Bobbi, 34, has been working as a dancer and showgirl for 12 years. She performs a 15-minute full strip routine on Friday and Saturday nights at the Pure Platinum and Men's Gallery clubs in the city, writes Jonathan Pearlman.
'When you're 18, you don't think you're going to be a stripper. The first time I went completely nude I was very shy. It was in a private gig in Tokyo, me and my sister, and we got paid really well. The lights were so dark and we were terrified, crawling around on the floor trying to not let anybody see and then we snuck off. Now it doesn't bother me at all. It's the highlight of the show, apparently. Suddenly all the sleepy patrons in the front wake up.
I was going to be an accountant. I had started doing a bachelor of commerce in Perth but I hated it. My sister was dancing in Japan and she called me and said they needed another dancer. So I went across and stayed there doing cabaret shows for seven years. My parents were devastated. Mum's cool about it now. Dad knows, but he doesn't really want to talk about it.
My husband knows what I do. I met him in Dancers Cabaret, giving a lap dance. That's where most of the girls have hooked up with their boyfriends and husbands - in the club. Where else are you going to meet guys? We're in there every night. There's no social life. At least there's no secrets between us. He knew what I was doing from the start and I knew what he got up to on weekends.
I don't find the show degrading. What I find degrading is when you're not being watched - if guys turn their back to you or keep talking or talk on the phone while you're dancing. I hate it, but it comes with the territory and you can't show with your face and you have to go 'Oh, i just love how you're ignoring me'.
I prefer working weekends. During the week the guys want to eat their steak and look at you occasionally. They're often with clients so they don't want a lasso round their neck while you're straddling them. On weekends you get a lot of bucks and birthdays and single guys and students who have just turned 18 and it's all very exciting.
I play around with the buck. I put my whip around a guy's head or put my hat down on a head. Anything where you're making a fool out of them gets the best response. Anything that's interactive gets the best reaction but you've got to be careful, the rules don't allow much customer participation. If you're fully dressed you can pull guys up and play around, but if you're in a bikini or less you're not allowed to bring anyone on stage.
Mostly they're just so toasted they don't even know they've had a show. They either don't want to get involved or they're too eager. You've got to push them and play and hold them back with one hand at the same time and other times you've got to hold them up.
On weekends I play more Bon Jovi and Pearl Jam. When they're drunk, the guys all suddenly remember the words. They're all singing along and they put their arms around each other. It doesn't matter what I'm doing on stage at that point."
Just google, and the answer:
ReplyDeleteFrom the Sydney Morning Herald, January 27 2003
The Naked Truth
Bobbi, 34, has been working as a dancer and showgirl for 12 years. She performs a 15-minute full strip routine on Friday and Saturday nights at the Pure Platinum and Men's Gallery clubs in the city, writes Jonathan Pearlman.
'When you're 18, you don't think you're going to be a stripper. The first time I went completely nude I was very shy. It was in a private gig in Tokyo, me and my sister, and we got paid really well. The lights were so dark and we were terrified, crawling around on the floor trying to not let anybody see and then we snuck off. Now it doesn't bother me at all. It's the highlight of the show, apparently. Suddenly all the sleepy patrons in the front wake up.
I was going to be an accountant. I had started doing a bachelor of commerce in Perth but I hated it. My sister was dancing in Japan and she called me and said they needed another dancer. So I went across and stayed there doing cabaret shows for seven years. My parents were devastated. Mum's cool about it now. Dad knows, but he doesn't really want to talk about it.
My husband knows what I do. I met him in Dancers Cabaret, giving a lap dance. That's where most of the girls have hooked up with their boyfriends and husbands - in the club. Where else are you going to meet guys? We're in there every night. There's no social life. At least there's no secrets between us. He knew what I was doing from the start and I knew what he got up to on weekends.
I don't find the show degrading. What I find degrading is when you're not being watched - if guys turn their back to you or keep talking or talk on the phone while you're dancing. I hate it, but it comes with the territory and you can't show with your face and you have to go 'Oh, i just love how you're ignoring me'.
I prefer working weekends. During the week the guys want to eat their steak and look at you occasionally. They're often with clients so they don't want a lasso round their neck while you're straddling them. On weekends you get a lot of bucks and birthdays and single guys and students who have just turned 18 and it's all very exciting.
I play around with the buck. I put my whip around a guy's head or put my hat down on a head. Anything where you're making a fool out of them gets the best response. Anything that's interactive gets the best reaction but you've got to be careful, the rules don't allow much customer participation. If you're fully dressed you can pull guys up and play around, but if you're in a bikini or less you're not allowed to bring anyone on stage.
Mostly they're just so toasted they don't even know they've had a show. They either don't want to get involved or they're too eager. You've got to push them and play and hold them back with one hand at the same time and other times you've got to hold them up.
On weekends I play more Bon Jovi and Pearl Jam. When they're drunk, the guys all suddenly remember the words. They're all singing along and they put their arms around each other. It doesn't matter what I'm doing on stage at that point."