Oh to be Mario Diaz! He’s known to Angelenos as the guy who brought East Village debauchery to our once pristine gay nightlife world. He’s know to New Yorkers as the guy who started the raunch-filled party Foxy and opened The Cock, a bar that needs no explanation — it ran in its original location several years after Diaz moved west. Since his arrival he brought us sleazy parties such as Hot Dog and Big Fat Dick where jock exhibitionists, freaks and their admirers come out to drink, dance and be groped. Diaz closed Hot Dog in January promising to bring us something just as good — a promise he will fulfill this Friday the 15th (details below). Just as amazing as his success with his nightlife endeavors is his successful band, and acting career. He fondly recalls his recent Listerine commercial where he played “the lazy spic sleeping on a plane with bad breath.” In order to pin the guy down for an interview I had to meet him while he was dressing his gogo dancers for a night at Big Fat Dick — me and him in a room with stripping gogo boys. Oh to be Mario Diaz!

Real Gay L.A.: What was Hot Dog and what made you decide to close it?
Mario Diaz: Hot Dog was a dance party. Some very excited go-go dancers, fun themed sets, good dance music and cute drunk boys. Just the kind of Saturday night I like to go to. It went through 3 different venues over the years due to venues closing and then finally I ended the party. I’m sure it still had a lot of juice left in it but I was ready to make some change. I really didn’t want to continue doing the same party for the rest of my friggin life.

Tell us about your other party Big Fat Dick.
Well, it’s a dirty little fag club for the hornier set. Kick ass music and a nasty photo contest where you are the contestant and the judge. I do it Thursdays at Fubar in West Hollywood. Just your friendly neighborhood sleaze-fest.

I heard you’re going to be starting a new club night soon. Can you tell us a little bit about it?
Well, I’m starting a new Friday night at MJ’S in Silverlake. It’s going to be called SWALLOW and it’s gonna be a blast. Not to mention right by my house. It opens on Feb. 15th. Same basic formula but with a couple of surprises. I always like to have an interactive element to my parties. Something that the crowd can get down with if they want. You dirty little sluts.

You were a nightlife demi-god in New York. What made you want to move to L.A.?
Truth is New York City was starting to bum me out. The gentrification and the homogenization that is taking over the country really affected Manhattan in a big way. To watch the East Village, which has always been synonymous with nightlife, fashion, art and music begin to turn into the upper east side was rough. More and more low rise jean drunk girls with blackberries shoved up their asses were taking over my neighborhood and Giulliani was shutting down the sexy joints all over town. The new York I fell in love with was changing and I was changing as well. I felt like I was no longer moving forward. I had opened up my infamous sleazy little bar THE COCK and was having a blast. I was also acting with my favorite theater company in NYC and yet I still began to feel stuck. If I had stayed in NYC, I may still be doing the same things. Getting drunk and rocking a town that seems a lot bigger than it actually is. Having a blast but at a bit of a stand still. I moved to LA for the sun, the change, the acting gigs and to find a piece of ass I haven’t already had. So far so good.

What major changes have you seen since you moved here from New York?
Well my tan is better and I’m now only drunk 50% of the time. Also I’m not getting laid nearly as much. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m getting lazier or if I just haven’t met the right football team yet. In terms of nightlife things seemed a little flat when I got here. I found a couple of fun hang outs but I jumped right into throwing parties after very little LA time. I knew that what I did was well needed in this town and they seemed to eat it up. In fact until recently I’ve been throwing the very same two parties I started when I first moved here 6 years ago.

Do you feel you’ve made an imprint on the nightlife scene by being here?
Oh yeah, when I first moved out here there were very few dark, loud and sleazy go-go dance parties that had a sense of humor and style. Now there’s a handful of parties that I would go to. I know LA has an amazing history of wild parties and sexy nightlife. I remember visiting and being blown away by some of the characters I would encounter. So much great attitude and style. I feel my parties were well needed at the time I got here. I think I may have re-injected a little well needed good ol’ fashioned sleaze to the scene out here. That’s what I hear anyway.

What’s different about the L.A. gay nightlife this year? What’s changed? What will be changing? What is it people are wanting?
Well it’s all gravy. People want to go out, hear some good music, have a laugh, get drunk and laid. As long as there are a few good promoters and bars out there to do it in. We’re good. The faces may change but the gays remain the same. Over the years they have become more and more mainstream though. It’s not nearly as cool to be gay as it used to be. That does kinda suck. Not as many freaks as I’d like but what are you gonna do?

Jeffrey Sanker recently said Los Angeles gay nightlife is much stronger than Miami’s and New York’s. Thoughts?
Well I’m not In LA or Miami so I guess I’ll agree. I always knew that Sanker fellow was smart.

You have so much going on — you’re pursuing your acting dreams, you’re in a band and your clubs and dance parties have been extremely successful. What’s your secret?
I don’t know man. I’ve only ever known to be the kind of person that does what he enjoys. There’s really no secret to it. All I know is if there’s something that looks like fun and seems exciting, I’ll give it a try. I realize there’s always going to be someone who can do it better and it may not even work at all but at least I have the balls to take a chance. I know it’s a cliché but the greater the risk the greater the rewards. I mean, who doesn’t want to be a TV/movie/rock star who throws the best parties. It’s good stuff man.

Tags:Big Fat Dick, Fubar, hot dog, mario diaz, MJ's, swallow

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Matt Falber is the Editor-in-Chief of Real Gay L.A. Matt was formerly an editorial assistant at Frontiers Magazine. He served as a regular contributing writer for Frontiers for two years and also wrote for IN Los Angeles, its sister publication. Matt has a flare for the arts and when we don't have him chained to his desk, he can be seen singing and acting in various L.A. venues.
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