From superglue to clan wars: the wild Belgian discos
Belgian nightlife in the late 90s and early 2000s was not a place for the faint of heart. Doormen had the power back then and did not hesitate to show their muscles. Customers were tackled without mercy, the bare fist was in charge.
“Porters sometimes almost beat customers to death and no one dared to say anything,” Sylvie says candidly in an interview with ‘Het Laatste Nieuws’. “I was sitting on a cigarette cabinet, during a fight between an Albanian and Moroccan clan. If you were to drop today’s youth in the discos of yesteryear, I don’t know if they would survive.” Wout’s stories are actually even more impressive: “I saw a doorman break someone’s finger – ‘knéts’ – because the doorman thought he was walking in and out too much. That excited him. I can still see myself sitting under the disco bar when one clan of doormen came to claim ‘the door’ of the other with all their might. Porters were lord and master. “
Family ties, ‘naughty’ pranks and friendship for life
Despite the many challenges, Sylver maintained a close bond. They consider each other brother and sister, and that protected them over the years. And yes, Wout even protected his sweetheart once by ‘faking’ a man. But apart from that one act of revenge, Silvy and Wout remain true partners in crime, ready to still take the stage – with or without a good dose of nostalgia and solid stories.
(Foto: screenshot YouTube/Pickx)
From Superglue to Clan Wars: The Wild Belgian Discos
Ah, Belgian nightlife in the late 90s and early 2000s—what a time to be alive! It’s like Chuck E. Cheese for adults but instead of ball pits, you had bouncers who could double as heavyweight boxers. If you thought the thrill of a bad hair day was rough, try stepping into a Belgian disco where doormen took their job a tad too seriously. These weren’t your everyday nightclub keepers; they were more like ’the muscle’ of the establishment—which, by the way, was a compliment, not a red flag!
Sylvie’s recounting of those nights is enough to send shivers down your spine—she might as well be telling you about a horror film! “I sat atop a cigarette cabinet,” she casually mentions. And here I thought my teenage drinking escapades were edgy. Sylvie watched as clans clashed like gladiators—not over a throne, but probably over who gets the last portion of frites. Can you just imagine today’s youth navigating that battlefield? “Excuse me, do I need a TikTok tutorial for this?”
Wout adds fuel to the fire of nostalgia with his tales. It sounds like the doormen took ‘security’ to a whole other realm. Breaking a customer’s finger? Now that’s a special kind of welcome! Why bother with polite conversation when you could just assert dominance, right? I can almost hear the doorman saying, “You know, sir, we just fixed our feng shui, and you strolling in and out is really throwing off the vibe. As a result, your index finger has to pay the price!”
Family Ties, Naughty Pranks, and Friendship for Life
But let’s not forget Sylver’s own heartwarming twist to this saga. Despite the chaos and clan wars, there’s a bond here that seems harder to break than superglue on the family table after Christmas dinner. Sylver and Wout have turned into each other’s ride-or-die partners, surviving the disco world like two leads in a sitcom you simply can’t cancel! Wout, in a moment of true romantic bravery, ‘faked’ a man to protect his sweetheart. Now that is a classic move—algorithmically better than any rom-com plot!
So where does this leave us? Three decades on, and they’re ready to take the stage once again. With tales full of nostalgic chaos and stories that could easily fit into a Quentin Tarantino movie, these two might just show the next generation how it’s done—preferably without leaving anyone with a broken finger or an urgent visit to the emergency room!
(Photo: screenshot YouTube/Pickx)
From superglue to clan wars: the wild Belgian discos
Belgian nightlife in the late 90s and early 2000s was undeniably a tumultuous arena that could only be navigated by those with a strong constitution. During this era, doormen wielded significant power, often resorting to physical intimidation to maintain control over the revelers. Customers faced brutal confrontations, with the unrelenting fist taking precedence over diplomacy.
“Porters sometimes almost beat customers to death and no one dared to say anything,” Sylvie reveals candidly in an interview with ‘Het Laatste Nieuws’. “I was perched on a cigarette cabinet, taking in the chaotic scene of a brawl between a fierce Albanian clan and their equally aggressive Moroccan rivals. If you were to drop today’s youth into the discos of yesteryear, I genuinely doubt they would make it out unscathed.” Wout’s anecdotes are even more astonishing: “I witnessed a doorman break someone’s finger—’knéts’—just because he deemed the patron’s repeated entrance and exit too annoying. Such was the thrill of authority for him. I can vividly picture myself hiding beneath the disco bar as one clan of doormen stormed in to assert dominance over the entrance belonging to another clan. Porters reigned supreme, embodying an almost feudal power structure.”
Family ties, ‘naughty’ pranks and friendship for life
Despite the many challenges presented by this volatile environment, Sylvie and Wout forged a steadfast bond that transcended the chaos surrounding them. They consider each other as siblings, a connection that has shielded them from the worst of the nightlife’s perils over the years. In a memorable moment of loyalty, Wout even went to great lengths to protect his beloved by staging a ruse against a would-be aggressor. However, aside from that daring act of defiance, Sylvie and Wout remain inseparable partners in crime, always ready to return to the stage, bringing with them a rich tapestry of nostalgia and unforgettable stories from their wild youth.
(Foto: screenshot YouTube/Pickx)
**Interview with Sylvie and Wout: A Journey Through the Wild Belgian Discos**
**Editor:** Welcome, Sylvie and Wout! It’s fantastic to have you here to talk about the unforgettable Belgian disco scene of the late 90s and early 2000s. Sylvie, to kick things off, can you describe what it was like to navigate those nightclubs back then?
**Sylvie:** Thank you for having us! It was like entering a different world—one full of excitement and danger. Doormen, or ‘porters’ as we called them, had almost absolute power. You had to know the rules, or you could easily find yourself in trouble. It was a wild time, and the thrill was palpable!
**Editor:** Wout, you shared some pretty intense stories about the doormen. What stood out to you the most about their methods?
**Wout:** Oh, absolutely! The doormen took their jobs very seriously. I remember one incident when a doorman broke someone’s finger just for moving around too much! It was bizarre, but it happened more often than you think. Those were the days when you didn’t dare to challenge authority!
**Editor:** That’s a shocking way to ensure compliance! Sylvie, you mentioned witnessing a clan war between groups in the club. How did the atmosphere feel during those moments?
**Sylvie:** It was both thrilling and terrifying. I was sitting atop a cigarette cabinet when the fight broke out. People were getting tackled, and you could feel the tension in the air. Today’s youth wouldn’t know what to do in such chaos; it was like a gladiatorial arena!
**Editor:** Wout, amidst all that chaos, it sounds like you both formed a strong bond. Can you tell us more about your friendship?
**Wout:** Definitely! We became like family. Those experiences, both scary and exciting, brought us closer together. Sylvie and I looked out for each other through thick and thin, and our friendship has stood the test of time. I once pretended to be a tough guy to protect her from an unwelcome advance!
**Editor:** That’s both romantic and brave! It’s inspiring to see how you support one another. Now, looking at today’s nightlife, how do you think the scene compares?
**Sylvie:** It’s different now, for sure. Nightclubs are safer, but they’ve lost some of the raw energy we experienced. There’s less of that unpredictable thrill. Every generation has its own vibe, and the stories are still important, but I feel like we lived through a truly unique moment.
**Wout:** Exactly! We had our share of crazy nights, and though we might not have the same adrenaline rush today, those experiences still bring a smile to our faces. We often reminisce about those times while planning our next performance together.
**Editor:** Speaking of performances, are you planning to return to the stage soon?
**Sylvie:** We are! We still have the energy and the passion for it. With all the stories we have, we want to share them and maybe even give today’s youth a taste of the good old days—hopefully, with fewer broken fingers!
**Editor:** That sounds like an event not to be missed! Thank you, Sylvie and Wout, for sharing your amazing stories and insights into the wild world of Belgian discos. Here’s to your upcoming performances and the adventures yet to come!
**Wout:** Thank you! We can’t wait to unleash some nostalgia and fun on the dance floor!
**Sylvie:** Yes, thank you for having us!
