Melbourne club promoter Will Cabantog’s party lifestyle in Bali

Melbourne nightclub promoter Will Cabantog moved to Bali for a simpler life. Instead, his many social media pages paint a picture of a man living the high life, littered with celeb selfies and posts about the endless party scene in expat haven Canggu.

Will Cabantog in Bali, where he moved to get away from the full-on Melbourne club scene.

If you’ve hit Melbourne’s party scene you have probably met Will Cabantog.

That’s the word among the nightclub community in Melbourne who are reeling at the news Cabantog and fellow hospitality figure David Van Iersel are in custody in Bali after police carried out raids as part of an ongoing drug investigation.

Cabantog had moved to the island paradise late last year in an effort to get away from the full-on Melbourne lifestyle.

But his many social media pages show a lifestyle far from the simple life with hashtags #toolittoquit and #seeyouatthebar littered on his many posts.

Will Cabantog regularly posts pictures living it up in Bali on Instagram. Picture: Instagram

It’s a far cry from the latest images from Bali, as local police escort a handcuffed Cabantog during a press conference. Photo: J.P. Christo

“Me and my Melbourne boys!! People ask me if I miss home truth be known no what I do miss is the people my friends and my family but every week I keep seeing more and more familiar faces coming to visit me.

“Come see the Bali Party Liaison only a 6 hour flight and phone call away,” Cabantog wrote in April.

In November last year, Cabantog was partying it up in Canggu with bad boy The Bachelor star Nick “Honey Badger” Cummins, and he was pictured at Bond Bar nightclub last October following the Grand Final with CFC president Eddie McGuire again with the hashtag “too lit to quit”.

A Instagram shot with Nick ‘Honey Badger’ Cummins.

With Eddie McGuire in Melbourne last year.

“Me and Eddie at last weeks Grand Final After Party @ Bond Melbourne was a great game nail biter to the end sorry to see Collingwood miss the flag but fair effort the boys played a tremendous game!!! Thanks for a great night boys!!! #bondmelbourne #bondbar #collingwood #eddiemcguire #afl #grandfinal #afterparty #toolit2quit #moresavagethanaverage.”

Several other photos of Cabantog show him partying with celebrities such as Ruby Rose and Nick Giannopoulos.

The guy who can make things happen

It’s understood Cabantog first hit the Melbourne party scene 18 years ago later working as a bar manager at Eve nightclub.

He is described as the guy who can make things happen.

“Everyone who hits the town or goes out in Melbourne knows who Will is,” one reveller told the Herald Sun. “He is that guy who walks into a club, straight up to the ladies and says ‘how you doin’?’”

Will Cabantog’s Instagram post with stacks of cash.

Cabantog previously worked at Eve and Boutique.

Living the quiet Bali life.

After several years pouring drinks and looking after Eve’s VIP clientele of footballers and leggy models, Cabantog was let go from the now defunct South Melbourne nightspot owned by brothers Nick and Daniel Russian.

He later went on to have stints at several more CBD hot spots including Boutique and Club 23 as a promoter.

Van Iersel is described as less showy. Former colleagues from his time working as a manager at St Kilda’s popular Captain Baxter say he is a “great fella” and “lovely bloke”.

After working at the St Kilda rooftop hotspot, friends say Van Iersel opened his own restaurant and bar in Fitzroy, Dolly Gray before also making the move of a simpler life in Bali.

The lure is luscious. Endless summers, non-stop partying and business opportunities on the cheap to be made.

But it’s not all pina coladas in the sun.

The duo are now holed up in custody as they work with police following several raids in the Aussie expat mecca Canggu beachside area this week.

Writing on his Facebook page recently Cabantog said he needed to change his lifestyle. Fighting mental health demons he decided to move to the popular resort destination late last year. “My perception on life has changed,” Cabantog wrote, “I’m not the man I used to be. I actually found myself here on the island.

Will Cabantog (centre) posts about loving the Bali party life on his Instagram.

Instagram posts from one of Cabantog’s accounts.

“I was struggling with depression and anxiety to the point it was taking over my life. Constant thoughts of suicide looking to find purpose.

“Not being able to get out of bed or answer the phone. I found myself as a character playing a role in different sequence of movies with different plots and storyboards.

“I wasn’t myself and I didn’t know who I was. I was so engulfed in the scene that all I knew was to serve purpose to others rather than serve purpose to myself order to feed my depression, but after being here I can honestly say I have found myself I don’t have to play a role or pretend anymore and have learnt you love myself with all my faults and flaws.”

But several people living in Bali who have mixed with Cabantog told the Herald Sun that you cannot transplant the heady Melbourne night-life scene to Bali.

Lost City nightclub where Cabantog had been working as a promoter. Credit: J.P. Christo

“It’s different here, you can’t be a loose cannon or have a big mouth,” one said.

“If you run around like a goose it’s only a matter of time,” said another.

“A lot of Melbourne people come over here with money thinking they can cut and paste their life here. They throw cash around like it’s going out of fashion and big noting to the wrong people.

“But it’s a different place here, you can’t act like that in a place like Bali.”

Several Melbourne nightclub figures told the Herald Sun they are rallying around the duo and working together to try and bring them home.

It’s understood Cabantog was working as a promoter at Canggu’s Lost City nightclub — which was run by his former Club 23 colleague Gehan Rajapakse — when the raids happened.

There are no charges against the duo. They are being questioned by police.

Will Cabantog regularly refers to Bali as paradise. Picture: Instagram

Among the Australians who have been caught up in Bali’s dark side include the Bali 9, Schapelle Corby and Michele Leslie.

The fate of these names, their lengthy prison stints rotting in Kerobokan jail, or execution by firing squad, seem a hazy memory to several of the Melbourne expats living it large in the tropical paradise of Bali.

One Aussie expat living in Canggu said Mr Cabantog made his presence known on the Bali scene pretty quickly — perhaps too quickly.

“It’s so dangerous, people forget how dangerous Bali’s underbelly can be.”

Who is David Van Iersel?

The other Melbourne man arrested during the Bali raids is David Van Iersel.

After working as a manager at St Kilda rooftop hotspot Captain Baxter, he opened his own restaurant and bar in Fitzroy, Dolly Gray, friends confirmed.

Business documents show that Dolly Gray’s parent company, 312 Brunswick St Pty Ltd, of which Mr Van Iersel is a director, is now under external administration after running into financial troubles.

It was placed into administration on February 20 last year.

David Van Iersel.

David Van Iersel was also arrested.

A document from the liquidator in August last year showed 25 unsecured creditors, including tradesmen, power providers, butchers and wine suppliers, were owed $91,000.

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The liquidator also says a stocktake of the company’s inventory “predominantly included ­alcoholic and ­non-alcoholic beverages with an estimated value of $1628”.

“The majority of the goods listed were either stolen or soiled and were not capable of commercial recovery,” the liquidator said.

Originally published as Melbourne club promoter Will Cabantog’s party lifestyle in Bali