s highest earning creators in 2023, who are said to earn more than $300,000 a month.

Pepper said she had made anything from $1000 in a weekend to $200 per night as a dancer.

OnlyFans twins April and Amelia Maddison

Siren stressed the importance of acting smart financially with serious variation of income night to night.

Siren: “My worst night as a dancer, I made $10, but in the last three nights I’ve danced, I’ve earned $4085.” Photo: Rod Moore Photography

“My worst night as a dancer, I made $10, but in the last three nights I’ve danced, I’ve earned $4085,” she said.

Despite the ups and downs, her gig at the strip club meant Siren no longer had to work 40 hours every week with little money left over from living expenses.

The 29-year-old said entering the industry was the best decision she ever made.

The new era of OnlyFans in the adult industry

Despite the rise of OnlyFans, Siren said she did not believe the platform was to blame for the decline in earnings for dancers.

She instead contributed the decline to the effects of Covid and cost of living.

Siren said strip clubs and OnlyFans catered to different clientele, with some seeking privacy and comfort of their own home and others look for in-person conversation and connections.

Pepper said her move into stripping first started as a joke between friends in high school, stemming off her outgoing personality Photo: contributed

Siren said a “refreshing” increase in female patrons and customers have visited the venue in recent times.

“I do believe the attitude towards the adult industry is slowly changing and people are realising that we provide an important service to the community.”

Pepper said incidents of sexual assault have also pushed some performers to OnlyFans to provide distance between customers and performers.

Some OnlyFans creators even have managers to take care of the profile and private messaging, furthering that distance, she noted.

‘Most well rounded and beautiful people’

Siren came to love the flexibility of self-employment, working hours to fit her schedule as a mother and student.

Siren said she made lifelong friends through her work, which she struggled with in previous “normal” jobs.

“Despite the stigma attached to the adult industry, I have never felt more comfortable, and supported,” she said.

“The women who work within this industry are some of the most well rounded and beautiful people.”

Renee Gracie is one of Queensland’s biggest earning OnlyFans content creators with a reported $200,000 a month income.

Pepper was also able to study at TAFE twice a week during her time working at Club Royale.

The 20-year-old said it first started as a joke between friends in high school, stemming off her outgoing personality.

Checking out a club with a partner one day, she came to envy the performers onstage.

She said it felt like a confidence booster and a way “to get power back from men” after she was treated badly in the past.