THE BASILICA: SL’S NEWEST AND HOTTEST NIGHT CLUB IN THE HISTORY OF NIGHTCLUBS – JOSH (THOMAS1 BELLIC) REPORTING

 

The other day, as I was strolling along the beach on the Blake Sea, I heard the faint sounds of music, wafting over the roar of the incoming surf.  I was instantly captivated by the Siren song, urging me forward.  I had to know where this magical sound originated.  After a perilous journey, traversing three whole regions, I finally located the source of this enchantment.  I was in the aptly named region of “Dark Rose”, and the music issued forth from the massive structure before me:  The Basilica.  I beckoned to two persons I assumed to be acolytes at this Basilica, asking that they share with me the story of this fantabulously amazing build (and yes, “fantabulously” is a real word.  Just ask my 6-year-old).  This is their story.

Josh (Thomas1 Bellic) (JB):    So, tell me, Trynn and Emi? Just what is the Basilica all about?

Trynn.Mildor (TM):   It is about feeding the soul - through music, through connection, through togetherness. It is about the thrill of the dance, about losing yourself in the beat. Because when we are swept away by the dance we become united, unified. We belong.

Emilysilkstone (ES):    Why do people come to SL? To escape from reality for a bit, to chill, to relax, to meet friends. We want to give them a good time because we think everyone deserves to have fun here. And a club is just perfect for this: bringing people together, listening to music, dancing, chatting ... you can do it all at the Basilica.

JB:   What a phenomenal build.  Did the two of you do this all yourself, or did you have help, and what did they do?

TM:    Oh no this is the work of Marcus Inkpen - we are more um ...  putterers together of things. - including ideas and people.  But we are in love with the building - the reflective floors, the high-arched vaults, and the majestic apses. we think are the perfect setting for a sacred experience like music and human engagement.

ES:    Well, I'd say "we threw stuff together and called it a club". The real artists are the creators of course. I'm the greatest admirer of all those amazing people creating amazing things in SL. And it's an honor to use them in our sim. We started with a central theme, a central story, then handed over to our imagination ... And this is the result.

JB:   Why did you choose this setting?

TM:    Well, we chose this beautiful building by Marcus firstly for a selfish reason - we love it. But also, we chose it as a sort of recognition that it can stand as a sort of metaphor for our devotion to music. Like faith, music is transcendent in nature. It lifts your spirits, it reaches the deep recesses of your mind that sometimes stay dormant.  It even has the potential to remind us of the vastness of the universe and how small we are in it. 

ES:    When I saw this Basilica for the first time, my jaw dropped. I've never seen such an amazing building. And yeah, my first thought was ... let's use it for a music club haha. I've seen RL (techno-)parties in churches and I was at Tomorrowland last summer, so yeah, this kind of scenery really adds to the experience. And I like it big haha. But don't put that in your article.

JB:   Certainly Emily…no double entendre or nuanced naughtiness here.  So…what kind of musical genre do you envision here, and what kind of guests are you hoping to attract?

TM:   There isn’t anyone across the Myers-Briggs personality spectrum that we don’t want to attract!  We think everyone deserves human connection. So, we hope for the passionate, the adventurous, the experimental, and the spontaneous but ... we hope to add some of those elements to those who do naturally or currently feel those things. Even those who aren't huge fans of EDM will find pleasure in the vibe, the awe-inspiring sense of the place, and the hot AVs dancing or hanging out. 

ES:    Well, personally I like almost everything! From techno to classical, from oldies to French stuff. But it will be a journey, taking off with EDM, techno, house, but also things like a dark wave ... ok ask Trynn hahahaha. And about our guests, well my doctor once said I have a big heart, so yes, there's room for everyone.

JB:   As you know, there is no shortage of adult entertainment sims in SL.  What is the “Basilica” difference and why should people come here for entertainment, vice go elsewhere?

TM:   Well The basilica is not only a dance club, or only a hookup place - it's an amalgamation of the two things. But that just makes sense if you think about real life. I mean, most of us have fallen in lust at clubs millions of times over. Because music can be sex ... and sex can be music. And a tad of lovense in the furniture will only add excitement into the mix.   The Basilica has a certain energy to it, a pulse. You feel it the moment you look up at those ornate windows and the apses, and then that first wave of neon brushes over you, and you feel you are somewhere special.  There are other little things too, like the couple standing poses discreetly placed around the floors and the exclusive balcony boxes that can be  rented out for private parties. But at the heart of it is our love for music - we are true devotees -  it translates into everything, from the DJs we pick to the themed events we'll be having.

 ES:    Oh, our unique selling points are many: first of all, our scenery: the fantastic Basilica, but also the buildings next to it: we have a cozy coffee house, a warehouse for illegal raves, a nice square for open-air concerts ... We'll bring the experience to social media, we'll even live stream to YouTube. We'll have Twitch DJ's in-world. And we'll implement artificial intelligence, so you can interact with NPC's. Fun Fun FUN!

JB:   Did I see some zombies wandering about the premises? What are they doing here?

ES:    Oh, did you spot me on a Monday early morning here? Guess I didn't have coffee yet.

TM:   (Laugh) Those are only for my own stress relief and amusement. When they are shot, they explode and there is great satisfaction in that... I sometimes forget them and they spawn across the sim giving visitors shock. Their days will be unfortunately numbered once the club is open.

JB:   Do you plan any special events here, and if so, how might people learn about them?

TM:   Oh yes!  We will definitely host themed events - both Emily and I are fiends for fashion and dressing up. The best way to stay abreast of upcoming events is to join the SL group: the Basilica @ Dark Rose, or to visit Emily's coffee shop - the hostess there is always up to speed with the latest gossip.

ES:    Yes. not only parties, but also fashion shows, car shows on the square in front of the Basilica, and even chess games with famous YouTubers. We're aiming for the next Eurovision song contest - ok, now I’m kidding.

JB:   Tell me about the Fire Station?  Do you have some ideas for that?

TM:    The Basilica for all its grandeur is situated among some old factories and warehouses, some tenements, and a skanky hotel.  One sees this often in urban development where a beautiful old building, often with historical value, gets engulfed by industrial plants and such. however, luckily these buildings  are quite beautiful in their own right. They have a gritty sort of glamor to them. We are hoping to make them available as a venue for hire and to host some parties in them - maybe old-school style raves could be amazing in there.

ES:    Well, we value safety and security, and as the Basilica is an old building, we rezzed a fire station as well. We had to. Insurance ordered us to do it. So, we're safe  now.

JB:   And how about the future?  Do you have any improvements or changes in mind for the weeks and  months ahead?

TM:   We are very mindful of feedback, sometimes you have to trial and error things, live with them for a bit to see if they work or not. So definitely we will be ready to adjust if we must. But we believe the bigger picture for the sim is quite feasible, and that the bigger picture slots together like pieces of a puzzle. For example, Emily's is a dainty little coffee shop with a marvelous view of the ocean; and there are plans underway for an acoustic lounge on the beach with mismatched beach chairs and gently crashing waves.  Also, down the line we would like to offer accommodations, those gorgeous old tenements are just asking to be lived in.

JB:   Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?

ES:    Yessss, Second Life is an amazing world. I think it's still the best virtual place around. And I hope to see all those amazing SL-peeps at the Basilica. And not only on Sundays. Well, you know what I mean. xox

TM:  We want everyone to come on this journey with us. Friends, family, frenemies, future friends … everything we do is transparent. We want people to share in the milestones, the successes and the mistakes. And when we fail at some things, we’ll fail forward. It’s sort of like launching a new tech platform in beta, we’ll throw all we have at it and make adjustments as we learn until it is the best possible user experience around.  

So, there you have it folks.   The Basilica is a feast for the eyes AND the ears.  Grab the LM below and hop on over and check it out.  You’ll be glad you did.

Tell ‘em Josh sent ya.  

Be there! Aloha

SURL:  maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Dark%20Rose/67/18/24

Flickr:  https://www.flickr.com/groups/14850893@N21/pool/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/1thebasilica

Discord: https://discord.gg/KC6cu4U9

DJ booking:  https:appointmentthing.com/thebasilica

SL Group: The Basilica @ Darkrose