By Andrew Taylor and Mary Ward
It’s a policy found in some of the world’s most exclusive nightclubs.
At Berghain in Berlin, De School in Amsterdam and Hi in Ibiza, those lucky to make it off the queue are informed of the “no phone” rule, barring clubbers from filming and taking photos inside.
The sticker placed on patrons’ phones when entering the relaunched Chinese Laundry.
And when an old-school favourite dirty nightspot reopened in Sydney CBD last week, it too joined the list of clubs trying to keep people off their screens.
On entry to the relaunched Chinese Laundry, which closed in 2020 due to pandemic restrictions and remained shut for four years, patrons receive a sticker to cover their mobile phone camera.
Merivale head of music and nightlife Nick van Tiel said the venue, within the Slip Inn pub, had been inspired by approaches to mobile phones in nightclubs abroad.
While the stickers – designed as “laundry instructions” with a line drawing of a phone with a cross through it – are completely optional, van Tiel said the response from the club’s mostly Generation Z patrons had been positive.
“It’s encouraging to see the community embrace this concept and focus on just enjoying themselves rather than taking photos with flash, which affects the lighting that we’ve specifically designed for the club,” he said.
“There aren’t any consequences imposed on those who choose to remove the sticker, but so far everyone’s been really supportive of the idea, and it’s had a very positive effect on the experience inside the club.”
Night Time Industries Association chief executive Mick Gibb said it was not surprising the trend has come to Australia.
“It’s been fairly common around the world in other nightclubs for some time,” he said. “If it encourages community building it could be a good thing.”
The Burdekin Hotel on Oxford Street in Darlinghurst has considered banning phone cameras for events, but general manager Aran Tanaka Van de Ven said the policy is “not something that we would be likely to implement across the board”.
Tanaka Van de Ven said smartphones were so ingrained in people’s lives that “I don’t necessarily think they ruin the atmosphere of a venue”.
“Depending on the event or entertainment, having a large volume of people recording can make a performer feel validated as well – as if their performance is worthy of being captured,” he said.
But he said discouraging phone cameras in venues may make patrons feel safer – particularly for an event with a queer audience.
“A ban on cameras can ensure that these people feel safe from public scrutiny, or potential backlash from their work or communities if video evidence of this aspect of their identity spreads,” he said.
Discouraging the use of phone cameras may also encourage people to go to a venue and experience it themselves rather than rely on social media, Tanaka Van de Ven said.
“In terms of alienating patrons, I believe that it may have some implications on less-abled folk, that may use social media to experience less accessible spaces vicariously,” he said.
Co-founder of popular Sydney nightlife social media channel Bondi Lines Josh, who has never given his surname publicly, said the stickers were well received, but denied there was a problem with people spending too much time on their phone while in a nightclub.
“I think most people just think it’s a bit of a gimmick,” the 27-year-old said of the stickers.
“The only time people are using their phones at nightlife events is when people are at massive events, or live music. On the average night out, there’s not a problem.”
Josh said there had been “heaps of hype” ahead of Chinese Laundry’s reopening. Bondi Lines’ live updates showed a long line to enter on Friday, while on Saturday it reported tickets to the club had been exhausted.
Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.